texts:
I would like to install a Smart Switch (in the UK). I am confused regarding what wires go where and the fact that this requires a neutral wire.

This is the back of the new switch:

Although I know I have 3 wires in the switch socket, I cannot remember if two are coloured blue / brown. I do remember I have a yellow-green striped wire which from my research on Google is ground (not neutral).

I know two wires are currently plugged into L1 and L2 in the current switch (whatever that means) and the yellow-green stripped wire is just loose in the socket.

So, how would I go about installing this switch based on where the wires are currently plugged into and where they need to go in the new switch? If yes, I must already have a neutral wire?

Thanks,
Lewys


texts: Can someone explain to me how this hot water recirculating system works?

texts:
How is my hot water recirculating system installed?

... and why is it not working like it should?

Moved into a house recently that was built in 2006. There is a hot water recirculating pump installed (Grundfos UP 15-10 pump). I'm not very knowledgeable about plumbing from a DIY perspective, so I could use some help here.

I'm having some problems with it now, as it's no longer providing hot water as quickly as it used to. I looked up the service manual for it, and it calls for an installation different than what I'm actually seeing (not sure if this is the problem, but I want to understand). The manual specifies:

it should be installed at the hot water discharge from the tank in the direction of the flow
a thermal bypass valve should be installed at a sink furthest from the tank.

What I actually see (Or think I see):

There seems to be some sort of dedicated return line coming out of my wall
The pump is there with the flow direction pumping back into the tank
It pumps back into the release valve of the tank
There is no "thermal bypass valve" anywhere in my house

So how does it actually work and how can I fix it? What's the easy stuff to check?

Here are some pictures:


texts: Single Dimmer for multiple lights each having a one way switch

texts:
Can I use a single dimmer for multiple lights each having a one way switch?

Dimmer wattage is taken care


texts: Trying to fix/replace a ceiling light -- seen this type of mounting bracket anywhere?

texts:
A ceiling light was held in place by this plastic bracket and finally broke away.

Been searching all over trying to find a generic replacement bracket but everything seems to attach upwards. This fixture uses side screws to attach. I realize that part of the issue is that whoever installed the light used drywall screws which probably didnt help so I wont use those again. But any ideas where I could find a replacement for this bracket? I guess if nothing else I could try to drill holes and attach upwards using some of the generic brackets I have found at various home improvement stores.


texts:
I recently bought a self-assembly wardrobe.  After assembling it, the drawer bottoms were not held in place by enough wood (I think the groove for the drawer base was too close to the bottom of the drawer).
I have two questions:

Does anyone have any tips for reinforcing these? They have already broken three times, and I've tried additional screws, wood glue and even new pieces of wood to fix them.

Is there any way of simply buying the instructions separately so that I can build it with higher quality wood?


texts: Is it OK to strip a wire in the middle for attaching a fixture?

texts:
When swapping out a closet light fixture this morning, I found that they had attached it by stripping a small section of each of the black and white wires and bending them around the appropriate screw. The wires then continued another 2-3 inches to the wire nut for connecting to other circuits.

Now, I've removed this mostly because the way the screws were on my new fixture made it a serious PITA to do it again, but I'm wondering if it was ever OK or not.

I removed it by cutting the wire at the strip point, adding that to the bundle in the wire nut, and adding a 2-inch piece of wire appropriately stripped from the wire nut to the fixture. And I did twist the wire bundle before screwing on the wire nut.

The house was built around 1967 or so, if that helps, and wire is copper.


texts: How can I fix my ineffective, slipping cabinet hinges without getting new cabinets?

texts:
Some of my kitchen cabinets have a problem where the hinges are slipping/losing grip at the top, causing the door to angle down and not close properly (you have to lift it up by the handle to straighten it as you close it).  In a couple cases the door has slid completely off the hinges.

Can I put a different kind of hinge on the door that won't slip?  I'm a little worried that the door material might pretty weak and not very good at holding a screw.
What is this type of hinge called?  Could I get a new hinge of this style that might work better?
Is there any way to increase the grip?  I tried putting blue loctite on the screw holding the plate against the wood, but that didn't seem to do much good.

The I'm guessing the cabinets are probably from the 80s, and they have a type of hinge that I haven't personally seen before.  There's a plate that goes into a slot on the door, and you screw down the plate to get it clamp on to the door.  As you can see, the doors are made of some weak fiberboard like material, and they've cracked (and been glued back together).  Here are some photos:


texts: Can light falling out of socket, how to resolve issue?

texts: This light is starting to fall out of its socket. What can be done to alleviate the issue? Are there spacers that can be put into the sides or does this have to be addressed in the attic above the light?


texts: Should I paint the exterior wooden trim on my home if it's peeling?

texts:
I would like your advice on whether I need to repaint the timber exterior of my 2nd floor balcony. The house was built in 2008, so the paint job is about 12 years old. In this part of the world, it can get to around 0 degrees (32 F) in winter, at night. It can get to around 40 degrees (104 F) in summer, during the day. It does not snow, but it can rain against this side of the house. It is South facing (in the Southern hemisphere), which means it only gets direct sunlight for ~2 months of the year, during summer. However, this is when the sun, UV, and heat are at their highest.
The paint is pealing in places and it looks like there are some gaps developing in the timber. In this last photo, it looks like a splint about an inch long has developed on this side of the frame.


texts:
We are planning to buy AC for our small bed room for this summar. I am really confused with the specification described in the show room.
What does it mean 1.5 ton AC ??
What is that rechargeable fan ??
What is the main thing do I need to check while buying AC ??
My question may be simple . but please guide me .
Thanks in Advance


texts: Can pvc fittings and pvc pipe be used to install tube and shower fixture

texts: Can pvc fittings and pipe be used to install tub and shower fixture.


texts: Who is the manufacturer of this shower faucet brand?

texts:
Does anyone know who is the manufacturer of this brand?
I need it in order to buy the appropriate diverter.


texts: Confused by ~115VAC 5-wire cabling to UK thermostat

texts:
I have a 5-wire cable as used for 3-phase (i.e. stripes/blue/brown/black/grey) coming to a hole where a thermostat was - only the earth, live (brown), and switched live (black) were used by this battery-powered thermostat.

Assuming that the 5-wire cable had been used simply to avail the black for use as a switched live, I thought that it would otherwise be like the 3-wire cables to a standard plug, and I could use it as such.

Confusingly, I measured 115VAC between live and neutral (expecting double, I'm in the UK). The same between live and earth; live and grey.

No matter, I thought, I can use a 100-240VAC -> 12VDC converter. Connected it, and then measured mere mV across its output. Strange - so I measured its input; found 7VAC. Repeatably.

I don't understand this - how or why is the voltage falling so drastically under (0.25mA) load, preventing the transformer functioning?

Do I have any alternatives? I don't understand why these lines are at 115VAC anyway.


texts: How to prevent this shower floor buildup?

texts:
I keep getting this white buildup in my shower floor and I'm not sure how to stop it. I'm able to remove it if I plug off the drain, fill the basin with vinegar, and scrub really hard. But when I did that, it also removed some of the grout/cement. So what I'd like to do is figure out some way to prevent this from happening. I would like to avoid a water softener as I don't have room for one in my utility closet.
The lines it's forming are cracks in the floor. The buildup around the drain is also where I had to chip out the cement/grout because the contractor covered the drain cover making it impossible for me to remove a clog.
My thought is this might be related to water seeping through the cracks under the floor and that puddle is accelerating this build up. What's strange is the floor isn't flat so water puddles up in certain areas between some of the rocks. No buildup occurs in those puddles. It only occurs where there are cracks in the floor. So if I have some way to seal all the cracks, my thought is that maybe the water will stop causing this buildup.
I'm looking for ideas on how to

a) fix the cracks, and/or
b) prevent this buildup from occurring without getting a water softener.

Thanks in advance


texts: Fire Extinguisher Selection for Multiple Use

texts:
Ill start by saying that I found this question, which is extremely similar to my line of thought: Can a class A fire be extinguished with a class BC fire extinguisher?

I am trying to consider the right mix of extinguishers for my home and detached garage.  While the ABC dry chemical seems to be a good base extinguisher that is ubiquitous, it appears that they can make a big, acidic mess, and other options may be better.

So my curiosity is that many places say DO NOT USE an extinguisher on a fire other than what the extinguisher is rated for.  Sensible for a type A water extinguisher on a flammable liquid or on an electric fire.  In a garage or basement, where a solvent or fuel fire may be the principal consideration, other items may get engulfed (vehicle interior, lumber stored nearby, building structure, etc) it makes the question more relevant.  You want the best agent for the actual risk at hand (say, stored flammable organic liquids), but need to know the effect if the extinguisher is applied to other materials.  This is not defined anywhere that I know of!

But what would happen if one used a different dry chemical, say a standard BC or purple K extinguisher on a Class B fire that also had some wood or other Class A materials in the mix.  Ive not seen any real data on the efficiacy of this, though I have to imagine there is some.

I get it that some types must NEVER mix.  Im not asking that for the dumb, obvious ones.  Instead, for how dry chemical applications overlap.

Thanks!


texts:
I am hoping to extend the opening for my loft hatch using the following method.

I want to move the cross piece from position Q to position P. I intend to screw a temporary support across the top of the joists at position P. Then remove the cross piece at position Q, cut joist B where it intersects with line P and reattached the removed cross piece by screwing it to joist A and C. I will then remove the temporary support.

I have two questions:

Does this method sound sensible?
The cross piece is currently nailed between joists A and C. How can I go about removing it? The nails are driven in below the surface so I can't see how to get any tool on to them. Is there some other method? Ideally I would like to reuse the cross piece, but I can replace it if necessary.


texts:
I had a RING doorbell at our last house mounted on the wood siding. At our new house, there is a doorbell in a narrow channel with brick on one side and a metal door with plastic trim on the other.
As you can see, the RING barely fits.
We are renting, so I'm a little reluctant to hammer drill the landlord's brick wall.
Is there any creative way to mount this thing? If I can't use the old doorbell's wiring, that's OK since the RING is rechargeable.


texts: Front porch has old tongue and groove flooring. The nails at the end of the boards have come loose and two boards have buckled. What’s the best way to go about resetting them? I hate to cut away the tongue since that helps to keep the boards locked in, but it looks like that’s what I may have to do.


texts: coming from panel to a double gang with two gfci nec approved?

texts: Everyone has been so nice but never answered my questioned. Can I have a double gfci coming from a panel to a double gang box in a laundry room using line side only nec approved? Why? Because I want both to be independent in case one shuts down and doesn't affect the other.


texts: How does water flow through my water heater and up to the top floor without a pump?

texts: My house has a gas based water heater(geyser) on the outside. The plumber has connected it such that without the use of electric pump, just through pressure alone, hot water reaches the 1st and 2nd floor. How does this work?


texts: What are these wedges in the framing of my house?

texts:
I found an incomplete small spandrel under my stairs, and whilst I was exploring I found these wedges under the framing of some sort.
What are these "things" called, and what do they do?


texts: How can I connect copper pipe to an unthreaded, galvanized pipe?

texts:
I have a di-electric union which I want to install, but the union's galvinized side is threaded. The unthreaded, galvanized pipe is attached to the house so I can't easily thread it.

Perhaps there's some better way to connect an unthreaded 3/4" galvanizeded pipe to a 1/2" copper water line?


texts: What kind of locks do I get for a jack and jill bathroom so that you can have privacy in the bathroom as well as in both bedrooms?


texts:
Due to quarantine, I can no longer go out and exercise, so I am looking to drill a pull up bar in my room.
I can either drill the bar in the wall or the ceiling, both which is made of wood. This is my first DIY project ever, so I don't know if they can support my weight when I hang on a bar, and I am unsure where to drill the holes.
Do I drill it directly in the wood or are there metal studs?
I am also worried the screws might damage the structural integrity of the wood. Any suggestions for where to drill in either the wall or the ceiling?
Edit: People are asking for pictures so I will include pictures.
This is a wall that I can put the pull up bar, or on the ceiling.

I can also put the pull up bar on the wall here.


texts: circuit breaker problem after removing ceiling fan

texts: I removed a Hunter Ceiling Fan.  I went to my circuit box and turned off the power from the circuit breaker it was on.  I capped the wires and then went to my circuit box to reset my circuit breaker.  Problem is that the circuit breaker will not click on.  It keeps clicking off.  What did I do wrong?  There are 3 wires and a copper wire.  One is white, one black and on green.  I capped them all separately.  Please help. A good portion of lights are out from the rest of the house because they are connected to this breaker.


texts: Is a junction box required in my situation?

texts:
I’m moving my vanity light fixture (from where it was on the left to the hole on the right), and the cable is just barely too short to reach the new location (in particular the ground wire).
I’m thinking the solution is to install a junction box between the two holes to connect a new cable (luckily the fixture will hide it).
I just wanted to double check that this is the best course of action.


texts: How to track down a short circuit in attic with pressed metal ceiling?

texts:
When switching on a light the circuit breaker tripped.

On the distribution board, I switched off the sub-circuit for the light. The rest of the house and the plugs in the room with the light still have electricity.

I removed the entire light fitting from the ceiling. Then there where 2 wires poking through the ceiling. One wire is red, the other wire was black. (I assume red is live and black is neutral.) I cut off the black wire because some of the insulation had come off. (I cut off the black wire from the point where it branched from another black wire which goes to another light.) Now only the red wire is poking through the ceiling.

The entire ceiling (not the roof), is made of thin pressed metal plates (yes metal, not fibreglass). One side of the ceiling is painted (i.e. the side inside the house). The side of ceiling in the attic is not painted. At the spot on the ceiling where the light fitting was, some of the paint has come off. When touching the exposed end of the red wire to the unpainted ceiling, the circuit breaker trips.

I assume somewhere in the attic a black wire (from another light fitting, or from the cables leading down to a plug) is touching the metal ceiling.

The attic is a mess. It is impossible to walk in the attic due to the struts, rafters, beams, braces (i.e. all the wood holding up the roof). I can only "crab-along" the horizontal beams that rest on the walls. Of course I cannot step onto the pressed ceiling; it is far too thin. Pink insulation wool is lying on the pressed ceiling. The black and red cables run above the insulation wool. The black and red cables run from the distribution box, in parallel, seperated by about 3cm, until they descend down into either a light fitting or down towards the plugs. I have also noticed what seems to be earth wires. These are uninsulated metal cables. These earth cables frequently run under the insulation wool. As far as I can tell, the earth wires touch the ceiling.

To narrow down the cause, I switched off all sub-circuits on the distribution board. Then, one-by-one I switched on each sub-circuit individually, and tried to cause the short circuit. Only 2 sub circuits cause the problem. These 2 circuits are for the plugs in various rooms in the house.

Questions

How do I track this short circuit down ? My plan was to lift the insulation wool and to

check that all red and black cables are still insulated
check for any exposed red or black cable touching the ceiling or the earth cables.

Is there any device that can help me track this problem down?
For safety, before going up into the attic, I will switch off the electricity to the house (at the entrance to the property). Or is it safe to only switch off the 2 sub circuits causing the short circuit and the sub circuit for the light (which will then allow me to take an electric light up into the attic - otherwise I will need to use a flashlight)?

(Other info: South Africa, 200V, 50Hz, very old house with very old wiring, I think from the 1960s)


texts: Do most modern freezers have compressor delay?

texts: Do most modern freezers have a "failsafe" of some kind to keep the compressor from cycling too quickly? I want to connect my freezer to an external thermostat and I have been advised that this can kill the compressor if the freezer does not have "compressor delay."


texts:
I was given an old, rusty and very dirty manual hoist similar to the following

which was "stuck" (would only go up). After taking it apart and rigorously cleaning the pieces, the issue is solved.

Now that I have to put it back together, which part(s) in addition to the bearing should I lubricate? In particular, should I use lubricant on the gears? What about the chain? What kind of lubricant should I use?

I am afraid that lubricant is going to keep dirt in the mechanism which I would prefer to avoid if not necessary.


texts: Can fluorescent lamps work in low voltage grid?

texts:
My country house has low voltage (150~180V) and the lighting is mostly comprised of incandescent lamps. I don't really know if voltage has anything to do with the brightness of incandescent lamps, but it's dim in the rooms with them.

I figured I could try and use a few energy saving fluorescent lamps and see how bright they'll be. But then I heard that fluorescent lamps don't work very well with voltage different from optimal. They break faster or give off less light. Since they're pretty expensive, I'd like to keep them alive longer. So I thought of buying a dedicated voltage stabilizer just for lighting, but it's also expensive, and before spending so much money, I'd like to make sure it will all work out as intended.

How will low voltage affect fluorescent lamps? Will they even work at low voltage? If they won't, will a voltage stabilizer (regulator) help them glow brighter and prolong their life?


texts: Black & Decker KS850 Circular Saw pinning sporadically

texts:
I have a Black & Decker KS850 Circular Saw which was spinning sporadically so I have taken it apart to investigate. I think there may have been a loose piece of plastic that had broken off from the motor mounting but it doesn't look that important so I chucked it out. The motor is sat firmly in position.

I tested it and notice that it was creating large sparks and getting hot without being stress tested, as in, it was just spinning without being used to cut through anything.

Can you please tell me what you think is causing this?

I have included a video example.

https://youtu.be/egjzrOwIp3w

Parts: https://www.2helpu.com/PDMSDocuments/EU/Docs/Service%20Dossier/KS864_1D.PDF

Thanks.


texts: Do I need a vent on this emergency drain?

texts: Code allows the use of a wet vent for the bathroom group which in my case is a sink, toilet, and shower drain. About 10-15 feet down stream of this group I have a washing machine drain with its own vent. I also need a emergency drain in my mechanical room. Does this need a separate vent?


texts:
I'm renovating an old house circa 1893, and I have a problem with blown plaster behind a skirting board.

I'd like to leave the skirting board undamaged as its an origin feature, but how can I repair the plaster behind it?

Is my only option to remove the whole skirting board and re-plaster?  The rest of the plaster on the wall is fine so I'm hoping there's a way to avoid replacing the whole lot.

Thanks


texts:
I'm a new homeowner and found that water is getting behind my gutters and was hoping someone may have a solution for me.

Here's the gutter:

Edit: Additional pictures below

Video here: https://imgur.com/a/S7xNalx

From my research I can't find anything obviously wrong with it.  Any idea what I should be looking into to see why it's doing this?

Appreciate any help. Thanks!


texts: I've pulled all gas, pulled and cleaned carb. Reassembled and it starts with starting fluid, but continues to shut off. What else could be the problem?


texts:
I would like to put a doorway into a loadbearing wall by removing 1 stud.  My measurements between what would be the remaining studs is 30.5 inches.  I was hoping to do a header using header hangers into what would be king studs (the remaining studs), to avoid taking up door width with jack studs.  From the chart in the link below, it indicates that would be acceptable as a replacement of two jack studs (one on each side).  However, as I read the chart, I am supposed to have two jacks on each side.

This doorway would be on the first floor of a two story house which I believe is 36' feet wide.

I just want to confirm that I cannot use header hangers instead of jacks before I consider whether a much smaller door is worth it or if I ditch the idea entirely.

Proper size of header to support new door in load bearing wall?


texts: I have a 3-pronged receptacle but no ground wire connected to it. Is this ok?

texts:
I removed the plates from outlets to paint walls and noticed that some of my electric boxes have ground wires connected to outlets while others do not have a green wire at all. Is this ok?

I know that neutral wire is connected to ground in the main box. I also understand the need to ground metal-encased appliances. What I don't understand is why there have to be two separate wires (white and green) that connect to a common terminal at the main box?


texts: How can I stop new solid oak floor from squeaking?

texts:
really hope someone here can come up with an idea to get me out of this one:

I recently laid a new floor in my dining room, it's solid oak and it actually looks quite good considering I put it down!

Only problem is, it's quite creaky when you walk on it.

I asked a few friends (one contractor builder, the rest just amateur DIY'ers like me) about the best way to lay it, and they all said to install it as a "floating" floor. So I went out and bought a load of fixing clips, and as I went along, I put one clip about every 3 foot from each other between each strip of flooring.

Now I'm not so sure if that was needed, as I was laying it onto existing floorboards.

I'm pretty sure it's the fixing clips which are causing the floor to creak, but I don't think I'm going to be able to lift it all up (without damaging it all), as the clips are holding it all together pretty tight. Any ideas on how I can stop the creaking?


texts:
I have a 1927 house that is built on a hill such that the basement walks out level with side yard and the sub-basement originally had a door that walked out the back yard with two steps down to ground level
floor above the sub-basement has been lowered such that the ceiling height is only 6'2". The original door and windows were removed and filled with cinder blocks.
I would like to open the door opening back up and put in a short steel door, but it would be substantially less than 6'since there is a substantial threshold and a ledger board at the ceiling.
The other less desirable possibility would be to put a window in the old door opening.  Is there code requirements or  any other reasons I could not put a very short door in the old opening?
If the door were out-swing, could I just let the top of the door overlap with the ledger board?
Thank you in advance for any advice you have.


texts: Stripped hole in furnace fan housing assembly

texts:
In the furnace blower housing, where the blower motor sits, the holes have gotten may be a little bigger. This is a thin piece of metal where the screw sits. But now my screw keeps rotating. On two screws, I have put put a nut to tighten the bolt, but for one hole, I cannot put a nut because once the blower is there, my hand wont reach.

I have tried everbilt mr. grip but that doesn't help much. I can't run the A/C because of this (the same fan supplies cold air in summer from A/C). Really appreciate any ideas. Is it easier to drill a new hole? I tried but couldn't do it with the screw. May be I need to use a drill bit?


texts: Can I install Slate Ledger stone panels over drywall?

texts: I am about to install my slate ledger stone on an interior wall.  I am not sure if I really need the backer board since its a dry area.  (bar area wall- about 33 sft)  The stone ledger panels I am using are about 5.5 lbs each.  Will I have any issues with this weight?  I plan on using a polymer based thinset.. strongest I can find.  Any thoughts?


texts:
I want to make a concrete walkway next to a blacktop driveway.

This is on private property, and the total length of the walkway will be about 20 feet. I don’t want a curb, and I want the concrete to be at the same level as the blacktop for ease of snow-plowing.
Trouble is, the edge of the blacktop is not square; it’s a soft curve that fades into the ground (see above). If I dig out the soil next to the blacktop, put down a bed of gravel and pour concrete right up to the blacktop, the concrete will have a feather edge onto the blacktop which will soon flake off, leaving an ugly furrow. How should I deal with this?
My first thought is to take my worm-drive circular saw with a 7-1/4” abrasive blade for masonry and cut a square edge on the blacktop as deep as the blade will go. (I don’t have a pavement cutter.) I’ll finish the joint between the blacktop and concrete with a concrete edging tool.
Is there a better / easier way to make the transition from the soft edge of the blacktop to the concrete without renting a pavement cutter?


texts: We live in New England where we have very large rocks all over our property.  We are building a 16 X 22 shed and would like to use our rocks for our corner posts.  Would it be structurally sound to dig a hole similar to a sono tube size but layer our rocks with concrete?


texts: Do I need a certificate of occupancy for each building on a single property?

texts: If I have 2 buildings located on one property do I need a certificate of occupancy for each building or does 1 certificate cover all buildings?


texts: Add new outlet in pantry to one of the two existing 20 amp small appliance branch circuits

texts: I am doing some remodeling in my kitchen. I currently have the required two 20-amp small appliance branch circuits powering the kitchen counter outlets. I have a small pantry/closet directly off the kitchen area and I would like to add an outlet or two in there. Can I hang those additional outlets off one of the two existing small appliance branch circuits?


texts: Why does my gas furnace run once then wont come back on until reset when temps are below 30 outside?

texts:
My gas furnace will run one cycle and then not come back on until the switch is reset. Once the switch is reset it will kick on immediately run once and again I will have to reset before it will kick on again. It only does this when the temp outside drop below 30. When it is above 30 degrees outside it runs perfectly fine. Its always usually set at anywhere from 65 to 72 degrees but it could be 45 degrees in the house and still will not come back on until reset.

Things you should know:

This is the first year this furnace has been used in approximately 18 years.
It had apparently been red tagged due to needing a new thermostat.
I just had the thermostat replaced about a month ago.


texts:
My metal wall box has line, load, and neutral wires, which I've identified.

My understanding:

Line goes to black on the switch.
Load goes to red on the switch.

Where do I attach the green (ground) wire?

In the back of the box there are two screws securing bare copper wires.

Can I secure the green wire to one of these screws? Is it okay to have two wires under one screw?


texts: Should I use concrete, or some other method to fix this entry area?

texts:
I have an entry walkway that's 9ft x 4ft by my front door that I need to fix so it is solid ground. I was thinking of putting concrete down and then laying tile on top of the concrete. I have some reservation about using concrete because the floor is currently just uneven sand/dirt. Would this cause a problem where the cement would crack?

Is there another more efficient solution for a project like this instead of concrete?

Edit: The old flooring in this area was just loose bricks that were placed into the sand, some of the bricks were very uneven and I was worried it might be due to settlement. There is evidence of settlement in other areas of the house such as the basement.

Click on images for full size


texts: In-fridge icemaker makes hollow ice cubes. How to fix?

texts:
My freezer's icemaker is producting ice cubes that are pretty much hollow, with a thin 'shell' of ice in the shape of the mold. Instead of solid blocks, the ice is so thin they break up into tons of tiny little ice shards. The net result is the ice I gets melts virtually immediately and has little cooling power in our drinks. A few cubes produced are solid, but most are hollow.

How can I fix what is going on? There don't seem to be any obvious controls for the ice maker. The fridge is a Frigidaire FRT22IRSH.


texts: I want to hang pegboard and some French cleats on my garage walls, which have some cracks in the masonry. Are these likely to be cosmetic or structural defects? Assuming I hang everything from the studs, can I safely mount stuff on these walls?


texts:
This is stair tall wall 19' high. as per design around door there should be one jack and two king studs, contractor installed only one king stud on right side of door as there is another partition wall(immediate after the king stud) perpendicular to tall wall. Is there any solution without removing any member?
please advise


texts:
My washer drain pipe backed up today and I tried fixing it with one of these with no luck so far

I imagine it has to do with this tight turn in the drain pipe:

I thought maybe an auger would be better for this sort of thing, but the guy at Home Depot convinced me to get the snake instead.

Am I using the right tool for this? Anything that might be able to make this easier?


texts: Remove/Kill Wasps When You Cannot Get to the Nest

texts:
Advice on how to get rid of wasps now in the cold months. Last Summer I had a terrible infestation of wasps underneath a plastic utility shed with a wooden foundation. They were getting in from a hole or holes in the foundation. I was unable to reach or see a nest. I sprayed a couple of dozen cans of insecticide around the holes (different brands, saturate them and it appeared to have little to no effect on them). I sprayed winterizing (orange colored) foam all around the foundation in hopes of preventing egress. Either a small area was missed or they worked their way out. So, short of disassembling the shed and building a new foundation (cinder blocks would be a good but costly solution). Any solutions that have proven to repel wasps etc to insure they will not return? I had a nest in the soffit of the house and was able to knock it down in the Winter. Hopefully, they will not return from that location - or will they? BTW they never bothered anyone from that location. The wasps under the shed were murderous. Thank you!

I have uploaded an image of where I believe the primary place the wasps are entering the shed. The foam evenly covered the holes when it was first applied. However, the weather has done a job on it.
The shed is usable as it is. Would really like to avoid disassembling the shed and building a new foundation. Spray cans won't reach. Appreciate any ideas.


texts: I am removing an old ceiling fan and installing a new ceiling fan. It’s my fault, I didn’t pay close enough attention when I was taking the old one off, but I ended up with two white neutral wires. I have the two black wires one of which is always hot and then the two white neutral wires. My understanding is that one of those is not actually neutral. The black tape on the second wire is mine, it was not there, it’s merely to show me that that wire is bundled with the “hot” black wire. How should this wire into the fan?


texts: Are Record and Stanley brand smoothing plane blades interchangeable?

texts:
Need a new blade for an old RECORD 04 2" smoothing plane.
Is there any significant difference between RECORD and STANLEY plane blades for similar size models
STANLEY blades LOOK similar but I'm just wondering - would they be interchangeable


texts: Basement drain backing up - weird plumbing

texts:
My basement drain started backing up and after giving it a good look things look odd and I'm wondering how exactly things are set up. Below is a link to a diagram I tried to make and I'll try to explain it. The only thing that causes the drain to backup is running 1 sink. After removing the drain cover and cleaning it out a bit things weren't as I expected. There is the horizontal pipe coming from the sink which water comes from. But then there is an elbow joint with no openings which is the first thing you see, then in the back corner (which took a bit to find) there is a vertical pipe coming straight up which seems to be what should be draining the basin but is clogged. This isn't a normal setup, right? Would that vertical pipe have a p trap? When removing the drain cover and another rubber seal the smell coming from the drain is awful.

https://imgur.com/WL0c57z

The house was built in the 1890s and has had I think 2 major additions.


texts: I want to fasten 1/2 " - 3/4" boards onto 2x2s. I'd like to scew them from the back so that they cannot be seen. What size screw should I use?


texts:
I'm translating a Russian description of a building project, and the house in the project is partially covered with "linear panels". It turns out there's a whole large Russian article in Wikipedia about these panels - Линеарная панель.

However, there are no articles in other Wikipedias. I'm not sure that the term linear panel is a common one used in English for this type of panel, so I decided to ask here. Is it? If not, what do I call these panels?

Although the Multitran Dictionary provides the translation linear panel in English, I'm not sure, because the translation is user-submitted.

Here's one example with green "linear panels" covering a wall:


texts:
I want to remove a deck from the back of my garage and drop the area to be level with my pool patio. I’m thinking maybe 20-30” would need to be removed and I would be below the exaisting footer... I have had 2 contractors tell me that I could just build a small retaining wall about 18-24” away from the wall to keep the dirt along the footer and keep it from freezing ...

Will a small wall work? Or would I need to underpin the foundation

I’m in upstate NY btw


texts: Can a cheap angle grinder be used to cut concrete and ceramic tiles?

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I am interested in the Black & Decker KG100 600W Angle Grinder because it is cheap enough.  I will only use it occasionally for small scale do-it-yourself home improvement works.  But, I really need one that can cut ceramic tiles and concrete.  I don't mind about the performance.

Are all angle grinder regardless of price and power rating suitable for cutting ceramic tiles and concrete?  In particular the B&D KG100 I mentioned above.  I'll use it only occasionally, so I don't mind waiting for a long time for it to finish the work.  Other B&D models are 50%-100% more expensive and the power ratings are not much different(~600W-700W).  So I'm wondering why that particular model is so cheap.


texts: Seal old ductboard from inside with duct mastic?

texts:
For the next few days, I have what appears to be an opportunity to easily and cheaply make a small improvement to the overall airtightness (or nearly complete lack thereof) of my house's 40 year old ductboard ductwork... the plenum is off (pending the installation of a new centeral AC unit in a few days), and I can easily get a pole and paint roller into the first 10 feet of the trunk duct to apply a few coats of duct sealant mastic to the inside.

If it makes a difference, this is old-school 1970s-era ductboard with yellow (now nasty-gray) raw fiberglass on the inside, not the modern kind with black outer layer designed to hide the fact that the fiberglass below has turned just as nasty and black on the inside.

Before I do that, I want to do a sanity-check & make sure it's actually a good idea... I don't want to end up having the ductboard disintegrate because the mastic was water-based, or otherwise end up causing more harm than good.

I'm particularly concerned about the possibility of accidentally creating a double vapor barrier & trapping moisture inside the ductboard (between the sealant on the inside, and the mylar foil (in its present, aged and compromised state)... on the outside). I suspect my concern is more theoretical than anything since we're only talking about the first ~12 feet of a trunk duct that extends another 30 feet beyond two 90-degree bends AND presently leaks like a screen door in a submarine anyway, so in theory any moisture trapped inside the coated portion could eventually wick its way over to an uncoated and leakier section... but still, I feel like I should at least consider it as a possility.

I know there are companies that commercially mist the duct from the inside and coat it. I'll probably take advantage of them someday... but as mentioned, right now I have an open duct, a pail of duct sealant & mastic, and a roller & pole that I can use... if, and only if, it's a good idea .

There's no time to order anything that can't be received within 2 days via Amazon Prime, so if duct mastic is the wrong product to use, and the RIGHT product isn't something I can buy locally in the Miami area tomorrow, I'll have to just skip this project and do nothing.

So...

IS it a good idea (sealing the first ~12 feet of a 40 year old ductboard trunk duct from the inside using sealant and a paint roller?
Is water-based duct sealant the right product (or at least, a better-than-nothing product) to use, or is there something better that I can get my hands on within the next 2 days (either Amazon Prime, or a local store)?

Note that "doing it properly" (re-taping its joints and coating the outside of the duct with mastic) isn't an option at this time. The duct runs inside a soffit that's drywalled, veneer-plastered, inaccessible, and absolutely will not be torn down to gain access. Someday, I might cut a hole in the ceiling of a closet along the way, remove the old duct "arthroscopically" (reach up through a 2x2 foot hole, cut out a 1-foot section, pull it down, pull the rest of the duct forward, repeat until the whole duct has been removed in 1-foot chunks), and replace it with flex duct... but that's a future project, not a project for next week. This is solely an opportunistic, "I can do this easily... can I and should I?" project.


texts: Turned sink / faucet water off via angle stop. Now won't turn back on

texts:
my faucet was leaking so I decided to turn of the water to replace a stem. it is a price pfister. I turned the angle stops to the "off" position. Now I have turned them back to the "on" position, but almost no water comes out. Basically just a tiny drip comes out. What happened and can I fix it?

Edit: TO add more info I checked the aerator and that is not the problem

edit 2: There is a sprayer extension which also has no water pressue...so I am guessing the issue is a clog or something right near the angle stop? any thought on what to do?

edit 3: okay I switched out the new stem for the old one. I also noticed the gasket on the old one was shaped slightly differently than the new one. Eventually I was able to get the water back on, but then I turned off one of the angle stops and now the water pressure is gone again. Any thoughts?


texts: Do I need OEM filter replacements for a whole home media air purifier?

texts:
I purchased a home that had a  media air purifier already installed. Specifically, it is the TopTech TechPure TT-MAC-2025 (installation manual).
The manual specifies the filter should be #TT-FM-2025(it appears the manual has a typo), which is MERV 11 . That is the filter currently installed, but it needs to be replaced.
Will I get equivalent performance if I get a non-OEM MERV 11 filter of the same dimensions? I worry that if I don't get the OEM brand it might not fit as well and air could bypass the filter.
The air purifier also specifies that it is upgradable to MERV 15. TopTech happens to only have MERV 11 and MERV 15 filters. But if I go with a non-OEM brand am I free to choose any MERV rating I want <= 15? I'm still worried about air leaks bypassing the filter so I don't get the full benefit of the increased MERV rating. I also worry that a non-OEM filter could cause too great of a pressure drop.
I'm also confused by the language of saying it is "upgradable" to MERV 15. Is the only step to upgrade installating a MERV 15 filter? Or might there be some kind of additional hardware or sealing required?


texts: Are primer + paint products as effective as using separate primer and paint


texts: Leaving warm climate home vacant for a few months

texts:
I'll be leaving a home vacant in the Houston, TX area when the average high is in the mid 90s and humidity is high.  I have a few questions regarding "summerizing" my home to prepare:

All heating appliances (furnace, stove, water heater) are gas.  Do I need to shut off the gas to the entire house?
Should I drain and shut off the water heater completely or just turn the temperature way down?
What temperature should I leave the air conditioner set to?  Or should I change it periodically (I have a 7-day programmable thermostat)?
Should I shut off the water in general?  If so, any additional prep for faucets/showers/toilets/fridge?
I plan to leave the fridge on, should I just leave it as is or let it run at a higher temperature?


texts: Adding a standard receptacle to a standard receptacle on a GFCI Circuit

texts:
Bathroom 1(Common) has a GFCI receptacle.
Bathroom 2(Master Bath) has a standard receptacle that is on the same GFCI circuit of Bathroom 1. i.e. If the test button on GFCI in Bathroom 1 is pushed then Bathroom 2's receptacle does not work.

I need to add another receptacle to Bathroom 2 for an outlet near the toilet.  What is the best method to pull power from the Standard receptacle in Bathroom 2 while still maintaining the GFCI protection?  Should this new receptacle also be a standard receptacle/GFCI?  Sorry if this is a novice question, but I tried reading the other questions and did not see a similar situation.

Thanks for your time and response.


texts: Is a home with concrete walls more likely to propagate noise between floors?

texts: I have a house and it has three floors. All of these floors and walls are made of concrete. So my question is, whenever the third floor makes noises, e.g. noises from music, carpentry tools like drills, or noises that are loud enough to hear, would the people from second floor able to hear noises from third floor given that the thing between/separates them is concrete? Or maybe worse, people from first floor? Thank you all!


texts:
Let's say I had a choice between 1x12 for shelves and actually joining two ripped pieces of 1x8. Contrary to the initially appealing, I'm inclined to think that wider lumber tends to warp more than, say 1x6 or 8. So I'm inclined to actually go through the biscuit joining process to prevent warping.

Are my assumptions correct and the resulting approach? Basically, is it better against warping, to have two narrower plates biscuit joined or one wide plate?


texts: PPE that can withstand molten slag from arc flash

texts:
I plan to get the following PPE to protect against arc flash (which my electrician experienced before).

But I found out it can't even withstand molten slag from injuring the arms. Our PPE standard or specifically 70E is only to protect chest/face from 1.2cal/cm2 arc flash.

I was told to look for chromated leather PPE or aluminum fire suits. But I couldn't find these in google. So what kind of PPE do you use to withstand splashing molten slag from arc flash category 1 or from welding, ironworks or stuff like that?


texts:
I just discovered that one of my tub valves was leaking inside the wall for quite some time, given that the wood floor in the adjacent closet has gone moldy and the drywall beside the tub out past all the tile is soft. It was probably 1 drop every second.

Last night I installed a couple ball valves so I didn't have to leave the whole house turned off while I mess around with this, but I am not 100% what to do next. The leak is coming from some sort of adjustment valve right under the cold water handle. I don't know what this thing does or what it is called so I am having trouble searching for a solution. It is accessible from the tub side through a hole in the valve trim plate, right underneath the handle. See the hole in the photo below. Anybody know what this is and how to repair it before I just start taking it all apart?

The drywall behind the thickset mortar bed tile was totally disintegrated in this area. There was insulation wicking the water all over the place. Without the insulation the leak probably would have just gone down the hole in the slab for the drain. For reference, the house was built in 1977, slab on grade in north Florida.

Update

I pulled the handle off to get a better look. The bottom adjustment piece is where it is leaking from. What does this thing do? I'll need to get a special wrench to open it I guess. My sockets don't fit with the tile there.


texts:
Today is cool and rainy and I noticed suds accumulating at the base of a tree. They seem to be oozing out of the tree (on one side only) and dripping down from a height of about four feet. There is some sort of lichen (?) growing on this side of the tree, but I don't see the same suds on nearby trees, some of which have the same lichen growing. Any idea what this is, and whether I need to take action?

Update: Today it's not raining and the "suds" are totally gone, so it was definitely something caused or made visible by the rain.


texts:
How can I determine which neutral in a sub-panel is for a particular (tripped) breaker?
We have a sub-panel in the basement for circuits that are supplied by an automatic generator. There are eight breakers in that box, and seven neutral wires on the bar, none of them labeled. (I think one slightly larger wire is for a ganged pair of breakers.)

I've tried disconnecting several of the wires, one at a time, but when I try to reset the breaker, it trips again. Could it be shorting to the bar in general, rather than to its associated neutral? I think there may be a hot-to-neutral short somewhere in the circuit, but I need to isolate the correct neutral before further testing.
Something tells me it could involve shutting off all eight breakers in that box, and maybe disconnecting the generator so it doesn't fire up (or at least not supply any juice) when I open the main breaker.


texts: Sound proofing bedroom doors, what to do about air flow?

texts:
We recently replaced all the carpet in our home with hard floors, dramatically increasing the amount of noise transmission between bedrooms and the hallway. I've been researching the best ways to sound proof the doors, and I would like to seal the entire door, including the undercut at the bottom.

Regardless of what I end up using, I'm concerned this will impact the return air flow coming out of my bedrooms, as there is no other return. Is there a typical method for making up for this, while still also keeping sound transmission low? I've seen the return grills that attach to the door, but these aren't very aesthetically pleasing, plus I figured they would probably nullify the sound proofing I just performed. Is there another, not overly complicated way to have return air flow, maybe a vent above the top of the door?


texts: What does this concrete pool surface look like?

texts:
This is a surface of a concrete pool after an acid wash. I first thought it is plaster covered with paint, but then, by the feel and look of it, it does not seem to be paint. Hence I have several questions in one:

What can this white(r) layer be?
What can be under it? (the actual concrete base is yellow, and it is deeper)
If the gray stuff is plaster, why is it not white?

that's the actual concrete under the gray surface:


texts: Permanently marking a table after finishing

texts: I just finished building a patio table that has a satin spar varnish finish. It turned out well but now my wife is asking if there is a way for my boys to permanently write their names or initials on it.  My first thought was woodburning but I am not sure that would work because of the varnish.


texts: How do I cosmetically resurface a bathtub to get rid of a greenish / pinkish hue?

texts:
I have a bathtub that has over the past 2 years begun to show a greenish / pinkish hue. I use standard cleaning solutions (Scrub Free, Vim, etc.) to remove dirt (weekly), however while the tub gets cleaned, the coloring still remains.

How can I make the tub white again?


texts: Should I use liquid water proofing membrane over a standard shower mud pan?

texts:
I'm getting ready to finish waterproofing my new shower before tiling it and am wondering if I should waterproof the mud pan on the floor? My construction methods are as follows from bottom to top:

Wooden subfloor
pre-sloped mud pan (with tar paper & metal lathe between the subfloor)
pvc shower pan liner 6" up the studs & over curb
Concrete board on walls down to bottom of liner
Final ~1/2-3/4" mortar bed over the liner and mortared shower curb

I'm going to paint a few layers of liquid waterproofing membrane over the concrete board walls (and should I do the ceiling since I'll be tiling that as well?). Does it matter if I also waterproof the mud floor? I know it's not necessary since that's what the liner is for, but would it hurt anything? I'm mainly interested if there's a concern for hydrostatic pressure buildup between the impermeable PVC liner and the liquid membrane if water were to get in between them somehow.


texts:
I have a super-insulated house (18" thick walls, whole-house air infiltration barrier, insulated floor system, insulated foundation, conditioned crawlspace). I have a sump pit, but no pump (wasn't sure at build time whether it would be needed; it is).

I need to install a sump pump and an outlet to deal with high groundwater in spring thaw.

Most sump pumps have a 1.5" threaded outlet. Running 1.5" rigid PVC through the insulated floor system and walls will be painful; it will mean a lot of cutting, loose insulation dropping out of the floor, trying to glue a right angle inside an insulated floor system, and a large new puncture in the air infiltration barrier that helps keep the house warm.

I've been thinking of drilling a single diagonal hole (probably 24" or so) through the floor system in the crawlspace out to the exterior wall, and fishing some Pex through it. But I think this would require reducing the 1.5" sump outlet to a 1" or 3/4" Pex pipe.

A couple questions:

I'm fairly confident that this diameter will adequately drain the water -- right now a garden hose through a window is doing the job. But I don't know if there are other reasons not to reduce a sump pump. Will it wear out the motor faster? Increase the chance of outlet pipe bursting?
Is there any reason not to extend the Pex 10-15' from the outlet outside the house, to route it far away from foundation? It's a cold climate, so freezing is possible in e.g. May; but if things are freezing, then there probably isn't as much water to pump.
Any other advice welcome. I've never sumped before.


texts: New construction home, loose foundation anchor nuts

texts:
I am going around caulking behind the insulation due to drafts. Part of basement sits above ground, as house is built on slope. Many of the nuts on these foundation anchors are loose. I have been tightening them with a socket wrench until firmly but not over doing it.

First are these supposed to be loose? The house is 2yrs old. Did they forget to tighten these or did they come loose as the house settles. Some were sitting halfway up the stem.

How tight should they be?


texts: Options to keep soil in split-grade backyard

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All of the houses in our neighbourhood have a "naturally" sloping backyard, which slopes downwards from the house.  The spread is about 6-8" over 15-20 feet depending on the yard.

Neighbours on both sides of my house have gravel/interlock, but we have grass. This is a problem as gravel/debris constantly comes into our yard from under the fence.  Moreover, I'd like to level our lawn, which means that the soil/grass would eventually be higher than my neighbours towards the back of the yard, and then our soil would spill into their yards.

I looked at a concrete retaining wall but the costs are prohibitive.  Are there any other options, preferably DIY, that would help to (1) level our lawn while (2) keeping soil from spilling into my neighbours yards from under the fence?

Thanks.


texts: Remove sheared-off screws from a concrete slab?

texts:
An old door-threshold was fixed into concrete with screws.  Decades of wear and tear resulted in the shearing of these screws.  Is there a clever / simple / easy means of removing the screw remnant in the concrete and re-using the existing hole?

Update: I will need to chop the threshold because it is wide by one inch: this should enable at least one hole to align.


texts: Why does flushing one toilet cause another to back up?

texts:
I have a problem with our toilets. when 1 flushed the first toilet, the "things' will came out the second toilet, which is the other side of the first toilet. This makes me have to flush both toilets to make it go away.

May I know why this happens?


texts: Is it more work to replace or remove a skylight?

texts: We have a 20 year old leaking skylight, and right now I am contemplating either removing or replacing it. Not exactly sure why it is leaking, perhaps the flashing is bad, but it's leaked for a while. One thought was perhaps it had to do with the actual skylight mechanism (this one used to open) So I'm thinking of replacing it with a sealed one or roofing over it. I've read a bit about the latter, and it seams to do it properly it's quite a bit of work, you have to tear out the framing structure, so that air flows to the peak, and make sure it is sealed an insulated like the rest of the structure. On the other hand, replacing the skylight will require re - flashing and perhaps changing the size of the frame a bit.


texts: Low water level in the bowl of the toilet after flushing

texts: I have 3 toilets in the house. The one in the basement I recently (about 6 months ago) replaced so that they are now all 3 the same (american standard low flow).  It was working fine until about 10 days ago.  When I flush it the water stays in the bowl and then fairly quickly drains out until there is not enough water to fill the bottom.  When it is draining I can hear the water draining.  I have added water to the bowl and it too drains quickly down to the point where the bottom of the bowl is not completely covered.  I have plunged it multiple times to no avail.  Every once in a while it will flush (somewhat) but not as it did when I first put it in.  I am the only one who uses this one (just the wife and I) and nothing fell into it.  I do use a cleaning tablet (Clorox cleaner) that is in the tank (it dissolves over time) and it is not obstructing the flapper.  We have owned the house for 22 years and this is the first time I have had an issue with any of the toilets.


texts:
Which wire in this configuration is line and subsequently which ones are load?

Legend: B1-B6 are 6 black wires.

Not shown: each switch has ground wiring as well. Left them out for simplicity. There is also a clump or neutral white wires in the back of the box with a wire nut around them all.

Context:
Two light switches where the left switch controls lanterns next to a front door and the right switch controls a light post. They are independent. Turning either off doesn't affect the power to the other.

Background:
I’m wiring in a smart switch Caseta by Lutron and it has a black line in and red load out. I want to swap the right switch with this and need to know which of the existing two blacks is line in vs load out to the light.

Commentary:

The electrician used a red wire nut, not sure if that was intended to indicate something about all of those black wires.

I was a bit confused by this configuration because my assumption is that B1 is line, and through the left switch it caries power up to the red-capped pigtail and that feeds power to the right switch via B5. However when left switch is off, right switch still works.

My assumption is B1 is line, B3 and B4 go to each of the lanterns, and B6 goes to the pole. B2 and B5 join the switches.


texts: 6 wire doorbell chime installation with Google Nest doorbell

texts:
I'm trying to install a Google Nest doorbell. I opened up the doorbell chime, and it looks nothing like the diagrams I've found online. I have no clue how to install the chime connector, which is supposed to be the first step of installation.

Currently there is a working front and back doorbell.

Please see the diagram below:

There are 6 wires total: 3 white, 3 black. There are 4 screws, labeled 0, 1, 2, and T. The 3 white wires are all going to 0.

Any help would be appreciated in knowing how to install this, or just knowing what the screw numbers mean. Thanks!


texts: What is the process for using a mold to make a concrete patio?

texts: I have a concrete mold and I would like to know how I should prepare the part of my yard where I want the concrete pattern to go and after pouring the concrete over the mold how long should the mold sit on top of the concrete before removing it and going onto the next area to be done. HELP


texts: Why do I have almost no water pressure after installing a new valve?

texts:
We had a leaky shut off valve under our master bathroom sink.  The valve appeared to be original to the house.  That would put it in the 40 year old range.

I replaced the valve with a new “Shark Bite” style value.  My local building supply store did not carry the actual “shark bite” product.  This was on the cold water feed.   The new valve was placed on the cold water copper feed pipe.

Now both the cold, and the hot, in this sink only,  are running at very low pressure.  I would call them a trickle.

All other faucets, and both toilets in the house, as well as the dishwasher, clothes washer, etc. are all functioning perfectly.

We are on a well and the pump is properly pressurized as evidenced by all the other items that use running water be fine and my viewing the gauge on the pump tank.

Up to the installation of the “Shark Bite” style valve the hot in the sink in question worked perfectly.

I am at a loss as to explaining this and require some advice.  The hot and cold under the sink in question are feed by separate ½ inch pipes.  If the “Shark Bite” style valve was the issue how would it also affect the hot supply?


texts: Can the knock test tell you whether a stud is wood or metal?

texts:
I'm thinking about wall mounting a television, so I've used a stud finder to locate several studs in my wall. Out of curiosity, I knocked on the wall in several places to see if I could hear the difference between hollow and studded areas. To my surprise, when knocking directly over the studs, there seems to be a metallic ringing sound.

Is it actually possible to hear this with a steel stud, or am I deluding myself? The wall in question is plaster, if it matters.


texts: Floating commercial dance floor over concrete

texts:
I'm involved in the laying of a floating commercial dance floor over concrete.  It needs to last 10-15 years.

The plan is to glue a layer of pressure treated wood directly to the concrete. On top of that will be a layer of 2" thick neoprene.  And on top of that will be two layers of plywood screwed to each other only, otherwise floating.

Can pressure treated wood be glued directly to the concrete or is it necessary to place a barrier between the treated wood and the concrete?


texts: 2 pipes going into the cold side of my water heater

texts: Anyone know why I would have 2 pipes going into the cold side of my hot water heater?!


texts: Why does my outdoor tap have a diameter of 1-1/4" inches, not the standard 1"?

texts:
The outdoor tap for the front yard of our house has an outer diameter of 1-1/4" inches, so it is useless for attaching a garden hose.  A standard tap is more like 1" in diameter.

My question is: Why?  And is there anything I can do about it, short of installing a new tap?  Anybody seen this before?

It looks like an adapter (a ring with a normal hose thread inside and larger thread outside) may have been screwed on to create the wider outer diameter.  But if that's the case I've been unsuccessful in removing it with the tools I have. A plumber that looked at it speculated that it had been modified for something like a backflow preventer.

I've added a picture below.


texts: Will my floating laminate flooring contract in winter enough to show the edges?

texts:
I have an old laminate floor. In summer it always showed signs of buckling. Now I fixed it by installing an expansion gap of about 0.6 inch (15mm) against the wall. Now the buckling is gone. However I fear, that because its summer the laminate will retract beyond the skirting board - which is also only 15mm thick - when temperatures drop and the laminate begins contracting again.
I have done this the first time and did not read anything about the obvious fact that laminate flooring will have its maximum dilatation in summer when it is hot and humid. So for next time, must season be considered when installing an expansion joint?


texts:
The bathroom tiles in my shower began to let loose, we decided to rip them off (I'll admit it wasn't a good idea), but with the tiles, the cement also came off. I would just cover it in cement again and place some new tiles but the cement at the top and bottom also came lose so the tiles are now 'movable'.

I've included a video of the problem so you can click here to view it. I was wonder what's the best way to go about fixing this? I thought about just cementing over the concrete and placing new tiles but I'm afraid the top ones will let lose too, but the other hand if I take those off to I think I'll just end up taking the whole wall out :(


texts:
Is it more cost effective to (1) play with the thermostat by lowering it at times that you're not home or needing the heat and raising it back later or (2) leaving the temperature on a set amount and letting it maintain this heat.

I'm asking because our thermostat has the option to be programmed so that it could be cut down while we're gone or sleep and come back up when we're awake and home. I've heard that it costs more to make these jumps back up than it would be to leave it on a single setting and hold that temp and that it could hurt the overall system.. But our t-stat manual and other places/items advertise this as a cost savings.

In case it matters, I'm only looking at this for heating now around the winter. We have a heat pump with a gas furnace that doubles as the air handler. The gas furnace seems to run as the primary heat source regardless of the outdoor temperature (it's an odd system, we're getting it checked soon).

I've seen this discussion before, but there isn't really an official answer or reasoning to this as it goes both ways on who you ask it seems.


texts: How to build a quick-and-easy wood ladder?

texts:
I have a pair of long 4x4 posts holding my chimney, and I'd like to build a ladder in to the posts for maintenance. In some ways this could be safer than using an extension ladder, as the posts are well-anchored.

I was thinking I could screw some short 2x4s on to posts as steps. A quick search on building a ladder says to notch the verticals, which seems nice and strong, but would be difficult to do in this setting.

As an experiment, I used a pair of 3 1/2"-long screws to attach a rung just above ground height. I jumped up and down on it and it held. Based on that data, I could use twice as many screws and be safe, right? Or not...


texts: What style of lock for swinging garage doors that shift with the weather?

texts:
This is a rim lock on a swinging "carriage style" garage door from 1925.  The lock is terrible, very hard to adjust, and to keep adjusted as seasonal variations occur in the spacing.  The lock is keyed on the outside.

What type of lock would be better?


texts: Should I increase wire size when extending a 75 foot circuit to reduce voltage drop?

texts:
I have a 1200W smoker which I currently hook up to an outdoor outlet. The outlet runs on about 75' of 12 gauge wire from a 20A breaker. There is nothing else on that circuit. I am moving the outlet to a new permanent location and will be using solid copper wire for the extension.

I want to add my smoker in a permanent spot about 45' away from the outlet. So basically I am moving the outlet, so that will be a total of 120' wire length.

Will voltage drop be an issue for me if I extend with 12 gauge? If yes, will it be ok to make the 45' extension with 10 gauge to keep the voltage drop down?


texts: Is it safe to replace a 6/3 soow on a 6-50 adapter with a 14-50 adapter? I have an additional 6/3 soow to use. The adapter says it must be used with a 4 wire, but the charger only uses a 3 wire cord currently. Do I leave the ground disconnected and just use the hot wires + neutral?


texts: Service at Main panel is 200A. Subpanel is 125A. Want 100A delivered to Subpanel 100ft away (run). Can I use 100A breaker in Main and run 2-2-2-4 wire to the lugs in the 125A Subpanel?


texts: both wires are white how can i determine the hot wire?

texts: both wire are white on the cord for my ac unit i need to know how to find the hot wire with my cen-tech p37772 multi meter. I am replacing the plug on the end and cut it without noticing which wire went to the hot.


texts: Could clogged exhaust cause codes 13/33 on my furnace, and how do I check and clear?

texts:
My Carrier Performance 96 series furnace (similar to the 59TP6 currently shown on Carrier's website, but I don't have the exact model number in front of me) has been showing codes 13 ("Limit Circuit Lockout") and 33 ("Limit Circuit Fault") intermittently for the last two years, but several repairmen have come and been unable to find anything wrong.

According to the manual, the codes indicate that the flame roll-out switch has been tripped, but it seems like that can't be the case since the flame roll-out switches require manual reset and I have never done so. The troubleshooting section of the manual refers to other "limit" switches, but there are no such switches installed on this unit and nowhere else in the manual talks about them.

Yesterday the unit spent most of the day alternating between these two codes, and I decided to spend some time watching it. I sat there in front of it for half an hour (holding a carbon monoxide detector and) watching the flames. The flames look exactly as they should, in both low and high stages, and I see no roll-out.

After seeing nothing for 30 minutes I assumed that maybe one of the roll-out switches is faulty and I should replace them, so I put the cover back on and went to order new limit switches. Minutes later, the unit shut off again with code 13.

The second time I sat down in front of it, it sounded like the exhaust inducer motor was struggling a little, and that leads me to my questions:

This unit uses a concentric vent for intake of combustion air and for exhaust, and the pipes for these are around 30ft long. At the furnace end, they have multiple complex bends because of space constraints, then once they reach the ceiling above the unit they head straight across the room to the outside wall.

Is it possible that a clog in either (or both) of the pipes could cause this condition?
How can I check for such a blockage? If I find one, how can I clean it out?
I have identified a much straighter vertical path for the vent pipes. Is it worth cutting them and redoing them?


texts: How to bridge a gap between two countertops?

texts:
In my kitchen I would like to give myself some more worktop space by filling a gap (of approximately 55cm/21.5in) between two cupboards with an additional piece of countertop. The cupboards either side of the gap already have a worktop installed which I don't want to replace as I'd like to keep this as a simple job, not replace my entire worktop).

I've attempted to recreate an image of the scenario (with the gap to be filled in the middle) below (sorry for the low quality, today was the first time I've ever used SketchUp!). To the left is a cupboard which is joined onto a wall on its left side. To the right is a small wine rack and then a cupboard to the right of that. Behind both is a wall.

I don't wish to add a cupboard in this gap since it will be used for a tumble dryer, I just want to make the work surface semi-continuous (I am okay with using joint trim either side of the new piece of worksurface).

My main issue is that the existing sections of worksurface are flush to the panels either side of the gap, so there's nothing for my new section of worksurface to be supported with. I had thought about using "L" brackets, but was concerned about which size brackets I would need and how strong it would actually be.

I had also thought about perhaps adding two or three pieces of wood (e.g. 2x1in) equally spaced across the gap at the top of the panels and fixing them with screws to the cupboards either side so that the worktop could sit on them instead, although I wasn't sure if this would be any stronger than using "L" brackets.

Is there a easy-ish way for me to do this? I'm not a DIY expert by any means, but I am happy to give things a good crack.


texts: Wanting to make a frosted-glass dry erase whiteboard

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I want a frosted white glass dry erase board for my office. I can hardly find anybody who offers this without 'call us for prices'. I figured it can't be too difficult to make?

Purchase sheet of glass (from where?)
Cover the back with frosted spray paint or film
Drill through the glass about 1-2" off from each corner
Mount using mirror type of mounts

Any advice, suggestions or know of how I can accomplish this?


texts:
Aussie from NSW here - We recently changed our lounge room light fixture to a modern 6 bulb setup, connected it up to see the nightsun that it was at 640lm per bulb.
We quickly installed a dimmer only to find that around 5 am and 8:30 pm we get a major flicker in all 6 globes. The other LEDs in the house don't have this issue.
I'm putting it down to the Off-Peak power signal being flashed down the line as its a pulsed flash, but the question is; how to correct it?
The GE bulbs are dimmable.


texts: How to wire a smart switch - 2 gang switch box?

texts:
I'm adding a smart switch with dimmer into a 2-gang switch box. I wanted to double check my assumptions based on the currently wired switch - please see attached picture. I'm changing out the old dimmer switch (right side).

1) Ground wires are clear, they are bare copper.

2) Neutral wires are clear - they are the bundled white wires pointing up. The new switch requires a neutral, so I should choose the neutral wire coming out of the right side and then rebundle the remaining 2 neutrals?

3) On the old switch, the red/white wire is nutted together with the black wire. The red/white wire should actually have been unused and capped, as this is not a 3-way switch. The black wire from the switch is then connected to the hot wire?

4) The red wire from the old switch should be the load wire... that is pigtailed with a short black jumper wire into the load screw of the left side switch. Is that possible? Or do I actually have a pigtailed hot wire situation?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!


texts: How can I make the surfaces of tile and drywall flush?

texts:
I am doing my bathrooms up.

I have tiled up halfway up the wall. I then wanted the tiles to be flush with the wall.

The tilers have suggested;

putting a 10mm mdf board (the thickness of the tile) above the tile and painting that. I'm really not a fan of this because i don't believe it will give me the proper finish i am looking for (see the 2nd screenshot)
the tiler who finished the finished bathroom said he glued a board 10-15 mm above the tiles. I imagined he then skimmed it and filled in the 10-15mm gap with something, not sure what....

The reason my guys want to use a board and paint that is that the skimming/bonding will make an incredible mess in the bathroom

I need a professionals opinion on how to finish this without a headache in the short term future.


texts:
TLDR: resistivity values and other identifying features for magensium oxychloride (Sorel) cement please.
I have a 1950s council house where the ground floor is 2 types (one room dark brown, one room red) of poured finish over a concrete slab.  I want to put linoleum down, but the fitter is concerned we may have a magnesite (magnesium oxychloride cement) finish, which would cause issues with moisture.
Various sites (e.g. here and here) say you can identify magnesite by:

holding a small piece in a gas flame - magnesite will "glow brightly"
testing it using a 2-prong resistance-type moisture meter - magnesite will read full-scale even when dry (it's conductive)

I'm pretty sure the dark brown is asphalt not magnesite as it melts and burns in a flame.  The dark red finish does not.  If you get it hot enough it glows red (as you'd expect), but that doesn't seem very conclusive.
My question in 3 parts:

how conductive is magnesite?  What order of resistance would I see if I measured it with a multimeter?
More detail on what "glows brightly" means (e.g. colour, how long does it glow for, does it brighten the flame or does the material itself glow)?
Any other ways of identifying it?


texts: Tandem Breaker is in half-off position. Unable to reset

texts:
I recently bought a condo (2002 construction) and have no experience with electric systems. So please bear with me if I am using incorrect terms.

A few days ago, the plug point where the water kettle was connected stopped working. On the opposite wall of the kitchen, the microwave also stopped working. Both the kettle and microwave were connected to the lower plug points in the outlet. When this happened, I checked the circuit breaker box and only one half of the tandem breakers (circled in red) was in a kind of off position. (I say "kind of off" because the yellow circled breaker is in a "full off" position, but the red ones are not moving at all.)

When half of the red circled breaker tripped, the lower half of outlets stopped working. I switched the appliances to the upper half. (Stupid thing to do in hindsight). Now the top half of the outlets also tripped and both halves of the red circled breaker are stuck in this position. I am not able to reset them. I have removed all appliances from the two outlets it was powering.

1) Can someone please help me understand what is the problem? Like why did half the tandem breaker trip half way.
 2) How do I diagnose the problem and what do I need to do to fix this? (I am handy with fixing electronics, but have never done anything with electric appliances)
 3) What is this half tripped position called? I am not sure what to look for.

I would've gotten an electrician to look at, but I cannot have anyone come home till the COVID situation is done... my immuno-compromised mom stays with me.

Thank you for your time!

Breaker box - Red circled tripped breaker, yellow circled normal breaker switched off position

One of the two Outlets that tripped


texts:
I have two drains on the side of my house that have been filled in and no longer properly drain. I know they dont go anywhere because I just finished trying to unclog them with a rented drainage snake that I rented from home depot (and my neighbour actually told me the same thing!).

So, i'm wondering the best way to drain my gutters now. Should I:

a) break up the concrete that's on the sidewalk (side of the house) and re-do a french drain system or PVC?

b) Plug in the drain holes with concrete and angle them away from the house, to the other side of the sidewalk. Then, dig a trench from the back of the house to the front and install a french drain system.

c) something else.

A little history...

This was originally a carport that was closed in to make an extra bedroom. They built it with 2x4's running on the flat, and it had no insulation, and the siding went right down to the ground. When we took possession of the house we knew the siding had to be done, but not the entire room inside! What we found was rotten 2x4's, and a moldy carpet. We ripped it all up, re-built that wall and the siding (as you can see form the picture).

For the bottom of the wall, since we weren't ready to dig up the foundation and re-pour a 6" border, we put down 4x4's, peal-on-stick and we flashed it. Then, added roofing tar in between the layers and on the outside.


texts:
The icemaker in my whirlpool Wsf26c2exf01 is overflowing. The water reaches the icemaker fine but it spills into the ice bucket and leaks out of the unit. The only way to stop it is turning off the water at the pipe, it continues to flow even with the icemaker switch in off position, it will flow with the door closed(door closed switch compressed). I would appreciate any suggestions on what to test for next or how to go about completing a repair.

Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.

Here is a link to the video
https://youtu.be/n24eGizrAlw


texts:
My roommate is convinced that getting rid of crumbs on the counter will make the mice go away, and they won't be a problem anymore.

We did a thorough cleaning of the house and make sure every time we leave no crumbs. But obviously we can't get EVERY crumb, so I have been telling my roommate that cleaning up after ourselves is not an effective deterrent.

Even after cleaning I found mouse droppings on the countertops a week later.

I want to possibly use traps, but I'm confused how traps would make the mice GO AWAY.

Clearly there is more than one mouse, so even if we trapped mice with food as bait, wouldn't we get MORE mice coming for the bait and getting stuck in the traps?

I want the mice GONE so they know not to come into the house.

Would anyone agree that getting rid of crumbs on the counters is not enough of a deterrent?


texts: How can I smooth rough latex paint before repainting

texts: There are several rough areas in the latex paint in my bathroom.  I want to smooth them before repainting but I'm not sure how.  The finish is somewhat shiny (maybe semi-gloss, maybe eggshell).  When I've tried sanding latex paint in the past, it just turned to goo and clogged up the sand paper.  (The paint is recent enough that I'm confident there is no lead in it.)  I'd skim coat with wall compound but I'm afraid it won't stick to the shiny finish.  Stripping seems an extreme solution.  Any thoughts?


texts:
I have a dishwasher that has a corroded connector on the wire harness (part number W10195342) connecting to the motor and diverter valve (part number W10056349). Only the one connector on the harness needs replacing. My guess is that it's a standard connector available from Digi-Key or the like, but with what seems like zillions of connectors to choose from, how do I identify which one?

Is there some kind of connector taxonomy or part identification tree? Some way to determine the name and/or part number of the specific connector?


texts: How to remove bathroom sink drain with no lock nut

texts: I'm trying to get this pipe out but I have no idea how to remove it from the sink.  Any ideas?


texts: Adding a door to water shutoff valve in ceiling

texts:
I am having my kitchen redone and during demolition, a pipe comes loose and I get water damage in my basement. The contractor fixed the damages and is working on the kitchen now. In the basement ceiling, they did not leave me a lot of room to reach the water shutoff valve to the outdoor faucet. I could nag them to make a bigger hole and put a door in, but is that what it is called? Should I ask for a closeable door or is there a better way to describe it?
I think I could do this myself in an hour. Do I just need a tool for cutting a bigger hole in the drywall and some kind of door? Let me know what I would need to DIY. I would rather them continue working on the kitchen and just knock this out during the weekend.


texts: Name the architectural feature of thin strip of roof on side wall connecting gabel end points?

texts:
Is there a specific name for this feature:

I think this is purely for aesthetics, generally a horizontal mini-roof that connects the lowest points of a gable end. I believe it's to visually break up the otherwise large expanse of side wall, although without a term to look up I'm finding it hard to research.


texts: What should I do if wire gauge is too large to fit into a screw terminal?

texts:
First time poster here. I am working on a robot controller that requires mains power. I was provided 10AWG wire (the unit recommends 14-10AWG, and this is National Electric Code FTR).

I took out the screw on the lines terminal and wrapped the copper wire around it, but no matter how I align it (particularly if i want a good solid safe contact), it begins to fray and although it stays put (and i powered it on just to make sure the controller was working), I am not comfortable having it frayed.

Any recommendations on what I could do? Should I just request a lower gauge wire, or one of my colleagues recommended a screwdown clamp, although space is an issue since it's inside the controller box.

Suggestions?


texts: 60-minute Drywall for ceiling beneath residential fire sprinklers?

texts:
My fire sprinkler contractor says that we need to install 5/8" 60-min fire rated drywall in all ceilings, but my GC says 1/2" will pass code. Who is right?

If the code does call for 60-minute drywall, which inspector would be checking for it? The fire department inspects the sprinkler system prior to drywall, so I'm thinking that would leave the inspector who comes in right after drywall hanging. Am I right?


texts: Safe to put tiles on top of two 3/4" fir board layers & Ditra-Heat?

texts:
106 year old house - on top of the joists (16" on center) are wide 3/4" thick boards at a 45 degree angle, then 3/5 tongue and groove on top of that.  Putting 3" marble hex down and plan to use a 1/2" thick Ditra-Heat uncoupling membrane.

Is that enough support under the tile or do I need to add hardibacker or plywood too? I am trying to minimize height, it's already above the wood floor in the hallway.

Thanks!!


texts: replace regular breaker with dual function AFCI/GFCI

texts:
I have a 15amp circuit that feeds outlets in the upstairs bedrooms, the one outlet in the upstairs bathroom and a few light fixtures. A few years ago I replaced the bathroom outlet with a GFCI outlet and I replaced another bedroom outlet, with an open ground, with a GFCI outlet. I would like AFCI protection and am considering a dual function ACFI/GFCI circuit breaker to replace the current circuit breaker (specifically this guy: https://www.schneider-electric.us/en/product/HOM115DFC/miniature-circuit-breaker-120v-15a/ ).

My question is, do I need to remove the existing GFCI outlets or is having the redundant protection at the breaker and the receptacle acceptable? Is it more than acceptable and even benficial?


texts: garage door usually won't close - even trolley without door won't move much

texts:
I'm having a problem with my Lift Master Forumla I Whisper Drive garage door opener.

For the last few weeks, the door has frequently stopped part-way down when closing and then gone back up again.  Now, for the last couple of days, the door will not go down at all -- at most it goes down a couple of inches, and then triggers to come back up.  This happens most of the time -- sometimes it will just randomly work.

If I detach the door, I have the same problem with just the trolley. Most of the time, it will just go a couple of inches and then halt and go back.

I've done the following so far:

maxed out the downward KG pressure -- no effect
checked the sensors -- they seem to be fine (and anyway, I get some movement from the door)
same results from the wall button and the remote
pulled the cover off and visually inspected -- nothing that immediately jumps out as a problem. Also, no smell or noise or anything that I notice when this is happening.
tightened the "chain" (it's really a rubber belt with teeth) -- no effect

Any thoughts of what might be going on?  I'm really hoping I don't have to call a pro.

thanks in advance.


texts:
We have this gate that was installed by the prior owners of the house. It is sagging at the latch side and bottoms out on the concrete.

It seems to me that I need to do a couple things to fix this:

Add a brace to the gate from bottom hinge to top latch. That should help with future sag.
Level the concrete pad a bit.
???

It looks like the hinges weren't put on straight either so it has a natural lean to it. Is it possible to rehang this with the old and new holes being so close together?

Are there any other recommendations?


texts: Why are tandem breakers on shared neutral (MWBC) problematic?

texts:
I hear that shared-neutral or multi-wire branch circuits (MWBC) can have issues when used with tandem breakers (also called duplex, twin, cheater or double-stuff breakers).

What is the issue there?

Also, how do I put them on GFCI or AFCI?


texts: I want to upgrade the light switches in a room.  I have a 3 gang box, two single pole switches and an indicator light for one of them (the basement light switch). The indicator light is its own thing and uses its own space in the box. All I find in the big box stores is switches with built in indicators. But I need to fill three slots in the box. And I would also need the switch cover to have a lens to show when the indicator is on.  Can't find that either. What's currently installed is from the 1960s and needs to be replaced. Thanks everyone.


texts: What should I do after mistakenly using moldy paint on drywall?

texts: I was painting my basement and used a six year old five gallon bucket of paint.  It had about 4 gallons of paint in it.  The surface was black, but it didn't smell bad.  I thought it was the dye separating out.  It mixed well.  I used it on the wall and went to the second bucket for my finish coat.  The first bucket was a flat paint and the second an eggshell finish.  The second bucket was clear on top before mixing.  I now realize the terrible mistake I made.  I painted mold onto my walls.  I don't know if I am going to have a problem, but my gut feel is not a good one.  What can I do to fix this?


texts: What cable size do I need to feed a 100 amp sub panel that is 550 ft

texts:
I'm building a barn that is 550' away from my house and need to power it.  I would like to have 100 amp service from my main house board (200 amp).  My house is fed with the typical 2 conductors.  I am in Ontario, Canada.

I would like to stick the cable in the ground and use some sort of conduit like 2" likely 2 1/2" PVC shed 80 pipe if this is cheaper than an armoured cable.

What I actually Ended Up Doing  The local (Rockwood, Ontario Canada) inspector gave me two options.  1) pull 300 MCM or 2) parallel 3/0 Aluminum 3 conductors director bury,  both needed a ground back to the main panel (sized to cable).
So....... Based on that I took Option 2, Cost of $3,800 for cable and ground + $1000 for Big-O (two runs) turns out my barn when finally located was 650ft,  location was selected while I was in the EU. I had to put the cable inside Big-O to protect it because I didn't want to put 6-4" of clear sand below and above the cable.

What I learned  My Electrician is at the mercy of the local inspector.  They books all said I need to run single pull of 3/0 or at worst 4/0 but, they can't make a decision because the inspector as the say.  Simplest means is to get the inspector out and get him to bless the project.

No One would do the Transformer Option, and the Inspector wouldn't approve it.  My local Utility provider came up with a plan for about $25K to get me 600 amp service and back feed the house. needing 4 poles, high side cabling, a transformer, and easement and a tone of work by me along with a pad and remote meter. So that went nowhere.


texts:
The lever to the lift bucket was stuck and I didn't want to force it so I took the screws out and took out the assemblage and lift bucket to inspect.  I cleaned off the lift bucket and put it back in.  Problem was, it wouldn't settle down to where it should go.  Something was blocking it.  Obviously, that's what was causing it to stick.

So two questions:

What could be blocking it?
How can I unblock it?  (I already used a plastic rod that you would use to pull out hair from a drain and it felt fine.


texts: Seen a lot of answers about bad saddle valves, and I was just going to use a threaded cap. I bought this cap - Anderson Metals 56108 Brass Pipe Fitting, Cap, 1/4" NPT Female Pipe. Had the teflon tape an was ready to go but when I tried the cap it was to big? Why did it not fit? Is this cap different than a 1/4 inch threaded compression cap? Please advise


texts: How thick should the seam coat of thinset be for Hardiebacker boards in a tiled flooring application?

texts:
I recently taped my Hardiebacker boards with alkalai resistant tape and applied some thinset mortar over it. However, I'm a bit concerned that I laid it too thick. If I put a 12" x 24" tile over one of the seams, it definitely rocks back and forth a bit. I know that large format tiles like that will typically rest on a thicker bed of mortar, so it should account for any of the seams, but i'm concerned about it nonetheless.

The mortar is feathered out to about 6" on either side of the joint. It's not as smooth as I had hoped and I'm also worried it will make getting a good, even comb hard to do. Should I take the time to smooth out the joints with a stone before tiling?


texts: Water from sink draining into dishwasher, no air gap

texts:
I've had this house a little less than a year.  We've had issues with nasty water turning up in our dishwasher.  We assumed there was just something wrong with the dishwasher/filter, etc...

Upon inspection of the drain setup, the dishwasher is plumbed in directly to the top of the garbage disposal.  We discovered water from the sink was making it's way right into the dishwasher.

It seems, that there is supposed to be an "air gap" fitting installed, that I assume is what would prevent this from happening.  There appears to be no such animal in this install, and the port from the GD is plumbed directly to the dish washer.

Is an air gap setup all I need to resolve this?  I was debating on skipping the garbage disposal and plumbing directly to the drain pipes, as it would be a lower point in the system, and less likely to cause drain back to the dishwasher.


texts: Why does my shower's water temperature fluctuate several times per minute?

texts:
We just had two 50 gallon electric water heaters installed inline. Rheem  professional classics. And a new check valve.

The check valve was for the circulating pump. They had to leave the old one on. They said it was stuck in an open position. There's little tank connected in case something goes wrong--the tank takes some of the overflow. It is connected to the water heater pipes.

When we take a shower the water fluctuates between mildly cool and a little warmer about every six to eight seconds. This is for the entire time we shower. It is not like when you flush a toliet. It did not do this before the new heaters were put in.

They did put a little tank on top to the side of the new heaters. We have had them out three times and they can not fix this. Do you know what is causing this? Help.


texts: Is there a case where nails are better than screws, from an engineering/structural standpoint?

texts:
Is there a case where nails are better than screws, from a structural standpoint?

For instance: Say you used screws instead of nails on a backyard deck, when the design specifically called for nails. Would the result be inferior? Could it fail inspection? Would nails absolutely be preferable in this instance?

Assume the screws are at least as thick/long as the intended nails. Are there any rules of thumb about when to use screws vs. nails?


texts:
I'm trying to figure out how I got a shock from a neutral wire. I didn't think it was possible until I read this article on being "in series with the neutral." Here's what happened:

I was disconnecting a ceiling fan remote receiver which has a hot and neutral connection and supplies power to the fan and light kit. The hot wire that supplies the box runs through a single-pole switch, so I shut off the switch and tested with a solenoid voltage meter to make sure it was in the off position. I then removed the wire nuts from the hot and neutral connections. I tested both the hot and neutral bundles with the voltage meter (between wires and the grounded box) and there was no voltage, but there was a small spark when I touched the lead to the neutral bundle. I tested it again and there was no voltage, so I assumed that it was static discharge (I don't know why I did that). So I tested the neutral bundle again, to be safe, and there was no voltage. I started unbraiding the neutral wires and that's when I got a shock.

I couldn't believe it. I got a multimeter out and tested again, but there was zero voltage from the neutrals to ground. I turned the switch back on and tested again (hot to ground and hot to neutral), and the black wire was indeed the hot. Then I realized that there were two neutral wires coming into the box, which seemed odd for a ceiling box with only one load (the fan controller). I tested both neutral wires with the switch on and off (neutral to ground): no voltage on either.

Is it possible to get a shock even though you can't detect voltage from a neutral wire? I think now that "neutral one" came from a mystery load that ran into the box and hooked up to  "neutral two", which runs to the neutral bar. I probably should have tested hot to each neutral separately to confirm this, but I didn't want another shock. Did I complete a circuit when I touched both neutral wires, and that is why I got the shock?


texts:
A couple weeks ago, I had a Goodman 3 ton heat pump split system put in. At 5pm hours today, I was outside near the heat pump and noticed that it was functioning properly. At about 6pm, there was a rain storm that came through and there was a downpour for about 15 minutes before it cleared up. At about 9pm, I noticed that the A/C was not blowing out cold air. I went outside and saw that the heat pump was not turning on at all and it was completely silent.

I checked the circuit breaker and found that it did not trip and I also saw that the plug near the heat pump appeared to be in place too. I looked at the bottom of the heat pump and saw that there were some drops of water around the whole bottom of the heat pump but the compressor was not under water by any means. I also took off the service panel of the heat pump and saw that all of the connections appeared to be in order and there were no loose wires.

I was wondering what could be causing the outdoor heat pump to not turn on at all.

The model number for my heat pump and air handler is GSZ160361 and ASPT37C14.