Category Archives: appliances

Out with the old dryer, in with the new

The dryer died while Steven was biking in Washington, DC. Somewhere around 15 years old. Served well in at two houses. But after at least two major repairs, the smart decision is to get a new one.

Jacquela got a killer deal on a model that Samsung discontinued — a model that just happened to be the mate for our Samsung washer. 

Lowe’s took away the old Kenmore Elite and installed the new Samsung.

Punching it

Last week, Ron and Odell from Ranserve walked the house with Steven to organize the punch list.

Two days ago, Odell and Cris began adjusting pocket doors and experimenting with how to fill the holes around the balusters.

Today, Aaron arrived with Chris and Bani to begin working on the kitchen cabinets — smooth edges, filling holes, adjusting drawers and slides. Aaron remeasured for replacement panels.

Above, Chris, left, and Bani, right, adjusting utility drawers between the cooktop and sink.

1-dsc_3678-001Chris arrived from Granite Security to install the glass break sensor missing from the ceiling in Steven’s office — outlined in the black box in photo above.

Chris also added “water bugs” at the washer and both tankless water heaters — sensors that alert us if the washer and heaters overflow.

Chris positioning the water bug at the upstairs tankless water heater.
Chris positioning the water bug at the upstairs tankless water heater.

The other half fixed

Thomas arrives from C&W Appliance Service to finish repair of the Wolf induction cooktop.

Step 1, C&W replaced the glass top, which displayed tiny fractalizing cracks. The glass was not packed with a replacement gasket. To remove the glass top, the team sliced into the existing gasket, leaving this rough edge, visible in top image and below:

DSC_2700

Step 2 — today. Thomas begins by lifting the cooktop out of the counter, then uses a knife and razor blade to remove what remains of the gasket from the top of the counter and underside of the cooktop. Steven stepped in after with paper towels and Goof Off to remove traces of the gunk left behind.

The new gasket rolled up neatly in the plastic bag, and the entrails of the old gasket to the right.
The new gasket rolled up neatly in the plastic bag, and the entrails of the old gasket to the right.
Thomas peels and sticks the new gasket to the underside of the cooktop.
Thomas peels and sticks the new gasket to the underside of the cooktop.
A close up of the new gasket applied to the underside of the cooktop.
A close up of the new gasket applied to the underside of the cooktop.
Thomas lowers the cooktop back into position in the countertop.
Thomas lowers the cooktop back into position in the countertop.

Check off that box on the punch list.

Half fixed

Chris, left, above, and Richard arrived today to replace the glass top of the Wolf induction cooktop.

Why? The glass sometimes displays a fractalizing crack that travels from element to element. It appears. It disappears. We reported this 26 June to Ranserve and to Kristin at Harway. The cooktop is covered under warranty. Harway set up a factory repair.

To remove the cooktop, Chris and Richard used a knife to slice apart the rubber gasket that goes between the underside of the glass and the quartz countertop. This gasket apparently compresses over time and begins to resemble silicon sealant. In the process of slicing apart the seal, several sections of the original gasket were peeled and sliced away, leaving a ragged gasket behind.

The ragged edge of the gasket after it was sliced apart and the replacement glass cooktop installed. Shredded rubber is clearly visible and sloppy.
The ragged edge of the gasket after it was sliced apart and the replacement glass cooktop installed. Shredded rubber is clearly visible and sloppy.

Wolf supplied the replacement glass — but not a replacement gasket. “Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t,” Chris said.

They will need to obtain a replacement gasket. Chris said he would order this and schedule a second service call when it comes in.

Steven is surprised that a replacement gasket was not shipped automatically with the replacement glass cooktop.

Steve the electrician to the rescue

Steve the electrician is back in the house, this time to solve a mystery — why does the breaker for the oven not turn off power to the oven in the kitchen when the breaker is flipped to the off position?

Steve flips breakers while Steven in the kitchen watches to see which one actually turns off the oven.

We find it quickly. The “dryer” breaker is mislabeled; it is the breaker that controls the oven.

And, oh by the way, the breaker labeled for the furnace is actually the breaker that switches off the induction cooktop.

IMG_20160630_211628Problem solved. Quality control.

With that, the Bosch oven is now, finally, powered off. Steven flips the breaker to the on position about 30 minutes later. The oven appears to have re-set, with the keypad now responding to commands and entries. Jacquela will have to test this to her satisfaction. Steven does not cancel the service call scheduled for 5 July.

The oven frustrates Jacquela

Jacquela is standing at the Bosch Benchmark oven in the kitchen, angry, short-tempered, pushing buttons on the keypad. The oven responds with unhappy beeps and refuses to comply with commands.

Steven calls Bosch tech support. They instruct: “turn off power at the breaker for 30 minutes; that usually solves everything.”

Steven goes upstairs to the electrical panel and flips to the off position the breaker that the electricians labeled for the oven.

The oven still has power. The control panel is still lit up. The light inside the oven still switches on when you open the door.

Hmm.

Steven calls Kristin at Harway. She will contact her office in the morning to arrange for a service call.

Steven calls Mark at Ranserve to alert him there is an electrical problem — “the breaker to the oven is not functioning.” Mark contacts Capstone Electric. Scott Breen calls Steven to ask for details. Steven sends pix. Scott arranges to dispatch Steve the electrician.

Steven speaks with Karen at K&N, the service company authorized by Harway and Bosch. A tech is scheduled for 5 July.

 

Notes, 30 Jan. 2016

Saturday morning. Jacquela and Steven visit Emerald Hill.

Above, Jacquela set the correct time on the oven. It’s the only appliance that is powered, so far. Along with the GFCI circuits. The electricians are scheduled to arrive next week to test everything, now that the residential meter is installed and power is delivered to the house.

 

Above, we started in the garage, where the painters have stacked trim lumber in two locations -- moving it all to the side of the new bay, clearing obstructions away from where the garage doors are on schedule to be installed next week. We're also creating storage space -- we hope to start moving in and stacking boxes as Ranserve finishes construction. In the photo above, at left -- painter supplies. Lumber stacked along the back wall of the new bay. Ladders leaning against the pole that helps to support the beam that carries the weight of the new structure where it joins the existing garage. Drywall supplies to the right of the ladders. Old lumber taken out of the back wall of the existing garage when it was removed, stacked here in front of the original two-car garage door for removal by Ron Dahlke, who plans to recycle it. That door is trashed after decades of use, and it will be replaced.
Jacquela and Steven started in the garage, where the painters built two stacks of trim lumber in two locations — blocking everyone’s ability to move easily through the garage. We picked up everything and shifted it all to the side of the new bay, clearing obstructions away from where the garage doors are on schedule to be installed next week. We’re also creating storage space — we hope to start moving in and stacking boxes as Ranserve finishes construction. In the photo above, at left — painter supplies. Lumber stacked along the back wall of the new bay. Ladders leaning against the pole that helps to support the beam that carries the weight of the new structure where it joins the existing garage. Drywall supplies to the right of the ladders. Old lumber taken out of the back wall of the existing garage when it was removed, stacked here in front of the original two-car garage door for removal by Ron Dahlke, who plans to recycle it. That door is trashed after decades of use, and it will be replaced.

David Garcia and his team of painters are pulling up the heavy paper that has protected the floors through construction, sweeping out debris and vacuuming the baseboards, then rolling out new, clean paper. It’s amazing to see the hickory floors exposed, however briefly.

The master bedroom.
The master bedroom.
The loft.
The loft.
Rolling out the new paper to protect the wood floors.
Rolling out the new paper to protect the wood floors.
Late Friday, the team from Gilsa Construction transplanted three bushes to the left side of the house. They were located at the right side, where Gilsa built the new walk. Steven soaked the roots. We'll see if these survive.
Late Friday, the team from Gilsa Construction transplanted three bushes to the left side of the house. They were located at the right side, where Gilsa built the new walk. Steven soaked the roots. We’ll see if these survive.

Notes, 26 Jan. 2016

Above, Luis from Landers Flooring is back to remove and replace one stair tread. The balusters for this tread were drilled in the wrong place. Today, Luis removed the balusters and existing hickory tread, then fitted the replacement. At the end of the day, he clearcoated it with polyurethane.

DSC_9196
Mauricio and the team from Gilsa Construction today began to install the heavy steel edging for the deck off the kitchen door.
Mauricio welds the straight metal edging to a rebar post he sledgehammered into the ground.
Mauricio welds the straight metal edging to a rebar post he sledgehammered into the ground.
Joel from the City of Austin inspected the boxes and location for the new residential electric meter. Steven called Dispatch to ask the City to install the meter.
Joel from the City of Austin inspected the boxes and location for the new residential electric meter. Steven called Dispatch to ask the City to install the meter.
Binswanger Glass today delivered and installed the obscured glass door to the water closet in the master bath ...
Binswanger Glass today delivered and installed the obscured glass door to the water closet in the master bath …
and the second door to the shower in bath 2, Jadin's bath -- the panel at right, with the long chrome handle.
and the second door to the shower in bath 2, Jadin’s bath — the panel at right, with the long chrome handle.
The tankless water heater is installed upstairs in the laundry/utility room.
The tankless water heater is installed upstairs in the laundry/utility room.
Ron Dahlke asked Steven to start a "punch list" of items that need attention. Here's the first one -- this is one of the showerhead fixtures in the master shower. It's missing an escutcheon. As a result, the cutout in the tile is exposed.
Ron Dahlke asked Steven to start a “punch list” of items that need attention. Here’s the first one — this is one of the showerhead fixtures in the master shower. It’s missing an escutcheon. As a result, the cutout in the tile is exposed.

The missing storage drawer arrives

The microwave, oven and dishwasher arrived last week from Harway Appliance, but the storage drawer to be located under the microwave was MIA.

Steven called Kristin at Harway. Arnold delivered the drawer today, above, set into place temporarily to check the fit.

Arnold screws the storage drawer and microwave together to create a single unit.
Arnold screws the storage drawer and microwave together to create a single unit.
Steven, left, and Arnold, right, lift the drawer and microwave unit off the base cabinets and begin to pivot it 180 degrees, to slide into the cabinet. Ron Dahlke shot this photo using Steven's camera. A first. And ... this is the first photographic proof in months that Steven is actually helping on this remodel, not just standing around taking pix and asking too many questions.
Steven, left, and Arnold, right, lift the drawer and microwave unit off the base cabinets and begin to pivot it 180 degrees, to slide into the cabinet. Ron Dahlke shot this photo using Steven’s camera. A first. And … this is the first photographic proof in months that Steven is actually helping on this remodel, not just standing around taking pix and asking too many questions.
Arnold tweaks the drawer. The alignment of the top corners where the oven, left, meets the microwave, right, was off by a visible 1/16th inch. Arnold added a shim under the drawer to lift the microwave corner just enough and into alignment.
Arnold tweaks the drawer. The alignment of the top corners where the oven, left, meets the microwave, right, was off by a visible 1/16th inch. Arnold added a shim under the drawer to lift the microwave corner just enough and into alignment.
The real reason for Arnold's visit to Emerald Hill was to take out the bow in the chimney stack of the exhaust hood. He discovered it was pushed out of perfect vertical alignment by the outlet in the wall that powers the exhaust hood. Ron is going to work on this with the electricians.
The real reason for Arnold’s visit to Emerald Hill was to take out the bow in the chimney stack of the exhaust hood. He discovered it was pushed out of perfect vertical alignment by the outlet in the wall that powers the exhaust hood. Ron is going to work on this with the electricians.

Catching up, planning forward

In this special Sunday edition of the remodel that is almost done, Jacquela and Steven discovered that the dishwasher is installed. We missed it, distracted by all the other bright shiny distractions.

For the first time, we are able to confirm that we will in fact be able to stand at the sink, alongside the dishwasher, pull open the drawer for plates or cutlery opposite the dishwasher, then easily unload the dishwasher straight to the drawers, just a short reach away — almost like we planned it.

The other big activity for this visit … Jacquela and Steven measured the interior of each drawer in the kitchen and all the bathrooms. As a result, we believe we need 230 linear feet of shelf liner to protect the drawer bottoms.