Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[John Galt III]

Hoping to be able to repair a leaking Homelite weed whacker gas powered 2 cycle. Leaks gas where 2 lines enter the plastic gas tank from above. Looks like some plastic grommet has come loose there. Afraid to use force without knowing what's what. Will visit a store and look at a similar weed whacker to see what a non-leaking one looks like.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Hoping to be able to repair a leaking Homelite weed whacker gas powered 2 cycle. Leaks gas where 2 lines enter the plastic gas tank from above. Looks like some plastic grommet has come loose there. Afraid to use force without knowing what's what. Will visit a store and look at a similar weed whacker to see what a non-leaking one looks like.

The fuel lines are probably shot. They're easily replaceable -- a bunch of eBay vendors sell replacement lines ... like this https://www.ebay.com/p/16011419574?iid=383148215800

 

[RetiredGypsy]

I just had to strip my motorcycle down to the frame under the tank just to get to the connectors to replace the crap plastic stock turn signals that keep breaking. Every European vehicle I have ever owned has been a bear to deal with when it came to any kind of electrical work whatsoever.

 

[ckelly78z]

Rebuilding a lifting hydraulic arm on my old John Deere backhoe (1 of 2 bucket tilt arms). I already replaced the original hydro hoses on the FEL, just need to replace rear hoe/control hoses

 

[travelover]

......Every European vehicle I have ever owned has been a bear to deal with when it came to any kind of electrical work whatsoever.

Is Lucas Electric still in business?

 

[Music Lover]

I installed a new HW tank in January and now the hot water stinks...that's common around here due to the mineral content of the well water. Once the anode rod starts to corrode often the hot water starts to stink.

I had previously moved the tank as it was in the way of some plumbing work so this evening I drained it to move it back and while it was empty I removed the anode rod and no longer have stinky hot water.

 

[wmc1000]

I installed a new HW tank in January and now the hot water stinks...that's common around here due to the mineral content of the well water. Once the anode rod starts to corrode often the hot water starts to stink.

I had previously moved the tank as it was in the way of some plumbing work so this evening I drained it to move it back and while it was empty I removed the anode rod and no longer have stinky hot water.

You should look into a powered anode rod as you need something to prevent the corrosive nature of the well water from attacking the tank itself. If you have no anode rod your tank won't last very long.

Powered anode rods are non-sacrificial rods (meaning they don’t degrade like a normal anode rod) which use electrical pulses to deal with corrosive elements in your water. These pulses scatter the harmful electrons, preventing them from accumulating along the lining of your tank.

Overall, there are quite a few advantages to using powered anode rods. They don’t degrade, prevent smelly water (by killing anaerobic bacteria that leads to that rotten egg smell), and protect your hot water heater from corrosive elements in the water.

 

[ERD50]

You should look into a powered anode rod as you need something to prevent the corrosive nature of the well water from attacking the tank itself. If you have no anode rod your tank won't last very long.

Powered anode rods are non-sacrificial rods (meaning they don’t degrade like a normal anode rod) which use electrical pulses to deal with corrosive elements in your water. These pulses scatter the harmful electrons, preventing them from accumulating along the lining of your tank.

Overall, there are quite a few advantages to using powered anode rods. They don’t degrade, prevent smelly water (by killing anaerobic bacteria that leads to that rotten egg smell), and protect your hot water heater from corrosive elements in the water.

+1. I only learned of these electric anodes after our new water heater developed this odor and after I replaced the anode with the alternate type. (I think the old one had the anode worn out). I wish I had gone electric instead.

They have that at Amazon for ~ $120. Here's a top seller.

https://smile.amazon.com/Corro-Prot...words=powered+anode+rod&qid=1569586526&sr=8-4

-ERD50

 

[Music Lover]

You should look into a powered anode rod as you need something to prevent the corrosive nature of the well water from attacking the tank itself. If you have no anode rod your tank won't last very long.

I had thought about getting one but never got around to it. I should probably look into it.

 

[SmallCityDave]

Repaired my lawn mower, I bought a carb rebuild kit for $5 from Amazon and went to town I was blown away that my repair worked.

 

[travelover]

I had thought about getting one but never got around to it. I should probably look into it.

I also removed the anode rod due to stinky water and my water heater only lasted 21 years.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

Is Lucas Electric still in business?

In spirit, if nothing else. It is a Triumph bike after all

The saga continues. Had to order a special spacer because the thread of the turn signal assembly otherwise digs into the radiator hose to the point where I can't get the washer and bolt on to tighten it down.

 

[travelover]

In spirit, if nothing else. It is a Triumph bike after all

The saga continues. Had to order a special spacer because the thread of the turn signal assembly otherwise digs into the radiator hose to the point where I can't get the washer and bolt on to tighten it down.

Is Triumph still using Whitworth threads?

 

[ls99]

Is Triumph still using Whitworth threads?

If so, that would be a triumph of longevity.

 

[target2019]

I listened to a friend go on about his 1-year old pressure washer, and how it wouldn't start. This friend is very mechanical and capable.

I decided to not try my 5-year old pressure washer, and fixed it by buying a small electric Ryobi pressure washer. It has lasted at least 4 hours of use.

In due time I will try the larger drag-around washer, and decide its fate. Maybe give it to my friend?

 

[zinger1457]

I listened to a friend go on about his 1-year old pressure washer, and how it wouldn't start. This friend is very mechanical and capable.

If it's just a year old it should still be under warranty, most pressure washer manufacturers cover at least 2 years on the engine.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Repaired a window screen for my aunt; easy fix. But the toy plastic spline tool that Lowe’s sells was such a piece of carp they should be ashamed of themselves! It literally broke after I splined three inches. I went to the local mom and pop hardware store and bought a real tool with steel wheels and a wooden handle.

Sorry, that was my pet peeve of the day, I suppose.

 

[Cobra9777]

I listened to a friend go on about his 1-year old pressure washer, and how it wouldn't start. This friend is very mechanical and capable...

If it's just a year old it should still be under warranty, most pressure washer manufacturers cover at least 2 years on the engine.

Pressure washers are notorious for this behavior. DS is only 30 but he's on his 3rd pressure washer. Sometimes it's defective. But often it's caused by a gummed up carburetor due to infrequent use, old fuel, too much ethanol, etc. I use a fuel additive that was recommended by the pressure washer manufacturer. Also, before winter, I run the engine until it's out of gas, so no fuel sits in the carburetor or lines for an extended period. I do the same with my mower and other small-engine equipment. So far, I've not had any problem starting any of these engines and many of them are 10-20 years old.

 

[kaneohe]

Reseating Refrigerator Compartment Cover

Not really a repair but a fix of sorts. In our refrigerator there is a compartment with a clear plastic cover about 32" x 4" . Somehow that cover had become unseated............the cover has a short tab on each end and there are corresponding holes is the refrigerator where the tabs fit. With 1 tab in its hole, I tried to bend the plastic cover to insert the other tab.......I couldn't do it and I was afraid to use too much force for fear of breaking the plastic door.

Eventually I remembered the geometry of right triangles....that the diagonal was longer than the sides. With 1 tab inserted and the door at an angle, I put the other tab along the other side where it would be inserted, then slowly moved it up along the wall so there would a slow controlled bend in the plastic door until the free tab met the open hole and got inserted. It worked!

 

[target2019]

If it's just a year old it should still be under warranty, most pressure washer manufacturers cover at least 2 years on the engine.

Yeah. That's his problem. It's a Generac.

 

[REWahoo]

After returning home from a three week RV trip Saturday to discover our central AC failed while we were gone, repairs were completed late yesterday and we were able to finally move back into the house. One of the repair guys mentioned I might want to consider adding additional attic insulation as the blown-in fiberglass had compressed quite a bit over the past 20 years. He was right. I think I started out with 13 inches (R-38) but it looks like it has shrunk to no more than 6 to 8 inches on average.

I looked at purchasing cellulose insulation from Lowe's ($700 plus the free use of a blower) and doing it myself with the help of a couple of my grandsons. Then after calling a local insulation contractor who agreed to do the job for $1,000, I decided to forego the DIY option. This way if someone puts their foot through my ceiling it won't be me or a family member - and I won't pay until it is repaired.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

After returning home from a three week RV trip Saturday to discover our central AC failed while we were gone, repairs were completed late yesterday and we were able to finally move back into the house. One of the repair guys mentioned I might want to consider adding additional attic insulation as the blown-in fiberglass had compressed quite a bit over the past 20 years. He was right. I think I started out with 13 inches (R-38) but it looks like it has shrunk to no more than 6 to 8 inches on average.

I looked at purchasing cellulose insulation from Lowe's ($700 plus the free use of a blower) and doing it myself with the help of a couple of my grandsons. Then after calling a local insulation contractor who agreed to do the job for $1,000, I decided to forego the DIY option. This way if someone puts their foot through my ceiling it won't be me or a family member - and I won't pay until it is repaired.

It would be worth asking what they'd charge to air seal the attic from the living volume of the house. Or using dense spray foam insulation on the attic ductwork itself to an R value of 38.

Build Science with Joe Lstiburek has some great articles on the why. I'll see if I can find them again.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

Here we go:

https://www.buildingscience.com/documents/building-science-insights-newsletters/bsi-094-no-sweat

I'm having a bear of a time finding their why of air sealing, but this is a good video from Matt Risinger[/URL] (home builder in Texas, actually)

 

[REWahoo]

Interesting and definitely something anyone building a new home should consider as the cost to do all that sealing should be minimal at that point. But in an existing home I don't think the cost could be justified, at least not unless the home had far more issues than mine does. At the 35:00 point in the video he quotes a cost for his "Insulation 2.0" (removing old attic insulation, sealing all air intrusion points and re-insulating) to be in the range of $4 to $6 per sq ft. That would cost me between $10K and $15K, and the payback would probably exceed my expected future lifespan by a factor of at least five.

I think (hope) I got the most bang for the buck by spending only $1K to have added insulation blown in to bring the R factor up to 38. I'll be monitoring my electric bill closely over the coming months to measure any reduction and see if I can calculate a payback - one I might still be alive to enjoy.

 

[samclem]

When we moved into our built-in-1959 home (southern Ohio), I found 6" of settled fiberglass insulation in the attic. I spent 2 days doing a pretty good job of sealing the ceiling (raking back the fiberglass and sealing things up with caulk, Great Stuff, and even sheets of rigid polystyrene over the dropped soffits in kitchen and bath, etc. Yes, there were some amazing surprises.). I added proper soffit baffling and venting, then blew in 12" of cellulose. It was the cheap way to do things, but has really worked well.
One thing about fiberglass in very cold weather (not Texas, but places north): when attic temps get very cold, fiberglass (batts or blown) is "open" enough that convection cells get established in and above the insulation, so it loses a significant amount of its R value just when you need it most. IIRC, this doesn't happen until the interior (ceiling) and attic temps differ by about 60 deg F. If you've got such a situation, it can be remedied inexpensively with a layer of cellulose insulation on top of the existing fiberglass.