Popular home items you never want to have?

[bagekko]

Your utility costs and everyone elses are not the same.

Back when I had a single stage pump which I run 12hrs a day would use according to this 25+kwh (article is 12.5 at 6hrs), at my current house electricity after everything is 13 cents a kwh, that's $3.25 a day or $97.5 a month. Back in RI where after everything electricity is triple that so your $300 a month. Other places their electricity is 4-5x what I (UT) and prolly you (AZ) pay.

Now I have a variable pump, I still run it pretty medium to high on a schedule, so perhaps I am 50% more efficient, that's still $50 a month on my dirt cheap electric.

https://www.poolwarehouse.com/articl...lity-expenses/

Originally Posted by Tyga11

I saw the posts and they are wrong...there is no varying opinion. You can pay a max of $150 a month for maintenance and electric is minimal.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

There is crime everywhere. Not having a security system opens you up for extreme risk (and also lowers your home owners insurance)

I have 3 panic alarms in various places...all hardwired and encrypted.

Yes, and no. The data below are from the suburb we live in now and the rural town we lived in before moving here. Check all those zeros out.

I also spent 35 years in San Francisco with no real issues except for having a bicycle swiped when I was a kid who didn't know he couldn't walk off, leave it, and necessarily expect to find it there when he came back. I learned.

Mariemont, OH


Lyndeborough, NH

[bagekko]

Wow that's crazy low crime, I feel like you are missing out. Should organize a BP meet and bring some crime to you

Originally Posted by dradernh

Yes, and no. The data below are from the suburb we live in now and the rural town we lived in before moving here. Check all those zeros out.

I also spent 35 years in San Francisco with no real issues except for having a bicycle swiped when I was a kid who didn't know he couldn't walk off, leave it, and necessarily expect to find it there when he came back. I learned.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by tranquility

How are they wrong? They are just reporting what costs they incurred. Just cuz you somehow have low running costs doesn't mean that *everyone* must have them too.

I'll be interested in the answer. I think he maybe looking at it based on his personal experience and extrapolating that situation to all pool owners in all places. I live in California where electric rates are $0.32 to $0.50 per KWH. Arizona, right next door, it's 2 to 3 times less expensive ( $0.14 to $0.16 per KWH) , depending on where you are in the range.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by dradernh

Yes, and no. The data below are from the suburb we live in now and the rural town we lived in before moving here. Check all those zeros out.

I also spent 35 years in San Francisco with no real issues except for having a bicycle swiped when I was a kid who didn't know he couldn't walk off, leave it, and necessarily expect to find it there when he came back. I learned.

Mariemont, OH


Lyndeborough, NH

Thanks for the data on crime where you live. I checked it and we are in the same ballpark. My town, Clayton, CA has a City-Data Crime index of 45 which is similar to where you live.

[bagekko]

In Costco this evening and what did I see?!?! A $400 inflatable hot tub, seems like there was only 1, all loaded on a flat cart too, was in the M4 vert with the kids so no chance of bringing it home.

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

I've only owned the coleman so can't comment on anything else. My first was around 2019 got the big green coleman for the FL house. Was the best thing I bought especially at the start of covid. I think I paid like $300 for that one and during covid that shit jumped to over $600.

Got a smaller newer model coleman for the NC house for around $200. Works pretty much the same, just slightly smaller, not green, better design for the control panel.

Then recently Walmart had that same smaller coleman for under $200 so I picked that one up to replace the big coleman that was starting to look a bit run down and the older control panel design was starting to peel off in the FL sun. I like this latest one because it has wifi so I can up the heat from anywhere if I feel like using it later that day or night.

I believe it's this one:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-7...e&athbdg=L1103

But they are all pretty much the same I think. Wait for a sale I see them all the time for $200ish or less.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by dradernh

Yes, and no. The data below are from the suburb we live in now and the rural town we lived in before moving here. Check all those zeros out.

I also spent 35 years in San Francisco with no real issues except for having a bicycle swiped when I was a kid who didn't know he couldn't walk off, leave it, and necessarily expect to find it there when he came back. I learned.

Mariemont, OH


Lyndeborough, NH

I swear that bicycle thing happened to me. My beautiful Schwinn stingray. I parked it outside the Thrifty drug store to go in and get a cone. Had no idea I’d come out and it would be gone. Lesson learned. Never again.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

I'll be interested in the answer. I think he maybe looking at it based on his personal experience and extrapolating that situation to all pool owners in all places. I live in California where electric rates are $0.32 to $0.50 per KWH. Arizona, right next door, it's 2 to 3 times less expensive ( $0.14 to $0.16 per KWH) , depending on where you are in the range.

That's exactly what he did, kinda silly. He seems like a nice guy but sometimes is too head-strong haha.

Originally Posted by Esteban

I swear that bicycle thing happened to me. My beautiful Schwinn stingray. I parked it outside the Thrifty drug store to go in and get a cone. Had no idea I’d come out and it would be gone. Lesson learned. Never again.

I don't think anyone was as bone-headed as me w my bike. I was playing at a nearby park and walked home leaving the bike sitting there overnight. Ofc it was gone by the time I realized the next day.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Esteban

I swear that bicycle thing happened to me. My beautiful Schwinn stingray. I parked it outside the Thrifty drug store to go in and get a cone. Had no idea I’d come out and it would be gone. Lesson learned. Never again.

Too not so funny. The only thing that was ever stolen from me was my beautiful blue Schwinn Stingray. I had just bought it with my own money and I loved it. One day I left in the the front yard at a friend's house and when I came out it was gone. What a wake up call that was! Luckily, it was the the first and last time I was victimized.

I found and old photo of me my little brother and my Stingray.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by tranquility

I don't think anyone was as bone-headed as me w my bike. I was playing at a nearby park and walked home leaving the bike sitting there overnight. Ofc it was gone by the time I realized the next day.

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Too not so funny. The only thing that was ever stolen from me was my beautiful blue Schwinn Stingray. I had just bought it with my own money and I loved it. One day I left in the the front yard at a friend's house and when I came out it was gone. What a wake up call that was! Luckily, it was the the first and last time I was victimized.

I found and old photo of me my little brother and my Stingray.

I guess most of us make those one time mistakes. Now if we were to let it happen a second time, then there's a problem. lol

I got another Stingray the following year. This one was a Stingray Deluxe. And with it I got a bicycle chain and lock. Had that bike for many years and eventually graduated to a 10-speed.

Nice pic of you and your bro, sygazelle. And your bike.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

I saw the posts and they are wrong...there is no varying opinion. You can pay a max of $150 a month for maintenance and electric is minimal.

Your prices are absolutely insane chief. As one example, opening or closing here is minimum $400, closer to $500. I do it myself but your numbers are bonkers low.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by bagekko

We'll you'd prolly use 1/2 or less than my bad use case. If you knew you were going to use it on a weekend could just run it starting on Friday at $5-10/day. I am really lazy about optimizing my systems use, everything automatically starts at 8am and runs till 9pm, think the heater is set to 84-86 so it runs until that temp. Even when its 100 degrees days on end the nights in July are usually 60s, so the heater runs in the morning even on the hottest days. I really should manage it better.

Christ on a bike that's high and you really do need to manage it better. I have it all on timers and I don't heat on days i know we won't use the pool or cooler days when no one will go in.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by Esteban

I guess most of us make those one time mistakes. Now if we were to let it happen a second time, then there's a problem. lol

How's that saying go? Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me? I think it's 'shame on me' for both instances lol. Boy, that was a real D'OH! moment lmao. I still smh thinking about it hahaha. It was a cool little 10 speed in black too. Merry Xmas to the person who picked it up, I don't blame them, they may have thought someone intentionally left it there haha.

[3.0L]

Roof mounted solar panels.

A neighbor had them installed last year. During our heavy rains earlier this year I noticed the panels were covered with big sheets of plastic. Roof leaked. Later, saw the solar panel installer doing some work on the roof (and maybe inside the house as well).

No sir, I'm not going to allow anyone to punch holes in my new roof!

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

No sir, I'm not going to allow anyone to punch holes in my new roof!

Yeah, my neighbor got solar panels installed. I asked him how much. He told me they were free, lol. Never.
.

[tranquility]

Wow, so panels are that bad? There's no upside whatsoever?

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Wow, so panels are that bad? There's no upside whatsoever?

From what I've heard and seen from people who have bought or leased them, it's a read-the-fine-print kind of thing.

It seems that one needs to be an informed consumer to know whether or not a rooftop solar system makes sense for them. And at those prices, why wouldn't it.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Wow, so panels are that bad? There's no upside whatsoever?

A couple of my former co-workers have roof-mounted solar panels and even storage batteries. So far,
they seem satisfied with the outcome. They claim to have reduced their energy costs and I believe them.

I'm not against solar panels per se, but I am concerned about the leak risks of the roof-mounted panels
and the energy and (dirty) methods it costs to produce the panels, even if in some far away land.

Newton's Law might be more than just objects in motion.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

Roof mounted solar panels.

A neighbor had them installed last year. During our heavy rains earlier this year I noticed the panels were covered with big sheets of plastic. Roof leaked. Later, saw the solar panel installer doing some work on the roof (and maybe inside the house as well).

No sir, I'm not going to allow anyone to punch holes in my new roof!

I actually looked into getting into the roof solar business with a friend. Ultimately we decided against it. Pretty much everyone involved are some of the shadiest mofos around. Even the top guys with the best reputation etc were cockroaches. I wouldn't trust these people to water my plants.

That being said you can save money on your electric bill, it's just a matter of how much and how much you are willing to pay upfront for that reduction. If you plan to stay in the house for the rest of your life and have a fairly new roof and manage to not get completely fucked by these people then it might be worth it.

I know in places like CA it's a bit more regulated and you can find better people doing solar in general (still a bunch of shady fucks) but in other parts... forget about it. A friend of mine had Tesla put their stuff on his roof. He claims he saves a bunch of money, probably does, but it cost him like $60k+. Did he do the math to see when his break even point would be? Doubt it. He says CA has a bunch of tax credit or what not for the panels and he owes a lot of tax every year so he claims they were basically free. Maybe. Dunno about that but for most people I think it's not worth it.

[gtr2M3]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

I actually looked into getting into the roof solar business with a friend. Ultimately we decided against it. Pretty much everyone involved are some of the shadiest mofos around. Even the top guys with the best reputation etc were cockroaches. I wouldn't trust these people to water my plants.

That being said you can save money on your electric bill, it's just a matter of how much and how much you are willing to pay upfront for that reduction. If you plan to stay in the house for the rest of your life and have a fairly new roof and manage to not get completely fucked by these people then it might be worth it.

I know in places like CA it's a bit more regulated and you can find better people doing solar in general (still a bunch of shady fucks) but in other parts... forget about it. A friend of mine had Tesla put their stuff on his roof. He claims he saves a bunch of money, probably does, but it cost him like $60k+. Did he do the math to see when his break even point would be? Doubt it. He says CA has a bunch of tax credit or what not for the panels and he owes a lot of tax every year so he claims they were basically free. Maybe. Dunno about that but for most people I think it's not worth it.

I agree completely

If I invest 30k for 30 years at 8% I’ll have 300k

With solar after 30 years I will likely have a system that’ll need to be replaced and I highly doubt that it would’ve performed as well as if the money was invested, as in not even remotely close

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by tranquility

Wow, so panels are that bad? There's no upside whatsoever?

For people that go for the "free" panels, they wind up signing on for a long-term and fixed-rate power purchase program from the company that installs the panels. I've read many articles saying that this kills a home's resale value, since the power purchase obligations supposedly transfer to the new owner.

I have looked into DIY "permit-less" panel systems like PLX's Legion Solar where you own everything, but the ROI doesn't work out in our modestly-sized house and a relatively fair utility rate for grid power.....

[tranquility]

Tx guys, it's a shame there's some corruption going on, another potential power source affected by greed. Pretty sad considering that the sun's power is free and those in power still figured out a way to screw the common person.