The Home Improvement Thread

[Slava]

If this is the year I finally put a filter on top of my eaves, and it might be! Does anyone know if I’d have to take them off and clean the eaves each year? I’m debating whether it’s worth doing, and if you have to take them off and reinstall because spruce needles still get in and cause issues, I’ll probably skip this.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

How often do you have to change the rod? I've always moved homes before I've needed to do that task.

Our, now defunct apparently, hot water tank installer wrote every 5 years *or* drain the tank once a year. My wife notes that the heater was making a very disconcerting noise every once in a while, like a woodpecker was stuck inside trying to get out. Anyway, it happened to coincide with 5 years, so… I guess it served as a reminder, even if it’s not necessarily the cause or even required right now, but it’s also not expensive.

[kevman]

Originally Posted by Slava

If this is the year I finally put a filter on top of my eaves, and it might be! Does anyone know if I’d have to take them off and clean the eaves each year? I’m debating whether it’s worth doing, and if you have to take them off and reinstall because spruce needles still get in and cause issues, I’ll probably skip this.

We've got mesh on our eaves and haven't cleaned them in 12 years. They appear to still drain and don't leak.

But we've also never replaced the hot water tank anode so we're not model home owners when it comes to maintenance.

[Geraldsh]

Originally Posted by timun

An aluminum heater? WhoTF builds an aluminum heater? Granted I don't work on residential stuff, but I've never seen an aluminum tank...



Magnesium rods will tend to "do better" in the sense that Mg it's more electronegative than aluminum.

That said, because it is more electronegative and more readily corrodes, it will also react more readily with minerals in your water supply. What can happen with Mg anode rods in hard water—like Calgary's—is that the Mg rod reacts so readily with mineral ions in the water that it becomes covered in scale and stops effectively protecting the tank long before the supply of Mg is actually depleted. I've seen functionally useless Mg anode rods pulled out of tanks covered in white crust.

As such, more often than not, in my (admittedly institutional/commercial/light industrial) experience, anode rods sold in the Calgary market are de facto aluminum.



I'm surprised Rheem has any particular material recommendation at all.

You will find aluminum water heaters in RVs, which is where I got my experience with them. You want to use an anode rod that reacts with the water contaminants more readily than the body of the heater does. Inspect yearly if not even more frequently and change out as needed. The idea is to avoid buying a new heater.

[Sliver]

I've never replaced a hot water tank anode, either. I just say #### it and replace the whole hot water tank if it starts giving me trouble.

[Geraldsh]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I've never replaced a hot water tank anode, either. I just say #### it and replace the whole hot water tank if it starts giving me trouble.

Think of your childrens’ inheritance for once.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Geraldsh

Think of your childrens’ inheritance for once.

He is. He's gifting them hot water after he's gone.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I've never replaced a hot water tank anode, either. I just say #### it and replace the whole hot water tank if it starts giving me trouble.

I feel the same way about the “check engine” light on the car.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Geraldsh

You will find aluminum water heaters in RVs, which is where I got my experience with them. You want to use an anode rod that reacts with the water contaminants more readily than the body of the heater does. Inspect yearly if not even more frequently and change out as needed. The idea is to avoid buying a new heater.

Ah, I've never futzed around with an RV water heater. Like I said, I've never seen an aluminum water heater in a house; I don't believe such a thing exists, and if it does it's exceedingly rare.

[Ferarri]

Looking to modernize my garage door and do a contemporary frosted glass look for a double car size. Any ideas how much something like that would cost? All companies I google ask to contact for a free quote but I kind of want a ballpark range.

[kevman]

We just put in a pair of single doors and the glazing of a single panel added about 20%. For a single door that's 9'w x 8'h it was about $1,600 for a standard R13 door and $2,000 for a R13 door with a single panel glazed. You could extrapolate that to $3,600 or so to get all 5 panels glazed and then double it again if you needed an 18' wide door. Openers were around $800 for wifi side openers.

[Ferarri]

Originally Posted by kevman

We just put in a pair of single doors and the glazing of a single panel added about 20%. For a single door that's 9'w x 8'h it was about $1,600 for a standard R13 door and $2,000 for a R13 door with a single panel glazed. You could extrapolate that to $3,600 or so to get all 5 panels glazed and then double it again if you needed an 18' wide door. Openers were around $800 for wifi side openers.

Thanks for the info!

[RW99]

Any recommendations for an installer of a dog door into an exterior wall with vinyl siding? And no, I can't do DYI projects, I'd get frustrated and quit, plus the spouse is well aware of my abilities and won't let me do it either

[kcin]

Ballpark cost to upgrade from 100 amp to 200 amp panel? Not a super old house (2007) if that makes any difference.

[speede5]

Ask about just changing the breaker itself, a house of that age should have a panel capable.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by kcin

Ballpark cost to upgrade from 100 amp to 200 amp panel? Not a super old house (2007) if that makes any difference.

I'm assuming with it being 2007 it's an underground service, is the transformer located in an alley or in front of your house / a neighbors? Depending on the size of conductor they may or may not need to upgrade the cable.

If you call enmax and ask about minor service orders (MSO) they can probably direct you to the right person.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by speede5

Ask about just changing the breaker itself, a house of that age should have a panel capable.

If it's a 100A panel then it's a 100A panel. If you are looking to add a 50A EV charger and have say a hot tub, A/C, etc then you typically need to upgrade from a 100A panel.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Back to water heaters, any recommendations on companies for a replacement? Ours is on it's last legs and I'd prefer to get it changed before it's an emergency situation

[Fuzz]

I just got an on demand from Benner. I was in the same oat as you, but put it off until it leaked all over. :/ Service was great, but prices are probably higher than others.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

If it's a 100A panel then it's a 100A panel. If you are looking to add a 50A EV charger and have say a hot tub, A/C, etc then you typically need to upgrade from a 100A panel.

The panelboard may be rated for 200 A, but only has a 100 A main breaker in it. It's not all that uncommon for panelboard rating to be higher than the main breaker; I know several people who have 100 A services, with a 100 A main breaker, but their panels are otherwise rated for 125 A or 150 A.