Something Random

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
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USA
I was trying to write crapper. That site doesn't work, but it's something Chinese?
I guess the internet is not the issue, but the way it used and quality of content on it is very poor now. Commercial sites have tons of obnoxious video adverts or even normal content that cannot be disabled. Then there is the horrible F*c****k and Tw*t**, and Google and Andoroids tracking you every minute and forcing you to download a crappy app to do something poorly that should not require any app. It's hardly worth it.
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
I got to do some emergency plumbing on Sunday afternoon evening. I went into the basement to turn off a circuit breaker to replace a bad light switch and found puddles of water on the floor. So that suddenly took priority. The dielectric union on the inlet side of the hot water heater had sprung a leak and was spraying a tiny stream of water onto my workbench. It filled up all sorts of things with water. It took me several hours to get most of the water cleaned up, some stuff thrown out, other stuff dried out, and then finally fix the plumbing so I could have hot water again. I got to go out in a near blizzard to buy plumbing parts at the store and then I had the joy of trying to solder brass fittings that just did not want to solder.

Then last night I got to take the new dielectric union apart and had to tighten it onto the pipe from the hot water heater even more since it seemed to have a very slight leak. A drop of water would develop on the threads over the course of several hours. Now it seem to be water tight.

Tonight, I was finally able to replace the faulty light switch. :geek:
 

Handruin

Administrator
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USA
I also had some some emergency plumbing issues on Sunday afternoon that needed the whole house water to be shut off. Fortunately my girlfriend was in the kitchen at the time when the faucet hot water line ruptured. I'm glad she was there to hear it as it was spraying all over the place under the cabinet. The on/off valve under the sink wouldn't turn so she had to go in the basement and turn the water off to the house.

I'm really surprised that a flexible steel hose ruptured like this. The hoses were not replaceable so we had to buy a new kitchen faucet which now comes with the plastic pex hoses. When I pulled the old faucet out, I could see at the top of the cold water line that the steel braiding had also pulled away and may have only been a matter of time before it also ruptured.



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Handruin

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I would call a plumber for specific things. The faucet is a reasonably easy DIY fix. No soldering required for this change.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
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Location
USA
I would be checking the pressure. We had a bad regulator that created several types of damage before they figured it out.
 

Chewy509

Wotty wot wot.
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
3,327
Location
Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia
Seems we all had a plumbing story this week... I had to replace the tap valves in the ensuite shower last week, due the shower having a slight leak with the taps turned off. (The nylon/rubber ends on the valves had deteriorated due to over tightening).
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
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Michigan
I'm really surprised that a flexible steel hose ruptured like this...
FWIW, the hose isn't steel. The steel braid is supposed to prevent bursting of the underlying material (though they can still develop leaks). Clearly it didn't quite work as intended. They sell them as burst proof hoses. I have one for the water line to my fridge. Maybe on my washer also. I'm a little fuzzy on that as I don't look at them frequently (ever?).

Wow, that's not good. :( Am I the only one that just calls a plumber?
Apparently. I'm up to the task of basic to moderate around the house work. I'm generally interested to save the money and I trust my own work. :cool:
 

Handruin

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I was aware that the steel braided hoses weren't just steel, but I was surprised because as you mentioned, they're typically sold as burst-proof and in this case it clearly failed and burst. I also have double lined hoses for the waster hookups. They have the plastic-like material inside, steel braiding, then another rubber-like coating over top of the steel braid. I should probably add a steel braid hose to the fridge waterline...
 

Handruin

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They were installed as part of the faucet probably 8-10 years ago. I wasn't aware there was a 5-7 year window on those.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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The old ones used to last practically forever. I really wonder what manufacturing techniques and materials are used nowadays.
 

DrunkenBastard

Storage is cool
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
775
Location
on the floor
Internet says "An insurance company's study of washing machine hoses says that the average age of a failed hose is 8.7 years. The study recommends replacing both stainless steel braided hoses and rubber hoses every 5 to 7 years. The most common place for a washing machine hose to leak or burst is at the connection.Jan 16, 2017"

I tend to turn the well pump off if away for a while, prob wouldnt be a bad thing to have some kind of leak detection/notification system in place though.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
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16,624
Location
USA
That only covers failed hoses claimed on insurance? I'd expect that some hoses never fail before being replaced for various reasons. I think it makes sense to replace hoses when appliances are changed or remodeling is done.
 

snowhiker

Storage Freak Apprentice
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
1,668
I have rubber hoses on my clothes washing machine. They are 13, going on 14 years old. Every 6 months of so I read a post regarding "burst hoses" and I think, "I should probably replace my hoses" but I never do. {fingers crossed}
 

Chewy509

Wotty wot wot.
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
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Location
Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia
OK: Im impressed. Looks like the Evo started as pretty much a 4 door, street legal race car. Specs are similar to my old 64.5 mustang funny car. 2800 pounds, 350 HP, 5 to 6 speed, and fantastic suspension. I wish they would have had the prices. Must have started around 40-60 grand.
Wish I had one, without the spoilers, in a plain white wrapper...
Actually not.
In this day and age, buy a cheap eco car for the street. Spend 3-5 grand and buy a used Formula Vee. Spend the money on track time.
No radar cops on Sears Point or Laguna Seca.

FYI, 2015 Evo was AU$53,700 (+ on road costs), or it seems in the US, was US$38,805 (+ on road costs) on release.

Agree, locally "hooning" / street racing has become a real problem... It would be nice if they went to the local track(s) for that stuff...

Source: https://www.automobilemag.com/news/...lancer-evolution-final-edition-bids-farewell/

Moved from SSDs thread to here to avoid the SSD thread turning into car talk...
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
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I've seen a few, but those rally type of street cars are not so popular in the US compared to N/A performance cars.
 

Chewy509

Wotty wot wot.
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
3,327
Location
Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia
I've seen a few, but those rally type of street cars are not so popular in the US compared to N/A performance cars.
I think it's a case of the market for mods for Japanese based cars is a lot less than say Ford or Chev, not to mention the "made is US" factor going against foreign designed/made cars...

Likewise here we see a lot of utes being favoured locally... One example...

 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
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16,624
Location
USA
Linikin is BS. I cannot see the profiles of candidates because I don't have an account. :mad:
I don't want an account for obvious reasons.
 

Chewy509

Wotty wot wot.
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
3,327
Location
Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia
On Saturday the family and I ate at McDonalds for the first time in about 6mths. (We were out grocery shopping in an area we don't normally go, so unsure of the local options).

I got a Big Mac meal... My wife asked how the Big Mac was, and I said, "Well, the meat had no flavour, I'm not sure that was meant to be cheese, the bun was sweet, the only thing with any flavour was the sauce, but overall very unsatisfying...",

Her reply, "What did you expect, its McDonald's"...
 

Handruin

Administrator
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USA
I moved into my new home a couple weeks ago and as part of this I knew the first project would be to replace all the 2nd floor carpeting. The house was built in 1985 and I believe the carpets might have been original. They smelled and had all kinds of stains on them.

I spent the weekend doing the demolition of the entire 2nd floor to remove the carpets in preparation for my hardwood contractor that came this morning. The amount of dirt I swept and vacuumed off the subfloor that was under all the carpets was impressively disgusting to me.

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sedrosken

Florida Man
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
1,590
Location
Eglin AFB Area
On my trip up into the Chicago area to see my mother and the rest of that side of the family, I can't say we ever ate in -- but I also can't point to any place we ate and call it particularly bad. The highlights were probably Benihana's -- a bit expensive for my wallet's taste, but very good food I'd say -- and Portillo's italian beef on the way back down. That was honestly what I had been craving ever since I decided I was heading up there, I haven't been in that area in a bit over a decade -- weird to say when my life currently only consists of two of those, plus a handful of months. I think my mom said there's one in Atlanta or something, but other than that, nowhere other than the Chicago area. Odd.

A nice change of pace is that, this time, I didn't get sick while I was up there. Every other time I've been there, I end up sick to my stomach from something or other and end up puking my guts out. Worst thing to happen to me this time was some heartburn... but, I also inherited my mom's acid reflux, so that's at least explainable.

My car, though it definitely needs a fair helping of work, did make the trip just fine. I'm honestly surprised I made the trip alright on my own, this is the first time I've ever driven more than a couple hours at a time. Definitely makes it worth the $700 I paid for it -- though this admittedly was after the 400-ish I dropped on tires and installation, and ~200 on brake pads/rotors/rear brake calipers.
 
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LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,624
Location
USA
Are you receiving medical treatment? Untreated GI issues in youth are not a good sign of things to come later in life.
 

sedrosken

Florida Man
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
1,590
Location
Eglin AFB Area
Nothing official, no, I've just been taking over-the-counter Nexium... err, well, the generic, Omeprazole, at least. One of these days I suppose I ought to haul myself into the doctors, but with every visit being essentially out of pocket until I hit my insurance deductible and money not exactly growing on trees for me, I've kept putting it off since the Omeprazole really does help a ton.
 

sdbardwick

Storage is cool
Joined
Mar 12, 2004
Messages
598
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North San Diego County
Nothing official, no, I've just been taking over-the-counter Nexium... err, well, the generic, Omeprazole, at least. One of these days I suppose I ought to haul myself into the doctors, but with every visit being essentially out of pocket until I hit my insurance deductible and money not exactly growing on trees for me, I've kept putting it off since the Omeprazole really does help a ton.
Are you sure about the cost of an office visit and the deductible? Most plans (unless they are only crappy catastrophic coverage) will only cost you $25 to $50 for an office visit - you don't need to hit the deductible before the 25-50 expense applies.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,624
Location
USA
I've not been infected so I wouldn't know. If I search on the Google I'll probably receive even more. :LOL:
 

sedrosken

Florida Man
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Nov 20, 2013
Messages
1,590
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Eglin AFB Area
Are you sure about the cost of an office visit and the deductible? Most plans (unless they are only crappy catastrophic coverage) will only cost you $25 to $50 for an office visit - you don't need to hit the deductible before the 25-50 expense applies.

Very sure. Already ran into this issue when I was seeing my family doctor for a referral to a podiatrist to get my ingrown nails cut out and the nail beds killed off -- had to pay out of pocket for both. Almost $500 US by the time I was done. I'm sure the procedure at the podiatrist actually was partially covered by my insurance but I still can't afford it. You bet I'm not ever doing that nonsense again -- letting myself get pressured into going to the doctor for something I've been effectively living with for years. I was so used to walking with pain and clipping the nails back that I didn't even really feel it anymore. Basically, I have among the best insurance still offered in the US (only a $3k deductible, paid mostly by my work) and all it's really good for is making sure I'm not in complete and utter financial ruin if I show up to the hospital dying.
 

jtr1962

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 25, 2002
Messages
4,168
Location
Flushing, New York
Very sure. Already ran into this issue when I was seeing my family doctor for a referral to a podiatrist to get my ingrown nails cut out and the nail beds killed off -- had to pay out of pocket for both. Almost $500 US by the time I was done. I'm sure the procedure at the podiatrist actually was partially covered by my insurance but I still can't afford it. You bet I'm not ever doing that nonsense again -- letting myself get pressured into going to the doctor for something I've been effectively living with for years. I was so used to walking with pain and clipping the nails back that I didn't even really feel it anymore. Basically, I have among the best insurance still offered in the US (only a $3k deductible, paid mostly by my work) and all it's really good for is making sure I'm not in complete and utter financial ruin if I show up to the hospital dying.
My philosophy is to avoid doctors at all costs. Both my parents spent ridiculous amounts of time seeing specialists for various ailments. Waste of time. Half the time the doctors didn't even listen. I still remember when my mother went to a doctor for knee or back pain and the doctor tried to push one of those osteoporosis medications on her. This had nothing at all to do with the reason for the visit. Apparently doctors get kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies when they prescribe their pills, so they do so every chance they get.

I'm so used to whatever aches and pains and other issues I have at this point that I just learn to live with them. I don't have insurance anyway. Hate to think how much a doctor's visit would be.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
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USA
Without any medical interventions in the best case I'd in such bad shape as not to be able to work . I don't want to think about the worst case. :( Obviously some aches and pains are natural with ageing, but when you need surgery and medications you need them. Only a masochist wants to be in ill health when there are options.
 

jtr1962

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 25, 2002
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4,168
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Flushing, New York
Unfortunately in this country, we've decided that medical care isn't something you have a right to. Rather, it's a good only available to those who can either pay out of pocket, or are covered by some type of insurance, usually through work. Even the latter doesn't guarantee a serious illness won't bankrupt you. For those not in either category, the only option is to self-medicate and/or just make sure you don't get sick in the first place. At least I'll be covered by Medicare in 8 years and change.
 

Bozo

Storage? I am Storage!
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Feb 12, 2002
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Twilight Zone
I'm on Medicare. Medicare does not cover eyes, teeth, or ears. It also does not cover prescriptions. You will need a supplement. Some of them are free but have limited coverage. So you are back to how healthy can you afford to be. This year we decided to change our supplement company and I spent 4-5 hours a day for a week reading all the fine print in promising supplements. Reading the fine print is a must so you know what exactly is covered and what the copay and deductibles are.
Social security is another mess. There are multiple ways to collect social security and you only get one chance to make the right choice. Once you have made your choice it cannot be changed. My advice, don't try to do it yourself on the net or over the phone. Go into a SS office sit down and talk to a representative.
 

jtr1962

Storage? I am Storage!
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Flushing, New York
I'm on Medicare. Medicare does not cover eyes, teeth, or ears. It also does not cover prescriptions. You will need a supplement. Some of them are free but have limited coverage. So you are back to how healthy can you afford to be. This year we decided to change our supplement company and I spent 4-5 hours a day for a week reading all the fine print in promising supplements. Reading the fine print is a must so you know what exactly is covered and what the copay and deductibles are.
Social security is another mess. There are multiple ways to collect social security and you only get one chance to make the right choice. Once you have made your choice it cannot be changed. My advice, don't try to do it yourself on the net or over the phone. Go into a SS office sit down and talk to a representative.
I've paid out of pocket for the dentist. It's not that bad. Getting coverage for something like that is pointless when the premiums will likely exceed what you get in dental bills. Ditto for prescriptions. My 80-year old mom is on two very inexpensive prescriptions. I'm not on anything. I know Medicare doesn't cover everything but it does cover a lot of the big stuff.

As for Social Security, the main decision is to decide what age you're collecting it at. I made that decision a long time ago. I'm collecting at age 70 to maximize my benefit. The only complication I guess is since Medicaid starts at age 65 I'll have to opt out of Part B since I won't have a Social Security payment to deduct the part B premium from.
 

Bozo

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
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Twilight Zone
JTR: $2400.00 for two root canals is a lot of money to me. That's more than my monthly SS check. $800.00 for three fillings is a lot of money to me.
I take nine different medications a day, some twice a day. They would cost over $600.00 a month if I had to pay for them. Eyeglasses are over $400 without an eye exam. A comprehensive hearing test is almost $300.00. Hearing aids start at $500.00 and go to over $2500.00, for each ear. (I need a hearing aid but it cost too much).
This is just for me and doesn't include my wife.
I'm glad for you if you can afford to pay everything out of pocket. I hope you stay healthy. But, you should go in and talk to a SS representative. Once you make your choices, you can't change them later. Especially if you are married.
I am a veteran and have started going to the VA for a lot of things. They have deductibles too, but it's a lot cheaper.
 
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