Random Topics 3.1

[JayKay PE]

I think a spring replacement for a 2 car door, residential was about 300 with late night repair  for me. So I guess maybe not crazy high? 

EDIT. it was 300 for full replacement of both springs, with the late night fee, so probably a bit steep. 

Yeah, it was $600 repair for everything (2 springs + center bearing) for a 2-car residential.  No late night repair, but we do have a really heavy door.  We couldn't open the door manually unless we had like 3-people heaving/puffing and it slammed shut.  Oh well, I'm chalking it up to expensive LI/NYC pricing and I'll learn to never own my own garage in the future.  Aka: JK should shop more around, but when google has a 4.9 star review I'll just pay the extra so they don't rob/rape me.

 

[tj_PE]

Yeah, it was $600 repair for everything (2 springs + center bearing) for a 2-car residential.  No late night repair, but we do have a really heavy door.  We couldn't open the door manually unless we had like 3-people heaving/puffing and it slammed shut.  Oh well, I'm chalking it up to expensive LI/NYC pricing and I'll learn to never own my own garage in the future.  Aka: JK should shop more around, but when google has a 4.9 star review I'll just pay the extra so they don't rob/rape me.

hey, peace of mind is of value!! I think that's what you were thinking it would cost, anyway! and it's fixed!

 

[JayKay PE]

hey, peace of mind is of value!! I think that's what you were thinking it would cost, anyway! and it's fixed!

Not going to lie, I'd like it to have been cheaper (maybe $400), but that's all on me not looking around and grabbing the first place that popped on my phone (plus not wanting to have multiple rounds of estimates/paying for guys for service calls).  Eh, what's done is done and I think I'm lucky to be in the position of that being the only thing I can complain about.  

 

[Road Guy]

My neighbors paid $500 for the main spring that runs parallel the top of the garage door so probably not too far out there - Anytime I have had anyone come deal with garage door parts it gets expensive..

 

[RBHeadge PE]

Aka: JK should shop more around, but when google has a 4.9 star review I'll just pay the extra so they don't rob/rape me.

That went dark and depressing pretty fast.

 

[Road Guy]

I was at my local watering hole after work one day last week and these two old timers were at the bar next to me,  they were basically talking about how they rip off people in the area I live in getting work off of next-door work because people just cant or wont do simple home repair, These two guys were in the irrigation business and they were laughing that they were charging $50-$75 bucks to replace a $10 sprinkler head.. I think I heard one of them say that spring time was "winner winner chicken dinner!"

 

[MA_PE]

I think this depends on the springs you're replacing.  A torsion spring runs parallel to the door opening and is above the door header.  "two springs and a center bearing" sound slike a torsion spring set up to me, and for a single 2 car door that's pretty heavy.  torsion springs are tricky/difficult to install as you need to release the old springs (assuming only one is broken) and then torque the new ones once installed.  Dangerous task because of the potential energy when they're torqued.  Definitely not for the casual DIYer/faint of heart.  $600 sounds reasonable to me especially in LI.  This is compared to the other setup where the springs are on either side of the door running parallel to the door tracks/perpendicular to the garage opening.  These spring are only under significant tension when the door is closed.  One can easily change them out by yourself as you're not fighting the spring at all.  For this setup $600 sounds high.

 

[MA_PE]

I was at my local watering hole after work one day last week and these two old timers were at the bar next to me,  they were basically talking about how they rip off people in the area I live in getting work off of next-door work because people just cant or wont do simple home repair, These two guys were in the irrigation business and they were laughing that they were charging $50-$75 bucks to replace a $10 sprinkler head.. I think I heard one of them say that spring time was "winner winner chicken dinner!"

Are we back to the $75 car cabin filter again?

 

[Road Guy]

yeah basically the same argument -

What sucks is that my neighbors lack of DIY skills translates into astronomical cost anytime you actually do need something done...

 

[JayKay PE]

That went dark and depressing pretty fast.

When your a single female, and the service guy is a good foot taller/50-pounds heavier...Worst case scenarios come out real quick.

BUT I DIDN'T GET ROBBED OR RAPED SO THEY GOT A GOOD REVIEW!  

 

[JayKay PE]

I think this depends on the springs you're replacing.  A torsion spring runs parallel to the door opening and is above the door header.  "two springs and a center bearing" sound slike a torsion spring set up to me, and for a single 2 car door that's pretty heavy.  torsion springs are tricky/difficult to install as you need to release the old springs (assuming only one is broken) and then torque the new ones once installed.  Dangerous task because of the potential energy when they're torqued.  Definitely not for the casual DIYer/faint of heart.  $600 sounds reasonable to me especially in LI.  This is compared to the other setup where the springs are on either side of the door running parallel to the door tracks/perpendicular to the garage opening.  These spring are only under significant tension when the door is closed.  One can easily change them out by yourself as you're not fighting the spring at all.  For this setup $600 sounds high.

Every single thing I read online was like, "You will die if you try to replace torsion springs."  Which is why I called someone to do it.  One of the springs had snapped, and the guy said the springs were too small, so I am happy I called.  I do think it was a little high, maybe 20% higher, and if I shopped around I probably could have found something cheaper, but I def wasn't going to attempt this myself.  Unfortunately, prices are so wacky on LI/NYC that I never know if I'm getting ripped off or if it is just inflated due to it being limited to people on the Island. 

I've actually been attempting to do things by myself (take that, air filter!) but I knew I was over my head to attempt anything with the garage door; especially since it's a really heavy steel/double car garage door.

 

[JayKay PE]

Continuing on non-automotive/garage random topics...I think my parents are having too much fun in Nevada/Utah...

 

[RBHeadge PE]

 These two guys were in the irrigation business and they were laughing that they were charging $50-$75 bucks to replace a $10 sprinkler head.. I think I heard one of them say that spring time was "winner winner chicken dinner!"

My condo building requires a licensed and bonded plumber to do any sort of plumbing work, including the super simple and easy stuff. The building literally won't shut off the water to the unit to allow any work to be done unless they have the have all of the paperwork on file. And the plumbers know it too, so simple jobs that take under a minute to perform are disproportionately expensive.

Are we back to the $75 car cabin filter again?

Do people actually fall for that?!

 

[mudpuppy]

Continuing on non-automotive/garage random topics...I think my parents are having too much fun in Nevada/Utah...

View attachment 13377

Interesting... Saguaros aren't native to NV or UT... maybe they pulled a fast one on you and went to AZ instead!

I think it's funny when you visit Vegas and they have Saguaros along the drive up to the airport--and they have to cover them in winter because they don't belong in the Mojave (too cold and too dry.)

 

[Master slacker]

BUT I DIDN'T GET ROBBED OR RAPED SO THEY GOT A GOOD REVIEW!  

Showed up on time and got the work done.  During the duration of the job, not once did he rob or rape me.  5 stars!

 

[Ky_Su]

Interesting... Saguaros aren't native to NV or UT... maybe they pulled a fast one on you and went to AZ instead!

I think it's funny when you visit Vegas and they have Saguaros along the drive up to the airport--and they have to cover them in winter because they don't belong in the Mojave (too cold and too dry.)

Don't think that's true.  Vegas and Central to southern Arizona have very similar climate.  Both get the seasonal monsoons and can get pretty cold in the winter.  There are plenty of snow covered saguaros pictures around on the internet. 

 

[JayKay PE]

Interesting... Saguaros aren't native to NV or UT... maybe they pulled a fast one on you and went to AZ instead!

I think it's funny when you visit Vegas and they have Saguaros along the drive up to the airport--and they have to cover them in winter because they don't belong in the Mojave (too cold and too dry.)

With the way my parents vacation, I would not be surprised (but it looks to be fairly easy to scoot from Vegas into Arizona into UT, they like driving).  Before I got that one photo my mother had sent numerous photos of Denny's, casino reels, a buffet, and then my brother holding two huge stuffed fish.  I no longer know where they are, only that it's hot and they are walking a lot.

I didn't know Saguaros weren't native to NV or UT!  I just assume if it's dry/hot that a cactus should grow (I am slowly killing my little cactus garden at my desk, I think the windows are either magnifying the sunlight and burning them, or the window is transferring too much cold near them, also it's really dry in the office, so I keep watering them since they're getting...puckered).

 

[mudpuppy]

Yeah.  Sagauro are only native to the southern Sonoran desert, mostly in southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.  A map of their range is here:  https://www.nps.gov/sagu/learn/nature/location.htm  They've become symbolic of all the southwestern U.S.even though they don't naturally grow in most of it.  There are plenty of other cacti that grow all over the place though--heck some are even native here in Michigan (e.g. a type of prickly pear.)

The picture was probably from a transplanted saguaro.

 

[Supe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg5VwtODOJQ

 

[JayKay PE]

Yeah.  Sagauro are only native to the southern Sonoran desert, mostly in southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.  A map of their range is here:  https://www.nps.gov/sagu/learn/nature/location.htm  They've become symbolic of all the southwestern U.S.even though they don't naturally grow in most of it.  There are plenty of other cacti that grow all over the place though--heck some are even native here in Michigan (e.g. a type of prickly pear.)

The picture was probably from a transplanted saguaro.

I loath prickly pears and their tiny little invisible spines that always get on my hands no matter what I do.