it's important to know what caused it so it won't happen again and the house won't burn down. my suspicion is maybe a rat chewed on the wire. maybe it got pinned down between the beams and it got stepped on while someone was fixing the roof. but from the looks of it, it looks as if the insulation deteriorated because of the water leak and it got shorted. it's also too much of a coincidence it only happened where there was a water leak. i googled it and found out that water does cause the rubber insulation to deteriorate.

so that next time this happens again we can just turn off the problem circuit and we can continue to use the aircon of other circuits, i spent a half a day properly labeling each circuit of the service panel. it astounds me that after all this time no one bothered to label the service panel. our habit of ignoring these details is the reason why we can never grow or flourish a business. it's scary to think that a small business is much simpler than managing big building projects and we keep on thinking of developing such projects. maybe we are destined to commit the same mistakes as our elders (lola dida). so it's up to you guys. the decision is yours. i'm just giving you some important factors to consider. it's better if we play the market. diversify as much as possible geographically and across asset classes. wait for a market crash or recession then buy distressed assets and sell some when it recovers.

instead of working for your money, you can let your money work for you and go jet skiing with your grand kids. the biggest problem in america right now is job loss due to automation. mama has experienced this herself when her tanscription job was lost due to automation. call center is one of the few remaining industries that AI hasn't caught up yet. so it's very possible for america to stop outsourcing it's call centers. when this happens the unitop share can easily go from P30 million to P15 million. that's 5 avida studio condos. but if we diversify buy buying 2 rental houses in america and a recession happens in the philippines, we can smile while others are crying. mama can gladly call rex and ask rex to buy 5 avida or riala condos or 3 townhouses very cheap.

the outlets and the shower heaters of the 3 north rooms (master, ian, twins) share the same 30 amp circuit (#2). a shower heater is about 20 amps. so if 2 shower heaters are used at the same time the breaker will trip. note that an led tv, electric fan and lamp shade are only about 0.1 amps each so they are not a factor. each shower heater should have it's own separate line. the good news is it's not that hard to run a new line from the panel to the shower heaters because the kisame is wood and there is enough space to move around the attic unlike landmark which was just 1 foot solid cement walls and ceilings all around.

8/26 update:

i mapped all the switches and outlets in lahug and posted it near the breaker panel. i also posted it on our wiki so anyone can edit/print/re-post it (https://reyondit.blogspot.com/2019/08/breaker-panel-map.html).

mama asked how we can tell the electric consumption based on the breaker mapping. here was my reply:

you don't need to map the breaker panel to estimate your electric consumption. you just need to list all your appliances,estimate the hours of operation per day, multiply with the wattage (it's labeled on the product or you can google it), divide by 1000 to get the kilowatt-hour (kwh), then multiply the veco rate which is around P12.04. the importance with mapping the breaker panel is: 1) you know if it is ok to add an appliance. example, i can't just plug a 45 inch tv and speakers in the outlet behind the piano because currently it is already overloaded if all bathrooms have a shower heater. as you can see in the breaker mapping document, the capacity is 6,600 watts. each shower heater is 3,500 watts. so the breaker will trip if all 3 shower heaters are on at the same time. the 45 inch tv is just around 80 watts but you don't want the tv to suddenly shut off in the middle of watching a show because 3 people are taking a shower at the same time. because of the mapping document, i can easily know which breaker switch i can assign the entertainment system to. breaker #13 would be the best candidate so i just need to transfer the outlet from the dining area to the wall behind the piano. breaker #14 also looks like a good candidate because a .6 hp aircon is just 500 watts and the capacity is 6,500 watts. however, the aircon surge might ruin the sensitive electronics of the entertainment system so i thought it's best to separate them. 2) the second importance for the breaker map is that when there is a problem you immediately know which breaker to switch off without having to turn off the entire house. example after you left for the states there was a wire in the terrace kisame that was sparking and popping intermittently. 3) it is also easier to test the real usage of an appliance. example, i switched off all the breaker switches except the aircon in the sala the recorded the before and after reading of the electric meter to know that the aircon in the sala will cost P12 an hour to run.

update 9/30/19:

all the electrical and energy conservation work is completed. the outlet behind the piano shares a line with the outlets in the 4 rooms and sala including the 3 shower heater outlets so it would be a bad idea to plug a 50" tv. good thing the 2 outlets in the dining area each had their own line so i moved one behind the piano and the other in the middle room for the aircon.

i was fortunate to find a surplus jalousie frame while going around the glass-aluminum shops which they sold to me for only P100 so i fixed the missing jalousie clips in the middle room. i also implemented congresswoman and future US president alexendria ocasio cortez' green new deal in the lahug house by weatherizing all the jalousies with clear tape. now it only takes about a minute for the master bedroom to cool when you turn on the aircon. this should lower the cost on electricity. the clear tape may deteriorate after a couple of years but you can pay any kid P100 to retape all the windows on all the rooms.

the 50" tv i got was a 4k UHD android TV but i can't see a difference in quality compared to mama and papa's tv which is an ordinary 32" HD. this confirms my belief that a small screen near your face is just as good as a big screen far away. the tv in mama and papa's room even has a better sound system - the speakers that angelique and tikay had a fight over long time ago (angelique took it from lola's room so tikay got mad and all hell broke lose).

by the way i notice the stationary bike is not the "child amputator". i'm glad someone finally had the common sense to get rid of it. when i first saw children playing around it while one of them was pedaling i was so horrified because if one of them just happens to put a finger or an arm between the sprocket and chain the finger or arm will just fly off like what happened to noy shiano (or was that noy puling). i'm sure it wasn't noy magno. or maybe a child losing an arm or a finger is not such a big deal to normal people i apologize for sounding weird. because i did try to warn the adults in the house and they just ignored my warnings.

II. roof

i found the culprit of the leak (besides the obvious). i found the leak by bringing a big water bottle to the roof and slowly pouring water on each column until the leak happens. i applied vulca seal as a temporary solution.

the permanent solution is actually very simple. buy four 8X3 thin sheets (~P280 each). remove the roof nails just above this leak culprit. tap it with a flat head scew driver to initially pry it out and then finish taking it off with the claw of a hammer. then insert 2 sheets to cover about 4 feet beyond this culprit. the 2 sheets should over lap about 1 foot. then do the same below. fasten with roof nails and apply vulca seal on the roof nails.

notice in the picture there are grey dots all over the roof. those are the small holes that i covered with vulca seal. the holes are on the convex part of the roof so they don't really cause a leak but it does cause the kisame to moisten and attract termites.

i also added in my action item list to paint the roof so it lasts longer. i know it's not that expensive because roof paint is much cheaper. i can also let my helpers to do this to save money.

update 9/19/19

all the roof leaks have been fixed. please read this article because it contains important info on regular maintenance tasks to prevent future leaks such as cleaning the gutters. it also gives you an idea on how to easily fix future leaks - https://reyondit.blogspot.com/2019/09/lahug-roof-leaks.html

III. organizing

one of the reason why we lack motivation to repair and improve the house is because it's very disorganized and cluttered. it's also paralyzing to fix anything when you have to spend 30 minutes just looking for a screw driver or level tool. being organized also gives a better chance of your small business to succeed and even grow.

having a house that is like a dump site will also make it impossible to fix pest problems - rats, cockroaches and termites.

just realize that airnbn is one of the simplest ventures. if you decide to airbnb the gemsville house you will need to organize and get rid of all the junk. realize that none of you are even competent enough to do this. i'm insulting you because it's my goal to become the tita christine of the family. your emotions will immediately overwhelm you and you will be paralyzed just standing there for hours doing nothing. i'm just joking. i'm saying these things for our own good or gabby and kaila when they are 50 years old might end up going through what the crystals have to go through trying to recover the mortgaged properties from Ang. you also can't just hire someone to organize for you because they wouldn't have any clue what to throw away.

after a month of organizing, there was already a mountain of garbage in the front yard. i saw one of yogi's guitar on top of the garbage pile. i've never seen that guitar before or where it came from. good thing i saw it before the garbage truck picked it up.

here's what i wrote recently on the kitchen organizing - https://ian-crystal.blogspot.com/2019/06/prolong-your-life-by-organizing.html

update: i'm done with the herculean task of organizing the rest of the house. browse the photos to get an idea of where your things are, how to easily find documents, or where the tools and hardware supplies are located - https://reyondit.blogspot.com/2019/08/lahug-house-organization.html

IV. self service laundry

next on the list is to organize and make the laundry area decent enough so it can be a self service laundry for the neighbors. the customers can look at a wiki page to know the available slots and they can just call to reserve. we can look cool to the more intellectual customers by offering a green option (or call it low carbon footprint option) where instead of using the dryer they can hang their laundry in the front yard when the sun is out.

the revenues will be used for the house repair expenses.

V. plumbing

next is to fix the kitchen sink drain leaks.

i will also dig near my bathroom to try fix the clogged floor drain. maybe a new drain pipe needs to be installed.

also replace all the toilet flush with leak proof. they are not that expensive and it can save us from a catastrophic water bill if a valve is leaking and is undetected for days. how it works is that if there is a leak, the toilet water tank will just be empty. the toilet can still flush but you will have to wait for a minute for the water tank to fill before you can flush it. it's better than adding P10k to your water bill. this is actually what i installed in the master bedroom of the la quinta house because the tank is warped so it will always leak even if the flapper set is new. sealant did not help. if it hasn't been replaced you will notice that sometimes you will have to wait for the tank to fill before you can flush. however if the leak is slow and there is still enough water in the tank you don't have to wait it will flush immediately.

i need info from you guys on septic tank locations and how often they are usually drained.

update 9/7/19

the kitchen drain is now good as new. the grease gunk hardened like cement. i replaced the pipes that connect to the wall outlet. i tested removing the hardened grease in the old fittings and i can only remove it by chipping it off using a flat head screw driver and a hammer. this means don't bother using a drain snake or sewer rod to remove hardened grease because it won't work. luckily i was able to declog the pipe buried in the wall after 2 days of repeatedly applying eagle declogger chemical. when i got the snake to go through the other end, i attached a hose clamp (tied it with a wire) then pulled it at the other end. the hose clamp acts as a brush to remove the remaining grease gunk. i tested it by stuffing the drain pipe with rice, and sprayed it with a high pressure water hose. the chunk of rice immediately jumped out on the other end which means the drain is fully declogged. also note that i can never get the snake to pass through the L section unless someone on the other end tries to meet it with another snake (i guess it causes the snake to bend and slide through the L section).

i was thinking of installing a grease trap but thought it's not worth it. instead, if the drain starts to slow, immediately apply eagle declogger while the grease has not hardened enough. i did not apply pvc solvent to the coupling that connects to the wall so it will be easy remove and reconnect the pipe whenever you need to apply eagle decolgger to the pipe embedded in the wall. DO NOT USE EAGLE DECLOGGER ON THE PIPES FROM THE SINK TO THE WALL because it will melt the rubber gasket of the "pvc to sink drain" compression connector (the white thingy between the orange and silver pipe in the photo). anyway it's easy to remove and disassemble so you can manually clean it. to minimize the the grease build up, i trained the staff to wipe the frying pan with paper towel before washing and posted the instructions as you can see in the photo. i also used screw sleeves to fasten the sink cabinet frame and re-enforced the broken columns with brackets. for aesthetics i moved the gasul tank inside the cabinet.

update 10/2/19:

i completed all the plumbing repairs and improvements. the water line that supplies the master bathroom got disconnected and it was a while before one of my helpers noticed there was a huge puddle of water even if it wasn't raining. it caused the water bill to skyrocket. it was a slip connection which uses solvent but our main shut off valve has a leak so there is no way for the solvent to dry. the plumber was being lazy. my solution was to use a gate valve with threaded connection because teflon works with wet connection. then i simply closed the gate valve so i can connect the line and let the solvent dry (24 hours). i also reconnected the slip connection outside of the master bathroom.

for sanitary purpose i extended the septic tank drain, kitchen sink drain, and laundry drain all the way to the canal. i just smudged vulcaseal on the drain pipes instead of solvent so it will be easier to disassemble later on if we need to

all toilet fill valves have been replaced with a leak sentry. in the states i always install this on all my properties. good thing i can also buy it here in the philippines through lazada (P750 or $15). it only fills the toilet tank when you flush the toilet. so if the flapper has a leak and you go to boracay for a month and you forgot to switch off the main water line you only waste a toilet tank worth of water. unlike the normal fill valves that continuously fills the tank whenever the water level goes down so if there is a slow leak then you waste precious water. this is especially important in talamban cebu where the water has very high levels of calcium which causes the flapper to leak. my tenant gave up always replacing the flapper and cleaning the tank to solve the leak caused by calcium deposits. instead they learned to push the flush lever down as soon as they sat down to kalibang (poo / number 2) so while they are doing their business the toilet tank will start to fill and they can immediately flush when they are done

i also installed bum guns and shower heaters on all the bathrooms.

VI. termites

i called mapecon and they quoted me P35k. i realized it's really not that complicated to inspect all the wooden parts of the house so i decided to do it myself. i will have to buy a bright rechargeable lamp and scour the attic for signs of termites (of course with the main breaker switched off). the good news is i found a source to get very potent but illegal termite dust through lazada.

of course i will also have to get rid of all the junk around the house. they are termite magnets and they also make it impossible to protect the perimeter with termite prevention chemicals (which you can buy from the hardware store).

update 2/21/19:

https://reyondit.blogspot.com/2019/09/diy-termite-inspection-treatment-and-repair.html

VII. cockroaches and rats

i thought roaches and rats have certain avenger super powers where they can pass through thick wood and cement. i thought you can only control rats by setting steel cage traps. i googled it and learned that rats can gnaw wood but it takes time for them to create a passage through wood that is half an inch thick. also if you just keep the house clean and prevent rats from getting into any food they won't come in the house.

update 9/23/19:

i'm done pest proofing the house. i blocked all the potential entrance of rats and roaches. the rats carved a hole in the kitchen door so i'm sure they will start gnawing when everyone is asleep so keep an eye on it. i also applied putty on the gaps in the ceiling edges.

the tool cabinet also had lots of rat entrances. it may not be that trivial to monitor this part so as soon as you see a rat in the house immediately isolate the area by closing the doors then setup a trap or poison and inform everyone or put a sign to keep the doors closed. and of course inspect the house again and block any holes they carved.

i also sealed all the gaps and holes in the terrace kisame.

VIII. paint

the good news is i discovered a very efficient painting technique that i can train my helpers so it will be very cheap - https://ian-crystal.blogspot.com/2018/10/how-to-avoid-paint-splatter.html

the beautiful marble liners for the kitchen (P780) i ordered via lazada already arrived.

IX. airbnb option

we can airbnb the gemsville house while i'm the only one staying and use the revenues for the repairs. if anyone wants to stay just let me know and i can block it. gemsville is a prime location because it's near ayala. we simply need to connect to the guard house for habal habal services to ayala. or the tomboy boyfriends of my scholars can be the habal habal. i'm in the process of getting them a driver's license.

i realized those P3 million condos are really just a big box with:

1) clean walls, ceiling and floor
2) drain outlet for the kitchen sink (small kitchen modules (sink and cabinets) are cheap and easy to install).
3) exhause outlet for the kitchen module
4) bathroom

the gemsville house can easily have 4 airbnb units.

X. terrace

i made sure it will be very easy to change the screen later on. you just need to remove 2 screws to remove the frame.

XI. landscaping and gardening

for the landscaping i decided to keep it minimal - just decent enough for hostel/airbnb guests. the biggest problem was the very strong and foul smell of cat poo. they like to defacate in soft soil because it's easy for them to cover it. i planted carabao grass so it will be harder for them to cover their poo and hopefully they will take a shit somewhere else. if this does not solve the problem i think the most humane solution would be to relocated the stray cats to the forests of babag. i utilized mama's plants including the small seedlings so they get watered regularly. the backyard will be mostly camote foliage. aside from aesthetic purposes, it will be a good source of regular healthy snacks and emergency food in times of calamities and disasters. i also planted 3 calamansi seedlings to cover the drain canal area. i was suppose to just replace the 2 dead calamansi plants but there was a tire in the backyard which the basurero won't accept so i decided to just use it for a 3rd calamnsi plant. on the other corner i'm planting onions, tomatoes and sili.

the screen filter for the rain tank collapsed so i replaced it and made it more robustly fastened. i also revived the compost pit because it was converted into a garbage dump.

lastly, i planted some grapes and made a koi pond.

XII. guada repairs

for simplicity, i will just include here the guada repairs because i will be including the expenses in the lahug expenses. here is the collage of the photos:

these are the expenses:

4 pcs pvcs coupling - 112
1 kilo alambri - 80
4 pcs 2" pvc (atlanta heavy duty) - 1000
pvc cap - 40
2 pcs pvc elbow - 90
pvc cap and elbo - 75
pvc pipes - 1065
--------------------------

total: P2,462

XIII. bathroom floor drain

i was finally able to hire a plumber (joel our neighbor) to put a new floor drain for room 1 CR. the quote was P10k. included in the fee is checking the septic tank level and find out where that mystery drain (corner of the house where z3 is parked) goes to. i tried to fill it up with water and after 30 minutes it still did not fill up meaning it probably goes to the septic tank (no water was coming out of the drain outlet at the canal). another possibility is it simply goes underground. this is important because if it goes to the septic tank that means we have a convenient connection in case the very old pundido drains of the room 1 or room 2 CR collapses we can just create new drains that connect to this without having to break tiles and dig inside the house (just pvc pipes running outside the house). note that since the drain of room 1 CR they are working on is not a shower drain or sink drain (the water is not that dirty and it only gets utilized when someone takes a shower without closing the curtians), then it's ok to dump it to this mystery hole even if it just goes under the ground and not to the septic tank or drain outlet to the canal.

they just started working but here are the photos of their progress.

here's the finished result:

XIV. expenses

the airbnb/hostell earnings will be used to pay off all the expenses for lahug. after that all future earnings will go to mama and papa. for simplicity i will just include here the non operational expenses for airbnb such as the bedsheets. i will also include mama's and papa's expenses such as z3 and piano repair and z3 registration

guadalupe drain repair expenses - 2462

vulca seal - 470
putty - 105
2 drill bits - 100
roof - 280
vulca seal - 470
screws - 40
shelf liner - 706
basurero tip - 400
switch - 184

2 faucets - 300
2 sink strains - 1200
paint, brushes, rollers - 1000
paint, sink drain misc - 1500
drain tube extender - 140
paint roller - 46
caulk n gun - 280
leak sentry toilet valve - 1043
drill repari - 640
paint - 190
paint - 700
wood glue - 69
muriatic - 25
mop - 563
vulca seal - 340
paint - 700

cargador tip - 40
paint, vulca seal, wall putty, rugby, floor tiles - 1877
socket and bulbs - 555
muriatic - 85
shovel - 249
steel cabinet duplicate - 50
paint and drain cover - 722
2 bulb sockets and switch - 95
gate valve - 53
paint - 566
folder rack - 139
paint, screen, plywood - 3562
clear tape - 70
muriatic - 105
sacks and containers - 330
screen vinyl - 30
masking tape - 77
glass wall - 23469
caulk, doors, board, brackets - 4424
plate stands - 180

muriatic brush paint - 139
screen rubber sidings - 90
toilet hose, couplings, 4 5watt bulbs, toilet seat cover - 1357
white enamel, brush, 2 1x2x8 wood - 406

1.5hp samsung split ac - 43699
angle valve hoses faucet - 750
2 leak sentry toilet fill valves - 1837
hand broom, sealant, storage box - 559
cloth for couch - 735
screen door lock - 270
flex hose for split ac - 720
electrical wires for split ac - 692
split ac install - 7500
split ac electrical line and vacuum labor - 2500
door hinges, door knob, spoke shave - 881
trash bags - 200
3 mirrors - 605
bulbs, door knobs, plugs - 1716
lazada mapecon f3 powder - 918
plywood and woods - 1252
mirror - 109
zonrox n muriatic - 84
jalousue cut and parts - 175
faucet, hoses, wood, putty, wood glue - 1603
vulcaseal - 335
clear tape to weatherize windows - 128
transparent roof, paint, roller - 1841
roof sheets, paint brush, bulb socket - 2085
fix piano - 19000

floor wax - 209
wall putty - 220
2 shower water heater, outlet for aircon, angle valve, cabinet drawer rail, 2 bum guns - 16310
drawer knob, faucet, couping, screws, toilet seat, teflon tape - 1651
wall putty, liquid nai - 354
2 liquid nails - 494
garbage collection - 3700

grass scissors, sand paper - 289
liquid nails, caulk gun, paint brush, masking tape - 339
30 pcs vynil floor tiles - 3315
2 pcs vynil floor tiles, liquid nails, 2 bulbs - 766

curtains and rods - 1688
curtains and clamps - 460

floor towels, curtains - 817
muriatic and baygon - 401
hooks - 49
basurero tip - 300

floor mats - 538
liquid nails, brackets, hose - 281
screws and ductape - 218
carabao grass - 2000
3/4" plywood - 1400

foam and bedsheets - 1638
electric fan - 999
2 faucets and teflon tape - 354
locks and light switch - 369
revo registration - 4800
toilet hose and door stopper - 299
gasul hose - 200
hose nozzle - 515
bermuda seeds - 182
vulca seal - 455
pvc pipes for drain - 756
pvc elbow - 50
3 calamansi seedlings - 750
50" android tv 4k uhd - 25990
hoseclamp - 34
ej nso and license costs (staff development expense) - 7630
3 month labor costs june to september - 53378

#receivable of P277,015 entered to quicken 9/26/19

pvc pipe, elbow, coupling - 400
gemsville hoa sep 2018 to sep 2019 - 6500
dog abortion - 800
bunk bed and 2 foams - 11800
guadalupe septic suction - 3500
guadalupe drain pvc coupings solvent - 492
CR 1 drain - 12000

#receivable of P35,492 entered to quicken 7/15/20

---------------------
total:

(for more of my knowledge bombs, click the "ian's knowledge bombs" banner at the top of this article and choose any article in the table of contents that piques your interest)

reyondit.wiki-site.com documents

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

lahug repairs

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