Home and garden projects
Oct 26th 2016, 10:49 am
#556
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,577
Re: Home and garden projects
What sort of light is it that weighs 15lb? 
Depending on what the mounting options are for the light, if it really weighs 15lb, I would want to mount it with at least one screw in a wall stud. The other(s) would be OK with a toggle bolt. Then the wiring could go in an old-work back box, no problem.
Alternatively, two (or more) toggle bolts would easily hold 15lb, so long as the bolts weren't too close to the hole for the back box, but my preferred solution would be to glue a piece or pieces of plywood to the back of the wall, by inserting them through the hole for the back box, then use wood screws through the wall into the plywood. Use a construction adhesive such as Powergrab to ensure the pieces don't drop off before they dry in place.
Depending on what the mounting options are for the light, if it really weighs 15lb, I would want to mount it with at least one screw in a wall stud. The other(s) would be OK with a toggle bolt. Then the wiring could go in an old-work back box, no problem.
Alternatively, two (or more) toggle bolts would easily hold 15lb, so long as the bolts weren't too close to the hole for the back box, but my preferred solution would be to glue a piece or pieces of plywood to the back of the wall, by inserting them through the hole for the back box, then use wood screws through the wall into the plywood. Use a construction adhesive such as Powergrab to ensure the pieces don't drop off before they dry in place.
I read the plywood solution too. Sounds like a better option to cutting a large hole for the braced type of box.
Oct 30th 2016, 2:22 pm
#559
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: Home and garden projects
Just for your enjoyment Pulaski.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHZkR6UVegY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHZkR6UVegY
#1 is much better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&v=Q6ahJ5fKhcI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&v=Q6ahJ5fKhcI
Nov 4th 2016, 1:19 pm
#560
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Athens GA
Posts: 2,133
Re: Home and garden projects
I saw that recommendation , which I was OK with until I read the follwoing complaint.
my wife put a small load of laundry in to the Samsung washer. After a few minutes, she felt what she explained to me as "a car driving into our house", the "whole house shook.
She then discovered that the washing machine had "exploded". The top flew off the base, being held only by the plastic drain hose. there were pieces of the washing machine all over the floor. The machine jumped forward about 2 feet and turned 90 degrees. It slammed into the dryer, leaving a huge dent in the side of it. The force was so powerful, it ripped the electrical outlet from it's screws and bent it to the side.
We are just doing laundry while the kid is at school now. I did think about bubble wrap.
my wife put a small load of laundry in to the Samsung washer. After a few minutes, she felt what she explained to me as "a car driving into our house", the "whole house shook.
She then discovered that the washing machine had "exploded". The top flew off the base, being held only by the plastic drain hose. there were pieces of the washing machine all over the floor. The machine jumped forward about 2 feet and turned 90 degrees. It slammed into the dryer, leaving a huge dent in the side of it. The force was so powerful, it ripped the electrical outlet from it's screws and bent it to the side.
We are just doing laundry while the kid is at school now. I did think about bubble wrap.
Nov 20th 2016, 3:13 pm
#561
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: Home and garden projects
So this is the appliance equivalent of open heart surgery: top off, check, back off, check, front off, check, disconnected plumbing inlets and drains, check, drum out, check, split open the drum, check. I have never come close to having a washing machine this far apart unless I was breaking it apart for scrap.
I have new bearings to install, now I just need to get the stainless steel drum off its axle to get to the bearings.
I have new bearings to install, now I just need to get the stainless steel drum off its axle to get to the bearings.
So it took a few weeks, and I still need to reassemble it, but these are the bearings I removed. Only the large, inner bearing was damaged, the smaller one I destroyed as I hammered it out with a chisel. As the replacement bearings come in a set, there is no reason not to replace them both while the machine is disassembled.
Anyhow, the attached picture is the remains of the bearings. The larger which had failed had nine ball bearings in it, held in place with a bracelet-like spacer (centre and left of the picture). Of the nine ball bearings, eight were split and broken into two pieces, split open like nuts! You can see a couple of the broken ball bearings near the far right of the picture.
Anyhow, the attached picture is the remains of the bearings. The larger which had failed had nine ball bearings in it, held in place with a bracelet-like spacer (centre and left of the picture). Of the nine ball bearings, eight were split and broken into two pieces, split open like nuts!
You can see a couple of the broken ball bearings near the far right of the picture.
..... It's currently doing a "shakedown" short wash cycle to test it out, and everything is looking good. I still have the lower front panel off just so I can see what's going on underneath, such as if there's a leak, but there are no problems so far.
Nov 21st 2016, 12:11 pm
#564
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: Home and garden projects
I laid sod in 2014, and it looks great, but six pallets of sod in a weekend, in August, nearly killed me! 
..... The bizarre thing was, in thirteen summers living here, that was the only weekend in July or August that could reasonably be called "cool". A couple of years earlier we did zoysia plugs in the front lawn, on a horrendously hot weekend in June, and until just a few months ago we were convinced all the plugs had died, then suddenly we realised that the plugs had not only "taken" but had choked out pretty much everything, crappy grass and weeds, that had previously been growing there.
I haven't sown seed on bare earth since I lived in London - it was a fescue, and it looked very nice - I sowed it the week before heading to the US to propose to the then-future Mrs P, and it was a beautiful green carpet when I came back.
Short answer - it depends: sod if you're in a hurry, plugs if you don't mind waiting, and zoysia or centipede grass either way, so long as it's warm enough for enough of the year where you live.
I do have a bad habit of trying to grow a lawn on ground that needs a lot of preparation. In London I discoved that there was almost no soil under the existing "lawn" and I ended up digging out several barrows of paving tiles, a smashed iron bath, a five gallon bucket of broken glass .... and the wall foundations of an air-raid shelter - the slab is still down there, 18" under the lawn. Now that area looks great.
The sod Iaid in 2014 replaced about 80'x40' of creeping juniper, which, after digging it all out, revealed more of a depression (shallow V-shaped gulley) than I had anticipated, so required 4 dump trucks of fill dirt to level. While I was at it I added a land drain under the lawn and connected the downspouts, from the rear of the house, to the drain.
..... The bizarre thing was, in thirteen summers living here, that was the only weekend in July or August that could reasonably be called "cool". A couple of years earlier we did zoysia plugs in the front lawn, on a horrendously hot weekend in June, and until just a few months ago we were convinced all the plugs had died, then suddenly we realised that the plugs had not only "taken" but had choked out pretty much everything, crappy grass and weeds, that had previously been growing there.I haven't sown seed on bare earth since I lived in London - it was a fescue, and it looked very nice - I sowed it the week before heading to the US to propose to the then-future Mrs P, and it was a beautiful green carpet when I came back.
Short answer - it depends: sod if you're in a hurry, plugs if you don't mind waiting, and zoysia or centipede grass either way, so long as it's warm enough for enough of the year where you live.
I do have a bad habit of trying to grow a lawn on ground that needs a lot of preparation. In London I discoved that there was almost no soil under the existing "lawn" and I ended up digging out several barrows of paving tiles, a smashed iron bath, a five gallon bucket of broken glass .... and the wall foundations of an air-raid shelter - the slab is still down there, 18" under the lawn. Now that area looks great.
The sod Iaid in 2014 replaced about 80'x40' of creeping juniper, which, after digging it all out, revealed more of a depression (shallow V-shaped gulley) than I had anticipated, so required 4 dump trucks of fill dirt to level. While I was at it I added a land drain under the lawn and connected the downspouts, from the rear of the house, to the drain.
Last edited by Pulaski; Nov 21st 2016 at 12:14 pm.
Jan 4th 2017, 9:53 pm
#565
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: Home and garden projects
I'm still trying to find a lost branch of the coax in the attic, so I can get a better connection to the TV, and this might be the weekend to work on insulating and finishing the closet in the bonus room as the forecast is for cold and crappy weather. 
Jan 4th 2017, 11:40 pm
#566
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2015
Location: NC, USA (ex Yorkshire)
Posts: 4,375
Re: Home and garden projects
Jan 5th 2017, 1:58 am
#567
BE Irregular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Tampa Bay Florida
Posts: 4,849
Re: Home and garden projects
Not a project as such, but had the a/c off for about 6 weeks Nov/dec. Then it got warm again. Compressor wouldn't start. Called a man. $1000 = no refrigerant pressure/leak trace/ replace valves/replace gas. $600 of which just for the r22 gas!
I got their twice a year service contract, as after 6 years no probs, it seems the thing is prone to issues now.
I got their twice a year service contract, as after 6 years no probs, it seems the thing is prone to issues now.
Jan 5th 2017, 2:14 am
#568
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: Home and garden projects
.... My service tech tried to tell me a couple of years ago how expensive it was - when Amazon had it for $10/lb! 
Unfortunately you need a federal permit to be allowed to buy it.
Jan 5th 2017, 2:37 am
#569
BE Irregular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Tampa Bay Florida
Posts: 4,849
Re: Home and garden projects
How many lbs? .... You can buy it on Amazon for less than $20/lb, but here in NC AC companies all seem to want to sell it for $150/lb .... My service tech tried to tell me a couple of years ago how expensive it was - when Amazon had it for $10/lb!
Unfortunately you need a federal permit to be allowed to buy it.
.... My service tech tried to tell me a couple of years ago how expensive it was - when Amazon had it for $10/lb! Unfortunately you need a federal permit to be allowed to buy it.
Jan 5th 2017, 2:44 am
#570
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: Home and garden projects
If you have a leak a common fix is to replace the coil, and that typically runs $750-$1,000, with labour being as much again.
