texts: How can I rewire two separate light switches on different circuits to one?

texts: In my living room I have 2 light fixtures on opposite ends of the room (let's call it left and right; (the light switch for the left light is the one shown. The right switch is shown in the picture with the cat.) The right light is controlled by one switch on it's on circuit, the left light is controlled by a separate switch on a different circuit. Needless to say, this isn't ideal (I posted picture with one light on the other off, for clarification). If I'm turning the lights on/off I have to go to both ends of the room to do so. We have dimmers in the room and we have to dim them separately. I would like to tie both fixtures together and bring them onto the same circuit (or whatever needs to be done) so that if I turn the lights on/off on either side of the room both lights turn and or off. How can I go about doing this?


texts:
I'm trying to dismantle an old piano, and I would like to do it without damaging the individual parts or pieces of timber (for sentimental reasons - may use it in other projects).

I've screwed out and removed all I can but I've gotten to the point where I want to remove the keyboard section from the main frame. There were two screws on each side apparently holding this on, but even after unscrewing these it remains stuck fast. I assume there is some kind of glued joints or dowels somehow keeping it together.

Is there a handy way of removing this while minimising the damage to the timber? I've managed to hammer a sharp knife in between, but that will only go down an inch or so, is very narrow, and won't do any good in prying them apart (it'll bend then break quite easily), but it shows something could go in there if it was as thin but stronger and broader.

Is there a tool or something, maybe similar to a chisel but a lot thinner that is used for prying joints apart while minimising the damage to the actual timber?

The parts of the surrounding frame itself is just as stuck together so I'm assuming something similar is going on there, but the main thing is this keyboard section so I can then put all the parts away...


texts: Sealing open space behind kitchen counter in rental with shoddy rehab?

texts:
The kitchen in the rental house I live in has a counter which was installed rather poorly - there is a gap of about an inch between it and the wall, and mice are able to scurry up this to the kitchen counter.  I would like to seal this gap.

We've put out many traps, and tried our best to remove any potential sources of food, but it's an old house and we seem to constantly have mice problems in the winter, so sealing this gap would provide some peace of mind as it's the only access route to the kitchen counter.

One idea would be to use plastic tubing like this, only the gap varies between 1/4" and 3/4" in width, so we'd need to add a layer of sealant or something on top.  The gap is too large to use caulk alone.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!


texts: What adhesive or glue should I use to attach velcro to PVC pipe?

texts:
I have some vertical standing pvc pipes that I want to attach velcro to.  I wish to hang some fabric from the velcro, and thus there will be some forces pulling the velcro from the pvc.  I've already tried using 3M Rubber & Vinyl Spray Adhesive, and it worked for a while, but has since fallen off.

Can you suggest a better way to attach the Velcro and PVC?


texts: Paper taping or fiberglass mesh taping in bathroom

texts:
I noticed that there is a debate about using a paper tape or fiberglass mesh tape for drywall seams taping. In general professionals seem to prefer paper tape. However, I have read that in a place where there is a lot of humidity, such as a bathroom with a shower, it is necessary to use a fiberglass mesh tape and setting type joint compound (chemical bound), instead of paper tape and ready-mixed all purpose compound, the latter being soluble in water.

Being a novice I would like to know if it is true that the paper tape and ready-mixed all purpose compound are to proscribe for drywall seams taping in a bathroom. Could not we use rather a primer and a moisture-resistant paint to protect the seams ?

Thank you.


texts: Should I peel off the top layer of vinyl in preparation for tiling?

texts: I'm preparing my kitchen floor for ceramic tile. Currently it's a sheet of vinyl(linoleum?). The plan was to sand off any gloss and tile over it. I was going around the edges picking off any loose areas and I noticed the top layer of the floor is peeling off and leaving behind a paper like layer which looks to be glued to the original vinyl floor. So it seems the vinyl layer is splitting in half. What would be the better surface to tile on? The paper like surface or the sanded vinyl? Please don't recommend pulling it completely off as that is out of time and budget.


texts: What is the style of this arched window?

texts:
What is the style of this arched window:

Is this just a modern design, or is it a specific historic style?


texts: What could be leaking after installing a pet sprayer on a tub?

texts:
Installed a simple pet sprayer in the upstairs master bathtub. It has a long hose with a release valve/button on the very end of it. About 6 hours after installation (and without officially using it for anything worthwhile), we woke up to a large leak downstairs in our kitchen directly below the tub. Turns out I had left the tub faucets on while the pet sprayer valve was turned off. After turning off the tub faucets, the leak immediately started to recede, but now we have a giant awesome looking ceiling bubble.

Is the most likely reason for the leak a burst faucet pipe that needs to be replaced (in order to use the tub again) or does it sound like something that we only need to worry about when there is forced back-flow from something like this sprayer?

I plan on calling a plumber in the morning, but I'd like some insight.


texts: Changing bulb in shower ceiling light fixture

texts:
I have a light fixture in the ceiling of my shower.  (see pic)  It has a cage over the glass dome, which I was able to remove so okay there.

Problem now is that I cannot seem to get the glass dome to turn either way so I can take it off and put in a new light bulb.  I have tried pulling down, no luck.  I tried turning the glass dome counter-clockwise as it seems logical, but the whole fixture spins in the ceiling.  I am worried I will mess up the wiring if the whole fixture keeps turning.

Has anyone changed a bulb in one of these fixtures?  Can you help me out?


texts:
This is the chair. I’m also including where the plastic steps are held. I’ll be removing the plastic straps and installing 1” nylon straps.
How can I install these straps securely without having to drill additional holes?
I can cut the end of the nylon strap so it fits in the slot, but how do I secure it?


texts: Does my sandbox need a bottom if it will be over clay soil?

texts:
I live in the south and have pretty heavy clay soil. I'm planning on building a simple 4' by 4' sandbox for my kids.

Once I remove the sod, can I just dump in a bunch of sand, or should I staple landscaping fabric to the bottom (or even plywood with a few drainage holes) before pouring in sand? I'm ok if the sand doesn't stay pure sand as long as it's still easy and fun to play in.


texts:
I am installing a mainline for a residential lawn irrigation system.  I laboriously dug down to the pipe leading to a yard hydrant, three feet deep.  I installed a tee, and on the branch from the tee I installed a PVC ball valve and drain.
To winterize the system I will close the ball valve and purge the pipe downstream  but I will need a way to access this valve from the ground surface.  I propose a three foot length of six inch diameter DWV pipe.
Is this what is commonly done?  (My arm is only so long) should I have used an expensive curb key valve?
Should I use ABS or PVC or whatever I can find?  How should I cap this off?


texts: What can I do to avoid incandescent bulbs for my 3-bulb ceiling fan, yet maintain brightness?

texts:
My ceiling fan takes 3 candelabra (E12) base bulbs for lighting.  The bulb slots are labeled  75W - 125V.  The fan light is dimmable and I currently use 3 60w incandescent flame tips.

I plan to switch to LEDs or flourescent bulbs, but so far I have only found candelabra-based LED bulbs at 25w equivalent.  Even with 3 of them, the room is not as bright as I want it, especially considering the previous lighting set-up.

What can I do to make the lighting situation brighter, understanding the 75W / 125V constraints, and that I would like the potential to use the dimmer ability?

NOTE: User "Monso" responded in the comments about using an adapter like this one to allow for larger bulbs to be used, and while that seems like a good solution (bigger bulbs = brighter bulbs), I want to make sure I don't overload the circuitry.  Am I still constrained to 75w / 125v with the larger adapter?  What are my limits if I wanted to use an LED or florescent bulb?


texts: Duplex outlets in series AND parallel after GFCI

texts: I am planning to add some devices/receptacles to a 20amp circuit in my house.  The following image shows the original circuit and my proposed additions.  I'm specifically concerned about my plan for wiring outlets after the GFCI tester (see items 12 thru 17 in the image).  Three outlets will be wired in parallel from a junction box directly after the GFCI tester, with two additional outlets wired in series off of one of those paralleled outlets.  Are there any problems with this plan?  Any input or confirmation is much appreciated.  Thanks!


texts:
We're in the process of looking at getting a cracked fiberglass tub/shower replaced.  We had one contractor come out that recommended using an acrylic AKERbyMAAX tub.

I'm ok with the acrylic tub, but I've never heard of AKER.  I just want to know if this is a reasonably reputable brand and not something junky.  I'm not looking for a review so much as just some confirmation that there's no reason this brand should be a problem.

Specifically we're looking ACTS-3P in case that helps at all.

To add some additional clarity, we have reasonable budget, and I just want to make sure whatever we do, doesn't need to be re-done in the next decade (or longer).  Our current tub is only 5 years old and is cracked in the floor (its fiberglass).  I don't want something like this to happen again.


texts: looking for hexlike-bit to unscrew bottom of ikea couch leg

texts:
We're trying to unscrew a leg from an Ikea couch (it's possibly the Stockholm model, not sure). The bolt on the inside looks hexlike, but all the hex bits we've tried doesn't seem to work.

Can anyone tell us what bit should be used to take this screw off?


texts: What Cement Based Product Is Used for Smoothly Finished Floors?

texts:
I recently replaced a floor drain in my basement around which I had dug out the concrete, gravel and clay soil.  When I sealed it back in, I laid down a bed of gravel and sand, and then used a standard concrete mix for the top several inches.  By standard, I mean it was a typical Quikrete mix with gravel, sand and portland cement.  As I was working the top of it with a float, I realized it wasn't going to dry anywhere near the smooth-ish texture of the rest of the floor.  I'm guessing that's not achievable with such a gravely, sandy mix.  I was correct; the floor in that spot now has a pretty gritty texture and shows lots of pebbles.

If I can figure out what product would make for a smooth finish, I may just break it out and do it again as it didn't take long and was not difficult.  It doesn't need to be sheet-of-ice smooth, but smooth enough that it wouldn't, say, skin a knee if bumped.  My assumption at this point is that the pro concrete guys probably lay down standard concrete, but then do the top 2 inches or so with something smoother, like a mortar or cement mix without gravel or pebbles.  So here are my specific questions:

Can I buy a premixed product that will finish smooth?
How thick should that top layer be?
Do I need to let the concrete under the top layer completely cure before applying the top layer?


texts: Does a device with a two prong plug need surge protection?

texts: I have an iPhone and iPad whose power adapters are both two-prong.  Since I cannot ground them in a surge protector, is it necessary that these devices even be used with a surge protector?


texts: How to identify location of intermittent water leak?

texts:
In the master-bath I have an over-sized tub and separate glass shower stall that are right next to each other, both on-top of sub-flooring / a crawl space.  (Crawl space is because house is built into the side of a hill, not flat ground).

The insulation in the crawl space under the shower and bath was a little wet when I pulled it off.  Additionally, I've had termite damage to the plywood underneath the shower stall and basically no where else, indicating their attraction to moisture.

When I run both the bathtub and the shower -- turn on both hot and cold faucets on each -- and go back underneath the crawl space, I see no leakage, even with it running for a while.  The pipes are dry, with no water dripping or build up, etc.

What do I do?


texts: Do I remove cornice when I'm getting rid of horse hair plasterboard walls?

texts:
I'm removing old plasterboard walls and getting someone to help by cutting along the top edge. I did this so I don't have to remove the cornices (which seem fairly good condition). However, I'm concerned I still have a 10 to 20 mm of old plasterboard along the top edge of the wall, where it meets the cornice.
Is this going to be difficult to join new plasterboard (gyprock) to the old old horsehair plasterboard????? It's right at the top of the wall, so not that noticeable?


texts: Replacing a single pole switch that has an extra backstab cable, with a dimmer switch

texts:
Im trying to change my light switch to a dimmer switch. However the wirings isnt what I had expected. There is an extra backstab wire aside from the hot and netural wire, there also no ground wire being used, and all the wires are the same color too.

What is that backstab wire for?
And is that exposed copper wire, inside the terminal, the grounding wire?
Why wasnt the white wire used?
Any advice or tips is greatly appreciated.


texts: How to soundproof floor from neighbors below?

texts:
We live in an old building in an apartment owned by our family so we can renovate. We go to sleep early so while our house is quiet we can hear our neighbors walking, dragging furniture etc.
I know that tiles are directly glued to the concrete floor. The building is 80 years old with a concrete floor (not sure how thick the floor is) with tiles glued to it with cement perhaps.
We have a budget of 10k, the flat is 67 square meter. We wonder if just doing our bedroom will be sufficient.
I would really like to know what would be the best solution I can apply from my end (no point in talking with them), to minimize the impact sounds.


texts:
We are remodeling our kitchen and getting quotes for updating the electrical. We have received 2 quotes so far.

The service panel is on the exterior of the house opposite the location of the kitchen.

First quote calls for running UF-B through the crawlspace going through the exterior wall inside EMT that enters directly into the breaker box.

Second quote calls for running NM-B through the attic and going through the exterior wall inside EMT that enters directly into the breaker box.

The second quote is less expensive. It looks like the main reason is the cost of the UF-B vs. NM-B.  When asked about the difference the first electrician said that the only option with an exterior panel is to use UF-B, because the wire is exiting the controlled envelop of the house and may become wet. The second electrician disagrees and says that NM-B is allowed to exit the envelope of the house if it is going directly into the breaker box and is protected in conduit.

Who is correct?  I can see both sides.

We are in NC.

Thanks.


texts: Why is one leg of my dryer circuit dead?

texts:
This last weekend I was working outside when the lights went out from a tripped breaker. A house guest was running a blow dryer and personal heater in the bathroom and the house is much older so given it has 60 Amp box I wasn't surprised.

What did surprise me was the dryer in the laundry was running so I paused it and the outside lights came back on. I reset the breaker and walked in to the dryer and hit the button and the lights went off when the dryer started. I tested the plug and I had a dead leg.

I grabbed a new 220 receptacle and I noticed as I began to change it that 2 wires ran into each for both hots and the neutral. I then realized that the combo light switch for outside and washer plug in reciprocal were tied to the two hots, one to the switch and one to the plug . I haven't seen 2 separate hot lines into a 220 outlet that tied to other areas .

I changed the dryer receptacle and both the light switch and plug plus inspected all the wires for any burned wires and found none. The one leg is still dead and there isn't a double breaker in the box!!  The lines are separate and I haven't a clue what to look for beyond unplugging everything and throwing each breaker to check for a bad breaker and no obvious issue and all outlets have power. Something isn't right and I'm stumped. Any ideas?


texts:
Very confused.

I already had 2 rows of lights, as seen in the photo below.

Today, I added a 3rd of lights ... by pigtailing into the second rows junction box.

Now, when I flip the switch, the 3rd row turns on about a second before the first two rows turn on.

Any idea why?


texts: Unable to remove faucet handles on widespread bathroom faucet

texts:
We have these faucets in a couple of bathrooms and a couple of the handles have started to squeak. I am not sure of the brand as they were developer installed. Might be Moen as a few of the other developer installed faucets in the house are Moen, but there is no visible branding.
I thought it would be a simple job to remove the handle and apply some lubricant, but for the life of me I can find no way to get them off. There are no visible set screws.
Based on my internet research it seems maybe the bottom half might be threaded but no amount of twisting or turning has yielded any results. Also thought maybe the bottom collar might be threaded or pop off, but again I have been unable to get it to budge.
Before I break the darn thing does anyone have any other suggestions?


texts: How do I handle a piece of wax from a toilet ring falling into the drain?

texts: When removing my toilet, a piece of wax approximately the size of a golf ball fell into the drain.  I can't reach it with my arm.  What would be the best way to address this?  I imagine this could lead to serious blockage.


texts: Old drain clogged with a lot of ceiling spackle

texts:
The man that fixed the ceiling over our tub cleaned his tools, pan, buckets in the little tiny bathroom sink. Now the drain is clogged and the area below is too small for my husband to get into. Because it was left empty so long the stuff in the sink has really hardened.

My question is -  Is there some type of something that I can put in it that

won't cause more damage
won't cause an explosion
won't kill the man who lives in the basement.


texts: I'm assembling a swing set, having issues keeping it square

texts:
Let me start off by saying I am a complete and total newb when it comes to wood work, so any advise is super helpful.
Okay, so I purchased a swing set that you assemble yourself. I started to put it together and I'm already stuck on like the fourth step. The instructions had me put together two sides of a structure, and now I have to put the two structures together. The beams connecting to the two sides are near impossible to square. I'm assembling this on grass ... as I don't have much else to do it on. Whenever I get one side square the other side isn't square, and so on. The ground is hella-unlevel, so I'm not surprised I'm having issues.
Does anyone have any tips or recommendations on how I can make the structure square? I have a square tool but all I know to do with it is check if something is square.
I was thinking maybe I could purchase some L brackets that are guaranteed to be a 90° angle, and use that to attach the beams to the structure at the proper height. But they are expensive and I don't want to end up buying them only to have them not be the best idea. Though, looking at the instructions right now, I don't think there would be anyway to make that work given that there's no inside joint to bind to.
I've attached a photo of the step I'm stuck on and highlighted the beams that aren't square with a green arrow.
I really want to get this thing done for my son, so any help is really really appreciated.
Thank you!


texts: Spark detecting screwdriver doesn't light up upon touching live wire

texts:
For one outlet I'm working on, the tester screwdriver stopped lighting up, it used to before with same exact wires a few days ago, but now doesn't. I was cutting and replacing old wires whoch took some time but touching the old or new wires shows nothing.

The screwdriver works on every there outlet, it's Stanley and it says 100v - 500v AC. Here it's euro standard, where devices are rated 240V 10A. The outlet works, but I'm afraid I may have done something accidentally that let the outlet only output less than 100v, which is bad.


texts: Best way to hide tile edge *and* hardie board edge?

texts:
My googlefu may be off, but I cannot find what I'm looking for...  I'm installing a backsplash using 3/8 inch thick marble.  The tile will be set on 1/4 inch backer board (didn't want to demo to the studs, and the wall surface is not suitable).

The total thickness of backer->thinset->tile is about 3/4 inch.  There are a couple of spots where I need to hide the edges of the backer+thinset+tile assembly.  I would like to use a brushed aluminum trim piece to accomplish this, but cannot find anything suitable.  All the Schluter trim pieces seem to be L-shaped which works fine for hiding only the tile edge or the backer (depending on which way your orient the L) because they do not appear to make 3/4 inch wide L-shaped trim that I'd need to hide everything.  I suppose what I need is a T-shaped trim with a 1/4 inch hide on one side, and 1/2 inch on the other.  Anyone know a source for such a thing?

I'm toying with the idea of just using the trim that is available to hide just the backer board.  Then maybe just use white caulk along the sides of the tile to hide the thinset layer...  Anyone ever do that and how does it look?  Would it be difficult to achieve something decent looking?

(Please note: bullnose for this particular tile is not available and I don't want to fabricate my own.  Also, we don't care for the look of quarter round finish.)


texts:
I have a jacuzzi tub that is at least 22 years old (I found it when I bought the house that long ago). I don't know the make and model, but I was told it is similar to a Jason J4260. To repair a leak, I had to remove the tub, and to do that I had to cut the "threaded flange" (if that is the correct name for it...) that keeps the water intake pipe attached to the tub (that is, the pipe that takes the water from the tub to the pump).

[]

I am now looking for that replacement part. The outer diameter of the threaded part is 3".

[]

I have looked in just about all plumbing part stores in my area, and also did a lot of online search, but without results. So I have two specific questions:

1) What is the part called, so I can be more effective when I look for it?

2) Where can I find this part?

Thank you for any information.

As an update, I found a flange at guillens.com that "almost" works. It is made of plastic with a coarser thread than what I need. I am now looking for a similar part but made of metal and with finer thread to fit my pipe. I attach a photo that shows the broken metal flange I am trying to replace, and the plastic one I just got.

Another update: I have found a company that will custom manufacture that part but I now need to choose the material. They can only do it in aluminum or in steel (carbon steel and stainless steel). What is the right choice? (my guess is stainless steel).

[]


texts:
I had my windows replaced earlier this week. The old windows had metal U brackets to guide the rolling shutters. The gap between them and the brick wall was closed using some kind of (grey) silicone.
Now with the new wooden windows in place (without those U brackets), I noticed there are still remnants of the old silicone on the brick and this bugs me a lot. I tried scraping it off (very carefully) using a knife. This works for the thick pieces, but it leaves behind a grey color on the brick.
Is there a way to remove the color left by the silicone on the brick completely?
The windows have an oil based coating. I don't want to risk damaging this coating (or the wood), so I hope this is somehow possible.


texts: Is there a reason to prefer bare wire for Grounding Electrode Conductor?

texts:
Is there a reason I should use bare copper instead of THWN for a grounding electrode conductor (e.g. bonding water pipes and ground rods; not an equipment grounding conductor)?

I cannot find anywhere that says THWN must be run inside conduit/raceway when used as a grounding electrode conductor. Section 250.62 indicates the conductor can be "solid, stranded, insulated, covered, or bare" and 4 and 6 awg THWN are generally cheaper in my area than bare copper (both solid and stranded), so I'm just wondering if there is some section of code I am missing or a practical reason to prefer a bare conductor since bare wire seems to be in wide use for this purpose where I look.


texts: Can I use a shallow box to install a 240v outlet?

texts:
I need to move a 240v receptacle behind existing drywall that is affixed to the block wall on furring strips.
Can I use a shallow plastic box to install the receptacle?


texts:
I'm building a murphy bed. I've build a box out of plywood that holds the mattress (the box is shaped like a sandbox. See image below). I plan on putting 5 different 25lb springs across the long side of the bed frame, but want to know if the frame can withstand 125 lbs of constant force.

So, what I did was build three different L-shaped test pieces, joined the same way I did the box (rabbit joints + dowels + screws + glue), to test their breaking force. (I'm going to use a similar setup to http://woodgears.ca/joint_strength/).

Here's my question. Does each of those L-shaped test pieces need to withstand 125 pounds of force? Or do they need to withstand only 25 pounds (assuming the L-shaped pieces are the same length as the average distance between springs)?


texts: Replacing 14/2 wire with larger gauge (12/3), is this a problem?

texts:
I replaced a 2 conductor NM wire running from a light fixture to the switch with a 3 conductor 12/3 wire, to bring a neutral line to the switch box for a smart switch.
Then I pulled out the old wire and realized that it actually was 14/2, not 12/2. I thought it was 12/2 so I picked up 12 gauge from the store, and this of course was after I already fished the line through the wall.
Is there potentially a problem switching out a wire for a higher gauge? Theoretically a 12 gauge wire can conduct more amps than a 14, so my assumption is that it’s not a problem because it can handle more current than the old wire, not less. But I thought I’d double check.


texts: I have the opportunity to purchase some pallets of structural bricks, the cored ones with three holes in them.  I want to use them to build a patio but I live in Ohio where the winters can get harsh.  What, if any, would be the best route to take for this project?  Ground is clay.  Base of sand or gravel?  How thick? Bricks laid with holes exposed or flat face?  If exposed holes, would it be safe to sweep sand into the holes to fill them up or possibly dry concrete then water it?  Thanks for taking the time to answer.


texts:
I'm aware that based on the 2018 Residential Code tempered glass is required around wet surfaces (i.e. bathrooms).
However, could someone tell me when this tempered glass requirement went into effect?

THANKS!


texts: How to connect a "safety overflow switch" to "turn off a wall outlet"?

texts:
I have a "Little Giant" condensate pump VCMX-20 model. This pump comes with a "safety switch". The pump turns on when the water level gets to 1.2 inches. The "safety switch" will "do something" when the water level reaches 2.2 inches.

Right now I don't have the "safety switch" connected... because I don't know how to connect the "safety switch". I want to connect the "safety switch" to turn off a wall outlet (used by a dehumidifier).

The manual is pretty short when describing the "safety switch":

  Safety switch: The safety overflow switch should be connected to a
  ClassII low voltage circuit. To control a thermostatic circuit the COM
  and NO connections from the safety switch are to be wired in series
  with the low voltage thermostat circuit to shut down the heating/AC
  circuit. The COM and NC switch contacts may be used to actuate a
  low-voltage alarm circuit (connected in series) if the heating/cooling
  system can not be disrupted. The safety switch comes from the factory
  with leads connected to the COM and NO switch terminals.

  NOTE: When
  installing or replacing the safety switch, make sure that it is
  positioned between the two ribs on the motor cover (Figure 5).

  For
  hook-up of NC circuits see Figure 5.

The "safety switch" has two wires hanging out.

I opened up the "safety switch" because the wires aren't labeled and found out there is:

one wire labeled "NO"
one wire labeled "COM"
one connector labeled "NC" without a wire

How do you connect the "safety overflow switch" wires to turn off a wall outlet??

The manual says to connect the "safety switch" to a "class-II low voltage" device. So maybe there is a "class-II voltage" device that controls the "wall outlet plug".


texts:
The dishwasher tubes that I bought are very long. The one going from the dishwasher to the air gap (white) drapes on the ground. The one going from the air gap to the garbage disposal (gray) makes a 360 degree loop. Does this matter? My knowledge of physics is not so good, but I vaguely remember that only the vertical height difference between the end points of the tubes mattered.

Update: I tested turning on the dishwasher. Water was spewing out of the air gap. This may indicate the loops are blocking water flow or something else is wrong with my setup.


texts: How do i remove mineral deposits from a toilet's rim jets?

texts:
I have an old toilet, and the mineral scale inside (INSIDE inside) the rim is slowing the flush speed.  I reckon I need to temporarily block up the holes somehow, dump a solution in the flapper, and hopefully let it dissolve the buildup (then unblock the holes).

Is there a good natural solution, an "oh, just put in a bottle of corn syrup and let it sit for 2 hours" type of thing, or what?  Where I live, brand names are hard to come by, so I'll need a generic type of thing... any thoughts?


texts: Behr 1 part epoxy paint vs 2 part epoxy for cement floor

texts: Garage floor gets wet in winter. I think 2-part epoxy would make the floor slippery. Would Behr 1 part epoxy paint be better?


texts:
We need to get our cracked concrete driveway replaced.  The damage seems to be a result of tree roots, and the tree has has been removed.  Many people who we've spoken to say the concrete should be 6in thick.  The contractor who we've chosen for the job insists that 4.5in of 4000 PSI fibermesh concrete is sufficient.  Putting 6in will just increase costs.

Is 4.5in of concrete sufficient?  My concern was whether 4.5in of fibermesh concrete would hold up if a mover/UPS truck backs into our driveway.


texts: Can I build a concrete block wall over floor tile?

texts: I am enclosing a tiled porch on concrete slab with a 3' short wall of concrete block, with windows above. Should concrete blocks be laid over a tile floor?


texts: Can I thin thick PVC cement with primer?

texts: I needed to make a repair on some PVC pipe. When I opened my can of cement, I discovered that is was thicker than when new. I purchased the cement around a year ago and kept the lid firmly closed. The can is about 2/3 full. I could still easily spread the cement around the pipe. At what point is the cement no longer viable? Can it be made viable by thinning it with PVC primer? Yes, I should go purchase a new can of cement.


texts: How can I coat a garage apron slab to make it smoother?

texts:
I'd like to smooth out a square concrete slab at the front of the garage. This concrete serves as a part of a driveway. The floor coating needs to cover the gaps and offer a smooth surface for rollerblading.

I was thinking using some type of Epoxy coating but I'm not sure if Epoxy is the right solution for rollerblading. What would be the best coating to use that can withstand cars driving over it and also offer smooth treatment for rollerblading?


texts: Orange flame on a Rinnai furnace after propane conversion

texts:
I have just installed a Rinnai hot air direct vent furnace. After converting the appliance to propane, I adjusted the gas pressures  with a manometer according to the manufacturers instructions. The flame is mostly blue with orange at the ends of the flames. I also have a plume of what looks like moisture coming out of the exhaust manifold.
Could I have adjusted the LPG pressure too high? The instructions call for 1.06 in/H2O at low manifold pressure and 3.8 in/H2O at high pressure. Can anyone suggest a solution? Thanks in advance, Jeffrey.


texts: Practical limits of how many LEDs can you use to replace halogen 12V?

texts:
I'm gradually replacing halogen lights at home with LEDs.

We have a couple of 12V rails with a 5x35W rating when using halogens. When using the same transformer with LED's, can I use the theoretical maximum power? eg. If I'm using 5W LEDs instead of 35W halogens, can I mount up to 5 x 5x7 = 175 replacement LEDs?   (If I could afford that of course).

Given that LEDs are not resistive loads, does this simple math apply? Or are there other factors that need to be taken into consideration?

At the moment, I'm leaving some halogens on each rail, as I've read that the transformer needs a minimum of resistive load (not sure what that minimum would be, nor I've found comprehensive guidance on this topic). The transformers are coil based (not electronic).

Any advice?  Thanks.


texts: Single phase utility power connected to 3 phase system

texts: Someone has connected a single phase utility temp power panel to a 3 phase system by using one of the phases twice. Is this ok


texts: I'm looking at a Siemens PW1224L1200CU Main Lug Load Center.  Will either the 200-amp branch breaker QN2200 or QN2200R fit into this panel?  I looked at the wiring diagram but was unsure if a QN2200R breaker is considered a 'QNR' type.


texts: Does a pressure tank need to be near the water fixtures?

texts: Currently my well only feeds my house, which contains the pressure switch and tank. The well is about 300-400 feet away from the house. I need to hook up some water troughs and an outbuilding whose water supplies run straight to the well. I'm thinking that it would be best to put the pressure switch and tank right next to the well. Is this the proper way to handle such a situation or am I missing something important? Also, would it be wise to have a pressure tank in the house and outbuilding as well (three tanks total) to get good pressure at each building, or is this unnecessary? Thank you.


texts: Can I install a 60A branch circuit breaker in a 60A sub-panel?

texts: I am connecting a kiln which requires a 60 amp circuit to a sub-panel. The sub-panel is off the 100 amp main fed by a 60 amp breaker. Do I need to increase the sub panel breaker size or is as is ok?


texts: How to wire a condensate pump safety switch?

texts:
So, just got back from vacation to find much of my basement covered with a decent amount of water. Discovered my condensate pump stopped working (worn float) and overflowed for probably most of the week.

The pump has a safety overflow cut-off switch but it was never set up and so I finally did that (or tried at least) once I replaced the float and cleaned up the mess. Problem is the shut off does not appear to function. The pump is a Diversitech CP-22 with three terminals (com, run and alarm). I separated 2 yellow wires connecting the t-stat and outdoor unit and connected the t-stat wire to the provided lead wire to the com terminal at the pump and then connected the second lead wire from the run terminal at the pump to the yellow wire from the outdoor unit. Turned everything back on and all appears to work fine except the cut-off feature. T-stat calls for cool, condenser kicks on outside and house cools normally to set temp. The pump functions fine when full but when I tried to test the overflow feature by manually filling it with water faster than it could pump it out, the pump just overflowed and never shut the system off although the red alarm LED was lit up.

What did I do wrong here or could this be a faulty switch? The pump is at least 6 years old.


texts: What is on my sink faucet? Trying to install RO system

texts: I just moved into an apartment and I want to install a counter top RO system. These usually screw onto the faucet but the faucet in my apartment seems to have this plastic thing attached to it instead of any threading. What is this called? Can i install an RO system with it? If not, should/can I remove it(safely?), or try to get some kind of adapter? Is there an adapter for this even?


texts: What could cause bubbling in the downstairs toilet of an urban condo?

texts:
About 2 weeks ago, I noticed that the toilet would bubble and, eventually, the water would back up into the shower in the basement of my duplex down condo. What started out as about 12-15 minutes of time to back up (like the length of the shower), turned into a back up within 3-5 minutes.

Last night I used a bottle of Liquid Plumber in the shower, to no affect.

I'm certain that the sink, shower, and toilet are on the same line out, but after showering in a different bathroom this morning, it looks like this is not adding to the backup. My thought here is that this is a clog between the shower and the toilet, or down line from the toilet, and not a venting problem, since it's not affecting the other sinks in the house. Since I'm in Chicago, this isn't a septic issue.

I also believe this line is below the water line and feeds the sump pump. I'm investigating the sump tonight.

Any guidance or other thoughts? Anything someone might consider or had epxerience with?


texts:
I'm looking at a house that has a room that is listed as a den. It looks like a bedroom without a door or closet. It does have a regular sized window for a bedroom.

What would I have to do in order to change in into a bedroom so that it could be listed as having another bedroom? Would adding the door and closet require permits?

This was an option on the house to have either a bedroom or den so I don't think there would be any issues with the number of occupants or bathrooms.

The home is in California.


texts:
My tub has recently developed some 1" to 1 1/2" tub chips. I've already purchased the porcelain repair touch-up solution, but haven't gotten around to applying it yet. See the following photo.

How long can we go on using the tub, and what are the side effects?


texts: How To Get A Noise Barrier In my Community

texts:
I moved into a new house about a year ago that's located inside a very nice well established neighborhood that's been around for decades. At the end of the neighborhood is a busy highway that has been increasing in use each year as the local population grows. My house is about three blocks away from the highway and so I didn't think (or notice) the sound pollution was so bad. After having been in my house long enough though I notice the highway noise anytime the TV is turned off, while I'm sleeping at night, or when I'm just sitting on my deck outside. It's not so bad that it would prevent me from selling my house (I didn't notice it when I bought the house) but it's definitely something that annoys me when I'm trying to relax outside and look up at the stars or something peaceful.

I'm curious what it would take for me to get the government to build one of those noise barrier walls along the edge of my neighborhood. The distance would only be about half a mile and there are no residential houses on the other side of the highway (so the wall wouldn't be reflecting the noise elsewhere). There's also already about a ten foot clearance between the highway and the neighborhood (parallel). Right now there is a chain-link fence and a few trees lining this space but I think it's plenty big enough for a noise barrier wall. I honestly can't think of a single reason other than cost that would prevent a wall like this from going up.

How can I get the ball rolling on an endeavor such as this? How do I know who to contact? How do I get them to take me seriously? Do I need to get the entire neighborhood to sign a petition? Does the neighborhood have to pay for it? Is it up to the Highway Administration, my Congressman, Senator, or Governor? I live in a relatively rural area so it's not an official city with a mayor or town council or anything like that.


texts: Are there different thickness heads/nuts for hex bolts?

texts:
The hex bolts in my local home depot (specifically the size 3/8-16) all have the same thickness of the hex head. It looks to me to be about 3/16 of an inch thick. I need to recess a hex screw inside an aluminum block and recess a corresponding bolt on the other size of the aluminum block so the male hex bolt sticks out and is secure. However, because of the large thickness of the hex bolt head plus the thickness of the hex nut, it would require me to use a very thick piece of aluminum. Do they make thinner hex bolt heads/nuts so I could use a thinner piece of aluminum for the base?

This is for a baseplate stand for a camera system in my home, 3/8-16 is the standard base screw for all tripods I will be working with. Thank you for the help.


texts: No Hot water to Shower and Taps furthest away from hot water tank

texts:
I have this setup coming off of my hot water tank.

Recently I started getting only luke warm water to the taps and shower furthest away from the water heater(#9 & #10), also sometimes my cold taps would run warm.  The taps and showers closest did not have this issue. I cannot seem to find a recirculating pump or any sort of mixing valves in the system. This issue only started once I installed new filters into the Filtration system. Is it possible to have this system without a mixing valve/recirculating pump?


texts: Single phase vs three phase commercial air-conditioning

texts: I have a building in which I am going to replace 9 3ton units. There is 3 phase in now but my tech suggests single phase. My clients pay for their own electricity. These machines have been in service since 1989. The cost of the single phase is about 700.00 a unit less. With today's efficient single phase will the client notice a drop in their electric bill with same use? Also will the longevity be the same? My tech also says that repairs down the road will be cheaper with single phase. Both machines are for commercial use.


texts: How should I prepare damaged plaster for painting?

texts:
We are redecorating our hall. We have stripped all the wallpaper off and have discovered that the plaster behind is not in great condition.

What suggestions do people have for preparing a slightly damaged wall for painting? (See photos below)

Our budget is fairly low. I think a professional re-plaster is probably out of the question.
Is lining paper a sensible option?
Are there any other products or techniques suitable?

The house is ~1920s.

Update: I've had a quote from a plasterer - £400 to have the hall & stairs fully re-plastered. I know it's hard without seeing the size, but does this sound reasonable for a short hall and stairs? It's also way above my budget though so any other cheaper suggestions or advice would still be welcome.

80% of the wall is passable. The plaster is fairly smooth although there are lots of little bumps. I'm assuming that sanding it down to remove bumps and polyfilla to fill cracks will be sufficient here. Followed by a normal priming process (50/50 paint/water).

Higher-res

Around 15% of the wall has worse damage. Bits of the top layer (~1mm) of plaster are missing. I don't think polyfilla will work here as I'd end up layering it over large areas.

Higher-res

Finally, about 5% of the wall has big cracks:

Higher-res


texts: I have metallic external door, that has rubber seal around the perimeter. When I try to close the door, I have to bump it, in order to press the seal and allow latch to move out. So the question is: are there any door locks with a latch, that can catch on the door jamb when the door is not yet closed by a few millimeters? And when it has catched, it should continue closing and press the seal by itself, without my help. Looks like I can't find right keywords for Google.


texts: Calculating Electrical Demand for New Construction with Electric Tankless Water Heater

texts:
I am trying to calculate the electrical load for a new construction project (basic 1,200 sq/ft home, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathroom + 2 car garage) and want to include an electric tankless water heater (no gas on lot). The water heater draw is 160amp (4x40amp), model: Rheem RETEX-36.
The main panel will be 200amp. The following electric appliances will be included in home:

Electric Tankless Water Heater -  160amp (4x40amp)
AC - 30amp
Heat pump - 30amp
Range - 50amp
Elec Car Outlet (used at night) - 40amp
Kitchen Appliances - 20amp
Dryer - 30amp
General Lights/Outlets - 30amp

I have calculated highest usage possible based on season and if its day/night.
Highest AMP draw:

Summer Day: 280 amp
Summer Night: 90 amp
Winter Day: 320 amp
Winter Night: 90 amp

Since the electric tankless water heater has 4x40amp, I am expecting in the winter time to use all 160amp since ground water is colder, and less (120amp) in summer time since ground water is warmer.
Even though the main service only has 200amp and the Max draw in winter during the day is 320amp (if everything is running on Max).
Does it make sense to install the tankless water heater (160amp) and does the 200 amp service allow for this?
I know that not everything runs at the same time, but what is the typical demand when calculating electrical load?


texts: Is it OK to expose drain pipes on the exterior of your house?

texts: I live in San Francisco, and my kitchen sink drain goes through my wall towards outside of the wall of the house into a light well.  The steel pipes have rusted out so I want to replace them with ABS.  Does any one know if this is legal or to code in SF?  I have read that it is recommended to use a heavier duty pipe for more resistance to UV rays so maybe that would be “more” to code.  Please advise!


texts: How can I mount 2ft by 4ft fiberboard panels on a wall?

texts:
Not very good at DIY work, but we have some artwork done on 2ft by 4ft fiberboard panels that I want to put up on my walls.

The easy solution is to just drill through and put screws into drywall anchors, but the downside there is there'll be 4 visible screws on each painting (there are 9 paintings).

What are the other options to put them up easily and invisibly?


texts: How do I repair a warped sliding glass door track?

texts:
I have a sliding glass door that barely opens and often jumps off the track.  The track under the door is bent and chipped.

Is this normal wear and tear?

Would raising the wheels fix it?  Do I need to straighten track?

I'd like to know whether this is more complex than tightening a few screws or putting on new wheels.


texts: Why would my TV turn off/on when connected to a surge suppressor?

texts:
I have a very strange problem which may or may not be the TV.

The TV is plugged in to a surge suppressor with the rest of my home theater. Satellite box is also plugged in to the suppressor, including the coaxial input/output, so my system "should" be completely isolated and protected from any spikes.

Here's the problem: I have two lamps plugged into two separate outlets in the room, which makes a total of three being used (including my home theater). When I touch one of the lamps, "sometimes" the TV will very briefly lose the picture for a second or so, then comes right back on. I cannot always recreate this, as sometimes it happens, sometimes not. I've also had it occur when getting up from my sofa. The TV is on a wooden stand, and the floor is carpeted. Is it possible I have "dirty power" running in the room? I took a look on Wikipedia, and read up a little on Power Conditioners. Should I invest in one, or is it likely something else? I'm no electrical engineer, so if anyone knows what may be the cause, I'd appreciate your input.


texts: Do I need to add supports before replacing a cripple wall stud?

texts:
I have a section of mud sill near a crawl space entry door that has suffered severe dry rot due to rain intrusion.  I need to cut out and replace about 3 feet of mud sill.  This will require removal of two closely spaced studs (5" apart and about 22" tall), resulting in a horizontal span of about 47" between the remaining studs (one stud bay is wider than normal due to the crawl space entry).

The wall above this cripple wall is single-story but peaked and covered in stucco (considered heavy construction by the seismic retrofit plan sets).

Can I get away with removing these two studs, temporarily, while replacing the mud sill, without adding jacks or other temporary supports?  If not, what type and capacity of jacks would I need?

In the following photo, the two cripple studs to be temporarily removed are marked by green arrows.  The portion of mudsill to be replaced is marked by blue arrows.  The red arrows show the 47" temporary span that would occur once I remove the middle studs.  After the rotten mudsill portion is replaced I would reinstall the two studs.


texts: Should I frame a closet prior to putting in hardwood flooring?

texts: Putting hard wood flooring in my office but want to also put in a closet. Should I frame the closet first, or put in the flooring and then frame on top of it?  Thanks!!


texts: Hot water without hot water supply and electricity

texts: I have a tap in a room where I only have a cold water supply. Also I don't have current electricity nearby. Is there any way to provide at least lukewarm water there?


texts: Does a grounding wire from a breaker panel to an outside grounding rod need to be in conduit?

texts:
I've got a breaker panel in my detached garage (it is not a sub-panel, but is a primary forked off just past the meter).  The panel seems to be wired correctly- the neutral and ground bars are tied together, and a (6ga?) ground wire was run through a hole in the wall about 6" below the panel, down through some conduit outside, and is attached to a grounding rod.  However, between where it leaves the panel and passes through the wall to the outdoor conduit, it is just bare wire.  I am in the process of insulating the garage, and putting up drywall, and this didn't seem right.  Thoughts?

Just to clarify- the wire IS in conduit outside, but for the 6" or so it runs inside the walls, it is just bare wire.


texts: Should I connect the bare ground wire from the main panel to the grounding bar in the subpanel?

texts:
I have a main panel that was converted to a sub panel when a new Main Panel was placed in a new addition to the house.  So now, the subpanel appears to have two grounding wires connected along with the neutrals on the bus bar (middle right). The fat bare wire on the left is the Main Panel grounding wire that is not being used.  Most of the grounding wires, in the subpanel appear to be grounded down the wall cavity to a copper pipe in the crawl space.  All the outlets show a correct installation with a receptacle tester.

???Can this type of incorrect installation (ground to neutral bar) cause the following???:
I've lived in the house for two years now.  Recently, the living room lights have started to flicker once in a while.  The power will shut off for about 1/2 second.  This might happen 2-3 times before shutting off completely.  No breakers get thrown.  After 1-10 minutes or so, of me doing nothing, the power comes back on.  These symptoms are now more and more reoccurring.  This occurs even with nothing turned on except a surge protector, modem, and router.  Maybe the breaker is bad and the grounding to the neutral bus bar is incorrect?

I plan to replace the subpanel (use modern parts), use a insulated neutral bus bar, a separate grounded-to-the box grounding bar that will ground to a copper pipe in the crawlspace.  I'm not sure if I should connect the bare ground wire from the Main Panel to the grounding bar in the subpanel?  The subpanel and main panel are in the same house and are about 20 feet away (20' wire travel).


texts: I'm looking to install recycled hardwood. During the demo most of the bottom part of the grooves has been broken off. Will the effect how well it will stay down after it's installed?


texts: How to flatten an uneven plank subfloor when the existing planks can't be removed?

texts:
The upper-floor master bedroom in my c. 1700 house has a plank floor laid across the joists which is quite old, if not original. The planks were apparently once 1/2", but in some areas of the room they're worn down to 3/8", and even 1/4' in a few places. (There are knots which are proud by 2 or 3mm. It's kind of amazing to see that amount of wear on interior wood, but I suppose it's an imperceptible amount of wear per annum over three centuries.) The plank floor is wavy both across the planks and along them, though much more along them---there's maybe a 30mm difference between the highest and lowest points along the planks and about half that across them. This is in a room which is about 5m square.

I discovered just how wavy and thin the planks were after taking up the carpet in preparation for putting down a hardwood floor.

Constraints and observations:

I can't remove the existing planks, for historic preservation reasons. (The house is Grade II Listed).
I don't have a lot of extra height to give up, as the ceiling is already rather low.
The existing planks are too thin in places to use them without covering them.
The plaster and lath ceiling of the room below is attached directly to the underside of the planks.

I'd still like to lay a hardwood floor. The thinness and unevenness of the existing planks appears to rule out nailing the hardwood directly to them.  If I could remove the existing planks and lay plywood across the joists I'd have a planar surface to work with, but I can't remove the existing planks.

How can I make this work?


texts:
I have a craftsman air compressor. It's about 20 years old, but for many years now, if I let it run on it's own, it will always blow the pressure relief valve. I don't need a lot of volume, so I monitor it, turning on/off manually as needed. There must be an issue with the pressure switch.
Are compressor pressure switches adjustable or repairable?


texts: How do I seal between the soffit and frieze board?

texts: I have a small gap between the wall and the porch roof, probably 1/8 inch or so. I was planning to use caulk to seal it up, but I'm not sure if that is the best product. I don't want to use the expanding gap filler (I've had bad experiences with it). Is silicone caulk appropriate, or should I use something else?


texts: What type of copper pipe do I need for a typical LP gas range?

texts:
I need to buy ~25' of copper pipe to fix our badly kinked stove line.  It looks similar to (but worse than) this pic:

I won't be able to measure the pipe for a couple days and the guy at Lowes wasn't able to help me determine what kind of pipe I need.

The pipe I'm using looks like the pipe in this image and is the only pipe I have seen connected to stoves before.  I don't know the exact diameter, but it is approx the size of my pinkey (say, around 1/2").  The guy from the gas company who recommended replacing the pipe said that I could get the same thing, or a newer version with a yellow coating that would be slightly better (I read that as more durable).

I thought this was a pretty standard kind of thing though, no?  Does anyone have a good guess of what I need to ask for at the hardware store?


texts: I am cutting out deteriorated sections of my existing asphalt drive so that I can install new asphalt.  Can I use an angle grinder to cut the asphalt?  What type blade should I use on the angle grinder?


texts: why would I have water leaking on the bathroom floor when someone takes a bath but not a shower

texts: Why would I have water leaking on my bathroom floor when someone takes a bath but not a shower?


texts:
This particular light has been flickering. The base of the detachable part in the photo appears to be closed, so I can't get access to what's inside. Would anyone have experience changing or fixing this type of light? It is controlled by a Lutron dimmer.

UPDATE
I discovered the model I have is manufactured by Elite LED with number REL637-950L-DIMTR-120-27K/30K/35K/40K/50K-90-W-WH.
https://www.amazon.com/Elite-REL637-950L-DIMTR-120-27K-50K-90-W-WH-Universal-Retrofit/dp/B08M9F3R8M


texts: Sistering 2x8s to 2x4 truss system for vaulted ceiling?

texts:
The Question (see pic below): Can I safely sister 2x8s to a 2x4 king post truss/open rafter system to achieve an insulated open ceiling/vaulted design.
The Details: I have a garage that is 18 feet long by 14 feet wide.  I am planning on converting this slowly to a finished shop space and would prefer open rafter/vaulted ceiling for aesthetics. I also want the option to convert to ADU and am going to the headache to rough in everything to code. Energy code requires R49 unless it's an joist-vaulted or single rafter design, in which case you can use R38. Since I am leaving 1-2 inches of space for the air gap between the roof and the insulation, I think I can just add 2x8s sistered to the 2x4 rafters then use 6 inches of thermosheath R13.1 (per 2 inches) to get R39.3 and still have enough room for the air gap.
The entire king post truss system is built entirely out of 2x4 except the king post, which are 2x6s. There are 4 trusses spaced 4 feet and then rafters spaced 24 inches (the last truss is 2 feet from the back wall). I'm located in Spokane, WA.
I'm just worried that the weight of the 2x8s will exceed the load for the roof, especially where there is open rafter. Is this the case, or am I OK? Any other thoughts on how to achieve this?
Thank you!
Here's a pic of what I'm dealing with:

UPDATE #1
Here is what I am going for, ultimately, understanding that when it's all said and done only the tie rafter and the king post would be exposed.


texts: How can one properly and tidily install this hardware for internet access?

texts:
This picture shows what my new home has for the wiring necessary for internet access. Some of the wiring here isn't necessary---in fact, most of it isn't, just the telephone wiring.

With an idea of how this looks I assumed I would use what's called a "peg board", a white board with lots of holes in it, attached to the wall of this area and then mount the necessary hardware to the board w/ (what? zip-ties, or?) and then rout the wiring that's necessary in a tidy fashion through the peg board.

The hardware to be mounted to this board include only (a) a small (few inches x few inches) telephone "device" which needs input of 500mv/6.5v, and input of telephone (the telephone wire that gives the telephone connection to the outside (this powers my wireless telephone system), (b) a also similarly small telephone box (the one that provides the telephone wire to (a) which needs ethernet access to the router, and 12v/1amp max. (c) a router (self explanatory), and (d) the internet providers piece of hardware which will take in one of these raw telephone wires (pictured), and their own (power brick :), and possibly later (d) a wireless AP. Lastly, a 120v mains switch that can turn on/off all of that above. There's a mains within feet of this hold w/ the wires.

This isn't a complete solution to this question however, e.g., one technical point is missing: how do I mount this pegboard to the wall? The answer to this question finishes the possible project.

EDIT: the pegboard would mount horizontally as:

Note: the internet provider will be having to come on site to fix the wiring for their modem.

EDIT: additional thoughts

There are three "tv type" cables (one of which has no connector on it), and three "telephone type" connectors none of which have connectors.

Possible answers to this question might include such information to address: (a) that first, the hole could be repaired, and then a utility plate for cable/telephone could be used to tidy things up, and labels could be put on the respective outlets on this plate. Problem here may be that there wouldn't be room for labels (given six outputs) and, can one even find a six output plate like this? (b) two utility plates could be used to overcome some of the problems in (a).

Re mounting of the board: (a) spaces could be used so that the wires could be run underneath the board as needed and the peg holes could be drilled out (increased in size RPN). (b) flush mount the pegboard, and plug mount the utility plates, and run the wires on top of it.

Re attachment of hardware: (a) zip ties.


texts:
We've bought an older home with 2 wire receptacles. We need a 3 wire (grounded) receptacle to use our new TV and satellite receiver.
Is there a safe way of using these items with out the cost of re-wiring?


texts: Best route to take when replacing an old panel without a main breaker

texts:
I have a severely scary Stab-Lok panel that has no main breaker. The breakers spark and fall out when the panel is slightly wiggled. It's tiny and there's hardly any room to work, so I'm not about to screw around inside there while the mains are live. So, I need to have the electric company come out and pull the meter.

I figure while the meter is off, why not just replace the panel? So I bought a 200A load center with main breaker installed. My service is currently only 100A, but we plan on upgrading some time in the future (not sure how long it'll be). The main concern right now is to get the damned Stab-Lok panel out of here.

So, the question I have is, which is the best temporary route to take?

Just connect the lines to the installed 200A main breaker.
Remove the breaker and convert panel to main lug and connect directly (as the old one is now).
Remove the installed breaker. And backfeed the panel through 100A breaker as specified in the wiring diagram. (But lose 4 spaces.)

Honestly, I'm strongly leaning towards #1. At least the panel will be protected and I'll be able to use the main breaker as a disconnect.

Thanks,
Michael

BTW, the panel I bought was a Siemens P3040B1200CU and they don't make a 100A main breaker for it.

Update with photo:

The Siemens panel I plan to use photo:


texts:
Is it possible for a DIYer to sharpen the blade on their lawn mower?

If so, how would I sharpen the blade on my lawn mower?  It is a reasonably basic push mower but it does have a 'mulching' blade.


texts:
I am trying to wire a smart switch and wired it successfully for the other rooms but as having trouble in one of the rooms.
Can someone help me identify which wires are which as it seems to me by looking that white is being used as a hot wire maybe?
I know the red is the load  and  the bare one is the ground but I’m confused about the negative and/or neutral wires.
Any help would be appreciated.


texts:
This bulb is found inside a fancy light fixture, I haven’t seen one before and it doesn’t have any markings on it. I need to order replacements.

More images showing the context of where I found this bulb.


texts:
I'm looking to make a desk for myself.  For the surface, I'm planning on using an oak kitchen surface (either 30mm or 40mm thick) and I'll have 4 60mm holes cut to support desk grommets for cables, usb ports and a wireless phone charger.
My plan was to put the holes 50mm from each edge (or 80mm to the center point of the hole) but I have some concern about whether I'll be undermining the structural integrity of the back of the desk too much.  If I mount monitor arms to the back of the desk (2, around 10kg weight on each), is the back likely to snap off under the load?
My initial thought here was to model the back of the desk as a 1600 x 50 x 40 shelf with a 20kg load.  http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator tells me this will be fine but I'm unsure if that's the best way to think about the load here - I think I need to be more worried about the stress on the wood between the holes?


texts:
Hi I am look to run 100 amp sub panel to my shop from my 200 amp panel in my basement. It about 175 ft in middle of both panel box .
I was looking for someone help me out on wire size and what I would need to do it ?


texts:
I am about to tile my bathroom floor, and a friend pointed me to this Luxury Vinyl Tile

Basically, I'm wondering if the money savings, and ease of installation will hurt me in the long run when I go to sell in 3 to 5 years. Or in other words, should I just suck it up and install ceramic tile.


texts: How do you access the Rainsoft water softener "advanced" settings, such as hardness?

texts: The user manual says that this setting is setup "by your Rainsoft dealer" when the softener is installed. Well, I bought mine off of Craigslist and I don't know how to verify if the settings are correct. Does anybody know how to access the hidden settings, such as harness?


texts: should I replace slightly broken iron toilet flange or switch to new ABS

texts:
I'm replacing the sub-flooring and will be tiling. I know that the toilet flange will be low, and it is chipped on one side where the toilet bolts go. I see two options (there could be more...):

leave it alone and once the tile is complete, get a repair plate and build up to correct height.
since there is a stainless sleeve easy to access, replace the complete section and set to correct height before buttoning up the floor

Is there an obvious answer here? I don't see a problem leaving it alone, but I don't want to regret it! Here is a picture:

thx


texts: Does the type of sheet rock behind a glue up tub surround matter?

texts: Since the drywall, green board, or cement board is covered completely why does it matter. The exposed area would be exposed regardless.


texts: Is it ok to cover this cement patch with lime mortar?

texts:
I previously asked about a patch on a  deep hole which has been giving off a strong odour.  In the comments people mentioned that the cement had probably been mixed with other materials hence an unusually strong odour.

I am a bit sensitive to paint, etc., so instead of painting over it I thought of using this lime based product to simply go over it slightly and seal in the smell.   I have been told it definitely doesn’t gas off smell/odour.  The description for the product is:

“This is a non-shrink, ready mixed mortar made with natural hydraulic lime, siliceous and calcareous sand (0-0.6mm) and additives. Suitable for repairing or restoring cement renders, lime plasters and refurbishment work on composite backgrounds.”
Will it be ok to just cover it or might it introduce other problems? I take it the original cement can be covered straight away thought it’s been a few days already drying.
Thanks.


texts:
Background:
I recently moved into a house in the western US built in the late 1950's. Most of the receptacles are two prong and don't have any ground wire running to them. I would like to have three-prong outlets so that I can plug in modern appliances and devices and so that things are as safe as possible.
From what I've read, including here, some of my options are put circuits on GFCI's and labeling them "no equipment ground" (either a GFCI receptacle at the beginning of a circuit, or use a GFCI breaker), run a separate ground wire to the receptacles, or pull a new wire to all the receptacles.
As I understand it the GFCI option is just as safe as having an earth ground except for two issues: 1) surge protectors (or surge protection inside grounded equipment) can't function without the ground, and 2) I may be hunting around to reset GFCI receptacles more than in a house with fewer GFCIs.
Edit: The service and main panel have been updated relatively recently (I don't know exactly when, but I'm fairly certain within the last 20 years) with 200A service and modern looking GE main panel.
Plan
I'm thinking of putting most outlets in the house on GFCI circuits and running new (grounded) wiring to a few outlets where there will be electronics with surge protectors or three-prong cords.
This is a picture of the panel. There's a service panel outside that feeds this panel (with a 150 A breaker I believe) and directly feeds the outside AC compressor.

Questions:

Does this seem like a bad idea? Reasons are to avoid tearing up too many walls/ceilings and/or the cost of lots of electrician time if it comes to that.
One electrician I talked to recommended pulling all new wire, not just because that's more time for his guys but "because your house is due for a rewire anyway" (this was over the phone, he hadn't seen it, just based on the age of the house). I understand the original wiring could be brittle/not the greatest (it's cloth-covered NM as far as I know), but does that sound right? I can't say I've heard "due for a rewire" before like it's a scheduled maintenance issue.


texts: How low could kitchen sink sewage inlet go?

texts:
A plumbing book I have says a kitchen sink sewage inlet should be at 16" above floor. I would like to set it a little lower (e.g. 12") in order to make more room around water stubouts for plumbing as well as provide more vertical clearance for a deep sink with a garbage disposal.

Are there any disadvantage to setting it lower?


texts:
Currently, our house gets its water from a well via a pressure pump. The pump is located at the top of the well, and the well is ~20m from the house.

Pump is ~5m above water and ~3m below 1st floor of the house, the pipe is ~1m under the ground.

While it does work, we have had to change the pump 3 times over 6 years due to various reasons (rotor blades broke/got bent, motor burnt out, parts wore off). From what we can tell, most of the times the pressure control gets rusted/stuck and it either starts working non-stop, or is turning on/off at random intervals even if water is not being used in the house. Since the pump is not in the house, I can't say for sure how often that has happened, as we have observed it only few times.

My question is, would it be better to have the pump inside the house?

The air would be less damp, meaning less rust. Less work would be left for bladder as it would only need to push water through pipes inside the house, not the ones going to the house.


texts: New gas range setting off smoke/gas detectors

texts:
I converted our kitchen's range to gas. The gas line was installed professionally but I connected the new stove. As part of setup I heated the oven to 350 to test the burners. Soon after reaching temperature the house alarms went off. I think that it was monoxide not smoke. I was running the exterior vent but it isn't above stove.

Is this normal for a new oven, should I run a self-clean? Do the oven burners need to be adjusted? Do I need an exhaust hood (I've had houses with gas ranges but never a hood, and we rarely use the exhaust fan but it seems like everyone has hoods now)?


texts: Mounting a relay socket to a junction box?

texts:
How can I mount a relay socket (such as this one) to a junction box with a blank cover in a way that:

complies with the 2014 NEC
won't surprise the next electrician working on the circuit (as I suspect mounting it to the cover plate would)
allows wiring to be connected without having to "stuff" the socket into the box with wires already attached
and allows the relay to be replaced without having to detach the socket from the box?

(This is not quite a dupe of my other relay mounting question as this question deals with socket type relays while the previous one dealt with chassis mount relays, which shouldn't be used directly in mains wiring because they're not fully UL listed for standalone service.)


texts: Is it up to code (anywhere) to have a ground wire poking out the end of a wire nut?

texts: A few days ago there was a hot question about wiring with several pictures, here's one. Ignoring all the other issues with this wiring job, on the right hand side we see a green wire nut with the ground to the switch being stabbed through the top of the wire nut. I've only ever seen connections where all ground (or any conductors at all really) exit from the same side of the wire nut. Is this at all to code, and if so where?


texts: Can I switch this outlet for a USB outlet?

texts:
Does anyone know what kind of outlet is this one:

...and can I safely swap it with this one?

Or is there anything power concerns that I should be aware of??


texts: What are the essential steps to replacing facia boards without destroying the existing shingle roofing?


texts: Installing PEX pipes close to heating vents

texts:
We are renovating all the bathrooms in our house that was built in the early 70s.

The plumber has replaced most of the copper pipes with PEX tubing. He has not replaced copper entirely and has coupled copper with PEX (see pics below). He connected the main water supply copper pipes to 1/4" PEX but then connected them to 1/2" PEX later.
EDIT: made an error above....should be copper to 1/2" PEX and then connected to 3/4" PEX later.
Shouldn't the main supply line be connected to the wider PEX if at all? How does one check that the clamps are properly fixed onto the connectors?

He has run PEX right next to main heating duxt from the furnace in the mechanical room (that supplies heat to the house) and in other places as well. Is this safe? Is a minimum clearance required between the PEX and heat vents?

Please see pictures of the shower rough-ins in two bathrooms. Is it normal to have so many joints and connectors? Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

Thanks


texts: Fan runs when in "on" mode, but not when in "auto" mode while in "cool" setting

texts:
I have a Rheem RHPL-HM2421JC air handler, a Rheem 1.5 ton heat pump condensing unit, and a comfort control thermostat.

The heat and fan worked well over winter. I can also turn the fan mode to "on" and the fan will run. However, if the system is in cool mode and the fan is set to 'auto', nothing happens. I swapped out the circuit board, but the same problem persist. All the wires in the thermostat seem connected, so i am at a lost for the cause. Any suggestions?


texts: How do you protect romex at the end of an EMT run?

texts:
Sometimes you need to run a circuit through both protected & unprotected space. For example, you might put a recep in workshop (unfinished walls = unprotected) over a crawlspace (protected).

To protect the wires in the unprotected space, you use a short length of EMT from the crawlspace, through the floor, to the junction box.

While people usually run separate THHN conductors through EMT, in this case it makes sense to use NM through the crawlspace and in to the EMT.

At the jbox, I'd normally use a NM clamp to hold the NM cable, or a set-screw connector to hold the EMT. What connector is appropriate for that end?

At the other end of the EMT, there is no box - just open space. What is the right fitting at that end?

EDIT: I think there are three goals here - clamp the NM cable in place, protect the cable from the sharp edge of the EMT, and secure the EMT to the jbox on one end.


texts: My fridge is warm and my freezer is really cold and freezing things a lot. The things in the fridge are soft or bad. Why will this be happening?


texts: How to deal with the trapped air in a loft attic?

texts:
I live in an apartment (not a house) with a loft attic. It has enough space and I use it as a study room. In summer, the air is extremely hot as I walk up the steps to the attic.

Initially I was thinking to get a solar powered roof fan installed on the roof with its opening inside the attic (of course this needs strata approval), however, there is a problem: My bathroom has a hole that leads to a dome shaped skylight window and at the end of the hole, it has access to the roof cavity (the gap between the roof and the ceiling). I guess they made it that way to vent the air in the bathroom.

Now, if I install this vent in my attic, the vent sucks the air inside the flat out and as the result the replacement air will be pulled from bathroom and since it's connected to the roof cavity, the air in there will be pulled inside the flat. I already have problem with dust and dead insects coming through that hole in my bathroom, if I install the vent, this gets even worst.

So then my next thought was that, perhaps I can install the roof vent without any opening inside the unit and the opening will be inside the roof cavity. However, I'm not sure if that will be effective and if it makes any different to the current state.

So I am kind of desperate and the air in my attic is so hot and humid that makes the attic useless. I can't even use it as storage because I'm worried molds will be grow so I keep it empty during the summer. I hope I can find a solution here.

I guess there are some misunderstanding, I draw something to explain what I mean. My attic is loft so from there you can see the living room. Also there is no access from toilet to attic, it’s venting into roof cavity

So here are my questions:

If I install the roof fan to vent the air from attic to outside, doesn’t that pull the air from the cavity via bathroom into the living area?
If I install the roof fan to vent the air from cavity and NOT the attic, does that even help? Considering the roof is shared with another unit.
Any other option?

P.S.: The wall on the other end of my attic is shared with the other unit, so I can't really open a hole to install an exhaust fan.


texts: Proper amount of solar panels needed to charge batteries

texts:
I am working on a plan for a 24V electrical system. Based on my needs I plan to have six 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 batteries wired up (2S3P I believe) to give me 24V 300Ah.

Assuming I need to fully recharge this battery bank each day and going on a rough average of 6 hours of solar charging per day, the math seems to indicate I need roughly 1200W of solar panels:

25.6V * 300Ah = 7680Wh
7680Wh / 6h = 1280W (let's call it 1200W)

I see that there are 12V solar panels and 24V solar panels. But am I correct that the panel voltage is somewhat irrelevant. Do I need 1200W regardless of the panel voltage?

Would using twelve 100W 12V panels work? Then what about using 300W 24V panels? Would I need 2 or 4 of those panels? I'm hoping the answer is 2 panels but I suspect it's 4 since it is the wattage, not the voltage that matters, correct?

To summarize, would I need two or four 300W 24V solar panels to recharge a 24V 300Ah battery bank on a daily basis assuming 6 hours average of useful solar energy?

If more specifics are needed about the batteries or solar panels, I can update with details. Just let me know what is needed.


texts: Converting old mechanics garages grease pit into a storm shelter

texts: We’re wanting to convert an old mechanics grease pit into a storm shelter.  What would be the best way to do. We were thinking concrete for a slab and a wooden door for entrance.  What is the best way to do the concrete slab. Thickness? Best way to hold it up until dried...etc.  Thanks


texts: Can I have confidence in copper sweat joints that were repaired without disassembly?

texts:
Ok...I have seen several answers to this but I want to ask something related...
I just worked for 16 hours, teaching my son to sweat copper.  We re-did his whole house, pulling galv and replacing with copper.  It is a small ranch, so 95% of the pipe is in the furnace room and the rooms directly above it.
When done, we applied water and found that 5 of my 50+ solder joints were bad.  One drip and 4 sprays.
We turned off the water, opened at the closest point to clear the lines and then re-soldered WITHOUT pulling the fittings off.  In ALL cases, the flux was still active and it sucked the solder in to the point of a drip under the pipe.
I then read later that this is not the way to do this.  I should have removed the fittings and started over.
SO...
After 48 hours, the pipes are holding under full pressure, which I think is a 100 PSI city line.
Help me to sleep at night by telling me that I have nothing to worry about in the future.  Or...if I do, please let me know and I will go re-solder those connections.
Appreciate the response.
Thanks!
Ron


texts: Why are there gaps on the garage door seal of my garage door?

texts:
I'm looking into thermally insulating the bottom of my Garage door (I live on Long Island NY, so the winters can get a bit cold), and I noticed that there are gaps in the sides of the garage door bottom.
What are these intentional gaps in the bottom of the rubber on the garage door?
Are they there intentionally?
Do they pose a problem for keeping the garage warm during the winter since air can go through them?
How would I get rid of them?
You can see it in the pictures that I shot:


texts: Adding a plug to a direct wire vent hood

texts: I inadvertently bought a range vent hood that is a direct wire model instead of a plug in.  Is there any reason why I couldn't run a grounded replacement plug with a wire to the unit in lieu of the direct wiring?


texts:
A couple of years ago I had a licensed electrician add a second 100 amp load center to my home (the original 100 amp load center, still in use, could accept no additional breakers).

He fed the new load center from the meter. The meter is CL200 rated.

Conductors for each panel come from the meter base. I pulled the new panel cover and see conductors connected to the main lugs going into a conduit connecting the new panel and the meter base box. Both panels are in the same structure, a single family house. The original panel is in the garage; the new panel is just outside the side door to the garage - say 5ft apart. Both panels are main breaker types. The new is a Siemens PW2020B1100 w/copper bus in type 3r enclosure. The wire size between the new panel and the meter base is 3/0.

Can I assume that the electrician verified that the meter and base could support two load centers?


texts: Door seal rubber - how to bring it back to shape?

texts:
Wondering if anyone has got any ideas that doesn't involve taking the whole frame/door apart for the following issue...
There's a set of 4 bifold garden doors, and when installing a clip on blind the black rubber seal in one of the corners (top left) has gone a fair bit "in" rather than just "sitting" on the glass, and upon inspection I can see that along the beginning of the top part of the door there's a slight sag on the same rubber. My guess is that it lost some of the shape by going inwards.
I've tried to pull it back but to no avail, I can't quite get enough grip on it! There seems to be no leak caused by this, or any condensation forming, so it's mostly an aesthetic problem as far as I can tell but would still be nice to get it fixed since it's a brand new house!
Edit: Added a couple of pictures - one of the top rubber out of shape, and also one of the side so you can see what I mean by going "inwards" compared to the rest of the edge of the frame.


texts: Should I caulk window gap behind casings?

texts:
Installed flange windows often have a gap where they're shimmed. This gap will usually be covered by casing.

Should it be caulked before the casing is installed?


texts: Pool pump plug trips when GFCI outlet receives power

texts:
I have a GFCI outlet out by my pool. I have a timer switch inside that sends power to that outlet. My pool pump has a plug that is GFCI (I assume that is what a plug is called it has a test and reset button). Whenever my timer switch sends power to the GFCU outlet my pool plug GFCI trips. Push the reset and everything is fine. Unplug it and plug it back in works fine no problems. The only time it trips is when it is plugged in and the GFCI outlet receives power.

What is causing this and how can I fix it?


texts:
I was going to hang a heavy whiteboard on my plaster walls using molly bolts, but when I went to drill the holes, the drill bit never broke through - it penetrated (exactly) 2" into the wall before hitting something hard and stopping. So molly bolts and wing anchors are out. Is there anything that will work in this case?

I estimate that the whiteboard weighs about 60 pounds, and it has 6 mount points.


texts: Product identification/recommendation to seal top of foundation wall

texts:
In preparation for winter, I've started to inspect the exterior of my house and noticed some of the sealant at the top of the basement wall needs replacing. Unfortunately I bought the house like this so I don't know what the previous owner did. I live in Toronto, which has humidity from 0 - 60 RH, and a temperature range of around -35ºC to +35ºC. The wall is Insulbrick and the foundation is covered with a cement render.  Snow will regularly settle on this surface during winter.

Three questions here:
 1. What is this product?
 2. Any tips for repair and replacement?
 3. This is about 10 years old. Are there better products on the market now?

Here is what I am trying to replace:

And here is me trying to picture where this is better!


texts: Wiring assistance for dryer from 4 prong to 3 prong

texts:
Just moved into a new apartment so I had to change my dryer plug.

However, after countless tutorials and videos I am a little confused with the current set-up. Is it right that the green(ground) and the white (neutral) are directly on top of one another? I see the ground screw to the left but nothing is on there...

So my question is when I install my 3 prong how will I ground it? Do I need to buy a ground wire and somehow attach it to the ground screw?

Tried to attach a picture but wouldn't let me because I did not have 10 rep.


texts: How to identify type of asbestos used in home?

texts:
How can I tell if the asbestos used in my home is amosite (brown), crocidolite (blue),  chrysotile (white), actinolite, anthophyllite, or tremolite? Also, how would I know if it was used, say, just in the ceiling, or also in the walls, or in the flooring. As asbestos is a type of stone, if the building uses asbestos then does it man the entire wall is made of asbestos instead of concrete or is it just used to cover three walls?

Thanks.


texts: Can property changes be made to change flood zone determination?

texts:
About a year after I originally purchased my home, FEMA sent me a notice that they had updated their maps and decided I was in a flood zone and needed to pay flood insurance. I've been paying ever since.

I live in Texas. I can't really imagine a vast flood sweeping away my house and causing me to climb on the roof and wait for rescue. The nearby "creek" is bone dry unless it rains. To make things even better, if I recall from when I saw the maps, the flood zone boundary line runs through my back yard. A few of my neighbors and I are included. Homes across the street and those a few houses down the street are completely flood zone free. Certainly the nearby park opposite my back yard fence experiences some slight flooding in heavy rains, simple from water building up and taking time to run off, but that's it.

I've been looking into replacing the fence around my yard, and it occurred to me; a tight, well-made fence, or a retaining wall or something, should be able to keep out any risk of water flooding into the backyard from the park. (Again, the whole thing is ridiculous--in the past eight years, that hasn't happened, and any water high enough to reach my house would go past and spill into the street and run away). So my question is, is there anything I can do to the property that would convince FEMA to say I am no longer at risk of my house being washed away any day now in a flood? I'm aware that I can pay for a surveyor to check my elevation and MIGHT be able to challenge FEMA that way if their map lists incorrect elevation--but is there anything I can do to make the property flood proof in FEMA's eyes?


texts: Can I use Multi-Cable Staples to run wire horizontally?

texts:
I am running 5 or 6 runs of wire in my attic and thought I would use the Multi-Cable Staples to give myself more room.

Here's a picture of what it looks like:

They definitely seem strong enough to handle the weight, but I've never seen them used in this manner and am not sure it's up to code.

I also do not see anything on their website or the packaging that says anything about this: http://www.gardnerbender.com/en/mcs-100w


texts: How to fix unevenly stained maple wood vanity?

texts:
My bathroom vanity was not properly stained. It is not even. The edges are still showing the original light maple color. There are paint-like drips everywhere. I doubt that it has been sealed because it feels rough.

What would be the best way to fix this without buying a whole new vanity? My original plan was going for IKEA style dark chocolate and still be able to see a little bit of the grain. The chocolate wood in the following photo illustrates my goal.

Edit: I found the stain in the shed that is most likely to be used by the previous guy:


texts: How can I reduce my 2" shower drain to match my 1 1/2" ABS drain plumbing?

texts:
I have this Kohler shower base that I am about to install. At the bottom of that page it says it pairs well (for them) with their shower drain
Specs here (PDF)
Here are the dimensions for it:

Question: Do I need to find a way to reduce from 2" to 1 1/2" or there is similar parts that can fit my shower pan and that match the 1 1/2" ABS pipe that I have for the drain ?
Update:
After reading the below answers and recommendations and after asking around as well I went to the store and I bought the shower drain and both a reducing coupling and a reducing bushing. Both resulted in nearly the same size of the coupling and none of the fits in the space I have below the floor
Here are some pictures:
-coupling comparison

-current situation -everything is 1.5" here but the drain needs 2". The problem is that I need to push the trap downward in order to create room for one of the the couplings

Is this an acceptable and functional solution? Does it have any caveats ? The idea is tp put a piece of 1.5" pipe (violet colored in the picture) between the crown of the p trap and the trap itself like below. The yellow pieces will be sized accordingly what you see if just for illustration

Update2:
OK here are the result of this evening attempt to make room for a lower trap and bigger seal depth
Final result with the drain flush with the floor but there is room to move it higher when the shower base gets in its place

Here is the overall height of the assembly

And here I am making it easier to measure the seal depth by positioning the tape as needed


texts: Found Well in Backyard -- How to install pump?

texts:
In my backyard there is this well, I think, that has water in it.
As you can see, there is a well casing and then a pipe in between. I have no idea how to install a pump and such, and am not sure where to start. I would love the idea of watering the large front yard lawn, or my garden with water.
I tried to measure the depth with a stick (I thought the water was really high up) but it fell and I did hear a splash as it hit the bottom. As you can see, there is an electrical port above, there likely was a pump here before. My neighbor also has a well and has a pump system setup for some sprinklers (I think), but I'm not sure how it works.
How would I connect a pump to the black pipe, which ends right with the well casing? The well is set in an old concrete slab.


texts: What is this huge hole in my back yard?? Can I fill it in?

texts: I have a huge hole “ maybe 3 foot diameter and 8ft deep” I have noticed the ground sinking in around it. I would like to fill it in. I know that around 12 years ago we went from septic to public sewers.


texts:
I have this idea, and since it seems logical to me, but I don't see it anywhere I suspect I am missing something.. so here it is:

Why not put a vent that pushes air from the attic into house?

At summer, everyone wants to exhaust the hot attic air outside, makes sense.
Winter time, the attic still gets hotter, quicker, on cold *sunny day then my house (because I have little direct sun into my house, but also in any well insulated house).
why not use the greenhouse "attic" effect, and have a vent sucking the hot air from the attic into the house? you could have that fan linked to a thermostat, only pushing air when attic temp >  house temp...

seems easy and cheap, what am I missing?


texts: What kind of contractor do I call to have a bathroom vent installed? I also need a vent put in above my stove. Thanks


texts: My copper tubing for the water line to my refrigerator became slightly bent while I was installing it is it a big deal should I buy new copper tubing?


texts: Furnace getting power, but heat/AC not kicking on. LED on board is not lighting up. Thinking the transformer is gone

texts:
So far I've been successful in maintaining and repairing my own HVAC system in my house. First week we bought the house (we knew going into the purchase) I replaced the main board. It's been golden for three years until now.

Thermostat makes a call for heat, nothing happens and then it makes a call for emergency heat and nothing happens. The furnace is getting power. Circuit isn't tripped, getting power at the outlet attached to the furnace (for the condensation pump), and there is an electrical hum when I turn the power on.

I opened up the furnace and the LED on the board is 100% off. Per the key on the board an off LED means that either the board is dead or there is no power getting to the board. My first inclination was to check the transformer, which is a 120v to 25v transformer.

The leads to the primary are right at 120v AC, to be expected. The primary is reading 97v AC when the leads are plugged in and the power is on. Turning off power and removing the leads to primary I get 24.4 ohms. With power on, and leads removed, the secondary side is also reading 120v AC. Leads off, power off, I get an 0.L on the secondary, when testing with my ohmmeter.

So I'm pretty sure the transformer is gone. I've ordered the part, but since it will take a week to get here I thought I'd ask and see if anyone had any idea. I also wasn't sure if the 120v on the secondary side is cause for concern. Will I need to replace the board as well?

This is a Trane XE90. It was working just fine up until yesterday morning.


texts: How do you install a thermostat if you don't have Y or C wires?

texts:
My thermostat is a LuxPro LUX PSP511LCa. I looked behind the thermostat and I see the following:

A red wire connected to RC
A jumper connecting RH and RC
A white wire connected to W
A green wire connected to G

I see no Y or C wires.

Now, I have a new Honeywell RTH6580WF WiFi thermostat. The instructions tell me I need an R, W, G, Y, and C cables.

I have a few questions:

Can I assume that my current RC cable is the same as the R cable, so I just plug it into the R slot?
What do I do about the C and Y cables? I don't have either. I read that Y is for cooling. My house has no cooling, nor do I want it. Can I just ignore the instructions that tell me to connect the Y cable?

Attached is a picture of the thermostat wiring:


texts: Radon fan with submersible pump. Is this normal?

texts:
New home owner here.  When I bought my home, they did the radon test and found the levels high, so a radon fan was installed.  I recently investigated the radon fan setup, and discovered that it seems to be coupled with a submersible pump in the basement.  Is this normal?  I'm concerned that running the submersible pump is using a lot of energy (it's a 9.7 amp/115 volt pump, which equals ~1115 watts by my calculations).

A little more info:  it seems that there are two PVC pipes into the sump area.  One is connected to the submersible sump pump, and the other is presumably connected to the heat pump outside.

Also, there is a noticeable level of water in the bottom of the sump.  Is this normal?  The sump is sealed, but is NOT air-tight.  Is this normal?  The manometer pressure value indicates 1.6, if that means anything to anyone.

What is the function of the submersible pump?


texts: How do I disconnect a garbage disposal wall switch?

texts:
How do I eliminate a wall switch to the garbage disposal?
I’m getting new countertops, sink and backsplash.The new garbage disposal will be operated with an air switch.
When tiling the backsplash, can I have the wall switch for the garbage disposal removed and have the wall patched?


texts:
I have some questions about the above floor plan of a two-level apartment.

On the second level, is the stair closer to the bigger bedroom or the smaller bedroom? How can you tell from the drawing?

Is the "deck" on the back of the apartment?

Is the front door between the kitchen and the closet?

Does "duplex"here mean that it has two levels?

Thanks!


texts: How do I reattach a door handle lever with a concealed screw

texts:
A door handle to one of the rooms in my apartment has come loose. I cannot find an exact match online but it is similar in construction to this door handle.

The issue is that the lever part has come loose from the base. The mechanism itself is not loose from the door.

I cannot work out how to reattach the lever and I am wary of causing further damage by disassembling too much more. I cannot find any kind of manual or guide for this type of handle, but that may be due to not knowing the right terminology for my search. Here is how it looks:  There is a central screw-like thing that should connect the lever to the handle - it wobbles and rotates freely but does not come out of the base. I can put the lever in place but not rotate it in-place without moving the whole handle.

There is a grub screw underneath but I'm not sure which part of the handle it is meant to secure:. Do I take apart the whole thing? Any advice is much appreciated.

It should look like this when assembled: