texts:
I'm trying to install a humidity sensing switch for a bathroom fan that requires a neutral. There are two switches in the box, one for a light, one for the fan. There are 3 white wires (assuming they are neutrals) in the box twisted together. However, when I hook up the load, line, and pigtail to the neutral bundle, the switch doesn't work. Am I missing something? Every install video I've watched shows connecting it exactly as I have it, but mine won't work. I've tried 2 switches, just in case the switch was bad.

Update: Switch model is Leviton R02-IPHS5-0LW
Switch Model http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/43/43ea781d-e83f-41d3-98c2-90fec341f3c6_400.jpg

Photos:


texts: What could be causing the foul smell in my bathroom sink?

texts: We bought a 1967 year old ranch 2 years ago and have been experiencing a foul smell coming from our bathroom sink.  We have been putting bleach, vinegar and soda down the sink and overflow over and over again but the foul smell keeps coming back. What do you think the problem may be?


texts: Should I fix whole house filter just after the pump?

texts:
I have a 1 HP Monobloc pump lifting water from an underground reservoir to two overhead tanks (2x 1000 ltr) which are at a height of 25-28 feet. The supply from the tank splits in 2 parts for the first and the second floor. For the first floor I need a pressure pump for the toilet line.

The water being very dirty and muddy I am planning to use three stage big blue filter (10" x 4.5" each) with 1" ports and a pre-filter (sediment strainer) on the pump inlet.

I want to ask if I can fix the 3 stage filter on the outlet of the pump as otherwise there is no way to clean the water for both lines. The line- 2 provides no option or position to fix such filters. If needed I can change the pump with a higher capacity. Please advise me the right position.


texts: Following on from How can I remove calcium deposits from a drain it looks like my water softener may not be working. How do I measure how hard my water is?


texts: Fixing water ingress at mitred corner in roof fascia

texts:
Apologies in advance for the long question - I wanted to include all the details as I am rather unsure of what I am doing!

I have a 10-year-old flat roof with a fascia facing the predominant weather. This fascia has no gutter as the roof slopes along its length with a small lip at the top of the roof to keep most of the water on the roof surface and to drain it away at the roof edge at right-angles to this fascia.

The fascia also has a corner which is weather-facing and connects this front face to a fascia which faces onto my neighbour's property. Here's a plan view sketch, omitting the roof "felt" which extends over the top of the fascia to create a drip edge (I use the word felt loosely - it's not lead, it feels like a tarmac-type thing, but is dry, hard and dark grey).

This summer, I noticed that the paint on the fascia was flaking badly, so I sanded back, treated, primed and painted the section. In the weather-facing corner, I noticed that a lot of the wood at the bottom of the fascia board was rotten (but not actually on the weather facing face, but on the inside face). I removed the rotten wood, treated, added wood hardener, filled, sanded, primed, painted. I was very happy with the result! At the same time I added filler to the mitred edge, figuring that water was entering here and soaking down through the fascia, causing the rot at the bottom (where the water would likely accumulate).

6 weeks on, I took a look to see how it was all doing. Not so good. There is a clear 1mm ish gap between the two halves of the mitre and water is clearly getting in again. I guess that the filler did not move with the wood as the weather cooled (I live in the UK). There are clear signs that the water is coming through to the bottom again, as well as travelling along the grain near the surface. Where I filled at the bottom of the fascia there are now cracks between the filler and the wood.

I can't easily replace the fascia board myself, as to do so I would need to lift up the roof "felt" edge which is hard and inflexible, as well as being sealed at the corners. I am sure a professional could, but it looks like a big job, and the existing work there looks good.

My current plan is to put duck tape over the mitre for the winter to stop more water getting in (while hopefully what is there will slowly make its way down and out) and then in the summer add an aluminium fascia cover. Here is a section view of what is currently in place.

Note that there is very little gap between the roof "felt" return and the fascia board (at most 2mm) and at the corners a bit less. I can pull it up a bit with my fingers, but at the corners it really isn't going to shift much. My plan is to put the aluminium up as high as it will go, which will be partially under the edge of the roof felt, adding a bead of clear,  UV-stable, low-modulus silicone sealant along the gap, like this.

Each screw will be in an oval hole that I pre-cut in the aluminium to allow for expansion and I will add some dabs of grab adhesive along the length too, just to keep the aluminium in close to the existing fascia. FYI, this aluminium cladding solution has proper corner pieces that seal against the ingress that started this whole problem off, which is part of the motivation for doing all this (the other part is that I won't have to paint it again for 20 years).

What do people think of this plan? Is it likely to work? Will the silicone sealant stop any errant water drops finding their way under the aluminium and getting trapped between the aluminum and wood? Am I missing an easier way to fix this? All thoughts would be gratefully received!


texts: Ceiling Fan with remote not turning on properly with wall switch

texts: Installed Arrano Ceiling Fan w/remote. Light was flickering so I replace dimmer wall switch. Now light will not go on until I turn switch on then off then on again


texts: What is this metal part around the fan's motor in my freezer and how to prevent it from rusting?

texts:
A few months ago, while cleaning, I took the plastic cover off the back (of the inside) of my freezer (covers the fan and the cooler) and things looked fine:

I didn't put the cover back on and later noticed this metal thing went rusty:

(That's not really 'regular' iron rust, it's somehow soft and kind of greasy.

That is also the reason why the fan is unplugged in the second photo. It spatters crumbs/drops of this rust around when it's running.)

So I took the metal part off, cleaned it with bathroom cleaner and steel scourer/scrubber and put it back in. Some time later, it got rusty again. (I hadn't put the cover back)

So, what I would like to know is: does it go rusty because there is no cover?
Can I clean it again and put the cover back and rest assured it will not go rusty again underneath it?

Or do I have to replace it? What is this material anyway? Zinc? Does it have a special purpose apart from holding the fan and its motor in place?

Many thanks in advance!


texts: How to accurately cut plywood with unpowered hand tools?

texts:
As a beginner in woodworking I would like to build a simple box from plywood. The edges will be simply glued butt joints which means they need to be straight and smooth. When I use a hand saw I can't quite get it to go along the line and it can veer off a bit. I can compensate by sawing a bit further from the line but sanding down the excess seems to take longer then would seem reasonable.

Given that the cut lines I drew are accurate, what is the best way to accurately cut a rectangle or square from a plywood sheet with unpowered hand tools? Are there other tools I will need beyond a hand saw and a sanding block?

Edit:

To cut the plywood I am working with a two sided Japanese pull saw. Similar to the following picture.

For short lengths I can make reasonably accurate straight cuts. The problem occurs when I want to make a 50cm-100cm straight cut. I have a lot of patience so speed is not an issue. Mainly I am asking how people did this sort of work before they had powered tools. Am I using the wrong saw? Should I be using guides? Should the saw just be used to get close and a wood chisel is used to remove the small excess?


texts: What are some routine home maintenance tips?

texts:
We just built a new home, and I'm wondering what routine things need to be done to keep everything working, well maintained, and happy.  I can think of a lot of things, but the problem with any question like this is you never know what you don't know.  So...  I'm thinking a community wiki would be a helpful resource for everyone, and a good way to find things I may have missed.

To that end, I'm not going to explain features that went into our home.  Our home may not have features which other people would need to ask about, and I may forget a feature which needs maintenance anyway.  Please try to keep answers in roughly the form of "Home Feature, Maintenance Required, Frequency."  Then a brief description of what might be helpful to know about performing that maintenance.  I'd like to encourage links to other questions, and if a particular piece of maintenance needs deep discussion, creating a new question and linking to it.


texts: Letting a thermostat regulate temperature, or do it myself?

texts:
I always hear people say that it is more efficient to let a thermostat regulate the room temperature.
Well, I do not have a thermostat, but I have an electric heater with on internal one. Not a exact one, it goes from 1 till 7, unit unspecified.
I tend to turn it on when I feel cold, and turn it off again when I feel warm. I think this is more efficient because the heater will spent less time being on. I even put a timer on it to ensure I never forget to turn it off. The timer counts down from 1 hour, and then turns the heater off.
so my question: in general, what is more energy efficient? Playing thermostat yourself, or leaving it up to a actual thermostat?


texts: How to clean a really dirty and dusty attic?

texts:
I have an unfinished attic that is full of old pieces of wood from the previous roof, it's full of dust, wood dust, other stuff, probably some lead dust, etc. there are also old boxes, a TV, and other random things.

What is the best way to clean it? I want to minimize kicking up the dust.

Picking up all the pieces of wood and bagging it is probably easy. I will probably create dust clouds, still. :)

Is it okay to spray with water to keep dust down? Do I need to worry about getting the wood wet?

Vacuuming is out of question right? (Unless I have a super long vacuum hose so that the unit can stay out of the attic while I vacuum)

Any suggestions of how to clean while minimizing kicking up dust?


texts: How can I find a replacement external tub drain if the original has no identifiable markings?

texts:
We are rebuilding a bathroom in a house in Long Island, New York. We would like to replace this external tub drain with the same. It has no identifiable markings. We need the make or model, or even the proper description would help.

!


texts: Should there be standing water in the drain pipe under my second floor shower?

texts: When we put a tile floor in the shower we use a drain with a strainer. Screwing the strainer off to replace, I found 3"of standing water at the bottom of the pipe.  There was a little ring of mold on the vertical pipe, but the water was clean.  Was this 2nd floor shower plumbed correct?


texts: How to split 1/2" OD male pipe for sink/dishwasher?

texts:
(warning, language may be imprecise/wrong)

I'm connecting a dishwasher for the first time. Under the sink I have what I believe is a 1/2" OD male threaded supply line. I guessed this based on the fact that the flexible hose has a label that reads "1/2 OD in to 1/2 FIP out". Please see attached picture.

I thought I would be able to buy a 1/2" inlet to two 3/8" outlets, but my local stores did not carry anything like that. I bought this dual outlet valve, but the fitting was too large for my supply line.

I spoke with two different people at HD, and both of them seemed really confused that my supply line was 1/2" OD. They kept trying to get me to buy the 1/2 FIP again even though I had already tried it.

I tried to buy a 1/2" OD to 1/2" FIP adapter, but couldn't find any at HD.

Thank you.


texts: What, if any, circuit elements are disallowed downstream of a GFCI?

texts: This was inspired by the "reverse" question .   Is there any switch, protection element, (even a new breaker box) which is not allowed to be installed downstream of a GFCI?


texts: Do vinyl doors and windows with a foam core promote mold growth?

texts:
I've had two companies give their sales pitch on vinyl windows and doors.  One has a foam core inside the vinyl frame, the other does not.  One says the foam core helps insulate, the other says the foam core promotes mold growth.

Who is right?  What are the pros and cons of a foam core in vinyl windows and doors?


texts: For phone jack, which terminals are used by modem?

texts:
I have a new telephone jack to replace the old on the wall outlet. The new jack is confusing and I'm new to this. I think I may have messed with the wiring, and I don't understand which wire should go to which terminal. The purpose of the jack is so it can only connect to a ADSL modem and not for any phone. The telephone cable, is made up of two wires, blue and white. Heres how I connected to the new telephone jack:

As you can see, blue and white wire. And 4 terminals. On the jack itself, they are just numbered from 1 to 4. Im gonna guess these are L1, L2, TS, TX? Or does it mean something else? Each terminal has two holes. What i did was just connect to 1 and 2, because i didnt know what else to do. Was it supposed to be 1 and 3? or 1 and 4? The internet works after wired it, but the upstream is lower than before, 50% lower. Should I just leave it as is, as it probably doesnt matter which wire goes where?

Also side note, Ive shortened the thin wires I have because telephone jack screw system bends and nicks it. Should I not shorten it everytime I rewire? I now have a very short wire as a result and makes things difficult.

edit: heres a manual for the type of phone jack im using, look to the right of first page: http://e-catalogue.legrand.ru/upload/files/LE07456AB.pdf

and here is a video of someone installing exact same: https://youtu.be/m8ffHiIOzw0?t=87


texts: Switched outlet has open neutral when switch is off

texts:
I have recently purchased a house and in checking out the wiring, noticed one room has a switched outlet that is miswired.

When the wall switch controlling this is on, the outlet is fine but when it is off, a tester shows the outlet has an open neutral.

I have yet to cut the power and open up the receptacles but what should I be looking for?  Would this likely be a wiring issue in the outlet itself or at the switch? My personal guess would be that the switch is wired wrong but I've not run up against an open neutral issue before.


texts:
DIN 985 is standard issued by the DIN in Germany.

In this case it is for a simple nut found here.

This is a follow up to this question from bicycles.

I Googled DIN 985 but found nothing comprehensible.

These nuts and bolts are to secure aluminum so I tagged this aluminum but if there is a better tag please edit.


texts:
I have a mould issue that I am trying to tackle. I live in a pre 1900's victorian terrace on the ground floor. Our kitchen has one problematic cupboard which is in the rear corner of the property.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed small bugs on the far rear walls of the cupboard, I went to wipe them and there were hundreds of them, I can only assume they were mould mites. I cleaned out the cupboard with a mould cleaner (bleach) and have been keeping the cupboard open, however this is not a viable solution going forward. I removed the kick boards from my kitchen unit and noticed it was wet in the rear corner so I managed to dry it and put my dehumidifier there for a couple of days.

I haven't noticed any mould since, and its not wet under the cupboard, however I want to know how I can solve this problem permanently.

See the images in the link of the kitchen:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNWEju0hl9EbgNhjlirwoRP0RUpB99NAXHQJfoJDKREUOWNtMaVSKgig_id9HEg7w?key=UXF2dlV6aThjYkxwc3I3RjFqNnlfS1JfQXhRMkNn

What you can see in the images is the kitchen cupboard backs onto the solid brick wall, its pretty dry as far as I can tell, and the temp on the wall is around 12 - 13 degrees (measured with a laser temp gauge)

The relative humidity in the cupboard is getting up to 100% with the temp around 13 degrees.

What are my options here to drop the relative humidity? How can I increase the ventilation?

Would getting a tube heater in the cupboard help drop the humidity?


texts: What to do about a gas leak on my air conditioner?

texts:
I have an air conditioner that displays an error of gas leakage on the board.

What should I do? Shall I turn it off? It is dangerous?


texts: How to install a MWF water filter for GE refrigerator

texts:
I am not able to install MWF water filter cartridge in my GE refrigerator.
Instructions say to align arrows.  I don't see 2 arrows to align. Align where?


texts: How to install fireplace mantel on stone fireplace

texts:
This is the stone fireplace in our house:

The rocks are quite big and the surface is very uneven.
We want to install this stone fireplace surround:

I have several questions:

I assume I have to cut the surface of the stone to make it at least even / flat and then "cement" the fireplace surround into it? Is that the right approach?
What kind of cement do I use for this?
How do I even cut the stone? Tool?

Love to hear more advise.


texts: Temporary (multi-hour) voltage drop that seems instigated by running an appliance?

texts:
I have a 15 amp circuit that runs to the laundry room and has on it:

An indoor receptacle with a lamp plugged into it
An indoor receptacle with an exercise bike plugged into it
An indoor receptacle with a gas dryer and gas washer plugged into it
An outdoor receptacle that rarely has anything plugged into it
A motion sensor light on the exterior of the garage

This setup has worked without any issues since we've owned the house (~7 years) and the outdoor receptacle was installed off this circuit by a professional electrician about 5 years ago and is in a hefty outdoor box under an eave with appropriate caulking, etc.

A few weeks ago the washer cut out mid-way through a wash. Using a multi-meter I measured a severe voltage drop across the hot and neutral, which reported ~60v. The lamp would turn on but it was very dim. We ended up using an extension cord to reach an outlet on the other side of the garage, which is on a different circuit, and completed the laundry.

What is odd is that the next day the circuit that was reporting ~60v was now back to 120v. The laundry machine would run again and we did a load without issue. The lamp was back to full brightness. I checked all three indoor receptacles for any loose connections, but they all seemed good. Nevertheless, I replaced all three. I also checked the motion sensor light and the connections were tight, there was no moisture or other issues with the junction box the light was installed on, etc. (I did not replace the light, but reconnected everything and put it back the way it was.)

The next weekend when we did another load of laundry the same problem happened: midway through the wash the washer cut out. This time the voltage reported ~40v, for whatever that's worth. Again, we used the extension cord and did several loads of laundry. I checked the circuit a few more times throughout the day and the same problem persisted - ~40v reported from hot to neutral and a dim lamp. The next day, however, the circuit was back to reporting 120v across the hot and neutral, the lamp shone brightly, the washing machine would turn on with the previously faulty outlet.

What is going on here? My questions:

It seems that the voltage drop happens only when using the washer, but it doesn't happen right when the wash starts, but midway through the cycle. But if it was the washer that was causing the problems, why does it work on another circuit?
Why does the voltage drop happen and persist for several hours and then miraculously resolve itself? I would expect that if the drop was due to a load on the circuit that once the load was disconnected or off the voltage drop would repair itself. If the drop was due to a loose connection or faulty wiring then the issue wouldn't resolve itself until that loose connection or faulty wiring was addressed.
Is there anything else I can try before calling a professional electrician? (I'm not comfortable mucking around at the service panel. Also, I'm too old / not interested in crawling up in the attic. I'd rather pay someone to do that, lol.) And what is the electrician going to be looking for? I worry this is going to be a very expensive repair since I (perhaps incorrectly) presume they're going to need to spend significant time trying to track down what, exactly, is the issue.

Thanks


texts: Relay for electric oil filled heaters - does it have to be so noisy?

texts:
On a new build, (the conversion of an old stable block into a habitable annexe), our electricians installed three electric oil filled heaters which are controlled by a thermostat, which operates a relay. The noise of the relay switching on and off is very loud, not much different to the nail gun they were using during the build !

The point is, the annexe will often be used for family sleeping over, and the relay noise would wake them repeatedly throughout the night as the radiators kick in periodically.

Are all relays this noisy? And do the rads need a relay to control them?  The builder knew that it needed to be a quiet environment, so I have some grounds to demand a change, but I don't know if I have any options .... I've never seen relays employed like this an I'm not sure of their purpose.


texts: are there places that can duplicate a vanity mirror? or places to re silver an old mirror?

texts: my vanity mirror is really old and you can tell it needs to be resilvered. I read online that the price can be more expensive than just buying a new mirror, but I was wondering if there are places where I can take my mirror and they can just give me an exact new one? also places that resilver as well so I can see which option is best for me budget wise.


texts: How should I repair damaged enamel in a clothes washer?

texts:
We have noticed recently that when clothes are left in the washer for more than the "usual" waiting time that they sometimes pick up rust spots. On inspection of the wash tub, I found that several of the drain holes have small rusty patches breaking through the enamel at their edges. This photo shows a typical example (you might want to click through and then view it at its largest size):

I'd rather not replace the functional (but admittedly older) washer at this time, and so am wondering what approaches to repair of the enamel surface and removal of the rust might be practical?


texts: Grounding an industrial pipe fitting lamp, which wire to use?

texts:
I'm working on creating an industrial lamp using black metal pipe fittings. Since this pipe is all metal it should be properly grounded.

I'm looking around for 16/3 or 18/3 lamp cord, but finding it rather difficult. I understand lamps traditionally haven't been grounded, and it's not necessarily a major concern for most lamps beings they're encapsulated by a non-metallic casing. However, with my lamp being all metal, I'd like to find the appropriate wire.

I came across this wire at home depot, can anyone give me some advice here? Perhaps point me to a 3 conductor wire that could be safely used for my purposes?

Thanks in advance.


texts: How to remove harden screws and try preserve the two metals that the screw bind together

texts:
The situation

There is a screw that is binding two metals together. The screw were being fast drill in order to remove the binding. Due to the fast drill, the screw is now harden. So, how to satisfy the following requirements

Remove the harden screws or destroy it completely or destroy the binding.
Preserve the two metals as much as possible

Illustration


texts: What records should I make of underground infrastructure, before covering it up?

texts:
We're putting utility services (water, electrical, sewer, telco) in trenches to and on my land.

Before we bury everything, what records should I make? Maybe I should take some photographs or draw some maps. (Accurate mapping is difficult, though!)

EDIT: I learned today that the utility company is only responsible for the stuff in they ground that they own. If you have a sub-panel for electricity to a garage, for example, they won't mark that. Same for a water line to a spigot in your garden. So, it's particularly important to keep your own records, etc.

ALSO: Even though code doesn't require it here, I'm going to put a strip of CAUTION tape a few inches under the soil as we fill in the trench.


texts: How to safely bring a water heater exhaust above the roof line

texts:
Background
A 5 story house in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, constructed in 1905 is divided into 4 units and each unit has its own gas water heater.  The exhausts for these water heaters are aluminum semi-rigid ducts going through the brick chimneys in the house. On the roof and top floor, these brick chimneys were destroyed. The destruction process for one of these chimneys (containing 2 exhausts) is shown in the three figures below.

Figure 1 - Old chimney with water heater exhausts

Figure 2 - outside of apartment during chimney demolition

Figure 3 - inside of apartment during demolition.
A large dormer was added therefore changing the roof pitch the currents state of the inside of the house is shown in Figure 4 below.

Figure 4 - Current state of the two exhausts
These exhausts, need to extend 1.2 meters above the new roof in order to be higher than the ridge, which from my understanding is a requirement in Dutch residential building code. A sketch of this is shown in Figure 5 below.

Figure 5 - Section view of top floor and roof.
There are systems that can be purchased to do this however:

The footprint these chimneys require is quite large meaning I will have to make multiple large interior duct cavities.

These systems are expensive and four of them are required.

Design
A wooden chimney structure would be built above the roof and extend 1.2 meters as shown in figure 6 below. The top/roof of this chimney would have a ~2-degree slope so a flat roof double-walled vent, could be secured and the connection made waterproof on top of this new chimney.  An aluminum duct pipe would carry the fumes through this chimney and connect into the flat roof double-walled vent on the chimney's roof. The chimney would be waterproofed but uninsulated.

Assumptions

This chimney structure will be designed by a structural engineer and will therefore have adequate capacity to resist the forces applied to it.
The base of the chimney will be designed in such a way so water cannot pool around it.

Question
Is there any reason this custom system wouldn't work?


texts: What can I do when coats of paint won’t hide/cover the shadow left on a wall by wooden shelves

texts:
I have a wall in my dining room that has had a pine wood bookcase hanging on it for 13 years. Today, I unscrewed it from the wall so that I can paint the wall. But every time the paint dries, a ‘shadow’ remains on the wall exactly where parts of the wooden bookcase were touching it. I’m guessing that something has seeped out of the wood and into the wall.

Photo of the wall. Sorry, the light is poor in this corner. But you can hopefully see the darker, horizontal strips where the bookcase shelves used to be - despite 3 coats of paint. The new paint is the same make and colour as the original. It is emulsion, chalky and has a very matt finish (it is made by Farrow & Ball, New White No.59).

There is no indentation in the wall from where the shelves were. But the paint finish looks and feels different in the places where the shelves were.

It is a brick wall, between my house and my neighbour’s.

The ‘shadow’ was visible on the wall when I took the bookcase down, and is sadly still there.

Can anyone suggest what might be going on here and how I can get rid of the shadow?

Many thanks for any help you can give me.


texts: Concrete driveway cured too soon and surface cement washed away

texts:
I had someone pour a concrete driveway for me.  About 6 hours after it was poured it felt like it had solidified and was now only a little damp so I wanted to start curing it.  I used a hose to spray it using the finest mist setting on the nozzle.  In one area I noticed a few spots where the misting left a darker color and texture from the rest of the slab. When I touched these spots they were not as hard as the rest of the surface and some concrete would come off on my finger. I am guessing in these spots the concrete had not completely set yet or didn't set right and just the misting washed off the top layer of cement.  However on all the other areas of the driveway I tried turning up the water to a full spray and really soaked it without anything like that happening so I don't know why in those few spots just misting would cause problems.
The next day the concrete had dried and these spots had a big difference in color and some difference in texture than the rest of the driveway.  Is there any way I can get this area to look like the rest of the concrete?


texts: Can I use a 16 gauge nail gun for framing lumber?

texts:
Can I safely use a Bostich 16 gauge nail gun to toenail stud grade 2x4s? The nail head is stationary at 90 degrees.

The project: bay window seating. Issue: front rail & plate supported by doubled 2x4s every 16” to 18” - 45* nailing with a 90* nailer head?? Thanks all!


texts:
I have 60 amps coming from main shut off on pole to my mobile home which has a 125 amp rated panel with a 100 amp main breaker in it. My question is, can I have the 60 amps increased to 100 or 125 amps to match my home main panel?
Problem I currently have is that lights dim when fridge or electric dryer pull demand.


texts:
Trying to take apart a bed frame. Does anyone have any idea on how to open these?
Thanks.


texts: I have black mold spores in window air conditioning unit, why

texts: I have read on many sites how to get rid of black mold in a/c unit. What I would like to know, if I purchase a new unit, how would I make certain that this problem does not occur again. Why did this occur? I have noticed many family and friends a/c units have the same issue. Is this a problem with a/c units in general? i.e. No point in purchasing a new one as problem will likely occur again.


texts: How can I estimate the percentage of electricity (bill) is due to heating and cooling?

texts:
I want to estimate our heating/cooling needs to figure out what the potential value of increasing insulation would be.

Our insulation in the attic floor is the fluffy stuff (not fiberglass) and IIRC< it's about 2' thick.

We heat and cool with a heat pump, so it's all electricity costs.
We do a small amount of heating during the morning and evening with a gas fireplace.

We don't use the heat pump a lot. It has 2 programmable thermostats (upstairs and down) which we keep at 72 or lower in the winter and 77 or 78 in the summer. And we only condition the temp upstairs at night and downstairs during the day.

3600 Sq Foot home (3 stories) with decent insulation.
Here's what I've done so far:

Got my usage for the year, by month.
Found the lowest month $143 (month of May). assume that was no heating and minimal A/C. We are in the mountains of SW Virginia and the summers are fairly mild (certainly in May).

I then assume any additional electricity was heating and cooling.
So our avg was $232, so $1092 per year for heating and cooling.

Any I missing anything?

-


texts:
I've been trying to fix a extremely slow draining bath tub for awhile, but still can't get it right. Here is the work that's been done:

Ran 25 feet of cable from a power snake (drill powered) 3x's. Results: some black gunk on about the first 12 inches of line and a few strands of hair. No change.
Plugged the overflow valve and plunged the hell out of it. Results: (this is interesting) removed 2 handfuls of acorns that the local Woodpeckers deposited down the roof vent! I continued until no more could be removed. No change.
Pushed an expanding pulse bladder down the roof stack about 7-8 feet and ran it for 5-10 minutes. Results: no water backed up from any other drains. Opening the nearby clean out I could hear water running! But still No change.

The sink that is in the shared bathroom drains perfectly. There's a clean-out 5 ft. outside the window. I've opened the wall were the drain is located, but it takes a direct 90 into the slab. One of my guesses is the drain stopper used to plug the drain for a bath some how broke off from the lever. It's an unbelievable plumbing problem that has me completely stumped.


texts: I have a shop that has a 100 amp service underground from my home's service entrance. The service entrance in the shop has a single pole 30 amp going to a disconnect in a closet pre-wired for a water heater(220v wiring). The 220v wire in the disconnect has the 2 hots connected and the neutral free. Will this work on a 2 gal/min electric tankless heater?


texts: Single pole or dual pole relay for switching a 3KW water heater? (UK)

texts:
I have bought a Wifi controlled device to control a 3KW, 240V water heater (immersion heater) wirelessly but despite being advertised as 15A, it actually has a 13A relay which has "push fit" contacts. I'm not sure I trust it to run for several hours at its maximum rating. I want to replace the relay with a 25 or 30 amp rated relay which will therefore be operating well below it's rated load.

However the original isolator switch to the immersion heater is dual pole.  Should I therefore use a dual pole relay behind the isolator switch, or is this not necessary?  Is there any advantage of using dual pole in this scenario?   Given it's just a resistive load, I'm not sure if there's any particular merit of using a dual-pole relay in this situation?


texts: Central a/c intake seems to let hot air in from attic. Is this on purpose?

texts:
We live in the desert where it's quite hot. We have a 2 story with central a/c with seperate units for bottom and top floors. While the a/c was off i noticed what felt like hot air from the second floor a/c intake.  I went into the attic where i could look down between the walls and saw that the intake, which I suppose is supposed to fit up agains the wall, has about a 5" gap around it that exposes it to air in the attic, which is quite hot.
You can see in the pictures the gap between the intake and the wall.  One picture is taken from the attic looking down on the intake from the wall where you can see the gap.  The other is
This doens't seem right to me, as my assumption is that the intake is pulling in hot air from the attic which is making it difficult to cool the recirculated air.  I was thinking of purchasing large chunks of foam insulation to fill the gap between the wall and the intake. I figured I should get advise before I do this though, because a lot of a/c issues aren't always intuitive to me.  So, is there any reason that this gap is supposed to be there?  Would it probably we helpful if filled in the gap?
I also noticed that for this same unit there's an intake in the unfinished garage, but with no output vent into the garage.  You can see that in the bottom picture.  The previous owner of the house covered it with a piece of cardboard as you can see from the picture.  Is there a reason the origional a/c installer would put an intake into a hot garage, especially considering there is no a/c vent into the same garage?


texts: Are flexible PVC couplings rated for direct burial?

texts:
I need to repair a severed 1 1/2" PVC drain line.

I have a Fernco flexible PVC coupling laying around, and I figured it will be much easier to use the flexible coupling instead of a rigid coupling.

I've searched Fernco's web site, but I was not able to determine if this fitting is rated for direct burial.

This is my plan for the repair:


texts:
Recently, something happened to the wire running from my house to a lamp by the driveway. Unfortunately, the person who originally ran the wiring was not exactly the best at writing how these things were laid out, so now I have 10 yards of wire running under my property somewhere.

Will the home wire tracing kits (such as this one) be sufficient for determining where the break is? I've heard that they are more for things like electric dog fences (placed within 6 inches of the surface) and are not quite so effective with electric wires which are supposed to be placed 2'+ deep.

(I also have a break in a wire behind one of my walls, would the same product be sufficient there?)


texts: Is it common practice to combine room and dryer vent ducts?

texts: Is it common practice to tie the exhaust vent to the dryer (gas) vent pipe in laundry room with no windows? I can find no separate pipe for the ceiling fan/vent in the attic .  I am experiencing moisture leaking from fan/vent pipe


texts: Which side of double sink do I connect garbage disposal? NEWBIE

texts:
I have a double sink in kitchen same size. Looking to install garbage disposal for my first time. Do I install it on the right (white pipe) or left side (black pipe)?
I assume the right side (white piping) since my dishwasher is connected to it and drainage is on the left side.
Is this correct?
Thank you
[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/AsYJ9.jpg![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eeEVs.jpg)


texts: wiring a double light switch in bathroom

texts:
so i attempted  to install a vanity light which i did but as anticipated the wiring is mixed up or wrong. here we have the vanity light, the ceiling lights, the outlet next to the switch, and an outlet behind the wall. unfortunately, everything goes off and on when the lower switch is flipped. the upper switch controls the vanity light but only when the lower switch is in the "on" position. i would love for the outlet behind the wall, the outlet next to the switch and the vanity light to always have power.i can always leave the single switch instead of the double if thats better.can you help? thanks

original post: How can I add a second light to my bathroom circuit?

enter image description here


texts: HVAC blower motor runs for a few minutes then stops

texts:
I have a Trane X80 furnace with a Nest gen 3 thermostat. This combo has worked flawlessly for a summer and a winter. I just switched back to "cool" and the fan and compressor come on, but the fan stops after a few minutes (while the compressor continues to run). I contacted Nest and after a lengthy list of diagnostics, they determined that the Nest baseplate was bad and sent me a new one. I replaced it and the problem did not change. I pinged Nest again and they said that it must, then, be an HVAC problem. If I jump the fan wire (G) and power wire (R) wire, the fan runs for a couple minutes then shuts down. I'm guessing I have a fan going bad but just wanted to confirm before I replace it.

I welcome and thank you for your input.


texts: Is there any reason that plumbing can't be adjacent to a heating/cooling duct?

texts:
I'm installing a utility sink and the only place to put the plumbing (if it's going to be right under the sink) is either directly behind or infront of this vent... Is there any reason not to put it within inches of the duct vent?
The sink will be on legs so it's not going to block the duct.


texts: Can a washing machine closet be located adjacent to an electric panel?

texts: We want to relocate a washer/dryer into a closet that shares a wall with the house's electrical panel (which is in the kitchen). Any code violations here or considerations?


texts: Should I add a mound of concrete on top of existing concrete to direct water away from fence posts?

texts:
After living in this house 3 years, I realized that our wooden fence, built maybe 8ish years ago, wasn't done as I'd like.
1: The panels are installed too low, so the bottom of the boards are up to a few inches under ground in places. I'm removing panels and cutting the rotted wood off across the bottom so there will be a few inches of clearance.
2: The concrete at the base of the posts isn't built up to send water away from the post. It's not even level with the surrounding ground, but is 3-5 inches below the dirt. Is it wise and sufficient to scrape off as much dirt as I can and add a sloping  mound at each post base?
I'm attaching an image of one I've already done this to, and one which is still undone. There are 20 or 25 posts.
My mother in law lost an otherwise very solid fence last year because her posts rotted at the bottom, so I would hate to have it happen to me.


texts: If I turn off the breaker to the Gas furnace will the pilot light go out?

texts:
I need to turn off the breaker for the furnace but am afraid this will turn off the pilot light to my gas furnace & I don't know how to relight it. Are any special steps necessary to prevent turning off the pilot?

.This is a Lennox G2 Series Gas Furnace Model # G20Q2E-75-C1

Updated Question with the info on furnace . It is a Lennox Gas furnace Model
G20Q2E-75-C1.


texts: Replacing double light switch 4 black and one red

texts: I hear a popping from one of my old double switches. I opened it up to understand the wiring before replacing. I have 4 blacks and 1 red. I have attached pictures. One of the switches controls a light that is controlled by a different switch as well. That switch has a dimmer. The other switch is the only control for another light. How do I go about replacing this? Also, why do I have no ground included?


texts: Should you solid fill a low cinder block wall?

texts:
I'm making a raised garden bed that is about 2 cinder blocks high (with 1 extra cinder block below ground as footing) in a square shape 3.6 meter each side.

So far I made a footing of 5 cm of concrete, than laid a course of beam type cinder block (shaped like a U) with steel bar inside and filled with handmade concrete (this is below ground level). I already I laid the middle course of cinder block and now I must make the last course. I will probably finish the top with granite.

Now, the middle course should be solid filled with mortar or concrete? The top course should be made of regular cinder block or the U beam type? I have a lot of cinder block available so if possible I would like to use it instead of the beam type block.


texts: Fixing a toilet deceptively complicated, where did I go wrong?

texts:
I have a toilet which was both running and leaking and I tried to fix it myself.

I replaced the fill valve, the flush valve and the main gasket, all with items from Home Depot. Home Depot had one model of everything, all cheap plastic, so there was not much to choose from.

After doing all the work, it was still running into the bowl, the tank was not filling and there was still a tank leak. So, I called a plumber who charged me $200 to fix it. He said:

the brand new fill valve was defective
the flapper (that came with the flush valve) was wrong
the main gasket (that the guy in Home Depot specifically said was right) was too small

So, I asked him how could a brand new fill valve be defective. He said it was "hit or miss". The guy in Home Depot who described himself as a plumber said the fill valve was "rock solid simple" and would work "forever", which I guess was a lie because apparently it did not work at all. Also, how can a flapper be "wrong" when it CAME WITH THE FLUSH VALVE IN THE SAME PACKAGE???

So, where am I going wrong here?

Is there any place I can get high quality reliable toilet parts? Is a brass fill valve better than those cheapo Fluidmaster plastic fill valves?


texts: Why is uncommon geometric houses expensive to make?

texts: I was making a heptagonal miniature house and wanted to research why they are so feasible. However, the Internet does not have anything over the specific question. How much exactly would it cost for one to make a heptagonal or seven sided house compared to a regular house? Why is it so much more expensive than a regular house? It has a better volume to put more housing material into it than a regular one.


texts:
Sorry if I'm asking too much or if it is inappropriate, and it is a long shot any way, but it is the best I can think of. I had my bathroom done in these tiles over a year ago, and I have to do some work and will have to break some of the tiles. Unfortunately I can't get in contact with the guy who put them up and ask him where he got them, but maybe somebody here happens to know where to get them or what they are called. It will help if this is in UK :-)
Here's a picture:

So, any guess?


texts:
OK, WOW, just reviewed the 2020 NEC changes scheduled to take effect this year.

I'm asking if I'm interpreting the changes correctly:

1)  Whole house surge protection.   Required either between the meter and load (type 1) or on the load side (type 2)(in the panel?)

2) EVERYTHING needs GFCI now?  Including all 240 volt circuits (dryer, water heater, range, AC, heat pumps, well pumps, fixed appliances (dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave, etc.) ???  Given the previous AFCI protection does that mean for circuits requiring AFCI protection now require "dufees" (Dual function GFCI & AFCI) breakers?

3) Exterior disconnect required on all structures. I think pulling the meter on the main service would suffice for the house, but would outbuildings now require an exterior disconnect?   I think so based on what I have read online.

4)  When does the 2020 NEC take effect?


texts:
I have a 3 way switch connected to a chandelier which is somehow not getting power. All the light bulbs work, but none switch on.

I know it's getting power because an electronic timer connected on one end of the three way switch still works—I went to the breaker and flipped all the switch... no luck.

Is there something missing in how I'm going about diagnosing this? There are no GFCIs anywhere near this.

Update: The non electronic switch has continuity across the terminals regardless of switch position, and does not have voltage regardless of switch position. Does this sound possible? Just a broken switch or is this normal for 3 way switches?

Update 2: Thanks for the comments. Below are pictures.

(It now seems obvious I had continuity across this side, but the switch seems to function well when continuity is checked against the other side.)
.

I only have 9 volts across the switch when on, this is confirmed at the other end of the circuit .


texts: What kind of screws for crawl space vents?

texts:
I'm removing one of the ancient crawl-space vents from my house in order to put in a wiring pass-thru plate.  The old vent only had a couple screws on it and the new plate has a lot more holes...  So, looks like I can't just reuse the couple screws I had.

Is there standard type and size of screw used for this application?

Also, should I put a bead of caulk around the opening before placing the plate?


texts: My gutters always overflow during even moderate rain. I have large roof sq. footage and steep angle. My gutters are standard 5". I'm thinking i need at least 6". Will this help? Will 7" be even better, or is that too much for a residential home?


texts: Remove and replace kitchen window with just caulking outside

texts:
I have an old kitchen window and like to replace it with modern double pane glass. Here is the look from inside:

Here is from outside:

Do I just remove the caulking from the outside (red box)? Then pop it out or something?

This is an old window so I don't know how it is mounted.

Thanks.


texts: Is it safe to use a water pump without a ground wire?

texts:
I am using a submersible water pump whose plug  has only 2 prongs. I'm assuming the third 'ground' prong is missing. I also doubt if there is any fuse or circuit breaker inside it as it is an absolutely cheap and unmarked pump.

I want to use it to supply a garden hose which involves putting the pump in a bucket full of water. The elaborate system which I plan to use involves a whole network of PVC pipes which is connected to this hose.

Can anything go wrong or can a fault develop after lots of use which can give me a shock?

Also what precautions must I take?


texts:
Normally, we'd pay a professional, but -- given the circumstances -- currently we loath bringing a stranger into the house. Likewise, finding anyone willing to go into a stranger's how to replace their toilet may be a problem too.

Is it something I can do myself -- with the help from the rest of the household? The current one is by Toto, and we're no longer "in love" with the pricey brand -- can I order a different one, or is that likely to increase the amount of work to the point of insurmountable?

For example, will the bolts holding the current bowl fit right into the new one, or is that not at all a given, and we should order the exact same model?

Or is a professional pretty much required anyway and we may just as well get a different design?


texts: What can hand held metal circular saws not get through?

texts:
This is not per se a DYI question, but someone here might know this: If you have a standard hand-held metal circular saw, what materials can it either not get through - or would clog it up?
Basically, I am looking for a strategy, that when someone tries to cut something with a metal saw they cant do it.
I was thinking maybe some kinds of fabric (felt, or those chainsaw protective clothings) or maybe if its a mix of materials so that once the metal blade gets trough metal it breaks at some other kind of material - does anyone have any clue what might work there?


texts: What type of cutting disc should I use for cutting steel rods?

texts:
I am building a 3D printer and I have bought steel rods which I'm going to have to cut to size. I have already got a rotary tool at home which works. I have only ever used it to cut wood however, so all the blades I have are specific to wood.
Anyone have any tips on what type of cutting disc is suitable for cutting the steel rods? For reference, the max diameter of these rods is 1.2cm (approx 1/2").


texts: How to fix a leaking cold/hot water faucet

texts:
Our hot water faucet has been leaking (on its own, and also when the cold water faucet is turned on). Our building technician diagnosed a problem with the valves and recommended that we replace both the hot and cold water faucet assembly with Kohler GP77005-RP CW and GP77006-RP Kohler CCW valve kits:

I have been trying to figure out some installation instructions for them.


texts: Hot weather AC Efficiency - a nightly cold-soaking head start?

texts:
Live in Southern Florida, so we use AC nearly year round. We live in a block house, concrete tile roof, fairly new, well insulated. We do not use a programmable thermostat as we are home most of the time, and when not it is not predictable times.

However... recently had the AC replaced, but it had not completely failed. We got the house down to 75 before they started about 8:30am, and they finished at 6pm and the house was only about 79 degrees. Gave me an idea...

From 1am to 10am (+/-) will set it to 75 and over-cool a bit while the outside air is about 20-25 degrees cooler than daytime. The house has a large heat capacity, and cools and warms slowly. That ought to hold us under 78 until mid-late afternoon, so the unit would not run (or not much) at all during the hottest air temperature time.

In other words, try using it to shift the biggest cooling load into the most efficient time, in the wee hours, and during the least efficient time try not to run it (hardly) at all.

Does this sort of cold-soaking work reasonably?  Any guidance as to whether it will be an improvement, or are we making it worse by the cooling below 78, rather than just keeping it at 78 all day.


texts:
So, I'm trying to find the studs in an exterior wall.  The following techniques have all failed:

Running a stud-finder over the wall just produces "lost calibration" beeping after a few inches of movement.
Tapping doesn't produce any changes in sound or feel over several feet of wall.
Running a magnet along the wall at various heights doesn't produce any results.
Waving a non-contact thermometer at close range doesn't show any reveal any patterns in the temperature variation.
Measuring off 16" from a known stud and drilling just hits air.

Anything else I can try?


texts: I want to glue pieces of wood to a sheet of a plastic-like material. This will then be placed in the oven at 200 degrees celsius. Which glue should I use?


texts: Is it normal to smell gas near a gas range?

texts:
I recently extended our LP gas line to the kitchen so I could install a gas range. Since I'm technically not a qualified professional, I had the gas company come and test the line for leaks. There was a small leak detected which I was told was "about half a pound after 9 minutes" (I'm not sure what this even means). He said it's within the legal standard but I said I wanted the leaks fixed. He ended up making sure the fittings were all tight and had no noticeable leaks with an electric detector and said it was good to go.

This morning, I noticed that when I put my head over the range I could smell a little gas that was very noticeable if I wafted it to my nose. I could also smell a little gas when I opened the bottom drawer. I should mention that last night I was showing my wife how it works and I turned a burner on without igniting it to show her that the gas will just come out. This was only for a few seconds. Is it normal to smell a little gas with a gas range? Could it be that I'm just smelling the residual gas from the previous night? I'm not sure if I should call a plumber to check for leaks.

Note: Location is US


texts: Why do I only have 30V going to my light fixture

texts:
I just replaced a broken light fixture in my closet. (The switch in the light fixture broke when I pulled too hard on the chain.)

When replacing the light fixture I noticed that there is only 30 V AC between the white and black wires. The ground wire is cut back and is not being used. By the way, the wiring in my house is all aluminum.

I know the new light fixture works. I checked it out with my multimeter, and I tried it in a different closet. But the light bulb won't turn on because there is only 30 V. (Even if I disconnect the light fixture completely there is still only 30 V.

It seems to me that it must be a problem with the wiring.  My attic does provide some (difficult) access to the wiring, but I am not sure where to start looking for the problem or what to look for. Can anyone offer some suggestions?


texts: Install New Attic Access Ladder Perpendicular to Joists

texts:
I am trying to install a new access ladder to our attic, cutting a new hole etc. There's only one room in our 1038sq house (built in 1952) that will work, and after taking a closer look there is a water pipe that would interfere with the opening, were I to cut a new hole in that location, which would run parallel to the joists.
So it seems like my only other option is to cut a new hole and install the access ladder perpendicular to the joists, which means cutting probably 3 of the joists which are roughly 30-35ft long.
Based on most of the info I've found, you should ideally install the ladder parallel to the joists, only cutting one. But if I frame out the access correctly, is it a problem to install it perpendicular to the joists? The question is, how can I frame it correctly? I've only found this way of doing it:

Which would seem to entail adding two add new, in my case, 30-35ft joists to support the new cut. Is this correct, necessary and is there a better way to do it??


texts: What can I replace my generator's starter cord with that will last longer?

texts: I broke the cord on my generator and I want to replace it with something stronger than typical rope. Does anyone have experience with another material?


texts: Loose thread in standing lamp between base and rod

texts:
My wife just bought a lamp at Target, the kind you have to self assemble the rod from 4 hollow pipes and a base, where the electrical wire is already threaded through all of them.  Each of the 4 sections screws into the one below it, and finally the bottom one screws into the base.

The rod sections / pipes screw into each other perfectly and tighten nicely.

The last one that tightens into the base is a bit too large, you can screw it on all the way but then the whole thing wobbles, if I try to tighten it anymore it keeps turning freely. After unscrewing it and re-screwing it back a few times I realized it is so big it literally can be pushed down instead of screwed in.

This thread has some interesting suggestions:
What can I use as a thread "tightener" compound for a free-running bolt?

I tried plumbers threading tape and it got squeezed out and shredded and didn't really make a difference. I tried Scotch tape and had the same results. (I do think I may have put too much of both, I probably went around 7 or 8 times).

Finally I tried dental floss, which helped some - its a bit tighter now and I just left it as is.

Any other suggestions?

Since I saw this question on other threads: The base itself has an extruding nub with threads that the bottom section covers and screws over. Both of them have threads. Both of them are hollow and the electrical wire goes through it all.


texts: Is this rat slab as useless as it seems?

texts:
One half of the area under a small house is not quite tall enough for a 5'4" person to stand up in.  This main cellar has a wafer-thin rat slab with no gravel underneath. The other half is a crawl space with a dirt floor.  There is a soil cliff transition.

The rat slab doesn't seem to be serving any useful function in terms of critter control, given the extensive connected unpaved section.  Also, it's not remotely keeping the cellar dry.

Although overall it has some slope down towards the sump pail (and pump), it's uneven in its slope, and bumpy in some places.  As a result the water that trickles in pools up in some parts.

I have seen other houses in this area (upstate New York) with dirt floors.  I wonder if this cellar would be better off without the rat slab?


texts: Are my plans for adding a 240 volt circuit reasonable?

texts:
I was hoping I could run this by someone. I've done other basic homeowner electric work like adding 120 breakers and outlets. From reading online, adding a single 240 volt circuit next to my breaker box doesn't seem that more difficult than what I've done before.

Digiboil 65L : 20 amps 3500 watts. Has a nema 6-30h plug. 6-30h outlets are only 30amps though.

22 ft from circuit breaker.

So I went with a 30 amp 2-pole breaker (square D and HOM like my other breakers) and nm-b 10-2 wire. Will use the neutral white wire as the second hot (and label it red).

Does all this sound good? Should the breaker be gfci protected? I don't believe I need a neutral.


texts: Will a single ductless mini-split heat pump be able to distribute its air evenly throughout my ranch house?

texts:
I am in the middle of a deep energy retrofit of my house, and a quick-and-dirty online manual J calculation of the projected loads once my projects are completed shows an estimated heating and cooling load of only 13,000 BTUs, compared to the current baseline of 41,000 heating / 28,000 BTUs cooling.

Since this is such a small number, my existing 125,000 BTU furnace will become even more ludicrously oversized than it is now. So I'm considering replacing it with a single ductless mini-split heat pump.

Here's my quandry: the numbers alone say that a single-headed heat pump unit should easily be able to handle both the projected heating and cooling loads. But I'm worried about getting the conditioned air consistently into the three bedrooms, which in typical ranch house fashion, are on the other side of the house from the living area, accessed through a hallway. The living area will probably be fine, but I'm worried that the bedrooms might not get enough of the conditioned air, even with a sealed and well-insulated building envelope (R-26 walls, R-50 ceiling, R-20 footing insulation).

If a single unit will be enough, where should I put the unit? In the living area above the entrance to the hallway? If a single unit won't be enough, would a double-headed unit with a single outside compressor work? Where should I put the other unit?


texts: Preventing a door from slowly opening itself

texts: This is pretty simple but I don't know how to describe it. There's a door that if left open half way it opens all the way by itself. I'm not sure if it's on an angle and gravity is doing it. How do I make it so the door stays where it is and doesn't open all the way? It's on 3 hinges and is on the inside of the building.


texts: Can a portable bedroom fan be slowed down?

texts:
I have a Vornado Heavy Duty Shop Fan in a bedroom for the purpose of making white noise at night to help sleep.  The speed switch only has a medium speed and high speed.  I wish there was an option for a slow speed, but it does not have this.
Is there any way to add some electrical device between the wall circuit and the fan plug that would reduce the voltage going to the fan, so that it would run at a slower speed?


texts: Water leaks out of spout when the shower is on

texts:
The faucet leaks while the shower is on. I removed the spout and all there is, is a pipe coming out of the wall. Do I have to remove the tiles to get at whatever is behind them or can I fix this problem as it is, i.e. pipe only coming out of the wall.

Thank you


texts: I've had my led tape lighting under cabinet lighting for 3 years & it has just in the past week begun to flash on & off when it's turned on. It stops flashing after a few minutes. What could be the problem? I've already checked the strips & connectors & they all work fine. I'm thinking it might be in the connection of the on/off switch. It is plugged into an outlet inside my cabinet.


texts: Do I need to winterize 40' underground hose?

texts:
I want to bury a 40 foot garden hose from my outdoor tap to a hose reel.

The tap itself will be winterized. And the hose reel will be stored in-house for the winter.

But do I need to winterize that 40 foot piece of hose that's gonna stay underground? Both ends of it would be open. Wouldn't the expanding water just come out the end?

If not, how should I do it?

Winter in Canada


texts:
I want to use adhesive to put a couple of skirting boards, mainly because I have no idea where the electric cables are running and I don't want to take a chance.

I have been advised to use "Alcolin Skirting Board Adhesive", http://www.alcolin.com/diy-products/wall-and-floor/skirting-board-adhesive

I have ~2.7m long boards and the wall are fairly straight and painted.

My Question is, how good are those adhesive? Will I be able to nail things in them for example, (like cables or whatever).
Will it work for a month and then start to fall apart slowly?

I know that screws are ultimately better, but are adhesives not as good an option?

Thanks

UPDATE

I ended up using the adhesive and it worked great, even on the long boards.

But remember:

My walls are concrete, and clean
My walls are straight as an arrow, (no weird holes or angles).
It took 24hrs for the adhesive to cure properly, (not 1hr as claimed by the manufacturer).


texts: What are the symptoms when 1 of the electric water heater elements goes kaput?

texts:
I suspect that something has gone awry with the electric water heater.
We do get water that is plenty hot, but it doesn't seem to last as long as it used to. My suspicions are further aroused because one day the water heater breakers had tripped.
Is this indicative of one of the elements failing, or would that just give us lukewarm water?
update
2 days after asking this question, the breaker tripped again, and this time a reset did not get hot water flowing again.
I did the whole testing procedure on the elements and thermostats. Both elements were definitely bad, so I drained the tank (it helped to use the pump from my rain barrels), then went to the hardware store and found a full kit with 2 elements and thermostats for $32 USD, so I went ahead and replaced everything. I also bought the special wrench tool to remove the screw-in elements, as it was easier than finding a 1 1/2" socket and cheaper than buying a wrench that would fit.
All-in-all, a relatively fast and inexpensive repair.


texts: Sticky door when opening, sounds like sticky paint

texts: I am trying to find a solution to my door sticking when I open it. It creates a loud popping sound from the wood after being stuck together. This would be my bathroom door, i work late hours and when I come home, the door makes the sound and wakes the dogs, wife and baby... not very fun! Anyway, im sure the paint is latex or something and I was thinking of putting some Vaseline on it to keep it from sticking, but the problem with that is... correct me if im wrong, but it causes dust build up and becomes sticky itself... I also have some lube for my pool rings, the stuff you put on your pool filter lids to keep them from getting stuck... only I think those get sticky after a while too... and they smell. My final thought was to use WD-40, but that isn't really a lubricant... its just a water dispersal agent (hence the "WD"). I didin't want to do anything without some suggestions from the amazing people of diy! please help me. I live in Arizona... humidity is not really a problem (well except during monsoon season, but that is pretty mute since it lasts for a few months).


texts:
What should I be looking at on my old ge weathertron that is popping the 3.6v mini breaker on the transformer ? Sometimes the contactor isnt getting the 24 volts.
Also did jumpering the r an fan or r an yellow for a test pop it maybe?
I'm also having blower issues.
[Just wanna keep it running for a few weeks before I put a
2year old  amana package unit in ]
Thanks


texts: Can I hang a TV with one stud and drywall anchors?

texts:
I have read several questions on here regarding this topic but my situation is slightly unique.

I have a TV mount that is about 20" wide.  The studs in my wall are 24" apart.  I am mounting a 55" tv.  The tv weighs 53 lbs and the mount is at most 20 lbs.  The mount does swivel so it might be pulled on to swivel the tv.

The way I see it I have 2 options.  First, put a piece of 3/4" ply wood into the studs and mount the tv on the ply wood.  Or the second is a little easier, I can mount the TV into 1 stud and use heavy duty anchors on the other side of the mount.  The anchors I have say they will hold up to 110 lbs.  So 2 screws into the anchors and 2 screws into the stud.  It seems like this will work, but I don't want to take chances with the TV.

Please advise.

EDIT***
It is a steel stud.  So I bought drywall toggles rated to 110 lbs.  I am going to propose the following and ask what people think.  There are 8 holes in the mount.  What if I use the drywall toggles to mount the TV in the 2 holes nearest the center of the mount, then use Drywall anchors with a high weight rating in the other 6 holes.  Between 8 anchors/toggles totaling almost 900 lbs with 2 of them mounted into a steel beam seems to me that it would be sufficient.  I'd also comment that I have no intention of using the swivel feature.


texts:
Here are the key points:

Condo in NYC with concrete ceilings
Recessed lighting
"Exactly"
The ceiling is to be dropped by only 2-1/2"
The light in mind is a 1-1/4 LED light (Extremely low profile)
Ex:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-Ultra-Slim-3-in-Color-Selectable-Canless-LED-Recessed-Kit-91274/306079876

... my question is, what is the NEC code on drop/suspended ceilings like the one explained here? (if they exist at all) The low profile LED lights are a fairly modern invention so I'm not even sure if there's any word on if this meets code.

I'm also curious on NYC or NEC code for the suspended ceiling structure, steel or wood under ultra light 1/2 gypsum board for ceilings with wiring and maybe a "mini" junction box (that might be a stretch). I know 5/8 FR board is the norm and certain for meeting code, but would anything change for this application?

*Please reply only on NEC and NYC code. I really want to keep this thread free from alternative lighting suggestions, they've all been considered (yes, all including fabric ceiling options), but I would like to explore this option.


texts: Roundover router bit to get a large radius molding

texts:
I'm looking for a router bit (preferrably from named brands like CMT, WPW, Dimar etc) to get a profile of an arc of a large radius, something like 55-60mm and of a chord length equal to something about 30-40mm. This profile (or the one that looks very close to this) is often used on a picture frames you can find in the local stores.
Here is the sketch of the profile I'm trying to get after milling one plane of the rectangular piece of wood with a router:

I have found many bits with a profile that is very close to this one - CMT 954.509.11 (details here - http://www.cmtutensili.it/show_items.asp?pars=RB~7/8/954~2~2~1), but the largest radius I can get from a bit like this is about 19mm.
So, my question is - does anyone know the particular bit that fits my needs described above? Or, alternatively, is there another way to get this profile?


texts:
I recently had decorative wood beams removed from my exterior stucco wall, and I would like to patch them.
Given the size of the holes in the wall, what would the process be of patching the holes?


texts: Liquid or bait traps for termites in a brick rowhouse surrounded by concrete

texts:
Just found some termites in floorboards at my back door into the yard, along with a swarm at the threshold... and I am looking to do some Termite control.  I have a brick rowhouse with concrete pavers in the yard and concrete front area - so it would require drilling in stone for either treatment.
One exterminator says liquid is the way to go since Termites are already in the home and baits won't lure them away from such a juicy wood meal that is your home.
Another exterminator says bait traps are easier to install and just as effective since we know where the termites are already so we would just put it smack in the middle.
They both seem to say the other is wrong.  All things equal the baits are easier to install - but they all seem to have a slightly scammy annual maintenance contract...
Should I go with liquid Termidor - or is bait traps like Sentricon or Trelona really as effective (and easier)?
The price is not that big of an issue, I just want what's the best and most effective.


texts:
I have a brick(3 wythe) building and starting to plan a kitchen remodel. The floor in the kitchen is pretty slanted and the wood joists don't look too good. So I will need some way to level the floor. I'm thinking, since I will be stripping all the plaster and drywall, it might make sense to completely replace the floor and the joists as well.

I personally hate wood as building material(except for decoration) In my opinion, houses should be made of brick, concrete, steel and not wood. What are some alternatives for wood joists and floor boards in residential construction? What's the typical cost for those materials?


texts: What prevents a toilet auger from fully extending into the toilet?

texts:
I currently have a clog, and the plunger wasn't cutting it. I got a 3' toilet auger, but I can only extend it about halfway in, even when trying to extend it further by cranking it clockwise.

What could be the cause for not being able to fully extend a toilet auger?


texts: How much length of pipe is needed to use a 'donut' type PVC to iron pipe connection?

texts:
We have a cast iron pipe leave the house with PVC connected to it at the wall with a "donut" style adapter like this:

Basically you stick the donut into the cast iron pipe and PVC into the donut and it forms a watertight seal.

I haven't been able to find out what length of PVC is meant to enter the donut. Ideally I'd like to use a 90 elbow with a spigot end - (meaning one end is the same diameter as a pipe) but on a 3" PVC pipe that end only has a 1-1/2" long section, which I think would be too short.


texts: How do I clear this cement pipe underground drainage system?

texts: I recently found that the drainage system for the gutter runoff is completely clogged. It has roots running through it. I dug up the drain 15 feet (5 yards) away from the house and it is still clogged in both directions. I tried clearing it with a hand held plumber's snake and a pressure washer but I did not have much luck. How do I clean this out?


texts: what is the design load limit for a jack stud and header plate?

texts:
Assuming an over-strength column composed of one jack and two king studs - how much load can a single jack stud support - assuming #2 stud grade SPF for the header and jack.

I've found a table that has SPF compression values : Fc perp of 425 psi, and Fc parallel of 1320 psi.

If the header, jack stud contact area is 3.5 x 1.5 (5.25 in^2), then is the maximum load on the SPF #2 header 5.25in^2*425 psi = 2231 lbs?   Does this calculation have a safety margin?  If not, what then is in practice maximum load on the jack stud?


texts:
The ductwork in our 30 year old house has started coming loose where it comes up through the floor.  It's nailed to the subfloor, but in several places, the nails have come loose, leaving gaps of an inch or two between the duct and the subfloor.  This lets bugs into the house and probably isn't too good for our heating and air efficiency.

What's the best way to re-hang the ductwork and remove these gaps?  How much do I need to worry about breaking something while repositioning the 30 year old ducts?

More information

The portion of the duct that goes to each supply vent is hung by one or two nails each on the left and right sides.  The nails have either come loose from or gradually tore through the plywood subfloor and fell out, or the nail gradually tore a hole through the duct (so it's still in the subfloor and the duct is hanging beneath it).

I hope that I'm using these terms correctly.  Here are some photos.

Note the nail hanging on the left after it came out of the subfloor.  There's another nail on the left (not visible) that's still in the subfloor, but the weight of the duct pulling on the nail apparently caused a vertical tear through the duct, letting it fall.  There's a 3/4" vertical gap on the left between the duct and the subfloor and a smaller gap (but still enough to let in a draft) at the top where the duct no longer fits properly because it's hanging off the left.

Another supply vent.  The nails have fallen on both sides, so this duct is apparently supported by nothing in particular, leaving about 2-3" vertical gap all around.  The subfloor looks pretty worn, so I'm not sure that nailing it on each side as was done before would work very well.


texts: Leveling bathroom floor with purlins (surface shims, leveling strips)under tub

texts:
I have a small 5 x 11 bathroom in 1961 coop/condo, wood subfloor (pictured) is not level. We don’t think water damage just building settling. This is a gut job, all fixtures being replaced. Would it make sense to use purlins then 3/4 plywood to level floor, then place new tub on new plywood?  Or backer board & tile entire floor and put tub on top of tile?

Can’t put tub on joists or current subfloor as uneven. Can’t use self leveling compound as depth of pitch too deep (1/2 an inch or more).


texts:
I'm using an 18v makita hammer drill with a 3/16" Bosch blue granite turbo concrete bit to drill 2" deep holes into concrete-filled cinder blocks. With a fresh bit, it takes about 15 seconds to drill a hole. By the 4th hole, it slows to a crawl and it takes 2-3 minutes to drill a complete hole. After the 5th hole, the bit is completely shot and I have to get a new bit. I've gone through half a dozen bits now, trying to discover what I'm doing wrong - and I have no idea.

The hammering action of the drill isn't activating, so i'm losing all of the impact potential - I can't really apply any more force than I am already, as the drilling is happening over-head at an awkward angle... Any idea if there's a reason the bits dull so quickly? Is this a better job for an impact drill?

I should also say that I can't notice any visible difference on the tip of the bit - it doesn't look blunted, or marred, which is part of why it's so puzzling. I don't have a means to sharpen it, but just from visual inspection it looks OK


texts: Moisture in the bathroom is bubbling lead paint - how do I seal it?

texts:
I live in a home built in the 1930s. The bathroom has been poorly remodeled at least twice. At the last remodel, before I moved in, the work wasn't finished. Within the shower everything is fine, but the paint on the arched wall on the shower/tub's exterior, which was left exposed at the last remodel, is bubbling away because of moisture. I've recently tested this area and found that it has traces of lead.

I am looking for a solution to seal the exposed section of wall without disturbing the lead paint. I don't have a true HEPA shopvac, which I feel prevents me from dealing with the lead paint and taking this wall down to the surface and starting from scratch. I won't be living in this home more than another year and I don't have a lot of experience doing DIY work. Would using a sealer like Zinsser Gardz work? The aesthetics of the fix don't matter - my only concern is preventing further disturbance or pulverization of the lead paint.

There is a section of this wall that is covered in broken plaster. Would finishing up the wall with some type of plaster repair compound do the trick?

I'm looking for solutions that I could implement myself. If this isn't possible and this is a problem a professional should tackle, I will take that under consideration.


texts: Drywall/Brick Transition - how to paint?

texts: Along a section of wall I have (a) painted plastered brickwork on the right hand side and (b) painted drywall on the left hand side. The drywall flexes very slightly relative to the brick, so whenever I paint over the transition, it inevitably cracks sooner or later. Is there any simple solution to this please?


texts: How do I protect paint on a steel outer door from scratching?

texts:
I need to attach a plastic guard onto an outer steel door, to protect the paint from scratching by my dog (and visiting dogs...this is a rural setting).

Is there a glue that is clear that I can use?  Should I screw this onto the steel door?


texts: Plumbing water heater with manifold system

texts:
I'm switching my trunk and branch plumbing system.over to manifolds with 3/4 inlet and 1/2 outlets.

Would it be better to Tee the line off to the hot water heater before the cold water manifold (and thus using a 3/4 input line to hot water heater)?  Or better to use one of the cold waters 1/2 outlets to feed into hot water heater?  If I use the 1/2 inlet to hot water heater, can I still output with 3/4 or would I have to use a 1/2 line coming out of hot water heater into hot water manifold (with appropriate sized adapters)?


texts: What is a minimally intrusive way to move a wire that is in a wall 3.5" to the left?

texts:
I need to move a speaker that's mounted on a wall about 3.5" to the left.

Here's what the actual mounted speaker looks like:

The wire comes out inside the bracket that attaches to the wall, and feeds up into the speaker, so there's no room for wall plates or anything like that.

This is an interior wall, though there is insulation (for soundproofing) in it. I have access to the other side, though it is also finished wall (really I already have to patch this side..). This is in the middle of the stud bay; there is a stud about 5" to the right of the existing wire.

Does anyone have any tricks to doing this in a minimally intrusive way?

UPDATE: Done, Thanks. (Well, aside from another coat of polyfilla, and some touch-up paint). The hole is drilled on almost a 45 degree angle towards the old hole, and I jiggled (technical term) the drill bit around inside so it's larger on the inside, more like a cone.

The tape on the end of the wire has nothing to do with how I pulled it: it's a precaution to avoid shorting out my amp in case it is turned on. Good practice to do anytime you have bare speaker wires that are connected. (Better practice is of course to disconnect the other end, but I digress.)

Thanks all


texts: Is the subpanel installation in a detached garage correctly done?

texts:
I have a small subpanel next to my main house panel with only 4 slots. I am out of breaker spaces, so I've routed 8 gauge wiring (2-120V split phase, 1-nuetral and 1 ground) to the new sub-panel. Very short run of less than 6 feet of wiring between the panels.

I have filled only two slots with a ganged 30 amp breaker in the sub-panel that I need for some testing equipment in my garage (both panels and in a detached garage). I will likely put 2 additional 15 amp breakers in the future in the sub-panel. I have tied all 8 awg wires into the main busses.

Neutral and ground are bonded, but I've run separate wires to the bonded bus. I believe this is a very conservative, safe installation, but is it code, or even good practice? The 8 gauge wiring is ultimately protected by the main disconnect breaker (200 amps) since I've tied to the buss directly, but the voltage drop in only 1-2 volts, so even a direct short should not overheat the wiring.

I don't have any spare slots in the main panel to install a ganged 50 amp breaker - would like to do that, but just don't have the space. I guess I could pull two existing 15 amp breakers, install the ganged 50 amp and reroute the existing services to the new 15 amp breakers in the sub-panel - and I can do that if the only safe installation.

Should I re-wire or not?


texts: Is there such a thing as a 1 1/8" water spigot reducer?

texts: I'm sorry if this is a basic question, but I've been around the world and back looking for a reducer for my outdoor water spigot, which has a 1 1/8" diameter. (And to fit most hoses, I assume I'm looking for a reduction to 1".) Does anyone know where to find one, or if I should just go ahead and replace the spigot entirely?


texts: What can be done with walls that are wet and moldy?

texts:
After several stormy and rainy days; wetness and mold began to appear on the walls. The mold quickly spread to all of the rooms in the apartment.
It did not happen in the summer so it is probably related to the rain. However, the apartment is on the ground floor in a 4 story building. It is probably not from the roof. I have some questions:

First, is there anything to do in the short term to detect and fix the problem?
Second, I am planning a massive remodel. I am removing some inner walls and installing new piping. Will this solve the problem? Could there be a different problem that will not be solved even with a remodel?

Here are some pictures of the walls:


texts: Can I convert a gas log fireplace to wood burning?

texts: My house currently has a gas fireplace with (as far as I can tell) a metal firebox and a metal flue running up a non-masonry chimney. Are there any options available to me to convert this fireplace to wood-burning? This isn't out of a desire for increased efficiency, just a personal preference for the flame and smell of wood instead of gas.


texts: Is there such a thing as wall lights that you can plug into a power outlet?

texts: There is a room in our house with a fluorescent bulbs from the dark ages and they've stopped working a while back. We've tried replacing the starter, it worked for a moment but stopped, maybe a loose connection somewhere. We can't get an electrician to come check it out for the time being, so what I'm wondering is, are there any wall lights that you can plug into a power outlet and hang on the wall? This might be a stupid idea, but is there? Googling only brought out accent lights, but I want something a little more powerful.


texts: How to add a drip edge to a steel deck beam over a porch

texts:
So I have rust and water damage from water rolling down from the curved porch beam into a porch ceiling.  I don't have the same problem with my top-floor porch since that has a roof above it.  The beam has rounded edges so it makes it especially easy for the water to roll around that corner into the ceiling.
My question: is there an easy and cheap way to add some sort of drip edge to this beam that's not too unsightly.   If there is a product made for this, even better since it would be ready-made.  I noticed that there is some automotive stick on drip edge that maybe I can add, but I wonder if there is an even better more appropriate way.  For instance, I've noticed if you put a string on an edge, even that can be enough sometimes to attract the drip flow of water.
Should I instead focus on adding a drip edge to the tile floor above the beam?  If so it would it have to be a significant overhang to protect the entire beam, as any water that still lands on the beam will roll into the ceiling below?  I only want to stop the water from rolling into the ceiling.  I don't mind if the water drips down and puddles below the beam.


texts:
Found this while tearing down some old shelves in the basement. It was wedged behind the shelf in the air. This is coming from the opposite side of the basement where the electric box lives. Any ideas what this cable is used for?

I mainly trying to figure out if its safe to touch before i start working near it.


texts: Will adding a french drain and sealing the wall be sufficient to waterproof a basement?

texts:
I am going to attempt to waterproof the basement from the exterior. It is a new development that water is getting in the basement through the window wells and a crack in the wall.

I am hoping I can dig a 18" - 24" deep french drain around this wall and seal the wall with a sealant.

Would this be sufficient?


texts: Difference between normal vs machinist tool chest

texts: What is the difference between machinist tool chest vs normal tool chest other than the machinist one having more drawers and smaller size drawers? What would typically be stored in smaller size drawers?


texts: I am putting electrical service to a outdoor shed and a chicken coop. I had outside service to a pool. The pool is no longer there. the wire to the pool was 12/2. I have wired the coop with 14/2 outside wire and I just dug a 18 foot ditch min of 18" deep. I was going to put the wires through the conduit, and I saw the wire coming from the house was 12/2. there is no way I can change that wire at the circuit box. can I use the 14/2 or do I need to change the shed and coop to 12/2?


texts:
I'm in Chicago, and I cut some holes in my garage to put in some 220V outlets.
I took a sample of my drywall to my local hardware store, and the sample drywall is bigger than 5/8 type X.
Garage was done by a subdivision builder so it can't be too exotic.
Anyone have any ideas what it could be?  3/4?


texts: What kind of radiator is this and can it take TRV

texts:
I live in a brownstone built in 1900 converted to separate apartments in early 1970’s (I think).  We have a single pipe steam heat system and recently replaced the boiler.

My unit is one that’s ridiculously hot and I’ve been trying to figure out how I can adapt my radiator setup to be able to adjust that.

However I don’t know what sort of radiator this is and unlike standard ones I’m familiar with where the air valve can be replaced with a TRV (plus an air valve) I’m not sure the same thing can be done with this one.

The dimensions of its metal outer container are 56”x22”x8” and here is what the inside looks like:

Right half

Incoming pipe and on/off valve

Left half and air valve. This side is elevated relative to right side (to allow condensation to drain?).

Given the size of this, if it’s ancient maybe I’d consider something smaller that will bake my space less and be adjustable, but if I can install an adjustable valve on this thing as is even that would be an improvement but my understanding is that sensor isn’t supposed to be inside the covered unit to properly read temperature.

Any advance or words of wisdom about what I’ve got here would be appreciated.


texts: How deep should a fence post be with respect to the bottom of the concrete base?

texts:
Seems like a simple question, but I have been searching for a while. Everything I find is about the depth of the hole for the concrete, not the depth of the post.
I want to know how far a post must go into a concrete hole. The concrete is well set, but has some muck in it. I need to know how deep does the post go, so that I know how much muck to clear.
Posts are wood. Post/hole width varies 2→3 inches (don't ask). Fence height will be about 4 feet.
So how much post needs to be in the concrete, so that the concrete can hold the post?


texts: Can I provide a secondary power source for my thermostat?

texts: The thermostat at my home is set up with only the 24 power and return through the relay. I would like to add a 'smart' thermostat, however the line is fairly well buried in the wall/basement ceiling and will not be fun to rewire to add the 'c' return path. However, I have fairly easy access to all walls via the main ceiling. If I were to add another 24v transformer, could I run an independent line to power the thermostat? My concern is that the input power for the thermostat and the relay will be common, this thwarting my plan. Would the inputs be jumped that I can remove, or is my screwball idea hopeless?


texts: Attaching video doorbell to stucco over rigid foam insulation

texts:
To the right and left of my front door are 6" deep protrusions/doorposts covered in stucco. I'm pretty sure (from another home installation project) that these posts are not really doorposts but are stucco over rigid foam insulation.
I want to mount a video doorbell (weight less than a pound) to this area next to my front door.  I have bits that are diamond tip rated to go thru the stucco. I can even get a hammer drill if needed.
My concern is how to get the two anchors to hold if there is nothing behind the stucco other than rigid foam insulation.
The frame for the doorbell is what is actually mounted and holds the doorbell which needs to be periodically removed for charging.  So, the mounting frame for the doorbell will be jiggled and wiggled somewhat as the doorbell is removed for charging and then re-attached.  My concern is the anchors will loosen or never hold to begin with.
I have thought of drilling the holes (6mm drill bit recommended by product)
and then filling the hole with caulking or hot-glue before inserting the anchors .  Have no idea if this would work.
What's the best way to deal with this job?


texts: GFCI breaker is tripping when it rains on completely internal circuit

texts:
I have a three story house.  The first floor is an apartment that is completely covered by the second floor.  It has it's own panel which is inside the apartment and mostly uses GFCI breakers.  There is a circuit that just provides power to a row of ceiling lights on the first floor, and it often trips during heavy rains (and can be immediately reset).

I plan on replacing the GFCI breaker, I already had one that was getting flakey and was tripping whereas it's replacement (also GFCI) would not.

But I can't figure out where the connection to the rain comes in.  The first floor is recent construction and there's nothing on that circuit that leads outside or powers anything outside.  The two floors above are dry, so unless there is a stream of rain sneaking down two floors along the inside of the walls and getting into the ceiling circuit, all without causing any visible damage, I can't quite see how the rain is the cause.

Is it possible that the breaker is getting flakey and it's just the general humidity that's causing it to trip?

Any other possibilities that I am overlooking?


texts: Why won't my bathroom light fixture work?

texts:
Had a surprise this morning when I went to turn on my bathroom light and it didn't work.  All the incandescent bulbs (4 of them) appear to be fine, and the fan which is on the switch beside the light switch is working.

I've checked and reset all breakers.  Before calling an electrician, is there anything else I can do?  Is it possible that the fixture has failed since none of the bulbs will light up.


texts: Can I use any shaped bulbs in a lamp if the base is the correct size?

texts:
Been using the A19 bulb shape my whole life for things like fixtures & lamps. But is it okay to use different shaped bulbs as long as the base is the correct version?

I always presumed if a lamp has a E26 base, I must use an A19 bulb. Is this true?


texts: How do I measure for a table top inside a (slightly irregular) nook/alcove?

texts:
I have a little nook about 2' x 5'. It's surrounded by wall on three sides. I want to put a table top in there. But I know the area isn't exactly square. It's supposed to be, but it's not.

How do I measure the exact dimensions w/ correct angles of the corners so that the table top fits perfectly into the space?


texts: What do I need to use one winch motor independently on several different cables (for overhead storage)?

texts:
I'm almost-nearly-started on installing a bunch of motorized ceiling-storage platforms in my garage.  I was researching which winch/hoist to buy when I realized that I'd rather not buy one electric winch motor per platform.

Is there a gearbox of some sort where I could hook up a single motor to a half-dozen (or so) reels, and select which reel gets rotated?  I would hook each reel up to one ceiling-storage platform.  Each reel would have to have a brake of its own, so when it's not engaged, it doesn't rotate.  (The stuff on the ceiling needs to stay on the ceiling when the motor isn't hooked up to it.)

Edit: I don't have access to a machine shop.  I'm trying to figure out if it's cheaper to go for the gearbox, or just one winch per platform (at around $75 each).  I'll build the platform and set up the pulleys myself.  I figure that each platform + stuff will weigh around 200 pounds, and the current plan will have enough pulleys to have a 4:1 lift ratio.  (I'm going to use a single cable that goes back and forth to the ceiling several times, for stability.)


texts: How to inspect an apartment before renting?

texts:
I've had several major problems with the apartment home I've lived in for the past year.

During the summer time, the air-conditioner didn't work well.  It was eventually fixed, but it took a replacement of the outside unit and new insulation in the attic to bring the daytime temperature of my apartment down to 70 from 85 degrees Farenheight.

After the long, dry summer ended, I almost immediately started having leaks in my roof.  The water drips down into my bedroom every time it rains heavily!  Because of the exceptionally dry weather earlier this year, I didn't know about the problem until more than half-way through the year.

However, I did notice a few small stains in the ceiling, as well as a tiny hole.  I wondered what could make such a small hole; now I know!

What are the most important things to look for in terms of telling if an apartment I'm thinking of renting is going to cause me problems?


texts: Central heating pipe to split into 2 runs

texts:
Looking at splitting a feed and return line into 2 branches.

I have come up with 2 different manifold ideas but I am wondering what would be better to get equal pressure for each.

I have actually made option A but after making it I am not convinced that it will pass through the water equally (i.e the first pipe out will receive water first then once all through the second pipe out will get water)

As this is for central heating does it really matter? Would it mean one radiator gets hotter first?

Thanks
Mark


texts: One "hot" wire be pigtailed into multiple "hot" wires. How does that affect the electricity going through them?

texts:
When wires are pigtailed together like this:

...one of the black wires carries the current "in" to the nut, and the other two wires carry it "out" to the outlet and whatever other devices are down the line.

My understanding of electricity is basically limited to the water-in-a-pipe analogy. According to that, it seems to me that "splitting" the hot wire into two wires like this would result in the two "out" wires carrying half the electricity of the "in" wire.

Obviously this isn't the case since pigtails like this are everywhere and devices continue to function just fine. How does this work?

(My initial guess is -- using the water analogy again -- there's enough "pressure" to fill both "pipes" with adequate current.)


texts:
I have a single story house, built in the late 40s, with a small kitchen and one small bathroom. I was up in the attic checking something and noticed multiple pipes running to the roof -- all located near the bathroom. I would expect one vent pipe but not sure why there are more.

Water heater and dryer are located in the garage, kitchen stove vents out in another pipe toward the front of the house, house has an old floor heater, so can't think of any obvious reason what these are for.

Anyone have an idea what they might be used for?

Thanks


texts: Onduline / corrugated bitumen roofing: better to use nails or screws for fitting?

texts:
I'm about to lay Onduline on a 25° roof and am undecided as to which fasteners to use.
Most guides seem to use the nails, and many don't even mention the availability of screws.
In my mind screws will make for a better fitment, as I can carefully get each one right, and if I do over-screw I can always back it out. One bad strike of a nail with a hammer (or an unexpected soft patch of wood) and the fitment could be compromised.
I kinda assumed the nails are the goto choice because they're cheaper and faster.
However, I now note that oddly the SCREWS are cheaper. In the UK its £7 for 100 screws or £18 for nails! So why aren't most people choosing the screws?
Assuming both are fitted perfectly, which do you think would SEAL better? The screws have no caps but seem to claim that they don't need them.
Screws: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Onduline-Roofing-Black-Screws-60mm---Pack-of-100/p/207693
Nails: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Onduline-Profile-Sheeting-Nails-70mm-Black-PK100/p/240085
Thank you!