texts: Will running two speaker cables next to each other cause interference?

texts:
I have a path through which I'm running some speaker cables behind some crown molding.

I would like to use the same path for two 12 gauge speaker cables for about 25 ft.

Will it cause interference to have these cables running next to each other?


texts: Thawing partially accessible frozen pipes with a hairdryer

texts:
I am a renter with water pipes that are inaccessible at some points, and which may freeze in the winter. I am doing my best to prevent this, including heating my apartment, trickling my faucets, and potentially doing some more insulation or electric heating.
If my pipes freeze and I try to thaw them out by using hairdryer or other similar heat source to apply heat to a single point along the pipe, can you give me any rules of thumb for how long of an ice block I could reasonably expect to melt? This probably varies based on various factors (like maybe the pipe material/dimensions, the temperature, the heat source, etc), and I would be interested in a range of conditions.
For specificity, you can imagine that the pipes are copper, the temperature drops to 10 deg F (-12 deg C) area and remains there for 12 hours after the freeze, and I use an 1800-watt hairdryer.


texts: Dual HVAC System with Dual UV lights - looking to power UV lights when HVAC runs

texts:
So I have
(2) HVAC systems in the attic
(2) UV Lights in the attic ducts downstream of the blower(s) (powered by a standalone 120v outlet)
I would like to power the UV lights when the HVAC / blower is running
Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated,


texts: Can I use 220 V outlets on a 15 ampere breaker and wire it up as 110 V?

texts:
I purchased a 220 V outlet and didn't realize it. My circuit is 15 amperes. I wanted to hook up a series of normal 15 ampere 110 V outlets. When I look at the outlet it looks exactly like a regular 15 ampere 110 V one?...but it has a red, blue, and yellow wire instead of black, white and green wires.

The red wire connects to the brass screw (where black normally goes), the blue wire to the silver screw (where white normally goes), and the yellow to ground (where green or brass wire normally goes). The instructions are in German and/or English.

It looks like the outlet is just a metal backing and a plastic face.

It should be ok to hook up these outlets and use them as 110 V ones, correct???

Is there anything special about the way a 220 V or 110 V are made?

I am in the US, near Washington, D.C.


texts: How can I clean hydrogen peroxide stains?

texts: I had a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and White vinegar in a cup. It fell on the floor and now there are stains (1 ft * 1 ft). How do I clean the stains?


texts: Bathroom light/exhaust fan fixture wiring

texts:
So i remodeled our bathroom a bit a couple of years ago.
It originally had just a light fixture on the ceiling. I turned our bath tub into a shower/tub. And there used to be a window that i took out and made it glass block.
So i needed to add an exhaust fan. I bought one with the light/fan combo. I installed it and just used the existing wire from light switch. Mind you i even went bigger than i needed for the size of our small bathroom as far as cfm's go.
It directly vents up out of the roof of the house with no obstruction in vent piping.
Ever since it was new it does not suck (or pull) air out of bathroom. Even with the light fixture decorative glass removed i can put a piece of tissue up and it immediately falls.
So could it be possible to not have enough power from the original wired light to run the fan/light???
Its an older house with the 2 wire(neautral/hot) and uses conduit as ground...i believe.
Is there a way for me to check it with my multi meter?
Thanks in advance!


texts:
I have this old garage workbench that seems very sturdy

The wood is OK, I could replace the door.

But the surface's corner has cracking like this:

This is done from previous owner. I would like to fix it somehow. What is that thin strip of wood outside? It seems like it's harden by some chemical process (not paint or maybe...).


texts: How can I create a radiant heat system for melting ice on wood steps?

texts:
Our house has wood stairs to descend from the front porch.  On maybe 15 - 30 days out of the year a layer of ice forms on the stairs, posing a safety hazard.  Even with our familiarity with the issue and attempts to consistently use the handrail, every member of our family has taken at least one spill on the stairs due to ice.

I've used salt and other chemical de-icers with success in the past, but that requires foresight and manual intervention:  not a good solution for the first person out the door on a morning after a frosty night.

I would like to put in place a permanently installed thermostatically controlled retrofit radiant heat solution to melt the ice.  I do not want to replace or rebuild my stairs.  I am a cheap bastard so want to make this a DIY low cost solution, but reliability, longevity, and of course safety are important so I am not afraid of investing in quality materials.  I can see spending $500 on this.  $1000 absolute max.  Beyond that I toss in the towel and think about trashing the current wood stairs and replacing with cement stairs with an embedded radiant heat system at some point in the future (aka probably never).

I have reasonable access to underneath the stair treads.  There are eight steps.  I also have good access to 120V and 240V AC and cold water.

I'm OK with it not being highly energy efficient.  It won't be activated very often.

I am comfortable building my own control system with an Arduino if that proves to be a good solution for cobbling together a DIY system.

It seems my options are:

Hydronic heat -- water or glycol in Pex tubing.  Downside:  hydronic boilers are expensive and not sized for this small project.  The smallest I've seen is about $800.  I've read about some DIY projects where a small water heater was used or where a hot water recirculating system was just bolted onto the house's existing hot water heater.  This latter option sounds interesting and potentially economical.

Electric cable -- There are cable products for preventing ice dams on roofs and gutters.  And there are radiant electric cables intended to be embedded in a substrate.  I'm concerned about the ice dam cables being too feeble to radiate heat up through an inch of wooden stair tread.  The cables meant for in-floor radiant heat or snow melting all say they must be embedded in a couple inches of cement, sand, or asphalt.  It sounds like directly attaching them to the underside of a wood stair tread is not a good idea.  I'm also concerned about longevity with the ice dam cables:  I've read some sources say they should be replaced every 3 - 5 years which seems a little ridiculous.

Electric mats -- I bought one of these HeatTrak Snow Melt Matts http://www.amazon.com/HeatTrak-HR10-30-Residential-Snow-Melting-Stair/dp/B00421AHY2/ref=pd_sim_lg_1 to test it out and it seems to do a decent job radiating the heat up through the stair tread.  The stringers make it not a great fit for mounting under the stairs.

I like the hydronic option as it sounds bullet proof once installed, but it seems like it would be a very custom solution to keep the price down.  A small tankless water heater and a pump seems like it should be a frugal alternative to a full-on hydronic boiler.  Is it?

A heated cable would also be OK if I can mount it directly to the wood and get good results and longevity.  Will the ice dam heated cables be powerful enough and will they last?

Mounting the electric mats underneath the stairs feels like a square peg in a round hole.  They just don't fit between the stringers, and to get good direct contact with the stairs I should probably have something holding them up flush against the bottom of the stair tread, which is not a recommended installation.  As it is now with my one test mat they hang a bit loosely under the tread.  This is my least favorite fallback solution.

Am I overlooking some other ideal product or solution that fits my requirements, and if that is not the case, what are the gotchas or other considerations I need to account for in implementing a solution like this?


texts: Extremely old doorbell transformer filled with black gunk?

texts:
I need to replace my doorbell transformer in order for my Ring video doorbell to consistently have sufficient power. After searching long and hard I finally located the transformer, which appears to be EXTREMELY old (house was built in 1890). After pulling the cover off, it seems to be filled with some sort of black material (hard) so I can’t see any wiring or even begin to think of how to replace it. Any suggestions would be very helpful. I’ve attached a couple pictures for reference.

Thanks. Max!

Inside transformer:

Wiring:

Outside transformer:


texts: Make stairs that don't require a handrail

texts:
Looking at some building codes and it seems that if I do 3 steps and then a 3 foot landing, then another 3 steps and another 3 foot landing, repeating this pattern I don't need any railing. Is this correct or am I missing something?

+------+
       |
       +--+
          |
          +--+
             |
             +------+
                    |
                    +--+
                       |
                       +--+
                          |
                          +------+

This is to replace a dirt path with something that's easier to walk on.
12 feet of run with a 3 foot rise if using 6" high stairs with a 12" run tread is what I calculated.


texts:
My AC will turn on but will not blow out cold. I'm rebuilding the whole system, ductwork and all.

I've shorted the thermostat's red (power), yellow (a/c compressor), and green (fan) wires together. The handler and compressor are both running. However, the system blows out room-temperature air.

What could be the issue? I haven't run the system for over a year, so it could have gone bad at any time really. Only thing I can think of, is that possibly the refrigerant is low, but I have no idea how to check it. The insulated refrigerant line doesn't seem to be getting cold. The compressor and interior of the handler are mostly clean - a little dirt/dust, but I doubt that it'd totally starve the system.

Is there a way to narrow down my search some more?


texts: I have a cable running along my basement ceiling. There is a cord connection (looks like an extension added to it) but where they connect is all metal (it looks like an AUX jack). There is slack in the cable and the metal connection point was on top of an HVAC duct and when I walked by it I heard like a white noise and it was sparking!! I'm freaked out and have no idea if this is dangerous and what would cause it to spark and I'm scared to touch that wire now. I moved it off the duct but now I have no idea what to do. Any answers would help.


texts: existing circuit box without ground wire

texts: I have a outlet box with 12/2 wiring ungrounded.  Can I legally just run a separate grounding wire to the nearest circuit box that is grounded?


texts: How can I convert my home's phone lines to internet lines?

texts:
I am not too familiar with the technical terms of what I have. (If anybody needs more information then I will do what I can to provide it, I am not sure if these are Cat 5 cables.).
Question: Can i convert the ends of my cables to Cat 6 so that I could plug in Cat 7 cables in order to run gigabyte internet.


texts: What is the most durable wood to use for an outdoor swing set

texts: I'm looking to build an outdoor swing set for my kids in the garden. I'd like to know what is the most durable wood to use that doesn't warp or bend. I've been down to the big department stores to get wood, but it is mostly warped already and it has been difficult to find a quality wood.


texts: What causes Voltage fluctuation in Panel

texts:
I have a double pole 20 amp breaker in my main panel (no sub panels). and measuring the voltage it jumps between 118 and 121 on one side and 117 and 121 on the other.
I thought it should be at 120V. why is it fluctuating so? Is this ok?


texts: Any issue with GFCI outlet touching sides of outlet extender?

texts: I have to extend a single gang outlet box to account for added depth from beadboard wainscoting. The box is PVC and so is the outlet extender. The problem is, the outlet is a GFCI and it is very snug in the outlet extender. It touches on all sides. Is this acceptable? Should be safe from shorts because the extender and box are PVC correct?


texts: Outlet causes breaker/fuse to trip but why

texts:
Been living in my house for 9 years.  I've got a certain outlet in my master bedroom that just started doing something strange.

Let's say I have a light on in my master bedroom...and I try to plug in my phone charger into this outlet.  It causes everything in my bedroom to go out.  I went downstairs to the fuse panel and see master bedroom has been tripped.  I flip it off and back on and try again to plug something into this outlet.  Sure enough it goes out again...

What exactly is causing this to happen.  Is it a bad connection or bad outlet or bad break or....

I've used this outlet generally to plug in my phone or tablet for charging...nothing else.  Now it's tripping the fuse causing me to lose power in this room.  I called an electrician and he said he'd charge me 100 bucks just to look at it.  Can anyone give me some ideas of what this could be.

Additional note this is just a standard outlet, it doesn't have a reset button, it just has two outlets to plug things in.


texts: Manual Transfer Switch to power Main panel and Sub panel circuits

texts:
I had installed a Reliance model 31410CRK manual transfer switch, which has 10 individual circuits.

I happen to have a Main panel, and a Sub panel which are a few feet apart. The Sub panel was installed years ago to be the dedicated source of power for our downstairs when we had it renovated.

I have all of the lines from the transfer switch going into the main panel, and 8 of the 10 are already wired to my specific breakers in the main panel. Now wondering about the last two, and if/how I can supply them to the sub panel.

Question is this - what is the proper method by which I can use the 2 wire pairs from the transfer switch (which all feed into the main panel at the moment) and use them to electrify a couple of circuits in the sub panel?

Would it be a violation to connect conduit from the Main to the Sub, splice into the 2 wire pairs, and pass them thru the conduit to the Sub?
  Or, since the transfer switch has a few knockouts, pull those wire pairs, connect conduit from the transfer switch to the Sub panel, and pass them thru the conduit to the Sub?


texts: Why does my Amp/Projector signal cut out for a few seconds, is it a power issue?

texts: I have a stereo / projector hooked up in my garage.  There seems to be micro surges sporadically, I used to think, since it happened(much less frequently) in my old house that it was whenever the deep freeze kicked in, because I would hear it click like the pumps were kicking in at the same time as the projector would cut out.  But I unplugged it and the issue is still happening.  I have either a computer or a ps4 feeding signal into my Sony DN1050 amp, and from there there are 2 hdmi going to a tv and to the projector.  Every 10-15 min now, the signal cuts out to the tv and projector.  They go blank for about 5 seconds, then come back on normal.  Its just the signal not the power that cuts out.  It also seems to make a sound in my deep freeze that is on a completely different outlet, and obviously not connected.  Wondering if the amp is sending a surge through the house power lines or something.  Not sure how to proceed.


texts:
I'm looking for a edging for my garden which is non-toxic. I've currently got pressure treated lumber (supposedly it is not arsenic laced). I've been stapling chicken wire to the top of the lumber to keep out rabbits (this has been working), so I'd like to continue to use pressure treated lumber, but as I understand it, they no longer sell it without the chemical treatments.

Is this true? Any ideas as the best way to "seal" off my garden area? I've tried plastic edging and found it incredibly frustrating. I guess if there were some trick to installing it, I'd consider it, but I still need to be able to seal the area off.


texts: How can I protect a vending machine wire from being cut again?

texts:
A friend of mine operates a vending machine in a school. Oftentimes, there are issues when a snack gets stuck in the machine, the students will rock the machine. Rocking the machine is an issue, because when the (very heavy) machine comes down on the wire, the wire can get cut. My friend has gotten people to patch it up a few times, most recently myself (simple job -- snip, strip, twist, and tape everything together).
However, the current situation is definitely not optimal -- I don't think we have a lot of wire to use :P

Therefore, I ask -- how can I protect the wire to prevent this from occurring again?


texts: Two ground wires from fixture in instructions but only one unattached

texts:
I am currently installing an Artika 4-Pendant light fixture - Milton 4 but am running into issues while wiring it. In the instructions it indicates that "Connect the ground wire (G) to the two ground wires (G) on the fixture" but when looking at the fixture only one ground wire is disconnected at one end and the other ground wire is visible but already connected to the wires and fixture itself.
The only way I could see connecting the second wire is by kinking it into a U shape and placing that into the wire nut with the other ground wires but the diagram only has 2 wires coming from the fixture and if I kink it then I would have three wires from the fixture (I also feel like this would probably damage the wire anyways). This is my first time doing any wiring and even after doing research I couldn't find a scenario like this.
From the manual

The fixture itself


texts: Does anyone here have experience with mindi wood? For example furniture made from mindi wood? Is it also usable in outdoor scenarios, e.g. for garden furniture? What kind of finish is needed?


texts: Will I be able to match the paint on peeling cabinets reasonably well?

texts:
The paint on the cabinets surrounding our kitchen sink are peeling terribly.  The other cabinets are in reasonably good condition.  We are hoping to remodel the kitchen in the next couple of years, so I don’t want to spend a ton of money repainting/refinishing all of our cabinets.  I would love to just repaint the few that are peeling.

A few questions regarding how to best go about this:

Will A paint shop be able to match the paint color and finish (I.e. semi-gloss? Etc)?
Can I sand them by hand?  What grit sand paper should I use?  Will a need to sand all the existing paint off the cabinets that are peeling?  Or just where they are peeling?
Should I use a primer?  If so any recommendations?
How noticeable will brush marks be?  Should I go the extra mile and rent a spray painter?

Thank you all very much!!


texts: My Fluidmaster float sticks on brand new Champion toilet. Seems to hang up on every third flush. Turns out there was an imperfection in the tube with a bit of plastic flash sticking out that was catching the float. I used a nail file to grind off the projection and now all is well. Not sure why Fluidmaster cannot make smooth tubing.


texts: Identifying old single handle shower valve/cartride?

texts:
Need help identifying the tub/shower faucet valve/cartridge in the pictures below.  I shutoff the main and removed EVERYTHING in preparation for replacement at a later date, and realized I never took a picture of the actual CARTRIDGE itself, and want to see if I can get some experienced eyes to help identify a couple parts!  (The issue we're fixing is a LEAKING tub faucet.)

I want to replace the cartridge/stem all together if possible -- but if that's too hard to identify, I took a picture of the washers in the valve as well -- hoping I can simply replace those for both hot/cold water sides.  I was expecting washers/springs but this what I found when I opened up and I've never seen these before!


texts: Cannot figure out wiring of most basic Honeywell thermostat (heater only)

texts:
I live in an apartment with central heat.  It's controlled by a round Honeywell thermostat.  The heater ticks really loudly and annoyingly when it heats up and cools down (probably a topic for a separate thread), and the Honeywell thermostat causes it to heat up and cool down too frequently for my liking.

My plan is to replace the Honeywell thermostat with an Arduino board that'll have better hysteresis, plus show a more accurate temperature readout.  (The Honeywell thermostat's current temperature reading is way off.)

There are two wires going to the Honeywell thermostat: a red and a beige.  From my research (http://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/8019/is-there-a-standard-wiring-scheme-for-ac-heater-thermostats), that should be the standard hot and common at 24V.

However---and this is why I am writing---when I measure the voltage between those wires with a voltmeter, I end up with 0 V.  The heater works fine with the Honeywell thermostat, so I cannot explain this.  I have not tried closing the circuit manually, since now I don't know what to think.

Any ideas?


texts: How to mount hooks into concrete ceiling that must be able to support several times bodyweight?

texts:
I am on the top floor of a loft apartment that used to be a factory.  I want to install several hooks or some other fixture into my concrete ceiling from which I can hang gymnastic rings, a punching bag and a swing/hammock. I am about 200lbs and if I were to use a safety factor of 5, each hook would possibly need to be able to support 1000lbs.  Given that there is inevitably a higher impulse everytime I get on/off the rings or punch the bag, would the 1000lbs be sufficient?  Which then leads to - how and where can I get hooks or some other type of fixture that would be able to take this load and how can I get them into my concrete ceiling?

I do not have experience with home improvement so I would appreciate as much details as possible.


texts: Temporarily relocating an electrical panel while rebuilding a room

texts:
The room where our main power supply comes into the house is actually an old converted porch.

Several inches of the wooden frame, including the sill plate and band board, are buried below grade and over the years it has suffered some serious rot. The walls appear to be built out of random scraps of material, including pieces of round fence post. The floor joists are not properly built and need to be replaced. The roof sheathing has a lot of mold and fungal damage on the inside, and there may be some rainwater intrusion. Nothing is level with the rest of the house.

At this point, I am thinking we may want to just completely demolish and rebuild the room. With the exception of the electrical panel, and rebuilding a portion of the foundation, I believe this is well within our DIY abilities.

The question is, what do we do with the main electrical panel while we rebuild the wall pictured above? It connects directly to the supply meter, which is immediately on the other side of the wall. I'm actually happy with its current location as its forever home, but it's in the way right now. What is the cheapest way to temporarily relocate it? Or, is there any chance we can demolish and "build around" it in a safe way?


texts:
i have a very annoying and frustrating problem.  there are sticky popping sounds coming from under my newly laid hardwood floors.  there is a underlay on cement base and the installer swears that he laid it as per specifications.  he is at a loss to know why the floor is doing that.  it started out in a couple of spots a few weeks after the floor was laid but it has moved to about 70% of the floor.  short of pulling the whole thing off ($15,000 down the gurgler) is there anything else that can be done? if i step on any area for longer than a few seconds then step off the floor snaps like 2 pieces sticking and then violently unsticking.

HELP i'm going insane. even my downstairs neighbors can hear the sticky pops late at night....


texts: How to Measure Double Handle Push out Windows?

texts:
I want to buy some screens but I need them custom made. I need to measure them but not sure how to measure them properly.

The screen would look like this

http://www.southcoastscreens.com/double-handle-push-out-window.html

my window would look something like this(not my window, but simliar)


texts: I'm getting a fake short on my fuse tripping GFCI

texts:
I recently went to change an outlet to a GFCI (It was the first in the line)
After I installed it (as I have done dozens of times) and It kept tripping.  I replaced the outlet thinking it was faulty, but the outlet kept tripping.
I got my volt meter out and tested continuity between the hot and neutral and found they were indeed touching.  Keep in mind the old outlet worked fine.
This outlet is the first in the line for the whole upstairs (which is a terrible 1950's design).  So I unplugged everything in every outlet upstairs.  I found that a set of computer speakers tested positive for a short between the hot and neutral.
This struck me odd because it did not trip the Fuse, or short any other device.  Since I couldn't add the GFCI I just replaced the old outlet with a normal duplex.  And everything is working fine as it has for years.
Part 1: So why are the speakers tripping the GFCI and causing a "short" but not tripping the actual Fuse or causing irregularities with anything else that is plugged in?
Part 2: Even after I unplugged the Speakers the GFCI kept tripping with nothing in any outlet and the hot and neutral stopped testing positive for a short.  Any thoughts?  (The GFCI was tested to be fully operational)
I'm an electronic fan boy, so I appreciate in depth responses down to the electrical components on the PCB.
Thank you for your help,


texts: When is the best period to fix a door frame?

texts:
When we moved in our condo, one of the doors had issues closing correctly so we decided to fix it during last autumn. We made it to close perfectly.

It seems the house has moved a lot during this last winter, and now it no longer closes correctly, as if the frame had sheared (the wall at a corner of the door has even cracked).

Now I'd like to fix it correctly (again) once and for all. Taking into consideration that the house moves, I'm wondering when would be the best time of the year to fix it so that it always closes correctly all year-round? When is a house is it's 'most-average-position'?

Maybe-not-so-important-facts:

The unit is located in the province of Quebec.
The building is about 15-16 years old.
We're occupying the 2nd and 3rd floors of a condo block.
We have a concrete slab that separate us from the owner of the unit on the 1st floor.
We have a brick wall that separates us from the owner that live on the same floor.
The unit has been owned by family since its construction, so we know for sure that the wall at that location has never cracked before.


texts:
I'm trying to replace my ceiling fan and can't seem to figure out what wire is which ?

My house is 70 years old and it's a bit confusing.

EDIT from the comments:

Four outlets are connected as well as the porch light and the ceiling fan are on the circuit.

I have tools and I've replaced ceiling light fixtures before.

The problem I ran into with this one is that I didn't pay attention to where the wires were connected on the old ceiling fan.

It appears that the power to the box comes in on the left side of the pic in the box and the right side supplies the power to the ceiling fan.

Thanks for any help!

!


texts: Odd behaviour when adding two smart dimmers in one box

texts:
I'm hoping these symptoms will be obvious to someone who knows better:
I'm adding smart dimmers in a fairly new (2013) house in Canada. Two are replacing regular dimmers in a four-gang box which controls four separate light fixtures with no other switches. There's five wires coming into the box - the four lights plus the supply. All the existing switches just use the live but I do have neutrals which are all bound together. It all seems pretty modern and simple and I've installed smart switches in similar boxes with the same config.
Here's the problem - when I replace the two dimmers with the smart dimmers both work but one switches on both fixtures instead of just the one it handles the load for. The other just switches on its own load, as I'd expect. I've checked, double-checked and re-done all connections, swapped the two switches, tried them on their own and always end up with the same results. Probably also relevant is the fact that when both sets of lights come on in response to one switch, they're clearly under-powered (flickering) and turning on the second switch adds more juice and both run as normal, so it seems like somehow the live from switch one is being shared to both sets of lights?
The smart dimmers have four connections which I'm connecting as follows:

Load (red) to the fixture black wire
Live (black) to the common live (blacks) coming into the box
Neutral (white) to the common neutrals/whites coming into the box
Ground to a ground on the box
The neutral from the fixture wires goes to the common neutrals

I'm guessing there's a mixup somewhere and I'm doing something dumb. Any ideas? Many thanks in advance... :-)
EDIT: Adding some pictures. Thanks in advance. This is with just one smart switch - this setup works fine. If I replace the manual dimmer (spot #3) with another smart dimmer we get the issue.


texts: Board on top of joists in attic. Is it structural?

texts:
I've attached a picture (not the best), but you can see the board I'm referring to peeking out of the insulation.  The joists run left to right in relation to the point of view of this picture and this board is attached to the top of the joists and runs perpendicular.

Is that board peeking through structural?  I'm asking because it runs over top of my attic opening and I wondered if I could just cut it off between the two joists.

There's also a barely visible board that goes up at an angle in front of the attic vent (you can kind of see the shadow of it in front of the attic vent.  What is that one and is it structural?


texts: Attach new interior wall to ceiling drywall?

texts: There was a similar question but I have a follow-up question. Remodeling shower. Shower base is in place(rectangle 58'x 32') Reinstalling long edge outer wall with no glass and no door creating a walk-in. New wall will be floor to ceiling and run approx 34" leaving the rest as the walk-in. Will powershoot to slab at the bottom and secure to furr strip on cinder wall on the one vertical side. Question; since there are no cross joists in the ceiling I am going to attach to the ceiling drywall, is there any special/better/secure way to attach to the ceiling drywall other than just some wide thread screws? Would large toggles be reasonable? Are there any special brackets available that would broaden the pressure points and help the top wall brace secure better to the ceiling drywall? I will be tiling the shower side of the wall with heavy 18"x18" tiles and don't want it to go south after the first year or whenever.. Thanks, Joe


texts: My Goodman a/c motor fails due to high voltage

texts: I have got a brand new goodman unit. The motor kept stopping after few hours an the tech replaced the motor. It still had same issues.. I was told that the voltage coming into the unit is too high.. The voltage was around 246-249v. The unit itself says it supports a max range of 253 volts. however the motor on the unit supports only 230 volts.. The hvac guy disappeared for 2 days and it is not working out. He suggested me using a step down transformer. Is that the only way out of this? Shouldn't goodman be providing a capable motor that runs in the max range supported by the unit?


texts: Why is my desk still tacky two weeks after finishing it with a polyurethane clear coat?

texts:
I've recently built a standing desk out of sandply with a mahogany veneer.

I have stained it, and two weeks ago added a polyurethane clear coat to protect the stain. However, after doing this, the desk is slightly tacky, and things don't slide very well on it.

What can I do to reduce this "stickiness"?


texts: Replacing compression fitting with push-to-connect

texts: I have a 1/2" compression fitted toilet shutoff valve.  If I remove this, and the compression ring, is it safe to us a push-to-connect fitting to replace the compression fitting? Has the copper pipe been deformed by the compression fitting so that the push-to-connect will leak?


texts:
A lot of information online about laying tile is specific for bathrooms (that need waterproofing), but in this case I want to remove carpet from a bedroom that is used as office space. This carpet is not only old but also quite thick and is extremely annoying to use with office chairs. Three people will be using this room and I believe a tile surface is best.

Removing the old carpet seems easy, but I do not want to start before I figured out all the details.
However, in the next 3 years I plan to proceed with a whole house remodel, where I will change the layout of the rooms etc. This is not just a wish, I am working with architects right now. In the meanwhile, I just wanted to get rid of carpet and put tiles for before we go insane. For that reason, I wanted to do something relatively cheap and that is easy to remove in a few years.

Big box stores have tiles that cost around or less than a dollar/sq ft. I know it's not the best type of tile and not as durable but this is perfectly fine in my use case as described above. However the substrate is OSB and I understand I have two main options:
- cement boards
- decoupling membrane

Cement boards are relatively cheap, less than a dollar per square foot so in line with the cost of the tile. However it seems they require a huge amount of screws. Membranes are quite a buit more expensive, around 1.6$/sq ft so much more than the actual tiles. I am debating if they are really worth it given I plan to remove them relatively soon.

My question is: what is my best compromise for a cheap tile solution that will be easy to remove? Can I lay cement boards without the screws?

I also have a technical question: I understand how a decoupling membrane works by letting the substrate move independently from the tile, so cracks are less of an issue. But if cement board is cemented and screwed to the substrate, what is the actual difference compared to just cementing the tiles to the OSB?


texts: How do I build a firewall around my furnace/water heater?

texts:
I'm in the planning stage of finishing my basement.  I'd like to section off the furnace and water heater, and am assuming that I should fireproof that section of the build.

What's the best way to go about it?

My guess would be steel studs and concrete board instead of drywall, and a steel door.


texts: How do I pull up sheets of plywood from the floor?

texts:
I have ripped up the carpet in the master bedroom and found that between the sheets of plywood there is cold air blowing in because part of the floor is over the garage.

I want to pull up the nailed down sheets of plywood to add insulation and then I guess I want to screw it down.

What tools do I need to make pulling up the plywood easy?
What screws should I use to secure it back after adding insulation?

(The 2nd question is more geared to another one I am about to post on how to remove the squeaks from a wooden floor)


texts:
I have a central heating system that was installed in this house in 2006.  Tonight, while I was taking a nap my wife said that she suddenly heard a loud whine/whistle sound that slowly lowered in pitch and loudness.  As it lowered the heated air that was coming from the vents slowed down with it.
At this point she turned off the heater at the thermostat and woke me up.  The entire house smelled very strongly of an acrid burning smell (like an electrical fire).

The smell has gone away now about an hour later, but in that time I checked the basement where the heating unit is and it didn't smell at all.

When I looked at the heating unit, it had 2 breakers and neither were tripped.  I opened the side panel and manually moved the blower and it turned fine.  Then about 20 minutes after it happened I turned the heat back on and the blower started, but very slowly and after about 60 seconds slowed itself down again.  If you manually push the blower while it is on, it will spin for a few seconds then slow.  You can hear that it's trying to move itself.

If you flip the left breaker only to off it completely stops and makes no noise.  If you flip the right breaker only to off nothing changes.

When it comes to home repair I am as useless as a noodle in a tornado.
Also, cannot afford a repairman at this point...and it's below freezing outside.
:(

BIG EDIT
Took some pictures for my own sake and for explanations sake:
First, here is the whole picture:

Here is the capacitor (the only one I can find anywhere):

When I shorted the capacitor and then tested it for voltage I get nothing at all.  I have no idea if that's normal but I only have a Voltage meter not a Multimeter.

Here are the wires that went into the Capacitor:

The 2 purple ones went to the same terminal (top) and the orange went to the other one.
The thick purple and the orange ones then went to the back of the blower motor, while the small purple one traveled up to this thingy:

I have no idea what it is or what it does.

So where do I go from here?  There are so many wires that I can't make sense of them all and I have no idea what the "thingy" is or if it's the problem.  Any help is much appreciated.
P.S. -->  When I shorted the capacitor with a screwdriver to test it, nothing happened at all.  No small spark or anything.  Is that normal?


texts: Intl Mechanic Code 309.1 "Space-heating systems" clarification

texts:
I am looking at the ICC Intl Mechanical Code, in section 309.1

  309.1 Space-heating systems. Interior spaces intended for human occupancy shall be provided with active or passive space-heating systems capable of maintaining an indoor temperature of not less than 68°F (20°C) at a point 3 feet (914 mm) above floor on the design heating day. The installation of portable space heaters shall not be used to achieve compliance with this section.

I am wondering what this means. e.g., capable if you set the thermostat on 80 and it gets up to 68 in that room?

Let's say you have some cold rooms in a house. Most of the house - you set the thermostat at 70, those rooms are about 70 - but in some rooms is struggles to get over 65. Is that a code problem or it is okay because you could turn the heat up to 80 and then that room would be able to get over 68?

Also what exactly does it mean to "maintain" the temperature? e.g., you get it to 68 but it cools off very quickly by a few degrees within an hour?

How is this part of code actually applied?


texts: My wall was painted over a year ago, next door has been banging and now caulking has occured. Whose fault?

texts: I had my wall painted a year and a half ago and it has been fine. Next door has been using a lump hammer and now caulking has occured. They say it is nothing to do with them but I am worried. Can it be the fault of my decorator or is it their fault?


texts:
I'm screwing down a deck of 5/4 x 4" cedar, over joists 16" O.C.

It's a covered deck, so it won't get very wet.

Is 1 screw per joist/plank intersection enough? Or 2?


texts:
i just bought an led driver. but it has two white wires for the mains. I was wondering which wire is live and neutral.

http://www.banggood.com/12V-DC-18W-Power-Supply-LED-Driver-Adapter-Transformer-Switch-For-LED-Strip-LED-Light-Bulb-p-984961.html


texts:
In our bathroom, we have a wall-mounted mirror (un-removable) wherein the bathroom spout and handles are mounted behind the mirror. I need to replace the valves in the faucets as they have been leaking for sometime.
I can't get a 31/32 sink wrench around the existing valve because the (genius) who mounted the mirror didn't cut the holes in the mirror wide enough to do so. Can almost get the wrench in, but I'm confident anymore forcing or torque will crack the mirror.
I need to widen the existing holes (1/4-1/2") in the glass around the handles to get the wrench in there.
The picture below shows all this, though it also shows part of the handle stem protruding which I can remove to do the job.
I'm thinking a dremel with a diamond bit, allowing the mirror to cool regularly with breaks (can't use water because it'll get inside the wall), wearing lots of protection including mask for a possible mirror shatter.
The whole thing may just need to be replaced if this won't work or when I break it.
Any advise?


texts:
Is it allowed by NEC to install an outlet into the side of a bath cabinet like in the picture.  I want to cut a section of the cabinet side for a box and then punch a hole in the back wall and run the line down.

In my specific situation I can not install it on the front wall.  this is just an example picture not the actual.


texts: How do I restore the original finish of a reglazed plastic tub?

texts:
I bought a house a few years back. The previous owner had reglazed the plastic tub and wall unit and the glazed paint is starting to peel and looks pretty bad.

How do I remove the glazed paint to restore the original plastic?


texts: What could cause a bad oil-like smell every time the heat is on?

texts: The new gas system works great, heats quickly and seems very efficient.  However, there is a strong smell that comes every time we turn up the heat.  It smells like some kind of oil.  Had the installer come back, says its not dangerous, that it is from the lubricant used between pipe joints.  Looks like there is a lot of excess putty like substance around the joints, that seems to be where the smell is coming from.  Is it safe to clean the excess without compromising the functioning of the unit?  The smell is causing headaches, sore throats and irritated eyes.


texts: Replacing a bathroom fan - two ground wires?

texts:
I've purchased a Broan NuTone fan to replace the old one in my bathroom. The fan itself has a white wire, a black wire and a green wire. The wiring in my house consists of a black wire, a white wire, a green wire and a bare copper ground.
According to the instructions, I am to attach the green wire from the fan to either a green wire from the supply or to the ground. Since the existing wiring includes both, should I connect both the green and the bare copper to the green wire attached to the fan?


texts: Do we need steel beams when installing an Egress Window

texts:
Our contractor suggests that we use steel beams restraints when we  implement our egress window his explanation is:

"Because your foundation is so tall, I don't want to cut the egress without putting a vertical steel beam restraint on each side of the new window. Your foundation will be weakened after the cut. The foundation will break within 5 years because of the hydrostatic pressure on the west side. "

Does this make sense ...  Our basement ceilings are 12 feet tall ...

Thanks

Paul


texts: Why has my bathroom cold water tap (but no others) stopped working?

texts:
The basin cold water tap in my bathroom over the last week has gone from fully flowing, to half pressure, to a dribble, then to a drip and now nothing comes out.

The 3 other taps in the bathroom work correctly, including the cold water tap on the bath.

Are there a series of simple things to check before calling out a plumber?


texts: Can I add bathroom/closet in place of 2nd entry door?

texts:
I have 1.5 bath ranch style house shown in picture below. The closet space is very limited and I really want to add one more full bath. I am contemplating closing the 2nd front door (as seen in sort of middle) with bathroom or at lease a closet. The bay style window is living and the corner room is the master bed, so the proposed bath could be attached master bed would would be great.

But does it sound like reasonable place to add bathroom? Will it be costly because it sort of outside of the existing living area? Alternatively would it be possible expand the house on right side and add bathroom/close there? What kind of cost are we talking about for that one?

Note, I do have the main entrance next to the garage. I don't think I will ever use the 2nd entrance and I have lawn in the back which is my main yard. This is the front of the house. I think I should use this space which otherwise I will hardly use. There is corridor part inside which could be part of it. Another of my concern with this is could bathroom be made sound proof enough so it can't be heard at all in the adjacent living room like flushing/showing etc? Could it look ugly from the front? If so that would kill the deal in the first place.


texts: How best to capture and move the heat from oil furnace stove pipe more efficiently throughout room

texts:
In my basement the stove pipe that goes from the oil furnace to the chimney is always hot, so I feel like I should be capturing this extra heat and moving it about the basement. How do I keep this wasted heat?
Would a copper curtain with fan or stove pipe piece with blowers on the side keep the heat from traveling up the chimney?
Will wrapping the stove pipes or fanning the pipe with copper curtain increase heat transfer?


texts: Is it acceptable, or to code, to splice electrical wire outside of a junction box behind drywall?

texts:
I'm planning to add a set of recessed lights to an existing circuit in my home.  The existing circuit is fairly simple: one light, controlled by one switch, and there is no insulation in the wall or ceiling.

My dilemma is in adding the fixtures into the circuit between the existing fixture and the switch.  I will need to splice additional wire into the circuit, but I'm certain there isn't enough slack to draw the existing line into the fixture's junction box to make the connections.

Should I run new line from the existing fixture to ensure that the connections happen inside the box?  Otherwise, can I splice a short segment into the existing line to get the slack I need?


texts: What is the code-mandated overlap of welded wire mesh in concrete slabs?

texts:
I'm trying to find a code reference for welded wire reinforcement in residential concrete slab foundations. I though it was 6" overlap of the sheets, but some sources are saying it's more. Does anyone know the specific overlap required?

Location is Georgia, United States.


texts: I am repairing my parents old single lamp (lamp F30T12-CW) ballast (old ballast was a GE 6G1075) with a two lamp ballast ( Phillips Advance B134SR120M-A) but only connecting one lamp The new ballast has 2 blue, 2 red, 2 yellow plus black hot and white common... what wires do I connect to the tombstones?  Thank you


texts:
We had professionally installed kitchen exhaust vent, venting outside.  We had 300cfm and we were having smell issue in the house even after venting outside.  We replaced the fan with 900 cfm and still having issue with smell in the house.  Our new fan will run for few minutes and then shuts off. We called the guy back who installed our 900 cfm fan and he said there is leaking from the pipe that was installed for venting out.
What kind of pipe should we use? Why we are still having smell in the house when we cook even with 900 cfm fan?


texts: What should I use to fill cracks in my wood door?

texts: I'm almost finished stripping multiple layers of paint and varnish off my front door.  It's revealed some really nice detailing that was previously hidden by paint.  I'd like to stain and seal the door now, but each of the 4 panels on the lower part of the door have substantial cracks in them.  Right now, those cracks are filled with paint.  What can I use to fill the cracks? Sorry for the blurry picture of the door]2


texts: I tried looking for Indiana building code regarding bathroom door sizes. I seem to be getting contradictory measurements from my searches. Some say 28” width is fine, others say 32” required, 34 recommended. Can anyone shed some light on this and maybe point me to a reputable code document? I live in Lafayette, IN (zip 47904) if that helps. Edit: current door is 28”.


texts: Should I finish staining my half-stained deck with rain coming?

texts:
We were supposed to have two weeks of perfect weather conditions so I started the process of staining my deck, I cleaned it, sanded it and yesterday applied the first coat to half of it.

Now the weather has changed and the forecast is 70% chances of 5mm of rain that are going to fall two days from now and then so far it seems it's going to be intermittent between rain and sunny.

How should I proceed?

Should I apply the first coat on the second half and the second coat on the first half 48 hours before the rain and then leave it until the rainy days are over before applying the second coat on the second half?
Should I apply the second coat on the second half even though it will be the afternoon before the rainy day?
Should I not do anything and leave the recently sanded deck to get wet and then wait for the rainy days to stop?

I must add that it is very possible that after the rainy days the really hot weather might begin.

Please advise.


texts: Tool to cut small diameter PVC tubing/conduit?

texts:
Goal
I want to cut a lot of 1/2" inner diameter PVC conduit (the gray stuff, not white). Caliper measured 15mm ID, which is really 0.6", but I think it's sold as 1/2", or maybe the fitting are sold as 1/2".
Current Solution
I currently have a pair of ratcheting PVC cutters from Harbor Freight (my first mistake). They are horrible, they take a lot of force to make a cut, and the cuts are never flush (not that crucial, but would be ideal for aesthetics (I'm not using tubing for plumbing/wiring))
I tried a pair of very similar pair of ratcheting cutters sold under Home Depot's HDX brand. I borrowed it from the toolbox in the electrical isle at HD, so I figure it was well used (or recently replaced). It cut a lot better than my crappy HF pair, but it wasn't perfect.
Ideal Solution

A tool that can cut PVC tubing/conduit quickly
Preferably with flush ends.
Something that I can use in the field without a bench vice, so a saw is out.

Considerations
I was thinking that a wheel-blade style tubing cutter would work well. I've used them on copper, and the cuts aren't always flush, but maybe I was just using it wrong.
Does anyone have experience cutting conduit/tubing with a wheel-blade tubing cutter ?
Or is there a brand of ratcheting cutter that I should consider?


texts: Do any ultra quiet ceiling fans that have no motor hum exist?

texts:
I am in the market to buy two large ceiling fans to cycle air within and potentially cool my master bedroom. The room is about 16x27 feet, and it gets pretty hot during spring, summer, and early fall. I have wired both mounts into the ceiling, and tried out a single 52" Harbor Breeze fan in one of them. The fan produced a very audible motor hum, similar to that described in this question, however strait off of my native power. Cranking the fan up to high speed would drown out the sound of the hum, but then I have the fan noise itself to deal with. I've had an electrician come out and check the wiring, and everything is solid according to him.

From a wiring standpoint, I used a Harbor Breeze remote control with the fan, which was nicely designed to fit within and work perfectly with the Harbor Breeze fan itself. Wiring the remote control receiver was a no brainer...every connection was color coded. I did notice, however, that the wires from the fan itself were solid core, where as the wires from the remote receiver were stranded aluminum. I am not sure if this might cause a problem, and introduce motor hum? Having a remote is important (see background below for why.)

I did some searching, and there seem to be a variety of complaints about Harbor Breeze fans and motor hum (and an even broader search indicates that motor hum is not an infrequent problem.) Do ceiling fans of high enough quality, with large enough motors to run the fan silently, actually exist? Is it possible to get a ceiling fan that works with a remote without motor hum?

Background

I have severe sleep issues, one of them being high sensitivity to noise. When its hot, I have even more trouble sleeping, and I expend a considerable amount of money running my air conditioner to keep my home cool during the summer. I am close to desperate to find a way to cool my room without the need to run my air conditioner as much, and ceiling fans seem to be the ideal solution. I've lived in apartments in the past that had truly silent ceiling fans, and I was able to sleep well with them. I'm largely just lacking information and knowledge about what brands I should be looking at, what price point I should be looking at (I think I spent about $200 on the one 52" Harbor Breeze before, from Lowes, but I'm willing to spend twice that or more per fan if it gets me a quiet one without motor hum.)

Given my sleeping issues, I need to be able to turn the fan on or off without getting out of bed. Generally speaking, if I get up once I've finally started to fall asleep, my night is over...I don't sleep at all. I used a remote with the Harbor Breeze, however I think that may have made the motor hum worse...as the wiring of the receiver was really cheap. Are there any known high quality remote receivers that use proper wiring and support the right kind of electric load for a large ceiling fan?


texts: Which bathtubs do not require installation?

texts: I need a "no install" bathtub for an otherwise great apartment that only has a shower. The bathtub would be used nightly by an American adult of average height (not short but not "tall" either) and shouldn't be much heavier than an average woman can move by herself. What are appropriate bathtub options for this situation?


texts: What are the pros and cons of louvered gutter alternatives?

texts:
One part of our house has a gutter nearly 30' above grade (a dry-laid brick patio outside a walkout basement), which never gets cleaned out because I don't enjoy being on a ladder that high, and that part of the roof is not accessible from the other side (it's a non-traditional contemporary house).   Luckily, because of the height, this takes several years to clog completely with leaves, but it's now time to do something agin.

I'm considering Rainhandler "gutters" to replace the traditional gutter on this section.  It's about a 28' run, and drains approximately 12' of roof (it's a shed roof Lthat butts into a wall).   The eave is about 16" deep.

What should I consider before making this decision?


texts: domestic air condition needs restart for cool air

texts:
I have a new domestic air condition 9000btu in my room. I have the settings cool and 23 degree temperature and I noticed that when I turned it on for the first time of the day, it doesn't blow cool air but only normal air. After a few minutes I turned it off and I turned it again on, and it blows cool air. This what I do everyday.

What the problem might be? Do air condition needs more time to cool the room?


texts: What are some inexpensive DIY options for fixing a low water pressure condition in a toilet?

texts:
Low Water Pressure

We have a toilet that has very low-pressure flushing action. Is there anything that I can do other than calling in a professional? We've had a few people out to look at it and they cannot seem to diagnose this properly.

Click here for flushing action

Background

The low-pressure is occurring on a guest house on the property. We can see a pipe that appears related to the toilet. When the toilet is over-used (flushed multiple times), we can see a bit of water overflow from the pipe. The toilet has never worked properly and the professionals we brought in could not assist other than suggesting a new external septic tank.

That option leaves me with a concern: Wouldn't they have to figure out the status of the current water outflow pipe and cap it before connecting to a new tank? That seems like a much bigger project so I am hoping to find a better solution from the community.

Please feel free to let me know if any of my assumptions are wrong or if I have missed other options. I am not a professional.


texts: I have a crawl space under my main entrance of the house. It's about 3' tall. I added a heat duct because the floor at the entrance was always cold. So my question is do I need to vent the crawl space because I added the heat vent. Even if I just cut a hole in the door leading to the crawl space and put a vent cover there. Thanks


texts: How can I safely repaint/fix peeling latex paint that was painted over lead paint?

texts: The previous owners of our 1948 house painted over ALL the oil based (lead containing) with latex paint without properly priming it?!?! Now 1 yr in, every doorway is peeling paint exposing the green lead based paint beneath. We have 3 young children and I want to get this taken care of. Professionally removing or encapsulating it is not an option financially. What is the best way to take care of it myself? Peel what I can and prime and paint over it?  I know that will leave an unsmooth surface, but scraping and sanding aren’t really an option unless there is a safe way I can do it. This is such a huge project and I don’t even know where to begin.


texts:
A mirror has four pieces of hardware of the one appearing in the image, one at each corner.

Attempting to insert simultaneously four flat-head wood screws in these slots would likely be frustrating. Plus I'd rather leave myself some room for not getting the locations of the screws so absolutely accurate.

Is there some hardware that matches the one pictured? Would two screws be enough or, if four are present, four are necessary? Is this mirror meant to be hung as shown, or rotated 90 degrees? Are these pieces of hardware meant for somehow adding a cable, then hanging the mirror from that cable? Would the cable need to go around all four, perhaps loosely to distribute the load?


texts:
Does septic tank need to have concrete flooring? If so, why? Will the concrete flooring affect the decomposition of waste?

Thanks!


texts: I have a furnace/air-conditioner that can support filters of various thicknesses: 1", 2", or 4".  Filters are available in various MERV ratings.  How should I decide which filter to use?


texts:
I replaced my old florescent lights with LED. Turned the breaker on, light worked fine, however, the light switch will not turn the light off or on(constant on). Replaced the switch, same problem. It looks like a junction box on the ceiling, 3 black wires, 3 white wires and the ground. 3 black are hot(of course) 2 of the white are not but one white is hot. Any suggestions? Should I hook the hot white with the black?

Note from OP: Wiring 3 black twisted together, 2 white twisted together, and the hot white is a solid wire insulated.


texts:
I need some help working out if the wiring in my recently-purchased house is dangerous. Quite a lot of stuff around the house, from the drywall to the flooring, was evidently done by the previous owner himself (he built the house) or by other non-professional friends of his, and it's possible this amateurism extends to the wiring also.

The two living room 3-way switches were working fine until I put new rocker switches in, after which I found that one of the switches must be on for the other one to work. Okay, so I must have mixed two wires up.

I did some reading on the interwebs, but everything I read failed to describe the situation I was facing. With both switches disconnected (everything but the grounds), they both showed a hot wire (according to my non-contact tester). Everything I'd read said that there should only be one hot wire out of six wires. Through trial and error, I was able to discover the combination that works; at the hall switch, the hot goes to common; and in the living room, the hot goes to one of the other terminals.

So, everything works fine now. What's worrying me though is that, in my reading about this issue, I learned that there are certain ways of wiring 3-ways ("California"/"coast"?) that are not safe. The fact that I couldn't find anything about having hot wires at both switches has left me concerned as to whether my wiring is okay or not.

What do you think? Is this enough information?


texts: What type of cleaner should I use to remove a puke stain from concrete?

texts:
My cat puked on the basement floor in a couple places, but I can't seem to clean the stain.  So far I've tried simply mopping with Pine-Sol®, which didn't work. Then I tried scrubbing/mopping with OxiClean™, which also didn't work.

Should I try a cleaner that is specifically designed for concrete?

It's a typical poured concrete basement, that doesn't appear to be sealed. Also keep in mind that it is a basement, so it's indoors and doesn't have great ventilation.

Stain after cleaning


texts: I have a pool at our recently purchased home.  The pool system in about 22 years old and consists of a Hayward / Goldline AquaLogic controller.  The breakers in the controller are marked type QP but I can’t find any markings to indicate they are GFI’s. My logic says that outdoor 120/240 volt circuits require GFI Protection.  The main breaker panel is using a 4 pole 20/30/30/20 ganged breaker.  Could it be a GFI breaker?


texts: remove single pole switch that control outlet

texts:
I have a light switch (single pole) in my dining room that controls an outlet. I want to separate the switch from the outlet while still providing power to the outlet. The switch I would like to use to control new light fixture being installed in the room.

The switch box has 2 switches in it one to the outlet and one to my upstairs hall lights (3-way switch) How can this be done and what is the red wire for?

Currently all neutral are wired together and grounds (bare) are the same. There are 4  circuits going into the box from what I can see.


texts: Building an exterior wall within an exterior wall for insulation

texts:
I just purchased a 1925 beautiful home that is stucco on the outside and old plaster on the inside. I have some carpentry experience and am realizing the incredible loss f heat to the exterior walls. There is ample space in each of the rooms in the house so I am contemplating ways to insulate. It seems blow in is too dangerous because of moisture issues.

I am considering building new 2x4 insulated walls within the existing exterior walls.

What do you think?


texts: how to repair large, uneven crack in concrete floor

texts:
I have a really long (about 20') uneven crack in my cement garage floor. Not only is it jagged, but the sides of the crack range from flat to about 1/2" high. I want to level the sides of the crack, seal it, and end up with a flat floor. I'm not sure what the best way to do this is. I'm thinking about either grinding or chiseling down the high side, then applying CrackFix, then applying some sort of topcoat to make it smooth. Anyone have any better ideas?

I'm not going to put a floor over it, I just want it to look good again. I picked CrackFix because it looks like it will seal and level at least the crack, but once I break up the high side I still need to level and smooth the whole area.


texts: Identifying non-standard flange fastener/nut

texts:
Can someone please identify this non-standard fastener/nut with flange.
The thread is 10mm (it fits a 10mm threaded rod) and the diameter of the flange is 20mm.
The thread pitch is 1mm if that helps to identify it.
I need to find another one of these to repair a lamp with a pottery base that has a 10mm threaded rod that is missing this piece. I have an identical lamp from which this fastener/nut  was taken to photograph it.

Here is the nut fastened to the threaded rod from the other lamp to show how it is used. The flange is used to attach to the underside of the lamp base.

I just need to find the name of this fastener/nut or where to buy it. Many thanks!
Link to full sized image of front view
Link to full sized image of rear view
Link to full sized image of lamp holder


texts: What the best way to do site planning on a large wooded lot?

texts:
I'm trying to layout the desired locations of buildings and fences on a new rural lot that's about 15 acres and heavily wooded. The plan is to have a section of woods cleared for the build sites (two houses with yards) and some room for gardening, but leave the rest of the lot wooded. We also need to plot out driveways. Given the lack of visibility, it's proving quite a challenge to figure out where a potential build site falls in relation to the rest of the lot. Much of it starts to look the same and you start to loose perspective out in the woods.

The goal is to figure out where everything will go, so I can direct the land clearing contractor to remove trees only in the locations necessary. (They charge by the day, rounded up to whole days, so getting it organized enough to do it all in one day will save a significant amount of money).

Assuming we don't want to buy the expensive equipment used by surveyors, what's a good process for planning out a lot when you have a lot of acreage and low visibility?

I was thinking it might be possible to do something that combines GPS coordinates from a cell phone or Garmin with a CAD drawing of the survey, but this seems like a lot of back and forth between the lot and my computer.

Before I reinvent the wheel, I thought I would see if anyone else has figured out a good process for laying out a site plan in a densely wooded area?


texts: Do I need a separate home inspection if I've got a good contractor doing a gut rehab?

texts: We're looking at buying a single family home that's... rather out of date. It's basically in gut-rehab shape. We're planning on replacing electrical, plumbing, heating, and even some foundation work. We have a contractor we like and trust. Is there any point in paying a separate home inspector?


texts: I have toilet water disappearing after neighbor flushes toilet

texts: I come home and have maybe 1" of water in bottom of stem in base of bowl.  This happens when neighbor flushes her toilet.  I have had a plumber here, he has reset the toilet & new wax ring, gone on roof to vent from the top, routed in toilet out to sewer system to find NO blockages, he has even been over to check neighbors feed to sewer & found no blockages. He has no answers any more to help.  This started 1 year ago water started being removed after neighbor flushing just a little now 1 year later all my bowl water is now gone.  Neighbor has been there 8 years with no problems prior, I have no animals and the only thing that I have seen is the utilities dug up shallow wires and fixed it in the front area. Any thoughts?


texts: My toggle bolt hole hit a stud. What do I do now?

texts: I'm installing a pedestal sink and was screwing a hole for the toggle bolt and ended up hitting a stud. Now I have this hole I can't use for the toggle bolt, and I'm stumped on what to do. What's the best solution?


texts:
I am turning an old 1 car garage into a master bathroom and laundry room. I'm unclear as to the way to vent the new plumbing. I'll explain the layout first.

I'm standing in the middle of the wall in the laundry room with my back against the existing house. The main trunk of the plumbing is immediately behind and below me. To my right and a little in front of me is the washer. About 8 feet in front of me is the sink in the master. Just to the right of the sink is the shower. Just past the shower, on the right and a little farther from me is the toilet.

From me to the toilet is about 16'. Above me and to my left is the upstairs toilet. That vents to the main vent which is 6' behind me.

My plan is to run a vent line in the wall that separates the master bathroom and the laundry room. I was planning on running that up to the attic and then running it horizontal to tie into the existing vent so I don't have to put another hole in the roof.

I was planning to tie into the vent just before the sink and shower tie into the main trunk. Are there any problems with this plan?


texts: Should I replace a receptacle with a small burn mark?

texts:
I have a window A/C in my room. I turned it on last night and power from that socket, the restroom lights, second bedroom and hallway lights are not working now. The plugs in the restroom do work. The socket that the A/C unit was plugged into has a slight burn mark on it. No breakers tripped and I checked the whole house for GFCI plugs to reset.

What else could I try? Should I replace the socket that has the burn mark because I can't find any other problem?


texts: How to free up a stuck main water valve whose handle spins freely?

texts:
Main Water valve will not open or close. Feels 3/4 closed. I desperately need it open. Handle free spins.

Please help! No water in two days.


texts: How can I fix a one piece fiberglass tub and surround installed improperly?

texts:
I have been dealing with this for years trying to stay ahead of any damage to the floor.

The first problem is that the back side of the tub tends to allow water to flow out on the the floor when taking showers. We have used the sealant and guards.

The second I feel is more important. The shower can be a little hazardous for footing. The tub is bowed or raised more than it should be for drainage creating even more of a slip hazard than the average shower with these sloping sides.

I have been able to sneak a  look under the tub from the crawl space but not a full view of everything since the opening is limited. There does not appear to be any skids and definitely no mortar bed causing the rise. I am guessing that the tub was forced into the rough-in and and the tub bottom was not set or checked prior to securing it in place and finishing the walls and trim.

I was thinking of removing the baseboards and loosening all the edges to see if the side wall will move any and ad weight to the tub to see if the slope changes.

Any guidance on fixing without ripping the whole thing out would be greatly appreciated!


texts:
I've been finding this material all around my house for the last six months.  To give you some perspective, the sample below is about 2 inches by 1 inch.  The sizes of the pieces I find vary considerably in size from less than 1 inch to almost a square foot.  The larger pieces tend to be flat like a layer. Other houses in the neighborhood don't seem to have this so it seems to come from our house.

I live in a house that has been converted into two condos and the other unit had construction done last year.  Most was internal, but they did have a sky light put in.  I wonder if the construction left a hole somewhere that allows an animal to get in a retrieve this material.

Any idea what it is?  It feels synthetic.  Figuring out what it is should hopefully help us find the problem and fix it!


texts: Why Does Butcher Block Countertop Need To Be Sealed Within 48 Hours?

texts:
I just bought a birch butcher block countertop from Home Depot. The instructions (https://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/71/71b1d057-7ed6-4336-a063-fb816fb7110c.pdf) states that "the butcher block MUST be sealed or finished on all surfaces within 48 hours of removing shrink wrap."

Any idea why this is? Is it to prevent warping of the wood? To prevent moisture from getting into it?


texts:
A water valve cracked today at my house and had to call a plumber. He replaced it with a gas valve (yellow handle). He said he uses gas valves because they are better quality.

What he installed looks like this:

I did a search based on what's written on it and it's tested up to 30 bars and seems it can be used for water also... but I'm still not 100% sure.

Where I live, the water pressure is 3-6 atm in the pipes, depending on how tall the buildings are.

Can this be used for water? Are there any disadvantages for using it for water?


texts: What happens if range hood is smaller than cooktop?

texts:
If the range hood is 70% size of cooktop, shouldn't the smoke from sides of cooktop still get sucked towards middle hence getting sucked inside?
So why people recommend range hood bigger than cooktop?


texts: Installing ductless units in my apartment. What am I supposed to do with all these coolant and drain lines?

texts:
I'm installing 3 ductless AC units in my apartment. I know the lines are supposed to go outside and connect to the condenser but there are three coolant lines wrapped in insulation and three drain lines. I don't want to have a ton of lines on the outside of my building. Is there some logical way to do this that I'm missing? Is there a casing that would fit all 6 of these lines on the way down to the condenser? Currently my plan is to bring the lines down to the joists and have them meet up somewhere on the way to one exit hole and then I guess they would all go straight down to the condenser, but it seems like a lot and i'm just not sure...
Would it maybe make sense to bring the drain lines down to the basement and hook them into a drain line or something? So instead of 6 lines down on the outside it could be 3. In line with that thinking would it make sense to bring all the lines down to the basement and then they won't be coming down the side of the building? I'd love some input, just looking for ideas I guess.


texts: What is the difference between “Planning Permission” and “Building Regulation” in the UK and when do I need to get them?

texts: It can be very confusing to know what is covered by “Planning-Permission” and what is covered by “Building Regulation”,  so can we have a short answer with links please.


texts: I dont know where the dimmer needs to go

texts: Have seen comments that say the dimmer in a 4-way configuration must be at one of the ends of the circuit.  Already have a dimmer that functions well, but its mechanically failing.  Since it works can I assume that its at one of the ends?


texts: How do I insulate the floor under my shed?

texts: I have a shed that has a wood floor laying on a steel frame, which is laying on some tiles on the bare earth. I would say there's roughly 30cm of clearance between the dirt and the floor boards. I want to add some insulation, and I'm wondering what put under there. I'm assuming I need some kind of plastic sheet to stop moisture, and some sort of isolating material like rock wool. Does the moisture barrier go on the bottom, with the rock wool between the floorboards and the barrier, or do I place the barrier on top, exposing the rock wool to the earth? If there's an aluminum film on the rock wool, does it go up or down, or do I need a different material entirely?


texts:
My electrical bill is very high despite less usage.

I fear there is electrical theft used by my landlord. How can i check this?

The meter is under lock and access provided only on request. Please suggest possible ways to check it.


texts: How can I protect a heat pump from heavy snow?

texts: I have an Carrier air heat pump at the back of my house (installed 1 year ago).  It is generally fine and stays defrosted with the smaller amounts of ice/snow.  With a larger amount of snow, should I consider building  a temporary lean-to above it to keep snow away from the unit?  If so, how high above the unit should it be to not impede air flow?


texts: How do I form and pour long concrete steps for an exterior staircase?

texts:
I want to replace some concrete blocks with proper stairs in front of my house. They are wobbly and dangerous. Attached is a photo of what is currently there.

I have been unable to find anything about building a form of this size for stairs. I found lots of stairs tutorials, but they are all using actual stair forms.

Anybody have a good tutorial with visuals for doing this properly?!

There will be a total of 4 steps, roughly 5ft x 3ft each.


texts:
I removed the toilet paper dispenser on the wall, covered up with compound, and sanded. I applied primer on the affected area but I painted the entire wall. So, now my wall is not consistent. Can I fix the problem by applying a few extra coats of paint in the area where I applied primer? If not, what is the best way to fix the problem?

Thanks so much!


texts: I am busy installing a new light fixture however the varying colours have got me confused and google is not helping. The light fixture itself has a brown and a blue wire, however the ceiling (socket?) has a green/yellow wire, a blue, a red and a grey wire. In which way should I connect these wires? T Oh and btw, I'm located in Denmark if that helps.


texts:
On the wall we have a switch for the fan and a dimmer for the lights on the fan. The fan works great -- no issues. The lights randomly stopped working today, though.

Now when I open the the part that had all the wires for the light fixture it had 5 black and 5 white. The light fixture has 4 lights so there is one wire for each light and one is the hot wire coming from the top. Now when this wire isn't connected to anything it shows as hot, but once I connect it to one of the wires going to the light bulb it stops showing as hot. It's like it's grounding it or something. This happens to all of the black wires, if the hot wire touches any of the other wires it stops showing as hot. All of the white wires are still connected together.

Any ideas on why the hot wire stops showing as hot when it connects to the other black wire?


texts: Grohe Ladylux Faucet leaking after 11 years

texts:
we have had this faucet Grohe Ladylux kitchen Faucet since 2007.
Today we noticed it leaking from under the sink where the 3 lines enter.
Would changing the cartridge end the leak or are “ o” rings the problem?
or # 3 does the whole faucet need replaced?
Since the faucet has been installed there has been no work done on it , and no cartridges replaced.we have a water softener.
It drips out about a tablespoon per hour from down the hoses


texts: Has anyone dealt with leonlite low voltage ground lights?

texts:
I am having trouble with finding the right transformer for a set of 7w led ground lights I bought on Amazon, apparently they are not compatible with Leon lights

Any thought?


texts: Is Roof De-Icing Cable good for the roof?

texts: Is heat tape or Roof De-Icing Cable good for the roof?


texts: How do I grout tile on an unstable floor?

texts:
We recently installed tile in our kitchen.  It's upstairs in a 50 year-old home.  We knew the floor was "soft" in that it had saggy spots and we had access to most of the joists.  We shored those suckers up as best we could and laid the tile.  We used tile adhesive rather than thin-set believing (perhaps erroneously) that it would accomodate any latent flexibility in the floor.

Everything looked and felt great until about 2 weeks later when we began to notice spots where the grout was crumbling.  Not everywhere, just a few spots.  We corrected some of the problems with additional shoring, but others aren't going away.

You can't actually feel the "softness" of the floor.  It appears to be just enough flex to ruin the grout.

Will an epoxy grout (or any other product!) solve this problem, or are we doomed?


texts: Air conditioner external fan not starting well

texts:
The A/C external units (both fan and compressor) do not start sometimes. When I turn on A/C for cold air, then the only main unit starts and blows warm air.

The only way that works is that I turn off the entire A/C, turn off the breaker, and then start everything again. Then, the external units start and it blows cold air. I have to do this like every two months. What would be the potential issues?


texts: I need to fix a recess light in my kitchen?

texts:
I have recessed lighting in my entire house. It has vaulted ceilings and there is not attic access. One fixture keeps going through lamps and now just flickers on and off. Well, it did until my nephew removed the screw completely from the housing to see if he could take out the can.

What do I do now? We have taken off the trim and removed the baffle, but he dropped the screw that connected to a wing nut inside the can behind the light. I don't how to fix it or if I have to cut a hole in the ceiling to remove the housing? Please help!


texts: need to convert 220 to 110 for hot tub downsizing

texts: I had a hot tub which we down sized.  The old tub had a 220 dedicated GFCI breaker subpanel.  The new tub requires 110.  Is there a way to easily down size?


texts: Meaning of flickering light on outlet tester

texts:
What does it mean when a gfci outlet tester shows the following light combination;

Bright "open ground" light and a dim/flickering "open neutral" light. I understand the open ground as there is no grounding wire, but I don't understand the dim open neutral.

Thank you


texts: Moved into a new house and the bathroom has a foul odour and i suspect it has something to do with he black stuff all over the place. Could it be mold?


texts:
The gable wall in my garage is leaning. The sill plate seems to have slipped off the foundation. The sill plate is broken and the lower end of a stud is missing around where it's broken.
The foundation is not totally crumbling but I'm not sure if it's solid enough to slide the wall back on top of it.
Do I jack up the wall, push it and anchor it back to the concrete?
I can sister the broken stud. What about the sill plate?
Should I replace the whole plate, or can I just reinforce that section?
Could this damage be caused by settling, Or did someone drive their car into the wall?


texts: Why does water from outside spigots seem to "stutter" (starts and stops)?

texts:
I live in a 1950s-built home in a warm climate.

When I run water from an outside spigot, such as to water plants, it's not uncommon for the output to "stutter" near the start and then again occasionally during operation. In other words, the water coming out stops for a half-second and there's a noise and then it's coming out again.

This behavior is not seen on any of the interior faucets.

What causes this "stuttering"? Is it a sign of a serious problem? And is there an easy way to fix this and get a smooth and continuous water flow from the outside spigots?


texts:
I plan to install a whole house water filter system. I will buy the cartridges separately and have a plumber hook it up. I don't want to trench from one end of the house to the other to put them on the garage wall, so I plan to just have it installed outside in the bushes where the water line comes in from the street.

I will have 3 cylinder cartridges that are about 7" diameter and 24" tall.

For reference, 3 of these: http://www.purewaterproducts.com/whole-house-filters-compact (Style C + Style B). One particulate filter + 2 carbon filters in parallel.

Any ideas on enclosures I can use to protect them from the weather?


texts:
I had so far gathered that for a block to be called a "butcher block," the grain must be perpendicular to the surface.

I guessed that this orientation of the grain is meant for beauty. A table made with the grain in this direction would be weak in both direction.

Can you correct the terminology and/or my understanding?


texts:
I'm re-routing some 10x3.25" duct through a bulkhead in my kitchen.  Planning to change over to 6" round duct for a 4'  segment that is relatively straight (no 90s).  It was my intention to use non-insulated UL 181 Class 1 (expandable aluminum), but my dad who (generally) knows his stuff said that's not to building code ( US - Pennsylvania ).  He couldn't explain why.

Reading the code it refers to flame spread index, not super helpful.  I imagine i will need to use the insulated ductwork but would like to understand why and what code/class adherence to look for.  Here's some info on the application:

Forced air heating and AC supply air
In interior wall (bulkhead), will be behind drywall
3-4' segment
No sharp turns, but not a straight line either


texts: how easy is it to install and american light in the UK?

texts: I am looking to buy this light from the US.  Keen to understand if this is possible and what I would need to install it.  Many thanks M


texts: how much bearing surface is required to support a beam

texts:
How much bearing surface is required to support a load bearing beam in a single-family residence?  Are there tables? Are end gaps ok or required? A 1/4" to 3/8" end gap on each end (1/2" to 3/4" short overall) would be really helpful for getting it into place.

In particular, I have a 16' long 4x12 solid fir beam, with one end to be buried in a 2x6 exterior wall and the other end into a 2x4 interior wall.

Instead of square end cuts, I could make a tapered end cut of a couple degrees on one end to get a little more bearing. I suppose I could fir-out the interior wall if more bearing than 3.25" is needed.


texts: How to best measure the inside gap of stairs

texts: I’ve purchased sone pre-molded stair caps with integrated flooring to match my basement. They are expensive and i need to ensure I make the right cut. I’ve been struggling to accurately measure this gap. I have thought about getting some cheap plywood and measuring and cutting to create a template and use that to minimize any cutting errors. Looking for ideas to best do this please.


texts: How can I repair a granite countertop where multpile chunks have broken off?

texts:
A mirror door on the bathroom medicine cabinet broke off and took out a good chunk of granite countertop on the bathroom sink fixture. We're not talking about a crack or chip, not something small. We're talking about a good 3 or 4 multiple big chunks, all from the edge.

It looks something like this but about 3 times more damage.

(source: seibertsmith.com)

Or this:

Does Home Depot or Lowes have people who can repair countertops, or should I go Google searching for professionals in my area?

If I choose to do this myself, any idea on how and where I'd start? I'm more of a person good with electronics and computers. I wouldn't call myself a home improvement handyman type of guy but I'm willing to try and be patient and learn.


texts: Can Zurn oxygen barrier pex radiant heating pipe be used for potable water?

texts: Is it safe to use some oxygen barrier Zurn hydronic heating pipe for potable water?


texts:
In the main room of the older apartment I live in, dust is accumulating very quickly. There is no carpet (only hardwood floor), no curtain, no air vent, no pet, no bedding, no clothes. Previous tenants had the same problem so it's not something I brought in.

I cleaned thoroughly, including the baseboard radiator (which, as a test, I covered with cloth to ascertain it's not the cause), behind the range and the fridge (there is a small open kitchen corner). Yet, here's what a surface looks like 3 days after wiping it clean:

The dust looks more like tiny fibers. In raking light, as seen here, it's quite impressive.

Any clue would be greatly appreciated.

For those who may have the same problem, the dust was fiberglass from inside the electric range. When burners were on, convection was sending tiny bits of it in the air.


texts: How do I identify my closet system (or do I even need to)?

texts:
In October I moved into a condo. All the bedrooms had built-in closet systems, but I don't know what brand/vendor. Why does it matter? I have a shelf or two with heavy things, and the shelf rocks back and forth when I move the heavy items. I want to get the thingie (not a technical term) that you put in the hole above the shelf to stabilize it, and I figured the spacing and hole size might vary depending on vendor.

So, is there any way at all to figure out who makes my closet? If not, do I even need to, or should I just take a measurement of the spacing and go to a store and ask for the shelf stabilizer thingie (any ideas what they're called?)?

The shelf when it's sitting normally:

When I put an unbalanced weight on it, this happens:

The shelf rests on shelf pins but there's nothing on the top side to prevent the shelf from flipping if the weight is unbalanced.

Thanks!


texts: Can I install a light between two three-way switches?

texts: is it possible to add a light to a three way switch circuit between the two three way switches (ie can i tie into the three wire connecting the two switches in anyway to make them work the new light I've added)?


texts: I recently purchased a ceiling lamp with 4 LED bulb slots. The specs mention that 4W bulbs should be used. Is it okay to use a 5W bulb in place of the 4W? The lamp runs on mains, and the bulbs are 220V bulbs. The higher power should not affect the circuitry in any way, but would the 1W additional heat (times 4) be over the limit for the fixture?


texts: How do you rough in for surface mount disconects that install after drywall?

texts:
When you have disconnect boxes (60 amp non-fused disconnect) that surface mount after the drywall is installed for a water heater, an air handler, or similar large appliances that connect to the disconnect panel via whips, what do you do at the electrical rough in stage?

Do you need to have an electrical box installed in the wall behind the disconnect? Do you rough in a mud ring? Or do you just let the Romex stick out where you want it and install the disconnect over the hole in the drywall?

This is electrical rough in for new construction.


texts:
This property is on a walk-out basement foundation in a heavy clay soil.

In several places, the brick veneer has moved, cracking and causing misalignment as pictured. The one pictured is by far the worst, it is bowing out as you see in the second picture.

As you can see, there have been repairs made to the veneer, and mostly it does not appear to have moved more since those repairs.

This is on the basement level, on the walkout side of the basement. The basement floor is severely damaged from heaving, but the concrete walls show no damage. There have been upgrades to the building to stop heaving - mostly outside drainage, but also a sump pump and filling of cracks.

Assuming the repairs have worked and the veneer in fact is no longer moving, what are my options for fixing the gap?

What might have caused this?


texts: PMMA vs PVC for opal led strip enclosures?

texts:
I am planning to install some aluminium profiles for led strips with matte cover diffusers ( opal / frosty).  I found that the covers are made from two different types and I would like to know the pros and cons.

Mostly I am interested if there are any signifiant light loses, degradation in time (like getting yellowish). Fire dangers are probably out of question as they are both graded for this use and they are using aluminium profile.


texts: How to insulate around an electrical panel?

texts:
I’m insulating and putting sheet rock on my garage walls. This is the outside wall and the back side of the electrical meter panel.

The large wire bundle going out of it runs through my attic to my breaker box on the opposite wall. I was wondering the best way to insulate around the box. I planed on using batt insulation and cutting out the space for the box. Is there a better way? Also is there any safety concern or rules about spacing of insulation near the panel?


texts: Can paint expiration guidelines be applied to paint primer as well?

texts: I have a can of British Paints PREP 4in1 primer that is four years and four months old. I was trying to determine if it is still good to use but the only information I found on the web is the expiry information for paints. Can the expiration guidelines for paint also be applied to primers?


texts:
I have some scratches on the drywall which was primer'ed dry wall from moving furniture. I'd like to just apply a coat of primer on the spots where the scratches are. I don't plan on painting just yet.

I bought white drywall primer, however, it doesn't exactly match the color of the primer already applied on the wall. The primer I bought is too white compared to the old one.

Is there a way to get a drywall primer with exactly the same color as the one on my current dry wall? I don't have any record of the "color code" that's already been applied...?


texts: My subpanel has neutral and ground all mixed together?

texts:
I read that this might be bad, but it appears both neutral and grounds are mixed on two different bus bars. It isn't just one wire that doesn't follow the pattern; there are several neutral wires on the predominantly ground bus bar. Should I rewire everything to separate ground from neutral?  The subpanel is in my garage -- it's largely for pool equipment. It's 60A and runs from the main house underground from the primary 200A service panel. This wouldn't be the first crazy thing I discovered from the previous homeowner (eg, shelves sitting on top of upside down square brackets).

Also, would this be a reason for a GFCI breaker to be tripping instantly in the subpanel?

Thanks!


texts: During an inspection in this house which was built in 1913, we found this outlet that is a 3 prong with an open ground.  I pulled it out to replace it with a 2 prong but am not sure what wires go where.  I believe the top right wire on the socket is black, so there's black, white and red.  I also think there's one other 3 prong socket on that wall that I'm guessing this runs to.  I had a handyman with some electrical experience look at it but he wasn't quite sure so hopefully, someone can shed some light on how to do this.  Thanks.


texts: Going from 3 way switch to a regular switch

texts:
The left of the image (light grey background) is what I have set up so far. The right is what's existing. I now realize there's no neutral to go to the regular switch from the 3 way switch since it gets used as hot.

My only idea would be to run 4 wire romex down from the second light fixture to the second 3 way switch. However that would be very difficult and I'd rather avoid it.

Simply I'm trying to wire the last light switch from the last 3 way switch but don't have a neutral wire at that point.


texts: Our backsplash tile has raised oval design a how do we work around electrical outlets?

texts:
The tile we chose for our kitchen redesign is long and narrow (3" x 9") with a raised oval design.  This image isn't the same brand as ours (We purchased Portfolio) but this is almost identical.

Electrical is currently roughed in and the boxes protrude slightly.  I have a couple of questions.  I need to schedule the electricians to come back and finish the work.  I assume this would normally be done after the tile work, correct?

It's already been 8 weeks and we want electric in to hook up our appliances and get back to some degree of normalcy.  If we had electric finished before the tile are we making a poor choice?  I'm not certain how the tile will work with switch plates?  Do we cut the tile to the edge of the plates and use spacers to get them close to flush or do we cut to the box and let the switch plate sit on the raised surface?

Any directional information/opinions appreciated.


texts: How do I change the remote frequency options in my ceiling fan?

texts:
My Hampton Bay ceiling fan remote control is interfering with my neighbours.  Inside the remote there are switches to adjust the remote frequency.

Where in the fan do I make the corresponding adjustment? Do I have to take the fan down?


texts: How do I remove this wall plate with no visible screws?

texts:
I'm amazed how complicated this wall plate is to remove. It is made of plastic and accommodates a phone jack and a coaxial cable. Please see the images that accompany this question.
I've searched it thoroughly and there are no tabs anywhere on the face or edges to press in. There are no screws.
I've pulled on it pretty hard, hoping that it would pop off, but if I pulled any harder it surely would break. Of course, I had the coaxial off while I tried to remove the plate.
The brand name on the phone jack part is "KRONE". Has anyone seen a wall plate like this? If so, how do you remove it?
I have to say, I'm absolutely blown away by how ridiculously difficult this is. Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Can my rotary hammer act as a hammer drill?

texts:
The concrete around my window is incredibly hard, too hard for my non-hammer drill.

Somebody at Homebase advised me to buy this rotary hammer, which comes with special bits of 6, 8 and 10mm. He said I can use an adaptor for any smaller bits, forgetting to mention that in this case I cannot use the "hammer function" in this machine.

Indeed, this rotary hammer has 2 functions: drill and hammer. And I need to drill holes 4mm wide. So I need to use the machine's adaptor, and so I'm limited to the "drill" function.

My question is: considering that the "hammer" function is actually the extremely powerful rotary function which is only compatible with the special bits sold with the machine, does the "drill" function is similar to what a normal hammer drill does?

That's exactly what another Homebase employee said to me this morning, but I doubt it, because the "drill" function produces the exact same result as with my non-hammer drill.

Any second opinion would be welcome. The manual doesn't help at all, the brand doesn't seem to have a website (?). No idea where to ask.


texts: What equipment would you guys use to paint on a slope? The house is at the top of a hill (basement plus two stories) and there is no level place to paint from. It is quite high. My husband is afraid of heights, but I’m not. Is there a way to do it safely with a ladder? Is there a way to navigate the roof more safely since I will be painting from there at times?


texts:
I went to change the outlet below my kitchen sink for the dishwasher and garbage disposal. I am I upgrading the original 1993 outlets and switches throughout the house.

I turned off the breaker and verified no power to the outlet.

I pulled the outlet from the wall box.

The connections on the old outlet were:

Upper Gold - BLACK

Upper Silver - WHITE

Lower Gold - RED

Lower Silver - GROUND

I wired the new outlet the same way, except I put the ground wire on the ground screw.

I turned on power and there is no power to outlet!

With power off, I returned the ground wire to that lower silver screw.

Now there is power, but the switch for the dishwasher now runs the disposal and the disposal switch still works.

After more troubleshooting I found that the “so called ground wire” is actually delivering 120v to the outlet.

Time to get my electrician involved, again! Whoever wired this house needs their butts kicked!!