Projects/Home Improvement Thread

[kmoose]

So you guys are the types to spit on my grave after I'm gone. I hope all of your children grow up to be Michigan men. Even the girls.

Not spit........ dance. And as long as they don't grow up to be nancies that are afraid of pissing in a trough or going into a crawl space.............

 

[Irish Insanity]

Furnace question.

I can generally work on a furnace or the normal issues or has. Replace the electronic ignition or clean/replace the flame sensor.
At start up it kicks the burners on for about 2 seconds. The shuts down like the typical flame sensor. But I've cleaned it several times and nothing. It's now giving a code of 'Pressure Switch Stuck Open.' Anyone have any experience with this issue?

 

[Grahambo]

So you guys are the types to spit on my grave after I'm gone. I hope all of your children grow up to be Michigan men. Even the girls.

I used to cheer for Michigan as a kid...when they weren't playing ND. Charles Woodson is still one of my all time favorite players in college and the pros.

 

[Section20Row27]

Furnace question.

I can generally work on a furnace or the normal issues or has. Replace the electronic ignition or clean/replace the flame sensor.
At start up it kicks the burners on for about 2 seconds. The shuts down like the typical flame sensor. But I've cleaned it several times and nothing. It's now giving a code of 'Pressure Switch Stuck Open.' Anyone have any experience with this issue?

Not quite sure of your brand/model, but I had something similar happen to mine. My unit had a plastic tube going from the switch to where the fan was located - the tube was plugged. cleaned everything out, and it worked. The pressure switch lets the control unit know that the fan is working. Also on some furnaces, the fan motors are capacitor start types. When the capacitor starts getting flaky, you can get all kinds of weird errors. Capacitors are usually $10 to $20. I would check stuff like that first.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Not quite sure of your brand/model, but I had something similar happen to mine. My unit had a plastic tube going from the switch to where the fan was located - the tube was plugged. cleaned everything out, and it worked. The pressure switch lets the control unit know that the fan is working. Also on some furnaces, the fan motors are capacitor start types. When the capacitor starts getting flaky, you can get all kinds of weird errors. Capacitors are usually $10 to $20. I would check stuff like that first.

My furnace is a Goodman brand. I pulled the hose on both ends. It's completely clear. I can hear the switch click as the vacum initially kicks in and then let go after the burners do the initial ignite. The furnace runs properly for 4-7 seconds and then shuts off. Just as if the flame sensor needed cleaned. I leave the tube on the pressure switch and lightly push air in and out and can hear the plunger in the switch opening and closing. So it seems the switch is working. The fan that creates the vacum seems to work as I can see the backside of the motor spinning and can hear it move the plunger in the pressure switch. I'd assume at this point it's something in the electrical portion as everything else works fine. Which means, it's time to call the furnace guy. Sonofabitch.

**EDIT: Also this furnace is an 80% and is only 2 years old**

 

[koonja]

Let me know if you guys ever need help fixing a dryer. I got that notch on my belt.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Let me know if you guys ever need help fixing a dryer. I got that notch on my belt.

A hint in case you ever leave town for a week and your house is vacant. If it's gonna be cold have someone check inside the house daily, and spend a few dollars and put new batteries in your hvac thermostat. It never crossed my mind in the last investment house I did. I left for a week during the winter. The batteries died in the thermostat. Pipes broke in 3 spots in the basement, the toilet tank broke, the shower valve cracked, and one of the bathroom faucet handles blew off. It was a horrible mess to clean up, and water slowly ran thru all these lines in to the house for a few days.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Update.

I spend some time on line looking at what the inside of the vent motor looked like. Seemed to be nothing special or fragile to worry about. So this time when I removed the line from the pressure switch I blew fairly hard in to the motor. I felt the pop on the other end this time. There apparently was something blocking the other end that my light blowing before didn't detect. I reassembled everything. And it works great.

 

[Section20Row27]

My furnace is a Goodman brand. I pulled the hose on both ends. It's completely clear. I can hear the switch click as the vacum initially kicks in and then let go after the burners do the initial ignite. The furnace runs properly for 4-7 seconds and then shuts off. Just as if the flame sensor needed cleaned. I leave the tube on the pressure switch and lightly push air in and out and can hear the plunger in the switch opening and closing. So it seems the switch is working. The fan that creates the vacum seems to work as I can see the backside of the motor spinning and can hear it move the plunger in the pressure switch. I'd assume at this point it's something in the electrical portion as everything else works fine. Which means, it's time to call the furnace guy. Sonofabitch.

**EDIT: Also this furnace is an 80% and is only 2 years old**

If you have a multimeter, turn off power, set multimeter to measure ohms, put test leads on both sides of the switch's electrical connectors, blow into the tube to activate switch, watch for resistance to go from 0 to a reading (or put it on the mode that will make it beep if there is continuity) that will tell you if the switch is bad. Good luck!

 

[Wild Bill]

I recently gutted my house and I'm just about ready to install floors and cabinets. The cabinet quote, of course, came back higher than I anticipated. I'm considering buying ready to assemble (RTA) cabinets to save a few bucks but I'm worried the loss of quality may not be worth the savings. I generally use cabinets to go for my rental properties but noticed they increased their prices and the quality isn't the best. Has anyone used another company that they'd recommend?

Flooring has been a pain in the ass too. I know I'm going with hardwood and I'm leaning towards engineered rather than solid b/c I don't want to deal with issues created by expansion and contraction. I'm thinking about buying from Shaw or Johnson - seems like both of them make quality products for the price. Anyone have any experiences with either solid or engineered wood floors or a recommendation regarding the brand?

 

[Irish#1]

I recently gutted my house and I'm just about ready to install floors and cabinets. The cabinet quote, of course, came back higher than I anticipated. I'm considering buying ready to assemble (RTA) cabinets to save a few bucks but I'm worried the loss of quality may not be worth the savings. I generally use cabinets to go for my rental properties but noticed they increased their prices and the quality isn't the best. Has anyone used another company that they'd recommend?

Flooring has been a pain in the ass too. I know I'm going with hardwood and I'm leaning towards engineered rather than solid b/c I don't want to deal with issues created by expansion and contraction. I'm thinking about buying from Shaw or Johnson - seems like both of them make quality products for the price. Anyone have any experiences with either solid or engineered wood floors or a recommendation regarding the brand?

We put in real hardwood floors (crawl space) about five years ago. No issues with expansion/contraction. Ask how long the wood cures before they use it to make the flooring. Two of my sons work in restoration (mold, water, fire, etc.). One has been in it for about 15 years. He highly recommends staying away from engineered flooring. Rips them out all the time. Spill anything on it and no matter how quick you clean it up some will get underneath. It may not be right away, but you'll eventually see that area start to deteriorate. Replacing that section can be a pain. That's the biggest reason we went hardwood. Can't help on the cabinets.

 

[koonja]

Wooly you'll appreciate this sweet justice -

So my new company requires me to be here 6 months before they pay for my tuition. I started on July 27th, and my 6 month 'anniversary' would then be January 27th.

My spring class would start on January 25th, technically 183 days (so 1/2 day pas 'half a year') after my start date, but it doesn't matter - they're strict on the anniversary method for measuring 6-months, so I gotsta sit out another 4 months unless I pay out of pocket.

All is right in the world again!

 

[Irish Insanity]

Can you defer payment for 30 days?

 

[koonja]

Can you defer payment for 30 days?

The hold up is 'class start date has to be 6 months after start date'. Regardless of when it's paid, they won't pay if the start date was 5.95 months after my first day on the job.

 

[Irish Insanity]

The hold up is 'class start date has to be 6 months after start date'. Regardless of when it's paid, they won't pay if the start date was 5.95 months after my first day on the job.

Bastards.

 

[woolybug25]

Wooly you'll appreciate this sweet justice -

So my new company requires me to be here 6 months before they pay for my tuition. I started on July 27th, and my 6 month 'anniversary' would then be January 27th.

My spring class would start on January 25th, technically 183 days (so 1/2 day pas 'half a year') after my start date, but it doesn't matter - they're strict on the anniversary method for measuring 6-months, so I gotsta sit out another 4 months unless I pay out of pocket.

All is right in the world again!

Ahh.... Sweet justice...


On topic, I just put an offer in for a rental property. It's quite the shit hole. Needs an entire exterior wall removed/replaced, new windows and floor in the front porch, moldy drywall in the basement (easily removed, no where else in the house), kitchen reno, bathroom reno, carpet, paint, siding repair and electric work. Should be a blast.

 

[koonja]

Ahh.... Sweet justice...


On topic, I just put an offer in for a rental property. It's quite the shit hole. Needs an entire exterior wall removed/replaced, new windows and floor in the front porch, moldy drywall in the basement (easily removed, no where else in the house), kitchen reno, bathroom reno, carpet, paint, siding repair and electric work. Should be a blast.

So I had two companies, one local, one Sears come estimate the replacement for 10 windows for my place. 8-9K a piece.

I measured and bought the windows myself at Home Depot, and agreed to give a friend $1,500 to help me put them in. He brought his truck up with 2 other friends that volunteered on Friday night at 8pm. We were hoping to work all night Friday and Saturday, and finish by ~ 8pm on Saturday so we could go out.

We started our first window by 8:30pm on Friday night. Had 2 windows removed, replaced, caulked, and trimmed by 9pm. Look at one another and decided not only could we possibly finish Friday night, but we could get drunk in doing it.

Had all 10 windows installed and trimmed by 11:30pm Friday night and we at the bar by midnight. Partied all of Saturday.

 

[Irish Insanity]

So I had two companies, one local, one Sears come estimate the replacement for 10 windows for my place. 8-9K a piece.

I measured and bought the windows myself at Home Depot, and agreed to give a friend $1,500 to help me put them in. He brought his truck up with 2 other friends that volunteered on Friday night at 8pm. We were hoping to work all night Friday and Saturday, and finish by ~ 8pm on Saturday so we could go out.

We started our first window by 8:30pm on Friday night. Had 2 windows removed, replaced, caulked, and trimmed by 9pm. Look at one another and decided not only could we possibly finish Friday night, but we could get drunk in doing it.

Had all 10 windows installed and trimmed by 11:30pm Friday night and we at the bar by midnight. Partied all of Saturday.

Dude, everyone told you windows were simple.

 

[woolybug25]

So I had two companies, one local, one Sears come estimate the replacement for 10 windows for my place. 8-9K a piece.

I measured and bought the windows myself at Home Depot, and agreed to give a friend $1,500 to help me put them in. He brought his truck up with 2 other friends that volunteered on Friday night at 8pm. We were hoping to work all night Friday and Saturday, and finish by ~ 8pm on Saturday so we could go out.

We started our first window by 8:30pm on Friday night. Had 2 windows removed, replaced, caulked, and trimmed by 9pm. Look at one another and decided not only could we possibly finish Friday night, but we could get drunk in doing it.

Had all 10 windows installed and trimmed by 11:30pm Friday night and we at the bar by midnight. Partied all of Saturday.

Very nice. Good onya for taking the initiative. There are a ton of things with home improvement that is super easy if you just take a crack at it.

Now we just need to get you in that crawl space.

 

[koonja]

Dude, everyone told you windows were simple.

Very nice. Good onya for taking the initiative. There are a ton of things with home improvement that is super easy if you just take a crack at it.

Now we just need to get you in that crawl space.

To be fair, my friend had done ~ 40 window replacements by his estimation, and he said he's never had them go this easy and the 8pm on Saturday was his estimation. We got lucky in that a really old home was perfectly square and the measurements were near perfect. We didn't use a single shim. It could have been a lot more work, but we lucked out.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Very nice. Good onya for taking the initiative. There are a ton of things with home improvement that is super easy if you just take a crack at it.

Now we just need to get you in that crawl space.

I'll bet his next 'self install' project will be hidden cameras in the other bedrooms.

 

[woolybug25]

I'll bet his next 'self install' project will be hidden cameras in the other bedrooms.

I got $5 on a Glory Hole.

 

[Irish#1]

So I had two companies, one local, one Sears come estimate the replacement for 10 windows for my place. 8-9K a piece.

I measured and bought the windows myself at Home Depot, and agreed to give a friend $1,500 to help me put them in. He brought his truck up with 2 other friends that volunteered on Friday night at 8pm. We were hoping to work all night Friday and Saturday, and finish by ~ 8pm on Saturday so we could go out.

We started our first window by 8:30pm on Friday night. Had 2 windows removed, replaced, caulked, and trimmed by 9pm. Look at one another and decided not only could we possibly finish Friday night, but we could get drunk in doing it.

Had all 10 windows installed and trimmed by 11:30pm Friday night and we at the bar by midnight. Partied all of Saturday.

I'm imagining 10 windows slightly out of level or square. lol

Good for you and as Wooly said, get your butt in the crawl space.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Actually now is probably the best time for the crawl space. Temps are falling.

 

[Irish#1]

Actually now is probably the best tie for the crawl space. Temps are falling.

But the creepy crawlers are looking for a winter home! lol

 

[wizards8507]

But the creepy crawlers are looking for a winter home! lol

True story. I killed a wasp last night the size of a baby dragon.

 

[woolybug25]

True story. I killed a wasp last night the size of a baby dragon.

Did you cry after?

 

[wizards8507]

Did you cry after?

A little, but Koon was over and he big-spooned me in the flannel sheets while we watched Sound of Music on the iPad.

 

[woolybug25]

A little, but Koon was over and he big-spooned me in the flannel sheets while we watched Sound of Music on the iPad.

That sounds like a delightful evening.

 

[Bluto]

That sounds like a delightful evening.

I replaced the tank gasket on my toilet. Real hoot.