Recent content by hdshinn

BadgerB - Yep, we have the boiler serviced every year but usually at the beginning, not the end of the heating season. Thanks for the tip on water pH and condensate trap. Not sure if this is part of his routine. I'll request it next time.

The actuator was "replaced" a couple years ago, come to think of it, to presumably correct a similar behavior problem at that time. So in essence I suspect it never has performed correctly. Any wonder why my propane bill has been so high.

Yeah, Sureshot - I wasn't familiar with how those things go together and come apart. Four cap screws hold the cartridge to the base housing. We removed the cartridge, turned on the boiler and the pump motor and rotor spun up fine. No bearing noise, no binding, blah-blah. Learned a lot during...

OK - had another heating guy go over my system and ... Pump is fine. He pulled the cartridge out, fired up the unit and everything spun up as it should. So - After about an hour & 1/2 he discovered the actuator on the mixing valve had been connected backwards. In other words, when the boiler...

Mabus: No check or flow control valves that I can make out. Don't mean there isn't one. FX: I bumped the aquastat dial up to the full 190 deg setting without noticing any appreciable difference. What's puzzling is that all the rooms on the lower floor (with the in-floor heating) come up to...

FXDawg; Wow, what a great response. Thanks! OK - Have you had any parts replaced recently. Could need a purge. No, nothing's been altered since the system was installed. Other than to separate out the kitchen floor circuit that had been on the same 'stat as the living room. But this was a...

It's removable but not easy. Meaning the ding-dong installed it really close to the wall between two other pipes so it's gonna be a ****** getting a wrench on the two bolts behind the flange on either side. Yes, it's designed to be easily replaceable but it was installed in a way that made every...

What's the best guess for the life span of a circ pump in an in-floor hydronic heating system? Pretty broad question I realize but my boiler/system maintenance contractor has diagnosed a pump problem in one zone of our system. The system is about 10 years old. Buderus boiler & indirect domestic...

Cute little machine! That looks like a four jaw independent chuck. I'm no more, really less a machinist than you are but I do a lot of wood turning. All my wood lathe chucks are 'scroll' chucks meaning they're self centering. I've never understood how to use a chuck with independent jaws. I'm...

My guess is a tool for setting the teeth in a crosscut saw: http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-MORRILLS-PAT-HANDSAW-TOOTH-SET-GAUGING-TOOL-/150796254976?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231c283f00

Is that crank on the right side in the first photo an adjuster for the fence? If so that's totally cool! First thing you oughtta do is check out the alignment of the blade to the table and fence. Use the miter gauge slot to align the table to the blade. Not clear on how to adjust & align the...

In that situation, Larry, you'd have two separate power circuits feeding the box. One for lighting and one for the outlet. At least that's the way I'd do it. But as Alchymist is quick to confirm - I'm not an electrician. (grin)

OK, truth in lending: I'm not an electrician. That understood .... You always switch the hot leg of a lighting circuit. Meaning you only connect black wires (or other colors other than white, the neutral leg) to the switch terminals. It appears to me you've only got two wire cable in the box...

Like the folks have said - that ain't lookin' like flue pipe! And get all those combustibles away from the stove!! Back wall appears to be painted brick so that might not be a problem. I'd get rid of the damper in the flue pipe. If you've got smoke billowing out of the stove when you open the...

1- A lot of concrete finishers don't like poly under the slab 'coz it prevents the bleed water from percolating into the ground and prolongs the set time for finishing. They've been known to poke holes in it. Around "here" (western WA state). 2- I've heard it said that poly will cause the top...