texts: Changing lights in alcove in, these lights are controlled by a pull switch. Disconnected one light, put loose wires in a connector block, tested continuity, it was ok, checked with power on had 240 volts. Removed the second light and checked as before (continuity) this time had a dc voltage reading, same with the other light. Switched off pull switch, again checked continuity with meter, it had switched back to ac, pull on switch and it goes back to dc. All I’ve done is disconnect the wires, any idea why it should do this. The house has recently had a new box fitted by an electrician so I can’t see a problem with polarity, having said that the lights where working ok before is disconnected them,could the pull switch for some reason just become faulty.


texts: Humidity sensor switch wired to current setup

texts:
I have a DewStop FS-300-W1 humidity sensor that replaces a light switch that has a red, black, white and green wires. I want to replace the left most switch (that currently controls the fan) with the humidity sensor, in the 3-gang box in the photos. The fan it above the shower a few feet away, and the 3 gang box is on the wall near the door entrance.

In the photos, the switch on the left currently controls our fan. Its connected by two black wires as shown. Any ideas on if I can wire this properly? I tried a few combinations but couldn't get it to work. There is a series white wires tucked away in the back that I did not test.


texts: Does a whole house humidifier go on the intake or outlet of the furnace?

texts: On what side of the furnace do I install the tank of the humidifier (the warm side or the return air side)?


texts: How to tighten screw in looser masonry hole?

texts:
I'm using 5/16" masonry rated screws to secure my door frame in masonry. When I use 3/16" drill bit, the screw won't go in and when I use the next size up, 1/4", the screw goes in but it doesn't lock when it reaches the end, instead spins endlessly, which indicates that there isn't enough grip for a secure torque as the hole is a little too big.

Is there something, like a non mechanical thread locker or a 2-part epoxy, that I can maybe inject into the hole (or smear around the bolt, the the former seems more realistic) that will lock it tight?


texts: What are the elements of this apartment map?

texts:
I was wondering what the elements from this map indicated with an arrow are?

The apartment has no kitchen, and it is supposed to be unfurnished, but some elements are there (like a fridge?).


texts: How do you install a frost-free garden faucet mid-wall?

texts:
I have a split level house, and have a garden on the side that's half underground. I want to install a frost-free faucet on that side of the house, but if I install it as instructed in the foundation wall, it'll only be a few inches off the ground, and if I install it in the rim joist between levels, it'll be 5 feet above ground.

How do you install a frost free faucet mid-wall through insulation and drywall?


texts: Testing older anti-scald valve for correct function?

texts:
Would it be acceptable to do the following:

1)  Turn on water at shower valve. Set temp at > 100F.
2)  Turn off (or drastically lower) cold water upstream.
3)  Measure Temp of water < 120F.


texts:
I have 5 wires running to the thermostat from the furnace. The blue wire is not connected on either side. I'd like to connect it as my c wire for a smart thermostat.

On the furnace I see W R Y G and what looks like P on the top right. So no C. Am I out of luck or can I connect the C wire elsewhere?

Make and model of furnace: Trane electronic ignition xe 70


texts: Do I need a moisture barrier between sub floor wolmanit and engineered floating bamboo clip together flooring?

texts: I'm using walmanite 3' by 5' by 1/4" over an original Pine slate floor my grandfather put in. do i NEED to put some type of barrier like tar paper between them? there has never been a barrier and no insulation. my mother added padding and carpet but now she  wants engineered bamboo clip together floating floor that will  have a moister barrier padding between it  and the wolmanit.


texts: What are pros and cons of magnetic and mechanical door latch?

texts:
There such small latches that can be screwed up to cabinets wall and door.
There two types: magnetic ones and mechanical (with a spring).
Like this (magnetic):

And this:

Magnetic ones seem to be very strong and seems don't lose strength over time. And prices are approximately the same (in general). So, why would I prefer one before the other?


texts: What is the correct way to seal off a fireplace chimney?

texts:
I've seen people say cap it at the top, I've seen people say stuff insulation in the bottom, I've seen people say brick it off at the bottom and seal it at the top. I've also seen all of these strategies criticized, usually because of causing moisture problems.
I've also seen that it depends on if you're in a warm climate or a cold climate... but what if you're in an area that has hot summers and cold winters?


texts: Two Poles Three Black Wires and One White - Convert to 120 V Outlets

texts:
I have a two pole breaker with three black wires and one white wire. The breaker is 50 amps. The three black wires are labeled "Load Power", and the white wire is labeled "Neutral".

Where an outlet used to be, there are three black wires and one green wire. This circuit used to power a hot tub.

Edit: Added photo of outlet box.

I no longer have the hot tub, and I would like to power regular 120 V (two or three prong outlets). Is it possible? How would I do the wiring?

If I cannot install regular 120 V outlets, what sort of outlet can I install? If it makes a difference, the outlet box is outdoors.


texts: Why does my breaker trip when turning on lights on another circuit?

texts:
I'm trying to diagnose an issue that has cropped up in the last few days regarding a nuisance tripping breaker.

For background, I've lived in this apartment for 6 months now, with no notable changes to what's plugged in where that I can think of. This is a 2016 built building.

However, over the past three days I've had my breaker trip once every evening, usually when turning on a light switch on a completely different breaker. Here's a pic of the breaker. The manual I pulled up for this series of breakers suggests that an LED can indicate the last fault cause, but there's no illumination from the box, and instead I always get this orange trip flag:

Now, we have a couple of clues here. This appears to be an AFCI, or maybe DFCI, breaker. The fact that this is tripping when a light switch is flipped on another breaker makes me think the neutrals are connected to each other somewhere. There's a lot of interesting stuff on the circuit that trips, like a server rack with a UPS and some LED lights. However, none of the equipment there has changed recently, and if I pull my UPS logs, I'm drawing about 400W at full load, or about 3A. There's other things not going through the UPS, like some monitors and laptop chargers, but this is a 20A breaker and should have plenty of overhead to draw multiple times that and still sit under the 16A-at-load rule of thumb.

At first, I was content to blame the fact that I have an awful CFL + dimmer switch setup installed in the living room (not by my choice), and the fact I had been using the dimmer recently. My reading into AFCI suggests that CFLs, dimmers, and crossed neutrals can have an effect like this.

However, today the breaker was tripped with these lights on max, which is a condition I've had them in for the last several months.

I'm scratching my head at this one, and since we're in shelter-in-place out in California, I'm puzzling over the next steps before I call my landlord.

Some questions overall:
1. Any guesses about why this would happen when turning on lights in the other room, on a different circuit? Is my AFCI + combined neutrals theory correct?
2. Any guesses about why this would happen now, but wouldn't have for the last 6 months?
3. Is the breaker indicating any sort of information about the fault cause, or am I left guessing whether this is AFCI, GFCI, or overload caused?

Appreciate any suggestions you may have!


texts: Where to put my doorbell transformer for new wired doorbell in old house?

texts:
I used to have an old whole house intercom system with an integrated transformer inside the kitchen wall, far from the front doorbell. For the new basic doorbell, I was planning to power the doorbell transformer from the dining room receptacle just inside the front door, and put the chime just above there.
But, I just can't think of a good place (or right place) to put the doorbell transformer. I understand it is usually not inside a wall or in a junction box, but somewhere visible. Since this is old work, I can't easily run doorbell wire very far to put it in an attic or garage or closet.
Ideas:

In the dining room wall and attached to the outside of an existing junction box?
In the dining room wall and in its own junction box?
In the dining room wall and attached to a stud?
On the outside of the wall in the dining room and hidden behind something like a doorbell chime cover (my wife wants me to make one for the chime anyway)

Any ideas from DIYers or electricians? Thanks!


texts: Drywall surrounding vent no longer supports screws;

texts:
Screws that normally fix the vent in place can't do their job anymore. The drywall has crumbled to the point that the tapped hole for the screw lacks a boundary with the duct. (Picture attached.)

Perhaps:

The cutout for the original vent larger than necessary, forcing the screws to be closer to the duct than is optimal?
The original installation should have used some sort of plug so that the threads of the screw didn't compromise the integrity of the drywall so easily?

How would you:

(a) go about fixing this?
(b) prevent this from happening in future installations?

The issue, in an image:


texts: I installed a water softener in a house we just moved into. I did a manual regen to test everything and nothing or at least very little drains past the P Trap and is pouring into the crawl space. I put a studor vent on the P Trap and have an air gap between the discharge hose of the softener and the p trap entry. The p trap is not clogged as it was just installed. Why is this not draining? What did I do wrong?(I know I'm using a pvc fitting on the air gap where it should be abs, this is the only thing that hasn't been glued yet, just haven't been to home depot to get the correct fitting and wanted to test it out first)


texts:
I have this concrete slab at the front of my house which I want to remove. The slab has 2 air brick holes in it too. These are surrounded by bricks with cement on to give a rounded look and then painted. They are obviously like that because the surface of that slab is higher than the air bricks on the side of the house.

I guess I have 2 options

remove the slab and keep the airbrick hole / protectors in place, or
remove the slab and the airbrick holes and lower the level of the earth underneath the slab so that it does not enter the airbricks.

How do I remove the slab? Sledgehammer? Anything I should be aware of before I do so? Any other options apart from 1 or 2?


texts: How do I repair drywall holes around outlets near my counter?

texts:
We recently had our countertops replaced. The old countertops had a backsplash, and the new ones do not (we're thinking of adding a tile backsplash later on). There is a higher breakfast bar, so a small space of wall between the kitchen countertop surface and the higher bar surface, where there were two outlets.
When removing the old countertops and backsplash, a hole around both outlets was created. Now I'm not sure what the best way to repair the drywall would be in this area - I have seen drywall patches designed to go around outlets, but the space around the outlets seems a bit wider than would be ideal. It seems like it would also be difficult to access the lower area partially hidden by the countertops to patch in a new piece of drywall. Any tips?


texts: How do I permanently remove a steam radiator?

texts:
I have a steam radiator in my apartment that I would like to completely remove, because:

I want to use the space for something else
my apartment is too warm
it makes a loud hissing noise when it's on

Note that I've already turned the valve all the way to the off position, but it seems like some steam still leaks through.

So how would I go about removing the radiator and sealing off the valve?

I imagine the procedure is as simple as using a wrench to disconnect the radiator from the valve, and then sealing the open end of the pipe with something.

The questions I have are:

What is the name of the item I need to seal off the open end of the valve?
How do I determine what size of this item I need?
Is there anything I need to do before disconnecting the radiator from the valve?

High-resolution album available here http://imgur.com/a/aPsYt

Medium sized photos:


texts: I'm replacing an old outlet. Why are all 4 wires are hot?

texts: I have an older home, built in the 40s. Whenever I replace an outlet I check to make sure with a pen voltage meter that I am wiring the correct hot and neutral wires, because most are not colored coded. I went to replace one recently, with two lines coming into the receptacle. I went to test for the hot wire, but all 4 wires are setting off the voltage detector. Is this strange? Seems like it.


texts: Why does my refrigerator trip the GFCI outlet?

texts:
I've been reading around the net for about 20 minutes and came across a lot of talk about how the fridge should be on their own 15 or 20 Amp breaker and the defrost cycle can cause the interrupt in a GFCI causing it to flip

I have a 20 Amp GFCI receptacle on a 20A Breaker that also feeds 4 other 15A receptacles that have a load on the fridge, the oven and 3 other receptacles along the kitchen counter, My old fridge (one big door, freezer door on top) had no problems on the GFCI frosted good, made ice, defrosted, everything was fine, I got a new side by side fridge and every 24 hours or so the breaker is flipped.

If it didn't happen with my old one, why would it happen with my new one, I changed the GFCI thinking it was the loose wires or just an old receptacle, Nope. next day it flipped, so i tested and confirmed all of the others outlets were fine, no loss, no interruptions


texts: I have an in floor outlet (under a rug) and I don't want the plug sticking up under the rug. Can I cut off the plug of an extension cord and directly wire it in with the wires of the outlet? Thanks in advance for your reply


texts: I need to replace this door hardware but not sure how or where to search. I have checked eBay but  there are so many and hard to know what one for sure will work . Any help would be great.


texts: tandem breakers with shared neutral please

texts: I hear that shared-neutral or multi-wire branch circuits (MWBC) can have issues when used with tandem breakers (also called duplex, twin, cheater or double-stuff breakers). my breakers shown in pic have a shared neutral ?


texts: How can I remove laminate flooring from an oddly shaped hallway without destroying it?

texts:
I have a locking laminate floor that runs continuously through two large rooms and down a narrow hallway.  The boards run length-wise down the hallway, and through the large room--the hallway "rows" are 40' long in total--20' in the hallway, 20' in the large room.  When looking at the overall floor the hallway is in the middle of the rows.

The hallway flooring suffered some water damage along one side.  I need to remove it, replace the padding underneath, and replace the laminate portions which are warped.

Here's a rough diagram of the full floor.  Each "|" represents a laminate piece--there are no transitions.  In reality the pieces are staggered.

   ||| < this is the hallway flooring
   |||
   ||| |||||
   ||| |||||
||||||||||||
||||||||||
||||||||
||||||||

And here's a photo of the hallway.  The sections I need to remove and replace are outlined.

My question is how to remove the flooring from just the hallway.  Ideally I'd be able to remove it non-destructively and leave the main floor undisturbed so that I can reinstall the hallway flooring.

I understand I'll need to cut some of the pieces to remove them at the junction of the two rooms, but will I be able to reinstall new pieces using the locking mechanism--or will the only option be to trim and glue in the pieces at the junction of the rooms?

Any advice, tips, our thoughts would be appreciated!


texts: I just bought a house built in 1984 it has PEX plumbing. I need to remove a toilet to install a new floor and I noticed the water supply line to the toilet connects to a water shut off valve that I’ve never seen before. It looks like a PVC bonnet or nut cap thing With a half crescent ring that you turn left or right to turn the water on or off. Are these reliable or should I replace with a quarter turn ball valve. I really don’t want to do anything unnecessary but a PVC shut off valve gives me anxiety as an inexperienced DIY homeowner


texts: Looking to ground roof mounted mast - No ground rod at service entrance

texts:
So I'm looking to install an anemometer on my roof.
With my last house, in Ohio built in 2000, when I added a TV antenna there was a grounding rod near the electric meter.
However, my current house, in Utah built in 1979, there isn't a ground rod near the meter.  It appears cable guy simply "grounded" to the incoming metal service conduit.

FYI: I believe the loose green wire goes up to where a DISH antenna used to be.
The house (actually the whole neighborhood) has underground electric service.  Though the house in Ohio did also.
One other thing I noticed, there's no ground jumper around shutoff valve & pressure regulator for the water service in this house like there was on the Ohio house.
So the question, is my house properly grounded?  Is the service conduit functioning as ground?
Assuming the answers to both those are yes, then I just need to ground my new roof mounted mast to the incoming service conduit right?


texts:
My snow blower manual recommends 0w30 oil but every store recommends 5w30.
Which would be better for the longevity of my snow blower and why?


texts: Frequent burning of air conditioner compressors

texts:
Why is it that I experience frequent burnouts of the air conditioner compressors in my house? I lose about 8 compressors within a year! Could it be because I used a 16mm aluminium cable as live and a smaller copper cable as neutral from the meter to our change over, a distance of about 10metres? I have checked every other thing but I still wonder about the frequent flashing/burning. Even the fan burns out sometimes.

What must i do to correct this.


texts: Is it ok to paint walls now and doors and casing later?

texts:
Recently had carpet and old baseboards removed from my house and hardwood sanded and refinished with Provincial floor stain. Now we've hired a painter to paint three bedrooms, hallway, living room, plus install and paint new baseboards.

We decided to go with white for the new baseboards but unsure what to do about the doors, door casings and closets of each room, which is all stained wood and doesn't look very nice.

The easy answer is to have the painter paint the doors and trim white when he paints but the doors are in poor condition. The door jams and door casings are also pretty bad with chips and splintered wood. Only the closet doors look halfway decent.

Ideally I'd like to get three new prehung doors installed before he starts painting. Then have him paint the new doors, install and paint the door casings in addition to the walls, ceilings and baseboards. But this is an older house built in the 1950's and the rough opening for the doors are not standard, so I'll need to special-order them, which will cause a delay.

The painter is coming to start this weekend and is probably going to begin with patching walls and baseboard installation. So my question is it that bad of an idea to just have him paint and do baseboards now, then have new prehung doors installed along with all new door casings and have it all painted white sometime later?


texts: Two hots, one shared neutral, can it work with plug on neutral GFCI/AFCI breakers?

texts:
Situation: A 1950s house with some equally old wiring, and some remaining EMT wiring that is being put onto a new QO main svc panel (QO142M200PCAFVP).  This is a plug-on-neutral panel.
I believe per NEC2017, one is supposed to upgrade all 20AMP or smaller breakers to either GFCI or AFCI (I’m replacing with a combo GFCI/AFCI) when upgrading to a new panel.
One AC/BX cable in-particular (purple circle) which has two 14ga hots and one 14ga (shared) neutral is giving me pause.  Back in the day someone went and wired separate circuits onto the separate hots.  Each hot serves 3 non-grounded regular 15amp outlets, 2 switched 15amp outlets that were used for lamps, and one has an actual hallway light switch.
I originally put each hot to a separate 15amp GFCI/AFCI breaker (blue oval) and tried to throw the one neutral onto the neutral bar (white circle).  This doesn’t seem to work (circuits on those two hots are dead).
I believe this is because there is no continuity between the hots and the neutral, as with the new GFCI/AFCI plug-on-neutral breakers, the neutral is supposed to go on the breaker.  Does that sound right?
I can’t exactly put the one neutral onto one of the GFCI/AFCI breakers, that just doesn’t seem right.
Should I use non-GFCI/AFCI breakers (which was the case before and the two circuits worked)? If so, I would hope that the inspector would allow for this exception to requiring the GFCI/AFCI breakers, as I’m not changing anything on the circuits, just connecting them to a new panel.


texts: I have a switch in my master bedroom that my family replaced. The controls are switched. The fan turns on when you put the light switch on and the light turns on only when the fan switch is all the way up. The scary part is when I turn one of the switches on I can see a blue spark inside the switch. The picture attached is what the switch looks like. Please Help!


texts:
A while back our live oak needed some surgery and the arborist ended up having to cut out a pretty sizeable limb. He was going to haul it off so I asked him what would become of it.  "Firewood", was the answer... I decided I could do something better.

So after some drying the bark is off and I've started the carving process.

I was wondering though, once I'm done,  what's the best way to treat it? I want to keep full sight of the wood grain, and I'm keeping a lot of the natural surface of the limb.

I'm in the south, so wood eating bugs galore, high humidity, high heat. It's going to be outside most likely under cover but will likely get wet when it rains sideways (so not infrequent)


texts: I just had my whole house gutted and renovated due to a fire.  I am having a problem with the paint they used.  The contractor insisted on using flat paint as it could be touched up and would not show.  Well, every place they have touched up shows a different color even though they are using paint from the original batch.  Could this be because the new sheetrock was not sealed properly before painting, thus the sheetrock keeps absorbing more paint?


texts: How can I use these "closed" power outlets?

texts: I just bought a new home. It seems that the builder had some outlets open (where I can plug any devices), while some are closed (I can't plug anything). Is there a device I can rent or buy from any hardware store that would allow me to pop the closed outlets open SAFELY? Also, some of the outlets says "protected surge" on them.


texts: Is PEX very susceptible to damage from rats/rodents?

texts:
A friend of mine wants to re-plumb his house.  The neighborhood has recurring issues with rats.  I heard rats like to (as in "seek out opportunities to") chew through and damage PEX plumbing, whether below a house or in the attic, and that copper pipe is preferred where pests cannot be controlled.

Assuming rodents cannot be completely removed, is this a legitimate concern?


texts: Is wiring the neutral in a circular path correct?

texts:
I have a bathroom that was re-wired to add a bathroom fan some years ago. I am wondering if it was wired correctly. Originally, I believe the overhead light was wired in a switch loop to a single wall switch. When the fan was added, two new switches (for the fan, and the fan's light) were added on the wall.

To make this work, the electrician pulled a new wire pair from the switch to the overhead light. The old wire pair is now in parallel with the single circuit from the breaker panel, it provides power to the three wall switches. All of the neutral wires at the light are tied together, and all of the neutral wires in the wall are tied together. Because there are now two wire pairs between the overhead light gang box and the wall switch gang box, this creates a circular neutral path.

In the image, the neutrals are tied together at A and B, and the circle / parallel path for neutral is created by cables 1 and 2. Grounding wires are not shown.


texts: Can I replace a cutler hammer GFCB120 breaker, with a GFCB120cs breaker? What is the difference between the two?


texts: Adding a switch to control a basement light

texts:
Had an old ceiling light socket in an un-finished basement that had used a pull chain (before it broke). Recently replaced it with a new plain socket, but there is nothing to turn it on and off except unscrewing the bulb. I'd like to add a single pole switch nearby (no more than 10ft or so).

My plan would be to run a single line from the light box, parallel with the floor joists, in flexible conduit, up, over and down to a switch box on a 4x4 post. There is nothing else running to/through the light box as of now, so I'd simply hook it up as shown.

(red being neutral...and the ends would be marked to indicate they are acting as hot)

There wasn't a ground running to the light box, on the old socket, or on the new socket as far as I could tell, would that be a problem at all?

I'm assuming that just leave the wire exposed, without some kind of conduit would be a no no if it's extending down below the joists, correct?

If I wanted to add an outlet at some point, running from the light box, would I simply tie it in to the hot and ground running to the box? And if I added an outlet, would it be a problem not having a ground? (I might just be able to detach the source wire and strip the ground back if there is enough slack)


texts: Should I use plumbers putty to install a sink drain?

texts: I'm installing a Push Button (not pop-up) drain in my pedestal sink.  A rubber washer goes between the metal drain and the sink (another rubber washer goes under the sink).  Is it still appropriate to use plumbers putty in this situation?


texts: Illegal power connection, how should I handle this situation?

texts:
I saw a yellow (old flat style) extension cord wired to a power pole way above the meter and then the cord dropped to the front of the structure and was wired to the base of an unmounted porch light.

There is a massive droop in the cord that put it at about 4 ft from the ground before rising again to the fixture (exaggerated drip loop) - the occupants regularly duck under the cord bump it as they navigate around the trailer to carry out normal tasks.

Legalities and codes aside, how do I convince these people that they are in serious danger with every item they plug in?

I know they power a water pump, stove, fridge, microwave, 2 tvs and various other lights and appliances from information shared in the course of normal interaction (I have never been inside but as the lightweight gauge of that wire is constantly on my mind, anytime one of the occupants mention an appliance or various outlets in the trailer that have just "stopped" working, I get overwhelmed with fear). I do not want to alienate the people or let on that I realize their power hookup is not as it should be (a mixture of fear for retaliation as they obviously do not have a high enough regard for the law to have the power hooked up). I did mention the wire in passing one day asked what it was and was told "oh it was that way when we moved in", so I did not pursue it at that time.

My gut is in knots over this. My silence could result in 2 young wet behind the ears young adults die. and maybe it is possible they are ignorant enough to not realize the actual danger they may be in. I am looking for suggestions to enlighten them and encourage a remedy that does not ruin the rest of their lives being in jail or debt from fines, but I fear their actual lives are in the balance.


texts: Where should shielded data cables be grounded?

texts:
In the comments on this question (Using PEX as wire conduit), the issue of grounding shielded data cables on one end vs both ends came up.

For any arrangement of cables (ex. single cable, multiple cables into splitters/hubs, multiple parallel cables. etc.), how should they be grounded?

I am especially interested in both CAT6 (Ethernet) and coax (<3GHz) since I am actually about to run some underground between two different structures. In my case, both structures share a grounding electrode system, but an ideal answer would also address instances where this is not the case.

My current plan is to ground the coax on both ends with a grounding block and a grounding conductor going back to the nearest service panel, and to ground the CAT6, which is shielded, on both ends with surge protectors and a grounding conductor going back to the nearest service panel.


texts:
I got a shop-light fixture, leftover from a construction site. The metal boxes with 4 foot tubes. It has wiring for two lights in it - two of the small rectangular connectors on each end that you twist the tube into.  This light is big enough for 4 tubes - it's 4' by 2', and I've seen them that size with four bulbs in the store.  It has a black ballast box in the middle that shows how to wire it for two lamps.

So I also acquired another ballast wiring harness that shows wiring for three bulbs.  Couldn't I install the three-lamp ballast box next to the two lamp one, put in the connectors and only use two of the three extra spaces?  Basically turn the 2 bulb fixture into a 4 bulb fixture? The wiring shows that the three-lamp ballast will provide power "up to" three bulbs, but there's nothing saying I can't install just two of the bulbs and leave the third empty.

Would there be excessive heat build up from two ballast boxes being in there?


texts: Heating system is heating the radiators instead of the hot water - why?

texts:
We have a heating system with a boiler, hot water cylinder and a controller to set the timers for the heating and hot water which it then switches between accordingly.

Lately, it intermittently (I haven't figured out the exact situation that causes it) sometimes continues heating the radiators although they've already reached the right temperature.

It seems that the controller is calling for hot water, but instead it continues pumping through the "radiators" side. It's as if the valve is set to the wrong side, but the valve itself isn't "stuck" etc.

Any ideas on which specific part may be causing this and is it something a DIYer could do themselves?


texts: Name of this shelf support screw with plastic head

texts:
This shelf support is a screw with a semi-circular plastic head. Does it have a name? A name that can be used on Google to find this thing. Or the name given by those who produce it.

Additional info: it's total length is 32 mm and the width of the plastic is 20 mm. The visible part of the screw is 17 mm.


texts: Running Tesla Powerwall 2 Off-Grid - Excess Solar Question

texts:
Above is how I envisage my solar/battery system to be functioning in normal operation.
So I've recently had a Powerwall 2 battery installed into my home. It comes with the gateway device that allows for mechanical disconnection from the grid. Therefore in the event of grid power loss, my home can be safely disconnected from the grid, and I can continue operating from the power available in the PW2.
Just last night I decided to try this off-grid functionality and turned off the electricity from the power box outside. I heard the mechanical "thonk" in the gateway device, as my connection was severed from the grid, and the house continued to run on the powerwall... super cool! The next day, my solar generation began (wonderful sunny day), and the battery charged up from 61% through to 98%, when I suddenly noticed that my solar generation went down to zero. I went into my loft to have a look at the inverter and noticed there was an error code on the display (see below).

Digging deeper it seems like my inverter has an AC frequency set range of 49.5 to 50.5Hz (UK grid frequency is ~50Hz), so this made sense as far as the error code was concerned. I also found out that I can adjust this range via an RS232 terminal on the inverter to increase this operating range should I so desire (can be adjusted anywhere from 40 through to 60Hz).
So my questions are:

Why does my inverter show a frequency fault ONLY when the battery reaches near full charge?
In the scenario where the grid is not available, where does the excess energy that isn't currently being used by the home, go? I was thinking that the inverter now needs to dump any excess electrical energy that my house isn't using at the time, but finds the external grid closed and therefore causes some kind of internal fault?
If I were to change the acceptable frequency range on the inverter on the upper end, would there be any negative ramifications in doing so?
What causes my PV meter to actually detect solar production? Does it require current draw of some form? So either the draw of my home, or the draw of the external grid "taking" my excess energy from me? Without these 2 draws... would the energy need to be dumped to some kind of heat sink and dissipated as heat energy, or would the inverter detect the required draw, and only "pull" electrical energy required from the panels?

Apologies for all the non-technical speak above. I'd appreciate any light that could be shed.

Scenario where house is severed from the grid
EDIT1: Inverter is a GroWatt 3600MTL - Manual here
EDIT2: It appears from the manual, that the default country when the inverter would have first been setup is Italy. There's a good chance the installers didn't change it from its default. Looking at this firmware software manual for the inverter, it shows that the range (R2 fac High) is 50.5Hz, whereas UK should be 52Hz... that would at least explain the error message.

EDIT 3: According to this chap, the raised frequency may actually be a feature of the Tesla Powerwall2! Looks like it somehow detects the maximum frequency of the inverter sensors, and then raises it's internal frequency to cause grid-tie inverter shutdown. In the video linked, it shows that his frequency went from 50 to 54, whereas mine only jumped to 50.7. Might be that Tesla isn't able to "know" what this upper limit frequency actually is, so it probably begins "probing" around 98% battery full, by incrementally increasing the frequency until it detects an inbound AC shutdown. It might remember that value for next time and allow itself to charge all the way to 100%, knowing it has an proven frequency target for inverter shutdown. Very clever!
EDIT 4: For anyone wondering how the PW2 Gateway works: I've just received a schematic of the work conducted by my installer. Hopefully it's a bit more meaningful to others, than it was to me!


texts: Paint liquifying around cooker: solution?

texts:
I applied "One Coat Matt Emulsion" paint on my kitchen's wallpaper (can't remove the wallpaper).

When cooking though, the paint in the area around the cooker starts liquifying so that if you swipe a finger it comes wet with a bit of paint (10% paint 90% water maybe).

Should I apply another coat of something? If so, what exactly?


texts:
My job moved me cross country and we bought a house (3 yrs old) that sits on a hill.  It has a walk-out basement and the hill slopes away from there, yet the house was built with basement drainage going to a centralized pit and sump pump.

We are going to finish the basement, so I want to make sure it never floods, but the power can easily go out in bad weather. Instead of buying a secondary pump, battery backup, etc, can I just tap into the current drainage bed and use gravity to drain down the hill?  Could I dig down near the low corner of the house, find the drain pipe that feeds into the sump well and connect a drainpipe that goes away from the house and down the hill instead?

I know the drain pipes currently in place are sloped to drain toward the centrally located sump well, but as long as they are all below basement floor level, then they could “back up” to my new connection point and drain down the hill without the water level rising high enough to flood the basement, right?

The only negative I can think of is that the water in the sump well (and the other drain pipes leading to it) may get stagnant since they won’t ever empty (my downhill drain would essentially drain from the top of the current system), am I missing anything?

I guess I could break the concrete slab and dig a trench from the current low point (sump well) out that side of the house and drain down the hill, but I would like to avoid all that concrete work if possible.


texts: Rewiring part of a circuit, how to properly terminate old branches?

texts:
Context

There's an overloaded partially-K&T circuit in a small 100+ yr/old home that needs to be rewired. This circuit currently goes from basement panel to attic where it serves ceiling lights and drops down to a few wall outlets, with some splices of old 2-wire romex in some areas where renovations occurred. The rewiring of this circuit has two goals, which calls for separating it into more than one circuit: 1) remove load from this circuit so it is not handling so much, and 2) remove old knob and tube. This rewiring is being done with a local electrician but they are willing to pass some planning/work to us which they'll check before finalizing.

Because there's a substantial amount of work to do, the job naturally breaks into two major sections: rewiring the ceiling lights and switches coming down from the attic; and rewiring the wall outlets. For the wall outlets, it seems much easier (and two electricians have also suggested) to make runs along the basement ceiling and pop up into existing or new wall outlet from there. This also makes sense in terms of circuit loads, as the wall outlets should be separated from ceiling lights, and some of the wall outlets should really be on their own breaker (e.g. an outdoor outlet for a plug-in vehicle; an outlet in a bedroom which runs a space heater).

Question

My question is about what to do with the old wires coming down from the attic to wall outlets, after the wall outlets are switched over to new wiring coming up from the basement. Since the basement/wall circuits will probably be done before rewiring the attic, the old wires coming down will only be disconnected from one end (only temporarily if all goes roughly according to plan, as we'll cut off the attic wiring from its source once we rewire that).

Can the wires disconnected on one end just be terminated with wire nuts, and where can they safely reside (in the outlet box [tight fit, no?], or does a junction box with a flat cover need to be installed above the outlet box for storage of old wire terminuses)? Is it so unacceptacle to have wires terminate on one end like this, that we should find a way to do the attic rewiring first so we can disconnect these wall outlets from their source above before we cut them off at the outlets?

My question is similar but different from Is there a way to safely have exposed electrical wires? because in my case I will not ever reuse these disconnected wires (but will eventually disconnect them on both ends), and because I don't have a junction box these old wire disconnects can go in (yet - maybe I need to install one for that purpose). Cramming the terminated old wires in the outlet box that's containing the new wires doesn't seem like a good idea, but maybe that's a viable answer to my question too.


texts: What is causing a motor to trip my GCFI on every OTHER start?

texts:
I am experiencing a very strange, intractable ground fault issue. I have a bandsaw that runs on a GCFI/ACFI-protected branch. It has a standard capacitor-start induction motor. Every OTHER time I start the motor, it causes a ground fault, like clockwork (NB: not an arc fault.) I will turn it on, it trips, I reset the breaker, turn it on again, it runs, turn it off and on again, it trips, ad infinitum. It's an old motor, and the wiring is a recent installation. I have another squirrel cage motor on the same branch for a drill press, and it never causes a trip. What on earth could be causing this ground fault on every OTHER motor start?
Edits to address comments: I know it's not an arc fault because the breaker has lights that indicate whether it's an arc or a ground fault or an overload fault that tripped the breaker. It's definitely a ground fault. I haven't tried it on other GFCI branches because it would be a pain in the but to get the saw over there, but I will look into doing so. It does not trip a non-gfci breaker.
The idea that it might be time running, and not the fact of starting it twice is an interesting idea mentioned in the comments. But I don't think that this is the case because I can run the saw for 20 minutes, turn it off, turn it back on again, and have a trip.


texts: Does copper wire need to say it's copper?

texts:
I just saw this picture of wire.

Pirelli Cable-X - 500 MCM Type THHN or THWN-2 600V Gasoline & Oil Resistant II AWM (UL)

Wait a minute.

It's routine common THHN, like you might use in a 250A service or something.  But despite all this detail it seems to have forgotten to state whether it is copper or aluminum.  And tell you the truth, I've never stopped to notice if any of my other THHN also fail to mention.

If no wire material is stated... is there a default?


texts: Non-metallic conduit support on horizontal surface in inaccessible space

texts:
NEC says I need to secure 1" nonmetallic rigid conduit (Schedule 40 PVC to be precise) every 3 feet, which makes perfect sense when it is hanging between supports horizontally, across joists, or on a vertical surface.

However, I am looking to run a length of conduit over my porte cochere. The plan is to have it go up into one soffit, cross over attic space (inaccessible, no stairs or opening) feeding it in via the soffit, and come down out the other. Its about 14' across and there is no real way for me to get in there to attach straps. It would lay on 1/2" to 3/4" plywood which constitutes the ceiling of the porte cochere.  Can I leave this long of a run without a strap? It is 'supported' by the flooring.

My only concern is its not protected - outside the fact that you would have to drill through the plywood to hit it. There is a run of romex to four recessed lights in this space as well.

If it has to be supported, can I use something like a rooftop pipe support and feed them in to the space?

Any advice or pointing to somewhere in the code that hits this would be very helpful.


texts: Why is my Erbauer 230mm 110v Angle Grinder smoking from the upper body area?

texts:
When I turn my Erbauer 230mm 110v Angle Grinder on, the motor powers up, the gears turn and it all seems to work fine. After about 10-15 seconds it starts to smoke, but with no strange noise, and not any smell of burning. Does anyone know what could be causing this?
I've checked the brushes and they're fine, and there doesn't appear to be any incorrect wiring, or any foreign matter inside it.
Much appreciated.


texts:
I want to make a whiteboard using hardboard. I understand it works pretty well, but if you leave marker on it for a while, it could become hard to erase.

I'm hoping therefore to try an experiment where I coat some small sections of hardboard with various coatings, draw on each section, then see which one erases best after a week.

What are some coatings I should try for each test section of board? Furniture lacquer? Nail polish?


texts: How do I wire 3 way switches where the power comes in at the light?

texts:
Have a 3 way switch question about a garage I'm helping a local homeless shelter fix up.  They have already installed some 3 way switches, wiring and places for 2 lights, but they aren't sure how to wire it up (the original guy who helped out isn't around anymore).

Basically 2 lights in the middle of 3-way switches on either end.  Power comes into the light 1 (2 wire) and then I have 3 wire from light 1 to switch 1, 3 wire from light 1 to light 2, and then 3 wire from light 2 to switch 2.  I have a diagram that shows me how to do it with power coming into the switch, but i am unsure of what to do in my current situation.  Can anyone help me wire this up?

Well I think I just found it.  BMitch, you are correct.  Here's a link to the diagram.

http://www.homeimprovementweb.com/information/how-to/three-way-switch-option8.htm


texts: Will 12" studs work for a TV mount designed for 16" stud mounting?

texts: I've moved into a new location and I have 12" studs rather than the 16" studs my TV mount was designed for.  The TV mount comes with lag bolts (M8x55).  Getting the lag bolts and pilot holes drilled don't seem to be a problem; the mount is around 25 lbs and my TV is around 35 lbs.  I know that in a broader situation (e.g., 24" studs) I'd want a plywood backing behind the mount.  Am I correct that I shouldn't need one in this case with the studs being closer together as long as the lag bolts are correctly placed in the center of the studs?


texts:
I am trying to replace a broken hidden furniture hinge and cannot find a hinge that matches. How does one find a specific atypical hinge?
The following pictures are of a not yet broken hinge.


texts: Can I run two lines INTO a single condensate pump?

texts: Just moved into our first new (old) home and am quickly learning the "joys of homeownership"! In the basement, there is a Little Giant VCMA-15ULST condensate pump attached via PVC for air conditioning.  This pump appears to have two more input plugs.  I need to get a dehumidifier for the basement and am wondering if I can input a line from a dehumidifier into this same pump, or if I need to buy a separate pump for the dehumidifier?  Still haven't had to turn on the AC yet because we're still cool temps.  Thanks for any help!


texts: Our basement washroom shower started overflowing. It happens when we use the sink for longer than 30 seconds and when we use the shower. It will over flow, then slowly drain. We have tried snaking from the sink and the shower drain but the snake pops up clean in the opposite drain(from sink to shower drain and vise versa) It never used to do this in the years past. Is there anyway to fix this problem?


texts:
I have a Rheem ROBF-067LBEA949 oil furnace as part of a forced-air Rheem UPNL-036JAZ heat-pump heating-and-cooling system, controlled by a Honeywell TH5220D1029 thermostat in its 2H1C w/ AUX configuration.  We've only been in this house through one winter, so I don't know what's "normal", but the oil furnace seems to come on, run for 5-10 minutes, shut off, wait for 5 minutes, then come back on.  I know in a compressor A/C system, this would be called "short cycling", and would be bad for the compressor.  I'm concerned that this might be bad for the furnace over a long period.

Got any advice?


texts:
I replaced an old Honeywell thermostat about a month ago with a Nest thermostat. Friday Nest started displaying an E74 error.

I have two furnaces and two outdoor units, one for upstairs and for downstairs. Upstairs works fine, downstairs does not.

Both furnaces show “normal operation” LED codes.

There are W1, C, Y1, Rh and G wires.

I have done the following to check what was going on with no different result:

Reinstalled old thermostat (no power if I remove batteries)
Connected Rh to Rc
Removed the C wire
Removed the Y1 wire
Made a connection with Rh to G to check if fan would come on
Replaced fuse on furnace (both furnaces, they weren’t blown but thought I’d try anyway)
Checked all breaker boxes, turned on and off repeatedly
Checked incoming power to AC unit outside, read 249V.
Recut and rewired Nest completely.

I have no idea what other steps to take, I am in Texas - it is currently relatively hot outside and I cannot find a professional until June 1st


texts: I purchased a house this summer and am noticing some hot spots on the roof. The old home owner just said they kept the roof shoveled to prevent it from causing ice dams. That is fine and all - but was wondering if any of you might have suggestions on what might be causing it. Seems strange that it is localized directly over a soffit vent. Any ideas? Attached is a picture. Seems like it must be a pretty severe heat loss... But I really have no experience. There is blown in insulation in the attic.


texts: How can I tell if this is wood or drywall?

texts:
I am trying to mount speakers on the topmost part as you can see here:

Basically I am mounting it on that thin vertical area that you can see. Is this part wood or drywall? From tapping it, it sounds more solid. So does that mean it is wood?

I am also going to mount speakers on the opposite side, at the top of the wall as well. It looks like this on the opposite side:

Would this be wood as well?


texts: My basement is not occupied and I would like to put Roxul insulation against the windows so it adds a bit more insulation in the winter. The material I plan to use is Roxul, my question is would it be safe to have exposed Roxul insulation around the house?


texts: Can I connect a 3 Pole on/off switch to 1phase 120v?

texts:
My scenario:

Installing new VFD (1phase 120v input with 3 phase output), 3 phase motor to Lathe
I want to install a disconnect or on/off switch between the house 120v plug outlet and the VFD input.  So I'll plug the VFD into the 120v wall outlet, but I want a on/off or disconnect switch between plug and VFD so I can shut off power to lathe completely.

I'm looking at switches similar to this and to get over 20A, everything switch seems to be 3 pole.
Katko KU325

I'm going to need to figure out which is neutral in the power cord, right?

How can I make the 3 pole switch work?


texts: How do I cut and cap copper water tubing cheaply and safely?

texts:
In my basement I have copper water pipes that look like they hooked up to an old shower.  Now they don't hook up to anything.  I want to prune these pipes where they come off the main water line (so I can put a deep freezer in their place) but I've never done anything like that before.

Google tells me I have two options for pipe fittings: sweating or compression fittings.
I want something more or less permanent but I don't to buy extra tools I may not need again for a long time, plus if I can avoid open flames I'd like to, etc.  Are compression caps available and suitable for this kind of thing?

PS Can I cut copper pipe with an angle grinder or should I buy a pipe cutter?

Resolution: Thanks for all the advice!  In the end I went with a pushfit cap made by SharkBite:

I also bought a handheld, handleless pipe cutter for $7.  I shut off the water, cut the pipe, popped on the cap, and turned the water back on.  Worked like a charm.  The whole job took 20 minutes and cost about $11.

I'll look forward to learning to sweat connections another time.  For a casual plumber like me, pushfit fittings cost about 10 times as much as soldering and so worth it.


texts: What else can I use to clean glass windows?

texts: I have a job scheduled that involves getting a house ready to sell. The customer wants it cleaned and polished as she is putting it on the market. It's a 3 story 1950's era house that has a lot of glass windows and doors (a lot). The windows are original single-pane casement. Every one has mullions that divide the pane into single panes (about 12" x 12"). I have to clean every window. What is the fastest way to accomplish this? I've heard newspaper can be substituted for paper towels?


texts: How to remove rest of Delta Monitor 1500 shower handle?

texts:
The complete album of images is here https://imgur.com/gallery/mOgTMZ8
I have removed all of the screws and the nut shown in the picture but I can’t manage to pop off the rest of the handle to get to the cartridge. I am trying to remove the handle so I can update it to a 1700 series handle. I found a similar post here but the detail of how to remove the handle we’re not provided.


texts: What should I check if my chainsaw fails to start?

texts:
My chainsaw stopped working and I've got a tree that fell and needs cut up.  Does anybody have any idea what I can do to get my chainsaw started? I've done a bit of stuff on cars so I'm willing to try to take it all apart, though part of me is tempted to just drop $200 for a new one.  Still, an afternoon tinkering isn't going to cost me much.  Here is what I tried:

So Far:

check gas in tank Add Star Tron or Stabil Fuel Additive
check for spark with screwdriver.
Check Air Filter / intake for clogs
Check Fuel Filter / to cylinder.
Check linkages for Start/Stop and choke levers are operating
Clean Magneto of Rust, ensure it holds a screwdriver up.
Clean carburetor and fuel lines, especially if it may contain old fuel.

It's a husqavarna about 5 years old.  I ran it hard 3 years ago when I had another tree topple but it made it through, though I may have vapor locked it once.  It's also not been running since I failed to start it last year and it's been sitting there.  With the spring I need to get on it before the weeds come.


texts: Using mineral spirits on wood and then staining it?

texts:
Today I learned that staining when its really hot out is a really bad idea. My stain dried almost as soon as i applied it and started to look like shit. I panicked, brought the thing i was working on into my cold basement and used a brush soaked in mineral spirits to remove the stain and then wiped most of it off with paper towels.

Questions:

Can I let the thing dry outside, and apply stain (inside this time) without first sanding the areas affected?
Was it indeed the temperature that caused my failure? My stain is also pretty old and I plan on buying new stuff asap
I used a "pre-stain" product before i stained, do i need to re-apply that?


texts:
On many websites, they recommend sampling your water after at least 8 hours of no usage.  Some recommend sampling immediately after this period and others recommend flushing the water for 5-15 minutes.  I'm almost sure there are lead connections in the plumbing system because the apartment building was built in the 1930s.  And the city says the water meets lead standards at the source (in other words, the 5-15 minute flush seems unnecessary). Does it make sense to just flush for 30 seconds before sampling because 30 seconds is how long I plan to flush before using the water for cooking, washing, bathing etc?

(Actually I'm testing for more than just lead)


texts:
I have a concrete counter that is a bit unusual in that the surface layer is just concrete dye.  It looks awesome, very earthy mix of colors, but unfortunantly it cracks, pulls up a bit.  I tried patching with SpectraLOCK grout, and while it seems to work, and be stronger, it is sanded, and I need an unsanded grout.

Looking around I didn't find any epoxy type grouts that are unsanded.  Any recommendations?


texts: Where can I connect the C wire on the A/C side?

texts:
I’m trying to replace my thermostat with the Honeywell Smart-WiFi thermostat. Quick summary, I have an extra yellow wire which I’m making the C wire, but its not connected at the other end and I’m not sure where it should go.
This picture is with the original connections to the previous thermostat. There is no C wire. Labels are:
W = white
Y = blue
G = green
R = red
yellow wire left over, not connected

Here’s the photo of the new thermostat wall plate. Labels are:
C = common
R = red
W = white
Y = blue
G = green

I’ve since removed the R to Rc jumper loop.
Of the 5-wires that lead from the thermostat, on the A/C end they connect as follows:
thermostat blue connected to small white to small green to thick brown w/ a "C" label on it.
thermostat red connects to thicker red wire  w/ label "R"
thermostat white connects to thicker white wire w/ label "W"
thermostat green connects to thicker green wire w/ label "G"
yellow is left unconnected

Just a note, I'm getting the feeling the blue wire is actually common because it's connected to another incoming wire that is labeled "C", but on the thermostat end, it's labeled "Y". Should I maybe just pair the yellow to the same wire labeled "C" near the A/C end?
Any help much appreciated.


texts:
I have a gas water heater in my garage that i enclosed with bi-fold doors. Since there were bi-fold doors with space on the top and bottom and also in the garage, we didn't install combustion air intakes.

We have now made it a game room with central heat and air flowing inside the garage. Do we have to add combustion air? There is not people there all the time.


texts: Vapour barrier for basement garage ceiling

texts: To make the floor of a bedroom above a garage warmer it is desireable to insulate the garage ceiling.  Does a vapour barrier go up in the joists against the floor above since the house would be expected to be the warm side or between the gyproc and insulation on the garage side since engine heat and meling snow might create a temporary humidity problem?  This is near Calgary where the air, on average, is relatively dry.


texts: Why would the condensing unit fan shut off but not the compressor?

texts:
We have an allegiance 12 unit circa 2001, model 7a2024a100a3, the fan starts up and runs for about 5 minutes then shuts off, the compressor is still on and seems to build up a bit the "flush" or so it sounds, then build up again. I can turn the fan blades manually. When the fan stops we get warm air in house, when it runs it is cold.

Any help is appreciated


texts: Are there other advantages to using turf over grass seed besides getting instant results?

texts:
As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm planning to eventually have a lawn in our front yard (right now, it's bare due to septic work).  I'm confused on if there are clear advantages to using turf vs just planting the seed.

As far as I can tell, the only major difference is time.  Am I missing something here?


texts:
So I’m trying to replace my old light switches with some nice new dimmers but I have a problem. As you can see in the picture, all the ground wires run up and out of the box to an unknown location. Really unsure of how to proceed. Any help would be much appreciated.

Update:
After some finagling I got the bundle of grounds out or the hole(see picture below) but now I have found that the 2 dimmers I have won’t even fit in the receptacle together. It is not a metal box it looks like some kind of fiber product, probably asbestos knowing my luck. It says CU. IN. 24


texts: How should I repair a new crack in the ceiling drywall?

texts: Last night there was a huge, house-rattling windstorm. This morning, there's a new hairline crack in some ceiling drywall. What's the best way to repair it? Should I fill the crack with spackle first, or can I just paint it straight away?


texts: light switch conversion 3 gang to 1 gang

texts: I have a three gang box, dimmable, switch, switch.  I want to use a wifi capable switch, but it comes with all three switches in a single gang switch.  How do you use the existing 3 gang box with only one gang switch now?


texts: Can I wire a exterior light to a inside outlet?

texts:
I have a defiant led motion light and I'm mounting it above the garage and the garage has been converted to a room, So behind the garage door is a wall with 2 standard outlets the top outlet usually has a window ac unit plugged in (but I unplug it when I'm not using it) and the bottom outlet is used for when I plug my keyboard in or laptop charger ETC, so it's usually free most of the time.

So I'm just wanting to make sure I can wire my motion light to one of these outlets with no problems or overloading of too much power.

Sorry if I sound like an amateur this will be my first time wiring anything on my own and first DIY

the exterior light model is this dfi 5988-wh, and the specs are 2450 lumens output and the watt equivalence is 29.23 that's all I has on the box.

Any help, thoughts or suggestions would be awesome. Thanks


texts: Master thermostats on a multi zone heat system

texts: I have a 5 zone split level house with forced hot water heat. The issue I’m running into is that my house has an in-law apartment that I rent out and it occupies 2 of the 5 zones, and the other 3 are divided between my living room, bedroom and basement. The master thermostat is in my living room, and unfortunately that thermostat’s setting dictates the max temperature the rest of the thermostats can go to. I like the house around 60, and my tenant likes it around 70. We agreed to meet in the middle at 65, but unfortunately that means my boiler is heating half of my house to 65 keep her apartment comfortable because the heat needs to be set higher (raising my fuel bill); not to mention the fact that I’m uncomfortable half the time because I’m too hot. My question is whether or not I can move the master thermostat into the apartment easily, if there is a thermostat out there that will allow each zone total control over the max temperature it can be set to, or if there is a simple work around to my issue. As a side note; all 3 zones in my side of the house have digital LUX thermostats, and the apartment still has the old “turn face style” analog ones.


texts: What should  I use to fill these  flagstones joints? Joint size is between 1-4". Is mortar my best option? Will polymeric sand work with these huge gaps?


texts: How do you know if new redwood decking is ready to be stained?

texts: I have a new redwood deck, but I'm not sure if the wood is ready to be stained.  I've read that you should wait 3 months to stain it.  I have power washed it already and it has been drying for a couple days.  I'm also wondering if it should be sanded.  I am going to use an oil based stain called penofin.


texts: How to properly insulate PVC water pipes outside?

texts:
I live in Houston, and I'm trying to re-insulate my external pipes, which are a mix of PVC pipes and fittings and brass valves. Most of my fellow Houstonians use foam polyethylene insulation and duct tape the seams only (which is how I found the pipes on my house), but in my research I've seen many comments that foam polyethylene is not suitable for outdoor applications. That makes sense to me, because it always ends up dry, crumbly, and disintegrating when I come across it, and I'm guessing that makes it less effective as insulation (but please correct me if it's still doing a good job). Those people recommend nitrile / rubber insulation instead, e.g. Armaflex.
When I watch Frost King's video titled "How to pick the right pipe insulation", they only use rubber insulation outdoors on an AC's copper refrigerant line. Well, that's what every AC in Houston uses too. I know the manufacturers say you can use rubber insulation on PVC pipes, but is it actually more effective than foam polyethylene?
But maybe rubber insulation isn't enough. I've seen comments saying you also have to paint it (not tape it) to make it UV resistant. Armaflex sells a product called Armaflex Shield that comes with a UV resistant coating already, but I can't find it on the shelves. Do I have to paint the "basic" rubber insulation? Is a UV resistant 10 mil pipe wrap tape good enough? Do I really have to cover the entire length of insulation?
Lastly, gaps. The jobs I see in the wild in Houston leave gaps everywhere, but often comments say we should cover everything right up to the edge of the valve handle, with perfectly mitered elbows and no gaps anywhere, and that rubber insulation must be joined with glue.
I've seen dozens of videos demonstrating "bad practices" according to comments, and not a single video demonstrating installing rubber insulation, glued and painted, on outdoor PVC pipes. Is this "best practice" just a myth?


texts: I just bought a used table saw and a previous owner extended the table and in the extension put holes to mount a router underneath.  There's a 1.5-2" center hole and several counter-sunk holes around it for mounting screws/bolts.  I don't know whether the spacing of those holes is fairly standard across router brands or if I'm going to have trouble finding a router to mount in the existing holes.


texts: How many wraps of Teflon tape around nipples that need to point in one direction?

texts:
I cannot find one source on the Internet that addresses what to do when you’ve wrapped the threads with Teflon, threaded the fitting on and threaded until it’s pointing in the right direction, and it’s not tight but it won’t go around again.
The most common example is shower head nipples but the same problem applies with drop fittings. I’ve included some examples.
I did the customary 3 wrap, and wasn’t tight enough, so I unwrapped and did 7 wrap. That worked on one, another took 10.
I mean, this is the way to do it, but why can’t I find anyone online admitting that this janky method is the solution. And if there is some other trick, please let me know cuz baby needs a new pair of shoes and I ain’t got time for this.

EDIT: this isn’t an answer, but it solved my problem. I replaced the elbow fittings with straight fittings and I used elbows in the pipes instead. This way I could crank down on the threaded fittings.


texts: Bottom wall plate half on parallel joist, safe?

texts: In replacing a bathroom shower stall, we are replacing a piece of sub flooring with your typical shower damage to it. In replacing it, I noticed the exterior wall which runs parallel to the joist is only half on the joist itself. It went joist, subfloor (part of which is being removed, bottom plate. See illustration attached. Is it safe to be half over the joist with an equal width of old subfloor between it and the joist? Ideally, I'd like to box in a frame between the new joists to support the new subfloor panel, but that would not go under the bottom plate.


texts: I recently bought an older home (1895) and have all hardwood floors. In the second floor I have a floorboard that is split and sags as you walk on it. How can this be fixed? Reinforced?


texts: Is it sane to use a normal router to cut drywall, approximating a spiral saw?

texts:
I have a drywall job that I'm struggling to do with my hand tools and circular saw and can see a real need for a Spiral Saw RotoZip type of tool. But it'm not so keen to buy something so specialized that I may not need to use again for years.

How sane would it be to press a normal router into service cutting drywall? Could I outfit it with a drywall router's plunge cutting bit and basically use it for the same thing? Or am I better off just biting the bullet and buying a spiral saw?


texts: Reduced hot water pressure after closing and reopening water supply in one upstairs tub

texts:
A week ago, my dad had shut off the main water supply to our house to repair a leaky shower head. Upon opening water supply, our faucets sputtered for a little while as they normally do and water pressure returned to normal throughout the house. However, one of the tubs upstairs sputtered normally, and suddenly had very low water pressure on the hot side.

The water pressure is fine when set to cold, but it is immediately reduced when moving from warm to hot. No other faucet in the house is facing this issue. When switching from the tub faucet to the shower head, the water pressure has the same problem.

I inspected the faucet by removing the faucet handle, closing the hot and cold water supply on the faucet valve, and removing the cartridge. I am no plumber, but I didn't see anything that looked obviously broken. After putting everything back together, the hot water pressure did not change.

Could the escaping air from turning the water main back on have caused something to get lodged in the hot water supply for just this tub? Is there anything else I should check before I call a plumber?


texts: Is this typical for how hot water heating loops are plumbed?

texts:
First time owning a home with hot water heat, and studying the plumbing the basement, I notice that the living room/kitchen zone that has a run of baseboard, a kick panel unit, and several floor units, doesn't have them daisy chained as I expected, but each one is in parallel with the main loop.   The attached photo shows the "drop" for one of the in-floor units.
Is this a typical practice when a zone has multiple drops?
I can see the benefit of this, in that each successive device doesn't lower the overall temperature as much as if they were "one out, two in" plumbed, and this also allows for more overall flow through the system rather than being restricted by the smaller devices, but it leaves me wondering how enough water goes through the individual devices, since it seems that it would be easier to keep flowing through the larger-diameter main loop than taking the 1/2" route through the baseboard or whatever.
The loop pipe seems to be 1", and the drops are 1/2" copper.  The overall system has a single circulator and zone valves for each thermostat-controlled zone.


texts: Using 1" black iron pipe as a hydronic radiator, how many feet of pipe would I need to heat a 500ft^3 room?

texts:
I guess industrial is hip these days. Or maybe it's just me. But I'm thinking of making a snaking heater/towel warmer for my bathroom remodel. How many feet would I need, and how is this calculated?

The room is 10x5. All the other walls on this floor are exactly half covered with radiant heaters. I'm not sure how many BTUs per foot that puts out, but I assume that's relevant to the question. By that, I'd think I need the equivalent of half of 15 feet of heaters? But that's more than I'd ever be able to fit into a bathroom anyways. Realistically there's about 7 feet of space along the one uninterrupted wall.

Other considerations that I wouldn't mind people chiming in on:

Rust scale in heating lines?
Don't worry, I know I'll need a dielectric union to prevent corrosion between copper and iron
I might need to remove some heater from the other room to make up for less surface area in the bathroom. Not a problem, I wouldn't mind opening that wall.
I suppose this is a burn risk if it's running at 180 degrees. Will the metal actually reach that temperature? Will I need to design some sort of heat cutoff redirect solenoid valve to make it function safely? Maybe I'll forget about towel warming and put a panel of tempered glass over it
I'm thinking I'll wire-wheel it and season it with linseed oil on the outside to prevent it from making a mess of anything that touches it.
If this is an all around silly idea, please let me know in a factual way, not speculation


texts: What is the proper waterproof bathroom underlayment for vinyl tile flooring?

texts:
This question discusses vinyl tile flooring underlayment in a bathroom, but fails to address how waterproof the answer can be.

In my project, we have water-damaged bathroom subfloor and have pulled out vinyl flooring that was on top of it and then cut out the subfloor in order to replace it. In our replacement, we're going to use thin vinyl tiles instead of rolled out vinyl flooring. We plan to put down 1/4 inch birch sheets (someone told me it was called "luon") on top the replaced plywood subflooring. Between the luon and the plywood subflooring, I was told to use self-leveling compound. But then we planned to put the vinyl tile squares right on top the luon. My worry there, however, is that even if we place the tiles very close together, water will seep through, hit the luon, and bubble it. So, my question is -- are we supposed to put a material or flooring on top of the luon before we put the thin vinyl tile squares?

I'm wondering if we should be using concrete board instead of luon, and then put the vinyl tile on that, or if we're supposed to smear some compound on the luon to waterproof it, or some other thing we're supposed to do so that water that leaks to the luon won't cause it to bubble.


texts: Nest learning thermostat 3rd gen - E80 error

texts:
Happy new year! I was installing the Nest learning thermostat (3rd gen) and run into a "no power on Y1 wire" problem...it is saying no power on yellow wire, NEST error code is E80. It is winter I am located in NY, I am pretty sure the AC was working in summer if they are related... Any idea where could it be wrong on this one?
Here is my situation, I have 3 nest stat for 3 floors：
Floor 1: Nest thermostat E, no C wire installed, working fine so far..
Floor 2: Nest learning thermostat 3rd gen, no C wire, reporting E80 error - no power on yellow wire.
Floor 3: Nest thermostat E, didn't work without C wire, working fine so far after connected C wire.
I was thinking to put the "E" version device on the 2nd floor base to see if it reports same error but realized the E version's size is different with the learning 3rd gen version so can't do that...
Related question: Nest thermostat wiring to First Co air handler


texts: Can I use copper wire to prevent moss growth on a roof?

texts:
I want to prevent moss from growing on my sheds roof, and I've read that copper (zinc, or lead) flashing can be used to prevent the moss.

I'm cheap, and don't want to buy copper flashing.  However, I have a ton of old copper wire laying around. If I strip the insulation (obviously), can I tack the wire to the roof instead of copper flashing?

The roof is covered in asphalt shingles.


texts: Can I run a gas hot water heater on propane?

texts: I have property where I am boon-docking an airstream. I've been looking into a passive solar hot water heater design, For the holding tank I was looking at using an old hot water heater, I found a used gas hot water heater online, and it made me think, is it possible to use propane with a gas hot water heater? Perhaps I could still do the passive solar setup, but also have the ability to heat the hot water with propane.


texts: What is the failure mode of making an adapter to convert a 240 V outlet to 120 V

texts:
I have an EV charger that uses a NEMA 14-50 outlet with 6 AWG back to a 50 amp breaker.  The outlet is in a location where there are no nearby 120 V outlets and it would be convenient to occasionally to have 120 V there instead.
Functionally it is possible with just a dryer plug, a 20 amp duplex outlet, and a box to create an adapter to convert (in the functional sense, not physics) the 240 V outlet into 120 V.
Edit for clarification: I'm not talking about making a permanent hard wired change to my home's wiring.  I'm talking about a stand alone adapter that I can unplug the EVSE and then plug in this adapter on an as needed basis and then switch it back.  In this way it's impossible for both to be used simultaneously.
One safety failure of the adapter is if a device pulls more current than its own cord (or internals) can handle but less than 50 amps because it wouldn't trip the breaker and potentially cause a fire.  Is there anything else I'm missing?  I saw some inline circuit breakers on Amazon for up to 250 VAC 20 amp.  Would that be a way to fix the safety issue or am I thinking about it too simplistically?  What is wrong with adding these sort of circuit breakers to the outlet?
Another clarification: I'm not interested in adding a subpanel for a few reasons.

It requires a permit
It is more expensive even setting aside the permitting cost
It's cumbersome on the wall
It would then allow the car to charge while also using the 120 V at the same time.  In doing so, it may trip the 50A breaker since the car pulls quite a bit of current unless.  I recognize that I could reduce the charging rate but I don't want to.


texts:
My wife and I just moved into a “new construction” house in Philadelphia. A few weeks ago I noticed a hairline crack on the kitchen ceiling. A few days later when working from home I saw the spot in a different light and noticed how raised the area is around it. What I want to know is if it’s water damage or just a crappy drywall job by the builder. There are other raised portions in the vicinity, but this is definitely the worst/most noticeable. It’s not soft, and the crack doesn’t seem to have gotten any worse after rain/snow the past few weeks, there’s also no discoloration.

I’ve included pictures of the spot at two different lighting situations


texts: Mounting home networking gear on pegboard

texts: I've got a panel of pegboard in a closet that I'd like to use to mount my router, cable modem and other similar gear. Are there accessories that either screw into the holes themselves, or are small enough where a typical device will fit over them? Standard accessories are too thick, and don't fit through the mounting holes of the network gear.


texts: Reclaimed floor boards vs roof boards: what's the difference?

texts: I'm looking for some reclaimed pine floorboards to match the floor they'll be helping fix. This place (for example) lists both reclaimed floorboards and roof boards— is this the same thing? Could I get roof boards and use them in a floor?


texts:
We have a glass porch (10ft x 20ft) with glass walls and glass roof, connects to the main building through a door. What is the way to decrease the heat inside the room?
Similar to that:

We can cover the roof with any material, decreasing light is not a problem. Will installing IR-reflective film be enough, or we should put a sail-type light tarp on the ceiling inside / roof outside?
Location: Southern California, US


texts:
We spent thousands of dollars for new windows couple years ago.  Our old windows were only 15 years old and double pane and always getting wet inside in winter so we had them all replaced with triple pane.
Now these ones are getting wet only around the edge of the glass but very  VERY moldy. We had the people from the window Company back after it started and checked the air and it showed comfortable but they still said it's too much humidity.  We have a small monitor in use all the time and it shows comfortable so what can the problem be and if it's due to humidity why didn't the old windows grow mold. They definitely didn't.  Ever.


texts:
Ok, so I am trying to replace the light switches in my garage; I shut of the breaker, but the switches were still reading voltage using my non-contact sensor; I go back and switch off other breakers, assuming the breaker was mislabeled; still, it senses voltage. I shut off every breaker in the panel (except the Main), and it still reads voltage.  [scratching head further]

Heck, I shut off the Main.....that surely will do the trick!  Voltage continues. [puzzled and generally concerned].  Here is a short video clip of the circumstances: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6sfNdtoREigd2kyZU4yRWR0b3M

Any suggestions???

Thanks,
Tom


texts:
Let me start off by saying, I'm lost lol seriously. Ok I'll try my best to explain my situation here.

I have 5 outlets on a 20 amp breaker with 14/2 wire

All 5 outlets read around .57 to .76 voltage.

I have pulled out each outlet and tested the wires separately and they all read the same around.57 to .76, common sense says that there's a loose wire reducing the voltage or there's a nail in the wall that hit a wire right

OK the outlets have been working fine until today then just all of a sudden I get a loss of power, no recent reconstruction no recent nails, all the wires are tight and the 20 amp breaker has an output of 120 volts

If that doesn't throw you off enough, there's 2 receptacles that only have one wire coming in and nothing coming out, these 2 receptacles are on 2 sperate wall while the other 3 are on one wall beside each other and there's no gfci in the circuit ... what in the mother of Jesus is going on here and why are there two ends in a circuit.

I thought it might be another receptacle throwing all the other off, that's what anybody in the right state of mind would think right, but the breaker only control those 5, I can't help but laugh instead of cry cause its so mind boggling, haha please help so I can have a fridge again :(

3 receptacles on one wall, one has 3 wires coming in and the other 2 receptacles have 2 wires for in and out,

I also thought, hey maybe the breaker is not throwing the current far enough so I switched it with another 20 amp

Please don't say a 12 amp breaker shouldn't be on 14/2 wire cause its against the code... I didn't install the wiring, I'm just trying to fix it


texts: Controlling separate heat and AC units from a single thermostat

texts: I currently have central air in the attic and furnace in the basement for the heat (steam radiator heat).  I have both wires run to the same location but have two thermostats.  Can I wire them both to one thermostat?  I have a picture of the thermostat that is currently used for the AC only.  Any help or suggestions would be helpful.


texts: My wall drain is barely below the bottom of my strainer basket. My T for the double kitchen sink will be below the wall drain. Will this work?


texts:
I have a 120 gallon indirect water heater. I notice that when I take a shower with a 3 gpm shower head, the water starts to cool after about 20 minutes, which would be 60 gallons or only 50% of the tank. I assume this is because any hot water removed from the tank is being immediately replaced with cold water which then starts to cool the tank down. Is this correct?

If so, is there anything I can do to increase the duration of hot water, such as somehow only having it start to refill the tank when it is 20% full or something like that?

The system is heated by hot water coming from a boiler. The pressurization is by city water supply at 80 PSI. The temperature set point is 130F.


texts: Dealing with non square wall and non-planable vanity cabinet

texts:
I've just replaced the floor in my bathroom and as I prepare to put the vanity back (we removed it to lay floor under it in the spirit of completeness) I've discovered why combs and things fall down the side of the vanity so often (what a trove we found when we took it out.) The wall is not square:

The wall takes a turn just before the corner and seems like it's thicker. This means the vanity does not sit squarely in the corner. We were thinking of putting tiles on the wall just above the vanity to cover this gap (and we still might) but we may have other options.

First, I can put a shim at the top left corner in this picture, so that the vanity is evenly out from the unsquare wall, and sits squarely in the room, which should stop the gap at the side, which is where everything fell. The back of the vanity comes up in an L shape to form a very short backsplash (maybe 2 inches) so stuff doesn't fall in that direction. But the gap between the wall and the backsplash will be noticeable (even more than it is today), so we would still want to do the tiles. But the non squareness of the wall may be emphasized by trying to attach a tile border to it.

I can't plane the back of the cabinet, because this backsplash is some sort of ceramic. I'm considering getting a thickish piece of wood and planing some off the back of it to match where the wall swells so that the front of the wood forms a square surface, attaching it to studs just above the backsplash, painting the wood the same colour as the wall (white) and then attaching the tile to the wood, presumably resulting in a border of tiles that is nice and even. Is this sensible? Overkill?

Could I instead chisel a bit of a channel into the wall and set the last tile into that so it is still even? Which is more work, chiseling the wall or planing and then attaching the wood?


texts:
I am adding a bathroom in basement which will have a sewage pump. I am finalizing the bathroom layout and the ideal setup will have the toilet 8 ft away from the sewage pump. Is there any reason of concern like clogging issue or anything else? My layout is as below

My 2nd best best option is switch the layout (top/bottom) and the toilet will then be next to sewage pump but it is not ideal layout.

Is my original layout Ok or should I make sure the toilet is next to sewage pump?


texts:
We bought our house 4 years ago with this fan in our bedroom.
Over the past year, it has developed a whirring noise, it doesn't sound like loose a loose screw or other fastener, but rather electrical in nature. I've cleaned the blades to no effect. The only visible screws to disassemble are located at the top of the unit near to where it meets the ceiling.
I've been unable to locate any identifying information on the fan itself.
Does anyone have any idea what make/model this is (pictures attached)?
Also, any suggestions for addressing the whirring?


texts:
Our upstairs bathroom has a toilet, tub and sink. The sink drains very quickly, but starting a couple of seconds after it empties there is a gurgling sound (blub blub blub...) that lasts several seconds. I can even feel it when I hold the pipe below the sink. Consider these facts:

The tub does not gurgle after it drains and the toilet does not gurgle after it is flushed (I tested by shutting off the supply before flushing so the refill noise wouldn't interfere).
Two separate plumbers have snaked the sink line and declared it clear.
Someone went onto the roof to run water through the vent pipe and it appeared clear.
One of the plumbers went on the roof to snake the vent pipe. It went all the way down to where it met water when we ran the sink. There was no blockage found. When I look at the roof, I see two vent pipes, one with a narrower diameter - I think the plumber may have said that was just for the sink.

Despite the above, the gurgling persists. The plumbers have no explanation but they both told me that it's nothing to worry about.

I'd be interested in any opinions about what may be causing the noise and whether based on your similar experience it needs addressing with something not already done. Could this have anything to do with the underground sewer pipe? If so, why would only one plumbing fixture be affected?


texts: How to remove black water stains from maple

texts:
I have black water stains on clear maple window sills. I have tried multiple applications of wood bleach after I removed the finish. The stains are much lighter but darken up when I wipe with a wet sponge.
I plan to remove all of the finish and add no stain and coat with a couple of coats of polyurethane.

Is there anything I can do to lighten up the stains completely?

If not, is there a sealer that will prevent the stain from darkening when the poly is applied?


texts: How deep should I sink a  gatepost for a 7' wide gate in my fence?

texts:
I am a first time fence builder, which will be 6ft cedar. I need a gate that is 7 to 8 ft wide. I live in Oregon and the frost line is only a foot deep. I was planning on a 7ft gate with a 6x6 post. Would that hold the gate? How deep should I sink it?

I also thought of 2 4ft gates on 4x4 posts but have the same questions.

The gate won't be opened a lot, just provide access to a barely used trailer and a dog run. I am concerned with the weight and that it might sag.


texts: Closing off a doorway between apartments but keeping the door?

texts:
I own two condo units that are connected by a doorway in the common brick wall. Now I'd like to rent one of the units and close the doorway. I was wondering if it was possible to leave both options open, that is if there is a way to close the opening but to keep feasible to reintroduce it at wish.

What would be some ways to do that? I was thinking of building a wall inside the opening and keep the doorframe, but what would be possible materials?


texts: How do I patch a subfloor over a return duct cavity

texts: I need to patch these holes in the subfloor where the vents are. These holes are from a return vent that is being moved, the joist cavity below these holes is a return duct. I'm assuming using blocking would affect the airflow. Is it acceptable to patch the subfloor right in the middle of a joist where you would have 3/4" of the patch on the joist and 3/4" of the existing subfloor on the other half of the joist. Or should I use a larger patch and go past the joist and use blocking. Do the other two sides of the patch need to be supported. The subfloor is 3/4" plywood and the joists are 16" OC. The slate floor and laminate floor in the picture have been removed and the finished floor will be either hardwood or an engineered floor. How do I patch this and not affect the airflow in the return vent.


texts: Protecting PEX/UF-B/Ethernet from gophers with hardware cloth?

texts:
I have a well house and some outbuildings that will need some water. I am running 1" PEX underground in 30" deep trenches to these buildings, as well as 10/3 UF-B and some ethernet cable for cameras.
I live in far north central Texas and I am worried about gophers. My soil is sandy and VERY rocky with hard sandstone about 6-10" deep. It's like concrete, but I still see gopher bulges all over the place.
My plan currently is to first drop in 1/4" 23ga mesh galvanized hardware cloth, then the pipe and cable, fold over, and bury the whole smash. There will be no joints or splices underground, and I figure the wire mesh will be locatable by a metal detector.
I already have the pex and cable and cannot return it. I've crossed that Rubicon, and the die is cast, so to speak.
I am looking for opinions as to whether this is overkill, or a bad idea, or what ...
Thanks in advance for any guidance


texts: Installing a Nest thermostat without a C wire?

texts: I am attempting to install a nest but do not have a common wire on my hvac unit, perhaps it is slightly dated. I have read that on older units the O terminal is the same as C and I can remove the green wire (fan) and use that on my O as my common wire. Since I am unable to add a net new wire, could someone kindly let me know if this is a viable solution and the best approach I should take (see pic of my setup)? Thank you.


texts: Is it better to stain before or after assembly?

texts:
I'm going to build a wrapping-paper cart: it holds rolls of wrapping paper, ribbons, tissue, bows, scissors and tape, etc. It's going to be mostly made of 3/8" plywood, and will have a couple of drawers in it.

I'm going to stain and finish the wood. Should I stain it before or after assembling it? (Or both, with touch-up after assembly?) Are there some parts that should be stained at a different time?

For reference, it will look somewhat like this product.


texts:
I have an LG LW1217ERSM 12,000 BTU window A/C unit and was wondering if it is possible to connect a remote temperature sensor to the unit.
For example, the unit is set to 72 degrees but the temperature in another room is 80 degrees. With the remote temperature sensor placed in the 80 degree room, the unit would continue to cool until that room is also brought down to 72 degrees. Unfortunately this unit does not seem to have this feature so I was wondering if it is possible to modify the unit.
Thanks!


texts:
I'm designing a custom headboard for our bed and I want to install electrical into the cubbies I am making in the headboard (primarily for cell phone charging). In my current design, the electrical box would be installed into a cut out 2x4.

I've attached two sketchup models for reference. My primary question is this: Are there any U.S. electrical codes or even best practices I need to be aware of in regards to where and into what material I can install an electrical box? The only thing I could find was that a box can protrude through up to 1/2" of drywall, so I'm wondering if that means that attempting to protrude through a larger (flammable) piece of material like this is against code. If you have any other related advice/caution about running electrical into furniture, that would be welcomed as well. Thanks!

EDIT: In my design, this 2x4 could be changed to a different material, but initially I was trying to keep the structure to 2x4s and plywood for simplicity. I could switch to a thinner material if that would help me to be in compliance.

,


texts:
I have a hot tub I need to relocate.  Previously it was a flexible liquidtight whip that ran from the breaker panel directly into the hot tub through one of the access ports.   With the move I'd like to bury the line to the hot tub.  I am planning to use metal conduit from the panel into the ground, then rigid pvc underground.  What I'm not sure about is the combination of fittings I should use to make the final run into the hot tub.
I have included a picture of the hot tub with the access port circled.
I need to pass about 10 ft of flexible liquidtight into the hot tub to make the final connections.  Should I transition from rigid PVC in the ground to metal above ground, finally connecting to the flexible liquidtight or is there a better combination. Is it okay to go rigid pvc to the flexible liquidtight at the top (without metal conduit). Finally what fitting would be best to make the 90 degree transition?  Thanks and let me know if you need any additional information.


texts: Female Disconnect to Fix Mower Ignition Connection

texts: I have an older Craftsman Riding mower that I have to wiggle the wire connector to get it to start.  The ignition switch is working properly (I checked it with a multimeter) so I think the issue has to be in the wiring connector.  Is there any reason why I can't remove the wiring connector and replace the connections using female disconnects?  A new wiring harness is $70 and I am looking for an alternative.


texts: What are important things to do when moving into a new home?

texts:
I noticed a question re: important things to do when buying a home. For the curious, see here. However, my wife and I are moving into a brand-new home in a couple months so much of the advice doesn't seem applicable (changing locks, labeling circuit breakers, cleaning filters and gutters, changing smoke detector batteries, etc...).

What are the things you'd check/investigate/do immediately after moving into a brand-new house?


texts: Bad smell on clothes caused by plumbing?

texts:
I had a washing machine engineer out today to look over my machine and help me understand why my clothes smell bad after every wash. He said it is caused by the plumbing under the sink

Can you help me understand if this is correct?

Here is a photo, the left goes to drain, middle is sink, and right is washing machine.


texts: Old light switch wiring question not using black wires?

texts: I pulled off a light switch and was going to replace it, but the wiring seems non-standard. The switch is evidently a three way, but has no ground. It has a brass common screw and two traveler screws.  See the picture in the box...the black wires are not even being used?!


texts: Replace wire terminal connector to heating element

texts:
I have GE Range JB640SR3SS and one of the element wire connector got burnt out:

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-number/jb640sr3ss/0432/0124111.html

I cut it and here are the photos front and back

I have two options: either replace entire wire with the end connector terminal or find the terminal only and crimp it myself. I seem NOT be able to find the terminal myself.

This is the closet I can find but they don't seem to look right

https://www.appliancepartspros.com/pro-high-temp-non-tjma02875-1-ap5642027.html

https://www.delcity.net/store/High-Temperature-Push-On-Terminals/p_802002.h_187294.r_IF1003?mkwid=s&crid=38094426869&mp_kw=&mp_mt=&gclid=CjwKCAiA767jBRBqEiwAGdAOr-hFcdVj0i9nhaiTwITPwX6DHKmzIp6biwXeEMld-1XgoWL019dWeRoCDl4QAvD_BwE

I called several local appliance repair shops and they said GE doesn't list the wiring assembly.

Any idea how I can repair this? Beside buying a new range.

Thanks.


texts: Should we use plasterboard, MDF or wood when blocking up a window in our pantry?

texts:
We have a window in our pantry and we have been advised that we might need planning permission to remove it. Instead it would be easier to put plaster board over it.

I was just curious whether plaster board, MDF or wood might be better because we intend to put shelves up on this wall.


texts: How can I replace a 3-way light switch with a motion sensor?

texts:
I'm trying to replace one of the three-way light switches in my garage with a motion sensor.  But I'm confused by the wires on the existing switch.  I thought the hot wire goes to the black screw labeled "common" but instead the existing switch looks like this:

black screw/common = red wire
brass colored screw on same side = black wire
brass colored screw on other side =  red wire
4th screw = bare copper wire (I assume this is the ground)

My new switch has

black = hot
white = neutral
red = primary load
green = ground
blue = ?

Which wires should I connect on the new switch?


texts: How to wire switch for outside motion sensing light

texts:
I have an outside motion sensing light which uses a nitewatch MW-12 motion detector. There is an existing Intermatic Inc. SS7 switch on the inside of the house which is very convoluted to program (there was also a V3L-2901-D9 switch hooked up to the back of the programmable switch, I'm not sure why). Some of the time I am able to get the motion detector to work and am able to turn the light on manually using the switch, but other times I can't get it to work at all. I would like to replace the existing switch with a new one that isn't so complicated and unreliable.

I took the switch out and found that there were 2 hot wires and a neutral connected to it. My guess was that the two hot wires would allow me to select whether the light should work as a motion detector, or should be on. I therefore installed a three-way switch to allow the selection of either hot wire. One position of the switch successfully turns on the light, but the other turns it off and does not make it work as a motion detector.

I'd appreciate any advice about how to get this working. Thank you!