Home Buyin/Maintenance Thread - Where most of us are 30ish but act 47. Oh, and fuck home inspectors

I get that. It's like a boat they can't sell.

 

The j7 will go around things like cords and poop on the ground.

 

We just got the new one and it’s pretty bad ass. Keeps up with the dog hair and has only gotten stuck once. We named him J. Edgar and he’s now officially a member of the family though the pup isn’t a big fan.

 

Do your dogs shit on the floor?

 

I have a pug that will occasionally if we mess his schedule up. It only happened once but a Roomba that's run over shit isn't fun to clean. It must be pretty common for Roomba to make an entire marketing thing around it.

https://www.irobot.com/en_US/pet-promise.html

 

What kind of non silverware drawer organizers are y’all using? I’m interested

 

I once spent 3 hours cleaning cat shit out of a roomba. Never again.

 

SUNDAY FUNDAY

 

We have a few of these in the dressers

 

This question cracks me up. Have you never been around a dog that has pooped in the house?

 

I feel like we have one drawer organizer. The silverware drawer.

Every other drawer is just a random place my wife sticks shit when she is cleaning

 

Will try to post an update every now and then. Spoke with our contractor and he completely agreed with our approach. We decide to split the entire project into phases and he is going to rebid out just the master addition. If we can do the master addition using our current cash on hand + what we are saving monthly + a small loan that we can pay off quickly we may pull the trigger. Just doing the master addition would enable us to remain in the home during construction saving moving costs and 8ish months of rent and we would phase it to where there is little to no overlap with the rest of the overall project. If it comes back too much still we will just continue to hold off and save.

 

A/C history

Timeline:
9/18/2017 – New A/C installed for previous owner.

9/18/2017 - 5/29/2019 – service history unknown, previous owner.

5/30/2019 – 9/12/2021 – Purchased & moved into condo. Filter changed monthly, no issues. Normally run A/C 74-76 during day and 70 at night.

9/13/2021 – woke up to A/C evaporator coil frozen. Powered off system and made Service call: “Evaporator coil freezing up. Checked evaporator coil slightly dirty. Tested evaporator motor. Gauged refrigerant pressures system low 91/280 psig 90 ambient temperature. Weighed in 4lbs R410-A refrigerant and performed electronic leak search. Trace amount of refrigerant oil at compressor discharge line outlet verified leak with soap bubbles.”

9/15/2021 – woke up to A/C evaporator coil frozen. Powered off system and made Service call: “Return to customer to repair leak on copper line and replace filter drier. Turn power off to unit and prep copper line for repair. Cut old drier out of refrigerant circuit and solder new filter drier in place with torches. Make repair to leaking copper line with torches. Pressure tested and vacuum refrigerant circuit. Recharge with 410a total of 6 lbs. check unit operation after repair. Unit is currently functioning properly and cooling well at this time.”

10/28/2021 – maintenance performed.

4/28/2022 – maintenance performed. “Performed one system preventative maintenance. Cleared drain line and drain pan and added tablet. Checked thermostat, td, and refrigerant pressures. Checked amperage on motors and compressor, also checked electrical components and wire connections. System operating normal at this time maintenance complete.”

6/8/2022 – woke up to A/C evaporator coil frozen. Powered off system and made Service call: “Found system freezing up due to low charge. -3lbs 410a refrigerant. System cooling at this time but may be temporary. Suspect slow refrigerant leak need to monitor system and possibly return for leak search.”

6/18/2022 - woke up to A/C evaporator coil frozen. Powered off system. Let defrost and dry completely all day. Powered back on night of 6/18 and have been running since, but at warmer temperatures (76 during day, 72 at night). Air coming out of vents seems warmer than it should.

Rheem Manufacturing Company
Outdoor Unit / Condenser Unit
Model No RA1630AJ1NA https://www.rheem.com/product/ra16-ra1630aj1na/

Inside unit / Air Handler
Model No RH1T3617STANJA https://www.rheem.com/product/rh1t-rh1t3617stanja/

 

If under warranty still, why not replace?

 

Any recs for air purification systems that can do around 1200 Sq ft? Our allergies have been nuts all year long and would like to start getting it under control at home when on the top floor.

 

That is a good question. Wonder why the service companies never bring this up as well... oh I know, they just want to keep coming out to "fix" crap and invoice me for billions

 

A Roomba running over dog shit is legitimately one of life’s worst moments. The clean up process is a fucking fiasco and a half. Just absolutely disgusting.

 

Don't know what your budget is but my choice would be an ERV system.

 

Is there a question or something?

 

no

 

I’d probably just get a new one

 

You still gotta clean up everywhere that it smeared the poop

 

That's where the new roomba comes in!

 

You can break out your sanitary sink gloves!

 

I haven't thought of a dollar figure cap yet, but I'll take a look. Thanks!

 

Covered patio project coming along nicely.

 

Looking solid. Were about to execute a contract on a liter version of this. No fireplace, smaller, lower end materials etc.

How did you decide on stamped concrete vs the alternatives? Approx upcharge to stamp?

 

Thanks.

We basically already knew we wanted stamped concrete. We don't like brushed, didn't want paver, and didn't want the maintenance of a deck. I think we were somewhere around 18-20/sqft for stamped

 

found out it’s not under warranty because warranty doesn’t transfer to new owner when property is sold, COOL COOL COOL.

 

Welp time for a new AC unit yay

 

I’m gonna convince gf that we don’t need A/C and can survive just fine with some extra fans. It’s not even 90 right now.

 

It just went out for good this morning, it’s 83 degrees out, and I’m cranky

 

Might be time for a few ice cold Coors Lights at the #BarAndGrill.

 

Get out of my head

 

Looks like I might be doing the same

 

option1) pay $900 for A/C refrigerant leak detection, leak repair, and refrigerant refill.

- They did the same thing about 10 months ago so I feel like this is only a short-term solution and problems will return in a year. I live in a condo and condenser unit is on roof and close enough to ocean they say the salt causes corrosion faster. They also claim everything should have been “coated” when installed to reduce corrosion but it wasn’t done by the installer.

option 2) replace entire system for $7k and get new 10 year warranty. this would include parts and labor for new condenser on roof, new air handler inside, coating the outside parts, crane service for the install. hurricane straps. the works.

bigred77 whatcha think

 

I think the coating should come from the factory on the unit (as an option, maybe standard thing available at local dealers that close to the coast though), but maybe field installed on the lineset.
And if he claims it's field installed. He should be able to coat it now

But the question is, how long you gunna be in that condo.
10 years? I'd say go for replacement and make sure your guy has been around atleast long enough that he will be around to service that warranty
If you're only gunna be there a couple of years, I'd go the 900 route

 

What's wrong with the indoor air handler? I will say we have a beach house and one of our outdoor condensing units went out this month that was only 5 years old. I thought it was bull shit that we needed a new unit till the guy showed me a picture and basically all the coils had been eaten away by salt.

 

Indoor air handler is fine they say.

I’m gonna just go the leak fix route for now. At worst I’ll hopefully get another 10 months out of it, maybe if lucky 2-3 years.

 

Making progress here!!! Full kitchen, dining room and 3.5 bathrooms completely remodeled (almost, still need the counter tops).

 

a.tramp or anyone else - do you have any experience with man made pond maintenance?

I saw a one acre pond on tik tok and it had clear blue water, but they said they used a coloring agent to get it like that - said it’s safe for fish, turtles, plants, people - is that an accurate statement?

 

Are you doing this yourself? Looks great!

 

I was moving too slow so moved my bffs cousin out here to take the lead. Now I’m the assistant but I’ve learned sooo much.

 

I do not have experience with it other than to say that it is done a lot in Texas. Yes the animals are alive but I rarely see on that has had it done that has a “color” that I deem as “yeah, that looks totally real, normal, and good!”

 

TikTok embed hasn’t been working, but here’s the one I saw and it’s in OH… I was thinking about putting one on a property I have.

Speaking of Texas, someone mentioned in the comments that in Texas if you build one of these the govt has all of your “water rights”. Not sure what that entails, but seems not great.

 

While not a home inspector, I’d like to propose a formal ‘fuck you’ to the YouTube tradesmen who say a project is ‘simple’ and should be competed in ‘an hour or two’.

Listen asshole. It takes me an hour to realize I bought the wrong hardware and I don’t have the tools I need. Any project where I’d even consider hiring a tradesman is almost by default a 4+ hour commitment.

 

And atleast two trips to the hardware store

 

Advice I got from a contractor after I bought my first home: never begin a plumbing project within 2 hours of the hardware store closing. It has saved my ass multiple times.

 

This is equally true for non-plumber tradesman, fyi. I'm goddamn hopeless at plumbing. You know you're on a heater when your "custom emergency adapter" includes PVC, Iron, and brass fittings, some crossthreaded, and enormous quantities of PTFE tape and dope. SMDH