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25 Year Review...This Damn House!!

Mad Dog_2
Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111
edited May 4 in THE MAIN WALL

Finally getting around to putting up a few proper hangars & brackets in Mad Dog's Engine Room.....Didn't count on putting a deck in back of the house. Nothing worse than a wiff as guests are trying to enjoy some cocktails on the deck.

Relocate Fresh Air Inlet & dryer vent.

Added a Hot water Spigot (Prier) next to my Wolverine Brass Frost Free for washing cars & Tillman & Stella.

Casualties of 25 yrs of use:

1 Burnham IN 5 leaker (at about 19 yr mark...not happy about that)

1 Bradford White 50 Gal.Direct Vent water heater (lasted about 18 years! Very happy!)

Lessons learned: Food grade glycerine makes for great antifreeze for my fire sprinkler system, but should have used Teflon tape & pipe dope not Wick & dope on sprinkler heads....have a few super slow weepers.

EdTheHeaterManPC7060

Comments

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    I'd say I exercise the Apollo ball valves every 3-4 months...Not a drip..still hold like they did the day the went in ..

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    1 of of 3 Honeywell Zones valves needed replacement at about 17 year mark. #12 Solid Copper wire held up real good, but time for a proper hangar…The Shoemakers kids......

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    These are the before pictures..gonna clean it all up real nice nice...stay tuned. Mad Dog

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    The Prier FF hose bibb is about half the weight of the 24 yr old Wolverine Brass one, but it seems decent.

  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 10,411
    edited May 4

    Looks like a lot of activity here. But it is all your activity here. I love myself too, but this is getting a little out of hand Matt!!!

    I especially like the twisted THHN wire hanger for the CI drain pipe hanging on a Steam main. That can't ever go wrong!

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

    Mad Dog_2delcrossv
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    I thought a nice after action report 25 yrs later would be honest & revealing. Time in use tells the story...Mad Dog

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    Glycerine is oily...the wick swells with water, not oily water.…a few weeping threads at the heads. I'm ready to do a change out of the whole system fluid...not sure if I'm going to use the food grade glycerine again.

    In any case, I'm going to probably change all the heads out. Another lesson learned is DON'T Silverbraze the last joint of a Copper x female adapter…Hopefully, I don't twist the H—- outta the copper..especially where there's cedar planking!

    We shall see...Mad Dog

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111
    edited May 4

    I'm at "The Top of The Stretch" in my career...gotta clean up loose ends..wanna be a good "Deadmen" not a Jack Leg Shoemaker!! Ha ha...Mad Dog

    PeteA
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 25,024

    They do have a specific glycerin product for fire sprinklers. We did a bunch of the CPVC BlazeMaster systems and we used the Nobel brand product in 5 gallon buckets. A tough fluid to pump into systems when it is cold, it took a hydraulic gear pump, very slow process. A regular centrifugal transfer pump would not move it!

    Nice recap on the home.

    Screenshot 2025-05-04 at 10.22.41 AM.png

    So cast iron boilers don't always outlast Munchkin mod cons? Don't tell Ed:)

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
    Mad Dog_2
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    Thanks Hot Rod..I'll look in to that product. Mad Dog

  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    This is my Franken-Boiler....This is when I was running out of $$$ and trying to move in to the house. I used whatever fittings I had lying around in the barn...Lots of Galvanized gas fittings, a reused Spirovent that I bushed down.

    This Lil Guy has run the radiant in the basement slab, mud room & three bathrooms ...no corrosion or leaks even with low temps.

  • RTW
    RTW Member Posts: 229

    QUOTE from above:

    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 17,710May 4

    LOL. My house was the same way. I only fixed everything so i could sell it. Never had the time to fix my own place but had the time to fix everyone else's crap.

    My Response:

    Similarly, it is said, "a carpenters house is always unfinished" and " the mechanic wife's car is the last to be repaired"

    All the Best,

    RTW

    Mad Dog_2delcrossvEdTheHeaterMan
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    Me to my mom Colleen (RIP):

    "Ma..just put a bucket under it for now..."

    3 months later...."Do I have to call in ....so & so to fix this for me????"

    Me to LSB (The Long Suffering Barbara)

    "Babe…I'm slammed right now...just put a bucket under it!"

    3 WEEKS later :

    "You &$#@==?!! I'm gonna call in so & so if you don't fix this TODAY!!"

    "Nobody loves ya like a Mother Will..."

    Mad Dog

    delcrossvPC7060
  • Bernie_the_Brewer
    Bernie_the_Brewer Member Posts: 17

    The cobbler's children have no shoes.

    (Or, the 1546 version:

    But who is wurs shod, than the shoemakers wyfe, With shops full of newe shapen shoes all hir lyfe?
    [1546 J. Heywood Dialogue of Proverbs i. xi. E1V]

    Trying to keep Bernie burning!

    Mad Dog_2PC7060Larry Weingarten
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 8,111

    Wow! That was dandy...some things never change. MD

    Bernie_the_Brewer
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 17,714

    @Mad Dog_2

    All they have to say to me is "do I have to call someone else" and I take care of it. It really irritates me. They know what button to push and we react.

    Larry WeingartenMad Dog_2