Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with venting

MY GIRLFRIEND IS ANGRY A LOT AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL

defmute — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:25:27 -0800

How do I deal with my angry girlfriend? I've been going out with my girlfriend for 7 months. We've had a lot of highs and lows and overall have a lot of fun together. One thing that has been a huge issue, however, is the fact that my girlfriend often vents her anger about her friends and I get impatient listening to her be angry. Example: My girlfriend vented to me today about how angry it makes her that her roommate is constantly reminding her to do things (i.e. take out the trash, drink less coffee) that make her feel like she thinks her roommate thinks she's incompetant. My girlfriend hates being told what to do. I personally think that her roommate is perfectly reasonable in this situation find my girlfriends anger to be petty. My girlfriend knows this and we always get into an argument when I am not able to simply acknowledge her anger. I must admit that I emotionally distance myself in these situations because I just don't know how to speak my mind and also not make her angry at me.

She yells. I'm like "What you yelling for?". She yells at me for not understanding her. <------ this is essentially how I feel when am her "venting partner".

What should I do? Do I just say "yeah, you're right. That really sucks." when she has a complaint that I find uncomplain-worthy? Is there a way for me to stand my ground and be there for her as well?

Is it worth the trouble to vent our range hood outside?

odinsdream — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 07:55:50 -0800

Is it worth the trouble to vent our range hood outside? We are replacing our old range hood with an above-range convection microwave which can either vent outside or back into the room. Is there a good reason I should go to the trouble to vent it outside?

There is a pathway above the cabinets and it's a short distance to an outside wall, which I'd have to cut a hole in from the outside. I cannot easily reach the exterior wall from inside. I'd have to do most of the cutting work from the outside and fish the vent pipe over to the hole.

What benefits would I gain from venting outside?

It is hot. There is no escape.

striker — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:03:56 -0800

How can I vent hot air from my 3 open story condo? Is it a good idea? So I have a home with two stories plus a loft, all of which are very open to each other. The second story where we sleep is very very tough to keep cool when oklahoma decides to get hot. I'm putting some tint on the windows that face west that are at the highest point in the house, but I'm curious about venting the hot air out.

I cannot go through the roof, but I could do a small hole or two in the wall at the very top of the loft (there's no attic). Is this a smart idea? What happens when it gets cold, does all the cold air have a place to come in now if the vent fan isn't on? What about bugs? I'm thinking something like http://www.amazon.com/Solar-Panel-Ventilator-Vent-House/dp/B000JT0O30/ but I could use some thoughts. Thanks!

How to seal up a noisy downdraft vent when not in use?

TauLepton — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 17:36:51 -0800

Our cooktop has a downdraft vent to the outside. We live in a windy area and the flap on the vent bangs often. It's also a huge heat loss. How can I keep it closed when not in use? The cooktop is a JennAir four burner with grill. When cooking, you can manually turn on the downdraft fan by an on/off knob on the front of the unit. The cooktop also automatically starts the downdraft fan when you light up the grill.

Ideally, I'd like the vent to seal up when the switch is off and allow for normal use when the fan switch is on. (i.e. I'd like to use the existing wiring.)

I've considered an electromagnet switch, but am not certain what to purchase or how to wire it up. Would it need to be always on in order to make a seal? Is this a problem with electricity consumption or heat buildup in the magnet?

Is there a different solution that I'm not seeing? (Hopefully one that can be controlled from indoors - we're in a snow belt.)

Thanks!

It won't fit.

Wallzatcha — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 09:23:59 -0800

Advice on connecting a round, metal, foil flex vent from an electric dryer to an oval shaped vent (the vent which runs outside)? More info: This is a new house with only an electric hookup for the dryer, hence an electric dryer. The metal ductwork that runs from the exterior through the crawlspace and ends in the laundry room has an oval hookup. The electric dryer has a round end on the exhaust vent. Strapping the flex vent to the oval vent has been tried with no success.
I'm looking for a permanent fix for attaching the two so no answers that include duct tape....
I've been told that there are adapters or couplers available but after 10 calls to various repairmen, dealers, etc. i have not been able to find one.

Why can't I all just get along?

afroblanca — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 22:11:13 -0800

I stay calm and collected when people are getting angry and yelling at me. I have been told that this is an "infuriating" trait. What to do? I grew up in a house with lots of angry yelling people. When they got mad, they would yell, and their volume and irrationality would escalate rapidly. I learned at a very early age this sort of behavior wouldn't get me anywhere; there was always someone who would yell louder and be more unreasonable then me.

As a result, I almost never raise my voice in anger. I can't even remember the last time I did this. The more irrational and illogical someone becomes, the more logical and incisive I become.

When people get mad and want to start a fight, I am aware that there is a metatextual exchange going on - they want to vent their anger, and they want me to do the same. This is part of how they solve their problems. However, I just don't play along.

As these exchanges progress, people get angrier and angrier. They start to use "bad argument" tactics. I stay calm and logical, even if on the inside I'm feeling outraged.

What to do? I don't want to be one of the idiotic yelling people. However, staying calm and logical seems to make the problem worse. I feel like I'm looking for a resolution to the situation, wheras the other person wants to involve me in their little emotional psychodrama that I really don't want any part in.

Is this a problem with me, or a problem with people in general?

Any help at all would be appreciated.

Sewer gas smell in the basement?

nj_subgenius — Sat, 29 Jan 2005 07:13:50 -0800

SewerGasFilter. Help![+] This morning I detected the stink of sewer gas in my basement for the first time. My plumbing is clean, hasn't ever been worked on (at least in five yrs since I have lived here). Anybody, advice? I've looked for a cheap gas detector but Google-fu fails. I don't want to call the FD or a plumber if this is a transient problem. I'm in NJ where there's been some cold weather. Thanks in advance.

What'st he best way for me to setup heating in my basement without getting a feedback loop of thermostats?

mecran01 — Sat, 22 Jan 2005 22:02:24 -0800

Our 1200 sq. ft. partially finished basement is cold. There is insulation in the ceiling, and the windows are pretty new. Our thermostat is upstairs, so when the upstairs is comfortable, the basement is about 5-10 degrees cooler (a guess), even though there are heating vents in each room.

Can I just hook up a squirrel fan and pump warm air from the ground floor downstairs? Cut more vents in the ducts? Any other possible cheap/simple solutions?

I get the gnawing feeling that I'm stepping into a complex feedback loop problem--if I install a second thermostat, then the two thermostats duke it out until one of them wins or becomes skynet. Bonus points if you can point me to a place online where I can ask these questions and not get my head ripped off by HVAC professionals.