texts:
I'm putting down my first ceramic tile floor. I need to transition from 18 inch to 6 inch tile for part of my design.

I've been installing the 18 inch tile with 1/4 inch spacing for looks. I'd like to keep the same 1/4 inch of grout every third tile, basically making a a 3x3 set of these 6 inch tile act like one of the 18x18.

How do I do that? I'm sure it's just a matter of finding the right spacing.

Edit: true sizes at 5 13/16th and 17 13/16th.


texts: Lutron 120v 5a dimmer switch replace with to 3 speed pull switch?

texts:
I have a universal electrical motor (for a home wall fan) that came shipped with a Lutron 120v 5amp rated slide dimmer control to regulate it's speed.

No rating listed on the motor itself. Two wires (and a ground) coming out of the motor casing.

Is it possible/practical to build my own 3 speed, pull switch control?

I am guessing that I would just need to get two, proper resistors with matching heatsinks and wire them to a 3 way switch.

One circuit open.
One circuit no resistor.
Two circuits with varying resistors to lower the fan speed.

It seems that no such thing exists for sale...

And, although I have done plenty of off-the-shelf installation of auto & home electric, I have never created custom circuitry like this.

Thank you much,
Nathan


texts: Screw eyes that are screwed in counterclockwise?

texts:
Is there such a thing as a screw eye that can be screwed in counterclockwise? 99% of screws are tightened clockwise. This one would be the opposite.

If this type of screw eye doesn't exist, is there another way to accomplish  the same thing?


texts: I have 4 GFCI plugs on the kitchen wall that have been there for a few years. Late afternoon yesterday, all 4 tripped. I kept resetting them and they kept tripping. 2 are on 1 breaker and 2 on another. I replaced 1 late last evening and all was well today. About the same time it happened again. The wall faces west and we are having record heat. The afternoon sun shines on the wall. Can that be causing the problem?


texts: Is there a way to split a double wall plug into two separate ones?

texts:
Sorry, I don't know much about electrical, so my terminology is off.

I have this double wall plug that I want to split into two separate ones. I thought that the two pairs of wires just run current to their respective sockets. But I tried to disconnect those and then connect to two single ones and not only it didn't work, but half of other plugs in the room stopped working. So it's clearly a bit more sophisticated than I thought.

Unfortunately, due to how studs are located (existing wall with sheets already on), I won't be able to move the two separately or even run additional wires.

Is there a way to somehow split it in two without additional wiring?


texts:
Can I paint over

Dulux Kitchens and bathrooms moisture resistant soft sheen emulusion

with

Dulux kitchen+ grease and stain protection Matt ?


texts: What could be causing this leaky evaporator problem?

texts:
My apologizes if I do not know the correct terminology for some of the parts. I will try my best though.

We have a Trane A/C system that is causing us a headache. It is causing water damage in our finished basement.

With our HVAC system the airflow is going downward through the unit, with the furnace on top, and the evaporator at the bottom of the unit. Our problem is that condensed water that is supposed to work its way down to the drain pan, instead fly off as random droplets of water and collect at the bottom where there is a large duct that goes from one side of the basement to the other where vents shoot off of that. So at the bottom of this duct the water slowly collects and eventually turns into a puddle and eventually it gets large enough that it will leak through holes in the ducting onto the drywall below it which covers the entire area (you don't see this duct). After time the water works it way through the drywall and then we have a mess.

The HVAC system was installed when the house was built in 2006 by a local company in the Seattle area that does HVAC systems. I believe this problem has actually occurred since the day that we moved in, but since in the Seattle area we do not get hot weather very often, and due to the fact the water had to work its way through the drywall, it took 2-3 years before the water worked its way through to even let me know the problem existed. I have since taken down the drywall around the leak and when looking at the drywall you can see numerous elliptical stains that look like they had been wet and then dried, that is my main reason I think the problem has been happening for a long time.

Unfortunately after 2 years the builder's warranty is no longer in affect, which I feel is unfair due to the fact this probably was most likely happening since the day I moved in. With that said we called the original installer to come out around two years ago to try and fix the problem. Initially they thought it was the drain tube that was clogged up, which it was a bit. So he cleaned that all out and I thought the problem was fixed. Sadly it was not, the problem immediately started happening shortly after their visit. I called them again to come out and this time he cut through on the bottom ducting to look up underside the evaporator and you could see that randomly every now and then a droplet of water seemed to have been flung off of the evaporator down to the hole where he cut. His solution was to cut a piece of sheet metal and put it underneath the sides of the evaporator a bit to hopefully collect the water and force it down into the pan where it would collect and then go out the drain tube. His solution did not work. His next statement I found hard to believe, but he said he thinks that dust is on the evaporator which is causing the water to not flow down properly into the dust pan. I looked up pictures of evaporators and to me this evaporator is about as clean as it can get. He basically said the next step would be to take the evaporator out and clean it for around $1000, or buy a new evaporator.

My question to you guys, do you think he is on the right track? I feel he has absolutely zero clues which is why I did not call him back after this visit because I did not want to waste my money. When I look up diagrams of evaporators it seems like every single one has the air going upward not downward with gravity. That made me wonder if the problem might actually be how they designed this with the airflow going down which combined with gravity might be enough to throw droplets of water off of the evaporator to collect below on the ducting. I have an image of a diagram which shows this, but need to wait until I get some more reputation to include that.

If the airflow was going upward, I could see it making it very hard for droplets to want to fall down since the airflow would be pushing it to stay on the evaporator where it slides down off on to the pan. Do you think this is part of the problem?

I have an image of how ours is designed and will include that later.


texts: How do I connect surface wireway to a breaker box?

texts: I am running Legrand/Wiremold 4000 series for a garage shop. The instructions for the panel connector (4086A) consist of a tiny picture that implies all I need to do is cut a large square hole in my breaker box and bolt in the adapter. Is this allowed? I can not find a second source to confirm this and I am hesitant to carve up the box.


texts:
My outdoor tap seized up and wouldn't close.  It was gushing water.  I bought a new one and replaced it.  It's a cheap one from Bunnings (link, but male instead of female), screwed on to the pipe with plumbing tape in the thread.

This one has worked well for a few months, but now it too is starting to seize up.  It isn't gushing, just trickling, but it won't close completely.  If I open it completely, spray WD-40 on it, and close it, it will stop flowing, but this only lasts for a few uses before it won't close completely again.

The house was built around 1996. The water source is metropolitan mains water (Melbourne, Australia) which is reliable. It's only this tap in the house that fails.

What could be causing this?  What can I do to fix this permanently?


texts: Can I use a split tab switch for mains voltage and low voltage?

texts: LeGrand (Pass & Seymour) make a multi-control single pole switch with a split tab TM8113WCC, which allows for the control of two independent circuits on a single yoke (one box).  Code question: is it permissible to run a mains voltage (120V) circuit on one side of this device and a low-voltage circuit on the other?


texts: It is below freezing outside and our shower head in master bathroom is not spraying water. It is on an outside wall. We also have a hand held shower head in that same shower which is spraying a little water. What is possibly wrong!


texts: How can I remove superficial pet urine stains from subfloor?

texts:
After removing the carpet from our bathroom closet, I found urine stains on the plywood sub-floor (serenity now).

It sounds bad but the floors are quite sturdy so I'm reasonably certain that it's a superficial stain.  What would be the recommended way of cleaning it (short of removing/replacing the sub-floor).

I'm planning to eventually place carpeting back in the closet so I'm not concerned with leaving a mark.  Just want to make sure it's sanitary and odor-free.

-M


texts: I have a house that was built in 1923 which has the original BX armored cable throughout.  At the switches, fixtures, and outlets, some of the cloth-over-rubber sheathing has become brittle, cracked, and is falling off.  I have repaired some of this with heat shrink wrap and it seems to work well.  My question is, if some of the frayed cloth strands come in contact with the copper conductor under the heat shrink, is it a fire risk?  In other words, when I wrap the wire in heat shrink, some of the cloth strands under the heat shrink will be touching the copper wire.  Should I be concerned about it catching fire?  Thanks.


texts: Strange one - Trip switch trips when switching off plug

texts:
A bit of a weird one here, but hopefully someone might be able to point me in the right direction.

Last year I moved into a house (Ireland) and the following happens intermittently (once/twice per week) - when I flick the switch to turn off the power sockets in two locations in the house (that I know of), it trips the trip switch that controls all the power sockets in the house. Note that it only happens when turned off the switches at the power sockets, and never when turning them on! The two locations are somewhat related in that one room is above another, but sockets are on different walls.

Some info:

Location #1 - Downstairs
2 power sockets that connect into one recognised-brand surge protector (1x 6 sockets) with 6 devices connected (TV, Surround Sound, Powerline Adapter, Router, PoE for fixed wireless broadband, 8-port network hub) and the satellite TV device connects to the second socket.

Location #2 - Upstairs
2 power sockets with one that connects into a recognised-brand tower surge protector (10 sockets) with 7 sockets connected (computer, 2x monitors, 1x network switch, 1x powerline adapter only really powered on). A lamp is connected to the other socket.

Note: All devices and surge protectors used without issue in last home. When it trips, it is always after the socket was switched off with one of the two power extensions connected.

I used a socket tester to test wiring and it reports all is OK.

Thanks!

Thanks,
James.


texts: Is it a problem if my dryer vent slopes uphill through a crawl space?

texts: My dryer is vented through a crawl space and as it exits the space it will run up hill. Is this creating a problem by code or will it collect lint and moisture and clog prematurely?


texts: Any idea what these outdoor shades are called?

texts:
Hi any idea with the name of the outdoor shades are called? Note the rope that is tied to the metal boat dock stirrup thing. They are mounted on the outside.
I've been searching for weeks and have no idea what they are called or how to find them.
I have seen people use them for privacy and also for when they close up their house for the winter.
Thanks
Tom


texts: Tenant Multi-Family Meter Box Amp and Wire Requirements

texts:
First time posting on Home Improvement, please let me know if I am missing anything. I don't do electrical but my building designer needs some info to add to the blueprints (I thought this there are some standards and common install notes, but whatever).

I am wanting to build an ADU (in-law home) in the backyard with its own electrical meter with its own account. SMUD (our electrical company) wants us to install a duplex box and then wire our main house panel. The duplex box will then feed into the main panel for the ADU. The main house currently has 200Amp and would like the ADU main panel to be 200Amp.

Do I need a 200Amp Duplex box or 400Amp box?

What wire do I need from the duplex box to the ADU main panel (wire will be underground)? According to some sites online, wire needs to be aluminum #4/0 AWG in a 1.75" conduit. Is that true and is this recommended? or should we consider something else?

Theres a 125Amp box with description that we can add 125Amp to 225Amp with a 225 Amp branch tenant provisions 100,000 AIC. What does that mean? Can I use this box to give two branches of 200Amp main panels?

Thanks for your time on this!


texts:
I want to install an outlet for outdoor connection of an RV. However, the location of the service entrance box is close to a inside corner of the exterior of the house so the easiest location is on the same external wall as the service box and will require a hole through the brick wall near the service entrance entry conduit. The outlet would have to be in close quarters since the wall is only about 2 feet wide so the entrance conduit goes perpendicular at the center of the wall plus other wires and entries are in the same area. I want to run the outlet wire out through the brick about half way between the conduit and the corner directly into an external surface mounted box with a 120 volt outdoor circuit for utility purposes on a separate wire passed through the same conduit through the 220 box to the 120 box.
Is there anything questionable or incorrect about that installation method, or something I should be concerned about with it?


texts: Can I easily add a drain for my basement laundry?

texts: We just bought a house. The basement has a receptacle for an electric dryer, and taps for hot and cold water, but no drain for a washer. Would this be an easy fix? Don't know why they would have hot and cold faucet but nowhere for the water to go?


texts: What materials can be used to prevent polyurethane glue from sticking to unwanter surfaces?

texts: I am making some board and batten shutters and am using four 5-inch boards to assemble each shutter (each board is ¾ x 5). Since they are going to be outside the house and exposed to the elements, I've decided that a quality polyurethane glue is probably the best choice for gluing the boards together. I also want the shutters to be reasonably flat, so I've decide to clamp them from all four sides (the flat surfaces and sides). For the flat surfaces I'm planning on using 2 x 3 boards with carriage bolts on the ends. But what I don't want happening is for those boards to get glued to the shutter.I originally thought I could prevent that from happening by using wax paper or aluminum foil, but after reading about the properties of polyurethane glue, which will bond just about anything to anything, I'm not sure those are practical choices. I even thought maybe polyethylene garbage bags might be a viable choice. They would probably still get glued to the shutter but could be sanded off afterward and should prevent the polyurethane glue from penetrating to the wooden clamp.Is this a viable alternative, and does anyone have any better suggestions?


texts: Good resources to learn about Home Automation

texts: I'm looking to automate my home but know nothing about HA. What are some good resources to learn both the beginner stuff and more advanced topics.


texts: Means of adjusting fan speed on Bryant gas furnace

texts:
My home is heated by a Bryant 359AAV furnace. The thermostat controls and indicates whether the fan is ON or OFF, but the furnace has a four-speed fan. I believe the installer set the fan on "HI" and I would like to turn it down both for quiet and electricity savings. Given the external static pressure, "MED-HI" would still move enough air, and "MED-LO" is only a little out of spec.

I obtained the user's manual and fan speed adjustment is not covered. Then I inspected the furnace circuit board but couldn't tell where the adjustment happens. Then I had two phone conversations with Bryant customer service, who deliberately would not tell me jumper or switch controls the fan speed, ostensibly because of implications for my warranty (I'm not sure if I have one). They want me to call the original installer, or refer another professional.

How can I adjust the fan speed?

Edit: a helpful user found the more technical service manual, which does address the wire colors for each speed.


texts: Will my garage truss and beam configuration be adequate for a room in the attic?

texts:
I am getting ready to finish some of the space above the garage and have some questions. I am located in Pittsburgh, PA.

The garage is sloped on both sides down to the floor. I was going to utilize the space to about 4ft(knee wall) of height on both sides. This gives about 12ft of width for the floor space.

I was going to use roughly 14ft of the 20ft for the length of the room. I am going to put an exterior door at the end of the 14ft to allow access to the rest of the space for storage.  I am going to use a small heat pump for heating/cooling the space.

It is built with 2x8s for the roof and floor.  There are steel I-beams about every 90" apart under the 2x8s.

Question: Can I leave the 2x8's or do I need to put 2x10s down? Either way, it has regular plywood and will be replacing it with 3/4" tongue and groove.


texts: Where is the 2 internal drain valve in Navien 240a tankless water heater (damaged needs replacement)

texts: I have a 3 year old Navien 240a tankless water heater. A lot of water continuously flow through the condensation line even the heat exchanger is not operating. The leak can only be stopped when I close the cold water inlet. Most technician said there might be a leak in the heat exchanger. In one post with a similar issue, actually had to replace the 2 internal drain valve to fix the problem. Could anyone please point me where I can find the 2 internal drain valve? Thank you very much for your help.


texts: How can I prevent my house from smelling of smoke after having a fire in my fireplace?

texts:
We have a wood-burning fireplace in our family room. Fifteen feet from the fireplace is a large cold air return. When the fireplace is stoked, nice and cozy, everything is fantastic. When I shut it down for the night, I close the flue, shut the glass doors, and go to bed. The problem...

Throughout the night the cold air return seems to be pulling the smell from the fireplace into the system, circulating it throughout our home. Getting rid of that smokey smell is tedious and makes burning the fireplace quite unappealing.

It's possible I have the problem wrong but I do recognize the symptoms. I would love to be using my fireplace but really don't want my house smelling of smoke all the time.

I would appreciate thoughts on how I might be able to resolve this issue. Would a fireplace insert help? How about blocking the cold air return (seems like a bad idea)? Should I leave the flue open?


texts: What is the best way to tidy outdoor items around block paving?

texts:
There are 3 aspects (circled in red) that I would like to tidy around some bricks and block paving. 2 cables coming out of brickwork into the block paving on both ends, and cuts around a drain. Are there products that would do this and can be cut to size?

I have seen things this cover but its not quite wide enough.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cable-Cover-Plate-Brick-Buster-Blast-Exterior-Walls-TV-Coax-Sky-Satellite-CCTV-/202193245877


texts: What is causing these water "trails" on inside of exterior wall?

texts:
The bedroom at the back of my house (North facing) has what I would describe as persistent water "trails" on the inside surface. They are faint, but noticeable. The "trails" run from the ceiling, and are basically found on the entire wall.

I do not think the wall is insulated. To my knowledge, it is double-brick, finished with plaster and lath.

I am wondering what could be causing these and how to remedy?

I first thought they were surface stains, but they did not wipe away. I then thought they must be condensation, since the effect seems more pronounced in the winter. But it's only on the one wall (not on other walls of same room, or any other walls in house), so now I am not so sure.

I have seen these "trails" for a couple of years now, and recently noticed they seem more tacky. So I am now thinking the actual cause may be water seeping into the wall behind the paint.

The problem is, I cannot find any source of water into my home that might explain this. On a recent rainy day I checked both the outside of this same wall, and the attic space above - I did not see any obvious evidence of water problems anywhere.

The wall in question

Detail of a section of water "trails" (just left of bookcase in 1st photo)

outside view of the same wall (2nd floor)

view of attic space directly above the wall in question


texts: Rotted rim joist behind deck ledger board

texts:
Background

Over the past week I've ripped up the old decking and railings on our 12x15 deck, and installed new railings and all but the last two boards. Noticing that there was no ledger flashing, I pulled back the siding, and then noticed termite and rot damage behind the ledger board. I went to the basement, and cut through the drywall ceiling to inspect, and then verified that we have about a four foot section of rim joist affected. I saw no termites so presume this must be old damage. The four or so lag bolts through the ledger to this rim joist obviously weren't providing any support.

Behind the ledger board is a piece of old aluminum siding, so the deck was done when the old siding was in place and they didn't bother cutting out the siding, and didn't bother putting any flashing in place. Then later when the siding was replaced with vinyl, they didnt' bother putting flashing over the ledger either.

Detail

The house has 2x10 floor joists, 16" on center. At the top of the wall giong from inside the house to outside, there's 1/2" drywall, 2x4 top plate, 1" gap, 2x6 sill plate, 2x10 rim joist, small piece of aluminum siding with nailing flange, then 2x10 ledger board. The gap and sill plate are over concrete block, and the rim joist appears to be above the brick veneer.

Option 1

Convert to freestanding deck. This would entail adding two to four posts along with footers. There's a concrete pad under the deck so I believe I'd have to cut through that, I don't think I can bear on it. Quite a bit of work, couple hundred dollars in materials, and ugly and intrusive posts in the way.

Option 2

Put temporary bracing under deck joists, jack up deck onto it, cut deck joists about a foot out, remove ledger board and rim joist, install new ledger board and rim joist, sister deck joists to new ledger board. Not too expensive, fair amount of work.

Option 3

Double up 2x10 blocking to go between each joist, such that one half is positively on the sill plate, and the other is in place of the old rim joist and directly against the ledger board. Use structural screws to fasten ledger board to blocking, and use steel angles to join blocking to joists and sill plate.

This would be the easiest option, a little expensive due to the angles and fasteners required, and has the most uncertainties, to the point I think I'd want an engineers opinion.

Question

I like option 3, but would like to do some calculations to ensure I'm providing sufficient support. What resources would I need to reference to calculate the forces involved? I've found tables giving the allowable loads for fasteners and framing angles, but I understand there's somewhat of a cantilever effect with the ledger board being spaced 1.5" away from the vertical load bearing surface of the sill plate, and I'm not sure how to account for that fully.


texts: Are my GFCI outlets tripping each other?

texts:
GFCI 20 amp breaker in main panel powers 1 bathroom on far end of house, 2 lights 1 fan on switches, and 2 GFCI receptacles.

Occasionally the power panel GFCI trips. I think the GFCIs are fighting each other.

I believe this is redundant and should not be wired this way because the GFCIs are causing the power panel to trip with nothing plugged in. Would it be proper to replace the Receptacles or the circuit breaker with non-GFCI?

I bought this house a couple years ago, older but remodeled some years ago. Every so often the power goes out only in the Master bath when nobody is in it, so far every time it shuts off it is because of the circuit breaker tripped and not a receptacle. When everything is working, when I trip the receptacle test button it only affects the one receptacle that was tested. When I trip the circuit breaker test button it affects the whole bathroom.


texts: Does the orientation of the 'Y' in the wye strainer matter?

texts:
My wye strainer is clearly marked with a direction of flow, so how to orientate it with retaliation to that is not in question.

However, the directions are unclear if I can mount so that the 'Y' points upward or sticks out horizontally.   All pictures I've found on line seem to have it installed so that the 'Y' points downward as shown below.


texts: How do I remove the plastic bag a logo that was in bedded in my leather car seats. My car is brand new and I can't get it out. I tried rubbing alcohol,  now Polish remover. Please help


texts: How to wire a switch so that it does not turn off another in the chain?

texts:
In my bathroom I have a 3-pole dimmer switch (1st picture) and an extractor fan switch across the room (2nd picture) that is powered through the light switch. The extractor fan switch works as expected, but only if the light switch is also on. If the light switch is dimmed it also slows the extractor fan. Can I easily make it so that the extractor fan will turn on and off regardless of the light switch position?

Thanks in advance.

Chema


texts: What are the requirements for a header for an open passageway through two rooms?

texts:
My question is for both load and non-load bearing walls.
There used to be a hinged door between the kitchen and dining room, who knows when it was removed (I've been here a couple years).  The door frame is still intact.   The opening is roughly 6'8" high and I'd like to know if I can extend this opening all the way up to the 8' ceiling.
For the second situation, I have a small hall that ends in a T-intersection where you need to turn left or right towards bedrooms.  This might be part of a load-bearing "line" of the house, for my question lets assume it is.   Similarly, can I remove the wall above this opening such that the passageway opening goes straight up to the ceiling?
I'm unclear on what the header, king, and jack requirements are for a passageway that has no door attached.
Edit: Above the ceiling is 24" tall 'attic' under a flat roof.  2x6 ceiling joists 16 OC and 2x6 roof rafters 32 OC.


texts:
We have a tiled shower that is grouted. The installer put caulk on top of grout where the wall and floor meet and the corners where the walls meet. Problem is, the caulk mildews and disintegrates. Since there is grout there already, can we remove the caulking?
The grout is Laticrete 1500 sanded grout. By the way, what is the best sealer to use for unsanded grout?


texts:
We recently bought a house that had the garage converted into a bedroom.

When it rains water comes up through the floor near where the garage door would have been.

We have noticed that water tends to pool near the exterior corner of that room.

What would be the best way to determine  where the water is coming from in order to fix it ?


texts: Can I use a power gable fan and ceiling louver vents to pull cool air into my house?

texts:
I live in L.A.  We only have really hot weather 5-10 days a year and it usually cools off at night (outside). I also have a large Gable vent in my attic. (recently added with addition)

I would like to install a gable fan in the attic and then install louvered vents in my hallway ceiling.  When the gable fan comes on, the ceiling vents would pull warm house air up and out and allow cooler (night) air to come in.

I would like to not use the thermostat and have the unit switched in the house.  This way it would not run during the day.

I have no attic vents around the side of the house or roof vents.

A/C estimates were $7,000+.

Opinions??


texts: Can I run two 12/2 wires from one 12/3 wire?

texts:
I have a dead ceiling fan I'm trying to replace with 4 recessed lights. I took it down to find it has a 12/3 wire run to it, and a 12/2 wire run from it (I thought it was the last device on that run). The 12/3 is all on the same breaker.

The black conductor was constantly hot and provided power to the porch light and apparently 2 outlets in my bedroom. The red conductor was controlled by a switch in the dining room for the fan.

Unfortunately the fan was in a terrible place and the 12/2 isn't long enough to reach where I need it to go. My question is:

Can I replace the fixture box with a steel junction box, and run 2 12/2 lines from it. With Switched Red/Neutral/Ground running the 4 lights, and the Hot Black/Neutral/Ground powering the 2 or 3 things downstream?

Here's a quick doodle:


texts: How to run electrical wire in concrete under the tile

texts:
I'm running 6 feet of electrical wire from the wall to kitchen island and going to do it this way:

make a trench around 1 inch in depth
put 1/2 inch flexible conduit there
cover conduit with about 1/2 inch of concrete
apply liquid membrane (preparation for tile)
lay tile over it.

Is this solution is reliable? I know that trench perfectly should be deeper but I wouldn't like to cut my slab too deep and my guess is that if I lay large format tile over it then I should be good. Thoughts?


texts: How do I wire a 4 terminal light fixture

texts: How do I wire a porcelain ceiling light fixture with two sets of terminals (two hot/two neutral) instead of the usual two terminal fixture?


texts: Should I install fiberglass batts underneath my existing blown fiberglass?

texts:
I have loose fill fiberglass insulation in my attic (picture below).  I was thinking about upgrading the insulation because, from what I've read, this is one of the least effective insulation types.

I was thinking about buying pink fiberglass rolls, clearing the loose fill out of the joist bays, putting the rolls down, then putting the loose fill back over top.

1) Is that a good strategy or should I be doing something else or using a different type of insulation?

2) If I buy the rolls, should I buy faced with a vapor barrier, or unfaced?  The loose fill currently has no vapor barrier.  It just sits on top of the drywall.

3) Is the cost of doing this really worth the difference in your energy bill?


texts:
I'm designing an addition onto my existing deck (the existing deck is not pictured below). The addition will be roughly 20' by 15', and I'm planning on making a portion of it a single step lower. While it will butt up against the house, the deck will be self-supporting (I will not be tying into the house for support). The overall profile I'm looking for is this:

My first thought was to frame both levels completely independent of each other, like this:

The obvious issue here being the large number of angled cuts in both deck bands and the complexity of getting beams (not pictured) in proper locations. My second thought was to build both decks as rectangular as possible (the cutout at the left side is for the bay window on my house, so it has to stay) and build a platform on top of the lower portion to create the angular top profile like this:

To make it clear what I did, here is the same design with the new platform moved to the side:

My question is, putting aside local building codes (which both appear to meet, and I'll definitely be getting a permit), is the second design reasonable? Is one better or worse than the other from a structural or safety point of view? Also, not to ask too many questions, but would toe nailing the additional platform to the joists/deck band of the lower platform be sufficient, or should I use brackets to join them together?


texts: "Click-Lock", "Engineered", "Engineered Click", and "Solid" hardwood... Is there a difference between "Engineered" and "Engineered-Click"?

texts:
I've researched this a bunch already and I'm pretty far down the decision timeline, but I was looking at samples again tonight and I've realized that I need a more definitive answer before I can make this very expensive purchase.

I understand the differences between click-lock, engineered, and solid hardwood. For my situation (and understanding of these types) I decided to find an engineered solution so save money, but still have quality wood.

However, at Home Depot I'm seeing drastically different pricing for "Engineered Click", "Click-Lock", and "Engineered". I'm sure the quality is different, but the wording is enough to make me take a step back and try to better understand what I'm buying.

Here are some pictures I took earlier tonight.

They are from two different displays so I understand there will be some difference in pricing there. But is "Engineered Click" equivalent to "Click-Lock"? If so, am I thinking about this wrong if I want a nice engineered hardwood by considering the "Engineered Click" option?

I'm just a little apprehensive that the "Engineered" option is more than 3x the material cost on my existing quote.

None of the articles I can find online explain in enough detail to make me confident about these.


texts:
I have knee walls that have the insulation that is falling down.

As you can see in the images below, There is very little access behind the knee wall as there is duct work and cross braces in place that support the roof.

I was thinking about doing it in this order
1) taking the knee wall drywall down
2) installing blocking between joists with wood or foam board to create an air seal
3) insulating and air sealing the ceiling of the lower floor to up to the joist blocking
4) using furring strips on the backside of the knee wall to hold the insulation in place since getting sheathing back there would be nearly impossible
5) installing new insulation (foam or batts)
6) install new drywall

In the images below, there is ductwork, plumbing, and electrical that runs from the single story part of the house to the 2 story part of the house. The electrical continues between the joists between the upper and lower floors. What would be the best way to insulate this as well?


texts: Chemical Injection Valve for Static Inline Mix Chamber

texts:
I have well water. The water is acidic and needs Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) solution added to adjust the pH. The system has a Pulsa Feeder static inline mixing chamber, part no STM100-PVC. The NaOH is injected using a Chemical Injection Valve screwed into a port in the mixing chamber. The injection valve body includes a check valve. I don't have a part number for the chemical injection valve.
Sediment has clogged the mixing chamber and injection valve. The NaOH solution is no longer flowing (or not flowing well) into the mixing chamber. I need to replace them; or at least the injection valve.
The problem I am having is, I cannot find the Chemical Injection Valve. There is no part number stamped on the existing valve. Pulsa Feeder does not know the part number. It is not listed on their website, and parts folks wrote back that they did not know the part number (derp).
I believe the specs for the injection valve are 1/2-inch MNPT to screw into the mix chamber port. But I don't know (1) the quill length, (2) the check valve type (ball, duck, etc), (3) the material, (4) the max psi rating, and (5) the coupling size.
Regarding (5), the feed from the diaphragm pump is 3/8-inch O.D. clear pipe. The current injector valve uses a compression fitting. So I think I need 1/4-inch I.D. or 3/8-inch O.D. coupling.
My question is, what do I need for the Chemical Injection Valve?

Here are some products I've come across, but they lack specs so I'm not sure if they meet the needs of the application.

Stenner Injection Valve, 1/4-inch, part no UCDBINJ
Stenner Injection Valve, 3/8-inch, part no UCINJ38
Stenner Injection Fitting, 3/8-inch, part no UCAK300

For the Stenner valves, I believe the 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch size are the smaller threads nearest the quill body. I believe the next set of threads closer to the check valve are 1/2 NPT threads.  But that is just speculation on my part.

Here are the images of the inline mixing chamber with the injection valve. I took them to a few plumbing supply houses this morning. I was not successful in finding the valve. The plumbing supply houses lacked experience with well water systems.


texts:
Doing research prior to attempting a DIY basement finish. Never had moisture issues (sealed prior to move in) since we've been here (10yrs), walls are all below grade (no walk-outs). no insulation anywhere other than the space between the top of the wall and the bottom of joists (terminology). The question is, can I frame the walls and use faced rolls, or do i need the boards, boards and rolls...no vapor barrier, vapor barrier? I'm in Zone 5 apparently. Also, currently no real heat in the basement as the HVAC was not setup that way, but that would change a little once we finish. Purpose will be an open space with part for workout/hang out and the other for wife's sewing area (which is where we would focus heating efforts).
Thanks


texts: Removing Hose Attachment on Kohler Kitchen Faucet

texts: I'm not sure how exactly to remove this attachement, and I don't want to break anything. Anyone have any ideas. I've checked a bunch of youtube videos for similiar faucets with no luck.


texts: Trane Weathertron Stat to Honeywell RTH2510

texts:
I have a Trane Weathertron thermostat thst I am replacing with a New Honeywell RTH2510.
This is a heat pump with auxiliary electric heat.
The wires on the Tran thermostat are.
R,  T, O, G,  Y,  B,  X2  & W  (X2 & W are connected to same wire (jumper))

How do I connect wires on the RTH2510??
It has B, O, G, Y, W/AUX, NOT USED, R, RC
SEE ATTACHED PICTURES
[Trane stat


texts: How can I repair a broken bathroom sink drain?

texts:
My bathroom underneath is leaking at the joint point. The pipe seems to be okay.

And the surface of the sink, the ring was broken.

When I hold the pipe underneath, it can be moved up and down and turned. Please the video I made.
sink leaking.

My questions:

How to repair it?
What tools or part I should buy?


texts: Building stairs: do I just put finished treads and risers on top of stringers? or do I use a layer of OSB first?

texts:
I'm going to rebuild a 6-step stairway in my house.
Doing stringers calculations right now  - but I'm not 100% sure if I supposed to use a layer of OSB on top of stringers prior to finished treads?

Like in this video here I'm seeing that stairs have a layer of OSB.

But in this video here guy seems to install finished treads right onto stringers.

Which is correct?


texts:
I live in an older home I bought 2 years ago. It was built in 1924. While becoming familiar with the electrical system I discovered the circuit powering the heating furnace, from a 20 amp CB in the main box. As I traced the conduit to the gas furnace I found "power switch" box that contained 2 olde-fashion fuses.

When I opened the fuse/switchbox I found 2 fuses. A 30amp & a 15amp. Is this correct? Seems to me the fuses should be the same rating, right? Is 2 30amp fuses correct considering that the CB Box breaker is rated at 20 amps? Thanks! Dave

Here's the CB in the box. 20amp 120v.
Here is the fusebox with door closed. Not sure what the text means. Is it possible that prior to the currently installed gas furnace there was a 240v electric furnace that was protected by this fusebox? And then when it was changed to gas they used the previous 240v wire for the 120v line needed?
Here's the furnace name plate.
Here's the Gas Furnace Manual title page with the model number, etc.
I found this wiring diagram.
Here's another diagram.
Here's the 3rd diagram.


texts: Central heating component identification

texts:
I am just wondering what the brass pot is? It's hot, and attached to the pump, as well as pipes leading downstairs and to some storage tank.

It also sounds as if some small ball bearings are swirling around in it; is this normal?


texts: Possible downsides of plugging up small hole in foundation?

texts:
I have found two small holes in the foundation, near the floor, in the cellar.
 Water trickles in through these two holes.  I am thinking of plugging them up with spray foam.  Are there any possible downsides to this plan?

If plugging up these two holes turns out to trigger some other problem -- can the foam be easily removed, so as to restore the flow through those two holes?


texts: Garden hose washer installation - which way?

texts: If a garden hose washer has little 'ears' or 'tabs', is the washer inserted with them on the bottom or top?


texts: High pitched whine from either the furnace blower fan or motor

texts:
There is a loud whine or scraping sound especially when the 11 year old Furnace Blower Motor/fan starts up.
With power off, when I turn the blower motor fan blades by hand they make a scraping high pitched sound in one direction, but not the other direction. The problem started suddenly during a cold spell.
Can I tell if this is a motor bearing, fan alignment or other problem without taking the fan assembly out of the furnace?


texts: Is a bedframe necessary to keep a boxspring & mattress in good working order?

texts: My wife and I managed to get a nice 'pit' in our mattress, after only 3 years of ownership.  We've had it on a boxspring, directly on the carpeted floor.  It's sagged enough that we can feel springs popping and crunching as we move around now.  We're talking about replacing it with a firmer mattress, but I'm wondering if we should be using a bedframe with the boxspring?


texts: How do I Secure the Vent Stack to Replace a Section of the Waste Vent Pipe?

texts:
Though similar questions have been asked 1 and 2, neither actually answer what I need.

My house was built in 1950 and its iron waste pipes are 'exposed' in the basement. The Vent pipe is clogged, with rust and according to a professional. The professional said I should only need to replace the 90 section at the base of the vent pipe that connects it to the rest of the waste piping, but lowest price was $1,000 so I want to try to fix this myself.

He also said the vent stack needed to be secured in the attic. I have found plenty on cutting and fitting a new pipe, but nothing on securing the vent stack. Securing it makes sense since the whole stack appears to rest there at the bend and if I remove it then the whole stack comes crashing down.

How do I prepare to replace this section of the waste drain and what would I need?


texts: I used plunger,chemicles,snake, several times upto 8 ft, replaced entire filler assembly.Flapjack won't matter cause i've held it up to get a complete flush and it didn't make a difference. the bowl is filling up but it onle glugs,instead of PATUUSH! Help please


texts: Breaker in circuit panel doesn't appear to do anything?

texts:
I just finished mapping every light and electrical outlet in our house. I made a map of the entire house and marked every light and outlet on the map. I have everything (I think) accounted for, however there is still a single 15 amp breaker on the panel that doesn't seem to correspond to any outlets/lights. I flipped it off, and I can't find anywhere in the house that loses power.

Could there be simply an unused breaker in the panel? If it's unused, why wouldn't the electrician just leave the blank piece of metal there instead?


texts: How do I replace this toilet shutoff valve?

texts:
I need to replace a toilet shutoff valve (does not completely stop water flow) as part of process of fixing a leak I saw around the base of my toilet (suspect i need new wax ring??).  I bought a new 1/4 turn shut off valve and turned off the main supply, but was not able to remove the old valve.

I believe it's because this valve is soldered on and thus can not be screwed on/off and replaced as such?  Is there another way to go about this, aside from cutting pipe and soldering (no torch, saw, experience...).  Wondering is there is an additional valve i could install further down the line to the toilet (realizing this is not the best method)?  Also, am i correct this is steel piping not copper?


texts:
So I've been having issues with water seeping into my basement through the cement floor.  I do have a sump pit and a sump pump, but the house had an addition put on many years ago that included an addition to the basement on the opposite side of the house from where the sump pit is.

I suspect that the water under the new side of the basement is not properly draining into the sump pit in the original part of the basement. So I've been thinking about putting in a second sump pit & pump in the added-on area of the basement (which is where the water has been infiltrating).

In researching this, it looks like all sump pits are set up to accept corrugated pipes from a foundation drain system.  I don't want to bust up a large part of the basement floor to put those pipes in, and I have no idea where the existing drainage pipes would be (if there are any at all).  I was thinking about simply perforating the plastic sides/bottom of one of those plastic sump pits, wrapping it in a few layers of landscaping fabric to prevent dirt from coming in, and installing the pit that way.  If there is gravel under the basement floor, then hopefully water would drain through there and make it's way into the sump pit through the perforations even without any drain pipes.

Is this a reasonable solution?  Or am I just totally setting myself up for failure here?  How would you normally add a sump pit into an existing basement without busting up huge parts of the concrete slab for drainage pipes?


texts: How to fix a hole in the wall of a plastic shower/bathtub?

texts: I have a hole in the wall of my shower about 4 inches in diameter.  I think there is fiberglass underneath.  What is the best way to fix the wall and what kind of paint could I use to make it blend in with the rest of the tub?


texts:
In our living room over the firebox we would like to hand a flat screen TV.  The design of the brick is a Running or Stretcher bond but it has 4 brick protruding from it.  Specifically About one third of the way above the fire box on the outside wall there is
Centered on one side two brick with their "header edges" protruding, half a brick width from the wall and then another one third up the wall, centered on the other side there is the same.  My question is how to best remove the parts of these four brick protruding and flatten the wall ?  home built in late 1970's


texts: Are there any consequences to not running air conditioner in a hot and humid climate?

texts:
The AC in my house has been broken for several weeks, during which time the temperatures have gotten into the 90s with high humidity (heat indices over 100 the last few days). Because the AC is broken, the house is not cooled / dehumdified, and I wonder what the effects of that increased temperature / moisture would be on the house itself, personal comfort aside?

I'd like answers to include effects on furniture but to keep it on topic, let's limit it to how the framing, walls, flooring, and appliances would be affected.


texts: Options for replacing mortise lock with keyless lock

texts:
The main door to my apartment has a Baldwin interlocked mortise deadbolt/lockset combination... basically one of these:

I would like to replace this with some kind of electronic, keyless system, but all the ones that look any good are designed for cylindrical-drilled deadbolts.

Any suggestions?

(I am aware that one option would be filling in the mortise cavity and starting from scratch, but that's rather a bigger project than I had been hoping for)


texts:
Above, brightened

I have a ceiling fan/light that I am trying to convert to a smart switch. The light and fan are on separate switches in a 2 gang box with, what appears to be, 4 drops coming into the back. The primary picture is not the most recent, as the two red wires were, originally, wire-nutted together and this appears to be necessary for the rest of the lights on the circuit to work. I have also corrected the neutral connection. Line was identified by voltmeter (123v), and the light in this configuration does work. However, turning off the non-smart switch on the other side turns off the light, but then the smartswitch is no longer able to turn it back on. I am trying to replace the non-smart flip switch with the GE add-on switch, but I am not having any luck figuring out the right configuration. Secondary switch does not have a line, but is seeing 20v on, I believe, the black wire.
I've seen the video that discusses wrapping the line and travelers together to identify which is which, but that seems kinda dangerous to me, so I figured I would ask for help rather than keeping throwing darts at the board, first.
EDIT: Red and black from the far right drop do tone out to the remote switch. However, I wasn't able to confirm the white wire from either direction. I did run the probe around the light fixture, but wasn't able to hear anything that would indicate that's where it's wired to.
So, it sounds like I should re-wire the remote box using red & white as traveler/common, but where does white go and why is red attached to the rest of the circuit? White should still be neutral
My tone probe is really old, but red & black were pretty solid signal, so I am reasonably certain that remote side white is not directly connected to the 2-gang box. Is it coming back from the light? Is there a way to confirm the white is a neutral?
Primary switch: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RRBT6W5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Add-on switch: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WWHJQPW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
EDIT: Just in case it helps anyone else...
Based on Harper's advice, I disassembled both boxes again and confirmed that the far right (R) /3 was to the remote switch, the far left (L) /3 was to the light (carrying both fan and light switched hots) and tagged the wires with small nylon ties.
Main box:

Move the L red to the load on the smart switch
Cap the black wire from R /3
Move the red R /3 to the traveler on the smart switch

Remote box:

White to neutral
ground (obviously)
Cap black
red to traveler

Viola, everything works as expected now. My primary take away is your advice to, in the future, identify the wires by how they're wired to the switches BEFORE disconnecting anything. Thanks for the assist.


texts: Will a 4x6 substitute for a doubled 2x6 header?

texts: I am replacing a 3 ft single pane window with a 4 ft double pane window.  The old header was just a single 2x4 laid flat with 2x4 cripple studs spaced 16 inches.  My question is: can I install a single 4x6 beam (douglas fir #2 grade) instead of sandwiching two 2x6's with plywood?  The charts that I found in the IRC list only 2x's.


texts: Anyone knows the internal diameters for the drain and fill hose assembly (unicouple hose) of this model? The part number for the part is WPW10273574. I want to lengthen the hoses by about 2 feet and do not want to dismantle the case to get to the other end of the hoses. I just want to cut and splice two 2 foot lengths of hoses with couplers and clamps.


texts: Adding wall sconce fixture - stud in way

texts: My wife wants three light fixtures mounted over the vanity in the bathroom. One of them is positioned directly over a wall stud. To install an electric box, can I saw/chisel through the stud (not load bearing), or is there a better way?


texts: How can I order custom-tinted paint colors from a computer graphic?

texts: I'm trying to paint a mural on my child's nursery wall. I created exactly what I want in Photoshop and now want to get the right paint colors. I found paint colors that match close for some of the colors, but most of them don't have a color anywhere close. How can I order just the right color to match my mockup?


texts: Options for Running High End Computer on Old Circuit

texts:
I'm preparing to build the computer of my dreams. Unfortunately, it's going to top out at 1350 Watts when running at peak performance. I live in an 80 year old bungalow and the power situation is less than optimal. Our circuit is rated at 12 AMPs. As I'm still renting, I'm not sure I want to invest in upgrading the circuit (or at least I'm weighing the tradeoffs). Are there any other options (i.e. battery storage, UPS, solar) that might be possible.

All the best/


texts:
In the past day I started hearing a banging behind the wall of my house it seems when the heat comes on. We have water heated baseboards. We lived in this house nearly two years and never experienced this. No work has been done to the plumbing in the house in year when a pipe froze and burst last year in the garage and had to be replaced. What could be the cause of the sudden noise and what are possible ways to test and identify the problem?

The one thing that always bothered me about the system was you could hear the water traveling through the baseboards and lines when the heat comes on. Could both of these issues be related? Could air be in the system and does a baseboard circulation heating system require air to be removed from it?


texts:
So I've been having a leak in my AC handler.  A lot of water was dripping into the drain pan which eventually hit my float switch.  I recently moved into the house and the AC unit is 10 years old (sears brand).  I shop vac the water out and called a plumber.

The plumber came and said that he sees no crack in the coils or primary pan in the handler.  But couldn't really figure out why water would drip out of the handler.  He thought the drain as clogged and so he blew it out.  Days later, still dripping.  It was starting to now drip from my ceiling in the attic.  Not good.  I called another plumber who came out and said that I have a negative pressure system and that my drain line is not vented properly.  I think he said I didn't even have a vent installed.  So he installs the vent and re-pitches the drain pipe.  He said that it would still drip because the interior of the handler was all wet with water and would take time to dry out.  That was yesterday morning.

However, by yesterday evening, I was actually getting more water in the pan and coming from my ceiling.  I went into the attic and saw that the first plumber removed the "P" trap from the drain.  The plumber added a vent pipe but got rid of the p trap.  I called another plumber out for an emergency last night and he added the p trap back and that seems to have worked.  He suggested running the fan continuously for a while to help dry out the ac insulation inside the handler so that the water stops dripping from the insulation.

However, when I looked at the re-piping he did, he moved the vent pipe before the P trap.  Everything I have read states that the vent has to come after the P trap.  Is this going to be a problem? I've spent quite a few dollars on these plumber visits and can't spend any more money on this especially where the AC handler is apparently in good shape but just a matter of not having been piped correctly.  I called the plumbing company and, of course, they tell me that there is nothing wrong with the piping.


texts: Metal shed/roof/ with window air conditioner/insulation foam board

texts: I have an un insulated metal shed.  Both walls and roof are metal.  I bought insulation foam board for the ceiling that has the shiny foil on one side.  I have a air conditioner mounted in the wall that I want to use. Which way should I glue the insulation foam board onto the ceiling?  How do I reflect heat and eliminate condensation? I also have a exhaust fan mounted in the wall with a thermostat? I plan on running a commercial T-shirt heat press in the building from time to time.  I need answers for the roof first of all and then answers for the walls?  Thanks


texts:
Must we install a "moisture, not vapor" barrier, room-side, on an insulated above-grade portion of an exterior basement wall
Can we forgo installing any " moisture, not vapor, " barrier on the INSIDE of our above grade portion of an exterior basement 6" wall that has been filled with fiberglass insulation (with no kraft paper)?  If not, what do we use, the only "moisture, not vapor" barrier we've heard of is Tyvek; however, when we contacted Tyvek their Tech said "Tyvek is not for interior use"
The house is located in the forests of central western MA near the CT Border ( 01034 ).  The walk out basement dimensions are 24x26.  We have no knowledge about what moisture barrier may have been placed on the outside of the exterior walls in 1986/7 when the house was built.
We are considering closing up the wall using neither any moisture, nor "moisture not vapor", barrier.  Would this be an okay approach, to close up the wall with no barrier other than the paneling (or sheet rock), leaving the fiberglass insulated wall, otherwise, unlined, unenclosed and unrestricted (air born particles) ?
The exterior stud wall rises to approximately six feet above the top of the 27" high concrete foundation wall and has seven windows, including the door's window panel, and 12 electrical outlets.  A few years back the basement had a mold bloom (green) and all the exterior wall sheet rock and the previous fiberglass insulation with Kraft paper, were removed; and the basement was professionally cleaned.  The floor was and still is bare (another problem, perennial dust).  Since then we installed a powerful Sante Fe Classic dehumidifier and new fiberglass insulation (with no kraft paper).  We are now ready to close up and finish up with, the room side of the exterior stud wall.  We are considering installing pine T&G paneling on the stud section of the wall and we really need to decide what if anything to put between the insulation filled studs and the finish wall product, ie the paneling.
More on the matter . . . we also installed a mini-split and most recently a PH neutralizer tank was installed.  This tank is uninsulated and sweats like crazy (but not onto the floor?) even with the dehumidifier running.  Nothing else, that we can visually see, is sweating; however, this new tank's sweating is reminiscent of the sweat we used to see on the lally columns prior to the installation of the dehumidifier.  This reminds us that the condensation threat is ever present at least in Summer.  We are considering installing an insulation blanket on the tank.
Lastly, we have, on more than one occasion, been told by professionals that the basement is "dry"
however, the concrete moisture level on the floor and the walls at the corners etc registers as high as even 90%, after a rain.
Okay, we've posted a lot of comments and questions.  If you only get to answer one, please respond to the question of how to address the closing of the upper six feet of the inside of the exterior wall.
Please advise, as we would greatly appreciate any consideration you may give this matter.


texts: Drywall over Ceiling tiles and Plaster Ceiling

texts:
I have a 100 year old house with a room with old outdated ceiling tiles that I want to disappear. I don't know if the tiles are glued or stapled on but there are furring strips that run the length of the room that the tiles are adhered to. The ceiling behind this is a plaster ceiling. Can I just put drywall over everything or do I need to remove the ceiling tiles first? The tile have been there for at least 50 years and I don't know what they may contain. I also want to keep the mess to a minimum. Can I reuse the furring strips? The furring strips are 3in. x 3/4in in size.

What is the best way to handle this?


texts: What are the benefits of purple drywall?

texts:
I am about to drywall a basement.  Go purple?  Can purple be used around showers?  Are there any additional costs or install problems with the purple drywall?  Does it require any extra steps?  Why would I install it?

And this is the Purple stuff I am talking about.

Also I like to consider myself a progressive person.  If the purple drywall is the same cost why wouldn't it be installed by default?


texts: How can I seal around pipe baseboard heating to seal out smoke from downstairs?

texts: I live in an apartment on 2nd floor.  The landlord lives downstairs and 3 people down there constantly smoke. It's so bad in my second bedroom.  I bought expanding foam but afraid to spray around pipe where hole is because of heat. Is this a fire hazard or should I  use silicone instead? And should I go along the bottom as well where the floor meets the wall or will that affect the heat? Also be Dangerous??


texts: What is the proper name for this type of washer?

texts:
I'm trying to find a replacement for a washer / spacer that I lost, and it looks like this:

I know I need one that's M5 in size, and can probably measure the length of the one I've got remaining. But I have no idea what the 'correct' name for this is, so don't know what to search for. Collared spacer? Insert washer?


texts: Wifi Thermostat to Reznor Garage Heater. No "C" wire connection on terminal strip

texts:
I just had a 75000 btu Reznor UDAP garage heater installed.  Can I run a "C" wire for a smart thermostat if I don't have a C connection on the terminal strip?  There is a C connection on the circuit board and an unused W2 connection on the terminal strip.

There are 4 connections on the terminal strip  R, G, W1, W2.  The current thermostat is connected to the R and W1 terminals.  The G is connected to the circuit board from the terminal strip, but looks to be unused tight now.  The W2 has nothing hooked to it, i.e bare terminals.

My question is, Can I use the G terminal (since it's connected to the circuit board already) to connect my C wire up (to provide 24V power to my smart thermostat), or should I connect a wire from the unused W2 terminal and connect it to the C terminal on the circuit board, and us that to run 24V power to the smart thermostat.  Or is the heater just incompatible and I'll need to buy a battery operated wifi thermostat?

Glen.


texts:
Help! I was replacing my overflow cover when I realized the overflow pipe is missing it's gasket. This is a brass pipe with machined threads on the outside. The top of the overflow very slightly peeks into the tub (see pics)

I noticed some disintegrated plastic around the thread, so something was screwed on at one point. The local plumbing supply couldn't figure it out, and I can't find anything online.


texts: I bought a wifi thermostat and tried to use G instead of C since that's what the manufacture suggested if no C. Was able to on the thermostat end but how do I add it on cooling/heating system end. Picture attached. Any help appreciated. I could not find the circuit.


texts: Constructing a simple silent bedframe: felt pads for connecting surfaces?

texts:
I will construct a simple wooden bed, nothing fancy. The main concerns for it are quietness when moving, and stability to allow adding small hooks, latches and whatnot to the sides.

It'll be either of the two designs above. Is the assumption correct that creaking is caused by wooden surfaces rubbing against each other, and not by screws agains the wood? If yes, is it reasonable to add felt pads where beams/boards connect, like so?

Please note that the looks of it are only secondary, my main concern is its functionality. Wide boards can be added to the sides later to conceal whatever method to reduce noise. I'm currently limited to a very basic set of tools, but can invest into new equipment if needed.
Is this a good idea? What better ways are there to make a bed quiet?
There are two similar questions:
How can I prevent a wooden bed frame from creaking?
How do I stop a bed frame from squeaking?
which seem to be related to a different kind of bed frame where the mattress is held up by a slatted frame resting on legs.


texts: Can a homeowner perform regular maintenance to prevent their HVAC system from leaking refrigerant?

texts:
Raise your hand if you A) own a home or property with an HVAC system, and B) have ever had a HVAC service person recharge your refrigerant due to a leak?
I see everyone's hand is raised.
Okay, maybe the lucky few didn't or the owners of brand spanking new system, but most of you did. Summer starts and the heat waves wash over the country. Residential customers start calling the techs to come out, businesses are posting signs on their doors "Bear with us as we repair our A/C"...
Question
So tell me, why, of all the important systems in a home, is an HVAC system so susceptible to this issue? And is there anything a homeowner, apart from having an entire new system installed (or leaks repaired), do about it? Is there some preventative maintenance that can help alleviate this common issue?


texts: How to safely attach block-and-tackle to 2x8 ceiling joist(s) to handle 1000-lb load?

texts:
I'd like to make or build a block-and-tackle in my garage to be able to lift up to a thousand-pound load (e.g. a moose).  I think I have a handle on the design of a block-and-tackle and the selection of rope, etc., but what I'm struggling with is how to attach it to my ceiling joist(s).

The joists are 2x8s and they are exposed so I can get up there if I need to drill holes, bolt through them, etc.  I'm not sure how far apart they are but I think it's about 2 feet.  The simplest approach would be a single eye bolt screwed into one joist, but I don't know the weight ratings for eye bolts and I'd be worried that the wood might fail (I don't know the species) or the bolt might unscrew over time.  So I've been thinking instead about perhaps running a steel bar horizontally between two or more joists and hanging my block-and-tackle from that bar.  Or maybe a wooden beam, but how would I fasten that to reliably hold the weight?  Another possibility might be multiple eye bolts in one or more joists and a small web of ropes coming together to lift the block.

TLDR: what is a safe and reliable way to attach a block and tackle with a 1000-lb weight to a ceiling with exposed 2x8 joists?


texts:
My house has some Cat 5e keystone jacks that are wired for telephone. But the cables in the walls are Cat 5e. (They, the phone company, only wired 2 of the 4 pairs into the jack). I want to 'convert' this arrangement so that I have an Ethernet data port using the Cat5e, by wiring all 4 pairs.

My question is: Can I reuse the keystone jack(s) that is/are currently being used. More specifically, how do I remove the wires from the connectors? (I assume I have to remove the existing wires before I can punch-down new wires into the jack.)

PS - I realize keystone jacks are plentiful and cheap on the Internet, but I ask this question because if I can reuse the jack(s), I might as well.


texts: I am looking to make storage for my 12x12 papers and my 8.5" x 11" papers.  I want to make it with lots of shelves and not sure where to start.


texts: How to replace a light bulb in ceiling light

texts:
So I have those lights out of which most lightbulbs burned down, thus I want to replace them. Problem is that I have no idea how to get to them, tried to pull down the entire thing - but that just pulls down the entire "socket", tried to pry the "metal rim" with a flat top but that also didn't seem right, and I didn't want to possibly ruin it so I gave up.

Any ideas on how to get in and replace the bulbs? Also what type of bulb may it be so I can order replacements?


texts: Skim coating over cigarette stained walls

texts:
We are moving into a house with yellow stained walls from the smoker who lived there for 40+ years.
On top of that, every single wall is textured.
We already plan on skim coating to cover the texture.
Should we use kilz or zinnser prior to doing the skim coat Or will the skim coat cover the stains/odor?


texts: Does a leaking cell destroy the other cells in the same battery?

texts:
I have a device I have never used before. Unfortunately I found out that one of the device's 3 LR44 cells was leaking white potassium carbonate. See my sketchy illustration below.

I have only 2 new cells to replace the three. Even though I understand that it is best to combine cells that have common history, I started to wonder that, in general, does the leaking cell destroy or at least greatly degrade the others in the same series? If not, then the two with no leak would be fine and I could just replace the leaked one. If yes, then is it best for me to go shopping for more cells?


texts:
There is a steel wire armoured cable (SWA) in my back garden that was put there by the previous owner. One end leads to the fuse board but is currently disconnected. The other end is loose at the edge of the lawn (with about 10m to spare), appearing from under the tarmac drive. The idea was to bury it under the grass, leading to the shed down the lawn a little bit - but that bit was never completed.

The cable was then damaged (see pic) just past the point where it appears from under the tarmac - the previous owner said the lawnmower had hit it. I'm also a little concerned that the plastic coating might be a little stiffer now than it was, although it is probably not too bad. There is a standard concrete kerb that the cable will do under right at the point of the damage to the cable.

I can't see any copper wire in the damage - it looks as if the inner insulation is intact, but I can see it.

I'm wondering what would now be the best way to repair the cable in order to lead it to the shed?

Many thanks,
Ian


texts: Type of beadpanel to use for wainscoting in a bathroom

texts:
We're renovating our bathroom and we're planning to do wainscoting.

I found some MDF beadboards whose moisture rating is "moisture-resistant". Can I trust that in a bathroom (assuming I use the proper primer and paint for it) or do I have to go with a vinyl beadboard instead?


texts: does dryer lint come into my bathroom through the air vent?

texts:
When I moved into my townhouse we were told we must put an exhaust fan into the basement washroom. We had someone do this and since then we have had dryer lint come thru the vent.

We have also noticed that we can only heat one side of the house. Only half our vents give full heat. Could these issues be related?


texts: What is a good rule of thumb for distance between support studs in a banquette seat?

texts:
I am going to build built-in seating for my dining room. Planning a 6' span and a 5' span in an "L" shape in one corner of my dining room. I have a decent plan in mind, but I am not sure how to decide how to space the supports. I plan to have the cushions removable and a small (18" to 24") hinged lid on each seat for bonus storage (board games, etc).
Frame will be 20" wide, 14" tall at seat, and (24") between spans. Back will go up from seat area ~3" from back to give it a slight lean using angled cut on 30" high back.


texts: Is stacking material under an I-Beam to make it level structurally sound and passing code?

texts: Saw this in my new home construction, I am concerned, wondering if this is common. Thanks!


texts: Will this breaker box accept a quadplex breaker?

texts:
We currently have our AC ran to this breaker box:
GE TL270RCU

It has a 2 pole 30a tandem breaker in there now:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Q-Line-30-Amp-2-in-Double-Pole-Circuit-Breaker-THQL2130/100356511

We are looking at adding a ductless mini split which would need its own breaker, and from conversations, the box has the capacity to handle the 15a unit, but not the space for another breaker.

I've seen quadplex breakers used for this type of situation, but based on the breaker boxes sticker, I cannot find a quadplex breaker that would fit this.
Does anyone know if/what would fit?

If possible, I'd prefer to go this route vs a whole new breaker box to accommodate the single additional tandem 15a breaker.

Edit: Here is a picture of the breaker actually installed.


texts: What is best product for stripping paint from wood?

texts: We want to strip previously painted trim and baseboards.  We have tried the Jasco paint stripper but it gums up and is not very successful, especially since the trim has a fairly detailed profile.  Is there a more successful product to use?


texts: What is the purpose of a "framed" switch?

texts:
I'm replacing the switches throughout my house and came across this one today. What is the value of it being "framed" (it seems like that's the only difference between it and the most basic switch)?

Can I just replace it with this one.


texts: Is it ok to put insulation on attic floor?

texts: Discovered that the walls are not insulated, and that the drywall ceiling simply rests on the walls and is nailed to the joists above. Plan is to insulate walls, but will need to frame them out, and to add insulation to the attic (currently rodent-invested blown in fiberglass). Ceiling above ugly drop ceiling is in bad shape. My thought is to expose the joists and stain them for a decorative look since I have to put the work into taking the ceiling down anyway. But I'm not sure if it's ok to put insulation on top of the plywood. Thoughts?


texts: Water coming in around foundation when it rains

texts: My home was built in the 1980s.  I live in Oklahoma.  Last month with all the rains I started getting water coming in and soaking carpets  I have a slab foundation.  I pulled the carpet up no cracks. I thought the water was coming in where the air conditioner lines and hot water lines run into the house. I sealed all of that but when it rained again I got more water.  There is a rock garden outside of that part of the house. Any suggestions


texts: Should I replace an old breaker or add a new one?

texts: Our old circuit breaker for our water heater seems to be at the end of its life. However, the breaker also controls our well system, and the breaker is only 20 amps. Is it okay for us to just replace the breaker (the old one lasted a good 15-20 years) or should we consider having an electrician separate out the well onto a new circuit? There is an open slot in the circuit box if needed.


texts:
Asking for a friend who's not too big on the internet... ;-)

Background:

On a farm. 1000' underground three wire power run to a well. Buried about 3 feet down.
There is about 200' of three black cables from the barn to a fence post. There there they come above ground and a switch from three black wires to two black and one yellow which run underground from there to the well. (I'll call them B1, B2 and Y for now with Y assumed to be ground/common. (an assumption of intent, not fact!))
At the barn's circuit breaker panel... 240 volts measured across the wires at a double breaker. 120 volts from each of those wires to ground. These are presumed to be B1 and B2.
At the "fence post" joint, and at the well... B1 to Y is 120 volts, B1 to B2 is 120 volts and B2 to Y is 0. (i.e. no combination is 240 volts.)

I'm confused by the 120 volts between B1 and B2 an the zero between B2 and Y.

Current theory:

Y an B1 are good.
B2 is broken and in contact with wet soil. (I.e. grounded)

Make sense?

He bought an underground wire locator (a TX to attach to one end and an RX you walk with to find the break). So far it has not been too useful in finding where the break is, most likely due to very wet and saturated ground, but when testing the end of the lines, it seems to indicate that B2 is the problem.


texts: Can a Backup Generator SubPanel Neutral be tied to the Main Panels Neutral bus, if both panels are energized at the same time from different sources?

texts:
Im new here, and Ive learned alot from many of these posts, although I have not found my exact issue yet, so I decided to upload this.
I have a question regarding my installation, if its safe, and if I were to have the generator running whilst the Utility Power eventually "re-energized" the Main Panel, would the Neutrals balancing loads from different sources (Utility and the genny) cause a problem of some sort at their shared Neutral/Ground busses at the Main??

I BELIEVE a legitimate Transfer Switch uses the same principle here as it just extends the hot/line wires from the Main to the Transfer Switch, whilst leaving the Neutrals tied to the Main Panel (which would mean that when the Utility Power comes back on, the Genny is still powering the Backup Circuits, whilst its Neutral is tied to the Main Panel, which has ITS circuits powered from the Utility Company. (so they are sharing the same Neutral/Ground point..?)

Heres the info i have so far. I hope Im clear enough.

I Rewired my Main Service Panel (120/240V Homeline 150A - white panel) a couple years ago.
The Main panel is Grounded from the Service side of the Panel, to the Main Copper Water Pipe 6 feet away. (that #6 at the bottom of the Main Panel is bonded to the gas lines, and the #10 under it is the Backup SubPanels bond)
I had no thought for backup power in the future, which is why there are 7 extra unwired 15A breakers in my new Main now.
I extended my "black side" of the split-phase wires with black wires to my SubPanel, and the "red side" with white wires, to keep the same balance, more or less.
The Backup Generator Subpanel (Siemens - gray panel) is my "economic" version of a Transfer Switch, with a mechanical interlock between the upper "30A generator" breaker and the lower "30A subpanel feed" breaker.

My Generator cord is a L-14 30A "4-prong" cord with an adapter that has the two "hots" tied together because my genny is only 120V with an TT-30A RV plug; and all I found was this type of inlet plug for the exterior of the house (which I "economically adjusted"). I wired a 10/3 with bond from the 4-prong inlet through the top of the gray SubPanel.

My generator is a 120V with a Floating Neutral, which, i believe, is proper for this installation, since the Neutral and Ground are only connected at one point - at the Main Panel. (or does it have to be at the "source" of the power (the generator) only? gee, i hope not)
The SubPanel's Neutral busbar and Ground busbar had NO continuity when i tested them BEFORE I connected the Neutrals and Grounds to them, coming from the Main Panel. But since the Neutral and Ground wires are now connected ONLY at the Main Panel, the SubPanel's Neutral and Ground/Bond busbar now has continuity when I use a continuity tester on them at the SubPanel, which is okay, since they make a full circuit through my tester now, right?
There are no MWBC on these 7 circuits.

I hope I gave enough info, and I really appreciate any help with this, as Im still leery to "test" the Backup generator power by engaging the 30A upper "backup" breaker, which would disengage the "Subpanel feed", powering the 7 SubPanel circuits via the genny, BUT yet the Neutrals are still tied to the Main Panel, STILL powered by the Utility company.
Thanks again for any and all help with this.


texts: What should I leave in the walls to allow me to fish future wires?

texts:
I'm working with a builder, and I did all of my own low-voltage wiring to open low voltage single gang plates.  I have some runs that I want to be able to fish future wires through.  Some of my runs are long, and others are short (a plate low and high between the same two studs, same floor for a security camera).  What are the recognized strategies to help me plan and prepare for this?

Here are some of the questions about that I have:

What do I leave in the walls?
What do I do at each end?
What are some things I should consider?

I plan to trim the wires or pull them up into the attic after the drywall is done.  For now, I have each labeled on the wire and tape and box.

The question for me, is between those two boxes, what if I wanted to do something seasonal like run an extension cord for holiday lights, or run a low voltage wire for a baby monitor camera?  I think I want a string up into the rafters, and a string between these two boxes in this picture


texts: I am trying to figure out how to change the spotlight bulbs shown in the image below. The normal push and twist approach I use with other spotlight types doesn't work. Didn't manage to find anything online.


texts: Currently I have a switch that turns the light on and off, and a second switch that turns the fan on and off. I would like to make it so the fan can only turn on if the light is on as well. But if the light switch turns off so does the fan. Now I don't want one switch to turn them both on and off together. I just don't see a need to leave the fan on if you're not in the bathroom. Hopefully I've asked my question in a way you understand what I'm asking.


texts: How do I seal a large gap between slabs to avoid freeze/thaw heaving?

texts:
I have a very large slab patio on the back of my home in Southern MN that has pulled away from the house about 6-8" due to freeze/thaw heaving. The previous owners have filled the gap with river rocks, which gives it an "ok" appearance, but it doesn't do anything to keep water getting in between the foundation and this slab and shoving it out. What can I use to seal such a large opening?

The slab is at least 4" thick through out, as that's how deep the contraction cuts are. I suspect in reality it's at least 6" deep throughout. The far side away from the house is between at least 10" thick on the south end and over 20" thick on the north. I suspect the original plan was for this slab to also support a deck, as there are the remains of steel pins along the top edge of the far side, and there is some suspicion that the master bedroom window directly above the door seen here was originally going to be a walk out door. That plan was thankfully never implemented by the original builders.

The house sits on clay atop sandstone and this back edge is basically at the top of a hill side, from the edge of the slab the back yard slopes away at a 40 to 60 degree slope for about 20', then continues to slope away at a shallower angle for at least another 80' to the creek out back in the woods.

I have a couple of estimates to remove the slab, put in a retaining wall and pave the area with pavers instead of a single monolithic slab - which pretty much everyone has said is the wrong answer for this location. Those are very expensive jobs that I can't afford at this time. Hence the desire to see what I can do to lessen the impacts and give me time to be able to afford to have the pros in to do the right thing.


texts: Having a problem with the release valve leaking like crazy when the hydrant is turned on. A plumber replaced the release valve a couple times and still have this issue. What can you recommend?


texts: Replacing old plug-in 220V range with new hardwire 3-wire electric cooktop: remove outlet or add a plug?

texts:
My apartment had an electric range which plugged into NEMA 10-30P/10-50P and was served by two 50A circuits. I will be installing electric/220V induction cooktop using the same circuits.

There are three wires in the plug (red, black and white).

There are three wires in the new cooktop (red, black and green).

Instructions say to connect the green wire from the cooktop to the white wire from the wall.   So far so good, except the outlet will need to be removed and some sort of extension box will need to be put in its place to allow the connection in the back of the cabinet.

Is it possible instead to put a plug at the end of the cooktop 3-wire cable?  If yes, then is there an advantage to doing that rather than hardwiring it?

Electrical requirements for new cooktop:
    3-wire or 4-wire single phase 208 or 240 volt AC, 60-Hz, on dedicated double pole circuit breaker of at least 40 amps.

For the old range:
    "You must use a single-phase, 120/208 VAC or 120/240 VAC, 60 hertz electrical system. ... connected to an individual, properly grounded, 40 amp (minimum) branch circuit"

I'm in NYC if that matters.

Here is my attempt at picture of the top of the J box behind the plug:

And here is the sub-panel showing the three wires in question:


texts:
I've noticed my water at home smells a bit "earthy". It's much more pronounced when hot. I called the city- we're on public water- who tested it while cold and said it's within state limits. When I pass the water through a drinking filtration system, it smells just fine.

Could this be a bacterial bloom of some sort in my hot water tank?


texts: When framing wall studs 24" on center and the joists are running north and south you layout the wall studs to sit directly above the 24" joists. What do you do for the outside walls running above the east/west rim joist? Is only having the rim joist available to set the 24" on center studs acceptable or do you need to install additional structural support?


texts: 6x6 Deck post repair, Joining two 6x6 posts

texts:
I need to replace a 13 ft   high, approximately, 6x6 deck post due to dry rot on bottom half of the post .
The deck sits around 10 ft high from the ground and rest of it  [post] is above the deck floor connecting rails. The 6x6 post sit on the concrete with metal bracket.
Replacing entire 13 ft high post  would be the optimum solution but would require a lot of extra work, like removing some of the deck floor board, detaching rails on the top, removing side cover panel which is bolted into 6x6.
Question:
Can i get away with cutting the bad rotten part of the post (lets say about 9 ft from the bottom and replace with new post) so basically joining two post vertically using metal braces? or please suggest any other feasible solution.


texts: Is there an easy way to make a square hole in plaster/brick to put an electrical outlet box in?

texts:
I am about to fix a few new sockets, I can run the cables down the back of some built in cupboards, but would rather not use surface mounted sockets.

I do not have a SDS drill, just a standard hammer drill.


texts: How to deal with this mold on the window frame?

texts: I just discovered what I assume is mold on my window frame in the kitchen/living room (quite high humidty, but the window has been open a lot and our fan is going 24/7). Now, I've been told that dealing with black mold is dangerous, my landlord however looked at it and said it can easily be dealt with with bleach. After googling this I'm still not sure if I can or can't deal with this myself, some say I should get him to get someone to do it professionally, others recommend everything from bleach to special paint. What is the right way for me to deal with this?


texts: My Refrigerator Water Tastes Like Peppers!

texts:
I have a whirlpool side by side refrigerator with an ice maker / water dispenser in the door. I got it used and have never use the water features because there is a peppery taste in the water that sits in the line for a while. I have tried the water in the supply line and have ruled that out. I have replaced the filter to no avail. if I purge the water, I can use it without the taste but if I let it sit, say.. over night, the peppery taste comes back. Both water and ice have problem.

I have a theory that pepper containing food was stored in the refrigerator and the aromatics leech into the internal supply lines, thus contaminating the water.

Does this theory seem valid? Has anyone else had this problem? Has anyone else solved this?

I am thinking about running copper lines to replace the internals.. Any advice?


texts: Can built-in furniture be installed near sprinkler piping?

texts: I had a loft bed built into my condo.  The bed is up near the ceiling and there is a large red water pipe just above it.  It carries the water to the sprinklers but its not a sprinkler itself.  My bed is about a foot and a half below this pipe.  Is this legal?


texts: Are licensed electricians required to perform code-compliant repairs?

texts:
A California licensed electrician replaced a circuit breaker for a friend. He removed the living room AFCI breaker and replaced it with a used non-AFCI breaker.

When I heard this I was upset enough that he installed a used breaker, but the CA Electric code requires an AFCI here (unless I am mistaken, I re-read the section).

Is it permitted to replace the breaker with a used one? Is it permitted to replace a compliant breaker with a non compliant breaker?


texts: Removing wallpaper on concrete wall and prepare for paint

texts:
I have removed the textured wallpaper from the wall and the concrete is now exposed. There was a significant amount of glue, and I have used warm water with sugar soap and a scraper to remove as much of it as possible (the process was repeated 3-4 times and little glue was removed on the last pass, but the wall still feels very slightly sticky when wet).
Small holes have been patched with setting compound and then sanded.
The wall is now fairly smooth, with some irregularities.
I am looking for a smooth (but not necessarily perfect) wall and long-lasting paint job so the glue is a concern. I am thinking about proceeding as follows:

Apply a layer of sealer to the wall (Zinsser Gardz High Performance Sealer, a water-based product. It looks like oil-based sealers were popular in the past but because of their smell and thanks to technical progress water-based sealers are now a good option.)
Skim coat the wall with some gypsum-based joint and filler compound, then sand (repeating the process twice).

Does it make sense to process in this order or should skimming happen first?
Would this method yield good results?
I'm aware skimming can be tricky but I'm happy to learn how to do it. I have considered putting wallpaper on the wall but would prefer not to if there are decent alternatives.


texts: Wall surface is too smooth after spackle

texts: I had a hole in some drywall that I repaired with spackle paste. I sanded it down so it is level with the existing drywall. The problem now is that the spackle is smoother than the surrounding drywall. How can I create the same texture in the spackle so that it looks seamless when I paint over it?


texts:
I have recently discovered the following signs of wood pest in my roof truss:

A few other rafters seem to have the same type of wood pest.
Which insect am I dealing with? Is this a woodworm, a house longhorn or something different?
And what´s the best way to get rid of that specific insect?


texts: Installing a new smart switch into box, wanting to double check plan (primarily with regards to ground wires)

texts:
I'm looking to install a new smart switch into a 3 gang box. The current box has 3 toggle switches, each of which is without connection to a ground wire. The box itself has 5 sets of wires coming into the box, with all the grounds and neutrals bound together (either with wire nuts or with copper clamps). A picture of this is shown below (4 sets of wires coming from the top of the box and 1 set coming from the bottom that's harder to see):

The smart switch needs to be connected to neutral, and included with the smart switch is what appears to be a 12 AWG jumper wire for this purpose. My plan was to connect the load/lines as they were with the original switches, and then wire nut this 12 AWG wire with the other 5 (I think) 14 AWG neutral wires already in the existing wire nut with a new Ideal WT52-Red wire nut (which says on the box that it can handle 1 #12 with 5 #14s). Good so far, right?

My next question is how to do the grounding, and this is one that I'm more unsure of. The wires are there, as you can see. But I'll need to ground my new smart switch and will also want to ground the 2 other dumb switches that I'll be replacing simultaneously (since I want them all to be Decora style, and presumably new switches will have ground screws for me to take advantage of). What is the right way to do that grounding? Do I need to get 3 new 14 AWG copper wires to go from the ground screws to that bundle of ground wires there? If so, how should they be joined (that would be 8 #14s)? Would I have to crimp that together with a copper clamp or are there wire nuts that could handle that? I can't just have one of those existing ground wires (say, from each load) attach to the ground screw, right? That doesn't ground it?

Also, as a secondary question, why would there be 5 sets of wires coming into this box anyway? I would have figured that there would be 1 set from the line, and then 3 loads. I think these are all single-pole switches...

Thanks for any insight you can give.


texts: Water pressure drops bad when using 2 appliances

texts:
Just bought a house. When using more than one anything in the house, the water pressure drops significantly.  For exmaple:  flush the toilet.  While it's filling back up, the sink will just trickle water out.  This is true for any 2 combinations of shower/faucet/toilet/washing machine in the house (basically anything that uses water).  Doesn't even have to be in the same proximity to each other.

If using only one thing, the pressure is fine.  I bought a pressure tester and hooked it up to the outside hose and it shows as 58, which from what I've read is normal.

This is a 2-story house if that matters.

Edit: Pictures


texts: (Solved) Electrical receptacle box has only 2 wires (white and black, no ground), but both are hot so no neutral? Can't figure out why?

texts:
Edit - Solved. Thank you @Harper - Reinstate Monica!
A light connected to the same breaker was wired incorrectly upstream from the problem receptacle.

I think I might be a little over my head trying to DIY some electrical work in my 60's home. I am trying to replace my old 2 prong receptacles with GFCI protected receptacles following this Sparky Channel video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16KObgI44UE. To find the most upstream receptacle in the circuit, I removed all the receptacles (7 on this breaker, also 3 lights), capped all the wires, then tested with a non contact tester to see which line was still hot.

Oddly enough, 3 of the boxes still had hot black wires. 3 of the boxes also have no load wires (so only 1 set of black and white wires) and in one of those boxes both white and black wires are hot. There are only 2 wires in this box and both of them are hot. How?

I tested again with a (cheap) multimeter and got 120v from black to the metal box and also got 120v from white to the metal box. I am not knowledgeable at all about how to use a multimeter so not sure if that proves anything. The old receptacle was wired normally (white to neutral, black to hot) and did not work for as long as I can remember.

I plan on hiring an electrician eventually to take a look at this but unfortunately I cannot afford it at the moment. In the meantime, I plan on capping the 2 wires and covering it with a blank wall plate. Pretty curious as to how this happens. Greatly appreciate any enlightenment!


texts: How to fix roof shingles that has paint splattered on them?

texts:
Our painter got paint on our roof shingles when he was spraying our chimney.

The paint is splattered across a 3’ x 3’ area. It is visible from street level.

What is the easiest way to fix this? (We will probably replace the roof in a year or so)

Should we get some matching shingles and nail them over the existing ones?

Should we just paint the shingles to mask the splattered paint?

Should we replace the shingles?

I’m looking for the most economical way and still have the roof look okay.


texts: What sort of professional can I call for attic inspection and checking foundation?

texts: I am a single lady homeowner of a fix-up foreclosure. I bought the home for cash but did have a home inspection done. It has been almost 10 years, and although I did fix the things that were initially spotted I want to make sure everything is OK in a couple specific areas that I am really unfamiliar with: attic (enough insulation, look for plumbing leaks, dead birds, etc) and foundation (have cracks in walls & ceiling). I was considering whether getting another home inspection would be helpful, because they can look at all my major systems. Who to call - can I get a cheap analysis and estimate for any damages from just one person? Do I need a contractor or can a handyman type do the job?


texts: I have an incredibly toxic smell emanating from one of my floor vents. I think one of my cats peed in the vent. Will I be able to remove the duct-work without ripping out the linoleum and sub-floor? What do I need to do to clean ducts?


texts: How often should the air filter in the furnace be changed?

texts: Does the period of change of this air filter have an affect on the longevity of the heating and a/c system? What is a good rule of thumb to require replacement?


texts: Replacing standard light switch with dimmer

texts:
I have a standard light switch (on/off) controlling my living room lights, that I would like to replace with a dimmer switch.

Pulling the old light switch off, I can see that it's connected like so.

Two live wires going into L1, and one live wire going into L2.

I took note of this and wired the dimmer switch in the same way.

However, when restoring power and trying the switch, it doesn't work at all, as if no power at all is making it to the light.

I've ensured that the connections are in properly and secure. I've since fitted the old light switch again and it's working, so I know I've not damaged anything while replacing it.

Any suggestions, or does this look like a duff switch that I'll need to return?

I'm in the UK, if that helps explain the wiring.


texts: How do you build a "wet room" style bathroom floor?

texts:
20 years ago I lived in Sweden, and remember that the bathroom was designed with floors that could tolerate a lot of water. There was a tub & shower head but no shower curtain. The floor sloped to a floor drain. The flooring curved up at the edges. There was a large squeegee to wipe down after a shower.

How would I build a floor like this?


texts:
Can I put two duplex receptacles in a 4 inch box (depth is 2 1/8") without overfilling it?  I will use #12 AWG with each receptacle on its own circuit (MWBC).
Wondering if I need to upgrade to a 4 11/16 box.


texts: How do I fix this light fixture now unstuck from the ceiling?

texts:
Right now it's hanging by electrical cords, believe there was some adhesive that came undone. I am not an electrician so don't want to mess with it.
What is that adhesive called?