texts: Replace fan/light/nightlight and go from 3 separate switches to 2 - 1 for night light and 1 combined for light /fan

texts:
At the fan I have a plug in for the fan (1 black/1 white) and a plug in for the light/nightlight (2 blacks and 1 ground). At the switch plate I have 3 separate switches (fan, light, night light). I want to combine the light and fan into 1 switch and keep the nightlight separate. In the ceiling, 2 cables exist: One 2-wire (black/white) cable and One 3-wire (black(light)/white/red(fan)).

At the switch box many of the hot black wires are tied together and many of the neutral wires are also tied together. To affect my change should I wire the hot fan/light leads to the hot red and black ones from the switches below and then at the switch box combine the two blacks from the switch that I intend to remove and add those to the single switch?

I tried to upload photos and the site does not accept even the smallest one. There are 3 wires in the ceiling and 5 wires for the fan/light/nightlight. I have wired up the fan/light/nightlight based on 3 separate switches (I am not convinced that I am not experiencing a voltage drop - based on using a circuit tester), but each switch operates separately. If I try to go to a common switch for the light and fan (this is my goal) then all 3 (fan/light/nightlight) are energized at once ( I do not want to connect the new fan until I resolve this). All 3 switches have a black line in and out. At the 3 gang box, all the neutrals are tied together and all the black wires are tied together. Thoughts?

Thanks here is the link to photos: http://imgur.com/WEgPY3z and here is the link with all the photos http://imgur.com/a/vzfJJ

Success! I pulled the junction box switches and found there were 5 black wires tied together and 4 white ones tied together. I left the white ones alone and when I explored the 3 switches, I had the normal hot into the switch and switched hot leading up to the ceiling. One switch was wired the opposite way (switched hot in) and hot out - I cannot explain this. After I disconnected all the black wires, I found only 1 of the 5 was hot (one was for another circuit (not switched at the box)). To go to two switches, I eliminated one of the black wires and the middle switch. The nightlight was wired correctly (hot in; switched hot out), so I left it as is. For the combined fan/light switch, I used the last of the 4 black wires (hot) into the switch and then combined the fan/light wires out the other side of the switch, up to the ceiling and the fan unit. I also added the ground from the removed middle switch to the fan/light switch. At the fan, I left it wired as it had been in the photos I shared. Circuit testing verified that I could use the switches as intended and the correct response occurred at the fan.


texts: Slow drain in upstairs jack/jill bathroom

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What are some causes/solutions for poor drainage?

What is best way to repair slow draining water in bathtub?


texts: Outdoor outlet tripping all other outlets when used

texts:
As of about two days ago (admittedly a heavy storm) if I connect any device to my outdoor outlet, it'll trip not only that socket but also the only other outlet attached to this circuit. The main breaker doesn't flip, but the only way I can reset the outdoor outlet is to also reset the other, indoor, outlet.

I am thinking the outdoor socket is hosed, but was curious if anyone had any other ideas...


texts: How can I control several LED strips with one remote control?

texts: I want to install several LED strips that cannot be connected to each other. Each would have it's own power supply. Is there a way to control them all with a single remote control? I seen several remote controls, but they all have only one receiver. Would adding a second receiver work with the same remote controls or is there some pairing to do?


texts: Can you use Danish Oil after using linseed oil?

texts:
I've fitted my kitchen with beech worktops and I was recommended to use boiled linseed oil. Now I have read that Danish oil is the preferred oil for kitchen use, and it dries quicker.
The linseed oil has given the wood the colour I wanted so it would be a shame to sand it back, so, can I use Danish oil on top if the first few coats of linseed?


texts:
I went to bleed a radiator today and although a little bit of air came out, it stopped and no water came out even though the heat is on.

I went to the boiler and the pressure was only 8 PSI.

There is a valve near the expansion tank that seems to be where cold water can enter the system. I tried opening this valve and the pressure slowly rose to about 12 PSI. (feel like I am operating a submarine here) Should I continue and let more air into the system until it is a higher pressure?

Shouldn't the system automatically be drawing in water if it needs it?


texts: Can service entrance and branch circuit cables be commingled in an auxiliary gutter?

texts:
One of the major Code defects in my current house that I want to rectify at some point is the fact that the (only) panelboard is mounted too high up on the wall (the current panelboard's service disconnect handle is around the 6'7" limit).  Since the panelboard is a 60+ year old, all-fuse Wadsworth that is already short on circuit spaces for the house -- what is suspected to be the air conditioner circuit breaker is mounted in a cutout box, sans cover, above the panelboard -- replacement with a modern unit seems like the cleanest option.

However, this creates a problem -- the existing service-entrance conductors likely don't have enough length to reach the new panelboard location, and likewise for the branch circuit conductors entering the panelboard.  So, I was thinking that the ideal solution to the problem would be to use an auxiliary gutter atop the panelboard to house splices between "pigtails" extending from the panelboard to their mating service-entrance and branch-circuit conductors, thus providing a neatly packaged solution without having to abuse the old panelboard cabinet as a junction box.

However, NEC 230.7 prohibits commingling service conductors with non-service conductors in the same "raceway or cable".

  230.7 Other Conductors in Raceway or Cable.

  Conductors other than service conductors shall not be installed in
  the same service raceway or service cable.

  Exception No.1: Grounding electrode conductors and
  equipment bonding jumpers or conductors.

  Exception No.2: Load management control conductors
  having overcurrent protection.

This raises two questions, though.  First, the Code uses "service-entrance conductor" instead of "service conductor" to presumably refer to the conductor from the meter base to the service disconnect with "service conductor" referring to the utility's conductors up to the meter, which would mean that under my interpretation, the commingling issue is moot.  However, there's also the interpretation that a "service-entrance conductor" is a kind of "service conductor", which'd mean that 230.7 would apply to "service-entrance conductors" as well.

Furthermore, is an auxiliary gutter a raceway?  One would think not, since they do not follow raceway fill rules, are authorized to contain splices and taps "by default" in 366.56 (which is not cited as an exception by 300.13 which normally prohibits splices in raceways) as well as 300.15(A), and follow different ampacity derating rules as per 366.23.  However, I am sure that someone who just looked at the Article 100 definition of "raceway" by itself would see no reason it wouldn't apply to auxiliary gutters:

  Raceway. An enclosed channel of metallic or nonmetallic
  materials designed expressly for holding wires, cables, or bus-
  bars, with additional functions as permitted in this Code.

Finally, in 366.2, the Code definition of what an auxiliary gutter is designed to be used with refers to "meter centers, distribution centers, switchgear, switchboards, and similar points of wiring systems".

  Metallic Auxiliary Gutter. A sheet metal enclosure used
  to supplement wiring spaces at meter centers, distribution
  centers, switchgear, switchboards, and similar points of
  wiring systems. The enclosure has hinged or removable
  covers for housing and protecting electrical wires, cable,
  and busbars. The enclosure is designed for conductors to be
  laid or set in place after the enclosures have been installed
  as a complete system.

Does that phrase include panelboards (including residential-type panelboards/load centers)?  Or is using an auxiliary gutter with a panelboard/load center a Code violation as the gutter suddenly ceases to be a gutter by way of what it's mated to, leaving you with wires and splices in something that's not any kind of enclosure the Code recognizes?


texts: What would cause the burn spot around the white diode? on the left side of circuit board st9160b 1068 I notice it on all the pictures I have seen


texts: What could be the reason for the Microwave door to have burning spots and smell after use?

texts: All of sudden my 9 year old microwave produced burning sound and smell just a minute or so into the operation, and after turning it off there are a couple of black spots (size of a penny) on the inside of the microwave door. There was nothing unusual in the microwave at that time, just the type of food that we had reheated many times before. What could possibly be the culprit? Repair is unlikely, but still curious to know what could have caused this ...


texts: The new LED strobes while the old incandescent light works fined. I replace one of the two bulbs on the motion detection light fixture with a 150w incandescent flood light bulb....and the LED flood light stopped flashing/strobe. Why will the out door fixture work fine with one LED bulb and one incandescent bulb....but only flash with two LED bulbs?


texts:
I have an older french drain system and after experiencing some foundation problems (horizontal crack), I've been told that my system should be updated to a more modern one which has weeping holes in the blocks so that water trapped behind them can get out.

The existing system has 2 sump pits, one in each corner on the rear wall. One contractor claims I need to add a 3rd pit to another wall while the other says I can keep the two pits on the rear wall. My existing system has never let water into the basement, it was just suggested I add weeping hole to it but it seems that can't be done without ripping up the old system.

Who is giving the better advice here? The one who want's to add the 3rd pit says the distance is too far for the drains to get to, while the other says it's fine.

My basement is laid out like: (Where the # is a sump pit)

30ft
|-----------------|
|....................|
|....................|
|....................| 25ft
|.#..............#.|
|-----------------|


texts:
Water from the gutter downspout is to be directed into 4" corrugated black polypropylene pipe.  To what depth should the pipe be buried?  Assume a Florida venue: so freezing is not a concern.   Example, albeit MN.
If it is not buried deep enough, it could be damaged by a lawnmower or somebody stepping on it.  Burying it deeper than necessary is unnecessary digging.
Solid Corrugated Pipe (no holes) Update:

A single piece of solid (vs perferated) 25-foot length was installed to minimize the possibility of joint failures


texts: Roof Decking: Plywood/OSB over skip sheathing (decking) or should I strip to the rafters?

texts:
I have a shake roof (looks like the original from 1952!) with skip sheathing.  Then an asphalt shingle re-roof over that (that makes 2 roofs in 60 years, thanks previous owners!).  I have repairs and upgrades to make now and potentially would like to put a whole new roof on eventually.

Can I just strip shingles and shake, then put new decking ON-TOP of the skip decking (considering it is in good shape)?  Or should I also rip out all the decking wood down to the rafters?

If I do put ply/osb over the skip deck, I'm guessing I should use longer nails and still try and fasten to the rafters?  What is the advice there?


texts: Should I vent 2nd floor bathroom exhaust down?

texts: I am looking to install an exhaust fan in a bathroom where one does not already exist.  I've read that it is preferable to run exhaust ducts down instead of up, but does that apply here?  We would be talking about 20-some feet to run an exhaust duct from the 2nd floor ceiling down to the first floor ground level.  The alternative would be to run the exhaust duct up about 5 or 6 feet and out the roof fascia (seems easier to drill through wood fascia than brick wall, but that may be a separate question).  I'm not even sure I can get a duct down through the wall yet, but thought I'd ask before I spend too much time figuring it out.  It's an exterior wall, if that makes any difference.


texts:
A friend of mine is having problems with his gas water heater.  He sent me the info below so he did try and determine the cause.  It troubles me that he had it "go out" several times a year. I know breezes can "blow out" a pilot light, I'm not sure if that's what happened, but I doubt he'd have to repair it "several times a year".
This might be "opinion based" but should he try and have it repaired, being 9 years old, or just replace it?   9 years seem like a pretty short life for a water heater.
Here is the info from my friend:
Here's all the info I have been able to gather.
AO Smith Residential Hot Water Heater
Model:  GCV 50 00L010S83 300
Serial Number:  1139J008321
Manufactured in 2011, so it is 9 years old.  Although the data is very limited, the model I have seems to last for 9-10 years on average.
The Problem
The water heater has gone out 3-4 times a year for about 5 years
•   Now it stopped working at all
o   At first the error message was the light blinking 7 times. This means there is a gas control valve failure.  This is the error message we have typically had previously.
o   A few hours later there was no blinking. Zero blinking means the control is off and the pilot is out


texts: Best way to remove anchors from concrete?

texts:
The people we purchased our home from put up a wall in the 3 car garage between the 1st and 2nd space, but never finished it and I am now looking to remove the entire wall.

There are several anchors in the concrete that I will need to remove that look like this:

I am relatively new to owning a home and am not exactly sure of the best way to extract them. What tools or methods can I use to remove the anchors without too much hassle?

Once removed how would I go about repairing the concrete easily?

Thank you for your responses and advice!


texts:
I need a new driveway and I was wondering if my only option is asphalt?
I'm in Connecticut - does anyone know if I can have concrete driveway?


texts: Accidentally removed part of rubber strip between bathtub and glass while replacing silicone caulk

texts:
I've had moldy, leaky silicone in my shower for a while, and decided it's time to replace it. But I got over-eager in pulling it out and got a chunk of an also-moldy rubber seal/spacer/gasket that's between the tub and the metal frame. There's a picture below. Right now, I'm trying to figure out three things:

What's it called, anyway?
Should I worry about the fact that I took out a chunk of it, or just reapply silicone over the space (and maybe try to fill the space with silicone)?
It's pretty moldy — can it be removed or replaced without taking the glass side off?

Any thoughts that help me avoid setting myself up for future leaks would be super helpful.


texts: Can I double excess heat tape on a pex pipe?

texts:
I'm renovating 2nd floor bathroom and starting with the shower stall.  Overall bathroom is 8 ft by about 5ft.  I live in lower New York state so winters here can be pretty cold.

I’ve installed some pex / sharkbite plumbing into my attic and want to attach a heat cable.  It is one pipe going from my shower handle at one end of my shower stall up into my attic and ending at my shower head at the other end of shower stall.  Shower head is on outside wall.

I bought a 6’ long heat cable but it is just a little too long.  This heat tape/cable is intended to be taped to the pex pipe along the base. With the 1 foot of excess can I just doubled back on the top side??  Also the pipe is attached to attic floor joist with metal clamps, is it ok from safety perspective to put heat tape on pipe that is attached to wood?? Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Non-recessed pancake box for ceiling fan

texts:
I want to install a ceiling fan below an old plaster-and-lathe ceiling. I was thinking of running a piece of wood between two joists in the attic above, then screwing a pancake electrical box directly into that piece of wood.

Rather than cutting into the plaster, I'd simply install the box on the surface of the ceiling (and screw through it to attach the box to the wood above). In other words, the box would not be recessed into the ceiling.

My reason for wanting to do this is that the ceiling is old and not in excellent shape. I worry that if I start cutting into plaster and cutting up lathe between joists, I'll invite more plaster cracks. I'd rather leave the plaster untouched.

I know that you might be able to see the box slightly with this installation method (although I am hopeful that if I get a small enough box and a fan with enough play in the part that covers the box, I can hide everything). I'm not too worried about that, as it should not be very noticeable -- certainly not as noticeable as more cracks in the ceiling.

Are there any other reasons why I couldn't do this?


texts: Safely mounting television or shelves above breaker box

texts:
I am looking to wall mount a television above the breaker box in my garage.  It would either be this or storage shelving.  Either way, I would like to have an idea of whether this can be done safely and up to code.  From what I gather, I need:

to turn off the main switch to the panel
to be dead sure of the stud locations and make sure I am drilling wood all the way
still be wary of the main line coming in to the panel
the television to be 6 1/2 feet off of the ground

Am I missing anything? Should I just accept that this is dead space on my wall?


texts:
I recently purchased a mobile home with a large workshop and 2 car garage. The panel inside the home is 100 amps. The outside panel has 100 amps at the meter. In the outside panel there is 100 amp breaker for the home along with 2 other breakers a 60 amp to the workshop and 40 amp to the garage.
All three buildings are drawing continuously with water pump and outside lights at night. My outside breaker has tripped several time when the furnace and the clothes dryer are running. My power bill was over $500 this month. Am I drawing too many amps?


texts:
I am thinking about having an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installed.
In the interest of future proofing for an electric pickup truck coming on the market about a year from now, i would like to have 1 AWG wire installed for 100 amps @ 240 Volts (residential).
But my EVSE today is only supposed to draw 32 amps @ 240 Volts, so would it be safe to have wiring installed that is intended for up to 100 amps, and use a 40 amp breaker today incase the current 32 amp evse decides to malfunction, the smaller circuit breaker would trip at 40 amps, and switch out the breaker to 100 amps when the time comes ?
Thank You.


texts:
The builders of my home painted my front and back porch.  The railings are white, and the decking itself is the same color as the house.  It looks great, but the paint has all peeled up.

I'm in the process right now of re-painting it to get it looking good again, but once I'm done with that, is there a way to seal it?  I'm guessing that something like Thompson's water seal needs to absorb into the wood, and wouldn't work on paint...  What other options are there?

I had thought about polyurethane, but wasn't sure about how slippery it might be.


texts: How can I tell if I have interior or exterior drain tile?

texts:
Is it possible to tell which one you have? Here is a picture of my sump pit, the pipe is facing in towards the inside of the house:

Here is a picture of my foundation blueprints:

It appears the drain tile is on the inside next to the foundation wall footing. But I can't be sure because the blueprints also say it's a concrete block wall and it's actually poured. So I'm not sure how to tell. Is it possible to know?


texts: So I had some of my wife's friends over and one of their kids threw a bouncy ball down the toilet and flushed it, and I don't know what to do, anything will help at this point


texts:
As you can see above, I've got three bathrooms with 1/2" galvanized pipe multi-turn toilet valves I'm wanting to replace with quarter turns.  I originally was planning on just breaking loose the old valve but I've begun to worry a little bit about creating a leak on the other side of the drywall in the process.  Is that reasonable?

So I moved on to the idea I'd use a pipe cutter (I would like the stub out shorter anyways) and rethread. But I guess that still leaves me with the potential of creating a leak.  I don't mind taking my time and utilizing a pipe wrench to try and combat force on the other hidden end but do I need to just bite the bullet and cut an access and replace from the joint I'm sure is on the other side of the drywall?

Never done this type of work before and I know it's not an atypical or "hard" job, even my upstairs bath already had the multi-turn replaced but that was more than likely done by an experienced plumber.  What's the SoP for this type of thing?  By the way the escutcheon is pulled away from the wall a bit so it makes the pipe look shorter than it is.

Thanks for any help in advance!

EDIT: Sorry forgot to update. Couple weekends ago I hit it with PB Blaster and was able to work the old valve off while holding the nipple dead still.  Got the new 1/4 turn on with some tape and putty and got the toilet back and mounted.  Plenty of room in the back with the 1/4 turn now so glad I didn't bother shortening the nipple.  Thanks again for the help everyone.


texts: What is the role of re-enforcing mesh in plastering, when is it required, and which mesh types are prefered?

texts:
What is the role of re-enforcing mesh in plastering?

Keep in mind, I'm not talking about the lathe, which is shown in this image.

I'm talking about the mesh, shown in this image.

When is a re-enforcing mesh required? Any use for it in a three layer process, using structolite and a finishing plaster?

How is it used?

Which material of mesh is preferred, for which applications?

I've seen plastic, fiberglass, and metal meshes. The latter looks like a much lighter weight version of metal lathe.


texts: Gas water heater T&P valve leaks when heating

texts: The original valve (~5yrs old) started leaking a few months ago, so I tested that I could open it manually and close it to stop the flow. But after the test it kept leaking (at that point pressure should certainly not have been the issue). I replaced it with a part from a hardware store (same length), and the replacement part tests properly: I can open it manually and close it to stop the flow and it doesn't keep leaking. But whenever the gas turns on, it will start dripping steadily. Based on a comment from  "temperature pressure valve leaking", I checked whether there is an excess of hot water pressure when I turn on the hot water after the heater has turned off. There isn't. The water pressure is constant.


texts: What are the black spots on my bathroom ceiling? Are they mold?

texts: My bathroom above my tub is getting some black spots on it that seems to be growing. I assume it's mold. I am wondering how should I deal with this? What should I expect it to cost?


texts:
**Pictures attached to go along with my rambling explanation

I have my Lennox G23Q3/4-100-2 natural gas furnace and my central air system that has been working since 1995 on a basic programmable thermostat and before my purchase of a new Ecobee4 thermostat, I verified that I had a connection on the C terminal.  I have 4 wires running to my thermostat, I noticed that the C terminal is actually connected to the Red wire leading to my A/C Compressor and the White wire from the compressor connects to the Blue wire going to my thermostat and connected to the Y on my old thermostat, and my Y post at the furnace has nothing connected to it.  So I am a bit confused as to why the C post is connected to the Y on the thermostat, and how I now wire it to my ecobee4.

My picture show the wiring that allows the Ecobee4 to manage the heating, but no A/C, and I'm afraid to start swapping the C and Y wires around out of fear for burning out the board/compressor/thermostat or just not providing the necessary power.  Ecobee4 provides a Power Extender Kit (PEK), but with my current wiring, I am not sure how to use the PEK.

Can anyone offer any advice to get my Ecobee4 working with my Lennox furnace?


texts: AC related power outage (partial)? HVAC?

texts:
So running into a weird situation that I have not encountered before.
Back ground - house was built in the late 60/early 70s - 3 bed 2 bath
So we have a weird situation where our house is partially losing power.
If the AC is on, power is great no issues, once the AC reaches the temp we set it at, ac will power down (go idle), which is normal...Weird issue is that randomly, minutes later or even hours later (if the ac is not triggered on manually or automatically), the power to like 80-90 percent of the house dies. The only power that stays on is the hallway power (thermostat is located in hallway), one bedroom power, and guest restroom power...other than that - all power is out (inside, outside, garage, kitchen, etc)
We check the breakers and all breakers look good and nothing seems to be popped or out of the ordinary.
The weird thing is the only way to get the rest of the power back on is if we get the ac going by turning the temp down, just so it can trigger on.
Any ideas on this?
Any help or guidance would be appreciated. Not sure how to go about troubleshooting this issue.
—————update Below ————
From what centerpoint said when they came out is everything is getting power and all properly, but when he pulled the breaker for the ac out, it was all melted and bud bars had some burning on it.
Seems it’s a common issue with the Zinsco breakers.


texts: How do I calculate the proper fan size for a bathroom exhaust and the number of pickups?

texts:
Getting ready to remodel my bathroom and I'm thinking about installing an inline fan to reduce noise. I'm looking at Panasonic 120 and 240cfm models.

Bathroom is 7' x 8' x 8'. With a shower in one corner, and a toilet in the opposite corner.

How many CFM do I need? Does it make sense to install a Y, and separate pickups over the bath and toilet?


texts:
2 three way switches control two cfl fixtures  (2x13W) in stairwell. 1 Switch and light at top and 1 of each at bottom.

Power(black) into to Switch 1, then Red and Black to Switch 2, then black to Light 1, then White continues on to Light 2 via Switch 2 box, and back to Neutral from panel at Switch 1.

Removing light 1 from circuit stops light 2 from flickering.

Voltage measured across Switch 2, hot wire to Common (black to Light 1), is 120V when open (off), and ~20V when closed (on).

Lights are in series, is this my problem?


texts: Outdoor Outlet Non-GFCI Downstream of GFCI

texts: Can I run a non-gfci outlet outside if it is downstream from a GFCI outlet on the same circuit?


texts: Sealant/joining compound for kitchen laminate worktop installation

texts:
What is the recommended sealant and joining product for use with laminate kitchen worktops? I have a butt joint within 10cm of the kitchen sink, and water has penetrated the joint and expanded the chipboard inside the worktop, resulting in a bulge.

The worktops were joined and sealed with Unika ColorFill, which claims to be a waterproof worktop sealant. However, in practice I found it to shrink and open up small cracks within weeks, which lead to the water ingress.

The only option is to replace the kitchen worktops, but I don't want to use Colorfill again, as is recommended by the supplier of the worktops. Is there an alternative product that can be used? I have read waterproof/exterior PVA could be an option?

My previous worktop was also laminate and lasted fine until it was eventually replaced after 15 years. I do not know what product was used to seal and join it, but would like to know what is common practice amongst professionals so I can avoid doing it wrong again.


texts: How can I remove a stone fireplace that is attached to drywall?

texts: I wish to remove a fireplace and the mantle above it. Can I just pry it off portions at a time or is there a better way?


texts:
I'm considering getting a home standby generator. I have an existing small propane tank that's only used for a gas fireplace which is rarely on. I'm trying to figure out if I need a bigger tank.

My home has a peak power usage of about 16kw, but that's way, way more than my typical usage. I generally am not pulling more than 2kw in the winter, and perhaps 5kw in the summer. Averages are closer 1kw.

I can figure out the fuel usage based on these loads, but I do not know if a generator has significantly variable fuel consumption depending on the power consumption of the house. In other words, if my house is pulling 10kw, is that using twice the fuel as when it's pulling 5kw? Or is it more chunky?


texts:
What could one spray inside solid core door to protect wood and create a tunnel?
Bought a pet door for a solid core door. Installed it, looks great, ezcept turns out the company doesn't make a tunnel for the door.

Is there any thing or combination of things I could spray that would cure to a plastic feel with a white-ish color?

If not, the door was cheap. I could always exchange it.

Is plasti-dip an option?


texts: Toilet does not produce enough water and barely flushes

texts: My toilet takes two flushes to flush and does not produce enough water. Any helpful tips to help me resolve this issue?


texts: This is a normal 15A 125V wall outlet in my dining room. It consists of 2 black hot wires, 2 white neutral wires, and a bare copper ground wire. Here is the problem. If I wire all 4 wires to the 4 side screws on the receptacle, the circuit breaker for this section trips. If I just wire one hot and one neutral to either the top or bottom, there is no problem. The ground wire is always connected. What is the problem here and how can i fix it? Thanks.


texts: How to Fix Central AC Bringing in Outside Air - Smokey outside

texts: We are located in San Francisco Bay area.  There's a huge fire almost every year.  We recently moved to a house where central AC brings in smokey outside air.  We have 2 young children and I'm worried about air being too dirty.  Does anyone know how to fix this?  Much appreciate your help!


texts: Any recomendations for low-voltage wires through walls?

texts:
I have found a good central location to mount a router, however it does not have power nearby. Instead working with 120V wiring, I thought it might be easier to just make a small hole/tunnel/conduit out of PVC pipe and fish the small end of the power adapter through it. Distance wise, it's not far, just through a single wall, or about 4' - the problem is that this wall is between the house interior and the garage, and there is quite a temperature difference, so I would like to "fill it up" somehow such that there isn't much air moving in/out. Is there any good approach for doing this, while allowing the wire to be replaced? (for when the router dies in X years and it's time for a new one).

Thoughts:

some sort of "cap" that can be put on the PVC tube, such that only a small opening for the wire goes through it, something like two half-circles that fit together

Some sort of terminal where the wire connecting through the wall does not change, but cutting in a new wire would be easy, like this but longer:


texts:
I believe I have what is called a gas-boosted, solar HWS (although there is only one solar panel on the roof). On the outside of my system, apart for the valves/pipes/wires leading into and out of it, there is no obvious control panel for me to light/re-light the pilot light. Is this called an electronic ignition without a pilot?

Before going away for a few days, I would like to switch off my water, gas, and electricity. Will my HWS automatically switch off, and automatically switch back on by itself when I turn all these services back on after coming back?

My house is about ten years old, and in a part of the world where the temperature rarely falls below 0 degrees C, so I don't think we have to worry about freeze.

Regards,

[]
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texts: My apartment door unlocked by itself. Can anyone offer an explanation please?

texts: My apartment door unlocked itself.....a wood kind of one with a round door handle that key goes into. I shook it when I was leaving to make sure it was locked then I came home to find it unlocked....twice. Does anyone please have an explanation for how this could have happened?


texts: How to choose the correct all purpose screw driver or drill

texts:
I am a widow and starting out in the world of DIY.   I tried replacing several broken trellis panel fencing last year.  I bought a 7.2V Bosch drill and used 3in screws to hold the panels onto the wooden posts.   The screws did not penetrate all the way and have been left protruding.   I wish to smarten up the unfinished job!

Did I need a stronger Drill?   What type of drill would be advisable for small and larger jobs?


texts: Concrete column splice - weld or surround with 6mm?

texts:
I have a concrete column using 16mm rebars. The column needs to be extended (and of course the rebars) for the 2nd storey of the house that is being built. Should the splice be welded or surrounding the splice with 6mm spirally will be fine?

Please do not suggest me to contact my contractor or engineer since the reason I posted this question here is because that is not possible in my case.

I only need some ideas.

Thanks!


texts: How to extend 1/2" shower connection just a little bit

texts:
I am replacing the shower head we currently have with a new one. The existing shower head used a 1/2" "S" shaped pipe with male threads on each end. The new connection is designed to end up flush with the wall and has just about 3/4" of thread exposed, but the connection inside the wall is in there about 1 1/4". I got a 1/2" male/male nipple and a 1/2" female/female connector, but that ends up being too long - it adds about 2".
Not sure how I can connect this without it being too long or too short. I also don't think I can move the connection inside the wall, as it is attached to the studs, and I don't want to take out tile, etc.


texts: I was replacing an outlet and saw this. It Looks like a wire got split in half and joined together to create a new outlet. Is it safe?


texts: How do I drain this gutter away from the house?

texts:
In the picture below B is 2-3 inces below C
A is 2-3 inces below C
Currently the downspout goes to the main drain of the house
I would like to drain the gutter on my lawn near point A

What is the best option (esthetically and techically)?


texts: Any two-prong plug on any two-prong plug cable?

texts: I've got a bunch of lamps from Europe that I want to use where we've just moved in North America. I cut off and replaced the plug on one lamp with a North American one and it works fine. I'll be doing the others. But I have an air purifier that works completely fine at 110/220V and 50/60Hz. It only uses a two prong plug. Is that likely just as easily replaceable/modifiable as lamp cables or are there gauges of wire to consider, amounts of power, different ratings of two-prong plugs, etc etc?


texts: How to install new faucet with old water shutoff valve

texts:
I'm installing a new faucet and noticed that the instructions call for the faucet water line to be bolted directly onto the shutoff valve. The problem is, my shutoff valves have built-in lines which don't unbolt.

What is the best thing for me to do? Should I install new shutoff valves that have bolt-on connections or somehow connect the existing water line to the faucet's water line?

(shutoff valve at top, faucet line at bottom)


texts: Explain voltage readings on NEMA 10-30 socket

texts:
The clothes dryer in the garage is plugged into what appears to be a NEMA 10-30 socket (receptacle).

Reading the voltages on the socket with a multimeter, the voltage between the two diagonal blades is 240 V.

But the voltage between any diagonal blade, and the L-shaped blade, is 120 V. How come? If the L-shaped blade is connected to ground, shouldn't I read 240 V between it and one of the diagonal blades, and 0 V between it and the other blade?

Or are the diagonal blades in opposite phase with each other, each carrying 120 V relative to ground, and therefore 240 V relative to each other?

I'm asking because I need 240 V for a small Everlast PowerTig 200DX welder - it could be connected either to 110 V from a regular AC socket (through a short passive adapter) or to 240 V. But the 240 V plug on the welder is not 10-30 but 6-50:

I've found a 10-30 to 6-50 adapter but I need to make sure I won't fry the welder if the wiring is wrong.

The welder can sense whether it's being fed 240 or 110 V and switch automatically (the 110 to 240 adapter that came with it is passive, just a short cable with specific connectors on each end).

EDIT: I should add that the machine, according to the manual, draws less than 30 A continuously even at 100% output settings. Not sure why it has a 6-50 plug - probably because that's pretty standard for welders?


texts:
I have turned off every breaker in the panel. The light is still on. Now what?
Also I heard what sounded like a breaker popping. No breakers tripped. Different light doesn’t work.
Pulling my hair out.


texts: Low water pressure in the early morning hours

texts: Good morning. I am having a real problem that no on seems to know how to fix. In the early morning between 4 am and 7 am I have no water pressure. It is impossible to take a shower. The whole house has no water pressure. At first I thought it was the sprinklers outside that went on from 1-3 am that was the cause of this. The sprinkler system has been cut off and I still have no pressure. Please help. Also note, no one else on my block wakes up at 4 in the morning to shower and no one else on my block has experienced this problem. PLEASE help. This is ruining my mornings!!! Thank you !


texts:
I just moved into my house and I am wondering if this is normal for a furnace.

So I have my furnace set to 68 degrees. The temperature on the thermostat says 66 degrees. The furnace is on, but does not appear to be blowing warm air (I guess I would describe the air as not warm, but not cold).

So then I turn the furnace up to 71, and the thermostat still at 66 degrees. The air coming out of the vents is warm.

I have not tried this long enough to see what happens as the thermostat approaches 71 degrees.

Is this normal? As the temperature on the thermostat approaches its setting does the temperature of the air coming out of the vents decrease?


texts:
I've got this lovely situation in my garage where there's an outlet right above the deep sink, and while I don't have my tape measure handy I'm fairly certain this is less than 6' from the sink, and the washer is plugged into it.

Should I seal this outlet off (with a blank wall plate)? If I do, I'll need to use an extension cord to plug the washer in since it's to short to reach the outlet in blue (about a 6' span), or alternatively I could relocate it. Or should I just put a GFCI outlet above the sink or a GFCI Breaker on the circuit and continue to use it?


texts: Should I use a Ridge/Soffit vent or Attic Fan?

texts:
I am getting ready to redo the roof on our house (shingles and some sheathing) and I am wondering what kind of venting I should add to the roof. The roof currently is not vented at all and as a result there is mold and and the sheathing is rotting and sagging.

I have been doing some research and it seems like the best way to go is to use soffit/ridge vents instead of an attic fan. However, the roof is only a 2/12 pitch and I am wondering if the shallow pitch will have any adverse effect on the vents. At one point on the roof it is about 30' from the soffit to the ridge with a 2/12 pitch.

Any advice?


texts: Can I remove a tub surround, without removing the tub?

texts: I have an acrylic tub/shower combo that I would like to update. It is a two piece unit - the tub and a complete 3 walled surround mounted above.  Ideally, I'd like to remove only the surround part and replace it with tile.  I understand we would have to replace the drywall behind with something appropriate for tiling in the shower.  I'd rather not have to replace the tub, however.  Is it possible to leave the existing tub?


texts: Electrical outlet that has 2 white wires, 1 black, 1 red, and a ground. Does it matter which white goes where?

texts:
I did some searching on the site, but I wasn't able to find anything about this. That being said, I have an electrical outlet that has 2 white wires, 1 black, 1 red, and a ground. I know the red line is to the light switch. What I don't know is which white wire was connected alongside the the black or red wires. Does it matter which white wire is connected along with the black wire? Red wire? Being in a hurry, I didn't pay any attention to what wires were connected on either side of each other before I snipped them.

I also know that the outlet is in the middle of a run as the power to the outlets on the other side of the room lost power when I disconnected the power outlet in question.

Thank you in advance


texts: Convert 3-way switch to single pole smart switch

texts:
So we basically don't need a 3-way switch, so I can get rid of one of them, and install a smart single-pole switch on the other one. How would that work?

Also, I just opened the switch, and apparently there are only 2 black and 1 red wires there, so no white wire.

Thanks in advance!


texts: Why would water pressure at my faucets change after turning off the water main for some time?

texts:
I turned off the main water to the house to perform a plumbing repair. The water was off for approximately 5 hours. During that time, I partially drained the water heater tank to flush it (forgot to open a hot water faucet, so it never fully drained...gonna have to to flush it again :/).

Upon turning the water and water heater back on, all of the bathroom sink fixtures "behave" differently. At one, flow is reduced to about half of what it was. At another, turning on both hot and cold fully gives no more flow than turning either one on fully. In the master bath (double sink), one faucet had low pressure before and the other was fine, but now they are opposite - the low pressure one now seems fine and the previously-good one has low pressure / flow.

Main shutoff valve is open fully, as is the valve at the street. Other fixtures in the house (tub, shower, kitchen sink, washer, dishwasher) seem to be operating normally. What could be the cause of this and how can I fix it?


texts: How can I remove paint left from an appliance dolly from the front of a washer?

texts: My husband was moving our washing machine with a dolly.  He dropped the washing machine and now the front has dents and green paint from the dolly. How do I get the green paint off from the front of the washer?


texts: Why is it okay for a Lutron timer to have an 18 gauge ground wire?

texts: I am installing a new light switch and changing the fan switch next to it for a Lutron timer for the fan.  The old switch had no ground, but the ground wires are available in the enclosure, so I will run an appropriately sized 14 gauge pigtail from the new switch for the 15 amp circuit.  But, the Lutron timer has an 18 gauge wire for the ground.  Clearly this must be okay, but can anyone tell me why?  There is an old an often asked question here and in other sites where people have the old 16 gauge Romex ground wire of whether it is acceptable to use the 16 gauge ground on a new device.  I just wonder what is special about the Lutron timer that lets it get away with an 18 gauge wire when I need a 14 for the new switch.


texts:
I have a portable air conditioner/hvac and I'm having issues with it in heating mode. It's actually summer where I live but it was somewhat chilly as a storm passed over so I wanted to test heating on the unit I have.

Ambient temp was 19-20C according to my phone and another thermometer but the heating on the hvac/portable would not start unless I set it to 27C which is the maximum on the unit. It then cycled off shortly after as though it had reached it's 27C but my temp sensors only read a mere 1-2C increase to 22C. I wanted the hvac to produce heat at 24C. Does this sound like the thermostat in the hvac is faulty?


texts: So I painted my wall because it was peeling and my wall now looks like this and yes the paint I put on the peeling spots are dry please Help!!


texts: Why is part of my GFCI circuit dead after a short-circuit?

texts:
I was charging my electric golf cart off the GFCI on the side of the house. It tripped and would not reset. I found out I had a bad cord that was shorting it self out. This is were the puzzle begins.

I pulled the receptacle from the wall and this is how it was wired.

Two white wires pig tailed together; one of the white wires had black magic marker on it. These both ran to the brass screw on the outlet.
Two black wires pig tailed together wired to the silver screw
The ground wire  was hooked up correctly to the green screw but also marked with black magic marker.

The receptacle had started to melt. I now have no power from that receptacle onward to the rest of the receptacles, the overhead light or fan which is controlled by a three way switch does not work either. The wires at the switch do not use a 3 wire cable as a feeder, they use black and white wires.

I do not now know what to do to correct the problem that this presents.


texts: I have a curious problem with my home electrical system that may come from the on-switching of my refrigirator or my freezer

texts:
For the last few weeks, from time to time, the line voltage as measured with a good AC-voltmeter, would drop suddenly from about 127vac to 105vac, and would stay there for few seconds and then would get back to about 127vac again, or would go to 110vac and stay there for a long minute or so before going back up to 127vac or staying there a few minutes longer. When this happens, if I use a 1100-W microwave oven, the oven would light up and turn the tray, but the food to be heated would not be heated at all.

It happened that something interesting was chanced upon: If during a moment of this voltage sagging that made the room lights dimmer, I turned on a cloth dryer in a distance away or a resistance little oven nearby, the lights got bright again as normally observed before the trouble. At that time, if the microwave oven is used, it performs perfectly OK. I took time out to measure the line voltage of that OK moment and saw the 127vac level being there until the end of the on-time of the cloth dryer or the resistance oven.

I have been playing with home AC circuits, electronics and computers since the age of 12, and have a BS, MS and PhD in power generation, distribution, conversion, industrial and communication electronics and computer hardware design and software, and owner of 8 US Patents. Yet, I cannot have an instant answer to this problem.

Can anyone have the same problem with solution or have some good idea be kind enough to let me learn from you to deal with this problem in a neat and safe manner. My house was built in 1914, but the central circuit box apparently was updated sometime in the past 60 or 70 years before with many of the outlets in the 3-prong configuration, with practically zero-volt measurement between neutral and ground connections. All circuit breakers at the central box look like standard 20A or more breakers, without any modern-looking appearance of Ground-Fault-CI or Spark-Fault-CI. Thank you in advance for your advice.


texts: What are the functions for the wires beige, green, orange, black, yellow, red; when wiring up a thermostat for One's central A/C

texts: I want to change (digital) thermostat and replace it with (non-digital) non- programmable  thermostat.  The thermostat I'm wanting to use only has spots for 4 wires. Which leaves 2 remaining wires.  Which are a must?


texts: What are my options for replacing or upgrading my window screens?

texts:
I've just bought a house that has older wooden-framed windows. The windows themselves appear to be fine, but the screens for these windows are simple aluminum frames that use the small spring-loaded pegs that fit into holes in the window frame to hold them in. As a result, the screen doesn't have anything close to a flush fit around the edges, so insects are able to crawl in.

I've noticed in some newer houses with vinyl windows that some of the screens sit in a track of sorts so that they can be raised and lowered, and as a result there's no place for insects to get around the edges. Is there any way to get a better-fitting screen for my existing wooden windows? Perhaps a screen uni


texts: Reduce 8mm square tube to 7mm square tube without pro metal tools?

texts:
Old swedish windows have 7mm square tubes for handles. All handles of the design I want are 8mm so I want to make them smaller.
I have access to a carpentry with very good tools for woodworking, (including mill press) and some basic stuff for metal, like an angle grinder.
It's 11 handles, and the result doesn't have to look nice as long as it works since the square tube is inside the handle.
Is there any good way to get rid of .5mm of the square rod at the end (only like last 10mm or so) on the handle.


texts: How do I add a commercial coffee maker to my fridge's water line?

texts: I tried tapping into the ice maker feed, but it doesn't seem to be working.


texts: Do I need to use a cable connector for the back of a box?

texts: I will be mounting a 4”x4” electrical box at the back of an under the sink cabinet. A wire for a garbage disposal will be fed through a hole directly in the back of the box. Another wire will be fed through the side hole from the adjacent dishwasher, and I intend to put a connector there. Do wires feeding from the wall directly into the cabinet and through the back of the box require a cable connector?  I will also be wiring another box for 240v wall oven using #8 cable the same way - thinking same rule would apply. Would it?


texts: Difference Between Take Off and Starting Collar - Which One Should I Use?

texts: I am in the process of installing a whole house humidifier. I am planning to mount it to the supply side and need to connect the bypass to the return. I'm not sure if I should be using a take-off or starting collar to do this. I've posted pictures below. I apologize if my terminology is incorrect. With the starting collar, do you use screws to secure it to the plenum, or do you simply fold all of the tabs back? One thing that I like about the take-off is that there is an adhesive strip and holes for 3 zip screws. I apologize for the questions. I am learning HVAC for the first time, and I don't have much experience yet.


texts: Should I install a grounding rod near my light post to protect against lightning?

texts:
We have a very old house, which has had an old run of electrical cable (2-wire) from the basement about 40ft to a lamp post that has been unused.  The old cable has been disconnected, and the current plan is the following:

Use the old line to pull a new cable in to the basement
Add a new, 13th breaker (20A) to the panel for this line
The cabling will be outdoor 12/3
The cable will be buried 18-inches inside PVC (because it runs by a garden and there could be future digging)
The lamp post will have a GFCI outlet, a motion detector, and a light attached
The run will contine to the garage which currently has no lights or outlets (another 12 or so ft)
Will add in a GFCI outlet, then a few LED overhead lights to the garage.

My main question is this - I had a client with outdoor lamps get lightning strikes and fry stuff in their office (like 8k in equipment). Is it wise to add a new grounding rod near the outdoor lamp post? (post is currently wood, but someway will be replaced with metal)


texts: What is the cross-sectional area of solid, 14 AWG THHN wire?

texts:
I have found that stranded 14 AWG THHN is 6.258 sq mm, but I am having a hard time finding the value for solid 14 AWG THHN.  I keep seeing 2.08 sq mm, but I find it hard to believe that the cross-sectional area of stranded THHN is ~3 times larger than solid THHN.

BTW, I am using these figures to calculate maximum conduit fill as allowed by the NEC specs.  If you are interested, I have created a conduit fill calculator using Google Sheets.  You are more than welcome to use it.  Just make a copy of the spreadsheet first.


texts: Bowed laminate flooring on slab: How to proceed?

texts:
I recently bought a house with laminate flooring in a partially-below-grade room that sits on a concrete slab.  The owners ripped out carpeting in the room and installed the laminate prior to putting the house on the market.  The house is ~40 years old, and the owners (who were the original owners) claim that the carpet never appeared to be moist during that time.

Subsequent to our going under contract on the house but prior to settlement, there was a lot of rain and the laminate apparently started bowing.  The sellers (without consulting us first) decided that the problem was due to moisture absorbing into the slab, so they replaced the gutter above the room, re-graded the side of the house, installed a French drain, and replaced the bowed floor boards.  I have now been living in the house for about a month, during which we've received a lot of rain, but everything seemed to be fine.  That is, until a few days ago when we received a downpour of about 2 or 3 inches of rain in the span of about 2 hours.  A couple days later I noticed that some of the floor boards had started to bow.  It is in a relatively isolated area, approximately in the same place (I am told) where they had previously bowed.  Therefore, I am assuming this is not due to expansion gap issues.

We are contacting the contractors who did the work for the previous owners to see if they have a warranty/guarantee, however, in the event that that does not work, what is the next step?  Could it be that the French drain and gutter modifications were insufficient?  We don't want to replace the floor boards just to have this happen again in another few months...


texts:
Hope someone can help me with this; as you can see in the pic, one of my door trim situated near my shower was starting to rot at the bottom
Removed the panel and now left with this...
Was thinking of redoing the silicone Inside the shower screen and putting some silcone between the tile and the wall. You can see the membrane under the tile, which stops at the trim, should I continu this membrane before putting trim in place ?
You can see in above pic that the silcone is not done Under the shower screen.
Hopefully someone can advise the best way to fix without having to redo the tile and membrane.

Cheers


texts: How can I remove these stainless steel scratches?

texts:
I'm trying to fix a repair gone awry. I noticed some scratches on my stainless steel range of unknown origin. Things like cookware never touch that part of the stove, and I never use abrasive cleaners on it, but I digress. I want them gone.

Did some research and most DIY guides and products say to apply a mild abrasive (scotch brite is common) with the grain until it buffs out. Bob Vila here said to use a microfiber cloth with barkeepers friend, which I had.

I followed his guide but (to my shock) it made it far worse! Here's the after. You can see the original scratches going up and down across the grain:

Yikes! What happened? What can I do?


texts: Is is safe to have rainwater recycling tank near the bedroom windows?

texts: Is it safe to sleep near a rainwater recycling tank? Is bacteria can developed and flow into the bedroom when sleeping with the window open?


texts: How to prevent sagging ceilings when joists are spaced 24"

texts:
I recently had a ceiling removed as part of asbestos abatement. The ceiling joists are 24" apart. They run about 20' long and the area is about 8 1/2' wide. What's the best way to avoid the ceiling drywall from sagging and creating a rippled effect?
Would 5/8" drywall be sufficient? If so, should I get 4x10 and run the long side perpendicular to the joists? If I do that, I may not be able to get the ceiling drywall above the in-place wall drywall (you know, the 1/2" or so the wall's drywall sticks out). Or should I do 4x8 with the long side following the joists? That makes it feasible to slide the ceiling pieces above the existing wall drywall.
Or, should I add more joists between each pair of joists? There is a beam about in the middle (which I'm going to raise into the attic and attach the joists to it with joist hangers), so these new joists would only be 10-12' long each. If I do that, would 1/2" 4x8 drywall be sufficient?


texts: What sort of bit can I use to drill out a thin seized screw?

texts:
I have a piece of moulding on an appliance that is held on by a long, thin screw with a hex head.  The screw is perhaps 5" long and perhaps 1/8" diameter (modestly heavier than a wire coat hanger).

The overall dimension of the channel is slightly larger, but not substantially so.  The channel has no gaps or openings that would allow me to pry the remaining screw through.

When attempting to remove the moulding to replace a light bulb I noticed a lot of resistance on the screw.  I applied penetrating oil, waited, jiggled, repeated a few times and finally managed to snap the head of the screw off along with perhaps 1/2" of the shaft.  The shaft is now recessed within the moulding by 1/2"

I now realize that the screw is seized at the bottom as well.  I cannot access it from the bottom, or else I could just drill out the bit of threading at the bottom and be done.

What sort of bit could I use in a cordless 18V drill to remove this safely?

Is there another technique that would be applicable given that I cannot replace the moulding and thus must make a serious attempt not to damage it?

At present I envision using a longer drill bit to completely eat away the existing screw and then replacing it.


texts:
I have a stone fireplace in a cabin that I'd like to mount a television screen on. While I’d love to pay someone a reasonable fee to do so, the cabin is in a location where contractors are few and far between, and those I have spoken with are booking work six months out. I’d prefer to not wait that long.
Here's the fireplace:

Regarding the mounting itself, I’m hoping to line up the holes of the mount at a position where I only have to drill through the grout, but it’s possible I will have to drill through the rock itself. Since this was a fire burning fireplace before it was gas, I believe there will be brick behind the rock/grout.
I'm probably going to actually mount a square of wood to the actual stone part and then screw the mount to this block of wood...that way I can be a little more flexible in where I put holes in the stone/grout.
If I understand what I’ve researched so far, I should be able to drill through this by purchasing a hammer drill with a special bit. After drilling, I should be able to mount it securely using mollies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_(fastener)).
Assuming the above is accurate:

What sort of drill bit do I need for this job?
Since I don’t have a hammer drill, I plan to purchase one. The cheapest I’ve found locally is this Craftsman (https://www.craftsman.com/products/7-amp-1-2-in-hammer-drill). Would this be sufficient to get the job done?
Are any special mollies required, or should I be able to purchase the largest which will fit through the mount’s holes?
Any other concerns I should know about, or suggestions you have?

Thanks so much in advance!!!


texts: How can I insulate a combo basement/crawspace?

texts:
I live in Louisville, Kentucky, so we have relatively cold winters (nighttime lows consistently below freezing) and relatively hot, humid summers (daytime highs consistently in the muggy 90s). My house was built in 1905 and seems to have originally had a cellar/crawlspace. During a renovation in the 1990s, they poured a concrete slab in the basement and concrete walls halfway up the existing brick foundation. But they only did that in the northwest corner. The rest of the basement is a crawlspace with about 2 feet of clearance between the dirt floor and the joists of the first floor. The created basement is where the water heater and furnace live, and duct work runs through the crawlspace.

The only separation between the crawlspace and the basement are some planks that are nailed into studs that run from the new concrete half-walls to the floor joists.

I would like to insulate the crawlspace and basement. Here's what I think I'm supposed to do:

Cover the dirt of the crawlspace with 6 mil (or thicker) plastic sheeting that runs up the foundation wall and attaches below the sill plate.
Attach 2-inch extruded polystyrene foam insulation to the walls over the plastic. Here's where I have questions.

Should this insulation go from the dirt floor all the way up to the floor above, hugging the wall as I go up, or should I stop just below the top of the brick foundation so that the sill plate and joists are left visible for termite inspections?
If I'm supposed to leave a gap for inspection, should I place foam over the area and attach it loosely (maybe with just tape, so it can be folded down during an inspection) so there's some insulation there, or is the fact that it's not securely attached mean it's not worth doing?
It seems that I need a 15-minute fire barrier over the foam, and 1/2" drywall is standard. Do I really want to put drywall on top of plastic in my crawlspace? If it gets damp, that could be awful. Could I use cement board instead? Apparently 3 inches of mineral wool would also work, but that seems like an open invitation to dust. Apparently, you can just use an ignition barrier if the space isn't living area, but I would like to use the area for storage. Anybody have good ideas of what to use here?

What the heck do I do on the exterior basement walls? Should I run plastic down the outside of the wall so moisture can drain to the floor? (There is a sump pump.) Should I only insulate down a couple of feet below grade?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've been searching the internet for the past several weeks, and the more I search, the more contradictory information I get.


texts: Is it possible to put a resin shed on a slope in the garden?

texts: my question is in the title, i've just purchased a new resin shed but I have a sloping ground on my garden. So is it possible to lay it like this or do I have to dig the ground to adjust it.


texts: Insulating a post and beam construction roof/cathedral ceiling

texts:
My house (built 1972) has a cathedral ceiling with post-and-beam construction in the main room. The ceiling temperature can get as high as 90F, or even greater on a very hot sunny summer day, as measured from the floor with an IR thermometer ("gun"). The roof doesn't look to be very thick, probably less a foot in total? I'm not sure what insulation is in the roof, if any. This room has quite a few floor registers, however, it is still much colder in the winter and hotter in the summer than adjacent bedrooms (~5F). I was wondering if there is anything that can be done to improve the efficiency of heating/cooling this room. Can more insulation be blown in between the pine ceiling and the roof?

I live in sunny eastern Washington, hot dry summers 100F+, sometimes cold but not too bad winters, 10-20F lows.

I don't need a new roof yet, the current asphalt shingles look fine so I don't want to do something as drastic as replace the roof to add more insulation but it would be good to know that is an option for the future.


texts: Why is my garage door suddenly not operating at all?

texts: When I click the remote open/close button, it doesn't react (no sound) at all. I tried from several remotes, nothing happens. The wall control also has a light button which is working fine (meaning it turns on/off light on the base). It's not sensor issue since they are solid. The motor is not humming. Open up the control box, the green sensor light is blinking slowly. Never had such issue before, and it happens suddenly. What might be wrong?


texts: We have a roof leak which seems to be "mystifying" our roofer. 6 months after our roof was reshingled and about 2 years after a total chimney rebuild, we are still dealing with a roof leak along where the chimney meets the roof of the house - leaking inside and running down wall above fireplace. When our roofer and a friend who is an inspector went up there to inspect 2 days ago, they found underside of shingles, and underlayment all dry. Underneath those layers,  however, there was an area of plywood about 2 feet by 3 feet all wet and moldy. When that plywood was cut out, our inspector reached up under the step flashing and counterflashing in between that and the chimney. The brick chimney was soaking wet under there! Our roofer proceeeded then to replace the plywood and shingles and claim that the chimney is where the problem lies.The only wet area found was under the counterflashing and an area of plywood roof that rests against the chimney. Our mason is coming out in a few days to inspect and possibly redo our chimney crown even though we don't get any water inside the chimney or the fireplace and no significant cracks were seen in chimney. Our roofer denies that the leak could be due to their work since the shingles and underlayment were dry and he does not want to take off or reflash the chimney. He did caulk around the flashing to seal it. He inserted the counterflashing into a cut he made in the brick (not the mortar joint). The counterflashing is one continuous piece of copper running up ward on an angle following the angle of the chimney. I would be interested in opinions on whether this is a roof/flashing issue or a chimney problem. Thanks for reading!


texts: What is the best way to place vinyl laminate in this room layout

texts:
I am replacing the old linoleum flooring in my kitchen with vinyl planks. This is certainly one of the most involved renovations I have done (first home owner and up until now I've only replaced some electrical outlets and installed a ceiling fan in a 3 season room.)

My kitchen is roughly shaped like a rectangle with a protrusion on one side where it joins the front entryway. What I did not realize is that on the West side, the north/south running wall is 95" while on the East side of the protrusion it is 97".

       ______ N ____
W 95" |      \./    | E 97"
      |_____________|
              S

I began laying the planks working on the west side as that was where I was able to clear all appliances from first. I currently have 6 rows of planks in position, and started laying out some scrap pieces to gauge where to begin the 7th row, which would crest the protrusion and run the entire length of the kitchen (~20'). It was at this point that I discovered that 2" spacing along the East side of the North wall. Would it be acceptable to cut the planks down to 2" width and run along that ~7' wall?

In the images below, the first is where I had started (the orientation of the planks encourages laying them from NE -> SW, as I will have to shift some furniture / appliances from the East side to West side half way through).

I have not removed the existing trim or put spacers down for the 2nd half, but taking those into account, the planks would need to be cut to a 2" width to fill that gap.


texts: Can I put a PV panel on my roof and run wires into a room to a power resistor to generate heat?

texts: Maybe a dumb idea, but can I just put a PV panel on my roof and run wires into a room to a power resistor to generate heat? I have just one room that I was thinking of adding this additional heat to. I suppose I could prototype the idea by running a heater of the desired wattage (maybe 200 watts on average) and seeing if it makes much of a difference in the temp of the room. But I dont see anyone who has done this on the web. Also, you would want to maximize the power transfer from the PV to the power resistor, so that suggests trying to figure out the resistance of the panel and supply lines and trying to match your power resistor to that same resistance?


texts:
My floor in my old house I'm worried is asbestos and was dusty from some remodeling. There was a part that was chipped on the floor. We moved and I'm wondering a few things:

How can I find out if the house had asbestos?
The 3 months we lived there are we all Gonna die if it was asbestos?
I was pregnant when I lived there would that exposure if it is asbestos effect my unborn child?
Will washing the clothes from that house and cleaning everything from the old house get rid of anything that could be on the clothes and stuff?


texts: Circuit Breaker Finder - Finding TWO Breakers for one outlet

texts:
I have a 1948 house that has mid-century conduit throughout. All old two-prong outlets in the old house; only the 1980s extension has your typical 14/2-G.

Anyway, in the old house (as the title says) my finder is locating two circuit breakers associated with a single outlet.

I haven’t looked closely at this yet but strongly suspect that the last homeowner replaced a two-circuit outlet (where one was controlled by a nearby switch) with a single circuit outlet. There is an extra switch in my living room - doesn’t appear to do anything - so this seems about right. If its load is also on the outlet then its return will be affected too.

So could the outlet be going back to the panel across two different circuits? Not sure there’s a way to test this without taking out the outlet and testing everything in there w/ a multimeter in tandem w/ the light and breakers.

Any thoughts? Could it be something else?


texts: Drill bit was left in the chuck and has gone rusty so unable to remove. Have tried WD40 with grip and hammer but no luck. Any suggestions? Cheers


texts:
I have two ceiling light fixtures that just will not work.

I checked the incoming power in the ceiling. Its fine.

I did a continuity test on the wires/socket and they are fine.

As a test I connected the wires to a simple plug and plugged the light into the wall. Nothing.

I tried a continuity test across the ptongs of the plug, with the light bulb in place. Nothing open circuit.Yes I double checked that the bulb is ok in another lamp.

There is a separate ground wire and a third insulated wire. Continuity test with the third insulated wire and the socket showed an open circuit, so I am sure I was using the right wires.

So what am I missing?

Thanks

R


texts: Is installing a gable fan worth the investment?

texts: We have 2 gable vents in our roof (approx 2' high or so), one at either end, and upon inspection it does not appear that there is really enough overhang in the roof for soffits.  I still have to inspect it closer from the outside, but they are for sure not installed at this time.  The roof is also slate, so going in through that is not really an option we'd like to pursue.  If we install a attic gable fan on one end, will there be enough air flow through the attic to make this project worth our while in terms of heating/cooling costs, or should we go another route?


texts: Clean up muddy water left after hurricane

texts: After Irma, 2 yrs ago, our floor was covered with a wet sticky mud.  I used a massive amount of towels to clean it up. Now I am wondering if a wet dry vac( preferably with a pump )  would make the job easier.  Your thoughts please?


texts: How to wire a switch with multiple lights

texts: I have 3 lights (Power is coming in the first light) that are each on a single switch (in the same circuit). I want to put the 3 of them on the same switch. I found this helpful diagram but my switch is at the beginning of the circuit. How should I wire it?


texts: 2018 North Carolina State Building Code: Plumbing Code

texts:
Some time ago, I registered for a Free account at ICCSafe.org to study the North Carolina Plumbing Code.
I am looking for recommendations of additional good self study material.


texts: We just bought a house with only one bathroom and have found it to have an over abundance of moisture. There is a fan in the ceiling that comes on when you turn on the light and a window in the bathroom as well. I bought a "moisture collector" at Walmart that seems to be helping with the mold issue but the bath towels never completely dry and smell musty after only a few uses. What could be causing the problem?


texts:
When we have a power outage the Garage door will open when the power comes back on!! How do we stop this ? We don't want the door to open when we are gone.

Thank You
Ron


texts: Recently during a rain shower one of the RCD's tripped which I isolated to the outside lights.  Soon after it again tripped one night.  On both occasions the RCD does not stay tripped so I have not been able to isolate further other than knowing which MCB it relates to.   It hasn't happened again for a few days.  I discovered that one of the up-lighters had a faulty GU10 LED bulb and another had no bulb even though the screw in top is meant to be waterproof.  It was like this for at least 2 years.  However could a faulty bulb be suddenly causing the RCD to trip?  The only other lights on this circuit are 2 PIR floodlights which are less than 2 years old.


texts: Ok to install NEMA 14-50R in plastic, new-work, single-gang box?

texts:
I searched on this site and also google and couldn't find anything definitive on this.

My GC installed a single-gang outlet box behind the range for a NEMA 14-50R outlet. Most of the 14-50R outlets require a two gang box, but I found this one by Preferred Industries that says it works with a one-gang:

https://www.wilmar.com/Sku/35-57070/preferred-industries-3-pole-flush-mount-range-receptacle-straight-blade-4-wire-nema-14-50r-black-125250-volts-50-amp-076335241999

Is this ok? I know there is a way to calculate the fill requirements to get minimum cubic inches of an electrical box but am not sure how to do it for this type of outlet.

Here is a matching one-gang wall plate:
https://www.wilmar.com/Sku/94-7470/flush-mount-1-gang-wallplate-white-078477836781-80528-w


texts: How do I regrade the ground around my house?

texts:
When we purchased our house, the inspector recommended that we regrade all the ground that meets the house to ensure water is draining away properly.

What do I need in order to do this (am I insane for even considering doing it myself?)?
What should I do with the plants that are currently in the way of digging up the ground to improve their chances of surviving the process?
Are there any potential issues we should be prepared for (discovering drains, buried cables, etc.)?


texts:
I have a 13 year old cedar shake roof. I send someone from a roofing company twice a year to do maintenance and cleaning of the roof.That person has told me that some of the shakes have started to bend and it might be a good idea to do powerwash of the roof and do chemical treatment.

Is powerwash a good idea for a wood roof? I am worried that it might do damage.

Also, how long do these roofs last. My maintanence person tells me that i have max 5 years.


texts: Installing a sill plate on a crawlspace for a manufactured home. Does it matter if I use spf white wood or treated?

texts: What type of wood should be used on a 8 inch cement block wall crawl space for a manufactured home. Spf white wood because of the metal I beams or treated lumber.


texts: Why does my house feel toasty when it's very cold outside, but cold when it's only a little chilly out?

texts:
My house has gas-powered hot-water radiators for heat. Ever since we moved in, I've noticed that if the temperature is just a bit chilly outside (40°F to 50°F), the house feels very cold and everyone needs to put on sweaters and sweatshirts.

But if it gets very cold (17°F or 30°F), then the house feels perfectly comfortable.

What could be going on here? I have a programmable thermostat, so I never change the settings. Depending on the time of day, it's set to betweeen 67°F and 70°F.


texts: Can I use a transformer to run a 120V/60Hz appliance on a 220V/50Hz electrical system?

texts:
I live in a country where the electrical supply is 220V/50Hz.

I would like to buy a electric grill in Canada, where the supply is 120V/60Hz.

Can I run this appliance using a transformer? The appliance consists mainly of heating elements and dial to set the temperature, although one model has a digital temperature indicator screen.


texts: What could be preventing the heat boiler from circulating water upstairs to the radiator, frozen pipes?

texts:
I recently bought a Cape Stye house and it is equipped with a Weil McLain Series 1 Boiler. The boiler is up and running fine except it is only heating the first floor; the base board radiators upstairs doesn't get hot, I opened the bleeding valve on each radiator to see if air/water is circulating, and they both bled for awhile with hissing sounds and water gushing out.

The day after I re-opened back the bleeding valves on the radiators upstairs and nothing comes out, as if the boiler isn't pumping water to the radiators upstairs, so thats when I took a pause and decided to get help. Could there be frozen lines upstairs or anything else on the radiator side that's preventing the circulation?

Thanks in advance Guys.

PS. (Both Zones/Floors are connected to a T pipe on the boiler).

Updated with Zones and Circulation pump.

Update 2: Picture of the backfill and automatic/manual feeder?

UPDATE: Sorry for the late reply, It checked out to be frozen pipes. The weather went up to 60 degrees last week, I went to feel the upstairs zone's pipes and it was hotter than normal; I then went upstairs and I could feel the heat coming from the base board heaters as I was walking up. That made me very happy haha. Thank you guys for all the input.


texts: Was asbestos used within wallboard itself, or just in the joint compound?

texts:
I'm pulling down a few walls in my 1984 house. I had a company come in to do professional asbestos sampling. I told them my plan and which walls I was going to remove and they only sampled the joint compound as well as the popcorn ceiling material. Test came back indicating zero trace of asbestos for all tests.

I'm a bit confused why they didn't care about sampling the wallboard itself. Some sources say that wallboard itself never contains asbestos, other say it may. What your thoughts? Should I get the wallboard itself tested? It's a "Westroc Firestop-6" wallboard.


texts: My Metal roof is 20 years old and a roofer told me to replace the screws with a bigger size. how do I determine my screw size? roof screws seem to have their own standards #10, #12, #14, #16... what does these numbers mean?


texts: What bathtub/shower faucet do I need with CSA

texts:
I have what I believe to be a (CSA) Canadian Standard Association shower kit from approximately 1995. We are in the US if that matters. My wife wants it replaced, which I generally feel comfortable doing. I am just having a hard time determining what I have and what my options are for replacements. Can anyone offer any assistance? I've attached an imugr album with the only identifiable markings on my current setup.
https://imgur.com/a/GSnzIGc


texts: Is it allowable to have an electrical cable going into the attic through a soffit from outside?

texts:
I'm adding ice cables to part of our roof. I drilled a 1 inch hole in the soffit and then got stuck getting power into the attic for an outlet.

I called an electrician who couldn't say enough how wrong it was to have the plug come into the attic, instead of having an outlet outside for it.

I'm wondering if this statement is correct, per code.

He also insisted on quoting for a home run from the box, saying the cables could draw 10-15 amps, though the instructions say the model I have draws 3.3 amps.

EDIT: from page 6 of instructions: See Table 1 below for the current needed for your cable length. If you do not have a circuit with an appropriate rating, contact a licensed electrician.
Catalog Number     Current Needed (amps)
ADKS-400                3.3

I now have renewed interest in putting the outlet in myself, with a switch, would like some clarity on if it can be in the attic with the plug coming through the soffit, or if it must be outside in the soffit. (and if outside, what to do with 6 feet of cord)


texts: Installing laminate splashback on top of old tiles

texts:
I’m installing a new IKEA kitchen, including a laminate splashback. Various people in forums and also a kitchen installer I got advice from are suggesting that the tiles should be removed before installing the new splashback. I’m removing the tiles from the walls which are only partly tiled (there are two small areas like this), as the edge will be visible and I don’t want to be able to see the combined thickness of the old tiles and new splashback.
For the wall behind the worktop, there will be no visible edge so the only problem that I can see is that we’ll loose 10mm so of space in the room by not removing the old tiles. If I keep the old tiles they will be roughed up to ensure a good bond to the new splashback.
I’m reluctant to go to all the effort of removing tiles and replacing the plasterboard wall if it’s not necessary.
Am I missing something? Why is it commonly recommended to remove the old tiles?


texts:
I have 200A load center with a solid bare #6 ground wire tied to a ground rod. Ground/Neutral are bonded in the box.

Then run stranded #6 (does it have to bare?) to the 100A auto transfer switch. Ground/neutral are seperated. Ground bonded to box and neutral isolated. Do I also need a solid bare to ground rod? It’s right next to the 200A load center.

Next run stranded #6 (does it have to be bare?) to the 100A sub-panel down line from the transfer switch. Ground/neutral seperated. Ground bonded to box and neutral isolated. I do have a solid bare to ground rod here.

Can I use stranded between boxes?
Does it have to be bare?
Does each box have to tied to ground rod?
Am I missing anything?

Thanks for your help guys.

The meter box is connected to the 1st ground rod with #4 uninterrupted solid. The subpanel is connected to the meter box with #4 solid. They are back-to-back (the subpanel used to be the main panel). I have since isolated the neutral in the subpanel.

The NEW main panel is connected to its own ground rod with #4 solid. The neutral is bonded to ground.

Do I need to run ground between the NEW main panel and the subpanel? (Subpanel is currently grounded to the meter box)
Do I need to run ground from the NEW main panel and the transfer switch/ transfer switch to subpanel?
Do I need to run the transfer switch ground to the ground rod? (Neutral is isolated)


texts: How do I make one of four lights on a switched circuit permanently on?

texts:
I have floods on the corners of my detached garage that are switched by one switch in a three gang box inside the door.  The other two switches control coach lamps and inside lights.  This are single pole arrangements.  I put a Ring camera and light set in place of one of the floods.  This requires constant power.  How do I make the power to one of them constant and the other three remain on the switch?
There is a circuit breaker just for the four floods and it appears the power comes into the three gang box.  Thank you!!


texts: Plugging in my dishwasher and water filter to the same outlet with an extender

texts:
I have two appliances that I need to plug in to the same outlet. These are:
A dishwasher - Bosch Benchmark 40-Decibel Top Control 24-in Built-In Dishwasher (Stainless Steel) ENERGY STAR
A water purifier - Waterdrop RO Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System, TDS Reduction, 400 GPD Fast Flow, Tankless,
Can I plug them both in to the same outlet by using an extender? I am particularly worried about the dishwasher as it is high power and don't want to harm it by sharing power with a water purifier (which is low power)
Best,
RS


texts: Overflow pipe from water tank constantly dripping

texts:
My cold water storage tank overflow pipe is constantly dripping (and sometimes a small, constant stream of water). I assume the stopcock is on the way out.

Here is a photo of it:

And a closer up photo:

And from the back (outside the tank):

I have a few questions:

What do I need to do to fix this?
Is there anything I can do to fix the current valve?
Or will I need to buy something like this?
Do I need to make sure the diameter of the pipe matches up with a new valve?
Does the height of the float need to be configurable on a new valve?
When fitting a valve, will I need to use thread-seal tape?
Will I need to do anything to the bolts on the outside of the tank (pictured above)?


texts: How do I tell if a window I have is tempered glass? (I need to cut a hole)

texts:
I have a full size double-pane all-glass patio door that I'd like to put a hole in for an air conditioner exhaust hose. I plan to drill a hole with a glass drill bit and then use a carbide rod saw to saw out the 5" diameter hole. I realize this will be a pain in the butt but there are no other places in the apartment I can cut the hole.

How likely is this door (or one like it) to be made of tempered glass? It looks to be at least 10 years old. Not sure how common tempered glass is in these kinds of applications. The apartment isn't really well-built.

The glass is SGG Climalit. I can't find one shred of contact info on their web site to ask them, though it looks like they do offer tempered glass options. This is in Spain. https://www.climalit.es/


texts: Installing smart switches in 2-gang box with switch loop

texts:
We have two dimmer switches in a finished basement room.  Switch 1 controls wall lights, and Switch 2 controls overhead lights.
We are hoping to replace them with smart switches that require a neutral.
It looks as if Switch 2 is wired using a switch loop.  (The white wire connected to Switch 2 is wrapped in black electrical wire, to indicate that it is being used for that purpose.)
From what I understand, the switch loop is an obstacle to using a smart switch, because the neutral wire is being repurposed.
What I'm wondering is whether it's possible to rewire (ideally without having to run new wire) to take advantage of the fact that there is a true neutral that is accessible within the box from the cables that are connected to Switch 1.


texts: I'm a renter and have had a horrible egg smell under  crawl space. Waste has is been going on in my house for three months all he did was fix pipe with PFC and put lye down I've been sick dog and wife is. Am I in danger  I feel yes and what r my rights


texts: Could stove element be powered through fan switch?

texts:
I have a Jenn Air C221 modular cooktop (circa 1983). EDIT: here is the wiring diagram:

By design, the downdraft fan turns on whenever a grill element is installed and turned on. This is done using an extra spade contact present on the grill element (but not the burner cartridge) which is shunted to one of the other contacts used for powering the element. So if the fan switch is off, the fan will be powered from terminal H1 of the grill element switch via the shunted receptacle contacts.

Now imagine the following scenario, starting with all elements switched off:

The fan is switched on, i.e. the fan is being powered from L1 through its switch
The switch for one or both grill elements is then turned on
There exists a fault in the connection between L1 and H1 at the switch (e.g. no continuity inside the switch between L1 and H1, or either of L1 or H1 terminals on the switch are disconnected), but there is no fault with the connection from L2 to H2.

Would this effectively cause the grill element to be powered through the fan switch?

EDIT: here is an annotated wiring diagram for when a grill is installed in the right bay, and the front element is turned on. The red path is where I suspect current would flow, and the red 'X' indicates that no current can flow through its normal path out the black wire from the receptacle due to a fault.

According to the housing for a replacement switch, it is only rated 6A 3A at 250V, whereas the element could draw over 10A; is this an imminent safety issue/fire hazard, or are the faults leading to this issue considered extremely unlikely?

I'm not sure how pervasive this feature or wiring configuration is. After briefly looking online for other models' wiring diagrams, some (such as the CVEX4100B) use the same configuration as the C221, while others (such as the SVE47600) use a relay to implement this feature.


texts: What to do about breaker that triggers main panel, and breaker that's stuck?

texts:
I've moved into an older home and am trying to figure out the wiring. There's a small addition at the back of the house where I'm trying to figure out the wiring behind a blank wall panel.

Before digging in I'd like to turn the power off to the area - I've flipped every single breaker (in a poorly labeled box) but one and the power never went out to the room. The only one I didn't flip I couldn't flip - it seems stuck which I imagine could be a problem. Should I have it replaced or should I just try harder? Is it something I could DIY - is turning off the main breaker in the breaker box enough to replace a sub-breaker, or do I need an external disconnect?

There isn't much rhyme or reason to this box, poorly labelled with breakers turned on that aren't wired to anything as far as I can tell and have now been off for a week with no noticeable effect. The only breaker that was off I tried turning back on and it triggered the main breaker for the whole box - I assume that's horrible and dangerous and that there's got to be a short in the box itself?

In the attached image, the breaker that's on is the one that seems stuck, and the one that's off is what triggers the big breaker at the top of the panel (not pictured.) For reference, I believe we have 100A service.

EDIT:

This breaker is probably fine right - just throw it back in the panel /s

The burn may be from the breaker in the slot beneath this one, the breaker that tripped the main breaker. The one pictured here was the one I thought was stuck, turns out it wasn't, but I put a new one in anyway.

Referring to the panel with breakers 4L and 6R in red: Turns out the wires from the same cable were wired to two breakers - a black wire to 4R and a red wire to 6R (6L has no wire.) It seems to me that kind of setup requires a two pole breaker with the black and red each being on one pole?

Right now the red wire is still connected to 6R that remains off (and labeled "DANGER".) 4R is actually powering a small circuit with two lights and one outlet.

I was up to my elbows in the breaker panel today - there was a whole wad of disconnected wires, some with a pair (white) still connected to the panel neutral.


texts: Any ideas on hiding a TV in a coffee table?

texts:
With 1080p and now 4k Tvs its a waste of technology to watch it from 14'+ away.  Sitting under   6' way from a 50+ inch HDTV is the only way to enjoy all the pixels.
The only way I can think to have a TV that close to the sofa is to have it in the coffee table.
Ideally I would like it to lift out of the top of the table but the screen is too high for a coffee table and I really dont want to cut a hole in the floor. Other option is to hinge the top of the table and mount it on the bottom. Use 2 actuators to help lift.  Does anyone have any ideas on how to mount it or about anything else.


texts: How to install a utilitech heater ventilation fan with light?

texts:
Just trying to replace an old Broan heater/fan/light with a new Utilitech one and very confused about how the wires are meant to go.
I  suspect the initial set up was not to code.   Very novice on this stuff.
There seems to be a loose single copper wire unsheathed in there. Not sure if that’s relevant.


texts: How can I level a transition in a floor before gluing a vinyl tile?

texts:
I'm going to glue vinyl tiles on top of existing sheet vinyl floor, in my bathroom. However, in one small area, near the sink, there are some ceramic tiles on the floor, therefore there's a small "bump" in the floor level, 3-4mm I think:

How can I "smooth out" that transition so I can glue the new vinyl tiles right over the whole floor?

I'd rather not remove the tiles, since they go under the sink cabinet.


texts: Crack in paint seems to be slowly getting longer

texts: I have a crack in the paint that seems to be getting larger over the years.  It doesn't seem to be damp.  Could this be something serious or just shoddy installer work?


texts: brand new oven heat element gone bad. my fault or faulty oven?

texts:
Bought a new gas range oven with electric oven heat element.

Manual recommends 50 Amps NEMA Type 14-50R dedicated circuit for all models.

But for this specific model requires a minimum of 30 Amps with 220 Volts, which is what I have. 3-pole, 4-conductor.

The power supply cord kit was not included so I had to purchase it.

Wired it up as per instructions.

Now, here is what happened.

When I turned on the oven the second or third time, the temperature sky rocketed to far beyond its limit (I presume in the range of 600-1000 degrees). It melted some of the metal.

And it hasn't worked since then.

Oven light and fan work. The gas stove work fine as always.

Only the heat element has gone bad.

Anything here that would indicate an error on my part?

any idea what the issue could be?

thanks for the help


texts:
I'm installing a trapdoor to provide easier access to the basement. This is the first step in a kitchen renovation so I've also taken up the laminate flooring. The hole for the trapdoor is already done.

My question is - given that I'm going to lay the laminate flooring again - which should come first, installing a frame for the trapdoor or laying the laminate floor? Will it be easier to install the frame and then lay the laminate floor around it, or do the flooring first, leaving enough space to install the frame afterwards?

n.b. I will be attaching the frame to the subfloor rather than onto the laminate flooring itself (otherwise the point would be moot).


texts: Will fiberglass insulation grow mold? (Florida)

texts:
Followup to this question

one of the comments says that fiberglass can trap moisture and lead to mold/mildew. I did some research myself and found other sources saying the same.

This worries me -- since I live in Florida (very humid all year round) so should I avoid fiberglass insulation entirely in my 2x4 framed home, and opt for foam board, even at the sacrifice of r-value?


texts: Is it within code to run ent conduit into a junction box on the exterior of the home?

texts:
I am in the construction process for a new home.  I asked the Low Voltage Contractor to run conduit to about 13 places inside the house.  In addition to that I asked for a run to the exterior of the house to connect to the telecom box outside, so that future runs for cable, satellite, fiber, etc, would be a simple task of just pulling through the conduit already connected to the house from inside the box, even once we finish the basement.

After making this request I learned that:

  ENT shall not be used in the following:

  (8) Where exposed to the direct rays of the sun, unless identified as
  sunlight resistant

I also did not know at the time that the Low Voltage Contractor is not the one who will install the telecom box.  Right now the conduit on the  outside of the home looks like this:

Because the house next door is already almost finished, I learned today that the telecom box will look exactly like this:

Will the cable company attach the conduit to the telecom box from inside the back so that it is inside the box?

Even if so, will this then be code compliant since the conduit is technically not directly in the sunlight anymore?  would there possibly be rain and water damage in the home from this?

If not, what needs to be done?


texts: How many watts max at my 220v L14 30R outlet?

texts:
I have a 40amp double pole breaker on my main with 30' of 8/3 to an L14 30R locking outlet, what is the max wattage?

Thank you.


texts: Is it legal to use different wire types for pig-tails?

texts:
When wiring an indoor switch, receptacle or fixture that has NM-B run into the box, is it legal to use a different type of wire (for example THHN) of the appropriate gauge to make pig-tails?
I can't imagine that this would not be legal, since one would connect NM-B to THHN in a box when transitioning from an interior run in cable to an exterior run in conduit, but just wanted to be sure.
If so, is it critical that the colors match, since, for example, it would be obvious by tracing the wire within the box that a short piece of white sheathed "neutral" wire was connected between a black "hot" wire exiting the box and the terminal on a standard toggle switch. Would putting some appropriate colored electrical tape on the wire be sufficient to remark the wire to be of the appropriate color?


texts: I have a leaky bathtub faucet, how do I remove this kind of cartridge?


texts:
I have hung a punching bag weighing about 100 pounds in my unfinished basement.  I just want to make sure that the setup would not harm my basement in any way.

The boards are 2*6 lumber
The screws I used to hang the boards are 3.5 inches long (8 per
board)
This is the heavy bag hanger
This is the heavy duty spring

Answers that I am interested in:

Would this setup

Cause any sort of damage to the basement?
be able to hold punches on the bag?
When I did not use the spring, it caused a lot of vibration.  Would that be damaging?


texts: why do my par 16 halogen lighbulbs keep exploding?

texts:
I have recessed ceiling lights that are rated to 75W.  I use par 16 halogen reflector lightbulbs (sylvania brand), which are what was being used when i moved in.  In the past 15 months, 6 different bulbs have failed.   Two times, the actual filament casing exploded.  Also, four different lighbulbs have failed in the past 15 months.  The metal flange that holds the glass in place  falls off, and the glass then falls off, shattering on the floor.

I called sylvania and they said there have been no reported problems with their bulbs.