Home Projects (upkeep/repair/mods/cool sh*t/advice/question)

Kelric · Post by **Kelric** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:00 pm

Default wrote:Painting is easy and takes less skill than patience. I never understood the hate for it that some people have.

Some of us are not very patient.

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:03 pm

I have something similar but not the same thing going on in my kitchen. There is a spice cupboard, and that's for sure what it was designed to be as there is a lazy susan built in, and coming out from a hole drilled into the wall is a blue electrical cord that plugs into a power outlet.

I have NO idea what it is for but I'm terrified to unplug it...

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:07 pm

I just redid a bathroom, and all the fans were bare wire. Mostly because they had a light built in as well. So they could be wired to two switches, one for the light and one for the fan. So maybe with the single fan only unit it is more common for a plug?

But I think a plug would be worse, right? Bare wires everything is in the box, with no chance of it becoming unplugged from something in the attic bumping into it...

Just seems odd. I know my dishwasher is actually plugged in, because when I replaced it, the old one had a plug, and the new one did as well. Made my life pretty easy when I installed it.

Also, my mother in law lives in a trailer, and her water heater, which I just installed is actually plugged into a wall outlet. That was very easy to replace, she did not want gas anymore, so we pulled out the old water heater and put in the new one. No electrical work, just plug it into an outlet, and run the pipes as normal. (Note: this is a very small water heater tank, only about 5 gallons, but with only her and my brother in law living there it works for them.)

Fixing my mother in laws stuff keeps her in the trailer over an hour away, so I am happy to do it. (Hell I even pay for the stuff when I am doing the work to keep her in that trailer.)

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:11 pm

Z-Corn wrote:I have something similar but not the same thing going on in my kitchen. There is a spice cupboard, and that's for sure what it was designed to be as there is a lazy susan built in, and coming out from a hole drilled into the wall is a blue electrical cord that plugs into a power outlet.

I have NO idea what it is for but I'm terrified to unplug it...

Dishwasher maybe?

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 5:18 pm

I need to get fans installed in my 2 upstairs bathrooms. I figure I'm going to wait until I have to do the roof which should be within the next couple of years. My downstairs one isn't too loud but the airflow was very weak. I finally figured out the knucklehead before me packed it with aluminum foil to cover an abandoned yellow jacket hive at the outlet on the side of the house. You know ... instead of cleaning it out and installing a proper cover. Ridiculous.

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 6:09 pm

RMC wrote:
Z-Corn wrote:I have something similar but not the same thing going on in my kitchen. There is a spice cupboard, and that's for sure what it was designed to be as there is a lazy susan built in, and coming out from a hole drilled into the wall is a blue electrical cord that plugs into a power outlet.

I have NO idea what it is for but I'm terrified to unplug it...
Dishwasher maybe?

Nope, it's in an upper cupboard at chin height all the way across the kitchen from the dishwasher. It comes out of the wall that marks the boundary of the kitchen and the boundary of that level of the house, the house is a bi-level. The other side of the wall is just the guts of the house from what I can deduce. It's the strangest thing...I should take a picture of it to show somebody who can help solve this mystery!

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:30 pm

Its for an under cabinet microwave.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:31 pm

stessier wrote:Its for an under cabinet microwave.

Edit ... Misread, ignore me. I'd delete it but can't from mobile.

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 9:02 pm

Z-Corn wrote:
RMC wrote:
Z-Corn wrote:I have something similar but not the same thing going on in my kitchen. There is a spice cupboard, and that's for sure what it was designed to be as there is a lazy susan built in, and coming out from a hole drilled into the wall is a blue electrical cord that plugs into a power outlet.

I have NO idea what it is for but I'm terrified to unplug it...
Dishwasher maybe?
Nope, it's in an upper cupboard at chin height all the way across the kitchen from the dishwasher. It comes out of the wall that marks the boundary of the kitchen and the boundary of that level of the house, the house is a bi-level. The other side of the wall is just the guts of the house from what I can deduce. It's the strangest thing...I should take a picture of it to show somebody who can help solve this mystery!

Egad it's a mystery... Maybe it is a group of little people living in the walls of your house, and this is their only power source.

No idea..

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 9:06 pm

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:31 am

stessier wrote:
stessier wrote:Its for an under cabinet microwave.
Edit ... Misread, ignore me. I'd delete it but can't from mobile.

Why? That was my first thought as well. Esp. If it's an upper level cabinet. Only other thing I can think of is under or in cabinet lighting, or possibly a very small range hood/light. But first guess is def. microwave.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:52 am

Carpet_pissr wrote:
stessier wrote:
stessier wrote:Its for an under cabinet microwave.
Edit ... Misread, ignore me. I'd delete it but can't from mobile.
Why? That was my first thought as well. Esp. If it's an upper level cabinet. Only other thing I can think of is under or in cabinet lighting, or possibly a very small range hood/light. But first guess is def. microwave.

I thought he said he just had an outlet in an upper cabinet. It reality, he said he already had something plugged in. I figure an outlet in such a place is put there for an under cabinet microwave. He's actually asking what is plugged in (and with a blue plug). I've never heard of a microwave with a blue plug, but guess it's possible.

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:34 am

stessier wrote:
Carpet_pissr wrote:
stessier wrote:
stessier wrote:Its for an under cabinet microwave.
Edit ... Misread, ignore me. I'd delete it but can't from mobile.
Why? That was my first thought as well. Esp. If it's an upper level cabinet. Only other thing I can think of is under or in cabinet lighting, or possibly a very small range hood/light. But first guess is def. microwave.
I thought he said he just had an outlet in an upper cabinet. It reality, he said he already had something plugged in. I figure an outlet in such a place is put there for an under cabinet microwave. He's actually asking what is plugged in (and with a blue plug). I've never heard of a microwave with a blue plug, but guess it's possible.

Again, I don't think so...we have an old built-in microwave on the other side of the kitchen...

I like the idea that it is just The Littles living in the wall...

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 12:05 pm

Z-Corn wrote:
stessier wrote:
Carpet_pissr wrote:
stessier wrote:
stessier wrote:Its for an under cabinet microwave.
Edit ... Misread, ignore me. I'd delete it but can't from mobile.
Why? That was my first thought as well. Esp. If it's an upper level cabinet. Only other thing I can think of is under or in cabinet lighting, or possibly a very small range hood/light. But first guess is def. microwave.
I thought he said he just had an outlet in an upper cabinet. It reality, he said he already had something plugged in. I figure an outlet in such a place is put there for an under cabinet microwave. He's actually asking what is plugged in (and with a blue plug). I've never heard of a microwave with a blue plug, but guess it's possible.
Again, I don't think so...we have an old built-in microwave on the other side of the kitchen...

I like the idea that it is just The Littles living in the wall...

Man, have you ever watched Mike Holmes? His show has all kind of things like this, where they find out that 1/2 the house is powered by the mysterious blue plug. Ever unplug it and see what happens?

Or check if there is power too it?

Now I want to solve this mystery...

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 12:28 pm

stessier wrote: I've never heard of a microwave with a blue plug, but guess it's possible.

True that. Curiosity? PIQUED.

Z-Corn: Do you have a voltmeter to test to see if the wires/outlet are even live?

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:27 pm

Before testing further, a question...is there anyone in the house on life prolonging medical equipment? Hate to unplug Grandma to satisfy our curiosity.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:43 pm

Replaced my Insinkerator today. Home is still intact. The day is a success.

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:25 pm

Zaxxon wrote:Replaced my Insinkerator today. Home is still intact. The day is a success.

Woot Woot.

Now we just have to find the status of the blue plug from Z-corn.... Are you in Canada, maybe they do things differently there?

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:53 pm

Perhaps it was placed by the hands of blue?

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 6:34 pm

stessier wrote:Before testing further, a question...is there anyone in the house on life prolonging medical equipment? Hate to unplug Grandma to satisfy our curiosity.

I think it's the mysterious neighbor tapping into his juice!

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 7:35 pm

I've never seen Mike Holmes but he looks like a fine and knowledgeable gentleman! I am not above bringing him in on this...never heard of him before, so that PROVES I'm not in Canada...

I don't have a voltmeter, that is a good idea though. Trying to think of any friends who may...

And, just to reiterate, this is in an over-the-counter spice cupboard. It is a blue cord, thinner than usual, that comes out of the wall about 6 inches, terminates in a blue plug that is a bit fatter than your normal 120 volt plug and plugs into a standard wall electrical outlet. The outlet is in the back of the cabinet, there's nothing else plugged into it and no real way TO plug anything into it...because it's in the back of the cupboard.

Weird, huh?

I'm going to have to get a picture to show you guys. Let me work on that...

Edit to add:
It IS a live outlet, I plugged my wife's phone into it to confirm. I used her phone just in case it blew up anything plugged into it!

Freezer-TPF- · Post by **Freezer-TPF-** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 8:09 pm

Yeah, post a pic. We WILL solve this.

Default · Post by **Default** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 1:16 am

Unplug it and see what stops working. Why are you all over-thinking this?

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 6:15 am

Default wrote:Unplug it and see what stops working. Why are you all over-thinking this?

BORING! And besides, he said he's afraid to unplug it lest whatever it is stop working...which seems likely as it is a live outlet.

The wire just disappears into the wall? Is there under cabinet lighting?

Default · Post by **Default** » Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:53 pm

stessier wrote:
Default wrote:Unplug it and see what stops working. Why are you all over-thinking this?
BORING! And besides, he said he's afraid to unplug it lest whatever it is stop working...which seems likely as it is a live outlet.

The wire just disappears into the wall? Is there under cabinet lighting?

Unless it's keeping C4 from exploding, that's the simplest/safest way of figuring what it's connected to.
What's wrong with you people?

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:53 pm

If it's preventing C4 from exploding then unplugging it is the simplest and fastest way of figuring this out but there is no safe way. That doesn't really change the odds much.

ibdoomed · Post by **ibdoomed** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 10:50 pm

Guys, this $15 is the best safety money you'll ever spend:

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 11:27 am

ibdoomed wrote:Guys, this $15 is the best safety money you'll ever spend:

??

ibdoomed · Post by **ibdoomed** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 11:33 am

Stupid url eating forums.

http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/elect ... age-tester

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:59 pm

Latest house project:

Set up rear speakers in great room, that have been sitting unused since we moved in last January.

This could possibly involve:
1. Replacing existing rears with in wall dealies, and in ceiling dealies
or
2. Just in wall speakers

Both of which would require cutting into the wall/ceiling AND running wires in the walls/ceiling, post construction. It can be done of course, and I have fished speaker cable through more than a few walls before, but not excited about it.

What I will likely end up doing to save time and money, is to simply use the smallish rears I currently have, paint them the same color as the wall to blend in, and stick them in the upper back corners of each ceiling (not an ideal location, sound-wise, but for aesthetics, much nicer than putting them where they would sound best acoustically).

For cabling, I will probably just use one of the many cord organizer/hider kits that's out there. Run it along the trim and it shouldn't be very obvious at all. One of the only times I am glad to have crown molding in the house (in this case it will help hide cable sheath)

Edited to add:

After only ONE year, I have finished painting the THIRD...(3rd) kids' bedroom this week! WOOOO! I'm rockin' baby! Only one more bedroom to go!
And four bathrooms (all of which have wallpaper).
And the sunroom.
And the kitchen.
And the great room.

Sigh.

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:25 pm

I also just finished painting a kid's room--two shades of hot pink. Fun!

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:27 pm

Zaxxon wrote:I also just finished painting a kid's room--two shades of hot pink. Fun!

Ha! One of the rooms I painted over was two shades of pink (alternating stripes of hot vs soft). Just hope you won't be the one doing the next paint job on top of those colors. *&#%^$&^@%#

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:28 pm

Actually it came from dark brown--and the wall is textured (paint-sucking). It took two coats even using the Behr Ultimate Post-Premium Super-Fantastical Pyrotechnic paint (which is specifically sold as painting over strong color differences in one coat). Double the fun!

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:32 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote:After only ONE year, I have finished painting the THIRD...(3rd) kids' bedroom this week! WOOOO! I'm rockin' baby! Only one more bedroom to go!
And four bathrooms (all of which have wallpaper).
And the sunroom.
And the kitchen.
And the great room.

We have been in our house for FIVE years (will be 5 in april-ish)... we have painted the Media Room. That was done in the first couple of weeks.

The rest of the house is still builder (not quite) white.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:33 pm

Zaxxon wrote:Actually it came from dark brown--and the wall is textured (paint-sucking). It took two coats even using the Behr Ultimate Post-Premium Super-Fantastical Pyrotechnic paint (which is specifically sold as painting over strong color differences in one coat). Double the fun!

Same. I used Behr Ultimate (with the primer included) to try and cover the pink, and it took 2 coats as well. IMO, not worth the cost (unfortunately I bought all our paint, for all rooms, at the same time to take advantage of a 10% off coupon), considering it's never coated anything I have painted or had painted, with just one coat (sufficiently at least).

Sherwin Williams is crazy expensive, but it is also crazy good, compared to even the best stuff at the big box stores IMO.

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:40 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote:
Zaxxon wrote:Actually it came from dark brown--and the wall is textured (paint-sucking). It took two coats even using the Behr Ultimate Post-Premium Super-Fantastical Pyrotechnic paint (which is specifically sold as painting over strong color differences in one coat). Double the fun!
Same. I used Behr Ultimate (with the primer included) to try and cover the pink, and it took 2 coats as well. IMO, not worth the cost (unfortunately I bought all our paint, for all rooms, at the same time to take advantage of a 10% off coupon), considering it's never coated anything I have painted or had painted, with just one coat (sufficiently at least).

Sherwin Williams is crazy expensive, but it is also crazy good, compared to even the best stuff at the big box stores IMO.

Yeah, we always use Sherwin Williams now. My wife tried Behr once, and it literally came off the wall in sheets, like peeled off the wall...So badly, that she got to talk to a Chemist in R&D there, and they talked Chemist to Chemist, and she got all her money refunded. So we don't buy any other paint than Sherwin Williams, and have never had any issues.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:57 pm

Installed a pencil sharpener as demanded by the kid. Minor project but really adds that gradeschool classroom feel to my office.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:45 pm

I am designing a desk that will be 11 foot long butcher block countertop on top of Klee Klamp connected pipe posts. It has to support at the end a Marine Battery backup power for our city sewer flood containment system.

Our next project involves repiping the house and redoing 2 bathrooms. Then being poor for a few years.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:43 pm

It's just not a home improvement project until you make a bazzilion trips to Home Depot/Lowes and sacrifice a little blood.

Trip 1 - Go to Home Depot and buy a new faucet to replace the ugly builder's fixture that the wife just can't stand any more. Being a good husband, promptly begin installation one month later. Open the box and discover that the faucet has a 3/8" fitting but the pipe coming out of the floor is much bigger. Pause 9 months to contemplate.

Trip 2 - While buying a new faucet for a different room, pick up some adapters figuring you remember the pipe sizes from 9 months ago.

Trip 3 - Return adapters because they aren't close. Pick up some new adapters one size up for each connection.

Trip 4 - Return the adapters because they still don't work. Measure the pipe coming out of the faucet being replaced as 3/4" which must be what the hose is as well. Bring the faucet with so that the adapter can be tried on the end. Buy adapter.

Trip 5 - Return adapter because while it fits the faucet, it doesn't fit the hose coming from the supply lines. Have wife attempt this return without ever seeing any of the fixtures.

Trip 6 - Go to the store yourself as wife returns home with nothing. Bring pictures from under the sink as well as the faucet itself. Have employee look at you incredulously when shown the "pop" valve that was installed in brand new house. Be given fittings for two options since you can't remember if there is enough play in the Pex tubing to put on a new valve yourself. Get home and find there IS enough Pex tubing for new vavle! IMPORTANT: While cutting Pex tubing to remove old valve, stab yourself in the hand with a sheet rock knife. Successfully install two new valves. Place new faucet in place and discover hoses are 4" too short because bathroom was built with "upgraded" cabinet height.

Trip 7 - Go to store and buy two more valves and adapters (didn't I mention the sinks are his/her?) and 4 hose extensions. Successfully install first faucet and test without leakage! Quickly move on to second faucet and get down to last hose extension discovering it has stripped threads.

Trip 8 - Send wife to exchange hose extension for same part with proper threads. Eat lunch. When parts arrive, finish successful installation. Take a shower and call it a weekend. Dream of how you will install the matching drain plugs at some point in the future.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:04 am

Latest project: irrigation

After a year of semi-struggling with the pre-existing system installed in our new-ish house, I finally found a Living Social deal for a service check for irrigation systems. Even though it's really pretty straightforward (repair, replacement, adjustment), I had yet to get someone to come out who I could talk to and ask stupid questions.

Did that yesterday, and I have to say I am a little disappointed. I feel better that he said overall the system is fine, functioning well, but I don't feel I got very good answers about adjusting, theories and best practices and such (what kind of head to use here, how to adjust these, tips,. etc). Which is really what I wanted more than anything. And it wasn't like he was opposed to my learning, just that I could tell it was something he was not used to doing, and let's just say he would make a terrible teacher.

I got lucky last year because we had tons of rain compared to the normal amounts, but I have to assume that won't be the case this year, and it's already hitting low 80's here (so that particular project had me on a timer in a way).

One project I can mark completed is my son's room (maybe I will take some pics), and the outdoor flood light replacements/additions, which took me about a year to get to all of them. Replaced two carriage lights at front door with new, motion/light detecting lights (and added LED), added a motion detect LED flood to one corner, and replaced 3 existing old school, non-motion, non-light sensing with new ones and LED's all around.

Wasn't cheap, but I don't have to worry about manually turning lights on or off anywhere outside now, and maybe the LED energy savings will be visible in a few months (might take a year I guess, considering low usage for us)

I particularly like the replacement carriage lights for the front door, as they have a dual power mode. So at dusk, they turn on automatically at 50% power, which is a nice ambient, warm look, and then if you approach, they hit 100% for 10 minutes. After a certain number of hours after dusk, they go off completely, unless they sense motion.

Edited to add: one more project that is pressuring me is one of the kid bathroom vents. Bought one of those silent ones on impulse during a BF sale that moves much more CFM than the current, cheapo builder/contractor one, but it's too big and really have no idea how to start on that one. I assume drywall cutting will be involved, and probably figuring out how to access from the attic above to install. Ugh. Thought that was going to be a simple replace job.