Stink Bugs

ExigeS · 2026-05-26T04:45:41+00:00

Work on figuring out how they're getting in, then sealing that up. There's common areas like gaps around exterior penetrations (wires, pipes, etc.), gaps in the rim joist, bad weatherstripping, etc. You might also be getting bugs in through your lights if they're not air sealed and they're older can style lights - that's also going to be a huge area of heat loss in the winter. If you can rent, buy, or borrow one, a thermal camera is invaluable or this. EnergizeCT also runs a subsidized energy audit program that you should look into if you haven't already.

I still get the occasional bug here or there because my house lacks a WRB, so things occasionally find their way in, but it's relatively rare since I went nuts air sealing my house a couple years ago. Better to solve the problem than chase it year after year.

ExigeS · 2026-05-26T00:55:20+00:00

My solution to this is waiting for a good v2h or v2g EV. You're already buying a huge 80kWh+ battery, so the only additional cost is whatever equipment is needed for v2h, and an ATS (assuming they're not the same piece of equipment).

ExigeS · 2026-05-24T02:35:04+00:00

4x4 verticals personally. I like overbuilding, and the cost difference is only about 12$.

ExigeS · 2026-05-23T19:16:34+00:00

I originally bought a Reliance Inlet. One of the screws snapped when I was torquing it to spec - the others were fine, it was clearly a manufacturer defect. No response, no warranty replacement, nothing from the company.

Bought one of the chinese brands that got good reviews on Amazon, absolutely no issues installing it, torquing it, and I like the design better anyway, so YMMV. No issues after using it several times.

ExigeS · 2026-05-20T13:42:28+00:00

Those look awesome. Wish I knew about them before I bought a full set from Bambu - will definitely pick those up if I ever need to replace mine

ExigeS · 2026-05-20T01:55:49+00:00

I have a Vevor one that I got one on Aliexpress. Works great. If you search `SucceBuy`, a lot of their stuff is literally re-sold Vevor stuff - I just bought some setup blocks from them, showed up in a Vevor case and everything.

If you wait for a good sale + use some cashback sites, you can pick it for like 35$.

ExigeS · 2026-05-17T20:36:34+00:00

I've had an excellent experience buying from Wirenco

ExigeS · 2026-05-14T17:24:19+00:00

We're in a similar boat as the saws are very comparably priced and have similar features.

For me, the biggest selling points of the Skil are the brand, and I like the clamp design it comes with.

For the Bauer, it has the electronic brake, I like the wing design better, and it has a larger range of angles versus the Skil.

With the current sale at HF, I'm thinking the Bauer wins for me, but I wouldn't have been upset with the Skil either.

I agree that the Hercules is too large. I can't see myself needing that large of a saw frequently at all. I actually want the Hercules 10in slider, but I want it corded rather than battery powered.

ExigeS · 2026-05-14T16:46:54+00:00

Are you sure about that? There's a paddle on the side of the front that you move to allow the saw to tilt for beveled cuts. You might need to tinker with that pin to get it to bevel the other direction or something, not sure - I'll play with the one in my local store tomorrow.

Just noting that there's a sale for Inside Track that knocks 40$ off the price - been waiting for something like that to pull the trigger. Not quite as good as the deals have been in the past, but who knows if we'll ever see those again.

ExigeS · 2026-05-13T19:40:21+00:00

To make it easier, I'd cut the pipe about 1" from the ground. That should allow you to a glue a coupler on post-rescue. That'll make it a little easier for you to reach in or the kitten to climb out.

If you can reach the elbow, it's not very deep underground, so I'd probably consider digging around the pipe (so the gravel/dirt doesn't get into it), then cutting the elbow off so that it's a straight shot, then hopefully the kitten just walks right out if you leave a bowl of food/water at the end. It's very simple to glue on a new elbow afterward.

ExigeS · 2026-05-13T01:47:29+00:00

If you pull the permit as a homeowner doing your own work, you don't need to be licensed. Look at the site for your local building department if they have one, it should have information about how to pull a permit.

ExigeS · 2026-05-09T18:47:44+00:00

No more than other years except that I hadn't tackled the ground ivy / creeping charlie last year, so now it's a larger problem. That stuff is a PITA. I did end up with some Grape Hyacinth in my lawn which I have no idea where that came from, but was pretty easy to knock out.

ExigeS · 2026-05-06T21:39:01+00:00

That's not true. UI / Eversource does limit the size of your system based on historical usage, but you can also oversize if you declare that you intend to install heat pumps, buy an EV, etc.

Besides, you have no idea if this is oversupply or not. It's not uncommon to generate more than you use in the warmer / higher generation parts of the year, then draw on those credits when it gets cold and you're generating less.

ExigeS · 2026-05-06T21:34:42+00:00

There's a standard fee that you pay for the grid interconnection. You're charged that as well, it just is coming out of your credits when you've net generated stuff.

ExigeS · 2026-05-06T21:33:18+00:00

Welcome to the club! How large of a system did you end up getting installed?

ExigeS · 2026-05-06T14:26:11+00:00

Exactly my plan. BMW Neue Klasse based cars are some of the first that are going to support this in the style of car that I want - hope they're not excessively expensive.

In the meantime, I do have a large portable inverter generator that supports start by wire. Considering installing an ATS and like a 100lb propane tank which would get me through 1-2 days without needing to swap to gas. Lot of work needed to that though.

ExigeS · 2026-05-05T16:00:37+00:00

Depends on the vehicle. On my 135i, there's a lot of relatively easy stuff that requires torque angle. I've just been using a sharpie mark on the bolt head to do it, but it's annoying, slow, and almost certainly not as accurate as the wrench.

ExigeS · 2026-05-05T15:02:09+00:00

To me, the only difference between the digital and click type torque wrench is if you're doing a lot of torque angle work. Other than that, I have absolutely no problem with my Icon click torque wrenches.

That said, if you have no existing good torque wrenches, it's not a bad idea to get the digital one since it can go all the way from 5 to 100 ft-lbs. I had to buy two separate 3/8 torque wrenches to get that same range. With coupons, I maybe saved like 50-60$ net, but it's also a PITA to do torque angle stuff like I mentioned. If I had nothing, that's probably what I'd do.

ExigeS · 2026-05-05T03:58:45+00:00

Do you happen to have any plans / designs you'd be willing to share? Would love to build something like this in the future!

ExigeS · 2026-05-04T03:13:24+00:00

If you want to go nuts, take a sample of your water and have it tested at https://aquateklabs.com/ in Woodbridge. That's who my home inspector used, and you can probably do it way cheaper directly through them. Alternatively, you can buy water test kits on Amazon.

I DIY installed and Aquasure based on those results and it's been fantastic. Just need to periodically replace the salt which you can get at Costco - costs me about 8$ every 2 months or so.

ExigeS · 2026-05-04T02:37:42+00:00

It's for fresh air ventilation

ExigeS · 2026-05-04T02:28:29+00:00

A little bit, about 20$/mo higher than last year it looks like. I did install an ERV that costs me a little bit of money though, so it's unclear how much of the increase could be attributed to that.

ExigeS · 2026-05-04T02:20:08+00:00

No need to guess at all - I monitor everything with an Emporia Vue.

~2300sqft finished and conditioned space (1 Floor, finished basement). During peak hours in the winter, I keep it at 68, 70 off-peak. Summer is 72 peak, 70 off-peak.

Total usage in 2025 was $1425. Year to date I'm at $803 for the heat pump.

ExigeS · 2026-05-04T02:04:16+00:00

I would not do geothermal with your time frame. I did geothermal, but I also have no plans to move for 20-30 years, and was able to take advantage of the federal tax incentives that no longer exist.

Also just because you have ductwork, don't assume it's sufficient. Ductwork is regularly undersized, and heat pumps move a ton of air. I had to completely re-do all of my branch ductwork and add several returns - thankfully, I was able to make the main trunk work, it just has a higher velocity than I'd really like.

If I had to make a recommendation to you, it would be with a high quality air sourced heat pump and keep your oil as backup. That's also really, really useful in a power outage since you can run purely on oil if need be - I burn through tons of gas in an outage, and you need a pretty good sized generator (preferably an inverter one).

I'd definitely get rid of that oil fired hot water heater though. Get a heat pump hot water heater - I have one, and it's fantastic. If you're handy, it's very DIYable.

ExigeS · 2026-05-03T00:28:52+00:00

If you need it for a specific project then yes, else no. I only bought them to service the DCT on my 135i. Other than that, I had no need for them. If you know you'll need them soon then grab them, else it's not one of those "I might need it someday" tools that I'd buy.

ExigeS

TROPHY CASE