Woodstove in basement...issue.

Alright. Bought a house (built in 1979). Basement is block wall, 5 ft of which is below grade. I've insulated all exterior sides even below grade with 2 rigid blue styro insulation. The ceiling already has fiberglass batting with 1/2 MDF sheeting on top. There is NO access to the main floor above, and no vents. I lit a fire and fed it for ~24hrs this weekend to test the heating abilities, and while the basement got very toasty, we saw little to no gain in the floor above. I'm assuming the insulation above is slowing heat transfer, so what are my options here? I'm not sure adding heat registers and cold air returns will solve the problem since there are other living spaces not above the basement (split level home). Do I have other options? Or should I be seeking another supplemental/alternative? I'm guessing the mdf and insulation are doing a good job of blocking the heat from upstairs. First, make sure all safety issues and codes have been followed. Wood stoves are an issue with insurance companies and code officials as they seem to be associated with more than their share of house fires. Not trying to be a pain, just safe. Some ducts, returns and registers would probably circulate the air to where you want it. Is your stove an air tight and does it draw it's combustion air from inside or outside. If your basement is too tight, it might result in back drafting where exhaust fumes are pulled back into the basement and then distributed to the whole house. You can't always rely on remembering to crack a window. As for this being the best choice as an alternate heat source, that would depend upon the stove, chimney, and having everything up to code. Modern air tight stoves with small diameter chimneys and outside combustion air work very well. I have a small fire going as I type. But I have three friends who are living in new homes because the old ones are gone. They can replace a house, but not a lifetime of memorabilia. Stay warm Bud A wood stove is only meant to heat the room it is installed in. I will echo Bud's comments about insurance as it is not allowed to modify your structure with openings or ductwork to accommodate a wood burning appliance. Your only way of spreading wood heat throughout your house is if you have a forced air heating system and you properly install a wood burning furnace. These can be installed in series with most other furnaces. Originally Posted by GregH A wood stove is only meant to heat the room it is installed in. I will echo Bud's comments about insurance as it is not allowed to modify your structure with openings or ductwork to accommodate a wood burning appliance. Your only way of spreading wood heat throughout your house is if you have a forced air heating system and you properly install a wood burning furnace. These can be installed in series with most other furnaces. So all of the people doing so are violating codes? The house has no furnace. It's all electric baseboard. I know plenty of people who heat their entire home via a wood stove and ambient/radiant heat. They may have not had duct work, but simply radiant heat through a basement door or uninsulated floor (part of my problem). I'm no expert, so I'm just trying to clarify this. Second question. If the house has an existing chimney, but only a stove pipe access, what would it cost (roughly) to have an insert put in? People who modify their homes to circulate air from a wood burner would be breaking codes. Adding ductwork near the stove, making a hood with ductwork to spread the heat, making openings in the floor to allow basement heat to rise, opening the furnace door to draw warm air from the basement and many other methods are not allowed and will void house insurance. Not sure what you mean by stove pipe access. Also, I am not sure how an insert would help you. If he had a forced air furnace/air handler in the basement couldn't he balance his cold air returns in the winter to draw more air from the basement and get the heat from the stove through the house that way? I don't know if most people use this method for getting heat from a basement stove to the rest of the house but it seems to me that is the only reasonable/legal/safe option to get any real hear from a basement stove of any kind. Originally Posted by GregH People who modify their homes to circulate air from a wood burner would be breaking codes. Adding ductwork near the stove, making a hood with ductwork to spread the heat, making openings in the floor to allow basement heat to rise, opening the furnace door to draw warm air from the basement and many other methods are not allowed and will void house insurance. Not sure what you mean by stove pipe access. Also, I am not sure how an insert would help you. It's a fully functional brick chimney on the main floor of the house with a tile hearth. The original owner has a wood stove there, and the stove pipe ran directly into the chimney via a clay stove pipe liner. A fireplace insert would help me because it's on the main floor, rather than the basement. Add to that the factor that it would most likely have a blower to circulate the heat a little better. The first floor is a very open plan, so the only issue I might have is getting the heat to the upstairs. Do you have a fireplace? that's where an insert stove is used? it won't work with a chimney that just has a thimble to connect the stove pipe to the chimney. Originally Posted by marksr Do you have a fireplace? that's where an insert stove is used? it won't work with a chimney that just has a thimble to connect the stove pipe to the chimney. I know. What I'm asking is can an existing chimney be modified to accept an insert? Obviously there would be some substantial masonry work involved, but can it be done? I just can't picture what you have there. Are you saying you have a wood stove installed in the lower level connected to a masonry chimney? And do you have a separate chimney on the main level that has a hearth and a thimble that has been capped off? Clear in-focus pictures of what you have would tell the whole story. If you are able to take pics you can upload them to a free site like Photo Bucket and provide a link. If you upload the pics and have them resized to 640 x 480 there is a button above the reply box where you insert the link and have it appear in the post. Originally Posted by GregH I just can't picture what you have there. Are you saying you have a wood stove installed in the lower level connected to a masonry chimney? And do you have a separate chimney on the main level that has a hearth and a thimble that has been capped off? Clear in-focus pictures of what you have would tell the whole story. If you are able to take pics you can upload them to a free site like Photo Bucket and provide a link. If you upload the pics and have them resized to 640 x 480 there is a button above the reply box where you insert the link and have it appear in the post. No problem inserting pictures, this isn't my first go around on forums I will try to get pictures taken tonight. In the meantime, I'll do my best to describe the situation. The workshop/basement is a walkout. There is NO access from the inside of the main living area. There is a wood stove with a stove pipe running up out of the stove and through the block wall (via a clay thimble), and into an outside stainless 8 chimney. The main floor has a brick chimney with a slate base and a clay thimble as well (there was ALSO a wood stove here when we bought the place). The base of the chimney where it would normally be open in a traditional fireplace is closed. Basically the house has two chimneys. One complete exterior stainless one, and one original brick interior/exterior. The base of the chimney where it would normally be open in a traditional fireplace is closed Was there originally a fireplace that was closed off? or was it always set up just for a stove? I don't know enough to say for sure but I would think to put a new fireplace in would involve building a new chimney. Is there a reason you don't want to use a wood stove upstairs? It should heat as good [or better] than an insert. Pics always help Originally Posted by marksr The base of the chimney where it would normally be open in a traditional fireplace is closed Was there originally a fireplace that was closed off? or was it always set up just for a stove? I don't know enough to say for sure but I would think to put a new fireplace in would involve building a new chimney. Is there a reason you don't want to use a wood stove upstairs? It should heat as good [or better] than an insert. Pics always help Sorry, that was poor wording on my part There was never a fireplace there. It's just solid brick down to the floor. The only opening is for the thimble. I should have left the wood stove in there, but we removed it because it took up too much room, and moved it to the basement to replace the older once down there. We were hoping to avoid tracking all the dirt, bark, dust, etc in the main living space which is why we moved it down there. Plus this room would be where we are 95% of the time, and we thought even a small stove would heat us right out of the room. My wood stove is in the corner of my living rm and it does take up a bit of space. It has a good size firebox [bought before I got a heat pump] If you aren't carefull it can over heat the room but generally once you get the fire going good and basically turn it down to an idle - it's fine. A fan helps to distribute the heat thru out the house although the far rooms won't be as warm. A slow burn is great for heating but it does come at a price. The chimney will need more frequent cleanings. When all I used was wood heat, I cleaned the chimney every month! The wood stove is messier than the heat pump. My wife notices it more than I do but I do like the wood heat a lot better Originally Posted by marksr My wood stove is in the corner of my living rm and it does take up a bit of space. It has a good size firebox [bought before I got a heat pump] If you aren't carefull it can over heat the room but generally once you get the fire going good and basically turn it down to an idle - it's fine. A fan helps to distribute the heat thru out the house although the far rooms won't be as warm. A slow burn is great for heating but it does come at a price. The chimney will need more frequent cleanings. When all I used was wood heat, I cleaned the chimney every month! The wood stove is messier than the heat pump. My wife notices it more than I do but I do like the wood heat a lot better Wow once a month! I would have never guessed. When we removed the stove pipe from the thimble in the main living area, we could see the chimney was in dire need of cleaning. The previous homeowner is lucky he didn't have a fire. I LOVE burning wood which is why I'm trying to make this work. I have 1300 acres to cut from, and I already cut 5 cords for this year, and it would be a shame to not be able to use it. Ok, I think I get it. If my understanding is correct you want to try to make better use of the heat that is currently downstairs. The answer to this would be no you can not. You can not alter your home to distribute this heat unless you install an approved furnace and duct it according to instructions, plus get it added to your home insurance. Also, there use to be a wood stove in the living room, it was removed, the chimney opening capped off and you are now wondering if you could reinstall a wood burner there? As far as the chimney in the living room goes a suggestion if you were thinking of using it, would be to get a written assessment of it's condition from a licensed and insured chimney sweep. I am not sure about prices in your area but a cord of mixed wood, cut but not split is about $150.00! Maybe you could cut and sell your wood then buy a pellet stove with better temperature regulation. I use to have a stove in my living area as well and in order to make use of the heat to reduce heating costs you need to have the living room temps elevated to the point of uncomfortable. We now have a wood furnace and as long as you stoke the fire properly you don't even know you are burning wood and the mess is in the furnace room. As far as cleaning goes under firing the furnace is the leading cause of creosote build up which is normally because your stove is too big for the area. My furnace is a bit too big for our house so to allow for this we will crack a window slightly when the weather is milder and are burning. We also every other day get a raging fire going while keeping an eye on the stovepipe temp to not overheat it and use one of those creosote removal products. Normally cleaning only involves knocking off a very thin layer and it is quite loose. Originally Posted by GregH Ok, I think I get it. If my understanding is correct you want to try to make better use of the heat that is currently downstairs. The answer to this would be no you can not. You can not alter your home to distribute this heat unless you install an approved furnace and duct it according to instructions, plus get it added to your home insurance. Also, there use to be a wood stove in the living room, it was removed, the chimney opening capped off and you are now wondering if you could reinstall a wood burner there? As far as the chimney in the living room goes a suggestion if you were thinking of using it, would be to get a written assessment of it's condition from a licensed and insured chimney sweep. I am not sure about prices in your area but a cord of mixed wood, cut but not split is about $150.00! Maybe you could cut and sell your wood then buy a pellet stove with better temperature regulation. I use to have a stove in my living area as well and in order to make use of the heat to reduce heating costs you need to have the living room temps elevated to the point of uncomfortable. We now have a wood furnace and as long as you stoke the fire properly you don't even know you are burning wood and the mess is in the furnace room. Not a bad idea selling the wood I may have to just look into the costs of having a wood furnace put in. How do they generally compare to a heat pump cost wise? You can't really compare the cost of the two as they are two different things. If you install a wood furnace you would need to install ductwork throughout the house but the energy costs would be nearly free if you burn your own wood. A wood burning furnace would need a back up energy source and a common way is to install an electric furnace next to it and duct the two in series. A heat pump would still need the ductwork throughout the house but use refrigeration to save a small amount on your heating bill but with an added bonus of air conditioning. However, this is a major project and a bit off tangent from your original question. . Originally Posted by GregH You can't really compare the cost of the two as they are two different things. If you install a wood furnace you would need to install ductwork throughout the house but the energy costs would be nearly free if you burn your own wood. A wood burning furnace would need a back up energy source and a common way is to install an electric furnace next to it and duct the two in series. A heat pump would still need the ductwork throughout the house but use refrigeration to save a small amount on your heating bill but with an added bonus of air conditioning. However, this is a major project and a bit off tangent from your original question. . I suppose the issue is right now the woodstove and the baseboard is my only choice. The woodstove in its current spot will NOT heat the house. Running electric baseboard all winter will certainly run up our electric bill. Worst case scenario is we simply run the baseboard electric, and keep the fire going downstairs to do a LITTLE supplemental until we figure this out, but I would like to heat the entire house with wood. End of story. So I'm looking at options that will allow that Just as an update. I sent a message for my insurance agent to get back to me so I can discuss this situation with him. I figure I will figure out my options after I determine specifically what WON'T void my insurance, or raise my rates. Seems your problem is two fold (excluding cost for the moment). Fuel source and delivery. If you have a ready supply of wood, then look at a hot water heating system. I know there are boilers that use wood, but I'm not sure if there is one that looks like a wood stove, to serve the dual purpose of a visual appliance and a boiler. A quick search for hydronic woodstoves turned up the following, which might be good reading. Hydronic woodstoves by Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #105 Something to think about at least. Bud Originally Posted by Bud9051 Seems your problem is two fold (excluding cost for the moment). Fuel source and delivery. If you have a ready supply of wood, then look at a hot water heating system. I know there are boilers that use wood, but I'm not sure if there is one that looks like a wood stove, to serve the dual purpose of a visual appliance and a boiler. A quick search for hydronic woodstoves turned up the following, which might be good reading. Hydronic woodstoves by Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #105 Something to think about at least. Bud Thanks, good read. Not sure I want to go to the extent of installing an entire boiler system at this point in the year, but it may be an option for the future. Ya, a wood boiler would be nice but you again need to find out what the regs are on these. Here, a wood fired pressurized hot water boiler is not permitted. What is common here is to use an outdoor open boiler system a minimum of I believe 25 feet from any building. These use glycol as a heat transfer medium pumped to the house. They are quite popular where you need to heat a large shop along with your house. Just talked to my provider, and they said that adding registers/returns to redirect woodstove heat will do nothing to my current policy as it's clearly indicated that I have woodstove heat. He said he can't speak for other providers (should we decide to sell the house, the buyer might have an issue depending on the provider), but All-State is a go. I suppose that's my next step. Ok, that's good news but not what I am use to hearing. It would be a good idea to see if they would put that in writing. After reading all these posts, I belive the only options is to get a wood/coal furnace. As far as I have read, seems like ducting it into the main living area is a mute point as far as underneathe, maybe, if possible duct can be ran into the attic of the main living space with registers installed in the ceiling as in a 2 story split system. I recently purchased a wood/coal furnace to heat up to 2,500 sq ft. The furnace itself ran around $1,400 after taxes and shipping. My main concern would be the installation of the duct work you might need and the $$$$ that would run. Hope this might open up an idea for you.

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Where to purchase Lennox flame sensor???

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Weedeater FL1500

Im having a problem with the gas going into the carburetor. When I prime it, the fuel goes into the return line but nothing is happening on the filter line. I have the return line connected to the primer and the other to the carburetor. Any suggestions? Thanks. Fuel will exit carb thru return line when you push the air purge bulb, fuel will be drawn into carb from the line with filter on it in the tank, when you release bulb. Can you see fuel going thru the return line each time you push it ? Have you run the unit lately? Have you replaced the fuel filter lately? Has it sat for a period of time with old fuel in it? Has the carb ever been cleaned/rekitted ? Possibly a check valve in the primer is stuck...... I can see fuel being drawn in from the return line and nothing happening on the filter line. I took the filter off to isolate it and same thing. Im guessing a check valve is stuck but I dont really know where the check valves are. I dont do this on a regular basis so any help is appreciated. Im just helping a neighbor out. His original problem was the fuel filter line broke off into the tank so I offered to replace the lines for him since I had to do the same on mine. His blower wouldnt work once the level of fuel reached a certain point but it was running nicely prior to me installing the new lines. My FL1500 has two lines on the carb, of course, the one closest to the air purge bulb is the return line, it only sticks down in the tank about 1/2 inch. This is a 3/16 OD and 3/32 ID. The line lower on the carb will be a smaller line going into the tank with the filter on it. You gottum hooked up this way ? Yes I do. I forgot to mention that when I replaced lines the blower would only start up on full choke and would only stay on during full choke, (Idling I guess) when I put it to half choke it would turn off immediately like it was starving for either gas or air. The air filter is not clogged so Im assuming its gas. The bulb has been doing this thing also where it would stay stuck down when Im trying to prime it. When I first replaced the lines, the return line was working correctly, fuel was going back into the tank but didnt see much going into the carb. Ok I tried it again, when I press the bulb down the fuel returns to the tank. When I let the bulb go it sucks the fuel back up into the bulb while nothing is going on with the carb fuel line. If you are pushing fuel into the tank on the return line with each pump of the primer, then, fuel has to be drawing from someplace... It could be that there are no air bubbles in the line to the carb (which is the purpose of the primer) and not able to see the fuel moving...? Have you tried reversing the lines on the carb? I disconnected and emptied both lines for that reason to see if it was just that I couldnt see it. When I primed it again fuel is being sucked in to the carb but very slowly not enough to keep it running. On the return line side - the fuel gets sucked up from the tank and basically goes back and forth from the bulb and back to the tank. So theres nothing really returning from the carb, its just the fuel that came from the tank. Sorry if I dont make any sence. Just taking a guess I think theres some type of blockage between the two lines but in the carb. Im not getting anything to return back to the tank and the inlet line doesnt seem to allow enough fuel into the carb. I just dont see how it can remain on with so little fuel being supplied to the motor. Thanks again for any ideas or help The fuel line to carb is a small line, it could be that it is full of fuel after 1-2 pushes of the bulb, and you just can't see any fuel movement. The only route for the fuel is from tank, thru carb, out the return, if you can see fuel going out the return line, it has to come from somewhere, i.e. fuel inlet, etc. etc. how old is this unit ? hth Glen, thanks for the reply. I dont know how old the unit is but I heard it running strong Sunday. I understand how the primer is supposed to work but its just not working that way. Think about it this way, theres no fuel coming into the bulb from the carb. Theres some sort of blockage. So when I press the bulb in it pushes air into the tank, now the bulb has to pop back up creating a vacuum that sucks back the fuel into the primer bulb and if I keep pressing the bulb it just keeps pushing the same fuel back and forth from the bulb to the tank. Why do I know this? A couple of you mentioned maybe I cant see it. You guys are right, so what I did was disconnected the two lines emptied them out so that when I primed it again I would see how the fuel flowed. So far I came to the conclusion that there is a blockage. The smaller line barely has any fuel going into it. When I start the blower, it wont go past an idle speed. My guess is that theres not enough fuel due to some kind of blockage in the carb. I dont believe its flowing right. I just dont know if this is a notorious problem that someone came across before to steer me in the right direction. And you're sure the filter is not the problem? btw, any problem I encounter with a cube carb, I categorically disassemble, clean and make sure the metering diaphragm is good and pliable and the float pin is good, as well as fuel lines and filter Oftentimes I only replace the the diaphragm and pin.... thanks, we'll get to the bottom of this...... I isolated it not being the filter I took it off and I primed it again with the same result but it wont hurt to replace it. Fuel lines are brand new. Metering diaphragm and float pin...Is the diaphragm the gasket on the bottom of the carb? Float pin, I have no clue what that is. If you can describe it im sure I can figure it out. This is all new to me...I originally got into the weedeater for a neighbor thinking it was only the fuel lines that needed to be replaced but I dont mind doing it just for the knowledge and to help out. Again, Thanks. On the fuel pump side, the diaphragm should be up against the carb, then the gasket. On the metering valve side, the gasket should be against the carb, then the diaphragm. It sounds like the carb is restricted or assembled wrong. Is the screen clean? Chuck, that was one conclusion I'd come to, screen full of crud, why I suggest a clean/re-kit. My 1500 has a ZAMA C1U-W12 carb, kit RB-47. Check to see which carb manufacturer it is If Walbro, the following two sites will get you about all there is to know Service Manuals Select a Manufacturer*[Frontstep Customer Center*5*Frontstep, Inc.] The following site if ZAMA: USA Zama : Service Tips Glen I have the same carb you have. Thanks for the link its going to help out alot. Cheese I looked at the gaskets and theyre exactly in the order you mentioned. The screen is a bit dirty so im going to clean it out with some carb cleaner. Thanks I cleaned the screen from the inside by taking off the inlet needle valve and spraying with carb cleaner. I didnt realize how dirty it was till it was cleaned. I also ran carb cleaner through every orifice in the carb. Now the primer is working properly but the blower will only stay on at half throttle for about 30 seconds then itll die out. Any ideas on this? Thanks again. Still sounds like it has some crud somewhere in the carb in one of the passages. Do you have access to a high pressure air source to blow out the passages with? Can you adjust the mixture screws on this carb? I do have an air compressor. Ill check and see if I can adjust the mixture screws and ill blow out all the passages. I was doing a little research yesterday while the website was doing maintenance. I dont know what a check valve really looks like on one of these but I do remember seeing a tiny round flat rubber piece that came out one of the passages under the bulb. Dont know what its for but since it came out of there, I kept it.

You're going to have to get another carb. That rubber piece is the check valve and if it's not in place, the carb won't work. That's the one hole in the carb you don't want to poke through, lol. Carbs are cheap, or the mower shop mi9ght give you one off a junk machine...they probably have piles of them. I just got super lucky cause I put the check valve back in place, (miracle) messed with the primer for a good 10 minutes or so cause it stopped working again. Fired it up, it would only idle. Then I remembered you told me to clean it cause it sounded like I still had some crud in it, so I did. I put it back together and then the primer started working just fine. So I thought why not just try and fire it up. I did and it seems to be working fine. Thanks Cheese and Glen for all your help. Great! Glad we could help and thanks for the update! It was largely due to your perseverance...!

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Venting Cigarette Smoke

Okay HVAC Pros...I need help. My buddy and I have been finishing his 1600 square basement. After compartmentalizing the basement into several rooms, we are left with a 700 square foot area that will be used for parties. It includes a pool table, dart board, and a 20' wet bar (yep, you read that right). The problem is that there are a lot of smokers in the party crew. We want to exhaust the smoke I have 2 ideas: 1) I thought about putting a blower fan in the furnace room. In my opinion, I can hide the noise and use multiple intakes 2) An electrician friend recommended multiple bathroom type exhaust fans. I don't know what the best way would be! First, noise is an issue. The ceiling is only 8' high, and I would rather hear music than a fan. Second, I don't want to suck off people's hats or lose all of the heat in the finished area. Help...I need advice! What would be an acceptable sound level CFM for this situation? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks! wirenutt, I can give you a very rough guess on a room the size you're talking about with many smokers, you would need anywhere from 1500 to 3000 cfm of air change to keep the room tolerable for non-smokers. To put that amount of air in perspective, a small bathroom exhaust fan is in the range of 200 cfm. As important as the fan is, what you will also need is a way for exhausted air to be replaced, unimpeded. A rough guide is 1 sq. ft/300 cfm of exhaust. So for 2000 cfm you would need a free opening of roughly 2' x 3'. A way of getting around the large opening which is done in commercial establisments is to have two fans. One pushing air in and one drawing air out. Also, if you are in a cold climate you will need to heat the incoming air. I do HVAC work in a small town and to be honest, untill recently, find it very frustrating to deal with commercial clients who call me in to correct a smokey room and then choke on the price. Because cigarette smoke is such a strong pollutant, folks can't seem to understand it takes a very high air-change rate to make the air not be a health hazard. One thing that has changed here is that our Provincial Government, as of a month ago, has banned smoking in all enclosed public spaces, including bars, restaurants, workplaces, etc. It's kinda interesting to visit a bar now. You don't need to put your clothes straight in the washing machine when you get home. I think to pay for what your buddy wants y'all might want to charge the smokers admission to pay for his ventilation, or maybe send them outside. With GregH here . If your going to smoke you are going to pay. Down here you cant smoke anywhere in any of the buildings bars rest.Malls. As for getting the smoke out we did use a power saver damper on the units at 15% so you pay for a lot of fuel.Thats way back. Then we do have the electronic filters you can use in the room.Portable or wall mounted. I see it will do a 2400 cubic ft room 5 times per hour. Then lets go this way in the 70s I was a 3 pack a day.Ended up in the hospital.Now Im on Warfarin Sod for my blood,and I dont smoke. My .02 cents ED Ya, electrostatic air cleaners will remove quite a bit of the visible particles but does not do anything with the gases. I got into trouble when a customer, against my advice, chose to install electrostatic air cleaners in a meeting room, over a ventilation system for 5x the price. It took awhile to get paid because the management meeting where my bill was to be approved had been held in the room where I installed the electrostatics. The delay was because when everyones eyes were burning in a clear room, they thought I messed up. It was a case of a maintenance supervisor trying to pinch pennies, but not fessing up to the hotel owner. I don't think he got a bonus that year! What you need is a air cleaner like they use in bingo halls they are not cheap and a bit noisy but that's the price of smoking. On the cheap heres an old fashion ideal wanna smoke go outside. If tar gets into your air duct it will act like fly paper and all sorts of dust will stick in there and cost you more money to have ducts cleaned properly.

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trim rite edger

i acquired a vintage trim rite edger model 933. its missing the blade shaft. can i still get parts for it. it features a briggs I/C engine 3.5HP model 82232 type 0381-01 code 92060803. here's pics of it. searching online i found its made by swisher. ok i guess the full model is TR933 and is a brand of swisher who is still around and so is the trim rite name. so if can't get the old part could i order the part from a new edger and would it fit. are they all the same size. some more info. model TR933C SERIAL 300755. i have sent swisher a email. maybe they will help This edger was originally made by Trim Rite in Weatherford , Texas. That company has been out of business for MANY years.

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Thoroseal or Drylock? Have you worked with them?

My basement is dry but before finishing I'm thinking there's nothing like a little insurance. Thoroseal seems like the more difficult product to deal with, but I also have a suspicion it might last longer. UGL warrants Drylock for 10 years, I don't know about Thoroseal. Any advice on these products? Thanks, Mark Thoroseal has been around longer, originally used on commercial concrete waterproofing and repairs. The company makes a complete line of concrete finishing and restoration products. Thoroseal is a cement based coating, while DryLok is more of a paint. I have never applied DryLok, but I have used Thoroseal on my own basement waterproofing. It is not necessarily hard to apply, but it certainly is messy. Imagining applying a coating the consistancy of pancake batter to a concrete surface that is moistened. The keys to Thoroseal are mixing it according to directions, using a latex additive (Acryl 60 is Thoroseal's name) and keeping the surface to be coated moist. If you apply a second coat, make sure you follow the recommendation on the timing of the second application to get a proper bond. After it is applied and has set, it is good to lightly mist it to slow the curing. Dick I've used a lot of drylok but never any thoroseal so I can only comment on the drylok which I have aways found to be effective. Major water problems are alwys best solved by correcting any exterior issues first. Thanks for the reply. As I said in the original post. I purchased this house a little over a year ago. I have Tremco basement waterproofing which is guaranteed for 10 years. That consists of Tuff 'n Dry drainage board, armor coat waterproofing on the foundation, and Drainstar sump drainage system. I have had NO water in the basement since I've been here and there have been some pretty huge deluges. I've also tested the floor and walls by taping plastic and waiting a few days and have detected no moisture. But as I said if I'm going to do this now is the time. I just got the building permit and it's going to be a huge job so I want to take my time at every step. Dick, You seem to have quite a bit of experience with Thoroseal. Do you know the difference between Thoroseal (bag) and SuperThoroseal (can). Seems the can doesn't need the polymer added. The Thoroseal website cites a 10 year warranty on SuperThoroseal but nothing on the bag product. That may be due to the fact that the polymer is already added to Super Thoroseal thus taking out the possibilty of user error on not adding it. Just a guess. Would you recommend mixing this stuff in old 5 gallon spackle buckets? Also, I was thinking of wetting the wall by using water and my insecticide pressure sprayer, well cleaned out of course! Does that sound reasonable or will I need more water volume than that? Should I hook up my hose in the basement and use the sprayer? I'm just wondering how wet the wall needs to be. Everything down there is so dry right now if I put a little water on the wall it's gone in about 10 seconds. Thanks again. Mark I have never used the form in a can. I always added the Acryl 60. Following the mixing instructions is very important. I used a garden sprayer to mist the walls when needed. The application is much more difficult if the wall is dry. The moisture applied to the wall prevents the wall from sucking the water out of the Thoroseal. The water misting after the setting or intial drying keeps the Thoroseal damp and makes the curing go slower and will result in better performance. Anything with cement in it benefits from a slow curing. Your Thoroseal will still cure rather quickly. Dick With Dick here. Have used Thoroseal in bag many times on blocks works great. A little hard to mix but other wise go for it. ED If the basement is as dry as you say, I think I would just skip all that period. Just hang your vapor barrior during framing and you should be fine. If you must use one then at least use the easiest to work with. I have found that a basement that has serious moisture problems will not be fixed with applying a coating of anything and if it doesn't need it, it doesn't need it. I have one more question. How far up the wall are you supposed to apply a waterproofing product? A few people in this forum have advised to only apply to the outside ground level so that the walls can breath. Not sure I'm understanding that though. Thanks again. - Mark Whatever you apply, use for the entire wall. There is no magic line at ground level, either thermally or moisture-wise. Concrete has the ability to moderate in all directions, so any difference are quite small. All materials have the property of lateral flow. The magic lines are created by those that live in ony one or two dimensions and believe in the non-existant parallel heat flow that many probucts use to fool purchasers. Dick Okay. Thanks again. - Mark

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Swamp cooler motor stops and just buzzes

OK, this issue started last summer...the swamp cooler is running, either HI or LO speed (two speed 1/2 HP motor), then just slows down, stops and buzzes. The motor may run fine for several days or weeks at a time. When I turn it off, try to re-start, it just buzzes. However, if I wait for an hour or longer, it will usually re-start. When starting it up, it seems to act like a capacitor start motor when the capacitor is not working properly. However, this motor does not have a capacitor and there is no capacitor in-line that I can find. The tag on the motor states it is a thermally protected motor, is it overheating and the thermal switch is kicking in? If so, why would it buzz? Hum......I am stumped...... Any ideas before I buy a new motor? same thing happened to mine (see post below on swamp buzzing)- for a while, before the motor gives up the ghost, it will turn over, but ultimatley, it will die. mine was working for 3 weeks this spring/summer, and then just up and died - all it did was buzz. so i bought a new motor the other day ($119 for a 1/2 horse at true value - not too bad), installed it, and that did the trick. it's nice and cool now, and none of that buzzing. If the motor is running and then slows down and stops, then I would say either the motor has a bearing that is trying to seize up, or something in the motor is giving up when the motor gets hot. Probably time to just grab a new one. OK, thanks for your help!......I will opt for the new motor. Found a supplier via the internet of AO Smith 1/2 hp 2 speed new motor, it's $82 with free shipping, so will order the new motor and replace it. Luckily the swamp cooler is still working right now, as it's been 106-109 for five days now......and will only get hotter here in beutiful Las Vegas........ I'm here in Vegas also. Why order one on line, when you can go to lowes, home depot or nevada cooler pad? If your new motor works for awhile then starts doing the same thing, in all likelihood you have bad bearings on the blower shaft. If they are not kept oiled, they wear out and the squirrel cage will not turn freely and bind up. This causes the motor to overheat and either shut down completely until it cools, or it will go into a very slow speed until it cools. Also, if the belt is too tight, or the adjustable pulley has been set to too big of a diameter, this can also cause the motor to overheat. Bottom line is your old motor may be fine. Perfect advice herlongkid! My swamp cooler was working just fine when the motor seized, it was about 4yrs old. (i didn't realize there was oil ports to keep it lubed). So I ran to home depot and bought a new motor. I replaced the dead motor and oiled the entire blower unit. So when I turned it all on it ran for a few minutes and began to slow down, then finally to a stop and just buzzed. I checked the wiring, and the motor itself. both were not hot or smelled like they were burning.. So now I found this post and tried the advice.. To my surprise my adjustable pulley on the motor was set too large(all the way closed). I had to replace the old adjustable pulley because I couldn't get it off the dead motor. I didn't know that the adjusted diameter effected the motor operation.. Lesson learned. I opened up the new pulley making it smaller, readjusted the belt tension and now it works perfect. Thank you herlongkid. You're welcome. Herlong is 70 miles from Reno. We had swamp coolers there too. The motor must be mounted with the air vents downward. This is because the cooler air from below is taken in to cool the motor. If the ports are facing upward, the motor will pull in warmer air and continuously trip the thermal shutoff.

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Spraying Stain on Wood Fence

We had a pressure treated wood fence installed last fall. We are ready to stain it (the wood has dried out as recommended by the fence installer). We used a Cabot deck stain for our deck and liked that except we used a brush which took forever. We would like to use a Cabot fence stain to match our deck, but want to apply it with a sprayer. Anyone have a recommendation on what type of sprayer to use? HVLP or Wagner Airless or ? I'm concerned with picking the right sprayer. Help please! Welcome to the forums! What type of fence is it?... rails? stockade? shadow box? Is it feasable to spray the fence and controll the overspray? Spraying doesn't save any time if you have to clean up overspray - especially off of a neighbors car HVLPs don't put out a lot of material - you would need to check the stain's specs to find out if an HVLP will spray the stain ok. I've always sprayed fences with an airless..... but the pro models, I've never used a wagner. You can rent an airless at most rental shops and some paint stores. If you spray the stain on, it is still a good idea to back roll or back brush the sprayed on coating - this helps to push the stain into the wood, coating it better. A sprayed and back rolled job will usually look better than spray only and will last longer It's a Kentucky 4 Board Fence. Basically 4x4 posts every 8'-10' and 1-1/4x8 boards in 4 rows. Someone told me to put a plastic drop cloth behind the side of the fence I am spraying to help control the overspray. Not sure if that is helpful or not, but it sounds like it might be. The back brushing does make sense to work the stain into the wood grain. I checked Sunbelt Rentals on the internet and they have some sprayers but I couldn't tell if they were good for stain or just paint. There's a Sunbelt Rental store next to our local Lowes. I also emailed Cabot Stains asking them for advice on the proper spray equipment (or adequate in the case of the Wagner). Originally Posted by marksr Welcome to the forums! What type of fence is it?... rails? stockade? shadow box? Is it feasable to spray the fence and controll the overspray? Spraying doesn't save any time if you have to clean up overspray - especially off of a neighbors car HVLPs don't put out a lot of material - you would need to check the stain's specs to find out if an HVLP will spray the stain ok. I've always sprayed fences with an airless..... but the pro models, I've never used a wagner. You can rent an airless at most rental shops and some paint stores. If you spray the stain on, it is still a good idea to back roll or back brush the sprayed on coating - this helps to push the stain into the wood, coating it better. A sprayed and back rolled job will usually look better than spray only and will last longer Those little $10 garden sprayers that you pump to get pressure work just fine for a fence. The KEY is to backroll it!! A pump up garden sprayer will work on the thinner stains/sealers but if the stain has any body it may not spray well thru a garden sprayer.

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shed for water heater?

I am currently trying to remodel an old laundry room into a bathroom, and the 40gal. gas tank water heater needs to be moved outside into a shed. Are there any sheds sold for this particular purpose? Some helpers from Home Depot recommended a rubber-made shed instead of a metal shed. They insisted that metal sheds have too much condensation inside when the temperature changes that will hurt the water heater. However, others have said that metal sheds are the way to go. I am also wondering if the rubber-made plastic would melt from the heat. Please help me!!!! Am at a loss as to hearing of a water heater shed but whatever you have will have to be insulated....depending on your winter temperatures.Don't really think a rubbermaid shed would melt but proper insulation would prevent excessive condensation in a metal shed. Guessing that cost is a factor here. Go for the one that is easier on your wallet as long as it will allow for temperatures in your area without adverse effects. You have cold and hot water lines to consider so go from there. Good luck and post back to let us know how it went. Our water heater is outdoors in a metal enclosure made specifically for this purpose. It is an Aquahut Water Heater Enclosure, as stated on the label. It is insulated, as you might expect; and shows no evidence of condensation inside. Snow will sit right on the top of it. Think about how warm it stays inside the enclosure, before giving much credence to the helpers' concerns about condensation. Hello: Meccle2 A non metal water heater enclosure is designed for that specific purpose. Normally operating water heaters do not produce near enough radiant heat to be of any concern. The tanks are well insulated to protect against heat loss. If they where not insulated the heat loss would cause the burner to never turn off and the amount of hot water available to be very limited. The air space around the enclosure is also determined to be correct for the tank size it covers. As well as the vents built into the enclosure, etc. Which is exactly why installing a pre-made water heater cover enclosure, installed per instructions meets all the codes and works correctly as designed. No known logical reason why condensation should be of any concerns. Not enough heat inside the shed to create moisture or condensation. Sounds like a sales pitch from those whom do not know or care to learn. They just sell. Several important installation considerations to meet. Install the tank level on a cement pad, if possible. Pre made pads are also available but must be level. Install the flue venting system to code. Be sure the downdraft divertor is crrectly placed on the tank and venting pipe inside the shed is installed per instruction. Also the exterior venting flue pipe is secured and above the roof line. Vent pipe has a proper vent cap installed correctly and all exactly to local code. Be surprised how many tank installations are not installed correctly. Most commonly the venting systems and more likely the vent cap on the flue pipe. Usually vent cap found smashed so far down onto the flue pipe it blocks the entire system, causing flue exhaust and gases to spill out of the divertor. Second most common incorrect installation is a flue pipe not extended above the roof line or not far enough above roofline to provide proper drafting, etc. Third most commonly found incorrect installation, usually after a tank replacement, incorrectly installed or missing downdfrat divertor. A must have part, installed correctly, to insure proper operation and venting. My Ten Cents Depending upon your locale, I would insulate the shed, all pipes, and the water heater itself. And put in a heat lamp or some other source of heat during extremely cold weather. Good Luck! Mike For sure a heat lamp of some kind there to make up for the out side vents you have to have for that gas burner. Also dont forget that the vent pipe out has to be a B gas vent pipe. ED Thank you so much for all the helpful information. For those of you who have an enclosure designed for a hot water heater, do you know where I could find one? Everyone at Home Depot and Lowe's are clueless. Ours is from Adams Heating and Air Conditioning 600 Morris Street Charlotte, NC 28202 Model AH 40 for gas water heater. I have no idea how old it is. I was here when we bought the house in November 2000. Hope this helps.

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Ryobi CS30 Model RY30020A will not rev up

I have a Ryobi CS30; model RY30020A that I purchased about 2 1/2 years ago. I have been having a problem with it this season. It starts with no problem at all. After I let it warm up, I press the trigger to rev it up; when I do that it shuts off. I took the muffler off and cleaned it and the Spark Arrestor. I replaced the spark plug. I also cleaned the carburetor, with carburetor cleaner, and cleaned fuel lines. I checked the fuel lines and made sure they are not clogged. After all that I am still having the same problem that it shuts off when I try to rev it up. I called Ryobi and was told by the technical representative that the carburetor needs adjustment and I should take it to a service dealer. The technical Representative told me that there is a screw somewhere on or inside the carburetor that needs to be adjusted. Since my two year warranty is over, it will cost me about $75.00 to have it adjusted. Can someone please tell me the location of this carburetor screw and adjust it? My old Ryobi lasted me over ten years with only minor adjustments and maintenance. Thank you for your help in advance. I don't know where they are on that model, but they are pretty common an all position carburetor. There are two screws - a high rpm and a low rpm screw (marked H and L). The low rpm screw needs adjusted. If you start the engine and start playing with the throttle while turning the screw you'll be able to tell right away when you hit the good acceleration setting. You won't have to go more than a quarter turn either way. Those two screws are pretty easy to find since they usually sit next to each other. You may have to take off the air cleaner to find them. marbobj, Thank you for the reply. This is a newer model and it does not have the two screws as you stated. My older model has the two screws. This newer model is supposed to have one screw inside the carburetor according to the Ryobi Technical representative. I took the carburetor apart and found what looks like a screw but not sure which way to adjust it. Is it accessible from the outside while the engine is running? I've never heard of one that you have to dismantle the carburetor to make a mixture adjustment. If that is the case, I have no idea without seeing a breakdown of the carburetor. I'll see if I can come up with a parts diagram for that one. ****I've checked and all I can find is the Zama part number with an assembly photo. That's not going to help any. I'll have to pass on this one - maybe some of the other guys here can do you some good. The Carburetor is a Walbro brand. It is a diaphram type carburetor. It did not have much information on it the only numbers on the carburetor are 4 510. Thats all. Thank you for trying. Are you sure you can't see the screw from the outside mabey,there is a restrictor cap over top the adjustment screw and its recessed in the carb casting. can some body send me a link to the manual of the ryobi bc30 to put the pull string back together I have the same model and was experiencing the same problem. I found the carb adjustment screws are visible, but not easily adjusted. On the front of the carb, right next to the air cleaner cover mine has 2 black studs that are recessed in aluminum looking rings. There are no slots for a screwdirver and there are barely visible flat spots on the studs. I took an electrical crimp connector for 22-18 AWG wire and friction fit it over the studs. I was then able to adjust the screws. To get mine running better I needed to adjust the screw closer to the air cleaner cover. Seems a lot of the 2 cycle carbs are what they call throw-aways. They don't allow the owners to adjust them anymore without special tools. You can buy a carburetor adjustment tool (looks sorta like a socket screwdriver that fits over the adjustment screws). I have also heard of folks using a dremel or grinder to remove the protective sleeve so they can access the screws. Another option might be to slip something over the screws (such as a piece of fuel line). Maybe you can find a replacement screw that allows for easier adjustment if/when you ever to remove them. The new carb screws are a pain. I plan to spend $10 (ebay, amazon, etc) and get an adjustment socket screwdriver because I don't expect things will ever go back to the way they were a few years ago. I think the tool is part # 530035560 Found this thread by chance and even though an older post, but couldn't help but chime in and add my 2 cents. I recently worked on a couple of Ryobi whackers the past few months, most recently a CS30 (RY30524 - s/n ATK1100009) The Ruixing carbs on some of these Ryobi are a pain in the butt in more ways than one. First, on the newer Ryobi's, the two adjusting screws cannot be adjusted unless you have the special Pac Man tool part number 308535003, and these can run as much as $23.00 Jury rigging a home made tool might work but I've found it more difficult to do a fine adjustment I did find the special tool for $13.71 here: Parts Accessories for Echo, Shindaiwa, Dolmar, Generac, Homelite. Chainsaw Trimmer supplies at Edge Engine To continue, both units would start but not run unless you found just the right position for the choke between full and half - a pain. If you do get one to eventually run but dies when you give it gas with the trigger, the L screw needs to be backed out a bit, and if you have Pac Man staring at you, good luck. What I've found on some Ruixing carbs is that the metering lever inside the carb that pulls the inlet needle open to let gas in based on the pulsing action of metering diaphragm barely pulls the inlet needle up even if you push it all the way down with a small screwdriver. Of course, if the metering diaphragm is shot (old, stiff) that could be the issue too. As someone said, these are cheap throw away carbs ($30.00+) but what if the new one you buy has a funky metering lever that won't open straight from the factory? Since I didn't have the special tool on the first one I worked on, I just bent the little metering lever up a bit until I was sure the inlet needle was opening. Not the best way, but it worked. At least it was getting gas and didn't bog down or die when I throttled it. Last but not least, I too have never seen an adjustment screw INSIDE one of these diaphragm carbs, be it a Walbro, Zama, or Ruixing. The tech may have mistakenly been looking at a screw that holds down the metering lever? If there a mixture screw INSIDE, as marbobj said, there's no way you can adjust the mixture without the thing running. Also learned that it is now against the law to sell these special carb adjustment tools to just anyone. The EPA is leaning on all manufactures to get the things running very lean to keep our air clean. So lean that sometimes they don't run at all. Cheers! Originally Posted by Home Handy marbobj, Thank you for the reply. This is a newer model and it does not have the two screws as you stated. My older model has the two screws. This newer model is supposed to have one screw inside the carburetor according to the Ryobi Technical representative. I took the carburetor apart and found what looks like a screw but not sure which way to adjust it. I have the same model which is 4 years old. Removed the carb found no adj. screws. Cleaned out the carb, spark arrester, replaced fuel filter. It idles perfect but bogs down in a few seconds. Runs at high speed when closing choke but only for a few seconds. Had a McCullough for 10+ years before it gave out. Just bought a Troy built, done with Ryobi Hello from a new member! I, too, have the walbro with two adjustment screws with no screwdriver head. I located the tool mentioned in the thread and have ordered it. I'm unable to see any markings as to which screw is for high and which is for low. Can someone direct me? Thanks. Jim It's been awhile, but if memory serves, the screw closest to the engine should be the low speed (idle) adjustment. There should be an L stamped on the carb body close to the screw if you can get a peek inside somehow without total disassembly. The choke dial cover should come off without any trouble. Again, I'm going by memory as I don't have one here at the moment. Just turn the screw CCW 1/8 to 1/4 turn at a time untill it rev's without bogging down. Find a way of remembering the screws original position just in case. Hope that helped. Post again if you run into problems, I'll do what I can. You guys are life savers! I've been fighting my $@#%* Ryobi trimmer ever since getting it. I knew I needed to adjust the mixtures but after contacting Ryobi to try to get the tool (Pac Man type) and being denied, I was on the verge of shooting the $#@%* thing and buying an Echo. Get this - I've been starting it by taking off the plastic carb shroud and blocking the air intake with my hand and starting it on full choke. The primer appears to be working but doesn't inject enough fuel for a good 'wet' start no matter how many times it's pushed or how fast or slow. The other day I really needed it to blow leaves (with the blower attachment) and it was a cold morning. I had to lay it down and drip some fuel into the air intake to get it going. Plus, constantly playing with the choke lever during operation to get enough RPM to work the blower right. Once started, it runs great as long as the right mixture can be maintained by choking. After reading this thread and realizing the super-secret 'professional use only' screwdriver could be bought aftermarket, I just ordered one. I cannot wait to richen that $%#@^* up and get some easy starts and proper throttle response out of it. Believe it or not, these $90 Ryobis are actually decent cheap trimmers considering the 'half-shaft' engine. I had my previous one for 14 years and experienced no mechanical failures. The carb went bad on it, going wicked rich, and I trashed it since I have tried to work on these Walbro-type box carbs before with no success. In retrospect, I should have put a new carb on it, but at the price of a new trimmer, I took the fast way out. You can't take it to the shop once for the replacement cost. I don't usually have carb trouble on my OPE. For 2-cycles, I use mid-grade fuel with premium syn-blend oil at 50:1 with extra stabilizer and a dash of Marvel Mystery Oil in every can of gas. Same for 4-cycles but without the 2-cycle oil. They all stay happy and run sweet. One day I was coming out of Lowe's and a guy was out front with a trimmer like mine giving the store manger #$%^ and showing him how it wouldn't start, wouldn't 'take the gas', etc. Ryobi really messed up on the EPA settings on this carb. I bet this one trimmer has lost them more business than anything ever did before. And, in the unlikely event I can't help mine with the mixture adjustments, I haven't wasted a lot of money on the screwdriver and maybe I'll end up shooting it anyway and sharing that on You Tube . The tool arrived today and i immediately got the devil out of the shed. I put a few drops of fuel in the intake to get it started, then used it with the blower which is the best trial of the mixture since it's a wide-open throttle application. After it got hot and proceeded to lean out as usual, I put about 1/2 turn rich on each needle. It took the throttle then but was almost '4-cycling' on top end - too rich. So I cut my adjustment back to about 1/4 turn and it was done. I used it for about a half-hour then put it up while I used the mulching mower on the leaves for about an hour. I got the trimmer out again to clean up from the mower, and while this was not a good 'cold-soak' test on starting, I went through the starting procedure its supposed to use (choke, primer) and it did start and ran fine. BTW, I use the blower to clean up mowers after mulching leaves. The trimmer blower attachment makes it a natural for blowing up under the air shroud to blow dust out of the cooling fins - I can see how that would be nearly impossible with a backpack or regular handheld. Anyway, thanks again for the info and I have saved my trimmer with that little 'pac-man' tool. The next day (Saturday) it still wouldn't start cold, so I got it started and used it (still running fine after starting), and made another adjustment. This time, I let it idle and got the Low side as rich as I could without bogging it down. Then I checked the High side at WOT, making it rich as possible without 4-cycling. Then I put it away out in the tool shed to get a cold soak. This morning I went out and worked the primer about 7 or 8 times, threw it on 'Choke' and it started after about 4 pulls. I'm good with that. Makes a huge difference when you don't have to pour gas down the intake! It actually was a little too rich when it fired up so I'll adjust the primer strokes to see what it wants. I used it then to blow off the drive and front porch and all was good. I have a CS30 with a carb that does not have adjustments on it. After digging into to it further I found that it had a air leak on the gasket between the cylinder head and crank body. There is only three screws that holds the head and body together, these screws backed off allowing air to be sucked into the crank area therefore the weed eater did not idle or run good at all. I took and broke the weed eater completely down and cleaned it up good so that the Ultra Black silicone would stick and I applyed a thin coat to the gaskets surfaces then put the head and body back together. When I installed the three screws back in, I put some Red lock tight on the threads and made sure they were good and tight. I also put Ultra Black on the gasket on the back cover of the crank body. If you do not stop the engine from sucking air in except through the carb you will never get it to idle or run good. If you do not have good mechanical skills, you need to find someone who does to do this. Mine now idles and runs great.

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Replacing water pressure tank fairly simple?

So I just bought a place and will move within about two weeks. The well report said the tank was leaking and about to let go. I'm thinking I will need to take care of this quickly. I see even Lowe's has pressure tanks so I was wondering if this is something I can do easily, just unscrew pipes and bolt on? Or is this maybe slightly dangerous or could I possibly easily do something that will blow my pump up or something? If it matters, the current tank has an 86 gallon capacity and the pump is 3/4 HP. Is this a multi-thousand dollar job if I just have the local well-drilling people do it? Lastly, I have Googled to heck and back and have not found a helpful site to gauge the difficulty of the job or step-by-step directions for the newbie. Anybody know of a link? Thank you. sean It is a relatively simple job, but you have to set the pressure in the tank within 2 pounds below cut-in pressure. Take a picture of your system and I/we can line out the best way to go about you replacing the tank. Hi notdeadman, -and welcome to DIY Forums, your tank replacement is easy for any technically competent DIYer. If you've changed a faucet or the plugs in your car, you can do a tank. First, buying- get a tank as similar in size as you can. Get a tanktee, teflon tape, blue pipe compound, a gauge,a pressure switch and a 1/4 x4 galv or copper nipple for it to mount on. When you're ready you will need a pipe wrench about 14-18, a 9/16 wrench, 1/4 nut driver (or socket), propane torch. When you're ready post back and I'll walk you through it step by step. I replace most tanks within 2 hrs unless major changes are in order. Do it Right - Do it once. Thanks, guys. The thing should close this week or next and then I'll get more info on it. I was wrong about the 86 gallon capacity. It is 120 gallons. Report says: Has old split type well. Seal doesn't look like it's very stable. Old tank. Recommended repairs: New pressure tank. Well vent, well seal 6 X 1 1/4. Check val at well head--pressure switch. Franklin pump Tel Cor (?) new box with pump saver pressure gauge. Best to go with new tank tank TEC Pkg. Hi notdeadman, -You should try and ask some advice of the person who wrote that report. In part of it he's apparently recommending a pumptec, which is a device which protects the pump in event of water dropping to intake level. If he has valid concerns about that, then you should also consider methods of reducing the draw on the well. This may mean using devices like 'Dole' valves so that the well is not pulled down too fast. This is not a huge change, but the Pumptec and dole valve could add 3-400 to your bill. Do it Right - Do it once. The most I was able to get out of them was a fax of the repair estimate. It included a tank, a Franklin pump tec, a tank tee pkg. The well tested at only 1.2 gpm, if that matters. So is there some danger if the level of the water in the pressure tank gets super low? Is this dole valve easily installed? Another thing is that the current tank is 120 gallons and the estimate said it would be replaced with an 80 gallon one. I'm having a fairly difficult time locating any pressure tank retailers online so I may end up at the local Lowe's. I'm hoping the different sized tank will only mean that I have a little more pipe changing to do? Are the plastic pipes okay to use these days? I've done some priming/gluing of pipes when I worked (a long, long time ago) for an ultraviolet water purification manufacturer so I'm more comfortable with those than copper pipes. Is copper or brass THE way to go for all of this stuff? (I do remember my dad cutting, bending and soldering copper pipes thirty years ago, but they were little pipes.) At this point, I do hope to attempt this project. Thanks again. Hi notdeadman - the well testing at only 1.2 is a problem. This is why they're suggesting the Pumptec. It's to cut the pump if water drops as far as the inlet. A pumptec is also easy to fit if you've ever done any electrical work, replaced outlets etc. A dole valve can be installed anywhere on the line between pump and tank, and it's easy to fit. It's essentially a restrictor that cuts a pipe's flow rate to allow the well more recovery time. The smaller tank is for same reason, they don't want your pump running on for a long while filling a large tank. Your real problem is the low recovery rate , you're going to have to be quite conservative with water use. Re. piping, almost all well guys use PEX and there's dozens of good brass fittings available for that. Rent the crimpers for a day or two to do it. Do it Right - Do it once.

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Replacing covered porch tongue and groove

Hi, the tongue and groove on my covered front porch is rotting at the ends so I'm replacing it, probably with spaced decking to allow water to run through. I have tons of questions, but first I just want to understand the lumber options at the big stores like home depot/lowes vs smaller lumber yards. I've found lots of lumber type/grade info online, but once I'm staring at the racks in the store the options seem broad and not well defined (at least not to me). For instance I'm considering using 5/4x6'x8' pressure treated pine decking, of which there appear to be several different types according to their end tags (lots of brands, abbreviations and decimal numbers). Can anyone either point me to a resource that explains the lumber options and their uses, or give me the quick tutorial? Thanks, and I'm new here and so far there are tons of great questions and responses to peruse. Give us some examples of the data you need to understand so we can be specific. Items to consider are lumber grades, moisture content, and amount of treatment chemical present. I would not use pressure treated lumber, you will probably regret it. I did one of these 6-8 months ago. We bought tg mahogany from a local lumber yard. In order to reduce problems with rott I had the homeowner prime and put one coat of finish on all sides before I started. We also painted the cut ends before installing. The material was not that $$$, especially since we got random length instead of full length boards. Bill Try google, here is the basic: Softwood Lumber Grading Hardwood Lumber Grading Think about how many front porches you've seen. How many were pressure treated? How many had gaps? Your's would be unique. Be safe, GBR Before you choose to go to a gapped board, check into Azek Porch. This is a new line that they came out with, so availability may be an issue for a month or so, It's TG, so make sure that there is a slope to the porch to facilitate runoff, which there should be since your current porch is TG. Sorry for the slow response back. I didn't get any notifications of your responses (email filter probably) so I thought I was ignored! Obviously not, so thanks for the responses. Wirepuller, I was mostly confused by the decimal on the end tags (ex. .40, PT content?), the lack of number grades at places like HD (#1, #2, etc.) that I see in smaller lumber yards, and the use of premium, select, etc. GBR, your link to softwood grading was very useful, cleared it all up. To answer your questions, I can't say how many porches I've seen are PT (can't tell) but many do use the 1x4 TG that is commonly sold as PT for pretty cheap so I assume it is used by some. My neighborhood (Houston Heights) is full of early 1900's renovated homes, so there are lots of very old and new porches. Many of the new covered porches I see are using TG, yet many use 5/4x6 (some radius edge) or thicker with gaps and hidden fasteners. Aesthetically, I've found that warped boards, rotten edges, exposed TG ends, and poor workmanship create a bad look, regardless of material and design. Conversely, a lack of those problems creates a good look despite material. Regardless, TG looks great and I'd love to stick with it if not for the longevity/maintenance issue, on which I'm clueless, so If you can expand on your opinion, I'd love to hear it. I've already been burned once with TG...I assume the previous owner didn't maintain it well...so I'm reluctant. Bill62, I'd also like to know why you think I'd regret PT. I assumed everyone would use PT for any outdoor pine, but I'm noticing a lot of criticism based on shrinking/warping. Lefty, synthetics aren't my thing. I try to stick with renewable products. Plus they're pricey and the Azek Porch can't be painted.

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Remodel/18x18 Porcelain-subfloor prep help

We are putting 18 x 18 porcelain tile in a small screened porch area. The house is 30 y/o, and the joists are 16 OC, with either 1/2 or possibly 5/8 plywood subfloor. My husband got a little over-eager and put 1/2 Durock on top of the plywood. He used Liquid Nails and screws to attach the Durock... The area gets very little traffic, but I'd like to have this right from the beginning if possible. My husband is willing to tear out the Durock and add more plywood at this point. I've read several posts about this general topic but want to confirm opinions... We should put another 1/2 of exterior grade plywood on top of what's already there, correct? That 2nd ply should be screwed, but not glued, to the first layer of ply. We then put *thinset* on the 2nd layer of plywood, under the backerboard. We will go back with only 1/4 backer. Should the thinset under the backer be modified or unmodified? We'd then look at level or flatness of surface and determine whether to use some type of SLC before the tile. Assuming none is needed, we'd tape the joints on the backer (with 1/8 spaces at backer seams) as we apply modified thinset and lay the tile. Does this sound like a plan, or am I missing something? THANKS! Karen Hi Karen, That's pretty close I think. Most manufacturers of backer board claim you can install ceramic or porcelain over their CBU if the subfloor is 5/8 plywood as long as the deflection of the system is above 1/360. That's the catch 1/360 deflection. However, that is bare bones minimum and considering the size of tiles and where located, I certainly would never recommend it. So yes, removed the Durock and start over as you described. Use whatever thinset the manufacturer recommends to install the CBU. Most want modified both under and above. What brand will you be using? There are many other factors I should know, like where are you located? Since it's only screened, it's gonna get wet. Is the floor slopped? If slopped, can the water get out? More later. Before I go much further we need to be sure the subfloor structure is strong enough for tiles in the first place. I need to know the size, spacing and if possible the species and grade of the joists. Also the unsupported span of the joists. That is very important. Jaz Jaz --

A: The joists are 2 x 10, No. 2 (pine...dunno?), 16 O/C. The unsupported span is maybe 8.5 ft., and the screened area itself is about 6.5' x 7'. We are in Arkansas. As for the area getting wet, it is possible but should not be a huge concern. If we had hard, blowing rain, it could certainly get wet/damp. We've had lots of rain recently with no probs, though. The screened porch is open/exposed only on two sides, with two sides protected against interior walls. Also, the exposed sides of the porch are covered by approx. 4-ft. overhangs from the roof. We have deep eaves.

A: Not sure but am thinking of HardieBacker this time v. Durock CBU. Any thoughts? Let me know if you need more info or have other ?'s. Thx, Karen By your numbers those joists are plenty strong enough. You just need to add more plywood. Hardi is NOT for exterior use, so use Durock, Wonderboard or my favorite PermaBase. It is going to get wet, so if you wanna do a real good job I recommend installing Schluter's Ditra over the CBU and also apply Kerdi Band on the seams and the floor/wall intersection to waterproof those areas. ( schluter.com ) Also visit the sites of whatever CBU you end up using. Jaz Jaz -- Thanks for the help. I've read the info on the USG site about Durock and on JamesHardie.com on the HardieBacker. I saw that Hardie was interior-rated, but for some reason was thinking our application wasn't true exterior (i.e., it's all covered and protected). BUT, if we're going to do it right, we should start right. We'll likely buy the thinner, 5/16 Durock board...or whatever cement board is readily available through our tile supplier or HD/Lowe's stores. We need the thinner backer board b/c of adding another 1/2 plywood subfloor and working with transition/threshold at a door. Another question about Ditra -- can it be installed over the plywood, vs. applying it over the CBU? I went to the Schluter site and read some about Ditra last night. I was intrigued, but also had some concerns about ease of application -- or maybe about our understanding the application -- for first-time tile DIY'ers. Thx, Karen I categorize your project as an outdoor installation. Therefore Ditra is installed over cement backer. If it was your kitchen floors then of course, it takes the place of the CBU. There are other ways to surface waterproof and provide an isolation membrane, but Ditra is the best way to go. Some other products are roller or trowel applied liquid membranes such as Redguard, which is available at HD. Laticrete also makes similar products. Jaz OK, we've installed the Wonderboard and have some high/low spots. Since we're installing 18x18 tiles, we want to ensure this is as level as possible. We are priming the CBU w/SLC primer and will be pouring SLC. However, we need direction on treat the CBU seams prior to pouring the SLC. I thought I saw a thread on this but can't find it now. I've ready some John Bridge tile forum instructions, as well, but none are specific to this particular issue. Do we go ahead and tape the seams/joints on the CBU and pour the SLC over that? If we weren't using SLC, I know we should tape the CBU joints and apply thinset as we tile. However, it seems backwards to tape and thinset the CBU joints, then use SLC. OR...can we caulk the CBU joints prior to pouring the SLC? Just want to do this right and am not that familiar w/SLC... THANKS! Karen Actually with Wonderboard brand only, taping the seams on floor installations is not required. We usually recommend doing it anyway. So go ahead and tape the joints prior to pouring the SLC. Be careful not to build up over the tape too much. Probably could just use self stick tape and just pour? Be sure to follow instructions for the SLC to a T. Many people create more humps then they correct. SLC need a little help finding its level and they set up fast. Make sure you plug any holes and cracks or you'll have SLC under the porch too. Jaz Thanks, Jaz. I read that tape is not req'd for the Wonderboard joints on floor installations, but it seemed (is it that seamed? ) to be another why not deal... ALSO, this may be a silly question, but... We will attach self-stick foam insulating tape (1 wide by 1/4 thick) around the perimeter of the room/floor to eliminate gaps and keep the SLC from seeping where it shouldn't. We attach that foam tape to the floor, right? It occurred to me that it *could* be stuck to the bottom edge of the wall vs. on the floor surface. I'm becoming completely anal and paranoid about working with the SLC -- can you tell????? I just don't want us to be in the middle of pouring the SLC and have that oh, no! moment! THANKS for all, and we'll keep you posted. Karen I guess Custom Building Products has determined that floor seams just don't need attention because they'll get filled with thinset and since they are fully supported will be fine? They don't require horizontal seams on walls to be taped either if it's an uncut factory edge. Foam tape or rods are fine for that purpose. Remember, SLC's are made to make floors level, however floor do not have to be level to install tiles, they need to be flat. Of course flat and level is ideal. Problem is that some floors are to much out of level and making them level would create problems at the doorways that are now low. Do you follow? If you decide you can't do level, a patching material would be in order to make it flat. Jaz

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