What did you do in your shop today?

[Dmulder]

Where did you find the mini splits for $300 each?

[Jims5543]

No kidding!  Can't even imagine working in a garage in Florida summer heat.

When I did the exhaust on the R53, it was over 100 heat index out, I debated setting up a portable AC in the garage, then decided to just rough it. I am used to the heat.

It was over 90 in the garage the entire time, I drank close to a gallon of water while working out there, I was soaked through and through after each session in there.

Where did you find the mini splits for $300 each?

Edit - I just looked online to see if I can figure out where he got it from, the company Everwell, is based in Miami. The unit is indeed Chinesium.  I am pretty sure the place in Tampa where he purchased from is a distributer.

https://everwell-ac.com/

He purchases them wholesale from some supplier in the Tampa Bay area where he lives, his old boss lets him use his business to get the the wholesale price.

I wish I knew where.  when I was looking around for one on Amazon I was seeing $400 range so his wholesale price made sense. I am 100% sure these are cheap Chinesium units, I will be surprised if the bedroom one lasts 5 years. I know how to install one now, they are actually very easy to install and VERY DIY friendly.  If these bedroom one craps the bed in a few years I will look into a Mitsubishi model to replace it.

[94touring]

I've been too busy traveling the past couple months to spend any time at the shop. The AC and air has been shut off ($40 monthly electric bills are nice).  Got out there yesterday to organize parts that Brant dropped off for his mini that have just been sitting on the main shop floor.  With some massive rain storms this spring and all this heat and humidity, in conjunction with having the air off, I got myself a bunch of mold. Had to spend a bit of time cleaning out the cars I have sitting in there with the windows down.  Got the AC running and hopefully the dank smell will be cleared out today.

[94touring]

I can't remember if I ever posted about the condo hvac that was done this past year.  They replaced the units and updated them which was amazing, but they didn't finish off the walls. Up to the owners.  I opted to do it myself rather than pay someone. Had a doorway in my one condo that made things a little trickier.  Wanted to open it up but with the flooring either had to redo the floors or come up with another solution. I made a little perch that keeps the floors the same but opens it up. Today I'll start in on the closet behind the hvac unit and continue on with trim work.

[MiniDave]

Are you going to get rid of the popcorn ceiling too? Nothing says "the 70's" like that stuff!   

The half wall is interesting....

[94touring]

Not this time. I've removed it before and it's a messy job. 

[MiniDave]

It is a mess, no question! I understand there are new machines out now that take it off without dropping it all over the floor, if you could rent one that's the way to do it!

[94touring]

Generator jet change day for 3800 feet

[94touring]

Well just need to do a lot of cleaning. Trim work all done.

[MiniDave]

Turned out really nice, is this the one you're going to rent out?

[94touring]

Yeah it's a rental.

[MiniDave]

Not exactly in my shop, but certainly shop adjacent, and it did require tools....

The bride's 8 y/o Whirlpool front loading washing machine wouldn't work, and was throwing codes. A search on the web gave me a couple of places to look, so today I started in on it.

First thing was to remove thirty things off the top and around it so I could get to it.....then I removed the top (three screws and slide it off to the back, easy peasy. I had to do that so I could release the manual latch holding the door closed - I wanted to make sure the drum wasn't locked up - it wasn't.

Next up slide it out from the wall so I could disconnect the water hoses and electrical plug, then the back came off. The YouTube washing machine repair academy said it could be one of two things, a water sensing switch, or the main pump under the tub. The sensor was super easy to reach, right up under the lid at the back....there's nothing to test on it really, either it works or it doesn't.

Next the pump - there is a large plug on one end that gives access to a filter basket that can get loaded with stuff, kleenex, threads, stuff out of your pockets like coins and so on. I couldn't get the plug to rotate from the position it was in, so I decided to remove the pump assembly and check both for clogs and to see if the motor turned freely. It's only held on with 4 screws and one electrical plug, but those screws were really awkward to reach - made me wish I'd gone ahead and bought that electric angle driver. There was some schmutz in the basket, but I didn't think it was enough to cause the pump motor not to run.

So I cleaned it all out, checked the motor - which turned freely and didn't seem to have any wear in the bearings or shaft - and put it all back together, reinstalled the pressure switch and damn! it works perfectly again!

Maybe it was the stuff in the pump after all? I dunno, but nothing frustrates the bride worse than having her equipment not working correctly.

Pic of said schmutz with screwdriver handle for size perspective and pic of said machine happily washing away....

[Willie_B]

Reminds me of a year or so back when our dryer was not drying well at all. Looked down the opening after the filter to see just how much lint bypasses the filter. A BUNCH, the downstream opening was completely blocked. Same as you with the Youtube repair videos to see how it all comes apart.

[94touring]

I did a full tear down on the washer/dryer combo in the one rental condo I moved back into middle of last year.  Tenant never told me the thing was all jacked up not working properly. I was able to replace a broken module and control unit and also needed to clean out a bunch of debri in other areas.  Been good ever since.

[MiniDave]

Dryer vent hose getting clogged can start a fire, good thing you checked. Mine has a really short run to freedom so it's pretty easy to check - I've even reached in from outside, but didn't find much. What I haven't done is check inside the dryer itself....need to do that some day.

She washed two loads with it last night and it all worked as it should, so......yay!

Today I'm putting the 2018 Audi on the lift to look for more chewed up wires....