Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Prime

Pool Filter... filter. "Incomplete" prime?

rocketpup — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:57:09 -0800

Replaced Jandy CJ200 cartridge filter with new Jandy SFTM22 sand filter. Pump pot no longer fills completely with water. Possible reasons? Contractor malfeasance? This weekend my Jandy CJ200 shot its top half many tens of feet into the air for unknown reasons. We had just cleaned the cartridge like many times before and had restarted it. The pressure release valve was definitely open.

Whatever the reason for this event, we simply decided to buy and have installed a new 22" sand filter, the Jandy SFTM22, which is apparently a renamed Hayward due to some recent corporate acquisitions.

Our pool service installed the new filter and left, but the pump never primed, and we couldn't get it to do so using the normal methods. Note that we have a Jandy JHPU1.0 1 HP pump.

So we got the pool service out again today and they managed to improve the situation somewhat, so that the water level is higher in the pot, and completely covering the inlet pipe. They say they did this by sealing some leaks, but that to fix it completely they need to replace the diffuser. We did backwash the filter, but it is brand new and the water was perfectly clear. There is no pressure release valve on this filter, not that I know if it needs one. It is currently operating at 23 PSI, and has been since it was installed. No idea if that is normal since it is brand new.

Note that the pot filled just fine when the CJ200 was in operation.

So I have a few questions:
1) Can the pump/filter just be operated this way as long as the water completely covers the inlet pipe?
2) Could this be considered a normal consequence of switching to a new filter? Maybe the new filter is easier to pass water through?
3) Could excess pressure in the system damage the diffuser without noticeably damaging anything else except for the old filter?
4) Could this have been caused by the contractor during installation?

Thanks for any help!

USDA Prime Beef in Oahu?

Osmanthus — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:48:10 -0800

Where can I buy USDA Prime beef in Honolulu? I know Costco carries it sometimes, but its not a regular item. Is there a butcher that carries it on a regular basis?

Fixed or floating

bjork24 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:17:50 -0800

Prime rate prognosticators: if you had a choice between a five-year business loan at a fixed 7.5% or floating one point above prime, which would you go with?

What entry level DSLR + prime lens to get?

rsanheim — Wed, 21 May 2008 07:57:32 -0800

I'd like to get an entry level DSLR with *only* a basic prime lens for under $600. Is this doable? My wife and I own a crummy Pentax P&S, and we would like something better. She has shown a pretty good eye for photography, so I'd like to get her something to help her develop her skills. Most of our shots are of people, in low light conditions and with moving subjects.

I've been thoroughly convinced that getting a fixed focal length lens is the way to go when moving into DSLR, and just avoiding the kit lens if at all possible. So my question is what DSLRs should we look at getting, and are there any nice combo deals that have just the body + 50mm prime lens we should look at? Is this possible to get while staying under roughly $600?

The labor of predicting LIBOR....

Asherah — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:43:57 -0800

Should I choose a private student loan based on the 1-month LIBOR or the Prime Rate? I have private education loan approvals that are based on both the 1-month LIBOR rate (more specifically, the quarterly average of the 1-month LIBOR) and the Prime Rate. Chase Education is calculating the 1-month LIBOR currently at 3.62 (an average of Jan-Mar rates of 4.223, 2.849, 2.708) and the April rate has posted at 2.486, so a clear downward trend. Historically the lowest LIBOR has hit was 1.340 in 2003.

My margin with Chase would be +2.5% so right now calculated at 6.12%. The best offer I was received based on the Prime Rate is Prime +1%, so right now a rate of 6.25% with the margin. Within the last ten years, the lowest prime rate was 4.0%.

Both rates have obviously experienced cuts in the past quarter, but other than a crystal ball, is there is any way to get an idea of which rate will experience further decreases and thus save me from accruing more interest?

The photographer and the lens

oxford blue — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:44:27 -0800

What lens to buy? I'm thinking of upgrading my lens arsenal.

To wit, what say you about the following combination to replace my Canon 50mm 1.8 II.

-Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM
-Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
-Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

My interests are pretty eclectic, and I don't particularly restrict myself to one style or the other. However the plan is to slowly turn photography from a hobby into a source of income; as such I want to do more free lance gigs (I've done a few already), and expand my stock portfolio.

Would this combination of lenses work well? I know there is nothing truly wide, but Canon doesn't make an affordable (i.e non L) and fast prime that's truly wide, especially on a x1.6 sensor. I figure seeing how used I am to shooting on 50, it will feel, comparatively, 'wider'.

A possible alternative, that I'm not wild about, is simply getting the 17-55 2.8 IS. However I'm much in love with the speed and quality of primes, as well as their low weight and that they are pretty cheap. Plus, I'd like to keep my options open if I decided to switch to a full frame camera (EF-S lens aren't compatible) at some stage in the future.

I'm not really sold on third party lens. The gestalt seems to work better when it's homogenous.

Can you see any weaknesses? Something I've forgotten? Any advice would be swell.

Red walls to white in one coat of paint?

sprocket87 — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 09:12:03 -0800

Does one-coat paint really work? Or: What's the fastest and cheapest way to paint a red room white? We're moving from our apartment at the end of the month and per our contract must return all walls to white. The living room and hallway area is currently painted a deep reddish color, with some lighter reddish-orange wash effect on top of that.

My landlord said there is no specific paint or variety we must use as long as it is white. So I'm trying to find the absolute fastest, and preferably cheapest, way to cover these red walls with white.

I've read that some one-coat paints are quite effective at covering most anything in one coat if the instructions are followed exactly (proper saturation and coverage, etc). Can anyone tell me what brand / variety to look at, and what the odds are of me getting it done in 1 coat?

I've also heard that you have to primer the walls first for it to work - is that true for one-coat paints? The walls were painted red just over a year ago, if that makes a difference to their porousness or ability to retain paint. Since we're not required to anything but get it white, I'm not concerned about using a paint that is super-durable or anything, just as long as I don't have to do several coats.

Thanks all!