Combining tools to detach Delta single-hole kitchen faucets

Some Delta single-hole faucets use a large nut that screws onto a long stem to tighten a clamp that grips the countertop. It can be a challenge both to firmly tighten that nut as well as to loosen it, since the fins are small on the wrench that Delta includes with those faucets.

Adding a heat pump alongside a natural gas furnace with tight duct turns

Introduction

We attempted in 2022 to replace our 30-year old air conditioner with an air-source heat pump. Unfortunately, despite repeated service visits, it still does not operate properly. I describe our experiences here in case others with similar systems find this to be useful. Perhaps you landed here by searching for a symptom that you are currently observing in your HVAC system. Maybe this post will help you to ask questions of your HVAC service company that can lead to getting your HVAC system working more quickly than would otherwise be the case and be less likely to be surprised by inoperative air conditioning on the first hot day of summer!

Gardening in a suburb of Portland, Oregon

My family and I have been cultivating our backyard (and front yard) garden in a suburb of Portland, Oregon, for eight years. I grew up in central Wisconsin pulling weeds from rows of beans and strawberries, and my wife was a patio gardener during her childhood and in grad school. We enjoyed growing a tray of culinary herbs together in our apartment as newlyweds while finishing grad school. The University of Illinois has a long agricultural legacy, and we enjoyed touring the student-run farm during our time there. We were excited to expand to backyard gardening as soon as we purchased a house. Growing space was one of the main criteria in our minds as we were browsing house listings.