texts: Leviton GFCIs constantly trip on shaded pole motors

texts:
Update: I consulted with other electrical engineers. Here is a plausible mechanism. Again refer to the circuit diagram of this GFCI:

Look at the board layout. There is a long trace from where C3 is located to the SCR gate. It is suspected that transient capacitive coupling (within the circuit and not from outside) to the SCR gate is the cause.

Suggestion is to try putting C3 directly at the SCR gate, and a 100 ohm carbon comp resistor in place of the trace. This creates a low pass filter at the gate input and also reduces the capacitive coupling to the gate.

The inductive kick at either turn on or off may be the source of the transient.

The series resistor ln combination with the shunt capacitor to the gate is to reduce transient voltage at the gate.

Comments??

(Original Message)

Does anyone own any Leviton GFCIs (those models without any automatic monitoring self test)? I found out the shaded pole motors from Waterpik can constantly trip on them (50% of the time), but not other brands of GFCI (which I just tried). Someone in the following url has similar experiences with his Leviton GFCI and even a second new Leviton he bought.

https://www.justanswer.com/electrical/2g0be-gfci-outlet-trips-even-when-clear.html

So it may not be problems with the normal working of a GFCI but particular implementation of the Leviton GFCI. Anyone got a clue what is that mechanism that can cause shaded pole motors to trip on the Leviton GFCI?

The youtube video describes the shaded pole motor in the Waterpik in details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmNcRsxSovs

To recap. Even if the plug is 2-prong (without any grounding and it's put on glass surface). The Waterpik motor can trip any Leviton 5mA GFCI (I tested 4 Leviton GFCI outlets) even when isolated and not wet (even if rotor removed). The trips occur either during startup or turning off. Not when it's already on.

In other motor/GFCI combination. What is the reasons why it could trip during startup or turning off. It's not wiring problem. There are many reports of this everywhere. Have you experienced or read about it? What is the mechanism for the constant tripping? (supposed it's not wiring problem which I'm sure it is not in the waterpik motor and Leviton?

You may have heard of new refrigerators tripping on new GFCI. It could if the GFCI is a Leviton brand.. which may not be compatible with refrigerators. I have new refrigerator that also trips every few hours on the Leviton GFCIs. I'm testing it with other GFCI now. Please share your experiences about this too.


texts: How to connect Washing machine output water to WC seat?

texts:
There is a small WC room where you cannot forward the washing machine output water elsewhere than WC seat (brand IDO). However, the current solution does not look nice, see the picture.
I am thinking if there any seats or solutions which can avoid such a connection.

WC is on the left-hand-side corner: the sink is in the opposite corner than the washing machine: the room is very small:


texts: How can a sock gets into a washer's drain boot

texts:
My beloved Kenmore front loader washer cannot drain water yesterday after 10 years of not so heavy use.  I opened it up, thinking I may need to replace the drain pump, but I saw a sock in the drain boot.  I am going to put everything back tomorrow and try it again to see if it fixes the issue by removing the sock.

I am wondering how can a sock gets into the drain boot.  Is it a sign that I need to change the door seal boot as well?


texts: spotlight is always on and switch is not working

texts: I have a spotlight outside all the wires are tracked and in working order but the light stays on constantly .even when connected to its switch. this one is a head scratcher. I replaced the light switch too.


texts: Is my expansion tank leaking  in my oil water heater system?

texts:
I have an oil water heater (see related question) used for a hydronic forced-air furnace. There is a backflow preventer on the incoming cold water and return hot water, and a small expansion tank on a T in the cold water intake. The tank weeps a little bit through the pressure relief valve.

Is some sort of maintenance required on the expansion tank? Does it need to be emptied?


texts: How do I clean up a brick chimney running through the inside of my house?

texts:
A portion of my house is from 1937. I've got an old chimney that is currently being used for the gas furnace and water heater. However, it's terribly stained, has cracked bricks, a spot that an old stove used to vent into it, and pitted/sloppy mortar. It runs clear through my dining room. Is there any way to clean it up a bit without tearing it up? A little wear and tear is cool and good character but there's parts that are straight up an eyesore.

I don't want to damage or remove/replace. It runs through 2 floors and an attic.

Would sanding it do any good? Filling in the mortar cracks with fresh mortar?


texts: My house was built in 1965. We are renters and The side of my wood kitchen cabinet had the top level veneer pulled off. Exposing what’s underneath and possible asbestos glue. We brush past this area constantly and my dog is always wagging her tail into it. Is it possible that we are releasing fibers?


texts: Cheapest way to level large concrete floor without losing height

texts:
I have an old building that I am converting into a living space. The slab foundation is very old and uneven in a lot of spots. I need to level it, but I can't increase the height of the floors too much, or I won't have enough head room for the building code.
Here is a picture of the space, its hard to see the floor but it has a lot of dips and cracks in it.

I would like the entire floor to be level, so I can finish it with tile, carpet, or laminate. My original thought was to lay sheets of plywood down and level them with shims. I would only lose about an inch of height. The obvious way would be to use leveling cement, but that is too expensive. At 800sqf it would be around $4,500.
Is there an industry standard or would laying plywood down be my best option?


texts: How can I replace this corroded metal P-Trap with a new PVC trap?

texts: I have a big problem at my apartment, the metal p-trap has a hole under my kitchen sink drain pipes due to corrosion, I was told I could temporarily fix it applying epoxy, but I would rather fix the problem permanently, I was told I could replace the p-trap with another one that is PVC, my question is how to adapt the PVC to the other pipes that are steel. Please help, see pictures attached.


texts: Can I combine 2x4 lumber to build posts for barn?

texts:
Designing a barn/out-building for my off-grid place. Essentially this is an open structure (think of sticks with a roof), but part of which is a shed. The problem is, the longer poles will need to be about 22 feet, which longer than the lumber generally sold (16 ft). So I thought that I might make built-up poles from 2x4s. Here is a basic picture of what I am thinking.

Now of course I will have bracing along one entire wall, and all around near the tops. But bracing is not the issue. I want to focus on making sure these posts are a halfway decent idea.

If it's better and safer I can probably go with the fancy purpose-built posts, but I would really rather save the money by doing things on my own if I can.


texts: How can I adjust the hot water limit on this faucet?

texts:
This is the inside of the handle for my bathtub faucet. It's a single handle that goes from cold to hot by turning counter clockwise. The stop collar, red, doesn't appear to adjust like my other faucets. From what I've found, it's a Luxart A711FM fixture.

I've tried to turn the red collar to no avail.
I attempted to loosen the copper ring, and as I was worried, water started leaking out (so I tightened it back up).
I fiddled with the red collar to see if I could pull it out without removing the copper ring, and while it'll shift forward a small amount, it won't come out.
I cleaned out the catch/aerator at the end of the faucet tip, just to be thorough.


texts: Furnace blower motor starts but then starts clicking and eventually stops with a loud buzz

texts: I have a Bryant furnace with a multi-speed blower.  Yesterday I just replaced the capacitor and confirmed it is still working.  The furnace turns on fine and the blower motor starts up when expected.  About 5 minutes in you begin to hear a small clicking noise from the motor which then slowly gets louder and louder.  About 3 minutes later the buzzing gets really loud and the motor slowly stops turning and its just buzzing.  The furnace then shuts itself off.  Unfortunately I can't seem to get an amp meter in anywhere to test the draw but the issue is consistent.  There is no buzzing from the relay on the circuit board and the fan has not yet changed over from high heat to low heat.  Is the motor bad or is there something in the circuit board that is bad?  Its hard to test since the circuit board is in the compartment that the blower is in.  Thanks


texts: Power to house keeps going on and off. The last time it went off I turned the main breaker off and back on and immediately had power. Could the main breaker be going bad?


texts:
I just replaced my garbage disposal following the instructions from a youtube video. I followed the instructions which to summarize were:
1. Flip the breaker to off
2. Switch the garbage disposal unit.
3. Turn the breaker on.
4. Test the garbage disposal.

The problem I had was when I turned the garbage disposal on there was a small pop and flash and the garbage disposal unit did not work. I'm assuming this had to do with the way I rewired the garbage disposal. When I rewired the disposal I tighten the ground and rewired black on black and white on white. I got the exact same model as the one I replaced and did the exact same thing as the existing installation. My assumption is the garbage disposal unit is fried although when I switched the power switch to on it made a noise as if it was going to work. Does anyone believe the same? Also, will I have to replace the hardwire. How can I tell if this still works? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.


texts: Home automation connection for gas fireplace

texts:
What, specifically, is needed to bring home automation (HomeKit) to a remote electronic ignition system with inputs for just this type of behavior but no instructions on how to do so?

Whatever the solution is would connect to the device via the 'panel' connector in "figure 2" and somehow control those relays(?).

Side note: feel free to move this to a more appropriate Stack Exchange forum if this question rubs the Home Improvement moderators the wrong way.


texts: I installed a faucet that has a sprayer.  However I have no use for the sprayer and no hole for sprayer installation. The line that would have attached to the sprayer is leaking. Is it better to get a new faucet with no sprayer or can I clamp this one reliably?  If I can clamp this one, should I attach the sprayer line and clamp or clamp the part attached to the installed faucet?  This is a delta Collins 440-ss-day.


texts: How can I insulate under flooring panels in my attic?

texts:
I am removing the original barely-still-there insulation in my 1950 attic (S. Cal.) and then sealing and then placing R 30 fiberglass batting. A problem I have is that about 5%-10% of the attic is covered with plywood nailed to the joists.
I have been advised by a professional to not lift up the plywood for fear that tension between the joists and plywood would be released potentially cracking the drywall ceiling below it. To take a stab at insulating the plywood areas I'm thinking of adhering panels of rigid foam to the top of the plywood. It would probably be only R-7. Is it worth it and am I asking for any problems like condensation between the layers?
Assuming any insulation under the plywood is the same as the exposed areas it is so thin it almost just paper. The smallest plywood area is about 3' x 4'. And I do not think condensation is a big issue here.
I have thought about pushing blown insulation under the plywood by hand and also sliding in 14" wide slices of rigid foam.


texts: Remove the smell of cigarette smoke from upholstery

texts:
I purchased a upholstered chair from a garage sale for cheap, and cleaned all the dog fur and other debris from it, however there is now a lingering smell of smoke from the chair. It has been thoroughly vacuumed and cleaned with a foaming upholstery cleaner, even sprayed with Fabris but to no avail.

I've heard remedies such as baking soda, but is this a permanent solution? I don't want to pay for anything expensive, as the chair is not worth very much.


texts:
We are building a small cabin and the pier blocks are extending 4.5 inches past the face of the deck framing. When we were building, we didn't think of it, but now that we are in finishing stages and want to put skirting on, we are running into a problem with the outward taper from the pier blocks. If we were to do it over again, we would have cantilevered the deck an extra foot to accommodate the skirting and trim. Any suggestions here?

Some possible solutions we have (although not very ideal) are cutting the skirting around the pier block taper, planting scrubs or placing planter boxes in front of pier blocks (approximately 6" with deck board overhang of .75 and 5/8" of trim). What about screwing PT boards onto the front to make up the width of the desired overhang using lock tight deck screws?


texts: Can teflon tape be used on a threaded joint behind a wall?

texts:
I'm remodeling my bathroom. Last night I took the cement board off the wall where the pipes run for the shower. One of the pipes that carries water to the shower was corroded. Upon further inspection, I noticed a small leak at a threaded joint (more or less where the hot water knob is). Can I simply take the joint apart, wrap teflon tape around it, and put it back together? Remember, when I get the bathroom rebuilt, this will be behind the tile shower, so I do not want to have to get back there again. How long should the teflon tape last?

Would you advise doing the cold water side too? I figure it is only a matter of time before that is leaking too. Might as well get it now, right?


texts: Is it possible to fit a 5000 litre tank on a normal rooftop?

texts: I currently have a 750 litre overhead water tank installed. Is it possible to install a 5000 litre water tank in the same place? Would the weight be a concern? The house is a two storied buliding bulit on a 1200 square feet site. The total height of building is about 23 feet. Thanks beforehand.


texts: How can I prevent water from running off a patio to my foundation?

texts:
My house has an abandoned concrete patio  at ground level. Previous owner built a 12'x 12' wood deck 14" above the concrete patio. I have rain water getting in my basement where the concrete deck meets the house block wall. I have built a roof over the deck and fixes all gutter issues. I plan to remove a few decking boards, which are parallel to the house and repair the joint between the old concrete deck and the house concrete blocks. My alternatives are:

Place mortar between the blocks and concrete deck
Place mortar and lay a row of brick between the blocks and concrete deck
Clean, apply silicone caulking between the blocks and concrete deck and put bricks on the caulking
Clean, apply silicone caulking between the blocks and concrete deck and put vinyl siding angle between the blocks and ....This angle is 1.5" by 1.5" with a 90 degree angle that is rounded (radius).


texts:
House was built in 1960.  Research shows that concrete 'well house' (pit) was the way it was done then.  But now groundwater is flowing around and into casing.  High flow rate.  Proposed fix is to weld casing so it is 12 inches above ground.  Are there any other requirements for a proper fix?

We are also considering some kind of structure on top of the well, similar to a doghouse to keep junk out of it.


texts: How do I read circuit breaker temperature ratings?

texts:
I have Siemens QP breakers, but I believe this generalizes well.

Let's take the QP breakers as an example:

There are some temperature ratings marked on it where it reads

CU-AL 60/75°C WIRE

CONDUCTOR 60/75°C

Why are two temperature ratings indicated? Is it simply to indicate compliance with either 60°C usage cases (ex. NM-B) or 75°C usage cases (ex. THWN)? Does it depend on whether the wire is copper or aluminum (ex. 60C for Cu and 75°C for Al)?


texts:
Is it possible to cover the whole floor of goza mats and glue the mats on the floor? It is to have the floor look like tatami.

I would like to know how to lay goza mats, having it stick to the floor. (Therefore not using the mats as yoga mats but as a full fledged flooring; not laying them loose either as if they were carpets)


texts: This is a picture looking up my chimney cleanout. It sort of looks like it was filled with debris, but also sort of looks like it was intentionally blocked off. It is used to vent the gas furnace and hot water heater. Anyone have an idea if this is blockage that needs to be removed or does it serve a purpose?


texts: Installing a smart switch timer - 8 wires in gang box?

texts: I am replacing a single pole light switch with a smart switch with a timer.  I have successfully installed 8 others but have not seen this many wires in a gang box before.  Could someone explain how to combine these wires to operate the smart switch?  I would appreciate any ideas you may have.


texts: Low-cost hardwood flooring... what's the catch?

texts:
Genuine hardwood flooring is generally quite expensive... but a few local stores have glue-down hardwood planks that are actually cheaper than mid-priced laminate (~$1.80/sf).

What's the catch?

The cheap hardwood looks nice, and aside from taking a bit more work to cut & lay, I don't see any glaring "gotchas". Are there any?

The hardwood planks I'm talking about are solid wood, roughly 3/8" thick and 2" wide, finished on top, and have a groove cut into one side & a tab cut into the other.


texts: How can I install a furnace register in a kitchen-cabinet toe kick?

texts:
I'm planning to install new kitchen cabinets. I'll be covering up the kitchen's existing sidewall diffuser with new cabinets, so I'd like to relocate it to a new register in the toe kick of the sink cabinet, on the other side of the kitchen. I'm free to cut whatever holes in the floor, walls and cabinets are necessary and I can fit some combination of duct transitions both inside the crawlspace and underneath the cabinet.

How can I make the transition between the 5" flex duct in the crawlspace and the ~4" high toe kick in the new cabinets? The new cabinets will be the type that are on leveling legs, where the toe kick is installed separately. This precludes options that use the underside of the cabinet as a plenum.


texts:
I have a house which was built in 1970 (so before the invention of the right-angle, I guess). Not a wall is straight.
When installing a new bathroom vanity, I have it aligned to the rear wall, but the side moves out 0.37" over 22".
What are some ways I can hide this transition? I did purchase the 'recommended' side-splash from Home Depot, but it's 1/4" too short in height, and 1/2" too short in length. The backsplash is 4" high, and the length needed for the side-splash is 22 1/2"
I thought of tile, but 0.37" is a lot of gap to make up.


texts: How to cover the metal showing in recessed lighting?

texts: I have just installed new recessed lighting in my basement with exposed ceiling. That was the easy part. I happen to have a lot of traditional styled LED light-bulbs that I'd like to put in them. My problem is using these light bulbs, you can see bare metal when standing underneath them. Is there a good product or technique to cover the metal and make it look more finished?


texts: Water backup on new double vanity/both sides

texts: Installed new double vanity. Water drains slowly on right side and backing up in sink on left side. Didn't have to do anything to p trap lines up same as old vanity. Did have trouble with stoppers when installing. Could stoppers be the problem?


texts: How to remove one of the three switches for my foyer light fixture

texts: There are 3 light switches controlling my one foyer light fixture.  I need to remove one of them (disconnect and cover with a solid faceplate), but keep the other two working.  How do I do this?


texts: Outlet looses power only after two breakers are switched off.

texts:
I have some track lights that run in my upstairs bedroom. A while ago they stopped working, I could flip the switch but there was no light. So I get around to doing some investigating and grab my non-contact meter and there is definitely voltage to each track. Next I take out the multi-meter to test the AC voltage. I was getting 84v AC which is too low, so I am thinking that maybe I have a bad neutral connection or something.

I head down to the basement to start flipping the breakers. I didn't have my entire house mapped at the time so I started turning off one breaker at a time and then running back upstairs to check the voltage with the non-contact meter.  Well sure enough I tried them all and never got the power disconnected from the tracks.  I then proceeded to turn of one whole side of the breaker box, go and check the voltage, and there is no voltage at the track. I figured I must have made a mistake when checking the 40 individually and proceed to turn the breakers on two at a time so I don't have to run up and down stairs so often. Finally I get power back to the tracks, I go downstairs and turn one of the two breakers off, and find that I still have voltage to the track. I think I have isolated the correct breaker until I turn the isolated one off and the one next to it on. I check the tracks again, and I still have voltage to them.

I can only remove the power if both breakers are closed. Did the two circuits accidentally get wired together? Can anyone else think what the cause of this might be?


texts: How long do evaporator coils last in a home AC system?

texts:
I was going through my blog roll this morning when I saw that someone had asked this elsewhere. I figured it would be a good question to ask.

In general, how long do evaporator coils last in a home AC system? How can I make them last longer? If I want to replace them, what should I keep in mind?


texts:
How many amps is my electrical panel and what size solar can I add?

enter image description here


texts: How many 5 metre strips of 5050 LED lighting will a 6 amp driver feed without overheating?


texts: open multi wire electrical branch circuits

texts: I have 2 multi branch circuits in a 50's house. I put in a new line & breaker to replace an old line that was shorted out. When I went to remove the old wires, the whole multi circuit went dead. I checked to see how the wires ran in the main box and found the red wire was on the left side and the black wire was on the right side, also the main tied breakers do not shut off the right side circuit breakers you have to shut them off individually to shut off current. How do I get the currant back to the original multi circuit?


texts: Using dielectric grease on oven broil element connector

texts:
Our upper bake element on our oven wasn't working, so I took it apart last night and found that the spade connector had apparently arced and charred and it was totally disconnected.
I had considered cleaning off the charring and re-using the element since there was a decent bit of spade connector left and it measured fine, but for the price of a new element ($20-$40) I am going to replace the bake element just to be safe.
I will also crimp on a new spade connector, but I talked to someone I trust in electrical matters and they mentioned the possible use of dielectric grease to help ensure that the new connection didn't oxidize.
Now the connection itself gets pushed back into insulation outside of the actual baking area, but:
Is it safe to use dielectric grease on this type of connection?
Do I need to worry about the grease being food safe even if it's not in the oven area?


texts:
I am looking at the electrical code and see a couple things that read a bit... vague, or perhaps not quite easily interpreted.

  Any wall greater than 2' wide must have an outlet

Does this mean even if the wall is within the 12' of an outlet that it still needs its own outlet?  Picture a kid's bedroom with a 4' bifold closet door and 3' entry door on the same wall and the bedroom is 12' wide with both doors there. This leaves ~ 5' of wall space divided into three chunks. If two of those wall slices are 2' 1" and one wall is only 10" then does that mean the two wall slices that are > 2' need outlets? Does this rule trump the 12' distance between two outlets?

So if you have a door, 2' 1" of wall space to the right of it, corner, then another wall tying into that one with an outlet 6' down the wall?

  Receptacle outlets must be no more than 6' away from any point of habitable wall space but can be 12' apart if the wall has no breaks in it

Does this just mean as long as there's not a knee wall bumping out our a bump in/out of the in the exterior wall that 12' of wall space is okay between outlets, counting wrapping around the corner so an outlet would be 9' from the corner and the next outlet needs to be 3' away from that same corner?


texts: How many recesses of a '5-pin' socket should light a voltage tester?

texts:
Pretty simple question, but I couldn't find the answer anywhere. Suppose I have a standard '5-pin'/5 recesses wall-socket and I check it with a voltage tester. How many recesses should show a voltage?
My expectation was 3, however in my case only the bottom right recess showed a voltage.

Context: this is in an apartment I just moved to in the Netherlands. I tried connecting my electric stove and 3 out of 4 plates no longer worked. That caused my to grab a voltage tester to check the socket.


texts: New portable air condition won't cool properly

texts:
I recently purchased a Hisense AP10CR1W. It is a 10k BTU AC and the room is about 300 sq/ft. It has been working perfectly until a recent 100 degree day. Ever since then it does not cool during the day. Overnight it is able to get down to the low 70s. I usually have it set at or around 74 degrees. I am in the USA. I've tried the following:

Ensured the exhaust pipe is clear and clean.
Checked for ice buildup near the condenser, which there was NONE of.
Drained the water buildup.
Cleaned the evaporator and condenser air intake filters.


texts: How can I reliably crimp aluminum ferrules without a specialized tool?

texts:
Is there another way to crimp aluminum sleeves without having to buy a $40+ crimping tool that I will only use for this one project?

Or at least is there a crimping tool that has another use?

I don't want to spend so much on a tool that will only be used once and will then be stored in a box until I die.


texts:
Comparing different types of water piping is confusing. It seems that a 1/2" copper pipe is not the same size as a 1/2" PEX tube. I've read different things in different places (e.g. forums).

Which type of copper tube is equivalent to which type of PEX tubing?


texts: Unexpected voltage with wall switch off but only when nearby light switched on

texts:
just installed 2 new separate ceiling lights each with its own wall switch. The 2 wall switches sit beside each other. With analogue voltmeter I noted when both circuits are switched off there is 0 voltage across black/white wires on both circuit 1 and 2. But when circuit 1 is switched on and showing 120v, circuit 2 even though switched off, shows about 12 volts. Same occurs when circuit 2 is on and circuit 1 off.
I presume this is just phantom voltage and not too worry? or could it be something that needs repairing? House built in 1975, aluminum wires.

also, I installed new lights to replace the integrated LED units, one of which had broken down twice. The first time the LED unit lasted 4 yrs and started flashing and then went dim. Replaced with same unit from Lowes, it lasted 4 months and went dim. Still don't know why LED units failed, wondered if related to voltage issues. I replaced with standard fixtures.


texts:
My kitchen sink drains slowly even after I snaked it 20ft without hitting any consequential clogs.  I'm thinking there could be a couple of issues:

The trap diameter (2.5") is too wide for the inlet diameter (1.5") and therefore the pressure from the draining sink is not great enough to force the water past the trap.  In which case should I just put in a trap to match the inlet diameter?
The air ventilation in the system is insufficient.  If so, maybe a vent on the outflow side of the trap would help?


texts: I need to make a swinging cat-door in a piece of furniture but I can't figure out how to hinge it

texts:
I'm trying to convert a cabinet into cat litter storage. I've cut a piece out of the side of the cabinet and want to re-attach it as a top-mounted swinging door for the cat to get in and out. Unfortunately the wood is an inch thick so if I hinge it on one side (i.e the inside or the outside), it doesn't have enough clearance to swing the other way.

I'm trying to figure out a way to "hinge" or attach the door in the center of the opening thickness (as opposed to a hinge on either the inside or the outside) so as to cut the clearance requirement in half.

Any ideas?


texts:
Recently, my dishwasher (Whirlpool ADG 9999M, about 10--15yo) stopped working with some standard error. After getting the manuals, I decided to inspect the drip tray: it was full of water. I removed/wiped most of the water and the dishwasher started working again. Now the tray is completely dry, but there's a lot of calcification build-up (see photos below).

Should I remove the build-up? And if so, how? Can I for instance use vinegar, or will it damage something? I can't really access most of the tray surface since there's a lot of stuff placed over it.

The reason why I think this can be related is that it has been suggested the drain pump may be blocked; the website says "remove and clean the pump", however, the pump does not seem to really snap off and I don't want to break something.

Photos: (1) the tray; (2) the build-up when I scratched it off and one place.


texts:
I cut an oak tree in half (image below, but with the rough bark on the outside!) and want to make a seat.
The legs are the problem.
I've made a few attempts (like short 2x4's, etc), but I can't make a stable chair.
I can't really make a solid connection to the rounded bark side.


texts:
i'm installing smart switches, and found the neutral in another area so i assumed it'd be in all the switch boxes. Well not these two. It's a 3 way switch, and in the back of it there are white wires connected to red wires. Would this be the neutral? I also heard the neutral wire could be behind the switch box.

house built 2000
3 way switch

any recommendations on verifying a neutral or where to find one?


texts:
The entire of my bathroom is covered in artex and I'm planning on tiling over all of this—the entire room, not just the bath/shower area. The texture of the artex is very slight and 90% is only =< 1mm. A few areas are about 2mm but no more than that.

The general consensus seems to be not to tile over artex at all. I should either remove the stuff or board over it.

The artex is pretty old so I'm worried it may be asbestos based and I don't really want to try removing it or sanding it down—it sounds like a horrible job regardless of any asbestos.

Having to board over it with aquaboard or something similar will probably mean having to move the bath etc and I'm limited on time and budget so if possible tiling directly over the artex will be much easier for me.

Although the general consensus seems to be not to tile over the artex, I have seen people suggest it should be ok if the texture is less than around 2mm (including the guy at one of my local tile shops). Others seem to say the artex bonding may not be enough to hold the tiles and I'll end up with the tiles and artex falling off the wall.

Can I tile over the artex? If not—what's the quickest and easiest way to get rid of it?


texts: How can I treat or replace steel bolts in aluminum nuts to avoid corrosion?

texts:
I have a structure originally built from aluminum extrusion with channels using aluminum T-nuts and steel bolts. Over the years, the steel bolts have rusted, making them prone to stripping at the head and getting stuck in the nut. I'm going to replace a lot of the bolts to get rid of the rust. Worst case, I replace them with bare steel again, and accept that they will rust again over the next decade or two. I would prefer to avoid that. Can I grease the threads or cover the bolt head with plastic or wax or something like that? Is there a cheaper material than titanium that I could upgrade the bolts to? Are there other solutions I should be considering?

PS: The solution needs to be vibration-resistant.


texts: How to identify neutral wire in multi-switch box?

texts:
I have a 4-switch junction box where three of the switches are on one circuit and the fourth switch is on its own circuit. I need to identify the neutral wire with the 4th switch to install a smart switch. How do I do this? Not sure if this is important, but the 4th switch is also a 3-way switch.
The house is new construction built in 2017.


texts: Weird problem with kitchen sink water flow

texts:
I've had this problem for years and have learned to live with it, but today I got an idea to ask it here.

My kitchen sink has a problem where the water flows away from it slower than it flows into it. The first idea is, naturally, a clog, but I can swear that there is none. Checked the tubes myself. Also when the stream from the faucet hits the hole directly, it flows away mostly fine. However when it hits the edge of the hole, or doesn't hit at all, after a little while water will start gathering.

When it does, there is also a workaround - place your hand (or the plug) tightly over the hole, and the remove it upwards in a quick motion. In essence, you act like a little plunger and suck a bit of water back from the hole. After doing this once, the flow increases dramatically. A full sink empties in, like 10-20 seconds, with a loud, sucking noise. After it's empty, the water starts gathering again.

A long time a go I made some pictures to show in a local forum, but didn't get any satisfactory answers.

Any ideas?

P.S. It'd be nice if someone could correct my terminology; DIY is not my area of expertise.


texts: Is there such a thing as lightweight window glass?

texts: I have a cool wood screen door which my wife wants to turn into a storm door. I think its suitability is marginal. As in, it would probably work but I'd prefer a little more structure. I'll consider bolting a custom steel frame to the inside of the door but it occurred to me today that lighter weight glass might be the ticket. Does such a product exist?


texts: What could be causing AFCI breaker and GFCI receptacle nuisance tripping?

texts:
I have a very unusual set of electrical issues that have proven difficult to troubleshoot.

I live in a newly constructed house. Each bedroom has AFCI breakers.

In the past 3 years living there, the AFCI breaker to my bedroom has tripped about a dozen times. All occur sometime in the middle of the night. Each time, resetting the breaker has resolved the problem. Sometimes the breaker will trip when the 1000W Lutron Dummer is turned on. Sometimes it trips while we are asleep.

I have noticed that when the breaker trips the "Arc" light is not activated which I believe means the AFCI breaker tripped due to a ground fault?

Interestingly, almost every time this has occured, two GFCI outlets, one in our kitchen and one in our garage has also tripped, but with much less frequency. In our case this has happened 4 times in 3 years (1-2 times a year). Each GFCI outlet is on a different circuit in this case. The GFCI outlets do not trip if the AFCI breaker doesn't trip.

Also, one GFCI circuit is in a different panel than the other one.

I could replace the AFCI breaker and the 2 offending outlets. Is there something else I should be looking for?

The only thing that I can think of that would cause this problem is something temperature related or perhaps some kind of surge? is that possible?

Things I have heard that can cause an AFCI breaker to trip:

Stack of AFCI breakers in the electrical panel over heating (I
have 4 in a row, with Master Bedroom in the middle
Dimmer (something about Lutron)
Pinched or stapled electrical wire(would this just cause it to trip
consistently though)
Charging electrical gizmos

Things I have heard that can cause a GFCI breaker to trip

Variations in supply voltage
Unbalanced, intermitant loads (I don't have any)
Cheap surge protectors

Things I have heard that can cause an AFCI and a GFCI breaker to trip

Cheap surge protectors (I have a few surge protectors on each AFCI
and GFCI outlets that are tripping). I'm not sure I'd consider them
"cheap".

Could any of this be upstream from me?


texts: Is there any legitimate reason you would NOT connect the ground wire on a circuit?

texts:
I've been doing some remodeling on my house and had the need to move some electrical outlets. While doing so, I noticed that the ground wire wasn't hooked up on any of the outlets in the circuit (through a bathroom, no less). It was three wire cable, so the ground wire was there. It was just bent back or snipped off at each box and not connected to the outgoing ground line in any way.

If it were 2-wire cable, I could chalk it up to someone being cheap, but I can't imagine someone being so lazy that they didn't connect the ground wires when they were right there and available. Most of the other circuits in the house seem correct, so maybe this is intentional?

Does anyone know a legitimate reason you would wire up a circuit and not connect the ground wires?


texts: Securing a toilet flange on top of ceramic tile

texts:
Most suggest that a toilet flange sit on top of tile so that the bottom of the flange is flush with the ceramic tile.  If that is so, how is the flange attached to to subfloor as the flange holes will be over the tile?

I’m hoping to avoid trying to drill hole through the time for the anchor screws.


texts: trouble shoot air conditioning thermostat

texts:
my compressor outside is not kicking in.  Here's the sequence of events:

I came home and the thermostat - a Honeywell LCD - was no more numbers and the battery indicator was flashing.
replaced the batteries and no change in that
bought a new basic thermostat and hooked up the wires correctly - note there is a Green, White, Red and Yellow wire and the hookup locations are very obvious
installed the thermostat face, and all controls behave as expected, and the cooling shows as being on - but the compressor outside is not kicking in.

It's possible I crossed some wires? but I don't think so.  I know years ago someone replaced a capacitor on my compressor but I've had no problems since then.  How would I troubleshoot this?


texts: I know that most people bullnose a slate tile using an angle grinder, but can I cut a 4" square slate tile at a 45 degree bevel?  The application is a kitchen backsplash, specifically the spot where the tile transitions to the wall, and the end of the counter.


texts: What is the best width router bit for cutting ply?

texts:
I will be using a 1.4KW router that has ¼ inches, 6mm and 8mm collets, and cutting ply using curved templates.    I do not care what the width of the bit is, as I can make my template to match the bit.

A wider bit is stronger; however a wider bit also has to remove more wood, what is the best compromise on bit width?


texts: Why does my bath fan duct have dried grass in it?

texts:
So I was exploring my bathroom fan setup with the intention of sending a new wire through the wall to put the fan and light on separate switches. In the process, I noticed that there’s a white plastic cover over the part of the fan that should lead to duct work, and behind that appears to be dried, dead plant matter. Note that I don’t have attic access.

What is happening here?

Could it be a rodent issue?

An exterior vent that wasn’t screened properly?

Some bizarre diy method of obstructing a duct that wasn’t properly vented to prevent moisture from going too deep?

Should I break off that plastic piece and start clearing out all the debris behind it? Or should I just close this back up, pretend I never saw anything, and just be happy the bathroom has a window I can keep open?


texts: size of screw, wall plug and drill bit for shelf upright with 7mm hole

texts:
I have a shelf upright that has 7mm sunken holes, like this one here: https://www.twinslotshelving.co.uk/shelving-uprights/1m-white-upright

I'm just unsure about the size of the things I need for fixings.

What size drill bit should I use for the wall hole? and then what size wall plug and screw do I need?


texts:
Two questions: How should I prepare for applying poly to new stain? I am refinishing a wood veneer table top. I stripped it back to the wood, and I have stained it with Old Masters Wiping Stain, following the directions to brush it on and wipe it off. That was 24 hours ago in perfect drying weather. It looks good, and I am about to apply a poly to finish it. I noticed that some brown comes off when I wipe my hand over it; I think it's dust, and it's definitely stain-colored. Should I use mineral spirits or just a tac cloth to wipe it down? Is that dust normal?
Second question: Do you recommend thinning the poly and wiping it on in thin, thin coats, or can I go with just straight poly? I am going to use Zar Uptra Fast Drying Poly: Clear Antique Flat. There is a lot of different advice out there.
Thank you everyone!


texts: Electrical outlets not working, garbage disposal on same breaker works

texts:
We've been running a portable A/C in our studio apartment for 5+ years (coastal CA, no central air). We discovered, upon adding a toaster oven, that if we run the toaster oven while also running the A/C and microwave, the breaker would trip. We figured that out pretty quick, and were careful to run no more than two of these items simultaneously. We've maybe tripped the breaker 10 times since then, and only when forgetting the 3-item rule. 2 or 3 months ago, we replaced the A/C with a newer unit of similar specs. Everything continued working normally for another couple months. Then, maybe two weeks ago, we suddenly lost power in the two outlets connected to this breaker, but the breaker itself had not tripped. I checked  the box and the breaker was still in an 'on' position, i.e. had not been tripped.
I checked some online sources (YouTube videos, mostly), and they basically suggested disconnecting everything from all outlets with the breaker off, and then turning it on and trying things again. That worked briefly a few times, but did not stick. Eventually I was able to move the A/C to a different outlet that runs off of a different breaker, and it's been fine. But the two outlets that are connected to that breaker do not work.
What this all means I don't know. I plugged an outlet tester into both of the outlets, and it's giving an "open neutral" reading. I also tested the outlets with a multi-tool and they're not getting any voltage whatsoever. Interestingly, during the course of this I discovered that the kitchen garbage disposal is also on this same breaker, and it DOES work (standard wall switch).
I'm at the point where I'm starting to feel out of my element and thought I should reach out and see if anyone has any suggestions (unfortunately, going to the landlord is not an option).
Thanks, Dave


texts: How do you finish carpet on the landing at the top of a hardwood staircase?

texts: If I'm installing hardwood treads and risers and removing carpet from the stairs, what do you do with the top or landing if you have carpet on there now? Would you just have the carpet wrap over top to meet last riser?


texts: Insulation overhang kitchen area from outside

texts:
I have a 2'x10' area which is overhang and remains very cold durinng winter. I have access to the floor joists from basement underneath the overhang area and have stuffed enough insulation there. I wanted to insulate it also from outside and was planning to use pink fibreglass isulation wrapped in plastic sheets to make it waterproof and strap is from outside underneath the overhang area.
Any advise wheather it doable ? Any advise on how to do it and downside to this idea.
Update: Was asked if I was going to put nails through the sheets....
No, once I slip the insulation underneath (wrapped in plastic and sealed properly), I plan to slip couple of 2x6x10' underneath and hang them on the side of the wall with nylon straps so the insulation is always pushed up and remains in good contact with the underside of the overhang.
the overhang is covered with some kind of plastic sheeting so no nails underneath to poke throug the plastic and the siding is extending approx 6" on all three sides.
The outside area of the overhang is covered with soffit material and the siding is extended on three sides approx 6 inches so there is a 6" deep pocket where the insulation can be tucked in.


texts: Connecting nest learning 3rd gen to burnham series 2 model 203 boiler.  I am only using the system for heat.  I have three wires at the thermostat R,W and an unused green that I would like to turn into a c-wire. How can I connect this wire to the boiler to become a c-wire? Option 2, Can I connect a c-wire adapter to the boiler end of the wire as to not draw power from the boiler? If so how?


texts: What is the "standard" height of a P trap?

texts: I know that the height will vary based on how high the sink is mounted and how deep it is, but I'm trying to figure out how long of a run I can make for my sink.


texts: What's the difference between Henry 547 UniPro and 549 Feather Finish?

texts:
I'm preparing to smooth out my 3/4 tongue-and-groove plywood subfloors for an LVP installation, using Henry products per the flooring's installation instructions and local availability.
I had settled on using Henry 542 Liquid Backer Board to fill in / level out my ~8' x 12' "birdbath" area (which goes to ~1/2" in the deepest spot), since it does not require a metal lath for installation over woodsubfloors (I'm also planning on screeding this area to a slight incline to make it flat, but not exactly level).  I was planning on using Henry 549 Feather Finish / patching compound to seal the cracks first, and then skim coat the entire floor, and smooth the edges of the LBB.  Now I'm seeing Henry 547 UniPro (with the 546 additive) recommended as a universal patching compound / skim coat and am realizing I might not have given that enough consideration, as it looks to be able to do everything I need with one product!
I like that the 547 UniPro + 546 latex additive is reported to give more working time and to result in increased strength and flex (I imagine this is beneficial given the slight flex in my floor boards). I also like that (like the 542) it doesn't require a metal lath over a wooden subfloor. The downside seems to be that using 546+547 would be more expensive than 542 LBB + 549 Feather Finish: $26 for one 25lb bag of 547 (covering ~20 sqft) + $20 for 1 gallon of 546, vs $38 for a 40lb bag of 542 LBB (covering ~40 sqft) that mixes with water. I can't figure out how much 546 is required for a bag of 547, just that it's a 1:2.5 ratio by volume, but as best I can tell it's more than 1 gallon.
Would anyone recommend either the 549 feather finish patch (+LBB) or the 547 universal patch (+546 additive) over the other in this situation? Thank you!!


texts: Hard to turn kitchen faucet: how to change the cartridge

texts:
My kitchen faucet is getting hard to turn. I looked online and I think I probably need to change it "cartridge". However, I am not sure how. There is one screw on the bottom of the handle and I am not sure if that opens the faucet to change the "cartridge".
I appreciate any help or hint. Thank you.


texts: can anybody tell me what’s the color if the caulk used here? i replace the other side of my kitchen with silicone white and the colour is totally different with what is attached as picture.


texts: How can I remote control a switch for a pool pump?

texts:
I want to be able to start and stop two pool pumps by remote control, independently.
Each one works at 220V, 1 kW (i.e. around 5A, expect a current spike when starting.)

Do you know an off the shelf solution for this?
If not, any DIY solutions are welcome.

Expect the location for the switch to be dry.

The main use case is turning on the 'swim against the current' pump, from a wireless keychain remote. It would be even better if this pump would turn off automatically after, say, 30 minutes.


texts: Front House Posts Not Resting on Anything

texts:
I have 5 roof support posts that are supposed to be resting on concrete blocks but one of them is not even touching the concrete block and the other 4 have some separation from the concrete block.  See pics for details.  Seems like the ground has settled or something has happened to the house structure causing this separation.  I'm not sure what to do about this.  Does anyone have advice?  On what I should do to solve this problem?  Thanks for any help!

First Post Not resting on anything

Other Posts in order of 2 - 5 and how they are sitting on concrete blocks. Notice separations.

Here's another picture showing how the posts are used.


texts: Which insulation technique should I use to insulate my subfloor?

texts:
I'm converting a carport into heated space and decided to install a subfloor to raise the room to the same level as the rest of the house. I have roughly 1"-3" of clearance below my floor joists, so it isn't a crawlspace. I'm not planning on making it a vented space, and I've read about different approaches to seal spaces like this for insulation purposes.

Here is a picture of the most difficult part of the insulation project before the rim joist is installed:

I'm trying to figure out which insulation solution is the best for my scenario:

It's technically an 'unvented crawlspace'. Can I use air-sealed rigid foam insulation along the rim and above the bricks and be done with it?
Should I use R19 kraft-backed batts all the way along?
Should I use R30 kraft-backed batts all the way along?
Combination of two of the above?

Note: I'm in US climate zone 3 and care more about cooling my house than heating it.

I've read about heat soaking through the floor. Would this be an issue with approach #1? Would the difference between R19 / R30 actually be noticeable?


texts:
I have a Twyford mixer tap on my bathroom washbasin (Exact model here).

As it stands the Hot/Cold mix I can get out of it is either very hot or very cold, with a tiny area in the middle giving a suitable temperature. While this is workable for adult,my 3 year old son invariably has to wash his hands in cold water, and risks burning himself.

The shower works off the same hot and cold supply, and we can get a very satisfactory mix easily, so I was assuming it was something to do with the tap adjustment.

We do not have the original fitting instructions, and have emailed the supplier for a copy, however I was wondering if there was anything I could do for myself.

I have worked out that its possible to pop off the plastic cosmetic cover on the front of the tap, as shown below:

This gives me access to a nut inside which I can undo wit an allen key, as shown below:

However, after this I am at a loss of what to do. The top of the tap still seems firmly in place - I don't want to force it in case I break it.

I am assuming of course that this gives me access to some sort of adjustment mechanism - I could, of course be wrong.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


texts: How to install baseboard at the transition between floors with different height?

texts:
Recently I replaced the carpet with engineered floor. However, now I met the difficult to install the baseboard between the two floors with different height.

See the picture:

I don't know what's the standard way to handle such scenario beautifully. Any advice is appreciated very much.


texts:
We've got a 50' stretch of yard that has a very gentle side to side slope that we can't easily eliminate (fences on each side built at different heights). We want to build a retaining wall along that stretch. The wall will be 6" to 10" high. (Two or three layers of 4" block with the first layer dug 2" below the lower elevation.)

Can a retaining wall be built at a gentle side to side angle so that the top of the wall is flush to the gently sloping level of the higher elevation? We'd like to avoid stepping the wall. Are there any special considerations for a wall such as this?

Edit: the reason I'm asking is, much of what I've read says it's important that the first course of blocks is level both front to back and side to side.

Edit 2: Mark's post taught me you can add photos, so here are some:


texts: 2 light switches controlling one light fixture?

texts:
In my family room I have a light fixture. There are two light switches controlling this fixture. Yesterday I decided I want to get rid of the ugly brown switches, and change these to light. I have done other electrical things around the house. It was originally wired so each switch will turn on and off, one was not dependent on another. So I went out to the store and bought a normal light switch, but I realized that one wire (bright red) doesn't have a screw. So I just put a wire cap on it (on both switches) and closed it back up. So, then I turn on the circuit breaker, and one of the switches has to be on, in order for the other to work. Then I go back to the hardware store and I buy a Tri-Pole switch. Both of these switches had a red screw, and 2 other screws for each other wire. So I install both of these again, and the switch was super inconsistent with turning on and off, all wiring was tight. Is there a different type of switch I should buy? Do any of you have good wiring diagrams for me? Explanations?
I greatly appreciate any help. Thanks!


texts: Reinstalling backflow preventer. Do I need glue or grease or anything else

texts: I am going to reattach my backflow preventer today (save 125 vs calling company).  Do I need to apply any plumber grease or pipe glue to the pvc portion?  Here are some pics of the preventer and place to attach it.


texts:
Bear with me. I am preparing for a future blackout. I did some research and am hiring an electrician. For my knowledge, could someone help me understand if i'm incorrect here.

I purchased 2 Pulsar PG4000ISR Inverter Generators hoping to run in parallel with interlock kit with inlet socket to power certain circuits in my house. Is this doable? Or would i be better off getting a generator with a 120/240v twist lock plug?

I do not have any 240v appliances in my house or would power. In this  example would the Pulsar generators work as mentioned? In parallel it would supply around 6500 - 7000 watts on a single 30 amp breaker for me to divide amongst the main panel?


texts:
Under my sink there is a leak somewhere which is causing the concrete floor under the sink to be soaked and it's seeping under the slate floor too. I can't seem to work out where it's coming from. I know it's hard to know without physically looking, but wondered if anyone had any ideas or pointers.

All of the pipes seem dry and seems to only happen when either the washing machine has been on or after washing up a lot. I opened up the waste to ensure the pipe is clear and it is. I'm wondering if it's the mains water in but below the surface. Below is a picture of under the sink.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Blue - in/out to dishwasher (not in use)

Green - water to washing machine

Orange - washing machine waste

Yellow - mains water into house

Red - waste pipe going into the floor for sink, washing machine and dishwasher


texts: What should I keep in mind when extending downspouts?

texts:
I am considering extending/connecting the downspouts of my house to some pvc piping which I will run underground. What are things that I need to keep in mind?

Specifically, I have the pvc piping but the joints I have are for 90 degree angles. Is it essential that they be at 45 degree instead?

Also, is it essential that the pvc piping be sloped down an inch or two for every length of pipe (in other words whats the difference if they are just level, wont the water run off anyways)?

Can I dig the trench and put the drainage piping next to the house or is it essential that the drain pipes be a couple feet away from the house as suggested by This Old House.

I live in the northeast where winters stay below freezing for several weeks (sometimes a couple months) of the year.


texts:
Not a plumbing whiz, so I thought I'd pose my issue here.

I have a 12in Shark bite sillcock that runs through my brick foundation for an outdoor hose. Once inside, it connects to the existing copper line, which is immediately to the right.

Problem is that the sillcock is a bit too long. The faucet sticks out about two inches from the brick foundation. Obviously, if I try to push it closer towards the foundation it puts pressure on the copper line.

Is there anyway to work around this? My only thought would be to take the sillcock out, buy a shorter one, and install it with just enough copper line on the end to enter the basement. But would that defeat the purpose of the "frost-proof" sillcock?


texts:
I am trying to install a trap but I am having issues in doing so. I can seem to get the trap arm to line up with the trap.
I am off by just about half an inch.

Is there any solution other than lowering the drain that is code compliant?


texts: How to correctly fasten a 2x4 spanning garage celing joists?

texts:
I'm trying to hang some pulleys in my garage to suspend a 70lbs kayak from the ceiling, but the ceiling joists run left to right rather than along the length of the garage. My thought is to span the joists with a ~7 foot 2x4 so I can hang affix the pulleys to the 2x4 and hang the kayak lengthwise. My question is:
What are the correct fasteners to use to affix the 2x4 to the joists so that it will safely bear the load, and how many should I use? I attached a diagram, with the black bars as joists and the red bar the 2x4 I'd like to use to span them and hang two pulleys from to hang the kayak.
EDIT: The ceiling is finished with drywall so the joists are not exposed. I would be attaching the 2x4 underneath them rather than above them.


texts: Protecting bathroom mirror from corroding around the edges

texts:
In my bathroom I have a beautiful illuminated LED mirror. It's now 10 years since I originally installed it - and over time, the edges have become de-silvered as the backing coat has corroded and peeled away.

Research into mirror re-silvering tells me that it's not worth it. Besides, some of the corrosion has extended beyond the edges and into the internal workings of the mirror: meaning it's not possible to access the backing coat in those places.

I have been lucky enough to find a replacement mirror from surplus stock: they don't make many of them any more, and I needed the exact model in order to match the mounting points in my tiles.

Before I mount the new mirror, however, I want to do everything possible to prevent the new one becoming similarly corroded. Research informs me that mirror edges corrode in high-moisture environments (like bathrooms) when water condenses on the backing surface and loosens it. I have no option to affix a physical frame around the mirror: its design does not permit that. Therefore I'm looking for some kind of sealant which I could apply to the exposed parts of the backing, in order to protect it from corrosion.

Given how common this problem is with bathroom mirrors, I would have thought that there would be lots of products on the market to do this. However I have only found one single product which is explicitly marketed to protect mirrors from moisture corrosion. This is only sold in Australia, and I'm disinclined to pay the exorbitant postage costs to send it to me in the UK (which are more than the product costs in the first place!)

So - I'm looking for generic suggestions for how to seal my mirror's edges to protect it for many years to come, so it doesn't corrode.


texts: Replacing water valves for bathroom sink

texts:
I'm putting in a new bathroom sink in a 37-year-old house in Texas. It seems that the technology has changed, and I can't fit the new sink to the old water valves, but have to replace those.

The gentleman at the hardware store sold me two kinds, so I would have the right kind and return the ones I don't need, but I'm stumped. I'm attaching photos of the current situation, as well as both kinds of replacements. I'm not sure if what's there now will just unscrew, or if I need to get behind the drywall to see more of the plumbing in order to make the switch.

Can anyone familiar with this kind of work give me any pointers? Thanks in advance.


texts: How can I remove a stuck coax cable from a conduit?

texts:
In my newly-built house, an empty conduit was added into the foundation so that an antenna cable could later be pulled through. The conduit is around 9 meters long and has three 90-degree bends with a radius of around 30cm. The conduit is a corrugated PVC pipe similar to this image with 25mm diameter.

Today, an attempt was made to pull a coax cable. I first pushed a nylon puller through (perhaps the wrong term, but it looks like this) from inside the house to outside (into the garage). That was a little difficult but I got it through. I then attached the coax on the puller; I used a wire to tie them together (I now know that I should have used tape).

Then I pulled it back inside again, but after some meters it came undone, so the puller was completely removed from the conduit while the coax was only about halfway through. I was able to pull the coax some way back out again, but now it's stuck about 3 meters inside the conduit. I measured this by feeding the puller into the conduit alongside the stuck coax until it wouldn't go further. I removed the puller again.

The coax seems to be stuck. I can't push it in and I can't pull it out. I don't dare pull at it too hard because I know that the coax isn't very strong and if it snaps off inside then I have no way to get to it.

The conduit runs underneath the house, it lies in concrete under the flooring, so I can't get to it without tearing half the kitchen apart, tearing up the parquet flooring, tearing up the underfloor heating, and so on. Absolutely not an option. There's no spare conduit either; this is the only one and if I can't use that then I have no idea how to get an antenna signal or sat cable into the house. That would be ... very bad.

Okay -- I've just learned how not to pull coax. Can you now teach me how to get it unstuck?


texts:
We had a "contractor" come out to bid our project and told me I needed to cut the drywall off one side of our living room wall. (We live on the 15th floor of a condo building in Minneapolis MN.) I did and then he bailed on the job, I have since had others out and the latest one said the wall needs to be re-drywalled due to fire code. What is the rule here in regards to a residential wall between living room and bedroom with some electrical and a sprinkler pipe running through it?
Please help.
Thanks


texts: What parameters affect the amount of btu required to cool a single room

texts:
Background
Due to the reason I lack knowledge in air conditioning I asked a company that manufactures and sells a\cs to send a consultant to advise me on which air conditioner I should use in my room.
The suggestion he gave me is a ductless a\c with a BTU measure of 12,650.
I tried to learn about the quality of the suggestion and I found multiple sites that cite this table from energystar's site.
My room is 105 squared feet and is quite sunny so according to this chart a 5,500 btu a/c should be enough.
The suggestion by the consultant is very far from the estimation of this table and therefore I'm not sure what is the explanation. I'd like to understand which suggestion is correct to avoid the possibility of buying a highly non-matching a\c (either too strong or too weak).
Question
Are there any other parameters, beside those that appear at energystar's site, that the consultant could take into account that result in this big difference?
For example I encountered a website that suggested that a hot climate could raise the required btu by 30%.
Is there any more information, about my room perhaps, that I can provide you to allow you to better answer my question?
Note
I found this question. I concluded it doesn't contain enough information because:

The calculator provided in one of the answers doesn't seem to fit very well to my single room situation (And when i tried it suggested even less than 5,500 btu).
Some of the parameters listed there are also listed in energystar's site.
Another parameter that was suggested was the climate. as I mentioned earlier this still doesn't cover the difference.

Edit
Information about the room

it's size is 105 sqr feet.
It has 2 windows of 8.7 sq feet each with double glass pane.
The climate is rather hot in summer (from 23 c at night to 32 c at day).
the door to my room is open during the day (which leads to the rest of the family house) and close during the night.


texts: Need to caulk between mount and exterior wall?

texts: I'm going to help a friend repair a small fence for keeping her small dog contained. The fence is lightweight plastic of some sort, and mounted to a rail that runs along the exterior wall of her house. We're going to need to remove the rail and shorten it a little bit. When I put it back on the wall I'm going to caulk the old screw holes to make sure no water gets into them. Should I also caulk around / between the rail and the wall to keep water from getting trapped between the rail and the wall?


texts:
I'd like to install a door at the stairs in the basement:
I will most likely buy a pre-hung door that comes with a door frame.  The wall construction is drywall, the left and right edges have 2"x4" boards behind.
What would be my steps to install the door with its frame within the stairway.


texts: our toilet water basin valve makes a terrible rattling noise when filling up with water. It's the left side tube making that. Any idea about possible solutions beyond calling a plumber and replacing the valve?


texts: Can you use plug-and-cord on a baseboard heater?

texts:
Is it legal to install a cord and plug on a common 240 volt baseboard heater?  It does not have a cord and was intended to be hardwired.

Do I need to use a 240V plug (NEMA 6, 10, 14) or can I use the common 120V plug we all know and love?  (NEMA 5-15).


texts: Leviton usb charger into an old handy work box

texts:
The dimensions what is stated for the receptacle is 3"x2"x2-1/2" (they state standard single gang electrical wall box). However i have an old handy end run work box that is 3-1/2" x 1 3/4" to the metal screws which is the end of the depth.  When I measure the depth of the usb it truly measures 1-3/4" totally. However from their metal screw holders on both end of the usb it is 1 1/4" to the end of their receptacle and to their front from the metal holders it is 1/2".  After screwing it in the handy box it protrude only 3/16 from the wall plate not 1/2". Is 3/16 acceptable to NEC standards though they never defined 'flush or thereof'. I know it is suppose to be flush or an 1/8 example gfci to protrude? And how could leviton say it is 2 1/2" depth which it isnt? And finally is there a way that if i decide to keep my old handy metal box to reduce that protrusion by a 1/16 or so? Will do whatever to be in conformity?

. Im sorry for making this a big deal but if your playing with electricity it should be clearly spelled out.


texts: Washing machine stops mid cycle, buttons stop working, works again after an hour or two

texts:
My washing machine stops working mid-cycle, sometimes after a few minutes. After it stopped, the buttons will no longer work, and if I wait a while (sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes 2 hours), it will start again and finish the cycle. I think it depends on the cycle how often it stops, although I'm not certain that is the case.
When it has stopped, the buttons will not work, and even a power-cycle doesn't help.
I checked the intake and all the tubes, all seem fine. I cleaned the filter, and the electronics look fine as well(by just looking at them).
The model is a WF90F5E5U4W, but I think the electronics might be from a different model (I bought it from a second hand shop).


texts:
I am looking at installing a 36x80 Andersen 3000 storm door. When I started looking at my current front door, it looks like there is an extra trim piece overtop of the actual door frame. Because of this extra piece (highlighted in red) there is not enough surface space to mount the storm door. I need 3/4" and what I have available is 1/2".

Is my best course of action to remove the aluminum trim, remove the extra wood trim piece, install the door, cut the trim piece back by 1/2", reinstall it and then reinstall the aluminum trim?

Door Pictures


texts: I want to make the front of a forced hot water heater the back and the back the front, this I’d like to take the metal back off and build a new front, does the heater NEED the metal back?  Cabinets will be on the new back (current front). Thanks in advance!


texts: Single switch controls GFCI outlet and lights

texts: My mother lives in a senior living apartment building.  The building and its wiring are at least 40 years old.  Her bathroom has one switch that controls both a GFCI outlet (top and bottom) and mirror lights.   Therefore, the night-light that is plugged into the GFCI outlet only works when the mirror lights are switched on. If the mirror lights are off, the night-light will not work.  How dumb!  I want the night-light to work even if the mirror lights are off.   The apartment "electrician" says the problem can't be fixed without ripping out walls.   Can that be true?   If not, how do I make changes to the GFCI and/or the switch so that a night light can be used as it was intended?  There are no other lights or outlets in the bathroom.


texts: Is it common to have a fuse box and breaker box?

texts:
What's going on here? What is commonly done today to modernize this situation? First time I've owned a house with an old fuse panel, but there is also a breaker box. To standardize, I was thinking of hiring an electrician to replace both with a single 100amp breaker box. Would this make sense?

Also, seems like all or at least most of the outlets are non-grounded... so I guess I may want to have all the wiring updated as well?


texts: What is this under the steel front door?

texts: I assume this is a type of insulation. It tore off a bit when I removed the trim board while redoing floors. Before I put back the trim should I repair the insulation? Is there a product that can be applied with a caulk gun or should I use a small strip of styrofoam insulation?


texts: Trimming timber support to remove suspected mold

texts:
I am doing some plumbing work on a shower that has not been used for several years. It previously had a slow leak that caused a damp spot on the ceiling below.

I noticed a small patch of black mold on some tape at the bottom of some plasterboard (drywall) and noticed blackening of the ends of some timber that supports a sheet of chipboard that supports the shower tray.

I'm honestly not sure if the timber has mold or has been treated in some way. There's no blackening on the adjacent wooden surfaces above and below.

This end of the shower tray support was covered by a length of skirting board (wall baseboard) which has no mold visible on it's inner surface.

My plan is to

Don goggles and mask.
Remove the tape.
Use a Dremel to remove ¼" from the end of the two timber supports.
Use a mold treatment from What is the recommended way to destroy mold? in the area

Would it be reasonable to remove ¼" from the end of the two timber supports?


texts:
The sink drain pipe was changed to ABS (previously metal), but it leaks at the point where it joins the drain in the wall.

Teflon tape was added on the ABS pipe where the washer contacts it (and possibly on the wall drain pipe threads, but I'm not sure). Then some kind of epoxy was applied on the the wall drain pipe and over the nut. It still leaks (badly).

How to fix this mess?

EDIT:
I chiseled off the epoxy and removed the ABS pipe. Now it's clear the nipple, if that's what it is, is severely corroded (see image below) and is most likely the cause of the leak.

How do I remove the nipple, which is really solidly stuck and seems like it will easily get crushed? A Youtube video suggested carefully cutting a tab into the top of the nipple and squeezing it into an oval shape to "easily" unscrew and remove it. Recommended?

Also, assuming I get the nipple out... what should I replace it with? Another galvanized steel nipple or something else?

Epoxied drain pipe:

Exposed corroded nipple:


texts: What is the best way for DIYer to buy HVAC equipment and supplies if EPA 608 certified but not contractor?

texts:
I'm a do-it-yourselfer who has three air conditioners that need to be maintained on the road. I have no interest in contracting-out my services to others.  But I occasionally need minor AC repair items. As Murphy would have it air conditioning tends to break down when you need it most at which time it is nearly impossible to find timely service for my specific type of equipment. typical wait times for an appointment is one month which is not feasible when traveling.  And even if you do find someone you're not sure they will do things according to the perfectionist standard you would prefer.

Therefore I studied for and passed the EPA 608 Universal certification.  a certain major supplier with national coverage with the initials JS Supply in one state refused to sell me any supplies that might possibly be used to repair equipment. They said they would sell me any equipment just not supplies.  I called corporate but received no response as to whether this was a national policy or not.

I would be happy to pay someone to do the work if I could find someone available and knowledgeable to do it relatively soon wherever I am, but long-term the most logical thing would be to maintain the equipment myself given the unique circumstances. That is it seemed like the most logical thing until the Absurd and unexpected response of a major vendor to the offer of purchase of their product.

how do I inquire whether a distributor sells directly to consumer without raising a red flag setting off all their alarm bells?  I'm trying to do the right thing, and intend to be very conscientious about it.


texts: Is Purebond the only formaldehyde-free plywood?

texts: I have a few small projects need to use plywood. My concern is that most of plywoods contain formaldehyde. I heard Purebond is formaldehyde free. what are the pros and cons of Purebond? Is there any other plywood that is formaldehyde free?


texts: Can I use a cantilever TV mount the other way around?

texts:
I'd like to mount my TV above my fireplace, but I think it will be too high for prolonged watching.

So, I thought - could I use a cantilevered mount, but in the other orientation, so that the screen comes out and then down, instead of sideways? So that it ends up in front of the mantlepiece for viewing, but then stows back above the fireplace afterwards.

Is this possible? Or would gravity defeat me?


texts: Propane tankless heater before an electric one?

texts:
I am renovating a property that I use for a bed and breakfast. I have a fairly well working 30 gallon water heater that is electric. I also have a propane tank that I use for limited heating in my shop when I need it. I also have a nice tankless propane water heater. I am thinking about installing the tankless to pre-heat the water to the electric unit to save some money. Propane is cheap and easy here. Electric is relatively expensive.
What do you think?


texts:
gregmac's terrific, detailed replies here prompt a question for me. I have a switch mid-circuit that will control half of the next outlet downstream. There is one more outlet after that one, and it's the terminus of the circuit. After I've added the 3-wire romex between the switch and the second-to-last outlet, can I go back to 2-wire from that outlet to the last one?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!


texts: Why isn't my halogen floor lamp working with new bulb and new dimmer switch?

texts: I replaced the bulb and the dimmer switch. There is 120V between the connections when switched on. It varies between 115V on low and 122V on high. The bulb has continuity. I also measured the voltage across the bulb when in place and switched on and it was about 0.4V. I also rocked the bulb back and forth to make a better connection. This was the dimmer switch I installed: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002NAH8


texts:
I need to make some posts for a small electric fence (designed for small animals / gardens) in my backyard. This just encloses my vegetable garden to keep out rabbits. My wire is aluminum.

I want to use rebar and/or PVC plastic conduit (the grey electrical variety) for the posts, but I don't know what to use to hang the aluminum wire. I need to run 3 stands of wire approx. 3" apart at heights of 5", 8" & 11" off the ground.

Some type of plastic hook that could wrap around the conduit or rebar would be ideal. If using just rebar, the aluminum wire would have to hang away from the rebar without touching it.

I've looked at some different types of pipe clamps but haven't found anything suitable yet. It would be great if I could move these clamps / hooks up and down the posts to adjust the height of the wires from time to time.

Any suggestions?


texts: How to remove bad smell from rubbish chute?

texts: When opening the rubbish chute, there is always a disgusting smell. Is there any way to remove it such that when I open to throw my rubbish, I will not smell it?


texts: Can I thread the inside of a steel water pipe (encased in concrete) to safely make a connection to the remainder of the water system?

texts: The main water line is buried in a perimeter foundation on my hundred year old house.  The threaded part that connected to all the plumbing inside and outside of the house broke off leaving the top of the pipe flush with the concrete.  Can I thread the inside of this pipe and then screw in a smaller pipe to gain a way to reconnect without having to jack hammer the foundation to access enough of the pipe to thread the outside?


texts:
I'm digging out my basement and am seeing water flow in because the water table is very high right now. My thoughts are that once I cemented the basement and created a sealed box so to speak the water would not come in. My neighbor disagrees and says the water will lift the cement floor. I've dug down 3 feet so far and prior to this dig out I only had water come in on occasion, not nearly what I'm seeing now. I find it hard to believe that 3 feet of compressed dirt would prevent water and 12 inches of concrete would not.

Am I wrong?


texts: How to protect cast iron bathtub after heavy cleaning

texts:
We have a cast iron bathtub that had a very heavy iron stain from our city's water supply. The surface was so rough that it was painful to use, I tried cleaning it with a wire brush attached to a drill, and it got rid of the stains and made the usable, gripping flesh, but not.

Afterwards the bath seemed nice and white. However my wife is worried that iron deposits will start to return unless I apply something to the surface of the bath.

The wire brushing definitely has removed some enamel, however not to the point where I'm seeing bare cast-iron.

Should I be worried about leaving the bath as-is? Or should I "go all the way" and use a grinder to resurface more of the bath (it has some other bad spots), and apply some sort of coating, and if so what coating is normal for a bath?


texts: How main bars are placed in this picture? Paralle to traffic or perpendicular

texts: In a deck of simply span bridge of 24ft length and width of 34ft


texts: How do I remove a Chatsworth 1928 Traditional 3TH Crosshead bathroom faucet?

texts:
I have leaky faucet and would like to remove the faucet handle so I can gain access to the cartridge so I can replace it.

Here is the faucet:

I am unable to use a razor blade to get under the button to pop it out.  It doesn't actually look like the button can pop out although I know some faucets have a button that pops out.  I assume I do not need to completely remove the faucet just to get access to the cartridge since two other brands of faucets that I have repaired both had ways to unscrew the handle after removing the top/button.  If someone knows how to get the faucet handles off please let me know your secret.

Thanks!


texts: I'd like to put some kind of easily removed clear (or semi-translucent) material on my large windows so I can use them as a dry-erase surface without blocking out the light. Any suggestions on what to look for? Cheaper is better : )


texts: Laying T&G ply sub-floor over existing 1/2" ply sub-floor. What underlayment should i use between the layers?

texts: I am remodeling my master suite.  The original floor was 1/2" play (randomly sized pieces looks like offcuts) with OSB over the ply.  When we pulled the OSB up, the builder had tarpaper between the two layers.  I am not a fan of tarpaper or OSB.  We will be putting T&G ply down.  What should we use between the layers of ply? FYI, we will be screwing the new layer down and then carpet.


texts: Can I substitute two wires for one heavier-gauge wire?

texts: Can I substitute two 14-gauge wires together for one 10-gauge wire? Using it from the generator RB-30 remote box, to the transfer switch inside a 6', 10-3 whip in the basement.


texts: Have water seepage in basement bedroom of 5 year old home, still under home warranty

texts:
I have a rental property, about 5 years new.  The basement is half underground, ground is level, not sloped.  Tenant has been noting that there is slow water seepage into their bedroom floor from the edge, during rain.  No complaints for first 4 years.  The builder suspects plugged weeping tiles,but has not checked yet.  Foundation leaks are covered under warranty still.  It was built by a reputable builder (I think). Few questions:

Even if weeping tiles are plugged, should I expect the foundation to be water tight anyways and not leak?
Or is it expected that if weeping tiles are plugged, it will seep.
If it is plugged weeping tiles, does that mean the foundation leak warranty does not apply?
When does the foundation leak warranty apply?
Should I file a warranty claim regardless?

EDIT:  I should add that there is a sump pump inside the property which I suspect is for taking the drain water away.  The builder said it is working, so that is not the issue.  I have not been to the property myself as it is an out of town rental unit.


texts:
After finding, what turned out to be squirrel scat in my attic, I set a live a trap to catch the animal in question.  I didn't know if they were caused by rats or squirrels, but my suspension was squirrels (I do research on rodents for a living).  I will note that there wasn't a lot of scat, and I couldn't find a nest to speak of.

I have no problem setting killing traps, and I will set some out, but I'm wondering if any one has had any experience using the same live rodent trap in the same area with presumably the same population of animals?  I'm wondering if the other squirrel stuck in the cage and therefore avoid it.

The reason I used a live cage this time was to have a fresher specimen to sac and preform a necropsy on (to check for pathogens I should care about for my family).  I've already appropriately cleaned the scat where I found it with bleach.  My reason for setting it a second time would most be to have one more trap up there (though I might do another necropsy).  I would also vote up any experience with rats or mice.


texts: How do you accomplish equipotential bonding for an above ground polyester/PVC pool if the filter pump provided is not compatible?

texts: I recently bought a Bestway 15' x 48" above ground "flexible assembly" pool with polyester-type material and PVC-type vertical frame. In Florida,a permit is required for all pools with depth over 42".  The permit includes the requirement to install equipotential bonding to the pool. The pool comes with a simple filter pump which does not facilitate bonding and no skimmer basket is provided with the product. However, I bought a portable skimmer for the pool but the skimmer is of plastic and must be placed inside the pool wall.  I have done an enormous amount of research on the Internet to find products that could work with this type of pool to meet the bonding procedure, without much success.  Hope you can help. Thanks!


texts: Can 8-3 wire be used with a 10-50R 3 wire receptacle?

texts:
I renovated my house with my father-in-law.  We removed a wall and had to relocate the receptacle for the electric stove range. He had me buy 8-3 wire, and we ran this wire from the breaker box to the new range location.  Consequently, we also bought a new range.

However, he connected the 8-3 supply wire to a 3 prong 10-50R receptacle that he had lying around. I just got curious and was reading and it seems that when you run a new 8-3 supply wire you are supposed to connect it to a 4 prong receptacle.

I didn't see how he hooked up, but the range works fine and we have been using it for months now.  I am just wondering if it is fine what he did or if I should change out the 3 prong receptacle with the 4 prong receptacle and buy a 4 prong power cord.


texts:
This sounds crazy but i cant find out what brand central package unit i have. Ive looked everywhere on the internet.. I believe its a york , because there is a address on the bottom of this tag saìys york drive and thats the only company that kinda fits . no one really nose mayone someone can help me with a site or tell me if your for sure what brand it is Thanks*[![enter

image

description here]1]1


texts: How do you replace existing wires behind walls

texts:
Existing wiring installed in walls. May or may not be stapled. Some of it is stapled with newer plastic staples, older runs with metal staples. I've had varied success with this by twisting and taping the new wire to the old wire together and pulling it through but in cases where there are staples, bends or tight spaces I've had the connection break. Wondering how exactly others accomplish this.

In most cases I'll be replacing one wire with a similar or thinner wire. Example, quad phone cable with Cat5e cable.

In some other cases I might want to pull 2 or more cables through runs where I know the holes in the framing are wide enough but there may be staples. Ex existing Cat3 cable, want to use it to pull 2 Cat5e and 2 Coax cables.

Is there a very strong way to connect the old and new wires together such that the splice will be strong enough to not break while pulling, thin enough to pass through existing fasteners or strong enough to pop out fasteners by yanking hard?


texts: Insulate and fill hole in wall that was for cables?

texts:
Great Stuff doesn't look ideal, since it's going to get a lot of sunlight on the outside, and Duct Seal doesn't say anything about whether it actually insulates.

Also, the Duct Seal material safety sheet doesn't really convince me that it's %100 non-toxic to inhale, and I am somewhat sensitive to chemicals.  I'd like a really green alternative.  Mycelia?

Note--this is a different situation from the question "How should I fill a hole in an exterior wall?" since I have no cables running through the hole and simply want the hole filled and insulated.  I live in a cold climate.  Thanks much.


texts: How do you wire multiple lights and a split receptacle to 3-way switches?

texts:
I have two lights and a split receptacle wired like so:

Now I want to wire a second switch into the room, but I'm having trouble working the split receptacle into the mix. I feel as though 3 conductor cable isn't going to cut it. Am I going to have to run more than one cable? Or can this be accomplished using only one cable run between everything?

The switches are going to be at opposite ends of the room from everything.


texts: methods of detecting a copper pipe in concrete floor

texts:
We believe that our copper water line is embedded in the concrete (and rebar) basement floor. We would like to excavate a hole to install a sump pump. We don't want to hit the copper line which we think is in the vicinity.

Is there any way to detect that copper line?

We've tried finding his line already with with 2 different metal detectors.


texts: I cannot find a service in northern NJ to winterize my sprinkler system for less than $100, so I want to try doing it myself, I just don't want to break anything. I've watched a few youtube videos, but haven't quite found a system that looks like mine so I really want to be sure I'm doing this right. I know where/how to shut off the water to the system in my basement. I was planning to rent an air compressor from home depot. I'm just not sure where to hook it up, and which knobs to turn and when. Below is a picture of my system. I added numbers to make it easier to reference the different parts.


texts: Electric water heater on water off 6 months will water heater be ok?

texts: Electric water heater is on but water main is off will this damage water heater if water is off 6months ?


texts:
I'm hoping to use 215mm concrete breeze blocks to build a 20m long retaining wall at 1m high. Do I need to build the blocks on their flat or can it be a regular single skin wall with piers every so often?

The land behind has no structures and the ground is pretty much all rocky parent material covered with about 6 inches of top soil.

I'll be installing a french drain etc.


texts: Can a horizontally-vented kitchen exhaust have a downward-facing outlet in a soffit?

texts: Can I vent a kitchen exhaust fan horizontally to an exterior soffit, ending with a downward outlet/cap?  (Or must the outlet be horizontal (through a wall) or upwards (through a roof)?


texts:
I am about to have some ceiling work done on my house that has previously had roof leaks. I would like to be sure that the repairs to the roof are successful.

How would I go about stress testing the roof? I've considered running a water hose in the known bad spots. Would this be enough to be sure that the leaks are fixed?


texts: What DIY tools are very critical for plumbing works and repair?

texts:
From my understanding, besides the pipes, I would need the following:

Screwdrivers

Pipe Cutter

Pipe Wrench

Piler

Nut Driver

So, are there other DIY Tools that are missing from my above list that is very critical for my plumbing works and repair?


texts: How can I repair scratches on door molding?

texts:
I live in an apartment with my cat.  Through the use of a water bottle, I've gotten him to stop, but he's left quite a few deep scratches and gouges in the molding around some of the internal doors.  I'd rather get this fixed before my lease expires, as I have a feeling the apartment building would charge me quite a bit more than the actual cost of repairs.

What kind of options do I have?  Is it fairly straightforward to replace door molding?

Edit (side note: I'm pretty embarrassed about this, so try to be nice!):

Example 1 (best case scenario):

Example 2 (worst case scenario):


texts: How smooth does a shower pan need to be?

texts:
Does the pre-slope pan have to be smooth?  Mine is kind of rough in some places has a sand roughness.  If it does have to be smooth what is the best way to smooth it? I thought of mixing some cement powder and just put a very thin smooth top.  I bought some concrete adhesive to put in between the top coat and pre-pan.

What do you think?

Thanks for any help


texts: Is there any issue with me splicing a continuous neutral wire and connecting a Wemo switch to it?

texts: I have installed 3 wemo switches no issues at all. The neutral wire has been capped of with a wire nut in all the installs. I am trying to install another wemo switch in another location and it appears that the neutral wire is one continuous wire. Is there any issue with me splicing this wire and connecting the switch to this wire?


texts:
I've decided to paint. What I had originally thought was a gaudy awful eggshell white flat paint on the the walls of the ENTIRE house was ACTUALLY PRIMER. I've painted (priming first of course) the main living areas. I'm now on to the bathrooms.

My conundrum is this: Do I / SHOULD I use a latex primer or mildew killing primer? This is the spare bathroom so it doesn't get a lot of shower usage per say. It doesn't have mildew that see; however I know Kilz has a mildew killing primer and wondered if "an ounce of prevention..." would be fitting. The primer in there now seems to have held up rather well. However, I don't want to put really nice paint (for bathrooms of course) on the walls only to have it begin to deteriorate in a few months or worse - when my first guest showers and water splashes somewhere.


texts: Transition piece first or baseboard first?

texts: I installed new floor so the transition height has changed from one room to the next. I took off the baseboards first before installing the floor. The problem is I am not sure what's the cleaner, nicer way to combine baseboard and transition. Do I put baseboards first then try my best to get the transition piece the perfect length or do I put transition piece first and then cut a notch/es on the baseboard so the transition looks like it goes into the baseboard?


texts:
I have two exterior lights that need installed.  I have the vinyl siding blocks and am not sure if I can just run romex to the light itself or if I have to have a 3 or 4" round light box installed before I mount the light?

This is an image of what MY siding block looks like.

The family handyman has an image showing just what I want to do but I do not know if that is allowed in new construction and more for a retrofit job?  My only guess is they are allowed to do that because their mounting block has a recess for the fixture to attach and may even be water tight?


texts: Proper method to attach horizontal board to beam posts in outdoor patio?

texts:
I want to mount a TV using a basic TV mount. I do not want to mount onto the exterior wall and the back roof truss does not have a joist hanger so I can't use a side-facing TV mounting plate.

The two blue posts bear the load of my roof and are 4x6 (4x5.5). What is the proper method to attach a horizontal board so I can then mount a TV mount to it?

I was thinking of using a 2x10 (so when I mount the TV mount the bolts are at least 2" from the top and bottom edges) and attaching them to the inside-facing faces using joist hangers. I'd likely use 10D nails to connect joist hanger to beams and 10d 1.5" nails where the hanger connects to the horizontal board. Any ideas or thoughts are much appreciated!


texts: Enable switch with two pair of black and red wires

texts:
I am in the UK, I have a switch that has been disconnected.
The rose that this is connected to has the red wires into the "Loop" part.  (There are two ceiling roses connected to a single switch).
I need to enable this but don't know if the red wires or the black wires need to go into the switch?


texts: should I catch mice first before fix a broken crawlspace vent cover?

texts:
Find one mesh of the crawlspace vent cover is broken. Also, home inspection found some clue of rodent.

I guess if I just fix the vent cover, the mice could die in the crawlspace. And before they die, they could try to bite something like water pipe..etc. which could cause damage.

So does it make sense to catch all the mice first and then fix the vent cover?

Any better idea is very welcome.


texts: Broken wire inside Rangehood, advice needed

texts:
My range hood was damaged, which caused it to flare up and spark. I immediately powered off the main to the house (as in the pictures).

I can see that the connection has been damaged. I have no idea how dangerous this is and I'm afraid to turn the power back on to the house, as A fly was literally zapped out of the air floating past the broken wire... Also I don't know if this is a fire hazard or likely to spread to other parts of the house!

I have very little money right now. So is there something I can do for right now until I can have a skilled electrician come to take a look? I notice on the main switchboard there is a node labelled "Stove".

Any Advice would be hugely appreciated...Cheers

...


texts:
We want to use sheet vinyl on the walls of a shower but are unsure what kind of glue to use. This is a Mannington vinyl. Home Depot said to use Robert's 2001 Felt Back vinyl glue.  Thoughts?
Pat


texts: Strong intermitent sewage smell in bathroom, possible broken underfloor pipe

texts:
I am experiencing a strong smell of "sewage" in my bathroom (and sometime outside the side of the bungalow next to bathroom). This smell is intermittent and NOT linked to use of toilet for #2's.

To complicate things the bathroom has a 2 - 3 feet void underneath the tiled floor.  The floor is not tiled underneath the bath.

My 11 year old bath has a "coating" of something on the base of it (some sort of insulation?), could this be causing a smell, as when I take the panel off there is a smell?