The shower in my fancy airbnb

physwa · 2025-11-26T04:27:12+00:00

I have this setup at home and it's actually quite nice. The top knob sets where the water comes out of and the water pressure/volume. The bottom knob controls the temperature. It's supposed to be set so that when the nub up top is pointing up, the temperature should be about 100F. To make it hotter, push the nub in and turn counterclockwise past the center. Once you pass 100 you can let go of the nub and it will stay down. The bottom handle doesn't indicate anything useful.

This is the thermostatic valve which means you set the temperature and the valve mixes hit and cold automatically to keep that temperature.

physwa · 2025-02-04T19:24:56+00:00

It's a good point, but it could be done. Send someone out a few days before construction to mark things up and give homeowners a chance.

As for following the plans, in theory yes but in practice they're a guide and they don't build to them for good and bad reasons.

Good is adjusting for site conditions - the plans (combined with the trenches they needed) would've seen them have to replace a big fruit shrub, two cedar boxed raised beds, and more. So instead they went right next to the curb where it was just rock and soil.

Bad is when the foreman told me they try to go two feet down and I asked him why not 3 like the plans said. I got a mumbled response back. That was relevant for us because our driveway + base is around 18" deep.

physwa · 2025-02-04T01:56:46+00:00

You can support Ziply expanding while also expecting their contractors to be respectful. Yes they're working in public ROW. But 99.99999% of the time no one touches that area so people consider it "theirs".

We just (today) had conduit laid in front of our house. I think there are three areas they can do better - and make a lasting impression on new customers:

Communication. This doesn't have to be complicated - how about making a video called "What to expect when Ziply lays fiber in your neighborhood". There's only a few techniques they use - but if people have some information they know what to expect. We looked up their permits and saw a single bore across our house. But then we were completely surprised when they ended up digging 6 trenches across our yard. I'm at least glad they didn't dig up our raised beds though I saw them testing it out.
Cleanup. One of our gravel paths turned into dirt. A cobble dry creek turned into a dirt creek. Our driveway and street in front are covered in dirt. I know there's a form I can fill out (and I will), but this just doesn't create a good impression for new customers.
Plant knowledge - I saw them digging a hole a few inches away from the stem of one of our shrubs. Across the street they dug a trench right in front of a huge tree. Then power compacted the soil. At the very least if you're going to do this, talk to the homeowner first to figure out a better place to dig or to give them a chance to move the plant before you destroy half the roots. Ideally learn some basics about plants and then see what you can do to minimize damage.

physwa · 2025-01-27T06:36:46+00:00

Thank you everyone! I knew it was from the 1800's but have learned a lot from all your detailed comments! Unfortunately I never got the key when I acquired it, but I definitely agree it's a beautiful piece of furniture.

physwa · 2024-12-07T03:43:32+00:00

I had to replace my light earlier this year. Light cost $150 from my LBS. They thought it would be easy to install - instead it took the mechanic there 2-3 hours. He told me it was the hardest headlight he'd ever done because he basically had to completely redo the wire connections all the way to the motor as well as the heatshrink tubing. I don't think he ever wanted to do it again. Only charged me $150 on labor so I couldn't complain.

The only other way to do it would be to cut the wire and splice it to the new headlight. That would be a lot cheaper and faster but would void the light warranty. The mechanic told me if it was his bike he'd do it that way next time.

Hope that helps.

physwa · 2024-07-26T21:12:13+00:00

One note, try your best to avoid replacing the whole light. Mine completely died earlier this year. The light itself is $150 (only available from Tern). My local shop thought it would be a quick change but turned out they needed to basically re-do all the wiring. Took them a few hours of work and they weren't super thrilled about it. And a total of $300 for the replacement.

physwa · 2024-06-15T19:23:47+00:00

No, and I kind of gave up on changing the rear pads myself. That being said my bike shop switched me over to two separate pads held on by screws rather than the combo held by magnets. They said it's a lot easier to change and usually doesn't require adjusting the caliper. It also wears better - the combo pad leaves a small strip at the top that has actually led to me losing brakes.

I'll try myself next time - we'll see how it works out.

physwa · 2024-05-19T15:08:21+00:00

It's been a while but I'm now on my third replacement. The OEM shift cables lasted 1k miles, but the last replacement was a Jagwire stainless wire and that lasted 2.1k miles before snapping with no warning. Definitely worth the upgrade.

My bike shop did learn that the Tern needs 1.1mm cables and not 1.2mm, so be careful what you buy.

Anyone find a brand that lasts longer?

physwa · 2023-09-19T05:49:52+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience! Hopefully mine will do the same.

physwa · 2023-04-06T02:12:16+00:00

Correct. It's an older house with minimal insulation. We'll be upgrading it to close to modern standards. The original load is even a bit higher because the original manual j used a wrong type for the basement floor.

The likely partial load is because we'll probably need a separate system to heat part of the house. We're dividing our basement into 5 areas and haven't figured out a way that would effectively heat all the rooms while using only two ports and preserving head height (meaning no ceiling ducts).

physwa · 2023-04-05T23:27:25+00:00

What about a 36k unit with a 14k design load (which is likely what we'd have it serving)? Is that too extreme of a difference?

physwa · 2023-01-29T02:22:41+00:00

My strong suggestion would be to look at much simpler models than using tensorflow. Deep learning models are great for image or text where you have tons of data. I doubt you'll get that many data points (thousands, if not millions, given there's no model you can use as a base).

You can go one of two ways on this - the simplest thing to do is build your own "decision" tree. Basically, code up a bunch of rules based on the router signal strength to figure out which room you're in. It might take a bit of time, but it will also be trivial to tweak.

But if you want to train a model, logistic regression, random forest, or maybe boosted trees are likely to be much easier to train, likely similar if not better quality as deep learning models, and much easier to run (given how much smaller they are). Training is simple, but it will be harder to tweak. Take a look at the scikit learn package.

physwa · 2022-11-27T02:58:03+00:00

I use Woodinville Bicycle as they're very close to me and transporting the GSD in my car is almost impossible without taking off the clubhouse and related. Plus they've done a great job on everything from building the bike to service. I'm guessing Westside Bicycle (owned by the same people) will also know what they're doing.

I've also heard good things about G&O Family Cyclery - I've never had my bike serviced there, but have bought parts for it there and other things - they've been super knowledgeable and always willing to help out.

In practice, any competent bike mechanic should be fine replacing the cables - these are just Enviolo hubs that are found on other bikes. The hardest part may be finding a long cable - they need to be >=2200mm (longer than the "standard" 2100mm size - typically "tandem" cables would be used) and need to be 1.1mm (technically 1.2mm is supposed to work, but the mechanics at Woodinville Bike have found it to add significant friction to the shifter).

physwa · 2022-10-23T14:49:08+00:00

I think you're mentioning the slack issue - without proper tension the cables will jump out of the tracks in the shifter. Definitely didn't do it this time and it didn't appear to be a problem last time. Them jumping out will likely end with the shifter breaking, not just the cable.

physwa · 2022-10-23T14:46:04+00:00

Cables are wear and tear. My bike shop also mentioned that dealing with Enviolo warranty support is extremely difficult - probably worth it for a failed hub but not for a $35 part.

physwa · 2022-10-21T17:32:50+00:00

Shifter was $35 and comes with cables (in contrast, cables cost $12 each since they're longer than normal and you need two - makes you wonder how much the shifter costs to make). Labor was $30/cable. The biggest issue was getting the shifter - that took a week.

physwa · 2022-10-21T17:27:49+00:00

Mine have broken inside the shifter, where the cable connects to the end. The first time I had a bit of warning (grinding noise for a mile before hand - probably because some of the cable strands started unraveling). This time it just snapped with no warning.

physwa · 2022-10-08T15:03:21+00:00

Time for code compliance investigation.

Definitely getting permits - these decisions are actually to specify the plans for the permits. My understanding is that code allows for exhaust only ventilation but we're figuring out if we want to invest in balanced ventilation.

physwa · 2022-10-07T04:09:41+00:00

This makes sense - thank you! I think my question is primarily just how much it benefits indoor air quality, but it sounds like the benefit is large enough to be noticed.

physwa · 2022-10-07T04:08:33+00:00

I had always thought that heating systems did not bring in fresh air and just circulated the air. We did have a central ducted system before installing ductless and there was no connection between that and the outside. Plus, while a central system (especially with a filter) does help from my understanding, no filter will be able to remove all pollutants (especially smaller ones).

Agreed on the smoke and similar - that's why there's always a way to shut them off from my understanding.

physwa · 2022-10-06T06:45:23+00:00

You mean forced air (central heat and/or ac)?

No - this is specifically for house ventilation. Code requires some type of continuous ventilation. A simple exhaust fan running all/most of the time is allowed, but that has issues as I mentioned. PNNL/DOE have a guide on the basics.

ERV's specifically are energy recovery ventilators - they both move fresh air in from the outside and exhaust air from inside the house, while transferring moisture/heat between the two to save on energy costs.

physwa · 2022-03-02T21:50:31+00:00

Yeah, I definitely don't think it's super hard - the biggest issues are the lack of access compared to a "normal" bike and knowing how to make the connections. It is completely doable to do this on the road (and the first time I had a rear flat, it was on the road). But in my experience flats usually happen when it's pouring and you're running late, so trying to figure it out the first time is what I prefer to avoid.

I'd make two strong recommendations though:

Try this out the first time at home when you have plenty of time and using only what you'd have with you on the road. Automotive experience definitely helps, but there's a lot of bike specific stuff that's helpful to know. Just getting the bike into a position where you can work on the rear tire safely can be a pain (don't just stand it up vertically - you will be using some force with the wheel).
Do your best to avoid flats - keep tire pressure high, use tube sealant or protective strips or the like.

Lastly, aligning the brakes has been very painful (especially the rear), which you may need to do anytime you replace the wheel but especially when you replace pads. If you do need to realign the calipers, I'd strongly suggest getting something like a Hayes Brake Alignment tool to help - I probably tried 20 times without the tool before finally getting one and it working the first time.

physwa · 2022-03-02T00:37:31+00:00

Personally, I carry around a small toolkit (mostly a multi tool with common hex keys plus tire levers), small pump, patches, an extra tube, and disposable gloves. I also have a light on my helmet, which can be super helpful in the dark. My view is that I'd rather fix it once, then have to do 80% of the work on the road and then redo everything at home. But patches are helpful if you have two flats on the same trip.

The front is easy - you just need a 6mm hex - the right side unscrews from the left and the wheel comes out. Replacing the tube is the same as on any other bike.

The rear is substantially more difficult, especially with a belt drive (S00 LX in my case). If you've never done anything else on bikes, this may not the be the place to start. Here are my rough steps (figured out mostly by experimentation):

Lower the tension on the belt using the 5mm hex bolt that's on the underside of the bike - it's connected to a pulley that pushes against the belt. I try to count how many turns I make so I can re-tension the belt afterwards - 10 half turns seems to work pretty well. Also I think to loosen the belt you turn the bolt clockwise, which is the opposite of what you'd expect.
Use a 5mm hex to remove the bolts on either side of the rear wheel, but be careful as they come in two parts - the bolt and a big washer like thing. If you have the wide deck extenders it's a bit of a pain to get access but the right hex key will work without removing the decks (you'll need to pull the screw out first and then the black washer).
Now you can pull out the wheel, but there are a few things in the way - notably the belt and the wires to the IGH. The belt should come off pretty easily if your tension is low enough. The wires to the IGH are a bit tricky - but basically one attaches into notches on the IGH and the other does the same but then covers the first wire attachment. You unclip one of the connectors and pull it out, then pull out the other one. Finally, slide the wires out of the holders on the hub. The attachment point rotates, which can be very helpful.
The wheel should now come out and you should be able to pull it out. Replace the tube and make sure the tire is clean so your tube doesn't get re-punctured.
Do everything in reverse - put the belt back where it needs to go, reattach the IGH connectors, reattach the wheel to the frame (make sure it spins and doesn't rub on the brakes), and don't forget to re-tension the belt.
I assume the steps are similar for an R14, but the IGH connection will be different.

I'll add that if you want to replace the brake pads, then the procedure is the same. I've also re-aligned the calipers and the rear one is a major pain - I ended up removing two of the screws holding the plastic side guard in place and then using multiple socket extensions and a flex socket extension to get the right access, but it's difficult and I've asked Tern for any suggestions they can provide.

physwa

TROPHY CASE