Home Improvements

[SD]

Only real problem I had was the electrical inspection, there was a double tap. My buddy came out and fixed it and they passed me. VA had an issue with some pealing paint, and because the home was built in 76' it could contain lead. So I spent a weekend sanding and painting and it passed.

[smeags]

my inspections actually went very smooth, it was getting the permit approved that was the issue.

sounds like you're gonna be ready for the 1st eagles away game ? house warming party ? 

[SD]

sure...but sorry to disappoint, there's no rape basement.

[smeags]

i'm out then. 

[Munson]

Missing out. They made an appearance on pe.com last season.

[SD]

Few questions:

I live in Bucks County. My BCSWA bill was usually in the $30 range and my Aqua bill was usually about the same. This month both bills were double. I kept hearing water running through pipes but didn't think anything of it until I saw the bill. I live in a townhouse so I honestly just thought it was my neighbors pipes. The sound was coming from the downstairs toilet. I have water efficient toilets that are brand new. I took the lid off and messed around with the components and the running water sound has stopped. I'm hoping that's all it is. Anyone have experience with something like that?

My water heater is 3 years past shelf life. I only need a 50 gallon tank and they run in the $300 range. Fair enough. I started researching installation and the prices are insane. So I was thinking of doing it myself. Anyone ever replace one and how hard was it?

[Rome]

I'd hire a plumber to do it because it's beyond my limited abilities.  I can do a lot around the house but if I have plumbing and electrical issues, I get friends in on the job.  It's good to have tradesmen as friends, that's for damn sure.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Agreed - I can do most things but plumbing and electrical are things I won't fool with.

As for the water bill thing - that's weird. Where would the extra water that's running be draining off at?

[Diomedes]

Gas fired or electric water heater?  If the latter, you could do it yourself safely.  You'll need a friend to move the old one out and the new one in, and you'll likely take a few trips to home depot to get the right fittings because you're not a farging plumber and you don't have them all in your truck, but you could do the job.  If it's gas fired, call a plumber.  Not worth the risk of doing it yourself.

Also, stop being so cheap you dumb motherfarger.  It's not good for you.

And stop wasting water too.

[smeags]

my water heater is about done as well. looking into the tankless setups.

[Susquehanna Birder]

I took the lid off and messed around with the components and the running water sound has stopped. I'm hoping that's all it is. Anyone have experience with something like that?

Yep. You might have some built up scale in the shut-off valve, or the surrounding works. You might be able to work it out a little, but eventually you'll need to replace the tank innards. Replacement parts are pretty cheap, and it's an easy (but messy PITA) job to change it out. Do you have a cut-off valve for the water supply? And do you have a flexible (braided) hose running from the water line to the toilet?

[Diomedes]

my water heater is about done as well. looking into the tankless setups.

My house flooded last week, so I've just replaced my water heater too. 

We couldn't go tankless without upgrading the gas service to larger pipe, which would mean replacing the meter as well.  The price to do that, on top of the more expensive tech, made our decision simple.

[SunMo]

i preemptively replaced my hot water heater a few weeks ago.  it was electric and i had a builder friend help me put it in and i got my brother in law who works in plumbing supply to buy the hot water heater at a contractor price which was nice.

the installation went really easy

[Seabiscuit36]

Gas fired or electric water heater?  If the latter, you could do it yourself safely.  You'll need a friend to move the old one out and the new one in, and you'll likely take a few trips to home depot to get the right fittings because you're not a farging plumber and you don't have them all in your truck, but you could do the job.  If it's gas fired, call a plumber.  Not worth the risk of doing it yourself.

Also, stop being so cheap you dumb motherfarger.  It's not good for you.

And stop wasting water too.

This... Hooking up an Electric hot water heater is easy, but Dio is 100% right about moving the summabitch.  I slapped a pump on mine, and drained it down for what seemed like an eternity.  But getting it moved onto the dolly was an effort in itself since the moron's before us had a non functional water treatment system.  There had to have been 2 feet of buildup in the thing.  So in retrospect, just pay someone and save yourself the hassle. 

my water heater is about done as well. looking into the tankless setups.

Smeags, everyone who I've talked to about Tankless setups says the same thing, don't waste your money.  They're prone to issues with the coils, and need constant upkeep. 

We opted for a GE Hybrid Geospring years ago.  Haven't had any issues with it(*knocks on wood), and it has the Energy Estimated costs for a year at $198 per year.  Our's is a first gen, and they now offer the same model in larger sizes ie 80gallon.  For a household of 2, the 50gallon hybrid works fine.  If you have more in the house I'd opt for an 80 gallon. 

Pricewise, you'll spend less than tankless, the hookup is the same as a regular electric HWH with the exception of needing a condensation line run to a drain.  Maintenance is just cleaning an air filter every few months, and I try to flush it once a year to remove any settling.

[smeags]

yeah ive seen mixed reviews on the tankless so far. not sure I want to go that direction. would def give me some more room in the utility closet but that's low on the list of reasons to go that way.

thanks for the tip on the hybrid, gonna check it out.

either way I go I have "a guy" that will install it, joe the plumber.