Home Projects (upkeep/repair/mods/cool sh*t/advice/question)

[Jeff V]

You could always cover the hole with a "No Bees Allowed" sign.

[Jaymon]

so my garbage disposal stopped today. made an unholy stink, and shocked the SO a little bit.

my first impressions is that the motor seized up. now I aint blaming nobody, but it might have been the cup of peanut butter, or possible the big pile of dirt, both of which were poured into the sink in the past 24 hours.

I am the homeowner now, so I gots to fix this myself. Any tips or advice on repairing or replacing a garbage disposal?

I have not had time yet to try and scoop the whatever out of the blade area, assuming there is something scoopable in there.

I can easily reach the device under the sink, but I have never tried unplugging one and pulling it out before. is there special considerations when attempting to attach it? water sealing goo or some such that I will need?

[em2nought]

There is a hex fitting accessible from the bottom made to turn by hand with a special wrench found in the disposal section at home centers. When disposals need a bit of help, I'd try that first. You can also substitute a normal hex wrench if you have one. Most people keep that special wrench under the sink or in the kitchen junk drawer.

[Jaymon]

so my garbage disposal stopped today. made an unholy stink, and shocked the SO a little bit.

my first impressions is that the motor seized up. now I aint blaming nobody, but it might have been the cup of peanut butter, or possible the big pile of dirt, both of which were poured into the sink in the past 24 hours.

I am the homeowner now, so I gots to fix this myself. Any tips or advice on repairing or replacing a garbage disposal?

I have not had time yet to try and scoop the whatever out of the blade area, assuming there is something scoopable in there.

I can easily reach the device under the sink, but I have never tried unplugging one and pulling it out before. is there special considerations when attempting to attach it? water sealing goo or some such that I will need?

OK, I read up on the wikihow, and I am Fully Prepared!

blades are not spinning, so first will try to unclog using a stick. see what happens then, if they are unclogged and still no movement when turning the machine on, it might be time for a new one.

[Jaymon]

There is a hex fitting accessible from the bottom made to turn by hand with a special wrench found in the disposal section at home centers. When disposals need a bit of help, I'd try that first. You can also substitute a normal hex wrench if you have one. Most people keep that special wrench under the sink or in the kitchen junk drawer.

oh good thanks, I will try that also, I don't know where the previous owner left the hex wrench, but I have a full set in multisize, hope I can find one that fits.

[em2nought]

That's to help with unclogging. Replacing a disposal is really easy except for the tight access. there is just a rubber gasket and a compression fitting that holds it to the bottom of the sink. The only thing to watch out for is that the sink basket thingy may have had the putty ruined from vibration and the ring(s) that hold the sink basket in place are now made of really really cheap pot metal that sometimes falls apart.

[Holman]

In December we moved into a large house with room for me, my wife, our two teen boys, and my wife's aging parents. It already had AC/heat on the first and second floors, but my wife (and our computers) live and sleep on the third floor, a converted attic with neither heat nor cooling. It was chilly this winter, sure, but it's hot and -insanely- humid now.

[Declaration of Independence joke: if you'd been in Philadelphia in July, you'd have signed anything too.]

We recently went in for the cost of a separate heating/cooling system that will serve the third floor and also the enclosed 2nd-floor porch that is the in-laws' relaxation retreat. We've gone for a "mini-split system" that adds a new outdoor condenser connected to separately controlled wall units in the third-floor bedroom and two third-floor offices as well as the second-floor enclosed porch.

This means all of those spaces can be temperature-set independently of each other and of the main (single) setting for the first floor and the second-floor bedrooms. Since heat and cooling needs are likely to be different in these zones, it makes long-term sense. (e.g. I can cool my office when I'm home during the day while leaving the other rooms for nightfall.) It's way more efficient (electrically and economically) than window units.

They're doing the installation work this week. Everyone (installers especially) feels the humidity. I'll be glad to turn it on.

[Jeff V]

That's to help with unclogging. Replacing a disposal is really easy except for the tight access.

I would recommend getting the same form-factor (if not the exact same unit) so that existing connections can stay in place. I replaced mine (ergo, anyone can do it), I was able to upgrade to a more powerful one that was the same form-factor, as recommended by a guy in the subdivision who used to work for Insinkerator.

[Jeff V]

So today I got the butcher's bill on the 5/27 storm. New roof. New siding in the front of the house. New garage door. 4 new downspouts. Misc. other crap. ~$17,000. Contractor I called is going to try to work with the insurance estimate to make it no-cost to me (I guess that means he eats $1000 worth of estimate).

[Isgrimnur]

Must be nice. Texas has a 1% deductible. There’s nothing in DFW better than a refrigerator box that would come in under $1k

[em2nought]

We've gone for a "mini-split system" that adds a new outdoor condenser connected to separately controlled wall units in the third-floor bedroom and two third-floor offices as well as the second-floor enclosed porch.

Mini-splits are awesome! The one fatal flaw on mini splits seems to be the fan blades on the exterior units. The very first mini-split I owned the blade failed within a year and I blame it on the direct sunlight. I've had an installer tell me as much. My most recent unit I've spray painted the blade and I think it protects it from the sun. It's been three years, I really should give it another coat. I'm in FL vs PA now, but I'd think it would apply there too.

I've noticed it with things like exterior plastic dryer vents too. I had an unpainted one crumble within a year. The most recent one I've installed I painted even on the backside and it seems to be holding up.

[Jeff V]

Must be nice. Texas has a 1% deductible. There’s nothing in DFW better than a refrigerator box that would come in under $1k

??? 1% deductible in this case would be $170. Mine is fixed at $1000.

[Smoove_B]

I've noticed it with things like exterior plastic dryer vents too. I had an unpainted one crumble within a year. The most recent one I've installed I painted even on the backside and it seems to be holding up.

Ir's because they can no longer formulate the plastic with lead. True story.

We looked at ~40 houses and about 10 had some type of AC installed. Probably 6 with window units and 4 with central air. In 2019, if you don't have AC in your house, I don't trust you; you are possibly a lizard person.

[Z-Corn]

There is a hex fitting accessible from the bottom made to turn by hand with a special wrench found in the disposal section at home centers. When disposals need a bit of help, I'd try that first. You can also substitute a normal hex wrench if you have one. Most people keep that special wrench under the sink or in the kitchen junk drawer.

oh good thanks, I will try that also, I don't know where the previous owner left the hex wrench, but I have a full set in multisize, hope I can find one that fits.

There is sometimes also a reset button on the bottom of the disposal that just needs to be pressed. Look for that before you get all crazy with tools and whatnot.

[Isgrimnur]

Must be nice. Texas has a 1% deductible. There’s nothing in DFW better than a refrigerator box that would come in under $1k

??? 1% deductible in this case would be $170. Mine is fixed at $1000.

1% of the insured value of the home.

[Kraken]

Must be nice. Texas has a 1% deductible. There’s nothing in DFW better than a refrigerator box that would come in under $1k

??? 1% deductible in this case would be $170. Mine is fixed at $1000.

1% of the insured value of the home.

Median home price in my town is $500k, so we'd all have a $5k deductible? Ouch! I just raised mine from $500 to $1000 (months before I had a big claim, naturally).

[Scuzz]

Before replacing the garbage disposal I would try the reset button and the hex wrench thingy on the disposal. Also the idea of replacing it with a like unit is probably a good one.

[stessier]

I replaced a garbage disposal this year. Went from a builder's grade Insikerator to the model just below the top. I think the price for the builder's grade was $99 and the one I installed was $200. It says it is a quiet model - I thought it would just be hype but it is legitimately quieter. The top of the line is a whisper model and I'm kind of curious how much quieter it could be - but not $80 curious.

FWIW, I'm not at all handy. I have screwdrivers and a hammer - that's about it. I've installed ceiling fans before, but that's about the extent of it. This was on par with a ceiling fan because I had to hard wire the unit. If you have a plug version, it's really quite simple. Watch a youtube vid and you'll be good to go. Took me about 1.5 hours because I was super slow to make sure I'd done everything right so there would be no leaks on the first try (which was a success).

[coopasonic]

Must be nice. Texas has a 1% deductible. There’s nothing in DFW better than a refrigerator box that would come in under $1k

My Texas insurance (USAA) offers more than one choice for the hail deductible, by the way... ask the guy that had a 2% deductible on a $400k home.

It's 1% NOW. They also had a fixed option, I forget the exact number but it was outrageously expensive and I got the top tier impact resistant roof so I am hoping I am good for a while.

[Isgrimnur]

Reuters (2014)

Two years after Superstorm Sandy, State Farm agent Jen Dunn is busy explaining new insurance math to her customers in upstate New York. Instead of the dollar-amount deductibles they have been used to for years, she is now writing their policies based on percentages.

For many, it means turning the typical $500 deductible into 1 percent of the insured value - for a $250,000 house, that means a gasp-producing $2,500.
...
State Farm, the largest U.S. property and casualty insurance company by market share, says a “significant” number of its policies now have percentage deductibles. Other carriers, like Allstate Corp, USAA and Nationwide, also offer the option to consumers in certain states, but the prevalence is not yet tracked nationwide. The practice is near-universal in Texas at this point, according to that state’s insurance office.
...
The 1 percent deductible is not a percentage of your loss

Rather, the out-of-pocket deductible you have to pay before the company will cover any claims is based on a percentage of the insured value of your home - which is not the market value or the appraised value, but the cost of replacing your home should it burn to the ground and need to be rebuilt.

[Jeff V]

I guess I won't complain about the deductible...but I suppose I also shouldn't be surprised if I see it jump soon (particularly after this).

Yesterday I was trying to wrestle the door down after taking out the trash when the whole thing jumped the track and nearly fell on me. The bottom panel folded up from cable tension and the door is sitting cockeyed, about 3 feet off the ground. So today I have an emergency call placed with a garage door company.

[Jaymon]

For my garbage disposal. The SO scraped everything out of the blade area, so the blades were moving freely when i put a stick in there.
I found the reset button, and pressed it, it was clearly popped out, and pressing pushed it back in, then the disposal was working again.

Thanks for recommending the reset button!

[Z-Corn]

For my garbage disposal. The SO scraped everything out of the blade area, so the blades were moving freely when i put a stick in there.
I found the reset button, and pressed it, it was clearly popped out, and pressing pushed it back in, then the disposal was working again.

Thanks for recommending the reset button!

Glad you saved money!

[Jeff V]

A few weeks ago, I got a text from my wife that he garbage disposal wasn't working. I figured something jammed it and it needed to be force-cranked or reset, but no...when I got home, it was making the sound of a disposal with nothing to eat. But the sink was full of water. After Drano over night didn't help (does it ever?), I completely emptied the basin and took off the trap. The trap was completely clogged - the main culprit being a whole fish head that somehow managed to swim through the disposal blades and remain largely intact!

[Scuzz]

A few weeks ago, I got a text from my wife that he garbage disposal wasn't working. I figured something jammed it and it needed to be force-cranked or reset, but no...when I got home, it was making the sound of a disposal with nothing to eat. But the sink was full of water. After Drano over night didn't help (does it ever?), I completely emptied the basin and took off the trap. The trap was completely clogged - the main culprit being a whole fish head that somehow managed to swim through the disposal blades and remain largely intact!

While I haven't switched out garbage disposals I have basically removed and cleaned out all the under sink plumbing a couple times over the years. I remember the first time I had to do that in this house and finding all plastic pipes with easy fit fittings and thinking I was in heaven.

[Jeff V]

I remember the first time I had to do that in this house and finding all plastic pipes with easy fit fittings and thinking I was in heaven.

This was nice, it took me longer to empty all the stuff stored under the sink than it did to ultimately fix the problem. I was even more pleasantly surprised when everything was reconnected and there wasn't the slightest hint of a leak!

[dbt1949]

I have a drain pipe under the sink that was leaking because of a broken screw on piece. This is a doublewide and extremely hard to find replacement pipes.
I ended up trying to glue it to no avail. So I ended up taping all around the connector and then painting it with waterproof rubber paint.
It works fine but I can never work on the drain ( open it up) again without replacing a bunch of pipes.
Such is the life of a poor 70 year olde man.

[Jeff V]

I have a drain pipe under the sink that was leaking because of a broken screw on piece. This is a doublewide and extremely hard to find replacement pipes.
I ended up trying to glue it to no avail. So I ended up taping all around the connector and then painting it with waterproof rubber paint.
It works fine but I can never work on the drain ( open it up) again without replacing a bunch of pipes.
Such is the life of a poor 70 year olde man.

Of course you need to that into account, just like a doctor doing a hip replacement is probably only going to give you a 5 year joint as opposed to a 20 year one. You're gambling you won't outlive the jerry rigging!

[dbt1949]

Yes, yes I am.

[Holman]

We've gone for a "mini-split system" that adds a new outdoor condenser connected to separately controlled wall units in the third-floor bedroom and two third-floor offices as well as the second-floor enclosed porch.

Mini-splits are awesome! The one fatal flaw on mini splits seems to be the fan blades on the exterior units. The very first mini-split I owned the blade failed within a year and I blame it on the direct sunlight. I've had an installer tell me as much. My most recent unit I've spray painted the blade and I think it protects it from the sun. It's been three years, I really should give it another coat. I'm in FL vs PA now, but I'd think it would apply there too.

I've noticed it with things like exterior plastic dryer vents too. I had an unpainted one crumble within a year. The most recent one I've installed I painted even on the backside and it seems to be holding up.

Good to know!

Fortunately our condenser is located on a fortunate side and shaded by the neighbor's tall hedge all day, so the fans will really never receive direct sunlight.

[em2nought]

Fortunately our condenser is located on a fortunate side and shaded by the neighbor's tall hedge all day, so the fans will really never receive direct sunlight.

That's either really smart or really lucky on your install. Recently, I've noticed ads for smart thermostats that are compatible with most brands of Mini-splits in case you're interested.
https://flair.co/pages/mini-splits-and-window-units

[Sepiche]

My wife and I are getting new bids for a deck, and one of the more reputable companies we're talking to gave us a bid for using composite deck materials (specifically a company called Trex).

Anyone know if composite decks are a good investment? It's only a little more expensive than pressure treated wood, is rot, insect, and weather resistant, and has a 20 year warranty.

Seems like a good choice, but I didn't know if there were any hidden gotchas with composites. I did read they hold heat a little more than wood, but we have a pretty shady back yard, so I figured that particular problem would be mitigated a bit.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

[RMC]

My wife and I are getting new bids for a deck, and one of the more reputable companies we're talking to gave us a bid for using composite deck materials (specifically a company called Trex).

Anyone know if composite decks are a good investment? It's only a little more expensive than pressure treated wood, is rot, insect, and weather resistant, and has a 20 year warranty.

Seems like a good choice, but I didn't know if there were any hidden gotchas with composites. I did read they hold heat a little more than wood, but we have a pretty shady back yard, so I figured that particular problem would be mitigated a bit.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

I don't have Trex, but I know a few friends that do, and they rave about it. They like it a lot better than the old wooden decking.

[Bakhtosh]

Came home last week to a hot house and the A/C blowing hotter air into the house.
Opened it up to find this:



This board failed 3 years ago and I had it replaced. You can see the cobwebs on the older scorch marks. The fan motor has a low and high speed coil, using the low speed during low ambient conditions (where you might have a full house and need cooling/humidity control). The unit is probably 20 years old. I don't want to throw a lot of money at it, but can't really swing a new system right now. We got by running the window unit. It kept 3 rooms comfortable.

This time, I discussed it with an acquaintance who works in HVAC and just bypassed the board and wired the fan up to run in high mode only. That electrical engineering experience paid off.

That worked for about 5 days. Monday morning, I woke up to a warm house, and noticed that the condenser unit fan wasn't turning (could hear the unit buzzing, but no fan). After doing some research, a failed capacitor is the most likely point of failure, so I replaced it that night, but no luck. That left the motor. Of course, the replacement universal motors aren't exact, so I had to work to get it mounted.



I finally got it in Tuesday night. Got everything put back together, and it's been running great so far. The first dual start/run capacitor was $32 and the motor with its new run capacitor was $63, so for less than a $100 and some sweat equity, I hope I can squeeze another year or two out of it.

I also had a little help

[gbasden]

My wife and I are getting new bids for a deck, and one of the more reputable companies we're talking to gave us a bid for using composite deck materials (specifically a company called Trex).

Anyone know if composite decks are a good investment? It's only a little more expensive than pressure treated wood, is rot, insect, and weather resistant, and has a 20 year warranty.

Seems like a good choice, but I didn't know if there were any hidden gotchas with composites. I did read they hold heat a little more than wood, but we have a pretty shady back yard, so I figured that particular problem would be mitigated a bit.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

We looked at Trex and it has great reviews and word of mouth. We ended up using Ipe (south american hardwood) instead just because it is natural wood yet has many of the same properties of Trex - very long life, no need for maintenance, water and insect resistance. And I could use all my woodworking tools to build the deck. It's help up really well for about 15 years now.

[em2nought]

Of course, the replacement universal motors aren't exact, so I had to work to get it mounted.



I finally got it in Tuesday night. Got everything put back together, and it's been running great so far. The first dual start/run capacitor was $32 and the motor with its new run capacitor was $63, so for less than a $100 and some sweat equity, I hope I can squeeze another year or two out of it.

That's quite impressive.

[The Meal]

We've got Trex decking. Be careful when using a pressure washer on it! (Ours looked graphitti'ed after my first cleaning.)

[Scuzz]

My wife and I are getting new bids for a deck, and one of the more reputable companies we're talking to gave us a bid for using composite deck materials (specifically a company called Trex).

Anyone know if composite decks are a good investment? It's only a little more expensive than pressure treated wood, is rot, insect, and weather resistant, and has a 20 year warranty.

Seems like a good choice, but I didn't know if there were any hidden gotchas with composites. I did read they hold heat a little more than wood, but we have a pretty shady back yard, so I figured that particular problem would be mitigated a bit.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

I don't have Trex, but I know a few friends that do, and they rave about it. They like it a lot better than the old wooden decking.

The only complaint I have ever heard about Trex type products is the initial cost.

[dobberhd]

Have any of you put in a chainlink fence? I'm fairly handy and have watched some videos, but I still hesitate.

[RMC]

Have any of you put in a chainlink fence? I'm fairly handy and have watched some videos, but I still hesitate.

I think the trick with the chain link fence is making sure you can get the poles set right, and then pulling the fence. You need to be able to apply pressure across the entire fence to make sure it is tight.

I have put up several other types of fencing but not chain link, and it was fairly easy, except for all the digging.