Questions tagged [maintenance]
Preventing things from becoming damaged, broken or unusable.
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1answer
72 views
Once a person has bought a house (not new build) what are things to be done to maintain the house?
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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2answers
83 views
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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0answers
12 views
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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1answer
49 views
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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1answer
23 views
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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0answers
45 views
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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2answers
96 views
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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2answers
76 views
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 ...
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2answers
49 views
Husqvarna Chansaw maintenance
I recently moved to a new home which had a lot of felled trees which needed to be cut into logs. I bought a 14" Husqvarna 967158004 to accomplish this. The shop I bought it from gave me a lot of ...
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5answers
2k views
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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1answer
25 views
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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1answer
213 views
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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1answer
89 views
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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2answers
193 views
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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0answers
679 views
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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3answers
44 views
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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2answers
1k views
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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1answer
430 views
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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1answer
208 views
Flushing a water heater
I replaced my water heater 2 years ago, this weekend I plan on flushing it. I have read steps anywhere from turn off the gas and stop the water line, to just open the spigot at the bottom and fill up ...
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1answer
359 views
Is this 'Ant Killer' effective to kill carpet moth? [closed]
I've noticed a few moth flying around a carpeted area as well as some possibly larvae. I already have this ant killer powder and wondering if it would be effective for the moth and other insects?
The ...
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1answer
272 views
How do you drain a carburetor?
Chainsaw manufacturers recommend "draining the carburetor" before putting the chainsaw into storage for a period of disuse. This would seem to be a good idea as otherwise the fuel could damage the ...
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0answers
44 views
Smell coming from clean bathrooms in apartment, possibly drains?
I am renting an apartment in the Midwest United States and I have noticed that during a change in the seasons that a rotten smell seems to be coming from the two bathrooms in my 2nd story apartment.
...
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0answers
404 views
Pressure flushing a hot water heater when it's below the main drain of the house
Our water heater (30 gal State gas tank, '04 edition) is quite overdue for a flush at bare minimum. I was planning on doing a pressure flush with the hot side closed off, the gas valve set to "pilot",...
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1answer
122 views
What is the most efficient process for replacing water heater T&P relief valve and flushing water heater?
A home built in 2007 will come under new ownership. It is unknown whether previous owners maintained the water heater properly. Home inspector said that the water heater temperature and pressure (T&...
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1answer
89 views
Low-profile clear cover for a basement window
I'm looking to protect some wooden exterior basement window casing so that I don't have to re-paint it so regularly.
I've seen window well covers like so:
...which could be useful except that this ...
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1answer
49 views
Is it ok to have a rise in an air compressors drain valve?
The designer of my compressor unfortunately didn't put a whole lot of thought into where to put the drain valve on it. It's on the back, and the compressor is against the wall, in a corner, usually ...
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1answer
146 views
Fixing a toilet deceptively complicated, where did I go wrong?
I have a toilet which was both running and leaking and I tried to fix it myself.
I replaced the fill valve, the flush valve and the main gasket, all with items from Home Depot. Home Depot had one ...
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7answers
9k views
How NOT to use a power drill. What are common mistakes that should be avoided? [closed]
While I know how to operate a power drill in general (by the manual, so to say), I am wondering which things I should avoid of doing to it, in order to get the best out of the drill. I want to know ...
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1answer
3k views
What type of Anode rod should I get for my water heater?
It's time to replace my anode rod and I'm not sure what type I should get (Magnesium, Aluminum, Combination, or Powered). I have a well and use a water softener. I have a high iron content (orange ...
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2answers
1k views
Why is my furnace leaking, and what is it leaking?
I have a Honeywell Beckett oil burner/furnace that is less than 8 years old. We've lived in our home for 6 years now, and it has been running like a champ the whole time (no problems whatsoever). Most ...
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2answers
3k views
How to prevent tree stump from decaying
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this question. I have a very large eucaliptos tree. I have recently been told by at least two tree surgeons that the tree is dying and should be taken down....
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7answers
29k views
Should I run the tap while dumping boiling water?
It seems to be common advice to run the cold water while dumping boiling water down the drain (for example, when draining pasta). A variety of reasons are cited for this, one of which is that it is ...
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2answers
800 views
A/C tune-up: “Condenser fan motor drawing high amperage”
A local A/C company was offering a deal on a home heating/cooling "check-up". I've never worked with this particular company before, and I've had some bad experiences in the past (different home, ...
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2answers
5k views
Why should I replace the starter every time I replace a fluorescent tube?
Many fluorescent tube guides recommend replacing the bimetallic strip starter every time the tube is replaced; however, no one seems to provide a specific reason why it needs replacing. Presumably you ...
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2answers
388 views
Is heating feature in an air conditioner bad?
I was looking to buy an air conditioner (split system), recently and a local dealer told to go for ACs with cooling feature only and not ACs with heating feature, as they require more servicing and ...
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1answer
632 views
How do I know if/when tuckpointing is necessary, especially if I finish the basement?
1900-ish brick-over-fieldstone foundation seems perfectly happy right now, but [digression about fieldstone aside]... What's best practice? What do I look for to tell when maint is required?
(...
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1answer
126 views
Why did city utility work require me to modify my faucet aerator?
The city utilities came to my neighborhood this week to replace a few fire hydrants. They had to shut off water to my home during this work. When the work was done, one of the water fixtures in my ...
3
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2answers
564 views
How often should I recaulk the ceramic-tiles in my bathrooms and kitchen?
I'm wondering ow often should I recaulk the ceramic-tiles (with silicone) in my bathrooms and kitchen to prevent any water penetration into the walls?
Thanks!
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2answers
795 views
When do tankless water heaters need to be descaled?
I had a Bosch tankless natural gas water heater that stopped working with C7 and EA error codes and the plumber indicated that the unit had failed due to water getting into the internals like the fan ...
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1answer
22k views
Why is my water expansion tank leaking?
I live in the northeastern US and we just turned the heat on (oil) and this morning I went down to the basement and saw this:
The water is coming from the plumping above something labeled "water ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
What is the lifespan of pvc cement?
My house is 32 years old, due to other reasons I have my bathroom floor removed.
Looking down at the PVC pipe that is used for the tub, sink and toilet got me wondering.
What is the lifespan of ...
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0answers
498 views
Steps for annual maintenance on a fuel oil furnace?
We have fuel oil and this year I'd like to try and maintenance the furnace myself:
By "maintenance" I mean "clean it up so that it runs well throughout the winter." Just a basic tuneup and cleaning. ...
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1answer
1k views
How can I straighten out a bent threaded rod?
I recently got a 1/2" acme screw for a project that has a deflection of approximately an eighth of an inch deflection. One would not think that it would be a big deal, but is is making alignment ...
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2answers
503 views
What annual maintenance does a dishwasher require?
The house we moved into has a dishwasher, and I am wondering if there are any annual maintenance procedures for it. In googling, all that I came up with was making sure the spinning propellers are ...
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2answers
925 views
What's the quickest way to get rid of larvaes and [clothing] moths at home?
We've moved to this apartment two months ago. The apartment was apparently repainted, while the building is no older than 10 years, but every single part of seems intact for all these years. I've been ...
3
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5answers
38k views
Metals in pool turn water green after adding shock, what's the solution?
Our pool hasn't been opened in 4 years. We are finally in the process of resurrecting it from the dead, and have spent a lot of elbow grease (and tears) to get it to the point its currently at. Last ...
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0answers
522 views
What maintenance does an 1890s brick-over-fieldstone foundation need?
I know that if when it comes time to repoint, I should get the current mortar analyzed to make sure its curing strength is compatible with the old bricks. I know that brick foundations in the time ...
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3answers
42k views
How should I evaluate my central A/C to see if it's working properly?
I was once told by a service tech that they evaluate how well the system is performing based on temperature difference between the the return and supply sides. On our first really warm day (80 °F+...
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3answers
9k views
Is it a bad idea to use pine for painted exterior siding if prepared properly?
My house is about 95 years old, and currently has wood clapboard siding that is in pretty rough shape and needs to be replaced. My local lumber yard has 1/2" x 6" for $0.53/linear foot. Since vinyl ...
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1answer
2k views
How to bypass a clogged water softener?
We have bad water pressure in the house all of the sudden, and I spent about an hour tonight trying to locate the general vicinity of the problem, and it looks like it may be our water softener.
For ...
