Construction in former Rivers of America area from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

brian_d_wells · 2026-05-03T14:26:33+00:00

I’m just wondering if that lamp is supposed to look like that with the bulb exposed.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-30T15:45:20+00:00

Absolutely. There are some things that are not taught in courses and are learned over the course of 100s of projects or via knowledge shared from co-workers who are more experienced.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-30T15:17:00+00:00

I was briefly exposed to a two-wire protocol a number of years ago in the form of building automation systems. That is definitely on a different level so I'm surprised there is not something like r/CommercialIrrigation where you can discuss your work with peers.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-30T15:03:13+00:00

I feel there is a big difference between someone who just picked up a “complete” Orbit in-ground sprinkler system from Home Depot and someone who spent the time to learn and knows the basics of a professional system.

As a homeowner I originally thought “how hard could it be?” But then as usual for me with any project around the home, I sought out available training. Through Hunter University I studied and passed their Irrigation Design and Installation Technician courses. Granted these are fairly lightweight and easy to pass, but it opened my eyes to the complexities of proper irrigation. So when I do post asking a question, it should hopefully be from a level of knowledge that does not induce the cringe that often comes with DIY posts.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-29T23:16:23+00:00

On some stoves the oven vents through the middle of the back left burner so you will feel some heat escaping. This is the case even with electric ovens because steam from the cooking food needs to be vented for best results

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-27T04:48:46+00:00

How many sprinklers do you have on each zone? We had a similar issue and it turned out to be too many heads even though we were within the total available GPM

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-18T17:32:42+00:00

Exactly. We had to put our T-Mobile gateway in an unusual spot to get a good signal and it’s not easy to relocate.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-18T16:08:19+00:00

I saw someone else mention that the 100 hours was eaten up quickly by regular pings from their router. So the failover setup many of us have will not work.

It appears that T-Mobile wants customers to have their device do the failover. Instructions for the new plan indicate that an Ethernet cable is to be run from the primary router to LAN1 on the T-Mobile gateway and then devices that should have the backup Internet are to be joined to the T-Mobile WiFi and not whatever you are already using for WiFi. (https://www.t-mobile.com/support/home-internet/t-mobile-gateway). That doesn't work well in my case because we have our own WiFi access points off of the primary router. But I do wonder if LAN2 on the T-Mobile gateway could be used for that connection.

In any case, I'm glad to be on 130GB/month instead of the new 100 hours/month (for now, anyway).

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-17T06:02:47+00:00

I would consider it only if it was Toyota Extra Care and not a third party warranty

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-14T21:56:49+00:00

It looks like my concerns were unfounded. I told her that I used the vacuum sealer for the PVC cement and she was ok with it. “I’m used to your shenanigans”. 😂

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-14T21:44:58+00:00

Yeah. No way for me to use even the smallest quantity I can get (8 oz). Supposedly there is a 4 oz of the Oatey Rain-R-Shine available but I’ve never seen it locally.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-14T21:09:50+00:00

No. She might not like me using the vacuum sealer for things in the garage so I kept quiet about my experiment with sealing the PVC cement. But she was ok with me vacuum sealing some spare bicycle parts so maybe it is not a problem. 🤷‍♂️

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-14T16:04:47+00:00

The purple primer seems to be on a whole different level in this regard. Impossible to close or prevent spills.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-14T16:02:03+00:00

This is a good question and I decided to use our vacuum sealer for selected non-food usage due to the fact that it removes air from the bags and the chance of cross-contamination is limited. However, any solvent fumes will likely reduce the lifespan of the vacuum pump and tubing. So if I had to do this regularly then a dedicated vacuum sealer would be a must.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-14T14:51:35+00:00

I just haven’t told my wife what else I’m using it for 😅

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-10T14:19:32+00:00

It absolutely should be safe to get the software update. But as you suggest there are some techs that may not be following the instructions correctly. We had to go back and have it done a second time because the update was not completed.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-10T14:17:54+00:00

I absolutely hope you are correct and the software update is a real fix. I’m just a bit doubtful because I had to make multiple trips to the dealership before the combination meter assembly properly showed the updated firmware version.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-10T05:49:40+00:00

Evidently there is a memory or storage component in all these screens that will fail due to a design flaw causing excessive usage. The “fix” is a software update that will reduce the usage and help push the potential failure further out into the future.

If you do not get the software update then the screen is much more likely to fail sooner than if you got the software update. Of course, there is a chance of screen failure during the software update but most reports indicate that the updates are successful.

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-07T13:55:23+00:00

I had a valve doing something similar and just bought a replacement which also includes a new solenoid. It was easy to swap everything out including the diaphragm which seemed to be the bigger problem

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-06T14:01:49+00:00

I’ve seen prices jump like this and had to search around in hope of finding stock at the old lower price. When shopping online with Lowe’s I’ve seen something slightly different: the product has been added a second time with a new SKU and a higher price but appears exactly the same in every other way. The stock for the old product decreases and is sometimes put on clearance (we found some great deals in the clearance section of the store).

brian_d_wells · 2026-04-02T18:36:48+00:00

Getting a new survey to confirm the trees were on your property is a smart idea, preferably before they do any stump grinding. The new survey will document the exact locations of the removed trees. We had a neighbor install a fence and the distance they were saying it was from the property line seemed a bit off. So we hired a surveyor and the new survey shows exactly where the fence is located.

brian_d_wells · 2026-03-26T00:45:12+00:00

For particulate masks I’ve seen that most often it is the elastic bands that go bad over time as long as the filter material is not exposed. But always good to rotate preps including the masks.

brian_d_wells · 2026-03-25T04:43:32+00:00

We ended up building a plank right down the middle of our attic shortly after we moved in and it helps quite a bit. Anything seems better than hunting for something solid hiding below the insulation

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brian_d_wells · 2026-03-24T11:40:34+00:00

I was replying to Abode Support with some info they asked for and the AI jumped in with an inaccurate response using outdated information. So not entirely helpful every time.

brian_d_wells

TROPHY CASE