texts: Is having concrete bonding primer on top of a layer of concrete stain ok?

texts:
I had a bit of a lapse in reason when redoing my concrete floor. I ground down the floor, let it dry, and then applied a concrete stain (two coats). Then, because I wasn't thinking,  I applied Behr 880 concrete bonding primer to the top, thinking that it was a sealant.

Will having bonding primer on top of the surface be a problem? It looks completely fine, I just want to make sure having the primer on there won't cause dirt/dust to stick and accumulate, ultimately changing the floors in a short period of time. If having the primer on top is a problem, what are some ways to remove it?

Thanks for answering my bizarre question.


texts: Forced-air heater for old floor registers

texts:
I have an older home which used to be centrally heated by a furnace in the crawlspace, but has since been retrofitted with forced-air wall heaters:  Some of the wall heaters are in inconvenient locations (like under windows where I'd like to add drapery), so I'm looking at options to replace them. I could replace the furnace, but the retrofit was probably done a decade or two ago and I don't know the condition of the ducts. There are still floor registers remaining from the central heating, and these seem like ideal locations for heating since the vents and ducts are already there.

Are there any forced-air heaters available which can be installed in unused floor registers? Something like the toe-kick heaters I've seen for installation under kitchen and bathroom cabinets.


texts:
I noticed cold air from my Carrier 58SS furnace. The main burners were not lighting. The pilot flame was strong, but yellow.

When I tapped on the gas valve, the pilot shut off. I removed the pilot tube to clear any possible blockage.

I also removed and replaced the 3-Wire (used previous sparker)
When everything was back together, switched on the power. The inducer fan ran for 4 minutes. No spark. I shut it off the power.

What might the problem be?


texts: How do I remove a drill bit that is stuck due to an overtightened chuck?

texts:
I recently bought a Bosch PSB 500 RE power drill and already I kinda screwed up the machine.

The chuck is keyless, consisting of two parts which I'll refer to as the head and the base.  You would hold the base and rotate the head relative to the base to loosen or tighten the bit.

The machine is also equipped with a grip that is located on the drill body just before the base of the chuck.

While drilling this grip slipped and caught the base, stopped it from turning, so that only the head of the chuck was turning in the grip direction.

Now the whole chuck is too tight and it seems I can't release the bit any more.
Any solutions?

Edit 1

I tried wearing gloves, it didn't help. I also tried putting some WD40, but that didn't help because the bit is way too tight.

I heard that the chuck assembly can be replaced, what do you think?


texts: Light fixture is tripping the circuit breaker

texts:
So my wife purchased an antique light fixture at an antique fair.  It is an old brass chandelier with 6 regular bulbs and 1 small bulb in the center.  The guy that sold it to her said the wiring was perfect and that all the parts were there.  Wait for it...the guy lied...I know this is hard to believe.  Anyway after a long search I found all the necessary parts to put this thing back in working condition.  Unfortunately some of the wiring was bad as well and I had to replace some of the wires.  I did all that work and tested it by temp wiring a plug and plugging it into a socket.  Bingo...it works great and is beautiful.  So then I go to hang it up and as soon as I hard wire it from my dining room ceiling it trips the entire house electricity.  Obviously there is something wrong.  When I put the original light fixture up it works fine...what are some potential issues that could cause this problem?  Thanks in advance.!

Roy


texts: I am laying my floor but I have a transition that I need help with, I am going from laminate to tile but the tile is much bigger. I have attached a drawing of the 2 different materials and I am looking to see what people might recommend on doing


texts: What type of sealant should I use for this?  I'm assuming 100% silicone.


texts: When bolting down a porcelain toilet, how tight is "too tight"?

texts: Tightening bolts on the base of a toilet is the one thing about toilet installation that has me the most nervous.  They say not to over-tighten, but how tight is too tight before the porcelain is subject to cracking?  Do I tighten until I can't tighten anymore?  Do I tighten it just before I think it's at its tightest?


texts: Will plywood installed over Thermo-Ply cause moisture problems?

texts: Having the stucco removed and HardiePank fibercement siding installed.  The house has overlapped Thermo-Ply as the sheathing, and the contractor wants to put plywood over the thermo-ply.  Should I be concerned about moisture getting trapped between plywood and the Thermo-Ply?


texts:
I have a solid wall full width rear extension and am looking to add a half width second story. The existing extension has a flat roof and solid brick walls. The current extension houses a kitchen which I would prefer not to interfere with as it's fairly nice. I can internally insulate during renovation in the future so do not want to knock this down.
The wall is ~215mm masonry with a render on the outside.
Should I build a cavity wall above this for the new second floor extension?
How do I overcome the wall width being larger than the wall below?
Current wall:

Render
215mm Solid Brick
Plaster

Example thin cavity with internal insulation:

Render
Brick 102mm
Cavity 50mm
Concrete block 100mm
Internal insulation to meet building reg 0.28 u value

In the above example aligning the render means concrete wall is 63mm above the wall and 37mm overhang is this an issue?
Is timber frame an option?
What about SIPs?


texts:
I have a 14/2 wire going from a switch to an outlet such that both plugs in the outlet are switched.
I'm going to replace the 14/2 with 14/3 so that one plug gets constant power while the other is switched.
My questions are:

If the 14/2 is nailed to the stud inside the wall what do I do with the old cable?

Do I wire nut it inside both boxes?

Can I just cut the ends off and push into the wall side there will be no power on the cable?


texts: No heat from AC after new coils in air handler and new thermostat

texts:
I just had new evaporator coils and a new thermostat installed.  This was all due to a leak in the evaporator coils.  Now I have nice new shiny aluminum coils.  Once the system was filled with gas and the AC fired up it was amazing.  It was cooling the house like it hadn't in years.  Really cold air blowing out.  The issue is that now the heat doesn't "fully" work".

Here is what I mean by "fully".  When I switch the thermostat to heat and then crank the heat up a few degrees higher than the room temp I can hear the thermostat click and then the heat starts blowing. A quick check shows the air is coming out of the vents at about 80 degrees F (about 5 degrees warmer than room temp).  When I walk outside to the heat pump the pipe going in is hot to the touch.  To hot to keep your hand on it.  So all seems well and good until about 4 or so minutes later.  At that point the air suddenly starts blowing cooler out of the vent (about room temp air) and eventually the pipe outside that was VERY hot starts to cool down.  Not cold like when the AC is on, but not hot at all.

My AC guy isn't sure what is going on.  He has replaced the thermostat once already.  The outside unit is a Trane.  Before this repair, while the AC was not cold the heat worked just fine.  Now I have a AC that is amazing and no heat.  Is it possible the wires are incorrect in the thermostat?  The replacement thermostat (Honeywell TH3210D) does not have the exact same wire labels as the old one (Simple Comfort SC2200).  The old thermostat has

B O W2 G E Y1 Y2

The new thermostat has

E AUX Y G O L R B C

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the old way it was wired, but the new one has wires going into

E Y G O R

There are no jumpers.

Any ideas?  I would think if the compressor was having an issue that the cold would not work either.  It also is strange that when the heat first comes on it appears to work, but then stops a few minutes later.


texts: 30 years old exterior wooden stairs, repair or replace?

texts: We manage this condo in lake tahoe region, and as you may know, the area snows a lot during winter time. The exterior wooden stairs (circled in red) is about 30 years old, and we are thinking about doing some retrofitting, although it still works fine. Previous owner replaced some railings and steps as we can tell. I recently got a quote from a contractor to replace the whole stairs, and quote is at $53,000 staggering price. To reinforce or repair it, we could replace some railings, treads, steps, and reinforce the posts, and that would cost a few hundreds or $1000 - $2000. I'd like to bring this up to this forum to hear some experts' opinions.


texts: How can I make a finished attic cooler and all bedrooms comfortable when central A/C is shared between 2nd and 3rd floors?

texts:
I have a 3-floor house with central air.  First floor has its own A/C.  Second floor and finished attic are a single zone.  There is an open staircase between the first and second floors, and a smaller staircase to the attic with a door at the bottom.  There is insulation behind the finished attic walls facing the unfinished crawl spaces and there is insulation in the ceiling/roof above the finished space too.  The insulation isn't as great as it should be but I do not think improving it would do very much to solve my summer heat problem in the attic.  The attic is always 10 to 25 degrees warmer than the second floor.
The A/C seems to cool the second floor bedrooms quickly, and actually too much.  I set the thermostat to 73 and the bedrooms are in the high 60s all night while the attic is in the 80s.  Nobody is comfortable.  How can I fix this?


texts: Name of tool used to check/make squareness

texts:
I urgently need to know the name of this tool.
I'm not talking about a try square.

It has for pieces of plastic which have inside corners in them, exactly 90 degrees, a piece of string goes around each plastic corner and you put the the work that you want to be rectangular (all 4 outside corners 90 degrees) inside the corner pieces of the tool, and pull the string to make it very tight.

You can glue the wood together that you are making, put this tool around it and tie off the string, the woodwork will then glue in a perfect rectangle, with every corner at 90 degrees.


texts: How do I make sure I get a replacement toilet tank that fits the bowl?

texts:
Our toilet tank suddenly cracked with no warning--a giant crack from handle to base. Luckily we were home and were able to turn off the water / flush before too much leaked out.

Now I'd like to replace the tank, and save the $500+ a plumber will charge, but I'm concerned there are hidden gotchas to the task I don't know.

(It sounds like it's basically--remove all the water and hardware--unscrew bolts--pull gently...correct me if I'm wrong.)

The real question is, how to get a new tank that (a) fits and (b) isn't going to leak itself. I can't find a model number, but the tank is a Toto from 2002 (according to the stamps inside). Is there some sort of master list of toilets out there? And how do I know which gaskets/washers/etc. to use for the new tank?


texts: Suggestions for finishing off bathtub ledge

texts:
We are doing a bathroom renovation. We have put a tile ledge at the foot of the existing bathtub. I’m looking for ideas on how best to close up the side panel. Plan was to use fiber cement board screwed in to the existing framing. Even then I’m not completely sure on how best to close up the edge between the top of the board and the edge of the tile.

The panel needs to be removal as during this renovation we found a bunch of wiring that needs to be accessible. Old houses.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Attached photo to highlight the space and angle.


texts: Can one use large-diameter rigid plastic pipe for HVAC ducting slash why is this never done?

texts:
Lots of buildings have rigid metal ducts. And lots of buildings have (much-maligned) plastic flex ducts. But why do rigid plastic ducts not seem to be a thing in North American construction? Such ducting would seem to solve a lot of problems: Like flex duct, it would be cheap and fast and easy to install, but give better static pressure due to its smooth walls like metal ducting. Whatever plastic they make flex duct out of seems temperature-resistant enough; why not make rigid plastic duct segments out of the same material, with it being field-assembled like PVC or ABS pipes?

Is there any reason why you couldn't use sufficiently large diameter rigid ABS or polyethylene pipes for ductwork if you wanted? These are both relatively temperature-resistant plastics (176f and 221f, respectively) and would seem to be especially well-suited for carrying the output from heat pumps where the maximum output temperature is much lower than what a gas furnace can do.


texts: Is it stupid to replace redwood siding with Hardi board or LP SmartSide?

texts:
Our house was built in 1922, and due to some ongoing exterior water damage due (I think) to poor gutters and some ice dam damage after this past horrible Minnesota winter, we have been getting some estimates for various repairs.

Our plan at first was to get new gutters installed and have the fascia boards replaced if necessary. Things escalated quickly to getting the attic properly vented and better insulated to resolve the ice dam issue. Then, exterior wall insulation along with the necessary repair work for the siding where holes would be needed to blow in the insulation. Then, it was mentioned that with the condition of some of our siding that we may want to consider new siding all together (Hardi board or LP Smartside).

When we first bought the house about 7 years ago we had it painted, and I remember the painter saying "never replace this siding, it's redwood and people will try to talk you into replacing it - don't listen to them". Admittedly, some of the siding is in pretty rough shape with some splits in places, uneven spots from over-eager sanding, and so many layers of old cracking paint that the idea of replacing it with an easier to maintain option appeals to me. However, what that painter said to me is stuck in my mind, so I thought I would come here to ask what people think.

So, was that painter just trying to secure future work from me by telling me to keep that redwood no matter what, or is there something more to his words?


texts:
From what I observe in my region posts in both municipal and private construction - mostly fence posts and lighting posts - are gradually replaced from enforced concrete to steel pipes.

Is it just my region or is there a fundamental reason to prefer steel pipes to enforced concrete? I mean steel corrodes if not maintained regularly and enforced concrete doesn't seem to change over time at all so enforced concrete seems more practical.

How do steel and enforced concrete posts compare? Why prefer steel posts?


texts:
I have recently renovated the basement. I made a mistake of going with cheapest contractor who doesn't seem to care much about safety. I have old style radiator heater on 1st and 2nd floor and pipes are running in basement as shown in image below. I have also replaced my old steam boiler to get a new powerful (146k BTU) boiler. Pipes are going through newly installed drywall and also going up from behind the dry wall.

Should I be worried about fire in case pipe gets too hot? I am not sure how hot these steam pipe will get in winter when boiler runs for hours. Also, I have R-15 Rock Wool Batt Insulation behind the drywall which i am sure would be touching these heating pipes. Is this going to be a fire hazard?


texts: Nest thermostat heating way beyond set temperature

texts:
I installed a new (2020 model) Nest thermostat, which is replacing a basic battery-powered Honeywell thermostat that we had. The wiring is W/R/G/Y.
The Nest thermostat keeps heating WAY beyond the temperature I set it to heat to; it just won't stop. (When I go into settings it also reports that it's not detecting the W wire, even though I've carefully stripped and inserted that wire multiple times.)
The curious thing is that when I put the old thermostat back in, everything works fine. (And that old thermostat has always worked fine; we got the Nest Snow because we thought it would be a nice update.)
Additional information:

Our furnace is a 19-year-old (and soon to be replaced) Trane XV90 (variable speed, high efficiency, two stage).

This is the wiring for the old thermostat. I've had to put it back in because of the problems we've experienced with the Nest.


texts: aluminum or vinyl for replacement glass sliding door?

texts:
I'm replacing an aluminum glass sliding door. Should I replace it
with another aluminum door or go with vinyl?


texts: What could cause a mobile home furnace not to light?

texts: Our furnace won't lite.  Mobile home pre 80. There is no name that we can see. The pilot light piece looks to be changed. Pilot light won't light. We don't hear or smell gas. It has settings last, 2, r, pilot & set.  Fan still works.


texts:
I'm currently draining my heating system (radiator valve sprung a leak), however I have left it for a ages (1 hour) and it is still going, when I turn the bleed valve on an upstairs radiator air does not suck in but water sprays out.

I've got a cold water tank in the loft, a hot water cylinder upstairs and boiler downstairs, and am draining from a downstairs radiator, I live in a 3 bedroom detached house with 7 radiators.. I've turned off two valves next to the hot water cylinder, 1 feeds from the loft into the bottom of the cylinder, another feeds from the loft into the heating pump, I've also tied up the gall valve in the tank upstairs.

Is this purely a waiting game, or is there still water being fed into my system from somewhere else?


texts: Hot water twin impeller pump wiring to my boiler

texts:
I have installed a new Stuart Turner Monsoon twin impeller pump to increase the hot water pressure in my house.

The pluming side of things seems to have gone well, however, I am not receiving any hot water through my taps at all where as previously I would get hot water but at a slow dribble.

Is it possible that the wiring I have replaced between my hot water boiler and the new pump could be interfering with each other and preventing me getting any hot water?

I have attached some pictures below so you can understand the setup.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Ash


texts: How can I round the edges of a piece of wood?

texts: I need a piece of wood to place above a window, to which I'm going to attach a curtain rail. I'd like it to match an existing piece of wood above another window, which has quarter-round edges all around. What are my options, given that I don't own a router?


texts: Plastic shower pan about to crack. Any preventive measures to take before it is too late?

texts:
Recently our shower pan started to make really loud, cracking sounds when we step on it. I feel that it will crack, if we don't take any action. The paint has already come off slightly in the places where I suspect it would crack first.

Any ideas how to fix it or at least extend shower pans lifespan so that more expensive repair could be avoided?

See pictures with annotations.


texts: angled bracket to attach a beam to a post?

texts:
I am in the planning stages to build a deck around an oval pool. I have angles like the picture shows below (probably 30 degrees).. Is there a bracket i can use instead of the connection shown? NY building inspector doesn't like this and wants something with a bracket connection but has no suggestions
thanks for your help
Joe


texts:
I'm not worried about the connection between the mount and the wall - I do know how to do that properly. I'm worried, in this case, about the connection between the TV and the mount - specifically, in this case, a 65" TCL 65R617 TV with a Sanus VLT6 mount.

The wall mount came with spacers to use in case the back of the TV isn't flat, which as you can see in the first attached picture were necessary. Specifically, I used 7mm worth of spacers. (The screw holes on the TV are quite shallow, and the margin between a too-short screw and a too-long one is only a few mm. None of the screws that came with the mount were the right size, but I found something at my local hardware store that works as long as I add a couple of extra washers.)

My concern is this: The full weight and pressure of the mount/tv connection is not against the sturdy metal inner frame of the TV, or distributed evenly across the back of the TV, but rather focused on a small amount of rather flimsy-looking plastic around the screw hole. You can see what I'm talking about in the pictures. It feels like if I tighten the screws too much, I'll crush the TV's plastic frame. And as soon as I hang the TV, its full weight will be on those four small weak points. Is this really secure, and is it how this TV is meant to be mounted?

The gap, requiring the use of 7mm spacers:

The plastic spacers against the plastic frame of the TV - a weak point?


texts: Buying a home with 2 prong outlets but the bathroom has 3 prong outets

texts:
I'm looking at a home for my family and trying to assess the amount of work needed (no home-inspection is present). I saw that most of the electrical ports have 2 prong outlets and am worried that I might have to add grounding to the entire home which can cost 10k+.
I noticed though that the Bathroom outlets have 3 prong sockets though. Does this mean I might not have to re-do the entire house and just change the electrical sockets? Any help is super appreciated.


texts: What cable do I need to run from my main breaker in the house underground in schedule 40 conduit to my garage?

texts: Well, we finally closed and moved in to our new home. I called around and the electrical contractors in my neck of the woods are ridiculously expensive. So Off to Lowes I went. I bought a Eaton 100 amp panel with a 100 amp breaker + 5-20 amp breakers for like $60.00. 250 feet of 12/2 wire, 20 amp outlets, covers, wire staples etc.. I'm going to get my permit tomorrow to install this myself. I have two spaces in my main breaker panel in the house which is a good thing.My trouble is this: It's just that after doing an exhaustive search on youtube and the internet, I cannot for the life of me find out what cable I need to run from my main breaker in the house underground in schedule 40 pipe to my garage.  Yes, I know what I'm doing, just wanted an electrician to do it for me. I'm old and lazy,but the prices for electricians were out of this world.Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts: I'm pulling up carpet tack from a concrete basement floor using the techniques in these videos: vid1, vid2... the technique isn't perfect and I'm still getting the small divots here and there.  How concerned should I be about those divots if I'm aiming to put vinyl flooring down eventually?  Do the divots definitely have to be filled before laying down flooring?


texts:
Shortening a globe light string.
I have a 100 foot G40, E12 base, C7 socket globe light string.
I want to shorten it by 6 feet. I have very little electrical experience.
How can I easily do this?


texts: Why does the transformer on my furnace keep burning up?

texts: Why does the transformer burn up, about 2 minutes after i turn on the power to the furnace? Nothing gets turned on at the thermostat. I just plug it in and push in the blower door switch and it burns up. I know after a lightning strike I heard a "slap" sound and then smelled burning. I know it was the transformer because there was no power light on on the control board. When I replaced the transformer the lights came on, then the transformer burned up. So I replaced the contactor and the transformer, the lights came on again, then the transformer burned up.


texts: Penetrating exterior wall to bring in a continuous MC cable to the garage

texts: I'm installing a high current 100 amp EV charger inside my garage.  It seems easiest to wire it with a continuous run of 2/3 MC cable from the outdoor breaker panel, first strapped to the exterior wall, then run through some sort of conduit body for weather protection, and then into the garage.  The wires inside the cable are rated for wet, so I believe outdoor use of MC under eaves would meet code.  But how can I get it through the wall without cutting and re-connecting the large AWG2 wires?  The cable is 1.18" OD. I'm thinking of running it through a 1.25 inch PVC or EMT conduit body.  But since the metal cladding won't make a 90 degree turn in less than about 7 inches, I would either have to terminate the cladding at the body, or cut away the body back to allow an angled smooth curve into the wall.  What is the right way to do it?


texts: Is it a problem to leave a sprinkler line through concrete shed footing?

texts:
I'm in the process of getting an attached shed built in my house (due to HOA restrictions). They seem to be very competent. The contractor is subcontracting the concrete foundation pouring.

They have just dug the footing, pre-pour. I have noticed that a water line for the sprinkler system is going to go right through two sides of it and skim the front wall. I have asked about it and they said it should be fine running through the foundation.

I'm not terribly worried about the foundation itself from this. But it seems like it might be a concern from a servicing perspective, not moving the line. They will be redirecting the sump line though.

Does this sound right to you guys? Just want to double check.

Here is what it currently looks like:


texts: How do I fill a recurring sinkhole in the rainforest of Hawai'i?

texts:
Aloha!

My 12x20' outdoor bedroom has a sinkhole below it. The land is lava rock and here, the lava rock was bulldozed, so it was all broken up and indeed, there are lava tubes around these parts. The one below the bedroom has opened up several times and has been filled as much as possible with rocks of varying sizes and cinder.

I am thinking about using that expandable foam now. Any thoughts out there on that?


texts: Is it okay to put an instant hot water dispenser on the garbage disposal wiring?

texts:
Current setup:

An old, hardwired, garbage disposal
Controlled by a wall switch
20A breaker for disposal

I am replacing my garbage disposal and also wanted to add an instant hot water dispenser, but I don't have anywhere to plug it in under the sink.
My idea:

I bought this new garbage disposal (Specs & Instructions) which says 120 volts, 9.5 Amp (Avg. Load)
I bought this instant hot water dispenser (Specs & Manual) which says it needs 115 volts, 750 watts, 6.25 amps.
Remove the disposal wall switch by wiring the connections together and putting a flat wall plate in its place to provide always-on power under sink.
Add this button switch in an empty faucet hole, to control the disposal
Add this surface mount box to the back of the under-sink cabinet with the wiring that's currently going to the garbage disposal (in metal conduit), plus a 20A outlet and cover.

Note: My dishwasher is separately hard-wired behind the dishwasher (not sink cabinet) so using that seemed harder.
Questions:

Is it okay to have both the disposal and the instant hot water dispenser on the same breaker/wiring?
Any issues with my plan overall?


texts: Can I add an elbow to my kitchen gas line to improve clearance with the range?

texts:
The gas stub out behind my gas range currently protrudes from the wall by about an inch too much for the range to sit tight to the wall.
I'm thinking of using a 90 degree elbow like this one after the valve so that the pipe faces towards the direction of the flex pipe.
Is that considered safe and are there any codes prohibiting it? I'm hoping to avoid redoing the pipe if possible.


texts: Should my first power saw be a circular or jig saw?

texts:
I'm just beginning DIY projects, and do not own a power saw.  The projects I plan to begin with will be simple, and I mostly plan to cut wood < 2" thick, PVC, and maybe some thin metal.  I've read a few blogs, and it seems that experts recommend buying a circular saw before moving on to the jig saw (I only want to buy 1 saw for now, < $50).   This seems odd, because you can cut tighter curves with the jig saw, even though the circular cuts faster in a straight line.  Am I missing any big reason for getting the circular saw first?

Awesome feedback.  Because my "simple" DIY tool needs are incredibly simple (e.g. cutting boards to make unfinished shelves, making 2-3 inch holes/arcs in materials, and nothing intricate or high-volume), here's what I've concluded from your advice:

My first power saw should be a circular saw.  I should expect to pay more than $50 for one worth its value.  Somewhere between $70 and $100 will get me started.

To satisfy my one-off needs to cutting tight curves, I'll buy a hand corning saw.

As my expertise expands , and consequently my comfortable budget, I will consider either a reciprocating or jig saw for my second power saw.  This will depend on the coarseness and accuracy of my average required cut.


texts: probable water damage to exterior outlet when power-washing house

texts: We power-washed our house 2 days ago. We believe water got into one of the exterior outlets which has caused a circuit to trip.  It won't reset. We turned on a fan for several hours yesterday on the outlet, but it still won't work. Any idea how long it should take to dry out, if moisture is what caused the problem?


texts: Options for current armored cable 12/2 but need 12/3

texts:
I currently have an armored cable 12/2 with green (ground) leading to a light switch, running outside the wall (simply runs from the light fixture to a surface mounted box where the light switch is).
I will convert this light switch to an outlet light combination.
That means I need a 12/3 cable. Unless for some reason I'm able to use the green as a neutral or hot return.

In case I really need a new cable (12/3):
I assume I can't use NM cable. This is a New York city 13-floors building built in 1965. Correct?
I've found Service Entrance Wire, Portable Power Cord and Armored Cable. It's unclear to me the specific purpose of the SE Wire and Portable Power Cord.
It seems a little hard to find Armored Cable 12/3 - for some reason they are not cheap as 12/2, so that's why I looked into other options.

Any insight is appreciated, thank you!


texts: Seebeck generator to run a fan on a radiator

texts:
I asked in this question if there was a heat powered fan for residential steam rads, to increase air flow over them since natural flow is pretty weak.

Alas, looks like some wood stoves can use such a device, but in the $300 range and they are pretty bulky.

Looking at parts, I found some cheaper ($40 US) Seebeck effect generators (Reverse of Peltier effect) and I am wondering if I can build one myself that is worthwhile.

Found a Seebeck generator here that looks to be about the right size, attach to my rad right where the steam comes in, stick a computer style heat sink on the back (bum one from work), and then run the power into a small fan.

Now to find a small fan I can fit under the rad, and needs low DC power.

I am tempted to experiment, since for $40 this should be simple enough.

I know my rad is not hot enough at 100C max, but I wonder if I can get enough power out to run a small battery powered fan styled motor...

Am I going to fail?  Or is there a chance this might succeed?


texts: Does the NEC allow electrical wiring to run next to a ventilation duct?

texts:
I am about to install a vent to the outside for the range hood exhaust in the kitchen. In the same bulkhead that will have this vent, there is some electrical wire (some 12/2 NM and some low voltage speaker wire).

Do I have to do anything special to keep the wire away from the vent? I can't imagine it is an issue (it never occurred to me), but my Father-in-law wondered if there was anything in the "code" about this situation.


texts: Why do my bulbs glow brighter when the microwave is running?

texts:
When I run the microwave oven in my rented apartment, the incandescent lights nearby glow much brighter.

What sort of mis-wiring could cause this?

EDIT: Suspecting a bad neutral connection, I measured the voltage between hot and neutral at a nearby electrical outlet.  The voltage was 113 VAC.  When running the microwave, that same voltage goes up to 129 VAC.

The voltage at that outlet measured between hot and ground is the same as between hot and neutral (i.e. it also increases when the microwave is running).

On the same circuit as the microwave, the voltage is 126 VAC without the microwave and 108 with it running.

I assume this means that the neutral and/or ground connections to the house may be faulty?


texts: Repair broken button from dishwasher controller plastic case

texts:
So recently my dishwasher stopped working.

After disassembling, I found out that the problem was just the on/off button. It won't work because when you press it, it pushes a plastic piece that is broken. There are 4 buttons (1 and 3) in the picture. The one broken is the one to the left by itself.

It's a very small problem, but a replacement is expensive because you have to buy the entire piece with the circuit included. Any idea on how to fix this?

Here's a picture of a new plastic case:

And here mine with the left button plastic piece missing:


texts: My understanding of a boiler system is that it is closed, meaning the water stays in the pipes and constantly recirculates.  However, there is a vent (3" PVC pipe) that is connected to it that periodically blows steam.  Where does this steam come from?


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I am going to be installing a 3/8in glass frameless shower door system in my new project. I have the opportunity to screw into a stud on one side, but not the other.

I would have added a stud in the location before I had closed up the wall, but the plan was to install something different before this point.

So one side may have a stud, or I can install one. The other side just has the 1/2 cement board and tile on it. Is there an anchor out there that could hold this weight for me? I believe the weight of the track system and one sliding door is about 140lbs.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigo-Elan-68-in-x-74-in-Frameless-Sliding-Shower-Door-in-Chrome-with-Clear-Glass-VG6041CHCL6874/205759376?keyword=VG6041CHCL6874


texts: How can I close the gaps between the sides of the bathtub and the drywall?


texts: Why won't my air conditioner work after a power outtage?

texts: The air conditioner does not work at all. I'm wondering if it's a power problem? The thermostat isn't even on and doesn't show a temperature. Before it stopped working the power had gone out due to storms, could that have contributed to why it is not working now?


texts:
I have a detached mother-in-law suite being finished. The exterior walls have three 2x6s stacked. I believe the bottom is the sill plate. The anchor bolts go through there. Then there is a second layer. Each anchor bolt has a ~3-inch gap around it in this level. Then a third layer on which the wall is built.
The gaps in the second layer with the anchor bolts go through to the exterior siding. This seems like a likely ingress for rodents, not to mention drafts.
Is there any issue with me filling these gaps with moderately expanding foam? There are also some gaps under the sill plate where it interfaces with the concrete. I assume I can fill this with steel wool or something else to keep mice out?


texts: What causes this glass shower door hinge separation

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This glass shower door was installed in 2013. The top hinge has worked itself loose three times over six years. It's not pulling away from the wall; the internal hinge is coming apart.  Is this a common problem? What causes it? Is it a defect in the hinge? Did the installers choose a hinge that was undersized for the weight of the door?  My guess is that the threads of the screws are too fine for the weight, and need to be one size up.

NOTE: The picture gets rotated during upload. Not sure how that happened.

EDIT: I've looked closer and believe the female threads in the wall-plate of the top hinge are stripped. When I grab the outer edge of the glass door and lift the door slightly up and a little towards the wall that the hinges are mounted on, I can see the screws disappearing into the wall-plate a couple of threads. They seem awfully fine threads, given the weight of a 29 x 62 x 3/8 glass door.

EDIT2:  What I was noticing with the movement of the screw was not a stripped female thread at all,  I was wrong about that; it is evidence that the head of the screw is on the wall side of the plate, as @Michael Karas notes in his answer.


texts: What is this cast-iron device on my water supply pipe?

texts: This is on the water main for the house, just downstream of the main shutoff valve. Water is going up in the picture, as the arrow shows. Is it a strainer? A check valve? Pressure regulator? It appears to say "Parts No. 135CM2" but I couldn't find anything matching that on google. I cannot read any part of the logo so I can't search on that.


texts: What to use to finish my desk from IKEA?

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This may be an easy question, but everything I am finding on the Internet is kind of confusing (I am a computer guy not a carpenter!).  Essentially, I want to know what I could use to finish my tabletop I purchased at IKEA.

For reference, here is the table top I purchased: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50106773/

When I purchased it, I forgot to purchase the wood oil that went with it at the IKEA store.  Here it is for reference: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40186303/

The closest IKEA is far, so I am looking for a replacement of the oil that is recommended by IKEA in my local hardware store.  I love the color of the desk and I am not looking to compromise that, just finish it so I can add some durability to it.

Some recommendations I have found say that I am perfectly fine to use this Linseed oil from Lowes: http://www.lowes.com/pd_206533-34228-CR.BL.M.41_0__?productId=3024054&Ntt=linseed+oil&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dlinseed%2Boil&facetInfo=

Some other recommendations say I could use Tung oil.

The problem is I have no idea what the difference between different wood oils are or if these things are going to compromise the color or not.

So, I have a few questions:

What wood oil can I use on my IKEA table top to improve durability and not the color?
What's the difference between different oils I could use?
I've heard of applying a seal.  What is that?  Is there a difference between applying that and a finish?


texts: Basement bathtub drain is roughed in close to the wall

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I am the second owner of my home.  The original owner had the contractors rough in a bathroom (no copper or anything) in the basement but it was never completed.  I am in the process of finishing the bathroom but the drain in the slab for the alcove tub has, I guess, strange rough in dimensions.
The tub is a right hand drain (2" drain) tub with the following dimensions (all measurements to the center of the drain):

2 1/4" off the right wall
15 3/4" off the back wall
57 3/4" off the left wall

Most of the tubs I have looked at expect the drain to be around 8 1/2" off the right wall, although I did find a brand (A2) that has a tub that expects the drain 2" off the right wall but it expects the drain to be 18" off the back wall.
I have had a handful of people tell me that I am going to need to break open the concrete and move the drain because it was roughed in "wrong".
My questions are:

Is there some brand of tubs that are designed for drains roughed in 2" from the wall?  What I have seen at Home Depot and Lowes so far is the drains are expected to be 8 1/2" from the wall.
I have a radon system and I have read that if I break open the concrete it messes up the Radon system. What precautions do I need to take to make sure the radon system isn't impacted?
Is there some other way to get this installed that doesn't require cracking the cement open?

EDIT: Photos


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I've removed the carpet on the stairs from 1st floor to 2nd floor. There is hardwood under but half the boards are cracked all the way across and deflect noticeable when walked on. I'm debating what all to do to them. I'd like it to be safe, look good and not squeak.

The stairs are 34 inches wide and there is no center support. The house was built in 1954, there aren't stringers, only individual blocking nailed on each side for each stair tread. There doesn't appear to be enough room to put a center stringer in between the ceiling below and the underside of the stairs.

I'm leaning towards replacing at least all the treads, maybe the risers too. Can I stiffen them somehow if I can't get other support under them?

The front few inches of one stairs was not attached, that's the only access to look at take photos that I have.

Thanks!


texts:
The switches on a couple of range elements don't work well anymore. Sometimes the burner will suddenly go on full heat while the switch is set to low or intermediate heat.
Is it possible to safely repair the switches, eg. with some alcohol or contact cleaner, or must they be replaced?
Switch model numbers: 3148954, 3148952
Range: Whirlpool YRF263LXTQ0


texts: Strange wires behind a plate in living room (red plastic sensor looking)

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I was removing all the wall plates from my living room walls prior to painting and found a set of wires I have never seen before. If the wires are useless I would like to patch the hole with plaster to minimize the number of wall plates I have. If they are important then I'll just keep the plate.

Both red plastic pieces are connected to a wire from each of the two 'main' wires. the rest of the wires are not connected to anything. They are housed in a metal box similar to an electrical outlet.

Does anyone know what these are? Are they important?


texts: Is the lack of a vapor barrier in the attic causing my mold issue?

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For the last couple of days we have noticed more and more mold growth on the ceiling throughout the house.  Wondering what was going on, I climbed into the attic this past weekend and notice that no vapor barrier was ever put in place along with an inadequate level of insulation. I plan on blowing in the additional insulation to bring the home up to the recommended levels, but what can be done in regards to the missing vapor barrier?

Update: I live in central Wisconsin. I am seeing the mold in the living area of the house mostly around the can lights.


texts: What actions should be taken after water heater supply pipe damage?

texts: Water pipe to water heater burst after 3,5 quake. Do we turn off the water heater and the water or just turn water heater to pilot?


texts: What are the consequences of incorrect positioning of air separator (and swapped return/flow) in solar heating system?

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I've moved into a house that has a Vaillant Solar system for helping heat the water. We had various issues that resulted in a Vaillant engineer visiting, who pointed out various problems, including a missing air separator.

The installer returned and added the air seperator, and I thought this would be the last of it :)

However; we've noticed that over time the pressure has been dropping; and rising again when hot (this rising makes me think it's not just a leak). When the last work was done, the pressure was 2-3 bar even when cold. The pressure relief valve is 6bar. Today, the pressure is 0.5bar at 30-40 degrees; but rises to around 2bar at 60-70 degrees.

After checking the manual again; I believe there are two issues; but I'd like to know the impact of them (whether they're the likely cause) before embarking on the mission that is trying to get Taylor Wimpey and/or the installers to fix stuff; because it's a world of pain, and nobody seems to have a clue about how this system works.

Here's a picture showing the system and where the air separator should be installed (page 28 of the manual):

I've marked some things in red relating to the positioning of the air separator. The things that appear to be incorrect in my system are:

The air separator is on the incoming hot fluid from the panels; which is shown here with a big X through it. This means the fluid going through the air separator is hotter than if it was on the pipe returning to the panels. Could this be the cause of pressure loss after hot days? (the system is supposed to shut off at high panel temperatures, so I would expect the fluid here to never be steam; but since the manual has a big X I'm wondering if there's a good reason for this?)
The pipes into the coil in the water tank are crossed over - our incoming hot fluid goes into the bottom of the coil, not the top as shown here. I'm not entirely surprised by this, as the incoming pipes from the panels were crossed further up too causing another issue they had to fix. I'm not sure if this problem should really have an impact on anything (in fact, to me, this seems more sensible, pushing hot fluid up instead of down; but I known nothing about any of this stuff!)

So; in short:

Are these problems enough that we should be fighting with Taylor Wimpey again?
Are either these problems the likely cause of gradual pressure loss?


texts: How can I fix paint with orange peel texture?

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I'm working on a new site that is a large penthouse flat. Some amateur painter just put bad quality white emulsion on the walls instead of applying a mist coat. I sanded it down, but the next layer looks really bad. It looks like orange skin in quite a few places! I'm having nightmares that the client will complain, and I will lose my job because of it.

Is there any way I can improve the finish?

A friend of mine told me that alkaline resisting paint could help, but I'm afraid it's too late, since I need to leave the flat in 3 days. I used a really good roller, I did everything like I always do. I suggest the paint (b&q) is not top quality.


texts: Can I tile over existing tile (on drywall) to improve waterproofing?

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I bought a  renovated house; the shower is drop in tub, the tile wall are directly set on dry wall, no cement backer board behind the tiles.
can I pay someone to tile over the existing tile , since the shower is not been used yet, so in this way use  the existing tile will serve as a cement backer board, for a waterproof purpose , then  attaching a 2nd layer  tile ,  if this will have a waterproofing shower wall? Or do I have to remove the new none waterproofing tile, then add the cement backer board?


texts: How to properly pigtail a second light source from existing light switch

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all.

I'm looking for feedback on how to wire a second light from an existing wall switch. I am providing a self-drawn diagram and an actual photo of the existing box with the wires exposed in an attempt to express myself as clearly as possible.

Here is my drawing. I'm sorry it's not the best. I can redo it if it appears too poorly done.

I actually think a real photo in its current appearance is harder to make out what's what:

So here are the details. The areas of each corner marked "A", "B", "C" and "D" are actual Romex wires that enter the box from each corner. This will be a two gang junction box, by the way. One will control the existing ceiling fan and the other will be a dimmer for the new lights. Currently, the "A" Romex leads up into the ceiling and powers a ceiling fan. Romex "B" will power the new  lights which will have a total of four LED flush-mount lights in the corners of the ceiling. Total wattage for all four will be 28w. The ceiling fan has a total of 57w (that's at the highest settings for both the light and fan speed). Romex "C" (I'm 98% certain) is the power from the circuit box. And Romex "D" is a line that runs to the bathroom. I know that bathrooms should have their own circuit. I didn't wire it that way. That's just how I found it. I can't change that.

What I am looking to learn is how to connect Romex "B" (the new light) correctly. I tried connecting a dimmer switch for my new lights by connecting the the hot wire from Romex "B" to the black shared wires "A" and "D". Then I tried to connect the neutral white wire from Romex "B" to the neutral white shared wires from Romex "A", "C" and "D." This blew the circuit and I fried my dimmer switch.

I think my error was that I connected incorrectly to Romex "D" as and now I'm pretty sure that wire goes to the bathroom (hence why I mentioned I'm 98% certain above). Romex wires "C" and "D" are either one or the other (either power from circuit breaker box or a line to power the bathroom).

Do I connect the Romex "B" hot to the hot on Romex "C" and Romex "B" white neutral to Romex "A", "C" and "D"? I am confused.


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I have a semi-finished attic in my 1930's era cape. A shed roof was added at some point, so there is some open space and light. The square footage is counted as part of the house (well it was when I bought it).

I'm thinking about remodeling, but have some concerns, floor joist spacing (its not 16", bigger), ceiling height, "can I add a bathroom"?

Can an architect answer these questions, or would it require an engineer? Would either make the permitting process easier?

Any thoughts on closed cell spray foam directly under the roof? to make the space better insulated?


texts:
My fridge in the garage stopped working. The outlet had no  power, I replaced the outlet but still no power.
Here are some observations I made:
The lights sharing the same breaker switch turns on and off properly
Using the current detector on the old outlet before replacement gave slow beep, around 1 beep per second.
Using current detector on a normal functioning outlet gives rapid beep, maybe 5-6 per second
Current detector no beep at all in the new outlet.
I am mystified.
Could the wire to the outlet be bitten off by a rat or something?


texts: How to open holes in plastic electrical junction box

texts: How am I supposed to open the holes for the cables in a junction box like the one shown in the picture below?


texts: Adding wires to EMT conduit to add circuits

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unfortunately, the kitchen wiring in our new condo is severely outdated. Just two circuits; one 15amp for lights and one 20amp for fridge, microwave, gas stove and oven, garbage disposal, dishwasher and countertop outlets. Surprisingly, the 20 amp only tripped once. But it's time to think about an upgrade.

We have a EMT conduit from the basement to the third floor currently with 3 circuits (2x 15amp, 1x 20amp) and one additional pair of wires for future use. I would like to add additional wires to the conduit. I researched this pretty thoroughly but it would be great to get confirmation and address some questions)

CONDUIT details

Wheatland EMT Tube, about 30' long. I think it is the 3/4'' size (outside 0.922''/ inside 0.824''). See picture with junction box below.

Current wires: 4x THWN 12 AWG, 4x THWN 14 AWG, ground wire (for 3 circuits and one unused wire pair)

Proposed additional wires for 4 additional circuits: 6x THWN 12 AWG, 2x THWN 14 AWG

Total wires: 10x THWN 12 AWG, 6x THWN 14 AWG, ground wire

Based on this calculator, the additional wires should fit in the conduit and be code compliant.

Questions

Is this calculation correct? Can I add 8 additional wires to the conduit?
Do I have to worry about the ground? I am not sure what gauge the ground wire is. But is it an issue with all the additional circuits or does the grounding work through the conduit anyways?
I will also have to use larger junction boxes in the third floor and basement. Based on my own calculation, it should be 130 cubic inches. Any suggestions for junction boxes in that size with cut-outs in the back to put the wires in the wall?

Picture of EMT conduit with junction box:

Electrical panel:


texts: What's the minimum amount of electricity used by an appliance?

texts:
My Kill A Watt P4400 by P3 International shows 3 watts electricity usage if anything is plugged in. Do things plugged in, regardless of whether they are ON or OFF, really use a minimum of 3 watts or is it an inaccuracy on the part of the Kill A Watt?

Pardon me if I misuse terminology; I'm not too familiar with electrical terminology, only electronics.


texts: Repair squeaky MDF board for a Ottoman Divan Bed

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I have an Ottoman Divan Bed that looks like this:

.jpg

The top part is made of MDF, unfortunately the bit where it opens on the right hand side has sunken in a little bit in the middle right. As a result the edge of the bed is very squeaky on that side and the mattress feels lower.

Whats the best way to repair this MDF without damaging the fabric? Or atleast reduce the squeaking and make the MDF flatter?


texts: wiring - is this feeding other circuits or all switches?

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I've got an old junction box that used to have a light fixture attached to it (it's been removed). I'd like to remove the junction box entirely and sheetrock over if it's not serving any purpose (for aesthetic reasons).

I think it used to have 2 switches that controlled it, but it has four 3-wire romex in the box. One of the old switch boxes is still around. Both that switch box and this junction box are hot. Further, in the box, both the black wire bundle and the single black wire are hot. There are no traveler wires anywhere. I would be wholly unsurprised if this box is wired weird/not-to-code by the former owners. I vaguely remember having intermittent trouble depending on what configurations the switches were in when that fixture was operable.

Here's a photo and a diagram for clarity.

What's going on here? Is this feeding something else in my house or did these runs all used to go to switches? Thanks!


texts: Float switch as emergency cutoff for well pump

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Our house is has a drilled well, with with 1/2 HP 230V well pump wired from a fixed pressure switch.  We've had a couple of pinhole leaks in the copper piping that would have turned into major basement floods had we not happened to be home at the time.  I would like to reduce the impact of any future leaks by using a float switch in the basement sump pit to cut power to the well pump in case the sump pit begins to fill.  My understanding is that, once the float switch triggered, this would limit the amount of water that could flood to the amount in the pressurized well storage tank (about 10-15 gallons).

The plan is:

Wire the float switch (http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Product/Level/LevelSwitches/Float/SeriesCFS2) in series before the pressure switch.  The float switch is rated 240V and 10(8)A which as I understand it is enough for the well pump -- it seems that 1/2HP 230V draws a maximum of 6A.
Use a clamp to fix the float switch cable to the side of the sump pit (which is already lined with wood so that it floats at a few inches in the sump pit.

Does this make sense?  Is there something I am overlooking?


texts: GFCI circuit keeps tripping on electrical panel

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I'll try to include every detail I know.  Sitting in the office one day where my computer is and the power goes out knocking out the power in the office.  Computer and hard wired lights on the ceiling.  I check the electrical panel and the GFCI has tripped.  I reset it the power goes back on and I continue using it.  Couple minutes later it trips again, I reset and go on.  This happened about 5 times in a day and couldn't figure it out.  I also noticed that the bathroom upstairs power goes off as well.

I unplugged a heater which was really the only thing in the wall that was added in the last month.  It didn't happen for a few weeks.  Then it started again.  One day it trips, two days its fine and then it trips again.  I can't figure out what is tripping this.. I've unplugged everything in the two rooms that I can (except my computer) and it still trips.

So I didn't want to get an electrical company to come out until I talked to you guys since there is no way for me to reproduce this on demand.  But where would you start to trouble shoot this issue?  If i get an electrical company to come out, they might do something and not be able to test if it works so I could be paying a lot of money each time.. kinda trying to avoid that...


texts: I'm in the process of replacing the joists in a room in my 100 year old house (original members were too far gone with termite damage to do sistering). Original joists were true 2x8s with a 12 foot span - I decided on using 2x10s, but they sit below the 6x8 beam. Should I have used a different hanger instead of this one? (Truss hanger?) That bottom nail seems pretty low. Of course I'm using the Simpson 3.5" 16d into the beam face and 3" 10d nail into the 45° holes.


texts: Gas fireplace - no spark for igniter - Martin DV5500 RVN

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My home is 15 years old and has a gas fireplace (Martin Industries DV5500 RVN). When I press the plunger for the igniter, no spark is produced. I do not see any tears or cuts in the wire from the igniter to the pilot light. Also, when I hold the igniter in my hand I can feel a shock.

I cannot seem to find a way to remove the glass. I think mine is sealed. If that's the case, how would I clean the assembly inside the fireplace or diagnose issues if I cannot get inside? What other steps can I take to try to get this to work?


texts: Sliding closet doors with 3 doors has narrowed opening

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I have a 83" width closet so I used two 72" closet doors. Basically, it is 3 doors on 2 tracks

However it is weird because the opening is way too small: 83-72 = 11"
It is because the front two doors are on the same track which is taking 72" space.

Here is the track

Is this installation done right?

UPDATE

This is the door I bought

https://www.lowes.com/pd/ReliaBilt-9205C-Series-White-6-Panel-Steel-Sliding-Closet-Door-Hardware-Included-Common-60-in-x-80-in-Actual-60-in-x-80-in/3040848

I got two of them


texts: How can I fill this gap between two areas of flooring

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I have two half-inch gaps in the flooring in my kitchen.  One between the kitchen and the living room (first image) and another between the kitchen and the outside door (second image)!

at their widest the gaps are an inch wide and about a half inch deep at the deepest.  The tile on the kitchen to living room gap starts about a quarter of an inch higher than the threshold, and finishes about a quarter of an inch lower.

What is the best way to fill these gaps?  I'm willing to live with some visual imperfections.


texts: How can I reinforce an entertainment stand for an aquarium?

texts:
I just moved into a new apartment, and I'd like to get an aquarium. Space is tight so I'd like to use this entertainment stand:

I would like a 20 gallon aquarium (I'm told 10 gallon ones are too small, and hard to maintain for beginners).

Weight = aquarium + water (20 gal) + rocks = 85 kg (190 lbs).

I would like to reinforce this stand so I don't face $$ in damage charges :). I am thinking of using metal rods going from just under the main shelf where the aquarium would stand, going all the way down to the floor. This would mean drilling through the 3 shelves below it.

I understand that aquariums hold most of their weight on their corners, thus four rods would be positioned just under the corners. I also want to protect from the shelf buckling, so I will want to double it up, and reinforce the diagonals. I am thinking sheet metal + more square rods.

Any thoughts? Am I missing anything or doing anything wrong? Any help appreciated! First DIY home-improvement project.


texts: How to prevent odor in clay pots, resulting due to drinking water storage?

texts:
We use clay pots to store drinking water in summers. Clay pots keep the water cool.

The water lasts for 2 days and then I wash the pot with soap and fill the water again. There is no tight lid for the pot, just a normal steel plate is used to cover its mouth.

Lately I have felt some kind of odor in the water there.

Any hints?


texts: My contractor wants to install a different brand of solar panel from what was approved in their permit

texts:
I am having solar panels installed on my house. My contractor told me that they are installing 20 Canadian Solar CS3k-325-MS panels. I just got a copy of the plants they sent to the city for their permit though, and those plans say they are installing Q.Cell Q.PEAK Duo G5 325s. Comparing the two, it looks like the Q.PEAKs have a little better specs, better reviews, and are also a fair bit more expensive.

I was fine with using the Canadian Solar panels, but I'm wondering why they made the change. They emailed me asking about the Canadian Solar panels after the plans with the Q.Cell panels had already been approved by the city, but before I got a copy. When I asked my contractor about it, he just said "We will correct it before inspection."

Is this okay? It smells a little funny to me to change to a cheaper panel type from what was approved in the permit, and I'm wondering if I'm going to have problems clearing inspection after they're done. I'm in the US.

Datasheet on the Canadian Solar panels: https://www.canadiansolar.com/upload/bc48dbe8c5c41fed/ab28643aabcece82.pdf

And on the Q.Cell panels: https://www.q-cells.com/dam/jcr:4fcbaac5-18ed-4e46-aa6c-fb53b5dbe957/Hanwha_Q_CELLS_Data_sheet_QPEAK_DUO-G5_315-330_2018-03_Rev03_NA.pdf

To my eye, the specs look pretty similar. The Q.Cells have a slightly better linear dropoff warranty and a few other pretty minor differences. The Canadian Solar panels are monocrystaline while the Q.Cells are two crystals. To my eye, in terms of what's on the datasheet, there isn't a lot of difference, but I am not expert enough to know if I'm missing anything major. The Q.Cells seem to have generally better reviews and are markedly more expensive, but I'm not sure why.


texts:
I recently purchased a new house in Ontario, Canada.

The grading will be completed in the following months.

During a walk around the house, I noticed gaps between the foundation walls and the wrapping. How much of an issue is this? Should this be fixed by the builder?

Thank you.


texts: Connecting two joists with a wooden piece to hang a projector screen

texts: I have a projector screen (45lbs) that I have to hang on the ceiling on it's two ends. However the joists on the two ends are not correctly positioned so I can't hang the projector screen where I want to hang it. So I went to the attic and found that there are two joists spaced 3 feet apart. The point where I want to hang the projector screen falls between the two joists. So I bought a 2x4 stud wood and now I want to connect that wood between two joists. However I don't have access to the side of the joists. I want to see if there are any flat metal connectors or something like that I can use to connect the joists using the stud wood. What's your recommendation?


texts: How can I pass cables vertically through walls that contain fire blocking?

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How can one pass (speaker) cables through walls from the floor to the ceiling.
I am assuming that drilling a small hole at the top, dropping the cable I want to pass through and catching it at the bottom will not work because the wire being dropped would encounter a cross-beam?

Are there techniques to accomplish this? I am in California, so I basically have a house made of cardboard (no bricks) but what I assume is drywall.

Any tips are appreciated


texts: Bowed Wall / Running Corners: Help Me Tackle Getting Studs in Plane

texts:
So here is my conundrum: I'm dealing with some wavy walls in a very old home and clearly the framing is all over the place. The worst offending wall has what seems to be a pretty large almost 4' span bow in the middle of about a 10 foot wall. It's a nice outward belly U shape, maybe 1/2 to 3/4" span of a bow.
I'm looking to tile a backsplash over this and need to do something about getting this thing flattened. This obviously cannot be tiled on and is not allowing my butcher block counter to snug into place as it's rocking back and forth causing gaps between the walls at both ends.
My plan is to add a subway tile backsplash around 27" from the top of the counter and up the wall. I plan to cut and remove the sheetrock the span of the wall, above the counters, up to that 27" mark where the tile will end. - At the end of the tile run (just above the tile at 27") where the drywall will be removed and reframed, an open slab piece of shelving will be there to hide the junction, so I'm not too worried about that and have some room to hide things.
What I am trying to figure out is just what the best route would be to get these center studs trimmed and in plane with the corners. I cannot access the back wall or behind the studs as it's an exterior facing wall. So kerf cuts on the back wouldn't work. Given that theses studs are fastened to the back wall and not free standing, would the kerf cut straightening method even work here? Even if cutting kerfs in the front convex portion? I have a power planer on hand and am thinking of shaving the studs and sistering what I can on both the bowed studs and corner studs every so slightly to bring them into plane.
My concern ultimately with sistering or bringing OUT the corners  too much is that it might cause a weird transition between the above drywall and below at the junction point I mentioned, creating a lip. Is it possible to trim a chunk out of the stud, as long as it doesn't exceed a certain percentage of the stud? Maybe a half inch? And then sister two brace pieces on there?
Any thoughts here on my dilemma? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here you go. - That back wall span marked by the 4 foot level is the bow of the wall. That blue taped line up top is how high up I plan to put the subway tile backsplash. So either the middle studs need to be shaved/trimmed, or the far corner studs need to be shimmed out. I'm leaning on shaving the middle studs myself.


texts: Do two layers of 1/2" drywall provide a fire rating equivalent to one layer of 5/8" drywall?

texts: On an existing 1/2" drywall partition, does adding another layer of 1/2" drywall over the existing bring the partition wall up to an equivalent fire rating as 5/8" drywall ??


texts: When cutting concrete for basement plumbing, how do you handle rough framing?

texts:
I'm going to be doing some cutting of the slab in my basement in order to put a bathroom in. There is plumbing under the slab and a pit with a tank in it, but it is probably 30 feet from where I want the bathroom. I understand I need to saw the floor, but there is roughed in load bearing stud walls in place (see this post for actual pics if necessary).

I need to go through/under these walls, so what do I do when I reach them? Cut the footers?


texts: Can I hang a hammock from basement joists?

texts:
My basement is what I assume is a typical setup, built in the 1970s.  2x8 joists run from the outer cinderblock wall to the center beam with an approximate 11 foot span.  I'm thinking about hanging a hammock between two joists.  A few hammocks I've seen online are rated at 400lbs, so let's use that as the load (as I'd rather the hammock fails than the house).

First, what is the correct way to mount this to the joists?  I assume I can't just screw in a couple of eye bolts.

Second, would it matter if I mounted both ends on one joist vs two different joists?  I realize there would be deflection with the two separate joists, but is it safe?


texts: How to calculate efficiency of old Westinghouse furnace VS new variable speed Furnace

texts:
We have an old Westinghouse Forced Air Furnace (model FGUB137EG). It's been working fine, with the occasional pilot lighting issues since we moved in 6 years ago. We've been thinking about adding central air conditioning with a heat pump and part of the upgrade would be replacing the furnace, with a new variable blower furnace.
I am trying my best to figure out IF we would save on energy - and heating cost - with the new setup in winters. We are in NYS and the furnace definitely gets its use. Anyway, according to the furnace plate, it's "INPUT BTU/H" is 137,500 and the "BONNET CAP BTU/H" is 110,000. Does that make it this a 110,000 BTU furnace with 80% efficiency?
We would be switching to a 96-98% efficient 100,000 BTU furnace with variable or 2-speed blower, along with a 4-ton 24-SEER heat pump. The cost of the everything is coming to around $13K (including labor), in case you can comment on that as well.


texts: multi-wire branch circuit breaker question

texts:
i have several outside floodlights, and several outside outlets.

family member wired it

plugging into the outside outlets causes the breaker to trip

using a 4-conductor cable(1 black, 1 red, 1 white, 1 bare ground) he put the red (lights) and the black (outlets) on the same phase (breakers 4 and 8)

now it seems to me that this is unsafe, that the breakers should be next to each other on the opposite phase

i believe i need AFCI breakers for both. Do they need to have the bar across the handles so that when one trips, it trips the other

the wire is 14 AWG solid and the breakers are 20A


texts:
The lower drawer freezer icemaker in my Frigidaire side by side refridgerator unit makes a very loud knocking sound every time ice cubes are dispensed.
The unit produces a good volume of ice cubes, but even when a handful of cubes are removed, the knocking sound is so loud, can be heard throughout the house


texts: Will repointing solve water leakage issue?

texts:
I have a detached garage that is getting water leakage through the back wall. There are no leaks coming from the roof, in fact the roof was replaced within the last year.
The walls of the garage are cinder block, and there is cracking inside AND outside. Would repointing solve the water issues?
Separately, 2 companies contacted offered different approaches, and wondering how to chose between them.
The first company suggested repointing the outside walls where there are cracks. The second company suggested repointing the inside where there are cracks. Any advice on where to start
Thanks!


texts:
I went to plug in my outside XMas lights yesterday for the first time - my exterior outlets (with GCFI test/reset button) is tripped and does not work. The test button does not push in, the reset button does, but does not pop the outlet back on. I have gone thru my whole house with a fine toothed comb pushing every RESET button I have.. They are all working.
This house was built 10 years ago, so it is not like there is old wiring. I have no idea how long the outlet has not been working - I only use it at XMas. Worked fine last year. Not only that but when I check my circuit panel there is not a breaker for the outlet ???? Please Help !!
Thanks!!


texts: I am replacing a single pole light switch with the motion sensor.  I have two black wires, one red and ground.  The two black are connected to 1 hot and 1 neutral.  The red wire is common hot.  How do I connect the Leviton with three connections...1 black screw, one red screw and 1 ground?


texts:
So I have been having a bit of an issue with my furnace since installing the nest thermostat. The first day after I installed it was perfect. Everything was working. The second day I kept getting the error that C wire had no power. I redid all the wires on the furnace control board and the thermostat (cut and restripped them). That got it working for the next couple of weeks. However, the last 3 days I have been having other issues with it. About 3 days ago I had an issue with no power to the RH wire. I checked the wires, circuit breakers, and the fuses and all was good. I went to check the voltages R to W good, R to Y good, R to C spark and burnt fuse (was following a nest troubleshooting guide). I replaced the fuse and miraculously the nest can detect voltage on the RH wire. Today, I come home from work and nest is displaying the no power to RH wire error again. I check the circuits good, wires good, voltages showed 0 (I did R to W and R to Y). I even jumped the R to W and R to Y and nothing. I checked the fuse and it was good good (removed it to get a better look at it this time). After I put the fuse back in I jump the wires again and another miracle the furnace starts. I have an older york furnace (1990s) and it has been pretty good until now. Any help to figure out a fix for this issue would be greatly appreciated. The wires I have for the thermostat are RH, W1, Y1, G, and C. On the furnace control board they are in this configuration.

    Y       W   R   G    C          (Board labels)
Y(t),Y(ac)  W   R   G  C,R(ac)   (wires in each slot. t=thermostat, ac=ac unit)


texts:
I've recently purchased an entertainment center which I want to make into a dog kennel.

The dog is small (16lbs) and will fit comfortably behind the doors in the unit attached.

I've search endlessly online and am looking for the easiest solution to disassemble the doors it comes with or purchase a new door to add bar so that the kennel area has more lighting dog can see etc. Any suggestions are appriciated. Not sure how large the doors are as the unit has not arrived yet.

Entertainment Unit: https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/birch-lane-heritage-heywood-tv-stand-for-tvs-up-to-60-w000247624.html?refid=TEM_WF178294&mmid=2079860922&csnid=9AB20F9A-9F38-4D1A-8A39-67AA5C305974&libra_c=&libra_d=&libra_g=&cltr=


texts: I have two 32" doors in my house that lead to uninsulated storage rooms. I'm concerned about my utility bills, and I'm wondering if these doors are appropriately insulated. What kind of door should these be? And how can I tell what kind they are? Is it likely to be worthwhile to replace or otherwise insulate the doors?


texts: How to remove this fitting from hard wired dishwasher

texts:
I'm wondering how to remove this connector from my dishwasher, or what it is called?
It seems like it was pushed through the opening, after which little wings depressed, preventing it from being yanked out. I haven't had success in pressing them back in, and am not sure that's the intended removal technique.


texts: Is it better to wire power to your switches or your fixtures first?

texts: Given the option, is it better to bring power to your switches first, then run wires to your lights? Or is it better to bring the power to your lights first, then run wires to your switches? Or does it matter?


texts: Need to cap a ceiling fan pull-chain switch hole

texts:
I recently installed ceiling fans along with a remote-control module to adjust speed. As a result, I do not need or want the pull-chains to control the speed of the fan or turn on/off the light. Removing the switch itself is a trivial electrical problem of cutting the wires and tying them together, but I'm left with an ugly hole in the side of the fan.

Is there something I can use to nicely cap the hole? The fans are polished brass if that matters.


texts: Light fixture box has 3 sets of wires and I’m confused

texts: I took out a light fixture in the basement with the intent of installing a new one which ive done before and I come across 3 sets of wires (3 black, 3 white, and 3 ground wires) i didn’t take a pic or mental note of how it was wired to the old fixture and now I’m confused. Every time I turn the switch on the breaker trips


texts:
A couple days ago I noticed in the ceiling some dripping water after taking a shower. There was really no reason the pipe would have broken, so I pulled up the shower grate thinking it was maybe somewhere between the connection to the drain pipe. My theory was there probably was just a worn out gasket somewhere along the way.
I didn't install this shower, I'm guessing this outer white piece ring seals with the lower PVC piece, and that is what creates the connection. A gasket must be underneath it which then seals the floor of the shower.
Is that correct? I also couldn't tell if that black ring stuff was some sort of sealant breaking off.. Does anyone recognize this? How would I go about fixing something like this? threading it off and putting a new gasket underneath? I just need to be careful as I have no access behind without ripping up drywall.
pictures for reference:

a second more zoomed out angle (slightly blurry, sorry!)


texts: Best way to stop boiler steam from entering attic

texts:
I have a cape cod.  The boiler is in the basement and vents to the outside about a foot above ground level.  I get a considerable amount of snow melt and ice buildup in the attic section directly above the vent.  I have recently been remodeling and I cut a hole to get into this section of the attic (about a 6'x12' area between 2 alcoves).  My initial intent in here was to investigate and patch up cold spots on the wall as we had a breeze coming through a corner that borders this.

I found 3 things that could be causing my snow melt and ice buildup.

Spots that are not well insulated, particularly switches, outlets, and a corner section.
2 Copper radiant heat pipes that go from one end of the attic to the junction box at the other end that were just sitting under the insulation, fully exposed every 16" over the studs.
Steam...coming from the boiler, into the eave vents and into the attic.  This is condensing on the roofing nails, then dripping onto the insulation.

I can solve the first 2 with various types of insulation.  I could block the eave vents, which is a quick solution.  I could extend the pipe out and up past the roof, which with the current ice issue, could just get knocked down, plus I'm not sure how it would look aesthetically.  I could also move the pipe from one basement wall to another (likely best permanent solution).

My question is, is it safe or acceptable to block off that section of the eave vents?  Is there a solution that allows water to drip out, but not allow steam to come in?  If I covered the vents with blown insulation, it should block the steam and allow water to drip through it.


texts: Removing glued down particle board from subfloor

texts:
I'm in the middle of replacing some old carpet in my house with engineered hardwood boards. They're tongue and groove and I'll be nailing the boards down in the end.  To that end, I had to remove the particle board layer covering my plywood subfloor.

After starting on the particle board removal, I found them to be glued down, in addition to the visible nails. I've gotten all the boards up, but now I'm left with patches where the glue lines were down.

On one side of the room the subfloor ply is hard enough that I was able to chisel up the lines and it's all relatively flat now. On the other, however, the boards are much softer and as such tend to splinter and tear up when trying to get the glue piles up.

Is there any technique to do this effectively? I've also tried sanding the areas down, but it's hard to keep it from hitting the subfloor and is very slow work.


texts: Is it a problem that the water in my sump pail covers one of the drain openings without tripping the pump float?

texts: We just had a sump pump & trenched drain pipe installed in our basement. Rained all last night. Crock had filled above one of the drain pipe inlets. I manually activated the pump & it emptied normally. It seemed like another inch or two & the float would have kicked it on. Due to having to go under a sewage drain pipe, one of the plastic drain pipes enters the crock pretty low. Maybe 6"-8" from bottom. My question is... Should the pump kick on before the water level covers the drain pipe. I don't like the idea of all that water sitting in the plastic drain pipe.


texts: Toaster and Kettle cause my green power board to trigger

texts:
I had my computer connected to a green power board.  The computer itself is on the master port and the screen, speakers, etc are on the slave ports.  When the master port drops below 5 W, ie. when the computer goes to sleep, the slave ports turn off to save power.

I stopped using this setup because I noticed my screen and speakers would occasionally pulse on and off when not in use every 4 seconds.  I'm guessing the power board takes 2 seconds to decide when to switch and the master port was floating around 5 W.

I finally realised it coincided with the operation of kitchen appliances such as the kettle and toaster.

Could my appliances be causing enough noise on the line to trip my power board?  Is so, what steps and products could I use to prevent this?  I'm happy to spend some money, but not so much that the power savings are negated.


texts: Sheet material that does not adhere to wood glue

texts:
I am looking for some sheet material (as in paper, cellophane etc.) that wood glue will not stick to to use as an insulator between glue drippage on one side and something on the other side to which I don't want it glued by the excess glue.

E.g. if I am biscuit joining two long boards and using wood glue with biscuits, I need to clamp the whole thing together and if that clamp is touching the joint, the excess glue will stick the clamp as well, which I obviously don't want.  So is there some material that can be used as an insulator blocking the glue coming through to the other side but also not sticking to it?  Cellophane sheets of some sort (which?) come to mind because they seem very smooth, i.e. not adhesive.


texts: Air handler unit stops running. Starts when motor touched with metal

texts:
How is it going? I just moved into a place I bought. It has separate AC units for both floors. We started having an issue with one of the air handler units. One night when turning the air on the outside AC unit turned on but the air handler unit never kicked on. Next day while at work an HVAC tech came out and told my wife he messed with some wires and it kicked on. Well, since then it has stopped twice again. I went into the attic and was messing with the wires but all seemed fine. I happened to touch the top of the motor with a screwdriver and it kicked on. Thought to myself well maybe there was a loose wire and it may have just gotten the signal to turn on. However, tonight while troubleshooting again I took off the cover and again touched the top of the motor with a screwdriver and wouldn't you know, the unit kicked on.

What in the world could be the cause of this? Some sort of ground issue?


texts: Is GFCI protection required for a dedicated exhaust fan circuit?

texts: I'm considering installing an exhaust fan in my bathroom which includes light and heat, and requires a dedicated 20 amp circuit. Would this circuit need GFCI protection? The instructions for the unit don't say anything about it. Even if it's not required, would it be a good idea to do anyway?


texts: Should I reinforce the cupboard back before mounting it to the wall?

texts:
I have a cupboard/shelf that is like a bookshelf with a back and sliding glass doors. It weighs 10kg without the glass and without anything in it.

I want to attach it to the wall and have read about that side of things, but I am worried about the cupboard back itself. Will it gradually get damaged by holding all its weight just on little screws?

Therefore -  should I just put screws through it into the wall studs? Should I reinforce the cupboard back where the screws go? Should I do some other thing?

The cupboard is second hand and appears to have been just attached directly to a wall with screws previously. The backing panel is better quality than cardboard, but not heavy wood.


texts: What kind of paver edging should be used that won't show when completed?

texts:
I have a patio in progress.  Currently I've got a big square hole with a few inches of gravel in it.  The top surface of the gravel is about 2 inches below the ground, so most likely the pavers will not be flush with the ground, but be about 1 inch raised at the most.

I know I still need to put an inch of sand before I start putting in the pavers, but what would you recommend I use for edging around the patio that can be covered up, or otherwise won't show when it's completed?


texts: Attaching a concrete coffee table top to reclaimed oak sleeper legs with a high moisture content

texts:
hopefully the heading is succint enough. I am about to cast a 44" by 21" gfc concrete coffee table top that will be 1 1/2" thick. I want to rest it onto some green (40% moisture) sleeper legs that are resting on their length at either end.

Whilst i appreciate the weight will reduce the table top moving i want to make sure that it cant slip too far.

I dont want to glue due to wood movement and the horrendous weight so was wondering if placing dowels within the concrete and and using a forstner bit of a larger diameter in the wood would suffice and allow for any potential wood movement. I was also thinking of pushing the legs a few mm into the concrete for the first half hour of the cure to create an impression.

The table will be used inside and i am located in the UK where we have a reasonably high atmospheric moisture content although the central heating will be kicking in soon.

Any alternatives would be very much appreciated, many thanks!


texts: What is the best insulation keep a garage with a metal roof cool?

texts: I have a wooden garage with a metal roof.  I want to make it as cool as possible on the inside. I will have the windows and door open most of the time. I don't really want to use fiberglass bats. I've been considering spray in foam insulation. Which would be the better choice, open or closed cell? I've heard one of these types attracts a lot of dirt. Are there other drawbacks, or options available? I just want to insulate under the metal roof, and I don't intend to insulate the walls. I live in deep, east Texas forest, where it is hot and humid in the summer and not that cold in the winter.


texts: How do I repair a concrete driveway that has been damaged by salt?

texts: When we moved into our house the driveway was pitted due to salt use. We would like to repair this, but we are looking to know what the best method would be. Can a new layer of concrete be added over the damage or does the entire driveway need to completely pulled up and relaid?


texts: Can I replace my Furnlite FC-910 50PAR20 120V with a GE Halogen FL25 Beam 38W 120V bulb?


texts: How dangerous is it to leave a 35KVA diesel generator ungrounded?

texts:
How dangerous is it to leave 35KVA diesel generator ungrounded?

This generator is connected to temporary metal buildings for workers,  AC and other electrical devices.


texts: Is a Bathroom Heating Vent in Wall Shared with a Garage OK?

texts: My home was built in the 1960s in MD, USA and has a ground floor bathroom next to the garage. The bathroom has a heating vent in the wall bordering the garage. (The wall is 2x4, not 2x6, construction, so it has minimal insulation.) Someone told me that it is against current code to have a heating vent in an exterior wall and that the garage is considered exterior space. Is this correct? If the bathroom were to be updated would I have to move the vent? Would it be grandfathered?


texts: Installation of a GFCI without a ground wire

texts: I'm installing a GFCI plug in a house built prior to 1962. The receptacle box is plastic and has only a 'HOT' & 'Neutral' wire coming into it. Do I need a ground wire to properly install the GFCI? The elecrical panel was updated recently. It has a common buse-bar where all the neutral wires are attached and is grounded to a copper rod and plumbing.


texts: Connecting mirror heating pads to switch in bathroom

texts:
I'm trying to wire mirror heating pads that are placed behind the mirror. The heating pads have two wires coming out of them. The wires are blue and brown although i think they should be black.

Im replacing one of the outlets in the mirror with a switch. I want to connect the heating pads to the switch.

The old outlet is wired as a series to three other outlets. As you can see in the picture, i have 2 ground, 2 neutral and 2 live cables sticking out of it.

How can i connect the pads to the switch and maintain the other three outlets as serie?

Any suggestions? Thanks a lot!


texts: 2nd floor bath remodel. Concrete under tile. What do I have to remove?

texts:
I am doing some preliminary research and investigation into remodeling my master bath.
The house was built in 2002 so not too old. The master bath is on second floor. I removed the air vent to see what I am dealing with under the tile and it appears to be some sort of metal mesh stapled to either a wood sub-floor or the joists with concrete on top of it, about 3/4" thick and then the tile.
I am going down to studs in this bathroom, but I'm unsure of the floor.
Can I remove the tile and thinset and just re-tile on the concrete 'sub-floor'?
Or will I likely need to remove the concrete too? (I would think that's overkill).
If removing the concrete is necessary, what replaces it?
Thanks for any advice!


texts: How to fasten wooden board and batten shutters to vinyl siding

texts: Making some decorative wooden board and batten shutters.  Need suggestions for mounting/fastening to vinyl siding.  For example,  what type of screws, bolts, etc to use.


texts: Refrigerator air damper stuck due to ice

texts:
I have a side by side two door refrigerator. Recently there was a problem where the normal refrigerator section was getting high temp alerts. Freezer section was working fine. I called a repair guy and he replaced air damper (installed between the two sides of refrigerator). Things seems ok for few days but the same problem came back. I checked the new damper closely and noticed that there is icing around air damper door mechanism and it was not opening due to icing, thus causing high temp on other side.

What could be causing this problem of icing ?  Repair company has no appointment for next two weeks, so i'm wondering if i can do something to mitigate the icing situation.


texts: How can I insulate a duct running through an unconditioned kneewall space?

texts:
Unfortunately, I have to run an 8 inch HVAC duct through an unconditioned kneewall attic in southern Ontario (climate zone 6). I am trying to decide between two options:

Encapsulate duct with spray foam to a sufficient R-value (image 1)
Bring the duct inside the conditioned space by framing and adding drywall around the duct. Then ensuring continuous fiberglass insulation around the building envelope (image 2)

I'm trying to understand if these are actually different. Isn't option 1 (spray foam) just the same except I avoid the work of framing/adding drywall?
If I spray foam, should I avoid spraying the duct where it is in contact with the conditioned space? And can I spray directly onto the duct surface, or do I need a vapour barrier?


texts: Heat pump thermostat wiring, can I leave the Optional C terminal empty?

texts: We have an old Carrier Heat Pump system. The thermostat tells me that "C IS OPTIONAL WITH BATTERIES". The thermostat does have batteries. So I can leave the C terminal empty and use the black wire for other purposes?  (Three of the eight wires are broken.)


texts: Should I suspend a shelf from the ceiling?

texts:
I have recently installed a new projector onto my back wall in my lounge.
See attached photo.

The problem I am having is weight - the main big board you can see in the picture is screwed into a window frame. Then as you can see I have created a shelf, and then projector hangs from that shelf. What is happening is that there is too much weight on the end of the shelf, which is making the shelf drop. My idea is to somehow attached a couple of strong wires to the shelf that is attached to the projector, and have those wires attach to the ceiling.

Ideally I would like to be able to turn some sort of adjustment that tightens the wire, just so I can get the perfect support.

Is this a good idea?


texts: How do I know if I can run power to a garage from my breaker box?

texts:
My breaker box is a 200 amp service. There's 16 openings and only 1 blank space for a new breaker. I have a garage about 100' away from the house that I'd like to run lights and a few plugs for tools from this panel. (The strongest power draw would be a cheap harbor freight air compressor.)

When I add up the amount of amps on the breakers already in the box, its well over 200. I know not everything runs at once, so how do I know exactly how much I can add to the box before I start dimming the lights in the house when I use a drill in the shop, or if the air compressor kicks on, it throws the breaker? Ideally, I'd like to run it off of the house and not install it's own meter and supply since the power company charges commercial rates for the second meter at a single address.

I know they make sub panels but I don't know when those are the only option or how involved a job it is to add one.

I have enough experience to run the wires and do the plugs/switches but this part is new to me.


texts: How to prep existing floor for installation of self-adhesive vinyl flooring?

texts:
Some quick background to preempt some discussion about quality, longevity, rental issues, etc.:  I'm in a rental that is literally "anything goes".  It's a long story, but suffice it to say if it does not require a building permit (or does but you can hide from the inspector), it's good to go.  This is an open layout where the bulk is laminate flooring that I installed myself.  I have an area that's approximately 18' x 8' that's an entrance and kitchen area and a bathroom that's about 6' x 6' where the original floor is still exposed.  The original floor is the old fashioned "linoleum" (asphalt/asbestos 12"x12" tiles) flooring.  It's in OK shape, but looks horrible - there's no cleaning of it at this point - it will never be white again.

My main goal is to put the cheapest vinyl solution on top of this that I can.  A lifespan of 5 years would be beyond what I'm aiming for.  Tearing up the old floor is not an option, nor is any floor prep that involves sanding (I am not wanting to kick up asbestos).  I assume I need some type of stripper, but I'm not finding any good specifics about that online.

My second goal is ease of installation.  I can't see myself doing a good job with a large sheet - the kitchen/entryway is sort of an elongated "U" shape ( |__| ), and the bathroom is small, but I have to go around the toilet and a small vanity.  And having an open floorplan like this, I'd like to avoid stinking the place up with the adhesives required for sheet flooring.  So I'm aiming for the self-stick stuff.

Any recommendations on cheap stick-on that will stick, and probably even more importantly the materials to prep the existing floor are welcome!


texts: How to efficiently circulate air to keep room cool?

texts:
I live in Indonesia and I have an apartment with a 6.7 x 5m room, which contains a dining table and a couch. In this room are two 1.5PK (13,000 BTU) AC units on the same side of room nearer to the couch. If I turn on both ACs I think it's cool enough when I'm sitting on the couch because it's quite near the AC, but not at the dining table. I can barely feel any breeze at the dining table and so it's unpleasant sitting there. This is when only I am in the room. I can't imagine what it's like when I'm having guests.. I was suggested to install stronger ACs, but I fear that's gonna be costly and also it'll be freezing cold near the couch but so-so cold at the dining table.

I think the two AC units are cool enough, but perhaps the cool air is not circulating to all corners of the room. What is your suggestion to keep the whole room evenly cool?

Thank you very much


texts: Are these screws adequate for securing a 304 stainless steel shelf bracket?

texts:
I have a bunch of 304 stainless steel shelf L brackets, they are thick brackets, ~6 gauge steel (5mm).  They have 5 holes, long side has 3, and the short side has 2. All are 5mm in diameter, though they came with no fasteners.

The problem is that a screw should be 2 3/4 in (2.75 in) minimum length, to be strong in the stud, correct?  I have plaster and lath walls, and I think they are slightly thicker than standard drywall.

What the hell can I do?
The longest M5 Metric lag is 60mm, (2.3622 inches).

What should I do? How should I secure the the bracket to the stud in the wall?  What about securing the bracket to the shelf?  Keep in mind this is stainless, so that means using fasteners that won't corrode fastening something stainless.


texts: How to diagnose a greywater system backup

texts:
In recent weeks I have noticed that the drain pipe from the washing machine has been overflowing into the laundry room. We stopped using the washer thinking that we needed a plumber to come to the house. I live in a rural area where it is difficult to get a plumber out. I was outside while my wife was using the dishwasher, and I noticed water bubbling up from the ground. I grabbed a shovel and dug down to the greywater piping. I noticed a hole had been cut into the piping because the hole in the pipe didn't look natural. It looked like it was made with a reciprocating saw.

I am not sure why this hole would be there. Maybe as some type of makeshift release valve? I don't know if there was something covering the hole while it was underground, but I know for a fact that this is where the water was coming out. I covered the hole and the water started backing up into the house, so it seems like the system is clogged or full. The previous owners told me that the greywater system is pretty new, but they owned this house as their winter home and didn't spend much time testing the system.

Not far from this is a pipe sticking out of the ground with a cap on it that I can unscrew.

My question is how do I diagnose what the problem is? Or what are my options? I have called the plumber several times, and I am sure he will get out to me eventually, but it is at least $100 for him to make the trip, even if he cannot help me. I am hoping to accumulate as much knowledge about the situation as I can so I make the right decisions. I just don't have the money to throw at this problem until it goes away.

Edit for more information: The drain runs out to an area about 200ft from my house from what the previous owner told me. There is no above ground parts to the system except for the pipe with the cap on it near the house.  I snaked the line for about 50 feet and could not find any blockage, but that doesn't mean much. I suppose that I need a longer snake to really test.


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