texts:
I have a discontinued Hansgrohe Raindance shower panel (model 27005000).  The braided cold water supply line has developed a leak (the leaky cold water line has plastic food wrap around it)

I am in the process of finding the replacement part, which I believe should be 95539000 or 13099001.  While I am finding and verifying the part, I would like to cap the line so it doesn't waste water.  My questions:

What part should I get from the hardware store to cap the line and stop the leak?
Are the thread sizes standard?  The elbow connection from the wall is from Hansgrohe but I'm hoping that I can just buy something from the local hardware store  (I did go to Home Depot but saw that all their supply lines have hex nuts on both ends)
Is there any way to repair the hose? E.g., buy a braided new hose and re-use the proprietary connectors from the original to build a new hose.
Does anyone have experience with this panel and know how you remove the hose from the side that does not have the hex nut?

I'm not very familiar with plumbing repair so any help and advice is greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.


texts: Elevating a water heater to avoid damage during flooding

texts:
I have read another thread concerning the elevation of electric water heaters but nothing seemed to address my particular situation:  I live on a barrier island and it floods here every couple of years during hurricane season.  Water has been in my garage as high as chest deep, though the usual flood is no more than a foot deep. The house is built on pilings.  I have a 12 foot ceiling in the garage downstairs.

My water heater is currently located in a walk-in attic upstairs but the thought of having water above my living spaces makes me very uneasy.  I want to move the heater downstairs into the garage and build a 5 feet tall platform for it out of pressure treated lumber:  4 X 4s for the legs; 2 X 4s for the platform deck.  I would secure the legs of the platform to the concrete floor with 90° braces so it doesn't float off. While the garage is not heated, I've never seen it get below 50°F inside in the winter; nor above 80°F in the summer.  Outside temps vary from about 12° to as much as 100°, though either extreme is very rare.

Does anybody have any thoughts about this?  Something I haven't thought about?  My plumber estimates moving the current heater will run about $275-300, assuming I build the platform.


texts: What is this and can dryer work without it?

texts:
Whirlpool dryer

It came out of dryer along with clothes.

Where does this go? Safe to operate dryer without it ?


texts: flat concrete roof with weathering course leaking in many places

texts: It is about 30 yr old building with flat concrete roof with weathering course on top. It started leaking in many places during rainy season. The roof area is about 1200 sq.ft open.what is the remedy.


texts: Water leaking from the top of "Aqua Stop" (water inlet) during the final cycle of washing machine

texts:
Front-Loading washing machine.

All washing works fine, but during the final fast spin cycle, water leaks from the top of the "Aqua Stop hose" thing which is connected to the inlet.

Water looks clean and odourless. What might be causing water to flow out of this during the final spin? Please see attached picture:

http://i.imgur.com/JWA3CBM.jpg


texts: Toilet supply line/tube sprays water from below the coupling nut

texts:
My toilet tank was leaking rust and water, so I replaced the three bolts at the bottom of the tank.

But when I replaced the supply line/tube, the new supply line/tube sprays water from below the coupling nut. See the picture.

How do I correctly install the supply tube?

Thank you in advance.


texts:
Fist off - I am not going to do this job myself, I would just like to try to do this without cutting open the ceiling.
We have a 110 GFCI outlet in our garage and I would like to add a 30 amp plug that would come from it's own breaker for our Airstream trailer when I'm working on it in the driveway.
The distance from breaker box to the garage wall is about 20 feet.
What is the possibility of tying on the new wiring to the existing wiring, pulling it back to the breaker using the existing wiring, and then pulling it all back to the garage together?
Is this an unreasonable request to ask the electrician?


texts:
What is the procedure for restarting a drilled well?

1st pump was clear, but after that cloudy.  How long and how many times to pump to clear it up?  Will silt damage the pump?

I pumped 4 times into two 5 gallon buckets


texts: Coating a Perforated Hard board for use as Pegboard above a desk?

texts:
I'm currently not in the US sonny options may be limited.

I was hoping to find a white surfaced perforated board that could be used as a peg board above a home/ office desk for organising things in a flexible way. PS: not a garage desk with tools.

I wondered if it should be painted (what kinds / how) or it could be coated with white coating sheet (paper or plastic/ vinyl kind of sticker / sheet)

I'm sharing a front & back pic of the board sample. Actual full size is 4 x 4 feet.

Thoughts/ suggestions/ options / Pros & Cons?

Front

Back


texts: Adding a subpanel, but have one question.

texts:
I decided to add a small subpanel to accommodate extra outlets for my garage. I have an older Square D 100A main panel. Only cat no I could find is QOC-20m e6. First thing I noticed after pulling the panel cover to see how I should go about running service to the subpanel, is that all the neutral and ground wires are under the same lug per each respective circuit. Not ideal, but not unheard of.

Now, my question is, when running the neutral and ground to the new subpanel, would I connect both to separate lugs on the same neutral/ground bar in the main panel?


texts: What are Range hood exhaust exterior wall location requirements?

texts: What are the requirements for a residential range hood exhaust location on the exterior wall?


texts: Is it safe to leave light socket without a light bulb?

texts:
We have several light sockets with light bulbs, controlled by a single light switch. I don't need that much light, so I want to remove a couple of light bulbs from their sockets.

Is that safe ?

In my case the sockets are pretty high up on the ceiling, and there is no danger of accidentally putting a finger in there.


texts: Can anyone identify this track lighting fixture?

texts: I'm looking for more light fixtures like this one. Can anyone identify it?


texts:
I have a Hisense portable air conditioner. It's one of those awful units that exhausts the hot air out a flexible duct, and draws air for the condenser coil from the conditioned space.
The evaporator coil starts forming ice almost immediately after turning it on.
There is good airflow across both coils, and both blowers are running.
I think that leaves low refrigerant charge as the only other cause of the problem. Is there anything else I'm overlooking?


texts:
I've done this before, but maybe because I'm  replacing a ceiling fan with a pendant light the wiring is different.

I have 3 brown wires, with one live
1 Earth (No neutral wire.)
This is the end of the loop. Nothing I can find is dependent on this.

When the switch is on, the power L going to the pendant is 240. When the switch is off there is no power.

I'm just a bit stumped:(

Thanks

Artistic impression of my set up that's not working


texts:
I have a 2-pole thermostat that I want to install to replace the old mercury thermostat.  From the wall there is a green, white, and red wire.  The thermostat has 2 black and two red. If you cannot see the labels in the picture below, the wires from the new thermostat are labeled as:
L1  L2
T1  T2
I understand if I have to use this thermostat as a single pole (if I cannot use it as a 2-pole).  I know the green is ground.  It looks as though the red goes to the power, and the white goes to the heater.  My question is, what wires do I attach to the wall wires?
Thanks.


texts: How do i disassemble this toe touch drain stopper?

texts:
I can't figure out for the life of me how to disassemble the rest of this toe touch bathtub stopper and I really need to clean it. This is the view once the top has been screwed off.
in all the images i have seen of these types of stoppers, i haven't seen anything that looks like this. other stoppers i've seen have a screw at the top that you unscrew, get the stopper out and clean it. i've tried sticking a flat head screwdriver in the slots to see if it would turn... nothing. i can't figure out how to make this release. any ideas or advice welcome. i just need to clean the thing. thanks in advance!
p.s. i believe it's an american standard


texts: Should custom masonry mixes first be mixed dry?

texts:
I am currently doing a small retro plastering job ("retro" because I am in the U.S.).  I am mixing masonry sand with lime plaster.  The way I do it is make a homogeneous mix of sand and lime while both ingredients are dry, then add water only when they are mixed well.

I am curious how bad it would be to cut the corner of mixing it twice (once dry and once with water) and just dump water on top of the unmixed sand and lime, then mix only once.  Will that cause unmixed lumps of lime surrounded by solid lumps of sand?


texts: How can I have a pond but prevent mosquitos from nesting there?

texts:
I would like to have a small waterfall leading into a small pond in my garden. Due to the West Nile virus, it is essential here to prevent mosquitoes from nesting.
What can I do to prevent mosquitoes from being able to nest in it?


texts:
From the image you can see the storm door latch is too close to the door knob causing you to scratch your hand when you try and open it. There are about three layers of support behind that catch, too.

The storm door fits well where it is, and doesn't look out of the ordinary, so I don't know what to do about the catch.


texts: How can I repair a torn out cabinet hinge mount?

texts: So the story goes that our roommate (who does not live with us anymore) slipped in the bathroom and somehow managed to break the cabinet door off the wall part of the cabinet. The point is when she pulled the door the bottom hinge tore out and caused a hole (approximately 3"x3.5") in the particle board wall of the cabinet. I don't know if there are any fillers I can use to patch this up that will hold the hinge and door. I'm fairly handy and have just recently started with simple wood working projects so please forgive my lack of terminology. I really do not want to replace this whole cabinet wall structure if I can avoid it. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated!


texts: Window and door spray foam a good solution for this exterior section underneath a window?

texts:
I have an area underneath an egress window in the basement where the caulking has shrunk and the bare wood is exposed (see pictures below). I thought about backer rod and caulking the top and bottom, but the angle makes it impossible to caulk the top. Then it occurred to me to perhaps use the Great Stuff Window and Door expanding foam in the gap to seal it so water doesn't get to the wood.

Is there a better solution for this? I like the idea of foam as it expands to all the cracks, but not sure if there is a better solution out there. Pictures below...


texts: Adding new overhead outlets in garage - conduit required?

texts:
I plan to install 3 new GFCI breakers in my electrical panel in my garage, and pull three dedicated runs through storage space above my garage to my woodworking power tools (overhead outlets). I thought this task would be simple: the electrical panel's existing wiring exits up the garage wall behind drywall, and I had assumed that the wiring exits into the storage space above my garage. However, when I looked closely, the storage space above my garage is NOT directly above the electrical panel. I have accepted the fact that I will need to cut out some drywall from around the top of the electrical panel, punch out three knockouts, and route the new wiring at least 4' horizontally (drilling thru several studs) before I can route the wiring upwards and into the space above my garage. THIS is where I need assistance.  The garage wall where the electrical panel resides is an exterior wall. The top plate of this wall is not exposed to the elements, but it is directly beside a rather wide, long roof/soffit ventilation "trough" (which runs all the way around my house).  Is this ventilation trough considered "exposure to the elements"???  Is there anything in the NEC 2015 (my town uses the 2015 electrical guidelines) that prohibits me from drilling through the top plate of this exterior garage wall, and running my 12 gauge wiring directly to the desired outlet locations - without using conduit?
The original wiring (1993) that feeds the garage lights, outlets, and garage door openers does NOT use conduit, but that old wiring was installed before the garage drywall was installed, and thus does not follow the path through the exterior wall's top plate. I would prefer to avoid conduit, as the wiring runs are less than 15' each - seems like overkill to run conduit. I'm a do-it-yourselfer, have significant experience with both AC and DC in an industrial environment, but I do not want to fail a home inspection when I move away some day.  I believe in "doing it the right way the first time", but I'm hoping the right way is "conduit not required"!  Thanks... John in Dallas


texts: How to enlarge lock hole (small mailbox)?

texts:
Hi,

Had to break my apartment mailbox lock open after the key broke. Been looking and no where seems to have a lock that small. How can I enlarge the current hole?

I am far from a hands on guy, thought I can chip the sides off by moving the drill bit around, but got no where after going at it for half an hour

Please let me know how this is often done and what I need to do it.


texts: How to open a GE Hotpoint HTW200 washer?

texts:
I'm attempting to disassemble a GE Hotpoint washer (model# htw200ask2ww) in order to check (and likely replace) the suspension rod.

Every video, guide, and manual online says that to open all top-loading GE washers, you remove the front-panel and unlatch the lid using a putty knife.  However, this washer doesn't have a front-panel, and there don't seem to be any latches!

(I shoved a putty knife under the lid every which way, with no luck)

How the hell do you open this thing?


texts: WHirlpool Super capacity 465 I hear gas at burners but will not ignite even with a match. I hear no gas in oven area

texts: I recently went to restart the Whirlpool Super Capacity 465 gas oven.  I can hear the gas and feel the gas at the burners.  No clicking and it will not light with a match.  I tried the oven, turned on the heat and hear no gas there at all.  Any ideas?


texts: Replaced circulator on gas hot water boiler and still no heat upstairs only in the basement

texts:
II have purged my system about 4 times and changed the circulator but the flow of hot water only seems to go to the basement and not the 1st or 2nd floor. The boiler fires up, I can feel and hear the circulator getting hot and the pipe from it but it doesn't go upstairs.

I drained the boiler several times but the heat still fails to go past the basement. Can the expansion tank have anything to do with it?

I checked all around the house there are no bleeeders installed anywhere on the baseboard heaters so I can't bleed air from them. What else can I do to get the air out if that is the issue?


texts: Bench soldering copper pipe into a subassembly

texts:
Is it possible to pre-assemble and pre-solder copper pipes into a subassembly that then can be installed using a threaded fitting?  I'd much rather solder the joints either in an oven environment or on a workbench than sweat them right up against my water heater.  This is for a downpipe drain on a water heater T&P valve -- our heater currently lacks the downpipe, with the T&P just "spitting" sideways.  The valve in question has internal threads on its downstream (open to air) end, by the way.

Also -- copper is the material I want to use here -- last I heard, PEX isn't code-compliant where I live, and I would not want to use it anyway due to the prospect of material damage if the T&P ever had to function in anger.


texts: My ceiling fan has a sporadic loss off power, 1-2 seconds

texts: My ceiling fan will briefly (1-2 seconds) lose power then come back on. All wires are connected according to the instructions, but there is a red wire that was not used. Do i need to connect the red wire to something?


texts: What kind of glue (adhesive) is likely to be suitable for a heat-lamp surround?

texts:
I have a combination heatlamp-light-fan, somewhat like the one shown here. The surround (i.e., the big white piece of plastic shown in the linked photograph) is cracked between its outer edge and one of the holes into which a heat-lamp fits. Unfortunately there are no markings to indicate what kind of plastic has been used.
What sort of glue is likely to be suitable both for bonding and heat-resistance?


texts: I have a Roper dryer and the cord that it has does not configure with the plug in on my wall. So I went to Home Depot and the guy that helped me handed me the cord he said I needed and when I got home I took a look at it and noticed that the cord he gave me was a 4 prong and my outlet is a 3 prong. Now my question is... I was told by some people that it is possible to remove the full circle prong and then use it as a 3 prong. Is that correct?


texts:
I live in Florida. According to the Florida Residential Building Codes (2017):

  E3703.3 Laundry circuit. A minimum of one 20-ampere-rated branch circuit shall be provided for
  receptacles located in the laundry area and shall serve only
  receptacle outlets located in the laundry area. [210.11(C)(2)]

Can this circuit also supply overhead lighting in the laundry room, and also adjacent rooms? I ask because the definition of a receptacle outlet is defined as (Chapter 35):

  RECEPTACLE. A receptacle is a contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug. A single receptacle is a single contact device with no other contact device on the same yoke. A multiple receptacle is two or more contact devices on the same yoke.

  RECEPTACLE OUTLET. An outlet where one or more receptacles are installed.

At first glance I would say laundry code reads as ...shall serve only receptacle outlets, and those receptacle outlets shall be located in the laundry area.

However, immediately following, the FBC goes on to define bathroom circuits:

  E3703.4 Bathroom branch circuits. A minimum of one 20-ampere branch
  circuit shall be provided to supply bathroom receptacle outlet(s).
  Such circuits shall have no other outlets. [210.11(C)(3)]

  Exception: Where the 20-ampere circuit supplies a single bathroom,
  outlets for other equipment within the same bathroom shall be
  permitted to be supplied in accordance with Section E3702.
  [210.11(C)(3) Exception)

This specifically calls out "outlets", which I believe includes overhead lighting -- but, in the laundry room, it calls out receptacle outlets.

  OUTLET. A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment.

Does this mean that, receptacle outlets excluded, the dedicated laundry circuit can still supply outlets in other rooms? Particularly shared lighting? Can it provide lighting in the laundry room?

EDIT: I guess my confusion comes from the code specifically mentioning a limitation on receptacle outlets but not outlets in general, as to where the bathroom code, which does the same, specifically calls out that Such circuits shall have no other outlets whereas laundry does not make this very specific point.

EDIT 2: Here is the Florida Building Codes


texts:
My house in Northern California has a gable roof. In the attic, there are two 2x4 angle braces (one at each gable end) that connect from the ceiling joist (gable-end) to the ridge board (mid-span). Please see photo to understand what I mean.
What is their purpose/name? Can I can do something with them since they cross the attic space and reduce head space. Thanks


texts: How can I fix pinewood flooring that got skewed after oiling?

texts:
I oiled my pinewood flooring a few days ago, and now after it has dried up the flooring is skewed. It bends up close to the edges, on both sides of the room. Each plank is straight lengthwise. It's the joints that seems to cause the problem.
The flooring lies freely upon a concrete surface. One of the walls is concrete while the others are drywall / plasterboard. The concrete wall is on one of the sides with a single board all the way over (and not a side with many edges).

Before oiling the floor, the skriting was nailed to the drywall on three sides, and into the floor on the concrete walled side.

Now I'm afraid the nails in the drywall won't hold, and nails in the floor on the side with concrete isn't really an alternative, as that won't make it stick to the ground.

Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can fix this?

The first picture below is how it looks now, while the second one is how it looks if I hold the planks down to the ground. As you can see, there is big difference.


texts:
I was cleaning my bathtub and noticed it's rusty around the drain hole, then I accidentally popped a hole through the bathtub. I am going to replace it next week, but is it possible to temporarily fix it with hot glue?

I know there are some shower repair kits or that I could use epoxy glue, but will hot glue be enough?

Thanks


texts: How should I connect my solar panels to each controller for optimal performance (series or parallel) without buying new charge controller?

texts:
I have four 355W solar panels and three 315W solar panels.  I have a 40-amp mppt and a 30-amp mppt charge controller with 100V Max PV voltage.
The distance solar panels to charge controllers is around 15 meters and the distance battery to charge controllers around 1.5 meters.
My battery bank system is 24 volt. The solar panel voltage is around 37 volts.  They are not connected yet.
Out of the three 315W solar panels, one is pointed south, the other 2 east. he one pointed south is shaded until 9 AM.  They are at 16 degree angle. The other four 355W are not yet installed.
The system is in the Caribbean.
I have 8 6-volt batteries in 2 parallel strings.
I need help with the wiring of the solar panels (series or parallel) and also the wire gauge.
Thank you in advance for your help!
The specs for the 315W solar panel are:
 Pmax = 315 W
 Max voltage = 37.4 V
 Max current = 8.42 A
 Open Circuit voltage = 45.5 V
 Short circuit current = 9.12 A
 Power tolerance = 0~+6w
 The maximum fuse rating = 15 A

The specs for the 355W solar panel are:
 Rating power at stc(Wp) = 355 w
 Rating power voltage(Vm) = 37.58 V
 Rating power current(Im) = 9.45 A
 Open circuit voltage (Voc) = 46.26 V
 Short circuit current(Isc) = 9.85 A


texts: How do I install a receptacle box in lath/plaster wall?

texts:
I have a room with ungrounded electrical receptacles and I need to install a grounded outlet. The walls are lath and plaster. What I want to do is install a new receptacle box for the outlet. Is there a way to do this without having a big hole to repair? Basically I'd just like to cut a hole just big enough for the receptacle box, but not sure if it's possible.

I can easily get a wire to the desired location. I'm just not sure of how to get a receptacle box into the wall. There is a stud at the spot for an attachment point.

Any links to a site with pictures or diagrams would be a real plus.


texts: Does this fill valve need replacing or should I replace cap? Its leaking

texts: This fill valve is leaking, I have flushed it and it still leaks. Does it look okay or does the entire assembly need replacing?


texts: The lighting in my house is dimly light when the switches are off, but only the LED's are lighly lit, the other types of lights just lighly flicker

texts: My house has led lights that are dimly light when the switch is off. They light up fully when the switch is in the on position. when I measured the voltage at the light socket I got 40 volts when the switch was in the off position, the light in my laundry room reads 35 volts when the switch is in the off position, the light in the laundry room works when the switch is put in the on position. I think it's a back fed neutral. I have the lighted switches in my house, could that have anything to do with it. when the first light in the hallway to my basement is screwed out of the socket and the light in the laundry room is also screwed out of the socket the light in the kitchen which is not an LED, but one of those older spiral lights, flickers more. both the two lights that I screwed out are LEDs.


texts: What kind of screwdrivers can unscrew these screws?

texts:
I have used this laptop fan cooler pad for almost two years: Cooler Master NotePal X-Slim Ultra-Slim Laptop Cooling Pad with 160mm Fan (R9-NBC-XSLI-GP) https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005C31HC0?

Since a month ago, the fan has stopped rotating.

I have opened up its external screen, see the picture in the first link at the end of the post. I don't find any visible tear and worn with the usb power chord exposed outside.

I want to check what's underneath the fan, but do I need to remove the fan?

How can I remove the fan?

The screw-like things under the fan aren't actually screws that my screwdrivers can fit into, see the pictures in the second and third links at the end of the post.  What kinds of screwdrivers can unscrew the "screws"?
I also tried to pull the fan out directly, but it didn't detach and I was afraid of breaking anything and gave up.

I would appreciate your help. Thanks!


texts: Is it possible to use add-a-wire with my current configuration to add a C-Wire?

texts:
I only have four wires: Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green. My old thermostat jumps the R to RC and leaves C empty.

I have a new thermostat that wants 5 wires, but I don't have C. I am not sure what the circuit diagram is here, so I don't know if it's possible to make a new configuration that will give full functionality.

Here is my configuration:

Rc   (jumper to red)
R    Red
Y    Blue
C    -
W    White
G    Green

What does add-a-wire do anyway? There is no extra wire so I would have to tear up my wall to run a new wire. I don't want to sacrifice independent fan control. What is the easiest way I can rewire this for a new thermostat?


texts: Can I put gypsum and paint finish on top of a concrete fast set repair mortar?

texts:
I have a finished concrete pillar in my living room that I need to be patched and painted.
The pillar has final gypsum and paint on top of concrete. Since the concrete is chipped off I need to use a fast set repair mortar (such as QUIKRETE® FastSet™ Repair Mortar) to repair the concrete.

But I don't know if the gypsum material can be added on top of the repair mortar or not? is there a specific product that I can add on top to prepare the surface for paint?


texts: How do I repair this leaking toilet supply nut?

texts:
I've got a leaky toilet that I'm trying to fix (and in the process making worse). The leak seems to be coming from the brass nut on the right of the photo here:

This nut has a washer in it so hopefully replacing either the nut or the washer will do the trick. Can anyone recommend/help with:

If I should try to replace the whole nut or just the washer inside it
Where I can buy replacements for these in the UK (I don't know what to search for on B&Q...)
If I'm replacing the nut, can anyone guide me on how to remove this from the pipe (it
didn't seem to come off easily!)
The white tube currently rotates as I try to tighten (or loosen) the nut. Any recommendations to stop this in order to get a tighter seal?


texts: Poplar helicopter seeds stuck in deck gaps

texts:
The gaps in my deck are routinely jammed with "helicopter" poplar seeds, which lodge with the hard seed just above the gap.  The "blade" of the seed anchors them so firmly that no blower or pressure washer can dislodge many of them.  The only way to get them out is to scrape them with a hook-like blade.

Is there any decking style or installation method that is immune to this problem?  (I'm not sure if the "obvious" solution of installing the planks with 1/4" gaps is good.)


texts: When is it appropriate to use push in connections on typical american electrical outlets?

texts:
I quit using push in about 10 years ago when I realized it was causing issues when I had a few heaters plugged in at job sites.  My detective skills told me that 10 fried outlets over one winter and all 10 with the push-ins in use might be a clue to an issue.

So when can you use it?  And even more important why do manufacturers still produce them with that option (and if you want to take it a step further why does big box still sell them?) ?

See question Why do electricians prefer not to use the push-in connections on receptacles? for more background.


texts: What's the easiest way to carry 4x8 sheets of 70-lbs drywall by yourself?

texts:
This past weekend, I had some help carrying eight 4x8 sheets of type X drywall up a flight of stairs.  It was not easy.  I know the sheets couldn't have weighed more than 80 lbs, but it felt like they weighed a ton.  I need to get more up the same flight, but won't have help this time and I am not keen to paying a few hundred bucks to have it done.

Some research has lead me to the Gorilla Gripper and PanelHandle.  I've read that the Gorilla Gripper can damage drywall.  Haven't found much else about the PanelHandle.  However, the demos I've seen on YouTube show them using it to carry sheets of plywood.

I ended up getting a hand-held panel carrier from Lowe's last week thinking it would help.  It goes under the sheet and you lift it with your right hand and hold the top of the sheet with your left (or the other way around).  It turned out not to help at all.

I really like the Gorilla Gripper provided that it doesn't damage drywall.


texts: How to put Christmas light net on top of very tall tree

texts:
I have a 9 meters tall tree, and 5 christmas lights nets. I have a 5 meter ladder, some ropes, some 3 meter long sticks, and some other tools.
I want to cover the tree with the christmas lights from the very top, but is a pain and we cannot reach the top.
We're 3 people trying to do so. The net is a little problematic because sometimes it get stuck in the branches.
Anybody has a good idea of how can we achieve it? We've been trying 3 days in a row and still no success!


texts: Fiberglass or reflective roll insulation for duct work?

texts: I have some exposed duct work in my garage.  I am looking to insulate it and was looking at the types of insulation.  Is is better to use fiberglass or "bubble wrap" reflective roll insulation? I live in western Pennsylvania.


texts: What is the best adhesive to use for attaching nylon webbing to acrylic?

texts:
I'm working on a costume for comic con - and I know that's not your typical home improvement project, but out of all the SE sites, this seemed the most appropriate place to ask.

The costume consists of multiple pieces of plexiglass molded into an armor. I need to attach the armor to my body, and I bought 1.5" nylon webbing, some slide lock buckles, and some velcro. The plan is to attach the webbing to one piece of armor, with one end looped through one of the loops of the buckle, and sewn back on itself. Then I can run the strap from the other piece of armor through the other loop in the buckle and velcro it against itself. It will work something like this picture.

I need to adhere the nylon webbing to the acrylic. I know there are tons of adhesives and solvents for adhering acrylic to acrylic, but I'm not sure about nylon to acrylic and searching the web hasn't found me anything useful. The acrylic will be painted before I do my gluing; I'm using Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2X ultracover paint+primer.


texts: Options for replacing an at-grade hose bibb

texts:
The problem

My house is built on a crawlspace and the floor of the house is just a few inches above grade. The hose bibbs come straight out of the crawlspace and are thus very close to the ground. The guys who installed them 60 years ago knew this would be awkward, so they pointed the outlets 45º away from vertical.

I'm ready to solve this awkwardness in a way that does not increase the risk of freezing pipes. Here's what I've considered so far:

Frost-free sillcock A modern, frost-free sillcock placed 18" above grade and plumbed down to the crawlspace inside an exterior wall. This is problematic because the shortest frost-free sillcock available (called a six-inch one) is actually more than eight inches long and might not fit within the thickness of the wall.

Sillcock with shutoff A regular spigot placed 18" above grade and plumbed down to the crawlspace inside an exterior wall, but with a draining shuttoff valve inside the crawlspace. This is problematic because I might forget to shut off the water in the crawlspace and because the winter here (Colorado) is mild enough that needing occasional use of the hose during winter is inevitable.

Elaborate electromechanical solution A regular spigot, but with a three-way solenoid valve inside the crawlspace that can shut off and drain the final leg of the spigot run, controlled by an above-ground switch. I'm not averse to setting this up, but it seems like there must be a simpler answer.

I'm not completely satisfied with any of these choices. What is the best way to raise my spigots above ground without introducing an untoward freezing risk?


texts: Clarification on sharing a neutral for 2 circuits

texts:
This is a followup question to this answer

I plan to do something quite similar to the diagram Tester101 posted. I will pull 3-wire (10/3+g) into a junction box and then pull 2 separate 2 wires (12/2+g) from the J box to GFCI outlets. Here are the things I am looking for clarification on...

--Can I run two 20amp circuits with the above configuration?

--If so, will the dual pole breaker be labeled "40 amp" back at the panel? (like a large appliance 240v breaker, or is there some other kind of dual pole breaker that I should look for?)

Thanks!


texts: How would I cut an angle greater than 45 degrees with a circular saw?

texts: I need to cut an angle of 60 degrees on my deck joists that attach to a wall that is 60 degrees to a square deck. The only saw I have is a skil saw.


texts: Hardwired Smoke Detectors, go with sealed battery units or unlocked with lithium 10 year batteries

texts:
Not sure if this is the right place to discuss and can't find an exact answer in the other discussions.
My smoke detectors were manufactured in 2009 so its time to replace. They are hardwired and linked together which I am planning on keeping so the battery is just a backup.
My question is around the backup battery, does a normal backup battery last longer in these units since they are not supplying power directly such that I could use a 9V lithium for a few years at a time? I'm aware of the discharge curve of these batteries such that once they reach end of life they need to be replaced immediately but I see the risk as relatively low since it is a backup power source.
I know the recommendation is for replacement yearly in both wired and battery powered units, but these sealed units have a supposed 10 year life without needing replacement which I would assume is similar to a normal 9v lithium. Some people say they fail after only a few years so I was thinking by purchasing the models with battery compartments I could easily swap the batteries if need if they fail early but get the same benefit of extended life with lithiums? Does anyone else do the same and how long are they getting out of the batteries?


texts: Are my internal walls all non load bearing?

texts: Hi I have ceiling joist and floor joists that run external wall to wall on every levels of my house.  Are all the interior walls non load bearing walls if thats the case?


texts: Patching a hole in an interior block wall

texts: We have a bathroom that had the shower valves in an exterior block wall (OLD construction, lake cabin).  The valves sprung a leak and the plumber had to knock out the block around the valves to get access to replace them leaving a roughly 12" hole around the valves.  How do I patch this?  Nothing I've researched appears to fit this situation.


texts: Regarding detaching a tube from a valve on the top of a water storage tank

texts: I am trying to perform the tank sanitizing operation for the reverse osmosis system. One of the procedures involves detaching the tube from the valve, as shown in the first figure. The document does not specify how to do this? Would you like to let me know how to do this? Besides, the second figure shows the tank label and a blue component. I do not know what is that blue component used for? Thanks.


texts: Can I get bathroom permit in old house (1950s) which doesn't quite meet modern codes?

texts:
I want to add bathroom in my basement. The house was build in 1950s so its old. The basement ceiling hight is not great, max 7 ft (unfinished area).

I have had couple of contractors and plumbers come by for estimate. The plumber didn't raise any issues over permit but the contractor did and particularly on forced air ducts that runs through proposed area which further reduce the ceiling height in that area.

I do want to get permit but I am confused. Why did plumber didn't raise permit issue (he said in quite he will get permit after examining the site).

Since this is old house and basement height is given, are there any provisions that I can be given permit to add bathroom? How should I approach the town?

My contractor told me min ceiling height has to 7 ft after finished job. But given I barely have 7 ft, he said I will loose at least 2 inches of that for ceiling/flooring which means I am falling short. Still his main object was the forced air ducts rather than this ceiling. I am confused!

Is it possible I can get permit to build bathroom in this basement? I would appreciate any tips! If it helps, the state is Massachusetts.


texts: Will this isolating valve allow me to change a radiator valve without draining down?

texts:
One of the valves on my radiator (circled in red) has seized and my attempts to open it have snapped off the flat part of the head, so it now needs replacing.
My plan is to turn the isolating valve next to it to the vertical position and the other radiator valve (pictured for completeness) to zero.
Will this allow me drain just the radiator so I can change the valve circled in red?


texts: Worthwhile to insulate basement ceiling while remodeling?

texts:
I have an existing finished basement where I'm in the process of replacing an severely damaged plaster ceiling with drywall.  I've got the entire thing open, and as it's an old house (1925) there is no insulation at all.  Heat in this room is provided via one large radiator that is suspended from the ceiling (not my favorite feature, but it seems tough to move).

Is there much to be gained by insulating the ceiling while I've got it opened?  I'm not too familiar with what is or isn't worthwhile - obviously insulation on exterior facing surfaces is good, but does it matter between floors?


texts: How to remove the flush mount ceiling fixture

texts:
I am trying to change the bulb in the ceiling fixture as shown in the pic.
However, it is not easy to remove the fixture. I twisted the cover counterclockwise but I could not make it. Please help me to remove the fixture.

This is Satco S21507 (https://www.satco.com/s21507.html)


texts: faucet (grohe arden?) leak. how do i remove the handle, get to the O ring

texts:
Got a 2 handle bathroom faucet that seems to be leaking. I think it is a Grohe Arden (I am not the original owner of the house and the faucet is over 10 yrs old). The only place I can see Grohe written is on the aerator. Anyway, I am trying to get the handle off and get to the O ring. How do I do that. I have attached an image of the faucet. A newbie to this kind of stuff.

[]
[]3


texts:
Just bought a ranch house built 1950's
No lights in all rooms just receptackes and switch that controls 1 set of receptacles..i want to intall 4 pot lights and a ceiling fan with lights. How do i go about it? Is there a diagram i can follow? Thanks much!


texts:
My indoor basement stair treads are currently made of 5/8 OSB nailed to the stringers.

I plan to replace them with new glue+screw plywood.

I'm considering 3/4 Baltic Birch ply for this because of its exceptional stability and exterior-grade glue on all layers.

I'm also considering 1-1/4 plywood but I wonder if the thicker+fewer layers and different adhesives actually make it less performative.

Cost differences are negligible.

Is Baltic Birch appropriate for this use? Should I prefer 1-1/4   plywood?

I'm aware of the code for height of risers and it's not relevant to this decision.


texts: Just curious if anything in the posted picture should give alarm before recaulking (further prep is underway).  Is there supposed to be a deep crevice between the molding and the adjacent tile?  Can you just recaulk over?


texts: Solar? Lots of room for panels, so should I ditch oil?

texts:
First post for me.  Long time reader.
I'm in south west Massachusetts.
I just bought a new two-story home.  9ft ceilings.  With garage, it is about 2,600 sq ft plus 2,000 square feet of garage space (one is a 3-car carriage house).  I'm including the garage space because I wrench and build stuff year-round...it's important to me.
Property is 6 acres, and has 350' of southern-facing property line, unobstructed sunlight.  Flat ground facing the sun on the edge of a farm field!  Solar panels wouldn't be visible from the home.  Blazing rays!
Would it make sense to convert this home, or add ancillary heating via electric heat with this potential?
I've never done solar, never thought I would be asking this, either.  The future is coming whether we like it or not....
Is there a calculator, or algorithm to find feasibility for this type of thought?
What would the knowledgeable guys say?
Thanks in advance.


texts: I believe the dimensions of the room are about  36' x 12'.  It is the upstairs room, and has a loft looking out to the front room.  In the summer it is almost impossible to cool down, the air vents are in the floor.  Does anyone have any recommendations on cooling this room off?  I do own the condo, and there is a small window at one end of the room.  We have two ceiling fans in the room, but they don't seem to do much to help.


texts: Question about an outbuilding circuit breaker box

texts:
I have a house with an outbuilding that has its own apartment and shop in it. Right now all electricity flows through the meter on the main house. There is also a meter for the outbuilding that I want to re-activate so that I can rent the apartment and the tenant can pay their own utilities.
On the panel in the outbuilding, the master switch for the panel currently doesn't turn off the juice to it, but the breakers within that box control the various parts of the outbuilding. Is it plausible that the master switch will work once the meter is reactivated, but the electricity currently fed from the main house is coming through a breaker in the box? I need to be sure to shut off the power from the house to the outbuilding before reactivating the outbuilding meter to make sure there are not two power sources. I would give more details, but at this point I am some distance away from the house and have just been mulling over what might be going on. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.


texts: Move vanity location and far away from plumbing

texts:
I am remodeling the bathroom and the old vanity was on the left side of the wall

The old vanity was only 24" wide so I want to make it longer by turning it side way to the back wall so I can fit a 60" vanity:

I have to put the sink far the right side because the left side is next to the toilet.

My questions are:

The drain is going to be far away. Is it OK to have the sink about 3-4 ft away from the drain like that?
The left side of the vanity will be drawers or cabinets. I think the door will hit the toilet. Is there a way (or idea) to work around that?

Thanks.

UPDATE 1

This is the old layout of my 7.5x9.5 bathroom

Old photos

Here is my proposed layout

The main changes are:

Move door to the right a bit to accommodate longer shower space
Curbless shower
Bigger vanity on the back wall instead


texts: How do I fill a hole surrounding a boiler flue?

texts:
The flue for my boiler has a large hole around it, presumably from when it was put in. I'd like to fill it in because it's unsightly, but in not sure of the best way to do it, as it's a large hole and near a boiler.

Would expanding foam and a layer of plaster/filler work, or should I be using mortar?

The house was built very early 1900 so there is little chance of it having a cavity wall.


texts: Stove top ground wire connected to neutral wire

texts:
We were removing the in-wall oven from my in-laws' old house (which we rent) to replace it next weekend.  The wall oven and cook top were fed from the same supply.  In the junction box the cook top ground wire was connected to the neutral wire from the supply wire.  The cook top only had the hots (black and red) along with a bare ground wire.  So it was wired black to black, red to red, and ground to neutral.  Why would someone do this?

It seems this is a 220V cook top (based on what I have read).  This isn't something my in-laws would have done.  They weren't DIYers.  This would have been by the kitchen showroom that they had install their remodeled kitchen 25 or 30 years ago (I think).


texts: Are there any restrictions regarding power plugs and wiring in the same wall with plumbing (kitchen adjacent to bathroom)

texts:
I have a kitchen and a bathroom that share a common wall
On one side I have a stove, a dishwasher and two power outlets
On the other side I am going to install a shower and a sink like below
bottom ones from left to right: stove and dishwasher power outlets
top ones: regular above the counter power outlets
Is this arrangement OK ?


texts: What should one look for in fusible electrical protection hardware to avoid insurability issues?

texts:
A common anecdote, and one that is not without substantiation, is that some home insurers refuse to insure houses with fuses in their electrical system.

While this is substantiated in the typical case, where the presence of fuses  for circuit protection is a sign of an electrical system that is generally obsolete and/or has a significant risk of overfusing and/or fuse bypassing, there are cases where circuit breakers are not readily applicable to the circuit protection need at hand.  This is true where extensive DC systems are present, circuit protection devices of unusual ampacities are needed such as for a power meter potential tap or for overload protection of motors, or if power is stepped up to 480V onsite for a long feeder run to an outbuilding.

In these cases, modern fusible hardware, such as fuse holders/blocks and fusible safety switches, that has rejection features engineered into it to prevent bypassing or gross overfusing, represents an effective and NEC-compliant alternative to circuit breakers that either don't exist (there are no UL489 breakers with a fixed 100mA overcurrent trip, and probably never will be) or are cost prohibitive to install (such as large DC or 480V straight rated breakers).  This hardware is made by reputable manufacturers and widely distributed, accepts UL-listed rejection-type ferrule/cartridge or blade fuses that can be obtained through most suppliers of electrical equipment, and is fully rated and listed for service in the applications in question.

How can someone who is planning an electrical installation where engineering constraints may put fuses back on the table as a circuit protection means avoid finding themselves in a situation where insurers are refusing insurance coverage over a safe and Code-legal installation?  Is the aforementioned anecdote truly an overgeneralization of the situation?


texts: Doorbell became very soft, battery replacement only necessary?

texts:
My doorbell ("speaker" portion pictured above) got very soft today. It
still chimes, but just barely.

I'm guessing it's battery-operated and the batteries are weak, but how
can I tell for certain?

I also assume I need to unscrew the tubes from the "speaker" and
change the batteries. Is that correct?

Finally, is it dangerous to unscrew the tubes if this isn't a
battery-operated doorbell (ie, risk of electrocution?).


texts: What are the red streaks in my toilet occasionally? It seems to come from where the water flows when flushing and go around the bowl. Sometimes settling in the bottom where the little bit of water lies.


texts: Can I use three-conductor #2 cable for a 100A subpanel if I add ground rod at the subpanel?

texts:
We purchased three-conductor 2awg cable. It has 2 insulated wires surrounded by a neutral/ground. This cost $150, and since it was bought by the foot, I don't believe we can return it.

Can we still use this to run the subpanel, using the the 3 wires as L1 and L2 and neutral, and running the ground to existing grounding rods outside that building from the panel?


texts: Is burnt looking wiring still serviceable?

texts:
I was trying to replace a GFCI in a bathroom and the cable and wires are pretty black. The GFCI is also pretty burnt.
Do I need to replace the wiring and the GFCI or can I reuse the wire?


texts: Why would my kitchen ceiling fixture not have any current?

texts:
Last weekend, my kitchen ceiling fixture stopped working. It's a fluorescent fixture, and since the house is about 20 years old, I figured that ballast had gone bad. I went to the nearest home improvement store, grabbed a new one, and installed it.

No light.

As I mentioned, the house is 20 years old, and I've had to replace the occasional light switch and receptacle, so I thought that perhaps one of the two switches that control the light had gone bad. So I replaced them.

Still no light.

I next remembered that sometimes my GFCI would trip and cause issues on non-GFCI circuits. I made sure the GFCI outlets were working, reset it just in case.

Still no lights.

I've now pulled the new fixture out, and using a multitester, see I have essentially no current.

What could the problem be?


texts: I've just decorated my front room, but the skirting boards and cabinets are too glossy and I'm looking for a way to turn them matte.  Is there a product or method which I can use to remove the shine?


texts: Replacing single pole switches with 3way switches

texts: Have 4 lights on circuit 1 to single pole switch with power. Have same setup for second switch. Want to replace both single pole with 2 3way switches so that at each switch i can turn on/off each set of four lights. Do i need 2 12/3 cables between each switch location?


texts: Why does my compressor bog down at low pressure?

texts: Just bought an air compressor, and when I turn it on it starts to build up air but when it gets to around 20 psi the motor seems to be slowing down almost to a stop. Does anyone know what's up with this?


texts: Why are both exterior and interior walls constructed of concrete block in my home?

texts: I bought this house 9 years ago, it was built in 1954. A few years after I had gotten it, I decided to get creative and pull down some of the paneling on a wall that separates the kitchen from the living room -to put a window-opening between the two rooms. That wall is all brick. Upon further inspection in all of the other rooms walls, I have discovered that every wall inside this house is constructed of brick. A few years ago the house next door to mine had a fire and when I saw the interior, I could tell that it was studs and drywall or paneling dividing he rooms, (the two houses were built around the same time and looked relatively similar, so I figure that they might have been built by the same builder), and I'm not complaining, having a nice sturdy structure, I am just wondering what compels some builders to use bricks for every single wall of a house when they construct it? I mean it, even the walls of the (tiny) closets are brick.


texts: Humidity in a shower with a microcement floor

texts:
I made a decision that is giving me several problems: I decided to put a microcement floor in my house.

One of the dirtiest problems is in the shower. The micro-cement around the drain gets wet when I have a shower.

As you can see in the image, I tried to put some SikaFlex in between the drain and the floor, but it doesn't work.

Do you have any clue about what should I do?


texts: What should I do about damaged electrical conduit?

texts:
I'm adding an electrical line to my outdoor pool breaker box.  I was digging near the box with a pickaxe (yeah, I know, stupid) and was trying to be careful, but I was not careful enough. I don't believe the wire cable itself is damaged, but it is possible.  The conduit and its hole is shown below.  Unfortunately some mud has gotten into the hole because of the rain last night.

Some water leaked out of the conduit when I made the hole so water was already getting in.  Given that, I'm inclined to either leave it as-is or wrap it with duct tape or something.  I could cut it and splice it inside of an outdoor electrical box but I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble or not.  Advice would be appreciated.


texts: Can standing on the tub outer ledge possibly cause cracking in vikrel tub made by sterling / Kohler?


texts: I am attempting to build my own gate for an 40 inch break in the fence so that my deck could be fully enclosed. I bought a self-closing latch that says the max weight it could hold is about 50 pounds which is probably double what the closing gate is going to weigh. I was going to attach the latch to a piece of cedar that will run vertically parallel next to a deck post. My question is, is cedar a poor choice of wood to attach a latch to since it is a soft wood and may cause the gate to become lopsided after some time had passed?


texts:
The P-trap in our master shower has apparently broken. We were getting a sewer gas smell coming out of it when we used the guest shower so we had a plumber come out and have a look. He did a "smoke test" where they pump some smokey gas in through cleanout and see which P-traps it makes it through. Here is what the master shower looked like:

Kind of cool.

The house is almost 60 years old so it could be due to normal wear and tear. We've also had foundation problems which were corrected but I suppose that could have also contributed.

The plumber told me that fixing the broken P-trap involves removing the shower tiles (at least on the bottom, but I doubt we'd find matching tile so we'd probably have to replace it all), chipping up the foundation to expose the P-trap, replacing it, repouring the foundation, and retiling the shower. All that and more can be mine for the high high price of somewhere between $7,500 and $10,000.

Soooo that's kind of a lot of money. I guess my question is do I have any other cheaper options here? To be clear I'm not questioning whether or not that's a fair price. He's been a good plumber and I'm sure it's a reasonable price for the work. I'm mainly looking for other, inherently less expensive, means of addressing the issue.


texts: Unable to turn on two separate lights from switches in one box

texts: I have a box with a 3 way switch for a kitchen light.  I installed a dimmer for a new dining room light in the same box.  The power comes into a box in the attic.  All ceiling lights run from the same circuit breaker.  The kitchen light was installed prior and worked on the 3 way.  The new dimmer and light are connected with common run from the switch to the attic and connected to two common wires in the box.  The second wire from the switch is connected to the light fixture black wire.  The light's white wire is connected to the other neutral wires in the attic box.  With the power on, the kitchen light works when both switches of the 3 way are on.  The light on the dimmer does not work.  If I turn off the remote switch for the 3 way and turn on the 3 way in the box with the dimmer, the dimmer and light work but not the kitchen light.  Any ideas how to fix so I can use both the dimmer/dining room light and the kitchen light at the same time?


texts: Installing plywood over 1x6 subfloor in preparation for engineered hardwood

texts:
I’m prepping to install ½” thick Armstrong Engineered Hardwood 7” tongue and groove planks in the kitchen and family room in our 1964 home. I have several questions about preparing the subfloor and here are some details.

There are 1x6 planks running perpendicular to the joists and fastened with T-nails. There are gaps between each board and the floor squeaks badly, partially due to removing ¾” hardwood flooring from a portion and removing 1/2” OSB from another portion. I’m planning to use ¼ or 3/8” CDX as another subfloor/underlayment to cover the gaps and raise the floor to better match the height of adjoining ¾” hardwoods and some tile.

1)      I plan to screw each subfloor plank down to minimize the squeaks (2” #7 or #9 screws).

2)      What construction adhesive is best to use under the plywood?

3)      I’ve read to only attach the second subfloor to the planks with staples (to decouple), not all the way to the joists. And leave gaps between the sheets and around the perimeter.

4)      Do I run the plywood sheets perpendicular to the planks?

5)      With the planks and plywood, can I run the 7” Eng HW either direction?
Thanks


texts: Is this singe-handle shower valve servicable? If so how would I find the source of a steady drip when the valve is shut off?

texts:
My mother's house has a shower that has a perpetual drip; the valve is likely original to the house (probably ~1970) and I expected it to be a pressure-balancing valve with a cartridge and replacable o-rings and gaskets that were likely deteriorating.

The valve operates by pulling out to allow the water to flow and pushing in to shut off the water.  Twisting it controls the temperature.  I've removed the cover and didn't find what I expected--so I took these photos:

The cover plate has been removed, the cover does not hold the handle in place (the handle could be removed with the cover on).

The valve with the handle assembly removed

Another view of the valve

The handle assembly

I expected the black plastic to be a removable cartridge, but it seems to be firmly in place (I've just tried twisting and pulling by hand--not much force, but it doesn't budge or wiggle).  The handle screws pass through the black plastic and into the body behind it.

So, the main question:  Does this unit appear to be serviceable--if so how can I get deeper to identify the cause of the drip--how would I pull the black plastic without damaging it?  Or is it just time to get into the wall from behind and replace the whole valve?

...and yes, it'll get caulked during reassambly


texts: What can I do in this vented crawlspace to keep the room above warmer?

texts:
I've recently moved to a new home. This home had an addition that was built on top of a Crawlspace that is vented to the outside. Needless to say, the morning after the first cold night made me realize how much this affects the temperature in the main family room.

Before we move in an inspection also revealed a small mold problem on the joists in the crawl space. This was taken care of.  While they were removing the mold they went ahead and added plastic to the floor and insulation to the walls. However, it's still vented to the outside and the plastic/insulation is doing next to nothing as there is no tape and there's gaps all over.

Also, there are some areas in the room above where I can feel air coming through.

So first thing I want to do is to seal any gaps between the crawl space and room above with caulk and expanding spray foam( not insulating the ceiling ).

Then comes the hard part. After doing some reading, it seems sealing the crawl space and doing some proper insulating/vapor barrier is the way to go.

How do I seal the vents?  Next steps and order of importance is greatly appreciated. I'm fairly handy and have access to a family with plenty of experience, but I want to tackle as much if this as I can.

Here are some pics:


texts: Adjusting Air Pressure in Well Pressure tank

texts:
I need to refill my air pressure in a well pressure tank and have received conflicting reports on how to drain the tank. Some say that the tank has to drain completely (from the valve at the bottom of the tank) in order to fill the air pressure to 38PSI (40/60 pressure) and others say just to open a faucet in the house until water stops coming out.
The tank is in the basement, so a faucet on the first floor still means there is water pushing down into the tank when when stops coming out, so I wasn't sure if that was enough to add air to the tank.


texts: How to seal and paint a rough plaster and brick wall?

texts: This weekend I took down some old cabinets and the support boards that were nailed into the wall. This took down some of the plaster (old water damage took care of the rest). The surface on the photo is what's left after brushing the wall with a semi rough brush, and whatever is left seems stable. We like the textures and want to simply paint everything white, but my guess is we should first seal the surface. What product(s) should we use to seal the surface and what kind of paint to then paint over everything?


texts: Furnace won't adjust to thermostat setting

texts:
I have a 2007 Trane furnace that has been working the AC all summer just fine.
With the cooler weather, when I turn on the heat and set the thermostat to 72 degrees, the furnace comes on but heats the house to 82 degrees. When I put the thermostat back on cool and set the temperature, the cool air works fine.
Why won't my furnace adjust to the heat temperature set at the thermostat but will work with the cool setting?
Is it a problem with the thermostat? Or is there a heat sensor problem?
Can anyone help?


texts:
My home has a strict limit of 45 Amps, for what I can use. I assume this means I cannot draw more than 45A at any point in time, otherwise the fusebox will jump?
I know I am close to this limit, because when I was at a lower Amps rating, I had to ask my electricity provider to increase it. 45 Amps is the maximum I can have with my current installation.
I need to install an electrical water heater (to replace a gas one). Before I do so, I want to make sure I understand how many amps it will draw. It says "power 2000W". Given that my country has 230V, does it mean that it will use 8.7 A (2000 / 230) ?
That's what would make sense to me, but I am getting quite confused after searches on the internet that say the power indicated on an appliance does not necessarily translate into power drawn from my electrical circuit. If someone can explain why that is, that'd be fantastic.


texts: Does PEX leach BPA when used for hot water plumbing?

texts:
Would using PEX for potable hot water result in having Bisphenol A (BPA) leached into the water?

Does PEX have BPA content?


texts:
I purchased a pressure machine of KARCHER for car wash purpose from Saudi Arabia. In the catalogue it is written  1~60Hz whilst in Pakistan 50Hz cycle is used. The question is if the 1~60Hz unit can can be used as 50~60Hz?

If I talk about the machine there is a sticker upon which is written "60Hz". So I am puzzled now if it would be a loss if I take it to Pakistan. It is still new and has not been used.


texts: I have tape lights that have worked perfectly for 6 years. They were wired into a switch and I have no idea if, or how a transformer was used.  They are not on a dimmer. Even you you turn off the switch, the lights will continue to light/blink for a tiny bit.


texts:
Can you help me identify or suggest what you'd refer to this type of window that has a rotation handle powering a worm gear that drives the rod to open or close the window?

Basically, what do you call this kind of window, as opposed to, e.g. double hung etc.


texts: How to track down control/switch for light fixture

texts:
We just bought a house and I have a light in our screen porch (aka Florida room). It has a light in the center of the ceiling that I can't identify its light switch.
Thinking it might be the bulb, I pulled the globe down and instead used a non-contact voltage detector after flipping each switch even remotely near it (and some further away thinking it may be daisy chained off of another light fixture). The ceiling isn't going to be easy to get into to track the wires, but I'm afraid that's my only option.
Any hints or tricks for tracking down the power source of a light fixture?


texts: Toilet not flushing after clearing a clog

texts:
My toilet was clogged recently and I opened it with a toilet auger, and now another problem came up, every time I'm flushing the water is coming up and filling the toilet for a few seconds and then its going down at regular speed.I took down the toilet and there is no water sitting in the drain but I still augered it with my 6 Ft. toilet auger also I'v cleaned all the holes inside the toilet with CLR as mentioned in answers on similar questions but nothing helped. All other fixtures including another toilet are working fine and this one was also everything ok till now.
Thanks


texts: What's the difference between Interior and Exterior scaffolding?

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I've been looking into getting some scaffolding for some jobs around the house. Honestly, I may need it for both inside and outside.

I see various products where they specifically list scaffolding as being "interior" or "exterior". I cannot find an explanation anywhere.

Can I use exterior scaffolding indoors? Can I use interior scaffolding outside? Is there a difference? Do I need to get both?

FYI: Since I have no idea how to tag this (I used ladder because places like to group scaffolding and ladders), I fear it may be off topic. If so, please advise where I can ask this question.


texts: OK to attach a metal electric junction box and armored cable (MC) to underside of subfloor in basement?

texts: Is it OK to attach a metal electric junction box and armored cable (MC) to underside of the subfloor in a basement with an exposed ceiling? Or does it have to be attached to the side of the joists in a parallel run?


texts: Strange plumbing issue, no water flow to 1 faucet after shutting main off

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I have had this happen a few times but was always able to get it flowing again. What happens, after shutting off the main water supply to the house 1 bathroom faucet fails to "prime" for lack of a better term. The hot water side flows fine but the cold water side, nothing. After a day or so the cold water side will flow a bit with the valve slightly open but if you open it all the way the flow stops. Only happens to this one outlet.

I have had it happen in the past and have tried opening all the valves in the house, trying to completely evacuate the system and have got it to work, but I think it was luck....not sure how to do it again.

We are on a slab with overhead galvanized pipe (I know, horrible) if that makes a difference. Seems that this particular line doesn’t prime or something....very puzzling....any thoughts?


texts: Higher than normal noise level when I opened the door of freezer section on sub-zero fridge. Ice melt

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Is there an air circulating fan for the freezer section?

Where can I find the fan inside the freezer compartment.

Sub-zero model : 532


texts: Is this 230v motor wired for 115v operation

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I have the following wiring diagram for the motor I am replacing.

After looking at the wiring as shown here, I see one black and one purple wired to the terminals. There is a second set that is just wired together & has a wire cap on them. Does this mean the motor I am replacing is wired for 115V operation? My end question is, can I replace this motor with a 115V motor?


texts: How to add a light fixture to an existing 3-way circuit?

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I'm trying to figure out how to wire a utility light to the existing light circuit in my basement. I've attached a diagram of the switch that I'm hoping to tap into (Switch 1). The switch is at the top of the stairs and there is another switch (Switch 2) on the circuit at the basement door. Coming into Switch 1 is a 3-wire cable wired to the switch as shown in the diagram.

When Switch 2 is on, the red wire at Switch 1 is hot and when Switch 2 is off, the white wire at Switch 1 is hot. When Switch 1 is turned on, both the red (or white) wire AND the black wire are hot. (This is probably all obvious to an electrician...)

Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Should I be concerned about future mold growth from using mouldy paint?

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A few months back, I screwed up. I had a bucket of paint left over after my place was professionally repainted a few years back and decided to touch the place up by painting over some stains on the wall. I used a roller to paint approximately 3 m2 altogether.
Now there were several brown-black stains on the surface of the paint and it did smell funny (by which I mean slightly rancid), but it did not enter my mind that mould could grow in a bucket of paint - I just assumed the parts of the paint had separated and so I stirred the paint. The paint worked seemingly just fine after this and there is no discoloration.
After painting the wall (which is a concrete wall), it smelled a bit of what I now realise was mould, for about 30 minutes to an hour. After that however, there is no smell and no visible hint of mould on the wall.
I only now realised, after reading up, that indeed mould can grow in paint and that I accidentally painted with mouldy paint...
Should I still be worried about mould growing underneath or so? The apartment is usually dry as the desert and I have had no problems, there is no smell or discoloration whatsoever. Still...


texts: No ground on any receptacles in my entire house?

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I noticed one of my surge protectors didn't have the ground indicator light on. I tested each receptacle with a tester and every single one in the house said "bad ground". I confirmed the tester worked fine by testing at another location. I visually inspected each ground screw and wire nut connection on the receptacles and switches. Nothing was visibly wrong. The utility company said everything was fine on their end.

Here's a photo of the main box heading into the house. Note the 2nd from the top bare copper wire connects to the rod in the ground. The ground rod does seem a little loose though. Could that cause this issue though?

Photo of the inside breaker box.

I have not done any work inside the panels & the home is a manufactured home built in 1996.

Google drive for higher quality images. https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1dxc5dioE0HfCzEHA32i5dFQ-wqAYTe2i


texts:
I m doing a laminate floor(first time) from the room onto staircase.

Now I m thinking about the transition from bedroom level to first stair and how much am I going to go with laminate.

I can get a laminate stairs ending that matches the laminate color but its going to take weeks before they custom make it.

What are my other options?

Is this a viable option?


texts: Adding Recessed Lighting to bathroom circuit

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I currently have a dedicated 15A breaker connected to 2 outlets (with GFCI) in a bathroom using 14/2.  These 2 outlets are all that is connected to the breaker.

I plan to add some recessed lighting which would total about 2.2A if all lights are on (20 x 13W). It seems to be a general rule to put bathroom outlets (or outlets in general) on a dedicated circuit.  However, it would be very convenient for me if I was able to tap into this circuit to add the lights.

It would be very unusual for all the lights to be on at the same time and even more unusual for them to all be on while using a high draw appliance such as a hairdryer.  I would use 14 AWG.

Any thoughts on whether this would present me a problem?


texts: I am redoing my basement. My plumber suggest I should change my 3" galvanized steel pipes on my hot water heating system that run across the hole basement for 1" copper pipe. I currently don't have any leaks or any problems. it would just be done so I can gain more height and will give a better finish. Is this practical, or the pipes I have are better then copper he wants to put in place?


texts: How can I repair the cool deck around the pool?

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In places around the pool the cool deck has flaked off and I can see the bare concrete. The previous owner tried to patch it in places but it looks horrible because the texture AND color don't match.

Is there some kind of cool deck spary texture, like the kind of texture you can get for drywall? Also, can I paint all of the cool deck and will it last more than a year?


texts: How to seal oiled wooden bathroom floor?

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I am buying a house which has a pine floor in the bathroom, treated with Osmo oil.
Having the boards themselves well-oiled will make them waterproof, but there will also be cracks and gaps which develop over time. I am concerned that splashes and damp will make their way down between the cracks and cause mould and other problems.
How should I seal the small gaps in a way which is maintainable and compatible with the oil coating?


texts:
So I am from the UK and will be moving to the US soon.
Now, everytime I am in the US I seem to be, embarrassingly, clogging up the toilet. I honestly have no idea how.

I tried different techniques to try and make sure it doesn't clog such as the following:

1) flush after every wipe or every... "event" (if you get my drift)
2) flush right before I am about to make an "event" so with the pressure of the flush doing the sucking, it will suck away what will drop.

At some stage, I still seem to clog it but back home in the UK - no such problem.

Not only is it embarrassing especially when you are staying at a hotel but makes me wonder if the system here is different than the UK and what can be done (from my view) to improve it and avoid this embarrassment every time.

When I eventually get a house where I will be staying, what modifications can I make to ensure that this is not an often problem?

I know the question sounds stupid but... I am totally genuine on this matter.


texts: How do you deal with a gap between vanity and wall?

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I glued in the vanity backsplash, and I used a tad too much glue so it doesn't sit tight against the wall.  Furthermore the wall is not straight and even when I lined it up before gluing, there was a gap in places.
I would estimate the gap size at 1/8" max.
It's not the biggest deal, but it's annoying, and as you can see, a tiny bit of drywall fell into it (indicating that it may collect junk in the future).  How would you recommend dealing with this?  I could use a tiny bead of silicone caulk, but I'm not sure how that'll look, and undoing that will be annoying.


texts: Subpanel or not? Neutral and ground bonded?

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How do I fix the AC unit to be connected properly to its circuit?
How should the AC Unit/Garage/Subpanel be setup?
Maybe I can separate the neutral and ground, then ground by connecting to the garage ground wire?
If you want to note any other changes to make, you can do so.

Notes: The "Junction Box" is where the current electrical meter is located.  A new meter pole was installed in the corner of the property.  Thus, the old meter will become the "Junction Box".  The "Main Panel" will have a bonded neutral and ground.  The "House Main" will have a separated neutral and ground.  The "House Main" will be grounded through the SER coming from the "Main Panel".  The "Garage" is detached from the house and has an Ufer ground.


texts: How to repel pigeons so that they don't loiter behind my windows?

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I live in a apartment in a multistory building. Pigeons often sit onto edges of window openings behind my windows and leave excrements which is rather annoying.

Is there some simple, preferably without violence, way to repel pigeons off my windows?


texts: Repainting Exterior Doors - Grill Paint vs Appliance Paint

texts: The exterior doors are hurricane rated and aluminum frame.  I prepped the doors and repainted the first set with grill paint.  I was not happy with the finish and decided to repaint the remaining doors with appliance paint.  The appliance paint left a much better finish and I now want to repaint the grill painted doors.  Can I just apply the a appliance paint over the fresh grill paint or do I need to remove the grill paint first or prep the doors somehow?


texts: Hot Water line Clogs only in Kitchen Sink

texts: New Faucet installed in Kitchen sink. The cold water runs just fine but I keep getting little pieces of black stuff in the filter of the hot water line. The hot water will run fine for about 30 Seconds then slowly starts to slow down to the point that it barely comes out. This line also splits to the Dish Washer, that runs fine. I Can take the filter off the line and dig all of the black pieces out and it will do the same thing over again. The guy who installed it couldn't get the nut off of the old faucet so he cut it off, is there a chance something got down in the hot water line?


texts: How can I fill this gap between the plasterboard and window architrave?

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The framing on my house is warped in such a way that I have several places where I have large gaps between the window/door architraves and the frame and the plasterboard just flaps around. I also get the feeling that whoever hung the plasterboard thought that screws were really expensive.

This one window already has a some gap filler in it, but the gap has widened.
Two options I can think of are to insert wedges to push the plaster back then use more gap filler, or pull the plasterboard forward and glue it to the back of the window frame.

Or is there a better idea I can't think of?


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I was just replacing an electrical hot water tank.

Had to call a plumber because I didn't fancy my soldering skills on something that could flood the house. The plumber simply cut off the old copper lines (after the shutoff valve) and used pex to connect the tank and as a vent pipe.

Apart from if I'd known you could do that I would have done it myself - is this OK?
Seems to have been tightened with proper synch connectors and it certainly works.


texts: front-load clothes washers with easy access to drain pump

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This is a question asked from the perspective of wanting to be able to do a DIY job a little more easily when the time comes...

Our current washer has to be completely taken apart —rear panel, top panel, intelligence board, door, front panel, and some other stuff— in order to get access to the pump.

Are there front-loader washers that provide a simple access panel to the pump, or locate the pump located where it can be easily reached when only the rear-panel is removed?


texts: Is it a problem that PEX emerging from the walls is floppy

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I'm working on a bathroom remodel (necessitated by a failing sub-floor, but that is neither here nor there), and PEX has been recommended either to completely replace the affected plumbing or at least for any pipes that have to be moved.

That means, for instance, providing the toilet supply in PEX.

I've got the pipe, I've got the tools, I've got the connectors, and I've got a very uncomfortable feeling from the idea of that hose coming through the wall to the cut-off valve being able to flop around like a dead fish: I'm used to PVC or galvanized steel piping which provides a reasonably solid base for that value.

Am I overreacting or is there some trick I should know for mounting this in a solid way?


texts: How do sub-surface drains (e.g. French drains) work?

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Do sub-surface drains (e.g. French drains, rubble drains, etc.) require a uniform rise in the water table in order to work? Or can they catch and convey localized sub-surface water?

For instance, let's say my neighbor allows water from their garden hose to accumulate in one spot on their lawn near our property line. As a result, the soil there becomes soggy and water logged. Can I install a sub-surface drain on my side of the property line to prevent this water from transmitting through the earth towards my home's foundation?

Moreover, if my sub-surface drain does catch that ground water, what prevents the water from falling back out of the pipe as it flows downwards towards its ultimate destination? What causes the water to stay in the pipe even though the pipe is full of holes?


texts:
I have 3 light/fan combos on the patio that look like the image. Each light/fan combo has a light and fan pull chain. They work exactly as you'd expect. All 3 light/fan combos power off a single light switch inside the house.
I want to make the lights dimmable. If I were to replace the on/off light switch inside the house with a dimmer switch I think that this would. However, I'm also assuming that if the lights were dimmed to half power on that dimmer that the equivalent would happen to the power going to the fans (all come off same switch).
Before I try this, what do I look forward to experiencing? Am I just going to see a slower fan when the lights are dimmed? (I can live with that because the fans have 3 speed settings and high is way too fast to ever be used.) Or are there other consequences? And finally, is there a different solution to achieving dimmable lights on a light/fan combo?


texts:
I was grilling chicken and some of the fat dripped into the cabinet and the gas line caught on fire burning through the sheathing and making a hole in the line itself, leading to a major fire inside the cabinet. Fortunately, I caught it in time.

Was my grill faulty? How does one prevent something like this from happening?


texts: Can I use flexible LED strips to get better lighting in my kitchen?

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My wife and I really hate how the lights in our kitchen are central and overhead, making it so that when we cut vegetables or work on the counters, our shadow blocks the light from being able to see what we're doing. Here's a little diagram I made to illustrate the point:

Our kitchen kinda looks like this:

I'm thinking of adding lights either up above in the cabinets:

Or adding a flexible LED light strip along the crook of the counters:

My big question is: What is a good strategy for accomplishing this sort of lighting. Are flexible LEDs bright enough and cost-effective enough to use, or should I be looking more into affixing small lights to the bottom of those cabinets? Do they even look good? Google's first result is this, which doesn't seem like an ambient block of light so much as a bunch of little lights. I'm hoping for a bright strip of light. If flexible LEDs aren't quite there yet, what is a good strategy for accomplishing this?

One thing to keep in mind is that we're renters - we want to save up for a year or two then buy our own place, so we'd prefer nothing too expensive, and nothing where we have to do major renovations (hence the idea of laying down some flexible LED strips rather than putting in some recessed lighting under the cabinets.


texts: Why does my heat pump keep triggering the high-pressure cut-off?

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Our Rheem heat-pump is on the fritz. It keeps triggering the high-pressure cut-off on the outdoor unit.  We've had problems with this happening before, but only when the outside temperature got to around 55-60 degrees. This time, it didn't even reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit outdoors all day long.

So now our heater is running constantly rather than shutting off occasionally like it normally does. It's blowing lukewarm air instead of hot air. I tried resetting the system outside. It runs for a while, but the high-pressure warning goes off after about an hour. Is this problem solvable on my own, or do I need to call in a repair man to have a look?


texts: Do I need an expansion gap around concrete laid inside a building

texts: We are laying a concrete floor inside a room in an old stone building. Do we need to leave an expansion gap around the edge? The room is open at the front so we are not insulating or anything.


texts: Can I use blocking between floor joists to support off-center jack studs in a load-bearing wall?

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I have a load-bearing wall running down the center of my house, perpendicular to the floor joists. As this house is from the 1920's, there is no subfloor - the bottom plates of the walls sit directly on the joists. The studs and bottom plate are 2x4s, the floor joists are 2x8s.

I started relocating a doorway in this wall to accommodate our new floor plan, but I forgot to consider how the loads would now be transferred! Specifically, the jack/king studs for the new doorway don't line up with the floor joists. When I cut away the portion of the sole plate inside the doorway, there will now be two "free" ends bearing the load above that may not be properly supported by the floor. This diagram shows a birds-eye view of the situation:

My thought is to simply install some blocking between the floor joists, parallel to the wall, to support the new studs. Will this be sufficient to prevent sagging? The blocking would be as follows (in red):

There is already a central "backbone" beam or joist that seems to support about half of the width of the bottom plate (~2"). This by itself would perhaps be enough to support the doorway, but I would fasten blocks to this backbone, as well as to the joists that they run between, to support the full width of the bottom plate.


texts: How do I bleed baseboard radiators without a bleeder valve?

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I recently bought a newly remodeled 1950's era house about two months ago. It has a Weil Mclain fuel oil boiler that provides heat to four different zones (loops) in the house. Each zone has a couple of new baseboard radiators (the style that mount to the wall and run the whole distance of the wall). The system works well, except for the zone that covers the master bedroom, which pings very loudly.

In the past with similar systems there has been a bleed valve by each baseboard radiator. However, there are no bleed valves on any of the radiators. Is there another common style of heating system with bleed valves in other locations? Or is there another mechanism of bleeding the individual zones that I'm missing?


texts: I have a cast iron toilet flange that no longer holds the flange bolts. The area corroded just enough that the bolts will no longer slip into a secure position. The rest of the flange is too secure to knock loose and replace with a closet flange. I bought a hydroseat to secure onto the existing flange, but the problem I’ve run into now is the concrete slab I am trying to secure it to, the area one of the four screws is being screwed into, the concrete has deteriorated. Does anyone have a solution I can follow to secure something to the Existing flange collar that does not include me trying to remove that?


texts: Mini Pottery kiln with NEMA 5-20 plug that requires 120volts, 16amps, 1920 watts, and 20amp breaker

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I have a small electric pottery kiln with NEMA 5-20 plug that uses and requires 120volts, 16amps, 1920 watts, and 20amp breaker to use in my apartment.
I checked the breaker box in my apartment, and It says that 2 breaker switches for a kitchen and another room are 20amps and the rest are 15amps. The receptacles (outlets) in the whole apartment including the kitchen are NEMA 5-15 plug receptacles. I am hoping to use the kiln in the kitchen by plugging in only kiln plug into an outlet while baking ceramics for several hours. The 20amp circuit in the kitchen are on 5 receptacles.
My question is that What changes do I need to make on receptacles to use this kiln safely. I thought about buying a Plug Adapter 15 Amp Household Plug to 20 Amp T-Blade Female Outlet Adapter (NEMA 5-15P to 5-15/20R) from the Homedepot but It seems that the adaptor can hold only up to 1875watts (max wattage) and can not hold 1920watts for ceramic  baking. Then, I am thing about replacing one of the kitchen outlet socket with a NEMA 5-20R duplex socket after finding this web page.
https://www.quora.com/Where-can-I-find-a-plug-adaptor-for-the-following-image-inside
I am not even sure that if this works safely either.

I have never done electrical things and I am a little worried about messing up electrical stuff myself  and very concerned about fire hazard. I also do not want to spend money hiring electricians if I don’t need to.
What is the best solution for me to be able use this electric kiln in my apartment safely? Please assist me with your knowledge guys !!

Thank you


texts:
I am interviewing drywall finishers and one guy told me he wants to use mesh tape for all butted joint and paper only for inner corners. I am skeptical because all my previous finishers used paper for butted joints (in addition to corners) and used mesh only basically for special situations, such as bigger holes. I hear that mesh is less strong.
Is it okay to use mesh tape for butted joints and will it result in a weaker joint?


texts: I’m trying to remove light switch plate below but it seems to be securely attached around the pole switches. There are 2 dots on each of the rings around the pole switch, leading me to think they might be acting as screws. Anyone seen one like this before? And would you know what tool to use to remove these?


texts: Wall switch no longer used, how to cover it

texts: I have replaced a ceiling fan in my home that had a separate hot wire for a light. The new fan has a remote control for the light & fan motor.  The old fan was controlled from a 5-gang wall switch.  Switch 2 was for the light, position 3 had a fan speed control.  The other switches are still in use for other lights.  I want to remove 2 & 3, to avoid confusion on how to operate the new fan. Does anyone know of either a safe insert to cover the openings in the switch plate when I remove the switches, or a source for a new wall plate? Yes, I have googled to no avail.


texts: I need to replace a couple of drywall sheets on the ceiling. The ceiling has already been taped and painted, so now I don't know how I can nicely re-tape and re-mud seams between the old sheets and the new one. As seen on the photos attached, old sheets have crumbs and leftovers of the old tape, so if I put new tape over old sheet there will be bulges etc. How can I get around this? What can normally be done in such situations?


texts: I am patching some plaster with some drywall and have shimmed out the drywall. The issue is that the plaster isn't a consistent thickness. Some spots it's flush and others its off by 1/8". What's the right course of action to level these out? Paper or fiberglass tape with that big of a difference would make the bulge worse. Heard of a product called fibafuse that might be good for this? Recommendations?


texts: This question may be slightly off topic, but I'm hoping I'll find the expertise I need on this site. I'm making a bird feeder out of a wine bottle, and wrapping 8-gauge copper wire around the bottle. The problem is, I can't get the wire smooth because it's so thick. Does anyone know how I can manipulate the wire so it's smooth around the bottle?


texts:
We have a two way switch for an exhaust fan. The fan is out of sight from the switches.

So, the problem we face is we have no clue if the fan is on or off looking at the switch.

I tried to see if there are two-way switches with indicators attached (like this one for a one-way switch).

But there are none. They have a stand-alone indicator lamp, however.

Will it be OK if I connect the stand-alone indicator lamp is series with the exhaust fan?

BTW, this is at home on a 220-240V 5A circuit.


texts: Can't find SEER rating for Bryant Split AC system

texts:
I own an older house with a hot water heat system and I am want to get a Split AC system installed. The setup involves 2 9,000 BTU units, one in each 2nd floor bedroom and a 12,000 BTU unit on the first floor. I am on the fence between the Bryant Legacy system and the Evolution system. I would feel better about paying a premium for the evolution series if I could figure out the difference in efficiency. But I have not been able to find out that information. Both quotes point to the same condenser. So if the difference between the two is based on the condenser, than I might as well go with the cheaper quote. The more expensive units are quieter, but compared with a window AC unit both quotes are going to give me quieter cooling. Thanks.
I added the quote for the split ac units in case anyone is curious.


texts: Siliconed round windows before repainting jambs - should have done it after?

texts:
I'm repainting a room.  I've scraped back  the loose paint (in places back to plaster), filled, sugar soaped and, to my low standards, it's ready to paint.
I also scraped out the old mouldy silicone round the windows and replaced it with fresh silicone.  I immediately regretted that - at the thin edges where I smoothed it there is enough silicone to prevent paint adhesion, but not enough to hide the colour of the plaster (e.g. at the arrow).
Clearly the silicone should have gone on after painting.
Now it's done, how best to remedy so as not to leave an ugly line around the window when I repaint it?

am I worrying about nothing?
is there a primer or other product that will allow me to paint over this with water-based emulsion?
can I remove the new silicone from the plaster/old paint sufficiently well for it to be over-painted?  How?


texts: Have a overhang / leantoo built off the garage that was never completed and covered with a tarp. I've stripped the rotten plywood off and have new OSB to install. The slope is 5" in a 12' run. A fraction more than 1/4" per 1'. My thought is to install a layer of felt paper then rolled asphalt nailed at the top edge and adhesive along the bottom??


texts: Is purchasing a valve necessary when shopping for a bathroom faucet?

texts:
A product page for a bathroom sink states a "rough in valve" must be purchased separately for the purpose of installation. I wasn't sure if I really needed that because I am just going to replace my current faucet and there should be an existing valve under the sink, but the check out page reiterates that the valve is required. I did a bit Googling and on another forum some folks also mentioned the necessity of the valve. The product page claims the valve, by the same company, is specially designed.

I am stumped because it seems another faucet model from the same manufacturer does not require a valve. And the views on that other product page make no mention of a valve requirement and talk only about how easy the installation is. So do I need to purchase a valve for a faucet replacement job? Do some faucets require special valves? In what ways if any are the two faucets different in installation?

Also what's the difference between valve assembly and drain assembly? Do they ever overlap? I know what a valve is, but I am not sure what valve assembly and drain assembly are respectively. Google and Google Images have left me more confused as they seem to give various pictures of different things.


texts:
Can someone please help me identify the texture in this picture?
I’ve been patching a few holes around the house and cannot get the texture to match no matter what I do!
Notice how’s very little texture if any against the wood framing (by window and doors).
I’d appreciate any insight, thanks


texts:
I had my back vinyl fence moved back a couple feet and some of the boards that were originally facing the back are now facing forward, so now there is this appearance that some boards are darker (dirtier) and some are lighter (cleaner).  If you look closely at the picture, you will notice the clean boards and the dirty ones.  What is the best way to clean this?  The dirty boards originally had some green mold, but I got this off with water and scrubbing with a broom and now what is left dirt (at least that is what I think it is).

Here is a picture:


texts: Convert pair of 3-way switches to a one single-pole with neutral

texts:
I have a circuit controlled by a pair of 3-way switches wired like this:

where there is 12/3 from the panel to the first switch box with the white not connected.   I'd like to replace the switch in JBox 2 with a remote-controllable single-pole switch that requires neutral.   I have no use for the switch in JBox 1.

Would there be any code problems with removing S1 and connecting the two 12/3 cables together (black:black, white:white, red:red) in JBox 1, installing the switch in JBox 2 (red controlling the load), and connecting white to the neutral bus in the panel?


texts: Can I connect a drain for my new washing machine to an existing toilet drain?

texts: I would like to add a wash machine to the basement.  Near the area of the basement where I'll be adding it is a 4 in drain coming from an upstairs toilet.  Can I tap the new drain into the toilet drain?


texts:
Last year I decided to let my brother-in-law finish my basement.  After he finished the framing he moved away.  Now I have wood framing complete and nothing else.  He claimed he knew what he was doing, but after doing a lot of research I am finding that he may have been premature putting up the framing.  I've decided I'm going to finish the job myself but I have a few questions.

The previous owner put in a new basement about 20 years ago with metal support framing and all.  The foundation walls are block and covered with a few coats of Drylock.  In the 15 years I have lived there I have never seen water.

I'm starting to think foam insulation should have been put up on the inside of the foundation walls; between the framing and foundation.  I should be able to sneak the insulation in there since my brother did leave an inch of space.  Should I do this?  Is there any special type of insulation and/or adhesive I should use?

Am I right in thinking Foundation Wall->Foam Insulation->Gap->Framing->Sheet Rock?  Should I use moisture resistant sheet rock?  IS any other type of insulation necessary in there?  Is plastic vapor barrier necessary?

My brother-in-law also used green treated lumber where ever the framing touches floor.  Will that be sufficient against moisture?

Thanks for your help!!


texts: The house I just moved into has bricks laid in a pattern of stright columns the bricks are sitting tight but 1 inch is sticking up. Everyone stubs their toe on them. The area is about 7 feet long and about 5 feet wide. Everywhere else around the house the bricks are flush with the ground. What can I put on these bricks that are sticking up to get them flush again?