The Dumb Things DIYers Do...

[CompactTractorFan]

What things have you found around your home/property? :confused2:

Here is my top five:

#1: We had to replace our well pump. The cap was not above ground, so we called the previous owner. He told us the location and said it was 18" down. Well, it turned out that it was 6'+ down and encased in cement (previous owner was a cement contractor, sewer line access is the same way).

#2: We found out that our drier vent line was made out of PVC and shoved up an old stove pipe. When we took it apart and it was completely blocked up with lint. (burnt out the drier)

#3: Water line was run from garage into the house and it stopped about 6" from the water line in the basement.

#4 Air conditioner was way underpowered for the house. The fuse kept blowing, so someone just shoved a piece of copper pipe in its place. :confused2:

#5 The space in the attic above the basements stairs (rancher) was filled with trash and the bottom was stuffed with newspaper. :confused2:

There is also this: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/185400-oops.html

So, please share your stories everyone...

 

[rekees4300]

Found an outlet that was wired with an extension cord and the wall was insulated with shredded newspapers!

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Found an outlet that was wired with an extension cord and the wall was insulated with shredded newspapers!

Yeah, we have also found a lot of wiring related things.

 

[Travelover]

Crawlspace lights were wired with that flat two strand wire that they used to use to hook the roof antenna to the TV. A loop was hanging near a bulb and the insulation was melted off. :confused2:

 

[heehaw]

have been replacing electrical outlets in a house the in-laws built in 69: whoever wired the house, hooked the wire to the outlets, then pulled it tight an screwed the recept in the box: no slack to work with at all: so much fun to work with!!!
heehaw

 

[texasjohn]

It's not just diy'ers ..... I recently put in a cattle guard...knowing that Verizon had buried a phone line along the road, called them and they came out and marked the surface with orange paint.

Orange paint right in the track were the tire goes!!

I had track hoe operator dig out on both sides first, then come back and carefully and slowly start digging out the orange stripe. I anticipated that the wire would be 12 to 18 inches down.

Nope, 1 to 2 inches down...... :confused2:

Bucket teeth straddled the wire, thus lucked out and didn't break it....

I did discover that at least in Texas a single number, 411, connects you with an operator who will notify all utilities involved when you are getting ready to dig...pretty handy:thumbsup:

 

[teg]

Electric wire ran from outlet to outlet... not through the wall... in front of it, then another sheet of paneling on top... 1/8" of protection...




.

 

[tglass]

thought that was 811, usually call DigTess to locate. I helps relieve you from alot of damage and repayment problems. One time the guy came out and said he could not check on private land and would not step foot on it at work, but when I had mine checked at home to put up a new fenceline along the state right of way they marked everything coming in my yard including phone line, elec. etc. It is free and can save alot of problems and save your life. What I understand the wires have to be underground at a certain depth when installed, but during future excavation after another contractor has excavated or from erosion they are no longer liable to lower the wire or whatever below grade. Even if they are made aware of it. Makes operating any type of excavation equipment below the top of grade a safety hazard and points the liability directly back to us.

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

In my furnace room, there's an outlet mounted on the wall. Into the outlet was plugged an extension cord. The cord ran up the wall, ran eight feet along the ceiling in four graceful arcs, and disappeared into a hole in the corner. By measuring distances along the outside wall, I deduced where the other end of the extension cord must be. Sure enough, the gas fireplace on the second floor had a 3-prong plug stuck on the end of its wires, and the whole assembly was run through holes in a couple studs and plugged into the female end of the extension cord, behind the wood paneling, comfortably snuggled in to the insulation.

 

[doall]

I was hanging a towel rack in our master bed room because my 6 year old son tried to do pull ups on the old one. I screwed a screw into the wall (at 5 feet mind you) and water started spraying me in the face. Someone had just ran the water all the way around the room from the shower to the vanity. My house is conventional floor and one story.

 

[Qapla]

About 45 years ago, while digging post holes (by hand post-hole-digger - not auger) we hit something. Had to dig it up with shovels. By the time we got done, we had dug up a set of masonry steps about 6' long that were buried about 2'-3' feet down.

We found out that there was a "hotel" in that location around the civil war era.

In more recent times, while digging with the BH, I have dug up several unidentifiable metal objects - some as deep as 6'-8' down.

 

[keegs]

I was about five when I tried to fix a light bulb. Knocked me clear off the chair I was standing on. :laughing:

 

[jimmyj]

When we moved in the fella had done a lot of DIY (Dumb It Yourself) work.

Short list:

-moved a small second house on the lot to a new location by jacking it up and rolling it along on round poles, with a full waterbed in the bedroom
-home made wiring with a million things on one cirucuit and almost nothing on another
-hammered in wiring staples so hard they cut through wiring insulation and shorted
-removed jack posts under the main beam of the house for a 30 foot span
-bizarre plumbing including so many 45 degree turns it looked like a sculpture and effectively killed water pressure. Replaced with a straight run.
-built frame walls all through the lower level of the house OVER wall to wall carpet
-installed a brick facia wall behind the woodstove with glue on "z bricks" and they were so crooked it looked like a simulation of waves in the wate
-cut a hole in the wall between the framing and stuck a window air conditioner in it, siliconed around the edges

I could go on. Suffice to say since we bought the place almost nothing is original.

 

[chopped]

Sounds like he might have been a bit of a drinker (heavy)

 

[jimmyj]

Hey Chopped, I didn't say that but EXACTLY! That was a very big part of the problem.

 

[jinman]

Pull. . .

Chimney cap. . .

 

[frogfish]

I was digging post holes for a wood deck when I ran into a 55 gal drum, a couple of post later another 55 gal drum. I ended up unearthing 5 - 55 gal drums. My neighbor said the previous owner was going to raise catfish and at one point had the entire backyard filled with 55 gal drums.

 

[EddieWalker]

Jim,

I like the plastic crate on top of the chimney. I wonder what their reasoning was? Spark arrestor? Keep the leaves out? Rain cap? Or just to look like the others that they saw on on other houses without a clue what they are for?

Eddie

 

[Travelover]

Jim,

I like the plastic crate on top of the chimney. I wonder what their reasoning was? Spark arrestor? Keep the leaves out? Rain cap? Or just to look like the others that they saw on on other houses without a clue what they are for?

Eddie

Keeps out raccoons - until they chew the plastic. :laughing:

 

[jonyyuma]

Maybe a Bird guard, and yes a raccoon will eat plastic if they smell food. JY.