A while back I had a plumbing contractor come out to give me a price on upgrading our water system. New water softener, iron filter, water heater, and a few other misc. upgrades.
$4,000.00. The guy was here on time and really knew his stuff. He even had one of those cool metal clipboards which all the best contractors have. He suggested either lining our chimney or switching the water softener over to a power-vent. The water heater is the only item currently using the chimney and it doesn't generate enough heat to burn off the moisture in the chimney. This could lead to problems.
That's fine with me, since I'd like to take the chimney down below the roof line so I could patch the roof where it currently exits the roof. This removes one major area that is prone to leakage.
The thing I really liked was that he gave me a full written estimate which detailed all of the items that would be done for the price. None of the existing copper from the pressure-tank to the softener and iron filter would be kept, it'd all be replaced with larger diameter pipe, new on/off valves, etc. All new.
Today I had another company come out. The guy who showed up really puzzled me. He knows plenty about pipe sizes and about the water softener/iron filter combination that they sell, but beyond that, he didn't seem to have a clue. I asked about a power vent for the water heater and it was like I was talking another language. That made me nervous. His sales-pitch was pretty much non-existent.
I asked about pricing and he just said $1,900 for the water softener/iron filter, and they'd change pipes as necessary. He didn't know what the water heater would cost but said it might require electrical upgrades. Um, no, it won't. I had those done and pointed out all the dedicated outlets and breakers.
By the sound of it he'll also want to re-use the existing flexible gas supply line for the water heater. Um, no way. It was done half-ass 15-20 years ago and I don't want it like that any more. No written estimate for a job that could cost $3,000 or more, either. Makes me wonder how these guys have stayed in business.
So let's just say the water heater costs $1,000.00. (the first company figured $900). I'll be about a grand less than the first company, but is it worth it? I'm leaning towards the more expensive contractor because he not only spelled out what was going to be needed, but also put it in writing.
In theory there should be no surprises, since they're replacing everything except the pressure tank. I'll talk it over with the wife tonight and make an appointment in the next day or two to have the work done.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
The Blizzard Does a Vanishing Act
So we ended up with about a foot of new snow yesterday which gave us enough snow to make this season the 2nd heaviest for snowfall on record for us.
Today temps were in the upper 30's, and about half of the snow has already melted. The driveways are dry and most of the streets are dry except for where the city did a half-ass job plowing.
Tomorrow is supposed to be in the upper 30's and Monday in the low 40's, so I expect us to be mostly snow-free again in a few days.
Weird weather...
Today temps were in the upper 30's, and about half of the snow has already melted. The driveways are dry and most of the streets are dry except for where the city did a half-ass job plowing.
Tomorrow is supposed to be in the upper 30's and Monday in the low 40's, so I expect us to be mostly snow-free again in a few days.
Weird weather...
Friday, March 21, 2008
Is it Winter Already?!?
This morning when I left for work around 6:15 it was dark out. Even in the darkness, I knew there was no snow.
At 5:00 the same day:
The Minivan-o'-Deth is covered in about 8" of heavy packing snow. The local fish-wrap is predicting 10-15" before it's all over. That normally means we'll get 2" or 40". So far, they're not far off, and the fun is expected to last through the night.
Moral of the story: if you tell Mother Nature that you'll still respect her in the morning, don't post naked pictures of her with a donkey on the internet from her own computer while she's still passed out. I swear they were Photoshopped!
On the good side, I finally got a good chance to try the 4wd capabilities of the Jeep and am extremely impressed with how well it goes through snow. I had about 14" of snow at the end of the drive and it just crawled right through it without spinning the tires or making a running start. It never felt out of control and didn't slide a bit on the hard-packed snow-covered roads.
I really need to put a hitch and some recovery hooks on it though. I carry two tow straps just in case, but have nowhere good to hook them up except for the axles, and I'm not a fan of using them like that.
Once Spring gets here....
At 5:00 the same day:
The Minivan-o'-Deth is covered in about 8" of heavy packing snow. The local fish-wrap is predicting 10-15" before it's all over. That normally means we'll get 2" or 40". So far, they're not far off, and the fun is expected to last through the night.
Moral of the story: if you tell Mother Nature that you'll still respect her in the morning, don't post naked pictures of her with a donkey on the internet from her own computer while she's still passed out. I swear they were Photoshopped!
On the good side, I finally got a good chance to try the 4wd capabilities of the Jeep and am extremely impressed with how well it goes through snow. I had about 14" of snow at the end of the drive and it just crawled right through it without spinning the tires or making a running start. It never felt out of control and didn't slide a bit on the hard-packed snow-covered roads.
I really need to put a hitch and some recovery hooks on it though. I carry two tow straps just in case, but have nowhere good to hook them up except for the axles, and I'm not a fan of using them like that.
Once Spring gets here....
Monday, February 25, 2008
A Shocking Update
Well, not shocking for me, because I had hired-guns do the work for me. That's right, the electrical upgrade has finally been done! By professionals with trucks, tools, and permits! 4 electricians, in fact. It took about 6-1/2 hours total for the whole job.
To recap for those who don't know and who can't be bothered to read about it in my previous posts, the electrical system in my house was maxed out and ready to be retired. The panel was original to the house and provided 100 amp service. There was no room for the additional circuits I need to continue the remodel.
Attached to this "Old and Busted" panel is a box which used to control an electric water heater. The theory was that the electric company would turn the heater on and off as needed only during peak usage times, saving you money. We had one of these in the house I grew up (or at least got older) in. I don't recall my dad doing cartwheels with joy over his savings, and I think these things faded away. Either way, it's an empty box.
Speaking of Old and Busted, here where we started with the service on the outside of the house. The original meter with acrappy & rusty well worn conduit, bringing power into the house below grade. Naaah, a little rust on the pipe won't compromise it's strength, will it? The gray box to the right is for the cable service.
Well above ground, the electricians started by running heavier wire which connected to the wires serviced by the electric company. A new mast-head was installed and the existing down-tube was used so no roofing needed to be done. The pipe at this end was large enough for the heavy wires needed for 200 amps.
Old and Busted meter box was replaced by New Hotness meter box. A larger diameter (and not rusted) pipe now brings the heavy wires in above grade. Everything below grade was cemented up to keep water out - a good idea in my book! The cable box was relocated to make room for this new larger box.
All work outside is now complete. I had an electrical outlet added outside, since there wasn't one before. It's got a large weather-proof box and is also a GFCI outlet. After the inspection I can replace the dirt moved to dig out the old pipe. Two new ground rods were installed and tied in with the old ground rod.
Moving inside, the old box was pulled from the wall to make room for this baby! Capable of 200 amps of juice. I'm somewhat certain that this picture was taken before they finished the install.
Here we go, "New Hotness" all buttoned up and ready for action! The little box to the right of the panel is a whole-house surge suppression system. An outlet just below the panel was added for the washer & dryer. Previously I had to plug the dryer in through an extension cord - not a good idea. I've got a lot of room to expand with this new panel, and the best thing about it is that the circuits are actually labeled with correct descriptions! At least half of the breakers on the old panel were labeled "Pump". The PO must have had some weird pump-fetish...
Remember this little gem? The PO thought this was a good way to wire the electric stove.
Here's a closer look. Yes, that's electrical tape wrapped around the cord to "protect" it. Before opening these boxes to check what kind of wiring fiasco was inside, the main electrician I was working with guessed that the wires were just wire-nutted together, giving power to the stove and the old electric fireplace I tore out on one circuit.
What he found in the box surprised him. The larger of the two boxes was actually a small fuse box, something most home-owners wouldn't have access to. He figures that whoever did this had access to material, such as a maintenance guy would, but didn't know/care enough about code to actually spend the little extra time to do the job right.
In the following picture you can see the extra wire added to the center terminal on the back of the stove. My electrician took this as proof that either the PO had help or kinda knew what he was doing (my money is on "he had help"), because this wire blah blah blah blah (I have no idea what he said/meant). Something about tying the neutral to ground or something like that.
I asked him to clean it up enough to pass inspection. I didn't want any more money than needed spent on it because it's going to get ripped out in a month or so when I get crackin' on the kitchen remodel. He installed new wiring, cleaned up the mess inside the little boxes, and I'm good to go here. It's still not as pretty as I'd like, but pretty costs more. They also installed the plug in a bad location behind the stove, forcing the stove to be away from the wall by about 3". Again, I don't care because it's temporary. No sense in having them waste their time to re-do it if it's not going to stay.
Trail Mix anyone? With a side order of 40 years of accumulated grease splatter? Yum yum, gimme some! When we moved the stove out (possibly the first time it's been moved in over a decade) I threw up a little in my mouth from the site of what greeted me. Yeah, like yours is sooo much cleaner...
Still to be done: There are two breakers which we haven't been able to identify yet. A 20 amp and a 15 amp. I haven't gone through the house yet checking each outlet, but that's next. We figure that at some time in the past the PO did some remodeling (HA!) and maybe added an outlet or two. Until I figure out where those breakers control, the breakers are off. That should make it easier to find the dead circuits so I can label 'em.
To recap for those who don't know and who can't be bothered to read about it in my previous posts, the electrical system in my house was maxed out and ready to be retired. The panel was original to the house and provided 100 amp service. There was no room for the additional circuits I need to continue the remodel.
Attached to this "Old and Busted" panel is a box which used to control an electric water heater. The theory was that the electric company would turn the heater on and off as needed only during peak usage times, saving you money. We had one of these in the house I grew up (or at least got older) in. I don't recall my dad doing cartwheels with joy over his savings, and I think these things faded away. Either way, it's an empty box.
Speaking of Old and Busted, here where we started with the service on the outside of the house. The original meter with a
Well above ground, the electricians started by running heavier wire which connected to the wires serviced by the electric company. A new mast-head was installed and the existing down-tube was used so no roofing needed to be done. The pipe at this end was large enough for the heavy wires needed for 200 amps.
Old and Busted meter box was replaced by New Hotness meter box. A larger diameter (and not rusted) pipe now brings the heavy wires in above grade. Everything below grade was cemented up to keep water out - a good idea in my book! The cable box was relocated to make room for this new larger box.
All work outside is now complete. I had an electrical outlet added outside, since there wasn't one before. It's got a large weather-proof box and is also a GFCI outlet. After the inspection I can replace the dirt moved to dig out the old pipe. Two new ground rods were installed and tied in with the old ground rod.
Moving inside, the old box was pulled from the wall to make room for this baby! Capable of 200 amps of juice. I'm somewhat certain that this picture was taken before they finished the install.
Here we go, "New Hotness" all buttoned up and ready for action! The little box to the right of the panel is a whole-house surge suppression system. An outlet just below the panel was added for the washer & dryer. Previously I had to plug the dryer in through an extension cord - not a good idea. I've got a lot of room to expand with this new panel, and the best thing about it is that the circuits are actually labeled with correct descriptions! At least half of the breakers on the old panel were labeled "Pump". The PO must have had some weird pump-fetish...
Remember this little gem? The PO thought this was a good way to wire the electric stove.
Here's a closer look. Yes, that's electrical tape wrapped around the cord to "protect" it. Before opening these boxes to check what kind of wiring fiasco was inside, the main electrician I was working with guessed that the wires were just wire-nutted together, giving power to the stove and the old electric fireplace I tore out on one circuit.
What he found in the box surprised him. The larger of the two boxes was actually a small fuse box, something most home-owners wouldn't have access to. He figures that whoever did this had access to material, such as a maintenance guy would, but didn't know/care enough about code to actually spend the little extra time to do the job right.
In the following picture you can see the extra wire added to the center terminal on the back of the stove. My electrician took this as proof that either the PO had help or kinda knew what he was doing (my money is on "he had help"), because this wire blah blah blah blah (I have no idea what he said/meant). Something about tying the neutral to ground or something like that.
I asked him to clean it up enough to pass inspection. I didn't want any more money than needed spent on it because it's going to get ripped out in a month or so when I get crackin' on the kitchen remodel. He installed new wiring, cleaned up the mess inside the little boxes, and I'm good to go here. It's still not as pretty as I'd like, but pretty costs more. They also installed the plug in a bad location behind the stove, forcing the stove to be away from the wall by about 3". Again, I don't care because it's temporary. No sense in having them waste their time to re-do it if it's not going to stay.
Trail Mix anyone? With a side order of 40 years of accumulated grease splatter? Yum yum, gimme some! When we moved the stove out (possibly the first time it's been moved in over a decade) I threw up a little in my mouth from the site of what greeted me. Yeah, like yours is sooo much cleaner...
Still to be done: There are two breakers which we haven't been able to identify yet. A 20 amp and a 15 amp. I haven't gone through the house yet checking each outlet, but that's next. We figure that at some time in the past the PO did some remodeling (HA!) and maybe added an outlet or two. Until I figure out where those breakers control, the breakers are off. That should make it easier to find the dead circuits so I can label 'em.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Bring it on, Mother Nature!
I'm calling Mother Nature out, and daring her to bring her A-game with some snow. Any normal person wants winter to end, the snow to melt, and the ice to disappear.
Newsflash, I'm not normal.
I'm also itching to try out the new (to me) get-away vehicle, a '95 Jeep Cherokee which should be plenty capable of carrying any home renovation material I've got planned.
Nothing fancy, and far fewer bells & whistles than the previous get-away minivan-of-death. Fine with me, as that means less crap to go wrong. Power windows, locks, seats, etc are fine when a car is new, but after a few years, good luck with all those electronics. Ask me how I know...
It's been years since I've had 4wd, and I remember how much fun it was being able to go through just about anything nature brought. The minivan-of-death wasn't bad in the snow, but considering I leave for work well before the all the roads get plowed in the morning, this should make the commute a little easier.
The only down-side of getting the Jeep is now my driveway is starting to look like a used-car lot. I've got the two minivans-of-death out front along with the red GMC in the background which I'm storing for my dad for 3-4 more weeks, plus the Jeep. One more car in the garage rounds it out.
All of 'em run and none are up on blocks, so I'm not quite to red-neck status. Yet.
So once again, Mother Nature, get your ass moving and bring the snow. If you've got the guts.
Newsflash, I'm not normal.
I'm also itching to try out the new (to me) get-away vehicle, a '95 Jeep Cherokee which should be plenty capable of carrying any home renovation material I've got planned.
Nothing fancy, and far fewer bells & whistles than the previous get-away minivan-of-death. Fine with me, as that means less crap to go wrong. Power windows, locks, seats, etc are fine when a car is new, but after a few years, good luck with all those electronics. Ask me how I know...
It's been years since I've had 4wd, and I remember how much fun it was being able to go through just about anything nature brought. The minivan-of-death wasn't bad in the snow, but considering I leave for work well before the all the roads get plowed in the morning, this should make the commute a little easier.
The only down-side of getting the Jeep is now my driveway is starting to look like a used-car lot. I've got the two minivans-of-death out front along with the red GMC in the background which I'm storing for my dad for 3-4 more weeks, plus the Jeep. One more car in the garage rounds it out.
All of 'em run and none are up on blocks, so I'm not quite to red-neck status. Yet.
So once again, Mother Nature, get your ass moving and bring the snow. If you've got the guts.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
And Now, for Something Completely Different
Two topics today, completely unrelated to home renovations. Also unrelated to each other, but also related to each other. Makes no sense? It will.
First, the company I work for finally took delivery of the remaining Christmas gifts that were given out to employees in December. In December we were given a couple of games, a big tin of popcorn, and a check. We were told there were to be more games, but they couldn't get 300+ copies of each in time, so they'd come later. Today was later. Catchphrase and the DVD version of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader.
While looking at the DVD box for "5th Grader", I noticed something:
Quite honestly, if you look at a little box and expect there to be a DVD player or a TV in the box with the DVD, you are barely smart enough to be considered human, much less smarter than a 5th grader.
It's sad that we actually need disclaimers on stuff like this...
Rant #2: today was the primary election in Wisconsin, and I am sure I am not alone in saying this: "Dear politicians, now that you're done telling us how your opponent is a big fat smelly liar who molests chipmunks, please get the hell out of our state and take your TV and print ads with you."
How are these unrelated topics related? Because politicians keep treating us like we're all 5th graders. Forget the issues, it's all about popularity and soundbites.
The main one which bugs me for some stupid reason was watching Hillary a few days ago talking to a local Wisconsin reporter, blathering on and on about how she went to the Wisconsin Dells when she was younger. Whoop-de-do. So did I, so maybe I should be a write-in contestant in the state.
Blah blah blah, I like cheese, vote for me.
First, the company I work for finally took delivery of the remaining Christmas gifts that were given out to employees in December. In December we were given a couple of games, a big tin of popcorn, and a check. We were told there were to be more games, but they couldn't get 300+ copies of each in time, so they'd come later. Today was later. Catchphrase and the DVD version of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader.
While looking at the DVD box for "5th Grader", I noticed something:
Quite honestly, if you look at a little box and expect there to be a DVD player or a TV in the box with the DVD, you are barely smart enough to be considered human, much less smarter than a 5th grader.
It's sad that we actually need disclaimers on stuff like this...
Rant #2: today was the primary election in Wisconsin, and I am sure I am not alone in saying this: "Dear politicians, now that you're done telling us how your opponent is a big fat smelly liar who molests chipmunks, please get the hell out of our state and take your TV and print ads with you."
How are these unrelated topics related? Because politicians keep treating us like we're all 5th graders. Forget the issues, it's all about popularity and soundbites.
The main one which bugs me for some stupid reason was watching Hillary a few days ago talking to a local Wisconsin reporter, blathering on and on about how she went to the Wisconsin Dells when she was younger. Whoop-de-do. So did I, so maybe I should be a write-in contestant in the state.
Blah blah blah, I like cheese, vote for me.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Why Ceiling Paint Choice is so Important
Anybody who has looked at all the differences in paints has probably also been surprised at just how many choices there are. Flat, Eggshell, Semi-Gloss, Gloss, etc.
On walls, flat paints often look great, but don't stand up well to abuse and can be hard to scrub. Glossy paints are easier to maintain, but don't look "right" on many walls.
When it comes to bathrooms and kitchens you also have to consider how the paint looks, but also how easy it will be to clean and how it'll hold up to moisture.
A few weeks ago I posted a picture of the grease-buffet that is my kitchen ceiling above the stove. At that time, I was planning to try a few different cleaners to see what worked best for built-up grease.
I had some time to kill today so I figured this would a good day to give it a shot. The grease on the ceiling has probably been building up for at least a decade, and it was my guess that it wasn't going to go without a fight.
Wrong!
I started the cleaning with a standard Clorox cleaning wipe, and found that it worked perfectly well. The only down-side was that the wipes aren't that big and therefore didn't last that long. Here's the result from one wipe:
The ceiling had been painted in the past with what appears to be a Semi-Gloss paint. It's got at least a half-dozen coats of paint, so the sand texture is pretty smooth making it easy to clean. If it were a flat white there is no way it would have been this easy.
Now I'm pissed at myself for living with this disgusting mess on the ceiling for so long. If I had known it was going to clean up this easily I would have done it a year ago.
On walls, flat paints often look great, but don't stand up well to abuse and can be hard to scrub. Glossy paints are easier to maintain, but don't look "right" on many walls.
When it comes to bathrooms and kitchens you also have to consider how the paint looks, but also how easy it will be to clean and how it'll hold up to moisture.
A few weeks ago I posted a picture of the grease-buffet that is my kitchen ceiling above the stove. At that time, I was planning to try a few different cleaners to see what worked best for built-up grease.
I had some time to kill today so I figured this would a good day to give it a shot. The grease on the ceiling has probably been building up for at least a decade, and it was my guess that it wasn't going to go without a fight.
Wrong!
I started the cleaning with a standard Clorox cleaning wipe, and found that it worked perfectly well. The only down-side was that the wipes aren't that big and therefore didn't last that long. Here's the result from one wipe:
The ceiling had been painted in the past with what appears to be a Semi-Gloss paint. It's got at least a half-dozen coats of paint, so the sand texture is pretty smooth making it easy to clean. If it were a flat white there is no way it would have been this easy.
Now I'm pissed at myself for living with this disgusting mess on the ceiling for so long. If I had known it was going to clean up this easily I would have done it a year ago.
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