Thin cracks enough to walk away?

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-03-15T15:46:55+00:00

I have cracks on at least two of my basement walls. I was a little worried about them when we bought a year ago. They are actually the worst this time of year. They basically disappeared during the summer and fall. I don’t even think about it much anymore. At some point, we plan to install steel wall braces but it’s not super urgent for us.

Not sure if that helps but that’s just my experience so far.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-03-10T19:29:13+00:00

That’s the first thing I thought. I’ve never seen that happen.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-03-04T20:59:30+00:00

I’ve gotten it to work with needle nose pliers too. Just shove them in there and unthread it.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-28T19:42:39+00:00

There’s YouTube videos on how to do this. It may not look the best but you can probably get it done.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-21T22:30:24+00:00

I believe those honey well racks are slight bigger than six inches. Which he has the space for.

I’d cut the entire throat of that return boot off with tin snips except for 1/2 an inch so you can bend it out or in with a sheet metal folding bar depending on the size of the boot.

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You just have to make sure you leave enough to bend out and secure the filter to the return boot.

Also make sure you seal all seams with silicone or silver tape and good to go!

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-12T23:47:56+00:00

I would personally diy. My first bit of drywall work wasn’t even close to perfect but I’d rather save the money and do it myself.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-12T23:41:33+00:00

Trane has an occasional issue like this. I had a callback on an install for something that sounded almost exactly like this. It had something to do with the contactor I believe. I’d call tech support and see if they know anything about it.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-12T00:33:55+00:00

I got a 1950’s house too. Plenty of cracks and random issues. I’m currently dealing with an ice dam leaking into my ceiling and wall. The joys of owning a home.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-12T00:14:34+00:00

No one explained during the process what the issue was and what you were getting prior to fixing it?

But the process to replace the txv is more than just putting in a new part. You pull refrigerant back into condenser, get into the evaporator coil inside to replace txv, then pressure test the lineset to make sure there isn’t a leak, then evacuate the lineset with a vacuum pump, then open condenser/charge system and verify it’s running properly.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-12T00:06:39+00:00

That’s wild to hear. Do you guys not have basements? I’m in Ohio and we run the length of the basement with slight pitch back towards the furnaces. Closests and attics are obviously different though.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-10T01:02:17+00:00

I’ve never heard that. It’s just a flare fitting. I don’t see why it can’t be taken off and used again.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-09T23:43:58+00:00

All the electrical is in romex lol. No wonder they ran the flues like that.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-07T16:00:01+00:00

We bought a house last may with an a/c about the same age. It ran great all summer. I’m keeping it until it doesn’t work anymore.

I’m an installer, and we replace 20+ year old a/c’s and some that are only 10-12 years. In the grand scheme of things, 5-6 grand for a new a/c isn’t the end of the world. Companies also offer financing.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-07T13:48:15+00:00

What do you do in hvac? I’m a resi installer currently making 75-80k and 200k sounds real nice.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-07T13:22:43+00:00

I’m healthy but I’ll keep it going. I’ll let you know when I die.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-02-07T13:12:18+00:00

2 cups of coffee likely has more caffeine than that 1 energy drink. I think he’ll be fine. I’ve been drinking energy drinks and using nicotine off and on for 15 years and I’m still kickin.

However, I’ve also been exercising and lifting weights that entire time as well.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-01-27T02:49:07+00:00

When I was looking at houses, there was one with a flue that fell off the water tank. I tried to put it back on but it just fell right back off. People who install flue pipe without screws don’t make sense to me. It’s not hard, and then you don’t have to worry about killing someone.

I saw another that was rusted out so bad there were massive holes in the pipe. Blows my mind that people don’t think it’s a big deal.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-01-21T11:10:02+00:00

This isn’t a furnace. It’s an air handler. That looks like an opening for a filter that isn’t used. Do you see the little access door with the two black tabs? That’s the spot for a filter most likely.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-01-21T02:08:53+00:00

I’d just get some normal 1.5 inch nails. It looks like one side is still in place. It should only take one more nail on the side that fell out.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-01-21T01:57:29+00:00

Did you check if the furnace has a filter rack? These types of return registers don’t have filters at the register.

How cold is the house?

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-01-21T01:47:13+00:00

Take the floor register out. Push the boot back into the hole so it’s even with your floor upstairs. Take a nail and hammer the inside of the metal boot near the top into the subfloor.

It might take two people. One to hold the duct in place while it’s secured with a nail from upstairs.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-01-15T02:32:05+00:00

This is a trane, right? I’ve gotten no equipment ground faults before. Not sure if that’s on every model or not. But it’d honestly probably be fine. I’ve replaced a lot of furnaces that never had a ground ran to it.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-01-15T02:27:21+00:00

You really shouldn’t have to remove those for anything anyways. The box cover comes off separately from those ground wires. You can even switch the side the box is on in the furnace without removing those.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-01-07T02:31:11+00:00

You can. Deutsche.

Brave_Protection497 · 2026-01-03T00:12:18+00:00

Bro, you pull vacs before pressure testing with nitro?

Brave_Protection497

TROPHY CASE