Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[Jerry1]

Well, I did a little research and called another place then I called the original place and talked them down to $4,500. I think I could have done better, but the place with the best price couldn’t do the install for 3-4 weeks. Original place will put the unit in tomorrow. Probably cost me about $500 more not to wait, but I trust this company and while I could stand not having AC, it wasn’t something I was looking forward to. Hope all goes well tomorrow.

 

[samclem]

Original place will put the unit in tomorrow. Probably cost me about $500 more not to wait, but I trust this company and while I could stand not having AC, it wasn’t something I was looking forward to. Hope all goes well tomorrow.

How did things go? If you don't mind, could you say how much the equipment parts were (condenser, new coil if needed, line set) how much the labor was, and how many manhours it took?
The price of this stuff can sting, but it's pretty cheap if we think of it in $ per day. $5000 spread over 5 months of cooling per year over 15 years = about $2 per day. Power to run a 3 ton unit might be another $5 per day, so $7 total. To many who have lived without AC for awhile in hot, moist areas, that's a screaming bargain for 24 hour comfort.
Hoping all is nice and cool for you tonight!

 

[Walt34]

To many who have lived without AC for awhile in hot, moist areas, that's a screaming bargain for 24 hour comfort.
Hoping all is nice and cool for you tonight!

Yes indeedy! I lived without any A/C at all until high school and still remember how that was. DW-to-be's house did have central A/C but the temperatures had to be near three figures before her parents would turn it on.

Two of the bills I never, ever, complain about are electric and natural gas.

 

[6miths]

I recounted mine in the 'what did you do today' thread. No hot water at the cottage. Couldn't see any issues. Power vent came on, thermostat cycled and lit burner, then shut off after about 20 seconds. Cycled again and again shut down. Then thermostat signaled an error. Thought it might have been the sensor. Middle of nowhere so called and probably in the $400 range even for a call. 15 years old so getting a bit old. I don't like messing with gas but was desperate as DD coming up with her girlfriends this weekend. So gas and electrical off and pulled the burner unit. Vacuumed out all of the usual corrosion. Was surprised that as I rolled the pan burner on edge the amount of rust the consistency of fine sand that poured out. So a few bumps and rolls to try to empty it all out. Wiped the sensor, reinstalled... et voila. Fired up fine and has run fine since. I am thinking that the sand like rust had blocked the jets near the flame sensor and since it wasn't getting heated it shut the gas flow down. Don't know if it is planned obsolescence - cast iron burner rather than stainless steel? At any rate, hope I get some more time out of it.

 

[Jerry1]

The installer just left. He installed a 3 ton unit and the A frame at the furnace. I didn’t get a breakdown but the entire job was $4,500. Took him from around 8:30 unit 2:30 (one guy). House is cooling off as we speak. I will also get a $250 rebate from the utility for going with the high efficiency unit (seer 16) and it has a ten year parts and labor warranty.

My guess is that I probably paid about $500 more than it I would have shopped around, but once they said they could be here today I lost a lot of leverage. Oh well, like you said, amortized over 10+ years, I’d rather be cool tonight. Last night was a bit rough.

 

[samclem]

The installer just left. He installed a 3 ton unit and the A frame at the furnace. I didn’t get a breakdown but the entire job was $4,500.

Thanks, I'm glad it worked out and I know you'll sleep better tonight.


Cool in the summer.
Warm in the winter.
Warm water that flows right out of the wall.
Enough food to eat every single day.
A magic hole in the floor that takes poop away, never to be seen again.

So many common, utterly amazing things to be thankful for.

 

[braumeister]

A magic hole in the floor that takes poop away, never to be seen again.

Did I ever tell you about the apartment I had in my 20s?

 

[JoeWras]

A magic hole in the floor that takes poop away, never to be seen again.

Your recent repair?

 

[kgtest]

We just finished putting new slings on our deck furniture.

Nicely done. I have a similar outdoor set. I once watched my 240lb friend crush one of those foldable camping chairs with the cup holders. Nothing was gonna bring that thing back from the dead, frame was not ok lol.



At first I wanted to laugh because I'd never seen someone crush a chair, but I could see that he was a bit shaken up from the fall.



He had good spirits about it.



My most recent repair: Resetting my dislocated pinky finger. I guess technically I did not complete the repair myself, but a dentist was more than happy to. I know, I know...WHY? There were three MDs four nurses and a DDS at the party and apparently the retired DDS had the itch to pull again.



Finger is sore, but its not sideways anymore.

 

[samclem]

Your recent repair?

The good thing about those "squatters"? The folks in the public restrooms go into the stall, do their business, and get out. Nobody is in there reading a magazine.
The bad thing about 'em? Having to make physical contact with "the hose" to clean up. And when there's no soap (or sink) . . .

 

[braumeister]

The good thing about those "squatters"? The folks in the public restrooms go into the stall, do their business, and get out. Nobody is in there reading a magazine.

I still laugh about our visit to China. We went with a tour group about 25 years ago, and while we were in Beijing we saw a McDonalds (I think it was the first one there). Looked like any other McDonalds anywhere, so DW insisted we go there and get something to eat "because they will have a real toilet."

Guess what?

 

[Souschef]

My late wife's cousin, a lovely person, but was not the sharpest knife in the drawer
She went on a tour in China and wore slacks, but did not like knee highs, so she wore pantyhose. The only way she could use those toilets was to face the other way and put her head against the door.

 

[Jeffrey J.]

Sometimes you can ask and the dealership may have nitrogen... Nitrogen is better for tires, it keeps a more stable pressure, longer, without escaping from rubber and things.

Also agree with Cold vs Warm tire pressure, changes everything.

 

[ocean view]

Today seems to be drain clearing day. Just pulled a significant amount of hair from the shower drain. We have a fine mesh cover that I clean daily, but apparently a lot slips by.

Now I’m on to the sink in DS’s bath. We cleared its clog a month ago with industrial drain-o (that I used as a last resort). The clog was bad. That cleared the drain but left a smell that only comes up when the water runs into the drain. So I’m giving it a baking soda and vinegar soak. Hopefully that will clear up whatever is causing the smell.

If this doesn’t work I’ll be back to ask for suggestions.

 

[travelover]

Sometimes you can ask and the dealership may have nitrogen... Nitrogen is better for tires, it keeps a more stable pressure, longer, without escaping from rubber and things.

Also agree with Cold vs Warm tire pressure, changes everything.

So true. Regular air is only 78% nitrogen.

 

[samclem]

So true. Regular air is only 78% nitrogen.

Yep, and if the O2 and other stuff really does leak out faster, then after 4 or five top-offs of new air the tire gets even closer to pure N2.


I think the green valve stem caps are a code between mechanics: "This customer is good for a new PCV valve, air filter, cabin air filter, and maybe some undercoating."

 

[Walt34]

Fify:

i think the green valve stem caps are a code between mechanics: "this [-]customer is good for a new pcv valve, air filter, cabin air filter, and maybe some undercoating.[/-] sucka will buy anything."

 

[John Galt III]

Noticed back storm door latch was no longer opening from outside. Made mental note not to close storm door behind me. 5 minutes later left basement and closed storm door behind me. Messed around in back yard for a while, tried to open storm door to re-enter basement. Storm door will not open. Front door locked. Windows locked. No keys in pocket. No hidden key anywhere. Deep breath. Don't panic. Noticed I could push plastic on storm door in about an inch near the latch. Went next door to contractors working there and borrowed a succession of different tools, finally, with a flat bladed screwdriver, was able to move tab out of the slot, and got door open without breaking anything. Went to Home Depot and bought new handle and latch for $9.98, replaced inner part. Problem solved for another decade or so.

 

[jazz4cash]

We just finished putting new slings on our deck furniture.

Very Nice. I never thought of doing it that way. Our set is 20 yrs old and in decent shape (stays our year round) but the slings are looking tired. The place I found sells replacements for $60-80 per chair. I might look into copying your technique but I gotta find someone to do the sewing.

 

[Free To Canoe]

I have a front end noise (rolling noise) in the 2007 Corolla. I thought it might be a CV joint. Mechanic thought is was wheel bearings. He replaced both front ones. Noise is not better. He did not charge me and would not take any money! Recently I had the manual transmission replaced with a boneyard part. I am hoping for a tire noise as the cause. I am taking it to front end experts next week.

 

[travelover]

Balanced a fan

I'm still catching up on repairs to our new-to-us home. One thing that drove me nuts was an attic ventilation fan that was out of balance and made a booming noise inside the house.

To start, I drilled a hole in the tip of each blade, then numbered the blades one through five. I screwed a sheet metal screw into each blade and ran the fan, one at a time, to see which position was optimal. It turned out that # three and four were about the same, so I put a screw into each. That was very close so I added a washer to each, one at a time. It turned out that # three needed the washer. Purrs now.

 

[FIREd]

1) I am replacing a couple of outside wood shutters that had rotted out. I bought replacement shutters in unfisnished pine and I am having a ball priming and painting them - NOT! They are louvered shutters...

2) while I love my new compact hatchback car, the road noise was unacceptably high inside the cabin at high speed. So I installed sound deadening material on the firewall, inside the wheel wells, on the cabin floor, under the back seat, and all over the cargo area. I reduced the noise by 10dB inside the cabin at highway speed.

 

[travelover]

.......... I installed sound deadening material on the firewall, inside the wheel well, on the cabin floor, under the back seat, and all over the cargo area. I reduced the noise by 10dB inside the cabin at highway speed.

Good job! In my prior life I designed sound packages which was always the first thing thrifted as we oscillated between "customer satisfaction" and "cost containment". It was frustrating, but job security.

 

[jazz4cash]

I'm still catching up on repairs to our new-to-us home. One thing that drove me nuts was an attic ventilation fan that was out of balance and made a booming noise inside the house.

To start, I drilled a hole in the tip of each blade, then numbered the blades one through five. I screwed a sheet metal screw into each blade and ran the fan, one at a time, to see which position was optimal. It turned out that # three and four were about the same, so I put a screw into each. That was very close so I added a washer to each, one at a time. It turned out that # three needed the washer. Purrs now.

Nice technique. I usually just tape a penny to each blade to find the bad actor but I like your method better as a long term solution.

 

[zinger1457]

1)
2) while I love my new compact hatchback car, the road noise was unacceptably high inside the cabin at high speed. So I installed sound deadening material on the firewall, inside the wheel wells, on the cabin floor, under the back seat, and all over the cargo area. I reduced the noise by 10dB inside the cabin at highway speed.

When I updated the stereo in my pickup I installed sound deadening material in all the door panels and the rear wall of the cab, made a huge difference.