Recent content by mrl05

Thanks for all your replies. I do plan to get some other estimates. MyDomain, I am located due east of DC in Bowie.

What is a reasonable cost to expect to pay to have a mini-split system installed if I purchase the unit myself? I recently had a contractor give me an estimate of $6180 to install a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim model #msz-a12na. Now, I have seen these units online for roughly $1600 to $2000. My...

If you have the round porcelain fixture for a 60W bulb, you can remove the porcelain fixture and replace it with a round 2 outlet receptacle. Cost of the plate is about $4 and the wiring is simple. Just wire the new receptacle exactly like the one you just removed. This will allow you to plug...

Patrick, You may find that you'll rarely need the heater due to the insulation. The insulation does wonders for holding on to that heat from the engine block in the winter. It can easily add a good 5*+ to the garage temp. In Maryland, my climate is not quite as cold as yours, but my garage...

Dave, Your scenario is similar to some of my neighbors. Many of them say they hardly run the furnace unit since the upstairs cools so well. Not the case for me though. I don't know the size of the unit, but the square footage is about 1500. It has to be something in the compressor. Today...

This is a great thread as I am experiencing the same problem with my heat pump. I am in a brand new house (1yr in May) and my upstairs heat pump will not effectively cool the upstairs on any sunny day with outside temps above 85*. I had technicians out last year right after the house was built...

Thanks Chuckspeed. These two HVAC threads have been quite informative. I have a 24 X 20 garage and last summer it seemed to hover around 85 - 90*F (even in the evenings) with excessively high humidity. I have been debating the A/C or dehumidifier question this past winter and wondered if a...

Darren - great idea and timing on this post. Going to Sears this weekend to check. Hopefully no one knows that he keeps one in his car. Unless you lock the opener at the main pad each night, someone could break in to his car and enter your garage and/or house. Even if your house is on...

Looks good. Even though you're half done, have you driven your car/truck on the tiles yet? In reading their website about the softer composition to conform to subfloor irregularities, I'm wondering if vehicle weight will compress and deform the tiles while parked. How large is your garage and...

Where is a good spot to get casters from? I have a freezer that I would like to put on casters, but the ones I've seen from Home Depot and Lowes don't seem like they fit or able to handle the load capacity. Thanks, mike

Visit Home Depot or Lowes and go to the electrical section and pick up 2 round metal receptacle with 2 outlets in each one. They are roughly $3.50 per receptacle and are the exact same size as the housing fixtures for the incandescent bulbs. Remove the incandescent fixtures (remember to shut...

I just called the 800 number and the rep provided me with my 16 digit number. She said they will issue me another card in 6 to 8 weeks. So, looks like I'm good to go.

I signed up about a year ago and I get all the mailers and e-mails, but I have not made any purchases yet. How do you get the club price at the store? Is there a card or number that you're supposed to receive and give to the cashier? Thanks, Mike

First, I would suggest fully insulating your garage space. This means insulating that entire exterior wall, insulating your garage door (if it isn't already), and (if the room above doesn't cover the whole garage) have some insulation blown in to that attic space. This will help tremendously...

I just purchased a Delonghi Safeheat Garage Heater (see Sandoval's post) at a great closeout price. I'm not sure when I'm going to set it up, but I am looking for advice. How safe or unsafe is it to have the propane tank in the garage while running a heater? I'm sure many are doing it, but...