texts: How do I compute how much electric service to provision?

texts:
Generic question here. I won't self-answer.

Suppose I am adding significant new loads to an existing house - say, a 50A hot tub and a 50A RV receptacle.  Those are big loads for a modest gas home.  It seems like I ought to re-compute the provision of power to make sure this is sane given my service.

I already know you don't just add up all the breakers on each leg! You are usually allowed (and should) have many more breaker amps than service amps, since they won't all run at once.

But then I think about big loads like hot tub , which will draw most of its 50A when it is on, which could be awhile if it is cold started.

How do I tally up all my circuits and special loads, and arrive at a number that my house should be provisioned with to support those loads?


texts: Working on a bathroom remodel project and found rot and water damage to the plywood subfloor around the shower area. The shower is 36" x 36", and the joists are 24" apart and his part of the subfloor actually spans from the bedroom through this bathroom and into the next room. Was thinking of cutting out damage, adding some perpendicular supports and laying down new 3/4". Would this be correct? We're putting down a new acrylic shower pan and will tile the rest of the floor. Would I need a vapor barrier with the new subfloor too?


texts: I'm using a 2500 watt inverter with a regular car battery to power a vacation house with no city electricity or water, all my appliances work just fine except the water pump, the manual of the pump says 1500 watts at start and 750 watts afterwards, my fridge works fine, even the vacuum cleaner with 2000 watts works fine but as soon as I plug in the water pump the inverter cuts off, any advice on how to get the pump working would be appreciated,


texts: How to water proof chipped concrete around garage door

texts:
How do I water proof this cement wall around the garage door:

Can I use something like a polyurethane crack filler or something:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Loctite-PL-10-fl-oz-Polyurethane-Concrete-Crack-and-Masonry-Sealant-1618522/203156788?

Here is a closer look at the problem:

Thanks


texts: Can I use a transformer with center tap to convert 240V to 120v?

texts:
I want to buy a 500W RMS surround system from the US and it is 120VAC.

I'm planning to use a transformer here but I'm not sure what is the size/specs of the transformer to use or will it going to work this way.. I need your expert advice on this matter.. :)

BTW, I visited local store to buy locally available converter but it is only 100Watts and I think it is too way lower of what I actually need.

This is how I'm going to get 120VAC from the transformer.


texts:
spa + water + marble spa cover + statue + 4 people = 3,500 #
55" width rests on floor covering 4 or 5  2 x 10,s of Douglas fir.
Safe?


texts: Electrolux vacuum lightbulb keeps burning out?

texts:
Asking for a relative. Older Electrolux Canister Vacuum with a light in the power head. May be model 6500. Bulbs keep burning out quickly. In a month he's gone through 4 bulbs.

Any idea what could be causing this and what can be done to correct it?

Update: He wound up taking it in for repair and the belt needed to be replaced and there was something blocking the rollers from spinning. This was causing excessive heat which was contributing the to bulbs burning out so quickly according to the repair person.


texts:
We moved into a new house last year, the central A/C works great for all the rooms (even for closet) but we have a problem in just one room. There is almost no air flow coming from that room's air duct.

The room is the northeast corner of the house, so it does not get almost any sunlight (Just east wall in the morning and there is no window on that wall) but still the room 3-4 degrees hotter than the rest of the house. (We also had the same problem during winter, all around the house was warm, but not that room)

I placed paper strips to each duct outlet to see the air flow, all the papers move except that room. That way I know that there is no air flow in that room.

I closed some other air ducts to increase airspeed, but so far didn't help.

What should I do to find & fix this problem?


texts: Remote pump house power supply 220v and 120v

texts:
I read prior questions and need to follow up before investing thousands in wire.

Starting at barn, need to run power to a sprinkler water pump (TSC model CLLS115) 900 ft away. Pump can run either 220V 10A or 115V 20A.

At water pump location I need pull chain light & 115V recep for sm heater or heat lamp in winter months.

Pump is used 1-2 x's per week for an hour. Barn has 2 unused 220V breakers. My plan to keep wire cost down is to use URD 4g Alum 3 strand wire (2 hots & a neutral) the 2 hots for the 2 sides of 220V & neutral for 115V need.

If I drove a ground rod at pump location for ground needs.  The 2 hots for pump with ground & the neutral with a split off 1 of the 220V feeds & ground to a seperate 20A breaker for recep & light.

Upon cable reaching pump area I was told I need a disconnect I had planned on a 30A disco. I had planned to put a subpanel because of 115V need as your article stated.

In your prior question work you stated you needed a 220V breaker & 20A breaker at location.  If I did the 220V breaker in panel at pump WOULD I NEED A DISCONNECT SWITCH AT LOCATION?
however that would be 2 breakers on  1 -220V circuit or would the breaker at barn be enough??  Do I need disconnect also?  If so does cable run into disco first then panel or vise versa? Which one is not necessary or both & where to go with cable first? - thought I would check before investing in disco & panel.


texts:
I was trying to light my pilot and was having difficulty. The steps I followed.

Turn on gas
Turned pilot button from "off" to "pilot"
Pushed in pilot button
Pushed igniter
Pilot will light but when I release pilot button it goes off.

I can not turn main fireplace on because pilot won’t stay lit.


texts:
We've solid brick, external walls, about 10" thick, and have moisture seeping through. We have plaster on the walls which we'd like to take off to seal the walls inside, then replaster.

So far our best suggestion is to use tanking slurry before the replastering. But is there any, hopefully cheaper, alternatives to tanking which can be plastered over?

I'd like to avoid water soluble sealants like PVA solutions.

We'll also be repointing and rerendering the external walls eventually, but need to do something before winter kicks in.


texts:
I have a ~100 year old stairway that has a couple treads cracked down the middle.  One of them has a little give to it when stepping on it.  They would be difficult to replace entirely, and I am worried brining in a professional (who would be forced to bring our stairs up to code) would cost a fortune.

Watching this video from This Old House gave me the idea to drill into the treads and insert dowels to add support, then seal the crack with epoxy.  Would this work/be advisable?  Any other suggestions?


texts: How to manage mold growing along the bottom vinyl window frame of every window in an R2000 home?

texts:
We have a lot of windows in this house, for some reason black mold grows along the bottom of each from basement to upper floor. Its and R2000 so we don't pump any moisture into the house and we run with a dehumidifier in the basement. We also have central air and a gas furnace. I'm thinking of wiping it away but concerned it will come right back or my wiping activity will spread it.
Windows are all double pane, likely 15 to 19 years old, and in good condition. They are casement - the type that swings open with a crank.


texts: Why is there a musty smell from my HVAC system even after coil cleaning?

texts:
I am having trouble getting rid of a smell in my AC (installed 2016), 2 visits by an HVAC professional have resulted in no luck.
Problem:
There is a musty smell, from all vents, as the AC is turning on and just after it turns off. While the air is at its peak cold, there is no smell.

We have a variable speed fan, which we were told could/should run all the time (on low) to keep air circulating. We like to leave this on in the summer (off in the winter).
If we turn the fan off, smell isn't noticeable, as smell is worst when fan runs after AC.
First visit by HVAC professional, we were told everything was fine, probably dirty air ducts.

After this first visit, I did some investigating, I carefully removed the outer panel over the AC evaporator coils. When I did this I could instantly smell the smell coming off of the coils as soon as the compressor came on, again no smell while its running, but smell comes back as the compressor turns off and remains for a few minutes.
HVAC guy came back, decided evaporator coils needed to be cleaned, sprayed them, and left. Smell got better, especially while you could smell the cleaner, but came back after a few days.
After this, I purchased a can of cleaner and repeated the process, and again the smell came back, but doesn't seem to be as bad.

Do I need to just keep re-applying the cleaner until its gone? The coils look clean (the HVAC guy removed the inner panel to see the inside, and its pretty clean.
In the last 4 years, we have run the fan on low 24/7 during the summer and haven't had this issue.
I poured water/clorox down the pan/drain, but it looked pretty clean.

I don't think its dirty ducts, but am willing to pay to get them cleaned, but want some more advice before spending money on something that has questionable effect.
Thanks


texts: How many outlets can you have on one 15 amp circuit?

texts: In my rebuilding project I have counted 18 outlets and lights on one bedroom circuit that travels through 3 rooms. Is that ok?


texts: Trying to identify rhythmic humming in home

texts:
For the past couple of weeks there has been a periodic rhythmic mechanical humming occurring in my home that will go on and off for hours at a time. We're in a detached single family residence built in the 70s. According to a cheap oscilloscope app it's about 80Hz and repeats a little faster than 1 hum a second in a sort of "WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm-WUm" fashion. I don't have a measure of it's loudness but I can hear it over my ~20dB computer fans. We can only hear it indoors, even if we're outside right next to the house. It is louder in open rooms and near certain walls.
Things from other posts here that I've tried to rule out:

Something mechanical outside -- At first we thought it was the wood chipper from a work crew taking down trees across the block from us. But they've been gone for a couple weeks now and it's still happening. Additionally, if I go outside and walk around the neighborhood to try and pinpoint the sound I stop hearing it the second I step outside my front door.
Neighbor's AC condensers -- I've checked a couple times and they've been off at the houses to either side of us during the noise. Same with our condenser.
Something electrical/hidden fan/pump/etc -- The noise continues even when I flip the main breaker.
Overpressure in water pipes -- We'd had water hammer issues in the past and recently tested the pressure on our main line which measured 80psi. Finally, that must be the issue! Nope, had a new PRV installed a couple of days ago and the noise is still happening at 55-60psi. If anything, now it's louder.

I'm at a loss trying to figure out where this is coming from. Something plumbing-related is still my top guess but we tried clearing our pipes this morning and we could still hear it even with all the water drained from our home. I'm hoping someone here has advice on further steps I can take to troubleshoot this or an idea of who to talk to to get it fixed.


texts:
My old light switch in a bedroom stopped working, and only worked when the switch was pushed and held in the on position.

I purchased another single pole switch. Upon taking the old switch out, I Noticed there were 5 wires...two black, two white, and a ground bare. There are two sets of wires coming into the wall box...one set of wires has the white hot, black, and ground. The other wire has the same three, but no electricity (which I assume turns on my overhead lights in the bedroom.)

The old switch had two side screws used, two push back connectors (where a wire is simply pushed into the hole in the back of the switch), and the ground wire on a screw.

The new switch I wired with the white hot into the push-back, the one black into the other push back, then one white and one black on the side screws, with the ground connected. No lights came on. I tried putting the hot white wire and black wire onto the side screws (swapping the wires between the push back and side screws), and the other white and black wires into the push backs, with no lights working again.

Not sure what this means, but between the white and black wire, I’m getting around 53v. When I put the multimeter on the metal case (near the actual switch) and the black wire, I’m getting 120v. Any help would be appreciated!


texts: I bought this whole house filter and after being installed for only one month it looks like the image below! Is this normal for a house on well water? I just recently moved into this house and was shocked by this–should I be worried?


texts: Is hardwood flooring safe from termites?

texts: I have plans to have hardwood flooring in my living room, but I am afraid of termites ruining my flooring.


texts: Brand new air compressor trips onboard breaker on start

texts:
I bought a new air compressor from Harbor Freight (8-gallon, 2hp,) and last night I added oil to the fill line, opened all valves, and started it to run it for the break in period (30 minutes with no load, open valves on the tank.)

When I first turned it on, it shut off immediately (1-2 seconds.) I pressed the reset button, started it up again, and it ran a bit longer (3 seconds) and then shut off again. Each time it shut off, it took progressively longer for the reset button to be pressable (it gives a little click when it's ready to be reset.) This went on for 5-7 cycles until it finally stayed running (much louder,) at which point it ran for the full 30 minutes until I turned it off.

Today I changed the oil and went to turn it on again, and it was the same deal: several cycles of progressively longer short moments of quiet run time, and then it fired up and ran fine.

Is this normal for oil-lubed air compressors? Is this part of the cold start process, or should I return it as DOA?


texts: Add 240V to Garage through New Sub-Panel

texts:
I'm wanting to run a 30 amp 240v to my garage.  Probably 30 ft to the attic from the breaker in the kitchen (1st floor),. 35 ft across the attic (which is above the second floor) and around 30-35 down to the garage (below the kitchen level).  Unfortunately the garage is finished and located at ground level.

My breaker box is full so I either need to get a 100 amp panel with 32 slots (current is 24) or run a 50/60amp sub panel in the upstairs guest bedroom and change the dryer breaker from 30 to 50 or 60amps and run a low gauge (Probably 6/3 or 4/3) wire that will support 50 or 60 amps back to the panel in the kitchen.

Ideally I’m looking to put in a NEMA 14-30 connection or a NEMA 6-20 preferably the 14-30 unless this isnt possible

Can I legally have a 60amp Breaker in a 100amp panel?  One electrician told me that you shouldn't have a Breaker that is over half of you total output.
If I cant put a 60amp Breaker and have to go with 50 can I still have two 30Amp breakers in the subpanel?  Dryer is rated for 26amp max and the Car charger will do 24amps max so I would essentially not be able to run both at the same time (which is fine)
I added the junction box to the new run from the dryer to the Sub-Panel to avoid pulling a new wire down to the dryer.  Is this ok?
My idea is to run the wires and essentially have a qualified electrician actually make the connection from the subpanel to the panel in the kitchen.  Will electricians do this or will they only do it if they do the entire job?


texts: Wiring a light switch and power outlet independent from each other

texts:
I just bought a light switch and power outlet in a single box. I've wired it following the instructions, but it doesn't work the way I want it to work.
When the light switch is turned off and a power plug is plugged in, my light turns on half-half.
When the light switch is turned on, the power outlet doesn't give any power.
I have used Wago connectors at the red junctions.


texts: Are air coolers as effective as air conditioners?

texts:
I'm planning to buy an air cooler as it is less expensive to purchase and operate than an air conditioner.
Are there any air coolers that can achieve same, or close to, the cooling effect that an air conditioner can achieve?


texts: Why can't I measure 240V on this wall heater wiring?

texts: I am replacing a 240V wall heater.  I get 120V from black to ground but 0V from black to white and 0V from ground to white.  Is this correct?  The old heater worked but not really well. There was a thermostat in the wall single pole and I get the same readings there. It is hooked to a 40 amp circuit breaker. This was originally installed in the 1970s with aluminum wire.


texts: My gutter runs along the bottom of the roof and not around the bay window. Because of this there is very little sound insulation between the gutter and inside the bedroom and so we can hear water every time it rains! So annoying. Only options recommended to me at this point really have been to insulate the ceiling which sounds like a big job, but I am thinking of trying to get some thick string to run along the base of the roof and inside the gutter to slow the flow of water. Does anyone think this sounds like a crazy idea? Of even know how I would attach string to my roof and gutter please?


texts:
I need to hang a mirror in my bedroom.  I purchased some anchors assuming the drywall would be 3/8ths of an inch thick.  However, when I drill my pilot holes, I realize the drywall in my bedroom is definitely more than an inch thick!  I live in a residential condominium tower (35 stories high) and the wall I am drilling into is one that I share with my neighbour.  At this point I don't know how thick the drywall is, but I know I'm not drilling into a stud.

So assuming this drywall thickness is normal, should I continue to use the anchors that I bought?  See picture below.  These anchors require a hole that is 1/4 inch wide but since I'm not confident in using these anymore I've stopped drilling.  What should I do?

(https://i.stack.imgur.com/KBC6i.jpg)


texts:
In my 1 room + bathroom apartment in Germany, these mechanisms (searching Google by them didn't name them) exist:

in bathroom, and in the room, there is this:

When I am taking a (long?) shower, these mechanisms seem to communicate and exchange air, in order to balance the temperature between the room and the WC, I guess.

The problem is that the mechanism in the room is above the desk with my laptop, and outputs cold air, making it dangerous to sit in the desk just after the shower, since I might get cold. I have to wait ~10mins, and the mechanism stops.

Can I minimize the time the mechanism emits air in this specific scenario?

If yes, how? The key parameter in this, seems to be the door of the bathroom. Leave it open after exiting the bathroom, or close it?

My few experiments show that closing the door makes the mechanism stop earlier, I think... However, this contradicts my assumption that the mechanism exchange air (since leaving the door open should help in balancing the temperature)..

Hello to the community! I read the Help Center, and it seems that my question is OK for here-if not, please let me know!


texts: How should I add a rail on a carpeted stairway that's open on one side?

texts: I'm buying a house with carpeted stairs leading into the basement.  Attached is a picture of it.  I have very little skill when it comes to home improvement.  What's the easiest and most economical way to put a railing on these stairs?  Is there a good tutorial online?  As I mentioned above, these stairs are carpeted. I would not want to ruin the stair carpet in the process.


texts: How to dimension air ducts for a combination heater/HRV?

texts:
I am looking at this product (version RK5) for both heat recovery ventilation and supplementary heating via warm air (seasonally).

It has an extra inlet for air recirculation, which it can mix with the ventilation air. This extra inlet has a low rpm, high-volume fan, and can add up to 1500 m3/h airflow through the system.

The ventilation flow is up to 440m3/h.

I am trying to have a go at putting together the ducting designs myself. I am fairly technical so I don't mind going into a bit of physics if need be.

I am confused with what seems to be a basic question. On what basis should I  size the ductwork? I worked out that I only really need (according to norms) about 150m3 mandatory airflow, though I plan an extension in a few years. So at that ventilation flow rate, the unit would be working at decent efficiency with low noise/power. With up to say 440m3/h for ventilation, I would choose ducting and outlets that seek a compromise of velocity and efficiency across that range (right?).

But what if I need to heat the house with an extra 7kW of heat for a while? The airflow is suddenly 1500m3/h. With small outlets geared for 300m3/h the house would sound like a hurricane and the efficiency would be low, right?

Should I just size the ducting for 1500m3/h tops? Should I consider a 'zone' that represents a parallel ducting branch to cope with the extra volume? What should be the approach?

Many thanks for any advice.


texts: How should I replace a 1.5 inch tread with 1 inch tread?

texts: I plan on replacing the 2x10 treads on my basement stairs with 1 inch thick hardwood.  This will make a one half inch gap at the top of the stairs where it meets the first floor landing.  This seems to be a trip hazard.  Should I shim each tread surface of the stringers with one half inch plywood to make up for the difference in height?


texts: Ontario code now requires 14/3 between the switch and the light. Can someone provide a diagram showing how to wire 2 lights controlled by one switch with power coming into the switch & 14/3 between the switch and the first light?


texts: Water filter setup - 1 1/4 inch pipe to 3/4

texts: My house runs on well water and the main pipe that leaves the pressure tank is 1-1/4" copper. I am looking at installing a spin down filter and regular water filter for the whole house. My question is if I connect a T fitting which reduces the size of the pipe from 1-1/4" to 3/4" and then after the filters back to the 1-1/4" inch size will it have a negative effect on pressure or flow?


texts: Storm Door install on narrow 3/8 inch brick mold

texts:
I am considering a storm door for the 36" left hand opening entry door. It is a steel door circa 2000 with a single sidelight.  I know I can build out the brick molding next to the side light to support the latch side.  The top and hinge side both have stucco coming to within about 3/8 of an inch of the door jam.  I don't see how to manage that without hacking into the stucco or building it out and requiring a custom size.  I am aiming at a home center standard full glass door.  Can I make something fit?

Thank you,


texts: Why does paint on the table blister and wood swells?

texts: My friend's study table looks like this. Why does this happen? Why does the wood under the paint swell and the paint peel?


texts: Is it possible to convert a switched light into a non-switched outlet?

texts:
I am installing an overhead automatic garage door opener.  My only power source close to where I will be hanging the motor is an overhead light socket that is operated by a switch on the wall next to the house entry door.  I wanted to know if it is possible to rewire the light socket with a standard electrical plug outlet AND to remove the switch & wire it to provide constant power to the new outlet.  The overhead light is on my 15A garage GFI circuit & the opener lists 120V/6A as its power requirements.

Thank you


texts: How much of a window should be replaced?

texts:
My kids threw something in the house and broke a window. Only the inner pane of the double-pane window is broken.

My questions are:
What needs to be replaced?
Can I replace just the glass that's broken?
Should I replace both sides of the double-panned glass?
Or do I have to replace the entire window.

It's double-hung window.


texts: How can I reduce the thickness of a board except in one narrow area?

texts:
Due to some trim work, I need to shave off several 1 in x 3 in x8 feet boards.
I need to shave off the 1 in thickness by 3/8 inches EXCEPT for a rectangular of 1 in x 7 feet, with one side shared with the board.  In other words, I need to shave off in a U shape three sides of the board.  This is so it would fit into some door jambs.
 ________
|        |
|        |
|       _|
|      | |
|      | |
|      | |
|      | |
|      |_|
|        |
|        |
|________|

        _
 ______|_|
|________|

What is the best and safest tool to achieve this, even if somewhat time consuming?  Would a wood router do this, and if so should I get plunge or fixed-base?
I'd prefer avoid using a table saw due to various factors including cost.


texts: How to disable 'cooktop lockout' on Kenmore 1993 stovetop range?

texts:
* UPDATE: the gas turned off due to the earthquake shutoff. that was the problem *

I have a Kenmore stovetove from 1993 (model #: 362.75188691). We recently unplugged it for 3 weeks and disconnected the gas line (and turned the gas valve to 'closed') and now, after plugging it back in and reconnecting the gas line and turning the gas valve to 'open', the stovetop will not light. In fact, no gas comes out when we turn the stovetop knobs. I confirmed that the gas valve is in the correct position and that gas is available. So the gas is not making it to the burners for some reason. After some research, I suspect this is because the 'cooktop lockout' feature was engaged when the oven was unplugged. However, I don't know how to disengage it! Any help? !


texts: Extreme cold: Pipes seem ok, except hot water for bathtub which only trickles, despite being closest to water heater. Can it be frozen? Burst?

texts:
Situation as described in the question. We have a peer & beam foundation. I already went under the house to check for a possible leak. The bathtub pipes are impossible to get close to, but from about 6-8 feet away I couldn't see any signs of a leak, nor could I hear any water drip or squirt or anything. The hot water pressure on the bathroom sink, which is downstream from the tub, has always been weak but seems normal.

Any ideas on what is likely to cause the lack of hot water for the bathtub?
Should I keep running the hot water trickle, in the bathtub and the bathroom sink? Or should I rather shut off the main and try to drain all pipes?

Unfortunately, I can't access the 5 or so feet of pipes where the problem has to originate from.
Thanks for y'all's advice,
Hannes


texts: Can/Should I use an angle grinder with a blade for metals on PVC coated metal?

texts:
I have a large door frame that I want to break into smaller pieces so I can fit it into my car and take it to the dump. The frame is PVC, but has steel on the inside.
I've been trying to avoid an angle grinder because of everything I've been reading online regarding the risks associated with it, so I tried a hacksaw, but it seems to be doing nothing to the steel.
I've seen a few warnings against using an angle grinder on wood (including this question). I really only need it for the steel/metal parts, but they are all surrounded by PVC and even some wood, and I don't think I can really separate them, so I'd have to cut through everything?
Would it be a really bad idea to get a blade for cutting metal and trying to cut through everything?


texts:
Our fridge started to get warmer a few days ago. Because we keep medicines for my daughter, I always keep a thermometer inside. From the usual 3C-5C that I used to see, over a few days the temperature crept up to about 11C now. Things are still frozen solid in the freezer.
Before calling a repair person, I tried to assess what is going on (not a lot of experience on fridges, but in the past I have successfully diagnosed and change a blown defrost thermostat). As suspected, there is ice buildup:

But, at the same time, there is less ice close to the defroster. I removed the defrost thermostat and it tested correctly (open when cold, closed when warm). I also positively tested conductivity on the defroster.
Is it obvious what is going on?


texts:
I had to replace a cable going to a light switch. The cable was about 7m long and contained three (1.5mm^2) copper wires, with a distance of about 2mm between any two of them.

Source

One wire was the hot wire that constantly provided 230V, 50Hz alternating current to the switch, and one was going back to the light. The third one wasn't connected to anything.

I was very surprised to see that when the light was turned off (so only one of the three wires was powered), I could measure about 140V AC on the third wire compared to a grounded water pipe, using my super cheap multimeter. I didn't dare to touch it as long as any of it was powered.

I wondered, was this measurement of 140V realistic - or was my multimeter just faulty? And how much current could this cable have provided?

I have no idea how to estimate whether this was realistic so I'd be very happy to learn whether there are any formulas to approximate these values.


texts: What are the advantages and disadvantage of using "pushfit"  pipe fittings?

texts:
There are many makes of pushfit pipe fittings that make it a lot easer to join pipes, incluing copper pipes, e,g:

John Guest Speedfit
Cuprofit®- copper push fit
Hepworth-HEP20

(please expand the list if you know of any others)

How do I decide if I should use them rather than soldered copper fittings?
If I use to use a pushfit system, how do I choose the one to use?


texts: Dark (damp) spots on concrete basement floor

texts:
I live mid-block (houses on both sides), in a 1906 city row house with brick basement walls and a cement floor. We never have water in the basement. We have dark spots that get lighter and darker but never 100% go away. They are clearly moisture that is coming up through the floor at certain places.

Tests have shown the cement is about 33% wet in those dark spots. They are all at the front of the house. Outside, the tiny front yard is field stone and slopes away from the house, so no water is getting down around the front foundation. In the back, the outside level matches the interior and there is no standing water there (and no dark spots at the back of the house anyway).

What is causing the dampness and what can I do to stop it...before I finish the basement as usable space?


texts: If I have 5 old outlets that are not grounded(but installed in old plaster walls that I dont want to disturb) can I wire a gfi at lead of circuit and protect the others downstream. I have access to 1 of the  outlets, and can reach the wiring of the others from under the house.Or should I fish new wire through the walls ?


texts: Can removal of adhesive tape damage a tile?

texts:
I bought some small lights that attach to the wall with adhesive tape/sticker (3M).
The label on the box says:

  Caution: Adhesive tape may remove paint or damage surface when removed

If the tape is attached to tiles is there a chance that there could be some kind of damage done upon removal?


texts: Replace fan speed controller with Dimmer switch

texts: I replaced a fan with a light fixture and the fan used a fan speed controller.  It has two red wires going to two black wires. How would I replace the speed controller with a single pole dimmer?


texts: Tighten toilet seat with nut in tough spot

texts:
I'm trying to tighten a Pressalit toilet seat on a Villeroy & Boch toilet. Unfortunately on that toilet the bolts are inside the toilet base and tough to reach. The Pressalit website shows a special tool they use to tighten the bolt which I no longer have.

Any alternatives to that tool?

Here is a view of the tight spot:


texts:
I see stainless steel being used more and more behind the stove as a backsplash. Stainless steel sheets are pretty easy to find. I prefer the look of red patinated bronze but cannot source bronze sheets locally (Ottawa, Canada).  I think brass is a bit too bright and shiny, but am finding that difficult to source as well.
Has anyone ever used bronze sheets in a backsplash?  What guage did you use - was it easy to cut and bend if required? And most importantly, where did you the source material?


texts: Is it possible to wire an electric radiant floor as a heat pump in my Nest thermostat?

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I have a standard gas furnace, but recently installed an electric radiant floor in one room. I have a transformer at the electric floor and a regular low voltage thermostat wire to my Nest thermostat.

I can wire the floor wire into the Nest as an 'auxilary' heat, and specify that it is electric radiant, and both heat sources work as expected. However, what I really want is for the floor to kick-in when not at a higher temperature than the gas furnace does, so the floor can be warm even if the gas furnace is not required to heat above its separate temperature.

I believe this is the entire purpose of a heat-pump (to turn on and heat at moderately low outside temperatures, but use additional heat sources when required). The Nest supports wiring for heat-pumps. What if I just wired the electric floor as a heat-pump and told the Nest that's what it was? Are the signaling voltages any different?


texts: Wall sound proofing - hanging rows of sound proof "curtains"

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The building's structure is concrete, as is the floor/roof. The wall to my neighbor is brick; so a lot of noise comes through - TVs, crying babies etc.

I've seen a number of options for constructing various wooden frames with layers of sound insulation; but am wondering if just hanging "curtains" of sound isolation foam could work well. The wall in question is pictured below, and the columns on each side are concrete. Discussions of wooden frames have various approaches to decoupling the sound isolation from the wall being soundproofed - and using curtains seems like a good way to tackle this to me.

Of course; if I ever wanted to use the wall as a wall; I would need a final frame + drywall; but there is enough space to put these on the outside of the concrete pillars.

Any thoughts; comments; suggestions welcome

Thanks
Brent


texts: How can I test and increase the water pressure in my apartment?

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I have a few questions pertaining to this topic:

In Miami Fl what's the mandatory minimum water pressure for an apartment? (Or where can I find this info)
How can I increase my water pressure at the shower and faucet outside of removing the internal filter at the heads. I have an in unit water tank. (Can I put some sort of pump on it?)
How can I test the water pressure in my apartment?


texts: Crooked (Not Parallel with Wall) Electrical Receptacle

texts: I recently replaced an electrical receptacle.  It was old and the device box was also recessed.  So, I added the 1-Gang Outlet Box Spacer Extenders from Home Depot.  Now, the receptacle is held tightly in place by the device box rather than against the drywall with a space in between.  However, this has revealed that the device box was not mountedparallel with the drywall and the receptacle appears crooked (see photo below).  I was thinking of shimming the device box on the side connected to the stud but that would only increase the angle.  Does anyone have any suggestions for fixing this angle so that the receptacle and the drywall are parallel?


texts: When I am applying the grout to the tile walls, most of the grout just falls off the wall and the float while I am trying to apply it. I am using a pre-mix grout, so the consistency is right. What am I doing wrong?


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I'd like to figure out the smallest angle possible for the kid swing A-frame. I will be using 4x8 beam on top and 4x4 for the legs. I am reading two sources and each has different angles:

This site http://myoutdoorplans.com/playhouse/outdoor-playset-plans/ says 15 degree (each side)

This site has plan with higher swing beam but it uses 30 degree http://www.ana-white.com/2010/06/how-build-swing-set-playhouse

I think using the second option plan is OK for the high (10 feet) but the width is also 10 feet which is too much space. Is there like a requirement for the A-frame angle? Or can I use 15 degree just fine? Given proper support and everything else framing correctly.


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I am in the middle of a bathroom reno, and want to relocate one of the 2 sinks. Right now the sinks are on different walls 90 degrees from each other, and I like to relocate one so they are on the same wall. My question is, can I use the waste/vent from the sink that is already on that wall for both sinks, so I can avoid running drain PVC all the way around the 90 degree angle to its current waste/vent? If so I'd just cap the unused waste/vent pipe and call it a day.

I am obviously an amateur, and this is my first real DIY reno, in a home we just bought.

TIA


texts: Help understanding the steps needed to prepare a wall for painting after wallpaper removal

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Recently moved into my first home and learning the DIY ropes and one of my first tasks was to remove the wallpaper in the living room, once I removed it (quite easily - thankfully) it seems to have taken some of the paint  off with it that was beneath the wallpaper, not entirely, in patches ranging from large to small.

Now I'm looking for some advice on how to prepare the wall again for repainting and just assessing my options, my thoughts are:

Lining paper (not my first choice
Skim coat (probably my first choice?
Scrape all paint back??

Excuse my lack of knowledge, kind of picking this up as I go.. any help is much appreciated.

Please see the picture to see the current state of the wall post wallpaper.


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We recently had our bathroom redone and a new American Standard Colony Elongated toilet installed.  The piping wasn’t moved at all, we just put a new toilet in place of where the old one was.

I noticed it’s only been a week or two and it’s already clogged twice.  Is there anything the plumber should have checked for or could have done wrong during installation?  We’ve lived in the house about 3 months and this wasn’t a problem in this bathroom before.

I did pick up a pack of softer toilet paper by mistake so I thought that might be the problem but our other bathroom toilet is handling it just fine.  I don’t have 100% confidence in our plumber at this point, he already had to redo something in the shower because he used pex piping or something.

Also not sure if this is a coincidence but this is a toilet on the second floor. The bathroom on the third floor has a very slow-to-drain toilet.  We don’t even really use it much since we moved in- this bathroom is next on our list to renovate.  Could the problems be related?  OTOH the 2nd floor toilet worked fine until we replaced it.


texts: How to make vinyl flooring stable in bathroom?

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In my bathroom I've put vinyl flooring on top of some sort of underlay but the vinyl is moving and creasing a lot:

Here's what is underneath, a blue underlay and then the wooden floor under that:

What's the quickest way to make this vinyl stable? What about stapling it? In this case, how many millimeters extra (beyond thickness of the vinyl itself) are required?


texts: On a true 60 amp 240 volt circuit will each side of the breaker carry more than 30 amps if required?

texts: If my distribution panel on my boat is wired 240 v  60 amps max and there are many 120 v 15 a  circuits, if one side of the 120 v panel starts to draw more than 30 a, will the breaker compensate by adding amps from the low usage side of the panel ? to a max of 60 amps


texts: How to determine range of wires that can safety fit into wire nut?

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I have the following pack of wire nuts:

On the back of the package is information on the types of wire combinations it can be used with:

The range is also specified at https://ecat.eleknet.com/PIM_Docs/Docs/STEP_ASSETS_PDF/13049461.pdf:

How do I interpret these ranges? I can understand if it says min. (2) x #16, max (4) x #16. This means I can have 2 to 4  16 AWG wires in the nut. But when different wire gauges and types are mixed into the range, I'm not sure what to make of it.


texts:
I want to build a fence in my backyard by my garbage stand is sitting on a concrete slab and that slab is in the way of where I want to put the fence so I want to move it over a few feet.

The slab of concrete is 5' by 5'8'' by 6''.
I popped those dimensions in an online concrete calculator and it says it weighs over 800kg.

I don't think it is a good idea to try to chain it to my car and drag it.

Would it be possible to move something that size with a lever of some sort? Or should I bite the bullet and just destroy the slab?


texts: How to install a 4-wire a/c & fan thermostat with only 3 wires

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My home currently has a central a/c unit which is controlled from an 3-wire old mercury switch thermostat. I want to replace it with a newer Honeywell that requires 4 wires.

The existing thermostat a Green, White and Red wire. The new thermostat requires and additional Yellow wire.

I tried lots of combinations, but nothing worked properly, yet with the old thermostat, I can turn on the a/c, or just the circulating fan.

Any suggestions?


texts:
About a year ago we started noticing outlets in our upstairs bathrooms not working, and eventually none of the bathroom outlets worked at all. Hallway outlets, bedroom outlets still work fine. However, two downstairs outlets eventually stopped working entirely.

I've checked around the house and only place I can find a GFI reset is on an outlet in the garage. Pressing it does nothing that I can tell. I've checked the switch box and everything is properly turned on.

Before I get an electrician, who I'd rather not pay right now, I wanted to see if anyone has anymore suggestions.


texts: How to tighten a pipe while keeping it at specific angle?

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A picture is worth 1000 words.

If I turn it upright, it starts leaking. There's not enough give to complete one more turn (I could turn it maybe 30 degrees more if I remove the shelf and push really hard). The pipe in the wall is - well, in the wall, can't be turned. The threaded piece of pipe leading to the tap is attached to it permanently. I used some teflon tape on the thread to make it watertight, but it only works when the two sides sit tightly together, and here, with the heater in the upright position the joint is really quite loose.

What do I need to do to fix this embarrassing problem?


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The chimney is a wide column in the middle of the living room. The finish on this chimney sort of evokes brick, but I don't think it is. It reminds me of stucco, but it isn't that either. The house was built in 1975.

I'm trying to determine what it is so I can answer the following questions:

Can I remove the bumpy finish, make the indoor surfaces of the chimney smooth, and paint it?
What's usually behind this kind of finish on a chimney? Brick? Drywall?
If I wanted to screw a pull-down flatscreen mount above the fireplace, how would I anchor it?

Close-up of the material:

Picture of the room for context:


texts: Inserting a connecting threaded water plastic pipe between two fixed ends

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Newbie to plumbing here so please excuse the question if it does not make sense!

This morning I removed a length of threaded plastic water pipe that was connected to an elbow at one end and to a "T" connector at the other. The reason was that the "T" end (coming directly from the roof tank) was leaking and I decided to remove the pipe to check for cracks etc, (fortunately none were found). I removed the pipe by sawing it right through the middle which made it easy to unscrew the two cut ends. The situation after removal was as per photo below:

To be clear all fittings had been installed by the plumber about 20 years ago, however I imagine that at the time of installation he would have added a component at a time, and thus the problem I encountered would not have arisen.

The question (and my problem) is how do people replace such pipes given that the two "ends" are now fixed in place and cannot turn? Surely tightening the pipe at the "elbow" end would mean loosening it at the other "T" end? And if you try inserting half the thread at each end, then surely it is unlikely you would get a very tight seal at either?

For the work in hand I got around this problem by using "Acorn" fittings with adaptors (as shown below) - albeit it was a very tight squeeze - but I am dying to know how a plumber would have done it using the "old" threaded pipe. If anyone can explain it would be appreciated!


texts: How many outlets can be wired to the load side of a GFCI?

texts: I have read a few places that the longer the wire is and the more numerous the outlets hooked up to the load side of a GFCI, the lower the threshold for tripping becomes as a result of leakage current, which may become a problem from frequent tripping. However, I cannot find any hard numbers on the limitations.


texts: Should backsplash be tiled before or after installing kitchen cabinets?

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I've been searching the Internet and all English-speaking web sites state that the backsplash should be tiled after installing the kitchen cabinets (both lower and upper) and countertops.

In some European countries, it is customary to install the backsplash first, extending a bit below lower cabinets and above upper cabinet bottom line, and then add the cabinets on that.

Why is that so? What reasons are to have either option? If the backsplash is added after the cabinets and countertops, in what vertical direction should the tiling proceed?


texts: Is it a concern that 120v cables hang down from the ceiling in my crawl space?

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Recently went in my crawlspace to fix some plumbing issues and noticed that all the electrical seems to be just hanging, with some on the ground. I'm fairly certain that this is nowhere close to code, but what I want to know is how dangerous this is?

Essentially, is this something I need to take care of immediately (and should have been caught by my inspector when I bought the house) or is this something that could be taken care of when I'm not quite so strapped for cash?


texts: Why disconnecting one outlet kills power in other outlets?

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I am having trouble connecting a switch to a switched outlet. When wires on the outlet are disconnected like in the picture below, the power disappears in all outlets in the same room as well as in some downstairs.

When both of the black wires on the outlet are connected to its lower half and the red outlet wire is connected to the upper half, both halves get 120V no matter what position the switch is in. A continuity test shows that both red (1) and black (2) wires from the outlet each connect to wires 1 and 2 like they connect with each other somewhere inside the house. Is it supposed to be like that? When I run a continuity test on the other black outlet wire (3), I don't find any wire in the switch that would connect to it. Also, that wire is not hot.

What I want is the lower half of the outlet to be always hot and the upper part to be controlled by the switch as I have wired a ceiling fixture to the upper half. What is the proper wiring to accomplish this?


texts: Wiresize required for air conditioner of 1.5 tonne is 2.5 sq mm will work?

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My home has copper wire of 2.5 sq mm fitted with 15 Ampere plugs for running appliance. All wires are connected to main electricity meter with max distance (i think it is required) of 40 foots/feets.

The voltage is 220 volt which vary from say 180 to 240 may be. The power consumption stated by AC is 1550 watt (3 star 1.5 tonne voltas AC)

I will be adding a stabilizer 4 KVA to AC and that stabilizer will be inserted in socket of 15 Amperes.

Can you please help will it work?


texts: 15A breaker tripping when Air Conditioning comes on

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We have a problem with a 15A breaker repeatedly tripping.  This circuit seems to be servicing the thermostat, and could possibly power the blower motor.  It will work fine for a few hours, maybe even a day or so, but then randomly the breaker will trip.  Last winter we had the glow plug replaced for the heater, and the service tech mentioned something to me about the blower motor making noise and possibly going out, like the bearings might be beginning to fail.  I haven't found any other power draw on that circuit that would cause an overload.

Could the motor failing be the cause of the overload?

What is the likelihood that both the blower and the thermostat are on the same circuit?


texts: Insulation over ceiling drywall nailers or scabs

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So fiberglass batts 12" thickness.  The goal is to not let the insulation become compacted or have gaps between unconditioned and the conditioned space.

When a drywall nailer is fastened to the top plate of a wall that means if projects into the attic space.  The fiberglass forms an arch over the protrusion.

Is the most preferred method to slit the kraft paper and hollow out fiberglass so it sets flush with the future ceiling plane?  Is there a gain doing this...assuming the insulation would otherwise just have a crown in the attic meaning still the same thickness?


texts: What is the difference between Moen Moentrol 3510/3520 and 3550/3570?

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I'm trying to pick out a new valve for my shower, and I'm pretty set on a Moentrol.  Moen produces four differnet models:

Two 1/2" IPS Models: 3510 and 3550
Two 1/2" CC Models: 3520 and 3570

Their spec sheets are available at:

3510 and 3520
3550 and 3570

The only differences that I see in the specs are "integral checks" compared to "integral check stops"

Can someone please enlighten me on the differences between the 3510/3520 line and the 3550/3570 line?


texts: Tankless hot water system only providing luke-warm water?

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I have tankless hot water which has been working well up until this week.  A week ago we discovered a leak on the hose from the propane tank, so we replaced the hose, but since then it hasn't seemed to want to heat the water much.

Most days it warms the water to around 25-30 degrees Celcius, and takes a few tries of turning the water on/off over a few minutes before it finally decides to actually get going and heats the water properly.

But this morning we haven't been able to get it going - it warms to around 26C, which is noticeably warmer than the cold water (so it's definitely doing something), but not too comfortable for a shower!

Now I'm not a DIY/Home-Improvement guy, but we live in a place where it's difficult to get someone in to take a look, so I'm wondering if this is something that's common or easy to fix, or a known problem?

The gas tank is full and fully open, and I've adjusted the dial on the system to extremes (photo shows where we usually have it set).


texts: which wires to connect when installing a dimmer switch?

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I have a new dimmer switch that to replace an old standard light switch. The old switch has 4 cables coming into it as in the picture.

and the new one purchased from amazon is Lutron GL-600H-DK. It has 2 black wires and 1 green as in the picture. I watched some videos on youtube but still have doubts on which wires go with which and where does the extra black wire in the in the old switch go?
And would this work with standard light bulbs?


texts:
About a year ago I installed a new ceiling fan in my living room and when it was installed it was balanced nicely, but it has a little wobble.

How do I bring it back in to balance?


texts: Question on Furnace/EIM Wiring and Splice

texts:
Thanks for taking the time to read my question.

About 5 years ago I had what I assume was a pretty run of the mill Trane system installed in my 1200 sq ft CA Condo. The installed parts are:

Trane XL80 gas furnace w/Emerson 50M51-495-01 board (pic 2)
Trane XR13 Compressor
Honeywell THM5320R EIM
Honeywell TH6320R1004 Wireless FocusPro Thermostat

I was recently considering installing a smart thermostat and before deciding what to buy I wanted to do some research on thermostat wiring. I think I'm pretty clear now about how a 5 wire setup works, why older setups didn't always use a common but did use R, Rh and Rc and why newer setups tend to include a common and use only R jumpered to Rc and Rh.

With that in mind and having checked out the manuals for my furnace and EIM I figured that the wiring I'd find in my closet would be pretty straightforward. It would likely just be color to color from the terminals on the board to the terminals on the EIM with R, Rc and Rh jumpered.

When I took a look at the EIM however I saw there were two composite wires going to it. One of them was using Red, White, Yellow and Green with Red wired to the Rh terminal on the EIM and the others wired to their respective labled terminals (pic 1). The other composite was using only White and Red with Red wired to R and White to C (pic 1).

Opening the front of the furnace I was suprised to see that the second composite, the one using only White and Red and wired to R and C on the EIM, wasn't coming from the board terminals but had been spliced into two of the wires going into a 4X3 plug on the circuit board.

The wires being used are the R and B in the diagram below:

   |1 |2 |3 |4 |
   -------------
1  |  |  |  |  |
   -------------
2  |  |R |  |  |
   -------------
3  |  | |B  |  |

Red is spliced into Red and White spliced into Blue coming from the circuit board plug (pic 3).

The other composite and its wires are wired as expected to the terminals on the circuit board (pic 3). The common in use there is going outside to the compressor relay.

So my concern is the wires spliced into the circuit board and running to R and C on the EIM. Based on the documentation, I can't see why that was done. I was also surprised to find that even though there's two different red wires running to R and Rh they are still both jumpered together along with Rc. I'm concerned it might be a problem and wondering if I should call someone out to look at it before proceeding. Is this a typical and/or valid setup for this kind of equipment.

pic 1: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UjErHvcALBqpFLWC6
pic 2: https://photos.app.goo.gl/HKMqdEt2h3dbdNFV7
pic 3: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bDowrCknKAGffzh29


texts: Fixing awkward gap between drywall and brick

texts: I installed this L channel on the drywall as tight as I could but the brick is so wavy I'm left with this awkward gap. What's the solution to fill this? Scribing the drywall isn't something I want to do. Am I stick cutting out these bricks and putting them in flush?


texts:
my new home has 1 circuit breaker (among others) with 220V, 2000W and 20A configuration.
It's ok to use 2 power outlets together with this circuit breaker, in order to use 1 cooktop (gas stove) , which asks for a 2A circuit breaker, and an electric oven, which asks for a 15A circuit breaker and has 1900W max ?


texts: How can I repair damaged epoxy grout in a shower?

texts: I have a small opening in my shower tile floor that is grouted with epoxy grout. It is collecting water. I've dried all the water that has made it in the opening but want to know if I need to use epoxy grout to fill in small opening or if I can just use regular grout.


texts: Ryobi snowblower stalls seconds after starting

texts:
So I've had a small Ryobi snowblower (40v, 20 in brushless model).
Been working fine for a few years now .. but just today I took it out, started it up .. and it immediately stalled. I hadn't yet started hitting snow ... just start it ... wait 2 s, stalls.
The "scoops' or whatever you call them are spinning .. (confirmed by having a 2nd person watching from in front) .. both batteries are showing full charged and I've tried both batteries.

I'm not sure what else to check or try ... hoping I don't need a trip to repair shop :)


texts: How to bypass the ballast on this fluorescent fixture?

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I have some fluorescent fixtures in my basement that I would like to convert to LED, using bulbs that require a ballast bypass. However, these fixtures don't have a centrally mounted "black box" ballast like I've seen on how-to guides.
The fixture is a Cooper Lighting Model 9000.
Can I bypass the ballast on this fixture? How?

(The other end of the fixture looks basically the same, except there's no green ground wire.)


texts: To identify model of Liftmaster garage door opener

texts:
At my new house there's already a Liftmaster garage door opener working but even taking a closer look at its body, I don't know what model it is. Is there a way to tell?

Some pictures of the body if these help (I Googled Part No but haven't found anything specific):

(Reason I need to know the model is because I'm trying to linking a wireless opener (GD00Z-4), which claims to be compatible with most of the garage door openers out there, but I'm having an issue while installing it so want to confirm.)


texts: Strip on side of window letting cold air in

texts:
My apartment bedroom window has a thin vertical strip along the right side that allows warm air from the room to escape. Even with the bedroom thermostat set to 80 degrees, the room hasn't gone above 70, mostly due to this.

You can clearly hear that it is not sealed, it sounds as if the window is open an inch or two, but it is actually closed and locked.

How can I seal this strip to prevent warm air from leaking out? It is a plastic material.


texts: I have an inexpensive AquaSource toilet that's about two years old that will not hold it's water level in the toilet bowl. I just did a test: flushed toilet, marked water level in toilet bowl with pencil, and observed water. Within seconds after the water shut off the level started dropping. It dropped about 1/2". Why? It needs the extra water for a good flush. What needs to be done so it doesn't drain out this water?


texts: Can you support a 20ft 2x6 only at the ends?

texts: Can you support a 20ft 2x6 only at the ends for a pergola?


texts: 3 wire subpanel to a new 3 wire subpanel

texts: I want to add a 100 amp RV service panel to my existing, detached garage, 3 wire subpanel. I understand that my current setup is grandfathered in and code is now 4 wire but I won't be able to add this very easily to the main panel. I also understand the risk of a 3 wire subpanel and that an open neutral will put 120V to grounded metal surfaces. I've read through this site and other sites and believe my diagram shows how this would have been wired prior to the 2008 wiring codes. Still, I'd still like the experts to add their inputs. So my questions are, is this the safest way to approach this without adding a 4th wire, and do I need a separate grounding rod at the new subpanel when I already have a grounding rod at the garage subpanel which is about 30 feet away? PS, Part of this diagram was taken from this site, but I wanted to add my own setup to make sure there weren't any additional issues. Thanks and your inputs are greatly appreciated.


texts: How to shut of water supply to laundry tub?

texts: The faucets on my laundry tub need to be replaced. I'm trying to figure out how to shut of the water supply to the hot and cold lines. There are two valves(maybe?) inline on each of the water lines right above the tub (shown in the attached picture). Are these shut-off valves? If not, what is the purpose of these? I don't see any other shut-offs on these water lines between the tub and the main pipes that go along the ceiling.


texts: I want to build a detached garage. I submitted plans to the city for a permit and they came back telling me they need to see the "plumbing water line and drain schedule" because I would like to have a sink in the garage. I am searching the web to no avail... I have no idea what they mean by that. Can someone show me an example...pretty please?


texts: I checked the wiring in the ceiling can light. I moved the neutral wires and saw a spark so I twisted it and now the lights work again. But now the three way switches aren't working right. They are more like a two way switch. Do you have any ideas of what I might have done? I did try new switches thinking maybe that was why my lights stopped working in the first place.


texts:
I am installing a 12' x 12' pergola on top of my deck, it's a PVC  kit but uses wood inside the PVC. It uses 4x4 posts. I am re-doing the decking so I can make framing modifications.
I was going to mount the 4x4 posts like I would for a railing post per the blocking guidelines in the image below, however since the pergola will have significantly more vertical weight than a simple railing post, I was wondering if anyone had any better suggestions?
I was thinking maybe mounting the pergola posts using the "Bolt Down Bracket Kit" option I can buy for the pergola, and for the framing underneath, maybe a 6x6 post laid sideways, mounted with throughbolts to adjacent blocking mounted with lag bolts. In my example below, the red lines indicate lag bolds, green lines through bolts, and the blue square would be the "Bolt Down Bracket" mounted with 6" lag bolts.
Here is a link to the Pergola assembly instructions


texts: Tailpiece too long for new chrome J-Bend in kitchen sink drain repair

texts:
The j-Bend of my kitchen sink drain pipe rusted through and started leaking. I bought a new 1.5" j-Bend at Home Depot. Only when I got it home did I notice that the top part of the J is different than my old part. The old part allowed the tailpiece pipe to go down further into the J than the new part does. Because of the difference in size, the new part can't accommodate enough of the tailpiece to allow the other end of the J to mate with the other piece of the P-Trap.

I looked online and couldn't find any j-bends that are sized like my old one.

So what should I do?  Should I get a hacksaw and cut the tailpiece down to size?  Or should I go to a plumbing supply store to see if I can get a matching j-Bend?  Or is there another option?

Other than the J-Bend with a hole in it, the other parts of the drain are in good shape-- no visible corrosion, no leaks, etc. so I'd prefer to avoid replacing more than I need to.


texts:
I've reached the end of my rope with family members who won't turn off lights. I'd like to replace several light switches in my house with switches that just turn the lights off after 30 or 60 minutes.

Here's the thing though: Some of my circuits are 3-way. And I want the timer to start regardless of which switch is flipped.

The thought occurs that it should technically be a simple thing to build a switch that could start its timer any time power starts being supplied to the load and then flip itself to the other state when the timer expires. However, I've been unable to find such a product.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Or, I'd gladly try to follow instructions. I've got some experience with solder and electronic components.

Best,
Michael


texts: Will I get more pests/insects if my neighbor sprays and I don't?

texts:
Had a pest control company come by today. To be honest this is about the 5th one, and I am tired of them trying to sell me their services. In all actuality we don't have that many pests/bugs.

They tried to sell me today on the fact that they are spraying homes on both sides of me, and because of that, I will probably see a huge increase in the number of bugs if I don't spray. I'm not worried, I can spray myself. But I prefer not to because we have an organic vegetable/fruit garden in our backyard.

Their logic makes some sense, but at the same time it doesn't. Does spraying kill the bugs that are currently there, or does it drive them away? Will I really see an increase in bugs? If I spray what should I spray with that is organic?


texts: Enlarging a deadbolt door knob hole on a steel door

texts:
I have a steel door in which I'd like to replace the deadbolt lock with a newer keypad type lock. The door is a bit older and the hole is 1 1/2 inches. The keypad deadbolt requires a 2 1/8 inch hole.

I've created a guide out of plywood as described in this thread and I have it lined up as best as I can. My question is, do I go all the way through to the other side of the door in one shot? Or do I do one side, then move my guide and try to line it up on the other side door?


texts:
I have a recessed wall and want to build in some shelves. Went to the lumber yard today and got some 1"-thick  hard maple boards and asked them to mill them down to 5/8", which they are going to do tomorrow, and then mentioned it to my dad, who said I should go with at least 3/4", and I can still call and leave them a message and change the order or tell them to hold it. But I would really like them to be thinner.

The shelves are going to be 8" deep and 4' wide, and ideally should be supported only at the ends and not bend visibly under the weight of the books. If anyone can venture an educated guess how much they would bend at 5/8", 11/16" and 3/4", I would appreciate it.

I may have learned this in the strength of materials class, but I barely remember anything from it and it was not my favorite subject. Formally, I think, this would be called maximum deflection of beam with two supports. I can't find the formula online and seem to remember vaguely that the deflection is proportional to the beam thickness to the third power. Does that sound right?


texts: Will a curtain tension rod support blackout curtains?

texts:
My husband is renting  condo, and thanking you all, wants "install a proper rod on the soffit above". But his grouchy landlord prohibited "few screw holes" or "drywall spackle".
Will blackout curtain will be too heavy for curtain tension rod like this from The Bay? We're afraid curtain tension rod will keep falling. My math is bad. I don't know physics. Can someone pls calculate?
Blackout curtain weighs (I will edit this post after I weigh it).


texts: Why does my refrigerator water dispenser not work, and the water line to the dispenser stays filled with air?

texts:
I have a GE side-by-side refrigerator that recently developed the symptom described in this YouTube video. That is, the water dispenser in the freezer door no longer output any water. Likewise, when activating the dispenser, water leaked from the reservoir inside the refrigerator and pooled at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment. As described there, this is a sign that the reservoir needs replacement.
So, I purchased a replacement water reservoir and replaced it according to the instructions given there. The whole process went as expected, until the point where I tried to test the system by filling a glass of water. The process went like this:

I pressed a glass against the dispenser.
Inside the refrigerator, you could see and hear the reservoir filling, as expected.
Once the reservoir appeared to fill completely, nothing more occurred. No water came out of the dispenser.

I suspected that perhaps there was a drain plug remaining inside the new reservoir's water outlet line (that goes under the refrigerator to a compression valve below the freezer door). When I disconnected the outlet from that compression valve, I was greeted with a burst of compressed air, but no water. I suppose this made sense, as that would account for all of the air that was in the water lines and reservoir when I installed it.
Next, I reconnected the freezer door water line and repeated the test: still no water. I then disconnected the compression valve again: another smaller burst of air, and a little water dribbled out, but still, nothing has made it to the dispenser.
It seems to me that one of two things is going on:

I haven't been able to get enough air bled out of the system to allow water to flow all the way through, or
There is an obstruction somewhere past the compression valve that is preventing water flow.

If it were #1, I’m not sure what else to do to force air out of the line. I think if it were #2, I would still at least see the water line from the reservoir to the freezer door compression valve fill with water completely, but maybe I'm looking at it wrong.
Any ideas on how to further troubleshoot this?


texts: How to align PVC pipe to metal electrical box

texts: I'm transitioning outdoor PVC conduit through the rim joist and into a metal box. The problem is that my holes in the box don't quite line up with where my conduit comes in. Is there an easy way to adjust the alignment or a type of box that is maneuverable to line up with the conduit? The location is through the rim joist and the box is between the floor joists.


texts: GFCI tester is tripping 15A breaker in panel; outlets on circuit do not appear to be GFCI outlets - is this a problem?

texts:
Level of electrical wiring knowledge: Very basic, if that
Problem: 15A single-pole breaker in panel randomly trips - has been doing so since buying house in 2009 (house built in 1987)
Trouble shooting steps: I have an outdoor power outlet and two bathroom power outlets that do not appear to be GFCI. The outlets do not have Test/Reset buttons- there's no labeling for GFCI anywhere.
I bought a $10 GFCI Tester. (Those little three-pronged things with 2 yellow/1 red light and a "GFCI test" button)
When I insert the GFCI tester into the any of 3 known outlets on the circuit (2 bathroom outlets, 1 outdoor outlet) and push the button on the tester, the 15A breaker in the panel flips, killing power to all 3 outlets and the hall lights.  Far as I can tell these are the only connections on that 15A breaker.  Worth noting(?) this 15A breaker that keeps tripping is the only one in the panel with a test button.
When I insert the GFCI tester into other non-GFCI outlets in the house and push the button, nothing happens - outlet remains hot and the connected source breaker in the panel does not flip.
I have replaced all 3 outlets myself since moving in, but this overall problem persisted prior to me replacing the 3 outlets (2 bathroom, 1 outdoor) - and has persisted since outlet replacement.  Breaker randomly flips, often when the A/C kicks on or is running (not on same circuit, per the breaker panel) or the pool filter is running (connecting to outdoor outlet in question) or a hair dryer is used in one of the 2 bathroom outlets in question.  Sometimes the vacuum running in the living room will flip it, despite those other outlets apparently not being connected to the 3 outlets on the circuit in question.
Looking for some guidance on what this means.  I've since read on this site that these cheap GFCI testers are not really good for old wiring troubleshooting, but I didn't know that prior to purchasing one.  I would like to spare the expense of an electrician, if I can.  My next thought is to replace all 3 outlets with GFCI outlets and see if that resolves this.  Or maybe replace the 15A breaker itself, except that I assume it's doing what it's supposed to do - trip when there's a problem on the circuit.
Thanks in advance.


texts: Problem with condensation on HVAC ducts inside house

texts:
I'm having a pretty serious problem. There is an old sheet metal HVAC duct in my home that is getting condensation that is dripping onto the ceiling of a pantry. This duct is completely internal to the house, there is no exterior wall. The home was built in the mid 80's, modern style construction with lots of little half floors, so there is quite a bit of open space. There is a picture attached to this message.

I cut a hole into the ceiling and got rid of the damp drywall so I could access the duct. My hope was to wrap duct insulation around it, but it butts directly against an interal wall and header, making a wrap around nearly impossible.

Any suggestions on how I can get rid of this issue without breaking the bank or gutting the inside of the house?

In the image, the duct in the foreground runs horizontally, the other part is actually vertical up to the air handler, which is in a closet.


texts: Is this an appropriate drain design for adding a shower?

texts:
I recently took on the challenge of adding a shower to my existing downstairs bathroom.  The bathroom is inside what used to be the garage so it is far away from any existing vents. After some demo, and finding out that I do not need a permit for the project, the existing pluming looks like this (I hope you can figure out my diagram):

I am pretty sure that the 3x3x1.5 90 degree elbow under the toilet is not up to code. Also, in this configuration we had some issues with the toilet backing up a lot.

As my township uses International Code Council (ICC), I am pretty sure that both wet venting and air admittance valves are allowed. As it would be very hard to run a vent out of the house in this location my plan is to modify the plumbing to look like this:

My questions are these:

Am I good with code?
Do I need to have a second air admittance valve (AAV)?
Could I eliminate either the sink or shower vent?
Would this help alleviate the issues we had with the toilet backing up by getting rid of the 3x3x1.5 90 degree elbow under the toilet, or is there something else I am not considering?


texts: What simple fixes are there to an overly vigorous sliding door?

texts: I have a sliding interior door. It slides fast. When it closes, it results in an elastic collision, and this causes the door to reopen, and make an awful sound. I know you can get "smart" (pneumatic, or springed) door slides. I looked at weather stripping, but that just makes the door open itself up (because they push up against each other).


texts: What options are available for ventilation above a stove?

texts: We are taking out our cabinets  above our stove area, to create an open plan to the dinette area on other side of counter. Can we have a ceiling mounted fan above stove? (flush with the ceiling) What options are there?


texts: Can you tell me what the code is around electrical boxes in homes with a basement?

texts:
I am trying to sell my house and the following item was called out as a Safety Hazard that I must correct to sell.

I live in Indiana, can someone explain the code, what is wrong here and what a mediation look like?


texts: How to connect 2 lamps to one switch wirelessly

texts: I have 2 floor lamps in my living room. Lamp 1 is on a switched outlet. Lamp 2 is across the room. I would like to be able to switch on both lamps at the same time without having to rewire outlets (expensive) or stretch an extension cord (dangerous). So an inline device that would sense power on Lamp1 and switch on Lamp 2.


texts: Refrigerator on a shared electric line with Stove and 5 countertop outlets

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When we moved in our new construction home the dedicated fridge outlet in the kitchen was faulty.
The builder sent his electrician who said the the entire line has an issue so they did a connection from the adjacent counter top outlets + gas stove line. So now GFCI 5 counter outlets + gas stove + refrigerator shares the same line. They also relabeled the circuit box.
I think this is a quick hack and wondering if this will affect resale value down the road or fail inspection. The electrician said that it is as per the NEC code and running a new line will cause 20 plus drywall holes or so. Since we are under warranty all these fixes will be covered but I was wondering if it’s worth poking those holes for a dedicated line.
If we leave it this way is it going to jeopardize future sale or inspection failed because the fridge did not have a dedicated outlet. Does this affect resale value?


texts: Do chips in a stained floor reveal differently-colored, unstained wood?

texts:
I'm replacing floor in my house and I have made up mind about going with solid wood flooring.

I also want it stained in dark shades, but since this is not a natural colour of the wood, I was wondering, what happens to any chips that will inevitably happen in the future? Does lighter wood appear through them?

One of the advantages of solid wood that convinced me is that they would last longer and could be sanded/repaired. But if stained wood would make the repair harder I might consider a lighter shade.


texts: How to stop a water leak through concrete?

texts:
I live in a very old house and it was very cold and pipes burst everywhere.
When the plumbers came, I told them that they need to fix the leak from the upstairs bathroom and that we had to shut off the water supply because of burst pipes.

They fixed all the pipes in the basement, 1st and 2nd floor. It was a total of 56 pipes.
They demolished ceiling, broke open the walls, ripped the kitchen cabinets to get to the pipes.

When they finished with all the pipes and left, I started to take a shower in the attic and the water started to flow up in the 2nd floor shower and bathtub drains.
He came back to clean the sewer line with an electric snake.
It did not help so they said that they need to put a triple lever on the tub.

That also did not help - water started to pour from a second floor bathroom into the kitchen.
The plumber sad he would have to take out the second floor stand-up shower, break the floor to find the leak and fix it.
They also sad they would have to break though cement in the kitchen ceiling if they would not be able to find the leak.

I am a poor student and already paid them $2700. That is what they charged me for fixing pipes and sewer cleaning.
They said that it would be at least another $1000 to fix the leak!
They said that they gave me a huge discount because they felt bad for me and that it was and still is a $10000 job. 2 people worked for a total of 30 hours.

I've been up for 5 days, 30 days without hot or cold water and I would appreciate any advice here.
Did he do everything right?
Did he gave me a discount?
What else can I do to fix the leak?
Can water that started to flow up in the 2nd floor tub and shower drains be from broken pipes?


texts: Utility Sink and Washing Machine Drain Pipe

texts:
I am installing a utility sink in my basement and need to rework the drain pipe and standpipe for my washing machine in the process.

Above is the original drain pipe and stand pipe that the washing machine used to drain into. I had to move the washing machine several feet to the right so I removed the copper drain and standpipe to be replaced with pvc.

This is the new PVC drain pipe. The original copper pipe was 1 1/4" and the new PVC is 1 1/2". I will be putting the utility sink in the empty space between the dryer and the white wall in the picture (the washing machine is immediately to the right of the dryer).

Should I try to implement something pictured below (but from left to right instead of right to left like in the picture) with the much shorter PVC drain pipe I have to work with (20" tall)? Is there a simpler alternative (washing machine to spigot trap under utility sink)?


texts: HVAC trying wire new thermostat old trane to new sensi smart touch

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My old trane thermostat b modle # 3AAT80B1A1 has wires
R red
T tan
O orange
G green
Y yellow
X2 Black
B blue
U green
W white

new thermostat has
RH power heating with jumper built in to
RC cooling
C common
G indoor blower
Y 1st outdoor stage cooling
Y2 2nd stage cooling
W/E first indoor stage heat
W2 2 stage heat
O/B change over reversing valve
L Heat pump system

Please let me know which wire to use and if any don't need to be used.

Here is the old thermostat and wiring.

This is the unit outside.

Here is the picture Unit Trane outside.


texts: Can I replace a mechanical doorbell with a digital one?

texts: In my home, I have a mechanical doorbell chime that I would like to replace with a new digital chime (a chime with features like volume control, different tones, plays through a speaker). Is it possible to easily replace the chime without too much complications? If so, how can I do this?


texts: Should I drill a large hole through a double paned window?

texts:
I have a laundry room in the basement.  There is no exhaust vent for the dryer.  Currently we just open the window when drying, but this is not the greatest solution.  There is a window and it is double paned glass.  It seems to me this is probably the easiest option.  I am afraid of damaging the window of course.

Should I try drilling/cutting the hole in the window for the dryer vent? Or should I have a professional do it?

The other option would be to drill a vent hole in the foundation.

The window itself is "European Style" in that it has a hinge on one side to be opened inwards and can also be "tipped" inwards.

FYI- I am in Europe and they do not use a lumber flooring system(here it is all concrete + cinder blocks), otherwise I would just go up and through the floor joists the old fashioned way. ;-)


texts: Can a Wood Burning Stove use a stovepipe made of copper for a chimney?

texts: Planning to install woodburning stove one day.  The plan includes exposed stovepipe running up through a loft space, through attic, and out to roof chimney.  I know the stovepipe comes in black and stainless steel, but I'd rather the look of copper. The house is made of Cedar with Copper Cupula.  The look matters.


texts: European DIN Specification bathroom lock standard door preperation, has a 60mm offset

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I'm not able to find the standard door preparation for a European specification DIN bathroom latch.  The kind with a 60mm offset.

This one specifically, https://www.gjohns.co.uk/din-style-bathroom-mortice-lock-60mm-backset-78mm-centres-satin-stainless-steel.html

I have questions like, what size hole should be drilled.  Are the knobs set apart a specified distance?  Or is only the case size specified?


texts: How can I insulate kitchen vent to prevent cold air blowing through all the time?

texts:
Building code requires my kitchen to have a 15cmx15cm vent (besides the kitchen cook-top vent). This vent is basically a hole in the wall that reaches to the outside. The vent has grating on both sides.

It is very cold in the winter and cold air seeps right into the kitchen, very possibly undermining the ground floor's heating. Can this hole-in-the-wall be insulated somehow ?

The vent cover looks like this:


texts: How to find out why electric usage has more than doubled?

texts: Our home is 2700sqft 1 story. We have a swimming pool with a variable speed pump which barely runs and is on the lowest setting.  I also have a 40x60 workshop that has 100 amps coming off the house. I am only in the shop once or twice a week for probably no more than an hour each. We have radiant barrier in the attic. This month since it's been cooler we have barely used the electric heat and only turned the AC on maybe 3 times.   Our Kwh usage for the past year has been 5400kwhs up to 7898kwhs.   Our neighbor has almost the same size house and shop but he works in his shop daily for 6-10 hours each day. He doesn't use over 2000kwh per month.   My wife just told me about our $700 and up to $1300 electric bills.  This is ridiculous.  Thanks in advance for any info.


texts: Strange suction in toilet and sink, like a vacuum in the sewer pulling the water out

texts:
This is hard to explain.. But I was sitting in my bedroom when all of a sudden my toilet started draining, then the sinks in the bathroom started pulling air in, then when the water from the toilet drained, it started suctioning air down the toilet too.  It all lasted about 20 to 30 seconds.  This apparently happened a couple of weeks ago as well according to my wife.
This only happens in our new addition to the house, which has a partially separate line to the sewer (it joins up to the main line about 15 feet in front of the house).  I didn't see any sign that it affected other parts of the house on the original waste water line.
My only guess is that the suction is coming from all of the water in the line draining into the sewer at once, pulling air with it until the sewer line is open to the air.
We have a tub, a toilet, a shower and two sinks on this line and none of them were in use at the time.  I was seriously considering that someone was working on the sewer line outside with a vacuum or something.  Any ideas what might be happening here?
UPDATED WITH PHOTOS:
Here you can see multiple vent pipes.  I snaked both the close one and the far one.  Time will tell if it worked


texts: Fluorescent lamp does not rotate in socket

texts:
I need to replace two fluorescent lamps in my bathroom and neither of them would rotate in their sockets. I can twist them maybe 10 degrees or so but after that they completely stop moving.
It's the first time I'm changing such lamps so I'm not entirely sure how much force I should be applying but from watching videos online I feel like it should not require much force, and I got to the point where I'm applying as much torque as I can, grabbing to the metal ends of the bulb. So I'm wondering whether I'm missing some «unlock» step.
I can see in the gap between the bulb and the socket that the pins are currently vertical (90 degrees to what I need to take them out) and there are plastic half-circles that seem to be holding the bulbs in place (and prevent them to be rotated I guess). The cabinet is designed in a way that only allows a good grip on one side of the bulb but not on the other (see the lower lamp — enough place for a finger below, but none above since the two lamps are meeting there)

My only guess at the moment would be bending the holders outwards and forcing the bulbs out this way, but I'd rather avoid it for the sake of the rent deposit.


texts: Proper clearance for a thermowell in pipe T

texts: I have temperature gauge that uses a thermowell to insert into a pipe. It is 1/2" in diameter and I was hoping to use copper tee to install it. However, looking at the well after it's inserted into the 3/4" pipe has me concerned about affect on flow though the pipe. Unfortunately there are no guidelines on the product sheet. What guidelines should I adhere to for installing the thermometer's thermowell?


texts: several outlets dont work on same circuit

texts: I tested my outlet and only had 85 volts on the black side and 24 volts on the white side why? There are several outlets on the same circuit that don't work with the same readings.I checked power in the panel bos it reads 120 volts at the black wire and the white wire reads none .


texts:
I need to cut some stiff sheet metal for roofing trim and the problem is dividing larger sheets. For example, I might have a sheet that is 6 feet x 12" and I need to divide it in half. The problem is that my snips cut a little ways into the sheet, but soon they get stuck and I can't push them in any farther.

A book I have on sheet metal says that one side of the cut is supposed to "curl" away as I cut, making room for the shears and I am supposed to cut so that side is the narrow "waste" half. But in my case I am dividing a wide sheet, so there is no "waste" strip, both sides are wide.

I can see that if I was just trimming off half an inch, then it would peel away, but when both sides are 2-3 feet wide, that doesn't happen. So, how do I divide the sheet?


texts: What Kind of Hardwood Flooring Do I Have - Chicago Home Mid50's

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I'm beginning a kitchen renovation and the first thing I'm looking into is replacing the tile the previous owners had installed. My entire house is hardwood, possibly original (from 1954), aside from my kitchen which was redone as tile. The tile in the kitchen is a good 3/4" taller than hardwood in the adjoining room. I chipped off a small piece of tile to see what I was working with. There seems to be four layers, the subfloor, a layer of tar paper, a fiber backer board and then the tile.

Now the question I have is when I compared the portion of bare subfloor to my hardwood floors in the adjoining room, the hardwood part only seems to be ~1/8" thick!? What kind of Hardwood construction is this? If I wanted to put hardwood in my kitchen how would I go about matching the height with the room next to it?

Please see picture names for description of what they're showing.


texts: Is glow in the dark paint suitable for creative usage?

texts:
I came across the notion of a Light/UV -sensitive background, to perform temporary creative photographic effects. This seems to be a paper/cloth impregnated with a Light/UV sensitive coating, that glows in the dark/changes colour according to exposure to light.

I was thinking that i could accomplish something like this with glow in the dark wall paint, or something of the sort, sacrificing one portion of a wall in my house, or some wood panels (like canvases).

My problem is that i do not have much experience with glow in the dark paint (brands, name of what i want, prices, durability, etc), or even know if glow in the dark paint is what i want.


texts: How can I determine what type of washer/gasket to use for an antique shower?

texts:
I have an old home (built in 1760). One of the beloved features is the clawfoot tub in one of the bathrooms. The shower assembly leaks from the shower head and my attempt to replace the gasket/washers has given me a new problem. It seems the previous owner has stacked two rubber type washers together to replace the originals that must have gone bad. How can I find out what the original types where so I can fix the dripping correctly?

Note: this is an old set up with individual hot and cold water taps that mix while going to the shower head.


texts: Term to describe two circuits run through one /3 cable

texts:
For example, I have a 12/3 cable in which the red and black wires are controlled via separate breakers. The 12/3 drops into a single-gang outlet, out of which runs a 12/2 to another room. Is there a word/term for this (joined circuit, sistered circuit)?

I'm looking for a polite term ;)

(EDIT: Changed /4, /3 to /3, 2 - all cables mentioned contain grounds)


texts: Water Hammer Arrester Shutting off Water

texts:
Problem

Everything was working fine for about 3 years. However, recently my LG top-load washer has been occasionally stopping in the middle of a cycle and showing an IE error stating the washer was unable to fill with water.

Findings

Through some trial and error I have consistently been able to get the water flowing again by turning off the the water from the valve on the water hammer arrester and then slowly turning the valve back to the on position and it instantly starts filling with water again.

So is it possible the water hammer arrester is somehow faulty and "freezing up" causing it to block water flow to the washer? But once I relieve pressure by shutting off the valve it resets? Not too familiar with how these devices work.

Stats

I have checked and cleaned the input filters, they are good.
Water hammer brand is Ayrlett®
LG washing machine model: LG WT1201C/WT1101C
Washer is less than 4 years old
Apartment is also less than 4 years old
The hot water input is fine just the cold water one "freezes up"
I live in a warm environment in an apartment


texts: Why is there still voltage in my wires when the breaker is off?

texts: While renovating my mother's family room, I need to remove the light fixtures. So I flipped the breaker. The lights went off. I was about to remove and luckily double checked for voltage. I found it was still live. Went back to the breaker switched it on and all the lights came back on. Does anyone have an idea what's wrong with my breaker or is it just a bum current detector?


texts: What causes seasonal doors and how do you prevent it?

texts:
I understand that wood expands and contracts based on temperature, humidity, and other factors...

However in our house the doors are really subject to seasonal changes.  For instance my bedroom door is perfect in the winter but has trouble closing in the summer - seems to move up the trim.  My 2-year-old's room is the opposite.

Basically almost all of the doors in the house have a season or two when they are very easy to close and a season where they may barely close right.  Wondering why some houses would have so much variance? - mine is a basic american ranch design - all doors mentioned are on first level.

Then to follow that up what can be done to prevent this from happening?  Is there any bracing what is below/above to help this?


texts: Will an ungrounded light fixture on a GFCI circuit cause the GFCI to trip?

texts: Shed outlet is powered from a GFCI breaker in the main panel. I want to add a switched light in the shed using power from the outlet. The outlet is a standard 20a grounded outlet, not a GFCI. No issues with doing the wiring, except I am unsure whether using an ungrounded pull-chain type light fixture will cause a ground fault when switched on. Can I use an ordinary ungrounded pull-chain type light or do I need a light that is grounded to avoid a GFCI trip?


texts: How do I wire this Australian ceiling light?

texts:
I want to install a ceiling fixture.  I have the manual and it looks pretty easy, but in the manual, it looks like I should have 2 cables coming out of my wall. Instead, I have 3.  I don't know what to do now.

The old fixture on my wall has 3 holes for wiring, labeled N, Loop, and A.

I live in Queensland, Australia.


texts: How thick should my tile underlayment be?

texts: Am remodeling, and installing tile floor. Joists are 2x8 16 o.c., subfloor is 5/8 plywood perpendicular to joists, for underlayment should I use 3/8 plywood+1/2 in. backerboard or 5/8 ply+1/4 in. b-board? (also, should underlayment be laid same direction as subfloor? (with offset seams) thanks, Ray


texts: GE convection/microwave just quit. No heat. micro does not heat either. All else works. Lights, fan, timer, etc

texts: GE Conv/Micro  just stopped heating either way. All else works.


texts: what kind of faucet is this and how do I take off handle?

texts:
The handle is loose (a bit wiggly) and I want to take it off to figure out how to tighten it.  Problem is I can't figure out how to take it off...

My guess is it is from mid to late 2000s


texts:
Our building entrance has a set of double doors, the door that is fixed is latched to the top frame and to the floor through a hole in a stone saddle.  The hole in the saddle is too big for that latch making the door not perfectly "fixed" (ie. it is loosely in place).

What material do you guys recommend could we use to fill the hole in the saddle (smaller than 1 inch in diameter) and then redo the hole?

Any suggestion/guidance will be welcome


texts: How can I drain water from the area between a concrete walkway and the side of the house?

texts: We had a walkway by the side of the house made of wood, after years of constant repairing the walkway because of decay wood we decided to do the walk way in concrete. Problem now is when it rains the water is trapped between the concrete and the side of the house. How can we create some sort of drainage?


texts: Can a vapor barrier follow the profile of floor joists?

texts:
I'm renovating the 4th and top floor of a house built in 1906 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The house has masonry load-bearing walls and wooden beams.  The current situation is shown in the image below.

The area in pink has the building envelope as shown in the B-B section cut below somewhere between grid lines 5 and 6. Note: This space currently is not insulated.

The mason wall shown in the image below will be destroyed.

The image below is taken from the 4th floor looking at the top of the 3rd floor ceiling after the floorboards were removed.

A glass facade will be installed 1 meter behind the location of the existing masonry wall thus creating a balcony that is 1 meter longer than it is currently. This is shown in the proposed floor plan below.

In an ideal scenario, this entire 3rd to 4th-floor building envelope would look like the following section. Note: Rockwool insulation and vapor barrier added

However, this is not possible since the 3rd-floor ceiling cannot be removed.
Ideally, there is insulation in the floor cavity and therefore a vapor barrier is required. Is it a good idea to wrap the vapor barrier around the floor joists as shown in the section below?

I’m worried this may cause condensation to occur around the floor joists which is the last thing I want. If that could happen I would prefer to leave the space un-insulated, unless someone has a different idea?


texts: How to Hook Up 120V & 240V On AC Disconnect?

texts:
I'm attempting to wire a RV for hooking up to 50 Amp Service.

Using a AC Diconnect (60-Amp 240-Volt 240-Watt Fused )connected to a

(PowerMark Gold 125-Amp 4-Space 8-Circuit Indoor Main Lug Circuit Breaker Panel)

My concern is that the AC Disconnect does not have a Lug for Neutral.

Would it be okay to run the Nuetral straight from the RV Plug to the 125 Amp Panel ?

I cant afford an electrician at the moment and have been taking advice from Home Depot employees so I would greatly appreciate some oversight

This is what I was told to do by HD


texts: Is it bad that my cordless drill is smoking?

texts:
I was using my cordless drill today.  I was trying to drive a bolt that was stuck with my drill in low gear and it wasn't really budging.  I tried a few times and then noticed that smoke was coming out of my drill's cooling slots.

My drill has a brushless motor and 725in-lb of torque and it was stalling out.  Does that mean that something inside the drill fried, or is it common to see smoke come from a drill while under a heavy load?

EDIT: The drill is a Milwaukee M18 Fuel.


texts: Anyone have any experience ordering slabs or wood?

texts: I've been looking around lately for 2 slabs of Oak possibly reclaimed for some bar tops in my house. We live in CO where pine in plentiful but Oak is not. I need something that will be a little more resistant to kids than pine will be. I'm coming up with nothing. Has anyone here had any experience with ordering something like this?


texts: Can I safely affix tile to a panel of plywood?

texts:
I plan on affixing some 5/8" glass mosaic tile to a panel of plywood roughly 43 x 44". I then plan on using that as the face of our bar by affixing that plywood to the bar.

My concern is that they thinset might not work very well on the plywood. I was told that if I wet the plywood first before laying the thinset mortar, it shouldn't be a problem. Does anybody have any experience doing this or maybe have some suggestions on how to make this project a success?

Also, what would be the best thickness for the thinset in order to lay the tile properly?