Home Improvements

[Sgt PSN]

Get another nozzle and keep pouring.   

Since it's a tractor, are you pouring the gas directly into the tank or does the fuel have to travel through any length of hose or anything before it actually goes into the tank?    If you're pouring directly into the tank, then you should be able to use a small pair of tongs or something to grab your nozzle.  I know the tractors that we had growing up and even the ones at my mom's house have a fairly wide opening at the fuel cap, and since your nozzle fell in, I'm guessing yours does too.

Not sure if that was helpful info or not, but I can give you a piece of advice for the future.  You ever see those little wire screen filters that people put in the drain of their kitchen sinks to catch food particles and stuff?  Get one of them (or any small piece of wire mesh) and use it when you're refilling the tank.  I can remember my grandfather doing that as a kid and when I asked him why he did that he told me it was to keep bugs and other debris from falling into the tank.   Made sense.   

[Seabiscuit36]

Thanks for the help guys. 

Good point about the wire mesh, I'll just cut a enough to wrap the top of the nozzle, and put a rubber band or clamp on it.  The new gas containers never have the cap on the nozzle anymore, they're the kind that you push the button down for the flow.  They're a pain imo, I prefer the old ones with the cap that your loosen for ventilation/flow. 

And i finally got the pool table assembled Sarge.  Ended up going with a camel as the felt color.  I'm heading out the billiards place now to get the appropriate chalk and other accessories.  I really need to find a proper billiards lamp, but thats going to be something down the road as I definitely dont have the money with the holidays coming up. 

[Geowhizzer]

Found the Beirut of Wolf Spiders this morning under an old tarp. 

Working on getting the outside of the house ready for Christmas deocrations.  Nothing says Christmas like hanging icicle lights in town that hasn't seen even a dusting of snow since 1976.

[Diomedes]

I'll pile on.

Last weekend I installed a new (Simpson) front door.  The old door was garbage.  New on is gorgeous.  Four panels with two lites and a transom above.  Installation was complicated by the rough opening (brick) being out two inches in eight feet.  That's right...two inches in eight feet.  I had accounted for that when I measured and ordered the door, but it still made life a bitch putting the door in.  This weekend I'm working on trim and painting.

On Wednesday, we had a new furnace installed.  Top of the line Trane.  With a humidifier.  Between these two investments I think our monthly gas usage for heat will drop about 20%. 

[Seabiscuit36]

Nice Dio.  Last weekend I finished up installing a storm door that had extensive water damage around it.  It goes into our sunroom, put an andersen thermal pane door.  We knew the door had been left open for probably a few months at the time of purchase, but i didn't expect the subfloor to be rotted out. 

BTW, I was able to fish the nozzle out with a utility flag.  I'm just happy that it didn't involve having to take the entire tank out.  Thanks. 

[Sgt PSN]

I know that if you leave phone chargers and such plugged into the outlet that they are using electricity even when the phone is not connected. Does the same hold true for extension cords?  If you leave one plugged in but don't have anything plugged into it, is it still drawing power?

[rjs246]

I mowed my leaves this weekend.

It improved my home.

[reese125]

I know that if you leave phone chargers and such plugged into the outlet that they are using electricity even when the phone is not connected. Does the same hold true for extension cords?  If you leave one plugged in but don't have anything plugged into it, is it still drawing power?

no. there is no current running through it. phone chargers use a standby current--but its so minimal.

[Sgt PSN]

I didn't think so but just wanted to be sure. 

[charlie]

lick the end, just to be sure

[Sgt PSN]

Good idea. 

[Seabiscuit36]

[Zanshin]

Since I'm planning that birthday party for my wife that was screwed up by the contractor hitting the bricks, I figured I'd give an update.

Not sure where I left off, but I tracked down the contractor's brother after the contractor took off and scared him a little. His brother leaned on the contractor enough that I got back in touch with the guy. Long story short, he sent me money, and sent another contractor money to finish the job. The other contractor, ran off with THAT money, which I essentially said wasn't my problem. So, the house is 99% done, and I received another payment today from the dude in London.

At the end of the day, the house got done and I didn't lose any money...which, all things considered was a minor miracle. Of course that doesn't factor in the angst or follow-up that I needed to do to get this shtein done, but it still beats the hell out of the alternative.

I can't tell you how many people have called me because they lost so much money...one couple lost $200,000. They won a judgement, but the guy is filing bankruptcy and they'll never see it. Brutal.

Anyway, I emerged unscathed, except for the part of my soul that it ate.

[Sgt PSN]

That's good to hear.  You should definitely consider youself lucky on this one.  I didn't think you'd see a dime out of it, let alone get the project completed without having to change contractors and fork over more cash.  So yeah, other than some anxiety, stress and perhaps a few restless nights, sounds like you made out much better than most other people in similar situations. 

[Zanshin]

Yeah, I ended up squeezing another $20,000 of blood from that particular stone. Now he's filing for bankruptcy and trying to fall off of the grid. Good thing I was the one that found his brother, or I would have been shtein out of luck.