How to Fix Stuff

[Bronze]

Don’t forget to clean your AC condensers. Should be annually. I do mine every two years (lazy). Most people never do them (lazier). Then they wonder why their ACs die prematurely. Not a hard job. Millions of you tube vids.

 

[hittman]

Don’t forget to clean your AC condensers. Should be annually. I do mine every two years (lazy). Most people never do them (lazier). Then they wonder why their ACs die prematurely. Not a hard job. Millions of you tube vids.

I forget what it's called but I bought this coil cleaner at Ace that you just spray on and then rinse off. I used it for a few years on the outside before the inside coil started leaking and we got a new unit last year.

 

[Bronze]

I forget what it's called but I bought this coil cleaner at Ace that you just spray on and then rinse off. I used it for a few years on the outside before the inside coil started leaking and we got a new unit last year.

Yeah, that's how most of them work. Cannot use a power washer. You'll cream the fins. Many of those cleaners historically contain lye or similar. Quite caustic so you have to wear appropriate PPE. I use a product called NuBrite. Think I got it off Amazon but not sure. It's an alkaline based product, biodegradable. Works fine.

 

[hittman]

Another thing to remember is if you have a humidifier on your furnace like I do then remember to shut off the humidistat, close off the airflow bypass, shut the water off and remove the water panel to dry or replace. For spring and summer that is.

 

[CMD-Ky]

This was not a fix but a maintenance. Oil and filter change, lube both front and rear drive shaft u-joints, and a partial change of power steering fluid. Last but not least, check the torque on my rear spring u-bolts. I put a set of Sumo Springs (good purchase, no buyer's remorse) on the rear of the truck. I saved a wallet full by installing them myself. It was time to make sure that the rear axle and I remained attached when cruising down the highway.
A twenty year old could have done the whole mess is an hour, it took me three and a half hours. I told Mrs CMD that rather than think of me as declining I prefer she think of me as becoming more meticulous - not rushing through stuff.

 

[Bronze]

I told Mrs CMD that rather than think of me as declining I prefer she think of me as becoming more meticulous - not rushing through stuff.

Yeah, that's the ticket!

Try doing a partial change to your brake fluid too. Get one of them 5-10ml syringes and suck it out of the reservoir as much as possible. Replace the fluid. Do it again after you've driven it somewhere. Repeat a couple/few times. No one thinks to do this but it does extend the life of your master cylinder. Just be careful not to be messy. Don't want contaminates in your brake system. Get the correct brake fluid. Get new fluid. Old fluid absorbs water. No good!

 

[CMD-Ky]

Yeah, that's the ticket!

Try doing a partial change to your brake fluid too. Get one of them 5-10ml syringes and suck it out of the reservoir as much as possible. Replace the fluid. Do it again after you've driven it somewhere. Repeat a couple/few times. No one thinks to do this but it does extend the life of your master cylinder. Just be careful not to be messy. Don't want contaminates in your brake system. Get the correct brake fluid. Get new fluid. Old fluid absorbs water. No good!

I use a turkey baster to change the power steering fluid reservoir each oil change. The first time I did that when I got the truck at 96K miles, that stuff was nasty so I did it over and over for several days so that, now, it always looks good. Toyota Tacoma's use automatic transmission fluid for their P/S units, kind of wierd but that's what the book and the 'tacomaworld.com' folks say.

How often do you do this? How long do you keep a can of break fluid after it has been opened?

 

[Bronze]

I use a turkey baster to change the power steering fluid reservoir each oil change. The first time I did that when I got the truck at 96K miles, that stuff was nasty so I did it over and over for several days so that, now, it always looks good. Toyota Tacoma's use automatic transmission fluid for their P/S units, kind of wierd but that's what the book and the 'tacomaworld.com' folks say.

How often do you do this? How long do you keep a can of break fluid after it has been opened?

I bought a pump I use for jobs like that. Inexpensive. I believe auto parts stores carry them. Amazon too. Designed to screw on oil bottles but can free hand it as well. But a baster works too. Just a little messier. Yes, many power steering systems use tranny oil. As for brake fluid, I buy a new (large bottle) of fluid when I change it out because I'm emptying the reservoir several times over the course of a week or whatever and I use more fluid. Need to do that only every 50- 100K miles. Beyond that I keep a properly sealed small bottle on hand for topping off. But I wouldn't keep it around more than a few years given it is an inexpensive fluid. Just be careful. Brake systems are sensitive to contaminates so be clean. Wipe all around the reservoir before unscrewing cap and be meticulous when putting instruments in the reservoir as well as using clean instruments. Auto repair joints have equipment that will suck out ALL the brake fluid. Ba humbug! The reservoir method is sufficient.

https://www.amazon.com/Slippery-Pet...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

 

[CMD-Ky]

@Bronze

Good info there, General. I am going to give this a go. Do you consider this a bleed of the brakes? My brakes are a bit spongy.

I have some 60 ml plastic syringes from a DIY kit I purchased a long while back. Would those be compatible with break fluid?

 

[Bronze]

@Bronze

Good info there, General. I am going to give this a go. Do you consider this a bleed of the brakes? My brakes are a bit spongy.

I have some 60 ml plastic syringes from a DIY kit I purchased a long while back. Would those be compatible with break fluid?

No. Brake bleeding is another animal altogether. Bleeding purges any air out of the system thru the brake lines. And yes, those syringes would be ideal. But again, keep things clean as you work on this task.

 

[Bronze]

Gutter Guards Final Review

https://www.amazon.com/Raptor-Gutter-Stainless-Micro-Mesh-Contractor-Grade/dp/B07H4VTFQS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=29JAC5E2H85L8&dchild=1&keywords=raptor+gutter+guard&qid=1619184651&sprefix=Raptor+gut,aps,172&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTjU4MjdGU1JIOU1OJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTA1MzM1MThFOUVNUlhLOUVRSCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTk2MzY0MlkzMlhQTzhXQTlVNCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gutter-...cro-Mesh-Gutter-Guard-20-Pack-THD80/300276095

I installed these about a year ago. I wanted a full year before writing a final review. I bought about 2/3rds of mine from Amazon and the other 1/3rd from Home Depot. I have the 5" version. Installation was pretty simple. In my Fall review I gave these a thumbs up for keeping leaves out of my gutters. I'm following up with a Spring review now that pollen season is wrapping up. Truthfully, I thought this would be the real test as we get a very high volume of pollen here...especially pine pollen. Very small particles that coat everything green. When it gets wet the pollen becomes pasty and I was sure it would clog my gutter guards. Nope, they didn't. I brushed them off yesterday and only in a few very small spots where runoff from higher gutters drained did I see any clogging. Cleaned them right up. Had oak catkins completely cover the guards. I never really saw how well they held up to rain because we never had a good rain during this time. But they were matted on there pretty good. I suspect at least some of the runoff would go through the catkins into the gutter but if a heavy downpour some would likely cascade over. But the bottom line is my gutters remain clean and in excellent working order. Therefore these get a solid thumbs up. A 4-1/2 star recommendation. Not perfect because you still have to clean them twice a year with a brush and/or blower. I expected this as there is no such gutter guard that eliminates all cleaning. But the biggest benefit is that no matter the amount of tree debris on the roof these gutters remain clean and doing their job. No clogging in the gutters, downspouts, or drain pipes. They're always in good working order and saving my soffit, fascia, and foundation due to overflow.

I previously cleaned my gutters at least 8 times a year and they still remained clogged more than half the time. Now I clean them 2 times a year and they're never clogged. These guards pay for themselves (easily) by protecting your soffit, fascia, and foundation...not to mention all the time you save by not having to clean gutters all the time. These are a must living among the trees as I do. Good job by KAS sniffing these out.

 

[kas122461]

Gutter Guards Final Review

https://www.amazon.com/Raptor-Gutter-Stainless-Micro-Mesh-Contractor-Grade/dp/B07H4VTFQS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=29JAC5E2H85L8&dchild=1&keywords=raptor+gutter+guard&qid=1619184651&sprefix=Raptor+gut,aps,172&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTjU4MjdGU1JIOU1OJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTA1MzM1MThFOUVNUlhLOUVRSCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTk2MzY0MlkzMlhQTzhXQTlVNCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gutter-...cro-Mesh-Gutter-Guard-20-Pack-THD80/300276095

I installed these about a year ago. I wanted a full year before writing a final review. I bought about 2/3rds of mine from Amazon and the other 1/3rd from Home Depot. I have the 5" version. Installation was pretty simple. In my Fall review I gave these a thumbs up for keeping leaves out of my gutters. I'm following up with a Spring review now that pollen season is wrapping up. Truthfully, I thought this would be the real test as we get a very high volume of pollen here...especially pine pollen. Very small particles that coat everything green. When it gets wet the pollen becomes pasty and I was sure it would clog my gutter guards. Nope, they didn't. I brushed them off yesterday and only in a few very small spots where runoff from higher gutters drained did I see any clogging. Cleaned them right up. Had oak catkins completely cover the guards. I never really saw how well they held up to rain because we never had a good rain during this time. But they were matted on there pretty good. I suspect at least some of the runoff would go through the catkins into the gutter but if a heavy downpour some would likely cascade over. But the bottom line is my gutters remain clean and in excellent working order. Therefore these get a solid thumbs up. A 4-1/2 star recommendation. Not perfect because you still have to clean them twice a year with a brush and/or blower. I expected this as there is no such gutter guard that eliminates all cleaning. But the biggest benefit is that no matter the amount of tree debris on the roof these gutters remain clean and doing their job. No clogging in the gutters, downspouts, or drain pipes. They're always in good working order and saving my soffit, fascia, and foundation due to overflow.

I previously cleaned my gutters at least 8 times a year and they still remained clogged more than half the time. Now I clean them 2 times a year and they're never clogged. These guards pay for themselves (easily) by protecting your soffit, fascia, and foundation...not to mention all the time you save by not having to clean gutters all the time. These are a must living among the trees as I do. Good job by KAS sniffing these out.

Now I just got to get off my lazy ...., and do them at my house. I am planning quite a few projects outside this year, and that is one of them.

KAS

 

[Bronze]

Now I just got to get off my lazy ...., and do them at my house. I am planning quite a few projects outside this year, and that is one of them.

KAS

Pretty fast job actually.

 

[kas122461]

Pretty fast job actually.

Yeah, I have seen some of the installation stuff on them, they will end up being the easiest project I have planned. My house is a 100 year old wood framed house, that the front is in dire need of painting. Also I also have an over grown bush to remove, before I can really start it.

KAS

 

[Bronze]

Yeah, I have seen some of the installation stuff on them, they will end up being the easiest project I have planned. My house is a 100 year old wood framed house, that the front is in dire need of painting. Also I also have an over grown bush to remove, before I can really start it.

KAS

Removing bushes can be a pain. I just pulled one out of the ground with my truck.

 

[kas122461]

Removing bushes can be a pain. I just pulled one out of the ground with my truck.

Oh I know, in 2019 I removed 3 of the worst ones. Then last year 1 more that was not as big, but still a pain. This one is also big and ugly, I can't paint with it there. There are 3 more that I should remove also, but painting is the priority.

KAS

 

[classwife]

Moved this to The Lounge for Bronze

 

[Brewdawg1181]

Gutter Guards Final Review

https://www.amazon.com/Raptor-Gutter-Stainless-Micro-Mesh-Contractor-Grade/dp/B07H4VTFQS/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=29JAC5E2H85L8&dchild=1&keywords=raptor+gutter+guard&qid=1619184651&sprefix=Raptor+gut,aps,172&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTjU4MjdGU1JIOU1OJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTA1MzM1MThFOUVNUlhLOUVRSCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTk2MzY0MlkzMlhQTzhXQTlVNCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gutter-...cro-Mesh-Gutter-Guard-20-Pack-THD80/300276095

I installed these about a year ago. I wanted a full year before writing a final review. I bought about 2/3rds of mine from Amazon and the other 1/3rd from Home Depot. I have the 5" version. Installation was pretty simple. In my Fall review I gave these a thumbs up for keeping leaves out of my gutters. I'm following up with a Spring review now that pollen season is wrapping up. Truthfully, I thought this would be the real test as we get a very high volume of pollen here...especially pine pollen. Very small particles that coat everything green. When it gets wet the pollen becomes pasty and I was sure it would clog my gutter guards. Nope, they didn't. I brushed them off yesterday and only in a few very small spots where runoff from higher gutters drained did I see any clogging. Cleaned them right up. Had oak catkins completely cover the guards. I never really saw how well they held up to rain because we never had a good rain during this time. But they were matted on there pretty good. I suspect at least some of the runoff would go through the catkins into the gutter but if a heavy downpour some would likely cascade over. But the bottom line is my gutters remain clean and in excellent working order. Therefore these get a solid thumbs up. A 4-1/2 star recommendation. Not perfect because you still have to clean them twice a year with a brush and/or blower. I expected this as there is no such gutter guard that eliminates all cleaning. But the biggest benefit is that no matter the amount of tree debris on the roof these gutters remain clean and doing their job. No clogging in the gutters, downspouts, or drain pipes. They're always in good working order and saving my soffit, fascia, and foundation due to overflow.

I previously cleaned my gutters at least 8 times a year and they still remained clogged more than half the time. Now I clean them 2 times a year and they're never clogged. These guards pay for themselves (easily) by protecting your soffit, fascia, and foundation...not to mention all the time you save by not having to clean gutters all the time. These are a must living among the trees as I do. Good job by KAS sniffing these out.

Just put in about 100' of it at my Dad's place. It really is simple and pretty quick. Hardest part was dremeling out the rivets to remove the corner splash guards, or whatever you call them. No good way to put them back, so I left them off.

Parts of it took a little work to pry up underneath with a putty knife, but I just waited until the sun warmed that part, and it was a breeze then. It was a little tricky getting them under a corner like that one with the 45 degree shingle in there, but the straightaways take only minutes each. Reading what you just posted, I maybe should've ordered the brush. Of course, he doesn't get near the mess you do, but it'd probably make things easier.

Glad you posted the review - he was gonna pay a company to install something for probably 5-10 times what it cost me to put some in. Now I have to figure out how to hire someone who'd do a good job putting mine in. Too much of it, and way too high for an old guy like me. My 2-3 story ladder days are over.

 

[Bronze]

Just put in about 100' of it at my Dad's place. It really is simple and pretty quick. Hardest part was dremeling out the rivets to remove the corner splash guards, or whatever you call them. No good way to put them back, so I left them off.
View attachment 940281
Parts of it took a little work to pry up underneath with a putty knife, but I just waited until the sun warmed that part, and it was a breeze then. It was a little tricky getting them under a corner like that one with the 45 degree shingle in there, but the straightaways take only minutes each. Reading what you just posted, I maybe should've ordered the brush. Of course, he doesn't get near the mess you do, but it'd probably make things easier.

Glad you posted the review - he was gonna pay a company to install something for probably 5-10 times what it cost me to put some in. Now I have to figure out how to hire someone who'd do a good job putting mine in. Too much of it, and way too high for an old guy like me. My 2-3 story ladder days are over.

Dawg, someone makes a gizmo for those corners to manage the water flow. I’ve seen it on you tube. Looks like a decent solution. I’ll try to find it and link it for you.

i understand your ladder trepidation. 30s maybe. 60s no.

 

[Brewdawg1181]

Dawg, someone makes a gizmo for those corners to manage the water flow. I’ve seen it on you tube. Looks like a decent solution. I’ll try to find it and link it for you.

i understand your ladder trepidation. 30s maybe. 60s no.

No worries, don't bother digging it up. I've already finished and thrown it away. I figured a little overflow wouldn't kill anyone, anyway.

But yeah, was never fond of heights, but never fond of writing checks, either. So I did plenty of ladder work, slowing down in the 50's, and don't think I've hit 2 stories since 60. At Dad's was the most time I've spent on one in a while. Got a crew coming Monday to clean my gutters, matter of fact. 2nd time in my life I've hired someone for that. But they're quick, do a good job & clean up, and don't cost too much.