I'm painting the frame of my vintage Craftsman table say. What makes the wet in wet sanding?
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NJHoudini's detached shop
- Thread starter njhoudini
- Start date
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Most use water but two things help: 1) soak the paper in clean water for ten minutes or so to soften the paper; 2) add a drop or three of dish washing liquid (Dawn or similar) to the water -- it helps the paper cut longer.
Thanks Bob. Seems counterintuitive to use water on metal I don't want to rust as it is all steel.
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OccupantRJ
Well-known member
For what it is worth, I normally dry scuff primered machine parts with a foam sanding pad or scotchbrite. It takes surprisingly little scuffing to get rid of the fuzzy sprayed surface.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
OccupantRJ, I did end up using a Scotchbrite pad. I was replictant to apply water because I wasn't confident I got primer everywhere. I will try to take pics of what I painted tomorrow. My yard sale was exhausting, but was able to get rid of enough junk to buy dinner and have a little leftover.
I did finally get to see the back of my garage. Such a good feeling. A not so good feeling is seeing some old termite damage and wondering how I am going to deal with it. The termites are definitely not there. This will need to be another photo for tomorrow.
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OccupantRJ
Well-known member
Someone may have had termite treatment done and just not repaired the damage. Unless there has been a large section damaged, it can sometimes be a matter of replacing damaged components or sistering in another stud, etc. A man who can build the steps and landing that you did will have no problem once you get past the mental "termite ****" stage.
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
NJHoudini, I have done those repairs on my house and they are sometimes not as difficult as they first appear.
When the damaged wall is bearing the roof load you need to build some kind of temporary support wall before you cut out the damaged studs. In your garage all four walls are [hip] roof load bearing but I only see ceiling tie rafters going left-to-right in the photo. If the termite damage is confined to the vertical studs, it should be possible to remove and replace one stud at a time without building a false wall.
When I was doing repairs in my garage I made a T-brace from 4"x4" lumber. Two diagonal pieces braced the vertical and horizontal pieces. It was short enough to fit my 6-ton floor jack under the vertical piece. The horizontal piece was long enough to span two roof trusses.
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As far as I can tell, only the surface of the interior horizontal boards have the tunnels and the vertical studs have no signs of damage. Looks like the damage occurred several years ago and not recently.
Here is a pic of what I painted on Saturday. The end bells of the motor received a similar treatment. Also, an old license plate I found in the rafters.
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Grizz1963
Well-known member
I could respond to all the posts above, once again though it shows this forum is so good with all the knowledge that gets shared.
Experience, advice, teasing and sharing.
But your license plate was a super cool find.
If you are interested in license plates, take a look here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123962&highlight=Show+license+plate+collection
Experience, advice, teasing and sharing.
But your license plate was a super cool find.
If you are interested in license plates, take a look here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123962&highlight=Show+license+plate+collection
Rian, I definitely agree about the great info and advice/personal experiences shared. Bret recommended a particular pressure washer recently and I purchased a similar model from the same manufacturer. I had a few minutes this evening to test it out on some of the old balusters from my old steps and I am very impressed with this machine. It's super quiet and has a low and high setting. It made very quick work of removing decades of stains from the old wood surfaces.
I figured you would particularly like the plate. Not sure if the plate collection would grow beyond the one, but it definitely reminds me of your and Vieux's collections whenever I see it.
Homes, old and new, should come with a manual and in that manual, it should state that a pressure washer is awesome to have. After I clean the old wood, I'm probably going to clean the windows which haven't been cleaned in ages.
SnowJoe/SunJoe, the company I purchased my pressure washer from is running a promo for 3 hose quick connect adapters for $4.99 plus tax, free shipping. This is one deal I felt I had to share. If you use the referral, I believe you can get a promo code for 20% off but I'm guess it would be better to use that one a bigger item. 
http://snowjoe.refr.cc/eugenej
http://snowjoe.refr.cc/eugenej
Inspired by Bret, I'm going to list things I am bound to forget at some point that need to get done.
Clean up table saw table and apply surface wax
Prime/paint underside of table saw table
Assemble table saw stand
Assemble table saw
Assemble table saw motor
Clean up jointer table surface
Check jointer blades
Calibrate jointer table
Replace bandsaw tires
Clean up bandsaw
Mount (free) peg boards
Get peg board kit from HF
Cut and relocate front and rear rafter ties - each rafter has a tie so the structure is amazingly sound
Figure out if it is possible to level the rough cement floor - floor is not smooth and has a bumpy texture, makes me wonder how it got this way and why it wasn't originally poured smooth
Get rid of more junk or repurpose it
Put tools for specific functions in specific boxes and collect duplicates
Cut framing for and install vinyl lattice
Relocate peppermint
Spray weed killer
Pull old roots/plants
Get mulch from HD
Clean up table saw table and apply surface wax
Prime/paint underside of table saw table
Assemble table saw stand
Assemble table saw
Assemble table saw motor
Clean up jointer table surface
Check jointer blades
Calibrate jointer table
Replace bandsaw tires
Clean up bandsaw
Mount (free) peg boards
Get peg board kit from HF
Cut and relocate front and rear rafter ties - each rafter has a tie so the structure is amazingly sound
Figure out if it is possible to level the rough cement floor - floor is not smooth and has a bumpy texture, makes me wonder how it got this way and why it wasn't originally poured smooth
Get rid of more junk or repurpose it
Put tools for specific functions in specific boxes and collect duplicates
Cut framing for and install vinyl lattice
Relocate peppermint
Spray weed killer
Pull old roots/plants
Get mulch from HD
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Most important thing on your list is getting rid of duplicate tools. Duplicate tools just cause confusion. I'll pay postage for your extras. I don't have any duplicates.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
In the garden next to my house, I have peppermint growing faster than the vegies next to it so it has to be moved. I may try to split it since it seems to keep the rabbits and deer away.
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Ha. You can have the XP laptop like I said previously and keep it as a backup for your old router. If I do find other duplicate items for you, I will be happy to let you know!
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Grizz1963
Well-known member
Mint is like bamboo.....
Give it half a chance and it will take over.
I had some years ago.
In a pot.
Any new roadside finds?
I “saved” a roadside diversion sign and it’s frame over the weekend with Prozac after it has been laying abandoned in the overgrowth for more than 6 months.
Nice free 1” angle iron, and a sign (or sheetmetal)
Give it half a chance and it will take over.
I had some years ago.
In a pot.
Any new roadside finds?
I “saved” a roadside diversion sign and it’s frame over the weekend with Prozac after it has been laying abandoned in the overgrowth for more than 6 months.
Nice free 1” angle iron, and a sign (or sheetmetal)
I'm thinking I should try to let the peppermint fight some other invasive species growing at the front of my property. At least the mint smells good and doesn't have any thorns.
No new roadside finds.
Still kicking myself for not grabbing a table saw I saw on the way home a couple of weeks ago. I can't wait to upgrade my wife's car to a minivan so I can take her RX350. Then I'll have two vehicles that can carry larger items.I'm also going to start looking for a beginner welder that can run off 110/120v. I want to join in the metal joinery the fun.
jblnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Not sure if you've made a pressure washer purchase yet but once you do I'd highly recommend one of those 0° spinning tips. I got one a few weeks back and used it to clean stuff around the farm today and wow, it makes my pressure washer a whole different kind of mean cleaning machine.
If you're looking into the metal hot glue gun fun and intend to keep your welder around for a but Hobart, Lincoln, and Miller all make very nice 110/200 welders. We have a few Miller 211's at work and they work well for what we do with them.
If you're looking into the metal hot glue gun fun and intend to keep your welder around for a but Hobart, Lincoln, and Miller all make very nice 110/200 welders. We have a few Miller 211's at work and they work well for what we do with them.
I ended up getting a model similar to what Bret had recommended based on his success with the brand (SunJoe) and it is great. Would clean more, but that requires time. Your farm is massive, but you've got some adorable helpers. Can hardly wait for my son to be old enough with the patience and obedience your eldest seems to have. Probably needs 2-3 years of more food processing.
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A few nights ago, I had some time to replace a banana plug I had accidentally broken off next to my electrolysis tank. I decided after removing the old pieces, it would be easier to put tips pn the wires and screw them down instead of trying to resolder them. Seems to work fine.
For fun, I have been trying to get a plant from an avocado seed. Four seeds later, finally got one to crack open and sprout roots. About 5-6 weeks later, it FINALLY decided to send up a shoot. Since it finally grew, I decided to put it into a new container. Hope this one can survive and grow next to my indoor lemon and orange trees.
Last photo os of some flowers my mother-in-law planted into my cinder blocks. They are doing much better than I would have guessed they would. We finally got rain today after what seems like a whole month without any precipitation. Hope everyone has/had a nice weekend!
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For fun, I have been trying to get a plant from an avocado seed. Four seeds later, finally got one to crack open and sprout roots. About 5-6 weeks later, it FINALLY decided to send up a shoot. Since it finally grew, I decided to put it into a new container. Hope this one can survive and grow next to my indoor lemon and orange trees.
Last photo os of some flowers my mother-in-law planted into my cinder blocks. They are doing much better than I would have guessed they would. We finally got rain today after what seems like a whole month without any precipitation. Hope everyone has/had a nice weekend!
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jblnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The cinder block planters are a neat idea !!
We've tried a few times to get apple seeds to sprout and haven't had much luck. I am pretty good at getting corn and soybeans to grow so I guess I'll have to stick to that
We've tried a few times to get apple seeds to sprout and haven't had much luck. I am pretty good at getting corn and soybeans to grow so I guess I'll have to stick to that
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
The cinder block planters are a neat idea !!
We've tried a few times to get apple seeds to sprout and haven't had much luck. I am pretty good at getting corn and soybeans to grow so I guess I'll have to stick to that
Hmmm, did you refrigerate the apple seeds for several months?
Jblnut, I like your container gardens. They seem so much more efficient and portable.
Andy is right about exposing the apple seeds to cold. The 30 to 45 days wrapped in a moistened paper towel breaks their natural dormancy. I have a neglected apple tree in my yard that I have to wait until next February to start the major pruning process. Right now it is too tall and produces too many small fruit. After pruning, I am hopin it will produce larger fruit, but without insecticides, it will be really difficult for any fruit to reach maturity.
I still want to repurpose my old pressure treated lumber, but don't feel good about using it to make a vegetable garden. Sure do wish I had a back hoe to trench around my house to back fill with bentonite or a Bobcat to level/grade my yard. Farmers always seem to have the best equipment for a variety of jobs.
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Andy is right about exposing the apple seeds to cold. The 30 to 45 days wrapped in a moistened paper towel breaks their natural dormancy. I have a neglected apple tree in my yard that I have to wait until next February to start the major pruning process. Right now it is too tall and produces too many small fruit. After pruning, I am hopin it will produce larger fruit, but without insecticides, it will be really difficult for any fruit to reach maturity.
I still want to repurpose my old pressure treated lumber, but don't feel good about using it to make a vegetable garden. Sure do wish I had a back hoe to trench around my house to back fill with bentonite or a Bobcat to level/grade my yard. Farmers always seem to have the best equipment for a variety of jobs.
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Grizz1963
Well-known member
Cinder block planters are great.
With a bit of creativity you can raise a few to different heights too.
I love using unusual stuff to create green spaces.
My avocado planting and germination has not been successful in England. In South Africa my plants all took instantly. The cold here challenges plants too.
With a bit of creativity you can raise a few to different heights too.
I love using unusual stuff to create green spaces.
My avocado planting and germination has not been successful in England. In South Africa my plants all took instantly. The cold here challenges plants too.
Eugene it is coincidence you posted your avocado plant. My wife tried growing for several years with no luck. Then last year she had one sprout. And she just started 3 more.
20180716_170213 by bjohnson388, on Flickr
20180716_170219 by bjohnson388, on Flickr
That girl has the greenest thumb. Here is a pineapple she planted last year. The original plant sprouted to babies on either side and then it disappeared.
20180716_191953 by bjohnson388, on Flickr
20180716_191957 by bjohnson388, on Flickr
Bret
20180716_170213 by bjohnson388, on Flickr
20180716_170219 by bjohnson388, on FlickrThat girl has the greenest thumb. Here is a pineapple she planted last year. The original plant sprouted to babies on either side and then it disappeared.
20180716_191953 by bjohnson388, on Flickr
20180716_191957 by bjohnson388, on FlickrBret
Nice. Here are my citrus, and my spider plants all started by the one with the HD tag. I already gave away 3 more spider plants and they are all growing. It took at least three different avocado seeds to get one to crack. I think all homes should have a few plants as they really improve air quality. [emoji6]Eugene it is coincidence you posted your avocado plant. My wife tried growing for several years with no luck. Then last year she had one sprout. And she just started 3 more.
That girl has the greenest thumb. Here is a pineapple she planted last year. The original plant sprouted to babies on either side and then it disappeared.
Bret
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Grizz1963
Well-known member
Pineapples made me smile.
Another plant we would successfully grow and get to fruit in South Africa
Spider plants are the encouragers of the house plant world, they do love to give and give.
Another plant we would successfully grow and get to fruit in South Africa
Spider plants are the encouragers of the house plant world, they do love to give and give.
I should try a pineapple. Hard to have plants with cats though. My cat growing up always used them as a dietary supplement to help with hairballs. [emoji12]
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Just a few updates.
Last week, while I was watering the gardens, I noticed the Jalapeno peppers were ready for harvest.
Then while I was weeding, I noticed two large cucumbers hiding beneath its leaves.
The peppers made it into several omelets and one of the cucumbers was cut into wedges and dipped into some spicy red pepper paste.
At work, we had a rain storm on Wednesday and an HVAC company was working on replacing one of the two compressors on the side of the building. One of the interns ran over to my cubicle and said there's water in the server closet. I asked where it was coming from and he said I had better come check it out. We figured out that the repair guys left one of the hatches open and it was allowing water to flow down one of the cinder block walls inside the building.
There was about 2-3 inches of water in the buckets before they realized their snafu and sealed up the hatches. I decided it would be a good idea to put a tarp up to protect the server racks.
Yesterday, I was wishing I was outside on Saturday when it was in the upper 70's with no humidity, but we had family over and my wife wanted some time to relax with her sister so no shop time. Sunday was in the upper 80's with high humidity. I had every intent to cut and mount white vinyl lattice around my front steps but lost motivation as the heat wasn't letting up. I decided to clean up a little around the garden, pull some weeds, then thought it would be a good idea to see if there was any cleaning to do in the basement where it wasn't as hot.
I have a dehumidifier whose compressor won't stay on very long. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I swapped it out with one of my other dehumidifiers after fixing the water tank sensor. All of a sudden, my oil furnace low water pump starts making a tremendous racket (the valve wasn't fully engaging) and I quickly go and kill the power to it. I turn it back on and the system is filling up. 10 seconds later, I hear a pop as loud as a small caliber firearm proceeded by some blue smoke coming from the low water cutoff controller and shut it off again. At this point I nearly soiled myself.
I call my reliable boiler maintenance folks and they came over about an hour later to discover one of the capacitors blew up on the circuit board. They will be returning later tonight with a new unit and sensor which will cost me $400 installed.
On the brighter side, if we were visiting my parents as we often do on Sundays, I wouldn't have heard the system making funky noises followed by the radiators filling with water, and then having water in the entire house on every wood floor, new and old, not to mention the items we're storing in the basement. I guess you could say that $400 is a blessing compared to the thousands it would have cost to replace the damaged items so I'm glad SWMBO agrees and isn't too bothered by the repair cost. Sorry for not having a photo of the bad cap. The loudness of the pop would explain why the side of the cover was pushed away from the unit like this one.
Also took the '07 Lexus RX350 to have its oil changed, tires balanced and rotated. If I still had access to a lift and balancing equipment, I'd do it myself, but it's been a while since my uncle sold his shop. I still need to get the flex pipe replaced on my '04 Lexus ES330, but this is going to be a commitment of some time as the cheapest shop I have found by a lot is about an hour each way. Since the difference in quoted costs so far has been about $500, I have a feeling dealing with a muffler shop is better than being told I have to replace my entire exhaust system because many mechanics don't weld in their shops.
Hope everyone is staying cool, happy and healthy!
Last week, while I was watering the gardens, I noticed the Jalapeno peppers were ready for harvest.
Then while I was weeding, I noticed two large cucumbers hiding beneath its leaves.
The peppers made it into several omelets and one of the cucumbers was cut into wedges and dipped into some spicy red pepper paste.
At work, we had a rain storm on Wednesday and an HVAC company was working on replacing one of the two compressors on the side of the building. One of the interns ran over to my cubicle and said there's water in the server closet. I asked where it was coming from and he said I had better come check it out. We figured out that the repair guys left one of the hatches open and it was allowing water to flow down one of the cinder block walls inside the building.
There was about 2-3 inches of water in the buckets before they realized their snafu and sealed up the hatches. I decided it would be a good idea to put a tarp up to protect the server racks.
Yesterday, I was wishing I was outside on Saturday when it was in the upper 70's with no humidity, but we had family over and my wife wanted some time to relax with her sister so no shop time. Sunday was in the upper 80's with high humidity. I had every intent to cut and mount white vinyl lattice around my front steps but lost motivation as the heat wasn't letting up. I decided to clean up a little around the garden, pull some weeds, then thought it would be a good idea to see if there was any cleaning to do in the basement where it wasn't as hot.
I have a dehumidifier whose compressor won't stay on very long. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I swapped it out with one of my other dehumidifiers after fixing the water tank sensor. All of a sudden, my oil furnace low water pump starts making a tremendous racket (the valve wasn't fully engaging) and I quickly go and kill the power to it. I turn it back on and the system is filling up. 10 seconds later, I hear a pop as loud as a small caliber firearm proceeded by some blue smoke coming from the low water cutoff controller and shut it off again. At this point I nearly soiled myself.
I call my reliable boiler maintenance folks and they came over about an hour later to discover one of the capacitors blew up on the circuit board. They will be returning later tonight with a new unit and sensor which will cost me $400 installed.
On the brighter side, if we were visiting my parents as we often do on Sundays, I wouldn't have heard the system making funky noises followed by the radiators filling with water, and then having water in the entire house on every wood floor, new and old, not to mention the items we're storing in the basement. I guess you could say that $400 is a blessing compared to the thousands it would have cost to replace the damaged items so I'm glad SWMBO agrees and isn't too bothered by the repair cost. Sorry for not having a photo of the bad cap. The loudness of the pop would explain why the side of the cover was pushed away from the unit like this one.
Also took the '07 Lexus RX350 to have its oil changed, tires balanced and rotated. If I still had access to a lift and balancing equipment, I'd do it myself, but it's been a while since my uncle sold his shop. I still need to get the flex pipe replaced on my '04 Lexus ES330, but this is going to be a commitment of some time as the cheapest shop I have found by a lot is about an hour each way. Since the difference in quoted costs so far has been about $500, I have a feeling dealing with a muffler shop is better than being told I have to replace my entire exhaust system because many mechanics don't weld in their shops.
Hope everyone is staying cool, happy and healthy!
Grizz1963
Well-known member
Cucumbers are sneaky.
They do hide away.
Nice to harvest your own crops.
They do hide away.
Nice to harvest your own crops.
1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
njhoudini that's nice picking from your garden, there is nothing better.
Water in a Server room, not nice..
Caps do go of in a blast and scare the heck out of you..
I would luv a lift here but don't really have the room..
Water in a Server room, not nice..
Caps do go of in a blast and scare the heck out of you..
I would luv a lift here but don't really have the room..
njhoudini that's nice picking from your garden, there is nothing better.
Water in a Server room, not nice..
Caps do go of in a blast and scare the heck out of you..
I would luv a lift here but don't really have the room..
Thanks for stopping by! I really hope the furry varmints stay out. I already lost the first wave of zucchini/squash blossoms to bunnies before the leaves had gotten bigger and I think a bunny ate the leaves and stem of an asiatic lily. Not sure if it will be able to grow back if there's only 2 inches of stem left. I may need to get an air rifle, not sure if NJ has bunny hunting laws, but I do hear they are delicious.
It's been quite a while since my last post. Hope everyone has been doing well. Wednesday, I started a new permanent position as a computing manager for a new department where I am the third person hired. It brings me great relief because we're expecting our 2nd son in February and the prospect of having to look for work has passed. I was working with a similar department within the larger division and everyone has been extremely supportive which made the decision to accept the offer very easy. At the end of my first day, I gave my manager a 21 year old bottle of scotch which he graciously accepted. He told me to apply for the job a month ago and he had given me some made-to-order donuts earlier that first day. It was my way of thanking him for being an awesome guy.
I really dig the fact that I have floor to ceiling windows with a view to the woods on the edge of the building. It won't be forever as we will eventually move to smaller offices and the renovations require that the new office spaces follow ridiculous standards. I'll try to post a new photo after it's a bit more set up.
Not a lot has happened since July, but I did manage to work on a couple of projects, not in my garage albeit, but productive nonetheless.
With my 1st son thoroughly enjoying bath time as he gets older and the 2nd coming in February, I started to get concerned that the built-in tankless water heater in my oil furnace could scald him with near boiling hot water whenever the heat is running so I decided to install a hot water mixer.
I'm not thrilled about the pipe emerging from the mixer going at an angle, but nothing is leaking and this whole Sharkbite thing is starting to grow on me. The project only required 2 visits back to Lowes (fortunately it's less than 5 miles away) because I needed an elbow and the shorter flex hose (first visit) and a new water valve to replace the old one which disintegrated after a couple of openings and closings (second visit) but I got it all done for under $150. I found a super plumbing supply store online named https://supplyhouse.com where I ordered the majority of the materials and they have a warehouse in NJ so it was really fast from order to delivery. I even forgot a replacement steam vent for one of my radiators but they were able to add it to my order and get it processed without any delays. I would highly recommend them for your plumbing projects.
I also ordered and installed steam pipe insulation because my basement was warm and the house wasn't as toasty.
This project definitely didn't take all that much effort and the insulation is making a HUGE difference in terms of not wasting heat in the basement. The basement is closer to 60 degrees rather than 80 and the furnace doesn't run nearly as long to heat up my house. Last year, I added a Nest thermostat which we picked up during black Friday and I am hoping I save quite a bit on heating oil. There are still a few uninsulated pipes, but I'm not sure if I want the basement to get too cold for fear of suffering from having burst frozen pipes.
The next project was fixing a Hyperikon LED 4ft ballast bypass bulb I had purchased back in March. The manufacturer has a 5 year warranty on all of their bulbs and after providing the order info and my address, I had its replacement sent to me within 3 days. They told me to "dispose of the bulb as you would any electronics" but I figured since it was just one solder that was bad, I would give it a go and was able to repair it.
I found out this bulb was bad when I decided to mount 4 old fluorescent 4ft light fixtures the previous homeowner left me in my mostly unlit basement.
I have 3 more of these and boy do they make a huge difference in terms of lighting. I was originally going to mount these in my garage but I still haven't had the time to add my new subpanel and the fixtures were just collecting dust. The ceiling isn't very high so 2 of them were put in between the joists. I still need to figure out how to open them and remove the ballasts for the additional energy savings, but for now, they work fine.
I also need to figure out if I should put new insulation between the joists but at this point, I don't feel it is a priority.
I also replaced one of the motor mounts in my 2004 Lexus ES 330 (sorry, I couldn't take any photos) but it was ridiculously easy and only cost me $20 versus the $120 the exhaust shop quoted me while replacing my disappearing flex pipe. My car is quiet again and I'm not quite sure if the motor mount actually does anything useful but it's replaced. I also discovered that getting my flex pipe replaced hasn't improved my reduced gas mileage and I'm fearing that I need to replace O2 sensors which according to some forums isn't always an easy job. I'll probably take the car to get the spark plugs replaced within the next 3-6 months and hope that the shop lets me know which O2 sensors need to be replaced (if any). I did try resetting my car's computer after cleaning the mass air flow sensor, but the gas mileage still *****.
Oh, I almost forgot. I also had Sunrun install 10 panels and that whole process has been a comedy of errors. The guy they sent to do the site survey apparently didn't measure my roof accurately and they didn't discover this problem until the first time they came out to try to install my panels. The second time they tried to install the panels, it ended up raining during the install so they had to stop. They finally installed the panels on the 3rd try, but it turns out they installed the wrong panels so now I'm trying to get them to replace them before I start making any payments. It passed inspection (the AHJ turned out to work for the same employer that hired me and the whole inspection took less than 10 minutes) and it's been fun watching my meter run backwards. The local power company still has to install a net meter so I can take advantage of solar credits (around $210 for every 1000 kilowatts generated) in addition to the savings from having the system.
Sorry for the longish post, but I'm making up for some lost time and hope everyone enjoyed some tasty turkeys!
I really dig the fact that I have floor to ceiling windows with a view to the woods on the edge of the building. It won't be forever as we will eventually move to smaller offices and the renovations require that the new office spaces follow ridiculous standards. I'll try to post a new photo after it's a bit more set up.
Not a lot has happened since July, but I did manage to work on a couple of projects, not in my garage albeit, but productive nonetheless.
With my 1st son thoroughly enjoying bath time as he gets older and the 2nd coming in February, I started to get concerned that the built-in tankless water heater in my oil furnace could scald him with near boiling hot water whenever the heat is running so I decided to install a hot water mixer.
I'm not thrilled about the pipe emerging from the mixer going at an angle, but nothing is leaking and this whole Sharkbite thing is starting to grow on me. The project only required 2 visits back to Lowes (fortunately it's less than 5 miles away) because I needed an elbow and the shorter flex hose (first visit) and a new water valve to replace the old one which disintegrated after a couple of openings and closings (second visit) but I got it all done for under $150. I found a super plumbing supply store online named https://supplyhouse.com where I ordered the majority of the materials and they have a warehouse in NJ so it was really fast from order to delivery. I even forgot a replacement steam vent for one of my radiators but they were able to add it to my order and get it processed without any delays. I would highly recommend them for your plumbing projects.
I also ordered and installed steam pipe insulation because my basement was warm and the house wasn't as toasty.
This project definitely didn't take all that much effort and the insulation is making a HUGE difference in terms of not wasting heat in the basement. The basement is closer to 60 degrees rather than 80 and the furnace doesn't run nearly as long to heat up my house. Last year, I added a Nest thermostat which we picked up during black Friday and I am hoping I save quite a bit on heating oil. There are still a few uninsulated pipes, but I'm not sure if I want the basement to get too cold for fear of suffering from having burst frozen pipes.
The next project was fixing a Hyperikon LED 4ft ballast bypass bulb I had purchased back in March. The manufacturer has a 5 year warranty on all of their bulbs and after providing the order info and my address, I had its replacement sent to me within 3 days. They told me to "dispose of the bulb as you would any electronics" but I figured since it was just one solder that was bad, I would give it a go and was able to repair it.
I found out this bulb was bad when I decided to mount 4 old fluorescent 4ft light fixtures the previous homeowner left me in my mostly unlit basement.
I have 3 more of these and boy do they make a huge difference in terms of lighting. I was originally going to mount these in my garage but I still haven't had the time to add my new subpanel and the fixtures were just collecting dust. The ceiling isn't very high so 2 of them were put in between the joists. I still need to figure out how to open them and remove the ballasts for the additional energy savings, but for now, they work fine.
I also need to figure out if I should put new insulation between the joists but at this point, I don't feel it is a priority.
I also replaced one of the motor mounts in my 2004 Lexus ES 330 (sorry, I couldn't take any photos) but it was ridiculously easy and only cost me $20 versus the $120 the exhaust shop quoted me while replacing my disappearing flex pipe. My car is quiet again and I'm not quite sure if the motor mount actually does anything useful but it's replaced. I also discovered that getting my flex pipe replaced hasn't improved my reduced gas mileage and I'm fearing that I need to replace O2 sensors which according to some forums isn't always an easy job. I'll probably take the car to get the spark plugs replaced within the next 3-6 months and hope that the shop lets me know which O2 sensors need to be replaced (if any). I did try resetting my car's computer after cleaning the mass air flow sensor, but the gas mileage still *****.
Oh, I almost forgot. I also had Sunrun install 10 panels and that whole process has been a comedy of errors. The guy they sent to do the site survey apparently didn't measure my roof accurately and they didn't discover this problem until the first time they came out to try to install my panels. The second time they tried to install the panels, it ended up raining during the install so they had to stop. They finally installed the panels on the 3rd try, but it turns out they installed the wrong panels so now I'm trying to get them to replace them before I start making any payments. It passed inspection (the AHJ turned out to work for the same employer that hired me and the whole inspection took less than 10 minutes) and it's been fun watching my meter run backwards. The local power company still has to install a net meter so I can take advantage of solar credits (around $210 for every 1000 kilowatts generated) in addition to the savings from having the system.
Sorry for the longish post, but I'm making up for some lost time and hope everyone enjoyed some tasty turkeys!
1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
njhoudini when you do an up date you really do an up date..
Congratulations on the new position, nice office BTW.
All the best for the arrival of your new son in February..
Plus new solar panels well done..
Congratulations on the new position, nice office BTW.
All the best for the arrival of your new son in February..
Plus new solar panels well done..