Friday, February 28, 2014

Wirsbo valve setting

Wirsbo valve setting ?

Hi all, Im having some difficulty with one of my wirsbo valves in my hydronic/radiant system. I have 7 valves with MVA (actuators) on em mounted on a wirsbo manifold. This is on the return side. On the supply side, I have a wirsbo manifold with valves (or at least I assume they're valves) and balancing caps. The lines are uneven.. longest is about 500ft (garage), shortest is about 70ft (bathroom). Hence the balancing act on the supply manifold. The MVA's have their own t-stats, and all end-switch a relay controlling a coupla circ pumps. Today, I picked up an infrared thermo gun to check my return temps etc. I happened upon something odd. My garage was calling for heat, the valve was indicating open, circ pumps going, but the pipes were cold. The whole manifold was cold. I waited for a while, and no change. Then, a different zone opened up.. and both that zone and the garage lines got hot ! Im wondering if the MVA isnt lifting its rod high enough ? It does go in and out as I cycle the circuit (took it off and put finger on rod). Then I wondered if Ive actually set my valve bodies at the right height inside the manifold ? This would affect the height of the valve 'pin'. What is the proper height to set a valve body inside a wirsbo manifold ? [edit added this] And, if i can add some life to this valve (if its not lifting enough).. do I screw the body 'down' (but thats also closing the valve manually, isnt it ?).. or 'up (but that makes the rod itself higher in relation to the MVA outside threads). Ugh.. [/edit] I went out into the garage, and its only 1 deg below its set temp and still calling for heat. It looks like its gonna get some as long as some other zone calls.. but I cant leave it like this.. eventually if I have to open the garage door i might end up freezing my paints etc. (I keep the garage at ~5c.. just a few above freezing..) Thanks for info, (ps.. been poking around other corners of this diy site.. just so great .. wish Ida found it years ago.. too bad not much demand for info from my line of work.. lol (telcom mainline worker) ... anyhow.. cheers to the readers and repliers all !) Dave, is there a model # on the valves that I can google and see if I can scare up the manual? Even if it's set up wrong though, I can't understand why it seems you get no flow until another zone opens... You need to have both pumps running, the boiler and the radiant, if I recall correctly? but your air handler only runs it's own pump, correct? I guess your boiler pump is wired to the aquastat on the boiler, and the radiant pump is running off a zone control panel? and the endswitch on the zone control panel fires the TT terminals on the boiler aquastat? edit- never mind, I just remembered you run the boiler fixed temp... and the boiler pump is running off the same relay as the radiant pump... well... I didn't remember, I looked at your diagram... Thx for the reply, Trooper. From the info I have the model of the manifold/valve assembly is wirsbo part A2553220. I have 2 sets of these on the supply and return side. The motorized actuators are on the return side. I was reading over my manual for them again, and its seeming like it doesnt really matter where you set the valve inside the body.. fully down is closed, 2 turns up is fully open. When you screw the MVA onto them, the indicator onboard the MVA shows you where to 'match' the closed position to meet the pin. I bet thats another MVA shot. Gettin tired of replacing these things.. Uhoh.. this is gettin weird on me now.. As before, if any other zone was open, the garage zone would be getting nice heat (measured at ~100f with my new IR meter). But as soon as that 'other' zone closed off, the line cools off. In fact, the whole return manifold, the line from the return manifold to the mixer (cold side), and the mixer output to the supply manifold would go cold. It would literally drop from 100f to 68f in about 20 seconds. I took the MVA off, ensured both valves were manually wide open for that zone, and manually closed off all the other zones (on the supply side). That zone is still calling, so via the end switch of the MVA hanging there.. the circ pumps are still running. I get 150f on the supply line fairly close to the mixer, 150f on the return line at the boiler. But the whole loop thru the mixer from supply and return is stone cold. The fact that the manifolds etc cool down so fast indicates the loop circulator is pumping, Id think. The only thing I can think of, is that the pressure drop of that long garage loop (~500ft if i recall) is somehow causing the mixer to stick to fully cold mix. Once some other zone opens up, there would be more pressure on the cold side of the mixer allowing it to operate properly. Is this possible ??? The mixer is a Honeywell AM Series Again, thx for any info. I'm gonna re-post your system diagram so's I can look at it while thinking about this... wierd! Dave, are there 'flow meters' on the supply manifold with the adjusters on them? If so, can you _see_ that there is flow in the loop? Here's an idea that I haven't finished formulating yet, but it has to do with the boiler pump possibly 'overpowering' the radiant pump... and I'm not even sure this makes any sense, but I'm gonna throw it out for discussion... What if, with only the garage zone open, it's working against a fairly high head, and not really pumping all that much water... and the boiler pump is presenting a lower pressure at it's suction side than the radiant pump is capable of overcoming? You might end up with a situation where the boiler pump is 'robbing' the radiant of all the heated water... and the water in the radiant loop just goes round n round... Then, when another loop opens, the radiant pump moves a bit on it's 'curve' and begins to pump more water... and now there is enough on the suction side to overcome the 'pull' of the boiler pump and divert some of the heated water to the loops? I know it's weird, but it's the only thing I can think of... Honestly, I would consider re-piping that setup ... you've got two pumps competing for flow there. Dave, do this and you can wipe the egg off yer face! But if you did this, you would need to do some control changes so that the boiler pump ran with the air handler pump... just another idea to toss around... might be all wrong. What got me thinking about this was the question in me haid: What happens when the radiant calls for heat, and then the air handler calls at the same time? But, you wanted P/S , right? Yep, I can see how that edit works. Might have been a good plan from the beginning. My pipefitter followed what the engineer at the supply house said.. plus his own history/etc. Not that it was right, of course. It would probably be beyond me to start threading lengths etc for a refit.. using stock pipes would probably involve a larger rebuild. Im hoping that would be a last resort (am i in denial ? lol) Using that properly spaced gap for supply/return spacing seems to be a standard. But.. that would solve it if its the pumps are battling for flow in the high-head situ, as you said. If its the mixer not dealing with the high-head.. low flow ?.. then it wouldnt. I think the radiant circulator is flowing ok, because of the speed that the pipes go cold. Id have to go down and retest it with a timer.. but its certainly not just ambient cooling. The room is warm, and the pipes go from 'hot' (100f), to actually 'cold'.. very quick. If the boiler pump was 'winning' the flow game, Id think some hot would be coming up the return line (below the boiler pump), and up thru the mixer's cold side, no ?? Appreciate your interest in this non-standard situation. ps: how are you editing those drawings so nice and quick anyhow, trooper ? lol.. almost like I gave you the actual Smartdraw file ! nice work. If the boiler pump was 'winning' the flow game, Id think some hot would be coming up the return line (below the boiler pump), and up thru the mixer's cold side, no ?? What if it were an even race? a tie? Everything the boiler pump pulled out of the boiler would go back in... and vice versa with the radiant pump... no flow in on the hot supply side of the mix valve, just re-circ on the cold side. What bothers me about this though is that if the mix valve is really cold, then the valve should have the cold side almost all the way closed, and the hot side almost all the way open... so how could my theory be true? I dunno... but I got nuttin' else! OK, I know, but I gotta ask: You don't accidentally have that bypass valve that's marked N.C. open, do you? ps: how are you editing those drawings Photo-editing program... liberal use of the 'selection','clone',and 'erase' tools... basically move stuff around with the selection tool, then clean up with the erase tool, then reconnect stuff with the clone tool. Originally Posted by NJ Trooper You don't accidentally have that bypass valve that's marked N.C. open, do you? The valve is seated, and that loop only seems to change temperature by conduction from the nearby pipes. So, seems like the valve is closed properly. (thats actually part of my poor-mans a/c.. I bypass the slab pump, close off the boiler pump (both powered off of course), and let the air handler pump push liquid thru the manually opened zones. It chills the air, but not by much...) Im tryin to re-find a website reference for that zone valve that mentioned some 'certified down to 0.5 flow rate'.. 0.5 I didnt note.. 0.5 gpm ? If Im getting less than 0.5 of whatever it was for flow.. maybe the zone valve defaults to cold ? Too bad I dont have a flow meter in there somewhere. [edit: just found it its 0.5 gpm 'min flow rate' for a Honeywell AM series mixer. ] Is there a way to calculate the theoretical flow rate based on the pump and length of line ? You could probably do a reasonably close estimate if you knew the length of the tubing, and had the specs on it for head/100ft... then estimate the head from the other piping/elbows,etc... and the pump curve... I don't recommend this as even a semi-permanent fix, because you wouldn't want to throttle the suction side of a pump, but... as a test... what if you choke down the valve on the suction side of the boiler pump? what happens? Originally Posted by DaveC72 Im tryin to re-find a website reference for that {{mixer}} that mentioned some 'certified down to 0.5 flow rate'.. 0.5 I didnt note.. 0.5 gpm ? If Im getting less than 0.5 of whatever it was for flow.. maybe the {{ mixer }}defaults to cold ? Change zone valve to mixer in my above post. I tried closing the boiler loop circ pump, and the garage loop did go hot. By pipe feel, it seemed like the slab circ was pumping thru the boiler now. I didnt check to see if the mixer was now actually working, or just sending fully hot. That shutoff was leaking at the stem.. took me a while to find a position to seal it again (great.. those cast iron fitting come apart soo easy... why we used gate valves there I dunno..) The slab pump is a Grundfos UPS 15-42, but sadly, its already at max speed. The boiler pump is a Taco 007, so no adjustment there. If its really the pumps battling for flow, wouldnt this have been happening from the get-go ? I dont remember the circ's ever running as much as they do now. I tried closing the boiler loop circ pump I didn't mean to close it all the way... that's bad for the pump, and if it's closed now, open it! What I had in mind was closing it slowly whilst feeling at the pipes in an effort to determine WTH is going on... kind of an experiment to support or disprove my theory. I _think_ it worked to do that? If its really the pumps battling for flow, wouldnt this have been happening from the get-go ? I would think so... but maybe ya just never noticed it? Let's re-cap a bit, and let me ask a couple more questions... TRUE/FALSE The garage loop will never heat up if it's the only loop calling. TRUE/FALSE The garage loop WILL heat up if ANY other zone opens. IOW, this phenom is not associated with the garage and only ONE other particular loop? And all the other loops are much shorter than the garage loop? leaking at the stem.. took me a while to find a position to seal it again Just below the handle, there should be a 'gland nut' which compresses the 'packing' around the valve stem. You should be able to tweak that gland nut a little tighter and stop the leak. I've found that for some odd reason, if you open the valve all the way to the stop, it will tend to leak at the stem more readily. What I do is open them all the way, then about a quarter turn closed. I think this allows the stem to 'float' in the body and move with heating/cooling, but not sure... just something I noticed a long time ago. Originally Posted by NJ Trooper I didn't mean to close it all the way... that's bad for the pump, and if it's closed now, open it! With my hand on the pipe near the slab circ, I closed the boiler pump line off, then cracked it open a wee bit.. I didnt want to run it dry either The valve was leaking a steady drip here, so i opened it up more till it slowed down (valve was maybe 3/4 closed ?).. seemed the slab line continued to warm up. The valve is back to open now. TRUE/FALSE The garage loop will never heat up if it's the only loop calling. True TRUE/FALSE The garage loop WILL heat up if ANY other zone opens. True IOW, this phenom is not associated with the garage and only ONE other particular loop? And all the other loops are much shorter than the garage loop? I witnessed this with zones 1,2 and 6. (all bedrooms, lengths maybe 150ft ?). zone 5 is garage. zones 3 (~200ft) ,4 (100?) and 7(70ft) operate on a shared tstat (for now). Ill go force that combo zone and see what happens tonight. Just below the handle, there should be a 'gland nut' which compresses the 'packing' around the valve stem. Last time I did that on one of those gate valves, the nut broke.. it may have been split already from thermal cycling.. not sure.. it just kind of peeled off as i tightened it.. lol The existing valve was such that the nut was trapped, but you could pull the whole valve out of the body.. but the replacement from the same store didnt have the exact same insert thread design.. had to take the valve off. Ill give it a wee turn tho Oh geez.. this is gonna get odd now.. So I go to the util room.. for some reason I decide to first adjust the outlet temp using my new IR thermogun. Might not be related, and I did adjust it up and down before today.. anyhow, I set it for outlet temp from the mixer at 100f. Zones 1 and 6 were running at the time. Also of note, earlier today I had tried setting the speed of the Grundfos down to 2 and 1, then back up to 3. Just in case it was labeled wrong etc. Now, the other zones go off, so I manually start the garage zone. Now I have circulation. But its odd.. Im getting cold out of the slab, to the connection point of mixer cold side line.. Ive got hot coming in from the boiler pump output line (line between the boiler pump and the mixer cold-in/slab out) now (that line has never been 'hot' that Ive noticed before.) and it appears to be mixing there and going up to the mixer 'cold line' (pipe warm). The mixer out was showing 100f for the brief chance I got to measure it before another zone opened. Once that other zone opened (i think it was 2)(Im still holding the garage zone open manually), the cold side pipe up to the mixer cooled down alot. Im not sure whats up for sure.. did the gate valve stick in the stream ? It felt ok closing.. Did I accidentally find some magic point in the mixer where it can deal with the low flow ? Not likely, but possible depending on design (??). Could the Grundfos pump have been actually on 2, while indicating 3.. or otherwise electrically running in '2' ? Possible.. Are there sometimes boiler demons that screw around with your brain like this ??

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I'm looking to connect my 2 recievers with in-wall cable. If I understand the stuff I've read, I should use F-type connectors with RG6 coaxial cable and connect the RCA inputs on each receiver. Does anyone have any suggestions on the best place to get the RG6 cable? Is this the same coaxial you get from your cable tv provider? I have Comcast and they used to give it to you for free but I don't think they do that anymore. I'm estimating that I would need about 200 ft and I'm trying to keep the budget pretty low on this project so by best I guess I mean cheapest. Thanks for the help, Matt home depot , lowes , radio shack and yes....it's the same stuff the cable company gives you. Most RG6 is black. I have no seen to much RG6 is a different color. Usually the colored cables are RG59 Would this cable fit my needs? Quad shield is $10 more than dual shield. I'm guessing that it is worth the extra $10(?) http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=2408sku=43063cm_mmc_o=dyBBTkwCjC-kk%20VyBpAgflCjCgz_kwlCjCSNixN Product Features Impact Acoustics RG6/U Quad Shield is ideal for antenna, cable television and satellite installations. This cable is 18AWG copper clad steel center conductor surrounded by a foam polyethylene dielectric. A bonded aluminum foil and 60% aluminum braid over another foil and 40% aluminum braid provide 100% shield coverage. Use for CL1, CL2, CM, CMX and CMG installations. Swept tested to 3GHz to ensure performance at applicable frequencies. To help you keep track of cable used, the cable jacket is sequentially marked every two feet. Features: 18AWG copper clad steel center conductor Bonded foil covered by 60% aluminum braid over foil and 40% aluminum braid provide 100% shield coverage Foam polyethylene dielectric CM/CL2 rated PVC jacket Swept tested to 3GHz Sequential foot marking Ideal for RF applications like outdoor TV antennas and cable television Product Specifications Warranty: Lifetime Color: Black Size: 250ft Mfr: Impact Acoustics Weight: 10.95lbs I believe all RG6 cables these days are quad shield. I would spend the extra $10 to get it anyways. The stuff you referenced would be fine. I've seen RG6 in black and white, should you have a color preference. Thanks for the help I don't think all RG-6 is quad shield. Get quad shield for $10 more. It is specified for some applications. One more question: Do I need to solder the connector on or can I just screw it in like a cable tv connector? they get crimped on. You have to strip the shields a certain amount and then push on connector and use special crimp tool. At least that is correct way. I usually use pliers to crimp it! Bill Don't get quad shield, it's a waste and not needed. Spend the 10 bucks on a crimping tool for the connectors. and quad uses different connectors!! fred If you are handy with ebay I would look on there. I bought 500 ft spool of it for 65 bucks shipped to the house. Lowes was crazy expensive. I also got my connectors and crimping tool off of ebay. I did my 3 rooms upstairs and still have about 350ish feet left. I could sell ya some!!!!!! A quick search on ebay I found this: http://cgi.ebay.com/500-Feet-Perfect-Vision-Dual-Run-RG6-Coaxial-Cable_W0QQitemZ320119276039QQihZ011QQcategoryZ50999QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem and connectors: They look like this but mine are blue!!! http://cgi.ebay.com/PPC-EX6XL-Compression-Connectors-for-RG6-Coaxial-Cable_W0QQitemZ200115161585QQihZ010QQcategoryZ67879QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Crimping tool: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-RG6-Coaxial-Cable-Compression-Crimping-Tool-ZDS5061_W0QQitemZ230134883371QQihZ013QQcategoryZ11726QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem I have Direct tv w/ HD and they recommend all this special wire and stuff and I got this off of Ebay and WORKS GREAT!!!!! I ran mine in my walls and what a much cleaner look. Direct Tv installers are messy as hell. I have holes through my molding where they ran the wire! GOOD LUCK!!!! The shield doesn't directly affect the quality of a signal. It helps prevent the signal conductor from being bombarded with interference that will affect the signal. Quad is better than dual in that respect, but you may not see a difference in the picture quality. Use quad shield in areas where there is a potential for stray RF noises to get into the video signal. Fluorescent light ballasts come to mind, as do AC power lines and network cables. The best way to prevent noise is to run the TV cables separately from other wires. Stay away from ballasts and dimmers, and cross AC and network cables at right angles. Never run parallel to or bundled with other wires. Three things most people don't think about when running broadband RF cable: -- Never kink the cable when bending it. The bend radius should be gradual. Six times the diameter (about two inches) is the standard rule of thumb for RG6. The electrical properties of the cable depend on a constant distance between the shield and the conductor. This is maintained by the white insulator (dielectric). If the dielectric is crushed or damaged -- even by a staple -- the signal can suffer. -- Don't use side cutters (dikes) to cut the cable where the connector will be installed. Again, they can squash the dielectric. Instead, cut the cable an inch or so longer than you need. Use a clamp-on RG cable stripper at least an inch from the end to remove the wrap, shield and dielectric. Then trim the center conductor to the proper length. -- Use round compression connectors, not the hex crimp-type. Hex connectors were okay for 550MHz signals, but now that bandwidth has increased to as much as 2GHz, hex connectors have been shown to reduce signal quality at those higher frequencies. hex connectors also allow for ingress and egress of the signal around the connector. as for the bend radius, cable companies use 4 inch bend radius' The compression connectors you want are PPC brand and the model number is EX-6 or EX-6XL. hbsparky wrote: As for the bend radius, cable companies use 4 inch bend radius Why am I not surprised that the cable companies spec something that can't happen in the real world? There isn't enough depth inside a 2x4 wall to have a 4 radius behind a wall plate. The bend is measured from the end of the dielectric, not including connector threads. The larger the better, though. The actual spec says _minimum_ 6x outside diameter, or .262x6=1.6 inches for a typical RG6. Point is, there should be no right-angle bends. Just for clarification I was using this strictly for audio, not high def video if it makes any difference. Is there a tool needed to attach the compression connectors? I've used simple vice grips for RG6 cable assembly, but they do make a special crimp tool which is available at Home Depot, radio shack type stores. compression connectors are overkill for audio. they are mainly for weather protection fred Just for clarification I was using this strictly for audio, not high def video if it makes any difference. Your OP said receivers and RG6, so I thought you were running antenna cable to the receivers. (Although I've never seen an antenna input terminate with RCA connectors.) A single shielded 2-conductor cable will work fine for stereo line-level audio. West Penn Wire #291 is an example. Use the red conductor for the right channel, the black for left, and the shield (plain drain wire) to both. For speakers, you'll need something beefier like 14/2 unshielded with a PVC jacket. Run one cable to each speaker. For the record, RG6 is not only for broadband. It's terminated with RCA connectors for baseband video all the time in commercial installations. There are miles of RG6 with BNC connectors in every TV station in the country. The NFL Instant Replay system uses it in every stadium (although that's changing this year to HD over fiber). Sorry if my OP wasn't clear. I'm pretty much a novice at this so I may screw up some terminology. I'm trying to connect my two stereo recievers in different rooms of my house. I had another post that asked what the best way to do this and someone replied suggesting the RG6 cable. If that wire you suggested will work that would probably be easier to run one of those as opposed to two of the rg6 wires. I forgot to ask. Could you please post a link to where I could get the wire that you mentioned and what connectors I could use to connect them to the RCA inputs on my receivers? The only thing a receiever needs a RG6 cable for is either a antenna, or you can use this cable as a subwoofer cable. All other wires can be normal speaker wire, or the RCA cables (composite) I'm looking to run the cable through the wall. I would probably need about 50-75ft of cable to connect the two. Is there a specific cable that you would suggest? Here are the receivers I am trying to connect Sony STR-DE335 Home Theater Receiver http://www.amazon.com/Sony-STR-DE335-Home-Theater-Receiver/dp/B00001XDZ3 Panasonic SC-HT730 http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SC-HT730-5-Disc-Theater-System/dp/B000816XGG/ref=sr_1_1/104-4121113-2169521?ie=UTF8s=electronicsqid=1181315552sr=1-1 why are you connecting two receivers to each other? does one have speaker set up that you are hoping to use for both receivers? If so, could you put in a/b switch on speakers and use either receiver? What inputs and outputs are you going to use on each?--the tape in and out rca jacks? I have never heard of connecting two receivers together? The panasonic is part of the home theater. The Sony is on the other side of the house and has inside and outside speakers hooked up to it. I would like the ability to play a CD on one and have it play on all of the speakers. I thought using the tape rca input would be the easiest way to achieve this. As I said I'm a complete novice so if there is a better solution please let me know. Thanks for all the advice. Matt I understand what you are trying to do and is probably the easiest thing too do. Go to Radio Shack and get some of these: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062472cp=2032058.2032231.2032280allCount=315fbn=Cable+type%2FPhono+%28RCA%29+plugs+%26%23038%3B+jacksf=PAD%2FCable+Type%2FPhono+%28RCA%29+plugs+%26%23038%3B+jacksfbc=1parentPage=family Then while you are there, get some audio patch cable and connect the above RCA jacks to wire. It will be difficult to find a length of RCA cable with the connectors already on them without spending a fortune. I believe you could use 18-20 gauge wire for your application and be fine. When wire is run and connectors attached, plug one end of the cable to the Panasonics Audio Out RCA jacks and the other end to Audio In. I apologize for my lack of knowledge on this subject but could you provide a link to the type of audio patch cable that you are talking about? I tried searching for that term through google, but I could only find kind with the connectors already attached and, as you said, they are very expensive at that length. Thanks again, Matt Here's the patch cable with the connectors already on. You can keep them on and fish them, or cut them off and use those radio shack connectors. http://www.showmecables.com/showProducts.asp?category_id=221 You can search for just the cables on the net, or call to a radio shack type store and ask them if they have however many feet you need in RCA/Audio patch cable. Just FWIW.. I bought a 500' roll of sheathed cable to do the structured wiring in my house. It had two RG6-Quads (black and white) and two Cat5e's (pink and blue). The roll cost me about $300 or so, a container each of Ideal RG6 compression connectors and Cat5 connectors, plus the strip/crimp tools for both was about another $100 or so. Bought from a local electrical wiring supply house. HD/Lowes doesn't even sell this type of sheathed cabling, but they do sell the rolls of RG6Q, a supply house might (or might not) be cheaper. If you're not comfortable with a soldering iron or RJ crimpers ends, here's all you need: http://************/ywwaat Scroll down to the length you need. Tape (Record) Out of one system to the Aux or Tape In at the other end. Got it. Thanks for all the help guys. Matt

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Is the fuel line Rubber or plastic If plastic upgrade to rubber so it will last longer.I had a OLD chainsaw that the fuel line splite at the nipple Took me 2 trys and cuts before it stoped spliting. I agree with the carburetor rebuild diagnosis. Thanks All! I'll try pulling the carb off to see what it looks like. Can't hurt to rebuild at this point anyway right? Is there any solution that you would recommend to clean the inlet screen? You know, I used to be able to pull small engines apart, clean them up, put them back together and have them work like clockwork with my eyes closed. Amazing how much a person forgets when you don't have to do this sort of thing for years and years. Scotchman scotchman The ones that I worked on had a gas filter on the end of the pick up line that dangled in the tank. That is a readily available item at most any lawn and garden place. Also the filter provided the small amount of weight needed on the end of the tube to keep it in the bottom of the tank. If ya don't want to pull the intake tube out of the tank to replace the filter, just use a piece of wire bent into a tight hook on the end to fish the end of the tube up throught the filler opening - with penlight used to find it also. have fun Henry Ya, been down that road already. Had one of my kids get the hoses out with her small fingers. Kids can be a big help sometimes. lol Problem I encountered was both hoses were broken off just insdie the tank so I couldn't figure out which line was which. Thanks to all for advice. Got it up and running although the hoses don't seem to make any sense. Intake seems to be the Return. ?????? However, it runs great and thats all that matters. thanks Again I'm stumped....I am trying to replace the gas lines on my featherlite and the gas tank has one line one size and the other is smaller...anyone know what size lines these guys take? It appears that the primer line is larger than the line that goes to the carb. Any help appreciated. Like Stumped111 I am also somewhat lost. One of the lines (the one going to the primer bulb) is broken; actually it is rotten and needs to be replaced but I have no idea do it. I thought at first I would just buy a new gas tank which I thought would include the lines but have had no luck locating a parts catalong or maintenance manual. I am at a loss as I am not all the good at fixing things but love the way the XT200 works. Any help you guys can give would be greatly appreciated. DTLynch37 Take the fuel lines to a small engine shop and buy some line the same size. The lines just go through a hole in the tank. Cut the end of the line at a hard angle to help allow it to feed through the hole in the tank. Feed it all the way out the filler neck, put the filter on it, and pull the line back out until the filter is in the tank. The return line doesn't have to reach the bottom of the tank...it just needs to go into the tank and inch or so. Thank you so much Cheese for the response. You make it seem so simple. I will see what I can do tomorrow. As I said, I'm a greenhorn at this but even at 71 you are never too old to learn. Folks like you make this a wonderful world. Thanks again.... DonL Well, it's not as easy as it sounds. The line is kinda hard to feed through the holes in the tank...but it's not that hard. Let us know if you need more help. I have the same problems as Scotchman. I think I can do the repair except I can't locate a piece of fuel hose that is the right size and able to carry gasoline without rotting. Anybody know where I might obtain a piece of fuel hose? Auto parts store, Ace hardware or a small engine repair shop. Ok guys, I have the smae problems with this fuel line thing. Replaced both, filter on the long line in tank. Emptied out the tank and found small adapters? where do these go? I thought I saw the dbl sided one on the 1' in part of hose going into tank from the primer bulb, but not sure. Gas used to go into primer bulb when it worked, now its not at all. This girl needs some help, and I know nothing about engines! What kind of engine are the lines going on? Try swapping the lines on the carb. Goto; Billiou's - THE BEST LAWN GARDEN PARTS SOURCE or Mower Parts .. Main Page Follow instructions to get to the weedeater XT200 section. They both show all the info about the parts you need. Try this website for weedeater parts and diagrams: http://www.ereplacementparts.com/wee...626_18056.html Same question as above and not sure which is supply and which is return. The fuel is not sucking up into the carb when i push the primer button. Could it be a bad filter? or am I connecting the filter to the wrong line Generally the fitting closest to the primer is the return. It should push air out when you hit the primer, and the other fitting should pull air in when you release the primer. If not, the carb needs work. New to this sight but have learned much already. 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Hello all. I am looking at adding the conversion kit for Tri-gas from: Generator Conversion Kits to Propane and Natural Gas. and their system works by adding an adapter between the carb and filter which will eliminate tapping into the carb. My problem is that my generator model 030205, the filter sits ontop of the carb using a 90 degree elbow. This will not allow me to add this adapter since it will not line up. Is there a way for me to change the filter assembly and use a different filter assembly that will sit behind this adapter instead of on top? If so any suggestions as to which one I can use? Any info greatly appreciated. Thanks Please post the engine number Engine Number or Engine Model #? If latter it is 210000: http://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Brig...S2919-0404.pdf If engine number is what you are looking for, any idea where i would find this? Here is a link to pictures of what I am talking about: P2250003 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! Maybe I need a straight shaft with a high flow filter? Thanks again Do these Tri-Gas kits come with a way to change the ignition timing of the engine?? I've always wondered this. I know in any auto / industrial set-up I've seen, The timing is always advanced consederably for propane natural gas applications because they burn slower with less energy than gasoline. I ask because my boss wants to convert the rinks ice edger to propane as it runs in an enclosed building with the zamboni.. Thanks, Roger They have an adjusting screw of how much propane to pump into the engine so it can idle correctly. This is aside from the adjusting screw on the carb. If you go with a direct induction to the carb, then you would adjust using the carb screw... The fuel mixture won't change the ignition timing ,tho. Because propane natural gas burn slower, the ignition timing has to be advanced so when the combustion pressure is the highest, it's at the right time to push on the piston to get the most power from the engine. It's going to be like firing the spark plug ~15 degrees after T.D.C. Our Zamboni's have base ignition timing set to (I think) 33 deg B.T.D.C . The forklifts are also really advanced lack power smell bad if you set the timing to a gas engine setting. Are the changing the ign module?? Most small engines are fixed timing.. Not sure on larger engines. On these small gas engines all i know the idle screw is what is adjusted. Might want to contact the company to see what they say in your case... There are filter housings that should fit, like the one pictured in the manual you showed, but it takes a different engine shroud to accommodate it. Cheese can you get me a link or picture of what you mean so I can try to track one down? Thanks again Look at the engine on the left near the bottom as you scroll down in the mowerparts link you posted. I think the engine is a 289700. This should physically fit the carburetor, if you remove the engine shroud. You'll need a shroud that fits along with the filter housing to keep the engine from overheating. http://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Brig...S2919-0404.pdf

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Hello Real Electricians, I need help finding a whole house standby generator to provide electric when a hurricane hits my area. Last year 3 out of 4 hurricanes visited me and I had no real damage. I am blessed. I already found estimates of power usage for all applicances and anything else I would turn on. Forget the coffee pot, blow dryer, etc. Where my question begins and ends is the air conditioner. I called my vendor and got so many numbers I don't know what to do with. 1 have a 5 ton 120 amp 240 volt air conditioner. Watts, amps, volts mean nothing to me when shopping. Could anyone give me a hint of how many watts an airconditioner would require? I definitely want Airconditioning. I will give up eating, bathing, internet and anything else for the air conditioner. AND YES I AM BLONDE!! Assuming your specs are correct, that sounds like a huge air conditioner -- 28,800 watts -- 28.8 kiloWatts (kW). You'd be looking at least a 35kW diesel generator, that would probably be $11,000 with at least another $3,000 to install it. I must thank you for your answer as my vendor did give me the specs for my airconditioner and he came up with the same number as you did. He was going to tell me more, but that was worthless. He also said my airconditioner was large. It keeps the house 2500 sq feet (not really large) comfortable. This is Florida!! I really appreciate your time to answer my question. The 120 amp figure would have been the locked rotor amperage. The actual running amperage would be in the range of 30 amps so for starting aproximately 50 amps is required which would take around 12 kw to be able to just start the compressor. Even at that, one thing you must consider is that while you may be able to get a generator to run your a/c, you would not legally be able to store enough fuel to be able to run the gen for any amount of time. You could get a nat gas one if this is available but you may not be assured a constant supply of gas in an emergency. I know that your heat can be quite uncomfortable but I would suggest that running an a/c that large would go beyond what is reasonable for survival. If you look back in this forum there has been a few posts about running an a/c for people who have an illness, where heat would be considered an emergency. Generally, the solution in those cases, was to install a 5000 btu wall a/c in a small room to serve as a refuge. ttasha: The 120 amp number...did you get that yourself off of the A/C unit or did some vendor give you that number? I also have a 5-ton unit and there is no way in the world that it could EVER draw 120A. Perhaps the vendor just stuck an ampmeter on your main line and saw a number hovering around 120A and told you that's how much you needed. My 5-ton unit is a Trane 12 seer. It will draw no more than 55A. Keep in mind that anytime major appliances like an A/C unit start up, they draw more current for a few moments starting up but when they start humming along the current draw drops down. Also you'll need to remember that you must take into account you'd have to power your furnace/blower because powering only the outside A/C unit does you no good if you don't have a blower to circulate air through the house, so you'd need to get the current draw off of that also. Or perhaps I am wrong and maybe your A/C is very old and does draw that much electricity...WOW! The installer of my 4 year old 5 ton air conditioner 12 seer told me it is 120 amp and 240 volts. Again meaningless to me except I will probably need a 40 KW back up power system just to start it and a light bulb. I just looked at the Guardian and Quiet Source. Both were maximum (that I saw) 40KW. I still haven't decided exactly what to do but I sure like the one called QUIET. I need all the help I can get. Anybody have a favorite stand by generator? Not to discourage you from the idea, but just so you know what amount of money is involved for what you want to do. Generator $12,000 http://electricgeneratorsdirect.com/...70ff3e8c2d55cf Transfer switch $1000 Electrical hookup approx. $2000 Gas hook up, if you don't have an existing gas line to the house you would have to have a underground tank installed which would be at least $1000 They give free delivery but require you to have a forklift on site to unload it Add a few misc. items and you are at around $20,000 The amperage they gave you for the A/C is about right because they are using the start up current and is what you need to start it up but it will not draw that after a few seconds. regardless you need that 40KW to start it or it won't work at all. What we do alot around here ( S Florida) is install a small transfer switch and small generator which will enable you to run lights, refrigerator, and a window A/C unit (or 2 depending on generator size). You can then alternate between the refrigerator and microwave etc... This can be usually done for around $3000 or less depending on size of generator. The more I read here the more I realized I should rethink this. Plus I found out these things use 4 or 5 gallons of gas an hour. The best one I found was a 25 kw that used 4.1 gal hour and is only 71.8 db (quiet for a generator) I already have a window air conditioner and a portable. What was I thinking? This do it yourself is a wonderful site and you people are so very nice to help. There is probably no way you could get a permit to install a 50 to 75 KW genreator in a residence. You certainly could not get a permit for gasoline storage. I understand how often Fl is hit with hurricanes, but if your house in not blown over, then you win the lottery. So you are going to be hot for a few days or a few weeks! Probably air conditioning wasn't even invented when your parents were at your age now. You'll live thru it! What does it cost to air condition your place? We pay 17 cents per Kwh, which would make it about 5 to 8 dollars per hour! 594tough, Is your electrical rate common in the US or just in certain areas? Our residential rate is just under 6 cents /kwh in CDN currency. Would be about 4 1/2 cents US. I agree, something is wrong with that figure, what kind of electric service do you have now, most likely 200A. As I remember I have a 3 ton in a walk in cooler and current draw was in the mid 20A range. TTASHA - Let me throw a whole other perspective on things here from one Florida residnet to another. I am pretty certain that I don't live that far from you (probably a couple hours drivng distance or so) as I am also in an area where the three hurricanes crossed Florida. I know that right now everyone is on a generator kick because it is now hurricane seeason again and Uncle Jeb has the tax holiday going on right now on these sort of things. But I would not recommend buying one of these types of generators. I am a Florida native, having lived in and very near Tampa my whole life. Keep in mind that until last year no hurricane had come to Tampa directly in something like 89 years. Central Florida doesn't normally have hurricanes sweep through like that. You would be better buying a 5500 watt generator from Lowes or Home Depot that would run your refrigerator and many of the lights in your home. It is true that you could be left without cold air for a few days. But keep in mind what happened last year was really a fluke. It is unlikley that a major hurricane will sweep across central Florida like that any time in the next few decades. That much money is just a lot to put into something that you might use rarely if ever. Keep in mind, those are useful more so up north when you have ice storms ect. My wife who is from central Indiana cornfield country has said that every winter you will have a loss of power for days at a time due to the ice hanging on the power lines to the point they snap frrom the weiight. Now ultimatly this is your decision, but I really would not recommend a whole house generator in Florida. 594 tough, Your power prices are high. Where do you live? My prices are $7.72 per kwh (under 1000 kwh) and $8.87 for all kwh over 1000. By the way these generators do NOT qualify for JEB's tax break. Tpairman, I just don't want to deal with lugging a portable generator around. I can't move it myself and I don't want to bother others. So here is my final answer. I will be very happy and comfy with a 15KW standby generator. I do have one wall airconditioner and a portable. The 15KW will run everything I want. My dogs will not suffer. If I had not posted here I would have made a big mistake and bought something that was an overkill and overly expensive. Some things you need to get answers for. How much Gas will you need for your 15KW generator ? For a day or a week ? Where will you store the Gas ? What will you store the Gas in ? one gallon per hr = 24 gallons a day = 168 gallons for 7 days. Can you get the Gas if you need it ? If the power is out you may not get any gas. Gwiz, I worked very, very hard to get to the point of buying this thing. I already called ONE gas company found that since I don't use gas I have one OPTION. Buy the tank for 250 or 500 gallons of LP. They don't offer natural gas. Here is the breakdown for a 250 gallon LP tank (they dig hole, insert tank, and fill it with 250 gallons of LP. Price $3500. The 500 gallon one (they dig hole, insert tank and fill it with 500 gallons of LP = Price $4,500. I wonder if I dig the hole, insert the tank and let them fill it up with LP would the cost be LESS? KEEP READING THIS AS YOU WILL LEARN from a person that walked into LOWE's and was told I needed a 40KW backup power system. After posting here I now know a 15KW will do more than I need. Don't trust a salesperson. NOT even at Lowes or anywhere else. Yes, 15kw makes way more sense. There are a lot of good things about those big stores but getting elect advice is a hit and miss deal. As for the LP deal, that is a bit much, a 250 tank costs maybe 500 tops and a fill is about 400 at the most. A direct burial tank may be a bit more pricey but it shouldnt be over a grand. They are probably epoxy coated and have some kind of special access cover. In emergency I doubt natural would do any good, it would likely be disrupted. Lp is the way to go as it stores well. SBerry27, I agree with you and can thank the people responding to my questions. I really appreciate the help. Now another question since the gas company can charge anything they want when you ask for natural or LP gas. Is it legal to have a container installed and then tell the gas company to fill it and would it be safe? There are certainly other options for purchasing LP or other gas here. I plan to call every other gas company that services my area. Thank you ALL again. I will get what I want and what I need without throwing money for something that is larger but would not give me more than what I really need. Remembere, natural is piped in from the utility so you dont want that, lp is all that you can use here. You might be required to get a couple inspections on this, electric and mechanical for the gas. sberry27, Yes, they told me they don't send gas to non users of natural gas. However, the gas company would install the LP tank for a lot of money. There are a few gas companies here that provide LP so I will see if they are all so very expensive. I wouldn't take it upon myself to install any tank for gas as it would probably blow up. I will just try to find another gas company that does the same thing for less money (I hope) I have never installed an underground LP tank, I know they do that in fancy upscale neighborhoods that dont have piped gas and they dont want to see the bottle, I wouldnt mind seeing what the install looks like and whats special about it. I did have above ground LP gas tanks for my fireplace. However, I had them removed because they frightened me when three out of four hurricanes went through my neighborhood last year. If the tank is buried I won't worry about it. You know out of sight, out of mind Up until the time I called the gas company I had no idea they would come out, dig the hole and bury the tank. I also didn't know how costly that burial ground would be. When I started looking I only saw $3,600 or 6,600 or more to have a nice standby generator. Then call the electrician and pay a couple hundred more and it's done. Wrong, wrong and wrong. Again I must say that I am so glad I stopped here before purchase. Sberry27 you said I wouldnt mind seeing what the install looks like and whats special about it I will try to get some pictures that I will post. The gas company will visit here to see the site (possibly next week). I'll ask them what makes this so expensive. Maybe if I dig the hole it will be cheaper? If you are cute, rich and can cook a great steak I dont really see that much of a problem with this project,,,,, hahahahaha I have a 5 and 4 ton A/C unit at my home. 5 ton pulls 30 amps running and the 4 might pull 23 or so. I have a 25kva pto style generator that works really well. We live out in the country and farm so the tractor was not a problem. We were out of power 31 days during all the storms so the generator came in handy last year. Tractor burns about 15 gallons of diesel a day with a 50 hp tractor. I usually only run one AC unit at a time and everything else normal. I keep an eye one it too and make sure the unit is right at 60 hertz or putting out about 240 volts. Full load at my house is about 23kw with everything kicking. That will never happen but I did test it before I went out and bought. Really glad I invested the money a couple years ago Only was to go if you have a decent size tractor. Just double the KW and thats what you need for HP on the tractor..or a little more depending on the governer setting on the tractor. Just my 2c sberry, I don't cook unless you are talking about microwave steak. So even though a guy might starve there,,, he would be cool doing it,,, I see the priorities here,, ha We are in San Diego. The electric charge consists of a certain allowed baseline usage at one lower rate. ( In my case , in May the allowed baseline was 247Kwh) . Then there is another rate for 101 to 130% of baseline usage; another rate for over 130%. Then you add the fees, taxes, etc. All in all, when you add up the total electric usage charges, it works out at 16 to 17 cents per Kwh most months of the year. This week I am getting written proposals and 2 site surveys - one by gas company and another by a generator dealer that installs and maintains the equipment. This company is suggesting CARRIER generators. One final question before I make my FINAL decision. Transfer switches are 100 + 200 amp and 200 amp cost about double of 100. What is the difference besides 100 amp? Boy I'm glad I don't have California electric rates. Well I guess I will microwave lunch now.

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Sprayer to paint wrought iron fence

Sprayer to paint wrought iron fence?

After spray can priming an 8 foot section of wrought iron fence with Rust Reformer and finishing with another Rustoleum spray can product, both my wallet and my spirit cringe at the thought of doing the other 200+ feet. Tho' it does look great. Do people use a sprayer for this? I'll never get it done if I have to do it by hand and never was really impressed with a hand finish on an iron fence. I was looking at that Wagner Pro Sprayer (I think it was) with a 12.5 dergee fan and was wondering if it was something to consider or something else in that $125 price range? I don't think an airless is a good choice for wrought iron. An airless puts out too much paint even with a narrow fan. I believe a better choice for spraying would be a conventional cup gun [uses air compressor] Using the adjustments on the gun you can narrow the fan and material flow to fit the job. You will still have more overspray than with a rattle can though. Usually fences like yours are painted by hand, often with a small roller and brush combination. Of course there is the elctrostatic gun with magnetically charges the paint to attract it to the metal with almost no overspray but they cost mega $'s We have the same situation as Cienega32; my son's Eagle Scout project was sanding, priming, and painting an ancient iron cemetery fence. He had 70+ people show up to do the sanding and priming, but they only had time to start the final coat. This is a huge job so we were hoping to rent a paint sprayer. However, the rental place won't rent one to us because we're using oil-based black Rust-o-leum (in paint cans, not spray cans) which they said would ruin their sprayer. Any advice about finish this worthwhile project would be most appreciated, since the only thing the hardware and rental stores have been able to tell us was to buy a cheap paint sprayer and hope that we can get it done before it is ruined by the paint. More about the conventional cup gun mentioned by 'marksr': would help, as far as will it function with such paint and where we go about buying one: Home Depot? Lots of places sell spray guns - Sears, probably Home Depot, and if you have one where you live, Harbor Freight (lesser quality, but way cheaper - they are on the internet and ship if you don't need it immediately - $25-30 www.harborfreight.com). Assuming you clean the gun thoroughly there's no reason the Rustoleum should ruin the gun. You will have to thin the paint a little to spray it effectively. Directions for thinning should come with the gun. Make sure you use the right thinner for the paint - the paint can should tell you which one to use. Use a sheet of cardboard or plywood behind the fence as you paint, it will reduce the air blowing your spray around, and keep you from killing quite as much lawn/plants. I own 2 airlesses and have used countless others. I don't believe I have ever sprayed rustoleum but have sprayed countless gallons of industrial enamel and many other solvent based coatings. I have never heard of any oil base paint being hard on spray equipment. Maybe the rental place is scared you won't clean the airless properly when finished IMO an airless isn't a good tool for spraying a wrought iron fence - even with a small tip it still puts out a lot of paint. I don't know if the 'cheap' units can be turned down low enough to prevent a lot of waste. A cup gun runs off of an air compressor [which you can rent] and a cheaper cup gun should be adequate to do the job - the paint will need to be thinned and strained. I would think that several people using small rollers and 1 person going behind with a brush would be the best way to paint the fence. I just wanted to thank you guys for taking the time to guide me on this wrought iron fence-painting project. I trust your experience, so we'll go get small roller brushes and tackle the job--at least this way, it will be a LOT less messy! I've used a paint mitten on ornate metal railings. It doesn't leave a very thick or even coat, but is quick and comfortable to work with. A small brush in the other hand deals with drips and pockets. Your best bet is to use an HVLP type of sprayer. It will aply a fine finish with minimum overspray. Do not use one of those noisy little Wagner sprayers you get at Home Depot or Walmart. They clog, they spit paint and your finish will look like crap. ... and that will work with paint for wrought iron fences or even regular house paint? All I (novice/newbie) can find mentioned is stain and sealer. It is made for paint. I have used latex through it with no flow agents or thinner added and have had no problems. Using a product like Flotrol will give you a factory applied appearance. The key is using it with proper strokers and applying in small incrememnts. As I'm sure you have heard, two light coats are always better than one heavy coat. While on the subject... I have preped a wrougt iron fence as well (stair railings actualy) Primed with spray rustolium.What type of paint for the finish should I get? (black) I will brush and roll it. Thanx, sorry to jump in like that. Hello all.... I am a contractor and am in the process of painting 12,000 LF of iron fence as we speak. Both of my sub-contractors as well as my fencing contractor stated that the most efficient way of painting these type of fences is to... A. wire brush any loose debris or surface rust away. B. sand any uneven or rough surfaces. C. scuff the previous coat. D. use a good quality DTM (Direct to Metal) paint. These come in an acrylic water base as well that dries to an epoxy like hardness. E. Using rubber gloves covered with inside out tube socks works the best for flexability and finish. (a painting mit tends to leave fibers behind) Hope this helps someone.....we stay away from spraying these due to waste..and potential overspay. Agreed. Hands-on is accurate, comfortable, expedient. Hands are excellent tools! Now if only there were sandpaper gloves... Thanks for the tips. I was thinking of buying the cup gun for my air compressor, but I can put my teen boys to work with tube socks, instead!! We tried brushes a few years ago, and the results were ugly. Actually, I think they were cheap, sponge-brushes that my husband bought. I hated the results. We just power-washed the fence, and it will dry today. Tomorrow, SOCKS!! Thanks a bunch. Tracy in Indiana I use a body scrubbing glove that you buy at the dollar stores this gives you good penetration

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Shear pin on crafstman snowthrower axle breaks to often

I have a craftsman model 536-90512 hd3? snowthrower that I just aqquired. The previous owner says that it was going through shear pins on the axle no matter what type of pin he used. He would put one on and in a matter of minutes it would be broken. Blower works fine, just no go due to pin breakage. What do I need to know about the breakage and prevent it from happening. Is this common? never owned one before.it has a BS #143626292 Ser. 3254R . Any guess to the age, I dont know serial breakdown on identify it Shear pins are very soft made to break. I don't think they used that soft of a pin on the axle. I think they used a grade 5 bolt there. Try a grade 5 bolt. Is it the wheel axle or the drive axle for the augers thats giving you trouble?? The ones for the augers have a small sleave on them if you don't use the correct ones they will break a lot.. Let us know what axle you're working on,, Sorry if this seems silly but lots of people have different names for the same thing,, Just to verify,,, Roger If it is the auger, the shear pin number you need is 578794ma. The age of the snowblower is pre- 1980 as it has no handlebar engagment levers. These were required after 1980 due to too many people loosing fingers or hands when the were cleaning out the chute and forgot to dis-engage the auger. And your engine is a Tecumseh, not a BS. Roger,the drive axle is the part in question. As you look at it from the rear it is the right side. Sleeve from wheel assembly slides over axle and then it is a simple line up and instal bolt. the only concern is there seems to be what I would consider excess play in chain. Dont know if there is way or able to draw up to take out slack. I am unable to locate a manual for this unit. unless there is a link you could suggest? dont send me to sears. Cant read anything they have for this unit. O.K. as Indy says these should be grade 5 bolts... Make sure the previous owner wasn't using regular grade 2 hardware store bolts (as that is what they sell around here) make sure the bolts are long enough the entire shoulder is in the axle gear... If the chain is loose, check all the bushings bearings,, If they're O.K, you may be able to put a 1/2 link in the chain in place of a whole link,, or count the number of links go to any farm / industrial supply place with the old worn chain they will probably give you that short piece of chain pretty cheap.. Make sure you get a connecting link.. Roger Here is a link to the parts diagram. CRAFTSMAN | Model #53690512 | CRAFTSMAN 24 SNOW THROWER | SearsPartsDirect.com I have installed the grade 5 bolt as recommended with the shoulder all the way through. However I notice the speed disc is loose, not completely, but enough to warrant another question. Is it held on by a set screw, or a roll pin? I can just barely see with a mirror behind the disc and yet I cannot tell and the lovely Sears Direct parts diagram is almost useless to me. can barely tell by the diagram. Do I have to remove motor and its mounting in order to knock out pin or tighten set screw(s)? Thanks again for the previous help. greg t. Originally Posted by greg t. I have installed the grade 5 bolt as recommended with the shoulder all the way through. However I notice the speed disc is loose, not completely, but enough to warrant another question. Is it held on by a set screw, or a roll pin? I can just barely see with a mirror behind the disc and yet I cannot tell and the lovely Sears Direct parts diagram is almost useless to me. can barely tell by the diagram. Do I have to remove motor and its mounting in order to knock out pin or tighten set screw(s)? Thanks again for the previous help. greg t. The parts list says they are 1/2-20 x 5/8 bolts with nuts on the back. Lift up the snowblower by the handles secure. Remove the bolts from the back panel from the bottom panel. Remove both panels. Now you can get to the disc from underneath. thanks indypower. DUh. I didnt think to remove the lower plate, I only removed the back plate and looked at the obvious which was remove the motor mount and go through the top side. It helps to have both halves of your brain working!! thanks! greg t.

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Ryobi Mulchinator Blower Vac RGBV3100

I own a Ryobi Mulchinator Blower Vac RGBV3100. As of late it won't start. Before it would start but was very tough doing so. I know that this model of blower/vac was discontinued. The area around the engine becomes very oily, and as I said am unable to start it. I've taken this to a few people whom work on garden power equiptment, and they say it's not worth fixing, to just buy a new one. My issue is since I like this style of power equiptment, is this true about not worth fixing, or should I just go a buy a new one? I've been looking into the TroyBilt TB310QS Gas QuickShift Blower/Vac. So, I'm asking which way to go? Thanks in advance. Sounds like the cylinder may be loose. Just check the bolts that hold it to the block. Or it may need a carb clean or muffler cleaning. If you do get a new blower, the Troy-Bilt is made by MTD and is low qaulity; not any better than your Ryobi. Not worth fixing depends on who is fixing. There is a chance that the problem is simple and easy, but the odds are very much against it. If they did not even look at the unit, I would assume it is because in most cases, up to a few hours can be spent on finding a problem, attempting a repair, and having no success. Their time is their supper, and have learned from experience most likely. By the time you pay someone for one hour of labor, you are almost half way into a new one of the same caliber. There are a few things you can check yourself easily enough if you have a few simple tools and the will. Cylinder bolts would be one place to start.

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Replacing Vinyl Siding with Hardiplank

Hello all, I am new to the forum, but I have read lots of posts over the last several months. I am currently considering a DIY-project to remove all of the vinyl from my home and replace it with Hardiplank lap siding. I have not removed any of the vinyl yet, but when I was doing some interior electrical work recently, I discovered that my house does not have OSB as exterior sheathing. It appears to be a thin fiber board with a reflective aluminum material on one side with insulation on the other side. My question is: If I decide to do the siding project, do I remove the vinyl AND this insulation board and then install OSB sheathing with Tyvek before I install the Hardiplank? If so, I need to factor in the material and labor cost to install the OSB sheathing. Also, what scaffolding set-up would you recommend for a DIYer? My house is a ranch home with the highest point probably 30 ft off the ground. I know the project will take me a while (working afternoons and weekends by myself), so I wonder if renting would be too expensive. I would like to hear some thoughts on this. Hopefully, Xsleeper sees this thread because his posts have helped me understand the whole process. Thanks, Rob Sorry to hear that your house doesn't have any sheathing. It's hard to believe that builders would do such a thing, and that the building codes in your area allowed it. Personally, I think installing some type of solid sheathing would be a good idea. Cement siding can be installed over the studs, as per the James Hardie instructions, but if it was my house I'd feel a lot better having some solid sheathing behind the siding. The problem is that if your windows have nailing flanges, the nailing flanges are on top of your thin cardboard/foam/reflective sheathing product. If, for example, you added 7/16 OSB as sheathing, you'd be nailing it on top of the nailing flanges, which isn't really ideal. In any case, adding sheathing means retrimming all the exterior window trim, but maybe you planned on doing that anyway. Assuming you don't want to add sheathing if you don't absolutely HAVE to... once you remove the siding, you could simply add building paper- Tyvek (or similar) over your existing thin sheathing product, and tape it to the windows, sealing it well. Then locate all your studs, chalking vertical lines on your building paper so as to make it easy to know where to nail as you install the siding. As you remove the vinyl siding, you should be able to rip it all off with your hands, don't use the pry bar unless you have to because you will punch holes in your existing thin sheathing. If you do pry, be sure you pry along the stud so that you don't punch any holes in the thin stuff. As far as the scaffolding is concerned, normally I'd recommend ladders and ladder jacks, but I'm afraid that if you lean a ladder up against the house, the ladder would punch right through!!! If you add some solid sheathing, this wouldn't be an issue. You could look into pump jacks, and several planks for the highest sections. You could also set up 2 or more stackable sections of stage scaffolding and plank across it in the lower areas. Renting a scissors scaffold might also be an option if you can get right up next to the house, provided it's level and you have no major landscaping in the way. If any of this raises additional questions, don't hesitate to ask, there are plenty of us here who are willing and able to help. Next question, if I want to make absolutely sure I do not have any OSB sheathing, where would be the best spot to temporarily disassemble a portion of the vinyl to check. I've never looked into how vinyl is even installed, so I could use some ideas here. Also, I assume that if I decide to install solid sheathing and replace my windows (upgrade for energy efficiency), I should definitely rip off the current thin fiber board sheathing. Correct? Finally, if you are working solo, what is the method for getting yourself, your tools, and your somewhat fragile piece of Hardiplank siding up the ladder to the work platform so that it can be installed? Do you just go up and down the ladder for every piece, or is there some method that really helps increase productivity? It seems like you would either have to have a work platform across the entire width of the side of the house or move your ladders/ladder jacks or scaffolding for every row while working your way up the house. What am I missing? Thanks, Rob Vinyl siding can be unzipped just like an overcoat. Any piece can be unzipped, although it might be easier for you to unzip a full piece that is out in the open as opposed to one that short and that has j-channels on each end. Unzipping them is easy and you can do it with just your hand by starting at a seam (end of a piece) pulling down, moving your hand to the bottom and sliding it along. Zipping it back up again, however, requires a special tool that you can purchase at almost any big box/hardware store. You use the tool in one hand to pull DOWN on the interlock, push IN on the bottom edge of the siding with the other hand, then with both hands performing that same operation, slide you hands (one pulling down on the siding with the tool, the other palm pressing in on the siding) along the bottom edge of the siding... this will zip the siding back where it was. You can literally do this anywhere you want. Regarding ripping off the old, it would probably be a good idea. I'm guessing it won't be in very good shape by the time all is said and done. Regarding your scaffold and working solo, that's hard to say. Last time I had to side a house by myself I used a combination of ladder jacks and stage scaffolding... went up and down with almost every piece, and the siding job took 3 days. Without seeing your house and the layout, it would be hard for me to envision a plan for you. But realistically, you would benefit from having a LOT of scaffolding and planks, whether it be stage scaffolding or ladders and ladder jacks. Pump jacks would probably cost you a fortune to rent. But I think tapco makes some nice ones that can be raised with an electric drill. Very cool. If using stage scaffolding, and the side of the house is 40' long, you might have 3 towers of scaffolding, each section with several walk planks... but then also you'd want some long planks and cross members that you could hook between each tower. If I was working alone on a big house, I'd make a stack of siding on each section that is as high as I could reach, then climb up and transfer it up to the level that it is needed. I'd make all the cuts on the scaffold so that you aren't wasting time going up and down. Moving ladder jacks and planks is fairly easy, but if you use sections of stage scaffolding, then yes, you'd probably want to scaffold an entire side since it takes a lot more time to assemble. You'd set it up only as high as needed, then when you need to go higher, stack on more sections as you need them. If using ladder jacks and a walk plank, you really have no place to set a pile of siding, so I suppose you would have to do them one at a time. When you're close to the ground, you can lean a 2x12x12 up against the house vertically and lay a few pieces of siding against it. Might save you a few trips. But when you get up higher, I don't have any tricks. You might be able to do something similar by using a tall extension ladder and rigging up some sort of board with a rope and pulley system, then tie off the rope to keep the load suspended. I don't envy you- trying to do something of this scale by yourself. Xsleeper, Thank you very much for all the info so far. I know the project will be difficult, but it does help that my house is a relatively small ranch house. If not for the cathedral ceilings, the gables would probably be lower and easier to side. I will post some photos if I can figure out how. I did have a question about trim. Do you generally use the James Hardie trim products, or do you use the AZEK products that I have seen you mention in previous posts. I know that I will have to use some of the AZEK around the bottom of the siding (too close to the ground for Hardiplank, 6), but I wonder if I should use their corner boards and window mouldings. I would like to hear your thoughts on the trim. Also, do you install the trim first and then butt all the siding into the trim boards? Is it even possible to install the trim boards after the siding? I've read some good reviews on the Bear Clips and Bear Skins products. It seems like they would really help a DIYer like myself. Any thoughts on these clips or some of the adjustable siding guages that are available? Finally, do you butt the Hardiplank joints and use flashing or do you generally leave a gap and then fill it with paintable caulk? I wondered which method you preferred. Thanks, Rob Glad to help. If you've got a ranch, then it should be a piece of cake. I do not generally use the James Hardie trim products. I most often use Miratec... sometimes Azek... and if you want something easy for your corners you could look into QuattroCorner siding corners, if you can find someplace that can get them for you. I always install trim and corner boards first. I have not used the Bear Clip/Skin products and have not used any gauges other than my own homemade ones. I typically will flash each butt joint in the field and caulk joints using OSI Quad. The flashing is there to provide protection in the event that the caulking should fail and go unnoticed. I've read articles where some installers prefer to flash and NOT caulk, instead going with a moderate contact joint in the field. Personally, I think that could lead to deterioration since the butt ends of the product would be subjected to repeated wetting and wicking, but I have no proof of that. Xsleeper, I am going to unzip a piece of my vinyl this weekend and verify my sheathing situation. I will also try to post some pics to get your ideas on a strategy for approaching my siding project. We can talk more about some ideas for siding the high points of the exterior walls. Also, is the installation of OSB as straightforward as I think or are there some real pitfalls? Same question in regards to the Tyvek installation. I would like to hear your thoughts on both. Thanks again, Rob The answer to that really depends on what you plan to do about the windows and doors. (and whether the existing windows have nailing fins or not.) If you plan to do the windows at the same time, then you would usually want to: remove a window, install the OSB on that wall and around the rough opening, Tyvek that area, install your new window. If you aren't replacing the windows at this time, you would be retrimming them at a minimum, I would think. So you would apply the OSB up to the windows, Tyvek around them, use a peel and stick membrane to try to seal the cut edges of the Tyvek as best as you can, then apply the new trim over the top. A drip cap over the top of your window trim (let in behind the Tyvek) would be a good idea in either case. For best window installation practices, you can see Tyvek's website, and look for window installation instructions using Tyvek Straightflash membranes. Xsleeper, The in-laws were in town this weekend so I didn't get a chance to unzip the vinyl or take any pics of the house. I'll try to get that soon to get your advice on approach the project from a big picture perspective. However, looking at the house this weekend did raise one question for me. I know that when the siding on a wall intersects a roofline, the Hardiplank must have a 2 clearance from contact. You previously recommended flashing painted to match the siding or a piece of non-Hardi trim. My question is: what do you normally use for trim on the peaks of gables (under the eaves)? Do you do the same thing for standard gables as you do on siding (or roof) peaks where the lower side of the siding intersects a roofline? I'm somewhat familiar with corner and drip cap trim, but what is offered for the situation I described above? Regards, Rob I'm not sure I understand what you are asking. When you go to take your pictures, snap a picture of the areas in question. When the siding is following a roof line below, (angle cut on the bottom side of the siding) the siding must be kept 2 off the shingles. James Hardie recommends all field cut ends must be primed and painted. When the siding is following a roof line above, (angle cut on the top side of the siding) the siding can either butt right up to the soffit, or a piece of trim (1x2, 1x4, 1x6, etc) can be installed if that sort of look is preferred. If there is no overhang, then the siding would butt up to the existing fascia. It would obviously be critical that the fascia be flashed with roof edge (drip edge) in such a situation, lest you get water behind the fascia and siding. In all such cases, the top cut edge of the siding is caulked to either the soffit, or the trim (freize) board.

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Friday, February 28, 2014