texts: Finished basement with just painted concrete walls

texts:
I have a house from 1955, where the basement has been finished with lighting, carpet, interior walls, etc. I don't know when it was finished, only that it was so when I moved in.

The strange thing about this basement, however, is that the exterior walls don't appear to have ever been framed and drywalled. The walls appear to be just painted on the exterior concrete foundation.

I find this really strange, but I assume it was done as a cost-cutting measure by someone who finished the basement themselves.

My question is, what should I do about this situation? Do my exterior walls need to be properly framed and drywalled? If I don't do that, what negative consequences will result? I'm trying to figure out if the benefits outweigh the cost of properly framing the basement, and whether there are any negative consequences that might arise should I choose to not frame the walls.


texts: Why does a new KDF/GAC filter cause a rotten egg smell/taste?

texts:
I installed a KDF GAC(4:6 by weight) filter (counter-top) to reduce possible heavy metals and chlorine in the water. (our water tastes generally good, except slightly chlorine)

However, after running the water through the filter we get a very strong rotten egg smell/taste. (assuming H2S)

Note: The water states/smells fine before filtration (or on any other tap in the house) except for slightly chlorine.

After some research; The filter should remove H2S not introduce it.

I can't find any reason other than it might be due to bacteria growth or the filter is saturated.
But since this is a new filter I got yesterday... I'm completely stumped.

Why would a new KDF/GAC filter cause a rotten egg smell/taste?

PS. I've also let it run for 5 minutes at +-5.56L/min (+- 28L) without any improvement.


texts: Lamp base out of wood, containing wires. Is there a safe way?

texts:
I want to build a lamp socket base out of wood. In general I'd have a total of three lamps sockets hanging from it, which I'd feed through drill holes and would wire together in a hollowed out part of the wood.

 _________________
|_________________|  <- wooden board/slab
   |     |     |
   |     |     |
   O     O     O  <-lamp sockets

This means electrics and flammable material together.Naturally, this brings up some concerns as I don't want to burn down my house.
Is this in general a bad idea, or how can I achieve this in a safe way?

Additional info
View from top on hollowed out fixture with cable canal:

    cable feeds from bulbs
        ↓      ↓       ↓
     ____________________
    |                    |
    |   O------O------O  |
    |____________________|
               ↑
         wiring all together


texts: What is this lamp base wire clip and how do I remove the wire without breaking the clip?

texts: I'm trying to replace the socket in an old desk lamp, and I need to pull the wire through.  However, the wire is secured tightly by a black plastic clip at the base.    I'm wondering what this clip is called, and how to remove the wire without breaking the clip.  I would like to be able to reuse the clip (or buy a new one if I know what it's called and can find it).


texts: craftsman shop vac motor stuck on reverse

texts:
Apparently the motor itself is reversed. It I'd blowing out the top hole.

I cannot find any " reverse" switch cm and I doubt it has one. It apparently got switched into reverse somehow and I need to reset it.

It is a Craftsman 9 gallon (red) .

Any advice?


texts: Using receptacle mounting screws for ground connection

texts:
I will soon be adding some outdoor wiring using weatherproof metal boxes and EMT conduit. I noticed when I was playing around with a multimeter that without a ground conductor between a receptacle and the box the receptacle ground terminal still read 0Ω to the box. I realized that the ground screw on the receptacle connects to the receptacle frame, which is fastened to the metal box, providing a ground pathway (as seen here).

If my EMT/metal boxes are grounded, do I need to pigtail ground conductors from the box to the receptacle, or can I use the mounting screws and frame to provide grounding?


texts: What can I fill a trench around my house with to avoid creating a drainage issue?

texts:
I am planning out my footing insulation job. Right now it's a pretty standard floating slab-on-grade with footings extending down a few feet, and the footings are uninsulated. A ring of concrete was, at some later point, poured around the original slab to ring the house with a walkway type thing. It's annoying me because it let termites enter the house unseen at some point. A "snow test" revealed that the house leaks a lot of energy from the original slab through the external one. So it's going to be history!

Here's a cross-section of the current state of affairs:

My plan is to remove the exterior concrete and dig a trench around the house to expose the footings. Then I'll attach 6" of EPS insulation foam boards right up against it, and metal flashing for drainage and termite control/tube visibility will be attached over that:

This leaves the question of what to do about the trench. I don't want to create any drainage or water control issues as a part of this project, because right now the house has none. I assume that simply filling it back in with dirt would be safe, but I want to fill it with other things instead, for the following reasons:

1. Scoria (lava rock)

Pros: extra insulation, looks pretty
Cons: Would having a trench filled with a gravel-like rock right up against footing insulation create drainage issues?

2. Sand

Pros: 16-grit sand creates a permanent termite barrier (16-grit sand is exactly the right size to impede their movement)
Cons: Would having a trench filled with sand right up against footing insulation create drainage issues?

I should mention that this house is in the Albuquerque, NM area and receives less than 12" of rain a year. So this isn't as important as if the house were in Seattle, but I still want to get it right.

P.S. I know that EPS foam is white, not blue, but white didn't look right in the diagram!


texts: How do I reduce the capacity of a solar water heater tank

texts:
I have a solar water heater system that takes a lot of sun hours to warm up and that cools down too fast.  I live in Puerto Rico, so the outside air temps and sun hours are not the problem.  After 10 years, I believe the problem is that the water tank is too big (120 gals) for the number of sun tubes.
The only opening of the tank is approximately 2 inches wide, to screw in the electric heating element.  Is there any material I can induce into the tank, that would expand (like a balloon) so as to reduce the capacity?


texts: How can I diagnose the cause of my washing machine shocking me?

texts:
Australian 240v power supply.

Worked fine without incident for 5 years. One day I plugged washing machine into a plug adapter with no ground connection between the washing machine plug and the power outlet. (so it just has live and neutral connections). I received what felt like a 100 to 240v shock from the metal drum of the washing machine.

Putting my proximity voltage detector within 40cm of the unit resulted in it beeping (it usually needs to be within 1cm to detect anything.)

My question is: does this mean that the washing machine drum was always energized, and the only thing saving me from being shocked was that the ground wire was safely attracting the current away from me when I touched the machine?
Does this mean that the only possibility is that somewhere inside the machine a live wire is touching the metal exterior of the machine? or could it be another possibility?

My multimeter results:
From ground on plug to washing machine drum is infinite to 120,000 ohms resistance (changes when drum rotates). To other parts of the metal chassis it shows 83 ohms resistance. These parts still cause the proximity detector to light up.
The live, neutral on plug to drum and chassis show infinite resistance.

The live, neutral and ground prongs on the plug all show infinite resistance to each other.

My voltage testing screwdriver lights up when touched to the drum, chassis and internal ground wiring.

All other readings are infinite/blank, including voltage and current readings from drum and chassis while they are energized.

I don't understand how I can get shocks from the drum and chassis and they can set my proximity voltage alarm off, but no readings come through the multimeter. Is it because I can only rest the probes on the metal drum and the resistance is too high in my multimeter and the current is happier to flow through the chassis?

Note: the machine does not have to be turned on for the proximity meter to detect voltage in the drum.

Thanks


texts: In one of the bedrooms there are two outlets that work part of the time if you plug something in you might have to wiggle the plug to make it work. The bedroom next to it the closet light does the same thing it will flicker on and off if you're wiggling the plug in the other room.


texts: Replace individual window panes with a single pane

texts:
I have old double hung windows with 6 panes per section. Can I remove dividers and replace them with a single piece of glass, then install a cosmetic dividers?

Glass was 1/8". Opening approx 24" * 24". Window is painted. Can't seem to add a picture.


texts: How much linseed oil is needed to treat a beechwood counter top?

texts:
I'm going to be treating beechwood counter tops with linseed oil (following these instructions).

The person in control of the budget has asked me to figure out how much oil will be required (so we don't buy too much).

The tops are 40mm deep.

How many ml of oil should be used to give a single coat to a 1000mm × 1000mm × 40mm block of beechwood?

I am assuming it will be the same amount for each coat, so let me know if that assumption is wrong.

Is there a heuristic I can use to work it out for other thicknesses?

Given that, I can figure out the total required from the number of coats and reapplications.


texts: Seeking input on popcorn ceiling removal

texts:
Cross post from HomeImprovement subreddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/gphjmr/seeking_input_on_popcorn_ceiling_removal/

So...  somebody decided we should undertake the task of removing the popcorn ceiling from her bedroom, even though neither of us has ever done a project like this before.  Several people have recommended against it, but some random drywall contractors on the internet said it's easy, so why not try it!

Before I go on, I'll point out that we tested for asbestos before we started.  This is a 33 year old apartment building in Vancouver, Canada.  She owns the apartment.  We believe the popcorn was unpainted.

We started a few days ago with a wet scrape to remove the popcorn.  We sprayed straight water with a garden sprayer, then started scraping within 3-5 minutes.  It went well at first, or so we thought, but now we are doubting ourselves.  The popcorn seemed to come off easily, except near the walls, where it was more laborious to remove.

As you can see in the photo, there's a lot of old mud left.  At this point, we decided to use the pole sander with 150 grit sandscreen (and the shop-vac kit) to clean it up more.  This helped to remove some more old mud, but didn't take much more off (that photo was taken after sanding).

After further research and consideration, we decided it may require more scraping.  Most blogs/videos/etc that we've seen show the post-scrape ceiling looking like it is down to clean drywall with mudded seams.  Dry scraping wasn't working, so we decided to try wet scraping again, this time letting the ceiling soak for a little longer.  We sprayed, waiting 15-20 minutes, and attempted to scrape.  It still didn't really work, so we sprayed again, with a drop of Palm Olive dish soap in a gallon of water, let it soak for 10 minutes, then scraped.  It still didn't take much more off.  The most success I had was pressing the blade to the ceiling at about 45 degrees and putting nearly all my force behind it, causing the blade to eventually buckle, and remove more old mud.  I worry that this technique will end up damaging the drywall and joint tape.

So, here's where we are looking for input.

Should the entire ceiling be scraped to look like this section?
Do the darker patches mean I have damaged the drywall by being so aggressive?
Should we stop scraping and just sand with the 150 grit sandscreen a whole lot more?
Should we sand with something coarser than 150?
Should we forget about further scraping and sanding, and just skim coat/mud over the entire ceiling now?

Additionally, are there any recommendations for a particular joint compound?  We originally purchased a low-dust variety, but we have since read that it is a poor choice.  We are planning to purchase an All-Purpose variety, which seems to have better reviews and may be more suitable.  One resource mentioned that an All-Purpose variety is good for the initial coats, but that we should use something harder for the final coat.  Do you advise otherwise?

Finally, there was also one section of the ceiling near the wall that was especially difficult to remove the popcorn from.  We worry that we have damaged the joint tape in that spot.  I only have one poor photo of it right now, I will add more tomorrow after we take a closer look.

Thanks in advance for any input!


texts: Gfci breaker will not turn on at hot tub disconnect

texts:
I installed a new GFCI breaker for a hot tub on the deck in a separate box from the main panel. Wired it to the hot tub . but it will not turn on.

Would a wire at a lug not fully secured cause the breaker to stay tripped?


texts: Do we need a 400A service to power a home and an in-law (ADU)?

texts:
We are thinking of building an ADU (Auxiliary Dwelling Unit, or "in-law suite") in our backyard.

The planned ADU's square footage will be  852 square feet.  It will be 70 ft away from the main house, which is 1045 sq. ft.

We submitted our plan, but it didn't pass. This is because of the main service, which is 100 amps. The inspector told us to install a 400 amp main, to service the back house.

We would like to know which rule in the NEC the inspector is referring to. Can you tell us?


texts: Which parts are missing from this vintage lockset?

texts:
I'd like to get this lockset back into working order on a vintage 1-3/8" interior door with 2-3/8" backset, but do not know which parts are missing. Here is what I do have:

Also, either the door has twisted, or the walls have leaned.  The door matches the stop fine on the hinge side and on the topside.  There is no threshold.  The bottom of the door on the lockset side stays away from the door-stop by 9/16".  The painted door has a single flat panel in the frame.  I suspect the panel is plywood.  My thoughts for fixing this is to either cut a tapered filler strip to fill the gap between the door and the door stop, or cut one of the corner mortise/tenon joints in the door frame and re-glue with a counter-twist and kerf-filling dutchman, maybe spline the bottom.  Any thoughts?


texts: How to childproof small table intentionally away from wall?

texts:
I have a small table next to a rocking chair in my child’s nursery. Once my child starts crawling and walking, I want everything in the nursery to be childproofed, including the table. While I could fasten the tab to the wall, that moves it away from the rocker, thereby defeating its purpose.

Is there any way to childproof a small table that’s away from walls?


texts:
It seems I lost a power from one of phases feeding the panel. The pen tester proofs that. It's interesting if I reset the main switch, the power comes back. If I put any appliance (be it a small light bulb) the power disappears on the same phase until main switch is turned -> off -> on.

I was wondering someone has any theories what could be the issue?


texts:
We had 2 dimmer switches that had stopped working (lights were on 100% regardless of how turned the dimmer switch was.

I checked the back and went out and bought 2 new ones, turned the electricity off and swapped them over.

They both control 4 lights and they both work ok, but on one it buzzes constantly. Is this a sign of a faulty dimmer switch or is there something else going on?


texts: What type of pipe should I used to build a gravity drain from my furnace to the bathroom plumbing?

texts:
In the picture below, the existing pipe that is used by the condensate pump runs across the red line in the figure (it does not connect exactly there but that is the idea)
That line is a clear pvc tubing, 0.2" diameter, old and turned brownish. I want to replace it.
I don't think it is properly sized and connected as the pump needs to push twice to send the water through it. (probably some is coming back)
It was also explained that the purpose of a condensate pump is to pump the water up to a level and then a gravity  should take it on further.
Since this existing pipe is traversing the ceiling to get to the bathroom there is no slope and I am considering installing a drain across the blue line you see in the picture.
What material and what size should I use ? 1.5" ABS ?
Is there anything smaller like 1" or 1/2" that can be used in this case?

Update: here is the pump model -21786 in the picture below


texts: Intermittent Water Flow And Potentially Busted Pipe

texts:
We have a well that has been causing us some trouble. The pressure gauge/pressure switch assembly on our water tank is older and rusted due to the high calcium/mineral content in our water here.

(1.)We have an outdoor spigot that I noticed had a puddle of water rising from the ground around it while I was using it. This is my main concern because the only thing that makes sense is a busted pipe. Is there anyway of troubleshooting this without digging?

(2.) Also, the water pressure inside our house has always been poor, which is likely due to a bad seal(pressure gauge) or obstruction in the pipe. Within the last couple of days though, suddenly it will cut off for at least a minute before flowing again with higher than normal pressure. I don't know if it's relevant, but the water pressure in our shower/bath is much higher than any other faucet in our home. I did come across an article that indicated it could be a faulty pressure switch that is causing the intermittent flow of water.


texts: Fluidmaster toilet fill valve not shutting off water

texts: My toilet was leaking water continuously into the bowl.  I thought I had a bad fill valve and replaced it with a new Fluidmaster fill valve.  Unfortunately the problem persisted.  When the float reaches the level where it should stop water flow it does stop water flowing out of the tube into the tank.  However water till leaks into the tank in some manner which I cannot figure out.  Eventually the water level will reach the height of the overflow tube and begin to spill into the toilet bowl.  I have tried moving the float lower down to see what happens and found that water will continue to flow into the tank even to the point where the float is totally submerged.  Any suggestions?


texts: What can I use to adequately insulate round rigid metal ducts?

texts: I'm installing properly sealed round metal ducts in my unconditioned attic for heating and cooling. I've probably got 100' total of 6" duct to cover.  I'm trying to achieve an R-8 insulation value, but the big box stores only sell R-6 Frost King wraps.  Can I use un-faced insulation batts (that you use in the attic), and then wrap a foil layer around it? Any other suggestions?


texts: What would cause an AFCI breaker to trip under no load?

texts:
I have an AFCI breaker that trips with 0 load - nothing plugged in, no lights on. To test that power is getting to the room, I turn on the overhead CFL lights (very light load) and flip the breaker. The lights do turn on, then the breaker trips and power is shut off.

When I replace the AFCI breaker (15A) with a standard breaker (15A, I have both in my panel), the standard breaker does NOT trip. However, no power flows to the room either - no lights, and no outlet power.

What could be causing this discrepancy? I have confirmed that the AFCI breaker and the standard breaker work on other circuits; they are not faulty.


texts:
This was found in a collection of miscellaneous tools at work.  Similar to a bolt extractor or "easy out", but the threads are way too fine and right-handed.

Approx. 2.75" overall length.
Hex end is 7/8".
Approx. 24 threads per inch.
Threads are clockwise/right hand.

Take a close look at the threads; it's hard to make out but they're serrated/angled (for lack of a better term) towards the narrow end.
Thoughts? :)


texts: Strange noise any relation to well pump failing?

texts:
I haven't used my well pump all Summer (since we've had to much rain I've not needed it).  This last week or so things have really dried up and I decided I should water the grass.  With sitting that long I went ahead and re-primed the pump (I know from the past that it can only hold prime for about 2 weeks of disuse).  No problems cycling it several times while priming.

I then let it finish refilling the tank while I ran the hoses out in the yard.  When it clicked off, instead of the usual "click"/"whirrrrrr" sound (from the motor spinning down) it made a "click"/"pssssshffft" sound.  I didn't think a lot of it as I had the primary valve open and sometimes there's a little leakage around the secondaries.  However, after attaching the hoses and opening the water valves the tank drained without the pump ever coming back on.

So far I've checked power to that circuit, and tapped the control module to see if it might perhaps be a stuck relay.  What should I look at next?  Pressure switch (if so, how do I test it?)?  Bad motor perhaps?  Any particular common point of failure (especially with that odd sound)?


texts: Given two 4x4's with a 1/2" steel pipe running through the middle, how much weight can the posts support? Is there a chance the wood will split?


texts: Is this a gas valve behind stove? I can't move it to turn it off

texts: I want to get a new stove and when I pulled out the old stove I found the gas line within a hole in the wall and the gas line had a metal bar on its side. I am thinking this bar is a gas valve but I am not sure I haven't seen a pic of a gas valve that looks like this on the internet. Also when I tried to move it it seems to jiggle a little but I couldn't get it to move. Has anyone seen this before and can let me know if it is the gas valve and how I can get it unstuck to move it to turn off the gas?


texts: How to remove old multi turn water inlet valve

texts: I was replacing some of the parts in my toilet and noticed the grommet on the toilet end of the supply hose is worn and started to leak when I reconnected it.  My preference would be to just replace the grommet but I can't find a replacement grommet part so it looks like I am stuck replacing the water shutoff valve.  But I can't tell on this one how to remove it.  I don't see any threads and believe it might be soldered on.  Unfortunately the valve is right up against the Escutcheon ring. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to find grommets for old style metal flex lines or how to remove the valve?


texts: Adding partitioning stud wall anchoring to sides instead of top and bottom

texts:
Hi I want to add a partitioning stud wall in my basement. Ceiling and floor are concrete and sides are brick walls. I want to know

Must I build a full height wall touching the ceiling and anchor the top and bottom plates to the concrete to hold the wall or
I can build a 3/4 height wall not touching the ceiling and anchor the two last vertical stud woods on the two ends to the brick wall only to hold the wall?

Thanks


texts: Range hood installation for non built-in stove

texts:
I'm looking to buy a range hood for our stove. The hood will be externally vented through the roof (1 story house) since it's on an interior wall.  It seems that most of the wall mounted chimney units assume that the range itself is flush or almost flush to the wall, since they have a depth of around 18".

We have a free standing stove, (i.e., not built into the cabinets) with no cabinetry on the wall the stove is against and if I measure from the wall to the back of the back burners, it's about 10", so 18" from the wall will not really cover the full stove surface, and won't cover half of the front two burners.

Does this mean that I need to install an island model instead of a wall mounted model hood? Or is it possible/desirable to add some sort of spacing so that the wall mounted unit hangs out further?


texts: How should connect my light to the wires in these three cables?

texts: My house was built in 80s. I have a light fixture I want to mount with live (black)and neutral (white) and ground. Question is the two white wires bundled are neutral. The other 4 are confusing. 3 of the others have paint markings indicating they are hot and one black wire with no paint. I wired it wrong cause the light turns on but at the switch won’t turn off


texts:
My shower drain is clogged.  I want to open the drain cover, but I can't get it off (see picture of drain cover)

How should this be opened:  prying it off or unscrewing it?

Regards,

UPDATE

This words on the cover are: "florestone madera ca"


texts: Can I merge two drains with traps into one pipe?

texts: Can I put a Y fitting into the wall to accept two p-trap drain assemblies?  I need one for the Reverse Osmosis system and the other for the double sink with disposal.


texts: Where do I measure a building's height on uneven ground (for UK Planning restrictions)?

texts:
UK Planning states that an outbuilding must remain below 2.5m in height, otherwise planning permission is required.

My problem is that the ground is uneven, but the roof would be flat, so where do I measure this height? Should it be an average of the tall side and short side, or should it be the tallest side alone?


texts: Replace soil pipe or continue cleaning it annually?

texts: Tree roots grow into the house sewage drainage pipe some 6+ feet out of the house.  Each year I have a company clean out the roots with a large drill.  Replacing the pipe will be expensive.  What conditions or symptoms should I take as indications that I need to replace the pipe?


texts: Can I use a heavy gauge extension cord from the wall to a UPS?

texts: I have a 900VA/480Watt UPS/surge unit, and it doesn’t quite reach the wall where I need to plug it in. I'm using it to power an iMac. The unit has a 3x16 AWG cord. Is there any harm or difference, in using a heavy gauge extension cord that matches or exceeds the original cord on the unit itself? Say a 10,12,or 14 AWG cord to connect it to the wall? Or even a 16 AWG cord (like the actual gauge with the unit)?


texts: How would you create a high gloss finish on furniture?

texts:
From a smooth lacquered finish like this:

To a high gloss like this:

How would I get create a finish like the picture above when starting with a smooth lacquer finished piece of furniture (i.e. IKEA Malm wooden furniture)? I know it is a multiple step process but I don't know what the best approach is. What tools/products would you need?

I'm a beginner to diy home improvement so any small tips/steps would be extremely helpful!


texts: What are ways to clean glass top ranges undergoing heavy use?

texts:
We are avid cooks and our cooktop witnesses almost daily use.
To that effect, does this picture of suggest permanent wear, or can it be cleaned? Either case, any way of cleaning or mitigating the wear?
Finally, is it economical to replace just the surface of the range? This is a slide-in range-oven, and new ones run a steep $1400.


texts:
I have a 6 ft tall fence (standard home-store pickets) that was installed before the home was purchased.
A tree, that I assume was planted prior to the fence going up, has grown up through the fence line, so much so that it has pushed the panel in front of the tree off the fence line. I am replacing the pickets and rails due to age/rot.
To work around the tree, I was thinking of using a 4x4 instead of 2x4 for the rails, where I would notch the 4x4 down to 2x4 near the tree. The 4x4 width would be kept near the post to support jutting the fence inward from the normal fence line.
Is there anything I should be concerned with structurally with such an approach?
The tree is primarily in the neighbor's property, so cutting it would not be an option. My concern with new posts is trying to bury such in an existing root structure.
Proposed solution
                XXXXXXXXXX
--------------   XXXXXXXX   -------------  (existing fence line)
             |     XXXX     |
             |______________|  (proposed solution)


texts: How to repair Garden gate latch 'spring clip'?

texts:
Google for "garden gate latch" and you'll see the gate latch we have. It's sold by the hundreds of thousands worldwide under different brands. I bought mine in the UK through B&Q (Blooma brand) and it rusted the same year we put it in.  On the outside of the gate the ring falls off frequently. I've unscrewed it, and here's what I see:

The clip can be pushed back over the larger ring assembly to hold it into the collar, but it barely holds it. Any decent pull of the gate to close it would pull the ring off the square shaft again, with the clip being the thing that didn't hold.
Can I replace that clip with an e-clip? The minimum pack of e-clips I can buy is the same cost as buying the whole latch again?
Or can I do some secondary fixing to hold the clip in place (in the wee groove in the ring assembly)? Like a spot weld. Or a nylon zip-tie? The clip feels thin - a weld might even deform it.
What about drilling the spindle and putting some form of split-clip through? I have old spindles so have room to experiment.
I don't want to replace everything with the galvanized edition cos that's 3x the price and I've no guarantee that the same ineffective clip isn't part of the assembly.
Advice?


texts: Installing motion lights on a fixture with a dimmer switch

texts:
I'm replacing an old led light fixture that is on a dimmer knob. The new light fixture is also LED but motion activated. The instruction manual says do not install on dimmer circuit. Basically I want to know why not, and is it ok to disregard this warning if I don't care about the dimmer effect working?
This will be a temporary fixture until we get a contractor out to have some proper work done. I need to have motion lights as a security deterrent ASAP.
Basically can I install the fixture anyway? If not what do I need to do, would it be a simple wall switch replacement? Or the entire wiring needs to be redone?


texts: Hydronic Heating: Noisy pipes in the basement/walls

texts:
My issue is i have a natural gas boiler + hydronic heating system (two zones). It seems that after I remove air from each zones, the heating system is quiet until 12 hours later. In the early morning , we hear knocking in the basement/ first floor (near the return side of the boiler - the noise is not coming from the boiler though!) as the heating is turning on. If I flush each zone for air, the noise goes away and then it seems to come back the next day.

Is it possible that either the relief valve's spring is getting old and allowing air to escape dropping the pressure (I noticed that there is no water in the copper pipe coming from the relief valve). I have also tested and verified that the relief valve works if the PSI is around 25-30 (which it is rated).

What could be other sources of air getting into the system (could there be a pressure drop and the pressure regulator pulling in new water). I also checked that the expansion tank works (knocked both ends of the tank and also confirmed that there is 20 PSI with a tire guage.)

I also recall reading about that maybe the circulation pump might be running too fast - thoughts on this?


texts: Why won't HVAC supply stores sell directly to the public?

texts:
I am quite shocked that every store in my very large metropolitan area that sells HVAC supplies requires purchasers to have HVAC contractors license.  Which makes it very difficult for a very technically inclined DIY-er to do the job himself.

I understand this is not a DIY and more of a legal question but I am trying to understand why that is.  It is as though the Home Depot required an electrical license to sell you a spool of Romex or a receptacle, which they don't.  It is clear that HVAC stores have no intrinsic economic incentive for such a policy; it must come from either the municipal government or their insurance company.  Or some nefarious ultimatum from HVAC trade unions so they secure more grip on the market.


texts: Is it possible to modify my new europrofile cylinder lock to work in my traditional night latch?

texts:
We have a traditional night latch.

We need to change the lock to use a different key.

We accidentally bought a europrofile cylinder lock.

I know from videos like this one that a lock can be dissassembled. Since the mechanism seems similar, is it possible to modify my new europrofile cylinder lock to work in my traditional night latch?


texts: Can electrical solder be used for joining pipe?

texts:
Some background here: I'm an electrical engineer, working on a project that is likely going to require liquid cooling. As part of the installation of this liquid cooling system, a joint needs to be made between copper pipe and a pipe fitting. This will carry only coolant mixtures, not anything potable, so lead content is not an issue.

Is there any reason that I should not use electrical solder (of which I already have plenty) to solder this joint? I know that plumbing solder usually doesn't have a flux core like electrical solder does.

If it is fine, will I still need to use a separate flux paste? I imagine I probably will, but in the interest of having a complete answer that's useful to other people, the opinion of someone who knows more of what they're doing with plumbing than I do is valuable here.


texts:
I'm currently working on an oak table and I'm finishing it with boiled linseed oil is this a stand alone finish? I normally use a clear varnish but fancied trying something different. Will the linseed oil give me protection against spills and the like or should I give the table a coat of lacquer as Well?
Thanks


texts: Should I connect or remove the paper insulation layer on wires when installing a new plug?

texts: I have 12/2 600v cable i need to splice into a plug but it has paper and a cloth like materials in the cable with the wire. Do I need to connect the cloth and paper to ground or just take them off and connect my black and white to the plug in order to create a complete cable with the plug?


texts:
I need to convert an outlet to 230V 15A for a window AC. Unfortunately the outlet is on the second floor, outside wall of a solid brick house.

I’m considering punching a hole through the back of the cavity behind the box to run the new line. It would then be conduit from there down the side to near the electrical panel where it would re-enter the house.

Is this safe and reasonable? What kind of conduit do I need?


texts: Does a thread on Diamond Cup Grinding Wheel need a locknut?

texts:
I have a 4 1/2” diamond cup grinding wheel installed to my angle grinder.
I screwed it on all the way, but there is no room for the locking nut.
I called DeWalt and they said since it is a screw-on wheel, i do not need the locking device, but that kinda worries me.
Is this safe without a locking nut and how should I tighten it?


texts: Why is the recommended pressure for a bladder tank 2 psi less that well pump activation pressure

texts: If I want the well pump to start less frequently, why should NOT the pressure of the bladder tank be GREATER than the well pressure start setting.  I have a 30-50 well pump pressure switch which kicks in at what looks like 32 psi according to the in-line pressure gauge next to it.  I have 28 psi in the bladder tank as most recommend, which results in the well pressure switch starting the pump every time the psi drops a few pounds, which seems like less than 1/2 gallon of water flow.  If I had for example, 35 psi in the bladder tank, would that not lessen the frequency that the well pump is activated?


texts: What information do I need to select a circuit breaker?

texts:
I am having 2 new lines run in my basement to power a workbench's tools and an unrelated computer station.

I have room in my panel for additional breakers, and rather than tie into existing wiring, I think this is a good move.

I plan to add 2 single pole 20 amp breakers, the panel clearly says stab lok on it and I recall from a friend's upgrade that he matched the brand of the breakers that were already in the panel.

Is this a best practice, a requirement or just fussiness?  Is it labelled somewhere on the panel what type I should pick up, or should I just remove the cover and see what's already installed?

I have seen advice that says avoid Federal Pacific breakers, the locally available brands seem to be Federal Pioneer, Eaton-Cutler, Schneider Electric, Siemens.

Is 20 amp single pole stab lok breaker enough information to purchase the parts I need, or do I need the installed brand information?


texts:
We've removed the existing drywall on an uneven wall, along with the trim around a window on this wall.

When we're done making the new wall plumb and even, the window will be more recessed than the new wall.

Here's an image of what I've got:

What are the components that I've marked with a question mark?
I think I should be installing our backer board up to the outline of the rough opening, is that correct?
Will I need to extend out the "?" components and the sub-sill to be flush with the new backer board? If so, can I simply cut pieces of wood to size and nail them onto the existing pieces?
We will be tiling all around this window. The tile is 3/8" thick. Do I need to use thicker trim pieces to account for the thickness of the tile that will be cut around it, to ensure that the trim is proud of the tile? (I am assuming that I should be installing the trim before the tile.)
Should I fill the gap around the window with some kind of sealant or insulation? There doesn't appear to be anything there right now.
I want to use wood for the trim. What type of wood is recommended?


texts:
We live in a townhouse built in the 40s ... probably renovated in the 50s ...

I want to replace this doorknob with one that has a key lock.

I can't figure out how to remove it!

I was able to unscrew the ring that holds the large plate against the door, but I don't see how to remove the knob / assembly.

Anyone seen anything like this?

There are no holes/screws on the actual knob/handle part. There's some strange looking hardware behind the plate.


texts: Does "inverter generator" mean it is a "pure sine wave" generator?

texts:
I know that an inverter alone can be a "modified sine wave" or "pure sine wave", but the price difference is huge. Does this apply to "inverter generators"?

When these companies market it as "inverter generator", does it mean that it is pure sine wave?  I am looking at this Ryobi Bluetooth 2300-Watt (RYi2300BTA) generator, but there is no information/spec on their web site or owner's manual  that I can confirm if this is pure sine wave or not. Only Honda specifically says it's pure sine wave.


texts: I'm about to drill through dry wall to place in screws to hang a coat rack on. I noticed that there is a vent directly up on one of the places I have to drill on (picture shown and drill area marked w/ pencil). Should this be ok, or leave this area alone? Thanks a lot.


texts: Direct Vent natural gas fireplace has shut off 3 times by itself

texts:
I have a fairly new fireplace, we have used it a lot this season. 3 times the fireplace shut itself off. The fireplace would beep every few seconds. Hitting the off button on the remote - nothing. Hitting the on button on the remote, the fireplace starts up as normal. We have a CO detector in the room - no alarm.

Thoughts?


texts: Shed on grade foundation height limitations

texts:
I am building a 10x12 shed on a slight slope. I was hoping to do an on grade foundation, but when using a string level, it looks like my slope is about a 2ft difference on its lowest corner.

What are the height limitations of using stacked paver blocks and deck piers with 4x4 post? The plans I have mentioned not to stack more than four 4inch tall blocks as it becomes unstable, but what if it's just one corner? also it didn't specify the height restrictions on the deck pier.

Is there anything wrong with doing a deck pier or a post in ground in the lowest spot, and paver blocks every where else?


texts: How can I remove brown coloring/stains from logs?

texts: The outer walls in a log cabin are solid logs.  I had a slight leakage problem through fittings between some of them which left brown stains on the logs.  The leakage problem is long gone but the stains remain.  Any idea how I can remove them?  If I paint over them would the stains eventually seep through?


texts: Is re-sanding needed after primer is applied to wood cabinets?

texts: Just wondering if I should re-sand the primer I just applied to wood kitchen cabinets, BEFORE I apply the cabinet paint I purchased?  The kind of final coat I bought is Valspar latex with oil-enriched enamel (cleans up with water). It's supposed to be some sort of acrylic hybrid paint - alkyd or something like that. So because I've never used this paint before, I don't know what to expect. The Valspar cabinet paint can reads that it is not necessary to prime before painting...but because I had to sand these cabinet doors down to the bare wood practically, I thought priming was a better idea....so I primed them with a "bonding" primer, that I was told would work with the Valspar paint.  My question is this - now that they are primed...should I RE-SAND all the cabinet doors again before I apply the final coat?  Also...is there any tricks to making sure I get all the dust off before I apply the final coat?


texts:
I understand that this is a mater of esthetics and there are different styles of flagstone patio layout - tighter, loser, more uniform, more natural, etc. I'm looking for any rule of thumb range for the size of individual flagstone pieces in a patio. It may be that larger patios can look good with larger pieces. I have been laying them out and I think they are too big. Part of the problem is that there are small pieces filing in gaps and the large pieces make the small ones look very small.
The whole thing is about 125 sq feet and the larger pieces are about 9 sq feet.


texts: Replace section of copper heating-loop w/ pex

texts: I need to replace a short (less than 5 feet) of a 3/4" hydronic copper piping loop. Can I substitute 3/4" PEX for the copper?  Is there a flow-volume or any other issue?


texts: Why is my hot water baseboard heater not heating?

texts:
I have classic cast iron radiators in my house and then one "modern" one pictured below.  It was installed in the 80s from what I know.  It doesn't seem to produce much heat at all.

It is properly bled and the incoming pipe is hot but the outgoing pipe is only slightly warm.  The radiator itself is only a bit warm on the incoming side.

BTW, it is on the second floor of the house where I also have a cast iron radiator which works great, so it's probably not a matter of water pressure or anything like that.

I'm not familiar with these radiators, are they not supposed to be hot when you touch them?  Or is something wrong with this particular one?  What could be wrong?

Should I change it with something better?  What?  A modern radiator?  Used cast iron one?  What would you do?

(Edit: changed the title, because these seem to be called 'hot water baseboard heters')


texts: My basement wall is adjacent to a filled foundation. Is there any point in insulating?

texts: I was planning on putting foam board insulation on my basement walls before finishing. Then I realized that on the other side of the wall isn’t earth, but a poured foundation for my covered porch. Does the concrete provide enough insulation? Is there any point to adding foam board insulation to the interior of this wall?


texts: I need a double (over/under) three way switch, preferrably rocker switch where both swiches have pilot lights.  Any manufacturer is fine.


texts: +24VDC to 5v converter - does the positive make a difference?

texts:
I have a fairly general question, but cannot seem to find an answer to confirm my thoughts.

I have a garage motor door, and on the top has 4 terminals - 1 and 2 for a switch button to open and close, 3 is COM, and 4 is +24VDC.

I want to add a little module that will allow me to connect to the garage door and control it. Most modules I can find are 5VDC, and there are some that are 12VDC.

My question is, the garage door states it is +24VDC, does that mean I cannot use a DC converter to change it to 12/5VDC as there is no negative?

I was intending to use something like this: https://www.andymark.com/products/power-converter-12-24vdc-to-5vdc to do the conversion, but the lack of both poles is throwing me especially when the output will be to a USB powered 5V.

This is a diagram from the manual of the circuit board:


texts: How do I determine the thickness of wood needed for a desk?

texts:
I would like to make some furniture. It'll hold my computer, some books and still need to be strong enough to hold the weight of me leaning on it etc.
How to I calculate what thickness of wood is needed and how regularly supports are needed?
Here is a sketch of the piece I'd like to make:

I am thinking of using Pine, but am not fixed on that (any suggestions?).
Looking at a television stand I have, it seems that 60cm is a reasonable gap for the top, however the bottom will have to support all of the weight for the unit.
I hope this covers the basic information that was missing, feel free to ask more though!  Any advise is welcome.


texts: Calculating current draw for an old freezer

texts:
I'm trying to calculate the maximum current draw for an old chest freezer, as part of working out the requirements for an emergency generator.

The freezer (a Norfrost) doesn't have any model number visible, but does have this sticker on the compressor:

This suggests it draws 0.6A, so 144W at 240V - but that seems surprising low to me given that a similar new one is rated at 150W, and new appliances are supposed to be much more efficient than old ones.

Can I therefore assume it is correct, or is there something else in there that gives a better clue? Or do I need to get hold of a clamp meter and test it to be sure? Will the startup current be three times that (so 432W)?


texts: Why won't my heater turn off when it reaches my desired temperature?

texts:
My wife and I purchased our first home this past year and we did a bunch of repairs up-front via a rehab loan, and one of the things we replaced was a very old thermostat with a new digital one.

I had a licensed HVAC friend walk me through the installation and after install it seemed to be working just fine (ie. fan turns on, furnace fires up, house gets hot) but now that its been colder we've realized that the heater and AC don't automatically turn off when the temperature reaches the what we set it to.

I didn't think anything of it because we never set anything on the thermostat other than the time & day, but i'be been reading online that the thermostat brand we bought is apparently known to fail.

My question is, how can I tell if my thermostat is faulty when it does everything except turn off at the temperature we set?

For reference, my heater is a Rheem Criterion II and the thermostat is a Hunter 44260.


texts:
I was looking to run cat6 between my 2 properties for security cameras.  It currently has a cable line between the two buildings that was once used for dish network and probably used for cable TV a long time ago.  I use it for the cameras now using a passive adapter but the speed is only 2MBs.
I was about to test how easy it was to pull the cable line through the conduit when I discovered a second cable.  This appears to be connected to the phone lines but only the blue and blue/white wires were actually connected.  It has 12 wires, 8 of which are the standard colors of a cat5/6 wire, the other 4 looked like grey, grey/white, red, red/blue.  The line has not been in use for at least 12 years.
What type of cable is this?
Would I be able to use this as a cat5 cable utilizing the 8 wires?
Is there a better way to utilize this cable since it has 12 wires?
Edit:
This line was likely installed in 2001, it's about 150ft long.


texts: Why does condensation appear on surface of window, but not all of them?

texts:
When I woke up this morning (a beautiful winter morning), I opened my curtains and noticed that the middle pane was covered in surface condensation, but the two adjacent panes were almost completely clear.
I know that there are various things I can do to reduce humidity in the room, and I will do that, but can anyone explain why the middle pane was so much worse than the others?
Could it be badly fitted? or is it just because it's bigger, further away from the edge of curtains, and therefore subject to less airflow. If it's badly sealed, could it be getting colder than the other two, and the first to get condensation.
Could it also be that water is somehow getting into the window frame?


texts:
I've seen similar questions but I'm still stuck for an answer, so I hope someone can help...

I've just built what is essentially a two-storey cube, 6m x 6m x 6m. It's a steel construction, a little over-specified (very solid foundations, H-beam for the posts and beams, and box beams for the floor supports). The second floor is cement-wood board, 20mm thick.

When the frame was completed, it all seemed to be a bit too bendy, so I added additional 6" box posts inside at 2m and 4m, as well as triangular steel supports at the corners. That seemed to make the whole structure more stable.

However, now that I've laid down the tiles and have a good solid construction, the floor still wobbles whenever someone walks on it. It's very slight, but if I walk anywhere in the room, each table and everything on it shakes slightly for a good 10 seconds or so. You can feel the wobbling noticeably.

Is there anything that can be (easily) done to make the floor wobble-free?


texts: Using a temperature relay as a fridge temperature control thermostat

texts:
I have W9RXXMFWQ00 that isn't working anymore unless I hit it, so I'm assuming the thermostat is broken.

A replacement thermostat is 150$ so that is out of the question

I was wondering if anyone ever used a temperature relay such as Siemens 3RS1 or something like that to act as a thermostat?


texts: Is spot treatment of Drywood Termites (airborne) ineffective?

texts:
Unfortunately, my homeowners association indicates drywood termites in North Florida.  They indicate (source's credibility is iffy at best) that spot treatment would be ineffective and wasteful.  They are against any spot treatment, despite having to wait months for a fumigation appointment.
In what situations is spot treatment ineffective?
Update: drywood species are airborne (somehow that this is important) in contrast to the subterrainian class.  For some reason spot treatment is the go-to treatment for the subterrainian class


texts: What is this black sooty material on the inside of my roller shutter?

texts:
I have a bedroom window that looks out over the east (a backyard with mostly tiles and little plants) with a roller shutter which over the past couple of years has gotten a serious buildup of some sort of black soot, which I can't really figure out where it comes from.

Below are a couple of pictures. Apologies for the reflection of my bedroom, I can't open 2 of the windows and the 3rd has a mosquito screen which I'd rather not remove now that those critters are appearing again.

This soot covers pretty much the entire side of the shutters and I'm worried it might be more than that based on a question on here about black mold that looks suspiciously like what I have. Only thing is my shutters are plastic, not wood.

If this is black mold, would it be safest to just have the entire shutter plus the casing side of my bedroom replaced?


texts: What are the advantages and disadvantages of nails and dowel pins?

texts:
I'm planning to build some cubbies and drawers based on the design in the picture in a closet in my house.

I'm planning to use plywood for most of it.  I've seen some designs use glue and dowel pins to connect the components, others just use glue and finishing nails.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of these two methods?


texts: Gas water heater turn off the gas valve and water, but leave the thermostat at low level, will this cause some issue?

texts: GAS water heater, I turn off the gas valve and water, but leave the thermostat at low level, didn’t turn it off. I will back the house in 10 days, Will this cause any issue?


texts: How to correct blotchy brush marks on stained wood?

texts:
I just bought a house with some wood handrails and paneling around the staircase. It looks like it was recently stained but to my eye it looks horrible and uneven.

What is the best way to fix this without sanding down and “starting over”? I am pretty flexible on the color so if it would help to go darker to cover this that is fine but I don’t want to paint over it.


texts: Can I remove these braces safely while boarding my garage?

texts:
Hi everyone

It might be very stupid an amateur question. My apologies in advance.
I’m boarding my garage to create some space for storage. There are some perpendicular bracing which are attached to wal plates. There are two diagonal ones which are not attached to wall at all.
I’m putting new joists perpendicular to present ones and these two diagonal braces are on the way. Would it be safe to assume they are remnants of temporary braces and remove them. The roof itself has cross bracing separately.


texts: Washing machine has sand and leaves in it after someone did a load

texts: There are leaves and sand in the washing machine, I filled it up with water and flushed out most of it and wiped up the rest with a towel, then did a small load of laundry, now there is more in there, but not as much as the first time. What the heck is going on?


texts:
In our new home the ceiling is wired for a pendant light, but the electrician did not install the light.  Having some experience from helping my late electrician father, I have installed several wall and pendant lights.

The wiring in the ceiling did not have red wire connectors on the ends of the white, black and copper wires. However, on other lights left uninstalled the red wire connectors were on the ends of the wires.

The light has been installed, but it won't come on.  Would the electrician have left something unconnected for some reason?


texts: Replacing a smart light switch with a standard one

texts:
I’m trying to replace a lightswitch but there’s some unusual wiring inside the box.

It looks like there are three sets of wires coming into the box.
Black/White, Black/Red/White, and Black/White.

I removed an automatic timer switch from the wall, and can’t seem to get a standard two position switch to work.

The switch next to it has the two black wires from the left and center sets. All of the white wires are connected together in the box.

I’m trying to use the red from the center, and the black from the right box, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting the light at all.

What am I missing here?


texts: How can I connect my new light fixtures to old fluorescent fixture bases?

texts:
I have these old 6 inch recessed fluorescent light cans in my kitchen. I can hardly find the bulbs anywhere so I decided to replace them.

I pulled them apart thinking a could simply wire a new fixture, but it's not as easy as I thought. I purchased the LED retrofit, but it seems to assume I have a standard bulb socket. I don't have a bulb socket but the old can is attached to the black and white wire coming out of the wall.  How do I get this apart and then can I connect the black and white wires to the new retrofit LED?


texts: Light switch won't turn off after fitting a new light bulb

texts:
Thought installing a cheap "smart" light bulb would be a harmless operation. Here's what I did:

With the light switch off, removed the old light bulb
Installed a new light bulb and flick the switch on
The fuse box switched off all our lights, so I unscrewed the new bulb and put the fuse box switch back on

Now, the light switch on the wall won't turn off (like it won't "click" into the off position).
Here's the old working bulb:

Here's the new candle "smart wifi" bulb (I used their supplied B22 Bayonet Adapter) which caused this issue:

Can anyone explain what has gone wrong? I'm also intrigued into the (protection?) mechanism of the light switch which means it cannot be turned off anymore. More importantly, how do I fix it? I'm in the UK.
Bulb specs: They both say 220-240v on them. New bulb which caused this issue is 5W, the old working bulb is 15W.


texts: Battening an uneven wall for plasterboard

texts:
I want to place plasterboard against some interior walls (garage conversion)

I want to batten out the walls with timber and back the timber with Damp Proof Course (DPC).

I already have this timber, this DPC, and plan to purchase this plasterboard (50mm)

The wall I'm battening against is not level. It's not out by much though, at most 8mm.

So far I've researched into using these shims behind the timber but I'm not entirely confident in the method which I'm going to use to get the entire wall straight.

What's the suggestion? A long piece of string at 3 points which spans the wall? Use a 1M spirit level?

What about trying something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuCE8xaxg2s - this seems like a waste of timber though? (planing the timber down)


texts: How can I safely extend a wire in my electrical panel?

texts:
I need to move some breakers (and attached wires) from the upper part of my electrical panel to the lower part but the wires I need to move aren't long enough to reach their new location.

Is it safe and legal/to code to pigtail a little piece of extension wire in the panel? I know that to make any kind of junction you have to do it in a box, so does the panel count towards 'being in a box'?


texts: How do I change an AC outlet into a switched outlet using wireless technology?

texts: I have an outlet that's live, and I want to make it switched without having to get an electrician. Suggestions?


texts: What could cause a loud clunking sound when I turn on the hot water in my shower?

texts: When I turn on the hot water in my shower there is a loud clunking sound. I'm afraid the vibration may cause a joint to loosen and leak. Any idea as to why this is happening and what I can do to correct it?  The house is 57 years old and I think the plumbing is original.  Thanks.


texts: How can I remove Ink stains from my dryer?

texts:
Long story short, I washed some clothes that had ink pens still inside. I throw them in the washer, and now that the clothes are dried, I see inks stains ALL over my dryer. It literally looks like skid marks on the street.

What is the best way to remove these ink stains? I did some searching and found that I can use bleach, acetone, or dishwasher soap. I haven't tried the bleach method. The dishwasher soap method does not work. The acetone method kind of works but it only lightens the stains and the smell is unbearable. Does the bleach method work or is there another solution that will remove the stains completely?


texts: pvc windows constantly wet ...door handles dripping wet inside of premises

texts: I had windows fitted 6 years ago and still to this time  for ever wipe up puddles of water off all doors and windows ..plus its always draughty iv had insulation in walls roof and attic but its a no go its still cold u can feel wind blowing in in places on windows and doors I have had the company up and they say its natural so I have put tape on windows and around doors to see if that makes a difference to draught it did help ..water all I can do is put rags down or leave windows open 24/7 which is not  good


texts: Connecting a Leviton light timer w/ 3 way set up

texts:
I am trying to connect the Leviton VPT24-1PZ Vizia 24-Hour Programmable Indoor Timer with Astronomical Clock in a 3-way setup w/ LED lights. There was previously another light timer there (prob ~30 years old and couldn't properly keep time). On the other end of the circuit is a light switch.

I am attaching two photos:

Wiring going into the existing light switch on the one end. To be honest, I don't care about keeping it if it made the installation of the Leviton timer easier.
Wiring from the old light timer, which I am now replacing. I note that it only had the 3 wires coming out of it and wasn't connected to the copper/ground. The Leviton timer has 5 wires coming out of it.


texts:
I currently bought a Ring Doorbell and am trying to locate my transformer that powers it since it is unable to activate my indoor chimes. I'm in a condo and do not have access to the attic but do to the crawlspace.
I have a forced air electric furnace by the front door that is closest to the power panel but I cannot locate a transformer in or around it. About midway through my living room, under the stairs, is where my water heater is located. There, I found a transformer attached to where the water heater's power is connected. This is about 20 or 30 feet from the front door.
I turned the water heater off and the electricity test tool would still beep by the low voltage wires out of the transformer. I then turned the breaker off for the doorbell and it stopped beeping.
My questions are:
Is this uncommon for a transformer to be located so far from the doorbell and thermostat?
Can a doorbell and thermostat share a transformer?
I'm not convinced there isn't a hidden transformer maybe in a wall but both my thermostat and doorbell only have a small hole allowing the wires to come out. My next steps might be to cut the drywall out a bit behind the doorbell, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


texts: Delta Faucet: Maximum Gallons Per Minute with New Aerator

texts:
If I bought a 1.5GPM new replacement aerator, would the faucet emit 1.2GPM or would it increase to 1.5GPM ? I see a lot of delta faucets like this

https://www.deltafaucet.com/bathroom/product/B2596LF


texts: How do I soundproof my vaulted townhouse wall?

texts:
I want to soundproof my wall.  In fact, it's this wall:

I know, right?  It would probably be an enormous task, but I really want to get it soundproofed because I have a neighbor on the other side and my entertainment center is right up against the wall.  I have no speakers mounted on the wall, so that helps, but I am afraid that the bass from my subwoofer is just tearing through that wall.  If you must know, it's a 5.1 system with the two front speakers mounted on stands and placed next to the TV.  The center speaker is the one I am mainly concerned about.

If it's too much of a job to insulate such a huge wall, then perhaps there's something i can put between the wall and the entertainment center.

I have heard of foam insulation and mass-loaded vinyl (which I really like the idea of), but just want to hear some tips from the stack folks.

Edit: Is the home improvement forum on StackExchange brand new or something?  The word insulate isn't a tag?  Neither are condo or townhouse.  Could someone with some rep add these?


texts:
Unfortunately, I started installing a blind before properly reading up about drywall and studs (my previous flats did not feature drywalls). I ended up drilling a hole into the stud and fastening the blind using mollies.

I tried to pull the mollies out, but they seemed to be anchored quite well. I hate to leave a sloppy job behind me, but I would have it even more if I made a bigger damage.

How bad is it to put mollies into studs? Should I replace the mollies with plastic screw anchors?


texts: use of a propane fire table under a porch overhang, that meets up with an awning

texts: Is it safe to use my propane table under my covered overhang, that is than met by a large overhead canvas awning.  Will it cause damage to my siding or ceiling?


texts: How can I cut slots in the ground to install insulation panels?

texts:
To build a geothermal greenhouse, I need to insulate a thermal mass -- basically the ground directly the greenhouse. The insulation will be for the underground "walls" only, no floor, and 5 feet deep.
As an alternative to having to break up my 6-inch-concrete-paved backyard and then digging a hole, putting up the insulation walls, and refilling the hole, I thought of cutting out only the "slots" for the walls (basically just cutting out a 2-inch "moat" that goes 5 feet deep, around the greenhouse, and then filling it with insulating foam.
How would I achieve this, what tools/techniques would I have to use? What type of contractor would do this and how would I find them?


texts: Technically it's not an alcove, it's the back end of the bathroom, and I want to put a tub across that back wall. It's 68" across, and the closest tubs that I can find are 66". Seems like I should build out a little 2" projection of one wall, 32" wide ... or build out a little shoulder "wall" that projects out 2" and is 32" deep and 16" high and then tile horizontally across its top. The former seems more straightforward, but is there a standard/correct way to handle this; ways to make it look less kludgey? Either way it seems that tiling that 2" projection could get a little fiddly. Well, at least if I were going to do it, but I'm not; I'll hire a professional for tile installation.


texts: Why is no water coming out of my sprinklers despite the diaphragm valve working?

texts:
My sprinkler system has 4 zones. I have been turning them on at the diaphragm valve (looks like this:

1 zone has never worked. When you turn the valve switch on, you can hear the sounds of running water, but no water ever comes out of the sprinklers. Now, a zone I was using yesterday just started to do the same thing. Do I just need to replace the whole diaphragms?


texts: How to reinforce brick pavers driveway edge?

texts:
My wife wants to do "dry creek" style landscaping next to our driveway, which is built with brick pavers. Right now our lawn comes right up to the edge of pavers, and there's no edging.

I'm afraid that excavating topsoil right next to the edge of the driveway will allow edge bricks to drift away, and even if I add an edging (those plastic strips held in place with metal spikes), since on top of that edging base there will be loose stones/gravel, and not compacted dirt/lawn, it will not be sufficient to hold my driveway in one piece.

Is there anything I can do to reinforce that edge, or are my fears unfounded, and it's sufficient to just spike in paver edging?


texts: I am having a hard time finding a nailer that take cleats and has a plate for 3/8 hardwood bamboo.  Could I use either 1/4 or 1/2 plates?  This is my first time nailing down a hardwood floor and want to do it right.


texts: How to pour a concrete walkway directly up to a T style foundation

texts:
This is a side cutaway drawing of an existing 1930's stucco wall, showing the stucco in red and the original foundation.  There is no weep screed, and originally the stucco was troweled right up to the then-current ground level.

This is a Mediterranean climate non-freezing area with expansive clay soil. For drainage reasons the new walkway must direct water away from the house.

What's the best way to pour a new walkway right up to such a foundation edge?  How high would you set the top of the walkway, compared to the foundation?  What sort of expansion joint, if any, would you place?  The choices seem to be to bond the walkway to the existing foundation, potentially increasing consequences of movement.  Or, try for a really thin expansion gap (tar paper?).


texts: What would cause my door to not close even though it fits in the frame?

texts:
I installed a new door on an old frame.  However, when I attached the hinges the door doesn't want to close even though I still have plenty of room on the door handle side for it to close.  How do I know if I need to adjust the hinges on the frame or plane the frame down?  The door will shut if I force it and that puts pressure on the hinges.

I have approximately 1/4" clearance around the door knob side, top, and bottom but not on the hinge side. Should there be some spacing there?


texts: Wiring a 2-wire outlet into a 3-wire receptacle?

texts: I bought new outlet for my living room that has a couple USB ports in it. The standard outlet I'm removing had 3 wires connected red, white, black). But the new one only has 2 connections. How should I wire it? Use white and black, then cap the red?


texts: Why is the circuit breaker for my furnace stuck in the off position?

texts:
The breaker for my furnace is stuck in the off position. We were away for the winter and had someone shut it off, and now the breaker won't turn on at all. We shut off the thermostat upstairs thinking that may have been the problem, but it still won't go on.

Why is this happening, and how do we fix it?


texts:
G’day,

I recently started a new job, and have come across in the toolbox this set of “pliers”.

I’ve never seen these before, and I can’t find them anywhere online.

Can someone tell me what they are and what they’re used for?

Thanks!


texts: Help understanding the wiring in this electrical box

texts:
I am working on adding outlets to my garage and decided to open up this strange double switch box that is 6 or 7 feet up on the wall.

There are two separate circuits in this box, one that the kitchen and dining room lights are on, and one that the garage lights and existing outlets are on.  From top left to right:

Cables 1 and 3 are on the dining lights circuit (cable 1 is the power feed, hots were already separated in this pic)
Cables 4 and 5 (bottom right) are 3 wire cable and part of the 5 way switch wiring for the garage lights (lights can be switched on and off from 4 different locations).
Cable 5 is the one bringing power into the box, where the travelers (black and red) are spliced to the black and red from cable 4.
The white from cable 4 is bundled with the other neutrals in the box (which includes neutrals from the dining lights circuit), and the white from cable 5 (power) is connected to the black from cable 2.
The white from cable 2 is part of the neutral bundle.

As you can tell from my description, I was able to dissect the box and identify the cables, and I successfully replaced the box and connections properly and everything works.  But... I am confused about the wiring on cables 2, 4, and 5.  Why is cable 4 picking up a neutral in this box?  And why is cable 2 being powered off of cable 5?  Lastly, is it appropriate for these two separate circuits to be sharing neutrals?  I hope you are able to follow my post, I know it's a lot to read.  Thanks in advance.


texts: How do I prevent my washing machine stand pipe from overflowing?

texts:
I live in a multi story apartment building on the first floor. My washer/dryer are stacked atop each other in a small closet. I've noticed puddles of water on the ground before but did not know the source of where it was coming from.

Recently, I was at home when I heard a noise coming from the closet. I slid out the washer/dryer and saw a large amount of water on the ground with lots of soap suds. I looked inside the stand pipe and saw soap suds inside the pipe. Based upon the soap on the floor and the soap inside the standpipe, I believe the pipe was overflowing.

I haven't ran my washer in at least two weeks prior to the incident. I'm not sure why the pipe is overflowing. There are two apartments above mine with the same floor plan and I assume we all share some type of piping for our washing machines.

Any suggestions on what to do? Could this be a clogged pipe somewhere that needs to be snaked? I contacted management who sent out a plumbing company. They didn't do much except peek around a little and say they didn't observe any leaks. I've only noticed the puddles of water about 3 times in the last year or so.

Thank you!


texts: How do I ground this metal switch faceplate? (UK electrical)

texts:
I'm replacing a plastic light switch with a metal one - so need to ground it.

Have done this before - where backbox has been metal, so easy to run a flywire from switch to grounding point on metal backbox.

However this time the backbox is plastic - so there's no grounding point.

See images below - do I just run a grounding flywire from the metal faceplate into the terminal block where all the unused grounding wires are currently?

Thanks,


texts:
How well does latex interior paint hold up to being stored in a hot garage over time?  I did some painting several months ago, and without thinking too much about it kept the leftover paint in the garage.  Outside temperatures sometimes reach 90+.  Should I worry about the color changing, etc.?

Update: The paint color was indistinguishable from the original.  In fact, I have used the same paint again more than a year later.


texts: How do I secure this post to the structure to protect against seismic damage?

texts:
My foundation is attached to the frame of my house using seismic brackets, and I live in a earthquake-prone area.

I noticed I have 3 posts that hold up my center of my house that seem to only be attached to the beam with a few small nails.

To protect against seismic damage, should I try to attach it to the beam above and the floor below? If so how should I do that?


texts: What is the most cost-effective way to reduce sound coming up my staircase?

texts:
We bought a two-story house with a fairly open-plan staircase. See below:

My desk sits right by the top of the stairs, and a lot of sounds echo up the stairs from the kitchen. Since we are work-from-home, this means there's a lot of sounds going on, including meetings or just watching videos downstairs.
We got stair runners that helped a little bit to dampen sound, but I can still hear downstairs conversations clearly upstairs (although not vice versa). So, I am thinking about putting up a few sound-absorbing panels (e.g. here) to insulate upstairs from downstairs a bit more.
What would be the most efficient way to place these on the stairs to absorb the most sound?


texts: Adjustable bar hanger -Maximum load 17Kg/50LB -is the load for vertical or horizontal position?

texts:
Today I was in Home Depot looking for some electrical boxes and switches and I noticed this thing called Adjustable bar hanger which is rated for a 50LB load.

Is this rating for horizontal installation or for vertical installation ?


texts:
Can I do anything to these casters (on my parsons dining room chairs) to make them safe on solid oak hardwood floors? Maybe adding some sort of a rubber ring to the raised tread or even covering them completely so they don't roll at all?
(btw...removing them is not an option.)

I am also considering trying out this on the very remote off chance it could work on my type casters: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SOJIZC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


texts: Replacing exterior door sill - making it fit

texts: I'm replacing the aluminum threshold for my exterior basement door.  I bought a new one but it seems to be a little taller than the original.  It's adjustable but can't go any lower.  If I remove the rubber gasket attached to the bottom edge of the door, the door will just barely close.  But I know the gasket is there for a reason.  Can I replace it with one that attaches to the face of the door?  The current one is in pretty bad shape anyway.  If not, what is the alternative?


texts: Is it dangerous to request more power from a mains circuit than intended?

texts: Is it dangerous to attach devices using more than 3680W in total to a single 16A/230V mains circuit or is all I risk triggering the circuit breaker?


texts: So I am redoing a very old house that had two central heat and air units. One of the units was discontinued and is no longer in use. there is a 240v breaker next to it. my question is can I put a new breaker in that box and use it as a 120v for some outlets in a bedroom. Thanks for any constructive help.


texts: What can I mix with paint to avoid mold?

texts:
I am helping a friend painting his garage. He has lots of problems with mold because it's an underground garage.

He already bought the paint.  I know there are some additives you can buy at specialized stores, to avoid or delay mold but I am actualy looking for something home made.

Is there anything, that one has usually at home, that I can mix with the paint to delay fungus?

We cleaned the walls with bleach, and I thought of mixing some bleach in the paint, but I am not really sure that would work or even if it's advisable.


texts: Drainage for stairs to garden-level basement entrance

texts:
I have some concrete stairs that go down a few feet from the back yard into a basement door.  During a heavy rain, water pools on the bottom stair, eventually coming in under the bottom of the door into the basement.

The water comes down the stairs, but additionally from a gap between the house and a patio slab.  On the left of the photo,  you can see mud and some wood damage.  That mud is coming out of the gap.  (At ground level, left, is a concrete patio.)

I'm thinking that an economical way of dealing with this may be to bust up the bottom concrete stair, dig down a foot or so, and fill it with large crushed rock.  The hope is that during the rain, the water will have time to evaporate or soak into the ground before overflowing.

A couple questions:

Is this a viable plan?
What's the best way to bust up that bottom stair without damaging the stairs its attached to?
Is there a better option I should be considering?


texts:
My brother has the same toilet that I do and is equipped with the flushmate 503 M-101526-F3.
It appears the flushmate flush valve fitting is smaller than the tank hole.
Is there an tank to toilet reducer that will allow the flushmate to be installed?


texts: What's the best way to keep insects from coming in Jalousie windows?

texts:
My house has an attached sunroom with old Jalousie windows. They're great for a breeze, but I'd like to find a way to keep insects from coming through.

What are my options (other than replacing them)? Is it possible to attach screening to them, for example?

I've contacted several places that make windows and screens, and no one seems to know how to make screens for these windows. It sounds like no one has ever asked them before.


texts: Replacing old batten holder. Confusing wiring

texts: I want to change an old broken batten holder but the wiring is really confusing . There are 3 red wires and 3 blacks. No green or white wire. I want to connect it to new 4 holes batten holder Can anybody help me with this? enter image description here


texts: Can having a bad grounding situation destroy a circuit breaker?

texts:
We moved into a home, built a while ago. there are wires hanging and covered in black tape on a chimney.

I bought 2 sconces and put them in place. i did not hook up the ground wire on one of them, the first in series and turned them , they worked, i saw the ground wire was broken, so i cut the wire back and fix it and re-wired it to use the ground wire.

after wiring them up, our circuit breaker on another circuit for the dryer starting popping. We had a dryer repair man come out and test the dryer, it never went over the 17amps to pop the 30 amps circuit breaker, he thinks the circuit breaker is bad.

I thought maybe the work I did for the sconces on ANOTHER circuit may had caused an issue? I have turned off that breaker for the sconces and still the dryer pops the 30 amp circuit breaker.


texts:
I recently replaced 3 incandescent BR40 light bulbs (recessed) with eco smart brand LED's. Shortly after doing so we noticed all 3 simultaneously occasionally, but not regularly, flicker off when the switch is on (just 1 quick flicker - kind of like a flash).
I thought this was due to the old Lutron maestro dimmer which wasn't rated for LED bulbs so I replaced the switch with a new Lutron maestro dimmer that is compatible with LED but the lights still do the quick flicker on occasion. I noticed that often turning on a burner on our electric stove will trigger this quick flicker but it does not happen every time.
The stove is not on the same circuit as the lights. The lights are in a bedroom on the opposite end of the house. To make things more confusing, there's a second set of LED lights (eco smart R20's) in the same bedroom (wired to the same box as the other set but they have their own switch) and they do not ever flicker at all.
I've went as far as to completely replace the dimmer with a standard light switch but that hasn't helped either.
I also do not think the issue is directly related to the stove but rather just a big draw of electricity causes it, though this is the only set of lights that flickers.
The flicker is when the lights are on. No issue if lights are off. The bulbs themselves aren't the issue, they don't flicker anywhere else so I've pretty much ruled out the bulbs and switch/dimmer as potential issues.
In the photos below the problematic lights are wired to the switch on the left.
Any ideas? Thanks a lot in advance!


texts: What is this thing in the entryway of some houses?

texts: What is this thing, made of wood, in the entrance of this house in front of the mirror and under the light switch? What is it called? What is it for? Is it there for people to put their keys on?


texts: What hardware do I need for selling the electricity generated by solar panels to the electric company?

texts:
I understand that solar panels generate low DC voltage, and public power lines require high AC voltage. I am also aware of the device called Power Inverter which converts DC power with low voltage to (ideally same) AC power with a higher voltage.

But I don't believe that just connecting input of the inverter to solar panels and output of it to the AC line would work. I think the phases of the inverter output and the public AC voltage must match each other.

I also feel that I would need a different power-meter for my house. Because the current one is designed for one-way transfer of electricity; it may not be detecting the direction of power transfer.

What hardware is used for this purpose? I want implement the circuits myself if I can. Please guide me on this. Is there any article explaining the electronic details and background of selling home-generated DC voltage to the electric company?


texts: I've been switching to LED bulbs wherever I can for the past few years but one thing I haven't done yet is switch my dimmer switches over to LED compatible dimmers. One issue I've had trouble understanding is if I can use non-LED bulbs on the dimmable circuit after switching it to LED compatible dimmer.


texts:
During a recent rain storm, I noticed a very slow drip of water coming from the center of my (external) garage roof in a few places.

After it dried up, I went to inspect the problem spots and found some rotting and could see daylight through some spots where the nails were.

Close to the front there was a significant amount of torn tar paper and it was even completely free in one spot where I could touch the metal ridge cap that sits atop the roof. (Shown below)

From the exterior, there doesn’t appear to be any major damage to my shingles or cap or anything out of the ordinary that I am able to see from ground level.

Also, after a thorough inspection during heavy rain, there were no other areas leaking other than along the general line of the ridge.

Would like to keep my garage from rotting itself from the inside out, and prevent any foundation damage here, so I would like to address this as soon as possible.

What must be done to stop this leak?


texts: Can I change the pitch of a threaded hole that will accept the diameter of an M6 tap? The current pitch is some off the wall pitch that is not a metric 6 pitch nor the SAE equivalent pitch, the part was made in China.


texts: Bare neutral to subpanel in detached garage

texts:
I have an old house with a detached garage.  There is power to the detached garage through a 3-conductor cable that is routed above ground.  Power from my house comes from the power pole, to my house.  To get to the garage power from my main panel the cable routing goes back up to the power pole and down to the garage because the power pole is right by my garage.
My understanding is that 3 conductor power (hot, hot, neutral) to a subpanel is not code anymore but was used quite a bit back in the day.  In the case of 3 conductors to a subpanel you do actually bond the neutral and ground at the subpanel and then have a separate ground rod at the garage. As long as their is no ground conductor that can get back to the main panel.  Correct?
I was planning on making the necessary fixes to make it that way: install ground rod at garage, bond neutral and ground (grounds are currently not connected to anything!), and ground it to the ground rod.
I opened my panels to go over my plan again but then realized the neutral to my garage is a bare wire!  That seems unsafe to me.  Is this a big problem or not so much and I can continue with my plan?  If it is a big problem do I need to get an electrician to replace that bare neutral, and at that point just replace it with a 4 conductor cable?  Or is there some other option?


texts: Risks of buying vacant lot for new home construction with existing but unused septic system?

texts:
My wife and I are considering purchasing a vacant lot for a new home construction. One of the main advertised selling points of the lot is that it has an unused septic system (tank, distribution box, and leach field) that was installed for a planned prior construction that fell through (for financial reasons, we're told). We've obtained copies of the inspection from the installation and learned that the system is nearly ten years old.

Our builder and others we've spoken with think the land is a good value and that the existing system could save us a good chunk of money, but we're trying to better understand what risks are involved. What could go wrong with a septic system that's been sitting in the ground for nearly a decade without ever being used? How bad could the worst case be?

Finally, is there anything that could be reasonably done to inspect what's already been installed? Everyone we've talked to so far has suggested that looking up the inspection of the installation should be sufficient, and that they couldn't do much more since the system is in the ground. That's a little unsatisfying to us considering how long the system has been sitting there. Are we being paranoid, or have we just not talked to the right people yet?


texts: Using a Leviton GFCI self grounding outlet on 1950s house with metal boxes that might or might not be grounded

texts: My house (1950s) currently has a bunch of 2 prong outlets or un-grounded 3 prong outlets. I was told in order to be up to code all un-grounded 3 prong outlets need to switched to GCFI outlets. Or If I wanted to use 3 prong appliances I need to upgrade those to GCFI outlets. I decided I would change a bunch of my home outlets. I went ahead and bought a bunch of Leviton outlets. Unfortunately I didn't realize that these outlets come with a self grounding clip. almost all the boxes in my house are metal but I don't know if any of them are grounded correctly if any. My question is this: is it safe to use self grounding outlets in a questionably or un-grounded metal box or do I need to find some GFCI outlets that are not self grounding?


texts: Clear rubber hose purpose for pressure washer

texts:
I'm sorry if this is obvious to you guys but I'm really stumped. I recently purchased a Black & Decker PW1470TD

It came with a short clear rubber hose and I can't figure out what it is for. I couldn't find it in the manual either.

I would appreciate it if anyone could tell me. Thank you guys.


texts: Must my new air conditioning unit be 3 feet from the wall (or positioned backward)?

texts:
My contractor installed this system yesterday, at my property:

"Trane T4TTR6060C1000A RX16 5 TON XR16 A/C 16 SEER rating R410A".

Everything is working fine. I just do not like aesthetically how he put it. He turned the control panel to be at the front and the line set comes from the back to the front and connects from the front to the unit. I imagined the line set is supposed to come and connect from the back of the unit. So, all the pipes stay between the wall and the unit.

My contractor explained me that he cannot do it, because he needs 3 feet of clearance for the service area, and that will require to move the unit to much away from the wall if I want it to be connected from the back of the unit.

Question:
What should be a clearance area between a unit and a wall when a line set is connected from the back of the unit? And is it common practice to connect it from the front?

Here are also the pictures of that installation: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7uO-n40pIiESGJBdmhlUnFkbDQ&usp=sharing


texts: How to fill a big cavity on a wooden door frame?

texts:
Due to an impact against it, the door lock casing in the wood frame has been uprooted. I managed to fix it back the metal part and some wooden pieces, but there still is a quite huge cavity with un-regular wood pieces inside.
Is there any way to fix it in a semi permanent way? I.E. Fill the empty space so i can paint it back to white.
Rearrange / any paste / paint?
full size Image link


texts: Why does my furnace blower work intermittently?

texts: On my Goodman 3.5 ton AC/ furnace, the blower seems to only run when it wants. I changed the capacitor on the blower twice and the thermostat once- same. If it doesn't start, I turn it off for 5 minutes and then back on, it works- but only sometimes. It does this in both modes.


texts: Best way to install Emporia Vue Gen2 energy monitor OUTSIDE load center?

texts:
The pictured energy monitor is designed to be installed inside a load center.  I want to install it outside, on the wall next to the load center.  I have not shown all the signal wires that plug into its sides and top.  They can all easily run through a knockout with a suitable grommet.  The issue is the power wires, shown in the picture.  They are at line voltage.  My question is what's a good way to install this outside the load center, with appropriate protection and routing for the power wires through a knockout?
I could run them loose, as shown, through a knockout with a grommet but it seems like more protection is appropriate.
I could encase them in heat shrink for a little added protection, but not much.  No strain relief that way.
I could use 1/2" conduit butt up against the bottom of the device through one knockout, and run the signal wires loose through a second knockout.
I could use flat cable raceway, and run the power AND the signal wires all through it but that would have no clean interface to the load center knockout and it would probably be a red flag to any future inspectors/surveyors to have raceway used that way.
Opinions?
I expect some to say "use it as designed".  I appreciate that.  The question is, what's a good way to mount it outside the panel?
Why do I want to install it outside the load center?  Because the things I want to monitor are in FOUR different boxes.  I have 300A service coming into a splitter box feeding TWO panels, all mounted on a wall in a row.  I also have a generator feed coming into a transfer switch.   I want the main service sensors on the 300A service in the splitter box, I want various load sensors in both of the two load centers, and I want a pair of sensors in the junction box feeding INTO the transfer switch.   It's MUCH MUCH easier to achieve all this if the monitor is outside any box.  The only "issue" I'm grappling with is getting power safely to the monitor, given is fed directly with these flimsy 240V loose wires.

EDIT
In view of the excellent answers and advice provided so far I’m adding photos to show part of the problem, and my intended solution.
Almost all the sensors are in the 200A panel so it makes sense to have the Vue NEAR this panel.  I could put it inside the 100A panel, easily, but then I would need extension cables for 13 sensor channels.  I could put it inside the 200A panel but there just isn’t room … everything that’s already in there, plus the device itself, and all the excess cable, and there are also 6 more channels coming from nearby boxes that then would need to route into this panel adding to the crowding.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think putting everything inside this panel would be the wrong approach.  I could trim all the cables from the transfer switch to regain space but then I'll lose flexibility to move them to different breakers in future.
So I plan to add a new box with new conduit to three boxes.  The two 200A utility sensors will be in the splitter box on the right, routed through the the 100A panel's existing conduit.  I haven't decided if to use a metal or plastic box.  I'm grateful for the advice on why not to leave it all outside.


texts: Paid an Electrician to install Sub-panel.. & Ground wire question

texts:
A couple of years ago, I was needing a sub-panel in my garage.  While I intended to do it  myself, shoulder surgery precluded me from being able so I hired a local, licensed electrician.  He did a great job of running PVC conduit up to and across my 2nd-story attic, down along with breezeway to the garage.  Just a couple of days ago I looked at the sub panel and noticed the cover plate screws were barely screwed in.  So, I took them off to take a peak inside.   This is what I saw.
This is a garage sub-panel, connected to a main where neutrals and ground wires are connected to each other, see pic.
seems like he was in a rush...
Looking at the main, if  you look closelt on the left you can see that he put the new ground for this sub in the neutral bar.  Not wrong, but the only wire now like that....

So I added a ground bar in the sub, and removed the green ground screw/bar from the neutral bar.  Due to the layout, I used a wire nut to connect the grounds from the two cables on the right to 1 ground bar screw terminal on the left.  Is that legit (using wire nut to connect 2 grounds into 1)?
thx


texts:
I'm trying to fit a dimmer switch in my living room. I have two pendent lights controlled by a single wall socket with two switches one for each light. My property is a new build and in the UK.

So much for thinking this would be as easy as unwiring the wires and wiring them into the same places on the new dimmer switch!

My current standard wall socket is wired like so:

This seems a lot more complicated than just a few wires to swap. There appear to be multiple cables coming out from the wall. The Green/Yellow earth is loose in the backplate with a plastic end cap.

The wires in L1 and Com on the first switch are striped towards the end of the wire, the stripped part is then in the L1 or Com socket and then the end of that wire is then kind of bridged into the other L1 or Com socket on the other switch.

My new 2-gang 400W dimmer looks like this:

Problem is new dimmer switch does not have a socket labeled N Loop.
I tried replicating the wiring but where on the original sockets the wires are in the N (Loop) ports, I've just put them in L2 on the new socket as that was the only other port unused.

It seems the old switch has Com, N (Loop), L1 and L2 ports, but the new dimmer socket only has L1, L2 and Com.

I tried this setup and it kind of worked if lights were on and the lights did dim (though flicked, maybe wrong energy bulbs) but when I tried to turn them off they blow trip the fuse in the main fuse box.

As you can probably tell I know nothing about wiring or these kind of things. Any help or pointers anyone could give me would be really appreciated.

I was wondering if I have the wrong type of light switch but I can't find any other types.

I've also included a photo of the instructions though they don't really mean much to me and don't really correspond to the original wiring for the original socket.


texts: How do I repair spots of damaged hardwood floor finish?

texts:
I have some hardwood floors that I refinished 5 years or so ago.  They're mostly holding up pretty well, but around our breakfast bar the stools have taken up some of the varathane and have left damaged (scuffed and peeling) spots.

Are there products and/or tools that I can use to repair those spots without substantial sanding, and without refinishing the whole floor?


texts: How should gaps at edge of an asphalt driveway be filled?

texts: I want to reseal my driveway, should gaps at the sidewalk and garage edges be filled?  If so, what sort of product should be used?  Here are some pictures of my driveway.


texts: After removing a wall how to repair an odd shaped section of hardwood floor

texts:
We just removed a wall between two bedrooms. Technically, it was 3 walls as there were closets on both sides of the wall. We had expected to have three 4" wide long gaps in our hardwood flooring that ran the length of the room, with about 2 feet between them. The original plan was to rip up the floor in between the gaps and lay down a cool, at least to us, 4' wide threshold instead of properly feathering in new hardwood. We expected the gaps to look something like

----------------------
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Needless to say, when you knock a wall down in a 100 year old house, you do not always find what you expect. What we have is a single 4" wide gap that runs the length of the room. It starts out in the middle of where the wall was and runs for a 1/4 of the room, then moves 2' to the left and runs another 1/4 of the room, moves to the right 4' and runs 1/4 of the room, before moving back to the center. It looks something like

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Apart from doing it right and feathering in new hardwood floors, is there a way to make this look reasonable without cutting out the whole 4' wide section?