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Originally Posted by noodle
I used to think I was handy.
And then moved in here and I think I'm a little beyond my element.
So I have a few questions for handymen and handywomen...
My ceiling fan in the bedroom makes this jarring, mechanical noise every 15 to twenty minutes in a rhythmic, motor noise. It's a flush mount base with a very short center thingie (maybe 6 - 8 inches), so it's not shaking or vibrating. Is there anything, short of calling the landlords AGAIN, that I can do? After 7am, there's nothing I can do to go back to sleep once I hear this thing again.
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No idea. Most likely needs to be looked at in person. Trouble shooting something like this is hard with out seeing it. If it's doing strange things over time, 15 mins., I think overheated motor due to short. but???
Quote:
Originally Posted by noodle
The temperature on my 50 year old gas hot water heater is not quite where I need it to be. I can shower with the hot water only, and to me, it's not hot enough. I'm more concerned about doing dishes and getting them really clean (especially meat pans, etc.). Is there typically a way to change the thermostat or will I blow myself up, more likely than not?
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Gas, novice... maybe not a good idea. Might not even be the thermo. Could easily be clogged up or brunt out burners. If only half the burner working the thermo unit can tell it heat all it wants and it may never get really hot. I'd call someone if I were you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by noodle
I've had debates about this one forever. This is an old place. There's one outlet that's useable in my bedroom, the other one has a four-plug box-shaped thing in it and the window unit is plugged into it, so I don't want to overload that one. No clue where the fuse box is anyway and the landlords are out of town. I want to run one of those simple, white extension cords with two grounded plugs from a surge protector to plug in my alarm clock and a torchiere lamp. The surge currently only has my television, the sound system, and the digital power-boosted rabbit ear antenna thingie plugged into it. Is it safe to run just one or two small items off an extension cord from a surge?
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By window unit I assume you mean A/C. The important thing is how many total amps are you drawing from that one outlet. Older house it would be best to stay under 15amps total draw at any one time. How bigs the TV? Can you find a label on it or the A/C that states amp usage? The alarm clocks not drawing much and if the lamps fluro it isn't either. If the lamps halogen it will draw more. I think you're probably OK but I'd set it up while I'm home and turn everything on and check the temp of the outlet/cord with hand regularly. If it gets hot at all shut it down.
Quote:
Originally Posted by noodle
The dining room/kitchen and bathroom have those square, easy-to-install, linoleum-type tile thingies on the floor. A couple of them are coming up a little on the corners and I keep tripping. The cats are going to start pulling, too. What kind of adhesive can I use to fix the corners?
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I've had decent luck with liquid nails. They make several products. make sure you don't over use and clean up right away. Place something heavy on the tiles until the product cures.
Quote:
Originally Posted by noodle
And what the heck is a plug that looks like
__ __ instead of | |
(okay, I tried the insert the little hole underneath in my "drawing" but it wouldn't line up. There is also the circular grounding/polarizing/whatever hole underneath those ^ shaped prong openings.)
hopefully some electrician person can help me with that one. And is there any way to convert it to something I can use? I'm guessing not, since the dude at WalMart looked at me like I'd lost my mind when I asked if it was worth it to continue searching for a converter elsewhere.
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My guess is older 220. Sound like what we used as a dryer plug at the home I lived in as a kid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by noodle
I can now change my own brakes, tires, air filters, and belts, set up wireless routers off my shitty clearwire and network all my computers together but damned if these things aren't baffling me or causing me to ask questions due to risk of bodily harm.  And I am NOT afraid to get dirty. Just shocked, burnt, dismembered, or clocked in the head enough to cause permanent damage.
Thanks in advance! |
Working with older stuff, esp. stuff that been done and redone over the years can drive the best handyman to drink, drink hard. These houses down here in Mexico are all messed up. Even the nicest looking places have been wired and plumbed by people clueless. I went to a couples house one night for dinner. Beautiful brand new beach front home- 5 bed, 5 bath, huge pool... you get the idea. They said we have slow drains in every room. Kitchens, baths they all drained at a snails pace. After dinner I looked around and couldn't find one plumbing vent anywhere. I filled the kitchen sink with water and it drained just like a water cooler- little water out and a big air bubble surfaced. They had to rip out walls to fix the problem.