Learned'd VIII: Less Bewbs, Same Nonsense

[Dattebayo]

The recommended setting for a water is 120* iirc. Higher than that and your utility bill will rise unnessasrily.

No, the minimum recommended is 120*, you really want to keep it closer to 140* because then your risk of pathogens reduces significantly. Trust me on this...

[WDRacing]

I have mine set at 125* and it comes out hot enough to burn you. No need to go higher than that, pathogens be damned. I've used that number for years. Get a water treatment system is you have pathogens.

By keeping the water heater at 140* you're just wasting money imho. The heater has to keep that water wicked hot ALL day when it's not in use.

OSHA recommends 140* for legionnaires, but that doesn't usually happen in small at home water heaters. If the water smells funky, that could be bacteria etc, have the system cleaned and the water tested.

The EPA suggests 120*.

Good reading,
http://www.water-heater-repair-guide.co ... ature.html
https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/legionnaires/faq.html

[Kompresshun]

Performance tires + ice and really cold weather probably aren't a good mix.

Normally I would agree that you've got a recipe for a quick trip to backwardland. However, when you have a wheelbase that's shorter than my flaccid Johnson and you've got less torque on tap than Jamba Juice counter, its hard to get yourself into TOO much trouble.

In other words: drive the damn Miata.

I did. It's 3 degrees right now and it did fine this morning.

[WDRacing]

-12 here...

[Hijacker]

5* here, and all I had to send my kid to school in was a pair of running pants. FML At least their the double layered mesh inner kind.

[sx moneypit]

Mornin' guys!Actually got some snow here this morning.It is so cold here that it isn't even sticking,it's just blowing around.However,there are multiple school closings anyway.

[sx moneypit]

-12 here...

16 degrees here.

[Bubba1]

I did. It's 3 degrees right now and it did fine this morning.

FWIW, summer performance tires are driveable in cold weather. It's just they have considerably less grip when you do something sudden or if you attempt to use them on ice/snow as compared to snow tires or even All-seasons. If you drive conservatively and it's only cold out, you can certainly get away with 'em. It's just not recommended.

[WDRacing]

They've closed school here at least 8 days this year, 5 of which were for extreme cold. They've had dozens of kids have to go to the hospital with frost bite.

[Hijacker]

We've closed schools here for probably about 7-8 days this year, only one of them was for extreme cold. The rest was for ice on the roads.

[float_6969]

About the hot water heater. First question, is it gas or electric? If it's electric, they usually do pretty well with keeping the water hot. If it's not doing that, you may have an element burned out. (they almost always have 2). Increasing the temp of the hot water does artificially increase the capacity of the hot water because you have to mix cold water in to cool it down, and so you use less hot. They actually sell a mixing valve assembly that plumbs into the top the the hot water heater that takes this principle into account to cheaply and easily increase a hot water heaters capacity. The valve mounts on the hot side of the tank, but has a water connection to the cold side. It allows cold water to flow into the hot water outlet stream and maintains the hot water outlet at a specified temperature (usually adjustable). Generally you keep the tank at or above 140°F, and then set the mixing valve to whatever you want the outlet temperature to be.

Another thing to remember is that in the winter months you "lose" some capacity. The tank will heater the water as it comes in to some extent. During the summer months, it only has to heat the water from about 60°. During the winter, it may have to heat it from 40°. That 20° is a big difference. So not only does it take longer to heat the water from a cooler temperature, but it's also cooling down the water that's in the tank already more than it would.

All of these things work together in the winter to make it seem like the hot water heater is broken, when it's not. And installing a bigger tank will only help so much. There are arguments that say that a smaller tank at a higher temperature with a mixing valve installed is more efficient than a larger tank at a cooler temperature. I've never seen anything that definitively proves that one way or the other though. They also sell blankets to wrap the tank to help hold the heat in.

[frapjap]

The pocketbook is thankful that the water heater is gas fired. I've never heard of the mixing valve. I'll look into them if they're not super expensive or are very easy to remove and take with me later on it may be a good solution. Since this is a rental property, I tend to avoid putting unnecessary money into it.

You're probably correct on the capacity comments. We've been below 20 degrees here for weeks at a time and its probably taking its toll on the stored water. I do have some insulation that you'd put on the garage doors that I could wrap it in. Thats not a bad idea at all. Currently I have some on the attic door in our closet (inside and out) and on the basement door in an effort to keep the heat in the appropriate areas. It doesn't help that the windows aren't a perfect fit (landlord probably cheaped out on that one) and they're slightly drafty, but overall, not a deal breaker and aren't making the furnace work any harder that I'd expect it to- based on our really reasonable heating bill. We also close doors to rooms that don't matter since there is only one central, time/temp programmable thermostat in the house.

[Kompresshun]

Correction, it's 2 here right now. Still. I think the high is supposed to be 10 today and they've called off school most of the week due to temps. Thankfully my daughter doesn't need to go to daycare for the rest of the week

I did. It's 3 degrees right now and it did fine this morning.

FWIW, summer performance tires are driveable in cold weather. It's just they have considerably less grip when you do something sudden or if you attempt to use them on ice/snow as compared to snow tires or even All-seasons. If you drive conservatively and it's only cold out, you can certainly get away with 'em. It's just not recommended.

I drove sensibly this morning, but they're all season tires. I forget exactly which ones, but they're just Falken ultra-high performance all-season tires. There really isn't much ice left here on the roads though thankfully, but the parking lot here at work and my driveway at home are pretty much just sheets of ice.

[WDRacing]

-8 here today, no school again...

[frapjap]

Weird that you're colder than we are up here, Brian. We're getting some snow today though. Not much, just around 3 inches to do some snow-nuts in the empty parking lot across from my house. The tires break loose way to easy. They're definitely getting replaced with some blizzaks or contis before next year.

[WDRacing]

Not weird at all really, I'm inline with the lake effect dude. All that cold air from Canada just cruises across the lakes and comes straight down at me. I'm about 35ish minutes drive directly west of Pittsburgh.

[Kompresshun]

It's up to a balmy 6 degrees here right now. Funny thing is Atlanta is completely crippled right now and yet this area is a giant sheet of ice and i've driven the Miata the past two days. It's handled everything like a champ too.

[frapjap]

Miata FTW! Incredibly predictable, too. Your softer rubber helps a bit as well. My summer tires are just solid blocks in this weather. Its perfectly drive-able, but you can't apply any major torque or hard cornering without the rear end stepping out. I've really been wanting to drive the t/a, but until its done dry for a couple of days and no threat of melting or water to kick up salt, it is staying in the garage.

[Kompresshun]

I haven't had a problems with mine getting squirrely so far. The only complaint I have is there is too much cold air coming from around the shifter right now, so that combined with the weak top doesn't allow for a very warm car. It's not cold though, so that's the important thing.

I'm thinking about buying a remote start for the 500 soon though, because i'm getting tired of having to run out in the cold and waiting for it to thaw out in the mornings.

[frapjap]

The cold coming in from the shifter is probably a bad boot and dust cover. Mine was destroyed when I bought it.


They fail pretty often, even if you take precautions and coat them in talcum as suggested by a lot of folks. I could use a new one this season.
They're about 30-40 bucks on goodwinracing and some other places that sponsor miata.net.

The heater in my miata is superb. Even more so once the turbo gets good and hot.

[Kompresshun]

Yeah I put my hands up to my vents today and I could tell it was blowing good hot air.

You know, I just swapped the center consoles out a couple of weeks ago and didn't even check that boot. FAIL.

[MinisterofDOOM]

f*** people. Just went outside to clear the snow off my car and head to lunch. The right rear bumper is SHATTERED. Someone hit my car and just left. I am SO sick of hit-and-runs. Almost every single bit of damage to any of my cars has come from cowards who leave after the accident.

[krimsonviper]

f**king people. Just went outside to clear the snow off my car and head to lunch. The right rear bumper is SHATTERED. Someone hit my car and just left. I am SO sick of hit-and-runs. Almost every single bit of damage to any of my cars has come from cowards who leave after the accident.

Ouch man, that sucks hard ones. If it's a secured parking lot, the company will pay for it, but I really hope they catch her. That's happened twice to me.

I hate my office. No, actually I loath it. I've never actually loathed anything in my life before, and now I understand it.

[Dattebayo]

My truck has a registered camera (reg'ed with the ins. company that is...) on it now for just such occasions... It's actually caught some funny goings-on at the shop lately. Like when one of the guys hit the gate and sort of slunk off to park the truck back in it's proper spot. I'm waiting for the proper move to use that one...

[float_6969]

The wife's shift boot is bad too and leaks air like crazy. I'm glad you posted that site. I need to replace it and that's a good price for it.

My work truck got back into by MY FRIGGING NEIGHBOR last week. They never said a word. I knocked on their door and they didn't answer. Probably for the best. I was so pissed I probably would have done something stupid. I called the cops, but nothing has come of it. It was in the snow and you could plainly see that they backed out, hit my truck, pulled forward, got out, walked back, PICKED UP MOST OF THE PIECES OF THEIR TAIL LIGHTS THAT THEY BROKE OUT, got back in, and drove away. Grrrrr!

[sx moneypit]

Mornin' folks!

Got the Z back from the body shop,excellent workmanship!

[frapjap]

Morning Ben!
Glad to hear you're happy with the work. Did you drive the hell out of it when you got it back?

[Kompresshun]

Mornin' guys!

I just ordered the rest of the stuff needed to replace the timing belt on the Miata. Looks like it'll be getting some new parts installed here very soon

Now I just need to get a top for it and find some stock seats. These racing buckets and 5 point harnesses just aren't that great for daily driving.

[sx moneypit]

Morning Ben!
Glad to hear you're happy with the work. Did you drive the hell out of it when you got it back?

Mornin' Ray!

Yeah ,i have been putting quite a bit of seat time in since i got it back.Going from the MR2 back to the Z is like the difference of an F85 to an F117.

[sx moneypit]

Mornin' guys!

I just ordered the rest of the stuff needed to replace the timing belt on the Miata. Looks like it'll be getting some new parts installed here very soon

Now I just need to get a top for it and find some stock seats. These racing buckets and 5 point harnesses just aren't that great for daily driving.

Mornin' Chris!
Had some seat like that in my 84 ZX (no 5 points though)and they are a pita for daily driving,at least for my old a**.