Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

stickguy

I was afraid to cut it too close so I could have come down about another 1". but close enough so it doesn't hit the top of the soundbar, I can live with it!

also bought an articulating one for the bedroom since that has to mount more toward the corner next to the dresser, so I wanted one I could tuck away but pull out and angle when needed. Should be a much easier install on that one later today.

huge improvement having it off the floor! creeping closer to looking like a fully moved into home.

stickguy

we also had them make the mantle a big lower than the one in our last house so it would not need to be as high on the wall.

imidazol97

What flooring color and brand is that. Very nice. We're ready to refloor our galley kitchen, dining area, and laundry room.

TV looks good. Is that an exercise machine on left, so height is ideal for someone standing on machine to.

driver100

@stickguy Nice job. However Mrs. Driver100 would paint the black wire under the TV to match the wall.
For decorating tips just ask, I'll let you know what she says to make minor improvements.

stickguy

driver100 said:

@stickguy Nice job. However Mrs. Driver100 would paint the black wire under the TV to match the wall.
For decorating tips just ask, I'll let you know what she says to make minor improvements.

the wire bothered my wife too. Her idea is to get some white tape (like the medical stuff) and just wrap it. would actually work pretty good!

kyfdx

@imidazol97
Once you turn 85 or 90, you may feel differently

stickguy

imidazol97 said:

What flooring color and brand is that. Very nice. We're ready to refloor our galley kitchen, dining area, and laundry room.

TV looks good. Is that an exercise machine on left, so height is ideal for someone standing on machine to.

we love this floor. when we were at the flooring place looking with options, when we saw this brand we both independently picked this as our favorite, and it came out even better than we expected. Seems to be really good quality too.

it is an LVP. looking at the paperwork it is from Karastan and called "luxecraft Chanterelle KHS05-320."

https://www.karastan.com/shop/Luxury Vinyl/detail/KHS05/Cultivated_Wood/320/Chanterelle?productLine=LuxeCraft

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

driver100 said:

@stickguy Nice job. However Mrs. Driver100 would paint the black wire under the TV to match the wall.
For decorating tips just ask, I'll let you know what she says to make minor improvements.

the wire bothered my wife too. Her idea is to get some white tape (like the medical stuff) and just wrap it. would actually work pretty good!

————————————————
More often than not when you try to hide something you make it worse. My experience when that happens is to accent it. I’d get a piece of 1/4 inch luan plywood and cut it about 5 or 6 inches wide, paint it black and attach it to the back of the TV with adhesive backed Velcro then let it hang low enough to hide the wire. You can experiment with the width to see what you like but if it’s not wide enough it won’t look right.

You could even experiment first with a piece of cardboard painted black and allowing it to just sit there before doing any woodwork.

Just a thought.

jmonroe

stickguy

I like my plan. Ignore it and she will forget all about it.

I could also wait until I am doing some paint touch ups and just take a detail brush and slap some paint on the wire.

imidazol97

In some topic here glass for autos and Fuyao's Moraine (OHIO) plant was mentioned.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/fuyao-says-moraine-factory-not-target-of-homeland-security-irs-raids/3LBSXSJRABENLD3VHFTYG2H65Y/

This plant's workers had tried to unionize a couple years ago but the company won out. Seems there are some problems about the people being employed living in mass homes and being transported to work at the plant in large groups in vans, all hours of day and night.

A possibly similar bulk employment problems of possibly less-than-legal folks was exposed in a county between Dayton and Cincy a few years ago, IIRC.
###########
AFter we discussed Fuyao glass, I checked the glass in my cars and the Cruze has Fuyao glass as the GM original glass. It is a Chinese company, as @andres3 stated.

ab348

What’s the wire for, @stickguy ? Is it the HDMI connection to the soundbar?

My cheapskate brother would make up his own channel for it, probably by cutting a toothpaste box to length and painting it the wall color. Speaking of which, I was talking to him when he called on my birthday Friday and got his latest debacle:

He and his wife have lived in the same house, built in ‘63, since 1968. Aside from finishes/flooring and a few necessary upgrades like new appliances, furnaces/water heaters, etc, it is pretty much original. That includes the one bathroom, except for the toilet which he replaced a while back. This week he decided to replace the original 60 y-o shower head with a hand shower. Unsurprisingly, since it had never been off the supply pipe, it was frozen on. He said he even tried a torch and it wouldn’t budge. Despite all the twisting he tried, the supply pipe wouldn’t move either.

He got the bright idea to try cutting the shower head fitting lengthwise with a Dremel or an angle grinder and then prying it off. Eventually that worked, at the cost of chewing up the threads on the old supply pipe. Despite copious applications of teflon tape, according to him when he installed the new hand shower it was leaking from multiple directions. As a temporary fix he wrapped the connection with a facecloth and rubber band so it would just drip down instead of spraying everywhere. By the time he told me this I could barely speak because I was laughing so hard.

I suggested it was time for a plumber, but no. It’s not a matter of not having the money, he just hates spending it. He has ordered some sort of short supply pipe extension gizmo from Amazon which he apparently thinks he can keep from leaking somehow, though I don’t know how. I will await an update in due course.

stickguy

the power cord and HDMI cable have to run up behind the TV (the outlet is back there, and of course the TV jacks). they are twist tied together.

driver100

kyfdx said:

@imidazol97
Once you turn 85 or 90, you may feel differently

It's like old age....is always 10 years older than what you are now.

driver100

ab348 said:

What’s the wire for, @stickguy ? Is it the HDMI connection to the soundbar?

My cheapskate brother would make up his own channel for it, probably by cutting a toothpaste box to length and painting it the wall color As a temporary fix he wrapped the connection with a facecloth and rubber band so it would just drip down instead of spraying everywhere. By the time he told me this I could barely speak because I was laughing so hard.

I suggested it was time for a plumber, but no. It’s not a matter of not having the money, he just hates spending it. He has ordered some sort of short supply pipe extension gizmo from Amazon which he apparently thinks he can keep from leaking somehow, though I don’t know how. I will await an update in due course.

Your brother sounds like a riot....he should have his own fix-it show, people would love to see his ideas for fixing things.
My brother-in-law could give him a run for thriftiness. He was the last person in Canada to give up his black rotary dial telephone. He painted his old pick-up pea soup green using a paint roller. He took the tailgate off to get extra mileage - I know, it gets less! He raises ducks to make some extra cash and there are incubators in his house and baby ducks running around. He built the house about 40 years ago and never got around to putting doors on any rooms inside, and none of the cupboards have doors. He was considering shooting squirrels and using them as food. The only heat comes when he puts wood in the woodstove at 6 a.m. to make the house warm enough to get up and dressed....and on it goes..........

xwesx

Speaking of shower heads, I needed a new one recently, so I got a very nice low flow (but with great pressure!) unit that I thought was fabulous. I was really enjoying it, as we were able to all (4) take showers back to back with no issues in terms of water temperature for the last person. Well, a couple weeks in and I suddenly felt like there was a lot more water washing over me.

After showering, I said to my son... did you do something with the shower head, like modify it some how? I swear there is more water flowing through it now. He was adamant that he did not modify it in any way. Fair enough, maybe I'm just imagining it! Friday, I got the last shower, and it was distinctly tepid.... That night, I went into my son's room to look for my electrical pliers, and what do I see sitting on his shelf? My shower head! That little bugger conspired with his mother to get an exact duplicate of my shower head, only with a higher flow rate, and replaced mine. But, he was being truthful when he said he didn't modify it! /sigh

stickguy

scored a deal at Lowes yesterday. Free stuff! I like to line the cabinets under the sinks (kitchen and bathrooms) to protect them from water or stains, and found that nice sheet vinyl is great for that. Lowes used to sell a small roll of it that worked great but they no longer seem to carry it. So would have had to but some off the giant spool which is really too long to be easy to work with.

last week we were there and I saw a piece on the floor next to the spools that looked like a remnant (it was about 3' wide or so and fairly long) So yesterday we were there and I went over to see if they had wrapped it up and put it on the clearance pile, and we found it in one of their garbage pails. I asked the flooring kid about it and he said there were a couple of holes in it so they were disposing of it, and just told me to take it if I wanted it. Considering I just need to cut smaller pieces out of it, no a problem to work around the bad spots! Probably a good 20+ feet long too, so plenty for what I needed and will have leftover.

I love getting free stuff. Plus they had what we went for, some more Oxo container sets (my wife has a problem with those) on clearance for half price. Early Christmas shopping!

ab348

xwesx said:

Speaking of shower heads, I needed a new one recently, so I got a very nice low flow (but with great pressure!) unit that I thought was fabulous. I was really enjoying it, as we were able to all (4) take showers back to back with no issues in terms of water temperature for the last person. Well, a couple weeks in and I suddenly felt like there was a lot more water washing over me.

After showering, I said to my son... did you do something with the shower head, like modify it some how? I swear there is more water flowing through it now. He was adamant that he did not modify it in any way. Fair enough, maybe I'm just imagining it! Friday, I got the last shower, and it was distinctly tepid.... That night, I went into my son's room to look for my electrical pliers, and what do I see sitting on his shelf? My shower head! That little bugger conspired with his mother to get an exact duplicate of my shower head, only with a higher flow rate, and replaced mine. But, he was being truthful when he said he didn't modify it! /sigh

The first thing I did when I replaced both of my new shower heads with hand showers was to remove the flow restrictors. They generally use o-rings hidden inside to do that. If you can access them they are easy to remove. Interestingly, I researched our local water utility to learn about consumption stats and despite significant population growth, consumption goes down every year. Around here at least, there is no shortage of water.

tjc78

I don’t know how it happened but when we moved in the shore place I replaced both shower heads (they were all mineral built up) with new low flow handhelds.

Well.. the one in our bathroom all of sudden has much more flow than it ever did compared to the one in the hall bath.

I guess the water restrictor failed in some way.

jmonroe1

ab348 said:

xwesx said:

Speaking of shower heads, I needed a new one recently, so I got a very nice low flow (but with great pressure!) unit that I thought was fabulous. I was really enjoying it, as we were able to all (4) take showers back to back with no issues in terms of water temperature for the last person. Well, a couple weeks in and I suddenly felt like there was a lot more water washing over me.

After showering, I said to my son... did you do something with the shower head, like modify it some how? I swear there is more water flowing through it now. He was adamant that he did not modify it in any way. Fair enough, maybe I'm just imagining it! Friday, I got the last shower, and it was distinctly tepid.... That night, I went into my son's room to look for my electrical pliers, and what do I see sitting on his shelf? My shower head! That little bugger conspired with his mother to get an exact duplicate of my shower head, only with a higher flow rate, and replaced mine. But, he was being truthful when he said he didn't modify it! /sigh

The first thing I did when I replaced both of my new shower heads with hand showers was to remove the flow restrictors. They generally use o-rings hidden inside to do that. If you can access them they are easy to remove. Interestingly, I researched our local water utility to learn about consumption stats and despite significant population growth, consumption goes down every year. Around here at least, there is no shortage of water.

————————————————
That’s because the rest of the town is covering for guys like you.

You couldn’t get away with than in the USA because the garbage is monitored for flow restrictors and if any are found you have the choice of having your water shut off or paying a $10K fine. Second occurrence gets you both. That’s why I drill out my flow restrictors.

jmonroe

xwesx

Haha; well, I guess there's the age-old discussion about flow rates to be had, but I actually prefer low flow. I want good pressure, but I don't need three or four gallons of water (per minute) dumping over me to take a refreshing shower. The Niagara shower heads I use balance that perfectly. Unless you are my family, which is dead set on not liking anything I like. They never seemed to have a problem with it with the old head, but I guess they got used to the excess water it provided after the regulator failed in it about a year ago.

I even have a flow switch between the head and the pipe so I can turn off the water while soaping up, but I'm apparently the only one that uses that, too. I found all this stuff very useful a couple years ago when we were having performance issues with our septic system. Everyone was telling me that we needed to replace it (the septic), but I diligently worked on restoration efforts, and it finally got back to fully functional after about a year. Patience won, for now, as I have a fully operational system and no scars in the yard to accomplish it. However, we wouldn't have been able to use the shower at all during that time if we were using 10-20 gallons for a single shower.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

Haha; well, I guess there's the age-old discussion about flow rates to be had, but I actually prefer low flow. I want good pressure, but I don't need three or four gallons of water (per minute) dumping over me to take a refreshing shower. The Niagara shower heads I use balance that perfectly. Unless you are my family, which is dead set on not liking anything I like. They never seemed to have a problem with it with the old head, but I guess they got used to the excess water it provided after the regulator failed in it about a year ago.

I even have a flow switch between the head and the pipe so I can turn off the water while soaping up, but I'm apparently the only one that uses that, too. I found all this stuff very useful a couple years ago when we were having performance issues with our septic system. Everyone was telling me that we needed to replace it (the septic), but I diligently worked on restoration efforts, and it finally got back to fully functional after about a year. Patience won, for now, as I have a fully operational system and no scars in the yard to accomplish it. However, we wouldn't have been able to use the shower at all during that time if we were using 10-20 gallons for a single shower.

————————————————-
Yikes, the septic tank days.

When my parents moved from the Burgh in 1956 to a new development in the suburbs, we had a septic tank. Lots of people from the city that moved there had problems with their septic tanks because they weren’t careful. One of the first things when we moved in was my Dad laying down the law about not throwing stuff down the toilet. His rule was if it didn’t come out of your body it didn’t go in the toilet. The only exception was TP. And I mean that was the only exception not even dental floss. Like I said we never had problems with our septic tank.

Then sometime in the very early 60’s when I was in the Navy the township installed a first rate sewer system. That ruined the bad old days forever.

jmonroe

roadburner

I had a minor septic problem that ended up being the tight line from the tank to the lateral field. I didn't want the health department within 100 miles of my system because they looked for any excuse to make you put in the latest new setup that they learned about at a seminar- which usually didn't work well. I had a friend install several hundred feet of new lateral lines with a diverter valve that automatically switches between the original field and the new field.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

What’s the wire for, @stickguy ? Is it the HDMI connection to the soundbar?

My cheapskate brother would make up his own channel for it, probably by cutting a toothpaste box to length and painting it the wall color As a temporary fix he wrapped the connection with a facecloth and rubber band so it would just drip down instead of spraying everywhere. By the time he told me this I could barely speak because I was laughing so hard.

I suggested it was time for a plumber, but no. It’s not a matter of not having the money, he just hates spending it. He has ordered some sort of short supply pipe extension gizmo from Amazon which he apparently thinks he can keep from leaking somehow, though I don’t know how. I will await an update in due course.

Your brother sounds like a riot....he should have his own fix-it show, people would love to see his ideas for fixing things.
My brother-in-law could give him a run for thriftiness. He was the last person in Canada to give up his black rotary dial telephone. He painted his old pick-up pea soup green using a paint roller. He took the tailgate off to get extra mileage - I know, it gets less! He raises ducks to make some extra cash and there are incubators in his house and baby ducks running around. He built the house about 40 years ago and never got around to putting doors on any rooms inside, and none of the cupboards have doors. He was considering shooting squirrels and using them as food. The only heat comes when he puts wood in the woodstove at 6 a.m. to make the house warm enough to get up and dressed....and on it goes..........

You don’t have to sell him, I like him already! Does he also have all his money in coffee cans buried in the yard?😃

oldfarmer50

“ I was really enjoying it, as we were able to all (4) take showers back to back with no issues in terms of water temperature for the last person.”

Didn’t it get crowded in there?🤔

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

What’s the wire for, @stickguy ? Is it the HDMI connection to the soundbar?

My cheapskate brother would make up his own channel for it, probably by cutting a toothpaste box to length and painting it the wall color As a temporary fix he wrapped the connection with a facecloth and rubber band so it would just drip down instead of spraying everywhere. By the time he told me this I could barely speak because I was laughing so hard.

I suggested it was time for a plumber, but no. It’s not a matter of not having the money, he just hates spending it. He has ordered some sort of short supply pipe extension gizmo from Amazon which he apparently thinks he can keep from leaking somehow, though I don’t know how. I will await an update in due course.

Your brother sounds like a riot....he should have his own fix-it show, people would love to see his ideas for fixing things.
My brother-in-law could give him a run for thriftiness. He was the last person in Canada to give up his black rotary dial telephone. He painted his old pick-up pea soup green using a paint roller. He took the tailgate off to get extra mileage - I know, it gets less! He raises ducks to make some extra cash and there are incubators in his house and baby ducks running around. He built the house about 40 years ago and never got around to putting doors on any rooms inside, and none of the cupboards have doors. He was considering shooting squirrels and using them as food. The only heat comes when he puts wood in the woodstove at 6 a.m. to make the house warm enough to get up and dressed....and on it goes..........

You don’t have to sell him, I like him already! Does he also have all his money in coffee cans buried in the yard?😃

I'll have him get in touch with you O-F, you can share ideas.

tjc78

I am so happy that our homes have city sewer. I don’t like the bill… but much easier to deal with.

@stickguy will remember this … but in the county he and I used to live in you actually paid two sewer bills. One to the city and another to the county. Crap really does flow downhill

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

What’s the wire for, @stickguy ? Is it the HDMI connection to the soundbar?

My cheapskate brother would make up his own channel for it, probably by cutting a toothpaste box to length and painting it the wall color As a temporary fix he wrapped the connection with a facecloth and rubber band so it would just drip down instead of spraying everywhere. By the time he told me this I could barely speak because I was laughing so hard.

I suggested it was time for a plumber, but no. It’s not a matter of not having the money, he just hates spending it. He has ordered some sort of short supply pipe extension gizmo from Amazon which he apparently thinks he can keep from leaking somehow, though I don’t know how. I will await an update in due course.

Your brother sounds like a riot....he should have his own fix-it show, people would love to see his ideas for fixing things.
My brother-in-law could give him a run for thriftiness. He was the last person in Canada to give up his black rotary dial telephone. He painted his old pick-up pea soup green using a paint roller. He took the tailgate off to get extra mileage - I know, it gets less! He raises ducks to make some extra cash and there are incubators in his house and baby ducks running around. He built the house about 40 years ago and never got around to putting doors on any rooms inside, and none of the cupboards have doors. He was considering shooting squirrels and using them as food. The only heat comes when he puts wood in the woodstove at 6 a.m. to make the house warm enough to get up and dressed....and on it goes..........

You don’t have to sell him, I like him already! Does he also have all his money in coffee cans buried in the yard?😃

I'll have him get in touch with you O-F, you can share ideas.

We were near Burlington VT yesterday and as we drove through Ferrisburgh we passed a Cheese store and restaurant. Some of the real old timers remembered a time when they had stopped there for lunch and one of their crew was so cheap that instead of ordering a meal, he gathered up a plate full of free cheese samples and sat down with them. He went back and got refills, including some to take with him.

Finally the manager came over and asked if he was enjoying the food. He responded that he was. The managed said that was good because he never wanted to see him in the restaurant ever again. Needless to say the rest of the crew was mortified.😣

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

I am so happy that our homes have city sewer. I don’t like the bill… but much easier to deal with.

@stickguy will remember this … but in the county he and I used to live in you actually paid two sewer bills. One to the city and another to the county. Crap really does flow downhill

Tank pump out every two or three years usually prevents problems. The only real problems I’ve had is the occasional buildup of soap residue in the inlet pipe from the house.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

Tank pump out every two or three years usually prevents problems. The only real problems I’ve had is the occasional buildup of soap residue in the inlet pipe from the house.

I guess you must need to use a lot of soap to clean up with after all the digging out of coffee cans full of cash from the back 40...

nyccarguy

@oldfarmer50 said:
Tank pump out every two or three years usually prevents problems. The only real problems I’ve had is the occasional buildup of soap residue in the inlet pipe from the house.

Septic isn’t fun for sure. The previous owner of my house had to replace the original septic system before I bought the house (August 2010). My house was built in 1955. He was getting by by having the tank pumped every three months for about 2 to 3 years. I think he tried to get away with doing something slick (like having it replaced on the down low), but got caught. The city made him replace the entire septic system. Since the house is on the corner or a main road, the city made him have plans drawn up (and redrawn) and approved (and reapproved) to have it so IF the city decides they want to hook up city sewer down the road it was there already.

I’ve been living in the house since 2010. The city isn’t anywhere near ready to hook up sewers. If they do, I have to pay a licensed contractor to collapse the septic system. Then I will have to pay an assessment to the city for them to put the new sewers in. then my taxes will go up because I will now be paying the city for another service.

The guy who I bought the house from was a family of 3 (husband, wife, teen daughter). There are 5 of us. At first I had to have the tank pumped every other year. Then the original drywell was shot, so I had to pump the grey water from the washing machine into the septic tank. Now I have to pump it 1x a year. The pump chamber every other year. I’ve had a pump fail and have to be replaced (by a specialist with HazMat gear). Just a few months ago I had to have roots cleaned out from around the tank. $700 a year/$1,200 every other year. A couple of $2,500-$3,000 repairs. Like yall have said: literally money down the toilet.

tjc78

@nyccarguy
Wow !!
That’s crazy!

jmonroe1

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

What’s the wire for, @stickguy ? Is it the HDMI connection to the soundbar?

My cheapskate brother would make up his own channel for it, probably by cutting a toothpaste box to length and painting it the wall color As a temporary fix he wrapped the connection with a facecloth and rubber band so it would just drip down instead of spraying everywhere. By the time he told me this I could barely speak because I was laughing so hard.

I suggested it was time for a plumber, but no. It’s not a matter of not having the money, he just hates spending it. He has ordered some sort of short supply pipe extension gizmo from Amazon which he apparently thinks he can keep from leaking somehow, though I don’t know how. I will await an update in due course.

Your brother sounds like a riot....he should have his own fix-it show, people would love to see his ideas for fixing things.
My brother-in-law could give him a run for thriftiness. He was the last person in Canada to give up his black rotary dial telephone. He painted his old pick-up pea soup green using a paint roller. He took the tailgate off to get extra mileage - I know, it gets less! He raises ducks to make some extra cash and there are incubators in his house and baby ducks running around. He built the house about 40 years ago and never got around to putting doors on any rooms inside, and none of the cupboards have doors. He was considering shooting squirrels and using them as food. The only heat comes when he puts wood in the woodstove at 6 a.m. to make the house warm enough to get up and dressed....and on it goes..........

You don’t have to sell him, I like him already! Does he also have all his money in coffee cans buried in the yard?😃

I'll have him get in touch with you O-F, you can share ideas.

We were near Burlington VT yesterday and as we drove through Ferrisburgh we passed a Cheese store and restaurant. Some of the real old timers remembered a time when they had stopped there for lunch and one of their crew was so cheap that instead of ordering a meal, he gathered up a plate full of free cheese samples and sat down with them. He went back and got refills, including some to take with him.

Finally the manager came over and asked if he was enjoying the food. He responded that he was. The managed said that was good because he never wanted to see him in the restaurant ever again. Needless to say the rest of the crew was mortified.😣

————————————————
That’s no way to treat a guy who is accompanied with a handful of paying customers.

jmonroe

andres3

Preferred shower flow rate: Equivalent to Niagara Falls.

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

@nyccarguy

Wow !!

That’s crazy!

————————————————
It sure is.

IIRC, when we lived in a house with a septic tank, I don’t remember it ever having to be pumped out in the 5 or 6 years before the township installed a sewer system. However, I do remember my Dad throwing some enzyme potion down the toilet a couple times a year.

jmonroe

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

@oldfarmer50 said:

Tank pump out every two or three years usually prevents problems. The only real problems I’ve had is the occasional buildup of soap residue in the inlet pipe from the house.

Septic isn’t fun for sure. The previous owner of my house had to replace the original septic system before I bought the house (August 2010). My house was built in 1955. He was getting by by having the tank pumped every three months for about 2 to 3 years. I think he tried to get away with doing something slick (like having it replaced on the down low), but got caught. The city made him replace the entire septic system. Since the house is on the corner or a main road, the city made him have plans drawn up (and redrawn) and approved (and reapproved) to have it so IF the city decides they want to hook up city sewer down the road it was there already.

I’ve been living in the house since 2010. The city isn’t anywhere near ready to hook up sewers. If they do, I have to pay a licensed contractor to collapse the septic system. Then I will have to pay an assessment to the city for them to put the new sewers in. then my taxes will go up because I will now be paying the city for another service.

The guy who I bought the house from was a family of 3 (husband, wife, teen daughter). There are 5 of us. At first I had to have the tank pumped every other year. Then the original drywell was shot, so I had to pump the grey water from the washing machine into the septic tank. Now I have to pump it 1x a year. The pump chamber every other year. I’ve had a pump fail and have to be replaced (by a specialist with HazMat gear). Just a few months ago I had to have roots cleaned out from around the tank. $700 a year/$1,200 every other year. A couple of $2,500-$3,000 repairs. Like yall have said: literally money down the toilet.

That's terrible. I haven't had the tank pumped for decades- and the system doesn't utilize a pump.

suydam

We had a well and a septic system when we lived in Ohio because we were outside the city limits. It worked pretty well. When we moved back to California I asked the realtor if any houses were were looking at had septic systems (it seemed like a legit question to me) and he looked as horrified as if I had asked if mice regularly ran through the buildings! We DO NOT have septic systems here, he assured me. I felt like a country bumpkin, which I guess I am.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

What’s the wire for, @stickguy ? Is it the HDMI connection to the soundbar?

My cheapskate brother would make up his own channel for it, probably by cutting a toothpaste box to length and painting it the wall color As a temporary fix he wrapped the connection with a facecloth and rubber band so it would just drip down instead of spraying everywhere. By the time he told me this I could barely speak because I was laughing so hard.

I suggested it was time for a plumber, but no. It’s not a matter of not having the money, he just hates spending it. He has ordered some sort of short supply pipe extension gizmo from Amazon which he apparently thinks he can keep from leaking somehow, though I don’t know how. I will await an update in due course.

Your brother sounds like a riot....he should have his own fix-it show, people would love to see his ideas for fixing things.
My brother-in-law could give him a run for thriftiness. He was the last person in Canada to give up his black rotary dial telephone. He painted his old pick-up pea soup green using a paint roller. He took the tailgate off to get extra mileage - I know, it gets less! He raises ducks to make some extra cash and there are incubators in his house and baby ducks running around. He built the house about 40 years ago and never got around to putting doors on any rooms inside, and none of the cupboards have doors. He was considering shooting squirrels and using them as food. The only heat comes when he puts wood in the woodstove at 6 a.m. to make the house warm enough to get up and dressed....and on it goes..........

You don’t have to sell him, I like him already! Does he also have all his money in coffee cans buried in the yard?😃

I'll have him get in touch with you O-F, you can share ideas.

We were near Burlington VT yesterday and as we drove through Ferrisburgh we passed a Cheese store and restaurant. Some of the real old timers remembered a time when they had stopped there for lunch and one of their crew was so cheap that instead of ordering a meal, he gathered up a plate full of free cheese samples and sat down with them. He went back and got refills, including some to take with him.

Finally the manager came over and asked if he was enjoying the food. He responded that he was. The managed said that was good because he never wanted to see him in the restaurant ever again. Needless to say the rest of the crew was mortified.😣

————————————————
That’s no way to treat a guy who is accompanied with a handful of paying customers.

jmonroe

I guess the manager figured the deadbeat was literally eating up the profit he made on the others😱

xwesx

tjc78 said:

I am so happy that our homes have city sewer. I don’t like the bill… but much easier to deal with.

@stickguy will remember this … but in the county he and I used to live in you actually paid two sewer bills. One to the city and another to the county. Crap really does flow downhill

Yes and no.... we will be installing a new sewer line at our place in Ohio (replaces the original clay tile line), and I KNOW I'm not going to like THAT bill!

oldfarmer50

I just volunteered to stage cars at Stewart Airport on Friday. There is going to be an air show there Aug. 10th & 11th and they need 65 cars available. Maybe some old planes will be around to look at.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

tjc78 said:

I am so happy that our homes have city sewer. I don’t like the bill… but much easier to deal with.

@stickguy will remember this … but in the county he and I used to live in you actually paid two sewer bills. One to the city and another to the county. Crap really does flow downhill

Yes and no.... we will be installing a new sewer line at our place in Ohio (replaces the original clay tile line), and I KNOW I'm not going to like THAT bill!

————————————————
If you have the old terra cotta pipe sewer lines, you sound like the perfect candidate for a trenchless sewer line installation. We’ve had that done to a couple flips already and the cost is way lower than digging up your yard. Even a pipe-burst method is cheaper than a total dig. An experienced plumbing outfit could tell you which method is best for your situation.

jmonroe

xwesx

nyccarguy said:

Septic isn’t fun for sure.... ... literally money down the toilet.

Wow, @nyccarguy ! Well, if it helps at all, here's some of what I have found:

1. If it isn't "processed" organic matter, try to keep it OUT of the drain. So, no garbage disposers, no grease, no TP (or very little), and no harsh chemicals.
2. Use a monthly septic treatment. YMMV further south, but I used "Instant Power" Septic Shock, about a dozen bottles, over a three month period, in combination with some mechanical action, to get the the leach field to come back. Since then, I alternate months between their Septic Treatment and Septic Shock. Everything is working great for the last 18 months, and that was from "completely done" as one professional stated.
3. Periodic pumping. If you aren't putting TP down the drain, you can probably go two years on pumping, but definitely annual with the paper. A fully healthy system, without the "family of five" part, should easily go three years between pumping and still two even with paper added.

Ultimately, I think that chemicals are the most significant factor. Septic systems are primarily biological, so the healthier you can keep the biology down there, the better the system will perform. For me, the ground here just remains too cold for the biology to maintain itself well without the help. Our system is 22 years old now, and I guess 18-20 years is "the absolute max" in my area according to the professional mentioned earlier. I'm hoping to continue proving him wrong.

xwesx

jmonroe1 said:

If you have the old terra cotta pipe sewer lines, you sound like the perfect candidate for a trenchless sewer line installation. We’ve had that done to a couple flips already and the cost is way lower than digging up your yard. Even a pipe-burst method is cheaper than a total dig. An experienced plumbing outfit could tell you which method is best for your situation.

jmonroe

Indeed, but the cost differential is only 10-15% in our situation, and my wife won't hear of the trenchless options. WON'T HEAR OF IT!!!! LOL

Plus, the neighbor's house is apparently plumbed into our line, so if we did the trenchless, they would have no more drainage, and we will have to pay for the extra cost of ensuring they do still have drainage (I guess they have to run some sort of mule down there to bore out the side of the new line to open up the branch line).

jmonroe1

oldfarmer50 said:

I just volunteered to stage cars at Stewart Airport on Friday. There is going to be an air show there Aug. 10th & 11th and they need 65 cars available. Maybe some old planes will be around to look at.

————————————————
Son #1 has been involved with the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix for at least 6 or 7 years now and he’s already ferried a few Mini’s last weekend from the Mini dealer to a site since Mini is a featured car this year. This weekend he’ll be doing something else, I can’t remember what. He’s already invited me and his Mother to join him at one of the tents they’ve set up for volunteers at Schenley Park with all the trimmings. Still kicking that around.

You should have seen the collection of Ford GT’s that showed up last weekend at Pitt Raceway. Cars were trailered in by their owners from around the country. My Son said there had to be around 40 of them. Supposedly one of the largest gatherings of those cars anywhere at one time.

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix has turned into a real event the last few years. It’s done over a couple weekends with various events at several locations. The main event is a race though a few roped off city streets and Schenley Park this Sunday. Sure does attract a crowd.

jmonroe

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

What’s the wire for, @stickguy ? Is it the HDMI connection to the soundbar?

My cheapskate brother would make up his own channel for it, probably by cutting a toothpaste box to length and painting it the wall color As a temporary fix he wrapped the connection with a facecloth and rubber band so it would just drip down instead of spraying everywhere. By the time he told me this I could barely speak because I was laughing so hard.

I suggested it was time for a plumber, but no. It’s not a matter of not having the money, he just hates spending it. He has ordered some sort of short supply pipe extension gizmo from Amazon which he apparently thinks he can keep from leaking somehow, though I don’t know how. I will await an update in due course.

Your brother sounds like a riot....he should have his own fix-it show, people would love to see his ideas for fixing things.
My brother-in-law could give him a run for thriftiness. He was the last person in Canada to give up his black rotary dial telephone. He painted his old pick-up pea soup green using a paint roller. He took the tailgate off to get extra mileage - I know, it gets less! He raises ducks to make some extra cash and there are incubators in his house and baby ducks running around. He built the house about 40 years ago and never got around to putting doors on any rooms inside, and none of the cupboards have doors. He was considering shooting squirrels and using them as food. The only heat comes when he puts wood in the woodstove at 6 a.m. to make the house warm enough to get up and dressed....and on it goes..........

You don’t have to sell him, I like him already! Does he also have all his money in coffee cans buried in the yard?😃

I'll have him get in touch with you O-F, you can share ideas.

Finally the manager came over and asked if he was enjoying the food. He responded that he was. The managed said that was good because he never wanted to see him in the restaurant ever again. Needless to say the rest of the crew was mortified.😣

MrsDriver100 has lunch with a group of ladies once a month. This time they met at a buffet style restaurant.
One of the women actually asked for a take-out box after dinner, and they gave it to her.

driver100

....and @oldfarmer50
My brother went to this little restaurant that had a loss leader breakfast deal to get people to come in....2 eggs, bacon or sausage, homefries, toast, coffee for $3.25 and with tax it was $3.42.
One day my brother went there and he had raised his price so the bill came to $3.56. My brother went over quite upset and asked the guy why his bill wasn't $3.42 like it had been.
The owner held up a wooden spoon and told him to get out of his restaurant and to never come back.

My brother also had the nerve to buy a Jr Wendy's burger and a senior drink and the bill with tax comes to $1.71. How can you ask for a kids burger with a seniors Coke? Those Jr burgers have about 2 inches of soft tasteless white flour, with a patty that was probably run over by a Ford F-150 to make the patties about 1/16th of an inch thick!

stickguy

We always get the Jr cheeseburger deluxe at Wendy’s. It is big enough for us. And a pretty good deal.

oldfarmer50

xwesx said:

nyccarguy said:

Septic isn’t fun for sure.... ... literally money down the toilet.

Wow, @nyccarguy ! Well, if it helps at all, here's some of what I have found:

1. If it isn't "processed" organic matter, try to keep it OUT of the drain. So, no garbage disposers, no grease, no TP (or very little), and no harsh chemicals.
2. Use a monthly septic treatment. YMMV further south, but I used "Instant Power" Septic Shock, about a dozen bottles, over a three month period, in combination with some mechanical action, to get the the leach field to come back. Since then, I alternate months between their Septic Treatment and Septic Shock. Everything is working great for the last 18 months, and that was from "completely done" as one professional stated.
3. Periodic pumping. If you aren't putting TP down the drain, you can probably go two years on pumping, but definitely annual with the paper. A fully healthy system, without the "family of five" part, should easily go three years between pumping and still two even with paper added.

Ultimately, I think that chemicals are the most significant factor. Septic systems are primarily biological, so the healthier you can keep the biology down there, the better the system will perform. For me, the ground here just remains too cold for the biology to maintain itself well without the help. Our system is 22 years old now, and I guess 18-20 years is "the absolute max" in my area according to the professional mentioned earlier. I'm hoping to continue proving him wrong.

Mine is going on 42 years and still functioning.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

....and @oldfarmer50
My brother went to this little restaurant that had a loss leader breakfast deal to get people to come in....2 eggs, bacon or sausage, homefries, toast, coffee for $3.25 and with tax it was $3.42.
One day my brother went there and he had raised his price so the bill came to $3.56. My brother went over quite upset and asked the guy why his bill wasn't $3.42 like it had been.
The owner held up a wooden spoon and told him to get out of his restaurant and to never come back.

My brother also had the nerve to buy a Jr Wendy's burger and a senior drink and the bill with tax comes to $1.71. How can you ask for a kids burger with a seniors Coke? Those Jr burgers have about 2 inches of soft tasteless white flour, with a patty that was probably run over by a Ford F-150 to make the patties about 1/16th of an inch thick!

He should have gotten the Biggie Bag at Wendy’s. It’s rated tops among the stingy old coots I work with.

I did once try the $5 meal at Mickey D’s and you got a lot of food for the price but when I’m out on the road cost is secondary to having a tasty and unique eating experience. Eating in some little one off deli in the country is one of the reasons I enjoy my job. If it’s good food I don’t really care about the price.

suydam

Driving through the Southwest along Interstate 40, McDonalds is about all there is for large stretches. Taste is never part of the equation.

Michaell

suydam said:

Driving through the Southwest along Interstate 40, McDonalds is about all there is for large stretches. Taste is never part of the equation.

Not true. We've done the Albuquerque to Flagstaff stretch on I-40 a number of times, and have always found pretty good options in Grants, Gallup, Holbrook and Winslow.

Gallup, specifically, has some great Mexican restaurants if you venture off the main drag a block or two.

McDonalds may just be the most convenient to the interstate.