I wanted to post this earlier but had to get permission first. Oh, I wish I could write like this ! The author was a rose hybridizer and this was published in an older New Zealand Rose Journal. I hope you all laugh as much as I did when you read this. Nola Murray. Wanganui Rose Society. Hybridising Hazards. For all that raising roses at my age does have its disadvantages: I'm prone to all sorts of mechanical troubles. Back-ache! How I've learnt to live with that one! As the curtain rises on the germinating seeds, the act commences, and I'm at risk. Each year the ground recedes at an alarming rate as the structure weakens at the seams. Later on, when I'm weeding, fact-facing and finding among the seedlings, giraffe-like, my legs adopt a sort of flared-out position, and nuts and bolts fly everywhere. Talk about the agony and the ecstacy! My eyes take their share of punishment too. When like a bee, I zoom on to the stigmas, I need my glasses. I put them on, I pull them off and attack them furiously with hard rubbing, and lots and lots of huffing and puffing. I replace them only to find that I'm no better off. It's not the glasses; it's old age creaking up and not seeing eye to eye with me. Why can't all roses be accommodating and have nice long stamens that I can cut off with a pair of scissors? Some stamens, with their hide-and-seek games, seem bent on destroying me. My eyes smart, and, as the bough bends, the back aches and my legs feel like inflated balloons about to burst, but, as I start my skid on the disaster course, knotheadedness saves the day and - drives me on. It's a battle I'm determined to win. Straightening up-and it's no easy matter coming from right angles to the perpendicular-I emit a groan, breathe out some explosive unmentionables, grit my teeth and bend to the attack again. No elusive stamen is going to foil me! When you lack an eye like an eagle and want to cross pollinate, you just have to put up with all sorts of steering column problems. Smiles, Lyn

I find it funny when the only advice some people choose to give on a DIY forum is "hire a professional". Everyone has to start somewhere. I learned to sweat copper connections when I was about 12 years old. Yes, I had my father show me how (and he wasn't a professional plumber either) and I didn't just pick up a torch and start blazing away, but there are tons of youtube videos out there that you can watch and see exactly how it's done. And then you can ask questions on helpful forums if you have any concerns or questions. Then practice in a controlled atmosphere in your garage. And then if you are still comfortable, do the actual plumbing connection in the house. It isn't hard and as far as burning your house down, as long as you are careful and take the proper precautions, it isn't likely at all. Does it happen? Sure. But you can also burn down a house with a candle. I don't tell people they're stupid for wanting to set a romantic atmosphere by lighting a few candles around the dining table and I won't tell people they're stupid for attempting to do a simple plumbing connection. I totally agree that you have to know your limitations. But guess what? We don't know the OP and what her limitations are. You are guessing that she's incompetent. I'm guessing that she will be able to do this. We are BOTH guessing. If she isn't comfortable doing it, then I wholeheartedly agree that she should hire it out. SHE is the one that has to know her limitations. WE shouldn't be forcing our views of her limitations on her. Soldering copper pipes is not something that should only be left to professionals. Or as klem states, not even professionals should do it because it's so dangerous! That's just ridiculous. Anyway, this argument isn't helping the OP and it's pretty useless so I'm not going to bother with it anymore. Good day.

kitasei said that tennis is a quiet and genteel sport. We thought golf was too. Don't get me wrong, we bought our house on the golf course with eyes wide open about the hazards, and we are avid golfers. HOWEVER, more than once I have been sitting on my screened-in back porch which faces the course, and observed a gentleman (!!) quietly and genteel-ly relieving himself behind a tree INTO MY YARD. He was hidden from his playing partners by the tree, but not from me, sitting quietly on my porch 30 feet away. You just never know. One of these days when I have seen enough, I'll wait until mid-stream and then holler, "HEY BUDDY!"

are the 45s you are referring to 45s....or 90s adjusted to be 45s? I went to the HVAC supply today and they didnt stock 10" 45s so I grabbed a couple 90s...which can be adjusted to be 45. This will definitely be a more gradual sweeping corner (but take up a lot more space). I think I can do one of these corners (2 90s adjusted to be 45 each forming one big 90 corner) from the vertical duct to the blower, but I wont have enough room to do a big sweeping corner to to the wall vent...ill prob wind up putting a single 90 there right out the wall. I think that will be fine...minimal resistance in the (relatively) longer run from the hood to the blower, and then a tight 90 after the blower but that 90 is the *only* duct between the blower and the sweet open air. I guess when I take a step back, the only reason I am doing this is in hopes that the 90 between the blower and the hood will reduce noise a little (as opposed to having a straight duct between hood and blower). I suppose I have nothing to lose and its only an extra 20 bucks in parts. One other question for anyone who has used the fantech blower....I bought the rubber clamps they sell for either side of it. Does the duct not attach to the blower in a male-female manner (pieces of duct do with one another)? does the rubber gasket clamp onto the blower, and then onto the duct so that the metal from the blower than the metal from the duct do not make contact (thus limiting vibrations being transferred to duct work)? I havent studied the clamps (or the blower) yet but in my mind that would make sense....and if its not setup like that, and there is a male-female screw+tape attachment between the blower and the duct...i dont know what the purpose of those rubber clamps would be :)