If you're gonna be knuckleheads do us a favor and take it elsewhere.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Any electricians out there. I noticed the outlet on my deck wasn’t working. I checked all my switches to make sure everything was on. Tested every outlet in the house and all have juice except the one on the deck. Pulled the cover off and casing out and everything is connected correctly. And wiring runs down the wall to who knows where. I used my dad’s electrical tester, but him and mom are leaving for the cabin until late fall. Gives me an excuse to tell the wife I need to buy one. I swear I’ve used that outlet since moving into the house. But maybe I haven’t. Also the house got resided and roofed in the fall of 2023. I also remodeled the basement in Jan 2023. Though we really didn’t mess with wall the wiring would be coming down, besides painting it. Doubt any of those have anything to do with it. Though I try to give as much info as possible. I might make a call to the contractor of who sided the house and ask them.
I know there are a couple GPLers that are WAY better on electrical stuff than I am, but to me, this sounds like making a final cross-check of any possible light switches anywhere and the breaker box, then calling in a professional. Electrical wiring is not something to mess around with. Between the possibility of a shock and a fire, that's one of the areas that I simply do not screw around with when doing DIY stuff around the house. Re-wiring a light switch? No problem. Swapping out outlets at a rental property to put new outlets with USB chargers built in, sure. Once you get to something inside the walls where things just aren't lining up/working right? That's just dangerous.
Im getting to my limit. I’ll wire an open wall when it’s just studs. Though this is all in enclosed. And the bigger question is, what circuit is it on. My house is wired pretty good. And makes since on the circuit breaker door. My sister and brother-in-laws is a maze. And you almost need a book to go along with the breaker door.
I know there are a couple GPLers that are WAY better on electrical stuff than I am, but to me, this sounds like making a final cross-check of any possible light switches anywhere and the breaker box, then calling in a professional. Electrical wiring is not something to mess around with. Between the possibility of a shock and a fire, that's one of the areas that I simply do not screw around with when doing DIY stuff around the house. Re-wiring a light switch? No problem. Swapping out outlets at a rental property to put new outlets with USB chargers built in, sure. Once you get to something inside the walls where things just aren't lining up/working right? That's just dangerous.
Not that I should have any faith in my opinion when it comes to these things (hence living in an apt) but I always thought that plumbing and electrical: leave it to the pros.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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I know there are a couple GPLers that are WAY better on electrical stuff than I am, but to me, this sounds like making a final cross-check of any possible light switches anywhere and the breaker box, then calling in a professional. Electrical wiring is not something to mess around with. Between the possibility of a shock and a fire, that's one of the areas that I simply do not screw around with when doing DIY stuff around the house. Re-wiring a light switch? No problem. Swapping out outlets at a rental property to put new outlets with USB chargers built in, sure. Once you get to something inside the walls where things just aren't lining up/working right? That's just dangerous.
Not that I should have any faith in my opinion when it comes to these things (hence living in an apt) but I always thought that plumbing and electrical: leave it to the pros.
Simple stuff for either, I do myself. The electrical stuff mentioned earlier. Swapping a faucet/shower head. Swapping the internals on a toilet. Those are all simple and straightforward. But, overall, electric and plumbing are the two that if you do it wrong... well, if you don't know for sure you can do it, get a pro.
My neighbor across the street had their house resided and within a half hour cut their internet for half a day. Also somehow took them the whole summer to finish and the lead dude admitted it was his 3rd best crew. Felt bad they had a dumpster in front of their house for 4 months
Believe me… I was thinking the same thing at first. So I checked all the switches in the kitchen and dining room.
Our house was built in the 70s, I think we are the third owners. There are still multiple light switches in our home that don’t do anything (nor do we know what they used to do). I think previous homeowners made some “modifications” with various electrical and wiring projects and did not know what they were doing. There are wires all over the backyard too for “landscape” projects that has also left a hot mess. (To be fair we have not the time nor funds to overhaul it yet so it has gone into disrepair). Thankfully nobody can see that part of our yard from the front. 😬
I think every house or apt has one switch that is the mystery switch. Frankly, I think it could be one big inside joke for electricians: "Hey, let's put a switch here, just to mess with 'em."
I know I would do that, I admit.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I was impressed with my roofers and sides. I’ve no problems with their post work. And this electrical problem could be from them, but better chance not. I was at work for the 3 days for the siding. And was home for the day of roofing. It was 7 Hispanics and I even bought them lunch from Domino’s… lol!!! The house down the street had their roof done on Friday. And they had to be 14 plus Hispanics on that roof. They even brought port-a-potty for the driveway. Made me think where the roofers and siders went when my house was done… lol!!!
There are still multiple light switches in our home that don’t do anything (nor do we know what they used to do).
Are they in rooms with no original overhead lighting?
No - one is in the entryway and the other in a room in the basement (the workout room). We heard rumors there may have been a hot tub in that room (it has tile floor and there used to be a wierd set of steps made out of tile and block in there too). So guessing it had something to do with that. The previous owner also had a suspended model train track that ran through the basement so that is another possibility. 🤷♀️
There are still multiple light switches in our home that don’t do anything (nor do we know what they used to do).
Are they in rooms with no original overhead lighting?
No - one is in the entryway and the other in a room in the basement (the workout room). We heard rumors there may have been a hot tub in that room (it has tile floor and there used to be a wierd set of steps made out of tile and block in there too). So guessing it had something to do with that. The previous owner also had a suspended model train track that ran through the basement so that is another possibility. 🤷♀️
Well, I know for sure that your husband is, at the VERY least, reasonably skilled in electrical wiring. My guess is there's an outlet in the room in question linked to the switch. And it may only be one of the sockets.
There are still multiple light switches in our home that don’t do anything (nor do we know what they used to do).
Are they in rooms with no original overhead lighting?
No - one is in the entryway and the other in a room in the basement (the workout room). We heard rumors there may have been a hot tub in that room (it has tile floor and there used to be a wierd set of steps made out of tile and block in there too). So guessing it had something to do with that. The previous owner also had a suspended model train track that ran through the basement so that is another possibility. 🤷♀️
Well, I know for sure that your husband is, at the VERY least, reasonably skilled in electrical wiring. My guess is there's an outlet in the room in question linked to the switch. And it may only be one of the sockets.
I think most if not all of the outlets are in use down there but good idea. Sunday project. 😂
There are still multiple light switches in our home that don’t do anything (nor do we know what they used to do).
Are they in rooms with no original overhead lighting?
No - one is in the entryway and the other in a room in the basement (the workout room). We heard rumors there may have been a hot tub in that room (it has tile floor and there used to be a wierd set of steps made out of tile and block in there too). So guessing it had something to do with that. The previous owner also had a suspended model train track that ran through the basement so that is another possibility. 🤷♀️
Well, I know for sure that your husband is, at the VERY least, reasonably skilled in electrical wiring. My guess is there's an outlet in the room in question linked to the switch. And it may only be one of the sockets.
Her husband is a ne'er-do-gooder know-nothing. 😉
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Her husband must be up to some big project. Ran into him at Home Depot on my second trip for gravel. He had his big truck and trailer in the parking lot.
Her husband must be up to some big project. Ran into him at Home Depot on my second trip for gravel. He had his big truck and trailer in the parking lot.
That was probably for mulch bags last weekend. He goes to Menards several times a weekend too, still putting finishing touches on his garage/man cave.
Do any of you have leaf guard gutter covers? I am talking about the gutter guards that are solid metal and rely on surface tension of water to pull water into the gutters? I am curious how they work in heavy rain. If the flow of water is heavy, does the water just flow off and over the gutters?
At my old house we had gutter screens and they worked great, but had to be cleaned out of the various seeds the trees would drop on the roof.
My new house has a three story drop off the back and I am not planning to get on the edge of the roof to clean the gutter screens.
I eventually had to take our gutter screens off because of all the stuff that would get stuck in them and also they seemed more susceptible to surface tension as all. Many times since they slightly cover the edge of the gutter, water would flow across and right off the gutter edge. So I have been thinking about getting our very old gutters replaced.
Do not like how this board is run? Get your own board! ♃
Do any of you have leaf guard gutter covers? I am talking about the gutter guards that are solid metal and rely on surface tension of water to pull water into the gutters? I am curious how they work in heavy rain. If the flow of water is heavy, does the water just flow off and over the gutters?
At my old house we had gutter screens and they worked great, but had to be cleaned out of the various seeds the trees would drop on the roof.
My new house has a three story drop off the back and I am not planning to get on the edge of the roof to clean the gutter screens.
We have the Leaf Guard brand gutters with the curved metal covers. I know it's hard to figure, but they work great no matter how heavy the rain is. And there's never been anything get into them yet. Had them 6 years.
We also have a portion of our house with regular gutters with screens on them. They're ok but small stuff like pine needles do get in and eventually plug up in the corners.
If I could start over it would be all Leaf Guard. They're expensive, but some things are worth it!
Do any of you have leaf guard gutter covers? I am talking about the gutter guards that are solid metal and rely on surface tension of water to pull water into the gutters? I am curious how they work in heavy rain. If the flow of water is heavy, does the water just flow off and over the gutters?
At my old house we had gutter screens and they worked great, but had to be cleaned out of the various seeds the trees would drop on the roof.
My new house has a three story drop off the back and I am not planning to get on the edge of the roof to clean the gutter screens.
I think we have a knock-off leaf guard style gutter on our house. We live in the woods and the crap the swamp oaks drop still get in there. If you don’t have tons of trees around you I bet they are great!
Do any of you have leaf guard gutter covers? I am talking about the gutter guards that are solid metal and rely on surface tension of water to pull water into the gutters? I am curious how they work in heavy rain. If the flow of water is heavy, does the water just flow off and over the gutters?
At my old house we had gutter screens and they worked great, but had to be cleaned out of the various seeds the trees would drop on the roof.
My new house has a three story drop off the back and I am not planning to get on the edge of the roof to clean the gutter screens.
I think we have a knock-off leaf guard style gutter on our house. We live in the woods and the crap the swamp oaks drop still get in there. If you don’t have tons of trees around you I bet they are great!
We have a big old ash tree hanging over our house that sheds tons of seeds. Has not bothered the Leaf Guard.
I realize this may be a stretch, because this thread is supposed to pertain to board operation and such, but I have a question for Jupiter regarding photo editing and what his thoughts are regarding monitors for that, as he posts so many photos on here during the season. I want to get back into photography and editing/printing photos. Between 2K and 4K monitors, is one better than the other? It would be very much a "budget" level purchase, but I want to buy based on what suits editing best. Obviously, any feedback is welcome. Thank you!
I realize this may be a stretch, because this thread is supposed to pertain to board operation and such, but I have a question for Jupiter regarding photo editing and what his thoughts are regarding monitors for that, as he posts so many photos on here during the season. I want to get back into photography and editing/printing photos. Between 2K and 4K monitors, is one better than the other? It would be very much a "budget" level purchase, but I want to buy based on what suits editing best. Obviously, any feedback is welcome. Thank you!
Thank you for the feedback. In reading articles and watching videos, there seem to be two camps: the 4K folks, who take the "get everything you can get" approach and the 2K folks, who say that 4K renders everything too small and that 2K is easier to edit with. I would tend to think you can scale the 4K so that icons and such aren't too small. I'm going to go with a 27" 4K. I may wait until closer to Black Friday to explore any deals that are out there and go with a basic monitor for now. Thank you again for the advice.
Vehicle maintenance has double to tripled in the last 15 years. The Dodge dealership I go to, just raised their per hr. charge $220 to $240 in the last year.
I came home the other night to find a leak in my basement. Only to find out that my kids took baths and had a little too much water in the tub (lol). The overflow pipe over overtime wasn’t fully connected and sealed to the back of the tub. After quickly drilling a couple holes in the ceiling to drain what water was sitting on top of the drywall. Along with a quick trip to Home Depot to get a new overflow plate and caulking… all is well in the world. Though I have a hole in my basement hallway ceiling that I’ll need to repair. Also had a talk with a kid saying they were not in trouble and I was not mad at them. It’s just the joys of homeownership. And for future do not get so much water in the tub that the water goes above the overflow plate drain.
How often do others change their furnace filters? I changed mine about every other month. I just had an HVAC repairman out to fix a sensor in my furnace. He said my furnace is in very good condition after the service especially being the original furnace from 1998. He gave it a 7/10 for a furnace that old. He told me I would be shocked how often people change their furnace filters and how bad they are when he does home repairs on furnaces and cleaning out the duct work. It was also the second time since we bought the house 5 years ago that I had him clean out the ducting and dryer. He sucked up dog hair this time… we don’t own a dog… lol!!! I guess with so many screws and bolts in the ductwork hair or stuff gets caught up. Regardless how often you clean your ductwork, you’ll always find something years later.
Depends upon the size of your filter, but a 1" should should be checked monthly and likely swapped out every 1-3 months.
I've had more than one reputable HVAC tell me duct cleaning is overrated unless there are specific circumstances that warrant it such as visible mold, pest infestation, after home renovations, or other signs that suggest something is up.
It’s a 1” filter. I’ve always been one to put more on the front end of home repairs and auto than the back end. From my experiences you save more often than not.
Not sure about the duct cleaning, but when I had my furnace replaced a couple years ago, they told me monthly on the filter change.
I've got a Nest thermostat that tracks how much the fan runs and pops up reminders when it's time. Since I generally run the fan 24/7 (also recommended by the installers) it ends up being 3 weeks for me. And the filter is visibly bowed in every time I've swapped it, plus I can hear the better airflow after the swap, so I think I'm doing it right.
Put in a new furnace last year with a 4" filter. Furnace guy told me to change it every 3 months. Also told me to avoid filters with the highest filtration numbers as they are too restrictive.
My thermostat (Bryant) tells me when it's time to replace, it's been every 4-5 months since we've owned the house.
Our water filtration was a more difficult code to crack. We have well water and about a year ago our pressure started to fluctuate a lot. Like water would stop flowing upstairs if something ran at a lower level. At first I thought it was the expansion tank and had a plumber out and fortunately it was not that. We have two filters, stainless steel large sediment and a standard filter before the water goes to the softener. Long story short (kinda) as I drained the system I ended up getting several buckets of sludge coming out via the drain in large sediment filter. That filter was was clogged beyond belief and so stuff was obviously getting through and clogged the pipes. Discovered this 100% by accident 😀 and additionally it was determined the water softener was failing.
I have two of the stainless large sediment filters so I change those out every 2 - 3 months and I then soak the 'used' one in FSR until I use it next time. I also change the disposable filter at the same time. The new water softener and drinking water filter (Kinetico) have been fantastic and the flow and water quality are 100% better since the upgrades. Lot to learn for a guy who only had city water/sewer his entire life. Knock on wood the system is flowing great now!
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Put in a new furnace last year with a 4" filter. Furnace guy told me to change it every 3 months. Also told me to avoid filters with the highest filtration numbers as they are too restrictive.
Same here. Used to have 1" filters and changed every 4-6 weeks, and they were usually bowed by that point. Replaced furnace in 2019, switched to 4" filter, and now go every 12 weeks with no issues.
Run the Honeywell 6 or 8 filters, whatever is on sale/available. The level 10 filters... I can audibly hear a shift in fan speed when I put one of them in. Tried it for 12 weeks and the filter didn't seem any more or less dirty than with the level 6 or 8 filters, but the furnace fan was noticeably louder (which leads me to believe it was having to work harder). Whereas, to me, there was no noticeable difference in fan volume between the level 6 and 8 filters.
My HVAC guy said changing the filter regularly is more important than the level of the filter. He said just get the cheap ones and make sure you change em every month.
My HVAC guy said changing the filter regularly is more important than the level of the filter. He said just get the cheap ones and make sure you change em every month.
I have a new build and they told me the same thing. They said the more dense filters are actually worse because they limit air flow, which stresses the furnace. Best option is to get the cheapest filter and change out every month.
My HVAC guy said changing the filter regularly is more important than the level of the filter. He said just get the cheap ones and make sure you change em every month.
I have a new build and they told me the same thing. They said the more dense filters are actually worse because they limit air flow, which stresses the furnace. Best option is to get the cheapest filter and change out every month.
I know I already commented, but I looked at the faceplate they put together for me to hold the filter in when my furnace got replaced, and it even says "replace monthly" on it, matching what they told me.
Also, I got the same advice about using cheap filters to avoid constricting airflow too much. I buy boxes of 6x Level-8 filters on Amazon using a subscription, so I get a new shipment every 4 months. Every now and then, I just have to skip a month because I have a full box waiting already.
I do suspect that the 3 or 4 inch filters lasting longer is also true, with the monthly being for 1-inch filters.
Filters have a "MERV" rating for anything from a cheapo home furnace filter to cleanroom HEPA filters. The higher the MERV, the smaller the particles that are being removed from the airstream.
If your not interested in filtering things like pollen or pet dander, a lower MERV rating is fine, but even so, MERV 8 is a typical home rated filter. High quality paint booths are higher and cleanrooms are very high (and expensive).
The furnace doesn't necessarily "work harder" for higher rated filters. The pleated style 3M Filtrete filters, for example, have more surface area to allow the proper airflow. This added area means less filter changes generally. Moreover, the fan motor and blower are designed to deliver the air at full static pressure (resistance), which is to say when the filter is at the end of its life. The fan moves more air when the filter is new (less restriction) and less air as the filter gets loaded. As the filter loads, it actually becomes more efficient because the loaded material on the filter surface increases the filter efficiency (though also increases the static pressure which eventually reduces airflow). Running the fan continuously obviously increases operating costs significantly* and if the filter is blinded over, it will be drawing its maximum amperage. The biggest issue as I see it for a filter way past its filter change is that the reduced air flow may cause problems with the cooling coils or even the furnace heat exhanger, which would be dangerous and expensive to fix.
*I will run mine continuously for an hour or two at a time to help reduce stratification between floors but not too often.
Now, "filtering" air in a home is a bit of an overreach in the first place. Typical furnace fan sizes are about 1 cfm per square foot of living space. If you add up the actual volume inside a house, that equates to very low "air changes" in the house. Worse, the air returns are generally overhead, meaning any heavy particles that may otherwise be filtered by the furnace filter instead merely settle to the floor; ergo, a good vacuum may be a better investment. Even pet dander would tend to head straight to the carpet or...ahem...for some of you out there, the sofa or the bed. It's pretty hard to filter something that never makes it to the filter.
All that said, I generally buy the Filtrete filters by 3M or a worthy knock off and change them at the recommended interval.
(I don't claim to be an expert, but I do have some experience engineering air handling systems for Class A paint lines.)
Anyone have a recommendation for some tree trimming (possible removal) in the northeast metro. Thought I might be able to handle things with some help, but I don’t think it seems all that safe, especially factoring in my age.
We took down 11 trees (9 Ash & 2 that were a pain) over Memorial Day weekend. We had a crew to help and my nephew's very good friend owns/operates a tree service near Mankato (they were at our very nearby lake place for the weekend) so he was able to bring some kick arse equipment and it was still a pain. I don't have a recommendation other than hire someone! 😀
On a side note we had a severe hail storm move through the area last week and my God the storm chasing vultures were out in force for almost a week. Leave me the #$% alone already! One guy rang the bell and I told him we are good (my cousin's husband works for solid non-vulture like exterior company and had checked our roof) and he had the balls to ask me if I'm sure. What a puke.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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This could also be a pet peeve, stuck in my crawl or a dumb question…
I always have some kind of project going on at my house. Built in ‘98 so it’s not old or new. Finding things where the contractor or previous home openers cut corners instead of doing it correctly. Too many people try to do it themselves and way above their bar. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a top of line handyman, but I know what my limits are and where I set the bar. I also tell people when I do a projects for them that this is my limit and this is what I know. Though I don’t cut corners to make it a “what in the world did he do” 10-20 years later.
I swear to god @gator ... how dumb can you be? You bring up conceal and carry on here? Are you F'n kidding me? How in the hell have you not learned your lesson about being stupid on this site? I mean really? The more I think about it, the more I want to ban you and never look back.
Don't bother with a text or a pm on GPL with yet another apology. I am just not going to listen anymore.
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