The Swamp

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Wed Jun 14, 2023 7:38 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Jun 14, 2023 6:49 pm Anyone ever use insurance for food lost to a dead fridge?

Would you meat your deductible?

#golfclap

The washing machine has stopped spinning or draining. It's a basic Admiral top-loading washer, probably thirty years old.

I figure the machine needs replacing. But I know that sometimes a water drain filter gets clogged and needs to be removed and cleaned out, but I can't see any reference to such a filter in the manual. Would a 30yo washer be expected to have a filter that we could access and clean out?

You could take that spinning tub out and see if there's anything clogging it, not really too many parts in those things

Steve of phpBB wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 5:01 pm The washing machine has stopped spinning or draining. It's a basic Admiral top-loading washer, probably thirty years old.

I figure the machine needs replacing. But I know that sometimes a water drain filter gets clogged and needs to be removed and cleaned out, but I can't see any reference to such a filter in the manual. Would a 30yo washer be expected to have a filter that we could access and clean out?

https://homesteady.com/how-6189429-clea ... chine.html

Have you seen these instructions?

30 years? Thing deserves to retire.

You will never get another one that good. Prepare to wait 2 hrs for a wash and replace every 5-8

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 6:38 am You will never get another one that good. Prepare to wait 2 hrs for a wash and replace every 5-8

Or you could replace it with a Speed Queen and be just fine.

Yeah we've replaced one washer and one dryer in my married life. Not at the same time. So 24 years, 12 years an appliance, I'm happy with that, let alone 30 years.

Cleaning that filter out cut our wash time in half.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Jun 14, 2023 6:49 pm Anyone ever use insurance for food lost to a dead fridge?

I know this post is old but when I was landlordin' the fridge died and my tenant's renter's insurance covered the lost food.

I'm fully expecting that the washer is done and it's time for another. I would just feel stupid if we replaced the washer - and of course the dryer too - and it turned out it was just a clogged filter.

Pro tip: the washer and dryer don't have to match. When we got out replacement washing machine, I didn't upgrade the dryer because the washer was so much better and used less water, so the dryer had no problems and worked better because the new washer drained better overall.

Its even better if you can entice both to burn out within 72 hours of each other. #packagedeal

Quality of these machines has gone down greatly. Consumer Reports on all these machines scores low. There are none that have scored high. Especially on reliability

Guess whose garage door opener bit it today?

This sounds like what happened to our old washing machine, which turned out to be a malfunctioning timer. The machine wouldn't change cycles at the correct time. It was about a a 50-50 shot the washer would run normally, but when it didn't, itr would either be filled with water or drained, but not gone through the spin cycle after enough time had passed for the load to be finished (the dial ran through the full cycle even though the machine did not).

I asked for the "no longer available" part number from the repairman and found a compatible replacement part on Amazon. My wife bought it and installed it (pretty sure she watched the repair on YouTube). That may have cost less than the one hour for the guy to come out and tell us it couldn't be fixed.

A_B wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 12:06 pm Guess whose garage door opener bit it today?

We have a two door garage and I’ve had my truck in the driveway because we have too much shit. Decided a few weeks ago to clean it out enough to park the truck in there because I can’t handle this heat. Two days later, kaput.

Giff wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 4:19 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 12:06 pm Guess whose garage door opener bit it today?

We have a two door garage and I’ve had my truck in the driveway because we have too much shit. Decided a few weeks ago to clean it out enough to park the truck in there because I can’t handle this heat. Two days later, kaput.

Oof.

Our dishwasher broke about a month ago. Looked at the part that we were told we needed by the error, 250$ and on backorder and we hate the current dishwasher so ordered a new one (couldn't get a Bosch, also back ordered so we settled for Samsung. Guys deliver and they can't install because the jamokes that put in the flooring covered the feet at the front and they can't do anything but physically install the unit. So go and order the part still haven't gotten it. Have a loose acquaintance that looks at appliances and comes over and it's not just that part, but also a pump so my wife searches around and finds a display Bosche at half price that I'm picking up tomorrow.


Also, I think you guys know that we're restoring an early 80s VW camper. We removed all the windows and painted it and tried like hell to get the windows back in with my brother's assistance but could only get 2 of the 5 we removed back in over the weekend. They have a thick ass rubber seal that is about an inch and half thick that you slip around the window then move over a slip of the body to hold in the window hole. Total pain in the ass. Well this evening we got the other 3 in using a shit load of WD-40 and some rope we used to slide the seal over the metal slip. Jesus I never want to that again. The van looks awesome though, totally better than the 40+ year-old shit that was in there. We're paying someone to do the windshield.

ETA: also spread about 4 tons of gravel to xeriscape the front yard and planted about 70 plants that we won through a state of CO contest to save water. My back is in pain.

Got garage door fixed. Today a storm blows through and rips a shutter off

Anybody have experience with tree law?

Huge branch fell in our yard while we were away. The culprit is a dead tree that my neighbor claims is 75% on his property (which he rents out) and the survey says (no pun intended) that he could be right or that it may be higher than 75% but we’d have to do some measuring.

Regardless, if we were to agree that his % is correct, is it custom that I assume 25% of the cost to take down the tree? I’ve never had this issue and want to do what’s right while not getting screwed in the process. Branch is too big to move and I’m not letting anybody back in my yard because I don’t want anyone getting hurt, so I’d like this done quick ) but I didn’t say the last part to him. He said he’s getting someone to come out and do an estimate, but I should get my own estimate too, right?

I’d ask the town and then depending on what their answer is decide whether fighting about the money is worth the relationship with your neighbor.

The one time we did something like this, to take down a huge oak that was on the border but probably more on their side, we split it because we get along with our neighbors and even though my preference was to trim it.

I had a tree service come out to cut limbs that were too close to my house. My wife still has PTSD from the October blizzard 10+ years ago. A bunch of my neighbors trees needed trimming, but all the branches were on my side. Tree service said I didn’t need the neighbor to agree to it since it’s on my property. I cleared it with him first and I paid for it. If it’s a full tree with the base on his yard and branches on your side, I’d say that’s his responsibility, but I wouldn’t fight over a few hundred dollars.

rass wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 6:18 pm I’d ask the town and then depending on what their answer is decide whether fighting about the money is worth the relationship with your neighbor.

The one time we did something like this, to take down a huge oak that was on the border but probably more on their side, we split it because we get along with our neighbors and even though my preference was to trim it.

Yeah, I don’t want to poison any wells.

Yeah, obviously. At most drastic, simply refuse to pay.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 6:25 pm I had a tree service come out to cut limbs that were too close to my house. My wife still has PTSD from the October blizzard 10+ years ago. A bunch of my neighbors trees needed trimming, but all the branches were on my side. Tree service said I didn’t need the neighbor to agree to it since it’s on my property. I cleared it with him first and I paid for it. If it’s a full tree with the base on his yard and branches on your side, I’d say that’s his responsibility, but I wouldn’t fight over a few hundred dollars.

This is my understanding. You can trim any branches hanging on your property, and the base of the tree is what determines whose tree it is. BUT...a lot of times trees were used as survey markers so technically it could be on up to 4 properties!

Once again I am regretting not taking that Arboreal Law seminar that comes around every couple of years.

fuck Whirlpool including any all sscociates of Whirlpool inc. motherfuckers.

3 y.o. Fridge compressor crapped out over the weekend and it was noticed til Sunday night. Monday my handy conformed what it was and that I should check the warranty, and it’s covered in their limited warranty.

So what’s the problem? Sing it with me now: the next available appoint is Sept. 11th (7-5 timeframe really narrows it down on a day which would require burning sick day which is additional compensation lost) and as per the Whirlpool authorized dealer rules, I have to lay out a &139 just to get them to come, that will go towards any fix but returned if that company wants to claim it something else.

Live without a fridge for 2 weeks or get charged $750 to get compressor replaced while the entire unit was $1000. It’s almost like it’s a mechanism designed for whirlpool to not to have to stand behind theyr products and honor their aggreemenrs because technically I’m making the decision not to go 2 weeks w/o a fridge.

Not sure what it will do to file consumer affairs complaint in NJ.and see if that does anything more than what o think it I’ll do, which is nothing.

Fuck Whirlpool

cerranoredux wrote: ↑Tue Aug 29, 2023 11:10 pmFuck Whirlpool

This is the way.

I took the day off today ... to finally attempt to address the <gulp> mushrooms I have just started to see growing in the corner of my basement. Fk me.

Went to Lowes and got bleach, iron brush, goggles, N95 masks, gloves, 10'x10' plastic dropsheets, and some whisky (sold separately) and my wife and i went at it. I *think* (definitely wishful thinking) that the cause wasn't necessarily that our basement is fucked - although it may still be - but an old shelving unit we moved in here from the unfinished part of the basement a year ago. The shrooms had sprouted only in that corner near the shelf so we geared up and hauled it to the curb - definitely tons of spores on the blackened underside and the shag carpet was a fking mess underneath.

Cut about 6 square feet of the shag carpet from the corner of the room, wife killed some hideous unnamed bug, threw everything into a few garbage bags i sealed the fk out of, bleached the corner of the floor, laid down some old drywall (yup) underneath and cut a new patch of carpet for over it, caulked a bunch of loose floorboards, have run the humidifier nonstop and opened a small window, and am now sufficiently drunk.

I honestly think it looks half-ok. I never do house repairs - never. I pat myself on the back for replacing a light bulb or vacuum bag. So I'm calling it a win for today.

related: we'll definitely need to start thinking about selling

Nice! Next thing we hear is you doin’ the drywall up there at the new McDonald’s up in Las Colinas.

Giff wrote: ↑Mon Oct 02, 2023 8:58 pm Nice! Next thing we hear is you doin’ the drywall up there at the new McDonald’s up in Las Colinas.

Good one, Giff! Even better than Coo Coo Cachoo!

Giff wrote: ↑Mon Oct 02, 2023 8:58 pm Nice! Next thing we hear is you doin’ the drywall up there at the new McDonald’s up in Las Colinas.

He'd probably rather skip to the two chicks at the same time part.

long way away from the million dollars thus far, alas

Bosch wall oven has started with errors and shutting off. We've been throwing the breaker on it to reset over the past week or two.

Last night it had the error, but this time it locked the door and put itself in cleaning mode with a few minutes left on a frozen pizza. Luckily we caught it in 5 minutes, but the pizza was charcoal.

Service is scheduled for next week. Google tells me I need a new temp sensor and a main board. Those cost $250 online. It requires taking the oven out of the wall. Dismantle the front panel for the board and the back panel for the sensor. That's beyond what I want to get in to on my own. With the mandatory $200 minimum visit charge and markup I expect it to hit around $700.

Living without an oven has been a pain.

For that is it worth it just to get a new one?

I mean, depends on what your baseline standard is for an oven. I think a decent convection is going to cost you $1000 or thereabouts.

My concern is spending $700 and then it's just the start of the thing crapping out altogether.

Like, I'm at the point with my Passat (2012) that if anything substantial needs repairing, it's going to the scrap yard. I'd rather hit up CarMax then put another $1k into it.

If you can swing it, I'd absolutely pay $1,200 or whatever for new and installed over $700 for repairs.

testuser2 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 03, 2023 10:03 am Bosch wall oven has started with errors and shutting off. We've been throwing the breaker on it to reset over the past week or two.

Last night it had the error, but this time it locked the door and put itself in cleaning mode with a few minutes left on a frozen pizza. Luckily we caught it in 5 minutes, but the pizza was charcoal.

Service is scheduled for next week. Google tells me I need a new temp sensor and a main board. Those cost $250 online. It requires taking the oven out of the wall. Dismantle the front panel for the board and the back panel for the sensor. That's beyond what I want to get in to on my own. With the mandatory $200 minimum visit charge and markup I expect it to hit around $700.

Living without an oven has been a pain.

It really fucking sucks when you have to buy a whole new oven because the electronic controls go out. Somehow we managed to use ovens without electronic controls for hundreds of years, can't they just default to 1955-mode?

When this happened to us last year, the repair people could not find a replacement board because the model had changed. So we ended up having to buy a whole new oven.

Can't remember what kind of oven we have but about 6 months ago it started beeping out of control with an error message - I couldn't shut it off until i killed the power. The heat got overwhelming and I looked up the error - seems similar; it was a sensor issue.

I'm not recommending this as a fix ... but I pulled the entire unit away from the wall, vacuumed out the (rather gross amount of) dust in all the vents in the back, then inside the oven itself I literally just wiped the temperature sensor clean with some Mrs Meyer cleaning spray. ... haven't had the issue since <KNOCKS PAINFULLY ON WOODEN DESK>

Ovens super-heating when there's an error doesn't seem like good failsafe design.