texts: Will combining roof venting systems cause short cycling?

texts:
I'm looking into buying a new house here in Wisconsin that has soffit vents, ridge vents and some additional static roof vents installed.  However, when the home inspector came through he said that combining ridge vents and roof/static vents is a problem because it can cause the air to short cycle and the attic won't vent properly, leaving moisture trapped.  He said ideally you should have one intake system (the soffit vents) and one outtake system (the ridge vents).

The builder told me that the reason the static/roof vents were added was because the carpenter had made a mistake cutting holes for the trusses (or something like that, I'm not a handyman so didn't totally understand) and to fix it they just decided to add these roof/static vents over the holes, thinking that it would simply improve venting for the attic.

My question is, is the home inspector right and I should be asking for the roof/static vents to be removed/closed, or is it fine to leave them in?

Inspector's report (ignore stuff about baffles):


texts:
People often refer to "pipe dope" when talking about sealing threads of pipe fittings, but when I go to Home Depot or Lowes or whatever, I've never seen anything on the shelf labeled "Pipe Dope".  This seems to be an old-fashioned word that people speak and understand, but it's not the correct, technical product name.

If I have been told that for a certain joint, pipe dope is a better choice than Teflon tape, what do I need to pick up at the hardware store?  I don't particularly need a certain brand recommendation, but an example or picture of a product currently stocked at a major, national retailer would be great as an example.  If the word "dope" isn't used, what other terms do I look for to find "pipe dope"?


texts:
My house is 32 years old, due to other reasons I have my bathroom floor removed.
Looking down at the PVC pipe that is used for the tub, sink and toilet got me wondering.

What is the lifespan of PVC glue when used to connect two joints?
Would hot and/or cold water flowing through the pipe cause the lifespan to shorten?


texts: Is my washer clutch in need of replacement?

texts:
I'm not entirely sure if this is a problem or not, but I've got an Admiral washer that's at least three years old, (it came with my house).  When the rinse cycle hits, it fills up like normal and everything seems fine.  When it's in the middle of the rinse cycle, I think it's supposed to drain all the water while spinning the tub at the same time.  The problem is that it doesn't spin the tub, but it makes sounds like it should be; I can also hear the water draining.  If I open and close the lid, the machine starts to spin the tub.  Is this a sign that my clutch needs to be replaced, or is it part of normal operation?  The agitator works fine, and it always seems to catch during the spin cycle, so I'm not sure.

Thank you for your help.


texts: Is it common to have a pressure shut off for Jet Water Pumps?

texts:
I'm looking at installing a pump for a domestic water supply with a pressure tank.  I'd like to be able to determine if a pump will shut off once it has reached pressure.

I've seen several pumps installed which seem to shut off automatically but I can't seem to figure out if this is a standard feature or not because it doesn't seem to appear in their specifications.  For example, this grundfos pump is commonly used and I've seen other grundfos's shut off automatically at pressure.  Is this standard for a jet water pump?

http://www.supplyhouse.com/Grundfos-97855088-JP4-61ASI-Shallow-Well-Basic-Line-Stainless-Steel-Jet-Pump-115-230V-1-HP

I am asking because I'd like to try a different brand but I can not tell if it has a built in shut off:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NAKPSRC?ref_=cm_cd_al_qh_dp_t
I've contacted the manufacturer, but with little response.  Is anyone familiar with jet pumps like this and what I should look for to fit this application?

Thanks.

EDIT:

After some time the manufacturer indicated that there is a port on the side for the pressure switch and sent a photo of one installed.  So now I know that's probably the standard way most jet pumps come so they can be externally configured to different PSI settings.


texts:
I am going to purchase Multi-Split air conditioning unit for my apartment that I am fully renovating at the moment. So it is the right time to make wholes in the walls etc.

The supplier is giving an outdoor unit that can sustain 5 indoor units, and I have 3 wall type indoor units and 2 concealed ceiling units (concealed under fake cardboard ceiling with linear diffuser to breath out the air).

One supplier included a separate drain pump for the ceiling units, the other supplier claims to have them built-in to the ceiling units. The wall units don't seem the have drain pumps according to specs.

Now my confusion:
What is this drain pump? Is this required so that water doesn't drip from the outdoor unit or is required so that indoor units don't drip water? Am I suppose to get all the drain hoses attached to my plumbing? Is this where the pump is required? How far can I pump the water to reach the plumbing?

So far I have only used a single indoor and single outdoor unit scenario, and some hose seems to hang out from the outer wall dripping water to the street. Is this hose used by the outer unit or indoor unit?

As you can see I am conceptually confused as I don't understand the innerworkings. Sorry for chain of questions. I think the answer to all will be explained once you explain the drainage situation.

Thanks in advance


texts:
There's a post (layman's term) in the middle of my attic that is cracking and bent. It wasn't like that the last time I checked maybe 2 months ago. This is in a 30 year-old house.
Now that I think of it... it may have showed minor signs of cracking 2 months ago but it wasn't noticeably bent. There was a little "feathering" of wood. Barely visible. Now it's looking much worse.
No, I don't see any sign of water damage and there haven't been any snows. Also no big storms lately. I live in Southern Florida.
My idea is to just put a steel plate with a bunch of nail holes in it to try and straighten things out. Or?


texts: Why would holes exist behind a baseboard?

texts:
After ripping out some rubber baseboard, I discovered random holes all over the place. What would be the logical reasoning that these exist (if any)?

Edit: Hopefully I don't get completely flamed for this, but I'm asking because the basement that has this has been flooding recently and I'm wondering if these holes could be some poor attempt to "drain" water from the wall by the previous owner. The holes cover basically the entire room like this. Sorry for the misinformation I wanted to see what users thought without knowing this edited piece first.

higher resolution and closer image of the same baseboard


texts: How to get a straight line when painting wall with fillet to ceiling

texts:
We are moving to an apartment built in the 1920:s which have a fillet between the walls and the ceiling. We want to paint the walls, and to get a nice finish between the ceiling and the walls, we want to paint a distinct line around 10 cm down from the ceiling. See attached image.

What would be a good way to make a straight line, when the walls and/or ceiling is not perfectly straight? I'm thinking perhaps you could make a jig which fits in the fillet?


texts: Can I safely use (2) 40 W fluorescent tubes in a 70 W fixture?

texts:
I have a 70 W 2 bulb fluorescent light fixture which I want to put a couple of 40 W bulbs into. I know it's generally a bad idea to exceed the wattage rating of a light fixture, but there are 2 things that make me think it may be OK in this case

1) I asked an ex-electrician at my local home improvement store told me that 35 and 40 watt tubes are interchangeable and not to worry (he said the 35 is just an energy saving 40, and the manufacturer put 70 instead of 80 to make the product sound more energy efficient)

2) People on the internet have vaguely suggested that any tube of a certain pin type (in this case T12) is designed to be safely used in a fixture that fits said pin type

Can I use the 40W tubes in the fixture without shortening their life or the life of the ballast?

EDIT: I see a lot of you are suggesting LEDs. As much as I love LEDs, they're not practical for this particular application


texts: Concrete stairs substrate preparation and layering

texts: I need to pour small stair entry into my basement, about 4 steps and it is narrow, with a brick retention wall on both sides.  I was going to first evenly grade and pack the dirt, then put gravel, then pour concrete (framing and rebar aside). Does that seem like a good layering strategy? When I was pouring concrete indoors in my basement, I also used foam panel insulation and vapor barrier under wire mesh rebar and above gravel but those two parts I don't consider necessary because it is outdoors.


texts:
I've got, potentially, a silly question.

We're having some work done in our basement, including the addition of a bathroom. The guys working here were working on the main to install the up-flush system when one of the workers forgot and used the toilet and sink pouring all of that waste all over the other guy working, down the drywall and wood framing and onto the concrete floor. They left that afternoon and when I looked I saw it was all soaked. They came back next day and bleached the concrete with mop and bucket, but I'm a little uneasy about the waste that was absorbed into the drywall and wood.

Am I overreacting or could this pose a health concern and have them address it?


texts:
Can I use a 14-3 Romex for two different electrical circuits on a 15A QT/tandem breaker? Or should I use one 14-2 for each?

My mistake, apologize.

Post edited: the QT breaker is a space saver. My panel is 30 space 40 circuits. So I intend to have two different circuits on one space. I will use a 1 pole Siemens Q1515 with no clip. Here is the link   Tandem breaker

So turning off individual circuit.


texts: My home was built in 1959.  The clean out cap in the basement is 2.5" ID but it doesn't have threads.  It has 2 nubs (now it only has one) opposite each other that fit into two notches in the pipe.  I'm assuming you place it and turn to close it.  I found it today laying on the concrete floor, one nub is missing and the whole thing looks pretty corroded.  Can I replace the cap, I've been looking online and don't see any that look like mine, just threaded ones.


texts: How do I connect outdoor security camera to a power source?

texts: IP Camera has an ethernet cable and a dc12 cable that came with power adapter that plugs into outlet. Where the camera is going to be placed, there is a lamp nearby and power cables going into it, how can I get power from it and into camera? My other choice is a nearby outlet, but don't know how either. The dc12 cable, how can it be joined into normal home electric wires?


texts: Code requirements for adding several outdoor outlets around my garage

texts:
I have been doing some reading and feel just about ready to add some more outlets to my garage. I would like to add 2-3 more outlets, 1 on one side at the top (maybe under the roof overhang) for Christmas lights, and two on the front of the garage for more lights and using tools. I planned on adding a new 20amp GFCI breaker with 12 gauge wire. By the way, I am located in Alameda County, California.

I will list all the code rules I am aware of here, but can you guys help me identify any more I might potentially need to comply with?

use circuit breaker of same brand as panel
must use gfci protection on all outdoor outlets (this should be covered by my breaker)
outdoor outlets must be at ground level to 6.5' high (does that mean I can't put the outlet under the roof overhang)?
I must use at least 12 gauge wire for my 20 amp circuit
wire must be stapled to wall studs near where the box is put in.

Thank you all for the help!


texts: How can I extend an electric wire without a large cross-section connector?

texts:
I want to extend a couple of electric wires coming out of a ceiling to get to a hole at the top of a lighting fixture. Let's assume for the sake of discussion the lighting fixture is fixed and will not be moved, rotated etc.

I'm used to this kind of wire connectors:

(obviously I'll need just two 1-to-1 units in this case.)

and I could use those - except that I don't have enough cross-section for them. The wires will be located between the top surface of the lighting fixture and the ceiling, and will not have more than a few millimeters of spare height. Here's how it looks (black blob is the hole):

How do I connect the wires in a stable fashion, hopefully without too much fuss? Are there special thin-profile connectors I could get?

PS - I live in Palestine/Israel in case that matters w.r.t. tools/equipment available to me.


texts: What are these controls attached to my boiler for?

texts:
If it matters, I live in Ireland. We have an oil boiler powering a two zone hot water radiator heating system and a separate electric hot water tank for tap water.

Outside our house in the corner of our property we have a fenced in area. Inside that is a small metal box. I can remove one side of that box to access the boiler. When I look inside the box, up in one of the corners is this set of controls.

I assume the dial controls the temperature the boiler heats the water to, but what is the push button for? Please note, it is not the "reset" button, which is located on the boiler itself and glows red when the boiler pilot light is unlit.

Any ideas?


texts: Why does one leg of my panel drop to 0v and the other rise to 240v when a load is connected?

texts:
I have red/black/white cable coming into barn to breaker box from main panel at house.  With a tester to neutral bar each leg reads 120v and if two hot legs are tested, 240v.
I have a 20 amp breaker that goes to a timer that control a series of lights.  When I turn on breaker for the lights, which are wired correctly,  one hot leg drops to 0v and the other leg reads 240v when tested to neutral bar.
I have another breaker to outlet plug that reads fine until I energize the breaker for timer then it too loses voltage because of timer motor somehow shifting all volts to other leg.  I've replaced timer with new brand new timer / replaced breaker with new one.  I've even run extension cord to lights directly and bypassing breaker box and they work fine if timer/breaker box is bypassed.
Any suggestions where to look?


texts: What is needed to fix or replace a cracked old seal on a refrigerator door?

texts:
I'd like to replace or maybe just gum up the seal of my 1990's Maytag refrigerator. It's really quite a beast and the last time a repair man came (to extract a receipt which made its way into the motor) he said that we'd never be able to replace the fridge with another one that would work as well for so long.

The only problem is it leaks water every time we put sweet corn in (my wife didn't believe me, but I proved it via the scientific method).  And if it  leaks water when we put sweet corn in, then it probably leaks air all the time.  There's lots of cracks in the top of the seal.

Is it possible to replace the seal of a refrigerator?  What tools and parts do I need?


texts:
I'm trying to build walls for my basement, and not surprisingly, many walls are longer than 8/10/12/16ft.  For many walls, I was thinking of putting up two 8' or 10' walls with the stud straddling both walls. I was planning on doing a single top plate and was looking at the code [see below], but have some questions:

1) If I have a single top plate, does it matter where the seam is? Is there any restrictions or preferences?

2) My joists are 24" oc, but I was planning on doing 16" oc walls.  Is that ok?  Exception #2 makes this a little fuzzy

3) For the long stretches I've seen the rectangular splice plates referenced in the table.  What do the plates look like for the corners and T-intersections?

R602.3.2 Top plate.
Wood stud walls shall be capped with a double top plate installed to provide
overlapping at corners and intersections with bearing partitions. End joints in
top plates shall be offset not less than 24 inches (610 mm). Joints in plates
need not occur over studs. Plates shall be not less than 2-inches (51 mm)
nominal thickness and have a width not less than the width of the studs.

Exception: A single top plate used as an alternative to a double top
plate shall comply with the following:

1. The single top plate shall be tied at corners, intersecting walls, and at
in-line splices in straight wall lines in accordance with Table R602.3.2.

2. The rafters or joists shall be centered over the studs with a tolerance of
not more than 1 inch (25 mm).

3. Omission of the top plate is permitted over headers where the headers are
adequately tied to adjacent wall sections in accordance with Table R602.3.2.

TABLE R602.3.2 SINGLE TOP-PLATE SPLICE CONNECTION DETAILS

        CONDITION

        TOP-PLATE SPLICE LOCATION

        Corners and intersecting walls

        Butt joints in straight walls

        Splice plate size

        Minimum nails
        each side of joint

        Splice plate size

        Minimum nails
        each side of joint

        Structures in SDC A-C;
        and in SDC
        D0, D1 and D2 with braced wall line

        spacing less than 25 feet
        3″
        × 6″  × 0.036″
        galvanized steel plate
        or equivalent

        (6) 8d box
        (21/2″  × 0.113″ ) nails
        3′
        × 12″  ×0.036″
        galvanized steel plate
        or equivalent

        (12) 8d box
        (21/2″  × 0.113″ ) nails

        Structures in SDC D0,
        D1 and D2, with
        braced wall line spacing greater than
        or equal to 25 feet
        3″
        × 8″  by 0.036″
        galvanized steel plate
        or equivalent

        (9) 8d box
        (21/2″  × 0.113″ ) nails
        3′
        × 16″  × 0.036″
        galvanized steel plate
        or equivalent

        (18) 8d box
        (21/2″  × 0.113″ ) nails

        For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm.


texts: faint led strip glow with negative voltage levels when turned off

texts:
I'm kind of stuck. I build a ceiling lighting in a smaller room using led trips in a rectangular shape with aluminium channel for better heat dissipation. All went well, until a couple days ago in the evening I found that my led strip has a very faint light when turned off (only visible during the night in nearly complete darkness). In the last days I've been there and back and couldn't find the cause.
Wiring:

Equipment used:

V-TAC PSU 230V input, 24V output (max 150W)
SkyDance SD T1-1(White) wall controller (only used as a remote)
SkyDance SD V1 controller (controlled wirelessly using the wall unit)
V-TAC 700led/m led strip with a total 4.6m length (21W/m)

I'm using a multimeter to read voltage levels and all seems to be well until I turn the controller off. Setting the brightness to max levels on the SD-V1 controller, the input voltage is 23.8V, the output voltage is 23.7V, led strips light up as they should. No flickering, nice even light.
When I turn it off however, the I'd expect the voltage to drop to a 780mV range. Instead, I read -11.7V and the led strips remain on with a very faint light. I've already changed all equipment  tested them separately everything works. If I disconnect any led strip segments they all behave the same (negative voltages while turned off). I took a smaller piece of the same led strip, disconnected the 4 strips and connected only the small piece and surprise, when turned off the voltage dropped to the ~780mV range with no faint lighting.
Any idea what can cause this behavior? I can eliminate the faint glow by adding a capacitor at the output of the SD-V1 controller but I'm rather interested what's causing it. I checked everything already and couldn't pinpoint any problems.

Solder points are insulated using hot glue
led strip segments do not touch eachother
cabling has no apparent damage
cabling continuity is fine
distance from "high" voltage lines (230V) is ~60cm and I'm using insulated cables


texts: Can I wire a box with two 120-volt duplex outlets each wired to one leg of a 240-volt 3-wire plug?

texts:
In my shop I have plenty of NEMA 6-20Rs (240-volt, 20-amp receptacles) and not enough NEMA 5-20Rs (120-volt 20-amp receptacles).  These are all right next to the panel.

My goal or my desire: I want to run a 20-foot 10/3 power cord to a two duplex box attached to a work table to run simple motors and perhaps a work light.  I want one duplex outlet to be on one 120-volt leg of the 240/20 and the other duplex outlet on the other leg.

Question: Can I use the neutral as a ground or should I use 10/4 for a separate ground?


texts: How can I make tongue and groove cuts with only a radial arm saw?

texts: I'm pretty new to woodworking and I don't have a lot of tools. I'm working to make pieces to sell and buy more tools as I go. I don't own a table saw, but I do have a radial arm saw. Has anyone ever done tongue and groove cuts with a radial arm on smaller boards? This seems like a bit of a dangerous proposition to me as the saw has not been kind to smaller wood I've tried to cut. If this is not an option, is there an alternative I can use in the meantime of a router purchase?


texts: Reset furnace (heater) often to get my fan to work.

texts: Why do I have to reset my furnace (heater) often to get my fan to work? The thermostat works properly but the fan some time is not turned on. Reset the furnace and/or the limit control switch works for a while but the problem will come back.


texts: Replacing my Honeywell thermostat with a Nest heatlink in the UK

texts:
Can someone help with this.
Trying to pick the C wire and the NO wire from here.
Please note I am in the UK


texts:
I have problem with my recessed LED lights. I am using retrofit LED lights which is connected with can housing via TP24 connector.
I have configured dimmer switch so that when I slide dimmer all the way down, lights will stay lit at around 5-10% light output. Most of the time it works just fine, but sometimes when I slide dimmer down, 2 of 4 lights will be turned off completely, even before the slider reaches all the way down, other 2 lights will be at 5-10% range as expected.
Last time when it happened, I tried switching lights (to check if it is light problem or wiring/dimmer problem) between cans. Light with problem continued to have problem at new location. Light without problem worked fine at new location as well. So it looks like light itself has the problem. Can someone tell me what could be wrong with light ? These are brand new lights I ordered from amazon.
Please check the video recording of the problem.
2 lights on the right side in video (near top right and bottom right corner) are having problem.
LED light model: dl_bfdr4-11w-3k-10pk
Dimmer model: LUTRON AYCL-153PH


texts: Extend sidewall hot water tank vent outside?

texts:
I have a power vented hot water tank just on the other side of the wall (and in the basement) from the exterior pipe you see in the picture. The problem is that the steam vents onto my wife's flower garden. In the winter, it melts the snow turning it into a block of ice, which impacts the soil and kills any perennials she plants there.

I'd like to extend the pipe horizontally parallel to the house and around past the garden. I would cut off the 90 degree elbow and instead turn it the other way and add about 4 feet. My question is: would this be against any code or cause any other issues? Would it be likely to freeze up and clog?


texts: Why do I not always get hot water out of the faucet?

texts: When I turn the kitchen faucet on for hot water - sometime hot water comes out sometimes just warm water. The same problem exists in our guest bathroom. Just never know if hot water will flow. The problem is random however most of the time it not hot water that flows. Our master bath faucets seems to work ok even when the kitchen faucets do not.


texts:
I have 400 amp service in a 3800 square-foot home. I ran 100 amp to a garage.  I want to build a mini-home that will require approximately 130amps in appliances, etc. What size sub-panel do I need?

The mini house will  have:

stove 40 amp
water heater 18.75 amp
stackable washer dryer 30 amp
heat pump 8.87 amp
dishwasher 20 amp
fridge 8.5 amp
microwave/hood 15 amp
lights & outlets

That's why I figured 130 amps. The load in the main house should be able to handle a 100 to 150 amp sub panel. Need help deciding what size I should use.


texts: Is this mold? Picture taken after treating with bleach

texts: Shake and rake insulation is on the ceiling with no vapor barrier beneath it..  bats of R 19  with paper vapor barrier are inner walls. There was no air sealing done at all. I'm afraid to reuse the insulation even though I have not seen any mold in/on it. Please advise on the mold removal process. I read lemon and salt mixture will kill what bleach didn't. Is this a wives tale? If I starve the mold spores of its moist environment, will this ensure no regrowth? I live in zone 6 and am having proper ventilation installed. I have a roof ridge, but need vents under the gable.


texts: Can I just extend this blue wire in furnace for Nest thermostat?

texts:
First time doing this, don't want to burn house down.
The brown bundle is coming from thermostat, the white bundle I suspect is coming from A/C unit. Do I follow these steps?

Find a scrap piece of 18 gauge wire
Unplug furnace
Strip the end of clipped blue wire in furnace
Twist blue wire to scrap wire and cap with wire nut
Wrap scrap wire around C screw on the left
Plug in furnace


texts: Is it OK to caulk around an outdoor electrical panel or meter base?

texts: I've heard that you shouldn't caulk the outside perimeter of the meter base or an outdoor electrical panel (sealing it to the house siding), because the panel needs to "breath" on the back. I haven't been able to find any specific code reference for this though. Is this code or hearsay?


texts: Could I have broken my light fixture whilst changing the light bulb?

texts: Ok, so not proficient in changing light bulbs... I have taken out the bulb before and put it back in so I know how to do it. I wanted to put in an adaptor so I could put in a colour changing bulb. I thought the adaptor was the same as the bulb I currently have but it wouldn't push in and then twist ( I have a bayonet lightbulb and fixture). Now I have put the bulb back in but it won't light up. Also I have now flicked the switch so much I don't know if the electricity is on or off. What should I do? I know not to fiddle anymore! Don't want to get electrocuted... do I need an electrician????


texts: Cable securing/support, conduit, etc when exiting main service panel: questions

texts:
I'm totally confused by this. Looking for any help that anyone can provide.

I've attached a photo of the top of my recently-installed (inspection passed) service panel. The top of the panel sits about 8" below the bottom of the 2x10 floor joists. The basement walls and ceiling are unfinished. There are 2x4's nailed parallel to the inside of the joists (an old ceiling installation, since removed? it's a 1925 house), so you actually can't see the joists very well; in the photo, you can barely see them off to the right, sitting on the sill.

My questions are about code requirements for cable/wiring exiting a service panel.

In this installation, the un-sheathed NM cable exits the panel and runs through a 10" length of conduit; then the sheathed cable emerges from the conduit through an open conduit fitting (no clamp) and runs along/through the floor joists.

EDIT TO RE-PHRASE:

How is this installation not in violation of 312.5(C)? Does that section somehow not apply here, or is there another section that takes precedence?
Could sheathed NM cable exit this panel directly, without the use of conduit/raceway?
Could flex conduit be used in place of the rigid conduit in this installation?

[[My original questions were:

Are the 8" lengths of conduit necessary? Are they even allowed? I'm confused by 312.5(C), which seems to indicate that the NM cable should be secured to the panel directly unless it meets the conditions listed as an "Exception", one of which is that the conduit should be not less than 18" in length; another of which is that the end of the conduit should be sealed or plugged; and another specifies that the sheathing should extend at least 1/4" into the panel. Does 334.15(C) somehow take precedence here?
If additional circuits are added, should the cables exit the panel in the same manner as those already installed? I assume it's not ok to have NM cable exit the panel directly, since it would then be unprotected for the 8" run along the basement wall up to the joists. 334.15(C).
Is there some part of the code that disallows flexible conduit from being used to protect NM cable when exiting a panel? For any future circuits, it's going to be easier to bend and secure flex conduit to the joists than to use rigid conduit. (All the "easy" knockouts have already been used, the ones that allowed a straight run of rigid conduit to be secured flush with the joists.)]]


texts:
I have a corner shower stall that's leaking.  The leak is occuring on the right hand side of the shower stall, about a foot off the ground.  What can I do to stop this leak?

Here is the shower stall:

And the leak is occuring here:

Picture of the leaking area from the inside of the shower:


texts:
I'm working on finishing my 1924 home's basement in Minnesota and am currently working on insulation. My rim-joists look like this:
2x8 Joists with a board between each joist. Behind that board is a bit of concrete and a bunch of sand, rocks, construction debris from when the house was built. A few of the sections have penetrations already for faucets, venting, electrical, A/C, etc.

The open space above the concrete is ~4 inches high.
The sub-floor seen is the primary living area.
At the back of the rim-joist is another 2x8 and stucco exterior.
No further insulation.

Should I remove the boards and sand to do this, or leave them as-is and insulate over the wood?
What is my best bet for insulating this?

Those Rim-Joist cavities look like this once cleaned out:


texts: Is this gap between foundation and siding supposed to be here? If not what should I fill it with?

texts:
I have hundreds of crickets in my basement every fall. I see them crawling up my foundation so when I looked underneath the siding I see this. There is what looks like ripped plastic paper but then just a large gap into my basement around the entire house.

Is there supposed to be a direct entrance into my basement under the siding? (Maybe for moisture reasons or something?) If not what should I fill this with. Would like to do it once but do it right.

If the gap is supposed to be there could I install a mesh like this to help with the problem?


texts: Padding on dining chairs uncomfortable (compressed)

texts:
We have some dining room chairs that are about 10 years old and the padding on the top has gotten quite uncomfortable. When we sit on them, the outer frame of the seat part of the chair presses against my thighs -- it seems that the padding that's on top of the frame has worn out. My understanding is that the foam inside can get worn out, although it's possible the black mesh (see photo) has also stretched out. The white fabric that you see if the fabric underneath the outer slipcover (which is dark gray).
Is there a way I can make these chairs more comfortable without a major surgery to the chairs and also without changing the appearance?
My understanding is that the proper way to fix these would be to take off the white fabric and replace the foam, and then replace the white fabric with the staples. This would be a major project and I'm looking for a more expedient fix because we're not planning on keeping these chairs that long anyway. I'm curious if there's a way to add some foam on top of the white fabric, possibly securing it somehow, and then adding the cover back on top.
Please let me know if you have ideas about:

an approach to adding padding without major surgery

which type of padding / foam to buy


texts:
We recently had our house built, and included the "hardwood floors" upgrade. When we moved it we were pleased with the way the floors looked. Some time later, water started coming up from beneath the floors - there was a leak in our wall. When the builder came in to replace some of the damaged/warped boards in the floor, we learned that the floor was glued down to the concrete beneath. Is this normal?

When the boards were pulled up, they were demolished in the process. They had to force them off of the glue beneath.


texts: What is a compliant box for a range hood in terms of a correction request by an inspector?

texts:
I’m remodeling a kitchen and the electrician wants to charge extra to fix wiring issues with the range hood and junction box.
However, the inspector told me that one of the corrections the electrician needed to make after the rough inspection was “wiring a compliant box” for the range hood.
I hired him to complete the kitchen wiring ( up to code) including the hood vents.
This happened after I tried plugging in my phone in the outlet where the oven will go and discovered it didn’t work.
Initially after informing the electrician of this - he aid he didn’t know why - but after “checking it out “ said there was a hidden box, the wiring was wrong ( done by a previous subcontractor ? I don’t know) and therefore is an additional repair.)
I want to be fair but I also don’t want to be taken advantage off.

Thanks


texts: Electrical junction box under the sink gets wet

texts:
We just purchased a house and under the kitchen sink there is a metal junction box for the electricity to the disposal switch.

It is on the bottom of the cabinet and it is covered in electrical tape.

It is possible that it can get wet when  the sink backs and it is necessary to remove the trap.

It the box location a code violation or just shoddy work?


texts: Not possible to build into cathedral ceiling?

texts:
I have a house that has a two-story cathedral ceiling. I was thinking about adding a floor and turning it into new rooms in the house. However, a web page I read said "Vaulted ceilings create no floor space. In fact, they prevent you from ever building upward and into that space."

The author does not further explain this remark. Why would I be unable to build into the space? From a geometrical perspective I could still get 10 foot ceilings in the living room and at least 9-foot ceilings in the upstairs rooms, so there would seem to be no limitation from a headroom perspective.


texts: Ceiling fan halogen light no longer controllable with remote, however the fan speeds remain controllable by the remote

texts:
I installed the Hampton Bay ceiling fan with halogen light several years ago, where previously there was only a ceiling light fixture controlled by a single wall switch.
The new ceiling fan/light came with a remote control.   With the wall switch on I was able to control the fan speed and dim the light and turn the light completely off. It functioned perfectly for at least seven years.
This is no longer the case.  The fan speeds continue to function as they did with the remote but the halogen light turns on full brightness when I flip the wall switch but can no longer be dimmed or turned off with the remote.
Of course the light turns off by the wall switch also.
There are many occasions when the fan is operating that I do not want the light on or want the light dimmer.
I'm a handy guy but this has me baffled.
How can I fix this problem?


texts: How should I deal with old black mastic before installing floor tiles?

texts: I will be removing wood floor tiles that wee installed over old VCT tile which have black mastic on them. I can remove the wood and VCT with no issues, but I do not want to have to remove the old glue. Is there a product that I can apply over the glue before I install new tile in thin set? The sub floor is concrete.


texts: Exterior Home security/Lighting compatibility

texts:
Are there any exteriour security lighting systems via sensor or light you can connect to your exterior home lights for security..

For example if there are sensors I could buy and put around my big yard and if these sensors were to be set off by an intruder is it possible to somehow have all the exterior lights on my house by this sensor or have it wired to do so.

Is there a product like this on the market?


texts: Converting two-vent fireplace insert into one-vent: how much combustion air access does it need?

texts:
We recently took out a woodburning stove and are replacing it with a propane insert.

The insert is set for a 2-pipe direct vent configuration (one for combustion air, one for exhaust). Our contractor suggested converting to a single pipe--exhaust, and then just use interior combustion air. I was hesitant at first, but he made a good case--namely we're saving a whole lot of money in not having to extend the double wall pipe the 30+ feet up the chimney. But in addition, he said it's a common conversion in our area (relatively mild climate) and that it will be sucking a whole lot less air up the chimney than the old wood stove did anyways.

Since this is will be more decorative that utilitarian (it will be used on the occasional holiday or party and as back-up heat on the those power-outage occasions) I'm not too worried about the drop in efficiency. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, I'll be better off putting the money I saved on the vent pipe into a much more efficient propane HW heater.

Now, my question: Should I include a vent in the mantle surround to make it 'easier' for the insert to get combustion air? The installer said there's no need, as it's not drawing a lot of air, and there are enough holes on the underside of the fireplace and gaps in the surround that it should be fine. I thought I'd get a second opinion just to be sure. :)

The surround will be tiled on the front, but the outside is just a wood 'shadow box' type of construction, so I could easily pop in a 2" circle vent or such on the side. Any harm in that? Any benefit?


texts:
My wife and I were looking for a light for the kitchen and came across this:

Seems like a bad idea to me:

Seems like watering the plant would be hazard
The heat from the light would kill the plant

Am I right, or is there a way to make this work?


texts: What's the best way to select windows for heating efficiency? I have an older house in a northern climate

texts:
I am sure that the Energy Star program is not going to help me.

The USA Energy Star program helps people find energy efficient windows.  It guides us to prefer windows with low U-Factor and low solar heat gain coefficient.  This is good in two circumstances:

In a climate with more cooling days than heating days, such as the southern climate zone.
In a perfectly insulated house, in winter, that retains generated heat so well that heat from sunlight isn't welcome.

But in an old house with mediocre insulation, sunlight is welcome in winter.  Windows with a higher heat gain coefficient allow the sunlight to warm the interior of the house.  This can save energy, in a climate with more heating days than cooling days.

To mitigate the higher heat gain coefficient on a hot summer day, the sunlight can be blocked with a blind.  This can be done very efficiently using a blind on the exterior of the window or embedded within the window (i.e. between two panes of a multi-pane window).

The USA Energy Star program steers people away from using windows in this way.  As a result, homeowners in the northern climate zone, in older houses, are installing windows that help them in summer months.  But many of these people might really benefit financially from windows that help them in the winter instead.

If you compare the USA Energy Star program to the Canada Energy Star program, you'll see a difference in priorities.  As a result, certain windows (with higher heat gain coefficient) that are Energy Star certified in Quebec are not certified in Maine.

There are parts of the USA where heating costs are relatively higher, because passive cooling is relatively easy and effective.  In these parts, costs can be reduced more effectively using windows with high heat gain coefficient.

Update: Please do not turn this into a political discussion.

I think the answer has to do with the subtlety of cost savings versus comfort, as benefits of windows' technical properties. It appears that the USA Energy Star program places full weight on cost savings, while in Canada the cold is so extreme that a balance between cost savings and comfort must be struck. I was hoping to find a window engineer on this forum who could explain authoritatively.

As an example of a window rating system that goes way beyond Energy Star's yes/no binary value, check the Energy Calculator provided by Canadian glass manufacturer Cardinal. It gives results of different glass products in terms of both savings and comfort. Comfort is further broken down into seasons. This level of information should be available to end consumers of framed windows, and should be incorporated into location-based government certifications.

Update 2: Efficient Windows Collaborative

I found a website, sponsored by major window manufacturers and suppliers, and originally founded by the Department of Energy, which helps consumers choose the right windows based on building location and design.  It directs users to specific window types that are offered by various manufacturers.

This is much more useful than the Energy Star yes/no rating system.  In addition to cost savings and comfort as attributes of window performance, it discusses condensation on window surface as well.


texts: Do I need to install flashing for this replacement window?

texts:
I am replacing an old vinyl window. The previous window had a separate storm window on the outside (which I removed). Now there is wood exposed to the elements. I live in Minnesota where it's hot and wet in the summer and very cold in the winter. I am concerned about having this wood exposed.
I plan on

Scraping, sanding and repainting the wood with oil-based, exterior paint
Installing the sill edge (below the window)
Insulating and caulking

But I am wondering if I need to do anything else? Do I need to install some type of flashing?
Any help is appreciated.


texts: What type of plug do I need for this bathtub drain?

texts:
I recently bought a new house and I'm having issues plugging my bathtub drain. The drain appears to be designed for a pop up plug of some kind, which is missing. I'm not sure what make or model the drain is so identifying that is probably step one, so I've taken some pictures:
The spout, overflow, and drain:

The only identifying markings are an "SA" on the overflow cap.
The faucet handle, mounted above the spout, says Delta Monitor.

The gold handle controls flow rate, the black center piece (not original I assume) rotates independently and controls temperature.
Close up of the drain:

When you rotate the overflow cap, there is a small brass looking rod down inside the drain that moves up and down a small amount.
I don't know the history of all these parts, and I don't know if they're part of a series (i.e. are all Delta Monitor), or if they were bought piecemeal. I also don't know what generation of the Monitor series these are, or how old any of this is. My guess is 1980s but could be 70s or 90s as well. Doubt it's from after 2000.
I've tried a universal tub plug 1 1/2" tub stopper but the drop from rim of the drain to the three-prong part is shallow enough that the stopper stands up off the rim of the drain and lets water out:

Finally, I've tried one of those big flat suction stoppers and that also doesn't work great because the drain is quite close to the end of the bathtub and the curve between bottom of the tub and end wall is quite sharp so the suction stopper won't sit flat.
Any ideas on what type of stopper is supposed to be used with this thing would be much appreciated. Or thoughts on how to properly identify the drain make/model.


texts: Cleaning and lubing vintage door hardware

texts:
Which cleaner/lubricant should I use to restore this vintage door hardware? It is likely 100 years old. E.g. regular machine oil or gun cleaner/oil?
Lock:

Hinge:


texts: Outdoor bayonet light fixture stopped working

texts:
I cannot for the life of me figure this out, it isn't important enough to call an electrician out and it doesn't warrant the expensive cost but I'd really like to get it working.

During house viewings, the outdoor front porch light (protected from rain & wind) housed a 100W B22 bulb that functioned fine. It must have blown out a bit before we moved in. I've tried two new 8W B22 bulbs on it and it simply wont turn on. The light switch panel and wiring behind it seems relatively new and all wired up correctly. The socket itself seems clean and nothing is broken.

Could anybody help out? Thanks.


texts: Installing cabinet on thick sound/thermoproofing layer and concrete

texts:
I need to mount IKEA Metod wall cabinets on a sound/thermoproofing layer that is itself glued on reinforced concrete walls. These cabinets are installed on a rail
The layer consists of 1cm of plaster and 6cm of high density fiber glass wool, the specs are here in French (should be the 10+60 variant). Unfortunately it does not seem to indicate the plaster wall maximum load as far as I can see (probably because you are not supposed to mount stuff on it!)
Behind it are 20cm of reinforced concrete.
I did not expect that that layer would be that thick and am having now doubts on how to best proceed. The person from the construction company recommended to use cavity dowels, but I am doubtful.
The specs of the cavity dowels I have indicate 20kg of load bearing capacity. A 60cm wide wall mounted cabinet weights about 20kg, and maybe 50kg fully loaded. It seems that I would need to put in quite a few screws to make this work (especially assuming some safety margin), and I suspect this will compromise the structure of the plaster wall.
The other option is to drill into the concrete, but given the lever forces in play here the required screw size would be quite big.
What do you recommend?


texts:
My house came with a main panel that supports this type of circuit breaker.

However, I am unable to find that type at the store and the breaker doesn't say what type it is. I thought it might be CH (as it's certainly thinner than BR) but it's not. Here are its comparisons with CH (on the right and below, respectively):

Can you identify it so I know what to search for to get new ones?


texts: We got our electric shut off so we played the bill called electric company they said to turn off main switch so we did. They turned power on so we switched it on and still no power. We took off main switch put new one on and still no power. What would it be?


texts: Which home automation standards will work with Apple and/or Google's forthcoming sofware?

texts:
On one hand I'm happy that Apple and Google are getting into home automation, because the existing software and control apps seem to be uniformly atrocious. On the other hand, I've been planning a big home automation purchase all year, and now I'm nervous because I'm sure their products are going to take over the market and I don't want to get hardware that won't be compatible.

Have there been any announcements about which existing home automation hardware is going to work with Apple and/or Google's software? Are there any standards that are more or less likely to survive?

I'm mostly interested in lighting and generic outlet automation.


texts: Mule Tape Size for Pulling 4/0 4/0 2/0 180ft in 2 1/2" conduit

texts:
I will be pulling 4/0 4/0 2/0 or 4/0 triplex service cable though 2 1/2 in conduit. All straight except at end with sweeps. Likely will put sweeps on after pull.
What size mule tape would be the best to use?
Thanks
Dean


texts: Is there a safety code that states the minimum width of a door opening to the outside? Our sliding door only opens up to 24 inches.


texts: Can I add a 'service entrance barrier' to a QOC electrical panel?

texts:
I have a Square D QOC series main panel (QOC 40MW225). I'd like to add service entrance barriers to this panel - the plastic covers which protect from accidental contact with the connection lugs of the main service entrance cable. I take it that newer panels these days typically come with a barrier, but mine is old enough not to have one.
It seems like the Square D PKSB1HA might be the correct product for this panel, but I'd like to confirm that. e.g., some marketing text for this product says:

Compatible in 100 through 225 amp Homeline & QO S0 series panels
Retrofittable to most existing Square D load centers

Is that the correct barrier or is there an alternative?
Photo of the relevant portion of my panel:

(I didn't do any of that wiring myself - its a full 40 space panel including a number of tandem breakers)


texts: How to handle ground and neutral in multi gang box containing both branch and traveler further down on same branch?

texts: I have a 15 amp branch circuit where the first box from the breaker contains a switch for a ceiling light at the door leading to the garage. This box supplies the rest of the branch.  On the same branch at the opposite corner of the room I am adding trailer circuits for multipoint switches located at each entry point to the room to control new recessed lighting fixtures.  These trailer wires end back at the garage door where I am replacing the first box with a multi gang box. This box will now contain the switch for the existing ceiling fixture, feed the rest of the branch, and also be the end point for the trailer wires where they connect to the load through the final S3 in each chain.  This ends up making a big loop with sub branches branching off in the middle.  I have included a diagram for clarity.  The question is, how do I handle the neutral and ground connections in this box (Multi gang box combining B1 and B5).  I am inclined to wire the neutrals and grounds as if they were still in separate boxes but everything I've looked at seems to indicate I should wire all the neutrals together and all the grounds together.  Does anybody know the correct approach?


texts: How to/do I need to remove adhesive from old tiles before placing new?

texts:
Updating the flooring in a small bathroom with "luxury" peel and stick vinyl flooring. After starting to remove the old vinyl tile flooring, there is an INCREDIBLY sticky later of glue left behind (and on the old tiles).

Wondering how I can remove it or "neutralize" it somehow. The idea of removing it with solvents or neutralizint it with something dry sounds questionable because I'm worried it would end up making the NEW peel and stick vinyl tile adhesive less effective.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Can I install 72W A19 halogen into a 60W-looking socket?

texts:
I need to replace the ceiling-fan light-bulbs in my living room in North America, there's a standard-looking 3-light-bulb installation with the fan, and each of the three sockets are only marked "660W 250V", without the designation of what the final appliance accepts.  The prior owner left me with one working CFL and two burned out incandescents (one 40W, another 60W).  The light cover is made from glass, and is tulpan/cone like (looks very similar to http://www.amazon.com/Westinghouse-Lighting-7781400-Three-Light-Ribbed-Glass/dp/B003KQLJJW, and these are probably supposed to be spec'ed for 60W incandescents).

Can I install two A19 72W halogen 100W-incandescent-replacement bulbs to replace the burned out 40W and 60W incandescent light bulbs?  After all, the sockets are marked 660W 250V each — I'd only be using 72W 120V out of them, way below the electrically-advised spec.


texts: Are these sconces from the 1920s or newer?

texts:
I'm trying to determine if these are original to my 1920 house.
- They appear to be stamped brass which has since been painted gold.
- The wiring is cloth-wrapped.
- The switches are newer.
- The candlestick is a painted paper tube.

Thanks!


texts: Tankless water heater plumbing: neutralized condensate and pressure relief valve

texts:
Hello recently my old 50gal gas water heater developed a crack and started leaking. I replaced it with a tank-less gas heater. Everything is good, I installed the proper intake an exhaust with 3in schedule 40 PVC pipes as recommended, I plumbed 3/4in copper pipes for cold and hot water, a 3/4in gas line. I now need to connect the pressure release valve. I have a 3/4in copper pipe plumbed into the house drain close by, so it does not look to be a big deal, however, this unit also has a condensate drain. Right now I have a temporary 1/2in PVC discharge into a bowl, but I plan to install a condensate neutralizer (it's arriving tomorrow). However where am I going to drain the neutralized water? Can I plumb it with the relief valve? Eventually it will have to go in the drain anyway.
The unit is installed in the center of the house upstairs in an utility room.


texts: Is it a problem that my toilet flange is 3/8" below the surrounding tile?

texts: My tile setter had to elevate the tiles around the toilet hole in order to make up for some unevennesses.  As a result, the toilet flange is approx. 3/8" below the surrounding tile.  Can that be compensated for using extra wax ring or will it even be a problem at all?


texts:
To be able to handle live loads, we recently reinforced the 2x6 joists in our attic by sistering them with 2x8s. To achieve level, the 2x8s are not flush with the 2x6s on the bottom; they range anywhere from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inch higher.

The question is then how to apply the guidelines for drilling electrical holes.  When they say to stay "2 inches away from the top and bottom" does that apply to both boards individually or just 2 inches away from the bottom of the 2x6 and 2 inches away from the top of the 2x8?

Update

Here's a cross-sectional view of the worst case scenario:

Holes are for wiring only; so 3/4" - 1" in size is all that's needed.

So the question is: How far down from the top of the 2x8 should I drill a 1" hole?

If I drill the hole so it starts at 4 1/4" down, this leaves 2" of 2x8 below the hole, but only 1" above the hole on the 2x6.


texts: Can any DIYers tell me why my 2008 Troy Bilt Kohler engine would be running extremely loud and I mean loud, it does run constantly, but very very loud?  What should I check?  I did check the muffler and one bold is missing and the other was loose, so I have ordered the replacement and a new seal to start.  However, when I tightened down the other bolt it did not resolve the issue.


texts: I've run CAT6 throughout my house, mostly in the basement where the TV area and office are. I have a cable that goes upstairs to my bedroom along the chimney from the basement to feed a wireless access point. There are 3 spots where the cable comes about 4-6 inches away from electrical wires. The power and ethernet wires are parallel for about 18" and about 4" away from each other. Will this make an impact on my data signal?


texts: Natural Gas Ventless Fireplace fittings in a fire pit and switch it to LP

texts:
I have an old Natural Gas ventless fireplace that I never used.  I now want to build a fire pit and am wondering if I could take the working parts out of the fireplace unit and use those for fire pit.  I have already disassembled the fireplace and have included a photo of the parts. I plan on covering the fittings with fire glass.

I have attached a couple of images, but, have more detailed ones too of the individual parts, if needed.

Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


texts: How to convert a fluorescent fixture to led?

texts:
I have a single-tube fluorescent light fixture that I would like to convert to LED. However, the wiring is a bit odd.

The left tombstone has two white wires (in one socket) and one blue wire in the other socket. One of the white wires is the white wire to the ballast and the other white wire is connected to the white supply wire. The blue wire is the blue wire to the ballast.

The right tombstone has two red wires (one in each socket) and they lead to the other side of the ballast.

The black supply wire is connected to the black wire to the ballast. The ballast has the black, white and blue wires on one side and the two red wires on the other side.

How do I re-wire to bypass the ballast and convert for a two-sided led tube? Currently, the fluorescent bulb is a single T12?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.


texts: How can I paint vertical surfaces without getting paint runs?

texts:
I find I get the best results when I paint a board laying flat.

If I paint a board standing up, then the paint tends to drip down and form waves or bumps.

On the other hand, when I paint the board lying flat I can only paint one side at a time. If I paint the board standing up, I can paint both sides so it goes twice as fast.

Is the preferred method of painting to paint flat, or is there a way of painting a board standing up so that it doesn't drip? (this would be applicable to fences, for example).


texts: Is THWN wire appropriate for an underground vehicle charging circuit?

texts:
We recently purchased a Tesla Model 3 and are planning on adding a 240V NEMA 14-50 outlet in our detached garage to improve charging speeds.
Tesla's documentation specifies 6 AWG copper wire with 4 conductors (including ground, 2 lines and neutral). Since we have the standard range model vehicle, it can only draw a maximum of 32A from the wall. When we bought the house there already appeared to be 120V electric run to the detached garage via existing conduit. We were hoping to dig a straight trench and run another conduit to house the new wire.
This cover requirements document indicates that it's safe to dig a 18" trench and use 1" PVC conduit directly from the building to the garage. The house panel would be on a 50A breaker. (We have a 200A service). It is my understanding that sheathed cable cannot be used for this type of application, so after some more research I saw a few people recommend using 6/3 THWN wire (with ground).
The estimated length of cable required is about 70ft total, with about 30ft being outdoors.
I'm trying to find a good seller online since most local places are closed and both Home Depot and Lowes don't seem to show exactly what I think I need on their website (Unless I'm not using the right searching terms). Is there anything wrong with my thought process here? Something I am missing? Anything I can do to simplify, lower the cost, or make the setup safer?


texts: York Affinity 9.C gas furnace won't stay lit

texts:
My York Affinity 9.C gas furnace won't sustain ignition. It will turn the blower on, ignite, then after a few seconds it will turn off. This repeats a few times and then it gives up entirely.
This doesn't happen all the time, just most of the time when it seems to be cold and/or wet outside.
Does this seem like a simple sensor that a homeowner can replace or symptom of a bigger issue?
Here's a video that shows the light sequences on the circuit board, you can also hear a couple cycles of the blower and ignition cycling on and off.
https://youtu.be/lU4T2t4o1QE


texts: We just bought a GE window air conditioner.  After installation, we turned it on and found that the compressor runs for 8-10 seconds, then shuts off for 1 minute (fan continues to run).  The instruction manual says this on/off cycle is normal.  But after several hours, the room has not cooled at all from the initial 82 degrees.  It seems that a machine that blows warm air 88-90% of the time will never get our room cooled down.  Is there a way to change this programing, so that our room can get initially cooled off?


texts: Is slower hardening self leveling compound available

texts:
I have a large concrete floor (775 sq. ft.) I need to level.  I did a poor attempt once 10 years ago on another floor and want to do a better job this time.
It seems many products can only be worked/spread for about 5 minutes before setting.  I'm unsure of both my technique and whether I'll have help with mixing.  So it seems it would be good if I could find a product that gives me more wiggle room on spreading.  Are there SLCs that have a somewhat longer workable time, like 10-15 minutes?


texts:
I just took down my light fixture in my bathroom. We have two fixtures for our dual vanity that run off of the same wall switch. When I pulled down the old fixture I noticed that there were two black wires capped with the single black fixture cable. Then there were two whites capped with the single white fixture cable. This made sense because the second cable runs the second fixture. My concern is that the 2 copper exposed wires were previously wired together with the white wires, not capped separately. Is this correct or should I separate the bundle of wires and cap white with white and exposed with exposed?

The breaker that this is connected to has tripped a few times over the years and I am wondering if this may be the reason?


texts: Can a shop vac be used to unclog toilet by putting hose from vac in toilet  (with most of water removed and filter removed from shop vac) to suction  and remove a clog?


texts: Is the fuse correct on my 3-phase circuit?

texts:
Location: Central Europe, voltage between phases: 400V. Voltage between phases and ground / neutral: 230V. Frequency = 50 Hz.
When looking at an old 3 phase 1 ground socket with wiring diameter of 3mm2 I discovered that the safety fuse (old, separate fuse for each phase) used to secure this socket is rated at 40A. The cable is installed in a pipe going through insulated walls. Assuming the 3 phases are used to power a machine the maximum capacity per phase according to Wiring capacity is 20A.
Is this the wrong type of fuse?
Or is the capacity of the wires higher under symmetric load where only minimal current is dissipated through the neutral?
Edit:
Fuse used:


texts: What to do with wires from old outdoor light?

texts: I'm permanently removing an old stair light from a porch.  I've disconnected the fixture but the wires come from the house through a hole in the wall.  So now I have about 2 feet of wire hanging from the wall under the porch. I've put wire nuts on the end but that doesn't seem like a permanent solution. What should I do with it?


texts: Is it common for professional drywallers to tape narrow corners, but not mud over the tape if it's going to be covered with moulding?

texts:
Sorry to spam SE with questions relating to a job done by a company I hired to finish the project in my room, but some things seem very questionable to me.

In the below pics you will see a narrow corner that's just smaller than the width of your average-sized piece of moulding.  As you can see, they taped the corner and even applied what appears to be a partial coat of mud.

My initial thought was that they simply overlooked it due to the tiny amount of area between the door opening and wall.  However, when I addressed this with the superintendent and project manager when they came to my house in response to my complaints about the quality, they replied, "Your moulding will go over that, so they didn't finish that section since it's going to be hidden anyway."  Being the pushover that I am (not that it helps any that I am a novice DIY'er), I bought it.  However, I can't help but think they were just giving me any excuse to keep me from having their crew make another trip out to actually finish it.  Having thought more about it, I wonder why they even taped and partially mudded that narrow section in the first place.  Did I get taken for a complete idiot?

Edit 11/28/2012 No one has yet answered this question or come out and said it, but, judging by the comments section, it seems that everyone's thinking that this area should have been completely finished.  As Matthew also stated, you don't know how wide the moulding is going to be.  By shirlock's comment, if it were a snug fit, no taping would have been needed.  As I understand it, taping is mainly to prevent the cracking of compound between joints (please correct me if I'm wrong) and has nothing to do with structural integrity.  If that's the case, their response of "we only partially finished it because it's going to be covered by moulding anyway" makes no sense since they wouldn't have even needed to put down any tape in the first place.


texts:
I have a dripping mixer tap, and trying to replace the cartridge.

I'm following some google/youtube videos and they say you have to remove a nut then the cartridge will come out.

After removing the tap head and casing there is no nut to remove

It is a brass circular piece with 2 notches, not sure how to remove this, or should it be removed?


texts: What is the difference between heat lamps and infrared space heaters?

texts:
Maybe these are pretty much the same thing. I'm interested in the difference between heat lamps and infrared space heaters, especially as regards

How they are normally used
How they should be used
How energy-efficient they are under various conditions

Thanks!


texts:
I have a carport roof sheathed in plywood (I did not do that part). I am ready to put the underlayment on (Tyvek). If the roof is slightly out of square, what is the best approach or standard?
I would say it's a few inches out of square for whatever reason. I am not sure why the guys who installed the plywood did lots of cutting.
Lay the first strip of Tyvek square, and trim where needed at the eave, then just go from there? Or don't worry about it, because it's just underlayment.


texts: What do I need to do to add stools to my vinyl windows?

texts: I own a "cookie cutter" house built in 2006, and all of the windows are the thin vinyl kind with no trim at all, but I like the look of having a window stool. Is there a standard practice for adding stools to this type of window? Do I need to remove the drywall on the bottom and attach the stool to the frame, or can I just place it on top of the drywall?


texts: Why do my LED shop lights flicker when my compressor turns on?

texts:
I converted my shop to led from fluorescent.These are direct wire no ballast. Ran all new wires in conduit. The compressor is  a 5hp single phase on a 60 amp breaker with 125amp main.

I replaced compressor motor in 09. Compressor I installed in 1977 and has never given me a problem with the lights. I can run the TIG on a/c high frequency with no flutter. Lathe, Milling machine, grinders nothing else has a effect on the lights. I went through every connection double checking neutrals and grounds in the whole shop with no faults.

My other led fixtures are pre assembled don’t have a problem and my standard non converted fluorescent fixtures are ok. I have read about harmonic balance in large compressors but have not found a cure. I have spent a couple of days just rechecking everything but I still have the problem. Can you help?


texts: Fix Kitchen cabinets damaged due to fire

texts: Please can you tell me what is the best way to fix these cabinets damaged due to fire. The right most cabinet has it's laminate peeling off and 3 other doors have some black stains. Is it best to just replace door with matching new doors or can this peeled laminate be removed and re-laminated. Attached are the pictures.


texts:
I am concerned by the size-selection' s installation of an "80A Service-Disconnect" on a 200A uni-pak, to feed the nearly 2,200 square feet modern house with a 5 Tons HVAC central system. Very modern and over-sized appliances including Sub-Zero like refrigerator as well as numerous recessed lights.

The residential work, Southern California, is recently completed by an electric contractor?

The property has a gas-fired tankless water heater, gas stove-Oven appliance.

Does current load calculation for capacity design assumes meeting 70%-80% of the current need, therefore leaving 30%-20% for potential future need, i.e, expansion or load changes need?

Is the 80A size sufficient? it does not look like there is room for expansion, if any is desired in the future.


texts: Shallow Well - want to use for yard watering

texts:
What do I need to use my shallow well to water my garden?
I do have electricity available and a hand pump. Thanks


texts: How to Adjust/Re-square 4' x 4' Concrete Slab

texts:
I have an approximately 4' x 4'concrete slab outside the door to my garage, like a small porch or whatever (see pic).

Over the ~20 years life of the house it has moved, probably along with the dirt, downhill-ish about 6 inches or so.  One can easily see it is not square/centered with the door anymore, and I am looking for ideas as to how to lift or push or roll or whatever it back into, or at least closer to, original position.

The placement and surrounding landscaping make it a challenge to get any kind of hoist into place.  There is a 5"-6" holly tree trunk about 4 ' to right (i.e. not the one partially visible in pic attached) that might used as a brace for a jack approach.

Right now I am looking for suggestions, thoughts, concerns, other relevant discussion.  Thanks...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d8y9lz0qlzbnm0y/2020-04-24%2014.19.08.jpg


texts: Insulate space above ceiling in 3 season room?

texts:
I have a three season room attached to the house, built on a concrete pad.  There is no heat or a/c out to the room.

The ceiling is currently open and I can see the underside of the planked roof.

I'm planning to install some kind of ceiling.  Should the space between the ceiling and underside of the roof be insulated and should there be a moisture barrier?


texts: High temperature aluminum to copper connection

texts:
Summary
120v Oven power wire connector melted and shorted out. Was going to splice the wires together with high temperature wire nut, but found that internal oven power wires are aluminum and the power cord wires are copper. Oven wire sheathing has 150*C temperature rating. What high temperature, aluminum to copper connectors exist?

More Detail
I have a GE model J2B912SEK2SS oven that uses 120v power. Was using the oven when arcing started to occur behind the oven. I unplugged the oven, took off the back plates and found this:
https://imgur.com/a/O9weZOU (scroll down and see all 3 pics)

I read that corrosion just happens over time which increases resistance which increases heat which probably melted the connector. I figured I could just cut that melted connector out and wire-nut the wires together. So I bought some high temp 150*C wire nuts and they finally got here today. I cut the melted connector out, stripped the wires about 7/16", and noticed that the RED oven internal wire (pictured in link above) is aluminum. Power wire is copper. Argh.

Then I started going down the copper+aluminum connector rabbit hole and read about some options that appear are NOT going to work for me:

Purple Wire nuts specifically for aluminum to copper connections. Can't use these because they're only rated to 105*C
AlumiConn connector. Can't use this because it is also only rated to 105*C
Squirt some anti-oxidation paste inside the wire nut -- Don't want to use this because it seems super sketchy. This wire obviously gets hot and from what I've read, aluminum and copper expanding at different rates inside a wire nut is not good.

So I'm reaching out to people smarter than me to figure out what I can do here. I'd like to avoid buying a new oven if possible, but if it means that I don't have to worry about starting my home on fire then maybe I will go that route. Thanks all!

UPDATE

Wire has "3321" written on it, which according to HERE is a "Fully annealed tinned copper, flexible stranding". Which I think is great news! Will I be okay with just a high temperature wire nut, taped up liberally around where it touches the sheet metal?


texts: It is safe to insulate my uninsulated oven?

texts:
I have a Hotpoint gas range. I got it because it has no electronics and will probably last until the bombs fall and the ants and cockroaches take over. It is awesome, and cooks my food as well as any range can be expected to.

However, because apparently ranges with complicated and easily breakable computers are "in" right now, it was a cheap model, and I've discovered that the gas heater for the oven/broiler is totally uninsulated. So a lot of heat leaks into the kitchen, which helps during winter, but hurts during summer. The oven burner is rated at 18,000 BTUs, so it's not an insignificant amount of heat to be adding to the house for a typical one-hour bake cycle.

Therefore, I would like to insulate the burner compartment and the oven. For this, I was thinking about using spare mineral wool insulation that I have left over. This stuff is rated to more than 2,000 degrees and is totally non-combustible. It's about R-4.2 per inch, so I could probably get about R-8 or more in the hollow side panels where insulation pretty clearly goes in the more "high-end" models.

Does this sound sane?


texts: Should I have my contractor redo the underlayment?

texts:
I’m having my roof redone and on the roof where my roofer is going to install standing seam metal roof he put down Winterguard HT fastened with staples (because it was cold so it didn’t stick well).
The installation instructions say:

WinterGuard will not adhere to wet or cold surfaces. For cold weather tack down, use only roofing nails. Under no circumstances should staples be used with WinterGuard products.

I talked to my roofer and he said, “it’s fine, everybody uses staples.”
Should I make him redo it or is it actually fine?


texts:
I have a 16,000 gallon inground pool with a fiberglass finish over a gunnite shell. It has a 8-pop up infloor system which has been disabled, so the popups are the only returns. I have a leak somewhere, without the pump running, but I can't seem to find out where.
I plugged both holes (cleaner and main drain) in the poolside skimmer, and the pool is still leaking at a rate of about an 2 inches a day or more. I patched the hole at the pool light conduit, where the power cord enters the pool (in the niche behind the metal pool light assembly, and replaced the gasket on the pool light assembly. Still leaking.
So, I guess that leaves either a main drain leak, Pressure-side pipe leak, or one or more of the infloor pop ups? Squirted some dye around 3 of the pop ups and saw no movement.  Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks.
A Quick Update
I drained the pool and inspected the bottom/main 'drain'... which is NOT leaking. I dug up the suction-side PVC from the pool to the pump, and noticed a small drip on the bottom of the PVC at a previous repair connection. But it doesn't trip when the pump is running, and it seems too small a leak to be dropping the pool level by an inch (or two) per day. I continue to suspect the leak is coming from one, or more, of the 8 (disabled) pop-up/return ports on the bottom of the pool. Or, at the T connector under the concrete at the pool edge where it hooks up to the suction line that goes to the pump. The pool is an old Master Pool, and I can't find anything online about the pop-up caps or how to remove them. One photo shows the pool level when the leak appears to slow a bit.


texts: How do I fix sunken paver stone at the corners?

texts:
I laid 12" x 12" paver stones for my shed a few years ago. I notice that the corner stones have sunk and the polymeric sand has cracked as well.  I lifted the stones to find that the crushed stones have crumbled as well.  There is no retaining wall because I'm against my fence.
The last row of pavers are against the fence and not much support for the crushed stones to remain compact with heaving.
How can I fix this problem? Do I put more crushed stones, compact it with a tamper and re-lay the stone? Then reapply the polymeric sand for the joints?


texts: Should I sealcoat new (few months) asphalt before winter?

texts:
I've had a brand new asphalt put in earlier this year beginning of May (temperature hovering ~50s, +/-5 degrees change between day and night). The same contractor is recommending to seal coat it before winter, in the fall.

I would like unbiased answer - should I do it? My main concern is that it is going to get very cold quickly around October/November, and snowy shortly after, and it sounds like 'ideal' temperature is above 50 degrees. Also, another worry is that it is too soon and asphalt did not have enough curing time.

If yes, can you recommend a seal coat for new driveway?


texts:
My installer is having to go behind himself and relay the porcelain tiles in my kitchen and dining room. He used Ditra and says that he can reuse what's down there.

Some places have been torn thru the Ditra to the wood. My question is should the Ditra be replaced with new as well?


texts: Is it safe to have a wall wart plugged in to a receptacle in an attic?

texts:
I'm trying to move my router to get better reception through my house. There is a perfect spot just below the ceiling in the middle of my house.

I can run the CAT5 no problem, however, I'm worried about connecting the "wall wart" of the router to an outlet inside the attic.

Is it safe to keep an AC-DC plug in the attic?  What would be the safest way to get power to this router (hopefully not piggy-backing off the attic outlet 5' and cutting a hole in the ceilings for a  recessed outlet haha )?


texts: What should I expect when I tear up carpet? My brother's dogs have stained my carpets with their pee and poop, he also has tracked in grease from his work boots and stained it with tattoo ink. I want to tear up my carpet and do something different on the floor. Was thinking just painting and sealing the concrete and put down some throw rugs. What's easiest for someone who doesn't have a lot of experience in this type of thing?


texts: What size beam do I need, and can I build one from lumber and steel?

texts:
I want to support a 20 ft. span of my roof where two roofs come together. My house is was originally 46'by 20'. A 40'by 12' addition was added, making an L shape, and when they put the beam in they put 2 supports in middle of room that I want to elimanate.

Roof is 2x6 rafters. From top of wall to peak is 32". Was wondering what kind and how big of beam I should put under old beam and be able to support on just the 2 ends, not in the middle.


texts: New exterior line when fixing existing 20 amp

texts:
in our new house, there's a 30 amp RV outlet with an attached standard GFCI outlet on the side powered by a 20 amp breaker. The RV box has been cracked open and the GFCI receptacle is dangling off the side, wires rubbed open. Obviously, it's now off at the panel and I plan on replacing it.

While doing so, I'd like to run a wire back out of the replacement RV box and 20 feet over to a large, currently unwired shed. From what I can tell, I can run bare UF-B wiring at only 12 inches deep, assuming it's <= 20 amp (true), no more than 120 volt (true), and GFCI protected(more on that below). The last part is what I'm not sure of. The panel does not have a GFCI breaker and I'm not sure how it would be possible to introduce GFCI protection on the line to the shed. So that's my question - is it possible to have GFCI protection at the box for the replacement outlet, with the replacement RV receptable, AND INCLUDE GFCI on the line going to the shed?

I would like to be safe and run it 18 inches and in some PVC conduit. I've read various things about condensation, etc, but I can't find anything explicit forbidding this, just that THWN-2 is usually used instead.

Thanks!


texts: How can I mount a TV with widely-spaced studs and weak wallboard?

texts:
I’m renovating an old house and I plan on mounting the 42 inch lcd television over the fireplace. The house studs are mostly on 2 foot centers and are rough cut 2x6. However around the fireplace there is a cripple stud in the center and a stud on each side of the mantle. These studs are around 32 inches apart. The wallboard is old and flimsy so hollow-wall anchors are not an option. At this point I have 2 ideas:

Run 1x4s or 2x4s across all 3 studs and mount the television on that.
Get a single stud mount and hang the tv on the cripple stud in the center. I just feel wary about a single stud mount.

Anyone have experience with this problem? Suggestions? If it matters the fireplace is not usable.


texts:
We recently moved some furniture around in our 100+ year old house, and it's drawn attention to the fact that some of our floors aren't 100% level.  I can't really tell if this is something that's new, or if it's always been a problem but I've never noticed.

Are there tools available for me to track the sagging over a period of time to see if it's getting worse?  I have a level but there's no great way (for me) to track whether the bubble's moved more or less during over a period of time.  My mobile phone as a level app, but I assume that's more for fun that an accurate tool.

Also, if the problem is getting what sort of professional would I want to bring in the assess the problem, and what sort of professional might I need to fix the problem?


texts: What type of bolt has a shoulder portion above and unthreaded region below threads?

texts:
I have a couple Rex folding lounge chairs:

However, during my move one of the bolts connecting the base to the side came loose and was lost. I took out the one from the other side and I've never seen something like it and I'm not sure where to find a replacement. It has larger diameter shoulder portion above the threads and a narrow. unthreaded region below the threads. It's got a low profile slotted pan head. The narrower lower unthreaded region runs up and down in a groove in the leg when the chair folds/unfolds.

Here is a picture of the bolt:

What is this called? Anyone know where to order one?


texts:
Ice maker stopped working.  I replaced the filter, ran 4 gallons water through filter, Rest filter, pushed reset button on ice maker.  Waited 2 days, no ice.  I unplugged the refrigerator for 5 minutes and repeated all previous steps waited 2 days no ice.  The ice maker sounds like it is working but water doesnt come out during the fill process.  I used blow dryer to check if line is frozen even though i didnt see frost or ice build up..help
Oh forgot to mention water works in the door


texts: Water Valve to toilet will not stop water supply

texts: Water valve to toilet will not stop water supply even when valve is shut off. I have opened and closed the valve several times but water continues to be supplied to toilet.


texts: There's a bunch of unshielded copper wire in a light switch - what is it and what does it do?

texts: I was just replacing a faceplate, and noticed that there was a large amount of unshielded copper wire twisted together in the back of the light switch electrical box.  The light switch box is a larger box, containing a single and two three-way switches (3 switches in all).  What is this wire in there for?


texts: Lights not working after replacing blown light bulb

texts:
Room with two recessed lights, each with a 65 watt bulb, controlled by light switch and dimmer. One of the lights blew out and the casing cracked off when I tried to remove it. When I did this the other light went out.

I checked the panel and none of the switches were tripped. So I carefully removed the broken piece from the first light, and then replaced both lights with new bulbs. Turned on the switch and nothing. Check the bulbs in another room to make sure they were good, and they were. Checked the panel again, and still nothing tripped. For good measure I then tripped all the switches in that area of the house, and still nothing.

Any suggestions? Thanks.


texts: Inlet valve to share between faucet and dishwasher

texts: I just realized that my hot water 1/2" copper inlet in the kitchen is terminated with a regular single oulet valve but I do need to share it between the faucet and the adjacent dishwasher. Is there a way to do it without uninstalling the regular fitting with some sort of splitter that mounts on it or do I need to just remove it and install a double outlet fitting?


texts: How should I insulate a poured concrete exterior wall?

texts:
I've recently had to remove existing drywall and insulation in my condo in Ontario. Now I need to finish the walls.

I was thinking of:

Gluing 2-inch Durafoam to the concrete
Putting in the proper framing
Adding 3.5-inch fiberglass batt
Adding a vapor barrier
Drywalling on top of all this

Am I out to lunch? Feel free to make fun of me if I am. Is my method off base? I've been reading stuff about double vapor barriers being bad because there is a cement wall etc.


texts: What should I do about streaks in my finish?

texts:
I just stripped, sanded, stained & then applied fast-drying oil-based polyurethane to my hardwood table. All went well until I sanded the second coat of polyurethane with 220 grit sandpaper. The scratches did not cover with the third coat & streaks are visible.

Should I sand well now with 220 grit sandpaper & apply another couple coats of poly? I hope I don't have to strip it again!


texts: outdoor light fixtures not lighting properly

texts:
I have 2 outdoor wall lights that I noticed do not work.  One does not work at all and the other is extremely dim.  Seemed like a simple light bulb fix but I replaced with 3 different led light bulbs and none worked at all.  I checked my breaker box and gfci switches and seen no issues.
Any ideas?  Thanks


texts: My bedroom light has burned out and I do not know how to replace it, because I do not know how to get this screw thingy off.


texts: Stop heat loss through unused chimney duct

texts:
We had a 10 inch diameter metal chimney duct running from the basement to the roof.  After replacing the furnace with a direct vent one it was no longer used. Cue more renovations and the section on the first floor was removed.  After a new roof was installed that removed the chimney assembly and all we have left is a section hidden behind a wall on the second floor.

Our problem is that there is heat loss going on.  Enough so that snow melts on the roof right under where the old chimney enters the attic.  I went up to the attic and stuffed the chimney duct with fibreglass and tried to cap and seal it but this has only diminished, not removed, the problem.

If I broke through the drywall to expose the only section of chimney duct left on the second floor what is the most efficient way to seal the area after removing the duct?

I could cut out some Styrofoam SM or similar impervious insulation and spray foam around the edges at the top and bottom.

Any suggestions?


texts: Cost to replace "wall of glass" with sliding doors?

texts:
I'm considering buying this house, which is in need of pretty significant renovation.  The one area I can't even ballpark an estimate on replacement cost would be this wall of glass with large sliding glass doors.

What would be a reasonable range of costs to replace these, not using top-of-the line hardware?  I assume thermally broken storefront glass would be appropriate.  Below is an interior and exterior view.  Following these two photos is another fairly expensive looking section without sliding doors.

I'm also pretty clueless about the cost to replace this other "wall of glass."  Again I'd assume thermally broken storefront?  Is ~$10k for this section right?


texts: I'm planning on tiling all of the walls in my master bath.  I'll be using cement backerboards for the shower and surrounds, can I use greenboard for the rest and just tile onto the greenboard directly?  I've not been able to found a clear answer on this.  Thanks.


texts: How to avoid nailheads in stud behind plaster?

texts:
Goal:

I'd like to install a wall mounted shelf system in my bedroom.  It's composed of vertical wood rails that screw into the wall, and then shelves and cabinets are  hung off of the rails.

Background information and reference pictures:

I've already installed a section of the system successfully in my kitchen, which as far as I can tell is drywall- was fairly straightforward to install and I used the plastic drywall anchors that flip up to grip the wall (brand name 'wallclaw'.)

Picture of installation in kitchen drywall shown here:

I am pretty sure that the bedroom where I want to install the remaining shelving is plaster, not drywall.  I've read various advice on how to test this, but I'm still not sure.  (I can insert a thumbtack in the wall, but it takes a little effort.  Can't really tell from tapping the wall and listening.  An inexpensive electronic studfinder has inconsistent results, a magnetic one only sticks in a few places.)

I had previously put a hole in a different wall in the target room, and found wood with a horizontal grain that is 'bouncy'- I'm guessing this is the slats plaster is adhered to and it means the entire room is plaster.

Picture of hole in a different wall in the target room:

I purchased a higher end studfinder (Zircon Metalliscanner m40) and in wide scan mode I seem to have found studs 16" apart.  When I scan vertically in pinpoint mode it seems to find a vertical row of nails- so I'm guessing this is where horizontal slats are nailed to the studs.

Question summary:

Given the evidence above, is the wall plaster, and not drywall?
If it is plaster and I don't want to go into studs, what anchors should I use- I'd like to put books and some heavy objects on the shelves and the weight is distributed between four 70" vertical rails, 32 inches part, with 4 screws in each rail (resulting in 3 "bays" of shelves in between the rails)
If it is indeed plaster and I want to screw into the studs, is the best way to drill a pilot hole then just go all the way through with a wood screw?
Am I correct that this means there are nails or screws throughout the entire height of the stud?  If so, what is the best way to avoid hitting these with the screws when I attempt to screw the rails into the wall?
Anything else I need to worry about, like exposed wires behind the wall? (Plumbing is very unlikely  given the room)
What's the best method to ensure the rails are perfectly parallel to each other and 90 degrees straight up and down?


texts: How do you wire and replace an old bathroom vanity light fixture

texts:
I am replacing a bathroom light fixture in an old condo built in the 70s.  There is armored cable coming into the fixture from the wall.

From my understanding is that I need to do these steps,

1) Install an old work/junction box w/ armored cable connector and attach cable.
2) Attach the three wires (black to black), (white to white), (ground from light fixture to ground in old work box. Is that right and safe?

Do I have to voltage test to make sure my old wires can handle the voltage of the new light fixture wires without starting a fire?

Pardon my ignorance on any of this.  This is my first time doing electrical work.

Am I safe doing this without starting a fire?

Let me know if I am missing any important steps.  Thanks!!!

Work Complete Update - I had to extend the armored cable with an EMT connection and new cable as I couldn't pull cable out of the wall to reach to the newly located floating work box.  No mc flex cable connection available at the stores to extend the cable so a EMT connection was used.

As instructed, tested for ground and also installed anti-short bushings.  Connected wires and connected ground to the ground screws.  Used CFLs to create less heat for the older wires in the walls.


texts:
I have read that pine can begin to yellow very quickly.  I am wanting to use pine as an office desk top and want to prevent this yellowing from occurring.

Would a oil- or water-based sealant be the answer here?
Would a stain help in "masking" the yellowing effect?
What kind of protection is best? I don't know much except that there are different types: polyurethane, shellac and varnish.


texts: thermostat batteries replaced, AC unit won't start

texts:
Came home from work to find no AC. I checked the thermostat and the display was blank. After replacing the batteries and resetting the program, my AC unit never started up.

I checked:
 - The AC unit (Carrier) outside to see if the fans was spinning, but it was not. It does appear to move freely when I pushed/spun it.
 - The breaker downstairs, it was fine. Still I flipped it on-off-on.
 - The tech switch on the side of furnace was on, still I flipped that on-off-on.
 - The fan does come on, but only blows ambient temperature air.
 - When I set the thermostat (White-Rogers) Off, then to Cool. The cool message blinks for a while.
 - I moved the Y wire to the RC terminal, but nothing happens.

I just moved into this house, and AC was working fine for the past 3 months.


texts:
I live in an apartment in NYC, built in 1973.  I'm trying to mount something to the wall which requires two screws placed 5 inches apart vertically.

I used a stud finder to find a vertical stud in the wall (3 inches across), but when I drilled it went in an inch before encountering a hard surface.  Definitely not wood.  I applied pressure and drilled, and it finally "broke through" in a matter of seconds, and it felt like there was nothing behind that.

I tried screwing in a screw, and it gets to the 1 inch point before making a metallic grinding noise --  I'm assuming what I drilled through was some sort of metal plate.  The screw definitely "threads" (if screwed in, it cannot be screwed out), but it's very loose and unable to be tightened.

So, what is this vertical thing behind my drywall?  How can I mount things to it?


texts: If I want to drill a hole for use with an M3 (or other metric size) do I need a special lookup table or do I simply use an M3 bit with an M3 tap?


texts:
I "restored" a bathroom that had had a heavy wall paper that did not come off neatly. I repaired the walls and ceiling and skim coated much of the wall. I also sanded and repainted a shower ceiling. I found numerous recommendations for Zinsser BIN primer and rolled that over all of the prep'ed areas. There were one or two coats on the primer, depending on initial coverage. The primer was allow to dry at least a day. The walls and ceilings were then painted with at least two coats of normal household wall paints.
Three months afterwards, the shower ceiling started cracking and pealing. A year or so later other areas started to do the same. From the chips, it looks its the primer that pealed away, not the paint from the primer.
So, I now have to redo the entire bathroom.
Did I get a bad batch of primer?
Is there a better product to use?

Even in areas that from a distance look good, a closeup reveals that the cracks are everywhere.

And an unrelated question ;-) all of the pictures got rotated 90 degrees when I uploaded them. Is that normal here?


texts:
I ordered the wood for my staircase and now I need to decide on which product to use.

Some people recomened polyurethane or some water base resin, but I don't like that (I think it might crack and/or scratch).

Apart from that there are some varnishes available that are meant to protect from sun/water with guarantee of 3-5 years.

I'm also considering using some kind of oil/wax, but in Brazil finish oils are hard to come by. I think that I might find mineral oil, carnauba wax and bee wax.

The wood I'm using is rated at about 1750 pounds-force on the Janka scale, should I be worried about the wood getting damaged by constant walking?


texts: Hose Bib still leaks even after replacing washer

texts: I have fixed many leaky hose bib faucets over the years by removing the stem & replacing the bad washer.  I just finished replacing the worn out washer for a leaky hose bib, but when I put the stem back in, the bib still leaks.  Any ideas what I should do next?


texts:
I have dug out the rough patio shape down to the required depth. Not sure of one thing, should I inset the patio some measurement from the rough edge or can I lay the patio up against the rough edge? Accounting for square of course.

I'm asking because I don't know if I need to account for paver edging or if the edging can be placed on the outside of the rough area. Also, not sure if patios expand and contract so perhaps this may be another reason to give it some "breathing space."

Thanks!


texts: I do have a lot of ice and snow on the roof should I install an ice melting cables

texts: I don't have ice damming but do have a lot of ice and snow on the roof should I install a ice melting cables?


texts: Vent-free fireplace flame control/color doesn't seem right

texts:
I have a Superior VRL4543 vent-free fireplace. For the most part it seems to be doing its job and not acting up. However, it doesn't seem to be performing as-advertised.
From manufacturer's website
The description on the site explicitly states the following:

Dancing yellow flames
Six flame settings for precise heat control

This is what is pictured:

As-Installed
Our flames are very very blue (slightly orange tips). Definitely not yellow or anything near the picture. Additionally, the "Six flame settings consist of an "A" and a "B" setting on the remote. "A" goes from 1-7, "B" goes from 1-3. Regardless of changes to "A" or "B" they seem to have no effect (or so little that you can't actually distinguish the difference).
The manual is little/no help and the "contact us" on the website says to get in touch with a dealer. Getting in contact with my dealer has given little/no help and when they came out to look at it basically just added the "embers" and left. This picture is about the most orange/yellow the flames have ever been.

The manual also displays a danger warning about "yellow-tipping" as dangerous and giving off increased levels of CO. However, it states "! If you see this, turn it off and see troubleshooting on page X". Page X is indeed the troubleshooting section and doesn't mention a single thing about "yellow-tipping" or the color of the flames at all.
Is this right? Am I missing something here? There a setting off someplace?
Location: USA - AR.


texts: I am in the process of repairing PVC pipe, which was broken due to freezing. I'll be connecting the PVC pipe to a metal check valve.  Should I use Teflon tape or pipe dope when connecting PVC to metal?


texts: Will a locksmith prefer to install a handle on a door that is hung or laying flat on horses?

texts:
I have several hardwood doors that will need to have door handles and latches installed. Currently the doors are unhung and laying on saw horses (for sanding and painting).

Will the locksmith prefer to install the handles with the doors laying horizontal like this, or will he prefer that the doors be hung?