Home Decorating, Renovations & Remodeling

A bunch of accumulated shit (no pun int ended). My house is a smorgasbord of various types and sizes of pipes, and we have to unclog the upstairs every so often. I think all of that piled up at the transition from cast iron to PVC at the front of the house.
oy. so do you need a snake on hand or you just call in the fixer every few months?
 
You should eat more fiber if your shits are so big they routinely clog the pipes.
 
Sadly - I get sewage blocks frequently - once or twice a year. I share the main pipe to the road with my neighbour and it runs down the centre of her driveway - about 1 metre down. Mine runs across to it. Luckily its about a metre below my house level and the overflow outlet is on a concrete driveway so when it blocks it runs down to another rainwater drain.

I have to get a high pressure outfit from the hire place. - costs me about $180 and 4 hours work to pick it up, unload, blow shit away and pack up and deliver back. As opposed to $500 for a plumber with similar equipment.

https://www.kennards.com.au/cleanin...e-washers/pressure-washer-2000psi-petrol.html

https://www.kennards.com.au/plumbing/pipe-cleaning-maintenance/drain-blast-hose-30m.html

Last block happened about 6 weeks ago - but just as I was about to go to hire place - Ms fxh said theres a drain bloke next door. I went and talked to him and Mrs Nextdoor had hired him as it was blocked her side. He'd told her to send half the bill to me as it was shared - "Thanks a lot maaate" I said. But I suspect she didn't understand so I've heard nothing. Shes a bit funny and we cant talk to her. Its a long story.

Next time it happens on m side I think I'll pay to get a video and spot exactly what and where it is. I think its small plant roots into old pipe.

Neighbours up the road had a block a few weeks ago and had to get a whole new pipe and trench dug to road. As there is a hill theirs was down 4 metres! I heard their initial quote was $30k. I must ask what it ended up costing.
 
^Just wait until doghouse doghouse starts posting about excavating, digging trenches and laying pipe!

Laying pipe in a deep wet hole, down in the box.

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This is going up next door. Theres another one on the other side of it. Could be a lot worse.
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Put a pellet stove in the BC house.

electric heat was was stupid expensive in winter.

Will reduce heating costs by a factor of 10

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Compressed wood pellets made from leftovers from the lumber industry. Combo of sawdust and hardwood and/or soft wood. About 90% efficiency at the top end.

1 bag per day at $5 a bag when you buy a pallet of 54 bags.

Affordable source of heat. In the dead of winter we had electric heat bills of $1300 a month.

$40,000 to hook up to the natural gas line is ridiculous. Propane costs about as much as electric these days.

Stove has a thermostat unlike a traditional wood stove so do can dial in what temperature you want.

No fire going dead in the middle of the night. Just fill the hopper and it auto feeds.
IMG_9428.JPG
 
Compressed wood pellets made from leftovers from the lumber industry. Combo of sawdust and hardwood and/or soft wood. About 90% efficiency at the top end.

1 bag per day at $5 a bag when you buy a pallet of 54 bags.

Affordable source of heat. In the dead of winter we had electric heat bills of $1300 a month.

$40,000 to hook up to the natural gas line is ridiculous. Propane costs about as much as electric these days.

Stove has a thermostat unlike a traditional wood stove so do can dial in what temperature you want.

No fire going dead in the middle of the night. Just fill the hopper and it auto feeds.
View attachment 25168
mmh never heard of it here. Sounds interesting.

I have gas hot water, gas ducted heating and gas cooking - through winter ** months it costs around aud$5.30 a day for gas. Electricity running at aud$3.30 a day. I buy a tonne (trailer load) of split dry high density wood (red gum/grey box) each winter for open fires - more mood and hygge/gezelligheid than real heating.

** Mind you as the joke goes you'd probably call our winter a heatwave.
 
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$1300 a month? Is that standard?

When it is cold and you are using electric baseboards or space heaters. That isn't every month throughout the year

I've had $3000 bills when heating the barn with electric heaters when it is -25+
 
mmh never heard of it here. Sounds interesting.

I have gas hot water, gas ducted heating and gas cooking - through winter ** months it costs around aud$5.30 a day for gas. Electricity running at aud$3.30 a day. I buy a tonne (trailer load) of split dry high density wood (red gum/grey box) each winter for open fires - more mood and hygge/gezelligheid than real heating.

** Mind you as the joke goes you'd probably call our winter a heatwave.

Well I would prefer gas but I'm not paying $40,000 to have it brought to the house.

We have gas heat & hot water in the house in Saskatchewan and when it is double digit below zero we can have $600 per month bills. But that includes the attached suite.

Gas is best by far convenience.

But his pellet technology is pretty cool. And at $150 a month for heat it's pretty reasonable.

Cost of the stove is about the same as a gas furnace
 
Well I would prefer gas but I'm not paying $40,000 to have it brought to the house.

We have gas heat & hot water in the house in Saskatchewan and when it is double digit below zero we can have $600 per month bills. But that includes the attached suite.

Gas is best by far convenience.

But his pellet technology is pretty cool. And at $150 a month for heat it's pretty reasonable.

Cost of the stove is about the same as a gas furnace
Do you have central air? If So, does the heat from the stove travel through the ducts? If not, how does it heat the whole house?
 
Do you have central air? If So, does the heat from the stove travel through the ducts? If not, how does it heat the whole house?

No central air. Just a window one. No ducts.

Stove has a blower on it and heat is circulated by ceiling fans
 
No central air. Just a window one. No ducts.

Stove has a blower on it and heat is circulated by ceiling fans
forgive me for the dumb questions but i'm unfamiliar with this type of setup. wouldn't it be stifling in the room with the furnace and then progressively colder in the rooms located around it? i assume its somewhere centrally located for maximum dispersion through the house?
 
Well I would prefer gas but I'm not paying $40,000 to have it brought to the house.

We have gas heat & hot water in the house in Saskatchewan and when it is double digit below zero we can have $600 per month bills. But that includes the attached suite.

Gas is best by far convenience.

But his pellet technology is pretty cool. And at $150 a month for heat it's pretty reasonable.

Cost of the stove is about the same as a gas furnace
Gas here is getting more expensive every week. Our stupid government has had its head in the sand and now we re exporting as to Japan etc at 30% of the price (on long term contracts set a few years ago) local consumers and industry pay.

If you are building greenfield now its a no brainer to go electric/solar. Panels on roof, reverse cycle air con/heat pumps, and heat pump solar boosted hot water and induction cooking. In most places depending on feed in tariffs you can actually get electric companies paying you or at least get to near break even on power/heating/cooling. Summer is straightforward - times of high cooling demand are usually good for solar. With improved battery technology you can store enough too. So people avoid getting hooked up to the gas grid at all - as the connection/fixed charges are rising too.

However retro fitting is bloody expensive - I'd need to get new, hot water, new heating in half the house and new cooking. Plus solar panels. And contrary to what the hype merchants tout about solar there is a lot of maintenance and tweaking etc required, by skilled people not DIY, once solar is in. I estimate it would cost me around $30,000++ to go off the gas grid and perhaps reach break even yearly costs on electricity. But that would only save me around $2,000 a year maximum more likely I'd save around $1,000- $1,500. I'd be dead before pay back. The big tipping point will be when battery storage prices drop down a lot.
 
forgive me for the dumb questions but i'm unfamiliar with this type of setup. wouldn't it be stifling in the room with the furnace and then progressively colder in the rooms located around it? i assume its somewhere centrally located for maximum dispersion through the house?

Not stifling, set the temp for what you want.

It is not an ideal system because there is no ductwork but that is not an option.

So yes, heating is not done evenly but the vast majority of the house is open and connected so there is a noticeable difference in warmth throughout.

It is like a wood stove in a cabin. But more controllable.
 
forgive me for the dumb questions but i'm unfamiliar with this type of setup. wouldn't it be stifling in the room with the furnace and then progressively colder in the rooms located around it? i assume its somewhere centrally located for maximum dispersion through the house?
I've had experience with wood heaters - less efficient than thruth's set up - that burn 24/7 if kept stoked. After a few days of 24hrs on low heat it does permeate through somewhat more than you might expect although it is hotter near the heater.
 
Gas here is getting more expensive every week. Our stupid government has had its head in the sand and now we re exporting as to Japan etc at 30% of the price (on long term contracts set a few years ago) local consumers and industry pay.

If you are building greenfield now its a no brainer to go electric/solar. Panels on roof, reverse cycle air con/heat pumps, and heat pump solar boosted hot water and induction cooking. In most places depending on feed in tariffs you can actually get electric companies paying you or at least get to near break even on power/heating/cooling. Summer is straightforward - times of high cooling demand are usually good for solar. With improved battery technology you can store enough too. So people avoid getting hooked up to the gas grid at all - as the connection/fixed charges are rising too.

However retro fitting is bloody expensive - I'd need to get new, hot water, new heating in half the house and new cooking. Plus solar panels. And contrary to what the hype merchants tout about solar there is a lot of maintenance and tweaking etc required, by skilled people not DIY, once solar is in. I estimate it would cost me around $30,000++ to go off the gas grid and perhaps reach break even yearly costs on electricity. But that would only save me around $2,000 a year maximum more likely I'd save around $1,000- $1,500. I'd be dead before pay back. The big tipping point will be when battery storage prices drop down a lot.

I looked at solar and the price is as ridiculous or worse than getting gas into the place.

Geothermal would have been $50k

No one (Feds or provinces) is giving grants or low interest long term loans to entice people to switch partially or fully to other forms of power.
 
Thruth - there is a lot of talk here (amongst the leading edge) about heating the person not the house and stuff like ceramic panels on ceilings etc. Those that have it swear by it - but IMO heating and cooling is often very subjective and matter of lifestyle and preferences and hard to make universal rules. F'rinstance we never heat house after 11 pm or before 7 am or if we are out. Nor do we heat bedrooms very often. But I know others who do all these things and others who have barely any heating except a warm tracksuit and a blanket over their knees on the couch.
 
Compressed wood pellets made from leftovers from the lumber industry. Combo of sawdust and hardwood and/or soft wood. About 90% efficiency at the top end.

1 bag per day at $5 a bag when you buy a pallet of 54 bags.

Affordable source of heat. In the dead of winter we had electric heat bills of $1300 a month.

$40,000 to hook up to the natural gas line is ridiculous. Propane costs about as much as electric these days.

Stove has a thermostat unlike a traditional wood stove so do can dial in what temperature you want.

No fire going dead in the middle of the night. Just fill the hopper and it auto feeds.
View attachment 25168

First, electric heat. OLO. Are you serious?

Secondly, how far away is the gas main they are gonna charge 40k to serve you? Usually they give you a service for free to sell you the gas. You must be even more in the sticks than i thought.

I did a big site job here for a wood pellet processing facility. Think it all goes to Europe though.
 
Looks like we're getting the wooden floor downstairs re-varnished, what a pain that will be for a week. Hopefully I can shift the family out to Center Parcs for the duration.
 
First, electric heat. OLO. Are you serious?

Secondly, how far away is the gas main they are gonna charge 40k to serve you? Usually they give you a service for free to sell you the gas. You must be even more in the sticks than i thought.

I did a big site job here for a wood pellet processing facility. Think it all goes to Europe though.

The gas line crosses my property. It would be But the cost is quoted from the town which
First, electric heat. OLO. Are you serious?

Secondly, how far away is the gas main they are gonna charge 40k to serve you? Usually they give you a service for free to sell you the gas. You must be even more in the sticks than i thought.

I did a big site job here for a wood pellet processing facility. Think it all goes to Europe though.

Yup. When the house was built the guy just used a wood fireplace and had a few wall mounted electric heaters.

The gas line cuts right through my property, but the gas company quotes it from town which is 5 miles away.

It would be cheaper if others around here would go for gas too but they won't.
 
The gas line crosses my property. It would be But the cost is quoted from the town which


Yup. When the house was built the guy just used a wood fireplace and had a few wall mounted electric heaters.

The gas line cuts right through my property, but the gas company quotes it from town which is 5 miles away.

It would be cheaper if others around here would go for gas too but they won't.
They won't tap it for you? That's fucking horseshit mang.
 
The gas line crosses my property. It would be But the cost is quoted from the town which


Yup. When the house was built the guy just used a wood fireplace and had a few wall mounted electric heaters.

The gas line cuts right through my property, but the gas company quotes it from town which is 5 miles away.

It would be cheaper if others around here would go for gas too but they won't.


Oh, and I recommend a wood fired baseboard radiator system.
 

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