texts: When derating for wires in conduit, do you round up or down?

texts:
Someone else is wiring up an on-demand heater.  They need three 50A breakered circuits and they want to run the kaboodle in one conduit.

They want to use #8 THHN wire because it's allowed to 50A @ 75C (all terminations are 75C).  However, we run into the conduit fill derate in 310.15(B)(3)(a).

There will be 6 wires, so 80% derate.

OK, being THHN the wire is rated for 90C so the derate comes off the 90C column in 310.15(B)16.  That is 55 amps for #8 Cu at 90C.

80% of 55A is 44A.

Now what?  Am I obliged to round down, and use a 40A breaker (won't work)?  Or am I allowed to round up to the next breaker size (50A)?


texts: What is the best place to install an Air-conditioner in a room?

texts:
I'm trying to decide where to install my ductless split Air-Conditioner.
For the indoor unit, is it okay to install it above a window? Will placing the indoor unit at the corner of the wall reduce the efficiency of the cooling (instead of installing it at the center).
For the outdoor unit, I want to place it in a place where I can get the minimum level of noise as possible. So I have two options, either install it on the front house wall, or just put it on the roof. So which option is better?
Finally, is putting the outdoor unit above/below the indoor unit has any affect?


texts: Can I attach 2x4s to the studs in order to mount my TV?

texts:
I have a tv wall mount that can be installed into studs 16" apart.  However id like to use it on a wall with studs 24" apart.

I'm thinking of drilling 2x4's into the studs and then attaching the mount to them.  Will this be a safe approach?


texts: We have an original kitchen faucet in our 1940s home. The connection is very difficult to find, but this symbol is on the gooseneck (seems like the gooseneck is not original) so I want to see if this company makes them still.


texts: I am having a problem with the T&P valve opening continuously, on & off. I found the T. stats where bad due to temp settings 140 degrees replaced, the expansion tank full of water replaced also replaced the T&P valve. last thing I will be checking is the water pressure regulating valve. If I open the cold water inlet to the tank open all the way, it opens quicker. what going on ?


texts: Help ! Bosch 300 washer and dryer Under the sink hook up

texts:
I am finishing my Brooklyn apartment renovation and because of space decided to get the Bosch 300 stacked washer and ventless dryer.
My contractor hooked it all up for me under my kitchen sink, but was unfamiliar with the fact that the dryer also has a drain hose and has a water waste hose :( I found out only after water started to spew from the back of the machine.
Is there a way to hook up both the washer and dryer hose under my kitchen sink so I don't have to have a bucket for for when I want to use the dryer. Please see image of current set up under the kitchen sink -


texts: How should laminate flooring be secured next to brick?

texts:
I want to install laminate flooring in a family room that has a brick fireplace. Part of the laminate would be directly next to the brick base of the fireplace. What kind of base-board or base-piece would I use to secure the edge of the laminate against the fireplace?

-M


texts:
I am reading this document

Looking at this line:

  (2) Stairways having less than four risers need not have handrails or
  stair railings.

Is a fair interpretation that on stairs with more than four risers, that I can start the railing on the 3rd step?

I am trying to maintain a clean line of sight in a room where the stair case is centrally located and I am not sure if my argument passes muster.


texts: How do you rough in a floor drain (not shower) for a new concrete slab?

texts:
I need to install floor drains in a new building that will have a concrete slab floor. The drains need to be a kind that is trapped and vented. There seems to be many options to choose from for floor drains, each different styles, and I can't find any information on how they get installed in a slab foundation.

How do you rough in a floor drain for a new concrete slab?

Do we install the trap and a pipe sticking up with several inches blocked out around it, then install the actual drain after the pour, and install new concrete from a read-mix bag back into the hole?

Is there a better/easier way/product for doing this when it's new construction? Maybe something where the drain body is taller than it need to be and you can pour around it and cut if off flush and put the grill on top (like with floor electrical boxes)?

If anyone has a link to a video or pictures, I think that would be helpful as well.


texts: Only one side of Tandem Circuit lost power at outlets

texts: Replaced all outlets in a room that was part of a 15amp tandem circuit breaker. One circuit had a room that has dual outlets with a switch controlling the  top outlet on each. Turned both breakers off on the tandem circuit breaker. Did the outlet switching and when I turned it back on the outlets on the other tandem circuit stopped working. All I did was to turn the breaker off and back on. Tested for power at the panel and the tandem circuit breaker is live on both sides. Room with other circuit outlets were dead. Room with switched outlets works fine


texts: Can a white (or other color) wire be remarked to serve as a grounding conductor?

texts:
In a question related to plugging in a device with a 6-20P Plug (240V Ground + 2 Hots) into a 10-30R  (120/240V Neutral + 2 Hots) receptacle, I suggested replacing the outlet with a 6-20R and using the existing Neutral wire as a ground (moving it to the appropriate ground bus if necessary) by marking it as a ground on both ends.

I know it's ok to mark white wire with black tape or a marker when wiring switches, but I can't find any reference saying that it's ok to remark white or black (or any other color) as a grounding conductor.

Is it ever code compliant to mark small gauge (i.e. 10 to 14 AWG) insulated wire as a ground, or is it always required to be bare or green? I know there may be different rules for larger gauge wire, so this question is mainly about smaller gauge wire.


texts: Do I need vents to devices in the primary waste line?

texts:
Assuming the system below (solid is waste, dotted is vent).

Do I need vents for the Sink C, Toilet C and Toilet B? They are connected to the primary waste line which is vented at the end of it.

Sink C and Toilet C are in the first floor, all the rest in the second floor.

The distance between the toilet C and the junction with the main vertical waste is less than a 1 meter. Here is a top view from the system:


texts: Damage to the sub floor while scraping tile

texts: I have a question about a hardi backer sub floor.  I installed tile 8 years ago and my wife decided she wanted a diferent tile. The sub floor was laid over linoleum with a 1/4 in backer board that was installed with the house build.  So feasibly I have 1/2 inch down to the original floor.  I tore up the existing tile and it pulled a top layer of the hardi backer off in abouyt 40 % of the area in a small bathroom.  It's kind of knarled and pieces of the top layer are loose but not severely damaged to cause the backer to come from the floor.  I have screws every 8 inches so it is secured pretty well.  I have gotten advice to skim it with mortar and level it all out and then lay the tile.  I'm a little nervous about this, I don't want to do it twice.  Also, I saw Schuleter ditra product, can I just lay that down and then commence with tiling.  I think I can remove the screws and pull the whole thing with a little work but don't want to, Ha.  Any advice ?


texts: Why does my mobile home's panel read 240 volts between hot and neutral?

texts: The red leg of the panel in my mobile home reads 240 volt from hot to neutral. What might be the cause of this? It's causing the light bulbs to pop, and I'm afraid to turn on any appliances


texts: Should a 240 V dryer circuit show a current differential between legs?

texts:
I have a 240 V dryer which when measured with an ammeter has 24 A on one leg and 22.7 A on the other.  If the ammeter is kept in place, one leg drops to 13 A, and the other leg drops to 4.5 A.
Because my home has the neutral landed on the ground, I believe that the delta between the two legs when they are in the 13/4.5 A mode is lost to ground.  Regardless whether that's the case, should this dryer have vastly different current measurements on the two legs at the same time?  Seems a bit hinky to me.
As you can see from the pictures, I'm measuring the same wires with different currents (24 A on the black conductor, and then 13 moments later.  22 A on the red conductor, and then 4.7 A at the same time the black wire drops to 13). I checked the connections on the back of the dryer.  Everything is copacetic there.  I had an appliance technician come out, and he says that the dryer is 100% operationally correct from his perspective. I am very interested in hearing people's thoughts.


texts: 60C or 75C wiring for 60C/75C breaker & output heatsink

texts:
If you have a THHN wire rated up to 90C. You can only use either 60C or 75C for a 60C/75C breaker. What are the conditions where you could use the 75C?

I understand the temperature limit is because the internal parts circuit breaker can get this hot and it needs the conductor to dissipate the heat. But what if you install a big heatsink just outside the breaker. Then you can use 75C or even 90C already?


texts:
The inside walls on my carport are not covered, so the framing is visible. It looks bad, and it's pretty dark at night. I was thinking of covering the walls with plywood and painting over it.

Any recommendations regarding materials, e.g. is plywood suitable for this? It is an outdoor structure, so and I am concerned about moisture damage.
Would I need a permit for such an project? I live in Los Angeles.

UPDATE: Added photo


texts: How can I cut up and remove a metal kerosene storage tank that is in a cellar?

texts:
This question has already been asked, but in the previously asked question the tank was plastic and was sited outside. This one is metal and in a cellar its 6 ft. by 4 ft. by 4 ft. The kerosene/air flammable mix is the obvious question. The tank is as empty as possible, but there is about half an inch of residual sludge left in the bottom.

How can I cut up this tank and remove it?


texts:
I am replacing some flashing on a roof and therefore need to take up some shingles. Unfortunately, there appears to be four layers of shingles, so I will have remove quite a mass of shingling.

Is this normal to have four layers of shingles on a roof? I thought when a new roof is added they are supposed to remove the old shingling first.


texts: Dimmer switch is buzzing at one location but not at another

texts:
I installed a dimmer switch in my bedroom and got buzzing from the switch and from the incandescent light/fan on the ceiling that it was controlling.  I took that same dimmer switch and installed it in my daughters room and got no buzzing from the switch or the light/fan.  I tried installing a different dimmer switch back in my bedroom and it also buzzed, so it seems to be the location and not the switches that are the problem.  Why am I getting this buzzing sound in my bedroom?  With a regular on/off switch there is no buzzing, just with the dimmers. I removed the light bulb to see if that was an issue and it still buzzed.
Thanks.


texts:
I've already scored the loose pieces of the crack with a utility knife. Now, it's just as simple (?) as making both sides of the ceiling even so I can repair it.

What could I do to even out both sides? I tried screwing in the side that's leaning down but unfortunately, that accomplished nothing. I was using drywall screws.

I believe this ceiling is drywall.


texts: 130 PSI- Irrigation system, water line in house

texts:
Had irrigation system installed 2 months ago. Due to location of meter and PRV, the POC was after PRV. After done was  told pressure too low even though static pressure was at 63psi, dynamic flow was 45-47psi.  Had plumber change POC before PRV and ran this in 1" PEX from front of basement to rear basement and out to backflow. The house pressure is at 65 but the irrigation line is now 130psi.
Now irrigation guy said will need a pressure reducer at the valve box

My main concern now is that I have a charged line running from front of basement to back of basement that is charged at 130psi.
     How concerned do I need to be?


texts: Can I place a receptacle entirely inside a box and close it up?

texts: There is a metal junction box sticking up 6" out of the ground mounted to the top of a piece of conduit. There is a rubber gasket and metal cover screwed to the box. Inside the box is simply six wires, 2 black, 2 white, 2 ground, each pair wire nutted together. I want to connect a 120V 15A receptacle to the wires, put the entire receptacle inside the box, and close the lid, making sure no screws can be shorted. Is this acceptable?


texts: How do I install a ceiling fan without creating holes in the ceiling?

texts:
I wanted to install ceiling fans in my house but there there were no existing outlets in the ceiling so I got an electrician to do it. He created 2 holes in the ceiling and 2 in the wall to run the wire through. These holes look ugly and they need lot of work to cover them up. I dont want to do the same thing in my master bedroom.

Is there any other way I can install a ceiling fan without digging holes in the ceiling or wall and still get the wires run inside the walls?


texts:
I am building with AAC blocks in a tropical country. The usual practice here is to apply a home-made plaster/stucco (cement/sand mixture) to the wall (which here is more typically mortar). However, the recommendations for AAC suggest that a polymer-modified plaster is more appropriate, with the warning that the stucco/plaster is liable to crack.

Any thoughts on this matter?

I have purchased a pre-mixed skim coat plaster product, which I intend to apply to the home-made plaster. But I am not sure if I am setting myself up for trouble by using the normal plaster rather than the expensive pre-mixed product?


texts: Can I replace my bath fan with one of similar size?

texts:
I have a very small bathroom with an electrically powered air vent (extractor fan). When I turned on the light, it seemed to break down, and has not been working since then.

I want to try and fix the issue, but I have no experience in the matter.

Specifically:

Can I just measure the current extractor fan, and replace it by one with the same size that I would have bought on line? I assume I have to be careful to choose one for a bathroom. Any other element I should pay attention to?
In terms of installing the new extractor fan, is it simply a question of connecting the wires? Is it easy?


texts: I recently purchased a house that was flipped (that was my first mistake) and the 2nd story bathroom was added altogether, and the shower has always leaked into my kitchen. Finally, 9 months, 4 people, and lots of money later, it is fixed. But now the problem is that I can't really get hot water to come through. My water heater is in the basement, so I expected it to take a little longer to get hot, but I just let it run and it was warm-ish for a minute but finally turned cold before ever getting to be as hot as I would like. The strange part is that both sinks in the same bathroom will get hot. My hot water heater is turned up as high as it will go. Any ideas? I have taken a shower up here a few times, just when my plumber would claim it was fixed, and I was able to get hot water then. However, that was a few months ago so it wasn't quite as cold outside then. Not sure if that's relevant. I'm pretty desperate to get a working shower on the same floor as my bedroom, so any advice is appreciated.


texts: Can light cover to soften harsh led bulbs

texts:
We are replacing 6 incandescent bulbs in our kitchen ceiling cans with LEDs. The light is now so bright and harsh it looks like a hospital operating room in a bad horror movie.
Any suggestions on covers or filters to go over the cans to soften the light and maybe shift to warmer / more yellow than white?
Thanks!


texts: Can I remove the insulation from flex duct

texts: I am trying to fit a 7" flex duct between some floor joists and it would fit better without the insulation. Can I remove the insuluation and just use the plastic part?


texts: How can I move a toilet sewer drain in a concrete floor?

texts: The toilet in one of my bathrooms is too close to the shower.  I have room and would like to move it about 2 feet.  It is also a 14" rough-in and it's hard to find toilets in that size, that are not ~$500 (Toto).  I'd like to make it a standard 12" rough-in.  The challenge I see is the bathoom is on concrete slab.  So, what's involved in moving the toilet drain about 2" closer to wall and 2 feet over? I'm not sure if the drain is plastic or iron but I imagine that would have an impact on the effort.


texts:
All:
While I wait for my floor to cave and fall into the neighbor's house, I have an issue that I was hoping for some help with. I bought a bed for my back most recently, but the bed itself is tilted. The right side of the bed is up about 4 or so inches higher than the left side. This is a platform frame because of a memory foam mattress, so the posts are rectangular and square. There are three posts along the right side, 3 in the middle and 3 on the left side for a grand total of 9. I don't need to touch the posts on the right side as I don't want them higher and there's no way of lowering them, and I was thinking that simple wedges might be good for the three posts in the middle because I can just push them under to support the middle posts. My issue comes with the posts on the left side; the middle post measures 1/8 inches square, while the farthest posts measure 1 1/8 inches by 1/8 inches and is rectangular. I know it needs to come up about 4 inches and even if that's not exactly accurate it'd be much better than where it is now. I don't have many tools apart from a dremel so I wanted to try to avoid doing much to the posts. My initial thought was to request that a hardware store simply cut holes in a block of wood to those specifications and have the bottom of the hole be 4 inches up with another 3 inches to surround the post and make sure it would not slide, but I couldn't find a store willing to do this. They all wanted to sell me a few tools, but I'm totally blind and am unsure of how to use some of these. I've done some woodworking, but not enough to be able to make a square hole. My second thought would be to create a sort of box around a post; the post would measure the dementions of the bed posts and the box would cover the whole thing; I could then just put in scrues to hold the whole thing together. Before I go that route, are there any solutions and/or ideas? I'd have to find a hardware store willing to cut the wood to the specifications and none in Boston or at least in my area seemed willing to do so. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
I have a half-bath on the main floor of our house that is small and has only 3 electrical items in it:

Light above the sink (and corresponding light switch)
Fart fan (and corresponding light switch)
Two non-GFCI receptacles (one box, two plug-ins) next to the sink

I understand that, by itself, this is against code and that those receptacles must be GFCI-protected. However, my house is new enough (~1995?) that I'm sure this has to be up to code but I don't know what GFCI switch actually controls this.

My questions:

I understand a device like this will prove that it is or is not protected. But how?
If it is protected, is there an easy way to find the device that protects it? (our circuit breaker box's labels are worse than useless b/c of how wrong the labels are)
If I find it's not protected, then I'm definitely going to replace it to protect it. Is it correct that I should replace it with a 15A box unless both my wiring and circuit breaker are proper for 20A? (Current receptacles are 15A judging by not having the horizontal "right-angle" hole.)


texts: Can I add another outlet to an existing load outlet?

texts: I have an existing outlet with four wires plus the ground. I want to add an outlet directly outside the house using the existing outlet as the feed. Can this be done?


texts: I live in a mobile home and my central ac unit starting hissing pretty loud 3 days ago and tday it is blowing only warm air. There is no water or ice inside or out. The outside unit is running but it does sound a little odd but can't describe the noise. The outside don't look dirty but we have not cleaned it this year yet so I know it could be. But is there anything else that could be a problem


texts: Is a "painting pad / sponge square" indeed the way to get a smooth wood surface after applying polyurethane?

texts:
My last polyurethane finishing experiment failed. I applied fast-drying Varathane to 3/4" maple plywood shelves. They were very finely finished before applying the polyurethane, and became very rough after. I suspect that the culprit is a combination of overzealously going over surfaces more than once and using a fast-drying formula.

It's almost springtime and I'm now about to apply polyurethane to floors (after sanding them). I've learned the two lessons (use a slow drying formula to forgive minor overcoats, and attempt not to overcoat in the first place). Of course I'll be sure to remove the last speck of wood dust before finishing.

The last potential issue is the brush. I've used a general purpose brush (similar to those one might use for painting walls). But the first comment at the link above suggests using a painting pad / sponge squares. My local store's website lists "paint edger", brushes , and of course rolls. What are painting pad / sponge squares called at the main chains' websites, and are these indeed the simplest way to get a smooth finish after one application? My objective is to apply one layer this year and repeat when necessary, since I see that even the pros do not bother with two layers so I'd also rather not.


texts: Best way to attach a steel t-beam to a wall?

texts:
In my new flat I will build a huge platform into one of the rooms. It will be very much like a loft bed, but wider. I'm in a very early planning phase. The room is about 3m across (no plan or exact measurements available for now) and I want to span this width with beams. I'm seriously considering using steel t-beams instead of wooden beams. Products for fastening wooden beams are readily available. What would be the best way to secure steel beams to the wall?

While I'm open to other options, I'm mostly looking for a product or thing that I can bolt to the wall and that will allow me to fasten my beam.

Some facts:

The beams will be perpendicular to the wall plus minus a few degrees
The walls are thick 30-40cm, probably masonry
Any cuts in my beams will be off by a few mm, so I need some tolerance along the beam direction
The flat is rented, bolting stuff to the wall is ok but I won't chisel a hole in the wall or similar
I want to avoid columns, unless the best fastening option is not good enough
I have a master mason & carpenter whom I'll run my ideas by
The room has a ceiling height about 4m

Dimensioning Note
The beam will span around 3m. let's say I and some of my stuff stand right in the middle, for 150kg. This would mean roundabout 0,75kN linear force on the support and a torque of 1,125 kNm. Let's add a safety factor of 2 and ignore (for an unknown additional safety factor) that not all my weight will be supported by one beam. We are at 1,5kN linear force and 2,25 kNm torque if I cantilever the thing. This is what the wall and fastenting will have to bear. If there's no reliable way a structure bolted to a masonry wall can support this, so be it. But I'd ba amazed since I've seen builds pretty similiar that didn't collapse. I didn't pay close attention to the fasteners, though.


texts: how to properly hang door when wall is far out of plumb?

texts:
I have a new solid-wood interior door that I want to hang.  I removed the previous jamb, as it was not well installed.  The rough opening is reasonably plumb when looking through the doorway (some shimming will make the jamb perfectly plumb in that direction).   However, the wall in which the doorway sits is not plumb.  It is about an inch out of plumb from the floor to top of the door.

How do I account for this and hang the door plumb to the floor?

I am stuck with the out of plumb wall and cannot adjust it by tapping the base with a sledge because it is a finished home and has drywall already hung.

All that makes sense to me is to install the jamb out of plumb (aligned with the wall).  Then, install the door stop (stop block - not sure what best to call the piece that stops the door) and the hinges plumb.  This will mean the stop block is 1 3/8" in from the edge of the jamb (as is typically the case) at the bottom of the door, but it will be 2 3/8" in at the top of the jamb.  And in that case, the bottom hinge can be set fairly easily (aligned with stop block, not with edge of jamb).  However, the top hinge would need to be set the same distance from the stop block, which means it would be set so far into the jamb at the top that the pin itself would no longer be proud of the jamb's edge.  Is that okay?  I could gouge out the jamb just enough to make room for the hinge pin...but is that a terrible idea?

Better ideas?

Edit: I feel perhaps I posted this question too quickly without fully thinking it through.  Another possibility (that now seems an obvious solution) would be to install the jamb nice and plumb, though it will extend beyond the wall at the bottom.  Then use drywall compound to bring the wall out to flush with the jamb.


texts: When there is a power outage the wine cooler GFCI outlet stays off after power returns and need s to reset, what is the cause?

texts:
Total three outlets on a 20 amp breaker:

Wiring # 12 / 2 from breaker to Receptacle #1 line.
Receptacle #1 for Ironing cloths. 20 amp GFCI receptacle.
Wiring # 12 / 2 from Receptacle #1 load to Receptacle #2 line.
Receptacle #2 in Bath room for Dryer or shaver. GFCI receptacle.
Wiring # 14 / 2 from Receptacle #2 Load to Receptacle #3.
Receptacle #3 In Kitchen open cabinet for Wine Cooler. 15 amp receptacle (non-GFCI).

Every time there is a power outage in my area the cooler stay off until I reset both of the 20 amp receptacles. The main breaker never goes off, only the GFCI. What could be the cause? Or what should I do?


texts:
I am installing cedar bevel siding and here is the top hitting overhang area

If you see the red line, my question is do I have to install the siding hitting that line? If so I need to cut around the lumber supporting the overhang

Or can I just install siding right below the overhang support?

UPDATE

This area originally has no softfit

But other areas have softfit and it is like below

(Same house, just different color at different time)

How to do this based on the photos?


texts: Electrical - Please review my well pump installation

texts:
I just finished wiring up my irrigation well pump.  The circuts were 240V from the main panel outside to the a pump start relay.  The relay is controlled by my rain bird.  Everything is working and no sparks but I have a few concerns.

When I first energized the circuit I noticed a 61V difference between red and black.  Black and GND 120, red and GND like 20.  I turned off everything and did a resistance test between the bus bar and the red.  High (infinite) resistance.  I pulled the breaker out and took some sand paper to the contact on the bar.  Everything is good now.  I never cleaned the bus bars.  Was I supposed to?  What should I use?
I'm not sure if crimp connectors are to code so I ended up twisting my stranded wire around the screws.  Everything works but it looks "ugly".  Are my connections bad?  Should I get crimp terminals?
Are my connections up to code?  Stranded wire is a PITA to work with but thats all home depot sells.  I want to ensure everything is safe.
In case you ask I used 3/4" PVC conduit, THHN #10 wire, 30A breaker.  I ran GND,Neutural,L1,L2 to my pump start relay.  I simply capped off neutural.  I may want to add a subpanel and GFCI down the road.

Images at (I don't have enough rep so copy the links into the browser)


texts: How do I know if my wood front door's finish is weather proof?

texts:
We just moved into a new home. The wood front door is semi-sheltered by a small porch. The front of the house has southern exposure and has the most exposure to the weather. There was an unsightly screen door on the outside that we removed.

The door has a semi-glossy varnish-like finish, and I am worried that removing the screen door may expose the door to more moisture. The screen wasn't much protection, but it probably kept rain from blowing against the door.

How do I determine whether the door's finish is appropriate for its exposure to the weather?


texts:
I have a nice pair of over-ear headphones but the ear pads cracked apart. Any idea on how to fix this is very welcome.
Photos:


texts: I've been living in my house for almost two years and my washer and dryer have been working fine. I have a maytag Neptune washer and dryer, just the other day I took a packet of tide washing machine cleaning powder for front loaders and ran it through. This is the first time I have attempted to do this and yesterday I went to put in a load of laundry only to fine out that the washer is still full of water and didn't finish the cycle! So I tried to restart it and nothing worked on the washer then I realized it tripped the gfi outlet so I reset it and tried to start it again. It starts and begins spinning and then it trips the outlet again! I'm at loss what to do!


texts: Why won't my clothing iron work in one outlet but works in others?

texts:
I've been using my clothing iron in the same outlet in my laundry room for the past 6 months since I moved into my house, but all of a sudden the iron won't work in that outlet anymore. I plugged an outlet tester in and it says the outlet is fine, and lower power appliances work in this outlet. The iron works in other outlets, but not this one.

I'm in the US, the iron is 120V, A/C, 60 Hz, 1100 Watts.

What could the problem be?

* UPDATE April 9, 2013 *
It turns out the problem was the iron, not the outlet. I replaced the outlet and had the same problem, so I started using the iron in a different outlet. One day I heard a "pop" while ironing and the "hot" side of the cord caught fire right near the plug. Luckily I was there at the time to make sure the fire didn't spread. It burned through the cord pretty fast and then I unplugged it. Now that iron is in the trash and I bought a new one.


texts: How can I hot wire my AC unit from my furnace without a hot red wire?

texts:
My power control board inside my furnace seems to be broken and a service technician cannot come out until after the memorial day weekend. My thermostat is not receiving power. Using a multimeter I see only 25 VAC between the common and the W2 wire. Everything else is zero or near zero. Using the fact that 25 V is present on the wire connectors, is there a way to manually start and stop my heat pump until the service technician is able to visit?

My research shows that the white wire is for heating and the red orange and yellow wires are what is necessary to operate the AC. The blower within the furnace is also continually running so there should not be an issue with it freezing over.

My thinking was that I could disconnect the white wire from the cable that runs from the furnace to the AC unit and connect the R, O, and Y together, and connect them to the hot spot (W) on the control board. This would put 25 V on those three wires and return through the common which is still connected on the other end. Will this work? Or is there a better way to accomplish this?


texts: When is a 5x40mm confirmat screw appropriate compared to the slightly larger 7x50mm screw?

texts: I'm thinking about getting some confirmat screws for 3/4" material. Should I get the 40mm or the 50mm variety?


texts: What is the part name/type for my fridge door sensor connector?

texts:
I have a three-door LG fridge. Each door has a button that gets pushed in when the door is closed, so it can turn off the light, etc. The button is connected to the wiring with a U-shaped plug connector.

Can anyone tell me what this connector is called and/or where I can get some?

Pics are attached.

EDIT: FWIW, the connector it hooks up to is an LG AP4441529, viewable at http://www.appliancepartspros.com/lg-switch-push-6600jb3007e-ap4441529.html I just need the connectors themselves.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Painting: How to recover from improper surface prep?

texts:
My wife and I have been alternating some home refurb tasks.
Our normal workflow when painting:

Sand the surface.
Wash with TSP (trisodium phosphate).
Rinse the TSP and allow to dry.
Prime and allow to dry (latex primer).
Paint (latex).

Yesterday there was a mixup.

She sanded the surface;
She applied TSP, which dried;
Days later, I painted right over the unrinsed TSP.

The surface in question is tongue & groove wooden boards on the ceiling of an old farmhouse.  We are using latex ceiling paint.

This is obviously suboptimal.  What are some ways of recovering from this?  The paint is dry by now.  And if we can't recover, what is going to happen to this painted surface and when?


texts: My dryer on my laundry center stopped working

texts: Can i run my laundry center on 120v for the washer portion only and disconnect the dryer completely? I only have 1 240v outlet and a 120v outlet with a 20 amp breaker.  I called a repair shop and they said i had to unhook the dryer power portion and I can't figure out how


texts: Black gas pipe in unconditioned crawlspace?

texts:
My GC used black cast iron gas pipe to connect from the PGE riser to the interior of the house. He wrapped the pipe from the riser, down into the ground, and up 10" above the ground where the pipe comes back above grade in the crawl space. Then in the crawlspace there is another 15LFT or so of exposed black gas pipe which is not wrapped. Is this ok? Do I need to be concerned about corrosion?

The crawl space is not conditioned, has many open vents, and has no vapor barrier (just dirt on the bottom).

Thanks in advance for your help!


texts: Sauna has regular plug but pops the breaker

texts: My Sauna draws 17 amps and blows the breaker after about 10  minutes,would I be ok to install a 20 amp breaker on this circuit.I realize that it is only 14 gauge wire but the sauna is only on for 45 minutes at a time and only 2 amps over.The sauna was plugged into a basement plug(closer to panel)and had no issuses.Should also note the bedroom plug that the sauna is now plugged into is an arc fault breaker


texts: I have 120 volts at the junction box but only 17 volts at the light switch. What can cause this? I checked the circuit at the last junction box, that shows 120 volts. I checked at the switch, it shows 17 volts.


texts: What type of screwdriver should I use to change the light bulb in my range hood?

texts:
I have a MODEL # INCA HC HILO72 hood range
One of the light bulbs has burnt out.  Tried to take out the light bulb but the screws are way too tight and afraid of stripping it.  What type of screwdriver should I use?  Already disassembled the part to make it easier to work on too.
Note:  I am a female asking for assistance.  Thanks


texts:
We are getting new countertops, and we need to remove the sink before they install them. The sink is attached with a hardened glue.

We can't seem to get the sink off without bending the metal.

How can I get the sink off?


texts: tapping a hole - how close does the drill bit have to be

texts:
I want to tap a hole in a surface that I think is steel.

According to the chart I need a 6.8mm drill bit but screwfix doesn't sell a 6.8mm hss drill bit. Can you use a 7mm instead?

For future reference sake, what if the chart said 3.3mm, can I use a 3mm drill bit?


texts: Respirator or mask for brick (crystalline silica) and mold?

texts:
I'm looking for a simple safety solution for multiple small projects that keep coming up. But it's not clear what safety mask and filters to buy.

For example, I read an article that states that I need an N95 mask for drilling thru brick:

  Safety first! Equip yourself with goggles, hearing protection, leather gloves, and an N95 respirator. Brick and mortar dust contains crystalline silica, which will be airborne when you start to drill into brick. Inhaling just a small amount is enough to create a health hazard.

I also plan to do some very basic removal of black mold. (Not on walls, I noticed some small amounts in the grout of my bathroom.)

Again, I'd need a mask, I hear. How do I know what filters and mask to buy?

I'm thinking of getting a 3M respirator and then buying these filters. How do I know if these are the correct filters for the type of work I'm doing?


texts: What kind of screw should I use to mount an electrical box inside a cabinet?

texts: What type and size of screw should I use to mount a 4”x4” metal electrical box to the back of the under the sink cabinet?


texts: Do the doors on my utility closet need to be vented steel?

texts: Our home is on a slab foundation, our furnace and hot water tank are in a closet. Currently we have vented steel bi-folding doors, I'm looking to replace the doors. Do they need to be steel and vented?


texts:
I'm trying to change the kitchen tap in my apartment, but I'm struggling to stop the water supply to the existing tap. I have flexi pipes installed so I'm assuming I also have an isolation valve, but from all the pictures/videos I've seen they don't seem to be so I'm really confused.

I don't want to force anything, so I haven't tested it yet, but is it possible to stop the water in this set up?


texts: How can I fix a big crack on an old hutch?

texts:
A full wood side of an older hutch has cracked, probably along the grain. It seems gluing was attempted (there was some dried glue or silicon-like substance in the crack) unsuccessfully.

Can I fix that side or should I replace it altogether? It is connected with dovetail joints (top and bottom connections), and some sort of mortise and tenon joint for the drawer construction.


texts: Is there an advantage to a heater with a ceramic heating body?

texts:
My supermarket sells two heating-fans that look similar, but one of them costs twice as much as the other. The only difference I noticed is that the more expensive one says it has a "ceramic heating body".
What advantage, if any, does such a heater have? (I need it for heating a home in a standard apartment).


texts: How can I disconnect this brass fitting on my kitchen faucet?

texts:
I'm replacing at least the handle of a kitchen faucet (possibly the whole thing). Its the type where the spout is standalone, then there's a separate hot/cold combo handle, then a separate sprayer.

I removed the hot/cold waterline connections coming into the handle, but the line coming out of the handle going to the spout has a strange connection I'm not familiar with. The flexible line connects to a brass looking ferrule connected to a black plastic tee (with the other tee connections going to the faucet and to the sprayer).

I twisted the ferrule, but it just spins. I also tried twisting the line piece going into the ferrule, but couldn't get it to turn. I was being cautious, as I didn't want to break any of the lines, since I may try to keep the spout piece. Any idea what this connection is, and how to remove?

The piece I’m referring to is on the left in the picture, with the steel braided hose coming into it:


texts: Why does my GFCI circuit breaker trip with any small load, even after replacing the breaker?

texts:
I have a 20A 240V GFCI breaker in my main breaker box going to a conduit to another breaker box outside.
All worked well last summer. Now, when I put any load (weed-eater, light, etc.) on an outlet connected to the outside breaker box, the indoor breaker immediately trips.

I've tried replacing the indoor breaker with a 30A model (it's 10AWG wire) but it still trips under any load.  I've also replaced the outdoor breakers.

I am confused. If this were a short circuit, the breaker would trip regardless of whether there was a load.

Does anyone have ideas on why this is happening and how I can fix it?


texts: What would cause my shower water to start hot and then, after a minute, settle on warm water?

texts:
I am a UK homeowner with a residence we describe as "new build" (made in the last 8 years, timber frame etc).

The boiler is on the ground floor in the kitchen.  It is gas heated from the main gas line supplied to the house.  On the first floor I have a shower which is plumbed directly into the bath taps.

The water from the bath tap is exceptionally hot and to run a bath can be scalding and require cold water...but the shower (rainfall showerhead) starts hot but then retreats to being merely warm at it's highest setting.  Warm is the highest temperature it can muster.

What causes this and can it be fixed?


texts: Is there a "Right" direction to build soffit with plywood?

texts:
Is there a right or wrong way to face the plywood when building a soffit for ductwork?  I was following a tutorial from Family Handyman http://www.familyhandyman.com/basement/how-to-finish-a-basement-framing-and-insulating/view-all

which has the plywood facing on the "inside" side of the duct.

Seems like almost all of the other tutorials I've seen, they have it on the outside, and they seem to use OSB instead.  Is there a prefered side, and does it matter if using plywood vs OSB?


texts: how to light up ten (10) led downlights with each having 14w power consumption?

texts: recently i had opted to upgrade my store with LED downlights of 14w each. problem i am facing is that drivers of these are going corrupt frequently. my electrician said , we can replace these drivers with a single power supply. can some one guide me how to calculate exact wattage for power supply and i wish to have 10 led's in a row to light up with single power supply.


texts:
I want to place archways instead of walls on the three places as shown in picture. The Wall are made of solid bricks. RCC slabs. No timber, no steel.
 Do you think it is safe because I want to make another floor above this floor. The total plot area of the house is about 12m X12m. There are Beams and columns on every corner of wall are about 1ft X1ft.


texts: Should rain gutters be installed behind metal drip edge?

texts:
I am adding aluminum gutters to my new detached garage. I hadn't originally included them in the design, but want to add them to protect the doors and siding from splashing water, and to prevent soil runoff/erosion.
I've been observing gutters, watching YouTube, etc, but haven't found a satisfying answer to a few questions...

Should the gutter slide up under the drip edge?
If gutter is under drip edge, will it be low enough to prevent possible ice damage?
Should the gutter hangers penetrate the drip edge?
Do the penetrations for gutter hangers need to be sealed in any way?
If the gutter is not installed under the drip edge, do I need some other sort of flashing?
Should a spacer be installed behind the drip edge to allow air movement between gutter and fascia? (I know this is recommended for wood fascia, but is it necessary with aluminum?)

Here is the structure I have:

Roof pitch is 6/12
Aluminum drip edge overlaps fascia about 1.5"
Adhesive ice/water barrier installed over drip edge
Asphalt shingles overlap drip edge by 1/2", giving total of 1" overlap from fascia
2x6 subfascia board with aluminum fascia cover
Total gutter run will be 22'
Structure is in Wisconsin, USA (cold, snowy winters), and will be insulated and (moderately) heated.


texts: How should I sand before the final coat of polyurethane?

texts:
I have applied 3 coats of poly so far. I'd like to smooth out the surface before the final coat. What type of sander should I use: Square Buff Floor Sander ,

Random Orbit Floor Sander ,

or just a hand held orbital ?


texts: Steelcase desk drawer stuck in unlocked position

texts: I have a steelcase desk at work with a two drawer locking file attached to the underside of the desk. The lock is UNlocked. I can put the key in and turn it no problem...but the drawers won't open! If it was just "stuff" I would expect the lower drawer to open no problem, as it is a neatly organized file drawer. The smaller, upper drawer is full of random junk. I've tried locking/unlocking the drawer, wiggling the drawers, pulling hard, etc. Any thoughts on how to get the dang thing open? I've stuck a hanger in and wiggled it about to shift items. No luck. It opened this morning :(


texts: How to better waterproof the shower area?

texts:
I recently started having a lot of moisture in room next to my bathroom/shower wall. Its important to add that these walls are made of plaster.

Initially I thought it was the silicone than joins the shower with the wall that was letting water pass. The shower base started separating from the silicone.

I put new silicone but there is still moisture in the room. It's not a perfect job but it should be enough to keep water out. Or at least prevent that level of moisture.

I am now starting to think that the tiles joints may let water pass. These are 3 mm joints with bitumen.

My question is:  what can I do? is it possible that the joints let moisture pass? Can I do something to isolate better the area  with silicone? Is there something I can put on the joints? Any other tips?


texts: Using 2 Separate NM Cables to Make 1 4-wire conductor?

texts:
I have 2 6/2 with ground cables installed in my attic. I got a oven that requires a 4 wire (2 hots, 1 neutral, 1 ground). Is it code to utilize the 2 insulated conductors off of 1 nm cable and 1 - off of the other as my neutral?

I would install on neutral bar in panel, make the final splice in a jbox then just extend the correct 4 wire to the oven connection.   I do not think it is code but cannot find the scenario in which it rejects that.   I do not have access to get to the panel from the oven and want to utilize the existing wiring i have i place if possible.   I know it would work, but is it code, and what are the dangers?


texts: I want to waterproof from outside, but my neighbors live 2 ft from us, is it possible?

texts: We live in a 90 year old home that has just begun to leak. The walls have always been somewhat damp, but nothing a dehumidifier couldn't help.  We are now interested in waterproofing from the outside, but our neighbors live 2 feet from us.  Some plumbers say this isn't possible, while others say they are looking into it...still haven't heard! Is it possible, or is it safer to waterproof from the inside?  Also I have heard that waterproofing old homes from the outside could be detrimental to the foundation as it should be a little moist, is this true?


texts: How to release door catch on Samsung front loading washer

texts:
Washer door wouldn't latch closed. While trying to figure out what was wrong, I triggered the latch into the closed/locked position with the door open.  Anybody know how to get it to release?
Model number is wf409anw/xaa


texts:
If I press the toilet handle or pour a bucket of water down the toilet, the water flows down slowly.  What can I do to find out the cause of the issue along with steps to fix it.

I've tried cleaning that little hole at the bottom of the bowl, still no success. Solids don't seem to flow down.

It fixed itself

After a day of not using the toilet, I flushed it. The water rose to the top then slowly goes down halfway in the bowl when suddenly, all of it got sucked out of the toilet.  It is now flushing properly after a couple of tries.

I live on the 17th floor of an apartment building.  Does anyone know what could have caused it to fix itself?


texts:
I removed the P trap and pipe from the old kitchen and tried to reuse it for the new kitchen remodeling:

However, it's leaking water at the connection from the white pipe to the metal P trap:

I even used a new washer. What I realized is that I can only push the white pipe into the P trap for like 1/2 in. But when I tighten the nut, the plastic pipe is stil quite loose. If I pull it out by hand, I still can separate it.

My questions are:

Is this installation done correctly? Anything missing?
Did I use the wrong washer or wrong pipe? This is just 1/2" right?
Maybe the whole thing is bad. Should I replace the entire P trap and pipe set for the new remodel?

I played around with the same setup at Home Depot and it's very tight when I tighten the nuts. I mean I could not just yank out the pipe easily.


texts: What is an aesthetically pleasing way to add lateral support to a loft bed?

texts:
I'm building a loft bed, and while I have a pretty good handle on the surface, I'm still trying to figure out the posts. Two adjacent sides are against walls, so I could put in diagonal beams, or maybe I'll build in book cases including diagonal members.

But I'm having trouble figuring out what to do with the two other sides. One of the sides is supposed to be open (for access) and the other for hanging clothes, so the traditional crossed wood or crossed cables is out.

Is there a standard (or even non-standard) approach to this? Is leaving the two remaining sides open an option?


texts: Can indoor cable be used under a patio roof?

texts:
Are there any special requirements I should be aware of before adding lights and outlets to my covered back patio?  I know GFCI protection will be required on the outlets, but can I run regular Romex cable over soffit?  It's an open air, concrete patio and wood post construction with typical soffit ceiling.
There is an empty outlet box installed on the far right of the porch, about 15-18 inches off the ground. I would like to use that, and add a second outlet closer to the french doors via conduit and THHN.
I don't have a picture of the porch itself, but it can be seen behind the playground.  The ceiling material is the vinyl soffit, which I thought to be typical for porches and patios.


texts: I replaced an old metal pipe and p-trap with 2 inch PVC for a shower drain.  I was only able to fit the new pvc p-trap if I made a loop-de-loop. Is this a good solution?


texts: I decided to paint the downstairs bathroom. A girlfriend insisted on helping and was predetermined on saving me money(so she says, now I think she was trying to sabotage) by bringing me paint that she had left over from a remodel. Well when my brother-in-law opened the paint(by the way it was a I think 5 gal container)he was like "WOW, that smells really bad, like water dripped or had gotten in the container." She swore up and down that it wasn't bad, yada, yada, yada..Now my bathroom smells soooo bad, like mold. Only two walls have been painted. But that's two walls too many. So my question is how and the hell do I get rid the smell, because it's been about three weeks and it still smells. Do I need to strip the paint? I even tried covering it with a new color and you can still smell it. HELP!!!!


texts: What to do about gap between tile and tub

texts:
This is my first shower tiling project and the tub was not level at all. To make sure my tiles were level I left a gap between the first row and the tub on one side (see picture). The gap is 1/2” at its widest. I’m wondering what you would suggest for finishing this project up. Should I attempt to simply fill the gap with white caulk or should I buy some sort of cover?

I won’t re-do this now but for the future should I have done this project differently? Perhaps cut my first row on an angle and left it closer to the top of the tub?


texts:
I am needing to raise my sunken living room 7" to be flush with existing floor. All the outlets and windows are fine as is and the cieling is vaulted so that isnt an issue. Right now there is a crawlspace below and the existing floor is just on joists. Becuase of this I dont think concrete is the answer. I was thinking of running new joists on top of the existing and just then adding insulation between and 3/4 TG subfloor. My questions are:

Since the new joists need to be 6.25" with 3/4" sub to get my 7" to level should I just use hangers and 2X6's or use a 2X6 fured out with 1X2's?
If fured, put them on the top or bottom?
If fured, Should I glue and nail the joists?
If fured, Should the go parallel or perpendicular to existing joists (image shows current joist direction)?


texts: Water supply is off and toilet tank is empty. The bowl keeps filling up with water and is overflowing. Where is this water coming from?


texts: Do GFCI protected devices need to be labeled as such, if they are protected from another location?

texts:
I'm doing a fairly substantial rewire of about half my house.  In many places, like kitchen, bath, and outside/garage, I've replaced circuit breakers in my box with GFCI or dual function breakers.  Now I have outlets in damp/wet locations that are GFCI protected, but aren't GFCI devices themselves.  They were GFCI outlets, but I've replaced them with normal receptacles after upgrading the CB.

Is there any required labeling, similar to the "no equipment ground" stickers you see sometimes?  Or are these receptacles still required to be actual GFCI devices, even though the entire circuit is protected? (This doesn't make sense, but I've heard of sillier things). Of course, the inspector will tell me when they come out, but I'd rather get it right the first time.


texts:
In pulling off some broken mortar on the dirt foundation (where the actual brick footers rest) of a 1920's house crawl space, I discovered a layer of black coal just under the mortar.   There are chunks of it, and some smaller particles.

Was coal ever used as an insulator?  Why would the original builder install a layer of coal below the mortar?


texts:
I want to repair some weather battered garden table, bench and chair set. It has had some in places, so I will be replacing the severely rotten sections, and scraping out the rot from the partially damaged pieces.

My intention, with the partially damaged sections it to use a wood hardener to firm up the remaining wood, and then fill the gaps with a wood filler.

Once the wood filler has dried, I will be painting the whole set to hide the filled pieces.

I have limited experience in this area, so I would like to know if there are any caveats or gotchas to be aware of.


texts: Is it safe to use a flexible duct near the end of an 18ft dryer exhaust run?

texts:
I'm replacing a gas dryer in a condo that previously had 2 plastic flex pipes and a 5ft aluminum rigid duct.

I planned to replace it with rigid steel. I got most of it dry-fitted correctly, except the end of the run. There's about 2 feet between my new run and the exterior vent. See side-view image below (note: the picture does not show that the exterior vent is a little lower and also to the right):

The end of the run is in a tight area, in a small 3x3 closet that also contains a circuit breaker. To get through here with rigid steel ducts, I'll need several elbows and short extenders. I'd rather use a bit of semi-rigid flex vent in a small C-shape instead, for ease of installation and less seams.

The red dashed line in my picture represents where the flex duct would go. It would be about 2 to 2.5 feet long.

Is it OK to use flex duct near the end of a run at this length (about 18 ft total)?
(More generally) If a duct is going to require several quick bends and seams in a tight area, is it ever better to use a single flexible duct instead? If yes, how should that determination be made?

Edit: I ended up admitting to myself that I was trying to be lazy and fanangled a few adjustable elbows to cover this gap. I'd still like to know the answer to #2.


texts:
I have a Coleman 6250 generator that has set idle for over 3 years.  It has compression.  I can start it with a little carb cleaner and keep it running with that, but as soon as I stop squirting it into the carb the engine dies.  I have pulled the carb and cleaned it.  The kill switch is working properly.  I drained the gas and put in new.  I cleaned the gas filter.
I'm not sure what else to do.  Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
Steve


texts: Is a butt edge to tapered edge drywall joint OK?

texts:
I’ve got some smaller areas I need to fill with drywall in a room, and fortunately I had some pieces from cutting others while staggering. I used them to fill in the gaps, but I didn’t like how they looked as they were butt edges against tapered edges. I took them down and used a fresh sheet to ensure all tapered edges met.
However, I feel like I wasted an entire sheet just to achieve this. Is it fine to have a butt up against a tapered edge?


texts: Installing circuit for tanning bed 220v 30 amp

texts: I'm installing a circuit for a tanning bed to treat my son's psoriasis but I've seen some conflicting info regarding proper wire gauge.  Would it be correct to use 10ga copper or 8ga alu or do I need a larger gauge?  I'll be using about 30-40' of wiring.  Thanks in advance for any tips!


texts: Dale - Lever screw on rosette internal door handles

texts: We have bought 7 pairs x Dale lever handles with screw on rosette covers. I’ve fitted 2 doors with their handles with no problems but now found the remaining 5 screw on covers as supplied are too firmly screwed on to full door handles to undo. You Tube videos show non-screw on where you tap with rubber screwdriver handle but what can I use on screw on so I don’t damage. Thank You - Martin “Oldie” D.I.Y’er.


texts:
I am decorating my new home and i've noticed a thin crack around the entire of the windowsill.

It is only visible if you are looking for it.

Is it something i need to get resolved or am i ok to fill it with something?


texts:
My Whirlpool (bottom) freezer's evaporator keeps frosting, thus rendering the (top) refrigerator warm.

Actions already taken:

Replaced Defrost heater (U-shaped, stove coil-like heating element)
Replaced Defrost thermostat (small "eye" looking thing, with 2 wires, and clips on the start of the cooling coil)
cleaned the coils at the bottom (outside).
Magnetic door strips looks fine to me.

The freezer frosts completely after around 9-days. The temperature will get extremely cold (-16C) and humidity will be around 70%, with the evaporator completely frosted.

What other things should I check?


texts: Can baseboards be used in one pipe steam heating system?

texts:
I just switched to natural gas and had a new Weil-McLain steam boiler installed. (I originally had an oil boiler with steam heat.)  It is a one pipe system and I have the old style radiators, except for wrought iron baseboards in two rooms (main level bathroom, and small "den").

I had no problem with heat in any rooms before the gas conversion and new boiler installation.  Now two the rooms with baseboards (they are connected through the shared wall because the furthest room is on a slab) do not have heat unless I keep the thermostat set at 80 degrees.  I can hear the heat trying to work... almost like clinking and ticking sounds (not banging and clanging).

The boiler company installed new vents, and made sure all the radiators are sloped correctly.  But nothing has worked.  They say there's not enough pressure building up, and that the pipe(s) to those rooms aren't big enough around.  (Yet, it worked before!)  They do have to come back for a third time, because several of the pipes/radiators in other rooms are clanging like crazy, so loud you can hear it outside the house, and it's impossible to get much sleep.

I'm worried that the installers changed the way the pipes were, right above the boiler, so the heat isn't getting to those two rooms.  Does anyone have any other ideas?  I guess I also need to know how high above the boiler the "header" (or equalizer?) should be?

Thank you for any help at all.


texts:
I have a new Goodman high efficient furnace model number GMH950703BXAG1. And this is the problem I'm having now:

Turn on the furnace power (after ~1 hour off)
Turn on the thermostat with Temp setting higher than room temp.
The inducer motor comes on, about 10 seconds later the ignitor lights up, 5 seconds later flames come on, and heat gets into the condo.
Furnace shuts off when set temp is reached.
After the temperature drops about 2 degrees, I can see the thermostat shows "heat" and hear the click from thermostat, but the inducer motor won't come on to start the sequence.
There is no power light or flashing light on, the furnace looks like is out of power, after I turn breaker off and wait a few minutes and turn it back on, then it goes to normal cycle one time,

Any ideas what's causing this?


texts: What is this floor material consisting of soft fibrous material covered by matte black layer?

texts:
We are renovating an apartment in a house in Germany built in 1957.
I am unsure what kind of floor construction I am looking at. The concrete floor is covered by a soft brown fibrous layer about 1.5 cm thick, which is in turn covered by a hard matte black non-odorous layer with a gap of about 1 cm to the wall. What could these materials be? Could they contain asbestos?


texts: Epoxy flexane mixture for flexible epoxy application

texts:
For those who understand plastics and epoxies in particular, curious to know if I can add flexane urethane (or similar elastomer) to epoxy paint without worrying about compatibility issues. IOW will epoxy mix up and be useable in all cases?
For clarity, I am using swimming pool epoxy paint for a waterproof top coating on my rv roof, but would like to ensure it is a bit rubberized and not too brittle. Devcon flexane addition seems to be the answer but I can't find any guidelines for the DIYer.
Thanks for any info. If you have personal experience working with molds, urethanes and epoxy admixtures, you may have valuable knowledge on this.
Product links:
https://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Poxolon-Two-Coat-Epoxy-Swimming/dp/B07BLMHKBK
https://www.reynoldsam.com/product/flexer-epoxy-flexibilizer/


texts: Help with meaning of symbols on switch for electrical blinds

texts:
I have a difficulty of understanding what is the meaning of these symbols on the back of my switch for electrical blinds? I know that the symbol is for the switch but have a hard time understanding what does the "extra quarter of the circle" is for?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is drywall installer trying to pull one over on us?

texts: Our drywall installer tells us that we need to prime the walls before his finisher can fix the MANY issues with their finishing work so far. I can’t find any information that suggests this is normal practice. Is this guy screwing with us?


texts: My lights does not work unless you turn the stove on

texts: The stove controls the lights in the kitchen


texts: How to replace bulbs in this ceiling fan?

texts:
Unfortunately I have no documentation on this ceiling fan.   I've tried doing a google reverse image search and looked at the catalogs of popular ceiling fan manufacturers.
There are no screws or tabs or anything like that.   I've tried physically rotating the glass which appears to be bonded to the inner metal housing with no luck.
There's a small circular indentation in the inner housing but appears to serve no purpose.


texts: We just had central air installed and the contractor removed the radiators.  However, the pipe and valves are left over sticking out of the floor upstairs.  I tried using a plumber's wrench to at least get the valve off but it would not budge.  How can I remove them?  Keep in mind that the house was built in the 1930's and removing the whole pipe would involve an asbestos abatement.  I rather keep and encapsulate the holes after removing the ends of the pipe with plaster.


texts: New electric hot water heater, hot water turns luke warm after 12-15minutes of use?

texts: Converted my oil burner to a gas burner and added an electric hot water heater. When i use the shower the hot water turns to luke warm in 12-15 minutes. It was installed by a professional plumber and he seems to be baffled by this problem.


texts: 4 prong wire outlet, 3 wire dryer - can’t find ground screw

texts: So I’m not entirely sure where to put the ground wire. Do I need to buy a ground screw for that hole? Or is there something else I can attach it to?


texts:
I was up in my attic a few days ago, and I noticed a pretty ugly electrical junction that wasn't in a junction box. Here's the pic:

Is this up to code? FWIW I live in north Alabama, outside city limits. However I'm assuming there are general building codes that would govern this sort of thing nationwide.
At first I was horrified when I saw this, but then I remembered the home inspector had to have passed this several times when he was going over the house prior to our purchase. In fact, I SAW him walk right past where it was - I just stuck my head up in the attic while he went tromping around across the trusses. Am I just super OCD and this is a perfectly fine junction, or was it a major oversight on the inspector's part? Unless someone tells me otherwise, I'm planning on installing a junction box tomorrow, but I'd rather not waste my money/time if it's fine how it is.


texts: Central Furnace blower alwas on, even with thermostat disconected

texts: A technician told me it was the electronic control board that has the blower relays on it , I replaced it and still has the problem, I've been reading here online about a limit switch for the blower but I don't see it in my unit. Where else should I check, no heater and no AC


texts:
I'm mounting a vanity and mirror in a small half bathroom and there's only 1 stud to hit behind my drywall (1990's build). However, this stud seems to be flanked on either side with pipes. To make matters worse, there is another bathroom right above this one so I must assume both the copper pipes and the drain pipe continues straight up.

So my question: how do I hit this stud perfectly and not the pipes, and secondly how do I place drywall anchors on either side of the stud for additional support without hitting the pipes?

Attached are some photos. The magnets are stuck to drywall screws/nails.

UPDATE: Here's another picture after I've probed into the wall with a metal hanger (those are hard to find these days!) I believe the pin prick my screwdriver is pointing to is the center of the stud as the hole to the left of it just barely graced the left side of wood. But how is that possible with where the drain pipe is below this? I still don't have confidence in what I'm seeing.

One more photo showing this stud's relation to the only other stud that isn't in one of the corners of the room.


texts: Pressure revief valve - where to locate?

texts:
To protect an unvented hot water tank on a central heating system should the pressure relief valve be installed on the inlet or the outlet pipework?

What is the best practice basically.


texts: Both faucets and toilet have whistling noises just as I shut off the valves or the toilet finishes flushing.  I don't hear it in any other part of the house.  Any ideas?  It just started a week ago.  Thanks


texts: Safe to install vinyl plank flooring under appliances?

texts:
We’re installing luxury vinyl plank flooring in our kitchen and the instructions inside the box say not to install underneath appliances which we didn’t know until we started.

How hard and fast is that rule or would it be safe to install across the entire kitchen floor?  We’re concerned about having an unfinished areas under the stove and refrigerator where moisture can get under and we’re not sure what to put in that area instead.

The kitchen is approximately 15 x 13" and we've laid down underlayment.


texts: How to mount powerboards with strange holes?

texts:
Wondering how to mount these powerboards, with this illogical mount hole design.

As seen in the picture, each of the keyholes are facing in a different directions. This makes mounting extremely tedious, and almost impossible to get straight. You can’t treat it like a regular powerboard with the keyholes facing the same way, where you just put the screws in the wall, put the powerboard on the wall, and then slot it in place. You can’t ‘slot’ it normally because you need to slot it in two different directions at once.

For some reason, Australia seems to love this design, with most of my powerboards having this!

Any idea why manufacturers go with this design, over having the keyholes face the same way? Any idea how to efficiently attach them?


texts: What's this part on my water main and could it be making a consistent tapping noise?

texts: I've been noticing a consistent knocking/tapping noise when cold water is running in my house.  It gets louder with more volume.  It stops when the water is turned off.  Not sure how long it's been happening.  It appears to be coming from the vicinity of this part.  Can anyone tell me what this part is and if there is a valve or something in it that could make this noise?  If so should it be replaced?  Since the whole pipe is vibrating it's difficult to pinpoint.  This is the only part I can find on the water line between the shutoff and the rest of the house.  However, given that this was buried in the wall, it's possible there could be something else.


texts: How to Move a Doorway in a Load Bearing Wall?

texts:
This is my first remodel attempt and I would like to create a doorway between a bedroom and a walk-in closet. The existing wall between the two rooms is a load-bearing wall. After removing the sheetrock, I see that the existing configuration is actually a remodel from a previous floor plan where a doorway used to be in almost the same place that I would like to place my doorway.

I would like the shift the doorway a foot or two to one side, however, I see that there is a concrete piece under the base plate (see picture below).

What is this concrete piece and can it be removed?


texts:
I am trying to design a replacement deck for my home. Local regulations require IRC 2015 and the area is designated SDC D2. The surface height of my deck will be ~8' 8" above grade and there is a cement patio under the deck.

In DCA6 page 11, it shows that "Joist on Beam" and "Joist hung from Beam" are allowed. I'm trying to preserve as much headroom on the patio as possible and have chosen to hang the joists. Do the top of the joists have to lay in the same horizontal plane as the top of the beams as shown in DCA6 or can I set the joists lower so the decking will line up with the top of the beams?

Using the middle figure concerns me that water and moisture retention may cause rotting where the decking lies on top of the beam. Are there other concerns in leaving the beam exposed as decking surface?


texts: Garbage Disposal - Water Shoots Up Non-Disposal Side

texts:
Understand this is asked often.  Each case is different though and have not found someone with my plumbing configuration (see pictures).
So when we turn on garbage disposal we get water shooting up non-disposal side just about every time.  I am almost sure it is not a clogging issue.  As a test I filled non-disposal side sink entirely with water and pulled plug, observe no water backing into garbage disposal or garbage disposal side sink (i.e. it is going down drain quickly).  I am convinced this is one of those "garbage disposal shoots with great velocity, takes path of least resistance, goes up non-disposal drain".
I have attached pictures of my plumbing.
Based on all I have read it seems the disposal drain needs to tie in using a T-Baffle to force the waste to go down and not shoot across the 4 way connector.  If you look closely a lot of the pieces are glued.  I don't think I can get that 4 way connector out without cutting.
What would be the best solution?  Some sort of check value in the non-disposal line?

Update - Added additional sketches and a picture of our home exterior to illustrate it would be difficult to have an exterior vent.

Jimmy's Solution.  Question - where would AAV go?

Exterior - I have included this picture to illustrate how difficult it would be to have exterior vent.  The top of the 2nd roof is rubber/flat.  The vent stack for bathrooms is far removed.
<img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/eYeWg.jpg" alt="Exterior - I have included this picture to illustrate how difficult it would be to have exterior vent.  The top of the 2nd roof is rubber/flat.  The vent stack for bathrooms is far removed.
" />
Double Wye - Could I simply replace the 4way connector with this?


texts: Z-Wave outlet wiring - plugging in multiple black/white wires?

texts:
I'm replacing a regular 2 plug outlet with a Leviton Z-Wave Outlet [Instructions].

The old outlet had 2 screws for black, 2 screws for white wires going into it. This new outlet only has 1 screw for black and 1 for white.

Both of these seem like possibly correct wirings to me but I wanted to confirm and see if one was better:

Introduce a 3rd black pigtail wire, join the 3 blacks together with a wire nut, and only plug the 1 pigtail black wire into the outlet. Repeat for white (shown in picture).
Don't introduce a 3rd black wire, but rather insert the 2 black wires into the top/bottom slots of the same screw. Repeat for the 2 white wires on the other side.

It would be much easier to do (2) especially since space in the box is tight, however I was concerned since the instructions say "either hold may be used" (emphasis mine).

So my questions are: a) Are both of these valid options? b) Is one a "better" solution than the other?


texts: How to fix garbage disposal leaking black sludge under sink?

texts:
My garbage disposal is leaking water and black sludge under the sink and it makes the whole house smell horrible. Can I easily fix it?

Edit:

Here's a picture of it:

the leaked water/sludge is circled in red at the bottom. As you can see the leak appears to be coming from the plumbing that is taking the stuff away from the GD.


texts: I have a deck about 6FT off the ground with old 4x4 posts that stick up about 24" above the existing deck.  I replaced the decking and when installing the railings, I noticed the posts on the deck were about 12" too short.  Is there any way to extend the posts about 12" so when i screw the top railing in, it would actually go into the post?  Want it up to code as much as possible, in VA.  Thanks.


texts: Woodford model 17 anti-siphon faucet won't work

texts: No water comes out when I try to turn it on.  It worked fine a couple weeks ago.  No leaks, no obvious damage.  I removed the valve stem and it all looks good.  I turned the water back on and it flows, so the problem must be with the faucet.  What could it be?


texts: Vapor barrier on heated entertainment shed

texts: i am building an 8x10 entertainment shed with a loft for kids to hang out and have sleepovers in, i will be heating it. I have tyvek and t1-11 it is on 4x4 skids on top of the Concrete patio and has 3/4 plywood flr & sliding glass door,What do i use for vapor barrier and where and for insulation?


texts:
I am tiling my kitchen floor and unfortunately it is the major walkway in and out of the house.  Is there anything that I can do to reduce the drying and waiting times for the thinset (both for taping and tile application) and grout?

I was wondering if I applied a little bit of heat via a hair dryer after I tape the backer board seams if that would help.  I live in Michigan and the daytime temps are in the 20s right now so I know the temp and humidity will affect things negatively.


texts: How long and how often should I water my concrete?

texts: I have just applied cement on some stone joints, and I was wondering for how long should I pour water on it? How frequently should I apply water? Is it twice a day, or thrice a day? I really need to avoid cracks and weak joints.


texts: Is there some sort of formula to determine how many bricks I would need to build a completely new structure?

texts:
I am looking to add a small ham shack to the property, so I contacted the city's planning department. They said that if the structure was ten feet at most and didn't exceed two hundred square feet in area, and it was kept at least six feet away from the main structure, and three feet away from any property lines, I should be able to carry this out without a permit.

I went over to this place called Mutual Materials where they have an assortment of bricks of different textures, concrete, stones, and other things used in masonry, including mortar for mixing.

When I asked the clerks there how much the bricks would cost, they told me that as a general rule of thumb, six bricks made one square foot. Well, I can see how laying six bricks vertically can make one foot, but I don't see how it would make a square foot unless one were to add five bricks on one side going horizontally, which would mean that you'd need thirty-six bricks in all to make a square-foot wall.

Can this be explained better? I found out that one brick costs $1.30, so if I can use something to know how much I'd be looking at, that would help a lot.


texts: What causes this line in my popcorn ceiling?


texts:
We just moved and had to change plugs on the dryer from 3 prongs to 4.

What is the fourth prong for? I know about positive, negative and ground, but I can't think of why a fourth would be needed.


texts: Honeywell Chronotherm IV Plus thermostat

texts: The word "filter" is flashing on thermostat. The filter is clean. What should I do?


texts: Model S 125.  I order a new infinity switch from Jean Air but the new part also maintains the element on high.  Can the new switch be defective also?  Is there a way to test the switch?


texts: Help running ethernet between floors, with double joists in the way

texts:
I will like to redo the existing Ethernet (and maybe COAX) wiring in my home. I have looked for the most ideal path from the basement through the floors into the attic and then drop into the second floor. Other alternatives required running beside (not inside) the air return duct in the wall cavity, long runs alongside power cables, or runs through exterior walls, none of which is ideal. So I decided to run through the bath closets that line up vertically on both floors. I could run along a wall in the closet but then that will require drilling through the ceramic floor tiles and cutting notches in each closet shelf. I figured it's best to run inside the wall instead since the wall patchwork in the closet does not need to be perfect.

I started to drill (3/4" paddle bit) before I realized that the bath closet walls sit on double joists. Perhaps this is because the baths are almost in the center of the house. Also the drill depth seemed more than I expected (extra stacked wallplate?), which is why I stopped and re-examined the basement (I had my orientation wrong before I started and did not realize the double joists were right underneath).

So I am trying to figure out the best way to go about this. I noticed that what previous contractors had done to run wires in the cavities above the double joists was to drill diagonally(?), then vertically. However, I expect that to be a lot easier for a single power cable and harder for a bunch of 8-14 data cables.

I found this thread but it did not describe exactly how the user solved their problem. I own regular tools (drills, impact driver, fish tape, etc.) but nothing contractor grade or "overkill". I am up to the task of drilling, doing electrical work and wall patching, but I want to avoid violating codes or compromising structural integrity.


texts: Disable the timer on an exhaust ventilator

texts:
I have a bathroom exhaust ventilator installed that turns on when I flip the wall switch and that continues working on a timer when I cut the power in the switch.

In terms of wiring, I see 3 cables going in (L, T, N) on one side, and two other cables going in on another side. The two cables have electricity at all times, independently of the wall switch.

Is there a way to bypass the timer? I would like to have the ventilator off when the wall switch is turned off.

Thank you in advance


texts: Three months ago when we moved into our home, the toilet started gurgling so we had septic tank pumped, and drainline from house to septic cleaned out. Two months ago, happened again, so we tried a chemical clog remover that helped for a bit. Last week, it started again whenever water was run. Plumber came out and cleaned a clog out of vent line which is now completely clear, and installed a secondary vent (he can't figure out where the vent connects with the line). Gurgling now only happens when a lot of water is released into main line, such as after a load of laundry is washed or a sink of dishes is drained; air is bubbling up into the toilet, and it seems to get faster as the amount of water in the pipe decreases. The drains are draining normally (no slow or delayed draining) and there is no standing water in the outside check pipe between the house and septic tank. There are no trees or plants anywhere around the drain lines out of the house or from the tank to the drain field. Help!! I literally have tried everything and have NO IDEA what else to do!! Thanks to everyone who has been trying to help me diagnose this!!


texts: Installing new ceiling fan. Don't think there is a white (neutral) wire

texts:
I purchased a new ceiling fan with a remote and installed it. I had three wires coming out of the plastic box in the ceiling. Black, bare and red or white.  The reason I am not sure if the wire is red or white is because of the following.

The wire is white but there is about ~6inches of tape on the end which is red.  When I took the cover off of the switch it also had the same red tape there as well. So I am not sure if this is an actual neutral white wire or if it is a red wire where the guy ran out of red wire and just taped both ends of a white wire in red. The house was built in 1985.

I followed the instructions as if it was a white wire.  I hooked up the black with the black, the green with the bare and the white to the white but I can not get the fan to turn on at all.  I have tried pairing the remote multiple times and dip switches are not an issue with this remote and receiver.

The only thing I wonder now is if the white wire is actually a red wire. If so why might I not see a white wire? Does anyone have any ideas?


texts: How should one polish transparent polystyrene plastic?

texts:
I've got some souvenir from overseas and I want to give it to a friend of mine. But I accidentally left some scratches on its transparent surface and now I want to polish it.

I don't really know what type of plastic the transparent surface is but after some research I figure out it should be polystyrene, since it has an injection mold at the bottom.

So I'm wondering if Novus Plastic Polish can polish it.

If it can't, what are some ways that I can successfully polish it?

I found a solution on E-how.com but I'm not sure if it will actually work (I don't want to worsen the surface):

  1 Pour some water in a large bowl.

  2 Add a tbsp. of dish-washing soap to make a soapy solution.

  3 Dip a rag in the soap solution. Clean the
  surface of the plastic with the rag. Make sure to scrub hard so as to
  remove all dirt, dust and grease.

  4 Soak a few sandpapers in water. Make sure the sandpapers are of
  different grits (for example, 200, 400, 800 to the finer 2000 grits.)
  Sandpapers should only be used on transparent or translucent
  polystyrene plastic especially those used in screens and in
  headlights.

  5 Sand the surface of the plastic gently with the wet sandpapers.
  Start with the lowest (200 grits) and sand with the finest last. Allow
  the surface of the polystyrene plastic to dry.

  6 Apply a coat of plastic polish to the surface of the polystyrene
  with a rag. Buff the waxy polish on the plastic surface using the
  rag.Allow the polish to dry on the polystyrene plastic.

  7 Wipe down the polystyrene plastic with a second clean rag. This
  second buffing will remove excess waxy polish and restore the sheen on
  the plastic.

It will really be great if someone who has experienced in polishing plastic can help.


texts: Why does using a dimmer with this ceiling fan and lights cause energy saving bulbs to flicker?

texts:
At a hotel I manage we purchased 34 ceiling fans with two integrated light sockets that operate on a dimmer all controlled by a remote control. Obviously using a dimmer with fluorescent bulbs won't work as desired, however we only want to use them in either the off or on position.

They work fine when on, however with the switch turned off, when we put a fluorescent energy saving light bulb in, it turns the bulb into almost a strobe light with a very low-intensity flashing. It's not enough to really bother you and you wouldn't notice it much if another light was on, however we had someone complain that it kept them up at night when in a dark room with no other lights. Measuring the other socket with a volt meter with one fluorescent bulb present measures 20V.

When we put two fluorescent bulbs in, it has the same effect, however it alternates between the two and does something like two-three flashes from one, two-three flashes from the other, and continues like that.

However, the strange thing is that when we put a regular bulb in, the voltage on the other side drops to zero. So when we have one regular bulb and one energy saving bulb, neither of them flash at all. Same is true with either one or two regular bulbs.

So basically, what could be causing this (to me) odd behavior? Is this typical for things with dimmers? Is there any way around this so that we can use two fluorescent bulbs? We already have all the bulbs (which were around $10 each) and we're just in the process of replacing the current light fixtures with the fans which are also already paid for.

Note: I'm not an electrician, so any responses will have to be written as basic as possible.


texts: Can I cut up sheets of cement board and use it as wall shingles?

texts:
I have seen lots of great fiber cement board shingled projects popping up around my neighborhood lately, and would like to do the same for my garage. Currently it is done in vinyl which I absolutely hate.

As an avid DIYer and recent home buyer, I'd like to do it on a budget. I found Durock Next Gen Cement Board at HD (Canada) at around $33 a sheet.

At that price I could do my entire garage for $700!!

My question is this:  living in Montreal, with harsh freeze/thaw cycles, will this product pose any problems?
 I would like to do 12"x96" shingles that are blind screwed with SS screws. I do not want to paint or finish In any way.

Thoughts?


texts:
Just bought a house and the bathroom vanity has an unfortunate countertop situation--clearly the countertop was too big for the vanity, but they just put it on top and let it hang over the side--resulting in a 5 inch gap between the vanity and the wall which you can see here on the left:

I would like to know if I can cut the countertop to size myself, preferably without detaching it from the vanity (though I'd obviously have to detach it from the wall). Here are a couple more photos to make it clearer what the material is:


texts: Squishy manufactured floors can they be fixed?

texts: My brand new manufactured floors has squish boards when I walk.  Can this be fixed?


texts:
Can anyone recommend a good method of anchoring a 1x2 9" wood strip on the side of the cabinet wall?  The strip will be used as a shelving bracket. I don't expect there to be a lot of weight but I'd like it to be pretty secure for holding the shelf.

It seems like screws would be a bad idea since the wall is only 3/4" thick. Perhaps I could drill a hole and use nut, bolt, lock washer? Would this work, and can you suggest a screw size and length? I've thought about adhesive such as Loctite, but I'm not found of the permanancy of that idea. Any suggestions?

Thanks


texts: Putting washer dryer hookups through nearby interior wall

texts:
I recently purchased a home and will soon be putting in a washer and dryer (both electric).

The current hookups are in a small bathroom, but only a couple feet away is an interior wall, which on the other side would be the perfect placement for the washer and dryer. I really don't want to put the washer and dryer in the bathroom as the space is already cramped.

I can easily just put a hole in the wall and I believe all the connections will easily go through and I'll have enough slack in the cords.

My concern is the following:

How can I do this safely? (there is an electrical outlet within a foot of where I'll put the hole.)
How can I make the hole aesthetically pleasing?
How can I make it so the occupant doesn't have to worry any more than usual about sound traveling through the hole
How can I make it so that the occupant doesn't have to worry about someone being able to see in?


texts: Mounting a hair dryer holder to a tile wall

texts:
I don't have space in the bathroom for the hair dryer and therefore wish to attach a hair-dryer holder to the wall. The walls have tiles on them.

Example:

http://www.hood.de/i/foenhalter-foenhalterung-haartrocknerhalter-haartrocknerhalterung-foen-halter-85090377.htm .

Does anyone have any experience ?

What should be done and what should be avoided ?


texts:
I have two outdoor faucets that I need to replace.

These are attached to some gnarly old pipes (cast iron?) and I've not been able to remove the faucets with gentle pressure. Is grabbing a pipe wrench and hauling on these as bad idea as I think? I'd appreciate ideas on how to remove these without destroying the pipes in the process.

I'm a newish homeowner and don't have a lot of plumbing experience, but working on expanding my knowledge. I've searched through this forum as well as browsed through tons of YouTube videos, but haven't found any good how to guides.


texts: Subfeed Lugs for GE Powermark Plus Loadcenter

texts:
Do plug-in subfeed lugs exist that are rated for use with a GE Powermark Plus loadcenter? I have a circa 1980s TM2020R Mod 1 loadcenter that is fully populated with THQP breakers and was planning on adding an adjacent loadcenter for additional space. I was hoping to use THLK2200 subfeed lugs to feed that panel, but documentation states that the THLK2200 can only be used with Powermark Gold loadcenters.

If subfeed lugs are not an option, are the expensive/hard to find TQDL/THQDL breakers my only options for a >125A feeder to a subpanel?

Thanks!


texts: Water heater temperature and pressure relief valve plumbing

texts:
I recently bought a home in Florida where the electric water heater is located in the garage. I seem to have felt some odd water temperature fluctuations where one day it felt much cooler than normal and the next much warmer than usual. I know the water heater is at least 19 years old, and the last inspection tags on it show July 2004. My question is regarding the placement of the temperature and pressure relief valve. It seems to be plumbed back into the cold water line. Is this correct?? I attached a picture of the top and the T&P valve connects to the cold pipe which also comes from the rear of the heater. I know the hot water line is on top on the left, and the cold water lines on the top right and in the rear. Let me know if the plumbing is incorrect, either way I plan to replace the whole thing soon anyway!
Thanks, Ryan


texts: What type of heating system would you recommend?

texts: I am remodeling an old two-story duplex, opening it up into single dwelling. The existing heating system is oil/forced air and also a coal furnace built into the same ductwork. Unfortunately the ductwork leads to one half of the house, and only to the first floor (the assumption being second floor gravity-fed, which doesn't happen well in reality). I'm going to install new siding and better insulation this Spring. Before taking out walls and opening it up, I want to have a new heating system in place. I need something that is basically self-sufficient (I'm a trucker and work very long hours), so coal isn't a good option. The house is located in western Pennsylvania, so it's a relativily cold climate. What type of system do you recommend?


texts:
Trying to install an overhead LED light fixture in a bedroom that previously didn’t have one. Right now the light switch controls a socket into which you can plug a lamp.

Total beginner here.

Inside the overhead light are two white wires, two black wires, and a red wire. I can get the light to turn on, but won’t switch off when I attach the white wire from the fixture to the white wires in the box and the black wire from the fixture to the red and black wires in the box.

The wall switch is set up with two black to the top screw and the red on the bottom. Any ideas? Unfortunately my pictures seem to be too big to attach.

Thanks for any advice!


texts: Wiring for 2-stage thermostat and 2-stage furnace with single stage cooling

texts:
I got my furnace and A/C unit replaced last summer. The new furnace has 2-stage heating, the A/C unit is single stage. The installers put in a single stage thermostat, so as far as I could tell it was running as a single stage. I saw that the original wiring consisted of 4 wires, and wanting to make use of the 2 stages of heating, I ran a 5 wire cable, so I have 9 wires total.
For the thermostat, I have an Energate Foundation. It supports up to 2-stage heating and 2-stage cooling. Here are my connections:

This is the diagram pretty much as it is in the installation manual. (Edit: from the furnace installation manual)
The furnace is Carrier 59TP6A. A/C unit is also Carrier.
Then I go to test the system and when the thermostat calls for cooling, the blower comes on but on low speed. The A/C unit does not come on.
I am aware of the DIP switch to allow use of a 2-stage thermostat, so I switched that to ON. I did not touch the ACRDJ jumper, it is only to be removed if 2-stage cooling is present, at least that's how I understand it. (As an aside, I tried with and without and it didn't make any difference)
The A/C unit and furnace themselves are working fine, they were on a single stage thermostat just the other day, and worked. They are mechanically sound. To make sure my new wiring was ok, I removed the thermostat from the wall, and connected (jumped) R to G and Y/Y2, and everything worked as expected, ie the fan was on at full speed and the A/C unit came on. For some reason, the thermostat isn't energizing its Y/Y2 terminal which would turn on the A/C unit.
Since this is a smart thermostat, I did go through the software menu, and changed the settings so that it is aware that the equipment consists of 2-stage heating and 1-stage cooling.
Anyone familiar with the Energate Foundation thermostats and why it's behaving this way?


texts: How do I manage to surface-mount an electrical box on vinyl siding?

texts:
I am looking to install an outdoor receptacle on vinyl siding. My house has a basement and the vinyl siding on the outside covers the rim joist that is on top of the basement foundation wall. I figure I can just drill through the rim joist and siding, say with a 1/2" or 3/4" spade bit and surface-mount an electrical box on a vinyl siding block.
Would that create an adequate installation, or do I need to get more involved with cutting the siding and installing the electrical box in a siding j-block?
I would of course use screws long enough to secure the electrical box and siding block to the rim joist and use a weatherproof box, receptacle, and in-use weatherproof cover. The rim joist is 18-24 inches above grade, so surface water and snow buildup wouldn't be a concern.


texts:
I have some glass glazed ceramic mosaic tile that I will soon install as our new kitchen backsplash.  The tiles are 4" x 4", with pre-scoring into 1" x 1" mosaics with a grout line of 1/16".  They are 3/8" thick.

I only have a wet tile saw at the moment.  The manufacturer recommends dry cutting these tiles.  What is the best way to cut them and minimise chipping of the glass glazed finish?

Many Thanks,

Simon


texts:
I'm re-tiling for the first time. It's just a small powder room. After I took out the tile, I discovered that who ever had laid the tile had done it directly over vinyl. I removed the vinyl and it looks like there is a layer of plywood in most of the bathroom except for around the toilet area,which has a small section of Ditra underlayment.

My question is, should I remove the underlayment and replace it with cement board (or something) or is it possible to reuse the Ditra underlayment if I clean it out properly (clean out the thinset from the holes and reattach it to the subloor). The Ditra was attached to the subfloor, but the corners came out as I was cleaning the corners. Here is a pic of the area.


texts: Tool for straightening a bent metal bar of the gate?

texts: Someone's car hit our metal bar gate, so one of the rods is bent as shown in the photo. What kind of a tool can I use to bend this back, so it's straight? Thank you!


texts: how do I attach a light object, a cup hook, flat washer or hex nut, to a steel lintel?

texts: how do I attach a light object, a cup hook, flat washer or hex nut, to an exterior window's steel lintel? I don't want to drill the lintel but I do want the attachment to be permanent.


texts: I recently built a stovetop cover or "noodle board" using a hardwood so it can be used as a cutting surface. I stained it with minwax gel stain and from what i understand it should be food safe once it has cured properly. What i want to know is if it can be sealed with oil or wax once it has been stained.