texts: Should I drywall and/or insulate my garage wall?

texts:
I'm in the process of a few projects in the garage, including raising the ceiling and insulating with spray foam. This has left me with a fair amount of leftover fiberglass batts.

There is a room above 70% of the garage (minus the front), and 2 walls are attached to the house (2x6 framing with vapour barrier, fiberglass batts and drywall). The remaining exterior wall is 2x4 framing with vinyl siding. The garage door is also insulated.

I am considering drywalling this wall since I like the look and I'm already re-drywalling the entire ceiling anyway. I'm located in southeastern Ontario, temperature typically anywhere from -30C to +30C (-22 to 86F). The garage is not a conditioned space.

Is there any downside to putting in insulation and drywall? Anything wrong with just drywall?

Has anyone that's done this actually seen a benefit (eg more stable temperature)? Keep in mind there's zero material cost here, so even a marginal benefit is ok (if anything this saves me time having to take it somewhere or throw it out).

I've read I should not use vapour barrier since it would prohibit drying and actually likely cause moisture/mold problems -- anyone disagree?


texts: I was needing to reinforce 5 shelf bookcase that was leaning to one side and had sagging bookshelves. I had read about using 1/8 inch plywood/hardboard, but it seems to me that it would be too flimsy. Wouldn’t it need 1/4 inch material?It is leaning over a few inches based on how unlevel bottom set of doors are.


texts: I have an oil burning furnace and my hot water only last 2 minutes. Hard to take a shower

texts:
I have an oil burning furnace and my hot water only lasts about 2 minutes,  making it hard to take a shower.

I'm not sure what the make and model is. I had hot water that would last a long time, had a plumber come over to hook up another sink and ever since then my hot water only lasts about 2 minutes. Does anyone have an idea as to why?


texts: Mount Keyboard Tray To Linnmon (Particle Board) desktop?

texts:
I got the 59" x 30" linnmon black/brown top for my new computer desk (apparently it's made of particleboard and filled with paper). I also bought one of those fancy ergonomic metal arm keyboard trays (humanscale 6G).

Well, the keyboard tray arm thing weighs about 20lbs, and I'm pretty sure if I attempt to screw it into the linnmon, even with mounting tape for extra support, it will fall out.

I'm not really handy and am wondering what I should do here? Would it be a good idea to buy a 1-4"-3/4" piece of relatively hard wood, wood glue/epoxy it to the table, and then screw the tray into that instead? Is there glue out there strong enough to hold wood to a particleboard desk to support upwards of 10-20lbs?

Here is the actual specs on how to mount the tray so you can see what it looks like: https://www.humanscale.com/userfiles/file/Keyboard_instructions_011216.pdf


texts: A 1" T fits the pipe and a 1" valve does not, why?

texts: Both of these are labeled 1". The T on the left fits the little bit of grey pipe. The valve on the right is too small. What am I missing?


texts: OLD UK Lighting Live wire in neutral, how is this working? is it safe?

texts:
I'm in the process of upgrading our ceiling lights in our rather old home. The wiring of the lights in the house pre-dates 1977 and therefore the colours are slightly different which I'll list below.

Pre 1977

Live = Red
Black = Neutral
Earth = Green

Post 2004

Live = Brown
Blue = Neutral
Earth = Green/Yellow

Below is a picture of the wiring in question.

The diagram below for easier viewing, notice that the neutral wire of the bulb is paired with the switch (Live) and that the bulb live is paired with the neutral in and out.

It is my understanding, the little I have is that it should look something like this:

My question is...

Is this safe? is this even possible?


texts: When upgrading a gas meter, do you need to install/upgrade regulators for natural gas appliances?

texts:
I live in TX and have Amica as my natural gas provider. I want to replace my tank water heaters with a tankless unit. According to the Amica tech, I will need an upgraded gas meter which would increase my home's gas line from 0.25 to 2 PSI.

He also said once this happens, I'll need to make sure I have regulators in place at each of my gas appliances to make sure they don't get damaged from having too high pressure gas coming into them.

I can't seem to find any other information that mentions this. No YouTube videos besides people replacing bad regulators and no posts anywhere. Am I missing something? Do I need to install regulators before these appliances so they don't get overwhelmed with the increased gas pressure?

My gas appliances are my kitchen stove, furnace, and fireplace as well as the two water heater tanks to be removed soon for the tankless unit.


texts: How should I properly ground a separate building?

texts: I installed a sub panel in a building that is around 200' from the main panel so I omitted the neutral and ground from the main panel therefore running only the 240V from the main. I hammered a new ground rod and bonded the ground and neutral at the new building sub panel, which I figured would give me the same setup as a main panel, but when I turn on one of the single pole breakers at the sub panel voltage dropped from 125V to around 23V. I ran three way wire to the building so I hooked up the neutral at the main to the sub panel and everything works fine so I know there are no breaks in either power line. I'm wondering what I need to do to


texts: Is it safe to run a USB cable inside a wall?

texts: I need to extend a USB device from a corner of my room to the above the fireplace.  Since I'm already going to be installing some HDMI and audio cables through the wall, I'd like to have my USB device run through the same wall plate; I'm not having any luck determining if it's safe to do so, whereas it's quite easy to find in-wall rated HDMI or speaker cables.  Would this extender be safe to run through the wall?


texts: How can I reset my Baxi Combi Duo-Tec HE boiler after a gas supply fault error?

texts: My boiler is giving me some real problems, for whatever reason, it's not resetting as it should. I ran out of gas last night and since ice put some on and tried to reset, it still thinks there is a gas supply fault. The error code is E133, this is normally quite easy to reset and the boiler works as normal, but after trying to reset it a million times I'm still having no luck. I know the gas is working because we have a gas cooker and that's fine. Also, whilst trying to reset the boiler, the switch has now moved default starting position from the top to the left? If anyone can help I would really appreciate it.


texts: Scratched the paint off the wall. How to proceed?

texts:
I accidentally scratched the paint from the wall, chipping it and exposing the white paint below. The wall is slightly yellow and "bumpy", so to say. The scratched area is the size of a coin. I have the fragments of the paint, but I am unsure if they can be useful for something.

My question is: what kind of paint should I get and how can I match the color so that it does not stand out on the wall ? I can provide pics if needed.


texts: What is the best way to light a Lexan (Polycarbonate) sheet?

texts:
I've recently installed a Lexan 'whiteboard' in my garage which works as well as I'd hoped.

I now want to use some type of lighting to light up the board in a useful/visual appealing way.

Shown below is how the board looks attached to my garage wall:

I'm thinking something like LEDs mounted at the bottom of the sheet may light it up nicely. Any thoughts or suggestions?


texts: Can anyone identify the creature whose droppings (I assume they are droppings) are found on top of this gas water heater?


texts:
We are looking into continuing work on our story duplex basement. Our basement in most areas is anywhere from 6.1 to 6.5 feet. I am looking to gain an additional 2 inches of head room. Right now the cost of lowering the floor would not net a vailable return. However...

The basement is approx. 1200 sq/ft. The floor joists are 2x10, (16" OS) (true cut) and do not run longer than 11 feet. This is an older construction, at the moment there are no hangars attaching the joists to the 2 main cross beams. My idea is to sister 2x8 beams to the existing 2x10 and trim down the 2x10s to 8 inches and use a 4x8 or 4x6 joist hangers. Additionally all the beams are notched at either end, but the notch doesn't serve a purpose.

The tables indicate that a 2x8 with my current span is feasible. I have just not found many references to this type of job. We want to keep an open ceiling concept in the basement, so any head room gained is worth it and I would assume, in theory, be shoring up the floor with the sistering of the joists, addition of hangers and would add blocking (since there is none). Does this make sense?


texts: Why is there dirt in my wall (by the tub)?

texts:
We were trying to put in some laminate flooring, and as I was vacuuming against the base of the drywall I noticed that dirt kept falling from what looked like inside the wall. The drywall seemed a little flimsy here, so I decided to cut a hole and find out what was behind there.

Surprise!

Sketch:

Our house was built in the 70s, and my wife was searching and found people making suggestions about sand and mortar and things of that nature being used to level the tub, but this is nothing of the sort. It's a very fine dirt - the same that we have in our yard. Inside the hole is the drain for for the tub and the copper water pipes. It smells damp - like under a house. Our home is a one story slab home, and this is a metal tub.

I looked for signs of critters (ants, termites, that sort of thing) but it doesn't look like there are any tunnels. It's very loose dirt. I've probably removed about 2-3 liters of dirt.

Why is this dirt here? Should I put it back? Remove it?


texts: How do I install recessed lights in a metal framed ceiling?

texts:
I live a building with metal framing used in the walls and ceiling. I am looking to add some recessed lights to parts of my home but am having difficulty figuring out what the best approach is.

I have attached some photographs I took from a small hatch panel to provide an example of what I have to work with. Looking for suggestions on recommended approach to secure the recessed lights.  There are other rooms where I don't have an access panel, so will need to get them through a 6" hole.

Two answer some questions:

ceiling is standard drywall
when using the old work recessed lights, what would be the recommended way attach to something to get some support?


texts: Can PVC be encased horizontally in concrete

texts: Have an unfortunate "this is the only way this is going to work" situation with a DMV repair, resulting in the repair portion of the drain pipe, having to run 4 feet horizontally (yes, at the correct slope of 1/4"/ft) before turning up into the main vent stack...mostly above the gravel sub-grade and tapering into being completely within the 6" horizontal space where the concrete slab will be repoured. Question is, can 3" sch. 40 PVC pipe be directly embedded in concrete? Not covered by, or under, but directly embedded (concrete will fully encase 4ft of the pipe). Wondering if the heat of curing will warp/crush the pipe? I know horizontal stub-outs come through a concrete slab all of the time with no issue, but not seeing a lot of examples of horizontal embedding. I'm sure there are other ways to do this without the last-ditch option of embedding PVC horizontally in concrete, but those involve a 5-figure $$ removal of the entire basement slab and replacement of every single pipe.....just to get that 4' run of PVC encased completely in the gravel sub grade. The attached photo is a very poor rendition of what's going on here, not to scale, best a non-computer person could do!


texts: Question about drain trap - limited space in cabinet

texts:
I am finishing my basement bathroom and have run in to a drain spacing issue in my vanity. The PVC coming out of the wall is 20" off the floor.  The bottom of the vanity cabinet is 18" off the floor, leaving me about 2" of space between the two.  Obviously, I can't have a p-trap that sits below the PVC in the wall given the lack of space in the cabinet.

What are my options in this case?  Is it ok to have the p-trap site above where the water will drain in to the wall (would this mean using an s-trap -- which I think is against code)?  Or, should I look to extend the PVC in the wall so it's higher up and can accept the p-trap exit at nearly parallel to the floor?

The pictures below are what's inside the wall.  The red is my idea of extended the PVC up the wall a bit.   The sketch is the s-trap which I think is a no go.

EDIT:  100% sure the S-trap is against code and will create a siphon.  Anyone see an issue with extending the pipe in the wall as "illustrated" in my red picture?


texts: Should I fill in the spaces between pieces in a wood floor?

texts: I recently sanded down a wood floor, it already had some spaces between pieces but these got larger with sanding. I’m wondering if I should fill them in with wood filler or just leave it ?  Doesn’t really bother me but I imagine dirt and debris will find its way in them.


texts: Do I need a corded drill to mix thinset?

texts:
I've been looking at tearing out my fiberglass shower, installing Kerdi, and re-tiling the whole thing. During my research into this project, I've come across quite a few forums that have members typing in all caps about not mixing thinset with a cordless drill because the motor will burn out. Is this true? Even for small batches? My shower is only 3' W x 3' D x 6' H.

I've got an older DeWalt 14.4V drill that's on it's way to retirement (its batteries aren't holding a charge well), as well as a new Milwaukee M12 lithium ion 12V drill and an M12 Fuel 1/4" impact driver. Is one of those sufficient or should I go buy a cheap HF corded drill or check Craigslist to add to my growing collection of tools-that-rotate-things?


texts: How To Make Concrete Acid Stain For Floors

texts:
Recently I completed my concrete floor done inside my house. But that doesn't look good all the way. I don't want to do tiling, Because i feel that costly. So I planned to do acid staining so that might gives glossy & good looks.
I was looking around for available Acid Stain in Bangladesh. But Unfortunately there's no available products at all! So I was thinking to made a own version of Acid Stain to use on my floors.
I need help on that how to make a Concrete Acid Stain. What formula needed and how to deal with it. I'm complete noobs on these things.
NB: We need the flooring to get as much cheaper way possible
Below I attached sample of my floor currently done.


texts: How do I remove a panel from the ceiling of my side porch?

texts:
I have an uncovered side porch attached to the my brick ranch home.  I noticed that parts of my roof are sagging and it is getting worse.  I also noticed that some flashing around my chimney looks bad and I am hoping that I am not storing pools of water above my ceiling.

I'd like to remove some of the panels and have a look.  But I can't figure out how to do this without ruining the materials.  If I can help it I do not want to damage anything that I cannot easily put back.

Anyone have any ideas?  I attached a picture of the sagging roof as well as some pictures of the edges.


texts: Drilling rebar hole in 12" concrete footing

texts:
My deck has 6"x6" wooden support posts sitting atop 12" diameter concrete footings.  The tops of the concrete footings are about 16" above grade.  When I inspected a little below grade, I discovered the 12" diameter footings end just 2-3 inches below grade, but they seem to be poured on top of 6" diameter concrete footings.  The 6" footings completely underground, and have an unknown depth.  The deck over the posts shows no sign of settling/heaving however, and the deck appears to be at least 10 years old.

The wooden posts appear to have no attachment to the 12" pillars: one of the posts has shifted to the edge of the 12" footing.  I would like to attach the posts to the footing using a rebar post holder by drilling a hole in the center of the footing, and using epoxy or some adhesive for the holder.

My concern is that the footing may crack during drilling.  Is this much of a risk for a concrete footing this size?


texts:
I would like to connect beams to the lower part of posts that extend up to the top plate, to negate having to frame up walls.
I can't seem to find any information of code approval in the United States for a double-sided timber connector.
I realize that bolting beams to posts is not permitted but what about the combination of bolts and double-sided timber connectors? (They are widely used in Europe).


texts: What type of gutter screens are attached to the roof itself?

texts: We hired someone to clean our gutters. They came and looked and said they had to remove the (screens?) first. When they came back to do that, they left in about half an hour saying they could not remove the (screens?) as they were afraid they might damage the (roof?) trying to remove them as something was (too glued?) to something... They left and refunded all our money almost immediately...Strange..or not? Anyone know what they might've meant? They gave me a rushed explanation, with very heavy accent, while walking to their truck! They didnt even try to upsell us to entire gutter replacement like we expected!? I dont know whether to get another gutter company or full fledged roofer for a second look/advice..and I really dont want my husband up on the roof..any thoughts, thanks!


texts: How should I finish a wooden countertop that will have a stovetop and a sink?

texts: I'm doing a tiny house sort of project and plan to have a sink and propane camp stove inset into a wooden countertop. What sort of wood should I use, and how should I finish it to reduce the risk of fire, staining, water damage, etc?


texts: Should I clear up a small space with snow against a window?

texts:
I have about a 10cm wide gap between my Tempo and my house. And, with the winter snow, that space has filled with snow.
Now, should I go and clear that space of the snow (because it could damage the house) or is it all right and I should just let it be?
My gut is telling me its allright because the snow insulates the house just a little bit more, but I could just be wrong.


texts: How do I use dust saved from sanding Corian to fix scratches?

texts:
I recently installed a wet bar with a Corian counter top.  When I sanded it (starting with 200 grit and working up to 2500) i created a bunch of Corian dust.  I had heard that I should save this in case I need to use it for scratches/repairs to the Corian.  Is this accurate?

How can I use this to fix my counter top if I have scratches?  I have roughly 6 oz volume (half of a 12 oz glass -- I know that's not the right way to measure it but I'm not going to weigh it) saved.


texts: Remove painted over glow in the dark stars?

texts: I moved into a new home where the owner painted over some of those glow in the dark stickers on the ceiling. Because they're painted over, I can't simply scrape them off and they still glow through the paint. Any ideas on how to get rid of these things? I'd prefer to get rid of them (or at least make it look like they're gone) than just keep adding coats of paint.


texts: How to locate plumbing schematics of a very old home?

texts: We have a break/breaks in our sewage main line, and need the plumbing schematics of house. If that is impossible then where can I find just the house blueprints?


texts: Deck Ledger with Manufactured Wood Joists

texts:
My house came with a second story deck added by the previous owner.  The ledger is attached directly over the stucco and is attached to a 1/2 in plywood band board with deck screws.  The band board caps the end of manufactured wood joists (MWJ) that are mounted on a 3X12 beam.  I don't trust this construction (its not up to code in so many ways)and want to cut the stucco and install galvanized brackets to the support beam that will hold a new ledger up and against the band board at the same height.   The deck framing is solid and I would like to keep the current configuration as the posts of a free standing deck would be create access issues.

Has anyone dealt with attaching a ledger to the beam supporting the MWJ.  Any other thought on how to fix this?

Thanks, Mike


texts: Toilet tank will not refill after flush unless water valve is closed and reopened

texts:
After flushing the toilet won't refill. However if I turn off the water supply and turn it back on the toilet will refill immediately.

What is the problem and how do I correct it?


texts: Grounding wire attached to ceiling lamp but canopy of light fixture not grounded, is this serious problem?

texts: I've just installed a new metal pendant light. The light itself has a metal canopy and there is a metal bulb holder below, the two parts are connected via insulated wire. The light came with a grounding wire which I have connected with the grounding wire from the ceiling, so I am confident that the bottom part of the light (ie where you change the bulb is grounded). Now, having thought of it though, the metal casing (canopy?) above is not grounded itself. It acts simply as a means of holding up the lamp and covering the wiring... nothing is connected to it other than the insulated wires feeding down to the light. Obviously, the wires are not touching it directly, but there are quite a few wires connected inside this canopy. If over time, a wire came loose, potentially there could be a wire which touch that metal canopy. No one will be climbing on chairs to touch this, so I am not as concerned about electric shock, but more so would this be considered faulty wiring? As I said, we connected the ground wires of the lamp to the ceiling, but seems to be a bit of a bad design where is metal canopy itself wasn't taken into consideration. Is it a fire hazard? Really can't afford an electrician at this point and didn't plan on doing so as I've wired lights before. Fairly confident the wiring is correct and secure, but I'm a worrier.


texts: Is it wrong that my dryer plug has one L shaped prong?

texts:
We have a fairly new dryer and we are in the process of getting kitchen and laundry remodeled.  The electrician put in a three prong outlet with all prongs straight.  The dryer has one of them L shaped, so it won't go.  What does this mean?  Did he put in the wrong outlet, or is our dryer goofy?

EDIT: Here's the inside of the outlet.  There exists both ground and white/neutral. The white unused.  It looks to be an easy fix.  Also showing a picture of the dryer.  Ground connection is available.


texts: My wife and I are looking to buy our first home and have found some promising prospects. One of the homes we like is in what use to be a rural area. Since this house was in a rural area when it was built, it uses a well and septic instead of the city's water system.  Upon further investigation, we learned that 6 other homes share the same well and they all contribute to the maintenance of it. Our concern with the well is its depth. We would hate to buy a home that in may run out of water. How does one determine the correct size and depth of the well needed?


texts: How to insulate around a brick basement window?

texts: There is a window in my basement where quite a bit of cold air is coming in. The draft is coming not from the window itself, but the space between the layers of brick. What is the best way to insulate around the window and as a bonus finish this window so it looks a little nicer?


texts: I have two lines, one with two bare wires red and black, the other line has a red a black a white and a ground wire. How do I hook them together? I know I'm not supposed to put a neutral with a ground wire; what do I do with the neutral wire?


texts: Can I eliminate the pump in my septic system?

texts: I have a pressurized septic system with the second tank and a pump, and the pump keeps tripping the breaker and setting off the alarm even though I've put new plugs on it and replaced the breaker. What I would like to know is, could I just eliminate the pump and let the tank drain by itself out to the drain field? Why do I need the pump?


texts: Why does a water line behind wall of home have capped off areas above supply area that heads out to wall?

texts:
I couldn't find an answer to this question using Google. I think it's because I am not sure how to ask the question properly. I am not a plumber but I have seen in my new construction house with cpvc and I have seen in the past the same thing done with copper pipe.

When a water line comes out of a wall, just before it comes out there seems to be an area where the pipe goes up a little more and is then capped off. What is the reason for this? Why not just bend 90 degrees out to the source?

Is this necessary with PEX tubing too?


texts: Graywater overflow plumbing… which design to choose?

texts:
I'm working on replumbing my utility room and I'm adding a graywater system. Local codes are remarkably permissive but require an overflow to the sewer/septic system in case of graywater blockage or backup. I've come up with two designs and would like some input.

Design 1:

This design conserves fall for the graywater distribution plumbing (always a good thing) but I wonder if the overflow would be able to keep up with a really large flow. I'm pretty sure that putting the valve before the trap won't be a problem since the graywater distribution plumbing won't have any sewer gasses, but please correct me if this is wrong. My idea was to bypass the trap entirely to prevent the sewer gasses from using the overflow plumbing as a path back in the house.

Design 2:

This design squanders some fall for the graywater distribution plumbing but looks like it offers a more robust overflow control solution.

Which one of these seems more sensible, and/or what about either of them might need changing?


texts: How do I attach a roof ledger to an exterior wall?

texts:
I have a Trex deck and perimeter railing, similar to this web photo.
I have a wood clapboard siding. I want to build a roof (like the photo), install support columns and create a three season screened deck room.
I am an advanced beginner.
How do I securely attach, I believe it is called a Ledger Board, to the house for roof support as pointed to by the arrow?
I know I need flashing - Any other standards I should follow? Thanks.


texts:
I am building a window bench seat in my home. The bench will cover 2 of my electrical receptacles. My plan is to extend the wires from each of the original blue 1 gang boxes and feed them into new 1 gang boxes I'll mount to the front of the bench and I just want to make sure I'm doing everything properly.

The bench extends 23 inches out from the wall. Can I simply just extend the live, neutral, and ground wires from the first box to the second using wire nuts to attach new wire? I'd cut about 36 inches to extend the 23 inches of the bench plus give me some slack to extend beyond the new boxes. I believe it's standard to allow enough slack to extend at least 6 inches beyond the box. There are 2x4s that run the width of the bench I can run the wires across to the new receptacles using eye bolts.

I believe the circuit is a 15-amp. If so I have 14 gauge solid core wire already I can use. If it's 20-amp I'll have to stop at the store and pickup 12 gauge. Is this the proper way to do this or am I missing an important safety step?


texts: Entry light switch controls adjacent bedroom lighting

texts:
I'm new here and may have caused a problem when rewiring to install recessed lighting.
The wiring of my entry area is done in such a way that:

Cutting the light on, will cut on the light in the entry area AND provide On/Off capabilities to the adjacent bedroom
Cutting the light off, will cut off the light in the entry area AND not provided On/Off capabilities to the adjacent bedroom

A diagram of what this looks like is attached. I'm new to this type of thing and the nearest electrician mentioned it is likely an easy fix but no one has the time (booked out) until 2 weeks earliest...
Does anyone have pointers (tutorials online, books, etc) suggestions or solutions on how to get this working so that the switch is not controlling the other room?
Thanks for looking!


texts:
Im concrete, How deep does the hole have to be so that a 3" anchor sleeve is most effective?

I'm drilling in very hard concrete, and I've drilled about 2.5" in depth. Is that good enough?

They'll be used to anchor these simpson ez bases.


texts: How can I temporarily adhere plastic conduit to a brick wall?

texts:
I am putting up an IP camera on my front porch, using Wifi for data and an extension cord to a nearby outdoor power outlet. I have put the power cord into a cheap round 3/4" plastic conduit. The conduit has an adhesive backing on it. It turns out the conduit's instructions to "use only on a smooth surface" were words of wisdom, because after a day of adhering to my brick wall, it fell off (almost taking the camera with it). So I'm looking for a more permanent solution than tape, but less permanent/damaging than epoxy or screws. I want to be able to move the conduit in case I move the camera (which has a DIY movable magnetic mount which nevertheless was able to hold up the camera, the power cord, and the conduit :P).

According to https://www.hunker.com/12003687/what-adheres-to-brick my best option may be hot glue (which I figure can be peeled off the brick), but I figured I'd ask here for more options.

The final/current result:


texts: How can I winterize an old solid concrete factory with a cargo elevator?

texts:
Looking to find the best methods using economical (low budget) materials.

Note: "Green-friendly" is a plus.

Also, I'm interested in hearing & learning about materials & methods that promote longevity.

I'm living in a 3rd floor raw factory space. 3000 square feet & drafty. Concrete floors, walls, & ceiling. The windows are single pane measuring in at 6" x 4"6' with an additional 2", sometimes 3", of old cheap plywood. The window framing is basically 10'x6'. Ideally I'd install double pane windows or frame and insulate these 10'x6' areas with 2"x4"s, insulation, & plywood.
So far I've  caulked & used spray foam in the window area to cover, obviously, any holes & cracks that'd allow cold air to enter. Then I hung heavy duty plastic, sometimes using silicone for additional adhesive, with a staple gun. Plus I stapled carpet padding thinking this would help due to heavy, fiber, absorbent, fabric.
I'm replacing factory glass panes in the cargo elevator shaft using putty. After 24-48 hours I'm using oil paint to help seal & dry. Now I've started to caulk around the old windows & putty for additional sealing. Chances are I will oil paint these areas, however, I don't know if it will necessarily help.

I plan to use liquid nails & plastic to cover these windows in the elevator shaft however I considering foam cut outs.

The elevator door on my floor: plastic, foam,...?

Plastic dominates my thoughts as far as a solution goes.

Other solutions would be to build partitions but $ is an issue. Plus I'm looking to avoid zoning laws from the city of Chi until further research.

I do have one wall built in the back with 2 rooms that was built before I occupied the space. I've used spray foam & caulked all cracks to avoid heat from my 2 space heaters leaving the area. Carpet & rugs are laid out in these two rooms, help with temperature regulation.


texts: What is the minimum gauge wire required to carry 100 amp service from the meter to the panel?

texts: What size wire is required to carry 100 amp service from the meter to the panel?


texts: whats the code recommendation for discharge pipes when installing a water powered back up sump pump with a primary sump pump. Separate discharge or can you use a Y and connect the backup to the primary discharge. Whats best?


texts: How should I prepare a log home for vinyl siding?

texts:
I am going to side over a log home.  Some of the logs are deteriorated and the maintenance has not been done for years but for the most part the logs are solid.
I want to fur out the logs with 1 x 4 pine furring strips and attach the CertainTeed CedarBoard insulated siding over the furring strips.  There would be a air gap in-between the furring strips and at the bottom of the wall.

Does anyone have experience with this type of project or can anyone give proper installation over the logs?  The logs are to uneven to sheet over directly so it is going to have to be furred out.

Should I install a vapor barrier over the logs or allow the logs to breath as described above?

Any help greatly appreciated.  Just trying to keep from having to remove the logs if possible.


texts: Do dishwashers and clothes washers require dedicated circuits in an older home?

texts:
2 part question Thanks in advance.

My home was built in 1969.  My dishwasher is currently on a 20 amp circuit.  It is also shared with the garbage disposal and 1 gfci electrical outlet. We rarely use that outlet for anything.  Is this a code violation or hazard?  I do run the disposal on occasion when the dishwasher is running.  If this is a hazard,  I would like to have an electrician update it.
My washing machine in the basement was on on it's individual circuit but a radon fan was installed and tied into that. Should I get another separate circuit for that also?  Thank you.


texts:
First, I'm not the handiest of men, but can usually figure this sort of thing out. I just moved into an apartment in Manhattan and we're wanting to mount shelves, desks, and televisions to the wall to make use of our vertical space.

Classic of knocking on the wall led to no definable progress. I haven't torn a hole in the wall yet, but from what i'm seeing our building is using a technique of filling the gaps between studs with this brown/pink clay substance to prevent spread of fire, which in turn means the hollow knock doesn't exist. (thanks Google)

Roommate pulled out this little magnet thing which should pop when finding nails, well that worked at corners but only there- the corners are using metal fittings.

Electronic stud finder, I purchased one with a standard mode and a deep scan mode. Our sheetrock is about 1.25 inches thick making it a little difficult for this device to work- in addition to struggling with that clay i'm finding everywhere.

Next I drilled at every 16 and 24 inches given that's the standard widths between studs (also did a hole -/+ an inch for margin of error).

that tell tale sign where the drill bit pops through the wall i've not yet had due to this clay filling..

Anyways, I'm humbly accepting defeat and seeking any advice.. thanks!


texts: How can I make this old space heater more quiet?

texts:
I have an old space heater running along the outside-facing walls. It's a very simple heater: it consists of a pipe, a heat sink all along it, and a cover.  I don't know what's inside the pipe; most likely water or oil.

When the heater turns on and turns off, it makes very loud clicking sounds in the bedroom -- loud enough to consistently wake up my wife and me.  These clicks happen every couple of seconds for several minutes.  And considering it heats up and cools down basically every hour, this results in interrupted sleep and anger at the heater.

My best guess is that the metal is ticking when expanding and contracting, but what can be done to reduce the noise?  Surely it wasn't ticking like this when it was brand new.

Some possibilities:

Reducing how hot it gets.  Then it could stay on continuously rather than cycling.  But I don't think I have control over this.
Putting dampening material in the heat sink, if it's the heat sink that's making the noise.  But I don't know what material would be safe.


texts: What's the height limit of a wood framed building?

texts:
Using conventional light framing construction techniques, what is the maximum height of a wood framed building (in floors above grade)?

I'm looking for any limitations in current building code, and actual limits based on the strength of the building material.


texts: Diagnose interference causing garage door opener remotes not to function

texts:
How do I diagnose why our garage door remotes periodically stop working?    I suspect that there is some sort of radio interference causing the problem.

This morning I left the house for about an hour.  When I left, the opener worked fine.   When I came back, the opener wouldn't work until it was about 3 feet from the antenna of the opener.   I tested two remotes for this garage door, and two other remotes for two other garage doors.   None of them would work unless inside the garage standing nearly directly beneath the opener.

This seems to happen every week or two.   The interference seems to last for an hour or two.   After that the garage door remotes start functioning normally again.   I haven't been able to identify anything we are running inside the home that might cause it.    I know that CFLs, microwaves, and such can cause interference.  Often this happens when we get home when the house has been empty and pretty much everything in the house is off.

Our garage door openers are "Legacy" models manufactured by "Overhead Door" about 20 years ago.  They use the "Code Dodger" remote control protocol.   I have remote controls that came with the openers as well as universal replacements manufactured by Chamberlain.


texts: Control switch from neighboring switch on a different circuit

texts:
I have two lights on two separate circuits connected to separate switches in the same box. The lights control overhead lighting in the same room and there's no reason (code/etc) they shouldn't have been on the same circuit in the first place. I don't want to rewire the ceiling and would like one circuit to be completed only if current is flowing through the other circuit. Is there a type of switch that does this or, alternatively, a type of switch that toggles two circuits simultaneously?
Edit: A simple double pole switch won't work, because one of the two switches is 3 way.


texts: The burner on my Lennox G40uh furnace will not ignite

texts:
I have a Lennox G40 series furnace and the gas valve will not open.  After it does the preliminary start up I get 27V to the gas valve, but only for about half a second.
Periodically the LEDs will state that there is open primary/ secondary limits,  but if I jumper those out the problem persists. And by periodically I mean 1 out of 5 times trying to start the furnace from power off to running. The LEDs typically just synchronized fast flash saying there is a call for heat.
Does it make sense for the limit switch to be the problem?


texts: How Are My Stair Openings Framed (60s side-split)

texts:
I'm looking to run some electrical & CAT5 in my place as well as potentially some larger projects such as removing some partition walls. As a precursor to this I decided to model my house in Sketchup to get a better idea where things are and what's structural vs not.

I'm stuck on trying to figure out how the stairs are framed and what's supporting them at the split in my side-split. I've attached a few views of my plans so far. There are two sets from the ground floor to the 1st floor (red), and one from the 1st floor to the upstairs (purple).

I was hoping someone could help me figure out how the floor joists might be laid out on the 2nd floor. I've been able to determine the direction of them as indicated by the green and blue lines.

I've also put my best guess at what it might be at the bottom. Perhaps someone could comment on whether or not this is realistic.


texts:
I'm making a stand-alone pullup bar and I bored 1 1/4" holes in 2x6's for my 1" galvanized pipe (1 1'4" outside) to slide through. Only the pipe is definitely 1 5/16" (thank you, guy at Lowes) and I can barely thread the first 1/2" of it with all my strength. I tried wrapping lots of sandpaper around my speedbore bit with a dash of 3M 77 and that slightly worked but the sandpaper wore out way too quickly to ever get me there.

Does anyone know how to uniformly sand the inside of the holes to give me my 1/16" of an inch?? I've only been able to find videos on how to go from one size bit to another, but nothing on how to make the hole you already have slightly larger.


texts: How should under cabinet lighting wires be placed on the wall?

texts: I just finished demolishing my kitchen. I noticed that the under-cabinet lighting cables are poking out the wall right at the bottom edge of the wall cabinets. To the untrained eye, this looks like a ugly hack job. How should they be anchored to the wall to follow regulation and also not just fall back inside the wall? I feel like if I put a standard plate there, it'll be visible behind the lighting. Usually under-cabinet lighting is very thin.


texts: Best way to vent gas from gas lines in preparation for opening gas line

texts:
I understand how this will be perceived by some since I’m not a licensed plumber. However, I’m not going to pay a licensed plumber $2000 for installing gas pipe. (Yes, I did go through the effort of getting an on-site estimate from a licensed plumber.) It’s just not going to happen. (Yes, I understand the consequences.)

I need to install gas line (black steel pipe) in order to supply gas for a gas dryer. I’ve removed the drywall and see all the pipe in the wall that I will be working on. I’ll need to replace a few tees, replace some pipe, add some pipe, and so on. I’ll be using pipe dope (Rectorseal) for the fittings, drilling holes through the studs, and so on. I will also purchase a manometer and hook it up to perform a pressure test (not relying on liquid and bubbles).

I’m not going to do it until I'm confident that I'm doing it as safe as I personally can (personally, as in without paying a licensed professional).

My question is: when I shut off the valve at the gas meter, if I just open the gas line, there will still be gas in the lines that will escape. In order to perform this procedure most safely, what is the best way to evacuate gas from the gas lines prior to opening the gas lines? Should I just shut off the valve at the gas meter and then run the water heater until the pilot light goes out (observed by visual inspection)? (I don't have a gas range, so I can't run a stove and watch the burners.)


texts:
I saw a blank faceplate at our new place, decided to open it up, and found two black cables going straight through the box (see picture). This would be a great spot for a new outlet, so I wanted to make sure I had the right idea before I went ahead and tried anything.

Is it as simple as clipping one of the wires and attaching both cut ends to the respective terminal on the new outlet? Does it matter which cable I pick? My guess is that one cable goes from the local circuit to another outlet to the left, and the other cable goes from the circuit breaker to power the back room. My thought would be to cut power to both, cut one, and check to see which set of outlets down the line no longer work.

I've replaced plenty of outlets before, but haven't actually installed a new one. I just want to make sure I have a good plan before I attempt this and screw things up or hurt myself.


texts: How do I fix or replace a misaligned ceramic cartridge tap whose measurements don't seem to fit a standard size?

texts:
We have a mixer tap (this one) whose cold tap has started dripping water when turned off fully (i.e. when the handle is in the fully vertical position). We can completely stop this happening by adjusting the handle "on" by a couple of degrees so that the handle is very slightly off vertical, but still vertical. The tap also extends slightly down past the 90 degrees mark (so instead of turning the handle from a 12 o'clock position and stopping at full power at the 3 o'clock position, it goes to maybe the 3.30 position.
From looking at the brass ceramic cartridge on the inside of the tap (2x pictures), the ceramic discs seem misaligned. When in the fully "closed" position, there is an opening (on the right in the 2nd picture) where water could seep through. I think it might be because the inside of the valve body has become worn, and is allowing the discs to rotate too far.
So, I think we have two options:

Fix the cartridge so that it's aligned properly; or
Get a replacement cartridge.

I'm happy with either fixing or buying a replacement. However, I'm not sure how to realign the cartridge (there doesn't seem anything obvious that I can adjust), and I'm also not sure which replacement cartridge is suitable for my needs. For example, according to the labels in this picture, my measurements are as follows:

20 spline
A: 45mm
B: 24.5mm
C: 20.5mm
D: 17mm
E: 22-23mm
F: 10.5mm
G: 16.5mm
H: 20.5mm
I: 7-7.5mm

We haven't been able to find any exact measurement matches in the products available on sites like this. We're not sure which measurements need to exactly match vs which you have some wiggle room on.
Happy to provide any other information that's helpful - thank you for your assistance!


texts: I have a central air system and my squirrel cage fan inside the house started humming and then stopped. I figured it was the capacitor but I found a whole new fan for just a little more. Im having trouble wiring it up because there is 4 more wires than the old one and the old one only had one of the multi speed wires hooked  up. The common was orange but on the diagram to the box and on the fan shroud is a different color. I got it hooked up and it turns on with the thermostat but than turns off and the motor is hot. What am I missing.


texts: How can I stop mortar plugs from popping out of slab holes?

texts:
Our termite people plugged their dozens of chemical insertion holes using a regular grout and a putty knife. Needless to say the plugs are popping out left and right.  (They tell me that is normal, the plugs pop out in all their jobs).

How would you suggest sealing these holes, restoring the slab to the original condition, and keeping termiticides from leaking up?

I realize the termite people never cleaned the holes of concrete dust, so I'm prepared at least to do that:


texts: Does this kitchen faucet fit with this sink?

texts:
I bought a kitchen sink and kitchen faucet. (Links are in a text file at this location because I'm not allowed to post more than 2 links.)
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zq4kbe5baavaodb/AAB_TZ5vBKzEgJWsXzRUUDG5a?dl=0

I've also included 3 pictures of my current sink and faucet I want to replace and the piping underneath.

The kitchen faucet I bought has a separate soap dispenser and I presume it requires a separate hole in the sink.

The sink I bought has 3 holes and I presume that 1 is for the main faucet and the other 2 are for the hot and cold water.

Does this mean I have to drill a hole in this sink if I want to install the soap dispenser?

Or do I have to buy a sink that accommodates a separate soap dispenser?


texts: Ceiling Light, Dimmer off does not totally turn off light

texts:
I bought a 2 Ceiling Lights (Halo BLD606930WHR)  with 2 Dimmers (Lutron DVCL-153PR-WH). They are compatible lights and dimmers.
When turning the dimmer Totally down to 0%,  one of the lights continues to remain on at very dim level,  the other light shuts off completely like its supposed to.
Do you know what the issue can be, and how can it be fixed? Maybe something installation? Additionally, does having a light like this, cause any damage to the circuit, or a hazard?
The dimmers and switches seems to be work normal aside from that, when using it above 0%. Using the light switches will turn off both lights, which is good.
Update
The Halo lights are 8W Watts.
One thing I noticed in our house, this issue does Not Occur with other ceiling light brands of higher 18W or 15W installed on same dimmer type.  Wondering if higher wattage gets rid of the dimmer 'ghosting' issue.

Resources:
https://www.amazon.com/Halo-BLD606930WHR-Integrated-Recessed-Compliant/dp/B07FRP2VYY
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Single-Pole-or-3-Way-Diva-LED-Dimmer-Switch-for-Dimmable-LED-Halogen-and-Incandescent-Bulbs-White-DVCL-153PR-WH/203670402


texts: I have an old porous "fruit cellar" of stone/concrete mix crumbling apart. How can I close it off and fill it in? Same with an old leaky cistern

texts:
Our house is almost 100 and has a fruit cellar crumbling below our front porch. We had it repaired 3 times but given it is made of a stone/concrete mix the foundation repairs continue to crumble & leak. The floor is very porous and eventually drains but with heavy rains it leaks into our basement.
Is there a proven way to block it off, seal it up and fill it in for good?
We also have a cistern in the back of the house that hasn't been used for over 30 years but it still collects water as the top stone mix is porous and the walls leak if water build up.  I have to drain it during heavy rains.
We want to do the same with it.
Would limestone work as a fill or once it's blocked and sealed, would dirt fill do the trick?
Thank you for providing such a service.  Your site is the closest thing I've found that deals with our particular situation.
Looking forward to finally finding a permanent solution.
Ken


texts:
Our A/C evaporator coil freeze up last year, so I called out a technician.
He said that it was charged with the proper amount of Freon, and my problem [paraphrased] "something had narrowed the inside of the coil", and said that "cleaning the coil would be a waste of money since that would cost ~$900 (uncharge, take out, clean, reinstall, recharge), and a new A/C is only $1800".

My BS alarm was going off at the time and I'm going to get a second opinion, but in the mean time:

Q1: Can a coil go bad in the manner he described?

Q2: I know in the system there should be only Freon and lubricating oil, but can you figure out if there's any contaminates ?


texts: Can I extend a light switch loop to add an outlet?

texts: I want to add a wall outlet by utilizing existing wires that are currently connected to my bathroom fan wall switch. I do not want a switched outlet. I want the outlet to have constant power. The existing fan switch only has a black and white wire connection. There are no other wires inside the fan switch box.


texts:
More newbie questions ;-)

The house we're looking to buy has an older furnace that "may be manufactured by the Permier/Consolidated furnace company" according to general inspections.  We're in the process of getting it inspected by a heating professional.

If we need to get the furnace replaced, I'm wondering what kind of costs would be involved...

Cost Helper mentioned that the costs of a new furnace could be anywhere from $7500+.  Yet I also found some at Alpine Home Air for $550+.  That's a substantial difference in cost. What's the difference here? Are there safety concerns that more expensive models don't have?


texts: Retractable faucet stopped working suddenly

texts:
This faucet is less than a month old, so this is not about any sort of build up in rust or minerals. I have used it less than ten minutes before it failed.

Here is what I tried so far:

Checked other faucets in the house, they are working just fine.
I disconnected the water sources and they are working just fine.
I took off the aerator and made sure there's no obstruction.

I'm attaching a picture of the only part (left) that I can't verify is the failure point or not. Not sure if it's some form of anti-flooding mechanism or not, but I can't disconnect it.


texts: Fill drained rocks or gravels around tree base surrounding by deck

texts:
I am building a low level deck around a tree that is  almost 7 feet diameter. This is the framing right now:

Originally I wanted to build a bench around it but I ran out of time and decking boards; BUT now, since I have tons of extra 1" drained rocks / gravels I am thinking about filling it up like below photo (from someone else):

My questions:

Would this be bad for the tree? Will the base be harmed and kill the tree?
Is 1" rocks too small? I could put something (like lumber) to prevent them sliding down and out.

Thanks.

UPDATE

Based on some answers below, I am thinking about a way to solve stump rot and drainage issue. What if:

I staple landscape fabric / metal mesh in the bottom.
Then fill with >5" rocks instead of gravels
Leave like 1-2" of gap between rocks and decking boards if the rocks sit below the boards.

The reason I am sorta wanting to do this is because we have kids running around on top and I am afraid they fall or get their legs stuck around the tree. It will be a year before I get time to build the bench around this tree (due to work).

Thought?


texts: How can I remove a clog in a central vacuum system?

texts:
We have a central vacuum system in our house:

Somewhere along the line, something got stuck so various rooms do not have suction.

How can I unblock it? Should I try fishing it out, or will that just jam it in further (I don't know what it is in there). I suppose if I got enough line, I could just keep pushing it till it came out the end.

I'm comfortable / competent enough that if I need to cut into the wall and remove that part of the pipe and replace it, I could do that too - though then how do I figure out where the blockage is?


texts: What are the benefits of a Floating Vanity over a Vanity that is secured to the floor?


texts: Can I make a RH inswing exterior door into a Left hand reverse outward swing

texts: I  have purchased a wrong door , Im a carpenter and don't know if its possible to change the door from a Right hand inward swing to a Lt hand reverse swing door ?


texts: How can I increase boiler system pressure so bleeding 3rd floor radiators is easier?

texts:
It is very difficult to bleed air out of my 3rd floor radiators.  I need at least 23 pounds according to the gage on the boiler, and ideally closer to 30 (but not too close!), to speed things up.  The reducing autofill valve is set to its maximum, which according to the documentation is 25psi, but nevertheless the bleeding fizzles out at around 18 (according to the gage on the boiler) and I have to run downstairs, manually open the reducing valve, bring it up to about 27 PSI (trying not to trigger the relief valve), and repeat, running up and down the stairs 6 or more times.
The system: Natural gas hot water radiator system.  Boiler in the basement with radiators on 1st, 2nd, 3rd floors.   23 radiators total of various sizes in two zones.  Floor-standing expansion tank.  Photos below.
How can I improve this ?
Replace autofill: If the boiler's pressure gage is correct, and the autofill valve documentation is correct, then I should assume my autofill has failed.  If I set it to maximum, 25psi should be perfect.  It should reliably bleed my 3rd floor radiators.  Is there some way I can verify that it has failed?  Replacing it is a big job and I would hate to do that with no change in behavior.
Redesign: The boiler’s instructions say Max 50 PSI.   Could I install a 40 PSI relief valve, a 30 PSI reducing valve, and charge the expansion tank to 27 PSI?   [ Please, I would appreciate specific technical OR code reasons why this would work, or not.  I do not need general hand waving about exploding boilers.   I get it.  I’m not going to do this as a DIY project.  ].
Other ideas?
Pictured: All relevant device labels and the floor-standing expansion tank that unfortunately is soldered in without a valve.
Note: My house is not freakishly tall and I know theoretical calculations about how many feet of water height equal one psi are different to what is implied by my question.  I'm going by the gage on my boiler, which may be imprecise, but more importantly I want enough pressure not just to equal the water height at the third floor, but to push it up with enough force to bleed out a radiator in some reasonable amount of time, ie to produce a satisfying hissing sound and allow me to stand there with the rad key and get it done in minutes not hours.


texts: Can you use casing molding for baseboard molding?

texts:
I am curious if there are any reasons not to use a casing molding (typically used for doors or windows) as base molding along the floor?  The casing molding is made out of pine which seems to be used for a lot of base molding as well.  The casing molding appears to be thicker (11/16" instead of 1/2" or 9/16").  They distinguish them on the sites that sell them, so that's why I ask the question.  The casing molding is thicker (which could help with any large flooring gaps left by floating floor) and is a bit cheaper.

Casing molding:

Base molding:


texts: What is a safe process for getting a roof ladder on and off the roof?


texts: I’m trying to add c wire to furnace to run a WiFi thermostat but don’t know where to hook up c wire to get power to turn on thermostati have 2 extra wires just don’t know where to put one them to get power


texts: Which humidistat terminals should I use for my humidifier?

texts: My Carrier furnace does not have a humidifier connection on the control panel. I have two wires from the humidistat. Do I use W-C or R-C connections for a normal operation?


texts: What is the blower HP needed for a 12ft column of water?

texts:
In lieu of buying an actual air pump to use just once a year to close a swimming pool before freezing, I'd like to use the blower feature of a wet/dry vac.

I'm trying to choose between a 5HP and a 6HP (both peak) wet/dry vacs. Will the extra 1HP make any difference in the strength of pushing a 10-12ft column of water?

How do I determine the HP needed for a given column of water?


texts: How do I replace the front door on a stucco house?

texts:
I'm going to be taking out the various floors that have been laid in our house down to the sub floor so wood flooring can be laid.  But in doing so the floor will be about 1 inch lower than what it was and the front door will have a gap at the bottom.  The jamb is standard size and my plan is to replace the entire unit with a prehung door.

The problem is, I really don't want to have to patch the stucco around the door jamb.  I've been reading on how to do it and one site had a door installer provide the steps he uses.  I just want to run them by here to make sure it is doable.

Remove door and interior trim
Cut nails holding jamb to frame with a reciprocating saw
Carefully separate jamb from stucco mold, this should push the jamb inside the house.
Cut the nails in the stucco mold
Install the new door and re-nail the stucco mold back to the new jamb.

If that is doable, the other question I have is, should I install the new floor before I install the front door?


texts: Please tell me what's the name of the metal wrap

texts:
Can someone please tell me what's the name of the metal wrap in the first pic? It wraps the top of the wall on my roof top. My roof has a rubber layer on it and it goes up to inside the wall. On top of the wall, it is the metal wrap. It is old and cracks open, which causes leaks in my apartment. What's the name of this metal wrap if I need to replace it? How much normally does the material cost (per square, unit, etc.)? Thanks so much!
Carrie


texts: Is there a way to mark/label a special use switch?

texts:
I'm going to be rewiring my front porch light, and in the process I've decided to pull cable for a switched receptacle for Christmas lights.  I'm going to install a 2 gang box for both switches (porch, receptacle), but I'd like to make it obvious that the receptacle is not just a dead switch.

Aside from putting a Santa clause switch plate on, how can I mark the switch?


texts: what is the height regulation for an exterior balustrade/handrail in france?

texts:
What is the regulation height of an exterior balustrade or handrail in France?

We are installing a staircase and the height is being questioned.


texts:
I have the following notes for HVAC (that I've compiled from reading through here):

Thermostat wiring:
  C       low voltage power wire that brings power from heating/cooling equipment to thermostat
  RC      controls the cooling (at the transformer) has 24V
  RH      controls the heating (at the transformer) has 24V
  G       comes from relay that turns on fan
  W       comes from relay that turns on heating system (at the relay)
  O/B     controls if heat-pump is in heating/cooling mode
  Y       comes from relay that turns on cooling system (at the relay)

I am programming my own thermostat; so I'm a bit confused how RH/RC/R and W/Y work together.

My thoughts are that RH/RC/R has a "live" 24V signal that gets sent to the thermostat and the thermostat uses the 24V to "switch" W/Y correct?

If what I say is true then a custom thermostat just has to send 24V down W/Y to turn on/off the heating/cooling? So for all intents and purposes I could ignore RC/RH/R?

If I am wrong (I probably am) please do explain how RH/RC/R wires are related to the W/Y.

Thanks!


texts: what caused this new small dark hole on my hardwood floor recently?

texts: I'm seeing a new small hole on my hardwood floor since last week. It almost looks like it was a black spot before and then it became a hole. Is this because I didn't maintain the floor? or is it some sort of insect that did it?


texts: How do you paint touch-up spots on drywall?

texts:
I have a few spots that need to be touched-up (after having a drywall anchor removed, being gouged while moving furniture, etc).

I filled them with putty, sanded smooth, then painted a single coat with a small foam brush, but:

The texture looks different from the rest of the wall
The color looks a bit off, though maybe this is just because of the texture.

Any tips on how to handle these spots so they don't stick out?


texts: A boiler and a hot water tank ... what is this configuration? (UK)

texts:
I'm a west-coast American living in London.  I've mostly known homes with electric baseboard and central forced air heating, and a single hot water tank for showers and taps.  In the UK hot water fed radiators seem the most common home heating solution, and I'm really not too familiar with how these systems are configured.

I was looking at a small row house recently that had a boiler in the kitchen and a water tank in a separate room (next to a bathroom).  The boiler was gas powered, while the water tank was electric.  I was offered a brief explanation of how the two systems inter-opted, but it didn't really make sense to me.  There definitely was some kind of communication/connection between the two - they weren't two completely independent systems.

My question is, is this a common set up, even for a smaller (relative to US standards) place?  And what would be the advantage to doing this over using just one system over the other?


texts: Solution for rough walls after wallpaper removal

texts:
I was removing wallpaper from a very old apartment, (Image below)
Here are my thoughts for solving this:

Skim coat these rough walls and hope that it comes out smooth and even.
Use a thin drywall sheet and just put it over the rough walls which would need extra work on joints.

Both have pro and cons, I am not sure what to pick.
Has anyone dealt with such rough sheetrock or walls?
Are there any other solutions than mentioned above?
Any advice is a blessing to me!!
Thank you!


texts: Kitchen LED ceiling light "exploded" during lightning storm

texts:
We're in a rented house in the UK. We just experienced a nearby lightning storm, although we're not aware of any particularly close strikes.
During the storm one of the overhead LED lights in the kitchen "exploded" and the lighting circuit tripped, although the main circuit did not. By "exploded" I mean that it somehow forcefully blew off the plastic cover. The light was turned on when it happened.  We have since turned the lighting circuit back on and that LED bulb is now dead, but there's no obvious visual sign of damage apart from the missing cover.
Is this a cause for concern? It seems like it might be bad that an event outside the house was able to damage an appliance inside.
That particular light is left on 100% of the time, so the circuit tripping will be the first time it's been turned off in months - maybe that's what caused it to "explode"?
We've had some previous issues with the electrics in this house that are supposedly fixed now... But this is a compounding strange thing. We've messaged an electrician but I'd like to independently understand the possible explanations and their implications.


texts: How many outlets can 1/2" copper pipe support?

texts:
My basement apartment's hot water pipe runs starting with 3/4" from the heater to the first outlet, the bathtub and the 2nd one, the washer.  From the washer, it goes to the bathroom sink (please don't question this design as I have structural reasons why it doesn't go from the bathtub directly and don't want to spend time explaining as it's not pertinent) and ends in the kitchen sink, which will also be supporting a dishwasher.

My question is, can I run only  1/2" pipe for hot water starting from the washer, will it be enough bandwidth or should I go with 3/4" ?  I know that some people have up to 3 outlets out of a 1/2" copper pipe but I'm not sure how to count the DW as it is a different appliance but using the same valve from the wall inside the counter.  I have run 3/4 to the tub and to the washer and now I'm about to continue on from the washer towards the bath and kitchen sinks and need to make a design decision.


texts: Can I share a dryer vent with a portable A/C unit?

texts: I want to add a portable A/C unit in our sun room which also houses our washer/dryer. Rather than vent the A/C thru a window I'd like to know if I could utilize the dryer venting by using a Y connector to combine the 2. If so, should I use a damper in one or both of the lines before the Y connector?


texts:
Background: Our two-story house is about 3,000 square feet. When we bought it last year, it had two separate AC units, a 2.5 ton and a 4 ton.  They were both old and died last month.  We had them replaced with a single 5 ton unit, with two zones controlled by dampers (the original ductwork was merged into a single supply).  The contractor insisted that 5 tons (versus the original 6.5) would be fine since the new system was much more efficient.

It was very hot today (pushing 90) and I noticed that regardless of what I had either thermostat set to, it just kept getting hotter and hotter.  I felt cool air blowing out of the vents, but it simply wasn't cooling the house.

I got an emergency technician visit and he checked everything and asked me about the previous system.  He came back inside and said, "We screwed up."  It seems the 5 tons is not adequate for the heat load this house experiences.  Although the system is working perfectly, it just can't cool both zones at once.  As a temporary workaround, he suggested running just one zone at a time.  The warranty manager is going to call me tomorrow.

I want to understand the options. I thought the technician said the 5 ton unit we have is the "largest residential unit available", so replacing it with something bigger might not be possible.  What else could be done here?  Could a second condenser be added?  Is there some other way to beef up this system?

Hopefully the company will "make this right" as the technician said.  But given that they apparently made a mistake on sizing it, I'm not confident they'll make the best recommendation.

Any ideas?  Thanks!


texts: Is is possible to remove this damper? It looks like there are special kind of screws about an inch above but I'm not sure how those would come out. If I can't be remove could it be cut out? I have an oscillating tool so I thought maybe there would be an attachment made for HVAC.


texts: I want something that can warm it up fairly quickly. I may only be out there an hour or 2, but when I decide to work on a project I don't want to wait an hour or 2 for it to heat up. Right now I have a cheap portable oil heater and it takes a long time. Would prefer something cheap if possible.


texts: How to remove a stuck Sharkbite connector from a PEX tube?

texts: I have a Sharkbite stopper that I put on the end of a 1/2" PEX tube, and now I'd like to remove it. I've used both the official orange plastic removal tool and an adjustable wrench, and my fingers are sore from pressing on it trying to get it to budge. Any other options short of cutting it off at this point?


texts: Old furnace with no "C" terminal for wifi thermostat

texts:
I'm new to this forum and was wondering if I could get some help regarding installing a Honeywell WiFi thermostat that requires a "C" terminal.

I currently have an older thermostat that has only 4 wires (Furnace + AC) and my cable also only has 4 wires...so I was looking at adding a 5th wire for the C terminal, but can't seem to find that terminal...

If I follow the thermostat wires, I see them going to the G & R terminals close to the transformer, but there is no C terminal anywhere ( only R, G, W, Y and I think there may be an O)

I initially thought the "O" would actually be a "C" terminal, but doesn't look that way (also hard to see).

I do have another pic below that shows some blue & yellow wires going into the the transformer, but I can't say for sure if it's the primary or secondary...I was  thinking I might be able to use one of those as the C wire to close the 24V circuit, if I can identify which is which?

Another thought I had, was whether I could tap into the 24V (GND) terminal from the ignition control module instead (see below) - would that work, or does it have to be directly from the transformer?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The Black Wire goes directly to the AC (there is only one wire used from the other bundle)

I went and got myself a multi-meter and checked the voltage ...this is what I found:

R (RED) = Hot 24V terminal/wire

W (WHITE) = Heating

B (BLACK) = AC

G (GREEN) = Fan

Any combination between R + W/B/G = 27.4 V, which means the circuit closes ...so if I just take the G wire (Fan) and move it to the "C" terminal on the WiFi Thermostat, it should power the Thermostat, correct? I understand that I'll be loosing the stand-alone Fan functionality, but will the Fan turn on when Heat/AC is working?


texts:
I would like to wire a remote switch a feet above the outlet.

Can I use a 2 conductor Romex (14/2) and use the black wire for hot and white wire for switched?

Or do I have to use a 14/3 with neutral not connected at switch, Black for hot, red for switched?


texts: Will 4x4 posts carry a patio cover with a 12 foot span?

texts:
I have a 10 ft tall 12 ft wide and 46 ft long patio cover that I'm adding to the back side of my house. I have it all supported by 4x4s. They are spaced at about 7 feet apart down the entire 46 ft length but the 12 ft wide from the edge of my house to the edge of the porch has nothing.
I'm going to be putting a metal roof on top of it. Are my 4x4s enough to safely hold this weight? I live in South Alabama so snow is not usually a problem and wind where I'm at  is normally not a big problem either.
Also: I used 2x6's for the entire rafter system as well as my main beams holding the weight. I feel like I screwed up on that one. I'm thinking about coming back in underneath the two by sixes and adding another one directly below the ones I already have, just for extra support, or take A 2x4 and lay it flat on my 4x4 and attaching that down the whole length of the 4x4 just so my 2x6's  have something to sit on top of in order to stop the shear weight from possibly snapping my screws.
Any info will be greatly appreciated thank you.


texts: Why does garage remote not work after replacing the remote/batteries and pairing it up again?

texts:
I have replaced the remote, put a new battery in, paired it up with the garage door opener. The remote only works when I am standing right under the garage door opener.

Please help.


texts: Options to Recess Google Home Within Wall

texts:
I would love to embed a Google Home Max within my wall as seen in the attached picture.  Looking for some guidance on how to tie it into a power source which is a switch like shown in the picture.  I would like the solution to keep the screen pretty flush with the wall.

Appreciate any advice or products that would work.

Thanks!
Cliff


texts: How to remove dark stains on light-colored granite countertops

texts: There are dark stains on my 2 year old light color granite countertops, even though I applied 2 layers of sealer* when they were brand new.  They were purchased directly from a large wholesaler by a friend who is a very small contractor.  The locations of the stains and a history of only infrequent small water splashes suggest that they were caused by human skin oils.  How can the stains be removed, and future staining prevented?  *"Stone Pro" "Ultimate Pro" "Impregnating Sealer for Dense Stone" was used ($43 a quart).


texts:
I am in the process of buying a house that has a roof with improperly installed flashing:

As you can see from the image, the flashing was installed on top of the shingles instead of underneath them. Our inspector said we would probably need a new roof within a couple of years and we can't afford to have it professionally reinstalled right now anyway, so I'd like to at least seal it up until we can replace the whole roof.

My plan right now is to fill the space under the flashing with some roof sealant like this PL S30 10 Black Polyurethane Roof and Flashing Sealant from Loctite.

Is this a reasonable temporary solution to waterproof it until we can have the roof properly replaced?


texts: Thermostat for my furnace has no power during fan-off delay?

texts:
I have an older Tempstar 5000 furnace and a newish Honeywell wifi thermostat.  The furnace works fine and the thermostat appears to be wired correctly (4 wires including C wire) but for some reason, the thermostat has no power (screen goes blank) during the fan-off delay.  This furnace is equipped with a delay relay.  It is during the minute after the burners turn off and the blower is still running that there is no power at the thermostat.
In the picture, the upper pair of wires is going to a humidistat that properly turns on only when burners are on.


texts: Installing and connecting an outside generator power inlet box

texts:
I want to install an outside power inlet receptacle for my portable generator, to be used in case of a power failure.
In my house I have two breaker boxes: one is the main breaker box. A second one is installed about twenty inches away from and beside the main box. The main breaker box is wired as it should be -- two separate hot bus bars, a neutral bus and a ground bus. It also has a ground conductor (heavy copper wire) going to an earth ground. I cannot see to tell how or if the ground bus and neutral bus are tied together; I know they should be.
The second breaker box was installed because the main 200 amp box would not support two heat pumps and all the other appliances. Box #2 has two hots and a neutral, I cannot see a ground for the box. I know if it is considered a sub-panel, the ground and neutral should not be connected together. The breakers in the #2 box are all two-pole.  The ground wires from the breakers are hooked up on the (ground - or neutral?) lug strips on both sides of the box, depending on what side the breaker is on.
Now, here is my question-concern: I want to power the blower fan only - from one of the heat pumps.  It just so happens that the breaker is located in the #2 box, the one with no ground. Therefore I cannot wire the outside receptacle for the generator into this box, so I have the main breaker box to wire it into. I know the #2 box is wyed off of or spliced into the leads that are going to the #1 box as there is only three wires coming into the house, and there are no wires leaving the #1 box to feed #2 box.
If I wire the receptacle to the main breaker box and connect neutral and the ground together to the ground lug strip, will this create a problem with the circuitry? Also I will be using an Interlock, for the lineman's or anyone else's safety.


texts: How can I rerun cables along stairs where a wall is being removed?

texts:
I want to partially take down the wall that currently serves as my staircase handrail.  I will replace that portion of the wall with a cable rail.

.

The picture above was taken while the house was under construction.  The portion to be removed is outlined in blue.

As you can see, the portion I want to remove has some cables run through it.  What's the best way to deal with them?

I figured I will most likely have to "take in" the extra cable length and connect each side in a cable box using 6-in pigtails.  Would I be able to run the cables diagonally along the lower 2x6?  Are there any requirements I should be aware of (I live in Washington state)?

I only know about cable stapling/clamp distances (< 8 in from a plastic box, < 12 in from a metal box, < 4 ft 6 in along framing), distance to the face of the stud (>= 1 1/4 in without metal plate protection), and the general height of the cable box (12-18 in).

Thanks!


texts:
I am hoping to remove a portion of wall along with a door header. I don't think it is load bearing but I just wanted to get some opinions.
I have  had one contractor say it is, and another say it is "definitely not".
The red portion is what I would like to remove, and the yellow portion IS load bearing (basement is unfinished, so it is easy to tell).
House was built in the 60's. I should note that the floor joists run perpendicular to the load bearing (yellow) wall.

Please see additional photos with the drywall removed. It looks to me as though it is non-load bearing. Is it clear to anyone that it is, or is not, load-bearing?


texts:
I had painters here about 6 weeks ago.  After closing all windows, etc. I had to kill numerous flies - 50?

I am still seeing flies, though not nearly as many in my house.  I don't know how they are coming in.  I asked the painter to come back and he cannot find that they left an opening in the wood they replaced on the house.

Any ideas?


texts:
In my condo, there is a network closet that contains this item:

There are 3 RJ45 jacks around my condo and I assume it's each connected to one of the 3 blue Cat5e cables that are connected to this thing.

My questions are:

What do you call this "thing"?
How do I interconnect this "thing" with my router so I can have wired access on the wall jacks? The existing connection was installed by the technician from my ISP and it doesn't look like it was connected by hand. Does it require a specialized tool?


texts: 4awg Al on ground bar with 6awg max holes

texts:
Im adding a subpanel, I installed a tgl2 (GE) ground bar that take 6awg max, my ser is a 2-2-2-4. Is there a way I can use this ground bar with a 4awg Al ? Also do I need to use some type of grease on my hot wires ?
Thanks for your help


texts: Ridge Vents vs Gable Vents Energy Savings as a Percentage or $ Figure

texts:
I am having a new roof installed and there is an additional item Ridge Vents that I can add to the home - I currently have Gable Vents - no sofits.

I understand that the gables need to be blocked and Sofits added so that there is no short circuiting of air flow directly from gable to ridge.

My issue is this: After searching online for a comparison of energy savings - I get this
"Ridge Vents are better and more efficient"
Ok I would like to think so as well but I am having a difficult time with that statement.
1: Where are the facts and figures to prove out the efficiency and the savings ?

So here is my question does anybody have any figures , any calculations , any website links for an Actual Comparison of Energy Costs Ridge vs Gables - all things being equal .. same location (neighbors if you will , same cookie cutter suburbian dwelling..).

I am looking for real facts and figures - not um I think so's or seems liek it should be's ..

Any help is greatly appreciated ..


texts: We have two sheds with OSB flooring..  We have an ATV that we use for snow removal, and it is parked in the shed before & AFTER plowing snow.  We are very concerned about "melting snow" ruining the OSB flooring and want to put down a waterproof paint/covering on the floor to repel moisture from melting snow..  Any suggestions out there???  Any & all will be appreciated. Thanks, Nancy


texts: I have a new marble shower in a new home.  The marble around the drain is dark and discolored.  It appears to me that water runs in around the edges of the square drain cover into the area outside of the round drain beneath it.  I let it dry out and lighten to the original color, resealed the tile and grout, and after one shower it is back to the dark discoloration.  The work was done by experienced contractors.  I’d like to know if the problem is in the way the drain cover is installed.


texts: What type of gravel should I use to top a sand driveway?

texts: I live in Central Fl and we have a sugar sand driveway and when its dry like it is now our driveway turns into a never ending sand pit and getting in and out is difficult what would be the best type of gravel to put on top of this that is durable ?


texts: 2-gang switch with 3 black wires, how to wire up smart switches?

texts:
A friend and I have been wiring up my new home (built 2012, neutrals everywhere) with Lutron Caseta smart switches (specifically in this case, PDW-5ANS-WH-A) and he was working on my guest bathroom and took apart the old switches before I got a look… and then he called me in because he was stumped:
There are two single pole switches, one for the light and one for the fan.
There are two ground wires — one each.
There is several neutral wires capped with a wire nut, not attached to the original switches as has been standard — I just add the neutral from the Caseta to the bundle (upgrade the wire nut if needed) and that's fine.
Then it gets weird: there are three left over black wires, not four. And there were wires directly between the two switches.
I ended up wiring the two red Lutron switches to one of them, and then the two black on the switches to one each of the remaining two.
I may have remembered that backwards, but regardless, it works, except that the light switch is now dependent on the fan switch. If the fan is off, the light switch doesn't work. And if you turn on the fan, the light turns on (default Caseta behavior after loss of power I believe) and can be controlled, but as soon as you turn the fan off, it also goes off.
I don't recall the original switches behaving that way, so is there a way to wire this so that they work independently?


texts: Alternatives to conventional weep screed, for stucco to the ground homes?

texts:
I live in one of millions of older homes that have stucco applied right to the ground, like so:

There's really no way to retrofit a conventional weep screed here.  Lowering grade is not feasible except in spots.  Are there alternative designs?

Note that this is not as bad as it looks: the skip sheathing allows a lot of drying to the inside and except for two areas with overt leaks above, the wood is in good shape.  In the leaking areas the sill rots as shown.


texts:
I got this Hammond 500VA Isolated Transformer.

It's 500W capacity.. and I'm only using 30W. How come the temperature already reaches 50 Celsius (122 Fahrenheit)?

How about you? What temperature did you measure you transformer? And what is the load and capacity?

Is it not when a transformer only has light load. It shouldn't get hot? Or does it run hot even with no loads?

Lastly, is an Isolated Transformer hotter than an Autotransformer equivalent?


texts: Can a grounding rod be connected to service neutral only?

texts: My grounding rod is connected to the service neutral at the weatherhead where it enters the house. Should it not be connected to the ground bar in the 200A breaker panel?


texts:
My toilet has started acting funny lately and I am not 100% the cause.

Basically after flushing water does not come back in through the fill valve. You can hear the water running but it is not going into the tank. I can get small amounts of water into the tank by pulling the float switch up and down about 20 or so times. When I pull it up and let it go back down a few small bubbles come up out of the connection to the fill valve.

It sort of sounds like I need a new fill valve but I am curious if there is something more that I should be looking at since there are bubbles coming out of the bottom of the valve.

I am not sure if this is relevant or not, but there is no water coming out of the tube going out of the valve into the overflow thing (the place where that tube connects to)

Sorry for the lack of technical wording!


texts: Damaged exterior moisture barrier behind brick veneer

texts:
I saw a similar question here but it was never really answered. I live in Houston, in a brick veneer house that is about 35 years old.  I have a thin cardboard applied to the studs as a moisture barrier behind the brick veneer. Termites and moisture have damaged one wall and destroyed the barrier.

The termites and moisture have been dealt with, and now I have to put this wall back together. I understand the need for the moisture barrier as brick is porous but I really don't want to have to remove the brick to do it. Any ideas on this?


texts: Why is a single walled pipe not used for wood stove exhaust pipe on upper floors?

texts:
I've recently been looking into wood burning stoves. Many installations use a stove pipe that goes straight up through the ceiling and out the roof.  Most of these use a single walled pipe for the first room (the room containing the stove), and then through the second floor and attic/roof sections a double-wall insulated pipe is used.

My question is, for what reason is a single walled pipe not used for the second floor room?  Surely this would allow more of the stove pipe heat to be used to heat the upper floor? (note I mean the upper room, not the attic section).

The only possible reasons I can see are:

Fire hazzard.  But in this case couldn't a protective guard be placed around the pipe, to stop anything touching it?
Increased creosote build up.  But we're not talking about a massive temperature difference here - so would this really have such a bad effect?

Thanks


texts: Is conduit required for running wiring in an attic?

texts: Do I have to put the 120 volt wiring in my attic inside of conduit? I don't recall ever seeing any wiring inside of conduit in an attic but I'm not sure.


texts: Can dehumidification be achieved in a typical US residential forced-air system without dedicated components?

texts:
We have a very typical forced-air HVAC system with a medium-efficiency gas furnace and split-system central air conditioner in our house; however, latent load buildup (i.e. stickiness) is a problem during the spring when mild conditions prevail, too mild to make the sensible cooling from A/C alone an option.  Would running the furnace and air conditioner simultaneously be an effective way to dehumidify the air while leaving it at a comfortable temperature, or would that risk damaging some part of the HVAC system, or would it simply not have the desired effect?

(Obviously, we'd need a humidistat for this, but that's a different issue.)


texts: Should air vents in the floor be directed towards or away from walls and windows?

texts: Builder installed HVAC vents in the floor under the windows but all the vents when opened have the air flowing away from the windows into the room.  I thought the air was supposed to be towards the window to create a tempature barrier on the outside wall.


texts:
I just moved my shop to a new location here in sunny North Hollywood CA and was looking over the electrical panel and noticed there is no ground wire coming in from the service entrance. There is a 200 amp main on the outside rear wall and that feeds the inside panel about 30 feet away. Here are pics of both.

I'm wondering if I need to hire someone to come out or if this appears ok. Thanks for any info! My buddies shop just had an electrical fire so super on edge about it!


texts:
I have a garage built with concrete blocks and the walls are surrounded on the outside by a layer of concrete rendering.

The problem is that large cracks have built up in the rendering over time, probably as there are no expansion joints anywhere.

I'm considering what might happen in the winter if water/ice gets into/behind these cracks and starts to make some of the rendering fall off.

I was going to paint over the cracks, however is there a better way than this that I can preserve the current state of the rendering?

(P.S.: I'll post some pictures if it helps)

Update: pictures now added:


texts: R302.7 Under-Stair Protection - does drywall need to be below stringers or just treads and risers?

texts:
I am finishing a room in my basement, and a wall will butt up against where the stairs are. I'm planning on making a small door to access the volume below the stairs for a small storage area.

The building inspector said I needed to put drywall below the stairs for fire protection.

The stairs have a middle string. If I place the drywall over the stringer, that will significantly reduce the available volume.

Can I fulfill this requirement by putting two tightly fitting drywall panels in the spaces between the stringers, leaving the middle stringer exposed?

Text of relevant ICC code:

  R302.7 Under-Stair Protection

  Enclosed accessible space under stairs shall have walls, under-stair
  surface and any soffits protected on the enclosed side with 1/2-inch
  (12.7 mm) gypsum board.

Otherwise, simply "coating" the middle stringer would be a compliant alternative to maximize accessible volume, would it not?

Here are some pictures from under the stairs. The difference between the plane of the bottom of the stringers vs the bottoms of the treads and risers is a significant amount of space to store stuff.


texts: Powervent Water Heater Has Cold Air coming into Vent

texts:
I have just had a new powervent water heater installed by a licensed plumber.  All looks well and runs well except the fact that there is a big draft coming back into the vent while the blower is not on. Not just some cold air but coming in pretty hard.  This does not seem to be right. Forget the fact that I live in Chicago area where it has been 3 degree each morning this week it brings extremely cold air into the room

Details:
Installed in Basement along with a high efficiency furnace
Both use combustion air - obviously the Water heater would as there is no other option to vent out the side of the house.  Full Basement not finished so plenty of air.

Vent goes essentially up and out the side of the house and meets all the venting criteria set aside including slope, length, limiting use of 90's etc per the Kenmore manual.  The total run is only about 5 ft plus a few 45's which would make it about 17ft.  It has 3" pipe.

Has anyone seen this before, I cannot find a whole lot of information and honestly the manufacturer has not been much help. They told me I have a venting issue but when telling them my setup they can't tell me what is wrong.


texts: How can I install an exterior porch light where there is no junction box?

texts: I live in an older house with small, exterior porch light fixtures outside 3 doors.  Those fixtures need to be replaced.  When I pulled the first one off, I found 2 wires coming thru the wall - no junction box containing the connections.  I understand I cannot replace them this way as it doesn't meet code - I need the connections to be contained.  Is there any type of box I can add to the exterior of the wall vs cutting a larger hole?  Are there any exterior fixtures that have the box as part of the fixture itself so that a junction box isn't required?  Suggestions?


texts: I have a tile entrance at my walk in basement door that I want to make larger. If I cut back the carpet a couple feet will I have to restretch the carpet?


texts: What dangers present themselves when someone uses the grounding system as a neutral?  I'm just looking for insight into the theories.


texts: How to remove smell from exposed plywood Bathroom cabinets

texts:
Recently purchased an older home and the cabinets in the bathroom have an off smell that transfers into the towels as they sit in there.

There is exposed, unfinished plywood and I’m assuming it’s due to the moisture exposure over the years. No visible mold but just has a smell of old house in it.

What I’m wondering is if putting a layer of paint would block the smell or is there something more that would have to be done to get rid of it?


texts: Should I have a 15 amp breaker instead of a 20 due to aluminum wire?

texts:
I've been digging into an addition to my house from the early 1970s (final permit signature dated 1973). It uses individual wires in flexible conduit from the panel through the crawl space, and NM in the walls. The NM is 12 gauge, and the breaker is 20A. So far I have found one NM cable that is aluminum--most are copper.

Should the breaker have been 15A? (The aluminum cable is very clearly part of the original work--the breaker could have been changed later?)

The conduit has a neutral and two hot wires (black and blue). Was this common practice? Was it done for convenience?


texts: Would it be ok to solder,brass or hard metal, to make table legs? Or Would the joint not be able to hold much weight?


texts: What is a good way to cut a plastic drum in half?

texts: What is a good way to cut a 55 gal plastic drum in half?


texts: What alternative methods exist to correct a belly in a clay sewer line?

texts:
In the first 18 months of living in my house, I've already had 4 sewage backups in my basement.  Luckily the basement is not finished and I've caught the backup each time before it became a large problem (only an inch or two of water within a couple feet of the drain).  The basement layout with the sewer line looks like this:

The city has come and inspected the city's portion of the sewer (from the cleanout to the street) with video and confirmed that this part of the sewer is OK - I did not see any roots or collapses in the video.

The distance from the drain where the water backs up to the cleanout is about 30ft, and each time I've augured the drain I've had to put about 30ft of line down it, which leads me to believe that the backup is occuring very close to the cleanout. A plumber told me the distance might not be a good indicator of where the problem is since I might just be pushing the blockage down the sewer until it comes to a spot where it can clear.  I've also opened the cleanout while the backup is occurring and verified that I don't see any water movement down in the drain.

A plumber I've used a number of times tells me that this is caused by a belly in the 4" clay sewer, though I've also wondered if perhaps there is a collapse at the connection point and not in a straight part of the sewer line.  He quoted me $3,500 to break up the concrete in my basement and lay down a new sewer.  This is obviously an expensive and messy operation that I'd like to avoid if possible.  I was advised against wasting my money videoing this part of the sewer since either way it will need to be replaced.

Are there any other less invasive methods of correcting this?  Would it make sense to only break up a couple feet around the cleanout instead of the entire sewer line, or is this a better long-term fix for the issue?

The only other odd thing I've noticed is that the trap where the water backs up stops holding water within a week or so of a backup (I only put the two together after it happened); when I poured water down it to fill the trap, within a couple of days it was empty.  Normally it will hold water for a long time, until it naturally evaporates; there is no primer on this trap.


texts: What kind of plumbing fixture or valve is this?

texts: It's on a residential water supply line immediately downstream of water meter and main shutoff valve.  I would guess pressure reducing valve, but it seems to small to be one, at least compared to the photos of pressure reducing valves I see online.


texts: Trying to identify cause of minor leak from water heater TPR valve

texts:
A few days ago I noticed about a capful of water in the pail at the bottom of my water heater's TPR valve outlet.  This is the first time I've had any water come out of the TPR when I wasn't testing it.

I moved into this house in 2011.  In 2012 I installed a water expansion tank, with a ball valve to disconnect the hot water system—the expansion tank plus water heater.  I realize the water expansion tank is probably near the end of its life.  The water heater is electric and over 20 years old (I know), but I've been flushing it thoroughly once a year and replacing sacrificial anodes as needed, and it hasn't leaked yet.

The only recent change to the system is that I used to have a pressure gauge connected to a hot water faucet instead of the normal connection to my washing machine, and I finally removed the gauge and reconnected the hot water hose for the washing machine.  When the washing machine runs, I can hear a knock in the pipes when the washer hot water valve turns on or off (which was why I installed an expansion tank in the first place).  Note that there is a PRV on the water main.

To test things, I opened the TRP valve and closed it against.  It took its good old time closing and kept leaking for a while.  So I opened and closed it again, and that time it closed more quickly and stopped leaking.  I had seen this once before in testing, so I didn't read anything into it.

Then I closed the ball valve to remove external pressure from the hot water system, I opened all of the hot water faucets above it, and I checked the air pressure inside my expansion tank.  It's down around 28 PSI from the 60 PSI that it's supposed to be at, so I'll have to address that.  But when I opened the ball valve again and individually closed each faucet, the TPR valve spit out a bit of water again when I closed the last valve.

Am I correct in my assumption that the TPR valve is failing?  Is it normal for them to fail gradually instead of opening catastrophically?  Would the underpressured expansion tank have any bearing on this?


texts: How are mini drill bits mounted on a regular sized drill?

texts:
I have no prior knowledge of drilling but I've stripped a screw on one of my electronics so I need to drill it out to access the insides for a fix.

From basic research, I understand that the 'drill chuck' is the hole on the drill where the bit sits. However the majority of drills are suited for 'normal' sized bits.

So before I make the wrong purchase, I'd like to know what drill + bit combination I need for holes between 0.5-1mm?