texts: what's the term for double window in one window frame and why is it considered outdated technology?

texts:
I live in Montreal and I just moved from a building that had double sliding windows in each window frame (I assume a single pane each) to a building with single double-pane windows that look a lot newer. The heating bill for the new apartment is much larger and the soundproofing is non-existent, I have a volume of street noise that sounds like my windows are open at all times, I can hear two people talking on the other side of the street (I am on the second floor).

As per my limited experience, the double window technology (two single panes) seem to be a lot better than the newer windows in the new apartment. That's what my parents in Russia seem to have too and the second window was installed on the interior for the winter only and removed during summer.

I would like to do some research online, but I am not sure what to even call the double window set-up, nothing comes up. Any tips? What's your experience with this?

Edit: Interior Storm Windows seem to be the best term so far. The question remains - why is this considered an outdated technology? Again, from my limited experience it seems better to me in every way than any fancy new windows.


texts: Should I repair the kraft paper vapor barrier after remodeling work?

texts:
R-60 kraft-faced fiberglass batts were installed in our modular home when it was built in 1994.  We recently remodeled two rooms and the contractor made a real mess of the insulation when installing new ceiling lights and a new bathroom exhaust fan.  Batts appear to have been simply ripped up without concern for protecting them for re-use.

Some effort was made to replace batts but large gaps were left between them.  Many of the batts probably can be relaid between the trusses with some care; others may have to be replaced because the facing is torn.

My questions are these.

Is it important to maintain the (admittedly minimal) vapor barrier afforded by the kraft facing or is it OK to relay batts that have torn facing?
If batts have to be replaced, do I need to get ones that are faced?
Might it be more cost-effective to pull all the batts in the messed up areas and have them replaced by blown fiberglass insulation?  (Blown insulation at least has the advantage of making it easier to insulate around IC-rated light fixtures.)
Finally, how important is it to remove construction debris, such as sawdust, scraps of paper, cable jacketing, etc. on top of the batts in areas where they are still intact but hard to access?


texts:
I have a "summer house" in the garden, it's been there years, but the floor has started to fail/rot - I managed to put my foot through it!

I plan to remove the carpet tiles, treat the existing floor boards with anti-rot stuff, and then put additional flooring over the top to give new stability.

Is this a good idea? What new flooring would be the best value option? I've been looking at P5 T&G chipboard, regular chipboard, plywood, etc.


texts: I had a ceiling fan spark and trip the breakers (loose wire). When I took the fan down I was surprised to find 4 sets of wires coming thru. 3 sets of black and white wires and the a set with black, white, and bare. Of the 3 sets of black and white wires all of the blacks are caped and taped and only two of the white are done the same. The other white was the loose wire causing the issue. The question is  where does this lone white wire go?


texts: Help reinstalling an external door threshold

texts:
During recent flooding, the threshold for our basement door trapped about 1.5" inches of water in the basement. In an attempt to get it out the threshold was forcibly removed, and now with hurricane season it'd be nice to have it back.

The problems are two-fold:

The threshold was nailed into the door frame before the frame was installed in the basement opening. So the nails go from the outside (i.e. their heads are against cement). I might be able to yank the nails, heads and all, through the door framing, but is there a better solution?
What is a good way to ensure a nice tight replacement fit? Adding a sealable weep hole under the threshold might help water drain in a future flood, but I want it weather tight other than that hole, both where it butts against the frame and against the floor.

Assume zero budget but a decent array of tools.


texts: Where to buy polystyrene coving in the US (idaho)

texts: I'm trying to find a source for polystyrene coving but I have had absolutely no luck finding it state-side. Anyone have any experience in a method of making coving or sourcing this material?


texts: Could insulation around copper pipes cause condensation problems?

texts:
Should you insulate hot water pipe (copper) located in an attic?

I live in Louisiana, where it rarely gets cold. The plumbers insulated the hot water pipe from the tankless water heater. Now condensation is building up between the pipe and insulation so bad, it leaked onto the Sheetrock over the laundry room causing damage.  The plumbers tried to blame it on the rain, but the roofer said the roof is fine.  Since I took off the insulation, the condensation is gone  (and it has rained everyday). The Plumbers said rain made the insulation around the pipe wet, but the condensation is ony inside the insulation around the pipe. There is no water damage anywhere else.


texts:
My attic has high humidity. I put a combo temp-humidity monitor and it was in the high 70s. It’s 30 degrees outside. I’ve read about what could cause the high humidity and two key things came up:

Poor insulation between the attic and living space so heat and humidity rises into the attic. Key things that may cause leaks are recessed lights and AC register vents.
Something leaking humidity into the attic such as a bathroom fan vent pipe used during showers.

I have all of those things: AC vents in the attic, recessed lights, vent pipes form all of my bathrooms. The vent pipes seem to come together in the attic and go into a single pipe out the top of the roof.

The reason this matter to me is I’ve noticed a lot of rusty nails from my shingles and when the temps are below freezing they cause icicles to form due to the high moisture. When the sun heats my roof in the day those rusty icicles become drips of nasty rust on my boxes in the attic.

A few questions:

During my home inspections years ago I was told my ridge vent wasn’t wide enough. What is the proper width for a ridge vent?
How can I determine why is causing the high humidity? Is this something I call a weatherization company to investigate? Or a general contractor?


texts:
I have a vertical blinds, but one of the blinds is missing and needs to be replaced. I have some pictures of it below. The problem is the plastic see through clip that is holding the blind. I don't know where I would buy one. In the second image, it sort of has a circle shape but one side is cut almost like a half moon shape. Does anyone know where to buy it and the blind?

Preferably from known stores like blindstogo, or home depot/staples/home hardware, etc...


texts: Light bulb broke in oven, wire still attached

texts:
I have a gas oven. The electrical light bulb burned out, and when I went to unscrew to replace it, it broke off. The metal ring is still in the socket, the wire is attached, and the glass bulb is detached, but unbroken. How on earth am I gonna get this thing out?

I'd appreciate any ideas.


texts: How to reinforce a floor joist with a split knot?

texts: An electrician ran some new wires and had to bore through the floor joists. In doing so, one came very close to a knot in the wood. The floor above squeaks now as a result, where it didn't before. This is probably just a minor annoyance but I'd like to fix it if possible. What options do I have, given the electrical wire running through it?


texts: The people who repaired my wife’s car’s windshield didn’t do a good job, and the little plastic enclosure surrounding the mirror (containing a light and a sunglasses holder) has fallen off. I tried some superglue and it fell off again within a week, presumably because it gets so hot and humid in the car (Georgia summer, parked outside). What’s a simple and reliable glue to attach plastic to glass?


texts:
I have a 50 amp circuit wired with 6 Gauge AA-8000 Aluminum SE wire from the panel that goes to my oven/microwave combo, and then continues on to my cooktop. Both the oven/microwave combo as well as the cooktop have 4 wires. The instructions say wire red to red, black to black, and ground/neutral to the 3rd wire in the feeder, in my case stranded bare aluminum twisted together. I have been doing some research and have been told that bootlegging the ground off the neutral can cause a dangerous situation if something happens for Neutral to float at a hot voltage, now ground is hot too and you lose the protection.
That being said, I have a 50 AMP spa panel, on a different circuit obviously, that is fed by 6/3 cable back to the panel. Is it ok to run a ground from my spa panel with 6 Gauge green sheathed wire, to my oven, then cooktop and use that for the ground, the bare aluminum for neutral, and black to black, red to red, and now have a safe 4 wire circuit?
This wouldn't impact my spa GFCI breaker would it?
Apparently stealing ground from another circuit came was allowed in 2014 NEC from what I have read, but there seems to be a caveat that it must come from a circuit that originates in the same panel. Would this be the case if I connected ground in my spa panel which is connected to my main panel with the oven/range circuit? What if I break into the circuit between the spa panel and the main panel? I don't know why that would be any different however. Whether I do it at point A or point B they are still connected to the same circuit right?


texts:
I am proud I managed to put a new flushing kit into older toilet tank, removed tank and hand hacksawed off a rusted bolt and put everything back together . . . Husband was a great assistant. NOW . . . I have a hairline crack in the tank, drips one drop every 5 minutes or so. Annoying to say the least.
Is there a epoxy, sealant spray to apply to the outside of the American Standard tank, as I really do not want to drain remove and take everything apart again.
I have heard of Flex Seal and the crack is barely visible and about 4 inches under waterlevel to?

I just drained the tank without removing it . . . so hopefully I can paint something on the inside?

Can I use this first on the inside of the tank when it dries? https://www.jbweld.com/product/waterweld-epoxy-putty


texts:
I have a contractor who covered my bathroom with marble tile. Now tiles are cracking, grout is breaking and water leaking...

See image of a few he picked up that were making noise.

Also note he found water on the wood so now its drying.

My gut tells me this is all wrong. Can any pros weigh in on this?


texts: How to hang mosquito net on the security bars of a window?

texts:
We have a long window with security bars, I've set a mosquito nets on the outer side of the bars as you can see in the images bellow.

The issue we face is that our cats (who love to spend time there watching the world) are jumping on the net (mostly when birds fly by) and they drag the nets down.

I was wondering how can I secure the nets in a way that the cat's wont be able to drag the net down. I have no access to the outer side of the window as it is the third floor so everything must be done from inside our home.

Any ideas and tricks are more than welcome!


texts: In replacing a skylight, can I reuse the existing curb and flashing?

texts:
After finding water coming down my front door from inside the ceiling I had a roofer come out and take a look. He stated that the skylight was at the end of its life. This does appear to be the case as there is definite condensation between the panes and getting up on the roof I can see that all the seals do not look good.

He said it looks like the roofing is fine, and that the flashing around the skylight is fine. He recommended that I simply order a new one, pop off the old one, and screw on the new one. But I'm having second thoughts about reusing the old flashing. It appears to him to be installed correctly, and to me it looks a lot newer than the skylight (the roof was replaced 3 years ago). But will unscrewing the old one, and screwing in the new one be properly sealed?

I did go ahead and order a new one (A 4'x4' laminated VELUX), but don't want to mess things up.

EDIT: I did the work. Here's the followup.

This is before:

After:

From the inside:

I unscrewed the old one - noting that there were 2-3 screw holes that didn't have screws, and that there were 3 different types of screws that were used.
I Inspected the curb and flashing, making sure it looked sound. It did. I couldn't see any flaws.
I placed a little roofer's caulk in the old screw holes (not sure it was needed, but figured it couldn't hurt).
I placed the new skylight over the existing curb and flashing.
I screwed in the new skylight using the screws that came with it - pressing down on the frame while doing so.

Time will tell but I think it works.


texts: Frost free hose bib for garden hose takes about a minute before any water comes out

texts:
I am in a new construction home I bought last summer. Last year, if I turned on the garden hose in the front or back of my house the water would start coming out relatively quickly.

This year, when I turn on the hose it takes over a minute each time before any water flows out. I didn't changed anything with any of the internal switches for the winter. I understand with frost free bib the actual vale opening is a big inside the house, but this still seems like too long. It never starts with a trickle, when it finally comes, it comes full blast.

My initial thought was that water pressure should always be pushing and the pipe should be full of water and ready to go. I am not seeing any obvious leaks anywhere. Even with finished basement, I assume i'd see some damage in the ceilings under where the pipes run. The water comes in from the city and then splits to interior and two separate lines for each exterior (front and back). Water to the rest of the house is flowing normally.

Is this normal, is there anyway to troubleshoot? Even if I get it going one day, if i turn it off and come back the next day its the same issue.


texts: What's a good general purpose light-use drill?

texts:
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a decent general purpose light use drill for around the home? It's not going to get a whole lot of use. When it does get used most of the time it'll probably be used to put a screw into some wood, or drilling a hole into a stud to mount some shelves on the wall. Stuff like that.

I was looking at this. I'd prefer to pick up something at a local store so that if it turns out to suck I can just bring it back. Plus I have a TV mounting rack I'd like to finish putting together today.


texts: How to get water to hop from patio over brick wall?

texts:
I have a concrete patio elevated a few feet above the lawn.  The patio is bordered by a brick wall (on 3 sides, with the house on the 4th) that extends higher than the top of the concrete of the patio by about an inch.

Currently, the original owner's caulk has deteriorated, so rainwater flows down between the concrete and the brick, seeping through the bricks to weaken the wall and cause mildew.

In addition, the water pools and flows between the patio and the house, leading to moisture in my crawl space.

If I repair the caulk, I will have a 1-inch deep swimming pool, and the water has to go somewhere eventually.

How can I get this patio to drain to the lawn?

Ideas are appreciated!


texts: Why is there a 1/2-inch hole drilled in my heater exhaust?

texts:
I have a Carrier high efficiency furnace which uses 2-inch PVC pipes to pull in combustion air from outside and exhaust the combustion gasses back outside (through a concentric vent, but that's not really important.)

It seems that the installer drilled a 0.5" hole in the exhaust pipe about 2 feet up from the heater.

When the heater is running, you can feel air coming out of this hole, it is warm and moist, and it smells like you would expect natural gas exhaust to smell. (Before you ask, yes, there IS a carbon monoxide detector right outside the door of the room, and no, it does not detect anything.)

The issue I have is that there is a lot of water vapor present in the exhaust, which condenses on the inside of the pipe and then drips out through the hole, collecting in a large puddle on the floor. (If you look closely at the picture, you can see the trail of water below the hole.)

(I notice that my neighbors always have clouds of water vapor coming out of their exhaust on cold days, but I never do. As far as I can tell, the reason for this is that their exhaust pipe is only a few feet long since their unit is right next to an exterior wall, while my pipe is 30 feet long so the water has space/time to condense.)

In any case, the puddle is annoying and messy, and the room is too narrow to just put a bucket there -- it would obstruct the walkway to the washer/dryer.

Right below the exhaust pipe (not shown in the picture) is the condensate pump for the heater drain and humidifier drain. (For some reason, they piped the AC drain directly to outside but the other two drains to a pump which goes to the sink.)

Am I correct that condensation in such a long pipe is normal?
If not, what is wrong with my furnace?
If I seal up the hole so the condensation has to drain back through the unit and out the actual furnace drain, will that cause any damage?
If I can't seal the hole, is there a simple way to catch the moisture at the hole and direct it into the condensate pump instead of onto the floor?


texts:
Floor tiles: We all know them, we all love them, but who are they really?

Floor tiles can be beautiful and stylish, adding color and interesting patterns to a room. But 90% of the time, they're anonymous squares that you never even think of unless you're stuck home in quarantine.

My question is: Do floor tiles have any practical advantages over any cheap alternatives like plain concrete?


texts: Water heater inlet corrosion after 4 years? Installer claims they did everything right

texts:
Similar to this question, I've got severe corrosion on my 4 year old water heater inlet. I was having the heater flushed when this was discovered, and the person flushing it said it was caused by the installer not using a dialectric nipple.

So I contacted the installer, who claims that the copper flex is dielectric so a dielectric nipple is not needed. Is this possibly true? If so, what else could have caused it?

It would be great to know if the original installer is being honest. If they are, I'll have them do the work to fix it. If not, I'll find a new plumber/plumbing company.


texts: What handle and lock for sliding door with no internal mechanism?

texts: My house, built in 1959, has a sliding door with no internal latch or lock mechanism or space for one. I'd like to replace the current "handle" (a bolt with nuts). Are there handles designed for a door like this? The simplest solution I have so far is to take two handles with identical mounting holes and put them on either side of the door, fastened with bolts and nuts. But a handle, and especially a handle with a lock, designed for this type of door would be great.


texts: Why won't my Kenmore front load washing machine start?

texts:
I have a Kenmore 796-4116 front load washing machine. It's <2 years old. It powers on and there are no error codes or indicators of trouble on the display.

I turn the knob to select a wash cycle and press Start/Pause to begin but it never starts the cycle. The door latches as it always has and there are no broken parts on the door or on the machine where the latch goes. I see no obvious physical damage of any kind anywhere on the machine.

I have power cycled the machine, unplugged and replugged from the wall.  The manual's troubleshooting section does not have an entry for this issue. The chime works and I can turn the knob to designate any of the wash cycles but none of them will start.


texts: Is it safe to mount a surge protector strip behind a wall-mounted television?

texts:
To make my television mount look clean I ran a new extension cord, the tv plug and the cable wire through a wire management system that sticks on the wall. The extension cord is plugged into a 2 foot surge protector which is taped to the back of the tv as is the cable box ( it's very small). The only thing plugged into the surge is the cable box.

Is this safe? Nothing is run through the wall.


texts: How do I secure an open-backed set of shelves to the wall?

texts:
I read this guide on how to anchor furniture to a wall but it assumes that you’ll need to drill through the back of the item, attach something to the inside, and connect this to the wall.

I have a couple of sets of shelves that have open backs. One, an Ikea Vittsjö, has unused screw holes near the top of the unit:

(Unusually for Ikea, this item didn’t come with any wall-anchoring hardware.)

Another bookshelf has a bar running along the top back (on the left in this photo):

I could secure these to the wall by running some kind of strong cable through the screw hole (for the first shelf) or around the bar (for the second shelf). Can anyone recommend some appropriate equipment? If it matters, my main concern is keeping these shelves upright in an earthquake.


texts: Will this non Contact voltage detector be adequate for my use case?

texts:
Read somewhere that if I want to be super safe I should not only cut the breaker, but also use a voltage detector to be 100% sure there really is no current.

Looking on ebay they are real cheap:

It says the voltage sensitivity is 90~1000V AC. Can I use this to test light switch fixtures? Is the voltage sensitivity right for this purpose? They are so cheap I want to be sure the voltage sensitivity range they are rated for is adequate.


texts:
My electric kettle (Brewista BKV12S02-CEV, if you're interested) fell on its nose (?), and now leaks water (one drop at a time) at the point where the swan neck touches the body of the kettle. The kettle is made of stainless steel.

Food-safety is very important, so I tried soldering with S-Sn97Cu3 with the predictable result that the solder didn't adhere to the stainless steel properly and just rolled off. Is soldering this a good idea? If yes, what solder, flux, etc. should be used? Or is soldering a bad idea?
The repairs must be food-safe, i.e. no toxic flux, etc.


texts: Should columns supporting a beam be fastened to the floor?

texts:
I am trying to take down a load bearing wall and have had an engineer draw plans and advise I use a steel beam and columns to support the floor above.
Do I need something to secure the columns to the floor so they do not move or can the rest direct into the concrete floor?
I live in Scotland which tends to have different laws than the rest of the UK.

columns 90 x 6.3 SHS
beam 178 x 102 x 19 UB

The beam will have JJI joists resting on it. I have a 3 floor terraced house and the work is being carried out on the ground floor.


texts: How do I retrofit a junction box in an insulated wall?

texts:
Typical cold climate construction: Drywall, 6mil vapour barrier, fiberglass batt insulation. How do I retrofit a junction box and maintain the vapour seal? To be clear, by 'retrofit', I mean the drywall is up and I'd like to install this without having to repair any drywall.

Typically for new construction, you'd use an insulated and sealed box:

The vapour barrier is sealed against the gasket when drywall goes up.

Obviously, there's no way to get this box into a wall without removing a large chunk of drywall.

Does a product exist for this? How do you get a box into the wall and maintain the seal with the vapour barrier, without any access to the inside of the wall beyond the hole the box will fill up?

(actually fishing the wire to this box is beyond the scope of this question)

EDIT:

This worked brilliantly.

I cut a square hole out of the existing vapour barrier, then pushed the vapour box in behind it and spread it out. I then used tuck tape to attach from the back of the existing vapour barrier to the vapour box (using several small overlapping pieces), and had enough room to fit in a regular old work box.


texts: Are these walls prepared properly for tile?

texts:
My sister and I are doing our bathrooms in our condos. I am seeing her job and am concerned they aren't doing right.

They used the concrete sheetrock for her shower but it didn't go to the top. So they did some patchwork with sheetrock and put some sort of netting that was placed over it.  I thought they would then mud/sand this so then the tile can be put over it.  They did not and the tile person is putting the thinset over this netting and attaching the tile.

My worry is the patchwork of about 4 inches wide of sheetrock that is at top of the shower is not flush to the walls or the existing sheetrock. Picture a 5x9 shower with no tub. The three walls all have sheet rock up until about 4 inches from the ceiling.  apparently they ran out so they got more, cut it to fit the 4 inch cap and screwed it in.

The netting I'm talking about was patched over this probably to make it one surface and smooth but they didn't mud.

Sorry if I'm not explaining right but need to know if they aren't doing the right thing here. We've already been burned by a contractor and this one has had issues as well.


texts: Had a house built and ran wire for the spa disconnect which I understood at the time must be in the "vicinity" of the spa. Come to find out later, it must be "in the line of sight" of the hot tub. To get to line of sight, I need to make a 90 degree turn and run about 3 ft of flexible conduit (its a very short distance). However I still need to "tap" the existing wire already in the wall. Can you think of a reason I cannot use a 60a "on/off" non-fused cutoff switch (around $11 at Lowes) in between the true GFCI spa disconnect and this area where I inadvertently left the wire on an exterior wall for future use? I plan to padlock this 60a in-between switch so no one mistakenly thinks its the spa cutoff. I did some reading and they want the spa GFI cutoff in line of sight so if someone is working on the hot tub and sees someone turning on the breaker they can visually see them doing that.


texts: How to put a support bed under an already installed bathtub?

texts:
The bathtub was installed without a mortar bed just the  foam it comes with during transportation and seemed to be fine but after few weeks it started to squeak when taking a bath.

I have access to 3 sides of the tub and thin king of adding mortar under it but I read that expanding foam and plaster could also be an option.
Any advices over which option is better? I'm not familiar with what kind of plaster to be used.


texts: Electric Box Fan was spinning on its own

texts: I just had a strange experience. I woke up and I saw the blades of my electric floor box fan spinning very rhythmically. The air condition had just turned off, but the fan was still spinning. It was plugged into the wall, but the power was off. What the heck is this? Is there a reason this happened?


texts:
My husband and I bought a home a few months back and a lot of the window grilles are falling off the window. The clips that hold them are broken. Its a beautiful log home and the window looks better with the grilles in them but I can not find the clips anywhere. We were told they were Pella windows. They are not. I contacted Pella and Anderson and they both said they were not their windows. I now have a picture of some numbers in the lower part of one of the windows but I don't know how to find out what brand they are. Also I have a picture of the clip I can attach to see if anyone else has them or knows anything about them. I do know the house was built in 2004 we are in Hazle Township Pa 18202 if that info is needed. They are wood windows with wood grilles. The window pulls in from the corners to clean but it is not that easy to do, you have to pull them out of the frame. If needed I can attach a picture of the window as well.
Thank you for any help you can give me.
numbers I finally found on one window:

another view of the numbers found on the same window

the clip which is flat and lays flush against the window. there is no lip on the other side

all wood window


texts: Removing kitchen sink drain pipe from behind a wall

texts:
I'm replacing an old galvanized pipe from my kitchen drain to the basement.  The drain pipe corroded a couple feet down the line and is leaking.  I'd like to replace the entire run from the sink to the sewer with PVC.

The sink drain runs into a wall behind the cabinets and then straight down into the basement.

I don't know how to remove the section in the wall without cutting into the back of my fancy-ish new-ish cabinets and taking out drywall.

It looks like there's a nut right on the wall. If I remove that nut should I just be able to pull the pipe down into the basement?


texts: heat is not responding to thermostat set temp but comes on when turned off and back on with the thermostat switch

texts:
At times during the day my gas burner doesn't try to come back up to the set temperature on the upstairs or downstairs main thermostat.
I'll hit the up button a couple of degrees but no change. Then when I flip the thermostat switch to off and back on again, the unit fires up for heat maybe 10 minutes or so. Sometimes I have to do that twice for it to stay on but it still doesn't get to the set temp. But at 2am its working again correctly.
I've replaced the batteries on them and swapped the thermostats as well. Sometimes it works for days.


texts: When pre-drilling for screws, how do you determine the correct bit diameter?

texts: Suppose I want to pre-drill for, say, a 5/16 screw.  How do I determine the correct drill bit diameter?


texts:
I have some squeaky stairs going from the 1st to 2nd floor.  Below them is the stairs going down to the basement but the ceiling of the basement is drywalled (not very well).  I'm having some work done in the basement that will require some drywalling and my question is: should I take this opportunity to remove the drywall above the basement stairs, fix the main stairs from underneath, and have the contractor fix the ceiling?  Or should I just try to fix the stairs from above?  Would love any thoughts!

Thanks.


texts:
What's the best way to go about attaching an AV switch to the top of a wire shelf?

I guess zip ties are one option, but are there any better options (e.g. metal brackets that attach to the wires)?


texts: What sizes of DWV pipe are commonly used for (very) small residential homes?

texts:
One of the DIY projects I sometimes contemplate is replacing the ~45 year old galvanized steel drain pipe in my house with PVC DWV pipe and fittings. There is at least one slow, dipping leak I currently have a bucket underneath. There are also other connections which have been "repaired" by wrapping them with black electrician's (?) tape. My feeling is that even I could do a better job than what is there now.
One of the things I thought I would do if I ever actually did this was use slightly larger pipe. However, while browsing the big box store websites, I got the impression that the most common DWV pipe they seem to offer is either 1 1/2" or smaller and 3" or larger. In particular, 2" PVC … the next step up from 1 1/2" pipe … doesn't seem to be offered in the bulk 10' lengths which the other diameters are available in.
Is my impression about this correct or am I just looking in all the wrong ways? If it is true that 2" is not as popular a flavor then, well, why would that be the case? What (obvious?) aspect about how DWV installations "work" am I not understanding/grasping?
Below is some additional background about my home for context.
My understanding is that most of the plumbing & electric in my house was put in by the previous owner when it was built in ~1950. The only drains in the house are for

The kitchen sink.
The bathroom sink.
The shower/bath tub.
The toilet.

The toilet sits right over the main outlet pipe leading to the septic, so there is essentially no additional drain pipe for it. All of the other drains feed into this main septic outlet underneath the toilet. There is only 1 vent pipe and it also connects to this septic outlet pipe.
The other drain pipe consists of about 32' of galvanized steel pipe.
The main drain line is (unvented) 1 1/2" pipe from the kitchen sink's trap to outlet to the septic. The path is ~6' from the trap to a "T" with a plug on one end. The other end of the "T" runs ~13' to reach the outlet to the septic.
The bathtub drain has a straight run of about 5' of 1 1/2" pipe into another "T" into the 1 1/2" to the septic outlet.
About 8' feet of 1 1/4" pipe is used to connect the bathroom sink to the 1 1/2" pipe.
Basically, because the setup is not that big and most of it can be directly accessed, every time I consider making a spot fix … during which I may break some other weak spot … it seems to make more sense to just yank most of the existing pipe and replace it.


texts:
I tried drilling wood glue because I want to fix the screw there but I couldn't do it. The drill was not drilling a hole in glue and the screw did not fix there. I just want to make a proper hole in glue?
Are there issues with my tools or technique?
Can somebody properly guide me to make a hole in wood glue?


texts: Sash window design / security - parting bead vulnerable to attack?

texts:
I'm currently trying to design a timber box sash window.

I've had a look at both "traditional" designs from books, and more modern double-glazed window designs, and most have the same general arrangement:

There are two sashes in the frame, the top/outer sash and the bottom/inner sash. The outer frame is built as a box in the factory. On site, the frame is fitted into the brickwork (often behind a reveal to mask the large sections needed to house the balance weights).

Next the outer sash is placed into the frame, the parting bead (which separates the two sashes, acting as a runner, and also holding the outer sash in place against the frame rebate) is hammered into a groove in the frame, then pinned into place with glazing pins or similar.

Then the bottom sash is placed into the frame, and the staff bead on the inside is pinned in over the top to hold this sash in and also act as a runner face.

The sashes then lock together in the closed position by a catch at the meeting rails.

What gets me is that the parting bead is what's keeping the bottom sash from being pulled out to the outside of the frame, but it's also visible/accessible from the outside. What's to stop somebody either chiselling off or levering away the parting bead, then yanking the bottom sash out of the frame towards them?

I've found a product that claims to address this here but the end result is that the parting bead is fixed into place via screws which are still accessible from the outside of the frame. They call it "secure" because the screwdriver bit needed is a "Torx" bit (star key), but in my experience any standard multi-bit set has a number of these in these days, so they're not exactly exotic and this doesn't really seem to solve anything.

How can I change the fixing method of the parting bead or alter the design in such a way that it's secure?

Assume that the frame is fitted with the most secure glazing available - I'm not interested in debates about the glazing as this is largely a solved problem.


texts:
I'd like to patch the chip in this desk surface and paint the entire surface. The chip is on the back, so I can afford it not being perfect, just something to level out that wont be noticeable under fresh paint.

Can someone give me advice on fixing the chip, and what paint would be best for this type of project? It will be primarily a computer desk with minimal abuse, not a workbench.


texts:
6 ft tall 4x4 PT post out of plumb by 1-3/8". Excellent condition. Years old. Set in cement. Rock solid in part because tree roots have encased the cement. Tree too valuable to risk damaging roots by removing old post and cement, or placing new post nearby.

I plan to replumb the post by crosscutting about 2/3 the way through the post at 12" above the top of the cement. This will weaken it enough to bend at the kerf. Once replumbed (past plumbed, actually, to balance out forces), scab on 30" length of 2x4 PT, fitted to the bend, on the side with the kerf.

Question is on which side of the post should the kerf be placed? on the "overhanging" side so that the kerf opens when bent plumb? or on the sloped side so that the kerf closes when plumbed?  Aesthetically doesn't matter.

EDIT: or maybe snap a plumb line from top to bottom, then saw off the "overhanging" 6 ft wedge, then scab it on to the sloping side.


texts: Tile overlapping existing toilet flange - flange extenders don't fit

texts:
I'm replacing the toilet in the master bedroom. I pulled the old toilet off to discover the toilet flange is about 5/8" below the tile floor. I went to the store and got toilet flange extenders (the kind where you put silicone between each one) only to discover that the tile wasn't actually cut all the way around the flange so the spacer doesn't fit.

What are my options here? Is there a way to remedy this without cutting the tile? The old toilet did not seem to have any kind of flange extender.

EDIT: I just realized one of these is in there: https://www.fernco.com/plumbing/wax-free-toilet-seal

Seems like that might do what I want. Any opinions?


texts: Our furnace fan runs continuously whether we have the switch set to ON or AUTOMATIC.  How do we get the furnace fan to shut off without having to go downstairs and turning switch off manually?


texts: Reducing 1 1/2" conduit to 1/2" liquid tight

texts:
I'm running multiple wires through the same PVC conduit pipe (1.5") that need to exit into flexible liquid tight that is (0.5").  I'm not seeing any reducers for doing something like this other than white plumbing connectors.

Here is the "T" I was planning on using:

Here is the liquid tight:

Can this be done up to code?  What are my alternatives if it cant?


texts:
One of my A/C units was struggling to keep the temp. down to 85 three weeks ago. The pipe outside was slightly frosted so I already knew the unit was a little low of refrigerant. Called repair company to check unit out. The service technician said the unit was 2 lbs. low on refrigerant. After three more days of the unit struggling, I called for them to please check the unit again for me. Two different technicians happened to be sent out. At this time, there was no sings of any frost on the pipes. The techs told my wife that the unit has a leak and we would need to replace the unit if it continued not cooling properly. The techs also said they put an additional 3 lbs. of refrigerant in the system. They also quoted us total replacement for $5,892.00. They put in an order for a new unit.

This did not make any since to me. Next, I started monitoring the thermostat. every time the thermostat showed the unit was cooling it down a little I would lower the temp setting. Instantly the current temp. reading on the thermostat would go up a degree. Well, I put two additional temp. readers next to the thermostat and both of them said the current temp was 4 degrees lower than the thermostat.

So, I decided a new thermostat only cost around $38.00 and I replaced it. To my surprise, the unit started cooling immediately and has been for the last 20 days. I would bet that the on the second service call, the unit did not need or take anymore refrigerant. I did call the company and told them the unit started working so they could cancel the new unit ordered. I failed to mention to them that I put a new thermostat on which fixed it.

So, is there a tester for thermostats? I have never seen one tested.


texts:
I can't find a question like this, but I might not be using the right terms. I am in the US. I need to add a double outlet to an existing circuit. I have all the wires in place, but I don't know how to wire it up. Below is my diagram of what I want

The diagram also shows the plugs positions to each other. I can't run a wire from the new outlet, to the far right one. I have the new wire in the wall, with a new double outlet box in place.

There are two different Romex wire bundles into the first outlet. The outlet has both sides of screws wired.

The grounds are bare copper wires.

How can I wire in the double outlet off the single outlet in the wall?


texts:
Im getting a weird leak in my chimney.  It almost looks like a condensation buildup (due to distance from roof/location), but this seems to occur during rains.

Can anyone give some possible explanations on what could be causing the leak shown in the attached pictures?


texts: I wanted to install a timer light switch but when I opened the switch I noticed there were only two wires and a ground and both wires were the same color.  The timer switch has a white black and blue wire with no place for the ground.   Is it possible to replace this switch with the timer switch?


texts: Pool pump shaft seal leak...or something else?

texts:
I have water leaking from behind the seal plate of my pool pump, under the motor.  Exactly like a bad shaft seal.  However...

I replaced the shaft seal.  Still leaking.

I replaced it again, thinking I might have accidentally touched it or got some dirt on it.  Still leaking.

I called a "pro", who also replaced the shaft seal.  Still leaking.  He then suggested rebuilding the MOTOR, which makes no sense to me. The problem is that water shouldn't be getting to the motor in the first place.  How could rebuilding the motor be a possible solution?

At this point, the leak has increased from an occasional drop to more of a visible flow.  I'm hesitant to run the pump at all now.

I replaced the seal plate, thinking maybe there was a small crack.  Still leaking.

I replaced the impeller, again thinking maybe there is a crack.  Still leaking.

As far as I can tell, that pretty much exhausts the list of relevant parts that could be replaced.  I also replaced the impeller screw and gasket, but I don't think that would be related to the leak.

I'm pretty sure (say 99%) the water is not coming from somewhere else and running down under the motor, but at this point I'm not going to reject anything out of hand.  I can post a picture of the leak if that would be helpful.

What else can I do?  Is it possible the repair guy was onto something with rebuilding the motor?

This is a Pentair Whisperflo pump.


texts: I cracked my door at the door handle plate. What can I use to fix and reattach the door handle?


texts: Replacing fascia board: what kind of contractor?

texts:
I was cleaning my gutters yesterday and I noted that the fascia board is coming apart.

I don't have the time or skills to do it myself.  What kind of contractor would be best to hire?  The ones I can think of are a roofing outfit, a gutter outfit, and a handyman.


texts: How serious are these cracks in drywall and foundation?

texts:
I just bought this 20yr old house a year ago and now I am noticing crack indoor as well as on the foundation.

Indoor crack goes all the way across the ridge of the angled wall and down to the corner where marked in red.
Outside crack looks like this.

Indoor crack looks a lot like what they call matching vertical crack?
I have "differential movement" of front stoop and back patio as well.
Am I in trouble?


texts: Will this light fixture wiring pass inspection?

texts:
I helped my grandpa install a light fixture in his kitchen(he's in the process of remodeling) and noticed the wiring was a little weird.  The wiring is going from the fixture to the switch which I thought, and a google search confirmed, is supposed to go like this:

However, this is how the existing fixture was wired and how my grandpa insists I wire the new fixture:

The wiring diagram at the top of this page belongs to do-it-yourself-help.com. The original can be found here: https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/wiring_switches.html

I'm not good with diagrams, but whats happening is the hot is coming from the breaker box(the neutral too, but it's ignored) going into the fan, and then out of the fan to the switch.  The switch is then sent to neutral on the breaker box.

He's going to be due for an inspection once all the wiring is done and I'm concerned about this.  The guy who did his wiring said he did all rooms like this.  This area is under NEC 2005


texts: How should I clean and repaint a painted wooden deck?

texts:
My deck appears to have been painted with just a single layer of paint, which is now peeling off.  I like the look of the paint (when it's in better condition, of course), and am uninterested in staining, especially because I'll be adding some new balusters which may not necessarily match the existing wood.  I'd like to clean, prime, and repaint the entire deck, and have a few questions:

Do I need to actually strip the existing paint?  Or can I just follow this cleaning method (power wash, scrub with bleach/water/TSP)?
Because I don't particularly care about the discoloration of the underlying wood, is the above-mentioned chemical cleaning necessary?  Or can I just pressure wash, wait to dry, then start priming?
Should I prime/paint/stain the underside of the deck?  While I want paint on the top, I'd be okay with staining the underside, if necessary.
What kind of primer/paint should I use?  This deck is in Illinois and experiences hot summers, cold winters, and plenty of moisture.


texts: Any "upright freezers" that have a water/ice dispenser?

texts:
I'm trying to pick out kitchen appliances for a new kitchen.  We like the idea of having a "freezerless refrigerator" side by side with an "upright freezer" so that it has the appearance of a massive refrigerator but it's actually 2 separate units.

The only issue is I can't seem to find any upright freezers that have a water/ice dispenser.

I'm hoping someone on here is more knowledgeable on kitchen appliances and can tell me if such a product exists.


texts: Wiring a ceiling fan that has two 2-way switches to a universal ceiling fan wall control

texts: I want to wire my ceiling fan to a ceiling fan wall control. The problem is that the location where I am putting it is controlled by two 2-way switches. I need to figure out the correct wiring method so I can get the new control to control both the lights and the fan speed.


texts: Replacing Insulating blanket around oven (patching grease spill)

texts:
I accidentally spilled some oil on the stove which seeped down below the top.  The oil is now in the insulating blanket that surrounds the oven and caught fire while a burner was on.  Can I buy new insulating material, cut out this patch and replace it?  Any help appreciated.

edit:  can I use this product to patch it?
https://www.amazon.com/Ceramic-Insulation-Ceramics-CM-Ceramics-Instructions/dp/B015GD0QCW/ref=pd_cp_60_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=G3MA4QEVGWZ0CFCYCDKX


texts: Dryer vent through cinder block and then through yard - is this ok?

texts:
I've been researching how to vent my basement dryer, using galvanized steel ducts. There are lots of things on Google that show how to do this under a normal situation, but mine is unique, and I can't find a good answer yet.

Normally one would drill a hole through the wall that faces the outdoors, and run the duct through there. But I can't because my walls to my house are stone, and I would never want to drill a 4 1/4" hole through it.

Instead, I'd like to dig a hole in the yard, where the vent will come through the basement cinder block, and then drill through the underground cinder block. This requires three 90 degree turns, but the total equation is less than 25' (counting 5' for each turn).

Is this ok (I follow Maryland code)? Will the weight of the dirt harm the steel duct when I refill the ground around the vertical duct? And which kind of cap should I use at the end (assuming this is ok to do in the first place)?

Hopefully this picture helps:


texts: How do you avoid brush strokes in satin finish when painting around casings?

texts:
I bought some satin finish paint for my walls (Sherwin Super Paint) (for the color I wanted, my only other choice was flat, and I didn't want a flat finish). The problem is that because I used a roller for the big surfaces, and a paint brush for the edge work around casings, it's very easy to notice the sheen difference when the light catches the wall at certain angles.

I thought I had feathered out the paint sufficiently, but that seems to have made it worse. I did the edge work with the brush after the roller work had dried.

What technique should I use to ensure I end up with an even sheen on the wall, even right up to the casing?


texts: Remove broken setscrew in an already damaged hole?

texts:
Trying to remove a broken setscrew on part of my stove. Top photo is the current state, the second photo is another part showing an intact screw for comparison.

I already tried to drill out the screw to use an easy-out but the bit wandered, cutting into the wall of the hole, perhaps 1/16th" deep. Oops.

Wondering if anyone has a suggestion how to recover this situation. Perhaps a good blow with a punch into the true center of the screw could still work, but thought I should get advice before making it worse!

I'm open to re-tapping it for a larger screw if that will work / is necessary.

It seems possible to replace this component if necessary so all is not lost if the screw can't be removed. Although disassembly of the entire apparatus would be nice to avoid. Some of it seems possibly pressed together (?).

Thanks!


texts: How do I fill the hole caused by removing a door plate on a metal door jamb?

texts: I recently got new doors and need to move the door plate on a metal door jamb. I was hoping someone had the know how on how to fill the hole that will now be on the door jamb from where the previous door plate was.


texts: How to use grounded European plug of coffee maker correctly in middle east countries?

texts:
I have bought a coffee maker with a European plug which doesn't have a grounding pin like our plugs here in Israel have. Here is a picture of the splitter I use and the European power plug:

As seen here, Israeli power outlets have a grounding hole at the bottom as opposed to the grounding pin at the top protruding from european outlets and this creates a dilemma. If the grounding hole was located at the top, I could modify the European plug to attach a pin in order to ground the appliance, but in my situation I can't.

Is there a way around this? What can be done to accomplish what I want?

UPDATE: I have recalled that I already had old coffee maker with Israeli plug, look:

Should I cut new coffee maker's wire where plug EU begins and then attach old coffee maker's plug? Or I should disassemble new coffee maker, find wire's beginning in coffee maker's base and completely cut wire later replacing it with old coffee maker's wire?

Another question I had is what if to recreate pin in EU plug and turn EU plug upside down so it can be connected to Israeli socket like this:

Of course N and L will switch places however.


texts:
Background: We live in a co-op. Each unit has it's own electrical box to shut off electricity.

We have a corner under-cabinet light that is hardwired into the box I THINK (I'd have to tear up the wall to really be sure). The wires route into the same wall as the box. Not that it tells you anything but the light is literally about 4 inches away from the box.

I want to get rid of the cabinet (to put hanging pot rack instead) altogether so the light will not have a mount.

Should I have an electrical inspector around when I hire an electrician to close it off? How easy is it DIY? I figure splitting the wires and capping them or can it be more complicated than that - would that close the circuit? I guess I'm paranoid to DIY and tucking the wires inside the wall and some electrical fire happening.

I'm at a cusp where I'd rather just put another shelf up just so the light has something to mount to and not deal with this if it's complicated.


texts: What is the proper way to use a hand plane on wood?

texts: I am installing threshold between a bamboo floor and tile, and the threshold sits too high above the tile. I would like to use a hand plane to reduce it. But I have never used a plane before, and would like to know the correct way to use it?


texts: Where is the best place to store firewood outdoors relative to your house?

texts: Is it true I should avoid storing firewood near my home (due to concern about termites)? Or is it perfectly fine to store firewood in a convenient spot just outside the door?


texts:
I have a toilet which has water condensing on the outside of the tank and then dripping down onto the floor.  No, the tank is definitely not leaking.

This is weather related, as this always happens on somewhat warmer days (i.e. > 70 F) and when we have no HVAC running (i.e. < 90 F), so our windows are open and there is some humidity in the air.

Obviously the cold water in the tank is causing the condensation to occur on the outside.

Can anyone recommend a solution to this problem, other than placing buckets behind the toilet?  How do I keep my floor from getting wet every spring and fall?


texts: I am changing my carpet to laminate/wood flooring. I was told laminate is more durable and better on the budget. I have been in homes and businesses since deciding to do this and when walking on the floors it sounds hollow...I do not want this for my home. Is it like this with all laminate? Can you suggest anything that would be nice, durable and affordable?


texts: How do I design and build a simple, sturdy, and affordable table?

texts:
Table Design

I'd like to build two tables at custom proportions to display my LEGO model city. I've already designed the layout consisting of two tables aligned into an L shape:

The two freestanding tables should fit in the corner of a room in an outbuilding, each table will be separate and must be at the same level.
The table should stand 30cm from the ground.
I'd like the design to be simple, study and affordable.

My Problem

I don't have any experience building a bespoke table and I'd like to know; how would you approach the task of designing and building the rest of the structure? What kind of wood would be appropriate for the surface and frame?


texts: Is a brad nail gun suitable for attaching pickets to a fence?

texts:
I have a large fencing project and I'm thinking about purchasing this nail gun:

RIDGID 2-1/8 in. 18-Gauge Brad Nailer:

Would this be suitable for attaching pickets to the rails, or is there a better tool for this?


texts:
After a decade of use, it looks like my water cooler is slowly falling apart.
I am not sure of the proper terminology here, but the handle/lever part of the faucet broke off.

Am I able to buy just the handle and install it (not the entire faucet)
If I have to install the entire faucet, is there a guide/manual somewhere? I couldn't scavenge anything relevant.
Is there a temporary workaround that I could do to still use the faucet?

Image of the damage (blue, center):


texts: Add outdoor outlet opposite indoor outlet

texts:
sorry, this turns out to be a duplicate question already answered elswhere here

It would seem pretty easy to add an outdoor receptacle in the backyard if it would be allowed to be wired from an existing outlet in the dining room. If so, should I use a gfci receptacle or replace the breaker with a gfci breaker?


texts: Can I control just a ceiling fan light kit with the switch and leave the fan powered?

texts: Is this easy to wire to make it work like that? What would I have to do? Thanks in advance!


texts: How do I unscrew a hex screw that doesn't have any grip anymore?

texts:
I messed up the screw that fits this tip of this particular type of screwdriver bit (circled in red):

That screw now has almost no edges and is basically oval. I tried lubricating the screw so that I can get it by the neck on the opposite side with a set of pliers but I had no luck there as well.


texts: Why did my generator trip the feed breaker in the subpanel?

texts:
I connected a Predator 9000 generator to an Intermatic pool subpanel through a 2 pole 30 amp breaker to backfeed the main panel through another 2 pole 30 amp breaker. There is a GFCI receptacle on the subpanel but was inoperable and its breaker was off.
When all breakers are off in the main panel including the main breaker I flip on the generator feed breaker in the subpanel then the breaker in the main panel that feeds house circuits. Either the the breaker in the subpanel trips or the breaker in the main panel trips or generator bogs down then they trip.
I converted the generator to floating neutral and it still happened.


texts: HOT prongs on 30A 240V electric dryer socket (10-30R Socket)

texts:
I have an electric dryer (Samsung DV42H5000EW) and it is connected to a 30A (I believe it dual 30A as there are 2 arms that are connected to each other both saying 30A) 240V breaker.  The wall socket is a 10-30R connection at the dryer.  I believe 10-30R sockets require 240V if I am not mistaken.  The house was built maybe 10/15 years ago. I am guessing the wiring is still good and nothing wrong (that i have seen so far)

I am running some bitcoin/altcoin mining equipment from this wall socket when the dryer is not in use.  The equipment came with China GB2099 to C19 power cords.  They use 2100w.  I am in the USA so these cords will not work for me.

What I ended up doing is getting a 10-30P to L6-30R converter, and purchasing a L6-30P to C19 so that I can connect it to the mining equipment.

This works perfectly.  I can run one of the machines off of this all day with no issues.

I figured since it's 30A 240V I can technically run 2 of the 2100w machines on the same power outlet as I am below the 5760w (80% continuous load threshold).  I purchased a C20 to x2 C19 splitter so I could connect both machines. I ran it for 2 or 3 days with both of them running without any circuits popping or issues with the machines themselves.

My wife asked me to turn off the equipment so she could use the dryer.  When I did I noticed the plastic receptacle (10-30P) was warm to the touch as was the first 6 inches of the wire.  But both of the hot (Left/right) prongs on the 10-30P were HOT.  I could only touch them for a few seconds without having to take my fingers off.  The top/bottom prongs were just warm.  I checked the rest of the cables and nothing was hot/warm anywhere else.  Just on the 10-30P and first 6 inches of wire.

Once my wife was done with Laundry, I checked the 10-30P (for the laundry machine) and it was not warm at all. I reconnected the mining equipment and ran
both of the machines again for a few hours and checked the 10-30P.  Same thing.  Receptacle was warm but the hot prongs were HOT.

I let it cool down and connected it once again but only one of the machines this time for a few hours and the 10-30P was not warm and the prongs were barely warm.  I know the circuit can handle the load as I am well below the 80% threshold.

Do you think the wall socket (10-30R) needs to be replaced. The 10-30P to L6-30 connection?  Should I not be running this load on this socket/circuit?  Did I put myself in danger by running them both on the same circuit?

I am a little confused as to why it's getting so hot if it is rated to handle that load.  I figured I would try to get some help here before I call and pay an electrician.

Thanks in advance.

-- Edit

Thank y'all for the help. I instead opted to setup a co-location contract with a local data center that will provide the power/cooling/facilities at almost the same cost it was for me to run it in my garage. Safer and much more of a legitimate location for the equipment. I am having an electrician come out to replace that plug with the 14-30 like suggested. i did not know it was outdated.


texts: Do the electrical codes have a solution to extend a cable that is short?

texts:
There is an existing wire that was feeding a vanity light on a wall close to the light switch. I want to re-purpose it to feed a string of three LED lights and obviously the wire is to short to reach to the nearest LED pot light.
It is going to be a pain to pull this cable out and replace it with a longer one
What can be done to extend it using a safe and compliant with the electrical code solution?
This is a NMD 14/2 electrical cable, 15 AMP circuit, feeds light bulbs (LED)
Specs here of the wire I'm using:
https://www.rona.ca/en/wire-nmd90-14-2-47174851-1798029


texts: Oven burner not lighting normally - strange behavior

texts:
I have a 15 year old Capital Performance Series gas range, model number PSGR304. This is a cheap relative of a commercial-style DCS range without any electronic controls, timers, etc.

Lately it has been behaving strangely so I took off the covers to investigate and here is what I found after repeated tests:

When turned on from room temperature with the thermostat set at about 350 it takes the ignitor about 12-14 seconds to begin glowing
The ignitor looks fully bright by 22 seconds (total time)
The burner lights fully at about the 1:24 mark (normal flame)

At 2:14 the burner goes off but the ignitor remains bright

There is a faint smell of gas
After waiting for the 5 minute mark to ensure that nothing happens spontaneously, a finger inserted in front of the gas jet (through the burner air intake) senses a very light cool flow of gas but not nearly enough to light
If said finger is used to briefly tap/bloc the orifice there is a little "whoosh" and the burner ignites but the flame is not at its normal intensity

The oven takes about 40 minutes to reach 350
The thermostat clicks off, the flame goes out, the ignitor stops glowing
Keeping the door open causes the thermostat to click on and heat the ignitor
The gas comes on by itself but the flame is still at the strange low level

Nothing I found online so far addresses this combination of issues, everything assumes a binary failure (shorted safety valve, bad ignitor etc). In my case, the sequence of events seems to rule out a complete failure of all three active components (ignitor, thermostat, safety valve) as well as a blocked orifice or burner holes.

Can anyone please suggest a way to identify the root cause of all this? Thanks!


texts: Removing 2x4 strapping and still meeting Ontario building code

texts: I am finishing a basement ceiling in a new house. Currently there is a 2x4 used as strapping in the center of the area for the above floor joists. I want to remove it but dont want to create issues. I need ceiling height. I was going to put blocking in between joists to compensate. I have the house plans and the building code states that strapping is not required if furring strips or panel type ceiling fi Ian is attached directly to joists. Code also requires resilient channels for noise now. Will the channels meet this requirement and or will blocking be acceptable.


texts: How to support the side of concrete steps?

texts:
Last spring, we decided to remove a concrete walkway (and much of the soil underneath it) behind our house and replace it with either a pea gravel or decomposed granite patio with boxwoods and a fire pit. Removing the concrete and soil was fun, hard work.

Now, we need to decide how we're going to support the existing concrete steps.
 As you can see from the images below, we left a mound of soil next to the steps for the time being, for support. We're not sure what to do next.

We have a few questions:

What should we use to hold up the concrete steps? We're hoping it could be something that would be flush with the steps and not have to stick out too much into the patio.
What can we use to remove the excess concrete on the foundation wall so that it's all even (no lip)?
What can we use to make an extra step on the bottom of the concrete stairs all the way to the left in the panoramic picture?  Right now, we have a mound of dirt left over from when I dug out the patio area. We'd be happy with a wood step, if we could find one that would look nice.

Any advice/pointers for this project are greatly appreciated!

Thank you!


texts: Garage ceiling joist support for studio apartment?

texts: I bought a house with a 24x24' attached garage. The rafters above the garage has a cape cod style. There's already a door in the attic space leading to the outside (2 stories up with no staircase....) The previous owner told me he was planning to build an apartment space up there, complete with mini kitchen and bathroom.  Seemed like a fun project for me to finish. However, looking at the garage ceiling it appears the joists are only 2x6s spanning 24' running parallel with the garage door opening, and I don't see how there's any center support.  I can't fathom how the ceiling isn't sagging or how someone planned to build a whole apartment on top of that.  Does this sound right to anyone?


texts: How to remove outdoor drain cover to clean insides and prevent overflow?

texts:
I want to know what tools I need to remove this drain cover. The insides are starting to get clogged and I'm afraid of overflow.

Can I remove without sawing it off?


texts: is this the right way to ground fault protect both sides of an mwbc?

texts:
is this the correct way to ground fault-protect both sides of an mwbc?
 pigtail the (line) neutral to two separate gfci outlets, and pigtail the (load) neutrals to the neutral that's going outside.


texts: I have an indoor swimming pool - can I have a large mirror, or will it be steamed all the time?

texts:
I have a dehumidifier in my indoor swimming pool room, I would like a large dance mirror on the wall - would it be constantly covered in condensation.
My room humidity is controlled to 50%.

Just don’t want to add a huge wall mirror to find it a mess all the time.

Thanks in advance


texts: Top loader Whirlpool. I've removed the back and water is leaking from the Break Vac during fill. The hose running to it is OK. The water is leaking from the back opening of the Break Vac. I'm thinking it's one of three things but don't really understand how this works. 1. Could it be too high a water pressure? would simply partially shutting the house inlet valves solve the problem? 2. Does the Water inlet valve in the machine control the flow and is it bad and allowing too much water to flow through it to the Break vac? 3. Possibly the Break Vac was jostled and in wrong position? The Break Vac appears to be a simple part and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it like cracks but maybe I'm missing something.


texts: Are there locations in a residence where a non tamper resistant receptacle can still be used?

texts:
Assume for a second that my jurisdiction has adopted 2011 NEC code as legally binding without significant amendment. This code requires (406.11) that 120V 15/20A outlets in all areas defined in NEC 210.52 must be tamper-resistant, and that existing grandfathered outlets are only grandfathered until replaced; any replacement must be TR. Exceptions are:

Outlets more than 5.5' off the ground (only common one I can think of is the one for a garage door opener)
Outlets designed to be used by a major appliance which normally blocks access to the receptacle (mostly in the kitchen; fridge/stove/oven/dishwasher)
Outlets built in to light fixtures or lumieres (and so replacing them would involve replacing the entire light fixture which may be expensive or impossible)

210.52 covers pretty much any outlet in an interior space of a residential building, including attached garages. It doesn't specifically cover closets but the NEC doesn't treat closets any differently than the interior space containing the closet. It also doesn't (AFAIK) cover attic spaces that haven't been finished. I don't have a basement so don't worry about that.

All that being said, is there any outlet in my house, besides the one for the fridge (ex 2), stove (ditto) and garage door opener (ex 1 - on the ceiling), that wouldn't be required to be TR if/when I replace it?

This also begs the (somewhat argumentative) question of why standard (non-TR) outlets are still sold to "amateur" electricians. At least in my area, they are only code-compliant in commercial spaces that aren't healthcare, child care or hotel spaces (ask the next 100 people who buy an outlet where they plan to install it, and 99 will say "in my home"), and in VERY LIMITED circumstances in residential, where a TR outlet would also be just fine. I'm not sure exactly how the store would be expected to tell who would install it in a compliant way, but it seems disingenuous for a store to sell 10-packs of outlets that would be illegal to install without at least having the POS system throw up a flag at checkout (like they already do for age-restricted items like glues/paints/solvents).


texts: Leaking plastic on plastic water connector

texts:
I have a dishwasher with a small leak where the black plastic hose coming from the water inlet valve attaches to the dishwasher water inlet (on the left side of the dishwasher body).  The leak is at the location near the tip of the green pencil in the photo.

The hose is being held on by a spring clamp and it seems to be in good working order.

My question: is there a trick to stopping water leaks from this junction?  Is there an equivalent of a plastic-on-plastic pipe dope that I can put on the tubing here?


texts: Granite top loosing shine and looks like cloudy

texts: Our granite is a dark colored(it is granite and not imitation, not sure of the exact details though). We use 409 granite and steel for cleaning every day. I did the granite sealant a month ago after 6 months(bought house a year ago). Lately the granite started to loose its shine and looks cloudy with water marks after cleaning. What kind of care should I take at this point to keep the granite look shiny and clean? Should I polish it? Find the image of the granite below. It looks better in the pics than outside.


texts:
We purchased a vintage ceiling light fixture in Europe and I’m trying to figure out how to mount it.

I’ve attached photos below.

It seems to have a sort of hickey attached to the end of the post with a screw for grounding. I’m not clear on how this would attach to the electrical box in the ceiling. I can how I could pass the post through the ceiling mount hole and attach it with the hickey, but then it seems like all that is holding the lamp to the mount is the tiny screw crimping the hickey to the post.  The post has no threads.

Any thoughts?

What other hardware do I need?

Many thanks!


texts: Do ceiling roses need to be moved when earthing lights?

texts:
I was advised by a letting agent that lights in my house all needed earthing in order to let it. I agreed and paid for their contractor to do the work. I later discovered that all the ceiling roses had been moved several inches across the ceilings leaving unsightly patches of poor plastering and, according to the tenant, holes in the ceilings.
The reason given when I queried this was that the wiring was encased in metal conduits and it was a big job. I don't understand from that why it was absolutely necessary to cut new holes and move the roses.
Could the job have been completed without moving the ceiling roses? If so what  would an electrician have needed to do and would it have cost a lot more?


texts: I need to run new thermostat wire since I don't have a C wire to power my smart thermostat, but need some guidance on where to hook it up. I have five wires at my thermostat, two going back to my furnace in the basement and the other three going to my attic where the A/C is located.


texts: Please help! Exterior Sliding Door Leak on Interior Slab - No visible threshold - 1980 construction

texts:
I have a townhouse built on a concrete slab. Laminate flooring was installed 5 years ago, and has buckled severely at the patio door.

I suspected water intrusion, cut back the laminate, and saw:

The original concrete slab stopped about 10 inches from the interior wall face.
A styrofoam surround (about 1" thick, maybe an expansion joint?) between the concrete slab and a framing member run parallel to the wall / door.
An uneven (rough) concrete surface outwards from the framing member, onto which is mounted the exterior patio door.
From the finished interior slab to the adjacent framing and rough concrete is a drop about 1/4". (Appears the interior slab has lifted about 1/4" from the original build).

It seems the laminate flooring installers 5 years ago noticed these surfaces and tried to bridge the gap with some sort of filler that simply expanded (had a hollow air bubble underneath) with moisture.

I'd like to repair this situation ASAP as I am intending on moving in shortly, but would benefit from expert advice.

Does anyone have any guidance on this?

Thank you sincerely,

Andrew


texts:
Can I use a traditional router bit on a small concrete slab? And if no what can I use? I'm getting ready to make a coffee table. I know the trick where you put silicone in the corners to achieve a bevel but I want to add a few fossils or some petrified wood and Im going to need to sand the corners of that down because I want it in the corner of the table if possible just like this pic:

Image source

I'm mounting this top on a coffee table so it most likely will just be a slab that will lay flat on top of the table I built. I was thinking of clamping the top to the base so I can get in there and grind it to fit perfectly then unclamp. Then polish it. The weight should keep it from sliding around I would imagine


texts: After cable replacement, Craftsman garage door won't "close", moves a few inches down, then back to further than it started

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I have a Craftsman automatic garage door that came with the house. A few days ago, my wife informed me that the garage door was "making funny noises". Since we'd just gotten home late at night, and she mentioned it after we'd headed off to bed, I figured I'd check it out in the morning. Well, the next morning, she got into the car, hit the button, and the cable snapped. It had worked its way off of the pulley and had frayed and finally snapped (this had probably been going on for some time, explaining the noise). I disengaged the safety latch to raise and lower the door manually until I could get a replacement cable.

Well, I got the cable and installed it, but it's still not working. When I push the button, the trolley moves forward about three inches, stops, then moves backwards to the restraining bolt and stops. Right now, the cable is not connected to the door itself, as it's got the trolley too far back to connect. I loosened the chain using the bolts and we tried it again. It again moved the trolley forward a few inches, then just kept pulling it back until it was at the farthest position. The chain from the trolley to the sprocket is taut and the trolley is pulled back too far to hook into the door (normally, it would do so when it moved down to the door, but it's not getting that far).

Things which I've considered:

The sensors - I cleaned them off and verified that they're lighting up fine. I also tried raising the door manually as far as it could go to verify that the lowered door wasn't somehow tripping them.
The chain - I considered the possibility that I messed something up when putting the chain back on (it had fallen off of the sprocket after the cable snapped. But I think that this is simply the position that it wound up in after attempting to reel in the cable after it snapped, there in the upper position.
The cable - I checked to be sure the cable wasn't catching on Anything. It is a little bit long at this point, but that end of the cable goes towards the motor anyhow, and it's not catching on anything.

I'm pretty close to just calling a repair guy, but I figured to see if I'm missing anything obvious. This garage door was working before the cable snapped and I tried replacing it.


texts: Would it hurt my water pump if installed a second water pump on the output of the first?

texts:
I have a well in my garden(17m deep, 1m diameter), in it there is a platform on which my water pump for my house sits. Before the water comes out my faucet or shower it travels across some 20 to 30 meters of small diameter pipe. So the water pressure at the end is miserable.

Can I connect another water pump right before(4m of pipe away) my shower, so that this pump would suck water from the first pump, create pressure and deliver comfortable pressure of water to my shower?

Of course, I need some place for the second pump, it would create some noise, but would that be ok or would the first water pump get damaged?


texts: Trying to wire 240 disconnect panel from 3 wire from main panel to 3 wire spa (2 hots and ground on both sides)

texts: I’m wiring my used hot tub I bought which is a 240 volt total containing 3 wires, 2 hots and a ground. My feed from the panel is also 2 hots and a ground. How do I wire both sides to the gfci disconnect?


texts:
Two questions:

1) Are garage door safety sensors required or just highly recommended?

2) I currently do not have them, and think that I want to add them. In my previous house my kids kept smacking into them with their bikes, toys, etc. and knocking them out of alignment and it was always a pain to have to recalibrate them. I would have to do this frequently. Are there different kinds that are either more resistant to this or easier to align?


texts: How do I handle an extra black wire when replacing dimmer switches?

texts: I am replacing 2 light switches that are in the same box each controlling a separate light, one was a dimmer switch and the other was a regular so now I want to replace both with new dimmer switches.   But when I opened up the box there was a secondary black wire that connected the switches together.  Do I still need to leave this 2nd black wire in place or can I remove it and put a nut on the end?


texts:
Has anyone seen this type of bracket before, or have suggestions on what it might be called? The drawing is upside down for the intended usage - basically I want the U-shaped piece on the underside of a joist, and the other piece on the top of a sheet of plywood. My goal is to slide if together to hold the plywood up.

Right now the whole idea is hypothetical - first I need to find the bracket to see what kind of load it could hold.


texts: Can I fit a 90" dining table plus 8 chairs in an 11' ford cargo van?

texts:
I'm trying to figure out what size van I need to move a 90" dining table plus 8 chairs, the 2 table legs can be detached from table top for transport:

The van has 11 feet of cargo space

Height of Cargo Area: 4’ 5”
Width: 4’ 10”
Length: 11'

Will everything fit in one trip?


texts: What is a carriage bolt washer with mounting spikes called?

texts:
The "washer" below is from a carriage bolt. It's like a t-nut, but used on the square side of a carriage bolt and holds it steady. I'd love to get my hands on a box of these but can't for the life of me Google the correct terms. Hopefully someone here will be able to point me in the right direction.

For what it's worth, the "washer" came from an older kids playset that was custom built.


texts: Can I shut off the water to my house and safely leave the water heater on while I'm away on vacation for a week?

texts: I plan to shut off the main water supply to my 2 story house before leaving for a week on vacation.  I have an AO Smith gas 'powervent' water heater in the garage that I would like to  set to 70*F rather than turning it off.  Since there are no issues with freezing pipes here in  the SF Bay Area, I wasn't planning to drain the water lines within the house. Would the cold water feed on top of the water heater need to be turned off also?


texts: What is the right way/tool to remove this tile and thinset from a concrete slab?

texts:
I'm finishing up my hardwood flooring project and realized I had enough material to replace a tile entry pad with hardwood. So I started removing the tile and thinset with my handy prybar. I'm finding it extremely slow going. The tiles are very difficult to remove, and most of the thinset beneath them is extremely well-bonded to the concrete slab beneath them. I'm having a hard time getting

Is there a reasonably-priced tool I can acquire to make this task less arduous? Or am I just going to have to bang and scrape at it over and over and over and over again?


texts:
So I live in Ecuador and this house has been forgotten for 15 years. All of the walls are poured cement with stucco on them. This seems to work fine, except at times the water seeps in and ruins the wall and the stucco.

I have removed most of the stucco, but I need to know how to repair the wall itself, as I can see the tiny pebbles that make up the cement itself under the stucco.


texts: Samsung Fridge Freezer RL39WBMS - Fridge Not Cooling But Freezer Working Fine

texts:
Initial thoughts was that it's likely just the temperature sensor that has gone, so replaced that but unfortunately didn't make a difference.

What is the next best step to fix it? I'd prefer not to have to purchase a new fridge/freezer for the same of a £20-£50 part that likely just needs replacing.

Debugging appliances is not really my thing - I'm more used to debugging computer systems :-)


texts: 3 pole 4 wire grounding 3 phase 250 volts

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So I’m trying to add a new circuit breaker for a plug because there are multiple outlets on this circuit and when everything is being used the breaker trips

The outlet is a 125/250v 4 wire 3 pole 3 phase grounded outlet that powers up a meat cutting saw.

My question is that do I need 3 breakers to power up this plug or would I be fine with just 2 breakers. Because from what I understand I can get 210 volts phase to phase so I don’t see why I’d need all 4 wires. I think that I’d only need 2 hots and a ground and I should be fine. That would mean that I’d only occupy 3 out of the 4 screws on the plug.

Thank you


texts: PVC Exterior Window Sill on a Brick Veneer Home

texts: I have a brick veneer home with a rectangular hole in the wall that currently holds an unneeded window air conditioner. I bought a window I would like to install there. The hole does not have a brick sill - the hole was built specifically for the AC (long before me) so there is no ledge. Lucky for me that means I won't have to cut any bricks to prepare the opening. Would a PVC exterior window sill would be the easiest way to go? Do I have to put a sill at all? I live in a VERY humid, hot area. Do you have any tips or recommendations for my project?


texts: Can I cause damage to electrical appliances by unplugging them when they are turned on?

texts: I don't mean damage caused to the socket and prongs, but only to the appliance itself.


texts: Why is this light fixture tripping the GFCI?

texts:
I recently replaced an outlet with a GFCI outlet in a bathroom in an older home (1960s), and added a light/bath fan. In the same box as the outlet I replaced was a single pole switch to a light over the sink. I replaced the switch to match the outlet and wall plate. It was functioning fine before, no issues. It previously was NOT feed via the GFCI outlet. I switched it to be feed via it since it controls a light over the sink, and the new light in the bath fan.

The GFCI outlet feeds the feeds the single pole switch controlling two lights (the one over sink, and the one over shower within bath fan), as well as a 10-20-30-60 minute timer switch controlling the bath fan.

For some reason, the GFCI was tripping when the single pole light switch. Through trial and error, I determined it was the existing fixture controlled by the single pole switch causing the issue. If I disconnected it, everything works fine.

I've tried the following and have not had any luck solving the problem:

Swapped switch
Swapped existing light fixture for new one (we were going to replace anyway)

I hooked up a digital multimeter to neutral-ground for fixture causing the problem. When switch is OFF, voltage is essentially 0v (says 0.0008v, something like that). When the switch is ON, it is showing 0.11v. Not sure if that is of any significance.

Attached is a schematic I made. Some of the symbols might not be right, so please go easy on me! If anyone could help diagnose I would be greatly appreciative.


texts: How can I package a relay (for lighting control)?

texts:
Right now I have 3 high-pressure-sodium lights (475W actual x 3) on a single light switch.  It's a heavy duty switch, but these lights have magnetic ballasts (40 pound transformer) and they have a hell of an inductive kick.   I'd rather switch them with a relay.

Easy enough to find a bare component relay, but I don't have any idea how to package that into a Code-legal package.  Are there relays made for that purpose?

I know for instance that thermostat transformers are made which bolt into a 1/2" knockout, or serve as a lid to a junction box.  Does anything exist like that with relays?


texts: I have a gas grill and planned on replacing the rusted burners. I have 2 of the 4 screws out, the other 2 will not budge. They are machine screw through the aluminum burner into steel. I tried liquid wrench, tapping, heat, grinding the sides of the heads flat to use pliers, and drilling through the center. nothing has worked, they refuse to budge. anyone have any suggestions??


texts: Can I use a 110 V GFCI outlet on a 220V service?

texts: I am in a country that uses 220v circuit. I want to install a GFCI outlet but I cannot find one that is 220v rated. I can buy in the US a 110V GFCI . Can I use it instead.?


texts:
Here is the problem:

I'm renting the apartment and the tear wouldn't have happened if the flooring had been installed properly to begin with, so I'm not looking for perfection here. I just want my security deposit back when the time comes. I've read to warm the area with a hair dyer, smush it together as well as I can, use some kind of adhesive, then weight it for a day or so. Is there anything you'd like to add to that or dispute? Is there a particular grout or adhesive you'd recommend, particularly one likely to be available at Ace Hardware or Lowes?


texts: How do I stop water from seeping between my porch roof and house siding?

texts: I have a small roof over my side door on my porch. Whenever it rains or snows, some water always seeps in between the small roof and the vinyl siding. It drips down the siding and makes a puddle on the porch. How can I prevent this? I assume there's a small gap that the water goes into, can I use something to seal it?


texts: Explain different type of fire detector?

texts:
I bought a house and just replaced 8 hardwired smoke alarms that were 10+ years old units like this. They had the typical high voltage red/white and red interconnect wires, with thick wires.

However there's a 9th unit in my house that looks very different and has a different wiring configuration. It is only a few inches away from one of the other units.

The wiring / size of wires / voltage is different on this one.

What is the purpose of having this separate setup? Should I replace it with a similar unit (e.g. same model number)? What specifically would I be searching for if I wanted to find an alternative unit to replace it with?

There is a wired alarm system in the house, does this unit tie into it somehow and maybe that's why the wiring is different? If so does that mean that only this detector is tied into the alarm?


texts: How should I replace this rotten window header?

texts:
Here I have a corner bathroom. Left wall is exterior. My “header/top plate” is rotten. I am able to put my finger through it.
I have never come across a window header that doubles as a wall top plate, but here we are. I am bracing the rafters and attempting to remove the header. It is double 2x4. Staggered at the left corner obviously.
I would like to downsize the window without dropping it. Would this be a viable option in the future? For now I am just replacing the rotted stuff. New kings, new header etc. Exterior is diagonal 1x8 plank with asbestos and vinyl siding.
Could I replace the header now, without modification in the future? Is there a minimum distance I would have to drop it?
Everything else I have encountered in this house is built very... odd. So why not this? Has anyone seen this in the past?


texts: Elegant solution for wall mounted laptops holder

texts:
I'm looking for an elegant solution to mount laptop holders. I also looked at standard shelves with brackets, but for me it's not much of an elegance.
I have 4 laptops to be displayed on the wall in 2 x 2 configuration (its for display only to see progress of things from a bit of distance, no humans are standing there to work on them)
I like this product which is just holder only (not meant for mounting) and trying to work my way to mount it somehow to the wall. Each laptop is about 14x10 inches.
I can place two laptops in a row its just I don't like the shelves with brackets too much.
Any lateral thinking ideas are welcome.


texts: Can I add a 120v branch for a washer to a 240v dryer circuit?

texts:
I’m running 10-3 Romex for a 240v electric dryer in our garage. It would be very convenient to tap into one hot leg and add a 120v outlet for the washer (they will be stacked). Is this allowed per NEC code?

Also, can I add an additional 240v outlet to this circuit to future proof the garage for such things as a table saw or welder? Or does the dryer require a dedicated circuit with no other outlets?


texts: Remote Hand Held controller not operating properly with three 3 Way Switches

texts:
I installed controller in the fan for the hand held remote but only the light control on the remote works to turn everything on and off. Fan speeds don't change when I press them but the high speed turns the light on also. Right now one 3 way at the front door is off and the split foyer 3 ways(top and bottom of the stairs) are in the up position.How does this novice correct this situation.

No Clue...


texts: How should the top edge of an asphalt shed-type roof be finished?

texts:
Our contemporary house has a shed roof that is finished with a layer of aluminum flashing nailed through the top course of shingles.   The flashing turns down and just covers the top edge of the fascia board.

This doesn't seem to have caused any problems (it's about 12 years old), but I know that most roofs don't have exposed nails -- they are usually covered by the next course of shingles, which doesn't exist in this case.

Is this a standard technique for this type of roof?

Edit: Add pictures taken from the ground - the two higher roof lines are the ones I'm questioning.

A closer look at the higher one.   You can see the flashing turning down over the top edge of the fascia; it goes over the top and sits on top of the top course of shingles; it appears to have a layer of roofing cement under it.


texts: Do I need to anchor premade concrete stairs

texts: Do I have to anchor premade concrete steps to the wall?  We used to have wooden steps but they were not anchored to the wall.


texts: I have an above ground exterior concrete slab that we'd like to surface with 2" x 2" porcelain tiles. The slab is just a little too small – about 3/4" in one dimension. I'm wondering if it would work to build a form around the short end and pour in the missing 3/4" of concrete? I don't think it would be possible to accommodate another full tile (e.g., to add 2 3/4" rather than just 3/4").


texts: As part of a basement remodel, some of the old (1940s) plumbing is being changed around.  In order to move some of the waste drain from the side bathroom toilet, there were some 90 degree elbows put in.  Are you always supposed to use less than 90 degree elbows for toilet waste, or are regular elbows sufficient?


texts: I am planning to renovate my kitchen and I would like to remove the wall between the kitchen and dining room. I have attached a photo of the wall (wall behind the stove) as well as the room on the other side of the wall. I have reviewed the joists in the house and I have been able to confirm that they run parallel with this wall. I have also confirmed there is no walls in the basement or second floor that are on top or below of this wall so I am pretty confident it wouldn't be load bearing. The house is from 1971, but from what I have been able to determine the load bearing wall is the wall behind the kitchen in that first photo as it runs perpendicular to the joists and also has walls in the same spot in the basement and second level, it is also the center of the house. Is there any reason why this wall would be load bearing? I appreciate any feedback, thanks.enter image description here


texts: What steps should I take after kitty litter has been washed down the drain?

texts:
A relative tried to do me a "favor" and clean out the bathtub where a kitty box had been temporarily stored.  I guess 2-3 pounds of clumping litter were washed down the drain.  It doesn't appear to be clogged (lucky!), but I was wondering if there are any steps I can take to prevent any settled litter from causing future blockages.

I have municipal water if that makes a difference.


texts: Piezoelectric igniter not producing spark

texts:
I was doing some work on my residential gas lines which required turning off the gas at the main. After the work was complete, I turned on the gas at the main and initiated the process to re-light the gas water heater pilot.1 I did get the pilot to re-light (saw the pilot light through the window), but I was not sure that I did it correctly (not sure why). So, I turned off the gas and let it air out for 10 minutes. I then returned to redo the process, but then the piezo igniter was not producing a spark. Coincidentally, when the plumber was here a few weeks earlier installing gas line, he too had a bit of difficulty getting the piezo to ignite the pilot.

Since I'm not a fan of cold showers, I wanted to just buy a new water heater since this is ten years old, but I figure, in the spirit of DIY home improvement, why not just replace the faulty component and have some spare change left over.

For the State GS640YBRS natural gas water heater, what is the more common cause of the piezo igniter not producing a spark?

A faulty piezo igniter (9003407005)

A faulty natural gas burner assembly (9003379005)

Or other?

1 State GS640YBRS natural gas water heater, 40-gallon, atmospheric vent


texts:
I need to fix drywall ceiling and replace a couple of panels. I do have a few sheets taken off from another room (also from the ceiling), which means they're coated on one side, tape has been ripped off.
Most importantly, there are rips from screws which I could not find to unscrew,  I simply pulled the panels down leaving the screws in  the joists.
Overall they're OK, but have some bulges and rips on the back.
Now having said all this; Would it be OK to re-use such drywall sheets?  I could carefully fix those rips and bulges.
On the other hand, maybe durability of the panels now has suffered?


texts: What are some recommended cordless trimmers/weed-eaters?

texts:
I'm looking to pick up a cordless trimmer/weed-eater.  I have a bit of an anti-noise bias, so I'm hoping to find something that's electric cordless, not a gas-powered one.

Are there any trimmers of that sort that have decent power and battery life?  Or is the very nature of the tool such that a cordless electric version won't be satisfactory?

For what it's worth, I have a fairly small yard ~ 1/3 acre.

Edit

Gave the Black and Decker a whirl, and it was perfect - one battery on full charge, and I didn't even run it down doing the whole yard.


texts: How to add small ramp or level painted concrete?

texts:
I have a small patio (10'x6') with painted (oil based) concrete.
It has a slightly uneven slope resulting in standing water with heavy rain.
I would like to add a small ramp/slope to the top of the patio.
Can I pour a new layer of concrete over the old painted layer with a new slope?


texts: Replacing old 2-pole line volt thermostats in a 120V hydronic heating system - is this configuration safe and acceptable?

texts:
I am replacing several old mechanical 120V 2-pole thermostats each of which controls both a blower fan (which blows air over hydronic coils to push warm air into the room) and a single central circulator pump (which circulates hot water to each blower fan unit). To function correctly, the pump must run when any fan is running, but each fan only runs when its thermostat is ON.
Currently, both poles of each thermostat are turning on LINE voltage to both the corresponding fan and the central pump. As shown below:

I would like to replace these thermostats with new 2-pole smart thermostats (this unit: https://www.sinopetech.com/en/product/smart-double-pole-thermostat-for-electric-heating-3600-w-zigbee/) but it requires a voltage difference across the poles, so my plan is to wire one pole to hot for both the fan and the pump and the other to neutral only the fan:

I'm confident this should work, but the potential issue I see with this is that when any thermostat is ON, the hot leg for each fan will be energized (although a complete circuit wouldn't be present since the neutral would be open). Is this permissible by NEC and is it safe?


texts: Can you please give me the weight of a concrete slab the measurement is 2.5 X 2.5 metres Thickness 8cm   This is for the purpose of disposing  this amount concrete to waste management (Council Tip)


texts: What type of mortar should I use to repair a flat flagstone roof?

texts: My garage has a flat flagstone roof. It is around 100 yrs old and is leaking. There are some cracks in the mortar. What kind of concrete mortar mix should I use to stop water from seeping through?


texts:
I had a Lutron Maestro MS-OPS2 occupancy sensor wired in a small handy box and it worked fine. Here is a photo of how it was wired then:

Since the box was too small and I wanted to put a finished steel cover plate over it, I replaced it with a bigger box. The problem is that the sensor won't function at all after I rewired everything. I have both black wires going to the black wires on it, and the green/bare together going to the ground. Here is a photo with the old switch back in place, which operates the lights without a problem:

Here is a photo of the occupancy sensor I am using. Any help here as to what is wrong would be great. Thanks!