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<title>Home Improvement forum - dslreports.com community</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/homerepair</link>
<description>Home Improvement forum current topics</description>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2007, dslreports.com</copyright>
<pubDate>Sat, 25 May 2013 12:17:39 EDT</pubDate>
<lastBuildDate>Sat, 25 May 2013 12:17:39 EDT</lastBuildDate>

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<item>
<title>Lightning strike...</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28299903</link>
<description><![CDATA[We're fortunate to not be in the shape of our neighbors south of Fort Worth, but did experience an indirect lightning strike to the house during the storms of 5/15 here in the Dallas metroplex.

So far, the controls board of both AC's are fried, and various electronic components throughout the house were cooked.  Interestingly enough, we do have a whole house surge protector at the breaker box, and I had 3 APC 1500 va ups's running.  2 of the 3 UPS's had an item (av tuner, cable modem & a desktop) that was damaged.  1 of our digital fan/light switches was "frozen on".

Our Vizio TV on the patio, an HDMI splitter/amp, a printer were also killed. 

Electrician is going through the house now to determine what is wrong, but needless to say, I'm not fan of lightning.  Thank goodness for insurance.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28299903</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-17 13:53:40</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Most &#x26;amp;quot;acceptable&#x26;amp;quot; way to go from MBCW recetacle to GFC</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28319842</link>
<description><![CDATA[Something I've been procrastinating on too long is replacing the two kitchen counter receptacles on the sides of the sink with GFCI receptacles.

Just as I got motivated enough (and had left over GFCIs from the basement reno), I remembered these are MBCW receptacles (15A).

Aside from pulling new 20A wires (not gonna happen), I can simply make one receptacle use one leg and the other receptacle use the other leg, but then I wouldn't be following the code regarding kitchen counter receptacles.

Am I forgetting an option or should I just overlook the code made for convenience in order to add safety?]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28319842</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-24 15:24:04</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Losing water pressure</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28320127</link>
<description><![CDATA[I have an point in a very sandy well drained area.  The point has worked wonderfully for 20 years and I've never had any issues with losing water or pressure.  My pump started to leak so I replaced it with a new 3/4 hp pump along with a new bladder tank.  Since it has been installed I can't take a shower without losing pressure and it takes forever to recover.  I noticed when I went downstairs, the pressure gauge is at 60 and the pump is shut off.  I jiggled the tank and it is empty!  I just turned the water on to see what happened and after about 2 minutes of running, the pressure gauged rapidly dropped from 60 to 50.. then started making a gurgling sound... then dropped to 40 for about 30 seconds, then down to zero... After this it takes about an hour or more to recover but no water gets to the tank.  I don't have a foot valve because it's a point and I really did not have any of this issue before I replaced the pump and tank.  Please help... I have people telling me that I have to dig up my piping in the ground for a leak and I don't believe that's the problem... ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28320127</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-24 17:05:13</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Dishwasher door&#x27;s bottom seal: Needs replacing?</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28319058</link>
<description><![CDATA[So I was following this guide to clean my dishwasher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75DB9cyPYO0

Great stuff, the food chopper's grill was MASSIVELY clogged (figures I had no water going to the top rack).

Anyway, after the dismantling of the bottom arm, clean up and all, he tells us to put some vinegar in there and start the dishwasher without putting back the bottom arm assembly back.

So I do that...

I hear a massive WOOOSH from the water pump pushing the first jet of water and about 500ml comes splashing out the bottom of the dishwasher's door. It didn't continue leaking as the dishwasher continued its cycle (though I didnt let it continue long as it would eventually start another cycle phase and repeat the splash leak).

Now, I might have a problem here, but I never had a leak before and this is a special situation.

I'd change it just "because" if it wasn't so freaking complicated/long.
So... do I have an old worn out bottom seal that should be changed? Or this was just.... a fluke.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28319058</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-24 11:34:11</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Under cabinet lighting</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28320963</link>
<description><![CDATA[Any suggestions for under cabinet lighting? I have a mix of 48", 24" and 12" cabinets, but not many. I ran 14G romex to each cabinet from a switch. Trying to find a good looking direct wiring light but all I can seem to find is these LED strips and have a huge power transformer you need to wire. Thoughts? Thanks.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28320963</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-24 22:34:20</pubDate>
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<title>this old house............</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28316405</link>
<description><![CDATA[back in high school i took residential wiring and did pretty well at it. time has past and basically forgot all the terms and what not but the hands still knew what to do.

now for the problem; this old house has 2 fuse boxes which im fine with atm. in the bathroom i added a s.p. switch to operate a light and basically added the line to a j.b. in the basement. the upstairs bathroom is on the same line and everything works except the new work i did. i even have a new outlet connected to all this but nothing seems to work.

also i added another outlet in the kitchen and that doesn't work either. then i noticed the fuse for the bathrooms is a 15 amp and the fuse for the kitchen is a 20 amp. both outlets are 15 amp. yet why does everything else work.

i checked my positive and neutral lines and spliced accordingly. when i started not one outlet and switch has a ground wire except for what i did in the bathroom, and i used 12g. where its the same in the kitchen but a little bit smaller in the bathroom. am i missing something? wth...

no pic for the kit. but picture a wall, on one side is outlet a where i did some splicing and ran wires to the other side of the wall where outlet b doesn't work.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28316405</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-23 15:21:50</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>My 4 week (and counting) project</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28292475</link>
<description><![CDATA[Long story (which I might post later) short: getting my office converted into a nursery for the new baby turned into:

Moving a door in my daughter&#146;s room
Converting a nasty trip prone single step to a ramp
Repairing a not known about leak
Repairing water damage caused by unseen leak leaking for god knows how long
Painting 1 bedroom, 1 hall, 1 wall, 2 closets, and a bunch of trim
Re-carpeting the entire back of the house

Forgot to take before Pictures, but the blue room was dark brown, and the hall was white.

I&#146;m hoping to call the carpet guy end of this week (So close, just got to paint some window and door trim).

I am so thankful to have an Architect for a dad, that has structural engineering friends that helped figure out how to get a lot of the ramp and rot work done safely. Without him, this would never have happened.

One thing missing was we had to crawl up in the attic and put in some bracing to support the wall from above when we took out rotted beam.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28292475</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-15 10:18:02</pubDate>
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<title>[Rant] Smoke detectors keep falsing</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28310649</link>
<description><![CDATA[I am getting fed up with constantly replacing smoke detectors that keep falsing. I just replaced them all in 2011 because they kept falsing. They are hard wired and I replaced them with Kidde Firex (previous ones were Universal Electric). I even followed code when installing them by putting a photoelectric detector outside the shower (where the hookup is) and with battery backup.

And the detectors are relatively clean as well.

I am getting fed up, what can I do to keep them from falsing. The detectors that are made these days are cheaply made. I had first alert detectors at my previous residence back in the '90s and those never falsed but would go off if dinner was done.

I disconnected the offending detector until I can get a replacement. I do have the battery ones in the bedrooms (since those are not required by code back in 1988).
--
I've experienced ImOn (when they were McLeod USA), Mediacom, Comcast, and Time Warner and I currently have DirecTV. They are much better than broadcast TV.

I have not and will not cut the cord.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28310649</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-21 20:47:47</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Backwire-capable outlet</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28290959</link>
<description><![CDATA[NOT BACKSTAB. Need suggestions on a good quality backwire outlet. I normally would order Hubbell 8300I's, or something along that line, but the local supply house only carries Arrow-Hart and Leviton. Placing an order with Graybar takes too long for this particular project. 

]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28290959</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-14 19:42:40</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Air conditioning repair</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28204771</link>
<description><![CDATA[I have a 2 story home, the air conditioner for the top story died.  I'm not sure how to describe it exactly, but it's got a piece outside, I think it's called the condenser unit, and then up in the attic there's another piece that works with it.

The unit is about 13 years old.

The unit that is for the downstairs is working fine, I actually had it replaced about a year ago, so that's not part of this question but thought I'd through that fact in there too.

Anyway, the piece of the unit for the top story that died is the outside unit.  The guy said they could just fix it, but replacing the condenser in it with the rest of the unit being so old probably wouldn't be worth it.  Another option he had but didn't recommend was just replacing the outside unit and leaving the upstairs unit alone.  But he said mixing the new 13 SER (or something) with the older 9 SER wasn't a good idea because you can never be sure of the pressure (or something like that..)

So the recommended action was to replace both the outside and attic unit so they'd be more compatible and the warranty would be 10 years.  This option is either $6229 or $7011 for either a Trane XR13 or the Trane XR15 respectively.

Another thing is I don't plan on being in this house more than another 2 or 3 years at the most.

Recommendations?

And this company is not known to be a rip-off unlike others in town, a long-time real estate friend of mine who always "knows a guy" for literally everything has highly recommended them in the past and they seem (of course) like good people.
--
Therapy Chicks]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28204771</guid>
<pubDate>2013-04-15 23:27:49</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Is this poison ivy?</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28305125</link>
<description><![CDATA[My son has this plant in his back yard. It has the "leaves of three" that definitely resemble poison ivy but it's BIG! If it is PI, what's the best way to get rid of it?]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28305125</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-19 20:21:47</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Can someone please help with riding lawnmower issue...urgent</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28302905</link>
<description><![CDATA[Hello, the other day I was out mowing the lawn and my riding lawn mower ran out of gas.  I went and got the gas can and filled the tank half way up.  I tried to start the engine and it wouldn't turn over.  It was somewhat cranking however (although it was slow cranking, and would start and then stop), so I thought maybe it just needed to get fuel back in it.  After cranking it for a lil while it started to smoke by the starter, and had a funny smell.  I pushed the lawnmower into the barn and ordered a new starter.  Today the starter came in so I went and pulled the flywheel, took the old starter off, put the new one on, put the flywheel back on and tried it again, it now cranks fine again, but still isn't turning over.  We have put a new battery in, new spark plugs, new air filter...and of course the new starter.  Is there something I am missing?  Is there something special we need to do since we took the flywheel off?  Does anyone have any idea why it still won't turn over, not even with starting fluid sprayed into the air intake?  It is a 18HP briggs and stratton engine, twin cylinder, in a Wizard (which i think is Murray) tractor.  PLEASE HELP my lawn is in desperate need of being mowed!!!]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28302905</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-18 17:34:39</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Opinions on Troy-bilt mowers and Lowes extended warranties</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28310500</link>
<description><![CDATA[Looking for any input on the quality of Troy-bilt riding mowers. Thinking about buying this:
http://www.lowes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=&productId=4363449&cId=detail

My garage layout demands something that small, but the yard needs something more than a push mower. Also curious to hear experiences with the Lowes Extended Protection plans. I generally consider them a waste of money, but I've never owned a riding mower. ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28310500</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-21 19:46:33</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Replacing water line to refrigerator</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28312882</link>
<description><![CDATA[We just got a new refrigerator because the old one wasn't keeping consistent temperatures after 17 years.  The delivery guy refused to hook up the water line, saying that the plastic would leak.  I believe him -- we never used the water dispenser on the old refrigerator because the plastic line was already leaking when we moved into the house.

Is this something I could easily do myself?  What material should I go with?  There's actually an old thread where someone asked, but responders were evenly divided on copper vs. steel vs. plastic with no clear choice.  The instruction manual says steel or copper and that the manufacturer isn't responsible for any damage caused by using plastic.  And I don't need to replace the tubing that goes into the wall, right?]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28312882</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-22 15:00:49</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Securifi&#x27;s Almond+ home automation question</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28309084</link>
<description><![CDATA[I'd like to consider using the new 'Almond +' Wi-Fi router
http://tinyurl.com/ah59akx
and my existing Z-Wave items plus a FortrezZ water sensor and water shut-off valve
http://www.fortrezz.com/
 - all talking to my iPhone.

A question tho.  If I was on the road and the water sensor reported a toilet water leak and the water shut-off valve (just before the electric water heater) turned off the whole house water , would water continue to drain from the water heater because of the leak from the toilet and eventually draw down enough water from the water heater to expose the electric heating element (zap, bang, pow! - heating element trashed!!)

I could buy enough water shut-off valves for every water element in the house = big bucks$$$. Just one whole house shut-off would be less expensive!

Or would the fact that the water was off, would the toilet leak just create a vacuum and stop leaking? ]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28309084</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-21 12:13:37</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Home Automation</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28311709</link>
<description><![CDATA[So been looking into this and the info is all over the place..  It looks like Z-wave is the standard communications platform but no good info on reliable gateways and such...  Not looking for much here..  maybe control the thermostat, a couple of lights and a lock or 2...   Anyone have good experience?]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28311709</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-22 08:59:46</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Garage addition</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,27255049</link>
<description><![CDATA[After like 2 months of stuff it looks like the contractor we picked will be starting out new garage addition next week. The prices from contractors varied from $49,000 to $77,000 on the work but in the end it looks like it will run about $59,000 to get the project completed. Anyone do anything like this recently? Any advice, tips, or things to look for during the process? I'll post pictures as the project progresses as well if anyone in interested in that.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,27255049</guid>
<pubDate>2012-06-20 10:10:47</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Turning off Power to a Building</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28306387</link>
<description><![CDATA[I have a question for the electricians out there. I have a building that has an industrial 3 phase coming into it. The local utility company out here is going to be performing work on the transformers that feed the building directly. They told us to turn off the power to prevent damage to any of our equipment during the work.

Is there any danger to myself and the building by throwing these switches? I know enough about electricity to be dangerous and that's about it.]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28306387</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-20 12:19:36</pubDate>
</item>

<item>
<title>Remove Vinyl fence</title>
<link>http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28306955</link>
<description><![CDATA[Hello, I have a 5 foot tall vinyl fence and 4 of the posts were installed on a concrete patio.  These posts are filled with cement problaby with a length of rebar that was drove into the patio.  Is it possible to remove these posts without damaging the fence?

Thanks...]]></description>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,28306955</guid>
<pubDate>2013-05-20 15:40:13</pubDate>
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