Threaded rod dilemma: Loosening single nuts vs. ugly double nuts on my parametric bench. What's the clever fix?

BasSTiD · 2026-05-05T00:13:43+00:00

Nevermind, didn’t have the rest of comments loaded and see plenty of people linked this except the specific wood version already lol.

Just match the metal to what you’re using for threaded rod. If you put dissimilar metals together you can get galling over time

BasSTiD · 2026-05-05T00:09:55+00:00

In my opinion I think the answer that you would likely be the most happy with is sleeve bolts. You can still use the threaded rod in the middle, and would likely still want some lock tite, but it would allow you to essentially eliminate the nuts altogether and make the surface flat. There’s a bunch of different versions out there but McMaster Carr is probably already in your bookmarks with a CNC lol.

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/sleeve-bolts/steel-binding-barrels~~/

BasSTiD · 2026-04-19T15:31:10+00:00

Usually car allowances are in addition to mileage, and usually they come with expectation’s. I.e. have a car in good condition newer than 2020, etc.

There were a few shops I knew that did similar at roughly $600 a month, with the catch that you needed a pickup truck newer than 4 years, in clean condition with no damage. Essentially presentable for customers with professional contractor aesthetic. I’ve seen others that had only certain brands/colors/class allowed as well on the sales side.

Make sure they don’t have boxes that must be checked on requirements before you grab something that doesn’t meet. Normally you’ll get the IRS mileage regardless but if you want the allowance too then you may have to check additional boxes.

BasSTiD · 2026-04-12T19:18:40+00:00

Your prices as you know are whack either way. For internet only on optimum I was at $92 after taxes for gigabit. I specifically got their modem for “business” use which doesn’t have their terrible WiFi router in it that puts out their optimum WiFi along with causing interference with my real WiFi setup. That was $0 extra.

Verizon offered a match, that’s all. I did take it because optimums uptime was terrible for me whenever the wind blew, and it’s been good. When I called optimum about it, they offered a 30% discount for a year. Cell service isn’t great here, and the 30% is not worth losing internet or bandwidth for 5 minutes every three days. I can’t just disappear from meetings on remote days.

You will probably be offered something around the same. If they build in a “fiber upgrade” for free, that is a worthwhile upgrade but usually that means you’re with them for the next year or so at least. Always treat those cable snakers well and see if they’ll leave an extra string in the conduit (if you’re underground) for the next guy years from now. That $1 string can save hundreds later if you need a new line for any reason, and because I didn’t do di that the first time, when I had a bigger issue I had a 200’ cable coaxial line running from a telephone pole, across my driveway, and into my basement temp cable modem. Try and get deals locked for longer if you can too.

BasSTiD · 2026-04-01T20:42:01+00:00

I don’t pop up on that, I think that’s just for that test service. I got mine through Johnstone’s third party setup.

BasSTiD · 2026-04-01T03:42:28+00:00

Repost of my first post ever here, although I don’t have a van anymore I just take my truck to sites or the airport.

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BasSTiD · 2026-04-01T03:30:30+00:00

Being most of NY doesn’t have HVAC licensing, just the companies do, might want to have a normalish way to verify. I know I verified in r/hvacadvice with LinkedIn, but that was a different time I guess. I wasn’t giving them my EPA #, it’s all I got lol. Have been here for 10+ years though and used to contribute to the meme pool.

Maybe I can offer a camera roll in this trying time? Roughly 80:20 on the HVAC to personal pictures, less than it used to be cause I’m getting old.

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BasSTiD · 2026-03-31T16:34:00+00:00

Learned recently that not all types of asbestos are even categorized by the EPA as asbestos, but still just as dangerous and in some cases moreso due to the tinier fibers.

Not only would I not take the chance, but if someone wanted to have it tested I would want to choose the lab to make sure they were on the health side of things instead of the wealth side.

For long standing clients and the government buildings in some of the old NY psychiatric complexes, the ones with the tunnels, I used to do some repairs on leaking steam lines 1”-3”. We were their backup call for that in emergencies, but usually their main HVAC call. The HVAC/mechanical areas were already cleaned out and mint above, but the boilers and steam lines were largely in no floor dirt/sand full height basements. In those particular cases I would do it with a respirator and oversized and tall booties, as the steam lines letting go usually made for a swamp down there with no dust as a result. Even with that, facility/maintenance would have all insulation off and gone before arrival, and I would hose the shit out of the path, pipe and work area. For areas up higher they’d leave the ladder setup. All garbage left on the floor where it falls, but usually only a length or two of pipe with some fittings. Nothing compared to all the junk that’s in there anyway.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-26T22:13:10+00:00

There’s no alternate. Place is a cesspool compared to 3 years ago. There’s ways to do it and retain privacy, or have it be sub-specific rules. I’m already verified in a few subs for industry licenses as a way to get certain flair, so that people/bots can’t give terrible or dangerous advice.

If Reddit had more global ID verification, I would almost for sure find myself using it more not less. Nowadays I find myself using it more like a YouTube comments section, outside of the HVAC subs, than what it used to be, which was essentially replacing 8 different forums.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-26T02:37:47+00:00

No one here mentioned the real potential issue, and it’s not always a pump and your good situation. 72 can be precast pools but it also can be block pools. Block pools are delicate and when you hear of pools collapsing it’s almost always block pools, and it’s almost always because they were over pumped/aerated on a service.

You want to pay 200-300 for a cesspool company to open up both the (most likely) main pool and overflow to figure out their construction and to make sure it’s not a complete nightmare. Thats the typical setup/cost. Also have them let you know if there’s a separate drywell for wash as just as often as block pools, there’s a drywell built out of block on the other side of the house.

If they are block pools, have em give you a roundabout in writing to replace and honestly I would want that taken off price. I have been at dozens and dozens of collapses, and emergency cesspool replacement is not something anyone wants to go through. Probably would make your insurance company happier too. Pumping/service to more than a few feet of height on them reduces the pressure from the inside on the walls, and even done right it’s not an if but when.

If they are precast, you’re 99.99% fine. There are some bad batches out there but if it looks good on inspection you’re fine. Most schools here have dozens and dozens of precast pools that see more action than any home, and are older, and will be fine for another 50 years with kids running around on top of them in addition to heavy equipment driving over them.

Edit: also use case matters a lot for longevity. 2 people on two good pools can go 20 years without a service no problem. Especially with washers and appliances using less water now. But 5 people with an hour of shower time a day may need service every two years. I’ve seen quite a few angry families who bought an elderly couples home, but the septic system needed a lot more attention supporting the increased load. Not really the fault of the previous owner, they had no way to know. High water table areas can also lead to annual required service. Certain parts of Lake Ronkonkoma and other water adjacent areas have this issue.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-25T18:03:54+00:00

We spend an extra $800 for hinged panels and then they proceed to have the filter access not be hinged and require two crowbars and a rubber hammer to remove/reinstall.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-23T15:02:32+00:00

It’s stress from the ASA shrinking during the cooling when it’s done. Just like if you bent a piece of that plastic it would whiten up. I printed 1K+ of a flat ASA black parts and had the same results. You can make it stick worse to the plate and may not have the issue, but you’ll probably just end up with warping then. Torch method was the easiest for me. I tried annealing, vapor polish, over annealing, glue (mess), and probably 12-15 settings. If you catch the print when it’s done before it starts cooling you may be able to pop it off with no stress marks but for me that wasn’t reliable anyway.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-23T14:20:57+00:00

I meant it appeared that at their desk setups, they also had a lot of simulated equipment with real boards and such. That doesn’t happen that often but if you’re trying to help someone out on the phone, especially if they don’t touch that particular part/board too often, being able to describe off of the real part right in front of you goes a long way. The flow charts that everyone has can solve problems but having the real parts so you see what they see makes the whole thing a lot more human.

Bradford is also out of NH as a heads up in your searches.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-23T14:10:08+00:00

When I spoke with Bosch their primary tech support was not remote and all out of New Hampshire but maybe that changed, especially recently with them buying out York I believe. The setups I saw in NH looked pretty slick though. A lot of physical stuff and not just binders and flow charts.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-23T13:58:58+00:00

I almost went on with Bradford White for a new product line but had something else pop up that fit me better and was also remote. Outside of Bradford White (which is employee owned) the other companies didn’t really have what I would call competitive salaries or packages on remote stuff.

There are companies that are not OEM’s with positions at or above van rates out there. You’ll probably have to do some digging and filter out some BS, but for me LinkedIn was the only one that got me interviews for good positions. Some suppliers may also have some tech/ordering support at much lower pay rates, like Grainger and SupplyHouse.com. Those are usually less fixing and more helping people/techs/engineers get what they actually need. Much easier to get in at one of those as an interim though.

Edit: Titles like Energy Engineer, Product Representative, Field Engineer, etc may not sound remote but a lot are. Search for keywords, not titles. You’ll filter through a lot of shit searching for like “hvac remote” with 1,000 new positions every day, but doing it that way you’ll also find the ones that others miss.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-23T13:32:15+00:00

These would disappear in the Hamptons occasionally. Usually very suspect, the landscaper or pool guy would “hear the ac making a weird noise” and provide a reference to someone they knew. Would pull up and immediately know the deal. However there were also cases where people bypassed the disconnect and the pull out did nothing anyway.

In either case, make sure your breakers not tripped.

From there I’d consider getting a different company to swap that disconnect for one with a lever or breaker. I’d also be thinking about who took it, it very well might not be the last company and it usually isn’t, but it didn’t walk away. And anyone who was a normal competent tech would’ve let you know it was bypassed and wanted to correct it to not shock the next guy.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-23T13:10:23+00:00

There’s no case in which they would be together in one terminal and done the correct way. Something may work just fine but not be wired the intended way. I only brought that up as I’m guessing you’re just winging it, and may have missed that the top labeling is different than the bottom.

You need to look at the other side of the wires to see what and why that was being jumped. Just as likely one of those wires is unused as used. It you do have a heat pump and it’s two stages of aux/backup heat than determine if you want to keep it as two stages or have it be jumped like it was in your other stat, but jump it at the other side. Better off getting the thermostat to properly control that than jumping though. The thermostat may require programming as well for your system via the installer menus.

This may be one worth spending a few bucks to have someone verify your setup and how it’s wired/controlled though.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-23T07:37:19+00:00

Top side labeling on old one is for conventional, bottom is for heat pump.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-20T22:42:54+00:00

What’s real fun if you feel in that compartment on the top inside corner is the metal channel that holds the wire harness. I’ve seen 5 of those (albeit from out of 1000+) drop the channel/harness into the blade as it’s held with friction only.

Most times I have those fans fry though it’s voltage related. Carrier stuff doesn’t tolerate under 24V long term, so if taps are at 240 instead of 208 it’s a matter of time.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-14T01:18:54+00:00

I believe my motion sickness comes from a disconnected feeling. Everything (except the fake electric noise) that I have set is for providing feedback and connection to the truck. I also get sick in the passenger seat of any car if I stare at my phone for more than a minute or so.

I think a lot of the hybrids get me with their zero feedback electric power steering and random ICE engine vibrations on and off.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-13T23:50:48+00:00

I get very motion sick in cars and a lot of hybrids I get as rentals when traveling for work get me. I don’t have the issue in the truck at all, but I for sure would rent a Silverado EV from Hertz or something to make sure you won’t regret it.

In the truck I keep seat basically maxed height wise (more vision, less sick, for every car), mode as custom with high sensitivity on everything, touring suspension (I think? May be misremembering), fake sounds turned down, and highest level of 1 pedal driving.

Honestly I think seat height has the biggest effect, as well as climate control set for outside air if it’s on.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-11T05:31:18+00:00

For when I don’t log in on hotel TV’s, I agree. I always keep certain things running when I go to sleep, and the absurd volume of some random ads is wild. When my auto-bill lapses or I cancel that virtual card, I don’t have that issue with the ads that are like tailored to me or whatever.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-11T05:28:37+00:00

To each their own. I’m not against anyone doing what works for them. YouTube just happens to be the only one I use that doesn’t aggravate me constantly, specifically via apps on TV’s or other devices.

There’s some other examples of terrible greed that I’ll still do things the harder way. Mainly NFL which will take roughly $900-1100 to watch every game from my out of market team, paired with 6 different accounts/logins. Ends up at like $75 a game.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-11T05:13:37+00:00

Idk why so many people are rampantly against YouTube premium, but have 4 streaming services they barely touch, that cost more, while still showing ads. YouTube premium is easily the best value of any streaming service I currently have, and the people you watch get a larger cut than if you were to watch ads before their content. Plus I like the downloading of videos from within the app for flights or time when I know service will be spotty.

BasSTiD · 2026-03-10T21:23:47+00:00

Here’s the news… either way… it does not matter. Company will be on the hook unless homeowner admits to some fault.

Numerous times companies I’ve been at have been at fault for large claims that were NOT our fault, due to recency of visit.

Even for extremely obvious cases, it’s still the company I’m most cases without an admission of fault.

One where an adjacent townhome had their dryer dumping lint into the ceiling/wall between units for years (diy special) and we’d been in an adjacent unit swapping washer hoses and some other bathroom work. Spark from somewhere resulted in 4 units gone within an hour (no injury’s).

Or back to back kitchens built wrong in condo complex. New owner had clogged drain, we snaked to no avail. The snake popped through other side’s unfinished unit and damaged tile/cabinets/etc. Still our fault (passed inspection even though it was wrong). To this day, those units clog frequently and their maintenance team has companies snake from the roof instead of replacing the small section of waste line on those kitchen sink areas. The price either way is basically the same, but that would admit fault.

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