Arranging for Louis Ludovico to deal with the water and propane, of which about 200 gallons remained in the smaller tank.
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| Closing Up 12-11/11 |
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| Closing Up 12-11-11 |
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Closing Up
12-10-11 - Arrived Saturday afternoon - all in order. Closed up house. Cleaned kitchen, cleaned out fridge (and left it open), put paper or plastic on beds, tables and trunks throughout the house, put linens, pillows and blankets in bins or bags, removed lots of food, put out mouse traps and poison.
Arranging for Louis Ludovico to deal with the water and propane, of which about 200 gallons remained in the smaller tank.
Thank you for a wonderful summer and fall!!!
Arranging for Louis Ludovico to deal with the water and propane, of which about 200 gallons remained in the smaller tank.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Arrived evening of 11/18/11 - All in order. There was one mouse in one of the traps.
This trip: Met with and paid Paul the last payment for grass care for the season, dug trench on part of driveway to allow water to flow, cleared branches from stone wall (and burned them in a nice bonfire).
Paul came by and we paid him the last payment for summer lawn care. He says that the mower will need a tune up and blade-sharpening at the beginning of next season. We told him about the chimney work (sealing) that occurred earlier in the season and he observed that the flashing near the front chimney looked much better.
This trip: Met with and paid Paul the last payment for grass care for the season, dug trench on part of driveway to allow water to flow, cleared branches from stone wall (and burned them in a nice bonfire).
Paul came by and we paid him the last payment for summer lawn care. He says that the mower will need a tune up and blade-sharpening at the beginning of next season. We told him about the chimney work (sealing) that occurred earlier in the season and he observed that the flashing near the front chimney looked much better.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Arrived late 10/27. All in order although the below was unexpected!
Solveig, Olive and friends enjoyed the house last weekend and left us the snow-topped jack-o-lanterns!
Saturday 10/29 Update: I noticed the weather report predicted up to a foot today in a weather system that will dump the heaviest snow in the Berkshires, although it's also snowing (with lightning) in NYC. We've decided to ride it out and at 2pm it's already snowing heavily - I cut more wood, we're charging our phones and I got hold of the road supervisor for Sandisfield and arranged plowing of West Street. His name is Steve (413-717-7627) and he's really nice. He says they usually do plow the road but if they think no one is at the house it's a lower priority than the other roads. He uses the area near the barn to turn the plow around.
Sunday 10/30 Update: It must have snowed at least two feet last night. Power went off last night (Saturday) and came back on today around noon. Still no plow so we're here till he comes. Photos:
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| 10-28-11 |
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| 10/28/11 |
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| 10/28/11 |
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| 10/28/11 |
Saturday 10/29 Update: I noticed the weather report predicted up to a foot today in a weather system that will dump the heaviest snow in the Berkshires, although it's also snowing (with lightning) in NYC. We've decided to ride it out and at 2pm it's already snowing heavily - I cut more wood, we're charging our phones and I got hold of the road supervisor for Sandisfield and arranged plowing of West Street. His name is Steve (413-717-7627) and he's really nice. He says they usually do plow the road but if they think no one is at the house it's a lower priority than the other roads. He uses the area near the barn to turn the plow around.
Sunday 10/30 Update: It must have snowed at least two feet last night. Power went off last night (Saturday) and came back on today around noon. Still no plow so we're here till he comes. Photos:
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Arrived in the afternoon 10-15-11 and everything in order.
This trip: installed smoke alarm near top of stairs, gathered firewood, purchased box saw for tree limb cutting, had Jim Bianco over to seal chimneys, replaced trim on bottom of porch post, put down storm windows, replaced valve assembly in upstairs toilet, tested heater in small upstairs bedroom, prepped for Sebastian, Solveig and kids visit.
Roof Repair
Technically, this shouldn't be called roof repair because after an inspection last week with Gary Danko, the roof itself looks good and the theory is that the "leaks" are the result of water wicking through the bricks themselves. Jim thinks the bricks used on the chimneys are more for interior work where weather resistance isn't as critical.
Jim sealed the exterior of the chimneys with a product called Professional Water Sealant PWS-5 and secured some flashing around the front chimney with silicone. This cost $400 including materials.
Jim Bianco Masonry - 405 Fairview Street - Lee, MA 01238 - 413-243-0092
Couch
Solveig and Sebastian have asked that the couch in the front room be moved to a different room when a more comfortable replacement, preferably with a back, can be found. It is 75Wx36Dx18H (from the floor). It is 25" to the bottom of the trim below the window sill and about 28.5" to the bottom of the sill itself. A slightly longer couch could be accommodated in that space if necessary. We are looking at online stores, Craigslist, and in antique stores.
Barn Roof
Occasionally this past season we have seen bits of roof tile on the ground in front of the barn door, that had clearly come loose and slid down. There is some deterioration and loss of tiles on the roof.
This trip: installed smoke alarm near top of stairs, gathered firewood, purchased box saw for tree limb cutting, had Jim Bianco over to seal chimneys, replaced trim on bottom of porch post, put down storm windows, replaced valve assembly in upstairs toilet, tested heater in small upstairs bedroom, prepped for Sebastian, Solveig and kids visit.
Roof Repair
Technically, this shouldn't be called roof repair because after an inspection last week with Gary Danko, the roof itself looks good and the theory is that the "leaks" are the result of water wicking through the bricks themselves. Jim thinks the bricks used on the chimneys are more for interior work where weather resistance isn't as critical.
Jim sealed the exterior of the chimneys with a product called Professional Water Sealant PWS-5 and secured some flashing around the front chimney with silicone. This cost $400 including materials.
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| Jim Bianco, 10-16-11 |
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| 10-16-11 |
Couch
Solveig and Sebastian have asked that the couch in the front room be moved to a different room when a more comfortable replacement, preferably with a back, can be found. It is 75Wx36Dx18H (from the floor). It is 25" to the bottom of the trim below the window sill and about 28.5" to the bottom of the sill itself. A slightly longer couch could be accommodated in that space if necessary. We are looking at online stores, Craigslist, and in antique stores.
Barn Roof
Occasionally this past season we have seen bits of roof tile on the ground in front of the barn door, that had clearly come loose and slid down. There is some deterioration and loss of tiles on the roof.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
We arrived in the evening of 10-8-11 - all in order. Left in the evening of 10-10-11.
This trip: killed wasps, had Gary Danko and Jim Bianco over to inspect chimneys/roof leaks, split wood. We went canoeing on Lake Garfield and then on both Lower and Upper Goose Pond, which was beautiful.
There were no mice in any of the four traps I put out the weekend before nor were there droppings.
Roof Leaks
Gary Danko and his mason, Jim Bianco visited Sunday morning, 10-9-11, and they looked at the chimneys from the basement to roof. They observed that, in theory, there may be too many appliances venting into the back chimney (water heater, long room floor furnace, long room wood stove), and that both the floor furnaces are not properly venting into the chimneys, resulting in a potentially dangerous situation (see furnace update in an earlier post).
It is their opinion that the roof, flashing and brick work on the chimneys are in good to very good shape, and that there are no obvious leaks in any. They think it's likely that during heavier and/or extended periods of rain water is actually leeching through the chimney bricks and mortar and that the next step is to apply a sealant to the outside of the chimneys, as well as secure a piece of flashing on the front chimney. The estimated cost is $400 including the cost of the sealant.
House Corner
The Southeast corner of the house appears to separating from the porch and we had Gary Danko look at it. The wood that supports the house on the foundation is called the sill and in this corner it is clearly rotting away. This has resulted in a large gap under the corner of the house, porch separation and has probably affected other areas of porch support judging from the way it sags and buckles.
Without getting in and exploring, which requires porch removal, there is no way to know the extent of the damage.
It was Gary's opinion that this needs to be looked at in the spring at the latest. If it's bugs (like carpenter ants) they are asleep now or will be soon. He said it is a serious situation, could result in at least a partial porch re-build, would require a building permit (that he says is not hard to get) and won't be cheap.
This trip: killed wasps, had Gary Danko and Jim Bianco over to inspect chimneys/roof leaks, split wood. We went canoeing on Lake Garfield and then on both Lower and Upper Goose Pond, which was beautiful.
There were no mice in any of the four traps I put out the weekend before nor were there droppings.
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| House in moonlight - 10-8-11 |
Gary Danko and his mason, Jim Bianco visited Sunday morning, 10-9-11, and they looked at the chimneys from the basement to roof. They observed that, in theory, there may be too many appliances venting into the back chimney (water heater, long room floor furnace, long room wood stove), and that both the floor furnaces are not properly venting into the chimneys, resulting in a potentially dangerous situation (see furnace update in an earlier post).
It is their opinion that the roof, flashing and brick work on the chimneys are in good to very good shape, and that there are no obvious leaks in any. They think it's likely that during heavier and/or extended periods of rain water is actually leeching through the chimney bricks and mortar and that the next step is to apply a sealant to the outside of the chimneys, as well as secure a piece of flashing on the front chimney. The estimated cost is $400 including the cost of the sealant.
House Corner
The Southeast corner of the house appears to separating from the porch and we had Gary Danko look at it. The wood that supports the house on the foundation is called the sill and in this corner it is clearly rotting away. This has resulted in a large gap under the corner of the house, porch separation and has probably affected other areas of porch support judging from the way it sags and buckles.
Without getting in and exploring, which requires porch removal, there is no way to know the extent of the damage.
It was Gary's opinion that this needs to be looked at in the spring at the latest. If it's bugs (like carpenter ants) they are asleep now or will be soon. He said it is a serious situation, could result in at least a partial porch re-build, would require a building permit (that he says is not hard to get) and won't be cheap.
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| SE House Corner 10-10-11 |
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| SE House Corner - Close up - 10-10-11 |
Monday, October 3, 2011
Heaters
Heaters
I'm testing the heaters over several weekends and will update this post as I do so.
First, a note about the alarms. There has always been a CO alarm plugged into the outlet near the phone. In addition, I have purchased two more alarms that detect both CO and gas. These are the type that plug into an outlet (and have backup power from installed batteries) and I usually keep one downstairs and one in the bedroom we sleep in. I used this type of alarm when testing heaters.
I have also purchased conventional smoke/fire alarms and have installed them around the house. I hesitated about this because I worried that they were not consistent with the aesthetic. In the end, however, I decided that the safety of the house (and us) was more important than how they looked (alhough I never notice them). They can easily be removed.
FYI, the smoke detector in the long room near the kitchen will occasionally sound when cooking. It can be a nuisance but it's nice to know that they're sensitive. Push the button in the center to silence and then gently twist it out of it's mount and tuck away until you're done cooking.
Upstairs Main Bedroom
This heater an Empire model DV-215-5. It takes a while to get the pilot lit but, once lit, the heater functions. I tested it for about an hour with a combination CO/gas detector in the room and it triggered no alarms. UPDATE 10-29-11: we turned this heater on again to use in the cold weather but after a bit there was a strong smell of gas so we couldn't use it. I sprayed the joints in the line but saw no leaks so the source of the smell is unknown.
Upstairs Office
This heater is also an Empire DV-215-5 and it is not working. According to Empire the pilot orifice is broken and they no longer make replacement parts for this model. They say it's a very old heater and that the replacement, which should fit where the current one is, is model DV-215-7. Below is a picture I took of the gas line pulled out of the pilot orifice.
Heater in downstairs FRONT bedroom
This heater is made by Williams and is a model #1403611. The pilot lights easily and it was tested on 10-3-11 for an hour with a combination CO/gas detector in the room. There were no alarms.
What's important to know about using this heater is that you must first turn on the gas valve outside in the screened-in porch. However, when that valve is on, it leaks gas. This valve should be replaced.
Heater in upstairs small bedroom
This is a Williams heater also. I lit it with a lighter as it didn't light immediately with the red button. I ran it for a little under a half hour with the door closed and a combination CO/gas detector and there were no alarms.
Heater in downstairs BACK bedroom
At the time of this writing (10-3-11) this room was full of storage items so this heater was not tested. The valve outside, which is different from the valve that serves the heater in the FRONT bedroom, remains OFF.
Note: these tests don't prove that the heaters are safe, only that they didn't set off alarms in the short tests I conducted. I recommend using a CO/gas detector in every room where you use a heater, but I'm a paranoid.
I'm testing the heaters over several weekends and will update this post as I do so.
First, a note about the alarms. There has always been a CO alarm plugged into the outlet near the phone. In addition, I have purchased two more alarms that detect both CO and gas. These are the type that plug into an outlet (and have backup power from installed batteries) and I usually keep one downstairs and one in the bedroom we sleep in. I used this type of alarm when testing heaters.
I have also purchased conventional smoke/fire alarms and have installed them around the house. I hesitated about this because I worried that they were not consistent with the aesthetic. In the end, however, I decided that the safety of the house (and us) was more important than how they looked (alhough I never notice them). They can easily be removed.
FYI, the smoke detector in the long room near the kitchen will occasionally sound when cooking. It can be a nuisance but it's nice to know that they're sensitive. Push the button in the center to silence and then gently twist it out of it's mount and tuck away until you're done cooking.
Upstairs Main Bedroom
This heater an Empire model DV-215-5. It takes a while to get the pilot lit but, once lit, the heater functions. I tested it for about an hour with a combination CO/gas detector in the room and it triggered no alarms. UPDATE 10-29-11: we turned this heater on again to use in the cold weather but after a bit there was a strong smell of gas so we couldn't use it. I sprayed the joints in the line but saw no leaks so the source of the smell is unknown.
Upstairs Office
This heater is also an Empire DV-215-5 and it is not working. According to Empire the pilot orifice is broken and they no longer make replacement parts for this model. They say it's a very old heater and that the replacement, which should fit where the current one is, is model DV-215-7. Below is a picture I took of the gas line pulled out of the pilot orifice.
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| Part of the pilot orifice is still stuck up in there. |
This heater is made by Williams and is a model #1403611. The pilot lights easily and it was tested on 10-3-11 for an hour with a combination CO/gas detector in the room. There were no alarms.
What's important to know about using this heater is that you must first turn on the gas valve outside in the screened-in porch. However, when that valve is on, it leaks gas. This valve should be replaced.
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| Gas valve in screened-in porch outside front downstairs bedroom. It leaks when in the ON position. |
This is a Williams heater also. I lit it with a lighter as it didn't light immediately with the red button. I ran it for a little under a half hour with the door closed and a combination CO/gas detector and there were no alarms.
Heater in downstairs BACK bedroom
At the time of this writing (10-3-11) this room was full of storage items so this heater was not tested. The valve outside, which is different from the valve that serves the heater in the FRONT bedroom, remains OFF.
Note: these tests don't prove that the heaters are safe, only that they didn't set off alarms in the short tests I conducted. I recommend using a CO/gas detector in every room where you use a heater, but I'm a paranoid.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
It's all good
Char says I only post negative things about the house so here are some pictures from today. It was supposed to rain a lot this weekend but we've gotten lucky in that there's been almost none.
While the leaves have started to turn and fall, these purple, daisy-like flowers are in bloom. There's even a rose!
While the leaves have started to turn and fall, these purple, daisy-like flowers are in bloom. There's even a rose!
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| 10-2-11 |
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| October Rose |
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| 10-2-11 |
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| 10-2-11 |
Saturday, October 1, 2011
I arrived here in the evening of 9/30 and after a short while went to get Char at the New Boston Inn where she was waiting with Bill and Lygeia, who had driven her up. Lots of rain and fog.
This trip:
Cleaned spider webs from porch, vacuumed the floor furnaces, prepared dried herbs from garden for Sarah, vacuumed spider webs in basement, placed mouse traps in kitchen, continued cleaning linens, towels, etc. from drawers in long bureau, purchased toilet flusher arm/knob to replace the old, broken one in the toilet downstairs, tested heater in downstairs bedroom.
LEAKS UPDATE
Again, more rain this weekend and we're becoming increasingly concerned about the leaks. It may be our imagination but they appear to be getting worse (or we may not have seen them at their worst before). In any case, they don't seem good.
I've left Gary Danko, the contractor we spoke to, a message today about looking into this further and getting estimates.
Internet
The internet here is via satellite provided by DISH and, after some research, I compiled the stats listed below, some of which are educated guesses because the account is, by necessity, still in Rena's name and cannot be accessed by me. This is because spots on the satellite network are limited and, if one were to cancel and try to sign up again, you'd be put in a waiting list. It is not possible to simply change the name and address on the account.
I purchased and installed a wireless router (network name: Netgear) that does not require a password to use but is accessible only in the front area of the house. The internet is slow and becomes spotty, or goes out completely, when it rains.
The internet plan has upload and download limits that work on a rolling 30 day schedule, not on a calendar month. I don't know which of the three available plans Rena has but will assume it's the lowest one, meaning that the upload threshold is 2.3GB and the download threshold is 7.5GB. When 80% of this is reached they will send Rena an e-mail warning, as happened in 9/2011, probably after downloading Bridesmaids from iTunes (which took 12 hours) for Char's birthday. (BTW, it's a chick flick).
The router is a Netgear N150 and the manual can be found here.
Furnaces
I removed the floor registers and vacuumed out both furnaces. There was a lot of compacted dust and spider webs. And a spoon.
The long room furnace is made by Temco, a company that no longer appears to be extant. It appears to be model GVF70-1S and outputs 40,000 BTU.
The floor furnace in the front room is an Empire model #5088-1, Serial #H40 7169, generating 45,000 BTU. One side of the frame of the floor register comes off but is easily re-attached - make sure to do so correctly or the register will not support weight properly. Artifacts found during cleaning were a nickel and two melted pens.
Pilots on both furnaces have been re-lit with thermostats set to 55 until we get cold! The thermostats are Model PSP511 made by Lux (luxproproducts.com). I don't see that exact model on their website but the manual appears to be on another site, here.
I tested both furnaces for a bit today. They are incredibly effective, heating the room quickly and continue to generate heat even after the flame is out (perhaps from the hot metal parts?). I would suggest using a CO2/gas detector when using them for extended periods just to be safe.
MICE!
The season's first evidence of mice has appeared in the kitchen. I'm placing traps with peanut butter.
This trip:
Cleaned spider webs from porch, vacuumed the floor furnaces, prepared dried herbs from garden for Sarah, vacuumed spider webs in basement, placed mouse traps in kitchen, continued cleaning linens, towels, etc. from drawers in long bureau, purchased toilet flusher arm/knob to replace the old, broken one in the toilet downstairs, tested heater in downstairs bedroom.
LEAKS UPDATE
Again, more rain this weekend and we're becoming increasingly concerned about the leaks. It may be our imagination but they appear to be getting worse (or we may not have seen them at their worst before). In any case, they don't seem good.
I've left Gary Danko, the contractor we spoke to, a message today about looking into this further and getting estimates.
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| 10-1-11 |
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| 10-1-11 |
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| 10-1-11 |
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| 10-1-11 - Office |
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| 10-1-11 Long Room |
Internet
The internet here is via satellite provided by DISH and, after some research, I compiled the stats listed below, some of which are educated guesses because the account is, by necessity, still in Rena's name and cannot be accessed by me. This is because spots on the satellite network are limited and, if one were to cancel and try to sign up again, you'd be put in a waiting list. It is not possible to simply change the name and address on the account.
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| Satellite Modem and Wireless Router |
The internet plan has upload and download limits that work on a rolling 30 day schedule, not on a calendar month. I don't know which of the three available plans Rena has but will assume it's the lowest one, meaning that the upload threshold is 2.3GB and the download threshold is 7.5GB. When 80% of this is reached they will send Rena an e-mail warning, as happened in 9/2011, probably after downloading Bridesmaids from iTunes (which took 12 hours) for Char's birthday. (BTW, it's a chick flick).
The router is a Netgear N150 and the manual can be found here.
Dish Network 800-333-3474
Acct. Name: Rena Gill
Acct. Phone: 212-989-8422
Possible password: sandisdish
Possible wireless requirements (to hook up a wireless router)
Connect using ethernet (not PPPoE)
DNS Server: 75.104.128.61
Domain Name: Wildblue.comFurnaces
I removed the floor registers and vacuumed out both furnaces. There was a lot of compacted dust and spider webs. And a spoon.
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| Floor furnace in long room - the register is visible left - the heatshield (not visible here) is removed for cleaning. |
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| Floor furnace in front room - heat shield (not visible here) removed for cleaning. |
Pilots on both furnaces have been re-lit with thermostats set to 55 until we get cold! The thermostats are Model PSP511 made by Lux (luxproproducts.com). I don't see that exact model on their website but the manual appears to be on another site, here.
I tested both furnaces for a bit today. They are incredibly effective, heating the room quickly and continue to generate heat even after the flame is out (perhaps from the hot metal parts?). I would suggest using a CO2/gas detector when using them for extended periods just to be safe.
FURNACE UPDATE
10-9-11: In the course of inspecting the chimneys/leaks with Gary Danko and his mason, it was discovered that neither of the floor furnaces properly vent and that the Carbon Monoxide they produce goes into the basement and, potentially, the house, not the chimneys. This creates a possibly DANGEROUS situation and Gary's opinion was that they should not be used until they have been properly inspected and repaired.MICE!
The season's first evidence of mice has appeared in the kitchen. I'm placing traps with peanut butter.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
September 16
I arrived in the afternoon and picked Char up from the bus in Winsted. Dropped Char off at the rather ghetto train station Sunday night in Waterbury. Picked her up again the evening of 9/21 in Hudson. Stopped at the Red Dot in Hudson for a Manhattan and came back. Took her back to Hudson again early Monday, the 26th, for the train to NY. I left that afternoon.
This trip: Tested heater in main bedroom upstairs for a couple of hours with the doors closed and a CO2/Gas detector. Although it smells slightly of gas, there were no alarms. Swept basement, cleaned brown de-humidifier in basement, had Gary the contractor out about roof leaks and porch sagging, cleaned up piles of grass from the last mowing, split wood, put new socket/switch in little, silver table lamp Char found in the long attic (and which we wanted to use downstairs), replaced low batteries in thermostat in front room.
Our friends, Mike and Gina, and their two children, Ruby (10) and Joe (7) joined us from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. It was Char's birthday weekend so we had a bonfire in the pit and I placed electric tea lights around the property at night.
Humidifier in Basement - I cleaned the coils/heat sink and skimmed through the manual, which states that it shouldn't be used when it's below 65 degrees F. because the coils can ice up, so I purchased a thermometer and hung it next to the humidifier.
Chimney Sweep - On 9/23 we had Matt from Clean Sweep Chimney Sweep in Lee (413-243-1691) out to the house to check the chimney. Below are some pictures of the smoke chamber taken before and after his sweep (which was just at the bottom of the chimney):
He also looked at the chimney input from the wood-burning stove in the attic. He said it looked like it had it's own flue and was clean. He said that, judging from the bottom, it was not necessary to go to the roof to check the top, which disappointed me slightly. He said that everything was safe and in decent shape, but noted a slight offset in the flue tiles.
I normally keep the flue closed to keep critters and weather out. Be sure to check it before having a fire.
Lake Sandisfield and Basement Seepage
There was a lot of rain on Friday, 9/23/11 and, as before, a lot of water gathered just outside the NE corner of the house where there is a deep indentation. The water there is probably a foot at it's deepest.
We checked the basement and the effect there, which we assume is related to the puddle, is best described as seeping instead of leeking. It appears to actually come through the concrete both right at the interior corner where the puddle is and, also, at the low wall where the basement divides.
There was no flooding, per se - I'm not even sure there was enough water to make it across the basement floor to the drain. The seepage that was observed to come from an unidentified place from behind the cabinets during Hurricane Irene was not observed again this occasion (of course, there was much less rain this time).
I arrived in the afternoon and picked Char up from the bus in Winsted. Dropped Char off at the rather ghetto train station Sunday night in Waterbury. Picked her up again the evening of 9/21 in Hudson. Stopped at the Red Dot in Hudson for a Manhattan and came back. Took her back to Hudson again early Monday, the 26th, for the train to NY. I left that afternoon.
This trip: Tested heater in main bedroom upstairs for a couple of hours with the doors closed and a CO2/Gas detector. Although it smells slightly of gas, there were no alarms. Swept basement, cleaned brown de-humidifier in basement, had Gary the contractor out about roof leaks and porch sagging, cleaned up piles of grass from the last mowing, split wood, put new socket/switch in little, silver table lamp Char found in the long attic (and which we wanted to use downstairs), replaced low batteries in thermostat in front room.
Our friends, Mike and Gina, and their two children, Ruby (10) and Joe (7) joined us from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. It was Char's birthday weekend so we had a bonfire in the pit and I placed electric tea lights around the property at night.
Humidifier in Basement - I cleaned the coils/heat sink and skimmed through the manual, which states that it shouldn't be used when it's below 65 degrees F. because the coils can ice up, so I purchased a thermometer and hung it next to the humidifier.
Chimney Sweep - On 9/23 we had Matt from Clean Sweep Chimney Sweep in Lee (413-243-1691) out to the house to check the chimney. Below are some pictures of the smoke chamber taken before and after his sweep (which was just at the bottom of the chimney):
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| Chimney Before #1 |
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| Chimney AFTER #1 |
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| Chimney Before #2 |
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| Chimney AFTER #2 |
He also looked at the chimney input from the wood-burning stove in the attic. He said it looked like it had it's own flue and was clean. He said that, judging from the bottom, it was not necessary to go to the roof to check the top, which disappointed me slightly. He said that everything was safe and in decent shape, but noted a slight offset in the flue tiles.
I normally keep the flue closed to keep critters and weather out. Be sure to check it before having a fire.
Lake Sandisfield and Basement Seepage
There was a lot of rain on Friday, 9/23/11 and, as before, a lot of water gathered just outside the NE corner of the house where there is a deep indentation. The water there is probably a foot at it's deepest.
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| Lake Sandisfield |
We checked the basement and the effect there, which we assume is related to the puddle, is best described as seeping instead of leeking. It appears to actually come through the concrete both right at the interior corner where the puddle is and, also, at the low wall where the basement divides.
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| NE corner seepage |
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| NE corner seepage close up |
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| Seepage at low wall dividing basement |
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I felt that were getting low on propane so I did a little research on getting more. It is common for propane providers, not the homeowner, to own the tank and, if so, it is not legal for another propane provider to fill it. The larger of the two tanks behind the shed said it was from the Home Gas Corp in Housatonic, the town just north of Great Barrington.
The Home Gas Corp is no longer extant as it was purchased by Amerigas, a national chain. I called Amerigas in GB and they said that their records showed that none of their equipment remains here, although they claimed that if the tank says Home Gas Corp then it belongs to them.
I ended up calling a mom and pop place in Sandisfield called the Southern Berkshire Fuel & Supply (413-258-4500 - 112 North Main Street, Sandisfield). They purchase their propane from Amerigas and are authorized to fill tanks belonging to same. They came out and I purchased 50 gallons at, I think, $3.50/gallon, and they will send a bill to me in NY. The delivery guy, Rich, looked at all the exterior components and, although he's not a licensed inspector, made some observations.
There are two tanks: a 1000 gallon, which has been on and in use, and a 500 gallon, which has been off and not in use. They appear to be connected to each other and the smaller appears to be connected to the generator. The smaller is perhaps 70% full (which I didn't know when I called to order propane) and Rich thought it was an older tank and could benefit from an inspection.
These are the gauges on the larger tank. The larger gauge expresses PSI and the smaller gauge shows the content based on a percentage of the tank's capacity, not the actual number of gallons. You can only fill a tank to 80% of it's capacity to allow for expansion.
This is the regulator attached to the outside of the house behind the kitchen. Regulators step down the line pressure from about 10 PSI to less than 1 PSI, which is what is required for the interior lines. The hole in the regulator that sort of faces the camera is the vent. According to rich, this regulator is improperly installed in that the vent should face down to prevent water from getting in there.
This regulator is outside the house near where the dish cabinet is. It is an older one than the one in the first image. The vent is visible here, too, but lacks a little screen to keep unwanted things, like wasps, out. It is also not facing down, etc.
This is the regulator on the outside of the house near the screened-in porch. It is also an older model and, like the one above, has been painted over, which is not recommended. It has the screen but it's partly been painted over. I'll recheck to make sure it's okay.
This valve is one of two in the screened in porch just outside the front bedroom. It serves the wall heater there. The valve leaks slightly when set to the on position. Once we understood that it was the source of the gas smell we kept detecting there we turned it off. Rich suggested that all the old, painted over valves be replaced because the lubricant within breaks down and they begin to leak, as this one has. I inferred that the old regulators should also be replaced and mounted correctly.
Rich's brother is a licensed inspector and can be hired for a service call if desired.
The Home Gas Corp is no longer extant as it was purchased by Amerigas, a national chain. I called Amerigas in GB and they said that their records showed that none of their equipment remains here, although they claimed that if the tank says Home Gas Corp then it belongs to them.
I ended up calling a mom and pop place in Sandisfield called the Southern Berkshire Fuel & Supply (413-258-4500 - 112 North Main Street, Sandisfield). They purchase their propane from Amerigas and are authorized to fill tanks belonging to same. They came out and I purchased 50 gallons at, I think, $3.50/gallon, and they will send a bill to me in NY. The delivery guy, Rich, looked at all the exterior components and, although he's not a licensed inspector, made some observations.
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| Left: 1000 gallon tank, Right: 500 gallon tank |
There are two tanks: a 1000 gallon, which has been on and in use, and a 500 gallon, which has been off and not in use. They appear to be connected to each other and the smaller appears to be connected to the generator. The smaller is perhaps 70% full (which I didn't know when I called to order propane) and Rich thought it was an older tank and could benefit from an inspection.
 |
| Gauges on large tank |
These are the gauges on the larger tank. The larger gauge expresses PSI and the smaller gauge shows the content based on a percentage of the tank's capacity, not the actual number of gallons. You can only fill a tank to 80% of it's capacity to allow for expansion.
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| Regulator Outside Kitchen |
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| Regulator outside house near dish cabinet |
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| Regulator outside house near screened in porch |
This is the regulator on the outside of the house near the screened-in porch. It is also an older model and, like the one above, has been painted over, which is not recommended. It has the screen but it's partly been painted over. I'll recheck to make sure it's okay.
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| Valve in screened in porch outside front bedroom |
Rich's brother is a licensed inspector and can be hired for a service call if desired.
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