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Thread: Home repairs (broken stuff)

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    Default Home repairs (broken stuff)

    Happy Monday TSPTalkers.

    Over the years there have been discussions about home repairs and problems. They are spread out all over the MB, some in the lounge, some in member’s account talk.

    I thought, mods willing, I would start a thread under The Bulletin Board called home repair.

    If anyone should run across old posts about fixing stuff, please post a link here.

    This one is a little weird and could be painful.

    We replaced our kitchen faucet. Handle broke off the old one, not being ADA compliant apparently? Hired a plumber to do it as I just can’t get in to those positions now and actually have two hands available to connect things.

    He did a good job overall considering he had to replace the “angle stops” under the sink. (remember when they were called “stop cocks?”) He made a nice neat loop in the cold water supply line since it was a little long. All was working great when he left Saturday afternoon. Monday morning I discovered no cold water at the faucet. About that time SWMBO came to the kitchen and informed me she had left a note and explained the note at length. Bottom line, washing dishes and water got real hot suddenly. Glad she wasn’t washing her hair.

    The loop in the supply line had kinked. I believe due to normal movement during turn on and shut off. This stopped the cold water supply. When I touched the kink, another developed near it. The supply lines are part of the faucet and not replaceable. They are braided stainless steel with a plastic tube inside. Apparently very thin braided stainless steel. Very fragile.

    I removed the feed, took out the loop and let it lay where it wanted against the wall. Seems OK now but the cabinet under the sink is used a lot and what will the future bring? Maybe the plastic tube was weakened so a waterfall is coming up?

    Yes, I expressed my displeasure to all involved, especially the manufacturer, MOEN.

    The main reason for posting this was that the last thing you would expect while running water would be for it to get real hot all of the sudden. Cold yeah if you run the water heater out or your on demand craps out.

    Yes, I turned down the temperature on the tank heater. I may get complaints but I may save some money from that horrendous $18 gas bill.

    Heads up. Especially if you are washing your hair and it gets hot, hot, hot.

    PO


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  3. #2

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
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    Boiled Peanut, Georgia, USA
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    76,383

    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    This will be a very popular thread!! I am MR. FIXIT at my house, two women and one 8 year old grandson. mechanic.jpg



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  5. #3

    Join Date
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    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    This might be a good spot to list all our home projects completed during all the lockdown/quarantine time. Anyone got any good ones?

    My wife and I did a lot. Put in a 10'x10' paver section to extend our back porch. Knocked out the wall under the stairs and extended a closet into the space to add about 24 sqft of fully finished storage space. Those were probably the hardest ones. Remodeled all 3 bathrooms and the laundry room as well. Added some flooring in the attic. We stayed busy.

  6.  
  7. #4

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    Apr 2008
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    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    My problem is I spend more time going back and forth to Home Depot or Lowes then I do on the project.

    head scratch 2.jpg
    May the force be with us.

  8.  
  9. #5

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    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    LOL same here. One of the most frustrating things is getting back from the store, starting back up on the project and realizing you need to make another store run for something else. Live and learn!

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  11. #6

    Join Date
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    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    Quote Originally Posted by PessOptimist View Post
    Happy Monday TSPTalkers.


    I removed the feed, took out the loop and let it lay where it wanted against the wall.

    PO
    Hacker hint #1) A few bags of plastic zip ties of various sizes are your friend. Secure zip ties around the line loosely at strategic points, then fasten the zip tie to the back of the undercounter surface with a stapler. You will not kink the line or damage the internal plastic portion of your braided line.

    Hacker hint #2) Go to your local discount store (Walmart, Lowes, etc.) and buy an Arrow heavy duty manual stapler. Staples are available in multiple sizes and there are dozens of uses for staples.
    Scott Harrison
    Senatobia, MS

  12.  
  13. #7

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    inland Northwest
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    4,124

    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    Had minisplit heat pump/ac installed finally due to elder parent living in the home this summer not able to cope with stairs or heat. the one window ac in the house is below main level. good enough for sleep and evening activities for me in peak summer heat home from work, but not a useable room for unsteady elder in middle of the night, bathroom access for the elder would require stair navigation while I'm sleeping elsewhere. not good setup. I love the minisplits. now the entire house is liveable in summer heat here.

    I looked at the minisplits 10years back, and opted for passive-energy upgrades instead. This time, the costs were 30% less than estimates back then and better equipment I hope. glad I waited.
    "life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards" - soren kierkegaard

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  15. #8

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    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    We had a Moen faucet and it was constantly leaking. I kept going to plumbing shop and getting the various parts for fixing inside the handles. The guy there, a master plumber, finally said Moen says buy it for looks, buy it for life, but they definitely won't last your life.

    Problem fixed when we had a plumbers grade Delta faucet installed in it's place. It's not the prettiest, but it does the job without problems.

  16.  
  17. #9

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    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    I've actually had a number of projects over the course of this lockdown. First I have a split rail fence around my property and had to replace a number of posts and rails. It was a little tough digging up the rotted posts but it is completed and I hope I don't have to do that again anytime soon.

    Next project was to re-organize my woodshop. I installed some upper cabinets to house some of the items that were laying all over my work benches and I managed to find a place for all my tools. Big improvement...

    I also did a few improvements/upgrades on my camper. Technically not a home improvement, but definitely made it more livable.

    And the final project, still in the works is a ravensfan mancave. I'm about half way done with it. Been researching a bar which will make it nice during sporting events. However, I have lost my incentive to complete the project as I see my Ravens, Orioles and NASCAR bring politics into their sport. I look at this as all show and no go as they stand there locked arm in arm or kneel during the National Anthem. If they really want to help, get involved in the community instead of showboating on Sunday afternoon. Eventually the mancave will be finished, but it has been a struggle.
    "the biggest mistake that traders make is to let these short-term trades turn into longer-term investments when they don’t work." RevShark


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  19. #10

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    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    Quote Originally Posted by ravensfan View Post
    And the final project, still in the works is a ravensfan mancave. I'm about half way done with it. Been researching a bar which will make it nice during sporting events. However, I have lost my incentive to complete the project as I see my Ravens, Orioles and NASCAR bring politics into their sport. I look at this as all show and no go as they stand there locked arm in arm or kneel during the National Anthem. If they really want to help, get involved in the community instead of showboating on Sunday afternoon. Eventually the mancave will be finished, but it has been a struggle.
    All is not lost. Have you looked into the world of competitive team cornhole? I watched a tournament on TV and it was completely free of politics as far as I could tell.

    Working on a camper? Me too. I found a nice pop-up that was light enough to pull behind my 2-dr Jeep and upgraded the canvas, fixed the propane furnace, and installed an A/C unit on the roof that instills fear in the wife and kids. I plan to do quite a bit of camping and possibly some off-roading in retirement. The lockdown was the perfect time for that stuff.

    I also did some interior painting which made my wife love me just a little more. I built a cover for the back door of my house to stand under when it's raining. I added more shelving in my shed/second home in the backyard. I waxed vehicles. I got all of my neighborhood mowing duties completed during the cool hours of the day. I limbed up trees, pruned what needed and got flower beds in order. I did a proper set-up on a rather expensive acoustic guitar that I'd been intimidated by for far too long.

    I did ALL of the grocery shopping, most of the cooking/grilling/smoking and errand running.

    It was a very productive time, and although I still had a full paycheck coming, it was a glimpse of what retirement might possibly be like.
    Scott Harrison
    Senatobia, MS

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  21. #11

    Join Date
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    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    Well, the torrential rain and wind forced trash and MUD into my swimming pool, now I have a mud pool. I have some drains around the cement to drain off stuff. I checked it at midnight and went to sleep. Trash plugged the drains and made Mud ponds that overflowed into the pool. I've had this pool for over 20 years and nothing like this happened before. Now Mr. Fixit has plenty to do.omg.GIF



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  23. #12

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    Default Re: Home repairs (broken stuff)

    On top of that My refrigerator Ice Maker died. After surfing the internet troubleshooting a fix, I decided to replace the whole DAMN thing. It's in the mail!
    copy_of_dancinman4.gifGreen_tongue.gif



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