texts:
I am building an addition with a basement underneath.  The existing home is on a slab foundation, and the 20 year old tank water heater is in a closet.  I was planning to replace this water heater with a tankless heater in my new basement.  However, I now realize that this will significantly increase the distance from the water heater to the kitchen (and a couple bathrooms).
The new plan that I am forming in my head is to put my large tankless water heater in the basement to service the new bathroom/laundry room in the addition directly, and in series (where the original tank heater was) put a much smaller tankless heater that is near the other two bathrooms and kitchen.  The thought being that the smaller one will shut-off when the water from the larger heater reaches it, but it will provide hot water quicker to the faucets/shower much farther from the large heater. Is this a bad idea?  Are there any other ideas that I should consider? (I've considered a recirc pump, but it seems that sort of defeats the purpose of tankless since it is always keeping hot water in the lines - your tank just becomes the lines).
Note: my tankless water heaters would be propane fueled


texts: Are there drawbacks to installing a stronger bath fan?

texts:
I have a bathroom fan that doesn't seem to be doing the job. I'd like to replace it with something that has much higher CFM (jet speed); is there any reason not to do this?

Is it possible that it can cause more problems?


texts: How to drill a hole in plexiglass (acrylic sheet)?

texts:
What kind of bit should I use to drill a 1/2" hole into acrylic glass (plexiglass)? The local hardware store does not have a 1/2" hole saw - which was my first inclination. I am now considering these options in the following order:

Spade bit
Forstner bit
1/2" straight drill bit
Step-up from small (3/16") to 1/2" straight bit
Knock-out/Step-up bit
1/2" Diamond plug cutters (expensive)

I'm thinking the spade bit may work but will leave a rough surface (which I can sand) and will give me less control than a forstner bit. Starting with small straight bits and stepping-up to 1/2" seems safe but time consuming.


texts:
Can anyone make an educated guess on how to wire so the door bell rings?

The flat used to have door phone entry system, but it doesn't work anymore. So it is used as normal bell. In flat we had a phone, but builder removed when fixing the wall. Now I have 4 cables sticking out with no bell, I need to install a bell using these cables.

4 cable colours: blue, white with blue stripes, orange, and white with orange stripes.


texts: What's this exterior wall treatment and how should I paint it?

texts:
I need to paint the exterior walls of this house, but I am not sure what is the material of the walls.

I know this type of houses came from Finland to to south of Argentina because they are excellent for very cold weathers.

Also I would like to know if I have to use latex paint and/or washing first with soap and a pressure washer machine (like the one uses to wash cars).


texts: How can I protect existing fence pickets/rails from raised garden/lawn soil rot

texts:
I have an existing fence which goes some way into the soil and we are cleaning and painting it then we plan on further raising the garden and lawn.
What are the best ways to protect the partially buried wooden fence from rotting?
There is already some rot but the posts are stable. Good ground clearance is not an option and most of my searching only reveals advice for fence posts although the are some threads about what is best for a garden bed. I am thinking garden edging could be retrofitted
Update: i think effective ground clearance is very unlikely (comment below). Even the neighbour's garden (lower) is against the base rail (also on their side). It isn't designed with proper clearance.
Update 2: the concensus is ground clearance, so after much hard work... images below


texts: Can I use bubble wrap / pluriball to insulate my shed or it is just a waste of time?

texts:
I would like to make my small shed / laboratory a little less cold / humid during winter.
The main points I can "attack" are the very thin windows and some holes between the wall and roof, here's a picure of the problem:

And here's a potential fix obtained rolling bubble wrap / pluriball and pushing it in the gap so that it is quite a tight fit:

Am I just wasting time?
Is there a better option without making too much mess?
I am a bit scared about using special products because if the fix doesn't go well (maybe I get mould or other issues) the products can be hard to remove.
Thanks for your time and kind help.


texts:
I'm asking about advise\idea\help.
I'm new home buyer in Austin area TX.
I bought a new home in the foundation stage. Now it's in the framing stage.
I found that some lumbers (about 4-5) on the first floor have some strange white dots.
How I understand,  it's "white speck". Wood is solid.
Should I be worried about this? Is it common\acceptable in the new construction?
Video: https://youtu.be/FbykXVZIKgs


texts:
I've had an electrician install some new wiring for me for our new electric car charger. It is 10mm twin and earth. He's had to join two of these together, he hasn't fully finished yet, but I'm wondering if the join he has made is sufficient. I've attached a photo of his work.

The join is inside a void under our stairs behind some plasterboard. It will be taking a current of 16A for approximately 9 hours at a time. In the future our new car will be taking 30A. I'm a little concerned that this tape job isn't right. Any advice would be great.

Edit: Here is picture without the tape


texts: Tapping into the external tankless water heater for outdoor shower

texts:
I have an external tankless water heater on the back wall of my home. 20 feet directly to the left is where we want to put our outdoor shower. We currently also have a cold water spigot in the same area. My original plan was to put a hot water spigot next to the cold water spigot and then just run some washing machine hoses over to the outdoor shower. Instead of having to crawl under the house and drill through the band joist to install the spigot I was wondering if it was okay to just put a T in the hot water output of the water heater. Then I could put a ball valve on it and run a hose off of it.

Thoughts?

Thank you!


texts: How can I support a desk without legs or brackets

texts:
I plan to build a floating desk with the following dimensions: 75"-79" long and 22"-24" deep. I plan to mount it to concrete wall(see Image). My Preferred material is MDF.

The desk intended for use as computer desk and writing-reading desk. The load on the desk will be mainly consists of: monitor screen, books, laptop and so on.

My goal is to create a strong and stable desk that can support not only the load described above, but also beyond that(specifically: adult leaning on the desk with his arms).

My question is: How can I support the desk without any legs or bracket?

EDIT: There is a similar question to my question on the site(HERE) but I think the solution proposed does not fit my question. Since to my opinion the proposed support in  solution is too weak for my purposes. I'm pretty sure that if I will lean down on the edge of the desk with time not only it will created a 'belly' but it will damage the Alum angle stability (maximum torque). I think the proposed solution is better suited for shelf that functions as a desk, and I want a strong desk that can support for example a person sitting over it.

Note: I do not care if the most of the entire thickness of the desk(based on the design offered) would be a hollow, as long as it's does not exceed 5''.


texts: Why is the live wire reading live, but the neutral is not, in my lighting circuit?

texts: A ceiling light has failed and I have removed it.  The circuit that it was part of (eight other downstairs lights) is working fine. BUT the supply cable from this circuit to the failed light is 'live' for the live wire but not 'live' for the neutral.  So my replacement light fitting is not working. Where can the problem be?


texts: What could be causing my GFCI outlet to trip?

texts:
I have a GFCI outlet in my garage that keeps shutting off. I have unplugged all utilities from it and it still trips off. I replaced it with another GFCI outlet. When I hooked up that new outlet it has a green light on it indicating that it is hooked up but the outlet and the circuit it is on no longer has power. I put the old one back on and it worked for a couple of months then as I added Christmas lights to the circuit it started tripping off again. I again took off all the lights and appliances to it and it still trips off.
Any suggestions on how to correct this issue?


texts: The temperature outside is about 20° my thermostat is set to 68° I have a heat pump unit it does not turn off once the set temperature is reached it does not go above 68° but maintain 68° and the unit keeps running the question is how do I prevent this from happening right now the heat is turned off And the temperature is staying at 68° please help?


texts: How can I find thecapacity of an older model dryer?

texts: How can I find out the capacity of an older Kenmore Advantage gas dryer model # 79801?  I need a new dryer but want a larger capacity than my old one.


texts: How many "blocking" pieces do I need for a finished basement wall?

texts:
I'm going to start finishing my basement. For the walls that run parallel to the floor joists, I'll need to install "blocking" pieces, for the top sill to be nailed to. Is there a general rule on how far apart they should be placed, or how many will be needed for a wall of "n" feet?

This isn't for additional bracing of the floor, just solely to have something that the top sill plate can be secured to.


texts: Will a kitchen with porcelain tiles on the last floor of a house add too much weight?

texts: My house is more than a 100 years and the kitchen I'm concerned about is on the second floor. I would like to cover my kitchen with porcelain tiles, but I'm thinking that doing so would add too much weight to the house. I mean, I would have to add a lot of cement, wonderboards, and on top of that, the fridge, stove, sink, etc. I'm asking, will the weight be too much for the house?


texts: Adding a ground to a GFCI ungrounded outlet box

texts:
I have bought a 1974 built Condo that had GFCI issues.
 A bathroom has a GFCI outlet and no ground wire attached. It has a red/white wire hook-up that functions properly.
 There is a metal box, however it not attached to anything at all. It just flops loose in the wall opening having a hole in the vertical 2x with just the wires running through the hole. A previous owner tiled the entire bathroom and the electric box 'ears' are behind the ceramic and tension the cover into place. It fails the ground test needless to say and the inspector wants it fixed for occupancy.
 The red/white wires seem to come from the light bar.
 Should I remove the light bar and try to fish a ground-wire up to a proper metal box there if there is one?
 If so, is there a test I can do to check for ground-ability?
 Getting to the main light switch from the outlet would be a real trick.


texts:
I have Timberline shingles but not the ridge cap ones

How do I "make" the ridge cap shingles?
https://www.gaf.com/roofing/residential/products/ridge_cap_shingles

Since I don't have the 3-tab shingles. This is for a shed so I don't care much as long as it won't leak. Could I just cut to 1/3?

UPDATE 1
My shingle is metric so it's 39 3/8" long actually. So I am wondering if it is OK to cut it 13" for ridge edge shingle? Plus this has adhesive strip on the top (not center). I don't know if it matters (see highlight below as adhesive strip):

UPDATE 2 (WRONG)

Illustration to use the top part only (the one with one layer). Cut to 1/3 and use the "x" pieces for ridge caps.


texts: Should I rebuild or just replace worn out cordless tool batteries?

texts:
I have a couple of older Porter Cable 19.2v Ni-Cd batteries which have worn out.  In shopping around for replacements, I've noticed there are a number of businesses which offer to rebuild your existing batteries with new cells.

One of the claims that some rebuild shops make is that they use high capacity cells (2400mAh) which will give longer run times compared with OEM batteries.  Also, since my tools are older, replacements are a bit harder to find.  The cost difference doesn't seem that significant (rebuilding seems a bit cheaper).

Can anyone give me a rundown of things to consider when deciding to rebuild the batteries as opposed to replacing them?  I'd also like to avoid an experience I had about 5 years ago where I purchased a set of 2 "new" Dewalt 18V batteries from an online retailer only to find they did not perform nearly as well as the original batteries that came with the tools.


texts: A Kilz type product was used over some wood with black stains which we now realize may have been mold. What should we do now? Can we treat the KIlz painted wood with a mold killer now?


texts: How can I hook up my dishwasher drain properly?

texts:
The problem

I am installing a new Bosch dishwasher and have run into a conundrum hooking up the drain. The parameters are the following:

The dishwasher drain hose has a rubber bit on the end marked 1/2" and 3/4". It steps directly from 3/4" to 1/2" without an intermediate 5/8" level. The dishwasher is otherwise completely installed, so I would prefer not to pull it out to put on an entirely new hose.
The air gap has a 5/8" inlet and 7/8" outlet.
I want to drain into a garbage disposal with a 1" inlet.

This leads to two problems:

The drain hose appears not to fit the air gap inlet. I suspect I could jam it onto the air gap inlet with enough force, but I'm worried about longevity.

I do not mind replacing the air gap, but I've been unable to find one that had a 1/2" or 3/4" inlet and 1" outlet. Everything I've found, both locally and on the Internet, has 5/8" inlet and 7/8" outlet.
I need some way to connect the air gap outlet to the differently sized inlet on the disposal or (less preferred) some other part of the drain under the sink. I only need a couple of feet of hose.

The previous dishwasher had no air gap at all; it connected directly to the disposal (which led to at least one adventure I'd rather not repeat).

Right now I've taped the hose to drain into the sink, so do I have some time to do it right.

I'm puzzled because this seems like a common situation, so I wonder what I'm missing.

Sketch

Here is the situation. The red arrows are the two connections I am trying to make.

Photos

End of dishwasher hose:

Air gap:

Disposal inlet (the rag is simply to prevent leakage so we can use it while I solve this hookup problem):


texts:
We have a situation like the following image:

The only difference is the wire on the far right switch going from the switch up to the light is red instead of black.

All of those switches are powered and control each other but don't control an actual light. My thought is one of the two main living lights may previously had been a fan or something that are no longer there.

The switch in the far right of the image we want to put an insteon scene switch. The top left button would be the on and off for the switch which wouldn't actually control anything, but the 7 other buttons we could program to control scenes in the house.

We want to remove the other 2 switches that are part of the 4 way. If we just cap them all off, then the one on the far right won't be powered up and wouldn't work.

To note, the two we want to remove are each part of gang boxes with other switches so the cables would still be fully accessible later on by taking the switch face plate off for future owners.

So what we did was the middle switch in the image, attached red to red and black to black. That works. For the other switch (far left in image), not sure what we need to do, cap the all off? Attached certain wires to each other?


texts: I found the electrical line with only with one receptacle for a garbage disposal. I am wondering can I add a new electrical connection for a gas range to this line?


texts: How to finish concrete ceiling - beam span calculation

texts:
I have a room below my garage (suspended slab). I want to finish the room/ceiling. The room's dimensions are approximately 24' x 23.5' (this is to the walls, which are already framed/dry-walled). I don't know if I can drill into the concrete ceiling, and would prefer to avoid that if at all possible. I would like to do 2 inches of closed cell spray foam insulation. What I'm hoping to be able to do is span the 24' length with 2-4 beams, then anchor 2x4s perpendicular to the beams to create a suitable backing for something like drywall or another lightweight finish (lightweight shiplap, etc). How do I calculate a beam size that only carries its own weight, plus the weight of the ceiling materials? Height is a concern, it is a pretty low ceiling. I really only have about 9" (7 after the spray foam insulation) to work with since that is the top of the entrance/doorway.

I may need to hire out an engineer, but I figure its worth a shot asking here first for ideas.

Thanks.


texts: Sizing up a battery bank for max continuous power draw

texts:
EDIT: on hold while I check conditions

@Harper pointed to the fact that my battery is rated to draw 165A continuously for an hour, which should cover the needs of my inverter when my vacuum starts up. I do sometime have to switch over to a backup battery, and I need to verify this hasn't somehow interfered with the measurements. In the worst case, it might mean that the measurements were made using a 136Ah AGM battery from Sunwind with a rating of 67Ah with C=1 - about half that of the Concorde.

Still, the points on wire thickness might be relevant ... I usually employ really thick (35mm2 - 70mm2) jumper cable wires and the length between the inverter and battery is less than a metre, but in this case I have just relied on the cables supplied with the inverter, which are far from thick: maybe 2,5mm2.

I have a single 12V battery (a 305Ah Concorde Sun Xtender 2580L) feeding the power needs of my off-grid cabin. This has worked well, but I recently got a 2000W inverter which introduced a new problem: power surge and continuous high-power delivery.

I had figured out that my setup would be fine, since I only needed this inverter for ten minutes or so during a weekend (powering a 220V 1400 Watt vacuum cleaner), but this failed to work: as soon as the vacuum powers up, the shown voltage on the inverter drops from 12.3V to 9.3V. I take this as a sign that a single battery is unable to sustain such a high load. What I'd like to know is this:

How can I know how "big" a battery bank I need to sustain X Watts in continuous power draw? Is there some indication in the battery specs that will help me in finding the numbers, or are people just using some heuristic, like "max power of a battery bank is approx 2x its numeric rating in Ah"?

P.S. Feel free to talk to me in Volts, Ampere hours and Watts. I can do the math :)


texts: How deep do the footings have to be for a gazebo?

texts: I am building a free-standing hexagon gazebo around an existing circular concrete pad, so the gazebo will not have a wooden floor.  The only weight that the footings will support is the weight of the roof.  I plan to have footings around the outside of the pad to support the posts.  My question is how deep do I need to dig the footings?  I had planned to use 8 in. quick-tube forms for the footings.


texts: Is this enough support for my countertop?

texts:
I am putting a new countertop in (Lustrastone, is like Durastone) that will wrap around an outcorner wall.  Along one side is a 48" wide base cabinet and the countertop will be 38" deep.  It will extend 18" beyond the left side of the base cabinet and wrap around an outcorner wall that is not as strong as a regular wall because it has a pocket door in it. That part of the countertop will run 40" along the wall and will be 18" deep. The full length of that will actually be the 40" along the wall + the 38" deep.  I am planning to use hidden countertop support along the front of the base cabinet.  I am trying to figure out how to support the countertop along the wall and side of the base cabinet without depending on the wall to bear the weight.  I would like to stay away from a leg support on the outer corner of the countertop.  I am thinking about using hammered steel tubing that is 2" X 1".  Here is what I have in mind:

Run the tubing horizontally along the wall (the cabinet does not reach the corner....it is about 1 1/2" from the corner....... I will have to run the tubing along the side of the cabinet also)

Place a piece of tubing against the wall from the floor to the bottom of the horizontal tubing, acting as a leg, where each cast iron or wrought iron corbel will be

Attach the corbels to the horizontal tubing and vertical tubing (the corbels will not necessarily be where there are studs in the wall)

The countertop will sit on 1" tubing as it will be placed flat on the wall.  I am not sure how deep or high the corbels need to be.  The Lustrastone will be formed with plywood under it.

Will my idea work?  Will the tubing be strong enough?


texts:
This old water tap leaks a lot, at the area pointed at by the little red arrow.

It does not leak from the spout, but from where the lever enters the housing (sorry, I'm not native english, I hope I'm using the words correctly...).

It leaks only when turned on; when the water is off, it is completely dry. In the past, this did not matter to me, but I would like to use an automatic system with it now, which means that it will be open all the time.

So what do I do? I guess I unscrew the nut where the arrow points, and will then be able to take out the assembly, clean it up etc., but then what? Is it enough to wrap it in hemp and screw it in again?


texts: What material should I use for a tent house like this?

texts: I'm planning to build a tent house like this in Paddy field. I'm totally new to this. I'm looking for the materials for tent. What is good recommendation for durable material for this?


texts: Is it safe to wire regular receptacles to the end of an extension cord?

texts: Is it safe to cut off the single-plug end of an extension cord and replace it with several regular receptacles and a metal box? Should the box itself be grounded?


texts: How to estimate the area required by first responders with a stretcher?

texts:
I am editing a book about taking care of elderly people.

Imagine the charge (person that is being taken care of) lives in a room sketched below and spends most of their time in the bed.

In case of an emergency, first responders must get from the entrance into the room, put the charge on a strechter, and carry them out (arrows from the entrance to the room and backwards).

How can I estimate

how wide the hallway must be (Y in the drawing) and
at what distance from the wall the bed must be located (X in the drawing)

so that first responders can get in and out of the room with a stretcher (incl. the room that is required when you turn the stretcher when carrying out the charge)?


texts: hanging multiple picture frames of different sizes in line and with equal spacing

texts:
Im putting up a picture wall of multiple picture frames of varying sizes.
The first picture below gives a very rough idea of what im trying to achieve, all in line at top where two are inline.
I didnt consider a few complications that are making this more difficult than expected.

the frames are deep and only have a sawtooth hanger so i will have to use string.(Was thinking of just putting a loop of string around the sawtooth and hooking that onto the hook.)
the sawtooth is different distances from the top of the frame on the different sizes of frame(2nd picture below).

This means i need to ensure the string is the right length for each frame to keep the tops of the frames in line and judging this is a nightmare.
The hooks i am using are these(3rd picture below), as its a sheetrock stud wall.
I feel like im making a mountain out of this.
Appreciate any advice on how to achieve my end goal, but few frames missing.

Rough estimation of end goal

varying heights of sawtooth hangers

hooks


texts: Pilot light not working at gas fireplace

texts: my pilot igniter will not produce a spark.it is for a gas fireplace it is powered by four AA batteries at a wall switch, is there a way to test the igniter?


texts:
I have the proper polarities connected from the panel and battery to the controller.

Above is a photo of the HQRP charge controller wired to a 30watt 24v solar panel and this 24v battery:

I checked with a multimeter, but there is no voltage coming out of the light bulb connectors (the load) side of the charge controller.

Work mode says "17"

Is this a faulty charge controller or I am at fault?


texts: Something has been eating up my drywall. Even after patching the wall the thing returns to same spot and eats it up. From the picture above that same spot has been patched up 3 times. There is no residue left behind. My house was built new and is 5 years old.


texts: I have read that new aerogel-type insulation offers potentially better efficiency than ordinary fiberglass, albeit with greater cost. Is this true at a practical level? Should I look at replacing some of my old fiberglass insulation with aerogel, or is it just hype?


texts:
I have been looking around for a tutorial to chane a simple bath plug chain. My chain has snapped, so the plug is not connected. I assumed it would be a simple job, but i can't find anything online about it.

Is it just a case of opening the "8" loops with a pair of pliers and the tightening them again? This is the plug I have:


texts: How can I economically switch between two home power sources?

texts:
We're researching low cost solar power systems, and we stumbled across a company out of Tx, offering a system that allows you to switch individual circuits between your service lines and solar. Sounds all well and good, but this is how they suggested to do it.

I think this idea is beyond terrible, however I lack the experience and anecdotal evidence necessary to come up with a compelling argument or alternative solution.

The question:

What (low cost) solutions are there that will allow us to be able to switch individual circuits between the two power sources?


texts: Is it safe to operate a kitchen stove without the original insulation installed?

texts: My rental house has an electric stove that has had a nest of mice living in the insulation.  We removed the insulation to clean. Is it safe to use without replacing it?


texts: How far should I insert downspout into sewer connection pipe?

texts: Is there a standard or should I insert it as far as it'll go?


texts: Wiremold Ceiling Fan Box not compatible with Harbor Breeze mounting bracket. How to fix?

texts:
I am surface mounting a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan directly to a wooden beam using a Wiremold Metal Ceiling Fan junction box.  The wiremold box has two #10 screws which go from the back of the mounting plate, and extend through holes in the junction box cover that the ceiling fan mounting bracket is supposed to mount to.

Problem is -- (for this particular bracket?) the mounting bracket holes do not line up with the screws coming out of the wiremold box in ANY orientation.  This is very frustrating.  What are some quick and dirty methods to solve this (maybe drilling new holes in the bracket?  And -- what is a proper way to address this without picking a new fan to match the wiremold layout.  Are their bracket adapters or other hardware out there that I can pick up from the local home stores to plug into the equation?


texts: The winding handles of our tennis posts are completely rusted and wont turn. Is there any way to save them and be able to actually use them and hang a new net? we tried to tie the net to the posts but the whole thing sags in the middle and wont stay tight.


texts: Should I attach the fence post(s) where my fence meets my house? How do I do it?

texts:
I'm going to be building a 6 foot tall cedar privacy fence in the spring (with pressure-treated posts) and need to determine what to do with the two posts that meet the side of my house.

In order to ensure that my 15 lb dog can't get through any cracks, I want to get the posts as close to the house as I can. If I make an 8 or 12 inch diameter hole for the post, that leaves a 2-4+ inch gap by the house, the latter of which I'm sure she could get through.

Quick specs that might help:
- My siding is vinyl.
- The fence posts are 4x4 pressure-treated wood.
- The posts will extend 3 feet into the ground, with 6-8 inches of gravel beneath (the Rhode Island frost line is 40 inches).
- The fence is 6 feet tall.

Is the best thing to do still to dig the standard hole and set the fence post in there, or should end posts at the house actually be attached via lag bolt or something along those lines?

If they are attached to the siding, should I still dig a hole or should the entire post be attached to the house?


texts: What is this dense, foam-like stuff under my bathtub?

texts:
I moved into a new house a few months ago, and had a leak from my (freestanding) tub.  After taking out the drywall in the ceiling in the room below, I realized I had to lift the tub up to get to the drainage pipe.  After doing so and turning it on its side, I saw all of this...stuff that was under the tub.  It almost looks like some sort of foam that I assume was meant to be some sort of "cushion" when the tub was installed, but in looking at all of the tub installation instructions I can find, I don't find any mention of putting stuff like this (or any kind of cushioning) under the tub.

Also it's much denser than foam (but that could be caused by the leak completely soaking it).  What is this, and when I reinstall the tub, do I have to do something like this again?  Here's a photo:


texts: How can I run an additional electrical circuit to a wall mounted TV?

texts:
I am in the in the planning phase of mounting my 50" plasma in my living room.  The wall the TV is going on is an exterior wall (it should have insulation) and the interior side is already finished so I don't have full access for running new electrical.  I am thinking of running the wires behind the wall from the tv down to the bottom of the wall and having them come out at the bottom and running them outside the wall along the baseboard to the reciever/cable box/etc.  This way I don't need to punch holes in the drywall and run the wires through the studs.

For running the low voltage wires I will get two face plates that allow me to run the HDMI cables through the wall.  But running the electrical to behind the TV is trickier.  I found a kit (Recessed Pro Power Kit w/Straight Blade Inlet White) that seems to be designed for this situation.  Is there a way to get this myself without buying the whole kit?  I don't need the low voltage lines to run next to the electrical, and I would like to actually have a normal outlet behind the TV (so I can plug 2 devices into it) instead of just one like in the kit.

For the outlet behind the TV I can just use a normal outlet but I don't know how or what to use for the other "outlet" the gets the power initially.  I don't want to buy the $50 kit above just for that piece.

EDIT: While there are other eletrical outlets on this wall, none are below were I want to mount the TV so I can't reach them without going through studs.  However this is an exterior wall on the first floor, I can get to the bottom of the wall from my unfinished basement.  Initially I liked the product I linked from Monoprice because it would still allow me to run my TV through me APC surge protector.  However I have found some in wall surge protectors (like this) so if I run power from the basement I could install one of those.


texts:
What direction should lever-style door handles be oriented?  According to this guy on YouTube, the traditional way is "middle of the curve up, end of the curve down", which "looks better", but you can do it the other way "for disabilities".

My thought is that a "middle of the curve down, end of the curve up" doesn't look better or worse, but it is a little bit better UX, in that the hand coming from above can get a better grip on the handle, regardless of disability.

If that's the case, why does the other way seem to be more popular?  Obviously, consistency is most important, but if doing all doors, which way should I choose?


texts: Installing a wall vent when stud blocks the opening?

texts:
I'm installing a rear duct range hood and need to open a ~4"x18" hole through the exterior wall.  A 2x6 stud blocks the hole.  I plan to cut the stud and place a header, jack studs, and sill around the hole.

Do the jack studs need to extend all the way to the bottom plate or can they just be screwed into the king stud? (there is some wiring that would need to pulled back for the jack stud to reach the bottom plate)


texts: Why is my outdoor GFCI outlet failing so often?

texts: What is the life expectancy of a GFCI receptacle with an in-service cover? The receptacle has been replaced yearly for the past several years. The factory cord to the pump for my continuous operation waterfall is covered by sand and flag stone, on the patio.


texts: Do outbuildings require 4 wire service to a sub-panel

texts:
I've been helping my son rebuild a house (tear down, new construction) and I'm doing most of the electrical. He also has a pole barn that had it's own 200 amp service (believe it or not) with it's own meter. He wanted to consolidate that into one service.

At first, I suggested we just feed the pole barn off a breaker in the new panel in the new house. But an electrician friend of mine said then it would be treated like a sub-panel, requiring a 4 wire feed. I called an inspector and also said that it would need a 4 wire service, even though the pole barn already had it's own grounding system. I've never understood that logic if the neutral was floated (not bonded to the grounding system).

The reason for not wanting to convert to a 4 wire service for the pole barn is it would have required trenching in a difficult area and the service conductors were direct bury, not in conduit.

Others here have said outbuildings require their own grounding electrode system.   I'm interested in hearing from other parts of the country how this is handled.

We did solve the problem by going with a class 320 service, which of course treats the panel in the pole barn as a main service panel.


texts: What is best way to crimp a 1/4 inch copper pipe

texts:
I need to cut and seal off a 1/4 copper pipe (that contains a gas) so that it's air  tight.  I bought a crimping tool and a cutter.  I plan on heating the pipe, then using the crimping tool (which looks like vice grips) to pinch the pipe shut.  Next, I will cut it, pinch the end closed, then solder the end.  After that, I'll remove the crimping tool.  I'd like to do this without letting any of the gas out, or ai in.  Will heating the pipe before crimping it help the crimper to seal the pipe, or not? Any other tips that you can offer for this procedure?
Note: This is a hobby project, and the copper pipe contains acetone and a partial vacuum.  It's going to be a thermal engine (basically a giant "drinking bird")
More Directions.  First, I'm going to solder a valve onto the tube.  Then I am going to suck out all of the air in the tube with a vacuum pump, and close the valve.  Then I am going to open the valve to suck some acetone into the tube, closing the valve when needed.  Then I am going to crimp the pipe, cut off the valve, solder the pipe closed and remove the crimping tool.  It's important that I don't lose any of the acetone or vacuum during the final solder step.  Also, acetone is flammable and I am using a torch.  The crimp seal must be nearly perfect.


texts: How to remove already installed laminate panel in cabinet?

texts:
This is actually a kitchen cabinet. The company I ordered it from messed up, so the oven I am installing inside the opening won't fit.

However, if I remove the TOP and BOTTOM panels (highlighted yellow) from the opening, the oven will fit!

My problem is the cabinet installation is already done, meaning, unlike my drawing below, I don't have access to the dowel tensioners and can't disassemble it without too much work involved; it's actually a middle cabinet with other cabinets beside it, so I have to disassemble the ENTIRE kitchen cabinetry in order to remove just those 2 panels.

The panels are attached to the sides with wood dowels and metal dowels with tensioners. Standard/typical stuff.

What I plan to do is HAND SAW the panels in the middle (dotted line), then pull them off, destroying them from the dowel joints.

I just don't know how to do it properly. I have a circular saw. I can probably adjust the cut depth to match the panel's thickness. However, it is too risky (to damage the panel below it), and I obviously can't use the circular saw for the top panel (not foolish enough to use a circular saw upside down).

I do have a 26" fine teeth (12 tpi) hand saw. I am planning to just use that.

Any other ideas that may be more efficient? I have a jigsaw, recip saw, and circular saw.


texts: How can I replace a two way switch with a ZW4001 Z Wave enabled light switch?

texts:
I am trying to replace a single switch connected to a single light bulb with a Z Wave enabled switch, model ZW4001Z; a link to the manual for the switch is at the bottom.  There is a wiring diagram on the bottom of page 5 of the manual showing how you are supposed to wire the switch, the diagram uses 3 wires and a ground; the problem is that I only have 2 wires and a ground.  How am I supposed to hook up the switch?  My wiring looks like this:

Switch Manual


texts: How do I determine if my chimney draft is correct?

texts:
I'm having issues with my boiler, and according to this answer, one of the problems might be that my chimney draft is incorrect.

What steps are required to determine if my chimney draft is correct?


texts:
I just purchased a new built home and I was going to replace these exterior sconces when I noticed that none of them had a junction box, just like pictures below.
My initial thoughts were if this is up to code. I asked the builder if no junction box was normal and he said that the fixture is direct wired to the mounting hardware and that's all that was needed.
Is this true or should I be concerned?
BTW, this is on fiber cement siding (hardie board)


texts: How much weight should a deck of a given area support?

texts:
How much weight should a deck of a given area support, either according to building codes or convention?

In my local (Massachusetts) building code, I found the answer for floors (40 lbs/ft2 live load), but I'm not sure if that is the same for decks.  So I'm curious what the codes of various areas say about the load capacity of deck, and what people think is reasonable to design for regardless of code.

If your answer references building codes, please state the locality.


texts:
The shower tap in the picture is, I think, a Hudson Reed shower control, similar to this one

Can anyone tell me how I can dismantle this as it is leaking and presumably needs a new washer? Also, I think the lower tap has some kind of lock which controls the hottest temperature (there is a small 'button' at approx. 3 o'clock on the lower tap). What is this called and how can it be adjusted?

UPDATE

I think this is the correct manual:

http://www.hudsonreed.co.uk/pdf/fitting-instructions/ULTRA_Twin_&_Triple_cw_Div_TWINTRIPDIV_Rev_0.pdf

I need to adjust the temperature as the shower is too cold with the temperature tap at full 'lock' (have tried both directions). It looks like page 7 describes how to do this but I cannot see the cartridge stop lug as described.


texts:
I am trying to remove a recessed lighting fixture (see photo below). This fixture was installed in the ceiling of a new addition in 1993 and I believe it is therefore a ‘new build’ type fixture rather than a retrofit.

I found similar threads which suggest that the solution is to pull the trim down hard and twist at the same time. I have tried this and the fitting moves a 1/4 inch away from the drywall but no further. The result is the same when the 3 tiny metal tabs on the inside of the can are pushed in. I believe this is a Lightolier fitting but I don’t have the model number. It may be secured to the joists by a frame, but I think it should still be possible to remove the can itself?

I would be very grateful for any suggestions on how to remove it without using metal cutters!


texts: Best way to remove textured wall (joint compound)?

texts:
What I'm working with:

There's a lot to take down. I know skim coating is an option, but I don't think that will work well due to the nature of the texture (it's not knocked down).


texts: How to put polyurethane on wood, one side at a time

texts: I am working on an acrylic-painted game board and am starting to put polyurethane on it to get a high gloss finish. But being that it is a game board, I think it needs to be put on one layer at a time so as to avoid any kind of marks from setting wet poly on a stand, which leads to my question: what is the proper method of putting polyurethane on the board one side at a time? Would I be better off completely finishing the top, and then start on the bottom? Or should I do the top, let it dry, then the bottom, for each coat?


texts: How do i make sure i have the right air in concrete cement if i'm mixing at home.So that the concrete is stronger and won't crack in cold winters. I'm pouring a small walk way about a meter of concrete.


texts:
So, I have the green, white, blue and red wires coming in, but DO NOT have a yellow. There is a brown. I do have both regular gas heat, and AC. What terminal should the brown wire go? And should the red wire be hooked up to the R terminal or the RC terminal. Or should it be hooked to one, with a jumper. I have no way to get to my furnace, as it's an apartment. It's in a locked space between the two units. And no, I wasn't smart enough to trace where every wire went to the old manual White Rogers Square dumb box.. I DO have heat, that kicks on and works fine as intended... but the AC will not come on. HELLLPP!~! Yes it's could out, but it still should kick on right? The house is 70 degrees, so If i set it to cool 68 deg, It should come on... Thank you for any help today or soon!!!

Chad


texts: Wiring a switch to (2) pendant lights, a ceiling fan (all new)

texts:
My existing is I have no ceiling lights or fan.  I mounted two pendants and a ceiling fan that has a light.  The only switch is one  that controls the upper outlets so lamps can be used (which I hate).   I want to wire the ceiling fan so the fan and light can be turned off at the switch or fan.  I want the pendants so they can be turned off only with the switch.

Using 14-3; My idea was to connect the blue from the ceiling fan to the red wire, and color match. run the end of that line over to the closest pendant and wire white to white, black to black/red (with a pigtail) then take that line over to the next pendant with same wiring then connect to the switch.  Red to top post of switch, white to white and black to group of black that have a red wire pigtail to switch already.  Anyone see an issue with this plan?  Please let me know as i sense something amiss but don't see it.


texts:
I recently got a new furnace for our 1200 sqft house in Denver CO. We are planning on adding a second story in a year and I was going to wait until we did that to replace the furnace. Then the furnace up and died just to mess with my plans. I got a 80,000btu furnace instead of a 60,000btu model in anticipation of the house getting a bit larger. What I didn't think through was just how much air the furnace now wants to move through the house.

I am wondering if it is acceptable in this situation to install a bypass between the supply and return as if the system was a 2 zone.


texts: Fishing coaxial through two floors and foam insulated holes in fire block

texts:
I've got a bundle of coaxial cables running from the cable connection on the ground floor to the attic above the first floor - a distance of roughly 20 feet. Initially, I planned on using one of the lines to fish through a few strands of paracord and be done with it. However, I've now realized that spray foam was applied at each pass the bundle makes through a fire break (this should have been obvious to me). I'm wondering what my options are for getting new cable up along the path the original bundle takes. Additionally, there's no guarantee that it's a straight path.

Are there any clever options that don't require breaking down drywall?

Thanks!


texts:
I recently needed to cut a hole in a 3/4 inch pine wood board. The hole was supposed to be about 6 inches in diameter. I drilled a hole near the edge and used my corded Makita jigsaw. I had used the jigsaw before, but only to cut straight. I used a 10 teeth per inch blade that cuts on the up stroke. When I did this and tried to curve, the jigsaw wobbled a lot. It felt like the saw wasn't wanting to do what I wanted it to and I think I must be doing something wrong. I have watched a bunch of videos and it looks so easy to make curved cuts.

I was hoping that someone would be able to give my concrete tips on how to cut curves with a jigsaw. In articular I would like to know how to do this in 3/4 inch thick pinewood (hardwood?). I have looked this up, but I only find very general guides. Do I go fast or slow? What blade is best for curves? What speed setting should the jig saw be set at? etc.

I am a complete noob, so please don't assume that I know much already.


texts: Kenmore washer won't start after tripping breaker

texts:
I've got a Kenmore top-loading washer, model #110.28782700. It stopped working in the middle of a load. I determined that it tripped a breaker, but after resetting the breaker, the machine won't start--completely unresponsive.

What's the best way to go about diagnosing the problem? My first thought is that the machine has a fuse that blew when the breaker tripped, but my limited research didn't turn up a fuse. Other common issues are the lid switch and the motherboard, but I'm not sure how to determine whether those are the problem.


texts: How can I remove the stem on my leaking IKEA faucet?

texts:
I have an IKEA LOVIKEN AA-291347-1 faucet. It leaks between the 2 handles at the connection.
I removed the screw behind, but I cannot remove the top center part.
Do you have any idea how I can open it to change the seal inside?


texts: Is ceiling fan missing grounding wire from the ceiling box, and is this safe?

texts:
I recently had a contractor/handyman install a Hunter ceiling fan for me. It worked great, but my wife came home and thought it was too big.  I ordered a different Hunter fan, and figured I could install the new one myself, using his wiring as a guide while also following the manual.

My experience with electrical wiring is pretty minimal, but I feel comfortable following the directions, using wire connectors, etc.

The directions call for connecting 3 wires from the ceiling box, but there appears to be only 2.  The contractor connected the black ("ungrounded") ceiling wire to the black and blue wire (light and motor) of the fan.  He also connencted a composite of 3 white wires ("grounded") from the ceiling to the white wire of the fan.

However, the directions also call for connecting a "grounding" wire from the ceiling (supposedly green, green/yellow, or bare copper) to a green/yellow striped wire from the fan and a green/yellow striped wire from the metal hanging bracket.  The contractor connected the 2 green/yellow wires of the fan and metal hanging bracket together, but did not connect anything to the ceiling box.  From what I can tell, this was not an omission, as I couldn't find any other wires coming from the box.

This surprised me.  The fan worked fine like this, but I'm afraid the fan may not be adequately grounded.  Or is grounding the fan to the metal bracket sufficient?

My plan was to hook it back up the way he had it, but I just want to make sure this is safe.

Thanks.


texts: What is the material and how to seal it?

texts:
As you can see In the photo the layer (paint?) on my bathroom ceiling has fallen off.

I think the red/brownish colour part is off-gassing a smell.  Does anybody know what material this is and be what it is off-gassing exactly?

How do I seal this smell in?  Will any paint work/reduce it to negligible levels or does this material/ceiling require some sort of purpose built sealant (is that the thing that’s coming off?).

Once the paint or sealant has been applied, generally speaking how long before most of the smell will go?

<img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/krTB9.jpg" alt="
" />


texts: How can I hide exposed countersunk screws in kitchen cabinets side panel?

texts: How do I hide screws on the side of a kitchen cabinet wall that has slightly countersunk screws?  I will be painting my cabinets black.


texts: Water seeping out of grout in exterior corner of tiled shower curb

texts:
I have a two year old tiled shower with glass enclosure.  The grout is sanded grout.  The exterior corner of the shower curb is leaking a small bit of water after every shower.  Over time it has corroded the paint and molding that butts up to the tiled curb.

The leak is through the grout.  No water exits on top of the curb.

The shower enclosure is caulked with 100% silicone in the places specified by the installation instructions.  The only weird thing to me is that the bottom channel sits directly on a grout line.  I'm wondering if water is seeping into the grout and working its way outside.

Any ideas what could be wrong?  Pictures show leak location on exterior of curb and the opposite interior side of the shower curb.


texts: How to locate the source of an outward wind-draft, that's going outwards from my room's window?

texts:
I have hung up a wet cloth over my window's curtain rod. The idea is that it's going to naturally cool the incoming wind. I ran into some issues during this setup, but after some effort I solved it all, thanks to DIY stackexchange!

After that I've been constantly seeing the wind going outwards from my room. The curtains, and my wet cloth just stick to the window because there's a slight breeze going outwards.

I cannot pin-point the location for it. I've closed every window, every door throughout my house to try and block it. And yet I see the wind somehow going outwards from my room.

How can I locate where this wind-draft is originating from?

Additional info:

Locating this has been one hell of a frustrating experience. I tried with the  "hold a strip of paper up" technique and it moves around in all directions. The only time it's consistent is near the window where we know that the wind is going outwards.


texts: What type of motor do I need for my attic fan?

texts:
My attic fan motor appears to be on the fritz (makes a buzzing sound and the fan tries to turn but won't make it more than 1-2 revolutions without sticking).

I'm trying to figure out what type of motor I need. Here are potentially relevant bits of info about the fan/motor...

14-inch blade/housing
120V
2.1A
60Hz
1/5HP

I'm having trouble finding a motor that meets all of those numbers and wasn't sure which of those numbers actually mattered.

FWIW, I have a ~2500 sq/ft attic space.

Here are potentially relevant photos (sorry for the poor quality, obviously bad lighting)...


texts: Spilled pvc primer in water softener tank?

texts:
So, let me start by saying I’m an idiot. As implied by the title, I spilled pvc primer in my water softener tank. I was installing a whole house filter overhead and doing the piping and knocked it down. In addition, the tank was partially filled with water (rather than just salt...that’s a whole different story).

So now the tank is filled with a combination of salt, water, and pvc cement. At this point, do I get rid of the softener entirely? Empty the water/salt, clean, then reuse? Do nothing and trust the primer won’t kill me?


texts: Can I run 2 wires from a 2 pole breaker to a single slot on my EV charger?

texts:
I am running a #6 wire from my sub-panel to an electric car charger. The car charger only has 3 inputs, for the hot, neutral, and ground. It's the Tesla Gen 3 charger with the manual and diagram found here.
Home Depot doesn't carry a 60 amp, single pole Square D breaker. I picked up this 60 amp double breaker here.
Can I run both hot wires from the 2-pole breaker into a single slot on the Tesla Wall Charger?


texts: Is there an electrical problem if my voltage/metal detector alerts for the whole wall?

texts:
I'm about to drill some 5mm diameter x 35mm deep holes to support a new curtain rail and when I used a voltage/metal detector to check for cables etc. it gives an alert for the entire surface of the wall. Is this possible and does it mean there may be a problem with the electrics in the flat?

Possible things I have thought of are:

The detector isn't calibrated correctly. I have calibrated according to the instructions
The wall paint is conductive.

What should I do?


texts: Sanded Grout in Stone Tile Floor Keeps Disintegrating

texts:
Our house has a stone tile kitchen floor installed by a previous owner. Since we bought the home 15 years ago, we've had a problem with the grout between the tiles crumbling in certain places. I learned shortly after we bought the house that the grout had been recently repaired in spots. There were issues within the first few years we owned it, which I repaired myself with sanded grout. It crumbled again, so I brought in a professional to do it a few years back. Once again, there are portions of the floor where the grout has crumbled and worn away.

Since these repairs were done by different people with different materials over the years, I'm thinking that the problem is with the floor itself. Perhaps it shifts just enough in certain places to cause the grout to break up.

Is that a reasonable hypothesis? If so, how would I go about making a repair that will last more than a couple of years? Can (or should) I put some kind of metal separators between the tiles to keep them from shifting?


texts: Neutral / Hot wire installation confirmation

texts:
I removed our ceiling light today and the house wiring had no distinction between the two wires connecting to our light.  The light fixture's wire had the same color insulation, but inside, one of the wires had red metal/copper and the other had silver metal.  I assumed that the silver metal wire was therefore connected to the neutral house wire and so assumed the house wire on the right was neutral.  Again, the house wires were identical, AFAIK.

Then, our new light had two similar wires as well, although the insulation on one of them had white writing, which I assumed should be connected to the neutral house wire.

Questions: 1) Am I correct in what I assumed and did?
2) I have a cheap multimeter with red and black leads.  Can I use this on the live circuit to confirm which is which?  I tried using my multimeter in an outlet, and both ways I tested the two-pronged outlet (red on left, black on right and vice-versa) gave me the same 120v reading - neither flipped the direction of the meter, so hopefully there is another way to do this.  My meter looks like this: https://goo.gl/images/9eF4KP


texts:
Where are the ground rods needed?
Drawing attached showing setup.


texts: Are tankless water heaters worth it in cold climates?

texts: I was thinking of switching over to a tankless water heater. A friend of mine said they are not good in colder climates since the water coming in is colder and takes longer to heat.  Is this a valid concern, or are these things designed to deal with this type of thing?


texts: Can one of my three-way switches be configured to use a remote control?

texts: I want to put my outside flood lights on a remote control. They are controlled by two separate switches in two different rooms. One switch on the second floor and the other on the first floor. I want to change one of the switches to a remote control while leaving the other as a regular switch. Can this be accomplished?


texts: Will old cast iron Baseray baseboards work with a steam boiler?

texts:
forgive me if this question is amateurish. We recently removed some old cast iron Baseray baseboards from a house which were being heated with hot water. I'm wondering, can these baseboards be used with a steam boiler?

The baseboards look exactly like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/323735785091

Thank you!


texts:
I purchased a 2008 built home 6 months ago and now I am seeing some cracks throughout the house. I been using chalk to cover up but don’t know what’s causing this. I have my heat set to 66-70 degrees Fahrenheit during winter. I noticed this during winter including bathroom on main level, living room, basement.
Any help would be appreciated. I am little freaking out.
[![enter image description here][1]][1]
[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/J2Fu5.jpg![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PtHby.jpg)


texts: My mini fridge is not working. Should I repair it or simply toss it out?

texts:
I came to work on Monday to find that my mini fridge (Frigidaire FRC25B2GB, purchased < 2yrs ago) isn't working.  It had completely defrosted, so had been off a while.  It was on a power strip that was off, so I just assumed the power had surged and the strip shut off.  When I tried to turn the power strip back on, the fridge compressor would turn on for a couple of seconds, then stop.  The power cord wouldn't turn on with the fridge plugged in.  It seemed like there was something going on with the fridge that was keeping the power cord from turning on.  I eventually plugged the fridge directly into the wall, but it no longer makes any noises to attempt to start and certainly isn't getting cold. (btw, other electronics have power when using the same outlet so I know the outlet works)

I have a repair shop that's willing to look at it for $30 if I bring it in, but this is 1/3 of the purchase price so I'm hesitant to do that.  Who knows what they would charge to actually repair it?  Is this something I could fix myself (no electrical knowledge), or should I pay the repair shop, OR should I just toss it and buy another one?


texts: I recently bought a house and I have forced hot air currently. It works fine, the only issue I have with it is that it constant turns on and off. I've been looking into mini heat pumps and they seem pretty nice (the whole ductless aspect). So I was wondering if anyone has experimented with using both? I was thinking of adding one mini heat pump for each unit (it's a multi family) not only as a backup, but to keep the forced hot air from turning on and off so often. Any ideas on how efficient/practical this might be?


texts: What do I do with the unused wire for ceiling fan installation?

texts:
I recently replaced my bedroom ceiling fan with a newer ceiling fan and with the old fan I could:

Use one switch on the wall to turn on/off the light
Use the other switch on the wall to turn on/off the fan

The new fan came with a remote and the remote and the chains are the only way I can turn the fan and the light on and off.  This ONLY works, however, when one particular wall switches is on.

During the installation, coming from my ceiling I had a black, white, and red wire.  My instructions didn't include anything about connecting the red wire, so I just put a wire tie on it and proceeded.  I now think this was connected to the wall switches.

My basic questions are:

Should I have ignored the red wire?
What is the red wire for and why was it left out of the instructions?
Why did I loose functionality with a newer fan (i.e. why can't I turn the lights and fan on/off via the switches on the wall?)
When I turn on the lights, why does it make an brief buzz sound?
If I turn on the light from the chain I cannot turn it on/off because the light will turn off immediately.  I can only turn on and off via the remote.  Why?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm a complete noob at this.


texts:
I have a Kenmore 665.13549N412 dishwasher. It seems to be leaking during the dry cycle only out of the left corner if you are facing the dishwasher with the door closed.

I have replaced the inner door gasket just to make sure thats not bad. The old one looked fine. The dishwasher is about 3 years old.

The water that is leaked is clear. I can reach up under the dishwasher to the sound deadening fabric just inside the lip at the bottom of the front door and can feel that it is wet. I am not sure where the water is coming from. Its not a large puddle, but its enough to be noticed.

Any ideas on where to go from here?


texts:
Looking for some quick suggestions if the issue I am facing is electrical or oven related.

I have a gas oven (not sure on age, bought house last year) that for the last month has been tripping my GFCI when I use the oven(not when I use the gas burners). It was plugged into it's own outlet and was tripping the GFCI at the outlet to the side of the oven. I plugged the oven directly into this GFCI outlet, still trips. Had an electrician replace the GFCI outlet, still having the issue.

Now here's the thing, if I plug the outlet in across the kitchen(using heavy duty extension cord), no tripping. This leads me to think it's electrical, but the electrician swore if the GFCI didn't fix it, it's an oven issue. Any ideas? Just don't want to have to pay 2 service call fees if I can avoid it.


texts:
Our house is on a concrete slab. We are planning on installing a second-floor full bathroom, and hoping to connect the new bathroom 3'' PVC waste pipe to the below-grade drainage system at this point:

I think that this (oakum/lead filled) fitting connects the visible 2 inch pipe to a 3 inch, cast iron pipe buried below the concrete:  on the one hand there is  '3-2' molded on the exterior, and on the other hand, a few feet downstream, there is a WC that must feed into that very same submerged cast iron pipe.
But  I could not find this fitting/hub on the web to be absolutely sure.
Does a) anyone recognize the fitting to identify it? Well enough to provide a specific reference? [I have no guess as to the meaning of the XH molded in high relief on the fitting.] And b) do you agree that it is fitted to a submerged 3 inch pipe?
Assuming some positive answers to the preceding, my follow-up question is: will I have to remove the hub/fitting to connect the new 3'' PVC? Namely, does this fitting constitute the equivalent of a 3 inch diameter 'long radius 90 degree elbow' or (better) a 45 degree elbow?
I am assuming that the fitting will have to go, and I will have to break up enough of the concrete to join to the hoped-for, 3-inch cast iron pipe.
To be clear: we are replacing/removing the 2'' DWV pipe in the image above.
FWIW - I am drawing up plans to submit to the town, and would like them to correspond somewhat to reality.
Thanks in advance!

Edit: As Ecnerwal points out in the comments, the 'XH' surely means 'extra heavy.'


texts:
I hired a contractor to finish my basement recently. Job already done.

But I think the bathroom door is installed at wrong direction.

The door is open toward outside instead of inside.

This cause safety concern, if my kid is running in the hallway, and the door is open, she may get hurt.

Is there any code about that I can use to argument with my contractor to ask him fix it?


texts: 2 separate lights on two separate switches on one line - issue

texts:
I have an issue where the far left 12/2 coming from the circuit has been used to power a dimmer switch to a light
Carry power from light to another light
The second light is controlled by another switch at the end of the run.
Issue - if 1st switch is off, the 2nd light will work from its switch. If 1st switch is on, the 2nd light wont work at all from its switch
Based on the diagram is there anyway to fix this issue without current wiring setup?


texts: I was messing around trying to change a light fixture and the circuit breaker for the house tripped open. I reset the circuit breaker, fixed it correctly and everything else is working. But the light switch will not turn off now. It just springs constantly to the on position and there is no click when manually you hold the switch into the off position. I assume it is stuck, is this a job for a total novice when it comes to these things? Any easy answers?


texts: bath fan, white is hot and switch doesnt disconnect

texts: I bought a delta breeze fan .  I removed the old fan and upon labeling and disconnecting the wires the ones going to the fan connector are always hot, no matter where i move the switch, and it is the white neutral which is hot, not the black.  How did the switch ever turn off the fan in the first place?


texts: Which is the outlet test port on this valve (VR8204A)

texts:
I am being told that this gas valve has an outlet test port on the valve, 1/4" and can be accessed via an Allen wrench. Where is it?

Apparently the gas pressure can be measured with one of these


texts:
Started happening about 3 weeks ago.
I have run the HOT water, put it in a glass and waited a couple of minutes: NO SMELL.
I ran the cold water and put it in a glass and waited...NO SMELL

I have a septic and well water
Husband has cleaned the pipe under kitchen sink..there was nothing there

Can you help ?
Jan


texts: Can you run a MOCA adapter / router on the same coax line?

texts:
I have my ISP gateway at the bottom of my home, service is delivered through coax. I have a coax wall jack upstairs as well.
I would like to install a MOCA adapter downstairs and one upstairs so I can get hardwired connection upstairs.
The problem, of course, is the modem needs the coax line as well. Is it ok to install a splitter on the downstairs coax line, one end goes to the modem, one end goes to the moca adapter? If not, im not sure how to navigate this problem.
Thanks!


texts: What’s this framed concrete rectangle in my unfinished basement?

texts:
In my unfinished basement, there’s this framed out rectangle filled with concrete. There are a couple metal bolts sticking up from it that at some point were bent downward.
I’ve tried lifting on my own to see if it’ll come up at all, but it doesn’t budge. Does anybody know what this could be?
The home was built in 1940 in southeast US.


texts:
In my kitchen there are several outlets that are not working, including a GFCI outlet which is not able to be reset. I have checked the breaker and it had not been flipped, I reset the kitchen outlet breaker regardless and there was no change.

I contacted an electrician and after a great deal of search, including checking all the outlets in the series, he pulled the individual breaker out and discovered that there had been a loose wire, when it was reseated the outlets worked again. About a day later they stopped working and he returned. Unfortunately I was not able to be there for the second attempt so I have second hand knowledge of what he did, which was look at and adjust the wiring on the wall that the GFCI outlet sits. The outlets worked and he left. About an hour later they went out again.

Neither time had any sort of load outside of a few appliances plugged in. Does anyone have an explanation as to what may cause this and if so what to do.

Thank you.


texts: Can CFL bulbs in a fixture with a dimmer switch damage old wiring?

texts: Our wiring is not functioning now after using a CFL bulb in a dimmable light fixture.  Is it possible that use of the CFL bulb could affect our old wiring?  We may have to replace the wire leading to this fixture.  Also other light fixtures on same wire are not working now.


texts:
Question about microwaves and dedicated circuits.  What's the difference in circuit requirements (amps? dedication? something else?) between microwaves in these locations:

mounted under a cabinet over the range
sitting on a countertop
mounted under a cabinet (but not OTR)
mounted under the countertop (drawer-style)
sitting on a shelf somewhere above the counter
sitting on a shelf somewhere below the counter?


texts: Can I put a metal safe weighing 2000 lbs in a 12x12 room?

texts:
I have a 12'x12' upstairs bedroom. Can a 2000 lbs safe be placed in that room? The dimensions would be the same size as a queen size bed (60"x80").

Can you supply the math in your answer.

Thank you in advance

Danny


texts: kitchen backsplash tile grout or caulking

texts: We have tiles at the kitchen backsplash from the top of the countertop (quartz; has a 3" upturn) to the underside of upper cabinets. Should there be grout or caulking at the horizontal joints where it hits the countertop and cabinet underside? Thanks!


texts: What's the practical difference between "latex" and "acrylic" water dispersion paint?

texts:
I see lots of water dispersion paints in shops and they usually come in two flavors - "latex" and "acrylic". The application range and procedure seem the same, they are all relatively safe, don't emit anything toxic while drying, prices are more or less the same.

What's the practical difference and how do I choose?


texts: Light flickers a bit when I turn on an hand blender. What can be the case?

texts:
The lights over my stove flickers when I use an hand blender.
The power for the hand blender come in a different circuit from the switch board.

The light as far as I know is led.

What can be happening? how can I solve it?


texts: How to connect Dryer outlet to a power distribution unit?

texts:
I have a 240V (4-prong) dryer outlet. I want to buy PDU (power distribution unit) so that I connect the dryer outlet to PDU, then connect PDU to (non-server) power supplies. The power supplies are connected to computers that are used for Cryptocurrency mining.
edit: I don't have a dryer. The outlet will be dedicated to mining.


texts:
The model is AQUARIUS FDW60. For about a month it was leaving bits of food all over the dishes and then one day, it just wouldn't drain and now it won't work at all...

Any suggestions?


texts: How can I insulate a room without tearing down walls?

texts:
The kitchen in my Philadelphia row home seems to have been a last minute idea. After last winter, I'm almost certain there is no insulation installed in the room. Is there a way for me to do something about this?

I can't break down the walls or do anything like replace them. I'm only renting, and my landlord isn't ever around or helpful so it's DIY without a lot of leeway.

But I would also love to not have to have a coat to get a glass of water, if anyone has any ideas? Cold air even comes through little holes in the wall-where it looks like they put in a mug drying rack, changed their mind, and that was that.


texts:
I have a bathroom extractor fan that has gone bad, so I need to replace it. If possible, I would like to just replace the motor, rather than opening up the ceiling to put in a whole new enclosure. The problem is, I don't know how to find a replacement. Here are a few pictures:

The cover says "Nutone", but I can't get any hits by Googling the partial text visible on the back of the fan. Any advice on how to proceed?


texts: Can anyone suggest how to connect a CAT6 cable to the incoming 5 pair telephone cable?

texts:
The below image displays the incoming cable from the telephone provider. As far as I have searched it's a 5-pair telephone cable.
I was suggested by the telephone company to replace the current telephone wiring (single pair cable) with a CAT6 cable. But, I wasn't able to find any information as to how I can connect a CAT6/CAT6A cable to this 5-pair cable.
As you can see, the current telephone line uses the 2 left-most wires, and CAT6 is a 4-pair cable. So, should I use the remaining 8 wires for the CAT6?
Additionally, if anyone is aware, I would really like to understand the purpose of these 10 wires (which wire carries what signal).
P.S: I think this is the right channel for this question. But, if it isn't please suggest where it should be posted.
Edit:
Thank you all for the quick response. To clarify the use-case I am adding more context.
I live in Cyprus. Our house is located in the country-side, around 15 Km from the city center. It's a VDSL line, which is directly connected to a VDSL modem. The phone gets connected to the modem and works on the VOIP protocol. All the ethernet connections are also connected to the modem.
The available internet speed in this area is 50 Mbps (yeah, it's Cyprus!), but I was getting around 25 Mbps. So, I called a technician and he said that the analog cable is the culprit and asked me to replace the phone wiring in the house with Cat6.
I am also attaching the photo displaying the connections available on the modem. The input port is a 2-pair RJ11. And, I don't know the purpose of the WAN port.


texts:
I am planning on redoing the surface and the railing of my deck.  In the process, I plan to remove the cantilevered portion past the existing beam.  This will place the existing 2x10 joists resting to the end of the outer edge of the beam.  I will need to cover these ends up.  To do so I plan to use a couple of 2x10 rim joists.  This is kind of visible in the following image (despite my efforts, this is still kind of hard to see in the image):

The rim joist is highlighted in red and the existing beam is highlighted in blue.  Note that the rim joist does not rest on the beam.  (Should I do that?) How should I connect this rim joist?  I live in northern Virginia and have referenced the "Typical Deck Details" document offered by my county (Fairfax).  I am having difficulty in seeing what the acceptable methods of installing this Rim Joist are.  The section on joists (pages 6-9) does not specify and the section on rail posts (pages 20-21) suggests that I use hold-down anchors (Figure 36) at the rim joist / joist intersection.  It could be I just do not know how to read this document.

I would like to avoid having too much visible hardware on the outside of the deck.  I understand the need for the hold-down anchors near the guard posts.  I just do not want to have to do that at each joist intersection.

Could I use just an angle iron type tie at each intersection on the inside of the deck?  This would hide the hardware and avoid screwing into the end grain of the board which I am sure is not as strong.


texts:
I have a house, weatherboard, which has a chimney that, i think, used to service two adjacent rooms.The fireplaces have been closed in and the interior wall removed leaving a triangular shaped wall around the chimney. An old wood heater has been fitted into the triangular shape on one side.I'm told this is very unsafe.Has anyone heard of this before and any suggestions re making it safe for a wood burner?
Thanks in anticipation
Karyn.


texts: How to replace this washing machine valve/faucet?

texts: The valve leaks at the spot where the hose connects to the faucet. It has leaked with two different hoses. I'm trying to replace the valve, but it is not easy to get off. Is it designed to come off? Or do I need to hire a plumber to come in and cut the wall open and cut the pipe?


texts: How Can Wind Chimes Be Mounted On The Second Story?

texts:
I have some Japanese cast iron chimes (Small, they fit in the palm of your hand and are about 0.5kg)

Can these be mounted against the vinyl siding outside my room on the second story of my house?

How would I do this? (I've done roofing work before, so I know all the usual safety warnings about ladders, heights, etc)


texts:
We live in LA and it rains every once in awhile. I noticed recently that there is a bubble on my wall and I can actually push it around.
The wall is plaster and we have latex paint on top. (There are many layers, b/c this house is 90 years old, so the bottom layers may be other kind of paint.)

I know that eventually I will have to fix where the source of the water leak is, but I. The mean time can I just pop this bubble by making a tiny pinhole to drain it? Or is it a bad thing to do. I don’t want the hole to grow bigger.

Here’s a picture. I’ve placed my hand next to it for scale.


texts: Wire tone tracer loses signal. Best practices for how to trace an electrical line?

texts:
I picked up a Fluke Pro3000 tone tracer to try to trace some electrical wires in my walls, basically to solve some mystery switches and figure out what they are theoretically supposed to control.
The tracer picks up the tone pretty easily near the wires I attach it to at the switch box, but as I move away it quickly decreases in signal and it gets a lot of static. Then if I get far away from any wires, eg standing in the middle of the room, the static goes away too.
I know the wires have to be there because they head up towards the attic through the wall bays. Why would it lose the signal so quickly? And what are some best practices for tracing wire using a tone tracer?


texts: How to find the source of a wasp infestation?

texts: I have found a wasp 5 times in my small one bedroom apartment this week and I have not opened any windows and the door to my apartment is located inside. How do I determine where these wasps are coming from?


texts: Replacing pool pump/plumbing etc. that is below the level of the pool

texts:
We need to rework some plumbing on a pool, and the level of the pool is 3-4' above the plumbing.  Obviously we need to drain the pool, but the problem with that is that the valves aren't working, and we can't shut off the skimmers, which are sucking in air.  So far, attempts to blocks the skimmers have been unsuccessful.

Seeing as how we don't have an extra pump to bring in in order to drain the pool, the best plan that we've had so far is to just simply cut the plumbing (which we will have to attempt to stop from leaking) and put temporary pipes in that will connect the pump to the bottom of the pool.

I just figured I'd come here to see if anyone had any better ideas.


texts: While using hairdryer power went out. Nothing was tripped in the breaker panel. The gfci switch would not reset. Bought new gfci switch and replaced it for old one. Still no power in master bathroom, hall bath outlet does not work either as well as a few other outlets in different rooms. Is this possibly a burnt wire? Electrician came in and tested breaker box and all light switches and outlets in the home. All was fine except the original issue which still read at 0. He was unable to diagnose the problem. He suggest running new wire from gfci outlet to the panel..... is this safe if it is a faulty or burnt wire? Since the wire was not found.. just worried is all I don’t need a bigger problem on top of what I already have. Any advice???


texts: How well will LED strips hold up in a kitchen?

texts:
I am planning to install LED strip light in my parents kitchen. We have a chimney that is blocking out all the light over the stove top.

The things I am worried about is

Longevity of the lights. I don't visit them often and I want the lights to last long and not fail in a few months or weeks.
Resistance to oil and grime. and how easy it is to clean.
Heat and short circuit. I saw some of the post that said that the heat melted the wires and shorted. I know led's don't heat much. But I never used LED strip


texts: Should I run the tap while dumping boiling water?

texts:
It seems to be common advice to run the cold water while dumping boiling water down the drain (for example, when draining pasta). A variety of reasons are cited for this, one of which is that it is bad for your plumbing. I assume the reasoning is that the shock to the pipes when they are heated or cooled suddenly causes material fatigue.

Is there any evidence to suggest that pouring boiling water down the kitchen sink causes pipes to wear out or leak faster?
If so, is there any evidence that running tap water at the same time can mitigate this effect?
If so, should you run hot tap water to "prime" the pipes and heat them up more gradually, or cold water to cool the boiling water as much as possible?

Bonus question: if the answer to (1) is "No", is there any benefit to running the tap at all?


texts: I'm trying to add an ethernet drop to an entertainment center. The coax cable drop was drilled through the floor (picture), since the room below is an unfinished basement with easy ceiling access. Is this code compliant? Would it be code compliant to add the ethernet cable next to it? Or do we need to drill up into the wall?


texts: Do I have space in the main panel for a 60 amp double pole breaker?

texts:
Completing a workshop in the garage and I've installed a 60 amp sub panel in it for all the garage circuits. I plan on running 6/3 nmd from the main panel to this sub panel (a run of about 15 feet). That all is okay but my problem is I may not have space in the main panel for a 60 amp double pole breaker.

Looking at the attached photos, is there any way I can make space for this new breaker? If not, what are my options?

Thank you!


texts:
Based in the UK, 1920's house that needs a bit of work. Last decorated about 10 years ago.
We have a number of cracks in the paintwork that I know how to fix, but here we have a crack in the wall right by the wooden base, and one crack where there is a join in the wood. What is the best way to repair this?
Looking for something like how to fill and paint it to make it look good. If it really needs a bigger replacement job I'd like to know but it's not something we can do immediately so would like to do a "decent" job of making it look better until then,


texts:
I'm looking to replace a stop and waste valve in my basement. I watched a video on this old house (my bible, at this point) and I found a quick shut off valve to replace it, with compression seals (to avoid soldering).

My question is this. When I calculate the diameter of the pipe by measuring the circumference, it comes out to .8" diameter. The valve is .75". Could this difference be because I'm measuring the exterior of the pipe?

Also, the pipe is engraved with "anaconda 85 red brass". Is there anything I need to know about brass versus copper?

Thanks!


texts: How to replace the plastic socket in a B22 light fitting?

texts: I have a broken B22 'bayonet' style light socket. One of the grooves that holds the bulb lugs has snapped off. How can I replace it, and what to look for in a replacement?


texts: Assessing Wardrobe's Protection from Sunlight

texts:
I'm in an urban environment and my apartment doesn't leave me with many choices with some of my larger furniture items. Namely, my wardrobe ended up having to be placed in the extended indoor balcony. This area faces south and has sliding windows on all 3 walls, comparable to a large bay window. I placed my wardrobe so that it faced west, which you will see in the floor plan only has partial exposure to a window (just 1 window).

Question: If there is legitimate cause for concern for color-fading/distortion on my clothes inside the wardrobe from prolonged sunlight (either from the front doors, or the back of the wardrobe that faces the east), what are some possible solutions?

Further Clarification:

Wardrobe Door Type - double outward swinging doors
Wardrobe Door Material - particle board
Wardrobe Door Color - black
Wardrobe Door Thickness - 1 in
Wardrobe Back Material - not sure, looks like really thin wood
Wardrobe Back Thickness - 3mm
Wardrobe Back Color - cardboard brown

Note: There are curtains all the way around, but I'm not sure how much they will help in terms of preventing sunlight from hitting my wardrobe.


texts: Does this look like to much grease built up on the gears in this drill casing?

texts: So I’m mixing cement with my dads Stanley drill (Stanley Industrial 91722 1/2 ALL PURPOSE DRILL MODEL.01 RPM 425 AMPS 4.3 VOLTS 115AC) and have done small batches until today. It seems like I burned the motor. I opened of the casing and noticed all this grease on the gears. Is this normal or should I clean some of this out?


texts: What to do about rotten sheathing behind deck ledger

texts: My deck and patio door were improperly flashed. I've discovered that the osb sheathing between the ledger and the rim joist is rotten. Assuming the rim joist is still sound (I've not yet confirmed this to be the case), it's it all right to have a space between the ledger and the rim joist? Does that put to much tension on the upper ledger boards? Should I drive home sort of plywood spacers to fill some of the space the sheathing used to occupy?


texts: How to effectively clean existing bricked columns?

texts:
Good day, my first time asking for assistance here.
Thanks in advance
I would like to apply a white wash effect on my existing brick columns, however they are quite inconsistent and uneven due to dried concrete splatter since whenever. We bough the place like this. My question is, how do I effectively clean the bricks to get rid of the obvious old concrete splatter? Please see picture attached.


texts:
My yurt is up, but I need some steps.

The deck is 32" above grade. Eventually I'll build a landing / small deck, but I'm too busy with other projects right now (like closing in the yurt wall canvas!)

What can I do to put together some simple, temporary steps until I get around to doing it right?


texts: Why won't my evaporative cooler come on low until it's been set to high?

texts: Turn the evap knob to "low vent" and nothing. Turn it to "high vent" and it comes on high.  Only then can you successfully turn it back down to low. Exactly the same response happens when using "low cool" and "high cool". This is new. It's always come on for low first; then you could turn it up to high if you choose. What's going on?


texts: Shower is only months old. Does slate normally bleed like this or did I get bad batch?


texts: Will a French Drain on the outside of a house keep water out of a crawlspace?

texts:
Right now I have a sump pump and have for years.  I believe that pump has been there at least two decades, works fine.  But, I thought I'd try and fix the water leaking.  If I put a French Drain in the crawlspace, I have no where to drain it except a sump pump.  I already have that.

If I put a French Drain on the outside of the house, next to the house, will that work, or does it have to be in the crawlspace?

I have seen water come in through some of the cinder blocks before, or under them, I do not remember.

How far down do I dig?  To where the cinder block meets the cement footing?

The crawlspace is already low, so the outside will require more digging.  My yard is sloped and the water will use gravity to a County "rain drain."  There are no neighbors, so I don't have to worry about that.  Other than this, keeping gutters cleaned is all I can do.


texts: What is good advice for a beginner layng insulation?

texts:
Background
I have a manufactured home from the 70's with metal siding, wood studded walls and fiberglass insulation on the inside.  I had a clogged gutter, which caused water to run behind the siding, around the window, into the house and made the drywall & insulation soggy. Then I accidentally poked a hole in the drywall.  There is a noticeable draft coming from the hole in the drywall and the wall has always been seemed poorly insulated.

I cleared the gutter and the wall dried out, but now I want to fix the damage.

Question
I was planning on just taking out the 8 feet or so of drywall and replacing it and the insulation, but I want to do it the "best" way possible.  So what would that be?  Using pre-faced insulation?  Unfaced insulation with vapor barrier and sheathing tape?  Does the vapor barrier go on the warm side or the cold side?  Can you recommend any particular products?

Bonus question: Can you recommend any good DIY books on the subject?


texts: Effects of changing pipe size on a water pressure regulator?

texts: I am a biologist and am planning a research experiment. I need to control the water pressure into a drip irrigation system. The water supply is at ~60 psi through a 3/4 pipe. The irrigation emitter I will use operates best at 40 psi. I have found a combo filter and 40 psi pressure regulator but it is a 1" pipe on the inlet and outlet. If I go from 3/4" inlet to the 1" regulator down to a 3/4" outlet will the regulator still deliver 40 psi? Assume that changing the pipe diameters is not an option.


texts: Can 12/2 cable be exposed in a crawl space?

texts:
I have installed 9 "QuiteWarm Radiant Heat Film for under subfloor" to heat the floor above a crawl space off the the basement.  The crawl space has a concrete slab and is tempered.  This subfloor system is a 120v. system, with a total load  of 900 watts, 7.5 amps for the 9 panels. Each radiant heat film panel comes with a separate  black and white 12 ga. wire.  The instructions say to run all the wires (black and white)to a junction box, wire them in parallel and run a 12/2 Romex to the Thermostat.  The Thermostat gets power from a separate 15 amp breaker circuit.  The thermostat has a built in GFI.  My question concerns the single 12 ga. wires from the film panels to the junction box.  Can the single 12 gauge wires be run exposed in the crawl space(fastened per code along joist or 2x6) or do they need to be put in conduit or something else?.
Thanks


texts:
Our plank subfloor needs repair and leveling.

Could we do the following:

replace some of the pieces
add a layer of structural plywood (1/2" or 5/8") on top
use cement patch compound to level it
add finish plywood


texts: My successful electrical weekend project ended with a 3-way from hell! Help

texts:
Been updating the outlets and switches in my office building for last couple of days and I am having trouble with the last of 70 receptacles/switches... a-3 way switch that seems to be wired in a series or something and its driving my crazy. After doing 70 over the weekend I got cocky, careless and the switch blew up.

The beginning:

The 3-way switch had 1 black, 2nd black and red wire wrapped around the black common screw.  Everything was working fine. I thought this was going to be an easy swap out. I thought wrong.

I took a photo for reference. I then removed all wires, the other 3-way connected lights stopped working as well as 3 bathroom lights and one set of ceiling lights that is connected to a single pole switch. Meanwhile the panel is not labeled correctly. Actually no lights are labeled but the outlets are for the most part.

Moving on... Three wires on one common screw didn’t seem right and since I wasn’t sure if I could backstab 1 black wire and place the 2nd black and red wire on the black common on new decora switch, i simply stacked all three wires (1st black, 2nd black, and the red) on the common - everything worked.... as I mentioned above, I removed the 3 wires on the common because this didn’t seem right or safe. I actually switched around the wires to see if another configuration would work, but they did not.

I also did some research by looking up the backside diagram of the new decora 3-way and saw that the decora switch could in-fact be backstabbed... so I backstabbed the 1st black, and put the 2nd black and red wire on the common screw....the lights noted above didn’t turn on. I have also reversed black wires to see if it solved the problem. It didn’t.

I was left scratching my head and decided to call it a day by screwing the switch in so nobody would walk into it...as I was screwing it in I believe the backstabbed wire released and I shorted the 2 light switches. Left side is the 3-way and right side is a 1-way.

I noticed both were scorched so I snipped the burnt ends and replaced both switches. But this didn’t turn them on .  All wires in the 2-gang box are no longer signaling to my non-contact volt detector. Now I was digging a hole. Now what?

None of the circuit breakers popped. Since the original electrician had messy handwriting, when working on outlets /switches, I shut off the main when replacing switches. I have “reset” (flicked back and forth) each one but all seems fine. I put the volt tester 3 inches from each circuit and there’s one that needs contact to signal. This is a little odd since it has nothing to do with the 3-way receptacle that I blew out.

Not sure what the problem is so I’m looking for suggestions. The only thing I haven’t checked is to see if the twisted wires (inside the 2 nuts) also got scorched (I don’t think they did) but I really didn’t want to go there since everything is so tight within the 2-gang box.

Any help would be appreciated.

o


texts: Should the cord on my miter saw have a grounding wire and plug?

texts: I have inherited a chop saw, hooray, but it only has 2 prongs on it’s power cord. Is it safe to use? Is there a way to ground it? Thanks!


texts: How to Approach Fixing a Roof Leak When Drywall is Rotted Out?

texts:
My parents house has a leak in the roof that hasn't been takan care of for a few years and has pretty much destroyed the drywall in the affected region.

What strategy should I use to repair the leak?

I was considering removing the drywall (In preparation for a California patch) to see where the leak originates from (Possibly with the assistance of a second person with a hose on the roof) and looking for it that way.

I've also considered looking for the leak after the drywall has been removed, and if I can find it without a second person (If it's really obvious), just drilling a very small hole where the origin of the water is and leaving the drill bit sticking out of the roof and using roof caulk to seal it up there. I could patch the drywall later then.

What is the typical procedure for a situation like this?

Picture of the effected region:


texts: What to do about air gap between basement wall and frame

texts:
So I have an interesting question that's I'd like to hear from you on. I have a tapered basement wall that has been covered with a waterproof membrane. I plan on attaching 1-2" rigid foam insulation, and then building a framing wall which I'll fill with batt insulation.  What this leaves me with is a very interesting triangular gap between the two layers of insulation. My guess would be around 2" at the top.

Any advice on how (or even if) to fill this gap? Take a look at this diagram! Thanks

Edit: Basement is 3/4 below grade. Climate is Toronto, Ontario, so high humidity in Summer and gets down to -40 in Winter.


texts: Worried about cracked rafters in house built 1985

texts:
There are cracks and dry rot in the rafters of this house, and I'm wondering how urgently they need to be fixed:

support rafter where  brace is located, crack  runs widthwise   almost entire width almost all the way thru & cracks along rafter  w/some flaking where pencil went in ~1mm
rafter where brace has cracks running lengthwise along rafter  from attic ceiling ridge to center of rafter

rafter on east side above living room has signs of dry rot.  was flaking off where pencil went in ~1-2mm

How do I fix these?

By the way, how  much weight can this roof bear? I go up on the roof to clean off debris and sweep the chimney monthly. Did I cause this?

Thank you


texts: Can I get continuous power from a light controlled by a switch?

texts: I have a garage where all the lights are controlled by one switch. I want to install a separate motion light from all these lights so that when someone opens the garage door, the motion light will automatically turn on. If I try and use the power from the current light fixtures, that means I have to leave all the lights on in the garage for the motion light to work. Is there any way of accessing the power from the light fixture and have continuous power coming to the motion light fixture?


texts:
My new all-leather sofa came in a few days ago. The inside fill is polyfoam. The cushions and armrest did not have any creases or wrinkles on it. However, after sitting on it a couple of times, creases are left on it. Shouldn't leather rebound after sitting? Can this be a quality issue from the leather?

I don't know if this is right place to ask this question but I am impressed by the advice given here so I hope some of you can share insight into this.


texts: I live in Arizona.  The frames on the windows that face west get extremely hot inside the house.  I have sun screens installed and the aluminum frame touches the exterior window frame thus transferring all the heat.   To avoid replacing the window I’m considering installing 1/2 inch foam board on top of the window frame and set the screen over that.  Seems it should help reduce the heat transfer and I can cover the entire frame with the foam.  Has anyone tried this or seen stories of those who have?  Appreciate any insight.


texts: Can I use multiple wire nut splices on a single wire in a wall can?

texts:
I have an in-wall space heater in a wall can that recently started smelling of burnt plastic, and when I opened it up, I found that one of the wires had come loose from the wire nut, and the weak connection had overheated and melted the nut. I cut away the burnt parts, restripped the wires, and reconnected them with new wire nuts, but I wasn't paying much attention to the length of the wires, and now one of the wires is too short to properly affix the heater unit where it sits in the can.

Is it safe/up to code/otherwise reasonable to extend the wire with appropriately-sized in-wall NM-B or stranded appliance wire? Several other questions here have answers covering splices in inaccessible areas like behind drywall, but I can't find anything about what applies in wall cans. In addition to pure code compliance, arguments about the sanity of replacing a failed wire nut with two wire nuts are also welcome.

Possible alternatives that aren't great:

There is no service loop to work with (based on how it feels when pulling on the cable), so I can't just pull more cable through.
Replacing the whole cable would be difficult to coordinate, as the cable goes to a wall switch on a circuit that has devices that are a PITA to power off, so turning off the power to do the work would be a hassle (and I'm not confident I can work on live wiring safely, so that's also out).


texts: I just learned of safety issues with Federal Pioneer electrical panels. I have a house built in 2002/2003 (Canada) which has a Federal Pioneer panel, presumably of 2002 manufacture. Will it present the same hazard as older panels or would the safety issues present in older panels not exist in mine?


texts: We have a single gang box that needs to switch two single poles and a 3 way switch. I've only been able to find switches that house 3 single poles in a single gang space. Can I safely convert one of those switches to a three way switch?