texts: Mystery current on neutral wires coming into outlet box

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In reworking outlets and switches in our 1960's California home to use AlumiConn connectors + copper pigtails where needed (instead of older wire nuts + Noalox), I came across a duplex wall box in the kitchen that includes incoming and outgoing wires on a circuit that's completely separate from the other wiring in the box.  That particular separate circuit only includes outlets, and the wall box is upstream of anything else on the circuit.  Disconnecting the wires in that wall box should have left no power whatsoever going to the rest of the circuit ... or so I thought.

After turning off the breaker for the circuit, I started disconnecting the wire nuts connecting this pair of incoming and outgoing wires, and that's when I saw unexpected sparking between the two neutral wires.  Nothing was plugged in to the outlets at the time.  At first I thought I made a mistake identifying the breakers, but to the best of my abilities, I am certain that the rest of what's in the box is unrelated and separate.  I finally proceeded to open up every downstream outlet on that circuit, disconnect all the wires, then test and retest using both a twin-lead tester (kind of like this one) and a continuity tester.  All the outlets (superficially at least) appear to be wired in an ordinary manner, with incoming and an outgoing wires and pigtails to the receptacles, much like figure B in this diagram.  However, testing reveals that when a certain other breaker in the house (operating lights elsewhere) is turned on, two of the wall boxes on my problem circuit exhibit the following behavior: there is current flowing in one of the neutrals going into the box.  My twin-lead tester lights up when I connect it to the neutral and the ground, but not between neutral and hot, and not between hot and ground.  Turning off the "other" breaker stops this behavior.

Researching this kind of thing leads me to conclude that the most likely cause is a shared neutral between my problem circuit and another circuit in the house.  My best guess is that the wires feeding the two outlet boxes are coming from a junction elsewhere (in other words, that the wiring is not strictly from outlet to outlet as I expected, but that there's unidentified joint somehere), and in that junction, someone connected a neutral from the other circuit to the neutral(s) feeding those outlet boxes.  I went into the attic to investigate, but the attic uses loose-fill insulation (so I basically can't see the wiring) and is not easy to navigate safely, so I gave up for now.

Questions: are my conclusions reasonable?  What are other possible causes of this behavior?

(More info: there are 2 other things in that wall box, a switch and an outlet, each on separate breakers.  The circuit with the outlets is a 3rd one.  I am 99.9% certain there are no connections or dependencies between these 3 circuits. Testing was done with all 3 breakers off.  The circuit that unexpectedly allows current on the neutrals mentioned above uses a 4th breaker.)


texts: Wiring a fan to a 3 wire switch off wiring question

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So, I recently moved into a house with some old fabric like covered wiring. In attempting to put in a fan I have a switch wired to control a plug on a 20a circuit. The weird part is I have a red, a black and a yellow wire. I’m used to standard 12/2 Romex but am unsure how to proceed. So questions are...

What type of wire do I need to buy to run from a new junction box I will place in the attic?
I will wire the fan and light together so the finished product will have the blue wire tied in but without a white wire I am not sure how to wire the fan.

Thanks in advance for all your help. If it’s at all helpful I included a pick of the switch that I’m trying to tap into.


texts:
I have recently started experiencing water hammer in my house.  I have lived in the house for 30 years and it is about 80+ years old.
Never had a problem with this before.  The only thing that has changed is my neighbor recently had his water line replaced.  He was getting $700 bills when they should have been $140.
His line connects to the county at the same point as my water line.   I am thinking without the leak on his line, that the pressure is now up and causing the hammer on my house, though he says he doesn't have this problem.  Though I am not sure if he has a regulator or arrestor.
We do not.
The current cutoff being so old, leaks a lot when fully closed.
I have been thinking of replacing the last big run of galvanized as pictured with a new cutoff and regulator.   Is that the right thing to do?
I am weary of trying to get such old pipe apart, how long do I have to heat the joint to get it apart?


texts: Question about applying new siding where a picture window is not level

texts: We're putting new siding on a house where the front picture window is not level ~ it's 1" high on the right side.  For the best visual appearance should the siding be placed level with the earth or level with the window?  Either scenario may create an out-of-level appearance, but which one is the least noticeable?


texts: Options for sealing off basement crawlspace

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The "crawlspace"

In the back left upper corner of my basement, a hole was made to enable the addition of a powder room on the main floor 15+ years ago.  The basement walls are concrete and the hole opening is not smooth nor square.  The cavity enabled the installation of a duct, a drain, and cold and hot water lines.

Additional misc notes

On the other side of the hole is a cinder-block sided cavern ~10 feet long, ~3 feet deep, ~3 feet wide. (see more pics below)
I keep a small fan (pictured in the hole entry) on all year long to help air flow.
I have a dehumidifier in the basement to keep the relative humidity down in the summertime to help prevent prevent mold growth.
I also run an oransi air cleaner 24/7 about 8 feet from the corner.

The problem

In the winter, cold air sits in the cavern on the other side of the hole and there is a cold draft as a result. In the summertime, this area seems to be more musty smelling and the air coming from the hole seems more humid.

Can I seal it off?

I am looking for advice on how I might seal this off?  Specifically, for example, I am wondering if I can seal this off with a vapor barrier and possibly insulation?  Or perhaps there is another better approach?


texts: 114 yr old building whooshing sound at inside water feed. No leaks/No drop in pressure inside

texts: 114 year old building, was once a commercial building, now residence: Sound is coming from what we believe to be the indoor main water feed, that is  buried in the cement floor, except for nozzle, and it's the whooshing sound one hears when turning a hose on full blast! No leaks and no drop in water pressure inside. Can find no wet soil outside, but this feed in the basement is at least 4 feet below ground.


texts: How should I label and organize my home electrical circuits?

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I am looking to make the wiring updates in my home extremely simple to understand while doing so in a code-approved manner.

I cannot find anything against wrapping a thin band of colored electrical tape around the outer sheathing on NM-B wire such as a small band of red tape around the yellow jacket of the wire below at each junction/fixture to help identify which circuit each wire belongs to.

A colored electrical tape pack is what I was thinking of picking up:

Basically, I was thinking of adding two thin colored bands to identify the main runs of the branch circuits (using up to six colors for each band: black, white, red, blue, green, and yellow). And then I was thinking of adding two more thin bands to identify the branch connections to receptacles off of the main runs. However, I am unsure if labeling the sets of 3 wires (for 12-2) with a couple small bands of electrical tape would be against code (such as wrapping the sheathing with green electrical tape since green is typically used to mark ground wires) or actually make it more confusing. Answers that include best (or typical) practices are very welcome (even if the typical practice is to not mark the wires at all).

EDIT: While I agree with the update to the title to make the question a little more general, I am still interested getting an answer to my proposed solution about using colored electrical tape bands from  the perspective of the NEC (2008 or later). I certainly appreciate the answers that suggest labels on the wires, but case in point, my hand writing is terrible and I think color is a lot easier to identify at a glance than trying to read little numbers. The way my home is currently wired with knob and tube inspired the thought because the original wiring truly was in an extremely structured, well-crafted manner and is really a work of art to look at (each hot wire for each branch circuit of the existing knob and tube wiring is a different color that is both easy to understand and follow throughout the house). I plan to create a full set of "blueprints" (in color with color-coded wiring) and keep an updated printed copy of the diagram with the electrical panel so I am still favoring the idea of color-coding the wires if it is NEC-compatible.


texts:
I'm new to woodworking and I am building a bookshelf door.  The bookshelf is constructed of hardwood.  I mounted it, and the measurements and square look good, but it seems that the surface I used to lay it out on (a 6 foot plastic table on my steep driveway) was not particularly flat, and the top left corner sticks forward about an inch when the bottom is flush with the doorway. The hinge side is perfectly aligned.

I plan on putting trim mounted to the bookshelf that goes over the existing doorway. I hope the pictures adequately illustrate the situation.  When I add trim, this will be a problem, as I want to give the illusion that it is a built-in bookshelf.  As I see it, my options are:

adding a spacer between the bookshelf and the trim on the left side
shave an inch off the top left corner
rebuilding the bookshelf
adjusting the hinge side and adding a spacer on that side

The last two options are much less preferable- the hinge side is much more visible, and you know, not rebuilding it.

I'm leaning towards a spacer on the left side between the trim. Would love any alternative recommendations.  I know it's a tough issue to describe and adequately illustrate, so please let me know if I can provide more concise information.

Edit:

Illustrating my current best option- a spacer to fill this gap


texts: Is it better to have two A/C compressors running or just one?

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I'm about to get the A/C installed in my new apartment, and was wondering which of the following two situations would be more efficient:

(a) Cooling 2 rooms on a single A/C compressor (same system)

or

(b) Cooling 2 rooms on their own separate A/C compressors (different systems)

*both of these rooms are likely to have the A/C on at the same time, and are likely to run through most of the same times of the day (say, 11am - 8pm)

Some background:

My new apartment has 3 bedrooms, a living room and a dining room that I would like to have air conditioning in. Each of these rooms will be fitted with an air-conditioning blower, and I can have up to a maximum of 2 A/C compressors on the outdoor ledge meant for that.

Two of the bedrooms will be converted into our 'offices' - a computer workspace for me, and a piano room for my wife. Both of these rooms will likely need to be air-conditioned throughout the daytime, but will likely be turned off at night.

In the other areas, ie. our master bedroom, living and dining areas, I think we are more likely to use the fan since we won't be there much while it's hot in the daytime. However, we'd still want to have air-conditioning available since it can get insanely hot in some parts of the year (even at night) here.

Our current plan is to have two A/C compressors, one for 3 blowers, and one for 2 blowers. Should we have both 'offices' on one compressor so that in the daytime only that compressor is used? Or should we go for having them on separate compressors so that both compressors are used in the daytime, but are each at a lower load.

I think our main concern is the energy consumption of either option, since electricity costs are pretty high here. I understand that from a reliability standpoint, having our offices on separate systems might be good, but I think we can deal with that, especially since air-con servicing here is pretty easily available.


texts: switching out a heat/cool only thermostat to one with "auto" feature

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I have a Honeywell deluxe programmable thermostat with a sub-base...

Sub-base: 32207415-011/0008
Model: T8602D2000

The terminals that are used currently are: R W Y G (RC and O are not used)

My question is, are the wires that I have available sufficient to change to a thermostat that has the "auto" feature?


texts: Why shouldn't I use duct tape for home improvement?

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Revised question- Since duct tape cannot be legally used for fixing duct (in many places), and the quality (in general) of tape for making repairs is not as good as alternative methods, duct tape seems to have been relegated to emergency use only.

Duct tape has the benefit of being useful for temporarily fixing almost anything, but are there any uses where duct tape is the most suitable material for long term repair? Can anyone offer an example of where duct tape is the best choice or the permanent solution for a home improvement (the rationale may be required)?


texts: Newly installed dimmer switch doesn't power off

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My bathroom has a double switch plate: one for a fan and one for the light. I've replaced the light switch  with a dimmer (Lutron Maestro Model# MACL-153M.) And I've also replaced the incandesent light with a 40" LED by Commercial Electric which is dimmable. The light won't power off, nor will it dim. It just stays on.
Worth mentioning…there was no visible ground wire when I installed the switch. Only two wires were available to connect to my dimmer. So I capped the green ground wire coming out of the Lutron. Could this be why? (BTW, is this still considered a single pole even though the fan is attached to the same switch?)
This is the inside of box with my attempt at connecting the Lutron switch.

this is the metal face of switch:

Under ‘Important notes’ in the Lutron instructions, it mentions: When no ‘grounding means ‘ exists in the wall box, the…code allows a control to be installed as a replacement if 1) a non-metallic, non-combustible faceplate is used with non metallic attachment screws, or 2) the circuit is protected by a ground fault circuit interruptor. When installing a control according to these methods, cap or remove green wire before screwing control into wall box.


texts: Thermostat is completely blank. How to troubleshoot

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I have a thermostat that is completely blank (no display).  I'd like to troubleshoot it myself even if I do ultimately hire a pro!  We're in sunny southern california, so it's possible it's had no display for sometime, but when I first noticed it was after we flipped all circuit breakers to the house for another reason (checking power consumption).  I'm ignorant of heating systems, but having done research, it seems that one of two things are most likely:

1.  No power to main unit.  Main unit communicates to thermostat via 24 V or lower.
2.  Power to main unit, but no power from main unit to thermostat.  Possibly bad connections, etc.

I'd like some ideas from a kind and patient soul on how to troubleshoot both of these.
Starting with #1.... The main heater is plugged in, but how the heck does one tell "it's on"?  I see no lights, etc to indicate it is on.  I have tried the socket it's plugged into and it's powered.  However perhaps there is an on/off switch?  The model # is MPGA075B4B.  Originally, I thought the make was Honeywell because I saw that huge name on the on/off gas switch in the unit.  But as I did internet searches, the name "Ducane" kept popping up.  Not sure if these heaters are made by one company and use Honeywell switch or what is going on.  Anyhow, I can't find a manual for it, and I can't see how to know if it's "on".

Number 1 seems like where I should start.  Assuming the unit is on, my understanding is that one can check at the thermostat if it's even getting power.
a) How does one do this?
b) assuming it is not, what next?  Do you check the Honeywell switch on the heating unit itself?
The Thermostat in the living room (that is blank) is Venter, Model T1050. There are 4 wires coming out. Red, Green, W1, and C (which looks blue to me!).

Finally, any other ideas?  And I can post photos or more information.

I appreciate the help.
Dave


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I’m adding an outlet above our fireplace and the “easiest” way is fishing a 14/2 with ground NM down 24” from the attic. Very close to where I want to go fishing is an outlet run in the attic. What’s the best way to tap into this run? I’ve drawn up my thoughts on a whiteboard and attached them here. The wire I’m tapping into is pulled super tight so the only way I found was to add 3 jumpers into the system. Please let me know your thoughts if this is the way to go. The circuit I’m adding to is lightly loaded with only 7 outlets currently on the 15A breaker.
Please note the two wires marked existing in the drawing were once one continuous wire I’m “breaking” to add to. The “squares” inside the box in the drawing are wire nuts


texts: I am planning to finish an attic space. I want to eliminate one 4x4 wood column in a line. The column is 8 ft from a load bearing wall and 12 ft from another column (which will remain). The column supports twin 2x10s with a 2x6 joists and 2x6 rafters in a simple low pitch roof above. I can get at the twin 2x10s so I could bolt a microlam or even steel to reinforce this.  How can I find out what must be added to eliminate the column? Thanks a bunch!


texts: Screw Sizes for Electrical Connection box lids

texts: Am having to install covers to several different types of electrical connections boxes in my house. Some are round, blue ones and some are a grayish tan with corners rounded. None of them have cover screws in them, so I am having to go buy screws to attach  the covers. What type and size of screws are need for each type of connection box?


texts: Hot water flow -- to one sink -- low and getting worse

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I've seen variations on this question, but the only times I've seen this exact question, the answers haven't been helpful... so thought I'd try here.

I've got a 66 gal. electric hot water tank, 10-15 years old, that feeds 3 full baths and a kitchen. One bath is in the finished basement, everything else is on the ground floor.

Get reasonably good hot water pressure / flow to every faucet / tub / shower EXCEPT the sink in the master bath. Have replaced everything back to the iron supply stub coming out of the wall, problem seems to be getting worse. Hooking a line directly to first the hot, then the cold supply stubs confirms that what's coming out of the wall is way weaker for the hot than the cold.

I'm thinking sediment (rust / calcium / ???) in these older pipes, probably at an elbow or tee... and that all my shutting off, turning on, attempting to flush that line have just caused more crap to move downstream to add to the blockage.

Is this the most likely cause?

If so... is there any trick I can use to break up or dissolve this unknown upstream blockage without tearing into the finished basement to try and hunt down the affected pipe?


texts:
My electrical feed to location is L6 3wire (grnd+X+Y). My cabinet is L609 4wire (grnd+neut+X+Y).

The cabinet feeds 4 blocks of 110V.

Should the grnd+neutr be plugged into the grnd on the L6? or do I need to pull a fourth (neut) to the box, and use an L609 receptical?

Grnd and Neut in the wiring cabinet are the same, so I'm wondering if it's really necessary to carry a separate neutral, and thus I can use an L6


texts:
I have access to a large amount of EPS in the form of used multi-cubic-foot blocks (I believe they used to be boat dock floats).

Because of the high R value of EPS, I am thinking about slicing them down to use to insulate the exterior walls of the house I'm renovating.  The house is located just southwest of Ft Worth, Texas. This would not be outside the sheathing to prevent thermal bridging, but between the studs, instead of fibreglass or sprayed in foam.

Can I use EPS insulation to insulate inside the exterior walls? If so, what else would I need to consider that more traditional insulation methods already include (e.g. the paper facing on batts)?


texts: How do I build a form and pour a concrete pad?

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I have a new safe that I want to put out in the garage.  I'd like for it to be in a specific corner, but that corner has a few quirks.

First, the slab is pretensioned.  No cutting, drilling, coring, etc.  All around the garage the concrete comes up about 6 inches, and drywall starts above that.  In this particular corner the concrete juts out, making a sort of "L" shaped curb that sticks out about 4 inches.  Here's a super-crude ascii-art isomorphic picture of what I mean.  Yeah, it's a weird angle, but I can't describe it any better.

             |
             |
             /\
            /  \
           /    \
          /  /\  \
         /_ //\\  \
        |__|/  \\  \
        /       \\  \
       /         \\  \
      /           \\  \

What I was thinking of doing is pouring more concrete with a form to make an 18" x 24" x 6" pad that my safe can go on, but I know nothing about pouring concrete.  Anything I need to know?


texts: How can I install recessed lights with a thick ceiling finish?

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I have an old house with a lath and plaster ceiling that has 1x4 battens installed on the lath and plaster ceiling with 3/8" drywall over those.

I want to install recessed lighting but there is approximately 1" gap between the can and the trim. Are there recessed light cans available that are adjustable to accommodate that?


texts: This bathtub drain gets stuck whenever I try to pull it out. Is there a different removal method to get it out besides turning the drain anti-clockwise?


texts: When sanding hardwood floors, should I buy a rotary or oscillating tool?

texts: I plan to refinish the hardwood floors in three bedrooms using an orbital floor sander because they seem easier and safer for beginners than the drum sander. I need something to sand the edges, and I've wanted to buy a rotary/oscillating tool for a while. Which would help me more with this job? Or should I buy an actual hand sander instead?


texts: Rocker switch in bedroom stuck? possible obstruction?

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Searched the site but didn't find anything similar to my question.
I have a rocker switch for my bedroom light. Actually, there are 3 switches all side by side with one 3-opening faceplate for all 3. This morning, the middle switch just stuck - like something was blocking it. I couldn't push the bottom half at all, it was just stuck in the on position. The switch itself didn't budge at all.
Not being the fix-it-myself guy AT ALL, I was hesitant to just go and buy a new switch. I turned the power off and took off the face plate. I unscrewed the top and bottom screw a bit on the rocker switch, pulling the switch out but not disconnecting any of the wiring, and all of a sudden the rocker moved again, almost like an obstruction had freed itself, maybe a tiny piece of drywall or something? Turned power back on and everything seems fine.
Should I still have it replaced? Is it a possible there is a safety mechanism in the switch that blocked the switch from moving, and I somehow un-did the safety, allowing it to turn on/off again?Or is it more likely (and safer) that I just dislodged something that was blocking the rocker mechanism, and now that it's free, everything is fine?
Thanks!


texts: How to deal with the stress of DIY renovation?

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I've done a few DIY projects over the years and over time it starts out as fun and exciting and then it detoriates to stressful and not so fun.

Our latest project was to redo our basement.  This involved basically adding a floor to our house.  We are adding a laundry room, bathroom, kids playroom and bonus room.

My typical day during this renovation is work to my normal job until 5-6 at night, then when I get home until 8 do any noisy work, put the kid(s) to bed, and then continue to with less noisy work until 10 or 11 at night.  (I have a 7 year old)

Working by myself was a challenge (I wish I had 4 arms) but I found overall that my family relationships suffered as well a my normal job has less productivity.

I deal with stress pretty well, but my family had a hard time dealing with everything.  Additionally, I found that over time I found that it was me versus the project and nothing went as smooth as planned.

How do you deal with the stress of a major project?  Do you have any tips or suggestions that make things easier on anyone?


texts: Can I upgrade my hardwired smoke detector in apartment without triggering central alarm?

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I'm living in an apartment building and would like to upgrade one of two detectors in my apartment from an older hardwired detector to the new Nest Protect.

I purchased the battery-operated version of the Nest, and so would like to unplug the existing hardwired one.  The wire harness appears to have positive, ground, and an interconnected wire, but the interconnected one is cut and doesn't go anywhere.

Does this mean there is no communication with a central alarm?  Or will I potentially trigger a central alarm in my building by disconnecting it?


texts: Clean (food) oil stain from wooden floor

texts:
My question is pretty related to:

How to diminish the appearance of a stain on hardwood floor? & How do I remove (food) oil stain from a wood table?

But not exactly the same. The problem is I've spilled food oil on the wooden floor several times. I'm pretty clumsy when it comes to cooking, and recently I spilled some oil from a rather high distance and it spread on several parts of the floor. So I have this big spot and other smaller ones all around.

The moment I had these accidents, I got a sponge with water and detergent and started rubbing the oil stains. It made it better, but not quite removed the stains. I've also used a wood cleaner product which improved just a little, but the stains as you can see on the attached pictures are still pretty noticeable.

I'm renting the apartment, so I should return it in a good condition. Any new ideas on how to clean these stains? Should I replace the wood?


texts:
I’ve removed the casing that protects the globe, to replace the globe for the outdoor light. I can’t put the case back on.

My question is, do I take precautions to protect the globe overnight?


texts:
I am renovating my bathroom. Previously the plan was to replace the old floor with new floor tiles. But after some investigation, it's too much effort for its worth.

So now I am thinking more along the line of polishing it. Does anyone know what material this is, can it be polished or otherwise  made looking newer?

Here is a closer look of the bathroom floor.


texts: How to safely block French doors to nowhere

texts:
I am going to tear down an existing deck (which is rotting out) and want to block off usage of existing French doors that currently lead to the deck. I’ll attach photos below.

I am going to build a replacement deck after, but there will be some time between when the existing one comes down and the new one goes up.

The best thing I can think of is to attach some 2x4 lumber to the sides of the trim outside and screw plywood to the 2x4s, sort of in the spirit of an extra layer of sheathing.

My questions are:
1. How can I find out whether this is a code approved solution? I’m in U.S. zip code 98136.
2. Does this sound like a reasonable idea, and are there any other options? One thought was a Juliette balcony..


texts: Are there benefits to having the dishwasher drain into the garbage disposal?

texts: My dishwasher is not draining properly and while taking a look at things I realized that the drain hose is not tied into the garbage disposal. Is this incorrect? Are there certain benefits for having it this way?


texts:
My house has a 10 gauge wire leading to a 50 amp breaker. My understanding is this is not allowed and the conversation should end there.

However, this circuit is for the AC unit which specifies a minimum circuit amps of 33 amp and a maximum breaker of 50 amp. HVAC folks are telling me the 10 gauge wire is fine in this case. Why is it acceptable to seemingly violate the normal code specifically for an AC unit?


texts: Can I add Suntouch floor thermostat to 20 amp breaker circuit with in-line GFCI outlets

texts: I have a dedicated 20 amp breaker that feeds a dedicated circuit for all the GFCI outlets in the bathroom (5). I also have a SunTouch floor thermostat attached to a warming pad under the floor that says it can go on a 15 amp or 20 amp circuit depending on the size of the floor.  I was planning to attach the thermostat in line (series) with this 20 amp circuit. Does anyone foresee any issues?


texts: How to replace vent tee under kitchen sink

texts:
My garbage disposal empties into a trap. Before the trap, my other sink drain joins with a vent tee. I am assuming this in incorrect. Occasionally, the trap does not empty fast enough and water + food climbs up into the horizontal run of pipe, causing it to clog. I am also assuming that I need to replace the vent tee with a sanitary tee.

My problem is that I can not find a replacement sanitary tee that has the top threaded. I also can not find a male adapter that maintains the proper diameter. I am seeking advice on how to redo this.

Come to think about it, is this plumbing arrangement even allowed? The waste from the other drain, along with the dishwasher discharge flows into the line from the disposal. Isn't it normally the other way around?


texts:
I have a 7 foot section of an addition that has no footing. It is a square addition, so 3 walls on the back of the house. It is about 13 x 12. One of the side walls is missing about 7' of footing and is just blocks in dirt.

I want to go ahead and pour the right footing for it. Can I just pour it right next to the existing footing or do I need to some how join the footings with rebar?

I'm in Raleigh, NC.


texts: How to attach a top plate to a plaster and lath ceiling for a closet?

texts:
I'm looking to add a closet to a room in my house. I took down the walls (and have since had drywall put back up) so I know where the studs are in the walls, but I don't know where the ceiling joists are. I don't have access to them from above since there are hardwood floors upstairs.

I'm not sure how I should go about attaching the top plates for the closet. Can I just screw them into the lath? Will this crush the plaster and cause everything to come crashing down? Should I (and how would I?) remove the plaster above the closet so I can see the joists? What if the closet walls line up with the wall studs, but the ceiling joists don't?


texts: Basement window with cinderblock. Do I need to fill cinderblock?

texts:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/E8raBQ17wudKT0n72

As you can see from the photos.  The window fits pretty snug.  I planned on using a little expansion foam on the sides with caulking.  And just caulking the top.  The bottom, however, is tricky to me.  The weep holes in the front of the window would allow the water to run out onto the front of the cinderblock and then back down into the cinder block. I'm not supposed to caulk the bottom of the window but I really dont' want water to drain back down into it.  See this photo https://photos.app.goo.gl/t7FvgELw4IZ3Bj6h2 .  See the lip of the cinderblock?  The water can go back down under the window.

I just had an internal basement drain system put in around the perimeter of my house going to sump pumps and weep holes in every block at the base to allow it to drain into the system. But I didn't know if allowing this little bit of water in the cinderblock could weaken it.

Should I just fill the top cinderblock with expansion foam?


texts: What is the most effective method for getting rid of carpet moths?

texts:
I vacuum regularly, I put out and replace pheromone sticky strips, I use an insect fogger wherever I see part of the carpet that has been eaten, I have a hand held battery powered vacuum that I use to kill them whenever I see them but...they keep resurfacing.

I have poor respiratory health so I would rather not use harsh treatments but any recommendations will help.


texts: Outlet with power won't supply power to anything plugged in

texts:
Today we came back from church and our bedroom outlet did not supply power to the tv or cable box.  Breakers were fine but reset.  Power tester (stick like unit that sticks into the slot and buzzes) shows power on both leads of outlet.  When breaker is off no power.

What could be causing anything plugged into it not to work?  I'm guessing the tester is only testing HOT and not full circuit? (flow of electricity).

PS: Tried portable heater that works in another outlet and it too does not work, so it's not a failed cable box and TV from power surge or something.


texts:
I really want to tidy up my tool closet, and step one is getting the pegboard hung back up.

I'd like to mount the board on the inside of a closet door, but it is about 2" too wide for that. I've had it forever so don't know exactly what it is made of but it feels like some kind of MDF or hardboard. It's pretty sturdy.

I have a jigsaw, a circular saw, and a hacksaw. What's my best bet for cutting the pegboard without damaging it?


texts: Can I still be sold plumbing fixtures that contain lead?

texts: I'm shopping for brass or stainless ball valve to replace shutoff on a plumbing line. I see on ebay that some valves are advertised as "lead-free" while others are not.  I would've assumed ALL brass/SS valves are lead-free.  If I'm concerned with lead, do I need to screen specifically for lead?


texts: What can I do about foggy double glazed windows?

texts:
We have double glazing throughout our house, and most of the windows have started to "fog up".  Doing a quick search revealed this video, which looks very much like the problem that we have.  I have two questions:

How realistic is this video (there seems to be a plethora of similar services / claims out there)?
Is this type of service available in the UK, and is it likely to be financially viable (i.e. could it work out more expensive that replacing the windows)?

I'm not sure if this is relevant, but our windows have a UPVC frame.


texts: Installing a Heavy Sliding Barn Door into Metal Studs

texts:
I'm looking to install a single, sliding barn door in the 2nd bedroom of my condo. The door is solid MDF and weighs 200 lbs, including the metal rail and sliding wheels. And being in a condo, I'm unfortunately plagued with metal studs.

To date, I've installed a 1x4x80 wood backing board across 5 metal studs, with strap toggles going through the studs. The rail is 78.75" and the door is 96x36". I'm also planning on driving two additional screws per stud, on top of and below each strap toggle, for additional support. My plan is to install the rail onto the wood backing, with the provided 4" lag bolts going through the wood/drywall.

Two questions:

Will my planned installation support 200lbs? Or should I consider cutting out some drywall and adding horizontal wood blocking in-between the metal studs?
At least one (maybe two) of the pre-drilled rail holes align with metal studs. Will I have a problem getting those to go through the metal studs behind the wood? Any best techniques for doing so?

I'm less worried about the board pulling out of the wall, and more worried about the rail pulling out of the wood. In considering how much of the 4" lag bolt will be exposed behind the drywall, here's the thicknesses of everything in-between...

1/4" Rail --> 1.5" Spacer --> 3/4" Wood --> 1/2" Drywall

So, add that all up and there will be 1" of the 4" lag bolt exposed behind the drywall. Will it really make that much of a difference if that 1" were to go into wood blocking?

I'd very much appreciate any advice! Pictures below:

1x4x80 Wood Backing Installation:

4" Lag bolt with spacer (and also a lag bolt with a lag anchor, presumably for drywall only installation)


texts: Stress analysis for a wall mounted table/desk

texts:
I need to build a wall mounted table/desk. I've done my calculation (full stress analysis) and I've moved all forces to the mounting points but now I'm stuck because I don't know how much would those screws handle.

Well I do know how much would the screw handle but I don't know how much would the wall actually handle, i.e., the structure could fail because the screw may break the wall (just a couple of centimeters around it) then it all fails.

Another good point is that I've seen weak structures (in my POV) that handle so much weight (more than what I'm going to do) with fewer mounting points but I'm too afraid that my first table falls off.

Any advice? Any possible close structure out there that I could find useful that have really good factor of safety (around 3-4)?

About the design: it's simple rectangle of 150cm x 50cm and could be mounted with 3-5 screws to a corner.


texts: Determining Bus-Bar Rating for PV Installation

texts:
I already have a primary PV inverter connected up through a 40A breaker. I'm looking to expand by adding a second PV inverter. To comply with the 2014 NEC 705.12(D)(2) rule I need to know the panel bus bar rating. The existing system drawings were done based on the assumption that the main breaker and the bus bar were rated equivalently (at 200A_, but if I'm reading the label in the panel correctly, the bus bar is rated at 225A.

If the bus bar is indeed rated at 225A then my allowance under the NEC rule is 1.2*225 = 270 - 200 (main breaker) = 70A. With the existing system taking up 40A, then I could install another 30A breaker for the second inverter. If not I'd have to replace the main breaker with a 175A breaker.

I have partial picture of the sticker inside the panel, and realized it matched a sample from a data sheet, so I'm including the data sheet picture.

Am I reading the "Mains 225A max" as meaning that the bus bar is rated at 225A?


texts: How should I clean and lubricate gearing for casement windows?

texts:
My house has casement windows. I opened their gearing boxes to mask them because I painting the frames and I noticed them dirty.

How should I clean and lubricate them?

I was thinking vacuum with micro dust attachments and white silicone grease.


texts: How to newly wire furnace condensate pump that contains a safety switch?

texts: I would like to replace my current Little Giant furnace condensate pump that has no safety switch with the Little Giant VCMA-15ULS, 65 GPH Automatic Condensate Removal Pump w/ Safety Switch - SKU 554405. The pump drains Carrier central A/C and Carrier furnace humidifier. Can someone please provide and/or refer me to explicit wiring instructions for installing this pump and enabling it to shut down the Central A/C and only the humidifier, not the furnace, in case of pump failure?


texts: Will closing vents in closet and bathrooms help cool other areas better?

texts: I have a large 4 bedroom ranch home. The two smaller bedrooms never get as cool as rest of home. Master bedroom is cold enough to hang meat. Return and thermostat are in hallway. Can I close vents in bathrooms, closet, laundry area to help cool those two small bedrooms?


texts: Why is my A/C condenser fan motor wiring backwards, and how can I fix it?

texts:
I've just replaced my condenser fan motor on my home A/C unit with this unit: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/GENERAL-ELECTRIC-Condenser-Fan-Motor-2PRA6

The HP, RPM's and amp ratings all match. The old one was CW only and the new was CW/CCW. I switched the jumper to make sure it was spinning clockwise like the old one. I researched how to wire it and got it installed. It fired up right away and sounded good, no vibrations or anything. The problem is air was blowing down and out of the side instead of out of the top. I immediately thought I installed the fan upside down even though I marked it before removing it from the old unit.

I then took a look at the blade closely and the blade has a concave shape that is turned up. From what I understand that is indeed the direction the concave shape of the blade should point. Additionally, the blade is slightly discolored on the edges, but curiously in the counter-clockwise direction. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the arms that the blades are riveted to and the mounting hub are under the blades when looking down. So, I know it's definitely installed correctly.

Next, I took a look at the wiring on the contactor. When I removed the old motor, I cut the wires and left them connected so I knew exactly where they were when installing the new motor. Then, I noticed something strange on second inspection. Black was on L2 instead of L1 like on every post I found online on how to install this motor. It was this way for sure from before, I did not confuse anything. I waited until just before I installed the new one to remove it from the terminal.

I'm wondering if the initial installer reversed L1 and L2 to get the old motor to spin counter-clockwise. I know that's possible with DC motors, but I don't know if that was common practice. My first instinct was to just switch the directional jumper on the new motor, but if it's currently hooked up backwards, I don't want to leave it that way.


texts: How can I strengthen the floor above a crawl space in pier and beam construction?

texts:
what are the steps  to strengthen pier and beam (sometimes called post and beam) foundation?

i will be installing a 3-5 ton Rocket heated cob bench mass heater in a rambler home in the living room over 8' length of floor space  that has no beams beneath it.

i was told "If you have a suspended floor, the extra weight will probably need additional structural support so your floor doesn’t sag."

my research suggests that to reinforce beneath this heater, we would add 1 or 2   6' 4x4 beams going N to S beneath the joists (which go E to W.  these would be nailed into posts nailed into pier blocks which would support the beam which would support joists.

how do i know where the spot i need to reinforce is when i'm in the crawl space?

how much weight can floor w/crawl space beneath, support ?  the rocket heated cob bench mass heater shouldn't be more than 135 lbs/sf.  i asked the local code officials what weight the floor itself is rated for but they didn't give me a clear answer .


texts:
I'm building a 24' x 8' garage wall in 2 sections of 12' x 8'.  What is the best (and up to code) way of joining the 2 halves?  Will a bunch of 4' nails suffice or should I drill holes and use bolts & washers?

Edit: I meant "code" for Alberta, Canada - though I imagine building code for this sort of thing is similar everywhere.

Edit 2:  I will be attaching a header above the wall that joins the 2 halves.  My question was intended to ask how to fasten the studs of the 2 walls together:

   1st half     2nd half
+-----------++-----------+
|   |   |   ||   |   |   |
|   |   |   ||   |   |   |
|   |   |   ||   |   |   |
+-----------++-----------+
            ^^
            ||
           here


texts: How can I deaden the vibration noise of a box fan?

texts:
I have a closed box fan motor above an insulated false ceiling. I asked the builders to put acoustic absorbing material around the motor to absorb its sound but am not happy with the deep resonant sound which still existed.

Today I investigated and found that the cause of this sound is the vibration of the bottom wall of the fan box which as you can see in the photo is where the fan rests. I can actually stop the noise by pushing the wall with my hand from underneath and causing it to flex inward.

Can anyone suggest a way to deaden this vibration and subsequently this noise?


texts: Is a pulse width modulating thermostat compatible with a W2 auxillary heating (Nest compatibility question)

texts:
I have the wiring configuration for a RHEEM thermostat Pictured Below. On it, there is a "V" wiring connection which according to the manufacturer is for "Pulsed width modulation" type heating. On the other end, the furnace, it connects to a "V/W2" connection which I have verified is pulsed width modulating.

Initially, Nest showed that I was incompatible due to the "V" wiring but learned that it was because they thought it was "milivolt" designation. However, after talking with them and researching, I learned that this was not the case and should be able to connect the V/W2 into the Nest "W2".

Will this accomplish the same thing? I learned that W2 is for 2nd stage heating which doesn't seem to be exactly the same thing as Pulsed Width Modulating heating.

Edit - Found in manual:
From Manual

  To set the furnace for operation with two-stage thermostats, set
  switches 1 & 2 of SW2 to the “ON” position (See Figure 56). Note that
  these switches should be in the “OFF” position from the factory. With
  both switches in the “ON” position, the furnace can still recognize a
  “V” signal present and will still operate with a modulating
  thermostat. However, with both switches of SW2 in the “ON” position,
  the furnace is set to operate with a two-stage thermostat as well.
  With a two-stage thermostat (installed as shown in Figure 50) and
  switch settings configured as described above, during a call for heat,
  the furnace will operate as follows:

So it is currently operating in "modulating" thermostat mode but is able to operate with Nest in a "2-stage" mode by simply flipping a dip switch. Then the "V" wire will act as "W2" wire.


texts: Is it necessary to keep the metal back on a slide in electric range.  I have a fan that comes up from the back of the counter and it needs a little more room.  The new range will not slide back as far as it needs to due to the metal covering hitting the fan motor.  It needs about 1/2 inch.   It looks like the back was taken off my old range.


texts:
I'm trying to mount a ham radio antenna that has a standard(?) 3/8-24 threaded post at the bottom to an existing 5/16" post (built in the past for a different antenna) with 5/16x18 threads.
In other words, I need an adapter that's metal & conductive with a female 5/16-18 cavity/connector/receiver (not sure about nomenclature) at one end, and a female OR male 3/8-24 threaded cavity/connector/receiver or rod at the other (I have a female-female 3/8-24 connector, so the gender of the adapted 3/8-24 end doesn't matter).
The big question: what is this called, and is this something likely to exist as a retail product a local store somewhere in South Florida is likely to sell, so I could get my hands on it quickly & not end up having to spend $5-15 shipping on what's probably a cheap part? If so, what kind of store would I go to? Auto parts? Plumbing supply?
From what I understand, 1/8" FIP/MIP pipe fittings might have 3/8-24 threading, but pipe-threading isn't quite like bolt-threading, because it's designed to seal liquids as well as fasten them together, so screwing an antenna into a "1/8" pipe fitting could/would chew up the threads on the antenna, or fail to secure enough of it to prevent it from tearing out.


texts: How should I conceal gaps between laminate flooring and wall trim?

texts:
I am looking for the best way to fill some small gaps left between flooring and wall in new house, see image. Guessing the previous owners installed the flooring themselves hence why the finish is not always right against corners and walls. The floor is still close to new so definitely don't want to be relaying it.

Gaps are no bigger than 1cm. Was thinking of either caulk or silicone but have read that silicone is easy to do badly and very difficult to cleanup and correct. Caulk easier to install but less flexible and liable to crack.

Any tips greatly appreciated.


texts: Cracks in new house slab foundation, how serious?

texts: I am in the process of building a new home in North Carolina. This is slab based foundation house. The slab was poured in mid March when the temperatures were around 40-50 F. Now during the pre-drywall inspection I found that there were a number of cracks in the slab all over. In one area specific area of the slab there are few big cracks. There are also cracks in the garage and the front patio as well. Should I be concerned about these cracks? Is this a sign for any underlying big problem? Please help.


texts:
I'm trying to prep my interior walls so when the drywallers come, they can add a single layer of skim coat and re-texture everything (the current texture is really uneven and ugly).

The walls have a thick layer of high gloss paint on them that doesn't seem like it was properly applied. I say this because when I took the trim off all of the windows and doors, in many places the paint would peel off in big, plasticy/stretchy pieces leaving the (badly) white textured surface below.

The drywaller guy said they usually use TSP to roughen it up but that if I were to do a light sanding it would come out much better. I'm also worried that if they just TSP it, it will still easily peel off in places. I have a big 6" disc sander that I was going to use but it seems like it might get clogged up on this plasticy glossy paint. What would be the proper way to prepare the walls for a light skim coat and retexture?


texts: I want to run a line from well to house at approx 150'   Can I run a 1 1/2" pipe within a 4" conduit or  4" pipe as a safety measure for future in case I need to run a new pipe or when the original fails.


texts: Do speaker wires need to be protected at exposed end-points?

texts:
Ah the joys of new home ownership.

In preparing to prime/paint our family room ceilings, we took down some old (really old) speakers the previous owner had set up.  We're not planning to use them so we cut off the two-wire connection going to them.  As near as I can tell, the speaker wires aren't connected to anything else on the other end. I've looked all over the house and haven't seen any audio system whatsoever.

I'm paranoid though -- On the off-chance that they are connected to something else, do I need to do anything to them after this? Wrap the ends in electrical tape? Put wire nuts on them?

I realize the obvious solution would be to remove the wire's completely but I'm reluctant to do this yet as there is blown-in insulation in the attic and removing the wire and/or tracing them completely could be messy.

As for the speaker holes themselves, we're planning to keep them for now as we're considering using them later for recessed lighting.

Thoughts? Advice?

-M


texts: Is it normal for an experienced Finish Carpenter to put so many blemishes on walls during a kitchen cabinet install?

texts:
I recently hired a Finish Carpenter with “30+ years of experience” to install my white finish, plywood cabinets.  I paid $1400 for him to mount 10 boxes (he only mounted 9 but still charged $1400 plus tax).  It took him at most 14 hours over 2 days.

Question:  What level of workmanship should I expect?  For instance, you have a professionals, amateurs, and DIYers.  Based on the picture (I can only upload one) was his work typical of a professional?

He put a lot of blemishes (pencil marks, dents/dings with a hammer and nail gun, holes with a drill) on walls that I just primed/textured/spray painted.  His method of finding the stud was to estimate where it was and then drill until he found it.  He usually found the stud after about 6 tries.

He left a 1/4” gap between the wall and crown molding.  He used off-white spackle to cover nail holes.

He also didn’t properly secure a refrigerator panel (it’s loose), installed kick plate even though floors still have to be installed, and left all the trash piled up in an empty bedroom.

When I questioned his workmanship I got the “30+ years of experience” line and the logic that his worst blemishes would be hidden (a lot won’t be hidden).  I asked him if he used his stud finding method to hang a picture in his house.  He didn’t answer.

I’m just learning how to paint.  I don’t have any experience caulking joints and touching up.  Touching up the crown molding is going to be difficult for me.  I’m going to mask off a huge area and then spray.

Question: Once again, was his work typical of a professional?


texts: Plumbing through wall that rests on joist

texts:
My new construction home had the option of adding a 3rd floor bathroom that I declined at the time, but now would like to pursue. Luckily, the builder already ran plumbing and electrical in the area to easily allow for this to be done in the future.
I already have the bathroom framed and now that I'm looking to get the plumbing rough-in done, I'm realizing some potential issues. My 2x4 walls are framed directly over floor joists, so there's no way to route the drain pipe up through the wall without eating into a chunk of the floor joist, which I'm assuming could cause issues for me at inspection time.
In hindsight I probably should have used wider framing to allow adequate room for plumbing along where the vanity and toilet will go. Rather than redo this entire wall, I'm wondering if an easier solution might be to essentially frame up a parallel wall with 2x4s, bringing the total wall thickness to 7" which would be more than enough for my plumbing and allow for me to punch into from below without compromising my joist, and similarly avoid the ceiling joists for running my vent pipe.
The bathroom is currently 69" wide so losing 3-1/2" for this is not a big deal. I'm just wondering if this is a proper solution and whether it might raise any eyebrows come inspection time.


texts: Adding CPVC tee to existing 1" CPVC water main line

texts:
I am trying to add a tee to my water main to branch a line for irrigation system. My water main is 1" CPVC and doesn't have enough movement to insert the tee. Any ideas?

Need the tee inserted in the red rectangle area


texts: Can a bathroom fan be exhausted through existing gable vent?

texts:
My bathroom exhaust fan recently broke.  When I went to replace it, I noticed that it wasn't being exhausted from the attic.

I was about to make a separate hole in the nearest gable to exhaust the fan, but my wife asked if I could butt the exhaust pipe up to the existing gable vent in order to avoid making another hole.

I have seen conflicting answers in my research online. (I've also viewed this question: Can I vent a bathroom fan through an attic window?, but there's not enough support for that answer for me to be confident.)

The existing vent is louvered with a screen behind it. The bathroom exhaust pipe would be pushed up to the screen (I wouldn't be cutting the existing vent), secured by a box (with a 4-in hole cut in it to hold the pipe exactly) that will be attached to one of the supports holding the existing gable vent. (I'll also caulk around the pipe where it enters the box.)

Is this acceptable, or does the bathroom exhaust need to be vented directly outside?


texts: Am I going to die of Cancer from Asbestos if not handled correct? What more should I do?

texts:
So I have scrapped down old pop corn ceiling and removed staple on tile on drywall attached to plaster, that can be only lord knows how old.

I didn't hang any barriers up as we are planning to do the ceiling walls and floors in all the rooms, although I did cover up outlets and vents.

I have already removed and made the mess and got dust everywhere.

Was wearing a mask enough?

So if this stuff was everywhere (metal, wood, insulation, wall, compounds) for about 90 years. So wouldn't everyone alive in those years be dead?

Is there more I should have done? What do you normally do and why?


texts: Need help to ID and remove electric outlet cover

texts:
I Need some help identifying and removing an electrical outlet cover in the kitchen.

I removed the middle screw but the cover is still not coming off, no screws on the sides either.


texts: Can I replace 1 pane of a double pane window. The outside pane is broken, is there anyway to replace just the outside pane


texts: Ceiling fan replacement with old wiring issue

texts:
My house was built in 1890 and has a mix of newer and old wiring. We have a bedroom that had an older ceiling fan that we decided to replace with a new one that is closer to the ceiling itself (low profile). The new one is actually a smaller fixture than the old one.
Now the Problem: When taking the old fan down the wires were not labeled on the ceiling fan or the wires in the box. The wiring in the metal box above the ceiling is older and we cannot tell what is what.
There are two sets of similar looking wires that have been twisted together and one singular wire that hangs down further but has a slight copper color to the very end of it. All wires appear to have a cloth sleeve over them but hard to tell exact color. There is a single light switch in the room. See picture of wiring below (sorry about the lack of lighting):

We have a regular circuit breaker (it is not the older fuses) and the one to this room is currently off while we figure this out. Any advice on how to figure this out would be appreciated.


texts: What are those numbers on the door's hinges?

texts:
In the middle of the hinges there is a square bit with a dot on an angle. At the four corners of the hinges, around the square, there are some numbers: -1,0,+1,+2.

Do they mean anything?


texts:
In an '80s Canadian house I took out a wall switch and now I can't figure out how to rewire it.

The box has three cables coming into it. They all come off the same panel breaker. Two of the cables have a white, a red, and a black wire. One has a white and a black. All of the white wires are joined together. So I have three loose black wires and two loose red wires. I'll call them B1, B2, B3, R1, and R2. I tested joining them and found the following:

B1+R1 = ceiling lamp which I want to switch
B1+R2 = a wall socket
B1+B2 = two other wall sockets
I don't know what the third black wire does.

So I guess I need to twist together B1+R2+B2 on one side of the single pole switch and R1 on the other side. And I guess just terminate the unknown black wire with a twist-on wire connector?

Questions:

Is the above the way to go?
I don't like trying to twist three solid wires together and attach them to one pole. It seems very insecure. Is there a switch that has multiple screws on one side?
How would I find out what the odd black wire is for?


texts: Is this plastic container in my toilet tank necessary?

texts:
We have two toilets that don't flush well.  You have to hold the handle down for the entire flush, and even so they don't flush enough water.

Inside the tanks are plastic baffles that seem designed to limit the amount of water per flush.  It looks like they were installed with the tanks; they're mounted between the tank floor and the inner drain flange:

I'm all for water conservation, but this is a really poor design; the water flowing in from the top (instead of from all around) keeps knocking the valves closed.

Is there any reason (except for water usage) that I shouldn't just cut these out with a Dremel, leaving an inch or two in place?  I would prefer not to take the tanks off.


texts: Are there span tables published for repairing a cut roof joist?

texts:
A roofing company mistakenly cut a 2 foot section out of a roof joist, on my home.  I'm seeking a reference to what would constitute a proper repair, preferably a prescriptive code or a load table.   I am aware of the American Wood Council tables, but that's for uncut modern lumber and at this point I have neither.

This rafter spanned 14 feet with a mid span support. The roof is flat, with 2x4 rafters at 24 inch on center, topped with 1x6 boards, all nailed.  This is all true dimension rough cut Douglas Fir: good solid stuff.

One end of the cut rafter buts against a brick chimney. The house was built in 1938 and is in an earthquake zone (Hayward Fault).

The roofer said nothing but screwed some plywood on top to cover the gap.

Update 1:
The roofer added a patch.  The gap is almost at the center beam.  The patch overlap is 9 inches on the right side, and about 4 inches on the left.  On the left both new and patched rafters straddle the center beam.

The only access is through a 14 inch hole below.

Update 2:

After consulting with a structural engineer (who wanted 12+ inches of overlap), we ended up compromising a bit.  A filler piece will take compressive load when the chimney slams into the house in a quake:


texts: LEDs stay on (very dim) when switch is off

texts:
I have a problem similar to Why do my LED lights stay on, even when the switch is off? except that one of the lights in question is not attached to any switches that might cause the ghosting effect, but to a normal wall socket (the light kit has its own remote-control switch).

I also have a ghosting effect on another LED lightstrip attached to a switch, making me think that the reason is not in the strips or switches, but in the wiring of the house. I suspect that it has creepage currents.

How can I figure out what is going on and where the small current is coming from?


texts: What do the diagnostic flash codes of Milwaukee tool battery packs mean?

texts:
When I press the fuel gauge button on my Milwaukee M28 battery pack for a bit longer (some seconds), the four fuel gauge LEDs start to blink out what seems to be diagnostic codes. I just tried it twice in a row, and each time the readout was as follows:

all                                               4
all all          1  2 2 2 2 2 2  3 3 3            4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
all all all         2 2          3 3 3            4 4 4 4 4
all all all all     2 2          3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3  4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Here, "all" indicates one flash of all four LEDs at the same time, and a number indicates one flash of that LED (counted from left). Reading direction is like lines of text. Spacing is for clarity only.

What do these battery flash codes / blink codes indicate?

I found nothing about them in the Milwaukee V28 battery troubleshooting guide, and there is seemingly no equivalent document for the (newer but very similar) M28 battery series.

Battery pack data:

model: Milwaukee M28 Lithium-Ion 3.0 Ah (so, not yet the new M28 REDLITHIUM series)
nominal voltage: 28 V
working fine but in use for some years already
other numbers: 4932 3525 23, 7INR18/65-2, HAAC0


texts: New 1/4in plumbing shakes when cold water shuts off; worried?

texts:
I had a 1/4in line run from my basement to a new kitchen refrigerator, using a saddle valve coming directly off the 3/4in main (it's the first tee off the street essentially).

Every time cold water shuts off in the home (whether it's the kitchen or bathroom sink, or the fridge's water dispenser) there is an audible shake and bang from behind the fridge, I am assuming the 1/4in is vibrating against something.  I have amazing (A M A ZING) water pressure in my home, best shower I've ever had, every day.

So I'm going to pull the fridge and brace the copper pipe, but there has to be something else going on here, this doesn't sound normal. I am worried about the lifetime of this pipe and my wood floors.  Do I need to reduce pressure somehow?  Even if I brace the heck out of it, something is causing it to buck and that's bound to affect something, somewhere.


texts: Can I have a tank fed water heater in line with a tankless water heater?

texts:
Long version (skip below for tl;dr)

I recently purchased a new house. (first owner) 3 floors, unfinished basement where the hot water heater is located. Approx 3300 sq ft.

When looking through the house, I was shown a tankless water heater. Red flag immediately goes up. Whatever. I later discovered it's a GAS tankless water heater. I didn't even know that was a thing, but seems like it's the worst of both worlds. My worst fears were confirmed: It takes OVER 2 minutes to get hot water anywhere in the house.

The tank is on max heat (120°F) We have PEX throughout the house, and it doesn't seem like there are any inefficient lines, so my assumption is it must be the water heater itself. Of course a tankless heater takes longer to get the hot water than a standard one, but 2 minutes seems quite excessive.

The "unlimited" hot water is nice once it gets hot, but there must be a better solution.

TL;DR

Gas powered tankless water heater takes too long to heat up, looking for a solution that still allows us to have the benefits of not running out of hot water but also provides hot water in a reasonably short amount of time.

My idea:

Get a small tank (I'm thinking 4 gal is big enough, but the smallest that is commonly available should be sufficient) gas powered water heater that I can use to either A) feed into the tankless water heater or B) feed FROM the tankless water heater, but either way basically install the 2 inline so that we have both ready-to-use hot water and also limitless hot water.

My question:

Would it cause any problems with either machine to have hot water fed INTO the machine rather than cold water? Is there a better way to handle this?


texts: I need help regarding 3 way wiring and receptacle testers

texts:
I am wiring 2 3 way switches with 2 separate receptacle in the middle of the switches. Everything is working correctly but my receptacle tester says open neutral. Does a receptacle tester get thrown off by 3 way switches somehow? I've attached a diagram that I'm following (I'm using receptacles not lights)

Update:

In this image, I have made some editing highlighted by the yellow circles, can anyone tell me if this would be correct following @Harper 's suggestions??


texts: Water gets cold after ten minutes of use!

texts: Water runs cold after about 10 minutes of showering! Also there was black stuff coming out of bath pipe before. Just got a new water heater and it didn't fix the hot water problem :(.  What could it be?


texts:
I have just moved recently, and I noticed that the doorbell does not work.
So I tried to troubleshoot it myself.
I use a multimeter and then

connect both probe to the transformer it gives 16V which I assume is a good sign
connect both probe to the chime, it also gives 16V (eventhough I dont press the doorbell button), so that means voltage is running through
open the doorbell button and touch the probe to the 2 wire inside the doorbell button (I meant I unscrew it from the button and wire directly to the wire). It does not give me any voltage, well maybe around (0.3 or 0.4V)

What could be the problem in this case? is it the wiring or the doorbell button itself?

I figured if it's the wiring that is broken, how can the chime and transformer have 16V because theoretically, nothing is connected?

Thank you


texts: Can I wire 3 switches to 3 devices through conduit with a single hot and ground?

texts:
I have a bathroom fan/light/night light combo unit that allows for all 3 features to be switched separately (a connector for each). I want a timer for the fan, and separate switches for each light. I'm wondering the best way to wire that.

I could just add a 12/3 cable with two hot wires and a 12/2 cable to control all three features. Or 3 12/2 cables. But I was wondering, if one were starting from scratch would they run 3 separate cables from the switch to the fan combo? Or something else?

So my thought was, could I run conduit and put a ground, neutral, and 3 hots through it, between the switches and the fixture. I realize that would mean all 3 things going through the same neutral, but that would be the case anyway if I just ran 3 cables from the switches.

So is that a valid use of conduit? I also looked for existing cables with 1 neutral and 3 hots (grounded). I think they exist but I can't tell if they're for home wiring or to any sort of electrical code or anything.

I'm having a hard time finding the answer because I don't know how to ask. Being an amateur, I want to go with something I know is correct so I'm wary with this.


texts: How can I wire this bathroom fan into the middle of an existing circuit?

texts:
I am upgrading a bathroom fan from below (no attic access) and replacing the single pole switch with a timer switch. I’ve wired switches and outlets before, but this one is throwing me for a loop. I don’t trust how it was wired before, and I’d like to do this correctly. Romex 1A and 1B were formerly a single 12-2 Romex that ran power up to the attic to some outlets. When the previous owner redid the drywall in the bathroom, they put in a poor-quality fan (w/ a light) where there wasn’t any fan before. They powered this new fan by cutting that wire (Romex 1) running to the attic and tied it together in a junction box above the ceiling. Then they ran 12-2 down from the new junction box to a new single pole switch. Then they connected the whole thing in a big mess with pig tails….but it worked. Of course, the light and fan came on together which is fine with me.

Romex #2 is stapled behind the drywall, so I can’t use it to pull a new 12-4 cable from the timer switch to the fan. And I haven’t been able to fish my tape down from the fan opening to the switch. I really don’t want to cut holes in the drywall to fish 12-4 if I don’t have to.

Update: as ThreePhaseEel pointed out below, I will either need to somehow install 12-4 (in place of current Romex #2) or downgrade to a more simple timer (or single pole switch). If I simply put back in a single-pole switch for now (instead of the timer shown in the photo), then how would I connect everything up at the light to allow the attic outlets to still have continuous power? I’m OK with having the light and fan come on together (it’s an energy efficient LED light and fan). I tremendously appreciate any help.


texts: Why does my furnace only work after power reset?

texts:
I’m having issues with my furnace sometimes not kicking on.

I hear the furnace start, But then it will not fire.

However, If I go down to the basement and flip the power switch off and on the furnace starts and runs great.
It happens at least a few times a week.

Is the problem in the thermostat or the furnace?

Where should I start troubleshooting?

It is an older Natural gas, forced air furnace that works great when it is functioning properly.
Installed in 1995, I think its a Honeywell.


texts:
We have a room in our basement about 14 x 20 that We use for a game room for our grandchildren now and then or a storm shelter. No plumbing, no vents, no ducts.

On Easter Sunday before the tornado we went to the basement for a couple of hours. There was no smell. The next day my son came by to hook up a generator while our power was out.

When opening the room door the odor was horrible, is smelled like strong cat pee. Cannot find where its coming from. One window and 2 doors are the only entrance.

Any suggestions on who to call.


texts:
I bought a house and the home inspector missed this about the spare bathtub:  when you turn on the cold water, water leaks out of the stem of the hot water faucet (and vice versa).  I figure the o rings need replacement (or maybe packing).  I finally got the faucet handles removed (screws were seized) and I see this odd shaped nut.  It seems to be attached to the valve--if I try to unscrew it, the water comes on.  The plastic chromed shroud prevents me from seeing anything.  So, do I simply turn off the water supply, and unscrew this all the way?  In other words, will it remove the valve stem?  Or will the valve "bottom out" and then I can remove this nut?

It's a three handle tub fixture from Kohler, maybe the original one (house built around 1965).  I'm skittish because both bathrooms share the same pipe so if something goes wrong, I lose the ability to shower.

UPDATE:  I found the part number of that piece:  it's a Kohler 41240-CP Insert Sub-Assembly.  Amazon has it (with picture):  Kohler 41240.  The only difference is that has a washer under the nut (mine lacks it).  Someone on Amazon actually asked how to remove it and the answer was to use a faucet puller.  Is this true?  The hole is a 1/2 inch deeper than the rod on my faucet puller and that flimsy chromed plastic couldn't take much stress.  I did manage to find installation instructions for a Kohler Flair 3 handle faucet and the diagrams look like my faucet.  I will need to pull that insert off.  I'll try to extend my faucet puller with a nail and duct tape.  I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Thanks for looking.


texts: Something wrong with electrical outlet or outlet installation?

texts:
I installed an electrical outlet using the same line that feeds an mini-split A/C.

Once I installed it, I tested it with a regular electric drill that I have. The weird thing is that the electric sparks coming from the drill are much stronger that with any other outlet in the house. The drill seemed to have too much power. I was worried the drill was going to burn out.

With any other receptacle, the drill shows minimal electric sparks.

I've included a picture:

What could the issue be?

Thanks.


texts: GFCI Outlets work... receptacles & lights in 3 rooms don't

texts:
lights and plugs have died in 3 rooms of my home.  None of the Circuit Breakers were tripped and they all test fine with my multimeter.  I have turned the circuit switches on and off (all the way OFF so the switch is completely reset) and no luck.

I have checked the GFCI outlets throughout the house and they all test and reset fine. (Those GFCI outlets are all working fine anyway).

I do have two or three other receptacles in other bathrooms and in the kitchen that read: LEVITON GFCI PROTECTED but these do not have any reset buttons at all... (They are also all working and testing with the multimeter shows they are pushing 120).

Just before the power went in those rooms... I noticed the light fixture in the bathroom was flickering.  As a precaution, I've NOW disconnected that light fixture from the wall and capped the exposed wires.  I also want to point out that the bathroom with no lights has full power to the GFCI plug but no power anywhere else.

Should I replace all my receptacles and light switches?


texts: B-vent condensation in large attic space

texts:
I have condensation in/on the B'vent flue pipe from my heater in the attic andit is dripping.  The original B-vent flue pipe was corroded on the interior so we had the flue pipe replaced from the heater to the roof ( with a high- wind cap as well).  The heater is in the attic, and now when it runs we have condensation. The heater is 6 years old and has been checked out, they say it is fine. Installer of the pipe checked B'Vent and flue, cap etc. and said everything is done correctly. If it isn't the heater (could an adjustmetn be needed?) and the pipe they claim is correct (it has to travel a long way up to the room, maybe 24 feet from heater to roof) what can be done??  Water is dripping from about 3/4 of the pipe, down the pipe and into a bucket (fortunately) with white deposits left on the pipe and it is getting to the heater. The attic is a large, cold space in the winter, against a hot pipe.  These people can't figure it out or don't want to??
Please any suggestions I would appreciate.
Thank you.


texts: Stinky air when I turn on the bathroom faucet...what is causing it?

texts:
The sink is pretty close to the toilet...about 2 feet away.
I've noticed that often times when I turn on the faucet (either hot or cold), I smell a sewer kind of smell.

What could be causing it?  I thought traps were suppose to prevent this exact thing.


texts: so I’ve turned my pressure regulator up and down with a gauge on my water bib and the gauge doesn’t move at all the water pressure is at 52/55psi and my water in my kitchen is at a slow slow!! ? I’m thinking maybe change the pressure regulator??


texts:
I'm going to be putting up a ceiling on my back porch, which is glassed in.  The heat can be unbearable, so I thought I'd investigate insulation.  I keep coming up with recommendations for metallic/reflective radiant barriers.  They seem logical, I have an air gap between the joists, and the weight isn't going to strain my porch.   (Probably nothing is, but at my house, something always goes wrong.)

The porch roof is just over the bottom of the roof joists, which simply has insulation stuff in the open attic to block cold.  If the roof is enclosed, I could leave that open for heat to rise, but it would be up into the attic and out the ridge vents.

Any pros or cons? Am I off base?


texts: Connecting a new 240V 30A fused disconnect to a mini-split AC requiring 20A protection. The new disconnect includes a duplex 15A GFCI outlet. Existing breaker at service entrance location is 2 pole 30A wired as 10/2 with ground. I will place 20A fuses in the disconnect to satisfy the AC unit. Is it permissible to run a 12AWG neutral from the service entrance (where the 2 pole 30A is located) to the GFCI neutral and protect the 120V outlet with one of the 20 A legs?


texts:
This is my first house and I didn't notice little things during the viewing etc. At the time more interested in condition of the roof/furnace/foundation.

Anyway get into it and start noticing little things and one of them is this door striker that's shimmed to close the gap to the latch.

The door jamb looks uneven as if it was sanded in the middle or something. Guessing why the shim was added. I mean it works the door latches pretty tightly and I took couple screws out they seem to be 8x3 so they go into the frame.

Just looks odd. There's a lock above it with no key I think it's called a guardian per my online research. Due to the gap from the jamb to the door that "guardian" lock doesn't make 100% contact with the door but should still work as intended?

I can deal with the cosmetic issue of it for now as long as it's secure. Just looking for opinions. Thanks


texts: Level of demo required for extending existing gas lines?

texts:
I'm considering converting a faux fireplace to a working one with one of those self-contained gas units.  For the gas lines I'm going to have professional do it, but wanted to get some advice on how invasive extending my existing gas lines would be - I'm not at all familiar with what's available these days for running such lines, what I have currently is black piping.

The fireplace is on the first floor and is probably ~30 feet from the gas meter in the basement on the same side of the house.  In the theory the line just needs to run in the basement ceiling on a straight shot over to the fireplace, but the ceiling is not open and is plaster and lathe, which is a real nightmare to open up in my experience.  Is it reasonable to assume that to run the line they'd need to open up the ceiling along the full length of the run, or is there some clever way this is done less invasively?


texts: How do I winterize this sprinkler system

texts:
I am trying winterize my landscaping sprinklers.  I just moved into my new house and find out this plumbing layout is quite different, I hooked up my 100psi air compressor and tried to blow them out but no luck. I can't get a hold of the old owners so I don't know what to do right now, but snow is coming soon here in Utah.

Update #1: Looks like there is no backflow prevention device.

Thanks a lot!


texts: What is the best order for interior painting (walls, trim, windows, etc.)?

texts:
I'm repainting a room. I'm removing wallpaper from the walls, and stripping paint from trim around doors, windows and baseboards. There's no crown moulding. I might repaint the ceiling, not sure yet.

What is a good order for stripping and repainting the parts?  For example, should I do ceiling, walls, then trim?  Or should I do trim first?  Should I strip the trim, then repaint everything? Or should I wait until after painting the walls before I try stripping the trim (will likely use chemical stripper-- I guess a risk is accidentally getting some stripper on the newly painted walls.)

I've read conflicting advice.

I'm not in a big hurry so can, for example, paint the trim and let it dry for a few days, then come back to do the walls.


texts: Can I use a Sharkbite on a running pressurized pipe?

texts:
My main water shutoff valve no longer turns, and getting the city to come and shut water off at the curb is a bureaucratic hassle. I'd therefore like to install a valve without being able to shut off the water to the house. My thought is to cut the pipe downstream from the existing valve and install a new valve there, then use the new valve as the shutoff for the house.

Is it possible to install a Sharkbite (or other push-to-connect) valve on a pipe that is fully running? I assume I'd get pretty wet, but is there any reason why this wouldn't get the job done?

The water line into the house is 3/4-inch copper.


texts: Is it a problem to have water around a tub drain flange?

texts:
I just replaced my 30 year old tub drain flange with a new one. I have made sure that the flange is tightened.

Water goes down the new configuration just fine - it is not clogged. However, after draining, there is a tiny bit of water around the flange, and I'm wondering if this is something I should be worried about.

Here's a photo of the new flange, with standing water:

I don't remember if, after draining, there was standing water around the old flange. I did take a look at it (the old flange) and noticed that it has a concave lip, while the new flange has a flat lip.

Will the standing water cause any problems, such as:

getting underneath the flange "lip"
corroding the flange
some other problem that I haven't thought of


texts: Odd ceiling fan wiring, white in hot side of outlet

texts:
While replacing some old wall outlets, with new TR outlets, i came across a white wire connected to the hot side of a wall outlet...  the black wire in this 14/2 pair is simply capped off in the receptacle box.
There are 3 pairs of 14/2 wires in this receptacle box total. see picture...

In this particular 14/2 pair, the white wire is always hot and the black "capped" wire is only hot when the wall switch to the fan is turned "on".

The single pole wall switch that controls the fan has a single 14/2 pair in the receptacle box.  The white wire in the wall switch receptacle box is connected to the top brass screw on the switch, the black wire is connected to the bottom brass screw on the switch, and the ground is connected to the ground screw.

The ceiling fan also has a single 14/2 pair in the box.  the white is capped with the white from the fan, the black is capped with the black and blue of the fan, the ground is capped with the ground.  see picture...

My question is, why is there a white wire in a wall outlet that is always hot and somehow mixed in with the ceiling fan??
Removing this white "hot" wire from the outlet appears to kill all power to the switch and fan.
Is this normal/safe??

A little more information... my house was built in 1981 and i'm 90% sure the wiring is original.  There was a reno job at some point during those years before i purchased the house.
I replaced a ceiling flush mount light with this ceiling fan years ago.  It was a simple wiring job as the ceiling receptacle box had one 14/2 pair cable in it, nothing out of the ordinary there... although i wasn't aware of this particular wired outlet then.

=====UPDATE May 7th @ 1:55pm=====

I found the mystery junction box in the attic.  I would post a pic but the forum won't let me until i get 10 reputation points....

so this is what is in the junction box: (the 14/2 wire from the wall receptacle box (where the WHITE is HOT), the 14/2 wire from the fan, the 14/2 wire from the switch)

--all 3 black wires are capped together.

--the white wires from the wall and switch are capped together.

--the ground wires are all capped together WITH the WHITE wire of the fan...

Is it safe to leave it like this???  At the very least i think i will replace this old junction box with a newer box that has a cap/lid.  This one was simply buried under the insulation with no cap/lid.

I am still 90% certain this is original wiring/configuration from when the house was built as it is all "type NM 14-2 with ground cirtex plastic 600 volts cerro (ul)".  If it was changed as part of the reno i would think there would be some newer romex in the mix.

======another update====

well, i was really hoping i wasn't going to have to change this but it looks like i will...  to make this a "normal" ceiling fan switch, this is what i think i should do...

Re-purpose the 14/2 wire coming from the wall receptacle box (since it's already there) straight to the switch.  Correcting the connection to the wall out (black to brass, white to silver, ground to ground etc.).

Then run the current 14/2 wire from the switch directly to the fan.

Since these wires are not long enough to make the runs i will have to junction them into their own separate 14/2 romex.  I'll make these new junction boxes visible in the attic.

I really wish i could post another picture but it would essentially be this (www.do-it-yourself-help.com/wiring_diagram_ceilingfan.html) diagram, scroll down to the "Source at the Switch", 2nd picture.  As i said, my "source" wire would be the current "white/hot" 14/2 set as seen in my first in my original post.  Although I will correct the connection to the outlet receptacle box (i.e. black to brass, white to silver, ground to ground etc.)

does that make sense?


texts: Toilet tank fills after Shutoff valve is off and FluidMaster fill valve also is off

texts:
Am a newbie homeowner and trying to learn. Apologies if this has already been asked before. I was not sure if my situation is different.

First problem - I have a tank bolt leak from one side of the toilet. So to try to tighten it and hopefully stop the leak, I shut off the water under the toilet with a wrench after some struggle. That led to...

Second problem - After shutoff the FluidMaster fill valve works properly and no water comes out of it after flushing. However the tank slowly fills up with water over the course of 30 mins to an hour.

Is the tank filling due to the shutoff valve not completely shutting off water?

Am I dealing with water coming from bowl to tank??

The shutoff valve looks like a gate valve and my wrench has slightly bent the valve head. Am I better off replacing the shutoff valve with a ball valve?

Thanks!!


texts: How to extend wiring for extra high current sockets/appliances in Utility room

texts:
In our basement we have a metal double socket which I believe is wired directly into the Consumer Unit. We currently have these plugged in.

fridge (750W, 4A max)
washing machine (2400W, 11A max)

All works fine.

I now want to add 3 extra sockets:

Tumble Dryer (2600W, 12A max)
double socket above worktop for...

hoover, iron, etc

So increasing from two sockets to 5.

Qu 1: What is the best way to extend the existing double socket to add 3 extra sockets.

Current criteria:

I am in the UK, so 230V AC.
Running the washer machine, tumble dryer and iron all at once, would draw about 10A each, so hit the 30A limit, but that's probably likely all will draw that much at exactly the same time.
I assume the ring main has a breaker of 30A (which I need to double check).

Assumptions:

I can't use a spur from existing socket as this will pull too much current.
It sounds better to continue this as a ring main rather than a radial circuit.
Using a double socket for washer/dryer isn't great as they don't deal well with 20A+.
Each major applicance would plug into a switchless single 13A socket.
Each switchless socket would then connect into a 13A switch (above the worktop).

Qu 2: Can I just connect the 3 x 13A switches in parallel from the existing wires coming from the consumer unit?

Qu 3: I presume if I want a normal double plug/switch (above the worktop), I can add this in parallel as well.

Qu 4: Presume makes these changes will need me to get an electrician to certify it (even if I do the work myself)


texts: doorbell, chime unit fried after 3 month

texts:
I have a doorbell with 2 push buttons connected (front door and back door.) 3 months ago the front door button stopped working. I checked the chime box and the coponent for the front door was broken(bar hitting the metal plate doing creating the ring) the other one was ok and back door button working fine).
I replaced the whole unit and it worked well.
3 months later the front door button stop working again. I tried changing the push button itself but with no result. I checked the chime box and the top part seemed burned (plastic cover has brown stained). The back door button still works.

If the same composent get fried for a second time in 3 months, there must be an electrical problem somewhere but how do I fix it? (I can't afford to buy a new unit every 3 months)

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.


texts:
In a Philadelphia-area house built in the early 1950s: I cut out a piece of wall to fit an old work box.  The piece I removed is shown below.  The original walls were finished in plaster, but I can't understand what I'm seeing here: There's half an inch of plaster on top of what appears to be a modern-style half-inch paper-faced gypsum panel!  Is this consistent with known plaster wall construction from that era?  If so, what is it called, what does it consist of, and how was it done?

(Exposed, painted face of wall on left:)

(The house has gone through various renovations over the years, so there are places where walls are just modern sheetrock.  But I can't imagine somebody putting up gypsum and then plastering over it!)


texts: What was the standard size of drywall panels made around 1960?

texts:
I need to remove an old ceiling and I am told that the older drywall panels did not use to be 4'x 8'.
What size did they use to be ?


texts: Can I connect the grounding conductor to the neutral when installing a remote for a ceiling fan in an ungrounded box?

texts: I would like to install an in-wall remote control for a ceiling fan. The remote is wired up with two black wires (in and out) and a ground wire. It controls the fan's functions via wireless signal. Unfortunately, the metal box in which I would like to install the remote is ungrounded and the remote needs a ground connection to work. Can I safely connect the remote's ground wire to neutral to make it work?


texts: Should I remove wall plugs before filling a hole?

texts:
When I leave my current apartment, I will have quite some holes in the walls to fill due to numerous shelves and such.
I know how to remove wall plugs, but I was wondering whether you should do it in the first place. I'm guessing it depends on the type of wall and the type of plug.


texts: Why do my under the cabinets lights dim after they are on for a short while?

texts: I bought a house that has under the cabinets LED lights.  One of the units go on normal and bright but after about 10 minutes begins to dim.  they never go completely off (or I've not let them on long enough to do so).  I turn the unit off and later turn it on and it is bright but begins the same cycle.


texts: Would a concrete grinder remove a pebble overlay from the concrete base?

texts: I started using a power washer in unison with a pole with a heavy metal edge on it. It's going tremendously slow. My question, if I rent a concrete grinder from Home Depot, would that remove this top layer of aggregate?


texts:
There's a nut that holds the electrical box in at the bottom right. When I screw in the outlet, that nut blocks it from going all the way in. It's also making it difficult to put a cover on.

What could I do with the nut to solve this? I'm thinking I could relocate it but I'm not sure where I could relocate it to.


texts:
I've been cutting a lot of MDF and using my shop vac on the dust collection port of my table saw. I've never been a fan of emptying my shop vac but this definitely makes it worse.

You can't place trash bags inside there, or maybe you could with a weight, but my method of sticking everything into a trash bag and banging it out is blowing a lot of dust around my shop.

What's the most pain free way to clean out a shop vac?


texts: How can I wire switch to convert a regular outlet to half switch?

texts:
I have a junction box with 2 switches:
- Right switch controls the ceiling fan.
- Left switch does nothing, but the black(hot) wire is labeled "Fan". The white neutral wire is not attached.

I'm trying to wire one of the outlets to be a half-switch controlled by the extra switch.
- all the outlets have 2 black wires attached to them and 2 white wires.

Is this possible without running additional wiring?

I had the house fully renovated last year but the GC did not ask me how I wanted to rooms wired despite me clearly stating this was to be the case.


texts:
Can you buy just the clock motor instead of the whole PF1102MT mechanism?
I have this model (240v) on my pool that includes the freeze protection. The clock motor gear will not turn AND I do not know if the gear is even supposed to turn freely. It was working fine until the hard and long freeze here in Fort Worth. Lost power for a couple of days and things froze up. Had to replace some above ground plumbing. When we fired everything back up the clock wasn't working. I can still spin the timer with the on/off tabs and the manual knob all still work to turn the pump on. I see other clock motors that look very similar but do not have the same part number (WG1773 208/277v 60HZ). So my roughly $200 question is: can I buy just the clock motor by itself and save some $$$.
Can you buy just the clock motor instead of the whole PF1102MT mechanism?
Would appreciate any info on this.
Thanks


texts: My sons room on the second floor is colder than the rest. It is on the southwest corner and is the furthest from the furnace. I have hot water baseboard heat which is warm to the touch. His windows actually have some ice build up on the inside. House is 14 years old.


texts: How do I prep and plaster a bowed wall before tiling?

texts:
I'm about to tile a shower alcove.  However, I put a straight edge against the walls and the rear wall bows out very badly.  The wall is 950mm wide and putting a straight edge across shows a gap about 8mm at it's max in the centre - i.e. big enough to get my finger through!  I'm using 500mm wide tiles (by 250mm high) in a brick pattern.  I did have a go at tiling it as is and just putting the tile adhesive on quite thick in the centre of the wall to try and fill out the gap a bit, but it looked awful so I've taken the tiles off.

The wall itself is a plastered external brick wall.  The house is 1930s.  I live in the UK.

Please could you advise what would be best to fix the issue to give a flat surface to tile on to?  I was thinking of getting some ready mix plaster and spreading it on to level the gap - i.e. I'd spread it about 8mm deep in the centre and feather it out to 0mm at the edges, using a straight edge to check as I go.  I wouldn't attempt this myself if the plaster would be the finished surface, but I think I can do a decent enough job given it will just be tiled over.  Does that sound sensible and if so:

what type of plaster should I use?
do I need to prep the wall in any way before plastering?  I've already painted on the primer the tile shop sold me that was to prep it in advance of applying the tile adhesive (I think this is just some sort of glorified PVA).


texts: Slot is wider than the blades it comes with

texts:
I recently tore apart a Rockwell Bladerunner RK7320 because the factory blades (T-slot) kept flying out almost impacting my eye, and the blade twists whenever the locking mechanism is held on the blade.
To my complete surprise, the slot inside the machine is 0.1mm wide exactly, and the blades I have are on average 0.0425mm wide. Ranging from a minimum of 0.039mm to a max of 0.058mm. The bearings at the top that support the blade is about the same distance wide, 0.1mm.

I've scoured across the internet, and to various hardware stores, to come to the conclusion that the machine I have, was fitted with the wrong sized slotted rod, because the blades are almost all the same range in thickness. If I had another RK7320 saw to compare, I can say that the company made a gigantic error, if I had another different jigsaw, I'd say there is probably a reason why the slot is way bigger than the blades.

If anyone has an answer for why this is, please let me know.
If not, I will be cutting some T slots off other blades to epoxy to the blades I have so they can fit down in the slot that it was made for, and they don't fly out of the machine, or twist.


texts: Will the second light in this circuit light up?

texts:
When talking about neutral faults in this answer, I  (incorrectly) said that a neutral fault could lead to a shock hazard.  It was pointed out in the comments that I was dead wrong, and that the scenario that I presented was incorrect.

I looked at the problem for a bit, but just couldn't wrap my head around it.  So I came up with a circuit diagram, and posed a question in chat.

So given this diagram, will R2 light up?


texts:
I've installed one dishwasher (from scratch, there wasn't one there before). The dish washer was right next to the kitchen sink and running the drain hose was easy. From the bottom, big loop as high as I could get it and then to the garbage disposal.

Now I'm making a plan to install another dish washer (again from scratch and without one being there before). This time the dishwasher is going to be about 10 feet from the kitchen sink.

My Question:

With this set up what is the best way to run the drain hose?

Run it low all the way and then put in the big loop or run it high all the way and then just connect it to the garbage disposal?


texts: Can I create a false ceiling using XPS board instead of gypsum board?

texts:
I want to install a false ceiling on the top floor in the classrooms of a school.

I have installed a grid structure and now, instead of using gypsum boards, I want to use XPS insulation boards of 1" and more.

My question is: how can we putty-paint those boards so they give an aesthetic look to the classroom?


texts: proper grounding at main service drop panel

texts: If I go from inside my 200 amp semi-flush mount main breaker panel down inside wall and connect to rebar in foundation then from rebar to my water pipe do I still need to use a grounding rod or not? its all new foundation. new construction.