Home Improvement Thread

Postby **meow** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 5:05 pm

You have central air and want to supplement it with a window unit?

Postby **Shyster** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 5:22 pm

I'm in the same boat. I do have central air, but the ductwork was clearly designed for heat only with the A/C as a later addition. For example, the only returns on the whole main floor of the house are in the central hallway. The cooling sucks and is highly inconsistent. I've been thinking of having mini-splits installed and just using the ductwork for heat.

Postby **malkintent** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 6:58 pm

Mini splits are dynamite. I just wish they werent so obtrusive

Postby **dodint** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:13 pm

Mini splits are dynamite. I just wish they werent so obtrusive

This was my conclusion too.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:09 pm

If you have access from above, they have in-ceiling cassettes - which is what I'm thinking of going with since I have radiators and a boiler.

Postby **dodint** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:14 pm

I looked into that. But for a house I only want to be in for another 36-48 months, a $200 window unit sounds great compared to a $1000+ unit like that. If we were staying longer, or lived farther south I might've bit the bullet.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:44 pm

for a house I only want to be in for another 36-48 months...

In that case:

Postby **dodint** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:51 pm

Nice.

It's the upper level of a split level. Going to need two sets of crutches.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 9:18 pm

It's the upper level of a split level.

Wouldn't something like this work?

Postby **dodint** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 9:27 pm

Yeah, though the house is brick which would complicate that.

I looked closer again yesterday and I think if I cut a 2x4" to the width of the window and place it under the unit the face of the unit will clear that ledge I was talking about and everything will be fine. I'm not sure why that didn't occur to me at first.

Postby **Sam's Drunk Dog** » Fri Mar 11, 2016 9:28 pm

http://youtu.be/Gt_AgZ0zrrg

Postby **mac5155** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 9:48 pm

Are there any woodworker hobbyists on this board? I am thinking about getting into it again (I really spent a lot of time in the high school woodshop), building a table for our new house. I was thinking about getting some tools at harbor freight in case it falls thru or I totally suck at it. I'm starting with a miter saw and a pocket hole jig, which are the tools I need for this table.

Postby **tjand72** » Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:53 am

A good pocket hole jig is probably worth it after one good project. I bought a 12" Harbor Freight miter saw and haven't been disappointed yet. I wouldn't recommend it for find woodwork, but it's worked great for baseboards and other general cutting so far. I think that the blade quality makes more of a difference than the saw if tight tolerances aren't a huge deal.

Postby **mac5155** » Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:11 am

Which one do you have? They have the 10" double bevel slider on sale Easter weekend for $93. I thought it was a great deal. I've heard that the sliders have a greater chance of being out of square though.

Postby **dodint** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 9:28 am

I have a natural gas water heater that I was shocked to find out is a 50g. It's only good for about 1.5 showers, and since my wife gets up about 45 minutes before me this is of interest to me.

What kind of mileage are you guys getting out of your water heater? Seems like I shouldn't be running cold so soon. We're not taking unusually long showers or have hi-flow shower heads. We can get by, but it's kind of embarrassing when we have family in town and have to make them coordinate shower times if they don't want a cold one.

I could upgrade to a 75g but that seems crazy for two people.

Postby **mac5155** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 9:58 am

I think the one in the house we're moving into is 100g. It's also electric. I think at some point I'll be downgrading that bad boy. I'd really like to get an on-demand water heater.

Postby **beerman** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 12:56 pm

I have a natural gas water heater that I was shocked to find out is a 50g. It's only good for about 1.5 showers, and since my wife gets up about 45 minutes before me this is of interest to me.

What kind of mileage are you guys getting out of your water heater? Seems like I shouldn't be running cold so soon. We're not taking unusually long showers or have hi-flow shower heads. We can get by, but it's kind of embarrassing when we have family in town and have to make them coordinate shower times if they don't want a cold one.

I could upgrade to a 75g but that seems crazy for two people.

I just replaced a 40g with a 50g last month, definitely getting more out of it than that. We've run a load of towels in hot, taken multiple showers and the dishes all within an hour to hour and fifteen minutes. Plenty of hot water the whole time.

How old is your tank? My 40g I replaced was good for one shower and that was about it, but it was old.

Postby **dodint** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 12:59 pm

I'm not sure, but the prior owner was meticulous about documenting improvements so I'll go through the file and check. Thanks for the feedback.

The water is scalding hot, which is nice and all, but it runs out quick.

Postby **Willie Kool** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 1:19 pm

My hot water tank is older than I am, it was installed in 1967, and we still get plenty of hot water.

Postby **Silentom** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 1:20 pm

My hot water tank is older than I am, it was installed in 1967, and we still get plenty of hot water.

Mine is from '98 and I'm worried it might go soon. How the hell is yours still working?

Postby **Willie Kool** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 1:22 pm

My hot water tank is older than I am, it was installed in 1967, and we still get plenty of hot water.
Mine is from '98 and I'm worried it might go soon. How the hell is yours still working?

Don't know. When we had some plumbing work done 10 years ago, the guy said 'they don't build em like that anymore, it'll probably outlive you'. I've had to change the thermocouple a few times, but other than that it's been great.

Postby **mac5155** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 2:20 pm

My parents just replaced theirs last year, manufactured in 1979.

Postby **NTP66** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 2:41 pm

I'm actually looking forward to mine dying (only 4 years old, so I'll likely be waiting a while) so that I can change around that system and include a heat pump.

Postby **Kraftster** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 2:50 pm

I just replaced my water heater a couple weeks ago. It was 25 years old. It was in terrible shape. When the guy moved it the bottom fell out. I was probably bathing in rusty water for the past month or two when I noticed some color in the hot water after a lot was used and when I noticed it leaking a bit from the bottom of the heater.

$75 fee under home warranty ftw.

Postby **columbia** » Mon Mar 14, 2016 3:23 pm

I'm actually looking forward to mine dying (only 4 years old, so I'll likely be waiting a while) so that I can change around that system and include a heat pump.

Why?