texts: I have two wires from the power supply to my main panel and no ground electrode wire; how do I connect the ground wire from the main panel to the ground rod? The circuits? the receptacles? Also, how do I wire the panel box? now this what I did, I connected the neutral to the bus bar then connected the ground wire to its bus bar and linked a wire from the neutral bus to the ground bus. I took a wire from the bus bar of ground to the ground rod. what is your advice to these connections.


texts: What size drain is required for a washing machine?

texts:
What is the plumbing Code for Washing Machine Drain?
I want to install an extra washer and dryer in my detached two car garage.
This is a picture from a house under construction.
I believe the Drain is 2 inches. Then it appears to be upsized to a 3 inch PVC in the crawlspace.


texts: In a light switch, how can I tell if the black wire is really hot and the white wire is really neutral?

texts:
I'm just a programmer who wants to add an outlet below my light switch. I did a bunch of research on this topic and decided I could tackle it. According to my research, the hot/line is the black wire going into the bottom of the switch and the load is the top wire. The neutral is the white ones that are capped off.

But here I have white wires going into the switch and black ones capped off. Are the white wires line and load and the black ones neutral? Is this perhaps wired completely wrong in such a way that happens to work? How do I determine if this is wrong and how do I go about fixing it?


texts:
Recently I saw a documentary about asbestos and it freaked me out a little.
The reason is that in 2012 some friends and I visited an old and abandoned amusement park to do an airsoft battle.  At the time, I didn't really worry about asbestos. But after watching the documentary I rewatched my GoPro footage of that day and wondered if I came into contact with asbestos.

Following is a screenshot of some ceiling tiles that were laying over there. There are markings on the back but they are incomplete.  Could those contain asbestos?


texts: Old light fixture has 3 sets of black, white and copper. It keeps tripping breaker when installed. Not sure what to do

texts: I’m installing a new light fixture to replace an old ceiling fan light fixture. When I removed the old fixture there are 3 sets of black, white, and copper wires in white casings. My new fixture does not have a fan and only has the standard black, white and copper wires. When I wire them, they immediately trip the breaker. How do I fix this or find out which wire goes to what?


texts: Test Connection for vintage lighting fitting

texts:
Out apartment has one of those vintage light fittings, with the edison bulbs in. It also has 4M high ceilings. One of the bulbs has popped and repeatedly pops if i replace it. so i'd like to take the fitting down from the rose and check the connections both in the base and the bulb fitting.

The question is, can I use a wall socket and a kettle lead to create a supply, so that I can work on this and test the fittings out without it hanging from the ceiling? My thinking is, that a plug, with the appropriate fuse (3A) and a long lead, would mean that i could easily test the fitting, using the switch at the wall to make it safe whilst i checked all connections.

Basically, is the 240V in the Wall Socket, the same as the 240V in the lighting circuit?


texts:
I changed a switch in my room with a Lutron dimmer. The switch was sharing the same receptacle as 2 other switches. I pulled it out of the wall and there were 5 wires coming out of it - red, white, two blacks, bare copper. The red and black are part of the switch and the second black is ganged to the other two switches to provide power. The copper is safety ground. Why is there an additional white wire (neutral) going to the switch? Note that it feeds directly into the switch housing and is not wrapped around any external screw. I ended up connecting this white wire to the pigtail with all of the other white neutrals since my dimmer didn't need it.

The other 2 switches in the same spot don't have this hole for the white wire and there isn't another switch for this light. All three switches are functioning properly.

I understand that some smart switches may need neutral to power in existing electronics but this was the original switch which has no intelligent capability.


texts:
We live in flood plain area and we have a high water table. For some reason our home has a basement. We have lived there almost 15 years and our basement has flooded 3 times when it rains a lot. There is a hole for a sump pump, but the first time it rained and filled up we had like 2 feet of water for like 3 weeks, despite having 2 sump pumps going continuously. I guess it has to dry out enough outside and the water table has to go down before the water will stay out of the basement. I believe the water comes in through a few cracks in the floor and maybe the hole where the sump pump goes. The walls are cinder block and the ceiling is drywall.
So what can be done to stop the water from coming in? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

I don't know if our home has foundation waterproofing.
In 2005 when it really rained a lot for days on end is when we used 2 sump pumps and I think the reason they couldn't keep up is due to the water table being higher due to all the rain. So I think that even though we were pumping the water out of the basement, water kept coming through the floor because the water table was so high. Again, the times it has flooded, it has been a lot of water over 3 or 4 days so I wouldn't say it was moderate rain. We are at the bottom of a hill and there are 3 homes on the hill and the water comes off the hill onto our property. Even after it quits raining, water continues to come off the hill for a few days. Also, there is a pond across the street from us that they just dug down and hit water and there is a creek near us as well. Thanks for the advice.


texts: How can I fix this persistently leaky shower faucet?

texts:
Several weeks ago water began slowly dripping from the shower head in our master bath. Also, the underside of the hot water faucet is wet long after the water has been turned off and the shower has dried (except a small area kept wet by the drip), so I assume it's the problem. I have tried

replacing the seats and springs (which seems to have slightly increased the leak)
putting a thin layer of vaseline around the seat and on the back of the stem unit assembly (no impact)
replacing the stem unit assembly (negligible improvement)

Here's a portion of the parts diagram for a similar faucet (from Delta's website) for reference.

I don't know what else to try. What else could be the problem?


texts: dyeing grey water, standerds for how much dye to use

texts:
I am looking into grey water systems for a future house. In the course of researching, I learned that in states that have adopted the International Plumbing Code, you can use the water for flushing toilets as well as irrigation. If you use it for flushing toilets, you have to dye it with either blue or green food dye, as well as disinfecting it in some way.

My question is: Is there a standard for how much dye to use per volume of water or a standard for opacity or something? I am mainly concerned about blowing through a lot of dye to make the water colored.

I have done lots of research on this, but all the documents i have found merely state that the water has to be dyed, not by how much.


texts: Is it a good idea to replace a net on a screen door without taking it down?

texts:
I need to replace a mosquito net on a sliding screen door. I've watched some videos and bought a kit with spline, slider tool and net.

I cannot remove the sliding door from its place.

Is it a good idea to replace the net when the door is standing vertically? I can mostly fix it in place with duct tape, but will I be able to align it?


texts: How plausible (and how hard) is it to modify a billy bookcase to fit a gable-end corner, floor-to-ceiling, with an impinging 45deg roof

texts:
I'd like to build a fitted bookcase into the corner of a gable end, such as in this mockup.  Excuse the poor attempt, I've never used SketchUp before.

Obviously they should show shelves/dividers etc and a 45deg angled corner section between the two walls, but I figure this is good enough for this question.

I'm undecided at the moment whether the units would stop in line with the edge of the door, continue over the door (as depicted) or (very possibly) go down the other side of the door as well.

My semi-plan is to buy an Ikea Billy bookcase unit or two (probably the large corner unit they do), and see if I can fit it into the corner by cutting bits off and melding other bits on.

Maybe that's too ambitious and it'd be easier to work with two separate units and forego the 45deg unit between them, and just have them butt up at 90deg and have some wasted space hiding behind.

I have a "can do" attitude, am happy to buy some tools, but a decided lack of woodworking skills/experience.

Is this quite trivial?  What tools and techniques are the best way to cut laminated chipboard (or whatever Billy is constructed from) without chipping and ruining the outer layer?

I've never owned a Billy before so at the moment I have no idea what they're made from or fasteners Ikea use and how easy it'd be to relocate them, etc etc.

Thanks!


texts:
My handyman guy used the wrong lumber to make this fence gate. It just regular plywood used for subfloor:

It's too late now to take it down. But it looks OK so I want to see if there is a way to weather protect it.

Eventually it will be painted (white color now is Kilz prime). What product should I apply to seal it from rotten?


texts: Need help figuring out X11 3-way switch connections (6 wires from one box)

texts:
So I recently bought a house, it was built in the 80s and the previous owner had installed X10 switches (before X10 was a thing, when it was called DHC or Decora Home Controls). Anyway, the garage has a circuit which controls two fluorescent light ballasts; one switch by the interior-to-garage door and one switch by the exterior-to-garage door. The interior-to-garage door switch box has six wires coming out of it!

I pulled the switch out away from the wall and unplugged all the wires. I used a touchless probe to determine which one was the HOT, and I used my DMM in continuity mode to determine which ones were the Travelers based on continuity checks with the switch box wires across the garage.

I have two standard 3-way switches that I want to hook up to these boxes but I cannot figure it out. I'm not sure what the 'A', 'B', and 'C' lines are nor what to do with them.

Can someone help me determine how to hook up the 3-way so both switches can control both garage light ballasts?

Because I need to use the light in my garage, I currently have a standard 2-way switch installed in the interior-to-door switchbox with the 'B' wire tied to the neutral bundle and the switch connects/disconnects the wires labeled Hot and 'A'. However, this doesn't work perfectly because it only illuminates one of the two ballasts.

Trying to understand more about it, I tried flipping the 'A' and 'B' in my standard 2-way switch hookup but it still only lights up one ballast and it's the same one. I'm really confused at how to get this working again.


texts: Is it good idea to use repair tape to block water from constantly dripping?u

texts:
My faucet in the shower started to drip. Till the plumber coming to fix it I thought to mitigate a bit by shutting off the pipe.
I bought a tape similar to repair tape.
So if I put tape in the faucet (and remove it to turn on the water when I need to) would it cause a problem? Would the fact that these drips are not released but blocked make things worse?


texts: How to remove wooden screen door from the frame to replace screen

texts:
I have an old (c. 1950) wooden screen door that I need to remove so that I can replace the screen. I think it's probably made by Pella (The original owner of the house was an executive for Pella) but it has no markings or ID plates, etc.

The rollers don't seem to retract into the frame at all. There are screws in the corners of the door. I thought that if I loosened them that the rollers would retract, but apparently, those screws are holding the wooden door together.

There don't seem to be any screws in the top runner channel other than one that anchors a spring which closes the door. There doesn't seem to be any other screws holding the top channel in. Even if there were screws in the top channel, there's no room to slide it off to either side anyways.

I can't figure out how to get the door frame out of the track. I tried contacting Pella directly, but...no love.

Here's some pix:

This is the top corner of the leading edge of the door. Shows a screw hole behind weatherstrip and the spring mentioned that pulls the door closed...bottom corner is similar. No spring at bottom.

This is the top corner of the trailing edge of the door. (Bottom is identical.) Shows the track at the top and one of the screws which I thought was to move the rollers, but turns out it's structural and holding the door frame together.

Here's a shot of the interior handle/latch. Perhaps would help to identify the manufacturer or something.....

Any suggestions?


texts: Another code question: can I take a 110V outlet off one leg of a 220V circuit?

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Wiring the workshop, it'd be simplest to use the 220V circuit to also supply the shop's 110V outlets. I know some machines/appliances do that internally; can I expose it on the wall?

(I'm never sure whether to call it 110/220, which is what I heard as a kid, 120/240, or 115/230.... or if they're all recognised as nominal so it doesn't much matter except when planning wattage capacity.)


texts: How to remove the handles from this joint bathroom faucet

texts: There doesn't seem to be a way to unscrew the handles from this faucet. Anyone have any tips?


texts:
I want to buy and use some 54W T5 lamps. I have found some ballasts in a nearby shop. I have the following questions:

One of them advises 1x110W T10/T12 or 1X85W T12. Can I use it on two 54W T5 lamps? In general, can we use ballasts for T12 - for example - on T5's - considering the wattage matches?
Some of them are advised for T5/T8 lamps, others are for TL5 lamps. Is there any difference?
Suppose I have a 54W lamp, can I use - for example - two ballasts of 30W and 24W? That is: Can we combine lower wattage ballasts in some way such that it could power a higher wattage lamp?
Some of them are even advised only as 1x54W, without the Tn indicator. Can I use them on T5's?
Can I use ballasts of one manufacturer with lamps from another manufacturer?
There was a very cheap ballast for two 54W T5s and one (more expensive) for just one T5. Is it possible that this single lamp ballast will result in more light output?

If it is helpful, below there is a photo of the ballasts I found more promising for my purpose. Perhaps these questions are extremely common, but the seller didn't look to know about it and when I Googled a bit, there was a lot of doubt.


texts: Connecting Earth Wire to LED Ceiling Down lights

texts: The old lights in the ceiling had an earth connected to the metal ceiling light housing. My new LED down lights are metal but don't have the earth connection, I think they are double insulated so don't need one. Anyhow can I simply connect the earth wire to the metal housing support for extra reassurance?


texts: How much paint do I need to apply to a new Shurline roller at the beginning of a paint job?

texts:
I am painting a ceiling and it seems there are many more roller marks than when painting a wall.  To be honest this time around the evenness of the paint on the walls even seems lower quality.  I wonder if I put enough paint on the roller to begin with.  Other background ... I did use the same roller (shurline 3/8") for both ceiling and walls.  The total time that one roller was used was about 4 hours.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Regards,
Ken


texts: Spray bottle w/ vinegar solution...eventually makes spray bottle not work...why?

texts:
I bought two spray bottles intending on using it for cleaning solutions. I filled one with a 50/50 vinegar/water solution for household cleaning. After a few weeks of use, the pumping action on the handle stopped working. I would squeeze the handle on the spray bottle, but the handle would not return to it's original position.

I opened up the mechanism and there is a spring covered by a rubber piece (this fits snugly in a cylinder...forming a mini piston type of mechanism. The rubber forms a nice seal and is what draws the liquid up the tube when the handle releases and pushes the liquid out the nozzle when the handle is depressed. I think the rubber slides along the inside of the cylinder.

So, I'm not sure what is causing the pumping action to not work. The spring and the rubber piece looks fine I think. I don't think the rubber is breaking down...it's hard to tell whether the rough edges on the rubber was "as manufactured" or was caused by the vinegar. Also, when I took it apart, I felt a little something (almost like some sort of lubricant...but not an oily lubricant) on my fingers. Is this what is being compromised?

Since I had two spray bottles, I replaced the handle/sprayer. Sure enough, after a few weeks of using the same solution, the handle stopped pumping!

Anyone else out there with a similar experience?


texts: water pressure drops when irrigation system is turned on

texts:
I am using well water. The static pressure measured with the outside faucet is 60 psi. When irrigation system is turned on, the water coming out of all sprinkler heads in any zone is weak. I guess the pressure at sprinkler heads is low. When irrigation system is on, water pressure inside the house is very low too and the PSI I read at outside faucet drops to 20 PSI. What could be the problem? Can low water in the well cause the problem?
Thank you!


texts: How to repair a hole in exterior concrete foundation

texts:
We have had this hole in our exterior foundation for a few years. The way we discovered it was that water was leaking into our basement finished room, and when I looked outside, I discovered this hole in a corner where the porch foundation and the house foundation meet. It is now the size of a peach. We have dealt with it temporarily by covering the whole area with tarp and duct tape, and have never had any water in the basement since then.

My question is, how do we repair a hole that is empty behind it? There is some sort of crawl space underneath the porch (porch is concrete). Here is a picture of the hole:

We are somewhat novices at DIY - I can build furniture fairly easily, but concrete is something new to me. Thanks for your help!


texts: How can I determine what is causing these electrical problems?

texts:
My kitchen lights are having electrical issues that I am trying to identify probable causes for. When I bought the house, there was an overhead light in the kitchen and several plug-in light fixtures over the sink and stove, all working fine. The overhead light has two switches, one of which is a dimmer. The overhead fixtures are just on a wall socket, and have their own power switches on the devices.

I recently removed the overhead light and replaced it with a fan & light combination. It has both the light and the fan connected on a single regular 110V circuit, both to the same live & neutral connections. For about a week after the installation, the new fixture was working just fine. After about a week, the fan would continue to work, but the lights would not come on. I discovered that if I leave the lights set to "on", but repeatedly toggle the fan's directional switch (if left in the middle, the fan is "off"), the lights will eventually come on and will work simultaneously with the fan. Sometimes the lights will come on while the fan is not moving (switch for fan in the middle) and will go off again when the fan's direction switches. Turning off the fan altogether does not seem to coax the lights into working by itself. If the dimmer on the light is accidentally turned almost slightly, the lights will go out again, and the process has to be repeated after turning the dimmer back up. The fan itself continues to operate just fine no matter what we seem to do.

Shortly after moving in, the overhead plug-in light fixtures I mentioned earlier stopped working altogether. Replacing the bulbs in them seemed to have no effect. They are unfortunately installed behind the cabinets and I have been unable to reasonably test the lights on other circuits. I might just have to unplug them and cut the wall plug off just to remove them.

The two problems combined make me wonder if the circuit might just be overloaded and trying to draw too much power; otherwise I would just presume that the fan is defective.

I don't have the experience to diagnose what is going on, so when I found a DIY stack exchange forum, I decided to ask the question here. What does this situation sound like to you guys? I don't currently have a diagram of what the circuit looks like.


texts: Move grounds to subpanel when I moved 8 single pole breakers to same subpanel?

texts:
When I move 8 breakers from main panel to a subpanel (a few feet away) can I simply move the hot and neutral only to subpanel? The 8 breakers are grounded in the main panel already.

A 100 amp breaker feeds the subpanel (240V) using aluminum SE 2-2-2-4. I got subpanel neutral bus connected to main neutral bus. I got subpanel ground bus connected to main ground bus.

The subpanel has ground and neutral disconnected. Any NEC code reference would be welcome.

The right side of main panel (16 red wire twist caps) extend the 12 AWG wire to middle panel.

Picture of setup:


texts: How can I get windshield wiper fluid stains out of my garage floor?

texts:
My car's windshield wiper fluid reservoir had a leak and quite a bit of it soaked into my garage floor (which is a light concrete).  It happened over night, so it soaked quite a bit. Now the floor is stained blue!

I've tried using this concrete cleaner from Home Depot combined with veracious scrubbing with a hard bristle brush but to no avail:

Link to cleaner

I also tried bleach and pressure washing.  Still blue.

Anyone know how to get windshield wiper fluid stains off a garage floor?


texts:
I need to hang a 25Kg mirror on a wall, however I do not know what type of wall it is, I think it is possibly plasterboard or thermalite blocks.

I have been looking at various fixings online, and you get a lot of variation between plasterboard and thermalite wall plugs, and also wall plugs that can be used within different wall types.

Is is best to drill the wall and find the wall type and use those specific wall plug types, or buy the wall plugs that are suitable for any wall type?


texts:
I'm planning a diy rewiring of my 1914 2 story.  All the upstairs bedrooms (3) have wall sconces with small switches in the fixtures.  These sconces are the only light fixtures in the room.  The entire upper story has decades old, brittle, single conductor fabric wire; and no fixture boxes - I want to add both.

If I run new 14/2 plus ground and add cut in boxes, I believe the entire circuit will need repaired to modern code (as far as I can tell we're still NEC 2014 here with a small page of state additions.

210.70 says each light fixture in a dwelling needs a wall switch.  Does the switch built in to the fixture count, or will I have to cut in normal switch boxes and connect them to the fixtures?


texts: How do I remove mildew from walls and ceilings?

texts: My bathroom has some mildew on the walls and ceilings, and I desperately want to get rid of it. How can I remove it?


texts: What to do with ground wire when installing ceiling fan on ungrounded branch circuit

texts:
I removed an old ceiling fan and I am replacing it with a new one.  My home was built in the 60s and I'm installing so it works off one switch.

After the removing the old fan the ceiling revealed two wires, red and white.  The ceiling fan has four wires, black, white, blue and green.  From research I found that the red wire in the ceiling should connect to the black and blue from the ceiling fan. The white ceiling wire to the white on ceiling fan. It is still unclear as to what do I do with the green?

The mounting fixture has a green wire on it, which is affixed by a screw to the ceiling mount and the other side of the green wire per product instructions is to connect to the green coming up from the ceiling fan. Do I leave it as is and connect the loose ends and be done with it or am I supposed to unscrew the ground wire from the mounting fixture and screw it into the outlet box in the ceiling? If I have to screw it into the outlet box how do I know where to put it?

If you could confirm my thoughts and provide direction on the ground wire I would appreciate it. Thanks.


texts: What are my options for replacing a rotted fence post that is slanted in a large concrete slab?

texts:
My fence line sits on a slab of concrete that separates my house from the neighbor's house. So far, I was able to complete two posts via extracting the post rot and replacing the post in the 4x4 slots in the concrete slab.

However there is one slot that is very slanted.

Here is another picture of me holding a metal bar upright against the slanted concrete as the fence post would naturally be fit(Not letting it lean with gravity):

Given that this concrete slab is very large and would be a large task to break-up.

My first idea was to pour concrete into this slot, level it to the main slab, and install a Simpson Strong Tie Fence Post Base to which I would put the new 4x4 in.
Another thought was to shave enough off a 4x4 post so that it would fit in the natural leaning position, and then use a couple of E-Z Fence Post Menders to properly support it.

I'm wondering what other options I have for the DIYer. Both of these options sound like I might be headed in the wrong direction.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
What happens when there is no heat demand? By heat demand I mean there is no demand for space heating or domestic hot water. Is the water inside the pipes still flowing? Is this why bypass valves exist?

I am trying to characterise the output of a condensing boiler(s) (connected in series) which are generating the heat demand required by a sum of apartment blocks. I have assumed that each apartment flat has a Heat Interface Unit. I know how to calculate the required flow rate to each HIU when there is heat demand. However, I don't know what happens when there is no demand to an apartment. Is there water still flowing to the HIU but bypassing inside the unit? What happens to the return temperature of the bypassing unit?


texts:
I am installing a new electric point-of-presence hot water heater which requires 3 240v 50 amp circuits (6 hot wires, 1 earth ground). The water heater is roughly 50' from my panel.

I would like to run the wires from my main panel in PVC conduit (the grey sched 40 stuff the big box stores sell) to make a neater installation, rather than attempting to run three 6/2 cables (not to mention there is only 1 connection point inside the water heater for an earth ground, so running three 6/2 cables, each with its own ground wire, would be problematic as to what to do w/ the other two ground wires in the cables.)

I've read through the NEC to attempt to ensure I will be compliant, but I am still unsure as some of the language is confusing...

I read I can run #8 (rather than #6) THWN/THHN for a 50 amp circuit when the THWN/THHN is installed in conduit "as part of a 3-wire set". I am unclear as to what exactly is meant by that... e.g. when they say "3 wire set" do they mean something like 6/3 where you have two hots and a neutral and ground wire, or is 6/2 a "3 wire set"?

Is it permissible under the NEC for me to run all 6 hots plus one earth ground in the same conduit (in which case, from what I see, I can use 1" conduit), or do I have to have a separate conduit run for each "3 wire set"? The conduit fill tables seem to indicate it is permissible, but then I ran into that "3 wire set" language elsewhere which confuzzled me.

I know it is not permissible for me to run NM cable through conduit and do not plan to do so.

Thanks.


texts: Is it normal for a hammer drill bit to wobble?

texts:
Last year I bought a Makita HR2470 for home use from German Amazon, because it had many positive reviews. Since then many negative ones appeared saying that the drill bit wobbles. There is also a user video on their site. It is an SDS-plus drill and I have an adaptor to use normal round bits too. With this I have put a ball pen in it, and touched to a paper when the drill was on, without the hammer function. It made a split pea sized circle on the paper. I also have a Bosch GBM 1600 RE normal drill. This leaves only a point on the paper, as expected.

Recently I have made with the hammer drill + adaptor (hammer function off) holes in tile, and did not know why the tile was chopped around the hole.

I have two questions. Is this a property of hammer drills, they are less precise or mine is defective? I actually sent it back, and now I am looking for a different model. Do you know any hammer drill without this problem? I understand if a more precise tool is more expensive than this.


texts:
My father likes to have a clock in our bathroom. Currently, it looks like this:

As you can see the clock is already damaged because we need to move it all the time when we want to open the window. I would like to mount it on the wall, but we have tiles there and cannot drill a hole there.

The clock has the usual "hole" to mount it on the wall with a nail:

I would like to have something like TESA powerstrips which holds very good, but with a knob on it so that we can easily put the clock on the wall and remove it if the battery runs out. How is something like that called?


texts: Does this look like loose fill Asbestos?

texts:
I found some type of loose-fill insulation stuffed behind standard fiberglass insulation while cleaning up my basement. The home was built in 1947 and I'm not sure if what I found is Asbestos (see image below).

If it is Asbestos what the heck should I do, leave it alone? cover it? put a mask on and get rid of it myself? I'm not the owner of the house and am just renting.


texts: Is a special outlet or wiring needed when replacing an electrical outlet under a gas fireplace.?

texts:
The outlet under our gas fireplace that runs the blower fan has a short in it, and needs to be replaced. I have replaced a few standard wall outlets and was thinking of doing this one myself too, but I am not sure if I need a special outlet or if it is just the big box store trying to up sell.

However, being that this is under a gas fireplace I am wondering if this is best to eat the cost of an electrician.


texts: Framing a non-load bearing basement wall - are plates required to be a single piece?

texts: Are either top or bottom plates required to be 1 continuous piece of lumber?  If it's not required, what is the best way to attach the separate sections; a lapping piece over the top of the joint?


texts: Replace inlet screen with washer screen on washing machine?

texts:
Washing machine at present has those plastic cylinder screens that fit in the valve.  They are difficult to remove for cleaning, require a 1 hour soak in CLR to remove the buildup of iron.

I've wrecked one getting it out.  So...

Is there any reason why I can't use the screens that are built into a washer. such as this:

Home Hardware had two similar products.  The other has a much coarser mesh.  Figured that would be a bad idea.  We are on our own well, and so we get the occasional piece of sand in the water.  (typically about 200 microns or so.)


texts: Can I blow dryer exhaust into a pillow case or sheet?

texts:
Go ahead and laugh.  It's okay.  Before you do, though, hear me out.

My dryer has been drying less and less lately.  Today, it stopped drying.  Now I have a full load of wet laundry and it's all the clothes I got.  I just tried cleaning my exhaust duct/vent/whatever with one of those things with the bristles and the coily "handle", but I have had no luck.  I tried cleaning it from inside the house and outside, but nothing.  The dryer is blowing out exhaust out the back, though, so I know it's doing it's share of the work.  However, even with the exhaust hose hooked up, I feel absolutely no air blowing out of the vent outside.  I've peered down its full length with an LED flashlight from the outside and even stuck my cell phone up in it and snapped a clear pic from the inside and I see no blockages.  I've even felt along the length of the exhaust hose while the dryer was going and felt no air escaping through tears or around the gaskets that hold it to the wall and the back of the dryer.

I am just going to call someone to come and do it, but, being the week of Thanksgiving and all, I doubt I'll be able to get anyone here until next week.  Meanwhile, I have a load of laundry that needs to be dried.  Therefore, I've come up with the temporary -- and idiotic -- idea to attach a pillow case to the end and let it rip.  However, the idea of dying in a fire just days before the delicious Thanksgiving feast leaves me sort of questioning whether or not I should do this.  Had I a longer hose, I'd just stick it out the garage door and let it rip.  However, I don't, so I won't.

What do I do about this mess?  Somebody help me.


texts: HVAC system that pulls-in cold air from outside?

texts:
My house has an existing forced-air heating system and I'm looking at getting central AC added in a few weeks' time (indeed, I've booked contractors for estimates next week). An AC system would keep my house cool when it is hot outside.

...but what options are there for cooling a house when it's also cold outside (without running expensive AC)? I don't like having to manually open windows, so I was wondering if there was some kind of additional cooling system which sucks in cool air from outside and blows it through the forced-air ducts, thus cooling down the interior without needing to run AC.

...does such a system exist? Do AC systems do this anyway?


texts:
While I was searching for duplex receptacles where one was NEMA 5 (120V) and the other was NEMA 6 (240V), I found a few normal ones that were what I was looking for (Leviton 5031, 5842, 5844, Hubbell HBL5492I), as well as this horrifying abomination:

I see two immediate problems with it:

It will accept both NEMA 5 and NEMA 6 plugs in the same receptacle, but a single receptacle can't operate on both of the required voltages.
The vertical slots are the same height, though I'm not sure whether they're both big or both small. If they're both small, then polarized plugs won't work at all in this. If they're both big, then it's even worse: polarized plugs could be plugged in the wrong way (although given point 1, depending how this is wired, there may not even be a "right" way).

Is there any possible way or place in which using this would be safe or legal? This seems even worse than the usual Chinese "junkstream" products, because those usually at least look okay in the picture.


texts:
I have a component-style ice maker, by which I mean it's not one of the modular kinds with holes for probe tests. It's similar to that style in that the water fills the mold, then the thermostat activates the mold heater once the water has frozen. A plastic arm rakes the loosened ice out of the mold.

At least, that's what's supposed to happen. About three weeks ago, my ice maker stopped ejecting the ice. The water filled the mold, and the ice froze, but the mold heater never turned on.

I took the ice maker out of the fridge and tested the heating element and thermostat with a multimeter. Both seemed fine. There is no water frozen in the supply tube, either. With an empty mold and a manual turn of the gear, the ice maker fills with water like normal.

I decided to replace it, but now the new one isn't ejecting ice, either. What am I missing?


texts:
I have a one-handle "Marielle" model Pfister kitchen faucet diagrammed here.  It leaked, so I replaced the cartridge, which solved the problem.  A few weeks later, I happened to drain my hot water heater to get rid of sediment.  Right after that, perhaps only coincidentally, my kitchen faucet output was reduced to a dribble, both hot and cold equally, even with the spout's aerator removed.  Oddly, the hand spray still has plenty of pressure (hot and cold).  All other faucets work fine.  Disassembling the faucet, including taking apart the cartridge, which is clean, reveals nothing.  The diverter valve (951-050 in the diagram) had a tiny chunk of sediment but removing that made no difference.  Running wires through the faucet's connection legs finds no clogs or gunk.  Disconnecting the incoming hot and cold lines and diverting them into a bucket reveals they have plenty of pressure.  The pressure is dying after entering the faucet.

What's the cause of my problem?  The cartridge?  Diverter valve?  Something else?


texts: Why is the water (either hot or cold) in the kitchen suddenly shutting off

texts: Today, when turning the water on to fill my sink, I hear a 'thump" and the water is shut off instantly - the hot AND the cold water!  Reading a previous question and answer, it was suggested the strainer might be plugged with calcium.  That is not the issue with my faucet, as I have actually used it without the aerator!!  BUT, it hit me that maybe there is a bit plastic from the lift tube, in the water heater, that had disintegrated a number of years ago, might be causing the problem!  Could that be??


texts: Can I install engineered hardwood over laminate flooring?

texts: My floor has two layers of laminate flooring and the first layer is partially removed around the edges of the kitchen cabinets and walls.  The top layer is glued down very well and I'm wondering if I could install engineered hardwood over it even though the surface will not be level.  I've heard you can install engineered hardwood over laminate but what about 1 and a partial layer?  If I need to get the top layer off what is the best way to get the bottom layer clean and level?


texts: Can you help save re-staining project please

texts:
So, I embarked on this re-staining project a while ago and I made certain to Sand, Pre-condition, stain, wait for first coat to try, before applying second coat. Problem is it came out a disaster. I want to fix it but I have no idea what to do at this stage of the project. Please see a picture of the mess I made.

Here is another picture of the problem

The image below is a close up showing how uneven the staining came out. Even with 2 coats.

Here is another


texts: How do I fix gaps around my lean-to greenhouse?

texts:
I got my greenhouse and didn't account for the sloping away of the wall it was to go against. Meaning a small gap at the bottom becomes 4" at the top.  I can't push it into the wall as it warps the greenhouse and can't leave the huge gap.
Is there a way of deal with this?

I was thinking of maybe

some type of structure around it then fill with expanding foam then remove the structure.
some mesh then plaster it.


texts: Stair case shoerail minimum width and extending width of closed stringer

texts: Hopefully a quick question for someone.  I have a closed stair stringer that used to be embedded in a non load bearing wall that has been removed leaving only the ~1 1/2" stair stringer remaining.  I want to put a handrail on it with balusters etc.  Is there a minimum width for the shoe rail?  In order to extend the stringer width to accommodate the shoe rail I was going to attach a long piece of  2x10 to the side of the stringer to give the extra width. Is there a better way to do this?


texts: I've bought some very nice oil bronzed ceiling register ( 4 x 8 inches)for the bathrooms, while re-modeling an old English Tudor. They came with clips that fit on each side of the register and when inserting them into the duct opening they are not holding the heavier new register firmly against the drywall. One register does fit solid but I attribute that to the opening of the duct being slightly smaller in its width and length, so it fits solidly. I would rather not put screw holes in the new registers and my wife doesn't want me to use an epoxy metal to metal glue ( Gorilla or K & L) to hold them in place. Any suggestions?


texts: A/C - Repeated Freon Leaks & Run Capacitators/Fan failures

texts:
My senior citizen father has a home warranty policy.  Different contractors have worked on the A/C every year since 2011.  He services it in the spring and changes the filter regularly, but we live in Phoenix, Arizona.

He has never been able to turn his A/C down below 78 degrees or the unit freezes up.  We've communicated this to each contractor.

When the A/C stops working every summer since 2011, he has had repeated freon leaks in his A/C unit.  It appears from service records from the warranty company's contractors that they continue to use StopLeak, charge him for 2-4 lbs of Freon, and then the same thing happens again later that summer or again the next Arizona summer when temps are above 110 degrees.  They've never replaced the coils or the air handler.

The run capacitators were also replaced in 2014, 2015, 2017.  The fan motor was also replaced twice in 2017.

Finally, a contractor recommended that the air handler be replaced and the warranty company only wants to replace the coils and to charge my father for all the retrofitting to "bring it up to standards" which I dont understand.

My questions are:
 1.  Would repeated Freon leaks that aren't fixed cause the damage to the Run Capacitators & Fan motors?

If the STOP LEAK doesn't fix the leak permanently, isnt this a red flag that the coil or entire air handler need to be replaced?
Because the A/C thermostat couldnt be turned down below 78 without freezing up the unit, is this obvious that the Freon has been leaking since 2011 and they've never made the proper repair?
Given the 2020 regulations depleting the supply of parts for A/C using R-22, what would you recommend he do?  Get the air handler fixed at an out of pocket cost of 2,000?  Fix the coil at an out-of-pocket cost of $1,000?  He is on a fixed income and cannot afford to replace his A/C unit to one using R-410a.
Referring to the air handler or the coils, What is required to "bring it up to standards?"
If the repairs had been made properly any time in the last 8 summers when it broke, would the cost to "bring it up to standards" have been less?

Thanks for helping me protect my 81 year old senior citizen father!


texts: Replace door knob with lever handle on rim latch door

texts:
I have 1950s solid wood internal doors with rim latches.  I want to replace the door knobs with lever handles.  The doors are 33mm thick, with narrow (95mm) rails, and have rim latches.

I've been told it's unwise to drill out the stile in line with the lock rail (where the handle currently is) for a tubular or sash lock, as this will remove most of the tenon and weaken the door.

Just swapping the door knobs for lever handles on the existing rim latches won't work as the spindle hole is set too far in from the edge of the door for a lever.  The same is true for all of the replacement rim latches I've found.  I want the spindle to be roughly where the keyhole currently is.

Any ideas for the best solution?  Is it ok to fit a tubular latch?  Or are rim latches with the spindle hole near the edge available?


texts: How to raise a wooden floor to same height as adjoining concrete floor before carpetting?

texts: I have a room which has a concrete subfloor on one side, and wooden floor boards on the other. Unfortunately the wooden floorboards are about 1.5cm lower then the concrete. What's the best way to level the floors? My initial thought is a plywood base on top of the wooden floorboards, in order to raise it to the same level as the concrete. Then underlay and carpet as normal.


texts: Place, inject, or shoot pellets, sand, or gravel into space above?

texts:
I'm trying to figure out how to shoot silica gel pellets into an enclosed space in my ceiling.

Is there some sort of tool, mechanism, or technique to shoot dry, pellet-like or sand material, vertically, into an enclosed space where the only access is a hole from below the space?


texts: How do you disconnect a TV cable that runs all along the walls throughout the house?

texts:
Is it dangerous to disconnect it by myself, or is the standard protective gloves and shears sufficient?

The cable was installed by Time Warner Cable company, and now we no longer have their service.


texts:
Internet comes through in the basement (semi-basement), so, all life relating to computers and such grew around that, but it's started to be more trouble than it's worth. The house has three levels : the semi-basement, main floor, and upstairs. I want to be able to run a line up through the walls on the basement and have it exit neatly in the room above two floors upstairs.

Is this feasible getting anything to go through two floors/wall like that? If I want it done professionally what contractor type generally does it? Electrician or someone else?


texts: Does air conditioning work harder or just longer?

texts: If I don't turn on my air conditioner until the inside temperature is 82 degrees and set it to get it down to 78 degrees, will the a/c work "harder" (whatever that means, i.e., draw more energy/minute) or just longer until it gets to the set temperature?  Mine is a single family home a/c unit by Trane, installed in 2004.


texts: I am re- pointing between patio slabs using soft sand and a standard cement.The cement recommends 1 : 5 but should it be 1:3 for these slabs? I

texts: I am re- pointing between patio slabs using soft sand and a standard cement.The cement recommends ratio of 1:5,but should this be 1:3 for patio slabs?


texts: Replace Tork 1101 timer with smart switch

texts:
I have a Tork 1101 mechanical timer that controls exterior house lights. I want to replace this with a smart timer/switch of some kind so I can set a sunrise/sunset scheme and don't need to remember to change it. I have two questions:

How is this wired?
Can I replace this with any smart wall switch?

Here is a photo, thanks!


texts: How should I mount my wall cabinet by this pipe

texts:
My kitchen has a sewage pipe that runs along the wall near the end of the cabinet run, it is a gallery type kitchen.  The original cabinets were in before the owners decided to add a layer of drywalll to the ceiling.  After removing the cabinets I realized there is a gap of about 1/2 inch because of the new ceiling that was added after the cabinets.  I started to add drywall to complete the ceiling for the new cabinets but am stuck st this random pipe end from the ceiling.

Prior cabinet had the pipe end sticking through the inside of the cabinet.  I might have to do the same but looking for some suggestions on what my options are.  See pics,  the purple drywall is new I ended up cutting it last minute because even after cutting s hole for the pipe I realized the ceiling was very uneven and almost nothing to attach the drywall to.


texts: Dishwasher leaks water but doesn't work?

texts:
Our recently replaced  dishwasher doesn't work AT ALL. If I turn it on nothing happens, but I can hear the timer running on it. I have checked power cords and what I could see. We never use our DW so it hasn't been a big deal except for the fact that the bottom is filled with nasty water.

But twice now in the last couple weeks, when we have washed dishes (in the sink) water starts leaking from our DW! It just did it to me a bit ago and my whole kitchen floor was soaked.

Since our landlord doesn't accept maintenance calls and requires a written letter, it will take a while before I hear from him. Is there something I should check myself?
It is an older style DW, nothing fancy. No cancel or drain buttons to try.


texts: Finding electricity source for new Ceiling Fan install?

texts:
I'm a diy'er installing a ceiling fan in a bedroom that had no existing fixtures in the ceiling.  Only a few outlets and a single pole switch that controls one of the outlets.  I have access via the attic and was scoping out the situation before I went shopping for supplies.  There was 14/2 romex in the attic going straight across the room that I figured would be perfect to tap into.  I tested the [insulated] wire with a voltage detector to make sure it was hot and it started beeping so I thought I was good.  I had a live/hot wire right where I needed it that I could use.
Fast forward...  I cut the cable I found in the ceiling, fed it through the new ceiling fan box, and tied it all back together with the ceiling fan wiring.  Turned power on and tested the new connections again with the voltage detector.  Had constant beeping so should be all good, right?  Finished assembly of the ceiling fan and went to pull the pull chains for the light and fan and NOTHING!  No light, no fan, nothing.
Held my voltage detector all around the ceiling fan and was still getting constant beeping so I was pretty sure I had power and made all my connections correctly.  As a last ditch effort we started trying all the light switches in the area.   Dun dun dun.
There is a switch in the master bedroom that we never had any idea what it went to.  Turns out that switch is part of a 3-way switch that controls our backyard flood light.  (Master bedroom is on front of the house, flood light is in the back, that's why we never figured it out).  So what I have successfully done is wired my daughter's new ceiling fan into the 3-way switch circuit that controls the outdoor flood light.  In order for the ceiling fan to work, the outdoor flood light also has to be on.  And we can essentially control my daughters ceiling fan from the master bedroom or the downstairs mudroom.  Hahaha.
I know how to fix my mistake.  I need to go back into the attic, fix the 3-way switch cable I spliced into, and find a new circuit for the ceiling fan.  My question is...  How could I have prevented this mistake in the first place?  I used a simple voltage detector to check the wire and got beeps so I assumed it was a constant live wire.  If it was a switched wire I wouldn't have expected beeps.  (the flood light was off at the time, it's almost always off).  How was I to know that I was tapping into a switched circuit?  Are 3-way circuits always hot?


texts: wiring a oven with 4 wires to home service with 3 wires

texts: My new oven has 4 wires and my old oven had 4 wires but my home service only has 3. I found that the old oven had the white wire connected to the ground should i do the same hook up?


texts: How do I add wire to a rusted electric box?

texts:
I'm adding a plug to a closet so that I can put my server and router in there.

I am trying to daisy chain it off of the nearest plug, but when I try to remove any of the knockouts they won't budge, presumably because it came with the house 75 years ago and is rusted shut.

The other issue is that I can't simply remove this box because the box was placed on the metal mesh that was eventually plastered over, so it is literally plastered to the wall.

Any thoughts on the actions I can take to get this wire inside this box or is it a lost cause?


texts: Can I remove and replace barbed connector in 1/2" drip tube?

texts:
I have a drip irrigation system with 1/4" tubes connected to the 1/2" main tube via punched-in barbed connectors.  I'm now making some adjustments.

Is it possible to remove and replace these barbed connectors, or will that damage the 1/2" tube?

Thanks!


texts: Is it possible to convert an octagonal electrical box so that it can house 2 Duplex outlets without changing the shape of the box?

texts: I currently have 1 Duplex outlet installed in an octagonal box mounted on the ceiling.  I need to add another outlet to make it a 2 gang.  However, I can't find a cover that will hold a 2 gang outlet for octagonal box.  Is this possible without changing the box?


texts: Can I use a pump to discharge kitchen sink waste water, rather than digging up the concrete?

texts: We are installing a small kitchen in the basement.  There is a full bathroom in the other corner of the area, same side as the planned kitchen.  I could use some experienced recommendations for the kitchen plumbing ... do we have the contractors dig up the concrete floor OR do we use a pump for the sink (only a sink will be installed, no dishwasher).  This is the last issue we need a decision on to start the renovations, which are a few weeks behind because we need some advise here.  The basement kitchen will not be used that often and, for expenses sake, I feel the pump would fit the bill.  Any reason why not?


texts: is it legal to cut of factory stab in plugs and replace with wire nuts

texts: Electric code on wiring lights with factory stab in plugs can stab in plugs be removed and replaced with wire nuts


texts: Thermostat won't always start heater on its own

texts:
I have a gas furnace that seems to work fine; it keeps the house warm when things are running as expected. Sometimes, however, we'll notice the house is getting cold.

The temperature on the thermostat is set to 68., When we check the temperature reading on the thermostat, it could be as low as 64. Normally, the heater would have kicked on well before that, so we change the thermostat from "Heat" to "Off" then back to "Heat" and the heat turns on immediately.

This makes us think that it's something with the thermostat itself, but it's quite the nuisance at night. It did this a couple of times last winter, and has been happening much more this year. We've noticed no problems during the summer with it turning on the AC.


texts: Hose sealers seem to be typically sold in a combo pack  with two types.  When are garden-hose washers used and when are the O-rings appropriate?  I've been kind of winging it with my own hoses, depending upon which seems to fit better.  Is there more to the logic than that?  Pictures would be particularly helpful.


texts: Why do some lamps have different power ratings for different kinds of bulbs?

texts:
I had a lamp that broke recently after getting smashed against a wall by accident (there are now numerous exposed conductors, making it unsafe to use), so I went to the store to get a new one. I intend to use the same very nice LED bulb in the new lamp. I have measured the lamp's power consumption with the LED bulb as 15W before it broke, using a kill-a-watt meter. I was expecting to see a single power rating on each lamp, measured in watts. I was also expecting that that rating would be around 60W to handle old inefficient bulbs, hence making (nearly) every lamp usable with my LED bulb. Unfortunately, this is not what I saw. Most of the lamps had a separate rating for an LED an incandescent bulb, with < 10W for the former and around 60W for the latter. Some also had ratings with a similar < 10W wange for self-ballasted compact fluorescent bulbs instead of LED ratings.

What is the reason for these different ratings depending on how the electricity is used? Surely, if the lamp can deliver 60W to an incandescent it can deliver much less to an LED without problem? Can I use my 15W LED bulb in a lamp that is rated for an 8W led or a 60W incandescent?

EDIT: I think that this question is on topic as, although I am not a professional electrical engineer myself, this is important knowledge for anyone looking to design a lamp or other light fixture.


texts: How can I make my electrical box dustproof?

texts: I have a 1-gang box that I'm installing a switch in, for my wood shop. I need to make it dust-resistant, if not absolutely dustproof. I can't use a waterproof box because I don't think they're made for the depth I need (3.5") to fit the switch. Do they sell covers for the screw holes of j boxes, like they sell knockout covers? If so, what are these things called? If not, what are some other possible approaches?


texts: I removed a loose floor tile from kitchen floor and want to reuse it. Do I need to remove all the old mortar? If so, any tips?


texts:
I recently had three mini-split heads installed, two downstairs and one upstairs, primarily for A/C. These are Mitsubishi units, rated down to -15C (or perhaps F, but it doesn't really matter for my purposes).

I've been considering using them for heat, either primarily or as an assist to my 25 year old gas boiler for a forced hot water radiator system in a reasonably well-insulated 100 year old house.

I pay about $1.50 per therm for gas, and about $0.11/KWH for electricity. By my calculation, that comes out to a $3.22 equivalent price per therm for the mini-split solution. Even if the old boiler is not terribly efficient, I can't believe it would make up the difference.

My current plan based on this analysis is to use the mini-splits for A/C only and my existing gas forced hot water for heating. Am I missing anything?

Edit: The units I'm concerned with have SEER ratings of 23.1 and 21.6, and HSPF ratings of 12.5 and 11.7. The models are the Mitsubishi MZ-GL15NA and MZ-GL12NA. I do not know if they are true heat pumps or not, but I believe they are.

I have original cast iron radiators (at least I believe they are the original radiators).

I live in New England, so a particularly cold winter day might be between -10F and 0F; normal winter temperatures are closer to 15-25 for a low.


texts: Dual zone vs single zone mini split Air/heat

texts:
Ive learned a lot about Mini Splits. But I still would appreciate some expert advice please. Ive narrowed my choice down.  But I don't know which is better: single zone or dual zone.

A few specs for my house: I'm in Arizona, elevation 6,500 ft. Low temp -3 F High Temp +/- 100 F. The house was built in 1934 and is 683 sq ft. (It's tiny). There is no duct work or system of any kind for cooling. Heat is propane space heater from the 70's. I'm looking to put 2 wall mounted units in Rooms the size of: bathroom/ office 11 x 9 & LivRm/ kitchen 24 x 14.

Does it make more sense to go with a multi-zone unit (single outside compressor) or two separate units (one for each room)? Which one is cheaper to run long-term?

One last question: Where could I find an estimated cost increase to my electric bill post install? Just to give me an idea what to expect when the bill arrives..Thanx for the help


texts:
I have a two story house and some of the joists between the floors are sagging about an inch or two. When I walk around upstairs I can feel the level difference and downstairs you can slightly see the lines of one or two joists in the ceiling. These joists happen to be the ones our bed is on so I'm guessing that is the cause. There aren't any cracks or gaps anywhere. I'm not sure how concerned I should be, and if it's normal or needs to be fixed.

oh, the house is around 30 years old.


texts: What type of anchor for fastening to block wall?

texts:
So, I started with What type of screws and anchors are used for concrete? - but it's not particularly clear to me.

I (hammer) drilled 5/32" holes into an exterior wall for 3/16" tapcon screws. These didn't hold. So now I'm wondering what kind of anchor I should be using -

Wedge?
Sleeve?
Split?

Or can I use a standard plastic anchor I have, assuming it fits properly? I can't seem to wrap  my head around the differences in these "concrete" anchors except that wedge shouldn't be used for block, only solid concrete.

The wall is stucco of minimum depth, then I'm guessing cinder block. It's not brick.

I need to drill in and still have maybe 1/4" sticking out to hang a garden hose mount. So in terms of strength, I just need to hold say a 25 ft garden hose that may or may not be completely full of water.


texts: Did I use my light fixture's ground wire correctly?

texts:
I took down an old ceiling fan in my home, and replaced it with a basic light fixture.

When I took the fan down, I saw the normal white and black wires, but no ground coming out off the ceiling.

The only ground was a wire screwed to the metal ceiling box and then the other end attached/wrapped up in the white wire's connector cap. In addition to the cap, they were also electrical taped together.

One, does that seem right?

Two, and I guess more importantly, the instructions for the new light fixture said to take the included ground wire from the new fixture and wrap it around the ground screw(which is screwed into the included bracket) and then attach the end to the ceiling box's ground wire.

Well, I cannot use the metal ceiling box that was being used with the ceiling fan. I can only use the bracket, which is currently screwed into place, right into the "hole" in the ceiling.

Everything is installed and up, working fine, but my biggest question is how the ground wire works. Is it supposed to have a shared current going through it from the white wire?

I'm currently using the included ground wire from the base of the light fixture, and that goes up and it's wrapped/attached to the ground screw on the bracket.

That to me doesn't seem like it would help anything at all. Would it? Did I do something wrong?


texts: Is there a Dremel attachment for removing Gorilla Glue?

texts:
I find myself having an on-off love affair with Gorilla Glue but can't quite commit to it.  It's the mess due to the foaming behaviour during cure.  I try to glue small things together with it and then clean off the glue during the foaming phase.  These items are a few inches across.

I got a Dremel (type) tool for Christmas.  I'm wondering if I could use it to surgically remove the cured foam.  I think that it's a polyurethane glue.  Is there an appropriate attachment for this?


texts: So we used to have this ugly rusted chandelier in our dining room, but recently we decided to take it off. When removed we saw the above scene. I am now confused about which of the 2 wires/bundles with black I should connect to the black wire on the new light fixture we want to install, and which wire/bundle with white should connect to the same on the fixture. Also, the switch attached to this fixture was a dimmer switch, which we also replaced. I did try and use a circuit tester quote "for auto systems" and couldn't get it to light up in with any combination I tried.  I would so appreciate any help. I would like to be able to use the dining room again some day.


texts: What type of exterior siding tiles are these?

texts:
I'm trying to identify these tiles around our windows as a few on the far side are missing/broken and need replacing.

Our neighbours have the same tiles, just in different colours which I believe have been painted but possibly they are also available in red, green and yellow.

The same (or very similar) tiles are also used above the top window and also on our porch, which also needs a few replacing.


texts: Rewiring a switch controlled receptacle to a ceiling light

texts:
I am trying to rewire our bedroom so that a wall switch that turns on/off a receptacle will instead control a ceiling light and leave the receptacle always hot.

Receptacle: Has 2 cables coming into the box. The black wire of cable one is connected to the outlet. The white of cable two is connected to the outlet. The white wire of cable one and the black wire of cable two are connected together with a wire nut.

Switch: Has a 2 conductor cable coming into the switch box.

I have installed the light fixture in the ceiling and have run a 2 conductor cable in the attic from the light fixture to the switch. At this point I am confused as to complete the wiring of the switch and the receptacle. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Thank you all for your answers.  I was able to successfully get the switch to control the light.


texts: If polyurethane is not food safe, why is it used on dining tables?

texts:
Why do online sites say that polyurethane isn't food safe, and is there some way I can use it on my kitchen worktop and still be safe?

I don't prepare or store food directly on it or use it as a cutting board. I have it sealed with shellac now, but it's just not cutting it near the sink.


texts: Framing around existing walk out door in basement

texts:
I am getting ready to frame out my basement and I cannot figure out what to do with this existing door. If I frame around it like a traditional door, what do I use to bridge the gap between my framing and the concrete door jamb? In other words, the door would be recessed behind the framing.

Also, assuming I don't raise the floor to be level with the bottom of the door, what should I use to trim the difference in height?

Thank you in advance for any and all advice!


texts: How deep of a notch can I cut into fence post?

texts: I have a 100 x 75mm fence post and want to cut a notch for a 70 x 45mm rail. If I cut the notch the full thickness of the rail it would only leave 30mm on the post. I'm assuming that's too much. Could I cut half of the 45mm thickness of the rail from the post and half from the rail? That would leave over 50mm on the post.


texts: Identifying the model of Moen faucet in kitchen

texts:
EDIT
Here is a following-up question about disassembling this faucet
END EDIT
My kitchen sink faucet is leaky at the base and it should be able to be fixed by replacing cartridge according to online tutorials.
Although the maker, MOEN, can be identified, no model number can be found. Could anybody identify the model?
Or should I just disassemble everything and bring them to Home depot or Lowe's for help?


texts: How can I cut a vinyl chair mat to shorten it?

texts:
I need to cut a few inches from this PVC chair mat (if this isn't PVC, can you tell me what material it is). How do I achieve this?

I though of using an acrylic knife; will it work? The line will be straight and 40 inches long.


texts: Home inspection requires exhaust to attic exterior

texts: We have sold our 1995 built home.  One item that needs to be addressed is "Bathroom fans vent to attic and need to exhaust to the exterior of the attic to prevent moisture condensation in attic."  I have been told that homes built prior to 2009 (which is when this actual code went into effect) do not need to have this done as homes built prior to 2009 are grandfathered in.  I am trying to find out if this is the case as a licensed HVAC company has told us this but we are looking for the actual code to show the inspector.  Any help would be so appreciated.


texts: Filling gaps between water pipes and floor/wall - what material to use?

texts:
In my bathroom, the water supply and drain for the wash basin are exposed. The 3 pipes run along the wall at floor level, like this:

There's a small gap (a few mm) between the drain pipe and the wall. I suspect this has become a hideout for insects, so I want to fill it in.

I've got some tiling grout, would that be an acceptable material? The wall is concrete.

Second, the water supply pipes are copper. They're corroding where they run near the shower stall. I could cover the pipes with e.g. a plastic plate, but if the seal isn't perfect water can still get in.
Can I cover the pipes in tiling grout? Or should I use cement, or something else entirely? The object would be to prevent further corrosion, so the material shouldn't be porous.


texts: have a three level house in the south suburbs of chicago. the house was built on marsh land in the late 70's . when we moved into the house the previous owner remodeled the lower level removing the garage and opening it up meaning taking out the inner house wall. we have lived here for 3 years and have noticed a couple cracks in the foundation and drywall cracks inside the home , no water however but i am on a slight incline . the park seems to flood majorly when it rains .    can i build a new wall, should i have a foundation specialist look at it??


texts: How can I replace the plywood under my air handler?

texts:
Sunday morning I walked out into my garage to find two huge water spots in the ceiling. The condensate drain line that comes out of my air handler in the attic had clogged up, and it turns out the contractor who originally installed the system didn't connect the secondary drain line to the drip pan. They ran the pipe for it and everything, but were too lazy to cut it and install a 90° PVC elbow.

It's been 10 years since the house was built, and Alabama's statute of limitations for construction work is 6 years - so having the original idiot that installed it come back and fix it isn't an option. Plus I don't want someone that daft touching anything in my house again.

I need to replace the OSB beneath the drip tray and air handler, since I found mold on its underside when I tore open the garage ceiling. I plan on placing two 2x4s beneath the air handler and lag bolting some hefty screw-eyes into them on either side, and then lag-bolting two more screw eyes into the roof joists above. Then I'll use two ratchet straps rated for the load to lift the whole thing a few inches off the plywood.

Next I'll demo the soaked plywood (I have underside access since I tore open the garage ceiling), slide some new sheets in, and screw everything down. Does anyone see a problem with this plan? Some concerns I had were:

How much flex will the refrigerant lines have? Enough to lift the whole thing several inches?
How fragile are air handlers typically? And how heavy are they? (I'm not sure what size mine is off the top of my head - it's a 1700 sq ft home.)
I may have to add some auxiliary bracing to the roof trusses if they can't handle the load. (They're 2x6s)

I've already had two AC companies give me a $3k quote for the work over the phone, and I have one guy give me a $1,350 quote after looking at the situation first-hand. first two want to disconnect the entire system to do the work, which I think is completely unnecessary. The third guy that gave me the cheaper quote said they'd just have to disconnect the trunk line. Am I crazy for trying this myself, or are they all just trying to rip me off?

Pictures:

The drain that wasn't previously connected:


texts: Why does this junction box cover have an "under side"?

texts:
This junction box cover is labeled "under side" on the side that is supposed to go inside the box.  Why?  What is different about this side?

Here, for comparison, is the other side.

EDIT: In light of the accepted answer, here are close ups of the respective edges.  It's really very subtle, but perhaps there are random instances where there is more to it.


texts: Kasa “Smart” Switch does not turn off the light

texts:
My house has older wiring and a lot of stuff is rigged in a weird way.  When I installed the Kasa switch, I was careful to only connect black to black and white/neutral to neutral and ground to ground (green).  But i will confess to playing “wiring roulette” when I noticed that the lights came on, but would not turn off.
The old switch that was in there only has a black connection and works fine.   However, it appears to use the live load connection from two different conduits in the wall.
I have no idea how to connect the Kasa so that it will use these wires and “switch”.  It connects to the WiFi just fine, and as I said the lights are on but just won’t turn off .
Any help appreciated

I tried the solution provided and it didn’t turn on the light at all.  The old switch seems so simple, using only the black, but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.  The Kasa SmartSwitch was getting power and connected to my wifi, just didn’t control the light, on or off.   I put back the old switch the way it was, and it works just fine


texts: How do I easily separate unglued PVC pipe from joints?

texts:
I've been retrofitting an existing PVC irrigation system around my house. Part of that work requires that I work in shallow holes adding T joints and elbows in places where there were none before. In an effort to measure twice and cut once, I've been assembling the system without glue to make sure I have the layout correct. More often than not however I'm running into issues separating the slip joints and pipes despite the fact they aren't yet glued.

What's the best way to separate these joints? Should I be applying some sort of lubricant beforehand (that won't affect gluing later on) or is there a trick beyond forcing things? With too much force I'm afraid I'm going to break pre-existing joints or mangle the existing fittings.


texts: Is it expensive to switch from an 80% to a 90% efficient furnace, to comply with the new mandate?

texts: I'm told by some HVAC companies via mail flyers and websites (example) that it may be very expensive to retrofit new PVC pipes to update an 80% efficient furnace to a 90% one.  Therefore, the logic goes, it's better to install a new 80% furnace now before the new mandate takes place on May 1, 2013.  Does that ring true?


texts: What is the correct tool to unscrew this mixer tap nut?

texts: I have a single lever mixer tap which needs a cartridge replacement. I’ve managed to open the lever using an Allen key. This brass nut has had me stumped. I don’t want to use a tap wrench and damage the nut.


texts:
More of a general question regarding floor staining.

We are removing the carpet to expose and use the hardwood floors. Floor boards are in good condition, and already have a finish. Some old paint splatter, which will be easy enough to remove. Plan is to fill in holes from nail punch and then restain.

All floor boards have a consistent colour. The one exception is the floorboards of the hallway, which seem to be a very dark colour. We will sand and finish, but my general question is, whether this stark contrast in finishing is something people have come across before.


texts: How can I move this water supply line so that I can frame a wall?

texts:
Our main supply line enters through the basement floor. I need to move it about 2-3 inches out of the way because it's blocking a corner of the bathroom I'm framing in.
Supply line is PEX with galvanized elbow

Context of where this is in the bathroom

Am I safe to chisel out or use the angle grinder to remove enough concrete so I can reposition the supply line? The concrete around it is not the same type as the rest of the floor.


texts:
hoping to pick your brain about some electrical issue I'm having. The outlets in 3 of my rooms stopped working - the AFCI breaker (15 a) for that circuit is tripping and won't reset. The lights are on a separate circuit and work.

When I turn the breaker Off / On the power doesn't come back and as soon as I press the TEST button the breaker trips. I'm only giving out this detail because I'm not sure if it should trip on its own or if the fact that it doesn't give power and only trips on "TEST" is an indication the breaker is faulty.

I unplugged everything and that didn't help. Took apart the 15 outlets and nothing seemed out of order. Disconnected the outlet wires hoping to isolate the issue and that got me nowhere.

Ended up disconnecting the wires from all the outlets and making sure the wires don't touch to short - am I wrong to assume that all the wiring now being disconnected wouldn't cause a new reason for the breaker to trip, or would this indeed rule out the outlets / outlet wiring as being the culprit?

I have a few similar breakers in the panel - could those be swapped in an attempt to rule out the breaker or is that a bad idea?

Breaker still trips with all other circuits turned off, so the breaker can't be picking up something from another circuit.

Before anyone asks, I know this is better left to a professional but I'm renting and my landlord insists on doing all the repairs himself. He's a slow & lousy handyman, so I'm trying to avoid having him over for 10 days or trying to pay for a professional myself and ending up with a 4 figure bill.


texts:
I've been trying to get to the cartridge in my bathroom sink faucet handle.  I took off the top part, but in order to get the cartridge out it looks like I have to take off the bottom part as well.  I've tried prying it and turning it, but I'm not sure how it's supposed to come off.  I don't know the manufacturer of the faucet either.

I put WD-40 to help loosen the bottom edge but it doesn't seem to want to budge and I don't want to scratch it up.  Any suggestions?  Also, do I need to replace cartridges in both handles to stop a leak?  I'm new at this house fixing stuff.


texts: Permanent solution for cockroach problem

texts: We have too many cockroaches at home.  And we have tried many options (Hit, Raid, local spray -endosulfan) but they keep coming back.  Is there a permanent solution for this?


texts: Non-contact voltage tester can't find cause

texts:
I am working in my unfinished, detached garage (North American wiring). It has two 110/120 volts, neutral, and ground coming into a mains breaker and then to breaker box for the garage.

I have two sets of ceiling lights, each set has two sockets for standard bulbs. I wanted to, and have removed the wiring from between the breaker box and one set, and had planned to join that set to the first set so I had 4 light sockets on a single breaker. The breaker is 20 amp and is currently connected with armored and rubber sheathed wire. I think 12/3 or 14/3 but only one of the hot wires is actually hot and the other one you can see, for all circuits is cut and coiled inside the breaker box when you take the breaker box panel off.

The problem I am having is that right now I have one set of lights, two ceiling sockets that are connected to each other. They are not connected to any circuit anymore or anything else. My chirper (non-contact voltage tester) is giving me chirping / lighting on the ground wire. This wire only connects two disconnected lights. I am getting the same alerts on rubber coated armored sheath of the 12/3 / 14/3. I am also getting this on  the studded metal plates that connect the wood joists. Ironically I'm getting this from wood itself. This aside from the armored wire, this seems contained to a 4'x 4' area of the ceiling joists. It also seems to be inconsistent in that sometimes it lights constantly but sometimes it doesn't.

I can't find the cause of this problem and I am concerned to work on these wires or outlets now. I have tried turning off different circuit breakers to find the cause but it seems like it's not any one circuit and circuits that are nowhere near that area still trigger it.

To sum this up, I have two light sockets that disconnected from everything but each other so there is no current and I am getting alerts on the ground, the junction box, the armored wire interconnecting them, the studded metal plates holding wood joists together and the from wood itself and I can't find the cause.

I have traced and tested everything in that area. I would bet there is no mystery wire I have missed and it's an unfinished ceiling so it's very easy to see all wires. I'm stumped.

Looking forward to replies.


texts: Why did the bulbs in my recessed lights burn out?

texts: Last night the recessed can lights were buzzing a bit because the dimmer switch was only about half way, I assume right at the edge of allowing enough I to reach the cans.  Turned up the slider and one bulb popped and went out.  Replaced with a new bulb...nothing.  Swapped bulb from working can light into non working can, and it didn't work either.  Now here is where it gets weird....now neither bulb works in either can.  Is it possible for the one can to be bad and it is taking out the bulbs?


texts: Is it okay that the earth wire is exposed when installing an outdoor security light?

texts: I have just installed an outdoor security light with a junction box I bought (weatherproof). I wired the old red source wire to the new brown, old black source wire to the new blue in the terminal block, but noticed the third ground wire was just exposed copper. I wired that to the new yellow and green, but wondered why is it exposed, and will it function OK? I put some electrical tape round it as a little bit of it was still exposed outside the inlet to the junction box. Previously all 3 wires were completely exposed in the terminal block from the previous occupant, which was a little worrying!


texts: Can a water based deck sealer be used in a power washer? I am working on the underside of my second story deck. I will be power washing it then sealing it to try to discourage the Carpenter Bees that are drilling there little hearts out.


texts:
Our LED chandelier has 20 1.5w G4 bi-pin bulbs. About a month ago, all of the bulbs, in unison became very dim. We do not have a dimmer on this chandelier. I noticed that sometimes when I'd turn on the chandelier the bulbs would go back to being bright, but it was only a matter of seconds or minutes before they would return to their dimly lit state. This isn't a fading action, they all dim at once and suddenly.
Now, my chandelier's bulbs will not return to their intended brightness at all and they are all permanently dim.
I purchased some new bulbs and replaced one to test if the bulbs went bad. The new bulb showed the exact same dimness as all the other bulbs so I returned the new bulbs.
I contacted an electrician and his answer was to simply buy a new chandelier. Unfortunately the one we have or comparable ones are roughly $1,000.
I'd like to save the one we have if there are some reasonable troubleshooting techniques.
I'm no electrician, but is there something similar to a ballast that could have gone out? Are these replaceable?
One other thing I should note is that we have a pond with a pond pump that comes on daily. When it comes on, many of the lights in the house dim briefly. I wondered if this power draw could have ruined the chandelier. Again, the electrician I talked to seemed to dismiss that this was a concern. I want to know that if I buy a new chandelier of fix the existing one that I won't be right back into this same issue due to the power draw that I just mentioned.
Thank you!
Update:
This is for 120v
Update 2:
Below are photos of the electrical connections. I see two exposed wires. I assume these are ground, but I don't think they were connected to anything. Could that have been the problem? It would be odd though that the chandelier worked for months and months with no disturbances and just finally go dim.


texts: How long will Concrete bond together when poured over multiple days?

texts:
I've heard / read references to concrete being poured over 2+ days becoming "bonded" but I can't find any details to what the longest you can wait is.

What is the longest you can wait between pours and still have the concrete "bond".  I understand drilled joints + rebar will help with this, but is there anything else that can extend the time.

I also understand after months / years this becomes much more difficult.


texts: How to paint the wall with gradient patterns?

texts:
I want to paint the wall of my bedroom like below. I have enough painting skills to paint the whole house, straight. So I believe I can pull this out. But I wanted check about the methods.

For the color tones, can I use those 2 edge colors(dark blue & beige), and white to tone them, and to give the gradient look for each layer?
What are those colors?
What kind of tools I need? A regular brush for all of it? Or brush for the
edges, and a roller for the insides?
What kind of paint I need? Wall paint? or should I use some kind of
oil paint?  Acrylic or watercolor?
Is this doable for an amateur?


texts: Downspout repair (with the 6 inch section)

texts: I cut a 6 inch section out of a 3x4 inch downspout. How can i put it back together?  I was installing a rain diverter and placed it too high. Thought about using 2 adapters but having trouble finding them at that 3x4 size. Should i just buy a whole new downspout?


texts: My air conditioner sparks, but only sometimes, even with a new cable

texts:
I am not sure if this question fits here. But it's important and it's about troubleshooting and electric problem. So I will try...

My air conditioner shows from time to time electric sparks for the past two days. Today the air con electrician came and he put a new cable between the unit inside the room and the compressor outside. And we tested it for about 30min and all looked fine. But now the sparks are back again. Where should we look for the problem?

Here are some details: This is happening in a high rise building in Bangkok with tropical climate. Currently it's about 30 degrees Celsius and 80% humidity. The air-con is maybe 5 years old, it's the traditional type, no modern converter version.

The sparks, if they show at all, are 90% of the time on one side of the Evaporator (the unit in the room where the cold air comes outside). On that side the yellow/green earth wire is connected to the metal of the unit. The sparks are sometime only small, I hear a short "tick" noise and see almost nothing. But sometimes the tick noise is loud and the spark is clearly visible from a distance.

But sometimes the sparks happen somewhere else. I saw sparks also twice in the ceiling near, or maybe in, a metal distribution box.

The problem happened the first time two days ago. We saw the sparks sometimes every few seconds and sometimes only once in half an hour. Obviously I switch the air-con off if it happens. But then we tried again, maybe an hour later. Then there are maybe no sparks for 20 minutes, and then they start again.

It seems the sparks only happen if the compressor outside is actually running. If I use the unit only to blow the fan, without the compressor running, then I don't see the sparks.

Normally I hear a humming noise from the compressor outside when it's running. When the sparks happen then that humming noise is temporarily (maybe for a second) less, like someone pulled the plug and put it in again after a second.

Like I wrote above, the air-con technician was here and he inspected the unit in the room and found no blank cables or something similar. So he decided to replace two cables which run in the ceiling from the indoor unit to the compressor. One cable has 3 power wires (plus, minus, earth) and one is the control cable with 2 wires.

When he finished the job all looked fine. He left maybe 30 minutes later while the air-con and compressor were running. After maybe 30 minutes more the sparks started again.

The breaker (fuse) did not switch off with all these sparks.

We have to keep in mind this is a Thailand electrical installation. Here electricians don't always follow the rules they should follow - if they know the rules at all.

There is also a problem that we have mice in the building recently. Maybe one of those creatures ate through the insulation somewhere?

Where to look for the problem?

Now I ask this question here because I am sure when the technician arrives tomorrow he will think about where else the problem could be. He replaced one cable and that was probably not the problem. So what else should he check or test or replace?

The air-con guy has worked at his job for many years. But I am pretty sure he didn't go to university and study electrical engineering. He likely won't analyze the situation too carefully...

Any ideas where to look for what kind of problems are welcome. We have to keep in mind that sometimes it works just fine for 30 minutes. So finding the problem is not easy. And even if we think it's fixed we won't know until hours later...


texts: New outlet doesn’t work breaker not tripped and the tester lights up

texts: I have and outlet that went bad I replaced it with a new one but still doesn’t work. The breaker is not tripped and the tester light up when I put it in the outlet and the hot cable?


texts: How to wire two switches to control bathroom fan/light combo (only two 12/2 cables in receptacle)?

texts:
My bathroom has a light/fan combo fixture. The wall receptacle previously had:

Single pole switch to control the light (on/off)
Single pole switch to control the fan (on/off)
Mechanical timer switch for the fan

There are only two 12/2 cables coming into the box (I assume one for fan, one for light). I removed the old switches because I just wanted to replace with a new rocker switch for the light and a new timer for the fan (no longer 2 switches for fan). I believe the two fan switches before were tied together to you could either leave the fan on/off with one switch or set a timer for it with another. Unfortunately, I didn't pay close enough attention to how it was wired before and am at a loss for how to wire this correctly.
Here is a picture of the wires in the receptacle:

I want to connect a single pole switch for the light on the right side (has a ground nut and two brass nuts) and an Eaton 9590AW 5-Button Preset Minute Timer for the fan (has a green ground wire, a red wire, and a black wire sticking out of the back). The timer supposedly does not need a neutral wire.
Any input on how I should wire this? When I just try to wire the timer switch to the cable on the left and the light switch to the cable on the right, I get no power to the fixture. When I try combining wires with pigtails, sometimes I can get light to operate but either the fan is always on or the fan has no power. I cannot seem to figure out how to wire the light and the fan separately so that I can use the timer feature for the fan.


texts:
I have a samsung gas dryer which appears to leak gas only when it runs. We smell gas in the vent and also, sometimes, near the dryer as well. But more so from the vent, where it's passing raw gas.
And then, we got a repairman come over who charged a bomb to replace the coils, but the leaking continues. When we called him back again, he said that it's the gas valve that's gone wrong. I am not confident that it could be the gas valve. If so, why would it only leak gas when it's running? I'd imagine an improper gas valve not emitting gas, but here, it does emit gas. I am a bit puzzled why the dryer would leak gas only when it runs?
Can it be the igniter or anything else?


texts:
So I have an outside door w/ a deadbolt. Someone left the deadbolt extended but the door open and went to shut it and as a result the deadbolt dented the heck out of my interior door trim (inswing door).

What is the name of, and where can I procure, a "plate" that I'd install on the inside trim to protect from deadbolt strikes?


texts: Starting Point for Laying the First 3/4" Solid Oak Hardwood Board

texts:
I need help determining the best starting point for my first board.  Most videos on the internet have you starting at the far left wall (and have no stairs and rectangular).  This might still be my best option (or answer).

However, I am laying down 3/4" hardwood flooring north/south.  My floor joists are east/west.  I am thinking about starting with a full board either at the top transition (kitchen) or the bottom transition (front door) or at the end of that protruding wall on the left.  I guess if I measure (and do math) correctly I could start at the far left wall and plan to end with a full width board at a transition.  Or maybe straight down dead center of the room? (chalk line of course).

Ultimately I would like to keep any boards that need cutting/rip to the far left.  What do you guys think or recommend?  Thanks.


texts: How much should I tighten the gauge on my heating oil tank?

texts:
Bought a new gauge for my heating oil tank because the previous owner installed one that was too short for the tank. The gauge came with a tiered fitting that is listed as a 1-1/2" & 2" Male NPT. I did the following:

Screwed the old one out
Applied a moderate amount of "Megaloc Multi-Purpose Thread Sealant" around the threads of the 2" fitting, covering about 80% (heightwise) of the threads all the way around
Started threading by hand a few turns with the glass off so that I could keep the float inline with the tank
Finished screwing in the fitting with the wrench until only 2 threads were visible
Screwed the glass back on to the gauge

I wiped off the excess sealant and it now looks like this

I noticed that while I was met with some resistance as I proceeded it never truely felt "tight" like when tightening a bolt or nut. I could have kept going and bottomed out the fitting but the old gauge had even more threads showing before it got too tight for me to feel comfortable continuing. It had a similar looking goop thread sealant that was white and had basically worked it's way to the top of the threads.

Other details:

Brand of the Gauge is King by Beckett
MEGALOC sealant by Hercules
The wrench was a pair of channel locks with 8-9 inch long handles
275 gallon vertical oil tank


texts: Does a neutral wire need to be run from a switch to the light?

texts: We have an older church building that we would like to put our parking lot lights on a timer. We purchased digital timers only to find out that there is not a neutral wire within the switch boxes. We would like to run a neutral wire from the breaker box to the switches, does the neutral wire have to continue out to the lights? The switches only have 2 wires into and out of them, no ground.


texts: Does anyone know how to remove this type of junction box from the ceiling from underneath?


texts: Remove Paint from outdoor metal sill of Main Door

texts:
So I guess when the door was painted 10 years ago, paint might of spilled on the metal sill? I'm not sure if that is the correct word for it. But I've taken a picture of it for reference.

I've attempted to use paint thinner to remove the paint, but it doesn't come off.

Anyone have suggestions? Is there a specific way i'm supposed to use paint thinner? I just put some on a rag and scrubbed as hard as I could.


texts: bathroom fan does not turn on, just hums for 2 minutes then finally starts up

texts: Lately every once in a while, when I turn on my bathroom fan, it does not start up. Rather there is this low humming sound for about 2 minutes. Then finally, the fan starts to run. Why does this happen randomly (although it seems to be happening more frequently now)? Should I replace the fan or can this be fixed by cleaning it?


texts: Would diagonally bracing studs on either side of a load bearing stud be safe to remove the load bearing stud?

texts:
I presume not since I can't find much on it, but I'm curious on why if not.
Basically let's say we have three studs A,B, and C and we wish to remove the middle stud B. Could we run 45 degree braces from each side of Stud B to A and C? I presume one would need to brace the outer sides of A and C in the same way to equalize lateral forces; along with extra sistering studs on A and C.
Hopefully ascii art below helps.
________
\|/|\|/
 A B C

This of course would be augmented with a proper header but is meant to carry things while removing the stud avoiding the need for side support or jacks.


texts: How do I temporarily plug a broken outdoor spigot?

texts: A spigot outside of my home just broke halfway off. There's no longer a way to screw a hose on or anything that can stop the flow of water, and I don't know of any plumbing companies near me that can operate at this time. So I turned off the water supply in order to stop the waste of water. Is there a way that I can plug the spigot so I can use the water in the rest of my house? Or do I have to wait until I can secure a plumber?


texts:
I installed a water heater gravity circulation line but it does not circulate. On newer heaters I learned that there may be a flap that prevents siphoning. How do I remove this?
Rheem Model # Prog50-42NRH67PV Manufactured 4/11/2016


texts:
I have a propane wall furnance that is'nt firing, the thermostat is not appearing to trigger the unit. The pilot is fine and the thermostat is a simple unpowered one with mercury that appears to be in working order according to my multimeter.

What may be wrong with the unit? How does one go about further diagnosing the issue? I did have to do some work on the thermopile some time back, is it possible the thermopile may be generating enough voltage to keep the pilot but prevent ignition?


texts: 2 ceiling lights into 2 switches? Or not...?

texts:
**PS there's more images in the comments as I couldn't post them all in the post!

Right so we've recently moved house and we're having a few issues in one of the living rooms....
There are 2 ceiling chandelier type lights in the room with the one 2 gang switch however when there are 3 bulbs in each fitting they are extremely dim... however with 2 bulbs in the first light (closest to the switch) if you take a bulb out then the other 2 get brighter, and the other fitting getting dimmer and vice versa when you do it the other way around.

If you have one bulb in the farthest fitting then the other fitting has only got a faint glow....
if you have no bulbs in the first fitting then the second one doesn't work, but there is still still mains power in the negative and positive wires when I checked with a mains tester screwdriver. When doing the Same on the first fitting only the live from the switch shows on the screwdriver

Another issue is that one of the switches on the 2 gang doesn't seem to do anything and only one switch puts on both chandeliers

This is the wiring going into the first fitting closet to the plug. The grey to blue is the live that is in the switch

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!


texts: How close can soldered and threaded joints be?

texts: I would like to extend this pipe (outdoor sillcock) with copper by soldering a female adapter on the extending pipe and then putting this threaded male into it. Then, I would like to continue on from the other end of the extending pipe (roughly 6") by using elbows etc, which would involve soldering (high heat) near a threaded joint that has pipe dope or teflon tape and my concern is, considering that copper conducts heat very well, whether that's too much heat in close proximity (a few inches) to the thread sealant, which may severely compromise it.


texts: Can you tie conductors together on lugs?

texts:
I'm replacing a bad light switch.  The current switch is wired as shown in the picture (two hot wires secured under a single lug).
This looks unsafe and I'm concerned that one of the wires will come loose.  I'm putting in a pig tail, but wonder if the current wiring method is acceptable.


texts:
I am trying to replace my old outlet that could be operated by a switch on a wall with new one that have USB Charger build in. I've bought TopGreener TU2154A.

When I was removing old one I've noticed it has to 2 hot wires (red and orange) connected to 2 screws on one side that are separated and one neutral (grey).

How can I connect it to this new outlet that only has 3 screws of hot, neutral and ground?


texts: I'm trying to determine this kind of floor covering, which I saw the other day in a gas station. Any ideas?