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I was speaking with one of my neighbors yesterday who bought her house 35 years ago and she told me that about 30 years ago every house on the street got the same AC unit installed because someone had a deal with a contractor to do it for half price. She also mentioned that just about all of the houses have started replacing theirs because they've been failing including her AC which died last summer. Sadly for me my house has the exact same unit so while I'll continue to have regular maintenance done I'm going to have to start setting aside money for a future new unit. She said she's getting a heat pump installed which I've been looking into as well so at least I'll have an idea of what the costs for our area and how effective it is. Has anyone had one installed and can tell me what to look for when hiring a company to install it? I'm in Southern California so I'm not worried about it being useless in freezing temperatures but I am also curious if I can get rid of my gas furnace or if I still need that in addition to a heat pump if/when my AC inevitably gets replaced.
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May 10, 2024 18:30
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30 years is a great run on that AC and I imagine when you do upgrade you’ll see some good power savings. One issue I’ve seen with people upgrading units that old is that they want change the ducts as well which jacks up the price. It doesn’t seem like a simple drop in place of the old one which is lame lol
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May 10, 2024 18:45
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Is it worth doing a HVAC blower door test? I mean I’m sure my house is leaky as poo poo
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May 10, 2024 18:46
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If you know where/why it's leaky there is no point in doing a blower door test. Just seal your windows/trim/attic access/whatever else is wrong. Perhaps get a test done after that.
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May 10, 2024 18:49
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MarcusSA posted:30 years is a great run on that AC and I imagine when you do upgrade you’ll see some good power savings. I was about to say, 30 years is fantastic. Too bad you can't all do the same thing and get a deal again since you are reaching the natural end of its life cycle.
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May 10, 2024 18:55
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MarcusSA posted:30 years is a great run on that AC and I imagine when you do upgrade you’ll see some good power savings. I didn't even think about the ducts needing to be replaced/upgraded. The old owner was very much a Gary so either they haven't been done professionally since 2005 or they were replaced poorly by him. Time to start collecting estimates so I can at least plan ahead.
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May 10, 2024 19:10
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IDK who needs to know how to seal pipe thread for 100psi the first time but here goes: I just installed shop air and made ~50 pipe thread connections all with hardware store/harbor freight quality brass fittings. I am loving sick of leaking fittings. Started using Teflon tape, leaks 50% of the time. Audible leaks. Went to blue monster pipe dope. 33% leak on the first torque, redoing it a 2nd time gets them. Leaks are pinholes. Heard about Loctite 545, ordered some. 0 leaks on the 5 fittings I used it on. Only downside is 24 min hour cure time and shelf life. Highly recommend. Apologies for double post here and tool thread but thought I should spread the word.
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May 10, 2024 22:52
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cosmic gumbo posted:I was speaking with one of my neighbors yesterday who bought her house 35 years ago and she told me that about 30 years ago every house on the street got the same AC unit installed because someone had a deal with a contractor to do it for half price. She also mentioned that just about all of the houses have started replacing theirs because they've been failing including her AC which died last summer. Sadly for me my house has the exact same unit so while I'll continue to have regular maintenance done I'm going to have to start setting aside money for a future new unit. I just had an inverter heat pump installed. The outdoor unit is quieter than any AC I have ever owned, it's surprising despite the size but that's just how these systems work - rather than running at full blast until a desired temperature is reached and then turning off, they lower their power consumption to run steadily for longer periods. This is supposed to be more efficient and less taxing on the hardware In southern california it wouldn't make sense to keep your furnace, even cheaper heat pump models should be able to keep up with your mild winters no problem. There are models that are designed to be extra efficient at below-freezing temperatures (while losing a small amount of efficiency at higher temperatures), but you absolutely don't need that. The federal rebate iirc is $2000 or 30% for labor and materials, whichever is less. But the valid models are very specific, you can rely on a manufacturer certificate but not your contractor's assurances - double check any proposal. Some contractors will try to size your unit using square footage, but that's wildly inaccurate. You want someone to perform a Manual J calculation. It's common for systems to be oversized, which is bad for reasons you can go look up; you want a system that is appropriate for your home. Don't assume that your furnace has the correct tonnage. Get multiple quotes. Check for local rebates. City, state, municipality, power company, make sure you look for incentives!
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May 11, 2024 01:09
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I will second the "no need for a furnace". In AZ, any heat pump here that's enough to handle our summertime highs is way more than enough to handle the approximately-freezing lowest-of-the-lows. We don't even have heat strips in the air handler; there's simply never going to be a night cold enough to need them. Inland Empire SoCal is going to be very similar, and the further west you go the milder both extremes get.
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May 11, 2024 02:46
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cosmic gumbo posted:I was speaking with one of my neighbors yesterday who bought her house 35 years ago and she told me that about 30 years ago every house on the street got the same AC unit installed because someone had a deal with a contractor to do it for half price. She also mentioned that just about all of the houses have started replacing theirs because they've been failing including her AC which died last summer. Sadly for me my house has the exact same unit so while I'll continue to have regular maintenance done I'm going to have to start setting aside money for a future new unit. https://youtu.be/DTsQjiPlksA?si=QUu5pBhtEipB4E1- Alec does a fantastic job of explaining the heat pump tech and sizing for his condo. I highly recommend this as part of your research
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May 11, 2024 03:41
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cosmic gumbo posted:
SoCal resident here, we just replaced a 22 year old gas furnace with a new electric furnace and added a condenser for air, which I did not have. It was a good move, no regrets. The York condenser we got is super quiet and blows cold; the heater doesn’t bow as hot as the gas didbut it works fine for heating the house. House was already ducted and it made it a very straightforward proposition. I got the large, established contractor that did my solar system to quote me on the heat pump and the quotes ranged from $16-22k. A coworker’s brother gave me the friends and family price and did the install for $9500. E: got a … $2000 rebate? E2: Had a 2.5 ton furnace, installed a 3 ton heat pump for 1,040 SF at contractor’s recommendation Anza Borrego fucked around with this message at 18:45 on May 11, 2024 |
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May 11, 2024 18:40
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Thanks for the advice on the heat pumps. I had someone come out to service the AC today and they confirmed it is 32 years old and might not make it through the summer if we have a heatwave. The 35 year old furnace isn't doing much better. I got 4 companies coming out this week to give me quotes so I can't wait to find out how much this is going to be. This will be my largest homeowner expense since I bought the place 3 years ago and I can't wait to find out what will top it next week.
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May 13, 2024 18:51
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My mortgage was just resold for what is I presume the first of many times. Is there anything I actually have to do in response to that happening? Things I should be looking out for or checking in on? It looks like my autopay details were carried over for the first time (they did not work after the initial sale, so that is a relief at least) but I'm not sure what if anything I should be aware of when this happens.
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May 13, 2024 21:11
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You will probably get two 1095 forms with interest paid to each bank. That only matters if you take the itemized deduction.
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May 13, 2024 21:15
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GlyphGryph posted:My mortgage was just resold for what is I presume the first of many times. Make sure to update your homeowners insurance
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May 13, 2024 23:30
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Mush Mushi posted:Seems like no matter the cause, we need to be replacing the affected drywall and continue monitoring. The roof is under warranty. I am very sad. Please help. We’ve replaced the drywall in the affected rooms. I’m am pretty sure that a lot of what we were seeing was old damage that we were lucky to find before closing. The roof is new and the new insulation that was put in around the same time in the attic appeared to be dry. I still don’t have a great explanation for the damp areas in the wall, other than it being hopefully related to the same roof leak or rain during renovations. Again, none of this was visible and it was picked up by a Home Depot moisture meter. So…I think the plan for now will be to keep an eye out for recurring damage next rainy season and take it from there? I have to admit, I’ve been doomscrolling about wood rot and most articles try to convince you that the house is going to fall over if you have any rot. Let’s say I missed some hidden rot and discover it in five years rather than today — on average that’s not a catastrophe right? Edit: the house had a clean pest report per two different inspectors when I bought it. Mush Mushi fucked around with this message at 16:35 on May 14, 2024 |
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May 14, 2024 16:27
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Mush Mushi posted:
It's a problem if something load bearing is rotten and stops bearing that load, because that's how you have poo poo fall over, and it's a problem if the rot is an ongoing problem that is worsening. But if it's a framing 2x4 that's just holding up dry wall and the bottom fifth is a bit rotted but it's dried out and not rotting more? No real issue. Again, emphasis on the problem having stopped.
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May 14, 2024 16:45
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I have a long circular paved driveway in front of my house. It always had some cracks and I don't think it was repaved or patched since the house was built in 2006. I got a flyer from a local guy offering a free estimate for brush crash filling (not spray according to the flyer). I have noticed more cracks in the pavement but is this an actual issue or is it just aesthetics? If it's a few hundred bucks I might spring for the brush fills he is offering but any more than that I'd push it off as something I just don't have the funds to do right now.
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May 15, 2024 15:13
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drhankmccoyphd posted:I have a long circular paved driveway in front of my house. It always had some cracks and I don't think it was repaved or patched since the house was built in 2006. I got a flyer from a local guy offering a free estimate for brush crash filling (not spray according to the flyer). I have noticed more cracks in the pavement but is this an actual issue or is it just aesthetics? If it's a few hundred bucks I might spring for the brush fills he is offering but any more than that I'd push it off as something I just don't have the funds to do right now. Do you live somewhere that it freezes? If you do, the freeze thaw cycles hammer cracks open quite quickly and I consider any unsealed asphalt cracks an emergency that need to be addresses before the next winter.
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May 15, 2024 15:47
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On this week's installment of 'The PO is a lunatic': I've been meaning to fix this for ages, but every time I looked at it I was so caught up in admiring the insanity of it I didn't get around to it until now. Check out this striker plate and bask in its glory: I pulled ten nails and three self-tapping screws out of this. A new plate and fixing hardware probably would have cost them less to install. This was about $3 in parts and took a lot less time than hammering all that poo poo in: 
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May 15, 2024 17:33
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That rules
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May 15, 2024 17:36
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It's really almost a work of art -- I legitimately can't decide whether it's inspired or unhinged
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May 15, 2024 19:56
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You know there's gotta be a heck of a story behind that one.
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May 16, 2024 00:36
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Catatron Prime posted:It's really almost a work of art -- I legitimately can't decide whether it's inspired or unhinged It's hinged on the other side
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May 16, 2024 00:41
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Internet Explorer posted:You know there's gotta be a heck of a story behind that one. I'm pretty sure it was a case of looking at what was lying around and using that instead of a trip to the hardware store. A lot of this house was built that way. See also load bearing filler, structural paint and insulating wallpaper.
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May 16, 2024 11:02
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StarkingBarfish posted:I'm pretty sure it was a case of looking at what was lying around and using that instead of a trip to the hardware store. A lot of this house was built that way. See also load bearing filler, structural paint and insulating wallpaper. Dudes drunk af
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May 16, 2024 12:30
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This can of minwax "high performance" wood filler says it will hold screws though!!?!
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May 16, 2024 19:10
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Hadlock posted:This can of minwax "high performance" wood filler says it will hold screws though!!?! Minwax? I'm over here using toothpicks It's me, I'm the Gary 
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May 16, 2024 21:37
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we ended up with the Samsung. the installation was a whole Thing which sucked (and required a plumber call out), but it works!
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May 16, 2024 22:23
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Ugh, we had a torrential rain last night and now I'm noticing a wet spot in the basement carpet. Any chance I don't have to cut out all the carpets and walls?
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May 16, 2024 23:10
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sure anything's possible through the power of our lord
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May 17, 2024 00:20
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QuarkJets posted:sure anything's possible through the power of our lord Hey, you're right! Turns out the egress window well obviously flooded, so at least I know the problem. I guess I'll put a cover on it before I replace the drywall. Much better than a sump problem I guess.
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May 17, 2024 02:47
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cosmic gumbo posted:Thanks for the advice on the heat pumps. I had someone come out to service the AC today and they confirmed it is 32 years old and might not make it through the summer if we have a heatwave. The 35 year old furnace isn't doing much better. I got 4 companies coming out this week to give me quotes so I can't wait to find out how much this is going to be. This will be my largest homeowner expense since I bought the place 3 years ago and I can't wait to find out what will top it next week. Ended up getting 6 quotes for replacing our central AC/furnace with a heat pump or with a mini split system. First guy I met with gave me prices that ranged from 22k - 28k and told me I only needed to get bids from 3 contractors total. No one else came close to his prices most were between 15k - 20k but some factored in the federal and state tax rebates/credits and others did not. Ultimately went with the guy that two of my neighbors recommended who was median bid but who was also the only one who said he could do the things that were high on our priority list. Only downside with him was he was the only one that didn't have 0% financing for 12-18 months so I'll just have to pay upfront instead of parking the money in treasuries.
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May 17, 2024 18:39
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Harbor Freight has a coupon for today only for a 5000w generator for $799 which is a screaming deal That will comfortably run your fridge, tv, charge all your cell phones/laptops, and microwave (or toaster oven), in addition to at least two full size* space heaters all at the same time *Regardless of price 99.995% of all space heaters have low (900w) and high (1500-1800w) modes
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May 18, 2024 19:22
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5000 "starting watts", 3900W continuous output. You'd have to choose between the cooking appliance and the heaters, and probably wouldn't want to be running anything sensitive like the TV at the same time as the appliance because the voltage will sag significantly when the refrigerator compressor kicks on.
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May 18, 2024 19:53
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Shifty Pony posted:5000 "starting watts", 3900W continuous output. You'd have to choose between the cooking appliance and the heaters, and probably wouldn't want to be running anything sensitive like the TV at the same time as the appliance because the voltage will sag significantly when the refrigerator compressor kicks on. Generator wattage ratings are essentially a lie but I’ve ran plenty of TVs on generators that are also running the fridge and never had issues. That said we’re never running near the continuous rating either.
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May 18, 2024 19:57
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Hadlock posted:Harbor Freight has a coupon for today only for a 5000w generator for $799 which is a screaming deal I would never spend $799 on anything from HF.
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May 19, 2024 00:03
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Especially if it’s combustible
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May 19, 2024 00:12
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Anyone have a Generac?
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May 19, 2024 00:21
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Upgrade posted:Anyone have a Generac? My dad does and by the time he got done with it he could have gone full solar with batteries lol
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May 19, 2024 00:33
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