c/abq-home-maintenance

Old timer at the hardware store told me to check my anode rod, he was right

I was in the plumbing aisle at Lowe's last month complaining about my water heater making that rumbling sound. A guy who looked like he'd been fixing houses since the 70s told me to pull the anode rod before calling anyone. I figured it was a waste of time but I did it anyway, and sure enough it was completely eaten down to a wire. New rod cost me $30 and now the tank sounds like a sewing machine instead of a coffee grinder. Anyone else ever had a random stranger give them advice that actually beat what the pros wanted to charge for?

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spencerm46•5d ago

Ditch the copper pipe cutter, use a hacksaw and a file

I did $900 worth of repipes in Los Lunas last week and my fancy auto pipe cutter kept jamming on the second joint. Switched to a $15 hacksaw and a flat file, took maybe 5 extra minutes per joint but zero mess and no mangled ends. My plumber buddy still laughs at me, but the solder joints came out cleaner than ever. Anyone else go back to basic tools after an expensive one failed on the job?

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elizabeth900•9d ago

Why is everyone in this town so against rain gutters?

I was talking to a roofer over on San Mateo and he told me half the homes in ABQ don't have gutters at all. I get that our rain comes down hard and fast, but all that water just dumps onto the foundation. After our last monsoon season in August, I checked my crawlspace and saw standing water. Has anyone actually had a contractor install gutters here and think it was worth the $1,800?

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evanc92•10d ago

Was I the only one caulking baseboards before paint?

I spent 5 years in my Nob Hill house caulking all the baseboards before painting, thinking it sealed everything better. Then a contractor friend saw me doing it and asked why I was making extra work for myself, he said paint alone handles it fine unless there's a gap. Anyone else get caught doing something backwards like that, and what tipped you off?

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rodriguez.diana•10d ago

DIY stucco patch vs paying a pro, which actually lasts in ABQ?

I patched a crack by my front door with a $15 bag of Quikrete last spring and it's already peeling near the base, but my neighbor paid $300 for a pro to fix their east-facing wall two years ago and it's still solid. Is the extra cost worth it for our freeze-thaw cycles, or did I just do a sloppy job? Anyone else have luck with DIY stucco here?

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jennysullivan•20d ago

Pro tip: swap your felt dryer vent brush for a $4 toilet brush attachment

I used to spend 25 minutes every spring wrestling that floppy felt brush through 14 feet of dryer duct, but after I saw a cleaner in Albuquerque recommend a drill-mounted toilet brush kit at a trade show, I switched last year and now it takes 7 minutes flat, has anyone else found a weird tool that beats the 'standard' one?

c/abq-home-maintenance

Old timer at the hardware store told me to check my anode rod, he was right

Ditch the copper pipe cutter, use a hacksaw and a file

Why is everyone in this town so against rain gutters?

Was I the only one caulking baseboards before paint?

DIY stucco patch vs paying a pro, which actually lasts in ABQ?

Pro tip: swap your felt dryer vent brush for a $4 toilet brush attachment

Leaky hose bib near the foundation took 3 weekends to fix

That rust test at the paint store saved me $300

My uncle's swamp cooler quote was dead on, wish I'd listened sooner

Can we talk about people who paint over aluminum windows?

Just learned my 15 year old water heater has a built in sacrificial anode I was supposed to replace every 3 years

Went to a hardware clinic at Reeb's last month that completely changed how I patch drywall

That leaking pipe I ignored almost ruined my whole laundry room

Hit 100 water heater flushes and finally saw the payoff

Talked to an old plumber at Lowe's and now I'm checking all my pipes

TIL putting a brick in my toilet tank fixed the weak flush problem

My swamp cooler motor seized up right during the heatwave last week

Just found out my swamp cooler needs a new motor every 5 years on average, seems wild

Realized I was using way too much water on my lawn this whole time

Hit 200 psi on my pressure washer and instantly regretted it

That time my swamp cooler dumped water through the ceiling at 2am

That tip about pointing gutters downhill saved my foundation

Tried spray foam vs foam board in my crawl space - clear winner emerged

Was skeptical about those $40 foam pipe insulation kits...

Took me 3 years to realize I was caulking my baseboards wrong