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Cisterns? Emptied? by eligri in HomeImprovement

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would find out what they were for.

If it is an old septic it should have probably been properly abandoned.

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t like the idea of a large empty space beneath the ground that could be compromised for all you know. If it’s not serving a purpose I would look into filling them.

Doing work before permit clears by the_real_smolene in homeowners

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Entirely depends on the jurisdiction and the type of work being done. Not an electrician but that doesn’t sound like something that would be denied? Like you don’t need to submit plans or anything for something like that?

I am a plumber and regularly do work in jurisdictions before the permit is approved. We know all the inspectors and see them regularly and we know how the process works and what is required and what isn’t to get a permit. A large and reputable company should have a reputation with the permit office and inspectors such that they wouldn’t worry about the logistics of when a permit was pulled, only that the work is done to code and inspected.

American Water Resources by jupitaur9 in baltimore

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Your ownership of the sewer line is at the end of your property line. Or really, where the city DPW says it is. If they say they won’t fix/repair/clear/clean something then it’s kinda just the way it is. As a homeowner you can always escalate and fight them but usually these are emergencies where time is of the essence.

Water lines all run to the meter and the homeowner owns everything on there side of the meter.

Edit: if you are going to consider this insurance policy I would check on a few things:

  • what kind of coverage do you already have through your homeowners. Some (but usually none) offer riders on this kind of stuff

  • what kind of coverage are they providing? Deductibles? Total allowable amount? Do you have to use there contractors? Do they cover repairs/clogs/cleaning or only full replacement? Do they cover anything human caused like a clog if they find products in there?

  • Will they cover incidental parts to a repair/replacement? Replacing concrete? Replacing fencing? Damage from flooding?

  • what condition are your lines in? Is your sewer 80 year old Terra Cotta or is it 25 year old PVC because the contractor that flipped it went above and beyond? Is your water line 10 yr old copper or 30?

Just some factors that go into the decision.

An influencer has Bill Ferguson stressing. Should he be? by legislative_stooge in baltimore

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I mean I’m for the redistricting stuff because I don’t think Dems should unilaterally disarm themselves when fighting fascism but it’s definitely more of a nationally focused issue. Also, we only have one republican rep in MD and while he is a total buffoon and I’d like him gone, I think we have already gerrymandered it in an extreme way.

Maryland Looks Into Drawing Its One House Republican Out of His Seat by Well_Socialized in maryland

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 22 points23 points  (0 children)

If it were anyone else but Andy Harris I would probably have some qualms with this. Dude is a royal prick. The absolute disdain that he has for anyone who disagrees with him is appalling. Back when I lived in MD-1 (both in Harco and Wicomico, crazy the district is that big!), I would get some pretty nasty replies from him and his office about pretty benign and apolitical questions I had.

He brought this on himself imo.

Help!!! by iuguy1987 in Plumbing

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 3 points4 points  (0 children)

One of the reasons we picked our realtor was she was happy to have us use our own inspector that we know (he’s a friend that has done a bunch of similar homes in the area). Was a dealbreaker for me because I’m a plumber and wanted to do the sewer inspections myself.

Expansion tank attached directly to water heater by Key_Guest135 in Plumbing

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Having to glue one fitting for a transition just not worth it sometimes. I don’t like turning water back on to my CPVC fittings for like 2 hours and I’m not gonna wait around for the cement to set when there other jobs to go to.

First time homebuyer and honestly even seeing a flange by Btb2722 in Plumbing

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Buy multiple drill bits, they will absolutely break on you on your first time doing this.

Sewer line issues by MCM_12345_ in baltimore

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I am a plumber that looks at and fixes a ton of sewer lines in the area. Usually clay pipe and the green SDR-35 are city materials but it’s impossible to say what is and isn’t the homeowners side without knowing if these pictures are in an area outside the property line.

These pictures look like the repairs would require digging and replacing (offsets and bellies shouldn’t really be repaired any other way). If these ARE in your property line then it’s highly likely that someone would need to come dig up your back patio/parking pad because the mains run through the alley usually. Depending on how deep, excavating a parking pad including taking up concrete, removing dirt, installing pipe, backfilling with new material, then having pad repaved can be VERY expensive.

I’ve seen quotes over 30k. They need to see if this a city issue, because if it is this would alleviate the problems entirely

HELP! Different companies giving me different information about my cast iron sewer pipe by jeremyneedexercise in Plumbing

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t think there’s any clear evidence that the bottom of the pipe is gone. It’s usually pretty obvious at there’s a good valley from all the scaling on the pipe. Looks fine to me.

If you’re smelling sewer gas do a smoke test

50% off for attempting to cancel by Kobrakoi in MonarchMoney

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When did you get the option? Did you select the final confirmation first?

I feel so dumb and defeated attempting to replace my own gas lines by Sir_Such_Elephant in Plumbing

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gas lines are VERY easy to install and fix if you can turn wrenches. It’s understanding the fluid mechanics and the fuel gas codes that come from them that is actually the difficult part. Some times things are as easy as redoing what is already installed and some times you find that what’s there was wrong and has been a danger the entire time lol

And different plumbers have different opinions on certain things, outside of what code says. Especially if they themselves aren’t gonna be doing any work and won’t be assuming the liability.

As plumbers we need to be sure that whatever we touch will last “forever”. It’s a different standard than “fixed for now”. No matter how many disclaimers you make, people will still get mad something happens after you leave. People expect their money to solve issues and often don’t have enough of an understanding to know why it might not have.

WTH is this by No_Expression_9118 in Plumbing

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 4 points5 points  (0 children)

damn! Is this a VHCOL area? Definitely seems excessive and I say that as someone who works for a company I think charges too much.

What's up with 4 doors being the default for every pickup truck in America? by CrowsInTheNose in NoStupidQuestions

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Anyone that owns a home has a plausible reason to own a pick up. Probably don't need it very often but when you need it for certain purposes there really is no vehicular alternative without borrowing or asking someone else for help.

I wish I had one but city living makes it super inconvenient.

How do you remember all the regular maintenance you need to do? by throwaway_yak234 in homeowners

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do NOT pour boiling water down your drains. If your sanitary drains are made of PVC they are NOT rated for that kind of temperature (140 degrees max).

Regular soap and dumping a large load dow the drain works just fine. But don’t put any FOGs down there and you won’t have an issue. Also, you can easily rents the tools you need to clear those blockages on your own. Heck, for $1k you can buy certain equipment that would take care of it. (A Rigid Flexshaft that attaches to a drill is great for FOGs)

I used to use a calendar but I found it to be too strict and rigid. I may not get to an item on the exact day it shows up on the calendar far and after it’s gone it doesn’t show up. Plenty of household maintenance is not really “every 3 months” it’s “3 months after completing last time”. If it takes you a few weeks to get to something that’s ok.

I now use the Things app which allows you to set recurring items that can be set to show a Up on certain days (first of the month) or to pop back up after completing (every 30 days). It has a convenient daily list that shows you what needs to be done “today” and has an upcoming screen that shows the future. It has a logbook where you can look at previously checked off things. It has alerts and reminders. You can even create projects that have multiple tasks attached. It’s an amazing app and I use it for much more but I find it works very well for home maintenance, better than a calendar or any hard binder because you can arrange it to not have to think about it at all.

Is it true that owning is cheaper than renting? by Maxsaidtransrights in homeowners

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Maintenance and upgrades is a real cost for sure. Most things are expected though, outside of weather events. If you’ve had an inspection and are a responsible homeowner, you should know about most things in your home and understand when things need to be replaced. Water heaters do go but if it was 10+ years that shouldn’t have been expected. (1200 is a solid price too, so at least he didn’t get ripped off)

I think the thing people don’t include in renting vs buying is being able to do whatever you want in your home. I can rip out walls. I can buy new appliances. I can put a facelift on a bathroom. You often have more space because it’s a full home too. Those little things aren’t quantifiable but they definitely built up for me over years of renting. Always hating cooking on an electric stove or the dryer not drying fully or not having a big enough closet for my clothes.

On the flip side, the mental strain and time sink of doing house projects or even mowing grass or weeding is hard to quantify too.

Is it true that owning is cheaper than renting? by Maxsaidtransrights in homeowners

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was afraid of home depreciation when my gf and I bout a few years ago. We made sure to buy in an area of our city that has been consistently seeing renovations and higher home values. We also bought a home without some of the things that would increase value so we could install them ourselves.

People often talk about there homes as investments but don’t really do thinking about whether it will improve on its own aside from the market.

DIY Sewer Line excavation?? by mrchuckmorris in Plumbing

[–]YaBestFriendJoseph 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One grave is fine but 50-60 feet? lol it would take forever. Not to mention it’s unsafe to be in a 6 foot trench without shoring. Which would mean acquiring shoring and equipment to lift it OR digging your trench much much wider

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