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u/scarlet_sage

r/SpaceXLounge r/laundry r/nerdfighters r/containergardening r/exchangestudents r/bidets r/whatsthisplant r/Hawaii r/electrical r/Austin
▲ 8 r/bidets

Non-electric versus electric (for warm water)? I've never used a bidet

I've found a couple of previous discussions:

I'm sorry, but I tend to overthink decisions and get nervous when I'm uncertain.

I've never used a bidet, but I do use the handheld sprayer in the shower at home to improvise (using warm water, but a lot of me is getting sprayed). I'm not at all sure I'd like cold water. I don't have electric receptacles next to each toilet, and installing them would be some $300-$1300 (two toilets). Running hot water lines to the toilets is impractical (edit for clarity: any sort of lines, whether rigid pipe or flexible hose). The plumbing lines are rather exposed to outside temperatures, so in a cold snap I can't take hot showers and in a heat wave I can't cool off much.

Does anyone have an idea how popular in general non-electric versus electric are, like "most people get non-electric" or "sales tend to be half and half" or whatever?

I haven't done plumbing work, and given the potential for damage, I'm nervous. How practical is it to get a low-end non-electric and "test drive" it? If I get it at a US big-box store (Lowe's, Home Depot), is it actually returnable?

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u/scarlet_sage — 3 days ago
▲ 2 r/electrical

Overthinking which type of residential conduit to use

I don't really know anything about conduit.

I want an electrician to install a receptacle next to a toilet, to allow for an electrically heated bidet. The problem is that my home has a flat roof with no attic, no crawl space, and no basement. There's no volume to just run cable through and shove it down the wall. I asked about running cable through the walls, but that would involve drilling through some 20 feet worth of studs, and opening and fixing and repainting drywall, and I gather it's more expensive.

What I asked for in quotes was conduit around the ceiling/wall joins, along 2 walls of the walk-in closet next to the bathroom. (All indoors, BTW.) There's a place to connect the cable to in there, some 25 feet from the desired location. Since it's a closet, I don't think the aesthetics are that important, and metal conduit can be spray-painted white to approximately match the walls. (I turn on the light for maybe 15 seconds each morning.)

I like the idea of sturdy conduit, because I have a lot of stuff stored in there, and I can imagine someone carelessly shoving something heavy onto an upper shelf and damaging whatever is used. I'd never do that, of course. I mean someone else.

The two estimates mention EMT. Is that likely to be sturdy enough in practice? Is it easy to repair if I am someone else is careless? I gather that there are alternatives that are sturdier but much more expensive, usually seen in industrial or commercial work, and a pain to work with. (RMC, IMC, metal-clad armored cable, flexible metal conduit?)

Or is that overkill, so I should simply ask about PVC or something? Should I just use wire mold because it looks a lot better?

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u/scarlet_sage — 8 days ago
▲ 95 r/Austin

Any real hardware stores in Austin that aren't Lowe's or Home Depot? Ace Hardware on US 183 NW is closing

There's an Ace Hardware store at 13450 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78729. Unfortunately, it will be closing in a month or two. (They're currently running a clearance sale, 25% off anything, BTW.)

[Edit: from 4 years ago, Ace Hardware opens in Northwest Austin.]

I liked them, and similarly a long-gone nearby hardware store, because they had employees easily available that I could often get help from.

Are there any other real hardware stores in Austin (edit: for me, ideally in north Austin, but please mention other areas), other than the Big Box Duopoly? I got some suggestions from people there, but they were from outlying cities:

  • Roosters Ace Hardware in Round Rock at I-35 / US 79
  • Keith Ace Hardware in Georgetown a bit from I-35
  • Tractor Supply in Cedar Park (I've never been to one of these, but their web page emphasizes everything but hardware)
  • Harbor Freight (from my experience from years ago, the very finest chinesium!)
  • Breed and Co. Ace: the web page looks like they don't really care about hardware ("hile hardware is still a big part of the experience, our collection of products also includes some of the finest tableware, kitchenware, garden and seasonal décor you’ll find anywhere"). I'll keep them in mind if I need some Torx T8 incense sticks.
  • Specialty places
  • Grainger Industrial Supply near US 183 and Lamar? I don't know if they're specialty, oriented towards the commercial market
  • from /u/Stickyv35, McCoy's Building Supply. One south of the river, off 71 between I-35 and US 183. Otherwise Manchaca, Cedar Valley, and Bee Cave. Looks like a well-organized web site.
  • from /u/The_Lutter here, Callahan’s General Store, US 183 just south of the river.
  • from /u/Snap_Grackle_Pop, Northern Tool "aren't really hardware stores", but have some stuff. One on I-35 near Braker, just north of Altex; one on I-35 in Buda.
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u/scarlet_sage — 10 days ago
▲ 0 r/electrical

I want to add a junction box and handle low-voltage wiring

USA location. I've done simple things like replace light switches and ceiling fans and such, but this is new. I could call an electrician, but this seems simple enough that I'd like to learn about how to do this (especially with low voltage being relatively safer).

A doorbell transformer again. It's a DH905, outputting low-voltage AC. If anyone cares, which I doubt, the installation instructions are here. It is presently screwed down to the outside of the top of a cabinet.

The obvious problem is what the manual says, "Mount the transformer to a junction box". I gather that the junction box has to be fastened down (can I similarly screw it onto the outside top of the cabinet?). I would then mount the transformer to it per the manual.

The power cable coming in is a normal plug-in-able power cord, like they cut it off of an old vacuum cleaner or something. I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't be safe, but is there a factor I don't know about? I guess the stapling was like what you'd do with Romex. (BTW, the camera changed the colors. The grounding wires look green in person.)

Can the low-voltage wires just hang out in space like that? Do they need to be fastened down or put in conduit or put in their own junction box or something? I found a page somewhere that said that low-voltage wires are not allowed to do a 90-degree bend, but I can't find it now and that doesn't make sense to me.

Any other suggestions, please? Please excuse any silliness here.

u/scarlet_sage — 13 days ago
▲ 7 r/electrical

Why does the multimeter say that the doorbell transformers' outputs are higher than value printed on them?

USA. I'm dinking about with two doorbells and their respective transformers. Their specs are printed on them (as they are) but the voltages available are higher that those values.

  • Printed as 10V 5VA, measured as 13.8V (x 1.38)
  • Printed as 16V 10VA, measured as 19.0V (x 1.19).

In case it's a factor, line voltage is 123.7 volts (which is 110V x 1.12).

Does anyone have an explanation for why they're higher? Only one value is near √2, so I guess that's not involved.

Is it a possible problem if the measured values are higher than the spec?

I've been considering replacing them anyway, but shopping is a bit of a hassle. I don't know how old the equipment is, but there's a chance that one system is from the 1960s or 1970s. ("TO REPLACE BULB, SEND BULB ASS'Y WITH 75¢ TO RITTENHOUSE, HONEOYE FALLS, N. Y. 14472".)

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u/scarlet_sage — 13 days ago
▲ 5 r/whatsthisplant

[Austin, TX, USA, 9a] Slightly waxy leaves, vertical ridges on stems, fast growing

The leaves aren't waxy waxy like some common houseplants, just slightly. It's hard for me to tell, but I think the vertical ribs may just be leading up to each leaf. The stem is otherwise quite smooth. This is just its first season's growth, so there hasn't been a noticeable bloom yet. Somewhat full sunlight (like the equivalent of about 5 hours of direct sun per day).

u/scarlet_sage — 15 days ago
▲ 3 r/laundry

Washing machine question: what cycles should I use for what?

Is it O. K. to ask questions about cycle choices on a washing machine? If not, please tell me what subreddit I should use.

My previous machines usually had 3 cycles: Normal, Permanent press, and Gentle. I interpreted them as jeans and cotton stuff, shirts and synthetics, the label said "gentle".

I recently got a GE washing machine, model GTW585, a top loader with a kind of agitator. This machine has 5 cycles for clothing type things: Normal / Colors, Delicates, Whites, Casuals, Active Wear. (These are the 5 cycles on the left of the dial. The 5 cycles on the right are explained well enough.)

Can anyone figure out what I'd use Whites, Casuals, and Active Wear for? What should I use for shirts or other things that I don't want beaten up (old Permanent Press)? What if they're t-shirts or polo shirts made of cotton?

I attached pictures of the manual pages. (The source is here, pages 8 and 9.) The explanations:

Colors/Normal looks like the old Normal I'm used to. (It specifies "cotton clothing".) And Delicates looks like old Gentle.

Casuals: "Casual clothes, lightly soiled office wear.... Wash cycle tailored to care for casual clothes and office wear items." The heck? All my clothing is casual now that I'm retired. How is "office wear" a fabric?

Active Wear: "Medium to lightly soiled athletic wear items of technical or synthetic fabrics.... Cycle designed for care of medium to lightly soiled active wear, athletic wear, and technical fabrics. Incorporates a dual stage wash period with soak to effectively treat body soils and odors." I guess my couple of UV-resistant shirts should have been washed in this? Is this the Stinky Clothes cycle?

Looking at it now, maybe Casuals is intended for clothes worn indoors (food crumbs, a little spilled Coke, a little sweat and dust), and Active Wear for the stains you'd get outside if they're not too too much? Since I'm almost always inside, I guess I want Casuals to approximate old Permanent Press, because Active Wear is likely to be rougher?

Whites: "Whites and household linens.... Cycle tailored to clean and brighten your whites." I think I don't know what "whites and household linens" are. I have linen sheets, but sheets are supposed to be done on Towels.

I think my trinity went from Normal, Permanent Press, and Gentle to Normal, Casuals, and Delicates?

u/scarlet_sage — 3 months ago
▲ 3 r/containergardening

[Central Texas, US] Container gardening for native plants that prefer poor soil?

I do container gardening on a patio with native Texas plants. I mostly use a standard potting soil (Happy Frog), which drains well and seems to be reasonably rich. I use a moisture meter and water when the needle drops below a certain level. Heavy watering is needed for a few or doesn't seem to bother others.

On impulse, I got a couple of plants, and now I'm wondering how to grow them. The problem is they are said to prefer or tolerate poorish soil and more dry conditions. I'm wondering whether to amend the soil with some sand and/or small pebbles that I have on hand. Or can I assume that the Happy Frog's drainage will compensate for the organics that I think are in there?

Or am I misreading and overthinking things? I do that a lot.

I have the impression that the rich potting soil and ample water may have caused some of my previous plants to over-bloom and then die: Berlandier's sundrops and blackfoot daisies, for example.

The two new plants are

Missouri Primrose, Oenothera macrocarpa (old name Oenothera missouriensis)

Some comments: "Rocky, gravelly, or sandy soils. Calcareous, Sandy, Limestone-based, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam ... Native Habitat: Limestone glades & bluffs; roadsides; rocky prairies & hillsides". "Tolerates poor and/or limy soils ... Tolerate: Drought, Clay Soil, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil". "Xeriscapic ... Not suitable for containers". "Sand, Loam, Gravelly, Rocky, Calcareous, Dry".

White Yarrow, Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis or main species

"Common on disturbed soils throughout" "Best grown in lean, dry to medium, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Plants do well in average garden soils and tolerate poor soils as long as drainage is good.... Plant stems tend to flop, particularly in hot, humid climates and/or if grown in moist, rich soils." "Mesic, Dry Mesic, Dry ... Xeriscapic ... Needs excellent drainage in pots" "Sand, Loam, Clay, Dry ... Grows in a variety of soils".

u/scarlet_sage — 3 months ago
▲ 2 r/exchangestudents

I'm an admin of a Facebook group unrelated to exchange students. Someone has asked to join and to post a flyer for a student who wants a host family using CETUSA.

I have little idea who CETUSA is. What is CETUSA's reputation? I try to keep spammers / scammers out. Charity Navigator has a page for them, but gave them no rating because they haven't provided the data. Charity Navigator has a good reputation, so this is a red flag to my way of thinking.

The only other info I can find is the spate of news stories from 2012 when they were denied J-1 visas for two years over financial abuse of the students, but that was 14 years ago.

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u/scarlet_sage — 4 months ago