Tankless Hot Water Heater “Fix”

It’s nice living in a new condo - especially compared to the problems of an 1880’s building we lived in on Capitol Hill for thirteen years. We moved to northern Virginia to escape the many issues living in the city - including street parking. So we have been in this new building for almost five years. This week we had work done on the hot water tankless system. Everyone in the building is having this work done, so we aren’t the only ones. The problem was that the hot water took forever to get hot. And when it did it wouldn’t stay hot. Our problem was not as pronounced as other people, but it did take forever to heat up the water. All of the work was explained at a meeting and also all of the information was circulated long before the work was scheduled. We also started to heat a clunking noise in the washing machine cycle and when you turned the faucet off in the bathtub. It was just another issue and some air was injected in to a small tank after the inspection was done following the work later in the week. It may have helped. I try to label everything in the closet that houses the pipes and also write notes on what we were told. Let’s just hope whatever they did solves the problem. We have also had to have our kitchen cabinets touched up because they chipped and the oven hood lowered because it didn’t meet code. I think there is still some issue with particulate matter in the water as they did a study on that too. The water doesn’t always drain very well in the tub and the lights that were supposed to last for years have needed to be replaced. Our house is very small and there are more problems - or nuisances - that can be annoying.  You wouldn’t expect that from something that was brand new. Oh, and we have had problems with all of the appliances - except the dishwasher. 

Subaru Forester Check Engine - and other - Lights on Again!

A week ago while driving home from lunch, several dashboard lights came on unexpectedly - the dreaded check engine light, and a few others. So rather than drive home, we turned around and went to the Subaru dealer. The guy checked the items, recalibrated, and the lights went off - but we made an appointment for last Wednesday to check everything out. We were due for an oil and filter change anyway. Of course, they couldn’t find anything wrong. After two days of nothing, yesterday the same thing happened. This time the cruise control didn’t work. Essentially every safety option is non functional, and the lights are glowing and blinking. However, the Starlink vehicle report showed everything was in working order (?) So we dropped off our groceries at home and headed back to the dealer - again. Of course, the service department just closed. We could have left the car there, but decided to drive home and bring it back Monday morning. We checked the gas cap a few times to make sure it was on tight, but that didn’t make any difference. This morning we got an email from Subaru Starlink saying that there are multiple lights on and we should have the car checked. All I can say is thank goodness we are not working, but we aren’t able to plan a trip we were thinking about taking until this is resolved. It certainly limits our options for getting about town. I am beginning to wonder if repairing the cracked windshield in May has anything to do with this issue. Somehow the lights are all connected to the eyesight function located near there. I hope someone will be able to figure it out - soon. 

Street Light Repair Request

We have black out shades on the windows in our studio apartment because of a street light that sits right in front of the building. The other night I noticed it was very dark outside - unusually so. When I looked again through the window I noticed that the street light was out. I've sent in requests to the department of transportation to repair signal lights that aren't working, and the DC website to report overgrown weed and grass situations on city property. So I checked the website to see if street light outages could also be reported. The DOT has a section specific for street lights. So I started to fill it in until it asked for a photo of the light along with a number. I waited for the next day to see if the situation was a one time occurrence or if the light was really out. It was still out. I took a photo of the light and went outside to see if it had a number - which it did. But it was not the number the form was requesting. I sent in the request with all the information and received an acknowledgement. The item would be checked and hopefully repaired within 7-10 business days. They also state they will let me know when the issue has been closed. I sent the receipt of the issue to the listserve in the building. The idea was to let everyone know the issue was reported, but also hint that it's nice if everyone takes action when they notice something is out of whack. If everything always went according to plan I would feel hopeful. But having lived here eleven years one becomes a bit jaded. Thank goodness it's just not that important in the scheme of things. 

Damaged Downspout Repair after a Hail Storm

After a wild rain and hail storm last week, the neighborhood sustained a lot of damage. Many trees fell down, and a large chunk of the downspout that sits in the yard of our 1897 building broke off. We reported the damage to the board and the building manager. The next day, we were asked to keep our patio gate open so an evaluation could be made. Yesterday, a crew showed up in the terribly hot and humid weather to repair the damage. But to get there, a ladder that extends to five floors was required. It was too scarey to watch. I won't even go up a few steps - never mind five stories! And as usual, my husband offered the crew cold drinks and cookies. This is one of the first times that we were impressed with the immediate response of both the building management but also the work crew. Now we are hoping that the thing works like it is supposed to. The people who do this kind of work must have an acrobat or high wire act mentality. There's always plenty of work for them to do in an old neighborhood like this. I keep telling myself it's just so charming. Did I tell you about the huge tree that pulled down the electric wires when we lived in Milwaukee? We were without power for about a week. At least here our wires are underground, and we are forever thankful! 

The Almost Lost Diamond

I don't know how he found it, but when my husband said the other day that he lost the diamond from his wedding band, I was already figuring on having to replace it. But he is very dogged about finding anything when it is lost with usually positive results. The last time was when I lost a very small earring. He managed to find it in the vacuum cleaner. Just the idea that he noticed it when he did - because it could have happened anywhere - was a miracle. So he started looking around the house and there it was, an inch in front of the refrigerator in the kitchen. Well, he couldn't go around with a big hole in his ring, so we had to find a jewelry repair shop outside of Washington, thinking it might be cheaper (?). My husband hates everything about jewelers. And we have saved a lot of money not buying jewelry. The only jewelry I ever wear are two diamond studs with screw backs so they will never fall off, and a simple wedding band like his. So we made our way to Belle View Jewelers after lunch. It will cost about $200 to get the thing repaired, including a shine to boot. It won't be ready until Wednesday, so he will be walking around with a dent in his finger until then. It really looks weird and I don't much like it. Maybe I can think of something to use in the meantime? Any ideas? 

Subaru Recall, Phone Sync, Gas Refill and Customer Service

We just went to the Subaru dealer for the first 6,000 mile check up when the next day we received a "recall" notice to reprogram the system - something about the check engine light going on and it shouldn't. I contacted the Subaru repair shop to find out if they had miraculously done the required work in hopes of avoiding another drive, wait, and waste of time for this repair. Of course not! But they sent an email to have the work done and then send the documentation as well as the receipt for a tank of gas which they would reimburse us for the inconvenience. So yesterday we went back to the dealer for the work, and also requested them to sync our phones back because we weren't able to get that done. I did it before, but it was stubbornly refusing to recognize our phones. Perhap it had something to do with the reprogramming, or the fact I switched out my husband's older phone for my less older phone. When I got home I sent the required documents to the Subaru dealer as instructed. Now let's see what happens! 

Subaru Forester Repair Notice

We just had a routine car check a couple weeks ago. It was the first time our new 2016 Subaru Forester went in for service. It was also quite annoying that what was to be a one and a half hour visit turned in to almost double that. We understand that things happen, but it would help if someone would just bother to communicate what the hold up is. As soon as we got home and checked the mail, there was a letter from Subaru. Of course! There was a repair that is required for our car - something to do with the check engine light. You would think that this repair was already known?! Or if it was, someone could have informed us that they had already taken care of it? I know I am now retired,  but I really don't want to spend my time in the Subaru service shop - especially since I was just there! Sometimes having all these added safety features and automated gizmos just make life more complicated. 

Next Day Blinds Cord Repair

We've had honeycomb shades on our windows for six years. They came from Next Day Blinds and we have had relatively good luck with them. However, a couple weeks ago, one of the cords snapped and we were not able to pull the shade completely up, and knew if we brought it completely down it would never go back up. And of course, it was on the biggest window, and we were having out of town guests visiting to boot. My husband was able to at least close them completely using some maneuver, but it kept the house darker during the day time than we liked. Since we were told the blinds are on a lifetime warrenty, I went on line and requested service. Since they didn't readily get back to us after we received an email response that they received our request, we called and scheduled an appointment, which would be a couple weeks out. On the day before the service, we received a phone call to remind us of the date and time, followed by an email with information about the service and the name of the technician. On the day of the service, we received another phone call that the time was still on track followed by a second call to inform us the technician was en route. When he arrived, it took a few minutes to replace the cords. I asked him if we should expect all of the shades to eventually break. His response was most likely, but not to forget about the lifetime warrenty. As for cleaning the cords? No good solution. But at least now we can go back to opening the windows and enjoying the view. That means a lot when you live in such a tiny place. 

JoAnn Fabrics and Couch Repair

It's been about six years since we got a couch from Crate and Barrel. My husband hates the material and I think he secretly put a slice in the fabric as an excuse to get another one - just kidding! But the other day we discovered a very worn area that could quickly rip even more if it wasn't attended to. Unfortunately, the cushions cannot be turned over because fabric is on one side only, and simply hiding it with a pillow wouldn't work. So I researched the Internet to see what the latest in fabric repair was in lieu of taking it to an upholsterer. Luckily I have two swatches of the fabric, so I thought I could at least slip a piece of one underneath the sore spot and go from there. So we headed out to Joann Fabrics and looked for fraying glue and the latex glue for fabric repair. I used to sew when I was younger so I feel somewhat confident with a needle and thread. We also thought an iron on patch might work, but then it might look too obvious. Since I couldn't easily remove the fabric from the cushion (it's a pull out king size bed and has odd cushions that support this feature) I slipped the swatch - after gluing the edges so it wouldn't fray - under the sore spot and started sewing the two pieces together. Unfortunately, I managed to sew in the batting too. Once done, the fabric glue was spread over the eyesore. After it dried, I thought it looked terrible. So I cut away the part of the batting that was sewn to the repaired site, and then dabbed on some of the fray glue to darken up the lightness of the latex glue. It actually turned out "okay," but I know it's there and don't like it. We have been thinking about another couch, and this may expedite that search. But I'm just not convinced yet.