c/abq-home-maintenance

That $15 pipe clamp from Ace saved my bathroom remodel last weekend

I was swapping out the sink in my half bath off the kitchen, and the old drain pipe just crumbled when I touched it. Took a trip down to the Ace on Menaul, grabbed a new PVC setup and one of those cheap pipe clamps for the p-trap. Got home, got everything threaded, and realized the new trap was a quarter inch off from lining up with the wall pipe. That little clamp was the only thing that let me bend it into place without cracking anything. Now I'm wondering if I should've gone with a flexible drain pipe instead... Has anyone else run into this where nothing lines up in these old ABQ houses?

Three years of fixing my own sprinklers and I finally saved enough to redo the whole system

Last month I finished replacing all the old pipes in my front yard off Juan Tabo. It took me three summers of patching leaks to finally learn how to trench and glue PVC right. That first year I flooded the neighbor's driveway twice and felt like a real idiot. Anyone else find that DIY irrigation work just takes forever to get the hang of?

Decided to go with foam insulation instead of fiberglass for my crawl space

I spent three weekends last month trying to decide between foam board and fiberglass batts for under my house in the North Valley. The foam cost me around $600 more, but I figured it would seal better against the dust and moisture we get here. Installation was a pain since I had to cut every piece to fit around the pipes and vents. A month later, my floors are noticeably warmer, and I haven't seen any condensation issues. Has anyone else tried spray foam down there, or did I overspend for no reason?

That time my swamp cooler dumped water through the ceiling vent

Last summer during that 100 degree stretch in July, I came home to water dripping from my living room ceiling vent. Ran up to the roof and found the float valve on my swamp cooler had completely failed, so water was just overflowing for hours. I shut off the supply line, vacuumed out the pan, and replaced the valve with a brass one from Lowe's for about 15 bucks. Has anyone else had a float valve fail at the worst possible time, and did you switch to a metal one after?

Spent 3 hours trying to patch a pinhole leak in an old copper pipe

I figured I'd be done in 30 minutes with some epoxy putty, but the pipe was so corroded the patch kept blowing off. Finally gave up and cut out a 2-foot section for a new coupling - what a hassle. Has anyone else fought with an old house's plumbing like this?

Heads up about that roof leak repair place off of Coors by the strip mall

I stopped by to grab a quote last Wednesday and the guy straight up told me they just slap flex seal on everything and hope it holds through one monsoon season, so has anyone else dealt with that spot near the old bowling alley?

My neighbor's tip about swamp cooler maintenance saved me $200

Old guy named Dennis next door told me to swap out the water pads every April without fail. I skipped last year thinking they looked fine. Ended up with a burned out motor in July and a $250 service call. He was right, those $40 pads make a huge difference in Albuquerque's hard water.

Just realized I was over-tightening my faucet supply lines for years

My neighbor Dave came over to help with a leak under the kitchen sink and said 'you're cranking these like lug nuts' and showed me the cracked ferrule I'd caused. Has anyone else been tightening plumbing connections way too hard without realizing it?

Found out my gutters were backwards for 5 years

I watched water pouring over the edge during a monsoon last week and finally noticed my gutter guy installed them with the slope going the wrong way toward the house. Anyone else have a contractor mess up something this basic or am I just unlucky?

Learned that my swamp cooler needs to be drained weekly during monsoon season or it gets algae

Found this on the UNM extension office website last night, and I had no idea the standing water could grow that stuff so fast in our humidity. Has anyone else wrecked a cooler motor from not draining it enough?

That one week when my swamp cooler flooded the utility room twice

Last July during the monsoon I had to pull the drain pan three times in five days because the float valve kept sticking from hard water buildup, and now I always keep a spare valve and a wire brush on the shelf has anyone else had this issue with ABQ's water?

I finally quit caulking with my bare finger after 15 years of doing it wrong

For the longest time I used to just run a bead of silicone and smooth it with my wet finger like my dad taught me. About 6 months ago I bought a $3 set of those little plastic caulk tools from Home Depot on a whim and honestly the difference is insane. No more messy cleanup and the lines come out way cleaner especially around my bathtub where I used to have to redo it every few months. Has anyone else switched from the finger method to a tool or am I the last one to figure this out?

Update on my garage door opener situation

My old chain drive opener was so loud it would wake up my kid during naps, and it finally gave out last month. I decided to try a new belt drive model instead of just replacing it with the same kind. The difference is crazy, the new one is almost silent and runs way smoother. Installation took me about 4 hours last Saturday, but it was worth the extra $50 over the basic chain model. I should have switched years ago. Anyone in the NE Heights have a good local source for garage door parts if I need them in the future?

Everyone says to use a pressure washer on concrete but I found a better way

I cleaned my driveway in the Northeast Heights two ways last month. First I rented a big pressure washer for a day, cost me $75. It got the surface clean but left water marks and didn't touch the oil spots. Then I tried a $20 bottle of concrete cleaner from the hardware store and a stiff push broom. I scrubbed it, let it sit for an hour, and rinsed with a garden hose. The chemical cleaner actually broke down the stains and the result was way more even. Has anyone else moved away from pressure washing for basic concrete jobs?

My brother-in-law told me to check my swamp cooler pads before summer, and he was totally right.

He said it after Easter dinner, and I put it off for weeks. Went up there yesterday and the pads were basically dust, full of leaves and packed dirt. The unit was struggling to pull any air at all. I spent $40 on new pads and an hour cleaning, but now it runs like new. Anyone else have a family member who gives surprisingly good home advice?

Just realized my old house in the North Valley has way more insulation than I thought... found out from a free city energy audit.

TIL my new 'drip' irrigation system for my backyard in the North Valley flooded my neighbor's yard because I didn't install a pressure regulator.

I finally replaced my own swamp cooler pads after watching a YouTube video from a guy in Rio Rancho.

It took me about an hour and saved me over $100 compared to the service call I almost made, so has anyone else found a good local video or tip for basic Albuquerque home fixes?

The guy at the hardware store on Menaul saved me from a huge mistake

I was buying a new water heater and had a cheap one in my cart. An older man, maybe a retired plumber, saw me looking at it and said, 'That one's fine for a rental, but for your own house you'll want the ten year warranty model.' He explained how the cheap ones often fail right after the five year mark. I ended up spending an extra $150, but it felt like a solid choice. Anyone else get some good advice from a stranger while shopping for home stuff?

Heads up on those cheap gutter cleaning deals from flyers

Honestly, I paid $150 for a 'full clean and flush' from a crew that came through my neighborhood. They just sprayed the surface leaves and left all the packed mud in the elbows, which caused an overflow that wrecked a section of my stucco foundation after the next rain. Has anyone found a local company that actually does the elbow work right?

Why does nobody talk about how a $200 gutter guard install can completely wreck your roof edge?

I paid a local crew to put them on my place near UNM last fall, and the clips they used pulled up shingles, leading to a $1200 repair bill this spring, so has anyone found a guard system that actually works without causing damage?

Found a weird fix for my swamp cooler that actually worked

My swamp cooler on my house near UNM was making a loud grinding noise last week. I tried the usual stuff, like checking the belt and oiling the motor, but it didn't help. On a hunch, I took the side panel off and found a small rock, about the size of a quarter, stuck in the squirrel cage fan. Pulled it out and the noise stopped completely. Has anyone else found weird stuff blocking their cooler up here on the Westside?

Talked to a neighbor about his water bill and now I'm worried about my own pipes

Honestly, my neighbor over on Copper Avenue said his water bill jumped by $60 last month and he found a slow leak under his kitchen sink. Tbh, I haven't checked my own pipes in ages and my house is from the 80s. Has anyone had a plumber in ABQ they really trust for a basic check-up?

Just realized my attic insulation is only R-19 after a decade in this house

I was up there yesterday looking for a box and decided to check the tag on the old batts. They're from the 80s and only rated for R-19, which is way under the R-38 we should have for our climate zone here in Albuquerque. I always wondered why the second floor got so hot in the summer (like 85 degrees even with the AC on). Now I know the main reason. Has anyone else found old, weak insulation and upgraded it themselves? I'm trying to decide if it's a DIY job or if I should call someone.

Finally bit the bullet on a new water heater

Spent about $1200 on a new one after the old one started leaking. The install was rough but having hot water again is worth it. Anyone have a good plumber for future stuff?