Home Improvement

D3C4FF

12:00 AM

Hi all :)

I have some questions about Asbestos safety and i'm wondering if this would be the right SE site to ask it on?

Niall C.

12:54 AM

@D3C4FF Absolutely! There have been some questions about it already, see asbestos

D3C4FF

@NiallC. awesome! Thanks :)

D3C4FF

2:23 AM

@NiallC. diy.stackexchange.com/questions/27934/… Hopefully i haven't asked to broad of a question...

BMitch

2:50 AM

@shirlockhomes I only ask because she ran away from SE and now we're all sad. Just have to hope she's found greener pastures, or a bluer sea.

Tester101

12:18 PM

Speaking of water meters. I got a letter from my water board, that said I owed them $200 for "water meter usage and maintenance". When I called about it, a rather annoyed sounding women said "We own the meter, we read the meter, we maintain the meter, so you pay to use the meter." (one time fee).

Is this normal? I've never heard of this, and it doesn't exactly sound legal.

I asked if I could purchase and install a third party meter to avoid the fee, to which she responded in an annoyed tone again "No.".

I thought about trying to charge them for having the meter on my property, since it's in my basement and I pay to keep it warm, and comfortable, and such.

BMitch

I don't recall paying for my meter, ever. This should just be rolled into the cost of doing business for them.

Tell them you no longer want a meter and that they don't need to measure how much water you are using anymore.

"You seem to be annoyed that I'm calling to ask about this $200 bill that I received. Would it make you happier if I gave you the $200 bill, you could call me to ask about it, and I could be annoyed with you?"

Tester101

12:46 PM

I was going to call them and say, "I plumbed around your meter and am no longer using it, so I don't see why I have to pay for it anymore."

Besides, it allows them to read the meters without entering the home, which saves them money. Why should I have to pay on top of that?

HerrBag

I recall a 1 time fee when the remote was added to the meter

I was more PO'd to get a 2nd sidewalk repair bill due to overgrown silver maple on city strip

Tester101

It's just strange, that I have to pay for it again. Shouldn't the original owners have paid for it when it was installed? why am I paying for it agian?

HerrBag

its just like banks or cellular carriers, they will squeeze in extra fees whenever they can

Tester101

Found it in the code.

A. Water meters installed and used in the system shall be purchased by the Town and installed either by or under the direction of the Superintendent of the Water Division. Payment for the use of said meters shall be made at the time of application for service by the owner, and said charges shall be as set forth from time to time by resolution of the Town Board.

HerrBag

scrod

Tester101

12:57 PM

This is odd wording...

C. Title to the meter shall remain in the Town, and the Town may, at its pleasure, replace worn, obsolete, inefficient and defective meters.

at its pleasure???

Aaron

So which sharkbite connector do I need to attach clothes washer hoses to? I thought there was one that also had a quarter turn shut off in it

HerrBag

you betcha, you voted 'em in..

Tester101

Not me. I just moved here.

BMitch

I just went through my bills, never charged when they replaced my meter with a remote version, which makes sense since they are about to layoff a bunch of meter readers in the process, saving a load of money in labor.

@Tester101 Do you get a refund for the meter when you move out?

Tester101

@BMitch My previous town was not insane, so I wasn't charged to use their meter.

C. No tampering with meter. No person other than an employee of the Water Division shall interfere with or remove any water meter, sealing device or coupling from any meter installation after it has once been placed in service by the Water Division.

Sounds like I can plumb around it, as long as I don't touch the meter or couplings.

BMitch

1:04 PM

:)

HerrBag

@Aaron how about this pair? http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-1-2-in-x-1-2-in-Lead-Free-Brass-FPT-x-PTC-Ball-Valve-22182-0000LF/202721928?N=bqkiZ4n3Z4n3#.UZYqh6IYiSo

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Watts-3-4-in-x-1-2-in-Brass-Male-Hose-x-Male-Adapter-A-663/100616549#.UZYrcaIYiSo

Aaron

Yeah but I thought they made one with the hose adapter and shut off together...

Something more like m.homedepot.com/p/… but with the hose connection...

HerrBag

1:35 PM

@aaron by the time you screw in the adapter, it will look like 1 piece.

Tester101

Any way to vent two bathroom exhaust fans through a single wall penetration?

Chris Cudmore

Put that on the inside of the vent, and connect both fans to it.

Tester101

What prevents Fan A from blowing air down through Fan B?

Chris Cudmore

PUt that between the Y and the vent. Wire it so it turns on with either fan.

Tester101

0

Q: Is it possible to vent two exhaust fans through a single wall penetration?

I have two bathroom exhaust fans that need to be vented out of the house, but I'd like to do it using a single wall penetration. Is there a code compliant way to do this? Both bathrooms are on the same level of the house. There is no guarantee that both fans will be the same type, size, power,...

@ChrisCudmore Each fan is on a separate circuit.

Chris Cudmore

1:51 PM

OK. Try these: tamtech.com/store/…

Backdraft dampers

Tester101

Chris Cudmore

2:14 PM

"I think we all recognize that the ideal installation doesn't involve interconnecting the vents of bath fans. That being said, the stated code language does not expressly prohibit it in any way. "

diychatroom.com/f80/2-bathroom-fans-1-roof-vent-49410

Tester101

If I built a multi-chamber wye, like this...

Is my math right on the pipe size?

Chris Cudmore

2* 4 * sin (45) = 5.656"

Tester101

PI * 2 ^2 = 12.57 * 2 = 25.133 / PI = 8 sqrt = 2.83 * 2 = 5.657?

Chris Cudmore

Well, two different methods produced the same answer.

Tester101

So 5 5/8"

I took the long way round.

Chris Cudmore

2:25 PM

I did it wrong. It should be cos(45) (Which is numerically the same)

47 degrees gives 5.4559

46 gives 5.557

So within a reasonable approximation of square, you should be fine.

Tester101

So realistically, I should make a fitting that is 4" x 4" x 6"?

google patents, here I come.

wax eagle

@Tester101 Ask Patents

Chris Cudmore

How are you going to weld it?

Or is this a duct tape solution?

Tester101

@ChrisCudmore By some patented process, obviously.

Tester101

2:50 PM

Dang! No patent for me...

Panasonic FV-WC04VE1 WhisperComfort™ Double Chamber Wall Cap

Chris Cudmore

Problem solved.

Post that as an answer.

It's 87 bucks!

woo, 3000 rep

and it's styrofoam.

close votes, here I come!

Chris Cudmore

2:52 PM

The backflow baffles are 20 bucks each.

@Aaron It appears I've joined you in the "Lives in a city with a crack-smoking mayor" club.

Aaron

@ChrisCudmore Yeah, but will he get re-elected after serving his sentence?

Chris Cudmore

Depends on who runs against him.

@lsiunsuex Liquour Strike Averted! Toronto is go for Memorial day w/e.

Chris Cudmore

3:29 PM

Holy newsgasm! Senator paid 90k by the prime minister's office. Mayor smokes crack. Gaming chief fired by premier. Liquour Strike averted. And long weekend is here!!