Why is my house falling apart today?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a series of household issues experienced by a participant, including plumbing problems, appliance malfunctions, and structural concerns. The scope includes practical troubleshooting, potential causes of the problems, and personal anecdotes related to home maintenance challenges.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant reports multiple household issues, including a malfunctioning refrigerator water connection, a clogged toilet with a defective plunger, a collapsing pantry shelf, and a dryer making a crackling noise.
  • Some participants suggest calling building maintenance or a handyman for assistance with the problems.
  • There are speculations about the cause of the dryer noise, with one participant suggesting it could be related to the electronic spark for the pilot light or a crackle in the hose.
  • Concerns are raised about the possibility of the refrigerator's water line being frozen due to cold temperatures, with questions about whether a toilet can clog from a frozen sewer line.
  • Participants discuss the potential for lint buildup in the dryer hose and suggest cleaning or disconnecting the hose to investigate further.
  • One participant expresses frustration about the quality of their apartment's fixtures and considers DIY repairs for the pantry shelf and cabinet issues.
  • There is humor interjected with references to a "Ghost from the Domicile of Doom" and light-hearted comments about the challenges faced.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the issues are frustrating and may require professional help, but there are multiple competing views on the causes and solutions for the specific problems, particularly regarding the dryer noise and the refrigerator water line.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the exact causes of the issues, with some suggesting potential solutions while others raise additional questions. There are references to the quality of materials in the apartment, which may affect the durability of fixtures.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals experiencing similar household maintenance issues, those interested in troubleshooting home appliances, or anyone dealing with unexpected home repairs may find this discussion relevant.

Evo
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Ever had "one of those days"?

My water connection to my refrigerator has mysteriously stopped.

My toilet clogged up and the brand new plunger I bought is defective and won't create any suction (the rubber has a tear inside the cup) Luckily I have two bathrooms.

Is my refrigerator ice maker getting water from the toilet? That might explain a few things...

The shelf in my pantry collapsed on top of me, crashing down on my back...again.

My dryer is making an electronic crackling noise, so I have a load of wet laundry and no place to put it. I'm afraid to run the dryer until I can figure out what the noise is.

The temperature is near zero F outside, what next? Will my heat go out?
 
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You need a (handy) man!
 


Time to call the manager of the buildings. Hope things get fixed very soon.
 


hypatia said:
Time to call the manager of the buildings. Hope things get fixed very soon.
Aarrgh, I can usually fix anything, but I'm afraid I may have met my match this time.
 


Evo said:
My water connection to my refrigerator has mysteriously stopped.

My toilet clogged up and the brand new plunger I bought is defective and won't create any suction (the rubber has a tear inside the cup) Luckily I have two bathrooms.

Is my refrigerator ice maker getting water from the toilet? That might explain a few things...

The shelf in my pantry collapsed on top of me, crashing down on my back...again.

My dryer is making an electronic crackling noise, so I have a load of wet laundry and no place to put it. I'm afraid to run the dryer until I can figure out what the noise is.

The temperature is near zero F outside, what next? Will my heat go out?
The Ghost from the Domicile of Doom followed you! :rolleyes:
 


The crackling noise in the dryer sounds like it could be the electronic spark for initiating the pilot light. It could be a couple of things---often the thermocouple. One time it was the safety switch--- the access panel wasn't in place.
 


Have you got all the video cams set up in your apt yet? can you move one to under the sink?
 


Astronuc said:
The Ghost from the Domicile of Doom followed you! :rolleyes:

rewebster said:
The crackling noise in the dryer sounds like it could be the electronic spark for initiating the pilot light. It could be a couple of things---often the thermocouple. One time it was the safety switch--- the access panel wasn't in place.
It's an electric dryer. The sound seems to be coming from the exhaust hose. o_O

I *will* unclog my own toilet, damnit. There has never been a toilet I couldn't unclog. But what clogged it? I don't create that much waste material. I don't. Really.
 


well, it could be a crackle in the hose-


-crackles make crackling sounds
 
  • #10


rewebster said:
well, it could be a crackle in the hose-


-crackles make crackling sounds
Why would the hose start crackling? Any ideas? I've bent myself behind the dryer and felt all along the hose to see if there was any vibration that might be causing it and I felt nothing. I'm flummoxed.
 
  • #11


Evo said:
But what clogged it? I don't create that much waste material. I don't. Really.

have you trained the dog to use it?
 
  • #12


try not to be too flummoxed-----


have you tried unplugging it, then plugging it back in? --


it may re-set the electronics
 
  • #13


Ever had "one of those days"?
take a nap.
 
  • #14


rewebster said:
try not to be too flummoxed-----


have you tried unplugging it, then plugging it back in? --


it may re-set the electronics
It's coming from the hose, not the dryer. I thought it might be static, but when I start the dryer and it's cold, the noise starts instantly. I'm wondering if some lining inside the hose has come loose. That's got to be it.

(adds replacement dryer hose to handyman list)

Now I need to fix the holes in that incredibly cheap fiberboard that holds the shelf clips. I already replaced the ridiculous plastic clips with metal ones, but the fiberboard is so thin and weak, the holes have enlarged. When I move, I may replace the cabinets with ones I make myself. Luxury apartments with the cheapest cabinets I've ever seen. I should send my doctor bill for my back to them.
 
  • #15


Evo said:
Why would the hose start crackling? Any ideas? I've bent myself behind the dryer and felt all along the hose to see if there was any vibration that might be causing it and I felt nothing. I'm flummoxed.

If it's an electrical sounding crackle, I'd call an electrician if I were you. Most electric dryers run on 220 volts - that's nothing to mess around with.

I hope the water line to your refrigerator isn't frozen! Is it possible for a toilet to clog due to a frozen sewer line? I've never heard of such a thing, but you're getting slammed with cold now.

I agree with hypatia...definitely call building maintenance.

Edit: just read your last post. Can you disconnect the hose?
 
  • #16


does the dryer work? (create heat?)


and, then, there may be 'something' in the hose-


--have you ever cleaned the hose?
 
  • #17


lisab said:
I hope the water line to your refrigerator isn't frozen! Is it possible for a toilet to clog due to a frozen sewer line? I've never heard of such a thing, but you're getting slammed with cold now.
I thought about that, but I don't have any exposed pipes. The water is running fine elsewhere. (uh oh, I shouldn't have said that).

Edit: just read your last post. Can you disconnect the hose?
If I disconnect the hose, the lint will blow all over the laundry room. I'm going to go with my torn lining theory, although I've never run into that problem before. I'm sure this is the cheapest dryer hose on the planet though.

If my back is better tomorrow, I will redrill the holes for the cabinet and shift the shelves down to the new holes. Then I can refill the enlarged holes with wood filler, which is very hard, and then drill them out. The apartment handyman won't go to that trouble, better to just do that myself.
 
  • #18


I am sorry to hear about your troubles, Evo, but I find that stuff rather easy. You should try getting a judge who's buddy-buddy with ex's attorney to simply enforce a divorce decree as it was written.

Now that's hard. Sadly, similar relationships exist throughout humanity, and result in similar errors of judgement, even among otherwise very bright and capable individuals.

It seems none of us are immune.
 
  • #19


don't turn the dryer on, until AFTER you've taken it off AND put it back on to check to see if there's something in the hose
 
  • #20


Evo said:
I thought about that, but I don't have any exposed pipes. The water is running fine elsewhere. (uh oh, I shouldn't have said that).

If I disconnect the hose, the lint will blow all over the laundry room. I'm going to go with my torn lining theory, although I've never run into that problem before. I'm sure this is the cheapest dryer hose on the planet though.

Ah, ok. If you're really sure the sound is coming from the hose, you should unhook it, then vacuum all the lint you can see. Then turn it on just for a few seconds (with no clothes in it), to make sure the noise isn't coming from inside the dryer.

If you hook it back up and find that the noise is gone, maybe it was due to lint build up in the hose.
 
  • #21


---and, if the ice maker/water for the frig doesn't work AND you can't see the small feeder line---it might be frozen---if it comes through a cabinet---keep the door open and put a hair dryer to it
 
  • #22


rewebster said:
---and, if the ice maker/water for the frig doesn't work AND you can't see the small feeder line---it might be frozen---if it comes through a cabinet---keep the door open and put a hair dryer to it
The kitchen is surrounded on all sides by inside rooms, the wall the refrigertaor is against backs up to the living room wall, it's not an outside wall.

I'm going to give up for the night, I'm afraid of injuring myself more.

Edit: My diagnosis of the fridge water issue is a malfunction of the fridge, not the water line. We'll see if I'm correct. I don't hear that noise the fridge makes when I press the water button, it's dead, it's not telling the water to come out. :-p
 
  • #23


http://blog.mywinesdirect.com/my_wines_direct_community/images/2008/08/19/red_wine_in_glass_2.jpg​
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and relax
 
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  • #24


rewebster said:
http://blog.mywinesdirect.com/my_wines_direct_community/images/2008/08/19/red_wine_in_glass_2.jpg​
[/URL]


and relax
Thanks. :biggrin:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #25


Evo said:
My water connection to my refrigerator has mysteriously stopped.

My toilet clogged up and the brand new plunger I bought is defective and won't create any suction (the rubber has a tear inside the cup) Luckily I have two bathrooms.

Is my refrigerator ice maker getting water from the toilet? That might explain a few things...

The shelf in my pantry collapsed on top of me, crashing down on my back...again.

My dryer is making an electronic crackling noise, so I have a load of wet laundry and no place to put it. I'm afraid to run the dryer until I can figure out what the noise is.

The temperature is near zero F outside, what next? Will my heat go out?
pazuzu!
 
  • #26


zoobyshoe said:
pazuzu!
Is that a curse in Zoobish or a spell to ward off curses? I could use the latter.
 
  • #27


All these troubles and yet, we are but tiny, self-important creatures on a pale blue dot. A pale blue dot in an ordinary solar system within a vast galaxy that may contain millions or even billions of other solar systems, still, this galaxy is just one of many galaxies in a huge supercluster that itself seems tiny when put in comparison with the quasi-infinite universe.

I have no choice but to be humble when I realize how insignificant the totality of human life(past, present, and future) is in the universe.
 
  • #28


Zubin said:
All these troubles and yet, we are but tiny, self-important creatures on a pale blue dot. A pale blue dot in an ordinary solar system within a vast galaxy that may contain millions or even billions of other solar systems, still, this galaxy is just one of many galaxies in a huge supercluster that itself seems tiny when put in comparison with the quasi-infinite universe.

I have no choice but to be humble when I realize how insignificant the totality of human life(past, present, and future) is in the universe.
Apparently you don't have a clogged toilet.
 
  • #29


zoobyshoe said:
pazuzu!

bless you.
 
  • #30


Evo said:
Apparently you don't have a clogged toilet.

:smile: