Home Improvement Thread

Postby **mac5155** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:05 pm

My heat pump is back to not turning on. This is frustrating. I had issues in the summer and thought it was a dirty filter, but here we are in the winter and it's still not functioning properly.

Dirty filter. Again.

These heat pumps are fickle beasts.

I am down to changing once every 3 weeks at this point.

Postby **robbiestoupe** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:05 pm

I'm ready to throw my toilet through the wall. It won't flush correctly. When I flush, the bowl gets a big surge of water and then very slowly drains out.I tried cleaning all the jets (or whatever they are) under the bowl but that's made no difference.

Earlier this year it was running and I replaced the fill valve, which took care of the running issue. It was working fine until about 3 days ago, which is when the intermittent slow/no flush issue cropped up. I've tried plunging to no effect. The toilet doesn't have a ball float, it's what I think is called a canister valve.

Any ideas? New toilet? Snake?

Is your tank emptying after every flush? Does it fill the bowl completely after the flush (try adding water from a bucket - does it fill the toilet or does the water level stay even?)? It does seem like there is a clog, but perhaps you aren't getting enough water.

I've replaced two toilets in the past two months. One took less than an hour and the other took 1.5 hours only because I pissed around trying to remove a rusted wing nut instead of getting out the jigsaw. They are very easy to install.

Postby **NTP66** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:10 pm

Source of the post Dirty filter. Again.

How dirty is your filter? Post a pic if you can, because I'm genuinely curious.

Postby **AuthorTony** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:12 pm

Is your tank emptying after every flush? Does it fill the bowl completely after the flush (try adding water from a bucket - does it fill the toilet or does the water level stay even?)? It does seem like there is a clog, but perhaps you aren't getting enough water.

I've replaced two toilets in the past two months. One took less than an hour and the other took 1.5 hours only because I pissed around trying to remove a rusted wing nut instead of getting out the jigsaw. They are very easy to install.

The tank doesn't empty the whole way, I'd say about half way. It fills the bowl but then the water drains out until there's maybe a glass worth left in the bowl. If I manually fill the bowl the normal-ish level, the water slowly drains back out.

Postby **robbiestoupe** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:30 pm

I'd go with NTP's suggestions Tony. Sounds like you may have a clog that a plunger can't fix.

Postby **AuthorTony** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:31 pm

Thanks, guys! On my way to lowes for a snake

Postby **mac5155** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:56 pm

Source of the post Dirty filter. Again.
How dirty is your filter? Post a pic if you can, because I'm genuinely curious.

Postby **mac5155** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:57 pm

https://imgur.com/a/JkFEMJt

Not sure if that worked.

Postby **NTP66** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 4:07 pm

Not the worst I've seen. Still, any idea where all of that is coming from? I've never pulled a filter that dirty in my house, which is roughly 9 years old.

Postby **mac5155** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 4:12 pm

I have two dogs and a cat... assuming that.

I'm using these 3M filters: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005F ... UTF8&psc=1

I'm just amazed that it continues to be a problem. Like, should I get some air purifiers and run them or something?

We don't have carpet except in our bedrooms. So like 900 sq ft of common-area, all tile, our master bedroom + nursery about 500 sq ft, and then a spare, unused bedroom ~150 sq ft.

Postby **mac5155** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 4:13 pm

Oh, my wife got a roomba and runs it daily now in the common area. It's full every day.

I think the cat's got to go...

Postby **Shyster** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 4:27 pm

Snake and drain cleaner would check for clogs. I think those symptoms could also be generated by a blocked soil stack, which is the pipe that runs up through your roof and vents the sewer line to air. When my brother bought his house years ago, it had a toilet in the basement that wasn't properly vented, and it flushed exactly how you are describing.

Postby **NTP66** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 4:30 pm

If the vent were clogged (bird's nest, generally), every flush would just gurgle badly, but the bowl should still drain.

Postby **Shyster** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 4:34 pm

The bowl on my brother's unvented toilet would eventually empty, but it just did so very slooooowly. It had been installed by an electrician who thought he could also do plumbing. He was wrong.

Postby **AuthorTony** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:11 pm

There was a clog and the snake did the trick. Thanks to all for the advice & assistance!

Postby **NTP66** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:14 pm

There was a clog and the snake did the trick. Thanks to all for the advice & assistance!

Nice.

We deserve something for this accomplishment. @Morkle, upgrade the board, please.

Postby **meow** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:35 pm

There was a clog and the snake did the trick. Thanks to all for the advice & assistance!
Nice.

We deserve something for this accomplishment. @Morkle, upgrade the board, please.

We’d have to collectively cure cancer to get the board updated.

Postby **NTP66** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:44 pm

There was a clog and the snake did the trick. Thanks to all for the advice & assistance!
Nice.

We deserve something for this accomplishment. @Morkle, upgrade the board, please.
We’d have to collectively cure cancer to get the board updated.

*rolls up sleeves*
Let's do this.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:04 pm

Successfully replaced the wax ring and bolts on our toilet today. Have flushed it a bunch of times and there is now no leak in the basement

Removing the old wax ring... That was... Not fun. I was a little surprised how easy removing and reseating the toilet was.

Postby **robbiestoupe** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:07 pm

There was a clog and the snake did the trick. Thanks to all for the advice & assistance!

NTP66 (1) (robbiestoupe (1))

Postby **meow** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:23 pm

Tony needs to eat more fiber. Or less fiber. I don’t know. I’m not a doctor.

Postby **meow** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:24 pm

There was a clog and the snake did the trick. Thanks to all for the advice & assistance!
NTP66 (1) (robbiestoupe (1))

Secondary assist for you. You were probably on the bench already

Postby **robbiestoupe** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:55 pm

Def on the bench

Postby **Freddy Rumsen** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 8:51 pm

1-800-Empire is coming by the house to give me an estimate Friday to remove carpet in one room and replace with wood flooring, remove carpet and replace with carpet in another, and then remove linoleum and replace with something in the kitchen.

Should be cheap.

Postby **NTP66** » Wed Jan 02, 2019 8:55 pm

I honestly had no idea they were still around. Their commercials used to air 600 times/day, so when I hadn’t seen one for years, I assumed they folded.