texts: Why is my Sterling three handle shower tub faucet leaking?

texts:
I have a three handle shower tub faucet that has leaked for years. I replaced the stems last year, but recently learned that the stems the hardware store gave me to use were the wrong ones. I brought in the original, and being a novice I was under the impression that the associates working there had the knowledge to give me the proper replacement parts. Against my better judgement I used the Price Pfister stem replacements that were given to me by the sales associate. It started to leak shortly after and washers have since been replaced twice.

There was a leak on the main water shut off, and since the water had to be shut off for the repair, I decided to go ahead and replace the washers, or rebuild, whatever it would take to stop the leak. Since there was issues with the diverter, I decided to go ahead and rebuild or replace that too. That was when I realized my gut feeling was correct, and the stems were not the correct ones. Before I went to the hardware store, I went online and cross referenced images and descriptions of older faucets and the diverter. I found out the original parts were/are Sterling.

Beings Sterling is no longer manufacturing these faucets, I had to find either an after market repair/replacement kit or find somewhere that still has the parts. I prefer OEM, and found a plumbing supply that carry Sterling parts. Since I no longer have the original stems, all I had to go on was the diverter and the original seats.

Knowing how important it is to have the seats in good shape, I chose to replace the old ones. I cleaned up the inside of the manifold as much as I was able. It didn't appear to be stripped or gouged in any way. I used a plumbers brush to clear any debris that may be left, and blew it out.

I purchased all 3 new seats,  H/C stems with original washers, new diverter stem and washers, and all the trim.

I sprayed a little silicone spray on the seats, put on single layer of Teflon tape on all the stems, and carefully inserted and tighten. I made sure the stems and bonnets were tight, but was careful not to over tighten them.
After everything was in it's place, I turned on the water and it leaked. Something did, but wasn't sure what. It was a small leak, but no leak is acceptable, especially living in So Cal, where we are in a drought.

I have tried everything I know to stop the leak...I've changed washers, trying different styles in hopes one may better cover the seat, if there is possible issues there, I've put a single layer of Teflon tape on all threads, I've silicone sprayed every part, and done it without each. I have kept the openings in the manifold clear of any possible debris, although there has never been any found as of yet. It doesn't appear to have been crossed threaded from the prior install of the improper stems, but I could be mistaking or just not seeing it. I have looked at the threads of each stem every time I have taken it back out to see if there was any particularly unusual scratches or change in the threads and I have seen nothing.

I am at wits end...I can't stand this leak, and it just plain puzzles the heck out of me.
Is there ANY tricks someone can suggest? ANY suggestions, short of replacing the entire faucet, would be so appreciated. Like most homes built in the late 50's early 60's, the tub is tiled and re-doing it is not viable option right now.


texts: Laziest/Quickest way to smooth a wood-grain-textured door?

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We have some ultra-cheap hollow-core doors in our upstairs. They aren't real wood but this synthetic laminate with a raised wood-grain texture. Ugly things.

But, I'm cheap, and am trying to salvage them with paint before I throw in the towel and buy new ones. Any suggestions on the quickest way to smooth them down?

My first thought was to glop up on a thick coat of primer with a roller, let dry, sand (removing the primer from the raised part) then add a second coat, sand, then paint. Viable theory? Would a few coats of primer be enough to fill in a raised texture like that?

I was also thinking skim coating it with plaster, but I don't think the plaster would adhere to the plastic laminate surface. Plus, that sounds like more work that I wanted to invest in these things.


texts: Can you always use the Chassis as a HVAC C-wire contact point?

texts: I am new so can't add comments to existing posts it seems, but in searching for an answer I found Tester101 suggested attaching to the chassis. I had come to the same conclusion but wasn't willing to risk it without first researching it a bit more. In the end, I did that and it works. However out of over a dozen articles about the C wire that I read it was only here that it was suggested and it happens to be about my specific brand/model. So this makes me want to ask the next logical question. Can you assume that on any unit the C (Common) wire connection can be achieved by connecting to the chassis? Or is that a unit specific solution in my case?


texts: Dishwasher heating element knocked through tub

texts:
I recently noticed a leak coming from my dishwasher (Frigidaire
FGID2466QF4A), which appeared to be coming from the heating element nut; it was pretty corroded and had split.  I replaced that nut, but then found that the heating element itself was pushed through the dishwasher tub, so that water continues to leak through.  If I push the element and gasket back up through the tub where they belong, it does seal properly, but eventually something bumps the element and knocks it through again, at which point I essentially just have a hole in the bottom of the dishwasher.

It looks like there is some damage around the hole that the element sits in - I'm guessing that it's just enough to let the element through.  Would replacing the heating element help at all here - or would the tub itself need to be replaced?  Thanks!


texts: How do I remove the top sash of a medium size new double glazed window?

texts: How do I remove the top sash of my new double glazed window to wash the outside (while remaining inside the house). I was able to lift the bottom and lean it inside the room and thoroughly clean it then push it back into place. I can not see how to pull the top section inside to wash it. (not possible to wash it outside, prickly bushes and I wouldn't know how to remove the tall screen).


texts: What are these thin boards resting on interior wall top plate for?

texts:
I am trying to figure out what these two thin (1x4?) boards being used for in my attic. As you can see in the second picture, they are running parallel to the roof trusses, and on top of the interior wall I am planning on taking out. My first thought is that they are being used to support the ceiling drywall together where two pieces join? If so, what will happen if I remove the interior wall that is supporting these two boards. What can I do to prevent the drywall from falling?

These two boards run the entire length of the top plate, parallel to the wall and roof trusses.


texts: I am currently insulating my rim joists with rigid foam board, then spraying great stuff around the edges. However, there is one rim joist that will be too difficult to get the foam board into because of a steel I-beam.  Would it be a bad idea to spray just this one rim joist with a lot of great stuff?


texts: Should I mount brackets to the wall or the shelves first?

texts:
I've planning to mount some shelves using these IKEA Lerberg brackets

Should I mount them to the wall or the shelf first?


texts:
I have a 3 foot deep sump approximately 16 inches in diameter in my basement.  Recently I had a flood due to the vibration of the pump moving it so that the float caught on the side of the sump.

On doing some reading while the tethered ball is a fairly reliable system, this is a well known problem.

I would like to replace the ball with a sensor with no moving parts.

The ideal sensor/controller:

Has no moving parts at all.
Is totally unaffected by crud, corrosion
Can control a 1/4 to 1/2 HP pump.
Is self diagnostic.
Has an alarm.
Doesn't cost the earth.

The simplest way I can see to do this would be with an ultrasonic range detector operating in a section of pipe with open bottom place in the sump. (This eliminates odd ball reflections from the sump pump and the backup sump pump.) Once every N seconds it pings the water level, and at L(bottom) turns off the pump at L(start) turns on the pump, and at L(alarm) attempts to wake the dead.

One implementation of this is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pN6AZyQq48

However it's not in production.

I have found ways to do this with an Ardino and a ultrasonic generator/detector, but I would rather pay for a solid canned solution, not being confident that a home rolled circuit would be sufficiently robust.

In response to comments below:

"Fix it so that the ball cannot get caught"

The sump right now has two pumps in it:  The main pump, and an auxilary battery operated pump above it in the event of a power loss. (It's happened...)  The battery has the capacity to run a couple dozen pump cycles.  It's on a smart charger.

The present configuration has worked for two years with no problems.  Then the float got caught.  Merely touching the riser pipe freed it.  I didn't see the float move (to dark to see it at all) so it may have been a bad contact somewhere.  Right now I don't know the failure mode.

However, you do have a good idea:  There are steps I could take to keep the pump from shifting.

One sure way to make the float less likely to catch is to shorten the tether.  At present the pump cycles on for 25 seconds.  I would prefer to have a longer cycle.  I considered a lower capacity pump

Re: Caged floats.  I will check into that.  The problem I've seen with the old style float on a rod operating a mechanical switch was that the switch would fail, or the rod would corrode and no longer move.  So far the only caged switch I've found (Basement Watchdog) have very short travel -- about 4-5 inches.  I'd like to have 16-24 inches to reduce the number of cycles per hour.  (In spring during snow melt, it can cycle once every 90 seconds)

I would also like some form of alarm if the pump doesn't operate.  The ones I've tried are not audible from the main floor.  My workaround at present is a pair of wires soldered to the text circuit on a smoke alarm, with the wires hanging free in the sump.  Inelegant.


texts: Hill side soil erosion control around deck

texts:
I've got a fairly large deck that sits, in part, on a hillside. Over the past years the soil is eroding away such that I'm getting worried about the outermost posts. I know I need to put a good amount of dirt back onto the hill side to build it back up. It probably needs to be done in stages too in order for it to settle properly before doing hardscape. The question is how to prevent the erosion from happening again. One challenge is that the base of the hillside is a seasonal creek that flows in the winter. The water doesn't come up the hill very far and it doesn't "flow" against the hill; more so just rests against it. But if you were to build a retaining wall all the way at the base of the hill, it would be exposed to the creek flow. Looking at the picture

The area is almost in shade the entire day and it's under a eucalyptus tree which dumps all kinds of crap around it so getting things to grow is difficult. I think the best thing to do would be to build a terraced retaining wall starting at the base of the hill back up. That'd be a large and expensive project so I'm not super excited about that option.

My latest idea would be to rebuild the hillside with fill dirt and then dump some 4"-6" gabion granite stones on top of the entire hillside. I'm talking the loose stones, not the cages with rocks you commonly see. I still worry those 4-6" stones are not large enough to stay put. So maybe I need bigger stones? My idea is based off of what I've seen around the edges of rivers and lakes sometimes. Is the stone idea going to work? Any suggestions/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Please ignore the square pavers in the photos. I know they will do absolutely nothing to help.


texts: Should I extend my house upward or knock down and build from scratch?

texts: I want to expand my house upwards by adding another 1000ft2 level.  I'm told that knocking the house down and build from scratch would be easier than dealing with all the issues.  In my area I've been told construction costs 200/ft2 which would be rather expensive for a new 2000 ft2 house.  What do people think?


texts: Will changing 1/2" PEX from Main Line to 3/4" PEX increase flow to Sprinkler Heads

texts:
Not sure the question reflects my question properly, but let me try and clarify:

Under my house (crawl space), I see where the 3/4" (cold) water line splits off into 3 directions to my outdoor water spigots.  Each line that comes off the 3/4" line is 1/2" Pex and runs from 15' to 25' to the spigots.  I am currently running between 75 and 90 PSI.

My issue is this; I had run Rain Bird 1/2" Swing Pipe from the spigots to my sprinkler heads (which are also split off using Melnor Sprinkler Timers) and the sprinkler heads farthest from the spigot have little to no output. I won't say pressure as pressure well, is pressure...

In one case, I have 5 sprinkler heads (on one line) within a few feet of the spigot (of which the PEX 1/2" pipe is roughly 15' to the 3/4" line under the house), and I get great output.

In another case, I have 4 sprinkler heads where the 1/2" Swing Pipe runs roughly 100' and I get very little output.

Since, again, pressure is pressure, I'm wondering if better flow is the answer.

If I change the 1/2" PEX under the house to 3/4" PEX coming from the main line (as described above), would this extra flow help to give me the output I'm looking for still using the 1/2" Swing Pipe to the 4 sprinkler heads, which are 100' from the spigot?

Sorry if this sounds confusing.  If needed, I'll draw up a schematic and attach later on.

Thank you in advance to those who can answer this puzzle for me...


texts:
Experiencing some very strange behaviour in a 3 way switch.
The 3 way switch in question controls the hallway light in my upstairs.  There is one switch at each end of the hall and a single LED 5” round light from Home Depot in the middle of the hall.  I installed the light about 5 years ago and it has worked fine until last week.  I hit the switch at one end and the light didn’t come on.  Naturally I flipped it a bunch of times and still nothing.  Cant remember if I tired the other switch at the time or what position I left the switch in.  Fast forward a few hours and now the light is working again.  I assumed the light was on the way out, I wasn’t happy but wasn’t too surprised. However, now I have noticed that the positioning of the 3 ways switches has changed.  Before this happened, when the light was off the switches would be in opposite positions.  When on, both would be in the same position.  Now just the opposite is happening.  When off, the switches are in the same position and in opposite positions when on.  My wife confirms I am not crazy and this has in fact flipped.  Can someone help me understand how this is possible? I have not touched the switches or light since install 5 years ago, haven’t added any circuits, nothing. House is 15 years old, near Toronto Canada. I have 2 young kids in the house so safety is a huge concern.
Thanks


texts: Grounding requirement for 24vdc off grid lighting system

texts: We are a sign company and our client wants his new illuminated (LED) ground sign to be powered by solar with battery storage.  We have it all spec'd out but I want to make sure I'm following code but I can't find this answer.  Does this 24vdc, off grid, system need to be earth grounded?  It will have a 185 watt PV array and 2 batteries.  If I don't have to I don't want to bury a ground rod 6 feet down.  VERY difficult for us for this little project.  Thanks.


texts: Motion sensor activates for no apparent reason

texts:
I've been looking at some of the other questions about sensors, but I can't find a solution to my problem.

I have a movement sensor (PIR i presume) that turns on a light when movement is detected.
Annoyingly it turns on without reason; even when noone is in the house.
it is a dome sensor, located in the ceiling, at about 30cm from the light it turns on; I have put some black tape to obscure 50% of the sensor.  it's located near 3 doors that are generally closed.  There is absolutely no movement near.

what can trigger a PIR sensor aside movement?
Can I somehow fix this?


texts: What are the proper tools / technique to cut ceiling tiles?

texts: I am planning to replace acoustic ceiling tiles: some will need to be custom cut.  The material is reminiscent of press-board and seems somewhat brittle.  What is the proper tool(s) and technique (if any) to cut the material to required dimensions?


texts:
This may be a stupid question, but we recently installed a 17k gallon pool and used our well to fill it. Our water from the well to the house is now cloudy. It doesn't taste bad, just cloudy. I am assuming this may be normal and some sediment may have been disturbed because of the constant pumping. Our water was only cloudy once before and that is when we had it installed 3 years ago.

I wanted to use a water service, but it was cost prohibitive considering how far we live from the services.


texts: Best way to keep a PEX run in an attic (above a foyer) from freezing?

texts:
I plan on running PEX pipes both hot and cold across 16 feet of unheated attic space above a foyer. The foyer is 16' long and is off the kitchen, it isn't heated directly but is part of the house; it is usually colder than the rest of the house, mostly due to the cat door and slider the dogs go in and out of. There is insulation along the ceiling, underneath where I will be running the pipes.

What is the best way to keep the pipes from freezing?  Would an insulation pipe jacket be enough to keep the water in it from freezing or should I also run a long heating cable? I also considered insulating along the roof but it is a tight crawlspace and not much room in there to work. This is in New England so some days it gets pretty cold.


texts: Will sealing ceiling with foil paper introduce any problems?

texts:
At some point I’m going to paint or shellac then paint this ceiling.  I’ve covered the cause of the peeling in another question so please don’t worry about that - it’s because of humidity due to not using the extractor fan.
Until I do the repair, would there be any problem if removed all the current paint then covered the ceiling with foil paper and taped it up with painters masking tape to temporarily hold the plaster smell in?
Or might this damage the ceiling in any way so it’s best not to?  I don’t really shower there at the moment so condensation isn’t a problem plus extractor fan is on.


texts: Electric GE Dryer heating while turned off

texts:
I have a GE electric dryer that came with the house and as I was sliding it to the side I could feel a good amount of heat coming out of the back and top. I opened the dryer and the inside of the drum didn't seem warm. There dryer hasn't been used in the last 18 hours.
I took it apart, removing the top, front, and drum and I can't tell if this broken heating element coil that is touching the back of the dryer is heating up the backing which is making the dryer hot, but this doesn't make sense since it hasn't been used in the last 18 hours. Also this broken coil is not wired to the motor while the other one is. When I unplugged the dryer it cooled down pretty quickly.
Is it another part of the heating unit that could be broken keeping it turned on and heating? How could I tell if so?


texts: My light fixture made in China says use only 60volt 60W AC bulbs

texts: What does the voltage of the fixture mean?  Can I put a 120V 60 watt equivalent LCD  bulb in it?  The fixture has a label saying only use 60 volt 60 watt ac bulb.  This is a new fixture I had put in a couple years ago by two electricians.


texts: Why was a light fixture installed with dry wall anchors?

texts:
I came home to a light fixture hanging off the wall today. The light was never attached to the electrical box, instead it was installed with drywall anchors to the edge of the drywall against the box. The drywall was covered with caulk and big pieces of it (caulk) came out with the anchors.

My question is why would someone do this? Is there a reason why you would not install the light to the box? I would think the drywall anchors would be more work than just screwing it into the box.


texts: Can I install two bathroom exhaust vents (adjacent bathrooms) on the same circuit but with each having their own switch?


texts: Do They Make Two-Panel "Barn Door" Interior Doors, with Both Panels Sliding to One Side?

texts:
I have a closet that contains my washer and dryer, with a 60" wide x 80" high opening. Right now, that closet has bi-fold doors, but they are in poor shape, and I am looking to replace them.

The closet is in a hallway, not a room, and with the bi-fold doors open, they block a good chunk of the hallway width. So, I was interested in perhaps switching to "barn door" style interior doors.

However, I only have 30" space on the left and 8" space on the right before I encounter other doors. The two-panel barn doors that I have seen open one panel to each side on a single track. That would block another door on the right when the right-side panel is open.

Do they make this style of door, where via two tracks (or some other system) both panels open to one side? If so, then perhaps I could rig up two 30"x80" panels and a ~90" track, where both panels could slide to the left. This would not interfere with any other doors, and I could have the full 60" opening available (or thereabouts).


texts: How to find source of leak in heating pipes under concrete / glued floors?

texts:
Update 2021.01.11
In case this helps anyone - I was able to trace the leak and make the repair in the end. Steps were this:

Locate leak as closely as possible by isolating areas of the heating system as suggested below. Fortunately I already had to isolation values that separate the upstairs from the downstairs. With the valves closed, I confirmed that the pressure leak was still present, confirming the leak was downstairs.

I next bought a thermal camera attachment for my phone and a cheap borescope. The thermal camera was useless for this task. It was not the x-ray vision I’d hoped for. As soon as the source of heat is any distance behind another object, the heat dissipates quickly. I could see the warmth from the heating pipes under the floor, but there’s no way it was going to make a leak this size obvious. Maybe where the leak is closer to the surface (like underfloor heating) this could be useful.

Next I tried the borescope. This was a hit. I was wary of drilling holes blindly into the floor, fortunately there was some space by some down pipes going under a suspended wooden floor. Even more fortunately, many of the heating pipe connections were close to these down pipes. Even more fortunate than that, I was able to move this non-articulated borescope around in such a way that I got a visual on the leak.

Next I used some old photos of when I was laying the floor along with the pictures I got from the borescope to workout what part of the floor the leaking connection was under (counting joists etc).

With a good idea of where the joint was I used a hammer to tap and locate the joists under the floor.

I then cut a hatch out with a circular saw (having drilled a pilot hole to ascertain cut depth), and used an oscillating multi-tool to help get nice(ish) corners to the cut. It wasn’t as clean a job as I hoped though and the piece of floor I pulled out had to be thrown away.

The plumbing fix was easy, just replaced a plastic push-fit joint that had not apparently been done up properly.

To complete the hatch, I used some sheets of ply to make up the depth and some of the engineered oak boards I had from the original job, and got some trim for the inner and outer edging.

I have an issue where the pressure on my boiler is dropping to zero after re-pressurising over a period of about 15 minutes. The Heating Engineer(s) that have visited under a home emergency insurance scheme that I have have tried replacing pressure release valve (PRV) and have concluded that the leak must be in the pipes elsewhere in the heating system (which is not their problem as the policy only covers the boiler it's self).
There is no obvious escape of water, which makes me think that the source may be on my ground floor beneath a concrete floor in my kitchen or underneath a glued engineered oak floor in the other two downstairs rooms. Also, after shutting off isolation valves that isolate the bottom and second floor heating pipes, the pressure continues to drop.
I have used a thermal camera with the heating running to try and find the source of the leak, but as soon as the pipework goes below the floor, all that can be seen is vague blurred areas of warmth where the pipes follow under the floor.
I think I can hear water running, when I put my ear close to a vent in the glued wooden floor near some pipework. It sounds like water running not in a pipe, so the issue could well be there but it's impossible to be sure. The system is getting a lot of air in it, presumably because of the leak which is causing some extra noise.
I have tried using an endoscope around the vent area of the floor but there is no clear path to give me a good look around under there.
What are my options for determining the source of this leak? Is there a way I can avoid pulling up parts of my floors or using a specialist leak detection team?


texts: Why don't segmental retaining walls need any piers or anchoring below grade?

texts:
I have built two soldier pile retaining walls (where you slot the boards between I-Beams you sink into the ground) with good success - but that success was due to:

sinking the piles at least their above ground height (ie. 5 feet above and 5 feet below)
very generous "deadmen" going backwards under the retained material

But now ... we have a much bigger wall to build - 80 feet long and running from 4 feet tall out to a corner that is 12-13 feet tall.  Soil samples show 8 feet of "creeping" soils and our wall engineers tell us they want us 9 feet PAST the creeping, so a 12 foot corner requires a 12+17 (let's call it 30) foot H beam.  And that's just one of them ...

So that's getting really expensive and complicated and the engineering firm said to just forget the soldier pile wall and switch to a segmental retaining wall - just the plain old versa-lock pre-fab blocks that everyone uses (although we'll probably use "big blocks" that are 200-500 pounds each ...

My question is this:

Apparently a segmental retaining wall is placed right on grade.  As simple as that.  You just level your grade and start stacking.

That sounds great, but I don't understand how that can be that simple ... if we have creeping soils and we need to go 9 feet past them and everyone (including myself) is scared to death of not drilling pier holes deep enough ... how can we go from that to just tossing them right on grade and calling it a day ?

Why won't the grade move just like the creeping soils move ?  Why won't the combined weight of all that wall (which will probably be canted backward 10-15 degrees ?) push the soil underneath down and out ?

What am I missing here ?  When we switch to building with concrete legos, basically, why do we suddenly not care at all about the dirt underneath the wall ?

Thank you.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Duplex Outlet's Max Amperage Rated by Socket or by Whole Unit?

If you have a duplex outlet thats rated for lets say 20 amps, is the whole unit rated for 20 amps, or is each socket rated for 20 amps?


texts:
I need to re-hang a sagging door (actually several).  I've seen this question and answer, but wonder if my situation doesn't call for something a bit different.  My issues: 1) its a heavy fire-door with a door-closer.  2) It is currently hanging completely on the door jamb.  3) Each hinge has 4 screw holes.  2 screws probably won't be able to bite the stud no matter what I do.  For the other two screws I could probably get a minimum of 1/4-3/8 in clearance away from the edge of the stud if I angle the screws slightly.

I'm wondering if I'm just better off using machine screws with washers and nuts.  I'm grateful for any advice.


texts: Cloudy hot water out of 1 sink in the whole house

texts:
There is one sink in our house that when you turn on hot water the water comes out very cloudy.  It is in a upstairs bathroom and it is part of a double sink, the other works fine.  Picture of the water below.

Also the hot and cold water handles are hard to turn, what could cause that?

The water flow is weak compared to the other sinks, does the faucet need replacing?

What causes the cloudy water (if the water stays in the cup, it does clear up)?


texts: What is the recommended thinset when tiling over concrete?

texts: I am about to start tiling a concrete area of my home about 220 sq feet. I was wondering if there is any specific type of thinset I should be using for a concrete surface. The tiles will be 12x12" ceramic tiles.


texts: Replacing old windows - how to make vapor barrier?

texts:
I'm replacing a couple windows in an 80 year old house.  Not surprisingly, there is no house wrap or any kind of vapor barrier.  It's 2x4 studs with 1/2" tongue and groove wood siding on the inside, and 3/4" tongue and groove wood siding on the outside.  I don't see any moisture damage in here.  What is the correct way to deal with this?  It seems kind of pointless to buy flashing tape and seal the window to the studs only...

I live in Southern California, averaging 18 inches of rain per year.


texts:
Refinishing my kitchen table. The process so far: strip, sand (progressively moving through the grits), condition, stain, finish, sand,'finish again.
Any ideas as to why a coat of Oil-based polyurethane is separating in small circles within a few minutes after its applied? I've sanded and resanded, and if anything it's getting worse. Once the coat dries, there are several small "holes" or "divets" where the polyurethane didn't take and instead, crawled away from those spots.
What did I do wrong? I didn't notice the separating with the first coat of finish, but with the following coats. Is there any way to fix this?


texts: Ceiling fan electrical box missing female screw holes

texts:
I have an existing electrical box that appears to support ceiling fan installation but it is missing the 2 female screw holes I'm used to finding in these boxes.

Is there some sort of intermediate piece that attaches to the two existing post screws?  I cannot find any brand or model information in the interior.


texts: Could a loose connection be causing my ceiling fan to work intermittently?

texts:
The fan and light will turn on then off then on, etc.  Sometimes it will last a few seconds and other times minutes.
Is it just a loose connection?


texts: How to measure the nut size that goes on screw?

texts:
I recently bought a toilet seat and the seat holder on one side loses over time making it loose from one side while another side is tight. I realised I was missing one these  and hex Nut to fight it. I was wondering if the holder is loose because of the following

Hex nut too tight it
The displayed cover to cover the hex nut

I am new at this and wanted to find out about how do I determine the nut sizes? As the one I tried on the screw are too big or small. I am a layman at DIY so what is the best way to determine which nut goes on the screw? and if the attached image of the cover is needed or optional?


texts: How can I add additional lighting fixtures to an existing 3-way circuit?

texts: I have a light on a pair of 3 way switches.  I want to add 5 recessed cans to that circuit.  It is currently set up with power at the light fixture and 14/3 wires ran from the fixture to both switches. Can I tie the other fixtures into this setup using 14/2 and running my wires parallel?  If not, what would be a suggested way of doing it?


texts: Is masking tape left inside electrical boxes a safety concern?

texts: Recently I replaced all of my outlets and some of my switches in my apartment. On many of them, I used masking tape or painter's tape exclusively to identify wires (but never as insulation). I left the tape on the wires on the newly installed outlets and switches. Is this dangerous? Should I open up all my outlets and switches to remove all this tape?


texts: Toilet Flush Valve does not always re-seat

texts:
An older toilet's flush valve does not always (approximately one in ten flushes) does not seat after flushing.  The remedy is to gently jiggle the handle so that it seats and it immediately creates a proper seal.

This was not a problem until 2 months after the valve and chain was replaced.  It worked perfectly for the first 2 months.  Is there a common failure-mode that causes this problem.  No chlorine is used in the tank reservoir.


texts: Will an old oak tree close to my house cause problems?

texts:
I'm considering buying a 45 year old house. The house is in good condition, and has a big old oak tree 15 or 20 feet from the back of the house. It's a beautiful tree, clearly as old as the house, but I'm concerned the proximity of the tree could threaten the house foundation or lead to roach infestations. Will this tree cause trouble?

The house is in the southeastern United States. Of course I'd get a home inspection before buying, but I'm too curious to wait.


texts: I just moved into an apartment with a row of loose wood planks along a central walkway. I'm only going to be here a few months, but I'd like to secure them somehow. Unfortunately for me, this house is in Brazil. Typical hardware stores like Lowe's or Home Depot are nowhere to be found and I don't speak the language well enough to have a conversation with a local hardware guy. There are plenty of Mom & Pop shops around with screws and wood shims, but I only have a very basic set of tools with me (an advanced utility knife). What are some methods to secure the wood blocks but not damage my feet when I walk over them?


texts: What materials can be used for moving shower walls?

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I am currently thinking about a good shower solution for a very small, very old flat. As it is so small and in the top floor (hence: problems with the pitch of the roof, like on this image) I cannot use any standard shower cabins. So I think about building the shower cabin partly by myself.

I imagine two big glass plates, where one is at a fixed position (200cm x 80cm) and the other one is able to move (200cm x 90cm, where a corner is removed because of the roof).

However, I worry because a 200cm x 90cm glass plate is very heavy. I am not a craftsman and I think more can go wrong when you have to deal with that weight.

Hence my question: Is there any other material besides glass that I can use for such a movable shower wall?

I thought about acrylic glass or other plastic. What are the disadvantages of those materials? How do you cut a streight edge of the [whatever you suggest]?

This is my bathroom (its also the kitchen ... :-/):


texts:
Well I'm sure this had been covered over and over. I could not find the formula I seek. I'm building a storage room in the back of a large steel building on my property and I was thinking I'd use the roof of my storage cube as place to put pallets and store junk. Nothing heavy I'd say no more that 300 pounds per pallet so that's about  300 every 4' squared I'm not sure of the span yet I plan to sheath it with osb prob 1/2 but what I'm looking for is a formula I can use something like
 A 2x4 frame spanning 10' with joist spaced at 16' will support =

A 2x4 frame spanning 15' with joist spaced at 16' will support =

A 2x6 frame spanning 10' with joist spaced at 16' will support =

A 2x6 frame spanning 15' with joist spaced at 16' will support =

And so on

Think anyone can help me out?


texts: 8500 W generator with L14-30 plug.. How to access full capacity for house?

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As an emergency generator I purchased a Wpro8500 from Westinghouse. My house has a transfer switch and the wiring supports 240V 50A. The generator has a few outputs, but the 240V is a 30A. This limits the total power to 7200 watts. The generator is rated 8500 running, with 11500 starting power. It seems that the way it is engineered, you can access the full power only by using multiple outlets. (eg. 1 - 120v 20A and 1 - 120/240V 30A).

Can I access the full power by connecting the 240V outlet to the house transfer switch, and connecting a 120v outlet to an outside, regular outlet (wired for 20A)?

My thinking is: Since the transfer switch is engaged, there would be no backfeeding to the grid and because the electricity is coming from the same source, this would act as a parallel source.


texts: Is it safe to re-use drill holes in a wall?

texts: I've just mounted a 42" TV with a new wall mount that uses 3/16" bolts into some studs on the wall.  I now want to use an articulating one, which means I'll need to replace the old mount.  The new mount also uses the same size bolts.  Is it safe to re-use the holes from the old mount with the new mount, or should I drill new ones?


texts:
I know "A" is a load bearing wall.
"B"  may/may not be load bearing.  Correct?
What about "C"?  I want to take that wall down.  Can I safety assume non-load bearing?
Edit1:  Horizontal lines are the joists.
Edit2:  Empty attic is all that is above.


texts: Do they make AC power meters that measures average, min and max watts used?

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Possible Duplicate:
  Is there a wall outlet power meter that I can interface with from a computer?

Is anyone familiar with an AC power meter that I can get the min, max and average watts used while it is running?  I've seen a few meters for purchase, but they seem to only report the current usage, and don't store any history.

I see this other question Is there a wall outlet power meter that I can interface with from a computer? that has one that reports to a computer, so that looks like a viable choice, but if there are any cheaper ones that will give me this information, I'm interested in those as well


texts: What prevents the water from flowing in a 13mm garden hose?

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I'm harvesting rainwater with this kind of device:

The same shop was also selling a rather expensive, clear, wide (maybe a diameter of 4cm) (like 200€+ for 25m) hose designed to work with it.

So instead of buying it, I decided to give it a try with what I had already: a cheap 13mm/15mm green, opaque garden hose.

The cistern where the water is flowing to is lower than the collection point, but still it doesn't work. I would like to know why.

Meanwhile, I kinda solved the problem by adding a 120L barrel just next to the collection point, and I drilled a hole and put a tap at the bottom of this barrel and plugged the 13mm hose in it. So as long as this barrel is filling slower than it is emptying, the problem is solved. I think it's rather unlikely that one day it will rain so much that it will fill faster than it can handle it.

So is it because of the air trapped inside the hose that the water won't enter in it ?


texts: New grout yesterday, efflorescence today - what do I do?

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I just finished grouting my kitchen floor with unsanded dark gray grout (near-black "charcoal" according to the box, also it contains portland cement). Not long after the first section I started noticing some efflorescence forming in a few places. At this point everything is done and it is a day old. Despite some attempts to mitigate, there is still quite a bit of efflorescence (very splotchy, but in many places).

Things I have tried:

Sponging sooner and with shorter waits in between, to try and reduce the total amount of time the grout was wet. Did not seem to make a difference.
Letting the grout sit and dry out longer in between passes with the sponge (10-15 min). Did not seem to make a difference.
Using a brass wire brush after curing. This worked well (aside from some mild depth to the grout lines, but the grout beneath was revealed to be much lighter than the "charcoal" color. A bummer but this got the most uniform result.

So 2 questions:

For next time, what stategies are the most effective at mitigating this?

Are there types of grout that don't have this problem (or to a lesser degree)?
Can I buy some kind of additive?
How likely is it that something I am doing during application is the issue? What should I be mindful of?

For this time, what can I do now?

The wire brush works, but the grout underneath is lighter than the untouched areas without efflorescence (not sure why). Also, if I brush an area without the efflorescence, that is lighter underneath too. I realize I may have to live with that, which is unfortunate but I'm cool with it.
Would using muriatic acid get me different results, or would it more or less be similar to the brush method (perhaps without removing as much material)?


texts:
We discovered a bath tub leak from our second floor bathroom which dripped through the sidings. The bathroom has the original fixtures from 1989. It leaks when there's excess amount of water used.
Would this be a simple problem of refinishing everything using plumber's putty?


texts: Is it allowed to run a single pair of wires in two separate conduits?

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I am currently working on the wiring in a friend's house. When it was originally installed, the homeowners insisted that every wire be placed in its own conduit. This means that every power socket has two conduits running to it, and every light switch has three:

As you might imagine, this means that to run a new conduit to somewhere, you would need to spend twice the effort. This is really annoying, but this is a rule imposed by some older folks who don't believe in the fire-safety of double-insulated wires; they had a house fire multiple times, so one can forgive them a certain degree of paranoia.
I was wondering -- is this actually legal? Are you allowed to split a single double-insulated wire into two single-insulated wires and run them like this? If not, is there a clear reason why? If it is, are there any good reasons for why you might do this?
This is in Russia, so I would ideally want answers regarding the Russian electrical code, but I don't suppose there are many people familiar with that here so European standard-based answers are also acceptable.


texts: Is it necessary or recommended to kerf baseboard?

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I've been told that baseboard, unless done so already by the sawmill, should be kerfed before installation to prevent warping in the future.  Is that really necessary or just a good thing to do?

I plan to buy plain (meaning no beveling or grooving) maple 1x6 to use for baseboard.  I asked the lumber yard and they said they are not pre-kerfed.


texts: How can I adjust a door latch so that it engages securely?

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My cousin has an external door with a knob lock and a double-deadbolt lock. She prefers not to keep the deadbolt locked. If she goes out through that door, she normally turns the knob, leaving the lock engaged, exits, and pulls the door closed, expecting it to lock as it closes.

The problem is that it is possible to close the door such that it feels fully-closed, but isn't quite closed enough to allow the lock to spring into place, and unless she's taking particular notice, it's not obvious to her that the lock hasn't closed. Then, the door remains unlocked, and a strong enough wind later in the day can cause the door to blow open.

The most obvious solution to this problem is simply to be more vigilant about making sure the door is fully closed and locked every time. However, I am wondering if there's some physical modification that she could make to the door that would make it less likely that a momentary lapse in vigilance would result in the door being non-obviously unlocked.

What modifications could be made to this door either to make it so that it's obvious to even an absent-minded user when it's fully closed and locked and when it isn't, or to ensure that it closes fully every time?

If this can be done with a minor adjustment or modification, that would be greatly preferable to any major equipment or structural changes.

Here are photos of the strikeplate, the metal box behind it, and the cavity in the wood behind that. Note the indentation in the wood where the upper-right edge of the strikeplate fits snugly. Note also that there isn't room in the cavity for the base of the metal box to move to the right.


texts:
We had a small kitchen fire, which licked the cabinet door, creating small bubbles in the stain. I sanded the stain off, purchased a close-enough stain, and did this.

The question is, how to make both parts blend smoother?


texts:
I've previously searched for some advice using Google but I'd like to confirm for my specific situation.

It's simple enough to disconnect the chain supporting the chandelier but the wiring is proving a little tricky (I've put it back for now). It's not at all obvious where the connection is being held in place from, and even if I remove the wiring I'm wondering how I would put it back after.

I've attached some images to show the current situation (sorry for the quality).
The only logical guess I have is that the duct tape is covering some form of connector, I will remove this if I have no other option but I don't want to remove the duct tape without some kind of confirmation.

If the connector is not at the duct tape and it's connected above the hole in the wall, I've had no way of reattaching the wiring afterwards if I wanted to put it in place.

As you may have guessed I'm not too experienced in DIY :)
Any advice would be appreciated.


texts: How do I fix a leak in the bathroom floor?

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Five years ago a friend and I made this master bathroom. The floor was pored with radient heat in it. This floor supports a toilet, a bidet and a sink. The walls are equipped with many shower heads so the whole room serves as a shower. So one can sit, shower, and shave!

The problem is that the floor leaks to the downstairs. The lower level bathroom has been is gutted for long time due to the leak. It seems to me when one takes shower water finds a path through a crack in the cement and is then following the radient heat tunnel. The water drips from the point where the radient heat exits the cement it drips to main floor bathroom.

How do I go about fixing this leak problem?


texts: Can I move warm air from 2nd floor to basement to help with heating?

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I have a finished basement with an open stair well to the 1st floor which even in the middle of the summer needs to be heated to stay at 69F degrees. There's also a large open foyer leading to the 2nd floor. I'm thinking of moving hot air on the 2nd floor down to the basement. Would this help?

Some house details:

Basement (1500 SQFT) is open to the 1st floor  through stairwell
1st floor (2000 SQFT) is open to the 2nd floor through foyer
2nd floor (600 SQFT) has some common space and two bedrooms
Every room and a common space has individual returns
Basement is walk-out and there's no radon

There are 2 HVAC systems (both sitting in the basement):

The larger (100kBTU) system is zoned for the 1st and 2nd floor.
The smaller (40KBTU) system is zoned for a large south-west facing 1st floor office with many widows and the basement.

In the summer, the cool air sinks to the basement, and the heat must run to keep it at 69F. If I turn off the basement zone, the basement eventually settles at around 64/65. Heat seems to rise to the 2nd floor open space, where it's usually at least 80F at the ceiling when the AC is set to 75F.

This 2nd floor common space has a return at the top of a wall near the ceiling (conveniently right near the attic entry), and seems to be the hottest place in the house. I'm thinking of disconnecting this return in the basement, and using a Tjernlund M6 duct fan to move that warm air down dispersing it through the basement near the floor.

I'm hoping this would essentially circulate the hot air to the basement, pushing some of the cold air up. Or, potentially it could be done in reverse (move the cold air near the basement floor to the 2nd floor ceiling). Would this help? I don't want to have to run the heat in the summer, it seems like a waste and there's plenty of hot air around.

The Tjernlund M6 moves 500CFM and even at a higher static pressure (say moving 200CFM) it would exchange the entire basement volume throughout the house in 60 minutes. There's also a Tjernlund through floor (ASLL) fan, but this would move 75F degree air from the 1st level floor to the basement ceiling and only provides about 50CFM. It seems moving the 80F degree air from the 2nd floor ceiling to the basement floor would be a better choice.


texts: Can I hang a 100lb punching bag from this joist?

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This board with its edge facing down. Can I hang and use a 100lb punching bag from it without breaking any part of the ceiling?

How do you think I should do it? Should I put a strong metal bracket over the top and bolt the hook to that?


texts: Refrigerator should be away from LPG cylinder. Why?

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In India (and probably other parts of the world) there's general advice regarding refrigerator positioning. It is suggested that we keep the refrigerator away from the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder. Can anyone explain what exactly is the risk if it's kept in close proximity?

Update - This question is not about a LPG refrigerator. The LPG cylinder is connected separately to a hob or burner and the refrigerator is a regular electric one.

Recently at an acquaintance's residence, a suspected gas leak from the cylinder, caused an explosion and ripped off the doors of a 2-door refrigerator. There weren't any other signs of damage or burns as extensive as what happened to the refrigerator. We're trying to figure out how the gas leak outside a sealed refrigerator caused this.


texts:
I've got a power strip with no mounting holes. I need to mount it to a brick wall, as I have back probs and want to cut down on bending.
Any ideas on how to do this?


texts:
As I mentioned in a prior post, I'm planning to add some gutters to my house.  I see that there's wide variety of gutter guards available and was curious which ones are better?

As far as I can tell, there are basically two types:

Covers that go over the top of the gutters and let water seep through cracks/holes in the cover.
Fillers that line the entire gutter (e.g. GutterStuff).

The first option seems to make much more sense but the GutterStuff branding claims not to clog.  I can't help but be skeptical.

Any thoughts?


texts: Marginal cost of window (framing) while in design phase

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I've drawn up my sketch of floor plan I'll take to a house designer, but haven't added any windows yet. I'd like to have as much detail added to save designer time, but since I'm on a budget, I need help understanding what framing a window costs.

If I add a window here or there what does the extra framing cost, compared to a blank wall? Assume they're the load bearing exterior 2*6 walls, and like 4'*4' in size.


texts: Which anchors to use for a wall in a basement

texts:
I need to extend one of the walls by approx 30 inches.

I will be using pressure treaded 2x4 in bottom of the wall and wall will be about 83 inches high.

Which anchors should I use to secure the wall to the concrete floor? How long they should be?

Will Tapcon 1/4 x 3” work for this project?

How many anchors will I need? I was planning to use three: both ends and somewhere in the middle.

Thanks.


texts: New Roof Looks Like It Has Damage Already

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So I had a new rood put on and I had all these marks on the new rood where to me it looks like granules are missing and a shingle they used was torn and glued down. I just want to make sure im not being too picky or if it really is sub par work.
They have came out two additional times to replace shingles but there is still these marks. Today after they left there is not roofing caulk over some spots that I am not sure why they are there.
Here are the photos: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPPD7eyWtLLcGYGX_T3H55ZWc_kcByhyJKZO_F4Wc5N2u0yc3g_9rPyz-eZ8dzZ2g?key=UVdCZlVGX3lwaVNRWmFNRmNuUlJDek1KWDFuMHZn
An example of the roofing caulk spots is:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPPD7eyWtLLcGYGX_T3H55ZWc_kcByhyJKZO_F4Wc5N2u0yc3g_9rPyz-eZ8dzZ2g/photo/AF1QipN_jvPGgjM6dvMcUvReiIJq5we3Z19KvpsmAse5?key=UVdCZlVGX3lwaVNRWmFNRmNuUlJDek1KWDFuMHZn
An example of the  missing granules:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPPD7eyWtLLcGYGX_T3H55ZWc_kcByhyJKZO_F4Wc5N2u0yc3g_9rPyz-eZ8dzZ2g/photo/AF1QipNJ0jyCb7wY8ci7mAR7HVJPOW-GXiuryyLNj3d3?key=UVdCZlVGX3lwaVNRWmFNRmNuUlJDek1KWDFuMHZn
The question is are these normal items for having a roof done or should it all look brand new? This is just the roof on my porch I have not even looked at my tall part of the roof due to the height.
Thank you


texts: I need to replace the light bulb in my ceiling fan but the part\model number is warn off and I can't find it anywhere! I can read "Philips," "Plus," and "G5" but nothing else. Please see the attached photo. Can you tell me what the part\model of this bulb is and where I can find one (preferable online)?


texts: For German code, what is the correct fuse amperage, per phase, for a 3-phase service line?

texts:
This website provides convenient tables for fused amperage given conductor cross-section area (mm^2), number of conductors, and temperature.

The cable in question is a 5 conductor (L1,L2,L3,N,PE) 10 mm^2.  20 meters long, connecting the main panel to a secondary panel.  It is currently using 16 A fuses (Hager FS MBN116A).  It is installed "in the air", i.e. in the walls but not buried in concrete or plaster.

I want to upgrade it's fuses with an appropriate amperage rating.  Considering this is a domestic residence, and the subpanel will feed yet another subpanel in the garage, which is expected to run large amperage single-phase power tools occasionally.

From the first table, first column, I get 10 mm^2 -> 73 A.

From the second table, given normal ambient temperature of 30 C -> 1.0 factor -> 73 A.

From the third table, 5 conductors -> 0.75 factor -> 54.75 A.

The remaining tables seem not applicable.

I have very little background knowledge on this topic.  Is 54.5 A per phase a reasonable value?  I plan on fusing each phase 32 A (Hager MBN332A).

Thank you.

A similar, simpler table here


texts: Exterior light fixture: White wire hot, black wire not,

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I have an outdoor flood light fixture that stopped working. I don’t use it often so it could have stopped working at any time.
I changed the bulbs and that didn’t work, so I got a new fixture.
I took down the old fixture, then checked the wires (one black, one white, no ground was attached) with a proximity  volt detector. It showed there was voltage in the white wire and none in the black wire.
I tried hooking up the new fixture with black on black and white on white and the light would not work. I tried black on white and white on black and still the light did not work although the voltage detector still showed a charge.
There are several lights on the same circuit with two way switches and a couple out keys. I checked the outlets with a receptacle tester and they show as being normal. The switches seem to be wired correctly.
I have not pulled down the interior light fixtures to examine them yet.
Any clues as to what is going on?


texts: any way to repair marble tile over subfloor

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When I bought my house, its marble floors appeared to be in good condition. However, they have steadily chipped, fissured and fractured until reaching their current fragmented state. The picture shows where the gap in the subfloor directly aligns with the cracks in the overlaid tiles.

This post discusses improperly installed tile that was mortared directly over a subfloor. Some of the responders warn the original poster to redo the project immediately, and to install a backer board before mortaring the tiles.
Tile directly adhered to subfloor
Is there any alternative to tearing up the entire floor? I want to ensure that no other options remain before fully removing them.
Thanks in advance.


texts: Is it possible to fix a "knob twist" bath plug without spares?

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A little while ago the knob fell off my bath plug assembly. It's one of those where there's no chain - the knob sits in front of the overflow and you twist it to pop the plug up.

I couldn't find the correct replacement so I ordered a "universal" one that wasn't - it was too small to fit on the little projection in the middle of the overflow. So I filed the aperture down a bit to try and make it bigger.

It was almost small enough but not quite - and in trying to force it on, the whole assembly seemed to collapse. The little projection disappeared behind the overflow and now the plug won't "pop" anymore at all.

I'd need to take the side of the bath off to take a look, and it's not coming easily. I'm concerned about doing it at this time when I can't just go out to replace it.

I have no idea what the assembly look a like behind there, so I don't know whether it's literally bust and needs spares to fix or whether I've just pushed it out of alignment and a bit of wiggling will get it back.

Does anyone know whether this is likely to be worth attempting?


texts: How to properly connect existing 8-port cat5 data/voice module SAM-V8 and 8-port voice module?

texts:
Moved into a new house with two jacks in each room, an 8-port Cat5 data/voice module and an 8port Voice module. Really am still coming to terms with what I'm looking at here.
My goal is to have data/ethernet in the master bedroom. But the data/voice module has no wires to "Mstrbed", ports 7-8. Ports 4 and 6 each bring internet to one of the two jacks in each of "Bedroom" and "Livingroom", if connected to the modem, pictured below. Grey cable (pictured) connects a Network Attached Storage to modem.
A cable installer suggested I disconnect the wires from the voice module "mstrbed" and connect them to the data/voice module mstrbed. Can anyone confirm this?
Also what is D/Demarc? Any help is very much appreciated.


texts: Furnace setup switches seem to be in the wrong position

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My furnace (Bryant 926TA) has to arrays of setup switches.

I am particularly concerned with SW1-3 (off in my picture) and SW1-4 (on in my picture).
The manual calls SW1-3 Low Heat Rise Adjustment and says Turn ON to increase Low Heat airflow by 18 percent. This compensates for increased return air temperature caused with bypass humidifier.
SW1-4 is named Comfort/Efficiency Adjustment and says Turn ON to decrease low heat airflow by approximately 7 percent and high heat by approximately 10 percent for maximum comfort.
I do indeed have a bypass humidifier, and I have a few rooms that do not seem to have enough airflow to them.
I am considering turning SW1-3 on and SW1-4 off to try to increase airflow throughout the house, rather than installing a few duct fans.
If you have experience with HVAC/furnace installation/etc, are you aware of a reason the installers might have configured the furnace the way they did? Maybe it was just an oversight, but maybe there is a good reason for it that I am not aware of.


texts: laying a brick patio in extreme temperature setting

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The small town where I live gets below freezing in winter and above 100º F in summer. I need to know which mortar joint width and ratio is best for laying a brick patio myself. As far as I know, mortar joints will break into pieces because of thermal expansion and contraction. Using just fine sand as a joint filler does not seem workable because my neighbor's patio which used this method has weeds growing at the joints.

Which ratio would expand/contract less? A 1 part cement and 3 parts fine sand; or a 1 part cement and 6 parts fine sand ratio? (In the local construction store they only sell cement and fine sand bags; so I will have no opportunity to buy additives or lime to increase flexibility.)

I plan to lay the patio bricks directly on my sandy-earth rather than on a sand base.

Each brick is 2.5 inches in height and width.

So what are the recommended mortar joint width and ratio so the patio will last for decades and not break into pieces within a few years?

Or are there other approaches I should consider?

This is what I intend to build:


texts: Build a half screen window kit that can slide up and down

texts: All the "build a screen" kits I can find are only for fixed screens and do not have hardware that allows easy manipulation to slide the screen up and down a track. While they can stay in place above the sill by the tension of the spring clips, there's nothing to grab onto to change the positioning! I'm looking for a kit that either has a lip at the bottom for fingers to grab onto, or have finger latch springs like in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooq6cG-fikE


texts: What Wire Should be Used for a 40A 240V Circuit?

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Given a 240V 40A circuit is there an official wire type that should be used? I assume there is a building code standard for this somewhere, but I don't really know where to look. I'd love if I could get some sort of official source.

For clarity, it would be helpful if the size could be given for copper and for aluminum, just so I'm not guessing at the material type of the answer.


texts: How can I square the end of a 4x4 post by grinding or sanding?

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I have a piece of 4x4 with a very uneven cut at the end, and I want to make this end nice and flat.
However, I am puzzled that there seem to be no popular tools for flat wood grinding. Sanding seems to be the obvious choice - but what if we need to grind down as much as 1/4" of wood, or more? I have a small Black&Decker sander, and while it works well making smooths surfaces, I'm afraid it's going to take me quite a while to sand away all that extra wood.
I also have an angle grinder, and while I initially thought that this should be an ideal tool for wood flattening, I'm surprised with the dearth of appropriate blades.
I've seen only a few blades on internet that seem appropriate - flat disks for wood grinding (with blades, not sandpaper), but have no idea how good they would be for my purpose.
If I had a large surface to grind down, a plane would be an obvious choice, but a 4x4 end should be too small for any plane.
Or should I just arm myself with some low-grit sandpaper and patience?
An update: I ended up doing this job using a sander with 40 grit sandpaper. It took a lot of time, but came out nicely. Thanks everybody!


texts: Which wires do I connect to my new ceiling fan?

texts:
I looked all over the internet and my outlet box seems to have unorthodox wiring/ colors.

On the ceiling outlet box I have 3 thick wires,  red, white and green, and a fourth single little wire that is orange.

On the ceiling fan there is motor, light and neutral wire. There is also a little green wire connected to the mount which I think is the ground wire.

What connects to what?

I would like to add that this condo building is about 8 years old. So it's fairly new.


texts:
There is a light switch that controls an overhead light, along with an outlet. So when the light switch is on, the overhead light and outlet are powered (both plugs), when the switch is off everything is unpowered. How can I make the outlet have power always, while still having the switch control the overhead light?

The light switch just has a black and white wire going in. The outlet has 2 black wires on one side (one on top screw one on bottom), and the other side has 2 white wires on the top screw and one on the bottom. This is Canadian wiring.


texts:
As in attached picture the hose on the drain punmp of my GE dishwasher seems to have developed a hole and is leaks when the dishwasher runs.
I contacted GE for a solution but not much luck.
Can anyone suggest any Waterproof sealant that might help in this situation.
Any alternate fixes ?

Thank you


texts:
The house is constructed with 2x4 trusses, 24 inch on center. The trusses span an open area 27 ft long with no support in between so the ceiling is sagged in the middle and the roof ridge is sagged as well.

I jacked up the ceiling to where it should be and installed (2) 2x10’s on each side of the center truss supports in the attic. However, after removing jacks the ceiling came back down almost to where it was previously.

The 2x10’s are approx. 18 ft long with end support only since I don’t want to have a post in the middle of my living room.

My question is:

Will adding more 2x10’s to the 4 existing help and if so how many in total would be required ? Or is there a better solution ? Thank you


texts: Is my nearby neighbor's foundation excavation a concern for my home?

texts: Hope someone can answer my Question. I live in Milwaukee WI.My neighbor just informed me she will have to have her basement excavated. The side of her house is 14 feet away from the side of my house. I have a bi-level home. On the side of my home is a finished family room and bedroom. Should I be worried about heavy machinery doing damage to the foundation to my home that could cause problems in the future. Thank You in advance of your answers.


texts: How can I better control temperature differences between floors in my two story home that has two HVAC systems?

texts:
We have 2600 sq ft on the main level and 800 on the 2nd floor.  To the 2nd floor, there is a staircase and with a door on the bottom floor.  We have our master upstairs and don't use the room at all during the day.  Also, each floor has it's own HVAC.

My question is: 1) should we keep the door in place for efficiency purposes? (we keep the upstairs warmer during the day than at night) I was told that removing the door would be best...but doesn't make sense to me...  2) what temp settings are good between the two floors?  I read one person's answer saying to keep both systems at the same temp and several others advising to keep the bottom floor 2-3 degrees cooler than the second level.

Help!  Our energy bill is through the roof and we are trying to save any way possible.


texts: engineered or solid wood flooring over plywood subfloor

texts: I wonder if anyone can help! I live in a first floor flat in an old listed building and have recently had 18mm ply laid over my whole floor, over the old floorboards, this was needed in order to level the floor in order to lay a new wood floor over the top. (the floor was soooo uneven!!) my question now is, the flat is open plan, that is, the kitchen/dining/living is all open and at the same level. I have read somewhere that engineered wood is better than solid for use in kitchens, because of possible water escape. The kitchen will only have the sink (the washing machine going elsewhere.) I have looked at engineered wood and see that it is basically a 3/4mm 'wear layer' ie solid wood and then plywood or hdf core. Now, because I already have an 18mm layer of plywood, could I use one of the 11mm solid woods over this or would I still have a problem in case of water escape? what do you experts think? If you do recommend engineered flooring, is the type with the HDF core ok for kitchen areas?  any advice or recommendations would be gratefully received!! many thanks in advance, Julie


texts: Ceiling Fan light enclosure - CFL only lights

texts:
We have a few ceiling fans at home with an enclosed lighting. There's a sticker inside it saying 2X20W max, CFL lights only. What is the reason they are restricted to CFL light only? I tried putting some LED lights on it and it seems to work fine (10.5W and 9W LED lights).
The base of the LED lights is significantly hotter but everything else seems to be same temperature as CFL lights. Am i doing something wrong if i put LED lights with the "CFL only" restriction?

Thanks


texts: I have a general switch fuse box 1 side is 140v and the other is 100v. What could cause this to happen? Ive checked it at panel, but it only does it when major appliances are on. Like the furnace microwave, etc. The wiring looks good into the box.


texts: The master bath of our new house has a jetted whirlpool tub. We haven't used it yet, since the previous owners were, um, lacking hygiene. Is there a good way to clean it out without taking the whole thing apart? I've heard that some people use dish detergent, but then I've heard elsewhere that this can cause residue buildup inside the jets and tubing. Is there a good cleaning product made specifically for jetted tubs out there that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Does anyone have experience they can share?


texts: Which measurement to go off for vinyl siding

texts:
I'm getting ready to apply some vinyl siding to a new build, and the measurement between soffit and bottom lip of the OSB sheathing varies by 1/4" to 3/8".  When I shot a "level line" across a few of the walls, and then measure up or down from that level line, again I can see that the wall itself basically grows and shrinks in height.  I don't want my siding corners to not line up, but I also don't want my last course of siding to be wavy.
Should I set my starter strip measuring from the level line shot with a transit, or go off my OSB edge and then just make sure that X row of siding is the same distance to that line each row?  I've found that the siding can fluctuate a good 1/4" just by how loose or tight it is and on temperature.  I feel I am wasting time trying to find how to start this job and set the starter strips.


texts: Portable Indoor Airconditioner not cooling -- let's discuss possible reasons (and solutions)

texts:
I have a portable indoor airconditioner (LG LP1311BXR 13,000 BTU).

I bought it refurbished from Walmart 2 years ago. It worked beautifully until recently.

Symptoms:

The fan, compressor seem to be working.
It cools ever so slightly, but not strongly (i.e. the air coming out is slightly cooler than room temperature.
It is vented fine, no blockage in the exhaust system.

What are the potential causes?

I'm thinking it's low on refrigerant / freon. Can you think of anything else?

What are the possible solutions?

Call a repair-person, obviously. But I bought it for only $250. Is it worth it to call someone who's likely to charge me a lot of money to fix it?
Would it be possible to add refrigerant myself? Is this something I should take on? (I'm reasonably handy.)


texts: How can I hang a shelf with no visible fasteners?

texts:
I just built a shelf for a bedroom based on instructions found at Happy at Home. Problem is: the blog doesn't explain how to hang it!

Can someone help me figure out a clean way to hang this shelf that doesn't involve screws on the exterior of the shelf?


texts: Electrified Water Shower or Bath possible?

texts:
I can only add 6 pcs of GFCI 2-pole breakers so I am prioritizing what areas or appliances to plug them in.

In multipoint water heater in bathroom.. is there a possibility that the water can become electrified? For example, one of the hot line in the heater is shorted to its small heater tank (but without forming short circuit to 2nd hot line), can the water become electrified as it flows in the pipes and to your body electrocuting you?  Has anything like this ever happened? References welcomed.
My GFCI outlet trips when connected to refrigerator. Are all refrigerators like that? I heard it has something to do with leakage current that is normal in refs.. does it mean you don't use GFCI in your refrigerators?


texts: How do I wire a humidifier without a 24 VAC IN terminal?

texts:
The instructions for the humidifier I'm installing says to connect the humidistat wiring to the two terminals "marked 24 VAC IN". My furnace doesn't have terminals marked that.

I have R,C,W,Y.G. Am I out of luck or is this just different terminology for the terminals I already have?


texts: How can I vent a portable air conditioner when there's no window?

texts: My shop does not have central air and does not have operable windows.  There is a steel door in the back and cinderblock walls.  My landlord is against me cutting a venting hole in either the steel door or the wall...any wonderful ideas, anyone, for how I can use a portable air conditioner here...it was murder here last summer!!!


texts: how to remove plastic stuck inside core drill bit

texts:
I use a 1/4" diamond tip core drill bit to make holes in the bottom of bowls to   use them as plant pots with drainage.  I bought the diamond core drill bit to drill ceramic bowls, however I also used it to drill 1/4" into plastic bowls, and this was a mistake. The plastic is wedged so tightly inside the bit that I cannot get it out.  I have tried getting it out with an awl, a safety pin, a nail, a knife, etc. and no luck.

Any ideas?  All I can think of is to secure the bit in a vise, and try to drill out the plastic with a smaller bit.


texts:
My master bedroom is above my garage.  There is one part of the bedroom that has a cathedral ceiling with knee walls on both sides.  There is no attic above this area because the drywall goes up along the ceiling joists. This ceiling is insulated with R19 insulation.  The 2 knee walls are formed from the sloping roof in this area.

I also have a fairly narrow front porch that runs the length of the house.  The porch has a roof that creates a knee-wall area along the 2 bedrooms at the front of the house.  This area attaches to one of the knee wall areas in my bedroom.

There is no ventilation in any of these knee walls areas.  There are no soffit vents (or porch ceiling vents in the front porch roof), and there is no way to run any type of venting up to the main attic or to the roof since there is no attic in these areas.  There is no way for me to install gable vents, either.

I have insulation along the back of the interior walls in these areas, but I plan to replace it with a higher R-value insulation.  Should I insulate the soffit areas (and the front porch roof area), and should I insulate the ceiling joists in these areas, as well?

Any help regarding insulation in these areas would be appreciated.  There is no way to run any ventilation, though.

Edit in response to answers:

Yes, I could add soffit vents for intake in these areas, but there is no way to access the attic for out-take venting. Adding roof vents in the areas would look strange and unsightly from the front of the house as these areas run on both sides of my bedroom window which faces the front of the house. Adding a roof vent to the roof area of the front porch would also look very strange and unsightly from the front of the house. The same is true for gable vents. I would have 2 gable vents on the sides of my bedroom window at the front of the house, and, they would only end up being about a foot off of the floor in these storage areas.

So, should I insulate the ceiling joists and soffits in these areas, or should I just insulate the back of the knee wall?


texts: I installed a new ceiling fan/light combo. I have two wall switches. (one for fan, one for light). I don't want a remote. I did not use the control box(remote operated brain box) that came with the new fan. (fan is Harbor Breeze?)  Instead, I wired one switch each directly to the fan and light respectively. Everything works fine, but I forgot about fan speed. How can I now adjust fan speed? (3 speed or otherwise)


texts: Why does my gravity vented wall Furnace keep turning off/

texts:
We have an Empire gravity vented wall furnace:

That turns off.  According to the instructions, this is because the vent safety switch.  But when I open up the furnace, it appears to be vented just fine, in fact, I can feel the cool air pouring down.

After resetting the switch, it will work until the heat goes off (when the room reaches temperature) but then will not turn back on unless I reset it again, and that is erratic too.

So my question is is there anything I can do to make the safety switch work again?  I should probably call a service person, but was curious if anyone has specific experience with these types of wall furnaces.


texts:
So I'm in the middle of a bathroom remodel and I was having problem removing some damaged flooring around the toilet flange and ended up taking a reciprocating saw to the lip of the flange to make it easier.  I thought i would just replace the whole thing so it wouldn't be a big deal.  Turns out under the flooring is a series of elbows butted together so there is nowhere I can cut and replace an elbow.  Is there anyway to salvage this toilet flange so I don't have to remove and redo everything pictured (the other side of the Y leads to another toilet in an adjacent bathroom)?  It's a 3in drain pipe.  I'm wondering if it would be possible to set a 4in flange right on top (after cleaning up the rim) or if there is some other product that will do essentially the same thing.

-edit- having problems uploading pictures from my phone.  The top of the flange is basically gone.  It is plastic.

-edit2- added pics finally


texts: Replacing square flush mount light falling out of ceiling

texts: Okay, so my husband and I are avid DIYers, and we have just a few things left to do on our 1977 ranch renovation. One of those is replacing the hideous ceiling light fixtures in our hallway. After I scraped the popcorn ceiling one of these square dogs of fixtures started to come loose. It looks like the original hole was cut too big. Regardless, they are awful and I would like to replace them with something simple that would not require repairing the giant 11.25 inch square hole in two places in the ceiling of my hallway. I'm hoping something like this Lithonia 12 inch light would work. Advice please?


texts: Gable Vent Fan to Make Usable Attic Storage Space - Useful or Trouble?

texts:
We have a "mini attic" in addition to the main attic.  The mini is above the 1st floor kitchen and on the same level as the 2nd floor.  It has an access door in the bedroom closet.

My wife would like to use it to store off-season clothing and other items.  But during the summer months, it's probably 120 degrees in there, so I'm concerned about using that space for storage.

We recently had the shingle replaced and the roofer cut a ridge vent, but it still gets pretty hot in there.  There's a small (8" x 11") gable vent in the exterior brick wall.  I was thinking of attaching a gable vent fan to exhaust the hot air.

But I just read something that said that's a bad idea.  The concern is that you'll end up pulling conditioned air in from the nearby rooms and cause the AC to work harder.  Because the mini attic is not air-tight, that sort of makes sense.

So should I skip the vent fan?  Is there another way to cool that space bit?  Should I be concerned about using it for storage if I can't cool it down?


texts: How to subfloor basement bathroom for tile?

texts: I'm putting a bathroom in the basement. I need to have sub-floor in so I can install a tub and tile the floor. I was either going to use Dricore, or 5/8" OSB laid on top of DMX and fastened with tapcon screws. I read that Dricore isn't recommended for use under tile because of how much it moves, but what about the OSB/DMX?


texts: How to construct a timber and steel staircase?

texts:
I need to produce some detailed staircase technical drawings for unit.
What’s the best way to attach the tread to the riser (#1/#2/some other way)?
Also, how do you attach the oak tread to the steel stringer (#3/some other way)?
There will also be a sheet of steel running underneath the treads and risers, with an acoustic rubber mat between the steel and oak. Assuming this will simply be glued onto both surfaces?


texts:
How can I shut off water to shower only?  Or is it bkr possible?  I don't see a shut off valve, am I missing it?  This picture is the back of my tub where wall was remixed.

I want to cut off only shower water as of right now, the hot water coming into water heater is off.  We need it on for dishwasher.

Cheers


texts: Getting mild electric shocks from tap water if washing machine is switched on

texts:
My washing machine is placed in my kitchen and whenever it is switched on and working (washing), I get very mild “tingles” from the kitchen's tap water.
I'm in the UK, and I've checked that the wall socket is earthed and the machine's plug is also earthed. I'm not using any extension cables.
What else can I check before calling an electrician? If possible I'd like to fix this problem myself.
Thanks!

EDIT 1: My house was built on the 70s.

EDIT 2: I asked an electrician to fix the problem and he said the following: two of the earth wires were in the correct position but one had no earthing sleeve on it and was pressing on the live wire. The third earth wire was not connected at all and there was a small voltage showing, but not enough to trip the switch. He re-routed all the wires and attached the loose earth wire and all is now fine!


texts: Color Temperature, Eye Strain and Headache

texts:
I work as a programmer this is the second year where I start to get bad eye strain and headache (together with dizziness) starting in september (this is the season where Autumn starts here). I have checked everything with my eyes and with the technical enviroment but everythings seems to be ok here. Now I come up with the idea that in september we usually start do turn on the lights and it might be correlated to this.
We have Osram FH 35W/840 Cool White which has a color temperature of 4000 K. Could that be the problem? What is the right color temperature or lighting installation for this enviroment (sitting in front of a PC every day 10 hours).


texts: Do I need to remove remaining wallpaper backing before painting?

texts:
This is my first project ever. I am removing old wallpaper from a small bathroom.  Most of the wallpaper was already curling up so the top layer was easy to remove.  On some of the wall I have realized the backing is stuck on the brown spots of the wall. Do I need to remove the backing from this portion? I'm afraid of damaging the wall further. Do I need to fill in these spots before get to the painting phase?

Thank you.


texts: How can I drill through concrete blocks to allow drainage from my backyard?

texts: My back yard has a brick floor and is surrounded by a concrete block wall. In heavy rains, the yard pools with rain water. How do I go about cutting drain holes in the wall or floor?


texts: Light switch for multiple fixtures feels warm after a while

texts: I have a light switch that handles 4 chandeliers (3 60 watts bulbs) and two ceiling fans.  If switch is on for awhile it is warm to the touch.  Should I install a heavier switch?


texts: My rental house was built in 1985 and there is some kind of master GFI (for lack of a better term) in the garage that controls all the GFI outlets in the house.  I'm told all the houses are built like this now.  My property manager sent out an "electrician" to check on a light switch that wasn't working.  While there, he said he noticed the outlets in the kitchen and bathrooms were not GFI and took it upon his self to install GFI outlets.  He didn't even know enough to know they were controlled by a central GFI.  Anyway, now I have GFI outlets but also still have the GFI that controls them all.  A friend of mine said they basically cancel each other out now and that now it's unsafe!  Does anyone know how this works?  I am totally ignorant of electricity and how it works and I'm trying to explain this as best I can.  I'm really nervous because I don't want an unsafe situation.  I'm not happy with the "electrician" who did this and didn't even take 5 minutes to call and get an authorization to do the work.  He's not getting paid for it, that's for sure.  Thank you for your help and advice.


texts:
I've just moved into a new house and the heating doesn't work, hot water isn't circulating. I've narrowed it down to a stuck valve on the inflow to the water pump, it seems that the valve is closed.
Unfortunately the thread on the valve has been worn down, so the usual tools can't attach to it (see pic).

Brute force with a spanner doesn't work, even after applying a lot of oil. I want to try gently heating it to see if that loosens things. Do any of you have some other tips or tricks that might help loosen it? I'm pretty good at home improvement but this one has me stumped...


texts:
I’m troubleshooting an in-ground pool light that burns out within 5 seconds of turning it on.  The old light burned out like this the first time I turned it on this year.  The old fixture was shot, so I replaced it with a new one and the bulb burned out within five seconds.  Water is not leaking into new fixture.
I disconnected the feed wire from the fixture wire and read 125V at the feed wire, about as expected.  I then isolated the hot and neutral wires by disconnecting them at the breaker box (about 66 feet away, cable running underground) but the ground wire is still connected. A continuity check between the disconnected hot leg and neutral or ground wires shows minute continuity (about 5,000 ohms resistance).  Is that normal?  If not, would a small leak to ground like that cause a light bulb to burn out?
The light bulb is 500 watts on a 20 amp circuit with a GFCI circuit breaker. The breaker never trips and the GFCI test function operates normally.
I’ve checked and ensured no loose connections at all wire connection points (including switches) from the breaker to the fixture and I find no evidence of arcing or overheating at those points.  The circuit is wired with two three-way switches.  Nothing else is on the circuit but the 500 watt bulb.
If nothing else I’ve reported here would burn out bulbs without tripping the breaker, then what else could the problem be?  Thanks, Rich


texts: Furnace shutoff switch outlet only hot when furnace is running

texts:
I have an old Aprilaire 700 powered by the 110v outlet on the side of my furnace.  I recently replaced the old humidistat with a newer Aprilaire 60 Digital.  This humidistat comes with the blower control option - when it's too dry it will activate both the humidifier and blower without needing to have the heat on.  My problem is that the outlet on the side of the furnace that the Aprilaire unit is plugged in to is only hot when the heater is running. This results in the humidistat turning on the furnace blower but the humidifier's own fan is not powered on.  By running an extension cord across my basement to a different outlet I was able to get this setup to work correctly.

Lennox/White-Rodgers 46M9901

The outlet / cutoff switch

I'd like to get that outlet to be hot all the time, or hot anytime the blower is on.

I plugged an outlet tester into the outlet, confirmed it lit up with heat on.  When I disconnected the HOT HUM quick connect fitting, the outlet tester turned off.  I tried touching the humidifier quick connect to the HOT EAC and NEUTRAL EAC terminal while holding the door safety switch, but the outlet tester did not light up.  Should I have unplugged the EAC wire and plugged the HUM wire in completely?  I figured I could just move HOT HOM to HOT EAC but that didn't seem to work.

Note: I do have an electric air cleaner, but I'm using regular filters now.  I do not need the EAC powered up.


texts: How do I repair a leak in a ferrocrete overhead water tank?

texts: I have a ferrocrete overhead water tank. It has developed a leak at the edge. How do I repair this leak?


texts: Prevent water spill from shower pipes during removal of stem

texts:
It is good to know that I don't have to worry about small, isolated water spills behind a wall. But, I would like to avoid this happening whenever I want to work on the shower stem.

With a minimal opening (a 6cm hole, maybe 1-2cm gap around the stem), how do I prevent the remaining water in the shower pipe(s) from spilling behind the wall when I remove the stem?


texts: I have a Trip Lever Plunger Style Stopper. I removed the faceplate and there was no plunger attached to it or in the pipe, and it seems like the stopper closed. Why i say this is because when we insert a snake or grabber it just comes up through the overflow/ faceplate. I thought i got it to go past that hole but then it hits something solid and wont keep going. When i insert the snake or hair grabber through the faceplate it his something solid and wont move. I have no access panel. How can I snake this drain?


texts: How to hide AC lines up against brick siding

texts:
I had this AC system installed, and didn't realize when asked about what location i'd prefer the compressor that it would look so ugly having it off the corner of the building instead of in the middle (due to the AC lines). The return line and electrical conduit are rather large and look rather unsightly as you can see. There was no option of making the lines exit the building right behind the unit without doing A LOT of drywall and interior reconstruction. My front steps are about 5ft to the right of the picture. So this ended up being an eyesore.

Suggestions as to how I make this not look so hideous? The AC installer suggested I get some tin roof gutter and afix it sideways so to cover this. Seems like that would be just as ugly.


texts: I have a prefinished bedroom door and it appears to have developed a grey patch that looks like grease.  The patch isn't grease, however it just appeared by itself. Any help as to how I can get clean it off?


texts: In my old residence, we had a smoke alarm that would always go off at 7 AM every Sunday. But whenever the power would go out it would go out at another random time, the first time was 3 PM every Saturday. Then the next time the power went out it went on 9 PM on Tuesday. Is there a reason for this?


texts: What siding material is available for a tiny house with metal framing?

texts:
I'm looking into building my own tiny house (8'x16'). The box will have aluminum framing, but I want to know if there is another exterior wall material to use other than aluminum sheets because of the high price. I know I can use fiberglass, but other than those are there any other materials that I could use that are relatively cheap, waterproof and somewhat sturdy?

Maybe some sort of composite material?

Thank you in advance.


texts: How can I repair this door and deadlock?

texts:
Some time ago I closed my front door (rather forcefully) while the deadbolt was sticking out partially.

This loosened the deadbolt, and the top screw no longer held. In addition, it cracked the door on the interior side. I've attached a picture showing the damage.

The door works mainly, though it can be difficult to lock sometimes, especially when the weather gets colder.

I'm currently renting, and will soon be moving out of this house, once I buy a house. I would like to repair this door myself, and I'm hoping I don't have to replace the entire door.

Is this something that can be repaired? If so, how? I realize that a new deadbolt is probably needed, but how can I repair the wood damage around it?


texts: I am updating my basement shower and need some help to connect a new drain. I have cast iron that runs under the foundation. Where it comes up in the shower I have no way to connect to it. Once the drain is installed I am planning on pouring a new shower pan with liner. The cast iron is 2". Here is what I have now.


texts: Adding couple outlets from portable generator wiring to house

texts:
I want to add a couple of outlets from a generator to inside of the house to avoid having extension cords running through the door when the power is out.
Similarly to this product.
I’ve got a small portable generator with a 30a L5-30r plug on it.
I’ve ordered a L5-30r inlet box plug and 25ft cord to connect generator to house.
My plan is to get some 10/2 wire. 3/4” conduit to run the 10ga into the house to a pair of receptacles.
The generator is fused @ 30a. But the receptacles aren’t rated for 30a. I’m thinking I should run 2x 20a GFCIs to protect the outlets from being overloaded. It’s just for emergency power, fridge, sump, a light or 2 etc.
Is this correct? I was told I should fuse it separately. Do I need a subpanel?


texts: Replacing subpanel in detached building - yet another ground/neutral question

texts:
Here's the situation.  I've added on to my detached shop/garage and need to upgrade the very small subpanel.  The existing garage pre-dates the 2008 NEC by at least a decade, and is supplied by a 3 conductor (2 hot, 1 neutral) service.  The old panel didn't even have separate ground and neutral bars.

I've found several threads that address this (Can I install a Subpanel..., How can I safely connect a subpanel..., How to properly ground a subpanel...), and the consensus seems to be that NEC 250.32B Exception 1 & 2 would apply and I should bond the ground & neutral at the subpanel in the new panel and install ground rods at the detached garage.

HOWEVER - I have also added gas service to the garage.  Does this mean that I don't meet requirement 2 of Exception 1?  The gas line is bonded to the equipment ground in the house and garage as required by NEC 250.104B and NFGC 7.13.1,  The gas service to the garage was installed by a contractor using a plastic pipe, but I believe a conductor is buried with it to provide electrical continuity between the garage service and the main line.

So, if I don't meet requirement 2 of Exception 1, does that mean that I need to install a ground conductor from the subpanel back to the main panel.  This would be a substantial PITA.

If I do have to install this ground conductor, how deep would it have to be buried?  Same as the requirement for direct bury cable (24" I think)?


texts: What is this low-voltage thing on my attic light

texts:
Today I was in my attic checking out a ventilation issue (which I may post a separate question about). While up there, I noticed this strange electrical box mounted next to the light in the attic. There is low-voltage wire connected to it, running somewhere else. I'm unable to trace it back to it's source due to insulation in the attic. What is this? Please see all pictures at the link below.

https://imgur.com/a/PrFfo


texts: Have I correctly identified this part on my air compressor?

texts:
I have a Blue Hawk model 0300812 air compressor purchased several years ago from Lowe's. Sometimes, but not always, I get air leaking from here:

It doesn't leak from around the threads, as one might imagine, but instead through what seems to be a pin-hole in the cap of the screw. This is an intermittent leak. When it leaks, it will leak constantly for several months, but then it will go for months without leaking at all.
According to the documentation I found that seems to be part #8, the Check Valve. It's definitely not #10 the Relief Valve.

Have I identified this part correctly?
Can I simply pull what appears to be a nut out of the top of the check valve and replace it with one from the parts bin?
If I have to replace the whole check valve, is this a fairly standard compressor part, or do I have to find one specifically for this model or at least Blue Hawk brand?


texts: Nets to protect windows from typhoon damage

texts:
I'm building a house in a part of Asia where typhoons are common. The houses (including mine) are all built from reinforced concrete. When a typhoon comes, people typically hang nets in front of any large exposed windows, to protect them. The nets are hung from hooks that are built into the concrete. My architect wants to add eaves all over the place so that there's some place for the hooks. I don't like the look of the eaves, and it seems ridiculous to have them if their only purpose is to support the hooks/nets.

So, I'm looking for alternatives. Maybe a different way to hang the nets, or (ideally), some approach that won't even require the nets. Y'all may not have any experience with typhoons, but hurricanes are similar -- just strong winds and heavy rain. Any ideas?


texts: Can I mix type N mortar mix and type M mortar mix?

texts:
Can I mix type N mortar mix and type M mortar mix or does this have any adverse effects?

There is no specific purpose, I want to use up remainders.


texts: Why is there cracked paint on my new plaster?

texts:
I've just finished a renovation of my house. In the new half of the house, we have had problems with the paint on our cornices cracking. The cornices were brand new when installed, this was done months before painting and they seemed in good condition. Our first painter painted them at the same time as the ceiling - the cornice paint is now cracking but the ceiling paint is fine. The numerous cracks are fine and short (perhaps 3~5mm long). The only room upstairs that the paint is not cracking on is in the bathroom which was painted with mould resistant paint.

We had the same corninces installed downstairs and had a different painter paint them - they have had no problems.

Do you have any idea what may have gone wrong? Our painter swears he did everything perfectly.

Do you have any idea how to fix this? They are decrative corninces so sanding back is not really an option.

Needless to say, we've been having fights with our painter over this.

The original cornices are 90 years old and they are fine as well.


texts: Mounting box slightly offset in ceiling: is there an offset mounting bracket that I can use to mount ceiling fan?

texts:
We're having a new house built, and yesterday we went to check out the progress. They've finished drywalling and sheetrock mudding and we noticed that the electrician installed one box off center. We've already had a very long back and forth with the electrician and the builder over numerous issues, so we're trying to limit our complaints at this time. Is there some sort of a bracket I can buy and mount a flush mount ceiling fan off center to cover this up?

Another thought we had was to maybe rather than a ceiling fan, get some type of a wide light fixture and mount it off center.

Any ideas would be appreciated!