Your recent repair? - 2021 to ?

[sengsational]

Sengsational, I know you'll fix this. I mean, you rebuilt whole window frames out of putty.

Hehehe! Yeah, I've been known to go to extremes. Maybe I'll make a video about all of the stuff I should have replaced instead repaired and call it "Extreme Repairs"

Thanks for sharing your project. It gives me a bit of confidence to tackle this leaking pan.

My pan is metal. I figured a new one would be "unobtainium" too, but haven't tried to look it up yet. It looks like I'd need to take off two sides and top of the housing to get a new pan in there. I could fabricate one...I have some sheet metal. I also have some pond liner. Either way, I'd need to buy some fittings to seal the liner to the PVC drain.

But to keep cool for now, I did an "eye roll" repair...I drilled straight down in the deepest puddle in the pan and inserted a vinyl tube, slightly larger than the hole I drilled. That tube drains into a condensate pump I had laying around. Then, the output goes into the PVC drain with an "improvised" connection. No hardware store trips, but it's not a permanent solution. I figure if it works through the summer, I'll let it go, and work in the attic in the fall. Right now, I'm drenched in sweat a few minutes after climbing up there, so putting it off until we have cooler weather is the plan. We'll see.

 

[Time2]

Hehehe! Yeah, I've been known to go to extremes. Maybe I'll make a video about all of the stuff I should have replaced instead repaired and call it "Extreme Repairs"

Thanks for sharing your project. It gives me a bit of confidence to tackle this leaking pan.

My pan is metal. I figured a new one would be "unobtainium" too, but haven't tried to look it up yet. It looks like I'd need to take off two sides and top of the housing to get a new pan in there. I could fabricate one...I have some sheet metal. I also have some pond liner. Either way, I'd need to buy some fittings to seal the liner to the PVC drain.

I don't know your exact repair, but if you can patch it, Geocel 2300 is tough and long lasting. It is used to seal Metal roofing joints and overlaps. geocel 2300 clear - Google Search

 

[sengsational]

^ I thought about it, but it's a wet, slimy, rusty mess with lots of inaccessible places. I don't even know where it's leaking.

 

[Time2]

^ I thought about it, but it's a wet, slimy, rusty mess with lots of inaccessible places. I don't even know where it's leaking.

Pour a layer of epoxy over it?

 

[ERD50]

... I figure if it works through the summer, I'll let it go, and work in the attic in the fall. Right now, I'm drenched in sweat a few minutes after climbing up there, so putting it off until we have cooler weather is the plan. We'll see.

A bit off topic, but if we ever move out of state (unlikely, family is established here), I just don't want to live where they put mechanical stuff in the attic!

Hmmm, but by that time, I'm probably not going to work on any of it anyhow. But I still dislike the idea of a tank of hot water over my head! Or the fact that the repair guy is going to get in and out as quick as he can under those conditions, quality be damned!

 

[sengsational]

Or the fact that the repair guy is going to get in and out as quick as he can under those conditions, quality be damned!

Attics or crawl spaces can be miserable working conditions, for sure. I know I can't do my best work drenched in sweat or laying in a mud puddle with spider webs all over me. I've also had utility closets that weren't far enough away from living spaces, so had to deal with too much noise. I'm not sure where I land.

As to the current project, it seems to be working without the interlock sensing water (and turning the system off), so I'm hoping I don't need to go back up there for a while.

 

[JoeWras]

But to keep cool for now, I did an "eye roll" repair...I drilled straight down in the deepest puddle in the pan and inserted a vinyl tube, slightly larger than the hole I drilled. That tube drains into a condensate pump I had laying around. Then, the output goes into the PVC drain with an "improvised" connection. No hardware store trips, but it's not a permanent solution. I figure if it works through the summer, I'll let it go, and work in the attic in the fall. Right now, I'm drenched in sweat a few minutes after climbing up there, so putting it off until we have cooler weather is the plan. We'll see.

"Eye Roll?" Seriously? That's brilliant! And it is temporary, so that's fine.

I did my project in early June and it was bogus. I was waking up at 5am to get stuff done by 9am. It would be great if you could wait until October or so. Carolina heat is bad enough, but it really comes down to sun angle. Once you get past the equinox, things get much better in the attic.

 

[thatguy]

My pan is metal. I figured a new one would be "unobtainium" too, but haven't tried to look it up yet. It looks like I'd need to take off two sides and top of the housing to get a new pan in there. I could fabricate one...I have some sheet metal. I also have some pond liner. Either way, I'd need to buy some fittings to seal the liner to the PVC drain.

I took my condensate pan to a sheet metal fabricator and had them make a new one. They made a quality replacement, better than the original. It's been in there 2 or 3 years now. I think it cost me $175. Well worth it.
This was a A-Coil on top of a up flow furnace. I had to disassemble and make some cuts in the duct work and rig up some lumber above it and used some tie down straps to lift the coil from above. There was enough flex in the tubing to allow the coil to be lifted a inch or so.

 

[sengsational]

I took my condensate pan to a sheet metal fabricator and had them make a new one. They made a quality replacement, better than the original. It's been in there 2 or 3 years now. I think it cost me $175. Well worth it.
This was a A-Coil on top of a up flow furnace. I had to disassemble and make some cuts in the duct work and rig up some lumber above it and used some tie down straps to lift the coil from above. There was enough flex in the tubing to allow the coil to be lifted a inch or so.

That sounds like a good plan...I have a sheet metal house I've used before. Did they punch-out circles for the drain lines, or did you drill those? I could make a pan myself, but it would be a bit of a hack. Here's the project video, if you have 8 minutes of your life you want to waste, LOL

 

[thatguy]

That sounds like a good plan...I have a sheet metal house I've used before. Did they punch-out circles for the drain lines, or did you drill those? I could make a pan myself, but it would be a bit of a hack. Here's the project video, if you have 8 minutes of your life you want to waste, LOL

 

[njhowie]

My 22 year old Cummins Onan 6.5kw portable generator...gave it oil + filter + spark plug change. Fired it up, purrs like new.

I went for a new/different oil filter this time. I could have gotten the Onan originals for $15 to $25 each. However, I found a Purolator compatible for $2.40 each on Amazon. I took 6 of those, and will be set for the next 15 to 20 years.

 

[John Galt III]

I am thinking of having the big bush in the pics cut down to make things less crowded, but I am worried about damaging the water pipes underneath.

See pics. I think the bush is an Arbor Vitae. Not sure. At least 20 years old.

I think I have an inlet water pipe and an outlet sewer pipe going almost directly under the bush.

I'm concerned about the pipes. Would pulling the roots out cause damage?

What about just cutting the bush down, then using a stump grinder to get it level with the earth? The diameter of all the trunks coming together at the bottom is about 9 inches. Vibration from stump grinder damaging to pipes?

Are water pipes 3 feet below the surface?

No basement. House is on a slab, I suppose.

Looking for advice what to do, not to do.

Just leaving it alone is also an option.

Hopefully this would be a standard every day project for a competent landscaper and I am needlessly worrying.

Any input greatly appreciated.

 

[38Chevy454]

I am thinking of having the big bush in the pics cut down to make things less crowded, but I am worried about damaging the water pipes underneath.

See pics. I think the bush is an Arbor Vitae. Not sure. At least 20 years old.

I think I have an inlet water pipe and an outlet sewer pipe going almost directly under the bush.

I'm concerned about the pipes. Would pulling the roots out cause damage?

What about just cutting the bush down, then using a stump grinder to get it level with the earth? The diameter of all the trunks coming together at the bottom is about 9 inches. Vibration from stump grinder damaging to pipes?

Are water pipes 3 feet below the surface?

No basement. House is on a slab, I suppose.

Looking for advice what to do, not to do.

Just leaving it alone is also an option.

Hopefully this would be a standard every day project for a competent landscaper and I am needlessly worrying.

Any input greatly appreciated.

Your easiest and less likely to cause problems is cut if off ground level. Then drill some approx 1 inch holes and put a commercial stump rotting product, or fertilizer, in to the holes you drilled. Fertilizer helps rot the stump. Let it rot in the ground and no disturbing the pipes. Water pipes will be below whatever your freeze line is, but even mild climates water pipes are usually fairly deep. Sewer pipe may be closer to ground than water. You might have to wait a bit to plant anything else there with letting it rot down, or maybe just put some annual flowers around the edges to cover it up.

 

[JoeWras]

Agree. Cut it and let it rot. Don't mess with pulling it out.

In my area of the southeast, it is common to have supply lines only 18" below the surface. YMMV.

 

[Palmtree]

I'm so frequently repairing and fixing things around here I sometime wonder if the house itself conspires to keep me busy and make sure I'm not a lazy dufus. If I don't visit Home Depot at least once a week, I pretty sure I'd get a get well card from their headquarters.
In the same day the sink in the basement bar quit draining and later that day dear wife called out and said. "Come listen to the washing machine. It's making a weird loud noise". Found out the drain pipe from the bar sink was totally clogged up. Don't know why as only liquids go down it but regardless, it was full of black gunk. Now the washer is still a mystery. I've opened it up and the motor coupling is in bad shape so I've ordered a new one. To change it I'll have to remove the water pump and motor assembly but that's what you got to do to access it. Hope that's what the problem is!

 

[Tom52]

Yesterday, our Bosch dishwasher quit in mid cycle and started beeping. I opened the door and could see water standing in the bottom, apparently not being pumped out. DW instantly gets on the phone to try to get a repairman to come out. I get on the internet, (YouTube) to see if I can avoid the repairman. I read that it could be the control board, or the pump, or a clogged drain line.

Experience has proven to me many times that Occam's razor theory normally applies. The problem normally requires the simplest solution, just don't overthink it. So, I figure the place to start is to check for a plugged drain line. Yup, a piece of broken plastic plus a couple pieces of a sticker like substance had wedged in the pipe feeding into the main drain under the sink. Problem solved. Best part is I got it fixed before DW could find someone to come and fix it.

I am, again, her hero, at least until the next time I screw up.

 

[mountainsoft]

When we were repainting our garage last week I discovered the bottom corner of one of the fascia boards was rotten. Everything looked fine until I started poking around and found the rot. So I kept cutting back until I reached sound wood again, then patched in new pressure treated wood to replace the missing section. It looks as good as new now, only time will tell how long it lasts.

 

[motley]

Having just bought a house all kinds of house projects, most frankly which should be unnecessary if the previous owners had a clue...

The deck was never sealed so I have to do that ASAP and also want to stain it and perhaps an opaque color to hide how they had to replace some of it due to rot/warping due to never sealing it doh.

The french doors leading to the deck: the wooden frame around the door needs painting and near the bottom of the frame is rotted, so hello wood filler. Also the weather stripping is a joke so replacing that.

Did I mention paint? I need to paint almost the entire inside because not only did they paint every room a diff color, but they are mostly hideous colors and they did a quite sloppy job to boot. Oh fun.

 

[sdtech]

Agree. Cut it and let it rot. Don't mess with pulling it out.

In my area of the southeast, it is common to have supply lines only 18" below the surface. YMMV.

I've taken these out and the roots. In that location I agree. Just cut it at ground level, drill some holes and let it rot.

 

[John Galt III]

Digging out and replacing corner post in a split rail fence. Doing just a half hour each morning when it's cool. More than a half hour creates back ache.

Have spent 4 days on it so far. (half hour per day). Today, got the old post out, new one in.

Filling in the spaces on all 4 sides of the post with dirt, and packing it. 2 sides have almost no clearance, so have to use small stick to pack the dirt in there. PITA. Was hoping the new post would fit in nice and flush with 2 sides of the hole, but no such luck.

Old corner post is 36 years old ! Might be black locust. The top was rotted, but the underground part was in good shape.

I spent about 3 hours on it this morning, since I was done with the arduous digging work, and now just doing light fill and pack work, and fussing with level, around making sure it was vertical.

Had to knock off early to attend to other stuff. Hope to be done tomorrow.

 

[John Galt III]

All done with the corner post replacement! It was a double win because I was worrying about something else, one of those annoying ongoing stressors, and the post project tool my mind off it, and gave me a feeling of accomplishment and non-worrying, lol.

 

[motley]

Filling in the spaces on all 4 sides of the post with dirt, and packing it.

I admit up front I know little to nothing about this, but don't you put some gravel in first?

Regardless, props! Always good to see the results and that the work was worth it.

 

[GenXguy]

My central air went down in the middle of a hot day. It just started blowing warm air. I shut everything down and powered back up and same problem. I went out to check my condenser unit outside, and it was just buzzing a little. After some troubleshooting, I determined the startup capacitor had failed. I ordered a new one for $15 and resolved the problem. This unit has been in place for longer than the 22 years that I've lived here.

That's the first problem I've ever had with the central air part, other than having to replace the thermostat a few years ago. I looked online how much that would cost to have done by a service company, and it said it could cost up to $400, and I actually found a post from someone who said they were charged $800 to replace a startup capacitor. It's great to be able to DIY and perform the same repair for $15. lol I've done various furnace repairs as well over the years, including replacing a heat exchanger for about $200.

 

[Palmtree]

That's great! If your AC goes out, there is a better than 50% chance it's the run/start capacitor. They are easy to replace and a bunch of YouTube videos to show you how. The only hard part is waiting a day or more until your replacement capacitor is delivered. That's why I keep a spare for both of my systems. They only run around $20 each and it's cheap insurance. Each brand and model needs a specific capacitor, which you can read off the existing one. If you don't want to bother, you can purchase a more expensive universal one like the "Turbo 200X" for around $75.

 

[ERD50]

That's great! If your AC goes out, there is a better than 50% chance it's the run/start capacitor. They are easy to replace and a bunch of YouTube videos to show you how. The only hard part is waiting a day or more until your replacement capacitor is delivered. That's why I keep a spare for both of my systems. ...

+1 I've got spares of each of the caps (compressor, outside fan for A/C, and inside blower motor). In addition, I've got all the common parts for the furnace, temp limit sensors, ignitors, etc. And a thermocouple for the gas water heater. All of these are easy and take just minutes to replace. I'd spend more time scheduling and waiting around for the repair guy, than just fixing it myself. And the total parts bill was < $100.