The DIY thread - DIYourself

anyone ever use/install one of these before?

Amazon product ASIN B005B9EABU
This morning the wife calls me to the garage and everything in the top freezer section is soft or melted (who needs ice cream in the winter anyway). Lower fridge is fine everything is cold. I have never had this issue before and still think someone may have left the door slightly open but who knows. Doing more research I came across this garage fridge heating kit which basically insulates the thermostat to keep the freezer running when its so cold. The 2 car garage part of my house is within the frame of it, meaning the the garage is under the bedrooms as compared to an external garage. It does get cold in there but not unbearable cold.

I pulled the fridge out and cleaned the coils underneath, checked the lower fan by the coils which is working. Then i took apart the freezer and checked the fan and inspected those coils figuring they were frozen but they look fine.

Before I go drop more $$ i don't have on something else, wondering if this might help if anyone has any experience with this. Hate to buy a new fridge and have the same cold temp problem anyway.


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Did you buy this? I have a fridge in my unheated garage and have this issue on and off all winter.
 
Did you buy this? I have a fridge in my unheated garage and have this issue on and off all winter.
It should be here today. It’s probably the same issue I have even if I never had it happen before.

I’m also going to add a toggle switch to it so I can turn it off in the summer based on some YouTube videos I saw so it doesn’t run too much in the summer.

Updates will be posted here for sure.
 
The number one thing I hate working on is plumbing.

Since I’m off the bike a few days with the calf strain the work assignments started at home.

Shower valve leaking a lot more than it used to. Looked it up easy to find the replacement part. However after previewing several YouTube videos on “Delta cartridge replacement” I came across the very issue I expected and many of the videos warned about.

Can’t get the Bonnet nut (brass ring) off the valve to take the cartridge out. There’s not enough room behind the ring to grab the valve body with anything other than a channel lock which is not really working anyway. I tried to grab the back of the valve with the channel locks and then loosen the nut with a pipe wrench but no luck. I even have my uncles old wrench for plenty of leverage ( nickname is big Bertha)

It’s supposed to spin off but the buildup behind it is probably really bad it’s seized up.

I don’t want to end up like one of the videos and rip the whole valve off and then have to call emergency plumber. I might try soaking the bonnet nut in a rag with white vinegar to break up the water deposits but doubt it will work.

I saw one video where he gently cut a slit in the nut and peeled it off. I will call plumbing supply tmw first to see if they have a new one before I think about trying that since really seems like the only option.

Otherwise I think I’m gonna have to wave the white flag on this one and call someone in. 👎🏻

871B6B6E-46EA-404B-ACE5-57FAEB5A5F2F.jpeg1003D999-AB5E-4D59-B1AA-92B3C35A1D02.jpeg
 
The number one thing I hate working on is plumbing.

Since I’m off the bike a few days with the calf strain the work assignments started at home.

Shower valve leaking a lot more than it used to. Looked it up easy to find the replacement part. However after previewing several YouTube videos on “Delta cartridge replacement” I came across the very issue I expected and many of the videos warned about.

Can’t get the Bonnet nut (brass ring) off the valve to take the cartridge out. There’s not enough room behind the ring to grab the valve body with anything other than a channel lock which is not really working anyway. I tried to grab the back of the valve with the channel locks and then loosen the nut with a pipe wrench but no luck. I even have my uncles old wrench for plenty of leverage ( nickname is big Bertha)

It’s supposed to spin off but the buildup behind it is probably really bad it’s seized up.

I don’t want to end up like one of the videos and rip the whole valve off and then have to call emergency plumber. I might try soaking the bonnet nut in a rag with white vinegar to break up the water deposits but doubt it will work.

I saw one video where he gently cut a slit in the nut and peeled it off. I will call plumbing supply tmw first to see if they have a new one before I think about trying that since really seems like the only option.

Otherwise I think I’m gonna have to wave the white flag on this one and call someone in. 👎🏻

View attachment 178065View attachment 178066
Do you happen to have a strap wrench? The ones with the rubber strap can get some really funky things loose. Even pressure helps as the ring is thin and a metal wrench can sort of push the ring into the threads if its hard to begin with making it harder.
 

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The number one thing I hate working on is plumbing.

Since I’m off the bike a few days with the calf strain the work assignments started at home.

Shower valve leaking a lot more than it used to. Looked it up easy to find the replacement part. However after previewing several YouTube videos on “Delta cartridge replacement” I came across the very issue I expected and many of the videos warned about.

Can’t get the Bonnet nut (brass ring) off the valve to take the cartridge out. There’s not enough room behind the ring to grab the valve body with anything other than a channel lock which is not really working anyway. I tried to grab the back of the valve with the channel locks and then loosen the nut with a pipe wrench but no luck. I even have my uncles old wrench for plenty of leverage ( nickname is big Bertha)

It’s supposed to spin off but the buildup behind it is probably really bad it’s seized up.

I don’t want to end up like one of the videos and rip the whole valve off and then have to call emergency plumber. I might try soaking the bonnet nut in a rag with white vinegar to break up the water deposits but doubt it will work.

I saw one video where he gently cut a slit in the nut and peeled it off. I will call plumbing supply tmw first to see if they have a new one before I think about trying that since really seems like the only option.

Otherwise I think I’m gonna have to wave the white flag on this one and call someone in. 👎🏻

View attachment 178065View attachment 178066

Do you have a file? Is so you can file a groove into the nut then use a screwdriver and a hammer to tap it off.

Screenshot_20220206-162051_Cricut Design Space.jpg
 
Do you happen to have a strap wrench? The ones with the rubber strap can get some really funky things loose. Even pressure helps as the ring is thin and a metal wrench can sort of push the ring into the threads if its hard to begin with making it harder.
Thanks I don’t but that might be an option. Wish I thought of that when I was at lowes.
 
Do you have a file? Is so you can file a groove into the nut then use a screwdriver and a hammer to tap it off.

View attachment 178090
This might be the best option but first I want to make sure I can get a replacement bonnet nut from the plumbing supply tmw.

The current one now has a few bite marks from the pipe wrench.

It would be great not to pay a plumber since I just dropped a big deposit to the HVAC guy for the replacement furnace.
 
This might be the best option but first I want to make sure I can get a replacement bonnet nut from the plumbing supply tmw.

The current one now has a few bite marks from the pipe wrench.

It would be great not to pay a plumber since I just dropped a big deposit to the HVAC guy for the replacement furnace.
Can you use a torch to heat the nut a bit?
 
i was thinking this - the hammering may do it better than constant,high torque - like that bolt pulled from the shock in the other thread.
Yea I am working about using any kind of wrench at this point for fear of torquing the valve body off like some of the other pics I’ve seen online (thankfully this is not me)





C2600277-713F-47C5-AB85-4309E43DCF9B.jpegDC965E0D-92A8-4483-B6B1-7918F855C8F2.jpeg
 
This might be the best option but first I want to make sure I can get a replacement bonnet nut from the plumbing supply tmw.

The current one now has a few bite marks from the pipe wrench.

It would be great not to pay a plumber since I just dropped a big deposit to the HVAC guy for the replacement furnace.
You would still be able to use the same one. Your not cutting all the way through it. Just enough to get a bite with the screwdriver
 
That time of year- it gets cold out, and we get random weird noises in the house...

Last night heard noise coming from a decommissioned run of duct work-
From the sound of it, I couldn’t determine what it was and didn’t want to deal with anything that flies, so I waited for today.

There’s an access panel right where the noise was coming from, found these guys.
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83BD92E5-94D4-4752-9133-1C8943C3F0DA.jpeg
Cute AF, but you don’t pay rent and you carry disease. 2 live, 1 not so live.

As I guessed, they pushed through a sheet metal plate blocking the duct under the insulation, could get through, but not back out and straight vertical run to nowhere.

I couldn’t coax them out, so pulled up the blocking plate and sent them out they way they came in.
Weighted the plate with bricks until I can seal it up better.
May just line the edges with steel wool.
No one likes chewing steel wool.
 
tell me it is the back of a closet behind the valve ??
To clarify again that damaged valve is NOT my house. I stopped trying to remove it well before any disaster like that occurred.

In fact put it all back together like it was before and it’s not leaking worse so that’s a win.

There’s a very good plumbing supply place just down the road I will call them tmw to see if they have the bonnet nut before I consider trying again.
 
That time of year- it gets cold out, and we get random weird noises in the house...

Last night heard noise coming from a decommissioned run of duct work-
From the sound of it, I couldn’t determine what it was and didn’t want to deal with anything that flies, so I waited for today.

There’s an access panel right where the noise was coming from, found these guys.
View attachment 178108

View attachment 178109

View attachment 178110
Cute AF, but you don’t pay rent and you carry disease. 2 live, 1 not so live.

As I guessed, they pushed through a sheet metal plate blocking the duct under the insulation, could get through, but not back out and straight vertical run to nowhere.

I couldn’t coax them out, so pulled up the blocking plate and sent them out they way they came in.
Weighted the plate with bricks until I can seal it up better.
May just line the edges with steel wool.
No one likes chewing steel wool.

I found Stewart little last night as well, I set traps when we hit winter every year and usually catch 2. Last year had none so I was surprised when I heard it fighting to get out the trap(non lethal) drove down the road to a house where a guy always speeds past my house and let him go in his driveway. Hope they get along
 
To clarify again that damaged valve is NOT my house. I stopped trying to remove it well before any disaster like that occurred.

In fact put it all back together like it was before and it’s not leaking worse so that’s a win.

There’s a very good plumbing supply place just down the road I will call them tmw to see if they have the bonnet nut before I consider trying again.

Really - what is behind your valve? just in case.
Plus you can upgrade to kohler while you are at it.

or (i think)
Amazon product ASIN B001DU0GLY
 
The other side of the wall is the kitchen/pantry ( I think) which really won’t end well if I screw it up.

I saw them on Amazon but want to make sure I get the correct one cause with my luck I always come back with the wrong one.

Go to the plumbing supply on 206 I went in with a picture that was done in the spirit of the Blair witch project, guy just pulled it from right behind the desk after 2 days of Lowes and home Depot
 
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