Heat pump installation ; electrical repair ; pex installation ; basement floor demolition and trenching

(posted from home)

(This post covers April 25 to 30, 2012)


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Monday, 30 April -

Brian from Gohn and Stambaugh and Rob from Red Oak Remodeling (the prime contractor) were here today. Brian began rattling-out the concrete with an electric jack-hammer to expose the existing sewer pipe connection and to make a trench for the new soil pipe for the new bathroom and its toilet, shower, and sink. Rob helped with the trenching by hauling out the debris using buckets and a wheelbarrow. He also removed drywall from the old mud-room walls to expose the electrical connections and start preparing for the concrete pour later this week. Once Brian finishes installing the drain lines and the inspector gives the okay, the team will pour a two-inch slab to elevate the bathroom floor to the same level as the guest room.
The demolition actually went well. Brian had the jackhammering done in about an hour and a half and didn't have to deal with any reinforcing rod or wire (perhaps that's not a good thing!). The guys used a trenching shovel to dig and a very small (about a four-inch blade and a 20” handle) hand-held shovel to load the bucket.
Late in the day Brian came upstairs to work on our bathroom faucet. On Friday when we turned the water back on after draining and elevating the water heater our bathroom sink faucet was suddenly running very slowly. Brian had to go Friday and we were okay with it for the weekend since we had a trickle for washing our hands. Over the weekend we dug out the installation manual for the faucet and learned there should have been filters on the water lines. But the filters supplied by the manufacturer didn't appear to work with a standard US water-supply line. It appears the plumber who installed the faucet had simply skipped the filters and now there was debris in the flow restrictor. Brian cleaned the debris out and we tried again. The flow was good at first but soon slowed.... more debris. This time Brian removed the flow-restrictor and we had good pressure.... perhaps a little TOO good.
That evening we skipped the Mad Men episodes and just watched some local tv.

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Sunday, 29 April -

Today I painted the color coat on my bedroom closet and then took a motorcycle ride. After my regular Starbucks run I rode over to Rocky Ridge Park and walked my five-mile route in 1:47. I felt stronger today than I've felt since the Florida trip. We've been having cooler weather lately and today was a very, very nice exception.

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Saturday, 28 April -

The contractors have the weekend off, of course. I painted the two closets we had emptied for the duct work with a good primer. While Labashi went to the garden center for supplies for her flower beds, I got out the air tank and blew up the Miata's leaky tire and then took it for a clean-off-the-brakes run. I need to get that sold sometime soon.
That evening we watched two 'Mad Men' eps.

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Friday, 27 April -

Today Brian-the-plumber ran the pex water lines for the utility sink, washer, whole-house filter, acid neutralizer, and water softener. We also drained the water heater and put it up on two concrete lintels Brian brought for the purpose. When I had saw yesterday that he had to cut off the pipes to and from the water heater, I realized I had a chance to remedy a mistake I had made seven years ago. When I installed the water heater, I had put it in a plastic pan but had put that on the floor. When we had our flood, the pan merely filled with water via its drain. Yesterday I asked Brian if I could get some bricks to elevate the heater and he said he'd bring the lintels.
I was happy to see the water we drained from the heater was barely discolored from the sediment in the bottom of the tank. I know we're supposed to drain the tank once a year but the last time we did it was about three years ago. At the Chambersburg house we had had problems even getting the water to flow out of the drain valve at all (because of sediment blocking the valve). Maypo had a Rube-Goldberg-style device he connected to his portable compressor to blow air back through the valve to clear it and that did the job. But think about how much sediment is in there if it's thick enough to block the valve.
That evening we watched more 'Mad Men', season 4.

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Thursday, 26 April -

Today Chris and Eric finished the installation of the heat pump (as far as they can go until the electrician comes in). They only needed about two hours today. The original plan had been to finish by end-of-day yesterday but they didn't quite make it.
Brian from Gohn and Stambaugh started the plumbing today. Hajoca delivered all the equipment for the bathroom (shower, vanity, and toilet) and the water treatment equipment. The first task is to plan where to run the water lines and drains for the utility sink, washer, acid neutralizer, and water softener along the north wall. Brian spent the rest of the day installing the 2” drain lines.
I mowed the lawn today. After Brian left Labashi and I went in to Home Depot and had dinner at Chili's. While there we received a call from Dad about Mom's surgery drains so we zoomed up to their apartment to ensure that all was well (and it was).
That evening we watched 'Mad Men' 4.5 and 4.6.

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Wednesday, 25 April -

Today contractors from Strine Plumbing (Chris and Eric) pressurized the heat pump lines and ran the ductwork down through two of our closets. With the air handler in the attic, the ductwork is necessary to get the cooled or heated air down to the basement level. One duct descended through our hall closet and down to the ceiling vent in the guest room while the other goes through my bedroom clothes closet into the mud room and then on to the new bath off the guestroom. Chris was amazingly efficient, particularly at cutting the holes for the duct through the closet shelves. The loss of storage space is minimal and does not cause any problem. Eric also ran the electrical wires to the panel area for the electrician to connect next week.
We also had Mike from Miller Electric in to work on the electrical problem uncovered in the attic. Mike had the unenviable job of climbing back through the small attic space which was rapidly heating up on this sunny day. He emerged to confirm there's indeed a nail through the wire from the outside (as Chris had said) and he volunteered that he wasn't sure how to go about repairing that wire. The break is down in the wall and it's likely the wire is stapled somewhere between the break and the panel so pulling another wire behind the one being removed won't work.
As we talked we realized there's no reason to repair it. That run only services the fridge and two counter outlets. I suggested we might be able to connect in to another circuit. But Mike saw we have a drop ceiling between the electric panel and where the wire would have to go up to the fridge and suggested he merely make a new run. He didn't even have to drill new holes in the joists ; there was enough room to add a wire through existing holes.
After Mike completed the new run, I asked him about the outlets on our counter. They had been installed before the code change to require ground-fault protection for kitchen-counter outlets and I wondered whether I should have them updated. He happened to have two GFI outlets in the truck (and that would serve the three outlets on two different circuits ) so I had him go ahead and install those. Mike had arrived at 1115 and was done by about 1345 so the whole visit only took about two and a half hours.
That evening Labashi and I watched 'Mad Men' 4.3 and 4.4.



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