Questions tagged [maintenance]
Preventing things from becoming damaged, broken or unusable.
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Rust on outdoor ac fan motor? Tech recommends replacement?
I had my annual ac inspection. House has two units and one runs about twice as long each day as the other because it cools much more of the house, and had its capacitor fail two years ago.
Tech ...
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How do I fix this countertop with a permanent solution?
I've never worked with countertops before. I want to provide a permanent fix to this problem. Any suggestions?
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How to clean (and maintain) oxidation off powder coated steel
I just bought a used powder-coated steel rack that has some signs of wear and oxidation. I was wondering how best to clean/restore it, without damaging the coating. Is using water/vinegar potentially ...
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How important is it to completely flush a water heater?
Doing my 2nd annual water heater maintenance with the objective to flush out the entire electric tank. I expected a gradual reduction of sediment from the start to the end (completely empty tank).
...
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Preparing for steam boiler maintenance
I've just moved into a new house with radiator heat/steam boiler, and there seem to be a few issues (loud banging noises on startup, one radiator leaking). I have a maintenance person coming out next ...
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Chimney draft and air flow measure
How can I get a reasonably accurate picture of the functional fitness state of my chimney vent pipe? E.g. can I somehow measure the draft and air flow on two ends to make sure it flows smoothly, ...
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Getting rid of ants in exterior wall
While doing maintenance on an exterior wall near an inside corner, I pulled off rotted cedar shingles and the backing underneath to find scurrying black ants. They were small, not like I imagine ...
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Help me identify: Mold or fungus or Moss?
I live in a rental house and I see this growing on roof.
What is it: is it moss mold or some fungus/algae?
Should i be worried for my health?
The clear line where it grows is likely because it has ...
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Can I drill access holes so that I can change a front load washer door seal without unstacking dryer
I have a GE front-load washer (wcvh6800j1ww) with a dryer mounted on top. I need to change the door seal, and the default instructions (linked below) involve removing the top and control panel in ...
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Shocked O3 pool system with calcium hypochlorte, but free chlorine at 0. Is this expected? Cause for concern?
My understanding is that swimming pool water should be kept at around 1-3ppm free chlorine level. However 1.5 days after shocking small 2000 gallon pool with 2 pounds of 56% calcium hypochlorite (good ...
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What should I use to cover shower framing behind tile in a bathroom?
I have this repair I have to do at work. I have an idea on what to do but I am not entire sure. My thoughts are to start with installing a wood board than drywall mud and than tile. Of course there ...
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How to properly refinish & maintain exterior siding behind circuit panel
I have a cabin in a four season climate.
The exterior siding is western bevel cedar (horizontal, overlapping boards).
The circuit panel is located on the exterior of the house, mounted against the ...
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Snow blower : 0w30 or 5w30 [closed]
My snow blower manual recommends 0w30 oil but every store recommends 5w30.
Which would be better for the longevity of my snow blower and why?
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Lennox gas furnace maintenance
I bought brand new Lennox HE natural gas furnace 3 years back. It has been running perfectly. My dealer recommends to do a preventive maintenance because of 3 years time span. I regularly change the ...
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Filling the gap between deck boards
We have two gumtrees over a largish deck - 10 x 4 m with 120mm Merbau. I had 80mm before it was redone. The gumnuts and sticks and leaves are a total pain! The trees are nice but all year they make a ...
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Filling a Viessmann Vitodens 100W that has dropped to minimum pressure
I have a Viessmann Vitodens 100-W that heats my house, and I presume delivers hot water too.
I must confess I have been negligent, and never had it serviced. The unit is 8 years old. I will get it ...
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Cleaning electric heaters
I own a home heated with the wall mounted wall heaters that need to be cleaned every year. The way it's recommended to clean them is just simply remove the cover and vacuum out to the insides, if not ...
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What is the best way to ensure new air conditioning units stay level?
We live in Northern Illinois (-20F in Winter + 1-2 ft snow to 100F summer) and have two a/c units which are now 30 years old and it is time to replace them.
They are located on the north side of our ...
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Why does an air-conditioner need maintenance and a fridge does not?
Does anyone know why an air-conditioner needs regular maintenance while a fridge doesn't?
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stats on *total* cost of high-efficiency boiler?
Not trying to start a subjective debate here, just looking for some objective statistics.
I get that high-efficiency boilers are much more efficient, and will save big bucks over their lifetime in ...
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Caulking wood panels at bottom of bay window configuration
A contractor doing some other work around the house noticed a small section of wood on the panel of the bay window in this picture was starting to soften. He recommended caulking the bottom to keep ...
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Fastening stone stair treads to a CMU base in a removable manner
I'm designing a very, very low set of landscape stairs (really more like a wide stoop) to transition two areas of my yard. My plan is to pour a concrete base slab, build a core with CMUs on top of ...
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HVAC Preventative Maintenance
Is it necessary to add bleach or vinegar monthly to HVAC line when system is not in use, mainly when air conditioning and heat are not necessary.
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Clean or replace aerators in Kohler 1261404-VS spray head?
I have a Kohler pull-down kitchen faucet with a Kohler 1261404-VS spray head. Recently the water stopped flowing as strongly through it. We had a similar issue with some bathroom faucets, and ...
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Tell if hardwood floor is oiled or laquered
From what I understand on the internet, there are two main types of finishing for hardwood floor, oiling and lacquering / painting, and the two kinds require different maintenance.
I have a bedroom ...
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Where is the lint filter?
For months now, my washer/dryer combo has become less and less effective at actually drying anything I put in it.
I've gotten the advice from some friends to check (regularly) and clean the lint ...
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is this due to termites? any idea what's causing the wood to turn to sawdust?
Pics below.
I had this gouge on some wood paneling. The area inside the gouge seemed to be crumbling, and there was always a pool of sawdust below it. I covered it up with some caulk (brown caulk). ...
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How to further disassemble cordless drill/driver chuck?
I've completely disassembled cordless drill/driver Black&Decker EGBL188 H1 10mm, except this chuck, as seen in the pictures.
I've tried pulling out the plastic piece: I've put the chuck facing up ...
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What kind of nut is this
what is the name of this nut, I need to find a way to loosen it .
From the top
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Do I really need to replace the anode rod?
Whenever I look online for information relating to anode rods in a water heater, they most often say they should be replaced regularly (4-5 years). However, every single plumber I have talked to has ...
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Why is my tablesaw whining?
I have a Craftsman 113.298031 tablesaw. Recently it has started making a whining sound and the blade is easily bogged down. Previously the blade bogged down without the noise and I had to tighten ...
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Burning Rubber Smell From Drill Press Belts
After 20+ years my drill press finally ate a belt. Before the belt failed there was a burning rubber smell. Now after replacing both belts, the smell is still there.
I don't see anything obvious and ...
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Once a person has bought a house (not new build) what are things to be done to maintain the house? [closed]
When we buy a car, we have to check its oil and coolant level and periodically change its filters. Different parts of the car need to be changed as the car ages since some parts have longer lifespan ...
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What problems will I face with this all glass stairwell?
So i'm planning to build my own house and i have hired an architect to design it. So today they shown me the sketch up model and the floor plan. 1 thing really bother me, where i have concern that the ...
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Servicing 2 stroke line trimmer
I have a 4 year old 2 stroke line trimmer (Husqvarna 524L) which is working beautifully but has never been taken back to the store for a service. I have washed the filters a couple of times, but done ...
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Main circuit breaker keeps tripping
my main circuit breaker keeps tripping randomly. I have hired an electrical servicing company, they have rewired the Water heater system and installed separate circuit breaker (thinking it could have ...
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Is there a way to remove rust from behind a shower fixture?
I have rust starting from seemingly behind a shower fixture. Possibly something I did, but possibly some rust that was bound to happen eventually.
What's the first step in a situation like this? It ...
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What's this exterior wall treatment and how should I paint it?
I need to paint the exterior walls of this house, but I am not sure what is the material of the walls.
I know this type of houses came from Finland to to south of Argentina because they are excellent ...
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Restoring steel casement windows
I’m dealing with some 1930’s era steel casement windows, Tudor revival style, that are in reasonably good shape for the most part. They need some maintenance and would like some suggestions for how ...
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Where do you put the oil when oiling a fan?
I know some fan motors have ports to oil but many do not (bathroom exhaust fan, bathroom heater fan, regular house fan, etc). How do you oil the ones that do not have ports?
Specifically, where do you ...
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Should a chainsaw go dull so quickly?
I recently moved to a new home which had a lot of felled trees which needed to be bucked up into logs. I bought a 14" Husqvarna 967158004 to accomplish this.
The shop I bought it from gave me a ...
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How can I stop a toilet seat from rapidly loosening?
The seat on my toilet always works itself loose. It has plastic thumb-screw-style nuts that tighten on to bolts on the underside of the toilet. The left nut works itself loose over the course of a ...
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AC \ Heatpump radiator corrosion
The example, from another posting, shows radiator corrosion. My heat pump's radiator is so corroded that it is unable to radiate heat and now the heat pump must be replaced. What preventative ...
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How to secure privacy lattice to top of existing fence gate?
I want to fix some privacy lattice installed along the fences at a property I maintain. Most of the lattice installed along the actual FENCE is solid - I’m assuming because the bottoms of the lattice ...
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Mystery of misbehaving hose bibs and missing shutoffs
My father recently passed away, and I'm working on getting his house ready for sale. For the most part, Dad kept up with preventive maintenance, but obviously things slipped a little in the last year ...
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When buying a rental home after many years of our occupancy, is a home inspection still necessary? [closed]
I lived in a rental home for around 8 years and am currently negotiating the cash purchase of it. Because I've lived here for so long and (this is my first home purchase),I'm very familiar with the ...
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How can I clean these small, enclosed gutters on a mobile home patio?
My friend owns a mobile home that has a patio over the front porch. There is a thin gutter system running along the length of the house & porch, terminating over the porch area. The gutter system ...
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Through-wall AC troubleshooting
The AC produces cool air for a short period and then ceases to produces cold air after 10-20 minutes. It will repeat this cycle if turned off for ~1.5 hours
What can be concluded from the ...
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Outdoor faucet's indoor shutoff valve not working - OK to drip water out of faucet through winter?
We have an outdoor faucet on the side of the house with a shutoff valve that no longer appears functional. (Thankfully, the house's main water valve does shut off water, but many other valves appear ...
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What amount of moisture is acceptable in a mostly dry concrete basement?
My basement is generally very dry but I want to know how much moisture is too much, to better prioritize when I need to reduce it.
The basement is mostly concrete floors and walls with exposed wood ...
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