Home Improvement

My wall oven went kaput - it had a good run (I think it's original with the house, from 1960. Or at least from the 80s. It has a mechanical timer!). But the heating element melted itself and I'm not really up for trying to find a replacement for that.

So I'm in the market for a new wall oven and seeking input. Key specs:

• It's a 24" single wall oven. Cutout is 22.5" wide, 28.5" high, and 25" deep.
• Electric power, 240V/30A circuit
• I only care about baking and broiling. Steam, air fry, wifi, rotisserie are all zero-to-negative for me.
• I would prefer physical dials and buttons but that seems uncommon these days
• I wouldn't want to go much more expensive than the options I've found (see below).

I've found two that seem like a native fit:

• GE JRS06SKSS
  • The installation manual shows that this needs a cabinet cutout below the unit, which I don't want to do because I have existing drawers there
• Frigidaire GCWS2438AF
  • This seems to fit my cutout without modification, so I'll probably buy this unless I find something better

Most other 24" models are designed for a shorter ~23" cutout, which is unfortunate because there are some substantially cheaper options (like $500 vs. $1700). For example the Empava EMPV-24WOB14, and some others from Magic Chef, Cosmo, and various other brands I've never heard of. It's maybe possible that I could build a nook above or below the oven, or a trim piece covering the opening. But I'd kind of just rather not.

Any thoughts on my best options here?

Edit to add: I opted to look harder for a replacement heating element, and after a long slog through a lot of appliance parts websites that don't offer many specs for their parts, I finally found a couple options that look like they will work at www.therm-coil.com, where it seems that every heating element they offer is listed with cross-references, dimensions, and terminal style. Like, all the stuff that should be listed on all the other sites but never is.

I'm a dumbass and had someone come out and install a 240v outlet (and 120v). The reason I'm a dumbass is I didn't measure and had them install it in a place it wouldn't work for the appliance I am using.

I need to move the outlet a lot closer to the breaker box so I won't need additional wire or material, less actually.

I'm debating doing this myself. I technically have an EE degree but my day job is primarily coding, and any electronics I've worked on are usually the micro variety. I am aware of all the electrical safety requirements and in terms of technicality/connections, I think I just need to copy what has already been done but just remove a bunch of wire and place the outlet closer.

Do you think this is something I could take on myself with some research? My brother-in-law is also a proper electrician and I can facetime him.

Or do you think I should just ask the guys who installed it back and have them do it?

Hi!

What I* have:

• a Raspberry Pi 3B
• a solar PV system with Modbus output
• a heat pump with Modbus output

What I want:

• energy stats of the PV and the heat pump, going back for a few years, without needing cloud access
• trigger the heat pump into overdrive when there's excess solar
• something that works well on a RPi 3B
• usable phone frontend (not necessarily an app, but kinda like it)

What I tried: Home Assistant -- which works but is very complicated and behaves rather funkily on the hardware. I suspect that putting a whole bunch of Docker containers on a lowly RPi is kind of a bad idea. But also, with Home Assistant, there appears to be a rather steep learning curve because there's just so much stuff.

What I've superficially considered but haven't tried: OpenHAB. Would be interested in learning if that's better.

(* actually none of these are mine, but for the purposes of this post, let's assume I have control of all this stuff.)

Our town's water keeps failing to meet DEP standards, so I'm investing in a filtration system for our drinking water. What I think I'm looking for is:

• Has a tank, since there are 5 of us
• Filters out lead, PFAS, PFOA, etc. (Which is why I'm leaning towards RO)
• Good warranty and customer service, for when something inevitably goes wrong
• Remineralization (picky about water taste)
• UV (maybe?)

Does anyone have recommendations for a quality brand, or one that they've had for years that they like? I'm not sure where to even start.

I've built a small office for myself with outlets all over the room. They are all on one circuit I'd like to protect them all with a single surge protector.

I imagine their should be some product similar to a GFI outlet that would protect itself and everything past it on the circuit. I could mount it next to my panel and run the wiring straight to it before continuing on to my office. But I can't find such a device.

The two closest things I've found are a whole home surge protector which seems like overkill. And this outlet from Leviton which is a surge protector, but only for itself. It won't protect anything else on the circuit.

I could obviously use a power bar with a built in surge protector but part of the idea of having a bunch of outlets around the room was to remove the need for a power bar and keep everything cleaner.

Does anyone know if what I'm imagining actually exists?

First time homeowner here so please forgive the newbie question. I'm in Texas so our houses aren't built for the cold. We're going through freezing temps at night right now, with temps getting up well above freezing during the day. I woke up this morning to my kitchen faucet not having water (at all) when turning it to the hot setting. It's the type of faucet that you just turn left (hot) and right (cold) and lift to open. The cold water side is fine. The two other faucets found in the two bathrooms have hot water without issues, but they have separate faucets for hot and cold. I've been religiously dripping all our faucets every night since last week. Is it possible something froze? And what I can do to start figuring out the problem and possibly fix myself?

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Here's what it looks like under the sink. The upper left tube is what I believe is the hot water, the right for cold, and the bottom goes to the dishwasher.

Update: Water finally came out! I left the faucet open on hot, then ran hot water on all the sinks and showers in the bathrooms to get the water heater pumping. After around 10 minutes, water started to trickle and eventually went full blast. I'll make sure to drip the hot water as well and not just cold from here on out! Thanks to everyone who responded!

My power is generally pretty reliable, but when it does have issues, it often flickers violently. More than once, I thought the control board in my fridge got fried, but was luckily able to do the refrigerator equivalent to Ctrl+Alt+Delete and reset it.

I have an extra 800W UPS laying around, so I figured I'd give it a try and see if it would run it. I'm not really looking to use the UPS to keep it powered during an outage, just to deal with the power flickers/surges/brownouts that may damage it (surge protectors won't protect against brownouts). Any additional cooling time during an outage would simply be a bonus.

To my surprise, it works. Not only works, but only seems to draw between 110 and 160 watts (compressor on, door open). However, I expected it to draw power in the 700-900 watt range. Granted, the last time I worried about refrigerator wattage was years ago when I lived in the boonies, had an older fridge, and had to resource-manage when I was running from the generator on a long outage.

Is that normal for a 26 cu ft refrigerator? I'd say it's probably close to 10 years old. AFAIK, the UPS reports the wattage draw correctly (at least, the values were within expectations when I was using it with my desktop workstation). The manual for the fridge says 115v / 10 A but it doesn't seem to use anywhere close to that.

Additionally, are there any hidden risks to running a refrierator from a UPS? It's a pure sine wave UPS, so the power should be as clean as or cleaner than utility.

Finally sucked it up and replaced our worn out water pressure regulator. Installed a shut off valve as well so I don't have to shut the water off at the meter every time.

The old copper with globs of solder is not mine. Whoever installed the water lines when this house was built should not been allowed near any tools, ever.

Case in point:

I’m not sure Home Improvement is the correct sub for this, but I’m looking to replace my dual flush actuators with metal ones instead of these chromes plastic ones that corroded due to the bleach fumes from using bleach bricks in the tanks. I’ve stopped using them, but I still need to replace the actuators or buttons and I want something more robust.

Edit: went ahead and ordered duplicate replacements.

My wife turned on the wall switch and the pendant light over our dining room table went out. The fuse outside didn’t blow—none of them needed to be reset. I checked for power in the light’s hanging cord, but nothing. I pulled the wall switch to check for power and nothing there either. Thoughts?

Context: I found what looks like a regular mildew (white, fuzzy and organic, in somewhat large splotches, easy to clean with vinegar, only found on the wood beams) in my basement when my dehumidifier broke and it was particularly humid this summer in my area. I've cleaned it up to the best of my ability and I have a new dehumidifier that should handle the total square footage in my basement.

It looks like my cleaning is working for the mildew, but it sparked a visceral fear that I didn't know I had which was the fear that there is mold in my house. As far as I can tell, I don't have any but I do have some sites in my bathroom and kitchen that look like they could be good areas for mold to start growing. I.e. I have to fix the sealant around my tub, there are some gaps at the back of my old cupboards in the kitchen, and the vent fan above the stove doesn't actually vent anywhere, it just runs the air through a charcoal filter it looks like.

Are there any tips for what I should look out for regarding the starting signs of mold growth or any kind words that can bring my fear addled mind some peace?

Thank you.

Edit: Ok no worries guys it was definitely just the tub leaking! It just took several hours for it to stop dripping afterwards which is why I was confused at whether or not it was the tub or something else. All is well! It's a very infrequently used shower/tub so I hadn't noticed anything prior.

I'm guessing it's likely the tub drain itself that was leaking or it's possible one of the outflow pipes leaked from there. Either way it's not an urgent fix thankfully! I just posted this a bit hastily I suppose. I appreciate the comments!

Hello. So the other night I had a tub filled up with water for a prolonged period of time. I do not typically use the tub in that bathroom. The tub water was stagnant and thus the leak would not have been caused by inadequate caulking between the tub and wall.

Today I have awoken to find that my ceiling below the upstairs bathroom is wet and there is a dripping noise in the wall downstairs roughly under the tub.

I have drained the tub about 20 minutes ago, but there is still a slow, but continuous dripping noise in the wall below the bathroom. Since the dripping noise is still occurring at the same slow pace, does that mean it is unlikely to actually be dripping from the drain or pipework that drains from the tub?

My unit has a shared wall with the neighbor, so there is a chance that there is actually something leaking from their unit instead of mine.

Is there a way I can troubleshoot this a bit further without immediately ripping out the walls? Even if I can't find the exact source, just narrowing it down to something with the neighbor versus my own bathroom would be helpful.

I can't call a plumber right now because we literally just had a hurricane so they are going to be tied up for a bit.

Thanks all.

I acquired this older Black & Decker Hedge trimmer and it seems to have a special kind of cord. Any idea where I could find this cord or what its called? I have not been able to even figure out what the cord looks like yet.

UPDATE: I cut off the extra plastic to get access to plug it in and the tool doesn't even work anyways. Time for the garbage.

Hey, apologies if I'm not using the correct terms, I'm going to do my best to describe the issue.

This is a photo from my shower. There's a glass "wall" and a glass door. The door is connected to the glass wall by a hinge. The glass wall was glued to a metallic frame but it looks like the glue is not holding it in place anymore.

Is it a DIY job for a new homeowner after the millionth thing broke down this month and is ready to step into traffic? Or should I just hire someone? What profession am I even looking for to get it fixed?

If it's an easy enough fix, what keywords do I use to look up a fix and the materials needed?

Any other useful information or advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

Update: thank you all for the comments. I don't think I have the skills to do this project by myself and don't want to risk glass all over the bathroom floor. I've contacted some people who fix windows and stuff, and they've agreed to this work at a reasonable price.

How bad is this crack? I just noticed it today but I assume it's been there a while and happened after an earth earthquake we had a few months ago.

Is this something I can just fill in with mortar and keep an eye on?

I plan on reaching out to our insurance company to see if they'll pay for it but if not we're pretty strapped for cash at the moment.