Official Off Topic Discussion Thread #1

[Ulu]

Well yall, if you want my advice, don’t buy a house with a chimney that’s been dry walled over. Bunch of garbage chimneys are

I basically live in the desert where it almost almost never gets down to freezing temperatures, and it’s usually quite warm (if not downright hot.)

Anyhow nobody needs a fireplace in the desert, especially when you have natural gas and electricity both to heat your house.
My house had a chimney made of stucco and wood, with a insulated “heatalator” glass door metal fireplace inside of it, with a fan and wall switch.

Inside the chimney was a double walled steel flue pipe. Also termites. All of that stuff was removed leaving the masonry hearth, surround, and mantel (also all masonry.) I repaired the termite damage and patched the wood where we removed the chimney from the roof, and then put new shingles on the roof.

I reinsulated and finished the exterior wall with some attractive fake Barnwood, and inside the original fireplace opening is filled with waterproof cement board.

I built a 6” tall wooden base out of some heavy lumber. I finished it with oak and birch & put 125 gallon aquarium on it, on the hearth.

I put another 55 gallon aquarium outdoors on a stand and a 30 gallon pump sump below it. I ran pipes through the wall, and along with a big insulated barrel, this takes care of all my filtration for the indoor aquarium.



I also put up the wood trim and paneling above the mantle piece, with the big clock and photographs. From the little decorations, it appears to this photograph was taken at Christmas time.

 

[esoxlucius]

And guess who's comfy armchair that is right next to the aquarium, lol.

 

[Ulu]

Yes, you can see the fish are staring right at my La-Z-Boy, wondering when I’m going to come back and feed them. But this picture is a few years old, because there are two black dogs, underneath my wife’s feet, and they have both passed away since this was taken.

This morning our power went off at 6 AM. It’s about 7:30 now and it’s still off. I’m watching the outdoor fish swim around with no water flow in the system. They seem a bit perplexed. In the aquarium glass you see a good reflection of my back patio.


Fortunately it’s not cold here, because the heaters are not working in aquariums. I can see the temperature dropping from 80 to 79 as I speak.

 

[Ulu]

Fortunately our power was only off for two hours this morning. And we were actually getting 37 V on one of the 120 V legs of our 240 V system. 0 on the other leg. Because of this, some of the LEDs which were on the leg getting 37 V were actually able to light up.

Unfortunately, that brown out cost me a $120 electronic control aquarium pump, and one of my UPS also died. $200 for that;(
Fortunately all the other a/c electronic equipment was off at 6 AM, so we didn’t lose any computers, televisions, radios, or anything, due to the brownout.

It was otherwise a lovely day. I got to catch up on some little projects and take my twin granddaughters out for birthday dinner.

 

[Ulu]

We had a brownout the other day, and it killed the power brick that runs my saltwater aquarium.

This is the control panel.

This unit may will be sold under different names and the power brick says it accommodates 120 or 240 VAC and outputs 24 VDC at 2 Amp max. It is labeled 48 watts.

I replaced it with this one from a Samsung computer monitor.

You’ll notice it is only rated 35 W, outputting only 14 VDC at 2.5 W. From 100~240vac.

The amazing thing is it doesn’t get as hot as the old one, and you’ll notice I am running on power 5 out of 20. (25%)

On the old brick I was running at power 15 out of 20 (75%) to get the same tank level!

The salt water African Mooneyfish have been overfed, and are having a snail invasion.

 

[jjohnwm]

When I moved into my current home about 11 years ago, I was leaving a house that had two large stone fireplaces and was now reduced to none, with nothing to satisfy my pyromaniacal tendencies other than a free-standing wood-burning stove; very cottage-y, very cozy, but no fireplace. I can't believe how much I miss an actual fireplace!

So, I would never, ever consider covering over or otherwise incapacitating a real, honest-to-goodness fireplace...but, if I were so inclined, I think that your solution is absolutely terrific.

I'm a bit blown away by the frequency of your power woes in densely-populated California. We have nowhere near that number of outages out here in Moose Penis, Manitoba.

 

[Ulu]

The fact is that our power problems in Clovis are rare, but they do happen on occasion. Most of our electricity comes from local Hydro power, although we do buy additional power because Fresno sucks up a lot.

This time there was a local traffic accident that took out a transformer, & AFAICT it only affected our street & only for about two short blocks. 1/4 mile max.

Our typical unscheduled power outage in Clovis happens once every few years, on an extremely hot day in the summer, 100 F+ and it lasts for 2 to 4 hours. Normally it involves a blown transformer or a traffic accident.

I have to add that it makes absolutely no sense to have a real fireplace here. Maybe if it’s natural gas, but the problem of acquiring wood and disposing of ash here is a big deal. If you live on the edge of the forest in Fishlice Ontario, such things will certainly be different.

And a lot freaking colder. This is the great American desert where I live.

 

[fishhead0103666]

I found a nice little glass case, I’m gonna try to make a small terrarium for some local isopods

 

[esoxlucius]

I found a nice little glass case, I’m gonna try to make a small terrarium for some local isopods View attachment 1527372

Great idea Brian, keep us updated. Though I must warn you, you're better off giving them water to drink, Dr Pepper will give them awful gas!!

 

[fishhead0103666]

Great idea Brian, keep us updated. Though I must warn you, you're better off giving them water to drink, Dr Pepper will give them awful gas!!

I’ve heard that isopods prefer sprite to water