texts: Mini Split Condenser wall mount on wood exterior wall

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We have a wood-frame house with 2x4 studs and half-inch plywood exterior walls. What is the generally accepted best practices for mounting a 80lb mini split condenser on a wall bracket to this type of wall?

The advice on the Internet appears to center around getting it on the studs. Unfortunately, due to installation location constraints, it turns out we couldn't get the unit to sit directly on studs.

There are three bolts on each bracket, and they're 3/8" diameter. They were screwed in tightly into the plywood and hold the machine up. Based on charts of plywood pull out strengths online, it appears that there is enough safety margin with this setup.

The question I have is whether or not this is generally considered an acceptable install, and if not, what steps can be taken to upgrade the mounting. Perhaps extra wood supports to bridge the unit over to studs? Worst comes to worst maybe the unit may need to be remounted, but this is difficult.

What is the best course of action in this case?

Thanks!


texts:
I'm looking into making a DIY indoor mini golf course. I want to possibly make some curved surfaces (ramp, bridge, curved walls). I'm looking for a cheap material that can bend smoothly, but is kinda strong. At most it needs to be able to stay still from a golf ball rolling on it, so it doesn't need to be too strong.

I just had the idea, that i would nail/tape it to the wood/floor. I also do not want anything that would require a cutting saw or any heavier duty tools.

Can someone point me in the correct direction?

The material used to support legal pads would be good (chipboard i think?), now i just need it in large sheets.


texts: Connecting Lights to a 12/2 20 Amp Circuit

texts: I am adding some new led can lights and I want to tap into a 12/2 20 amp circuit that is readily available. Would this be frowned upon because the can lights are daisy chained together via 14/2? Is there a workaround for this or something else I can do? There are not really any readily available 14/2 circuits. I am having a hard time justifying why this is a problem because you can certainly plug cords into outlets that aren't 12/2 or better.


texts: How do I identify make / model of this kitchen faucet?

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I am trying to identify this fixture, to get some rebuild parts:

What approach should I use?

(It is a kitchen fixture in use in a bathroom)


texts: Hardwood Flooring Direction on Older Subfloor

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I have some old hardwood flooring in my house and I'm considering installing new hardwood floors as it's not in the best shape. The house was built in the 1940's and has an older type of subfloor that runs at a 45 degree angle to the joists - I think it's 1x6s. I've read that the suggestion is to always run the hardwood perpendicular to the joists, but curious if that wisdom still stands for this older subfloor layout.

To elaborate a bit, given the 45 degree angle of the subflooring, for structural reasons, is it still recommended to run the hardwood perpendicular to the joists? Or does that guidelines not apply in this case?


texts: Should I add another gable vent to my attic?

texts: I have a long house with a 3 sq foot gable vent on the east end.  I have two 6 ft long roof vents in the middle and I want to know if I should install another gable vent at the west end to increase airflow.


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I'm renting this house and one of these hinges broke.

1.) Can I replace this hinge?

2.) If so, what's the model number/manufacturer?


texts: Sink Level, Top of Drain Level, Bottom of Drain Not Level, Causing Leak

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The bottom of the drain hole on the new sink I just installed is cut/shaped at an angle so that it isn't level with the rest of the sink. So when I tighten the collar below the cone gasket tight with the bottom of the sink, it pushes the tail pipe to that same angle, which means the gasket on the top of the drain is no longer flush and allows water to leak out on one side.
All the advice I can find by googling is based around a new/different drain which doesn't seem like it will help considering it's the bottom of the sink that's causing the problem. Suggestions?


texts: How low should I drill holes in my sump pump basin? Should I drill them at the bottom?

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I'm encapsulating my crawl space and as a part of this I'm installing a sump pump with a perimeter drain around the inside of the crawl space that leads to the sump pump basin. I installed the sump pump in the back corner of my house. I have a Zoeller M53 sump pump and a 24" x 24" basin. 10" from the top of the basin, I drilled a 4" hole for the inlet pipe. I then made a bunch of smaller holes all around the basin and made them small enough that the gravel won't spill through. None of these holes go lower than 12" from the top. So none of the holes are lower than the inlet pipe.
My reasoning behind this was that I wanted all the water intake to happen above the switch on for the pump. In other words, I didn't think I would want my pump to be pumping out water that was already over a foot deep underground. I also didn't think I would want the holes to be within the range of the pump turn on and off levels. Otherwise, it might lead to short cycling. If the water was already low enough in the ground, I figured it didn't need to be pumped out.
A few questions I have regarding this:

Should I be drilling the holes lower in the basin? Right now, the top 12" of the basin has holes, the bottom 12" doesn't.
Should I drill holes in the bottom of the basin? I'm slightly concerned that the ground water pressure might cause my basin to "float." I was planning to put a 16x16 40lb paver at the bottom of the basin for the pump to sit on. With the weight of the paver and the water that will naturally sit at the bottom of the basin (because it's too low for the pump to kick on and pump out), there will be over 100 lbs of weight keeping the basin from floating I would think. But should I install some holes in the bottom? This would mean my basin would be filling up with water that is 2' underground already. Not entirely sure it's necessary.


texts: What is the name of this connector for my fridge's wooden panel?

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I recently snapped off the wooden panel on my fridge/freezer. It is a tall fridge freezer with a separate door for each component. The doors are wooden panels that are attached to the metal doors using plastic connectors.

Recently I snapped the connector on my fridge door, this is the bit screwed in to the metal door (as opposed to to the bit screwed on to the wooden panel) so the panel is now loose from the door.

The panel has not completely fallen off, it is connected just fine on one side with the hinge, just when I open my 'fridge' I am greeted with the metal fridge door.

I am having trouble figuring out what the name of this thing is and where to buy a replacement, it looks like this:

Two philips head screws connect it to the metal door and another piece of plastic on the wooden panel hooks over the two broken pieces to keep the door and panel connected.

Any ideas?


texts: Is it possible to convert a single-sided wood-burning fireplace into a two-sided one?

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We're restoring/renovating a 120-year-old home that has a beautiful cast-iron wood-burning fireplace in the dining room, very similar (but not identical) to this:

Is it possible to open up the backside of such a fireplace to have a double-sided fireplace, opening into the opposite room?

I've been told that it wouldn't work - that we'd either need a separate flue or smoke would just billow into the house. If that's so, does that mean it's impossible to have a two-sided wood-burning fireplace ever, or what factors need to be in place for such a fireplace to function correctly?

Thanks in advance.


texts: What types of electrical outlets are found in a typical home in the USA?

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I do not live in the USA. If I were to buy a home in the USA, what are the key facts I should know about USA household electrical supply at outlets in homes? E.g. when buying a clothes dryer or other appliances.

I'm asking this question for a couple of reasons

Diagrams like this suggest that US householders need to know about more than one type of electrical socket. Diagrams like the one below are even more intimidating. Clearly households in the USA typically have only a few of these, and presumably the 1-15 and 5-15 types comprise the majority of outlets in a home. But which others might be encountered?

There are a lot of questions on this site that would not arise in my home country.
A list of the common charactereristics of USA domestic power arrangements in households might help people reading this site to understand what answers apply in the USA but may not apply in other countries.

Here's some questions that would not arise where I live

Where does the ground wire go in a 3-prong dryer cord configuration?
Can I connect ground to neutral in a 3 wire outlet?
How can I plug my 3 prong dryer into a 4 prong receptacle?
Why do my appliances show two sets of power consumption ratings and which one applies to my house?
Ground Wire Installation
Electric ground from another circuit
Electrical outlet has two black hot wires but one neutral white wire?
Tricked by a 220 volt outlet hack job
How can I figure out why this electrical receptacle is dead?
Is it okay to run a switched and unswitched hot on the same neutral?
How can I connect a 120V compressor to a 3 phase WYE 208 electrical system?
Can a NEMA 6-15 Device be connected to a NEMA 6-20 receptacle?
Can a built-in dishwasher be plugged into a receptacle?
How can I connect a 120V washer to a 240V circuit?

Where I live, all outlets in a home are 230V, 50Hz, single phase, earthed, switched and have a common physical outlet design. In some homes you may find one ungrounded shaver socket with a different design. In a very very few of the homes built before 1947 and which have never been rewired, you may instead find two types of older design of outlet.

The relevant Wikipedia article doesn't give much detail for the USA.

So, what types of electrical outlet and switch arrangements for power and lighting might be found in a typical USA home?


texts: How can I replace a light fixture with a two way switch?

texts: I have just replaced an old florescent fixture with a new incandescent fixture.  Wired according to directions.  Light comes on and does not throw the breaker so I know I have it wired correctly, however, the switch now will not turn the light off.  It is a two way light switch and neither one now works.  Any suggestions for solving this problem?


texts: How do I wire a 3 wire receiver unit to a ceiling fan that has 6 wires from the fan unit

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Original switch was a mechanical wall mounted (plugs into an electrical outlet) push button switch (3 buttons for each of 3 speeds, 1 button for the light, one off button and one slide switch for reverse and forward.

Ceiling fan has 5 wires plus a ground. The wires from the fan/light are as follows:

Red to left side of capacitor
White to right side of capacitor
Blue is connected directly to blue from power supply wire
Grey & black are joined and then connect directly to black on power supply wire
Green is directly connected to green ground on power supply wire
Red from power supply wire is connected to right side of capacitor
White from power supply wire is connected to left side of capacitor

I need to connect to this a remote receiver (to be connected to the fan) the receiver has a hot and neutral in and 3 wires (Fan, light and neutral) out.


texts: Installing dual fluorescent tube ballast electrical

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I had removed a couple years ago a double fluorescent round tube light fixture. I want to install it back but am unsure which cables connect to the wall socket. I am guessing the white neutral with any of the left white cables and the black with the short lonely black cable on the left of the ballast on the picture.

Please correct me if am wrong.

Thanks.


texts: Weird orange rust spots appearing in holes on freshly painted basement cinder blocks

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I've started to paint my basement with white primer, and on one wall weird orange spots appeared in the holes I had "filled" with the primer.

The wall is made of dark cinder blocks which are pretty rough. I have to use a lot of primer in general with the roller and need to touch up with a paintbrush all the major holes to fill them.

At some point during painting I noticed the yellowing in one hole, but didn't think much of it and filled it again.

After 3-4 hours I checked on the wall again and saw 2 dozens such spots in a bright orange color, much like rust. One other wall isn't affected at all, but the primer I used was a different brand. Now I'm using a new KILZ 2. Before, I was finishing a Benjamin Moore white satin paint.

As you can see from the picture the hole is still "closed" by the paint.

In that section the wall is pretty dry. We've had some efflorescence near the ground (which I've removed), but not at all where I'm painting now. The wall is 25% above ground and the spots have appeared both above and underground.

The wall was also painted with just one layer 8 years ago on one section of the same wall before we bought the house, and I've now noticed the same spots.

Any idea what that could be? I'll be continuing with the painting over the next days.

Here's a picture of the unpainted cinder blocks.


texts: Pilot light on gas log fireplace extinguishes when turn gas control knob to "on"

texts: When preparing my gas log fireplace (Marco model 794153B) for use in cold weather, my pilot light will ignite easily and stay on when release pushing in the control knob, but when I try to turn the control knob to the "on" position, the pilot light extinguishes.  My memory from use of my fireplace last year is that the pilot light stays on throughout the season and only extinguishes when I turn the control knob to "off" at the end of the season.  I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.


texts: In what circumstances would an AC produce no condensate but still cool the air?


texts: How to remove this bathtub diverter spigot?

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I'm trying to remove a bathtub diverter spigot, but I can't tell whether it is a screw-on or a slip-on (with a hex bolt at the bottom).  My spigot has the notch where a hex bolt would normally be, but when I look inside the notch, I can't see anything but a metal plate, a plastic tab, and some white silicone.  Does this mean that I have a screw-on or do I have to remove something to get to the hex bolt inside the notch?  I can turn the spigot some with my hand, but I think the silicone is resisting the torque.  I don't want to just start wrenching away without some better information.

Any idea on how to remove this type of spigot?  Thanks!


texts: If I want to add an additional receptacle, which wires do I tap from an existing receptacle?

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I have an existing receptacle that used to have both the top and bottom outlet controlled by a switch.  I made the entire receptacle permanently hot by disconnecting the switch and connecting all the wires that went into the switch.

I would like to add an additional receptacle by tapping into this existing receptacle.  Which wires should I tap to create the new receptacle?  Thanks!

This is the existing receptacle, in a 2.5" deep single gang box, on a 14AWG (15A) circuit:


texts: Can a Nest work in my setup (or am I stuck with Lyric, as they claim)?

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Before crucifying me for the subjective question let me clarify that my question is quite specific if you read on.

I bought an old home with bad insulation and a 55-year-old furnace 3 months ago.  I knew I was going to have to replace it eventually but I was hoping to wait until summer.  I bought a nest and external sensors for the upstairs floors because I discovered at my last home that it was the cheapest capital investment to make the best of a home that doesn't heat evenly.

The heat exchanger cracked and I had to get a new furnace.  I bought a Goodman Greentherm CVM97 modulating furnace.  The sales guy told me I would have to go to the Honeywell Lyric because I need millivolt control for the furnace.

After installation the tech told me that the sales guy wasn't exactly correct.  The Lyric operated no differently than the Nest and the modulation was entirely controlled by the furnace.  I asked him if I should use the Nest instead, and he said he had heard of issues of the logic conflicting between the two, but it could have been user error.

Final question:  The Nest has more user end functionality.  That is a fact, not a subjective opinion.  I would prefer to use it, however I am concerned about the mentioned logic issues.  Has anyone gone through a similar experience?  Once again this is NOT a brand loyalty question.


texts: What does 13A on my computer monitor power plug means?

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I have a BENQ GW2470HL computer monitor.
The monitor power plug says 13A. What does that mean exactly?

The monitor specs say it needs 30W. In my country(India), the voltage is 230 V.
If I divide 30w/230V I get 0.130 ampere/s. Can I plug this into a 5 amp socket? From where does 13A comes from?


texts: The copper line in my fridge is cracked and now is leaking, we’ve turned off sadder line and is still leaking a lot. How can we get it to stop leaking without replacing? We don’t mind if our ice-maker no longer works.


texts: Mounting a TV above a fireplace with an unknown stone

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Just moving into a new place and I moved the TV in today. I took the old mount down and figured I would use it at the new place so I kept all of the screws. New house has a nice fireplace in the living room that I would love to place the TV over. I went to start trying to find a stud and found out the wall is solid stone. Previously I mounted only to drywall so I figured I might be in over my head. I figured I would mount the TV on another wall just to discover that all of the walls in the house are stone. Now I am really not sure what to do or even what to look up because I am not sure what kind of stone this is. Could anyone here help guide me in the right direction? How do I figure out what kind of stone the walls are? Also can I mount a TV to stone?

And before anyone says anything about how we should've been told before buying the house, it was inherited so a lot of the information discovered in the buying process was lost.


texts:
Our Central vacuum cover lid broke, So I was planning on replacing it. I removed it and noticed 2 sets of wires twisted.

What exactly are these for?


texts: What do I do with receptacles behind built-ins?

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When installing built-in furniture, what should I do about the receptacles on the existing bare wall that will be covered up by the built-in?  How would I handle a receptacle covered by a bookcase section?  How would I handle a receptacle which will be covered by a cabinet section?  Is there a proper way to just cover them with the install?  If I want to keep them, what's a good way to do that since the back of the install may not sit flush against the wall?

For my purpose, the location is dry. But for future reference, how would I handle an installation which may be wet, like a bar?


texts: Samsung Washer WF218ANS-XAC -is it worth repairing?

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This question branched from this one Samsung Washer WF218ANS-XAC troubleshooting help needed, smoke in the drum compartment

The long story is in the thread pointed above. Short story..it broke and smoke came out of the drum when my wife opened the front door.

I could order the spider shaft assembly but I don;t know how to determine if other parts are broken. The motor could be fried as well. When I took it apart I could not see anything on the solenoids of the electrical motor ...

Edit: How can I tell if the bearing are all right  and it is centered and balanced like before?


texts: Installing timer switch with jumper wire into possibly old wiring

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I'm trying to install push button timer switch for the shower fan.
In the wall socket there are just two wires plus ground. Previously, a mechanical timer connected the two wires.

Based on this answer and this answer, it looks like I got a wrong switch. However, my switch comes with an extra jumper wire to hook up to the neutral line.

Based on my previous setup, are the wires in my wall hot and load, or hot and neutral?
Can I use the jumper wire to connect either line or load to the neutral terminal, to get the timer to work?

I attached photo of the manual. The drawing of the socket shows wires coming from both top and bottom of the socket (line and neutral from one end, load and neutral from another end), but I have only two wires coming from one side.

Old timer switch

Manual. Circled connection is missing. I stopped at the third-last step (Remove the white jumper wire)

Thank you


texts:
So yesterday I noticed as the dishwasher got to the drain cycle, it was making a buzzing sound but I wasn't hearing any water go down the drain as I normally do.

I do notice that right when it starts to drain, I hear a small amount of water getting through, but not what I expect.

So far I have drained the dishwasher by hand and cleaned the screen and got any pieces of food but nothing really large seemed blocking.

I have not yet taken the pump housing out, that will be today but I'm wondering if there is something coming through, it may just mean a clog in the hose?

Not sure if someone has had the same situation, but cleaning out a clogged hose is going to be a bit easier than dealing with the pump.

Hopefully can save myself some time!


texts: Will foam-filling this gap create problems?

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I'm trying to find out if I can spray-foam fill a gap in my ceiling. I have an almost-flat rubber roof, 1" foam, wood planks, then a gap created by 2x6s, then the sheetrock ceiling. I'm in PA, climate zone 5/6. There are soffits at two edges of the almost-flat roof and no ridge vents.

I'd like to pull off the sheetrock ceiling, add 6 inch of closed-cell spray foam (filling in the 2x6 area), and then put sheetrock back.

Concerns: No air gap, just rubber, foam board, wood, then sprayfoam. Would this introduce a problem?  Specifically, is there a possibility for moisture problems with the wood in this setup?


texts: I am planning to build a 12'x12' cabin. I cannot go bigger than 12x12, but there are no height restrictions so I'd like to incorporate a loft. I'm thinking front wall at 16' tall and rear wall at 12' feet tall with shed roof. Loft floor will be 12'x10' and tie into side(non roof load) walls at ~8', leaving a 2' gap between the loft floor and front 16' wall. Question is, can I frame these tall(12' & 16') load bearing walls with 2x4's? I will use blocking, and exterior sheathing will be glued and nailed. Thoughts?


texts: Removing attic fan thermostat - how to terminate 3-wire

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I recently had a new roof put on, and the installers pulled out the old attic fan, leaving the thermostat box. At the same time, I noticed my lightpost outside has stopped working... so I went up in the attic to check the state of the wiring. There is 3-wire feeding into the old attic fan thermostat. For safety purposes right now, I simply disconnected everything and capped them off, but I'm thinking I likely need to actually connect some wires together here to keep the 3 way going. Attached is a photo of what the wires looked like when I found them. I think there was a white wire from the old fan connecting to the white from the line but it simply got ripped out entirely.

My question is how do I proceed in connecting potentially 2 of these wires here. Knowing that isn't the safest thing to do, I didn't want to take any chances.


texts: HVAC vents - does wall or ceiling mount matter?

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I'm going to add some crown moulding to some bedrooms.  I've got HVAC vents mounted near the top of the wall and the moulding will cover part of the vent.

I want to move the vents out of the way.  I can't move them down and am thinking of moving them to the ceilings instead (there's an attic above them so I've got reasonable access).  Is there any reason this is a bad plan?  Do they work just as well in either location?


texts:
I have a 1960's dormer-bungalow (UK).  I'm currently having a back extension which requires removal of the old soffits.

The soffits are boarded with asbestos. (Photo below)

By looking at this, is it possible to tell what type of asbestos this is?  I want to know what I'm dealing with before getting quotes for removal.


texts: Where could all these flies be coming from?

texts:
Now is the transition from spring to summer. The house I am now living has some strange things happening.

In the daytime of one day last week, I found many flies gather on the inside face of the window in the front living room. I then opened the window and drove them out.
The next day, I found there were still many flies again on that window. Same thing happened again and again in the past week.
Besides that window, there are also some flies flying elsewhere in the first floor. At nights they gather around our lights.
I remember same thing happened in last year's summer as well.

The windows and doors are either closed or have screen on. I cannot think out of some possible way for the flies to come in.  There was an envelop slip on the front door, but it was by default closed, unless people from the outside want to deliver some mails to the inside. There was also a pipe stretching from the basement to the outside, for letting out vapour of heating during winters.

I wonder if this kind of things has happened to you guys as well? Where can so many flies come from?


texts: Can I take a 24v transformer, hook up the 110/120 and use the 24v side to test 24v products? I'd like to ground or offer some type of fall safe such as a inline fuse to help protect the transformer. Any ideas please. Thank you.


texts: I have a default outlet that a small freezer is connected to. Everytime there is an electrial outage, my freezer defrosts. Is it possible to change to a regular outlet?


texts:
All,
I need some thoughts on how to hookup my new generator. I am going to use a interlock on my main eaton 200amp panel and back feed through a outside plugin wired to a breaker for the interloc. I have a new 7000 watt running generator can peak to 8500. It is also 240v and i just need it to supply a full 30 amps. I have a 30amp breaker and a 30amp power inlet box already. This is how my house is wired now.

The pipe is 2" PVC sch 80 and the wires in it are thhn 2-2-2-4 copper to the shed feed by 60amp breaker. Also about 130 cable feet.
Here is where the questions start.

Easiest option is to come out of mail panel to power inlet box up cloae to the house. 10ft from panel. Connect 50-100 foot generator cord and be done. Only questions here are i need to unbond the generator since it is a bonded one. Should be floating netural to connect to house this way right? Also not sure about the 100 foot cord only being 10gauge.

The same as above but varies on where the wire comes out of the main panel. I have one pre punched hole left but is is 2in one but works with adapters but is messy on the extierior of the house. The best way is if i could punch a whole through the back of panel but not sure the rules on that something about bus bars being close.

Last one would be to run new wires in the same pipe that goes to shed to hookup power inlet at shed. Not sure the wire size for distance yet, the fill capacity on the pipe, code about having in same pipe, or the grounding issues. Would you just connect the ground in the existing one since it already has the ground rods installed there or isolated all the way to main panel like if was on extension cord. This way would be nice and clean no extension cords and could run inside shed. That's a different discussion.


texts: How can I determine why my circuit is broken after replacing the switch and light fixture?

texts:
A few days ago, my kitchen light was flashing (flickering) off and on occasionally.  So I turned it off.  Apparently, not before it messed up the circuit though.

This happened previously, about a month ago, and changing out the light switch worked.  This time, since the light was flashing, I decided to go ahead and replace the light fixture itself as well as the light switch.  The house (and fixture) is 27+ years old.

When hubby took the old light off (hanging), he found two sets of wires (2 black, 2 white, 2 ground).  He proceeded to use the ones he thought he was supposed to (and capped, separately, the extra white and the extra black), and I replaced the light switch, then we flipped back on the power, and turned the light switch on, with no success.  So then he wired all the black together (two black from the ceiling, and the black from the light fixture), the same with the white wires, and wrapped the two ground together. Light still didn't work.  Thinking that perhaps he had blown the switch again, I bought another one.

After reading around your forums, and realizing it might be wired wrong, I decided to do what your reply suggested and test all the wires from the light fixture and see which were the real 'hot' ones.  I used my voltmeter, but NONE of the wires made it read 000 (not doing them singly, and not doing them separately).  (Yes, I turned the breaker back on so I could check.)  Then I tried the light switch, again, 000 on the voltmeter.  Then there are 2 (3-prong) outlets on the circuit, (as well as the central AC), and also got 000 every time.  What could be the problem?

The breaker itself is showing 120-124 on each pole, and if you test both poles at once it shows 245-247. Help!  The ONLY things on this circuit is the central AC, two outlets (in the dining room) and the light fixture and it's only switch in the kitchen. I have a voltmeter, stick tester, and outlet tester.  None of them show or beep or do anything when I test anything on this circuit.

There is no basement or crawl space to this house, it is a ranch style house sitting on a concrete slab foundation.  All the wires are run up to a small attic.  The fixture I got to replace the hanging one was an LED type (that sits flush against the ceiling).


texts: Two wall switches and remote ceiling fan/light questions

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I am installing a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan with light and wanting to use two wall switches and the remote to adjust the fan speed. Looking at the ceiling, I see the following for an old ceiling fan/light.
-Blue from light/fan twisted with black
-white from light/fan twisted with brown
-black from light/fan twisted with red
-green ground from light/fan twisted with cooper.
The remote box on the new fan shows the following:
-white AC In N
-black AC In L
On the other side:
-White To Motor in
-Black to Motor L
-Blue for light
The way the switches are wired is the switch controlling the fan on and off has a red wire going to it.
The manual shows:
Connect all GROUND (GREEN) wires from fan (on downrod (A), if applicable, and mounting bracket (C)) to BARE/GREEN supply wire from ceiling.
Connect BLACK wire (labeled AC IN L) from remote control receiver (O) to BLACK supply wire from ceiling.
Connect WHITE wire (labeled AC IN N) from remote control receiver (O) to WHITE supply wire from ceiling.
Connect WHITE wire (labeled TO MOTOR N) from remote control receiver (O) to WHITE wire from motor housing (D).
Connect BLACK wire (labeled TO MOTOR L) from remote control receiver (O) to BLACK wire from motor housing (D).
Connect BLUE wire (labeled FOR LIGHT) from remote control receiver (O) to BLUE wire from motor housing (D)
Is it possible to have one switch control the light and the other control the fan and I can use the remote to adjust the fan speed?  Thanks in advance for your help!


texts: Do soft casters on rolling chars hurt hardwood floors?

texts: Or should I just get a floor mat? Obviously I'd rather have the soft casters, if they do the job, but if they don't it's not worth it. What should I do?


texts: What options are available for gap between interior door frame and wall?

texts:
There are is gap (approx 0.1cm to 0.4cm) between the interior door frame and wall as shown below. (on the left side is the wall, middle is the gap, right side if the interior wooden door frame)

What are the options available to resolve it and kindly give the pros and cons for each options. Thank you.


texts:
I've got a rather extensive OpenHab smart home installation with tons of lights, thermostats, and more diverse connected devices. One category of connected devices is smoke detectors, one in every zone of the house.

Right now, when a smoke detector detects smoke, they all start shrieking like normal. Additionally, I've automated it so that:

All the lights in the house turn on at full brightness (to provide a visual queue if someone somehow can't hear the alarms and prevent fumbling with light switches in the dark)
The system sends push notifications to phones, alerting them that there might be a fire. If nobody's home, then security cameras can be viewed remotely and fire dept. called if there's actually a fire.

Now here is my question: Several rooms have motor-driven windows/skylights. From a fire-safety perspective, would it make sense to automate these to open or close when smoke is detected?

I can see both advantages and disadvantages, but I'm not sure what's safer:

Automation should close the windows because they provide fresh oxygen for a fire and can make it grow rapidly.
Automation should open the windows because this allows smoke and gasses to escape up and outwards. This lets people inside the building breath easier while they escape

Some additional information about my house:

Old, European construction with modern European doors, windows, and heating
All walls are solid stone (cinder blocks mostly) or brick. Structural members are thick lumber or I-beams
Automation likely to function for a long time provided fire does not break out in server room. Most devices are battery operated and all networking is powered by UPS in isolated room.


texts: Why would I have hot water at one faucet but not the others?

texts: I recently installed a new electric water heater and now I only get hot water to one faucet at a time. The kitchen faucet is closest to the heater with the bathrooms being the furthest. when i turn on the hot water to the kitchen faucet i get cold water til i go to the bathroom and turn on the hot water there then the kitchen turns instantly hot while the bathrooms only get warm water. haven't been able to get hot water to the bathrooms at all, only warm.


texts: Fridge popping breaker when plugged into garage outlets

texts: I moved a fridge into my garage.  After about 2 mos, it started popping the breaker.  I tried the other outlet in the garage, same thing.  I ran a heavy-duty extension cord to a storage room off the garage and it is working fine.  Just as an FYI, the home was built in 1986 and the fridge is a side-by-side about 10-yr-old.  There were no problems with the breaker when the fridge was in the kitchen. Also, I can run my electric weed eater and leaf blower off the outlets in the garage with no problem.


texts: Is it ok by code to enclose a residentail breaker box in a finished basement as long as there is an access door and what are the requirements?

texts:
I am finishing a basement and want to enclose the 200a service box and wiring with a framed cabinet of some sort.  Is there any requirements for clearances and what you can enclose it with?  I am in PA.
Thx!


texts: Are these bends in the tub drain going to be an issue?

texts: Im getting ready to run the drain for my basement bathroom but I'm concerned that I have too many turns in the tub drain. I had to start in the wrong direction in order to pick up a wall for a vent. Is this a problem, does it meet code? A second set of eyes on this would really be appreciated.


texts: Slant/Fin Victory II Boiler - How do I turn on?

texts:
This summer, we moved into a home that has sub-floor heating installed. However, I have no idea how to use the boiler or turn it on.

The boiler itself (a Slant/Finn Victory II gas-fired boiler) has made some noise since we moved in but the thermostat was always set to the lowest position.

However, this morning I set the thermostat to 70 in the hopes that is all we would need to do. When checking the gauges on the boiler, though, I see the pressure at 0 PSI and temperature at 0 as well.

There is a small box toward the bottom of the boiler with a dial that offers Off, On, and C positions; it has been set to On the whole time.

What do I need to do to get the heat turned on?

Thank you!

EDIT
I did check our propane tank (60%) and all water valves appear to be on. I tried the reset on the boiler, per the instructions on the unit itself.

When turning the thermostat up, the unit does kick in and I can hear the electic ignition firing repeatedly. It wasn't doing that this morning. However, it does not appear to be igniting.  I will keep an eye on it, but still very interested in your expert advice.


texts: I have a 1.5 foot tall plastic christmas character. The cord has a UL tag rated for indoor and outdoor. The manufacturer tag says indoor only, though. Am I safe putting outdoors?


texts: Header question for newly created exterior basement door

texts:
I have an 1888 Victorian. I have hired a contractor to create an egress exterior door going into my basement. Originally the door to access the basement was on ground level but we needed to dig down and move the door access point to the basement level for several reasons. I have always been told that an exterior door MUST have a header. It makes no sense to me why it wouldn't. My contractor tried to tell me that the door does not need a header because there is a window directly above the location of this new door and that window has a header so the basement door doesn't need one. Am I wrong about this?

I am also asking because the concrete pad that was newly poured 3 weeks ago where the base of the door is has now cracked in 3 places. I think that he is wrong about the header and that the weight on the door is too much and has caused this concrete to fracture.

Thoughts please?


texts: Can furring strips be installed diretly to a cinderblock wall not in a basement?

texts:
I've tried finding a definitive answer but it's far more common for folks to have block walls in basements that need to be furred out, so the information deals primarily with that and I believe this is different.

Problem:

The original owner of the home I just purchased used a combination of 1/2" and 3/4" high-grade plywood as wall coverings. Some of it was furred out to accommodate a pocket door and electricity, but the entire section of the perimeter (exterior) cinderblock wall has the wood nailed/glued directly to it. The wood has no signs of water damage of any kind and the wall's exterior has vinyl siding.

Plans:

Ultimately I want to go with drywall. I plan to install furring strips to attach the drywall to. Originally I looked into the $.99 - 1x2s for price and space saving, but I imagine I'll break half of them when I start screwing the board up. Same goes for the 2x2. In addition, they aren't treated, but neither are the 1x3 strips I've seen being recommended (again in a different context).

I'm now thinking of using pressure treated 2x4s mounted wide-side-down just for piece of mind and plenty of space for shallow j-boxes. I would mount them 24" on center with either tap-cons or ramset. I plan to have the assembly entirely held by the wall.

Question?

Are there any moisture considerations when mounting furring strips to a cinderblock wall not in a basement but with an exterior side?

I've read it's always an issue mounting untreated wood to concrete or other porous material, but he amount of time - about 25 years - and the lack of damage make me question this.

Are there any other processes that can be used to accomplish this if it is a problem (i.e.; sealing the wall, painting the wood with a special product, etc.)?


texts: How to use a water motor in two-way switch for two different electric connection

texts: My house is G+2. Each floor is with each brother& its family. All three floor has three separate electric connection of three phase. We have single underground water tank for storage. We have water pump at Ground floor. We need facility to on or off from Ist floor and IInd floor so that as needed families can use water pump to fill the tanks at roof. Kindly provide a solution.


texts: Can I mount an 80" TV where only one stud is available?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How can I mount a TV when I can’t find studs inside my wall?

I am looking for some opinions here.  When my electrician tried to mount my 80"TV above my fireplace, he found out there's actually only 1 stud available for him to do the mounting, he told me I need to retrofit the wall to increase the stud by 2, otherwise I can't do the work.  However, according to my contractor, the TV can be easily mounted with only 1 stud, all I need to do is to bolt a rectangular piece of plywood (the size of my TV mount) to the stud and then mount the TV mount on top of it.  According to him, he'll also nail the rest of the corners to the sheet rock and he thinks it's fine.

My electrician disagrees with him and I am completely puzzled.  Any opinions here?


texts:
I plugged a laptop charger/converter into a wall receptacle and got a "pop" spark, different from the arc caused by plugging in something that is ready to draw current. It tripped the circuit breaker. The charger was not connected to a laptop at the time.

I reset the breaker and plugged a plug-in tester into the receptacle--it showed everything normal, grounded, etcetera. The other receptacle of the pair continued to work fine.

What happened?? Is it safe to use?


texts:
I have a John Deere La145 Mower. It is 9 years old but only had 130 hrs. I changed air, oil, fuel filter today and began cleaning engine with engine degreaser. I also spilt some oil on frame when I took off oil filter. When I went to crank it up, I didn’t notice smoke at first but after running it in shop where I was working on it, I noticed smoke in the air. It appears it is coming from lower area of lawn mower. Smoke is not steady, sort of in puffs. When I cranked engine, it was running good. I checked air filter. No sign of oil. Everything looked fine. Oil level is not quite at full mark.

If I didn’t get all of the engine degreaser dried off, could that have caused smoke?
I had sprayed it all in engine area.


texts: Is PVC an acceptable pipe for a vent stack through the roof

texts:
I'm trying to figure out what type pipe I need for terminating a vent stack in the roof.  Is it acceptable to run 1 1/2" schedule 40 PVC through the roof for a new vent stack.

This will have 2 toilets, two showers, two sinks and one tub off this single vent (In case someone wants to comment on size).

I just didn't know if the PVC will hold up in the sun, or if there's a different type of Pipe I need to use to terminate the pipe outside.  If it is different, do you just use a boot to connect the two?  Anything special done to prevent fumes?


texts:
I have a porch roof that the previous homeowner did half arsed, 4 pillars set in concrete (link fence posts). Now one side is sagging badly. My brilliant idea is to to replace the 2x4 (4) with 2x6. I have already gotten the post pillars to support the structure.
So here is my issue. Would it be best to auger out a large hole and  make a concrete pier rather than to just just pour concrete and set the posts?
I have heard old timers talk about using gravel at the bottom to help keep the post from sinking but I am wanting something a little more sturdy


texts: Do I need a wall thimble for thermal separation with a category III venting appliance?

texts:
I bought a tankless water heater that allows me to vent using category III.  I've seen that wall thimbles are included in many category III termination kits, but am wondering if they are really necessary as the flue doesn't seem to get very hot.

Are wall thimbles necessary for side venting category III flue though
combustible materials like plywood??
How about for category IV?


texts: How can I fix hairline cracks in brand new grout?

texts:
I have brand new grout in a shower done by a pro. Merely two months later it is already cracking. The contractor is telling me that house movement can cause this. (I'm not sure if he's full of it? Can house movements cause cracks in brand new grout? There are cracks happening in multiple directions which is odd for a presumably floated shower. Anyways, the house movement is the only thing I can think of, and my area is pretty notorious for it.

In any case, how would you go about fixing this? Would mixing more grout and driving it in work or would it be a waste of time. I'm really happy with the whole remodel but this is driving me nuts every time I'm in the shower.


texts: How to hookup an InSinkErator hot water dispenser to a Waterstone Hot/Cold Faucet

texts:
I'm trying to figure out what to do with the 3rd connector on my InSinkErator H-CONTOUR-SS.  I have a WaterStone hot/cold filtration faucet model 1400HC-SS that doesn't have a connection for that 3rd connector.

I contacted both WaterStone and InSinkErator and both had equally useless advice. Basically InSinkErator said I have to buy a faucet from them.  And WaterStone said I have to buy a hot water dispenser from them. Horrible customer service on both sides.

So I'm hoping I'm not the 1st person to want to do this and somebody can tell me what to do with that 3rd connector.

Thank You


texts: How can I prevent water from entering through water heater/furnace exhaust vent?

texts:
I have an exhaust vent in my basement (Amerivent Type B) which takes the exhaust from my gas furnace and water heater goes out the basement wall, and up my chimney. A little bit water is coming in to my basement from this vent. It looks like this has been happening for quite a while based on drip marks on the floor (since before I moved in in 2007) but it recently lasted long enough to run back along the pipe and into my furnace, shorting it out.

I took off the vent from the furnace and reached in there, there's a little dampness where it turns 90 degrees to go up the chimney but none before that making me think it might be a small leak at the top of the chimney but the amount is small enough that it could condensation (if the water heater exhaust could cause condensation).

Can/Should I fix this or just leave it as the previous homeowners did? How can I prevent it from running back into my furnace again (seemed to go between the inner and outer wall of the vent pipe)?

Edit I shined a flashlight back there and it looks like some leaves had built up.

I took care of them with a shop vac. Will that take care of my problem (until the next time they build up of course)?


texts: How can I prevent grout from sticking in the small dimples in tiles?

texts: I have installed a glass/natural stone tiled backsplash. I used a darker grout but when I cleaned the excess grout off,all of the holes and dimples in the stone tiles were filled with the grout and I can't clean them out.It looks awful.Would a sealant have stopped this from happening or would a lighter colored grout have worked better. Luckily I only did a small area so I can re-tile that area but I need to get it right next time.


texts:
I've been toying with the idea of replacing part of our stair railing and the newel post and replacing the newel post with a natural limb.

I recently had to take down a limb from our Madrona tree. It was about 12' long, of which I'd like to use about 6' of it. It is about 5" in diameter and appears to have been dead for a while. There was a bit of rot on the ends and where a few of the knots were from old branches.

The question: If I decide to use this, how long to I have to let it air dry? Or, rather, what are the concerns if I don't let it fully air dry before installing and sealing?

I'm not installing it tomorrow, but I'd like to have it done by spring. But if I go with the 'rule of thumb' of 1 year per 1" of wood, I can't finish this project until 2018. Can I give it a few months, sand, install and then just assume I may lose a bit of height over time that I'd need to fill in with some trim and then maybe give it a year before sealing (a year assuming it will then dry a lot faster being in a conditioned space).


texts: loosening bolt on the steel support strut that's secured to the ceiling of the garage

texts:
I was working on my garage door the other day and I noticed that the steel supporting strut (or more appropriate name for this? See the picture) tilted due to a loosening bolt, the ceiling cracked because of that too.

It concerns me. It's obviously the strut is no longer secured but I don't know how long it can hold. I can't tell what material inside the ceiling that the bolts stuck into either.

My question, if I want to fix this, how should I start? Or, honestly I don't think I am up to a job like this, so another question: if I want someone to come over to fix this, which category of professions this kind of work falls into? So that I can start googling and shopping for professionals.


texts: Will this shower trim work with my existing setup?

texts: So I'm looking to replace my shower trim/handle, and I'm wondering if the new trim (2nd picture) is compatible with my existing setup. If it is compatible, what would I have to do to install the new trim?


texts: Electric heat pump water heater with solar power vs. gas water heater

texts:
I am getting ready to replace my current hot water heater - it is a ~15 year old tank gas water heater so I want to be prepared in case it breaks. In the summer (when I am not using gas to heat the house) I pay on average $20 per month for gas, so as a first-order approximation I pay ~$240 a year for hot water.
I also have solar panels, and currently pay nothing for electricity except for the connection fee. My electrical provider offers net metering, so excess electricity made in the summer months count towards the winter months. I haven't had the panels for a whole year so I cannot be sure that I generate a net positive amount of electricity yearly, but it is trending that way at this time. So, for the purposes of this comparison, electricity is currently either free or very cheap, but the addition of an appliance that uses a large amount of electricity could change that.
I am trying to decide whether I should replace my current tank gas water heater with a heat pump electric water heater, or with another gas water heater (of some type).
Everything I have read about electric heat pump water heaters is that they offer significant energy savings over conventional electric water heaters. I have not been able to find a direct comparison of energy used by a heat pump water heater compared to a gas water heater, so it's not clear to me if I would see any savings (either money or energy) over what I currently pay/use. In terms of potential gas water heaters, I am pretty open to any of tank, tankless, or condensing - my primary interest is saving energy and lowering monthly costs, and am OK with a large up-front cost if need be.
Taking into account that I have solar power (e.g. cheap electricity) but also have gas already set up, which of heat-pump electric or gas water heaters is likely to be the most efficient and least expensive to operate?
Update
Answers to some questions

Current water heater is in the garage, and that is where the replacement will go
Home heating uses gas
I am looking at hybrid heat pump water heaters.

Basically, my question boils down to the following: it is known that going from conventional to heat pump electric means savings, and going from conventional electric to gas means savings, but it is not clear to me in what direction the savings flows when going from gas to heat pump electric.


texts: Analog multimeter won't calibrate to zero

texts: I have a multimeter that I haven't used in many years.  I wanted to recalibrate it, so I touched the two probes and tried to adjust the reading to zero, but 500 ohms was as low as it would go.  Is the meter bad?


texts: How can I Repair this Crumbling Concrete Foundation?

texts:
My 1919 home has a concrete perimeter foundation.  I think it suffered some water damage at some point and the surface of it is badly crumbling.  I think the deeper parts are still sound.  I plan on chiseling off the crumbling portion.  I'm not sure what the best next step after that should be.  Should I build forms and pour new concrete (after proper cleaning and using a bonding agent)? Or should I just "slather" on a layer after cleaning? Or something else entirely.

Here is a picture:


texts:
An abatement professional suggested that we use spray latex paint to coat a pipe that has embedded asbestos fibers.

I can't find anything online or at stores that is labeled latex spray paint.


texts: Exterior lights on new siding, no electrical box to screw into, what to do?

texts:
I just had siding replaced and I have several exterior lights that need to be put up. The old lights had no junction box, there was just a hole cut into the siding and plywood for the electrical, and the lights were mounted directly to the siding.

When they re-did the siding, they put in these vinyl blocks, so at least there is a solid surface to mount against.

Problem is there is still no junction box to screw the fixture into.

Can I just screw directly into the vinyl block with wood screws? I don't see any other options, since I can't remove the block (it's nailed in underneath the siding).


texts: How do I prevent shadowed areas when installing recessed lighting in a vaulted ceiling?

texts:
I'm building a house, and it has a high vaulted ceiling in the kitchen.  I already bought recessed lights, but I'm worried that with the inclination of the ceiling, the light over the sink area won't be direct, and will create lot of shadows.

How can I install these light fixtures in this kind of ceiling so that I won't have shadowed areas?


texts: Does anyone know where I can find this sort of l-screw hollow wall anchor combo?

texts: I have tried putting a heavy painting up that has two slots where l-shaped screws hold it up. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a drywall anchor long enough so that the l-screws go in deep enough. The only l-shaped screws I can find that are large have too much space between where the screw ridges end and the l-bend starts. I have found an image of the type of hardware I think would work, but can't seem to find it in the U.S. Does anyone know where to find this (see image), or something like it?


texts: Which side of a two-wire cable should be used for "hot"?

texts:
I bought a custom length of a 16/2 cable (two 16-gauge stranded wires, individually insulated).  The two wires have identical colors and insulation; the only thing to tell them apart is that along one, there's printed specs of the wire, such as 600V and max temp.

I plan to use this wire for a ceiling light, and there's a chance that someone else will have to deal with this light if I move out and leave it installed.

Of course, it's possible for someone else to figure out how the lamp is wired either by looking at the lamp's own color-coded wiring or by tracing an individual wire from the power receptacle.  But is there a good way to label the two wires of my cable, to make it clearer which is the hot?

Is there already a standard like, "the cable's side with the printed specs is the hot one"?


texts: What can I do with a buried copper gas line?

texts:
When we bought our house in 2005 we were advised by our utility company that there was a gas line on the property. We discovered it is at the bottom of an old BBQ grill that apparently didn't work and was turned into a planter, overflowing with ivy.

One day I came outside to find the grill/planter had fallen over exposing the brass or copper gas tubing.

What can I do with this now? It appears copper is no longer considered stable for gas so I suppose I can't use it for a fire pit.

Suggestions? i have sent an email to the utility company asking for advice. The copper is now bent because the planter fell.

Thanks in advance!

M


texts: AFCI randomly tripping, and related questions

texts:
Warning, this may be a bit long ... I'll do my best to be brief but it's a somewhat complicated situation.  Primary issue is that the AFCI breaker trips in a very random pattern that I can't figure out; secondary issue is that said breaker seems to have way too big a load and I don't fully understand the wiring.

The basement in my single-family house was finished by the previous owner in what looks like a combination of professional and DIY work.  There are a few weird things about the wiring:

Almost every light (20!) and the outlets in the room that was
finished as a bedroom are one a single, 15A, AFCI circuit breaker.
This breaker is wired to a 14/3 NM-B (Romex) Cable, with BOTH the red and black wires connected to power at the breaker.
In the basement this cable goes into a junction box, where it is connected to two other cables - the black connects to the black of a 14/2 cable that powers all the lights and outlets in the bedroom; the red connects to the red of a 14/3 cable that powers all the other lights in the basement.
There are multiple switched lighting subcircuits that fan
out from each of these lines - 4 in the bedroom, and 6 in the rest
of the basement.
As stated above, the AFCI breaker occasionally
trips, with no discernable pattern or cause.  There can be a lot of
lights on and it will trip, or it won't.  There can be just a couple
of lights on and it will trip, or it won't.  There is no pattern to
which lighting sub-circuits cause it to trip, or time of day, or time of year, or anything.

Here are my questions:

How can I figure out what is tripping the AFCI?  Given the complete lack of a pattern I'm at a total loss here.
From what I've read it sounds like I don't actually need an AFCI and they can have a lot of nuisance trips; can I just swap it out for a regular breaker?
Obviously there is a big load on this one breaker.  I'd like to split it out into two circuits and there is a path to this given that there are already two circuits in the basement coming out of this junction box.  I've read where I could connect the red and black wires from the 14/3 cable to two separate breakers in the junction box and the have the neutral be shared for the two circuits in the basement.  Is this safe and does it meet code?

Thanks in advance for any help - this has been a pain for the last 2.5 years since I moved into the house; I'll really be thrilled if I can get it fixed!

What I'm thinking I could do is replace the AFCI w/a regular breaker, then connect the red wire to the unused breaker you can see in the picture, and connect the red wire to one of the two circuits that connect in the junction box; in this way I'd have two separate half-circuits on two separate breakers so the load wouldn't be so great.


texts: Can I cover my kitchen stone floor with tiles?

texts:
I have this stone floor in my new kitchen, and I'm going to need to cover it with something.  I'm not sure what kind of stone it is.

The floor is really cold in the winter, so I don't want to leave it just stone.  My question is can I cover it without creating problems with damp? I've been told the stone should be breathable and therefore not covered.


texts:
I have a three floors in my house, each controlled by it's own thermostat (separate air handlers and mechanical valves on furnace).  Baseboard heat.

The three thermostats are controlled separately, and it's getting a pain to manage them all.  I would like to update to a smart thermometer (Honeywell Lync, Nest, Ecobee), but I was wondering if there was another system out there that could control the three zones correctly without having to install three thermostats.   Any thoughts?

My only other thing I would like to solve is the multiple rooms in one zone.  Particular thermostats have a "remote" temperature sensor to help regulate heat.   Does anybody have any thoughts?


texts:
I have a situation in my 90 year old house with the bathroom door. Last night my bathroom door was closed and somehow bolted locked from inside and I can't get into it or unlock it. I believe this is a mortise lock (like this), but I have no keyhole on the outside, it's just door under the knob.

The bolt goes in an estimated 1.5-2 cm into the door frame. There is a small window to the bathroom, but it's 10 feet up from the ground outside and I would be going in head first about 5 feet to the tub. The hinges are on the inside of the door and the door swings into the bathroom.

Any ideas on how to unlock the door or get inside? Or even an idea of how this could have even happened would be nice to know?


texts:
I am trying to upgrade a switch that controls two wall outlets in a 2-gang switch box with a Kasa smart switch. The wall outlets controlled by the switch are split switched outlets.

Here's a diagram of my existing configuration (in the US, the house was built in 2013):

I'd like to understand the function of the cables in this configuration and use that to install my new smart switch.

So far, the one thing I know for sure is that the (bare) copper cable is ground :). As per my research, I believe these statements are true:

The white wires are neutral (the 2011 NEC mandates that a neutral wire be present in switch boxes).
The top 3-wire cable connects the switch box to the fan.
The bottom 3-wire cable connects the switch box to the wall outlets; I have split switched outlets with a switch loop, where the source is located at (one of?) the outlets.
The hot wire coming from the switch loop is spliced and goes to both switches.

Is that accurate? What tests can I run with a multimeter to confirm this?

I'd be happy to report back with multimeter test results (once I know what tests to perform) if that helps with the identification. Thanks a bunch!


texts: Move a shed vs. Demolish and install a new shed

texts: We are remodeling and our current wooden shed needs to be moved to a new spot. One option is to hire folks to relocated the shed and the alternative is to demolish the current shed, dispose it and install a new one in the new spot. Looking for suggestion as what is more cost effective option.


texts: I have an area of my garage that is lower and sloping towards the house. When the car is wet or covered in snow, it melts and runs down into this area in front of the stairs and makes a mess. Ripping out and replacing the slab is not possible right now. Is there a product I can apply directly over this concrete to prevent this from happening? I would need to raise it quite a bit on that side. Thank you.


texts: 1/2 HP sewer pump, outlet reduction 1 1/2" - 1 1/4"

texts: I have a 1/2 HP sewer pump to drop into septic tank and pump it out. The old pump has a 1 1/4" outlet, and the new pump has a 1 1/2" outlet.  Because I want to use the old  1 1/4" hose, I want to put a reducer 1 1/2" - 1 1/4" on the pump.  Will this cause the hose to blow off pump? Would a reduction 8 feet up the pipe be better?


texts: my generator trips one pole /30 amp generator breaker even when the transfer switches are off

texts: I have a problem with my newly purchased home with a generator transfer switch previously installed and the generator left by the owners, knowing that winter was on its way I started the generator to make sure I had 240 volts and I did, so chase to winter, the power is out so I start the generator and put my transfer switch to generator from the off position on the transfer switch and it pops the 30 amp circuit breaker on the generator so I could only power up the 120 v circuits on the other generator leg that was live. I disconnect the red, black, and the neutral from the generator  to the house neutral and the transfer switch leads and I read 120 volts from the black feed to the generator neutral and 120 volts from the red feed to the generator neutral and 240 volts between the red and black generator leads as would be expected but when I measure the black generator lead to the house neutral I get 0 volts and from the red generator lead to the house neutral I get 240 volts and the red generator lead is the same one popping the 30 amp generator circuit, I do not see anything that could be back feeding the house neutral, even with the main off it is popping the 30 amp generator circuit, when it does this the generator almost bogs down so much that it almost stops but the circuit trips before that happens, like there is a huge load on it just on the red lead side of the generator can anyone help, I am pretty comfortable with electricity having previously wiring a transfer switch at my previous home with no problems, the only thing different is the generator ground is wired back to the house ground could this be the problem?


texts: Removing detergent smell from clay/earthen pot

texts:
I used detergent to clean a newly bought clay pot. Kept water in it for around 5 hours, To my surprise I am now drinking perfume :(.

How do I now remove this strong detergent smell. I tried coating it's internal surface with lemon juice over night. Washed it 10times. But no avail. Is there a way I can get rid of the smell?


texts: Questions about a fire suppression system breaking

texts:
I own and live in a condo unit.  There is a fire suppression system that runs between the walls of each unit.  The unit is about 15 years old.

5 years ago, after an extremely cold night, I walked in to find that the water suppression line in the wall had burst.  I had water running out on my ceiling fixtures and havoc vents like someone turned a faucet on. The HOA of our property used their insurance to fix the affected units. A company came out 5 years ago, and not knowing much about water remediation or fire suppression systems, I assumed the vendors did a quality job.

Flash forward to today, I come home to a handwritten note on notebook paper to call property management if there is water in my unit.  I quickly found out that the same line burst, meaning that the vendors from 5 years ago did not fix the insulation properly.  It was not overly cold the evening before (it was barely below freezing compared to two weeks before when the weather was below 0).  The story that I was told was there was a vendor working on the fire suppression line.  He found the regulator on the system was frozen.  He also told me there was no water running in the system,  he then did an air pressure test, then ran water through the system for 5 minutes.  There was a 3 foot crack in the pipe in the system that caused the water to leak out.

So I have a few questions here.  Considering it is a wet system, shouldn’t there have been water in the system at all times?  Considering it was so cold a few weeks before, shouldn’t the pipe have frozen and burst then?  Could an air pressure test cause a large crack in the pipe?  Did the vendor skip any steps or act negligent in any way (if he did an air test and then ran water)?

What questions should I be asking the vendor and property management to get the correct answers?

Also of note, the water reclamation company who is cleaning up my unit this time(a different company from last time), told me that the repair was. It done properly 5 years ago.  They told me that they found mold in my ceiling (which has been removed), that clearly happened back then.  5 years ago my unit was hit much harder, should I order (or ask property management) a mold test?  Should they cover it considering they did not do a proper job 5 years ago?

I apologize that Imay not have all of the answers, or if this is the wrong forum to ask.  I want to get some advice on what to ask the vendor/insurance/property management.

Thanks for all of you help in advance!


texts: Does PVC conduit need a termination bushing at a service panel?

texts:
I'm installing a panel with the feed conductors entering via 1-1/2" PVC. Is an end bushing, as shown here (for example), required by the U.S. NEC for PVC?

image source


texts: Diagnosing GFCi trips with a laser printer

texts:
I have an HP consumer-sized color laser printer. (M255dw). I plugged into a GFCi receptacle that protects outside outlets wired to its output terminals.

Every so often, it tripped when the printer started up. I unplugged everything else from the circuit; same result. I replaced the outlet. Same result. I called up HP, and said, 'hey, this printer has a ground fault'. The HP safety person and I were both a bit puzzled as to how this could be, but they sent me a new one.

Guess what happened this morning, which happens to be a damp morning here in damp Seattle. Printer started up, ground fault tripped.

What have we got here? Is there some reason why the surge current of the printer starting up would trip the ground fault? Or could there be a problem with the outdoor outlets?


texts: My washing machine drain is over flowing.

texts: So my laundry room looks like a river. When the washer drains water is coming up from the hole in the floor where the drain pipe leads into. If the drain was backed up it should come out where the washer hose meets the pvc pipe correct? Well my land lord is a Crack head. And said he fixed it. But now it's 10 times worse. I can't even find the drain in the basement underneath so I have no clue where the drain pipe even leads. Any direction would be wonderful.


texts: I am currently finishing my basement and my wife asked me to wire a reading light over an area we will have a recliner.  He's my question - I have three way switches at the top of the stairs and the bottom that controls the entire bank of can lights.  Is there a way I could "4 way" only that single can light by adding a switch right next to the recliner?  I want the switch right next to the recliner to only switch that one light on and off but also have the three way switches at the top and bottom of the stairs control it's on and off.  Hopefully this makes sense thank you!!


texts: How to unscrew a screw that I can't access frontally?

texts:
I need to unscrew a screw that I can't access frontally.
How can I do it?
Googling a bit I was thinking of a Torque Wrench, do you think it's the right choice?


texts: Does using a ceiling fan pull chain cause more wear than using a light switch?

texts: Does it matter if you always use the light switch to turn the fan off instead of using the pull chain? Basically every time someone flips the light switch on or off the fan turns on or off. Does this wear out the motor any faster or anything?


texts: Hardwood flooring nails showing through plywood from underneath

texts:
Hello 8 years ago we installed hardwood floors throughout our entire condo. At that time we had asked our association if that was something we could do. We weren't sure if the foundation or the condo would sustain all the hardwood. They said it was okay.

I was in our basement--it's unfinished--and I noticed that the nails are sticking through the plywood I also noticed wood particles on the floor. Which leads me to believe that the plywood is coming apart. Perhaps also there's a crack in the plywood. I know nothing about this type of stuff. Could any professionals let me know if this is normal? I am starting to question if it was okay to install these hardwoods to begin with. Thank you kindly!


texts: Will a 6x10 glue-lam be suitable to replace a 4x10 porch beam with one fewer post?

texts: I have a 12x15 covered patio. The builder used a 4x10-16 beam supported by three 4x4 posts. Due to some rot issues I need to replace the beam and would like to eliminate the center post. Would a 6x10-16 glulam supported by two 4x6 posts handle the load?


texts: Help ,My motorized garage door opener is tripping my breaker when I use it , can I install a higher amp breaker ?


texts: What kind of dimmer switch and ceiling fan are needed to correctly wire and control a ceiling fan?

texts:
I’ve read a lot about how people incorrectly install ceiling fans and control them by dimmers. As a result I want to do it right, but nowhere can I find concrete directions on what I need to do.
What kind of dimmer specifically do I need to get in order to control a ceiling fan? And what do I need to make sure I get in a ceiling fan, to make sure it can be controlled by dimmers? Eg. Do I need to make sure they are rated for a certain number of amps? What kinds of characteristics are necessary for a dimmer to control a fan and/or a light?
To be clear, I want to install a ceiling fan where I can control the light with a dimmer switch, and where I can also control the fan speed with a dimmer switch. I am also hoping to use smart switches with this, so I can control them remotely without having to use a dedicated remote (which tends to get lost). So I know one feature I need is to have separate circuits to control the fan speed and the light brightness. What else do I need to know?


texts: how to blackout a large bedroom window on a budget?

texts:
I am renting an apartment that comes with blinds - that I can not remove or replace - but they are not very effective at blocking the light in the morning.

I can not remove the existing blinds
I want to keep the room light during day so no sticker or dark foil
my budget is limited and I would like to avoid buying and installing heavy curtains.
How do I darken the room on a budget? Any DIY tips are welcome.

Someone suggested pinning fabric inside the blinds but I am not sure how effective that is? What kind of fabric should I buy to try this?
This is for a baby room, so he doesn't wake up with the sunrise :)


texts:
I've seen a lot of similar issues on this site to this but nothing that really answers the question or doesn't apply.
I've purchased a couple Outdoor LED boxes to replace some old outdoor sodium bulb boxes. Two LED boxes, connected to a light switch inside the house. Installation was simple, Black wire, White wire, Green Ground. Installed them by coping the removal of the old one.
Both lights, when I turn them on they will randomly (can be 15 minutes, can be 30 minutes or any amount of time between) turn themselves off and immediately turn back on. When doing this, they are not in sync. They are independent when it comes to the blinking.
First I thought it was due to the photocell reflecting off the porch roof. So, I disconnected the photocell on both of them and it still happens.
Any advice would be great.
The light in question: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T83P3XV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_NEQFX9KAX0Z76X7T53YD?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


texts: Replacing fan/light with 2 wall with fan/light controlled by remote

texts:
I am replacing an old fan that runs off 2 wall switches. Switch 1 controls the light.  Switch 2 controls the fan.

The new fan has remote only. The power source is 2 wire (Black, White, Bare).  The remote has Black, white, Blue and Yellow wires. I cannot get the remote to control both the light and the fan.  What would be the proper wiring to make sure the remote controls both light & Fan with at least 1 wall switch on?


texts: What are some DIY alternatives to drywall that I can carry up a narrow staircase?

texts:
I'm fixing up a house that's been cut into apartments, and needs a few wall and ceiling repairs due to some water damage.  I'm planning on cutting out large sectons to check the extent of the water damage, so I'll be repairing large sections, not just patching.

I've hung enough drywall that I'm comfortable with it, but the stairs are so narrow that there's no way I'd be able to get a whole sheet into the upstairs without tearing out the wall (which isn't damaged) so I don't have to turn as soon as I get upstairs, or finding some way to get 'em in through the window, which even if I remove the sashes still aren't large enough to fit a sheet in.

The only other thing I can think of is plaster, as it can go up in buckets and the lath in rolls, but I'm shying away from that as I've never done plaster, and as it'll be apartments, I know from my own house that holes in plaster sucks to patch.

Am I missing any other alternatives?  Are there any tricks to getting drywall into strange places other than cutting it into smaller pieces and lots of mudding?


texts:
I'm looking for help on planning a roof over a deck I plan on adding to my house. The roof will be 18' wide and extend out 12' from the house. I want to have at least a 1' overhang on each side making the roof 12x20.
I plan on using polycarbonate sheets as roofing so it does not need to support much weight. Building in a location that does not experience snow. What size post and beam do I need to use to span the 18' between support posts?
Here is the concept design.


texts: I have 3 sets of wires going to an outlet. I would like to add another outlet from this one, how do i do it?

texts: I am trying to add another outlet to this one but i'm a little confused as there are 3 sets of wires going to this one outlet that i want to daisy chain from.  How could i add another outlet from this one?.


texts: How long can a water heater be without a water supply before it might be damaged?

texts: Because of a busted feed pipe my water has been turned off since mid December 2014.  I've had the temperature on my water heater turned down to Low (but not Pilot) since then.  Since I'm still not sure when I can get my water feed line fixed, I'm wondering if there is damage or long before there might be damage to my water heater.  I will probably turn it completely off today, but still would like to know how long it would take before a problem arises with a tank that is either 50 gallons or 76 gallons.


texts: Can I drywall directly over cinder block (ceiling) using 7/8" hat channel?

texts:
We live in a condo that was previously a Hospital.  In the early 1980s they installed the drywall ceilings using metal track.  We removed the drywall and track to raise the ceiling from 8' to 11'.  The ceiling is now cinder block under concrete.
Can we install drywall directly over cinder block using 7/8" metal hat channel as our "furring strips?"
I have plenty of 7/8" hat channel available from removing old track lighting.  Hat channel would be attached using tapcon  concrete screws.  Would use drywall screws and adhesive to attach to hat channel.


texts:
Currently preparing an area in our garden to lay a paved patio area and pergola (the latter being provided by a professional).

My wife and I need to build a supporting wall around the sides and at the top side (see the photo below).

We have been advised to create a 1% incline on the slabs, so that water can run off when it rains etc.

My question(s) is, how do you measure out/figure out how to do this? Is this a requirement when building a patio area? Is 1% the ideal incline?


texts: how do you install a glass door on a drywall?

texts: I have made a cabinet style cutout in the drywall and finished with dry wall.  Now I want to install a glass door to this drywall and want to know how and best way to do it.


texts: Is it advisable to use EPDM for flooring around the pool?

texts: I am planning to use EPDM flooring around the pool so that it will provide grip and kids won't get hurt when they fall. But few people said that EPDM does not do well around water. Is there something I am missing. There are few online images that show EPDM around the pool. Can someone suggest


texts: I want to wire in a single gang light switch for a lamp

texts: I have a lamp with a weird switch on it so I want to attach a light switch to it and place it on the wall. I do not want to use an inline switch as they are often fiddly too. I have been trying all combinations of wiring but can never find the right combo. So what goes to l1,l2 and com. Thanks.


texts: How can I relocate a receptacle that cannot be removed from the junction box?

texts: We have an outlet recessed in a wood floor over a concrete subfloor. I want to build in a seating bench over that area, and extend the outlet to surface mount in the bench face.  However, the outlet screws are badly corroded and we can't remove the outlet from the junction box to wire in an extension. I would have to tear up the wood floor, and cut concrete to remove the receptacle.  Is there some option for leaving the existing outlet in place, and plugging an extension into it, then running to a new surface-mounted outlet?  Doesn't sound like something that would meet code, but I'm looking for any possible solution.


texts: Nest Thermostat Wiring for Baseboard Heaters

texts:
I'm using a Nest Thermostat to power baseboard heaters (240VAC).

I have 4 wires that I have access to:

2 wires: Red/Black from a transformer which outputs 24VAC
2 wires: 24VAC from a thermostat RELAY (Honeywell R841C1169)

I thought initially that the two wires from the thermostat relay connect to W1 and RH.

But then I wasn't sure how to do the common wire.

Then I thought about the C wire, and thought I could use a 24VAC transformer, but in my diagram, 2 hot wire were touching, and I wasn't sure if that was bad. Is it?

Somehow this doesn't seem good.

How can I get the common wire involved? I'm pretty sure the wires from the relay are OK, they just hookup to W1 and RH. But where do the wires from the 24VAC transformer go? One of them I'm pretty sure needs to go to the C wire, but where does that last wire go??

Thanks!


texts:
We have lived in this house for over 20 years but for about the last 12 months we have had a musty smell in the hall and kitchen which are at the front of the house. We have checked the roof, mains water for leaks, all pipework and plumbing are OK. Looking at the outside wall we can see that the pointing needs doing as the mortar is very sandy and has weathered, but we also have a drive that slopes towards the house and when it rains hard it puddles close to the house.
We are trying to find a builder to do the pointing, but I am wondering if we should dig down to the footings and apply a coating of paintable bitumen at the front of the house? We have already had engineered bricks put in two rows below the DPC. We are going to get a driveway done after the pointing is completed.


texts: How to Winterize an Outdoor Shower with no Valves

texts: I recently bought a house and am now trying to winterize it.  I found out that the outdoor shower has no on or off cutoff water valves, so what do I do before it starts to freeze?  The previous owners just completely shut down the house, all water etc., for the winter, but we want to enjoy the house.  Is it a big expensive job to add valves?  i.e. cutting through the basement roof etc. co can I just cover the pipes outside with a protective cover?  Thanks


texts:
I purchased a Tikkurila Optiva Primer(eco) to prime a painted wall. When I started to apply it to the wall it was so thick that my roller just slided across it. I managed to get going, but the end result was bad. The coat was uneven, grainy and I could clearly see the old paint through it.
Looking up how it's done on Youtube, I noticed how everyones primer applies smoothly and evenly. Could there be something wrong with the primer I purchased? The primer was kept in a cold room overnight(around 8C/46F), could the temperature damage it? Getting it back to room temperature improved things a bit, but it's still grainy and uneven.
Will an uneven and grainy primer affect the end result?


texts:
I am using redwood 4x4s for the posts on an exterior deck. EVERY 4x4 at the Home Depot is stained with black from the binding straps, etc. See pic. Obviously this is not going to work if we're going to use a transparent stain and want it to look good.
Is there an effective way to remove this type of staining from redwood without damaging the natural color of the wood?


texts: Is having cloth touching a grounding wire ok?

texts:
In my basement, the ceiling of one of the closets is the copper grounding wire that runs from the breaker box to my water main. This wraps around the perimeter of the basement on the top of the rooms and I'm installing a cloth ceiling for acoustic purposes in a closet to record in. I put acoustic insulation between the joists and then just stapling muslin as the covering material.

The cloth is touching the wire in a few spots, and I didn't know if that mattered at all. It's not live and can be touched, but In my nonexistent electrical knowledge, I didn't know if current ever went through that wire. Take a look at the picture and you can see what I'm referring to.


texts: Advice for mounting exercise hooks to a section of drywall without studs

texts:
I'd like to mount three hooks to the wall to enable TRX work and band work. One high (TRX, full weight), one middle (band work, light weight), one bottom (heavy stretching bands, medium weight). I weigh 200lbs so assume max pullout force is 300lbs.
The section of the wall that I need to mount the hooks is between a corner and a doorframe, and does not have any studs, metal or wood. There is a metal corner bracket shaping the drywall (standard). Photo is at the bottom of this post.
My thinking is to buy a sturdy sheet of 1/2 ply, cut it to width, and attach it with multiple snaptoggle anchors. Despite this distributing the weight, I've never relied on only drywall for this type of force.
Any thoughts on how realistic this is and suggestions on other approaches?


texts: Can I move the opening of my screen door from the middle to the left?

texts: Hi We have a 12 ft sliding glass door off of our living room to our patio. It opens in the center third. Is there any way that the opening can be shifted to the left side and have the two fixed sections to the right? I would replace the whole thing but it would be very expensive to get the same quality as we have, which the past owners had installed. And honestly cannot afford it. Thank you for any help you can give.


texts: When remodeling a hallway with new walls and ceiling, should walls be done first or ceiling?

texts: Should walls be done first or ceiling? I'm doing in plywood with FRP covering


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do I patch rusty spots in bathtub?

I have a tub upstairs with a chip in it. Is there an easy way to sand the porcelain down and redo the tub? What would be the most professional way to fix the tub?


texts:
I have 2 problems with my garage door, first is that both of my remotes don't open the garage door, however the rolling mechanism works just fine once I get inside the garage and manually hit the open / close switch. I believe the lead connections on the wireless receiver / antenna on the logic board might be cracked and should be able to fix that with a soldering iron.

However, now I can't get into the garage because I somehow messed up the lock when I put the key back in. See the 2 images below. First one is the lock pushed in but it isn't all the way in and I can still pull it out, see 2nd pic and that's as far as I can pull it out. The key won't turn fully, it'll only turn a bit either way and I have tried to turn it with the lock in various stages of being pulled out or pushed in but nothing works. So I am stuck and not sure how to fix this. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

Click for larger view


texts: Thermocouple measured okay, but replacing it fixed the problem?

texts:
So the pilot on my furnace wouldn't stay lit. I tested the thermocouple with my multimeter and got 29 millivolts which meant it was still working.
Assuming I was in over my head, I called the plumber who proceeded to change the thermocouple and now everything is fine. Family is warm, what more can you ask for?

Is it common for thermocouples to test fine but still not actually work? Everywhere I looked said over 25 millivolts means the thermocouple is fine and there must be a different problem.


texts:
I am having an odd problem with a light fixture. The fixture has three sockets and is wired to a dimmer. I replaced the bulbs with Philips LED bulbs that were dimmable. However, when I turn the dimmer switch on, to any level, the bulbs remain off. The part that I don't understand is that if I replace one of the bulbs with the original incandescent bulb, all 3 will light up. I can then remove the incandescent and they will remain lit only to refuse to start back up if I let them sit for a bit.

Any idea what could be going on? I am sure the bulbs are compatible.


texts: How to get rid of a stinking wall color - paint over, remove/sanding or use ozone?

texts:
A friend got a new apartment (5 floor building built in 2008). The walls and ceiling of the apartment were renovated a few months ago.
Unfortunately, the ceiling color (Flügger Flutex 2S) started to smell. The smell is "lying in the air" like vinegar or old socks. Very subtle but noticeable. I assume that either the new color got bad or the new color chemically reacts with the old undercoat.
A repaint was done: Primer and a completely new color applied (Ekocolor Eko 3). This removed the smell by 90 %.
However, a few days later the smell is slowly noticable again!
My guess: The wall absorbed the primer and the new color and now the smell can escape the wall again.
The question: What to do next?
A: Complete removal of the surface? That's a lot of work. There is no wallpaper, so sanding would take place on 50 m² of ceiling.
B: Using an ozone device in the entire apartment for a day. Hoping it destroys the smell particle. But I have read positive and negative things about it.
C: Paint over again - but with isolating paint

I think anti-mould paint could have very good isolationg effects. Example "Anti-mould": https://www.amazon.de/Zentrallager-13401144-Schimmelblocker-Isoliergrund-Schimmel/dp/B0050G8RS6
Or maybe a "Wet blocker". Example: https://www.amazon.de/0-75l-Molto-Feuchtblocker-weiss/dp/B00FSA4P4E

Doing C would be my suggestion. But I don't know which color to choose and also: Should another primer be applied before applying the color?
Can an experienced craftsman/painter can give advice?


texts: Install fire/smoke alarm directly to stud or in electrical box?

texts:
I am installing (6) brand new smoke alarms in my home, including running all new 14/3 wire to each alarm. I have purchased "old work" electrical boxes for all of the alarms. However, the existing smoke alarms are installed by just screwing the bracket on to the stud and cutting in a small hole next to the stud to route the wire down.

I know the electrical box would probably be the best method, but it seems the advantages of just mounting to the stud and cutting a small hole would be (a) smaller wall cutout and (b) quicker/easier install time.

So the question is: Should I install smoke alarms in an electrical box or mount them directly to the stud?


texts: How do I stop backyard from flooding when it rains hard?

texts: Every time it rains hard, my backyard floods. The house is 54 years old, but this didn't start happening until maybe the last 4-5 years or so. Who should I talk to about fixing this problem, and what is the usual fix?


texts: Trane XR90 Furnace - 4 flashes "open limit device"

texts:
I've read other posts on this useful forum and checked my unit as follows:

The filter is clean, the batteries in the thermostat are new, there are no loose wires. One thing I read and followed in another thread was to tap/jiggle the connector (I think it has 9 wires, including 2 yellow) at the bottom of the board. I did so and the unit begins working correctly and the house is nice and warm. However, this is not permanent and I have to jiggle to connector every few days. I'm trying to attach a picture of the connector, but don't see any "attach" button. Could there be something wrong with the connector or the wires leading to it? Or the board that the connector attaches to? Thanks!


texts: Have 100amp pushmatic breaker box. Main has tripped more than twice. Im thinking overload or ? People that used to live here stole/cut out wire. Owner done what he could. Any thoughts would be appreciated.


texts:
Can I install a AFCI/GFCI outlet on the same circuit that has a GFCI outlet.

Right now I have the first outlet from the breaker as a GFCI and I want to switch it to a AFCI/GFCI, but that same circuit has an outside weatherized outlet downstream that's also has a GFCI, would I be able to leave the outside GFCI in circuit or would that interfere with the AFCI/GFCI detecting any abnormal fluctuations?


texts: Crack in fireplace, can i repair with fire clay/cement?

texts:
I recently bought a house ( about 15 years old) but just noticed that the back of the fireplace is cracked, it's about 1cm wide in the worst place.  Can I repair this with fire clay/ cement?

If i have to replace the firestone, do I have to take to whole fireplace out to repair?

Update, wider picture of fireplace


texts: I just moved into first house I bought. I buy a 4 prong dryer wire for my new whirlpool dryer. I used a 3 prong at my last residence and it started fine. But with 4 prong now when I hook up the neutral wire to pair it with the other neutral in the middle terminal, and put the ground wire hooked to the ground. It wont start. I've been reading you dont hook up the neutral with the ground, well I tried it that way just to see and the dryer started up... any suggestions? Hope I described this right for yall!


texts: Why did my cooktop trip the breaker when I cleaned it with too much water?

texts:
I have a problem with my miele built-in gas cooktop. I was cleaning it with baking soda and stabilized hydrogen peroxide, afterwards, I rinsed it with water. I was using too much water and one of the burners made a pop sound and I can feel mild heat around the burner. And following that,  the electricity in my whole unit was tripped.

I called in an electrician and he switched on the electricity inside the switch board outside my apartment unit and attempted to turn on the stove. Again, a pop and electricity tripped back off. He plugged out the power cord and asked me to call an electrical appliance repair tomorrow.

What happened inside the stove? Have the fuse inside the stove blown? How does it cause the electricity switch to tripped?


texts: Changing AC Fan Motor/Capacitor with No Luck

texts:
Issues with a central AC unit:

Turned it on and heard a buzzing sound, but the fan didn't start.

Started by looking at the dual capacitor. We happen to have two identical units, so I tried the capacitor on the second unit and it ran fine, so crossed that one off.

Ordered a new fan motor, which came with it's own single run capacitor.

This morning I hooked up the new 3-wire motor and new capacitor:

Black to line
Jumper from Common on the dual capacitor and purple to one terminal
Brown to the other

Didn't hook it up to the fan blade, because that sucker is rusted onto the old fan and good.

Turned on the AC, and the fan motor didn't do a thing. Still a humming sound. Electricity detector showed that all lines had juice flowing through them.

Nothing from the new motor.

I switched out my thermostat for an Ecobee in the winter, but when tested initially it seemed to work. And when jumped we got the same buzzing from the AC unit.

Any thoughts of what to do next?

Pretty frustrated.


texts: Should I install baseboards before or after laminate flooring?

texts: I am planning on having laminate flooring. The baseboards are not installed yet. Should I wait until the laminate is in first? Or should I do it before it is installed?


texts: I have a GFCI in the kitchen has started tripping all of a sudden.  It may trip several times a day. I have the same things plugged in that I have had for months. Nothing has changed with the usage so not sure what the problem might be.  Any suggestions?


texts:
we have had this problem for over a year on & off, we have an ideal logic+ 30w combi boiler 8 years old, in fairness has been great , but the central heating sometimes comes on in the night (full blast) until we wake up red hot and go downstairs to find that the thermostat is set to 10c and the timer is set from 16.30 -22.30
we have tried turning the thermostat to zero and turning it off at the stat but the boiler just keeps pumping out until turned off at the boiler , as i said it doesnt do it all the time , its not the frost protection as it was 18c last night


texts:
I had a shed delivered two weeks ago.

It has been stored up right for a week when I noticed that some panels were bent/warped. It's now being returned and collected this week. See picture.

However the panels have now gone back to their correct shape. Is this something I should be worried about?

Eg will the warp return? Should I still get a replacement?


texts:
I've checked around and read all kinds of other posts that talk about well pumps running and have checked all the possible answers.  I've tested several shutoff valves to see if I can see where the slow leak/running water may be, but nothing.  The main will make it stop, even stopping it next to the softner, but the minute I open the bypass, it starts again.

So I know it's not an external line.  No outside irrigation or faucets.  So I know it's tied to internal.  But I've checked all the toilets, sinks, showers, bathtubs, even the washer/dryer.  I have no water damage anywhere in the house that I can see.  But it keeps running.

runs, shuts off for a sec, but runs again.  The fan on the pump never shuts off.

The pressure is normal on the tank.  I've played with the individual shutoff valves and can't seem to find the location that the constant running is occurring.

Help!

Who would I even call to help diagnose/find it?


texts: Is 10/2 cable appropriate for a 240V, 30A garage heater outlet?

texts:
I would like to add a garage heater (Cadet "The Hot One" - 5000/3333watts - two settings)

I currently do not have any 240v access in my garage.

My main panel is in my basement and my garage is attached so if I measure from my main panel to the interior wall of my garage where the electric would feed from the main panel the run is about 22 feet -  The electric heater would be mounted about 20" from the garage ceiling so the receptacle could be above or below so that would put that full run at about 25 feet.

I have a 200 amp service and currently have 9 slots available in my panel.

My understanding is the cadet heater needs a 30amp breaker, NEMA 6-30R outlet and I think I can run it with 10/2 cable.

I would run the line up through the garage wall plate and have the cable behind the drywall and run it into a metal box for the NEMA 6-30R outlet.

I am unclear if the 10/2 is sufficient, I believe it is, and then about grounding the box receptacle box.


texts:
I'm thinking about installing a locking mailbox.  My main concern after reading online reviews of locking mailbox models is not security but rather mail getting wet.  Seems to be a recurring complaint on every model I read about.  I'm in western Oregon where it is constantly raining and wet.

Anyone faced this problem and solved it?  Or tips on preventing it?  Curious for any tips/advice.  Thanks