texts: How can I install a frost-free outdoor faucet with very little space?

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On one side of my house, the previous owner frequently forgot to shut off the outdoor water during the winter. Given that my house is in Minnesota, it gets cold during the winter, and he had to replace plumbing twice because of busted pipes.

I'd like to avoid this nonsense (and the associated insurance costs). Ideally, I'd like to install a frost-free faucet so I have added protection in case I forget to turn it off in the winter. Unfortunately, I have about 4" from my exterior wall (siding) to the sheetrock on the other side.

The smallest frost free sillcock I was able to find is one with a 4" extension. The problem is, once I put the soldered fittings on it (a right-angle connector and a threaded connector for the sillcock) it's about 7" long. As an added bonus, the pipe to which I'm connecting is about 2" into the wall, so I lose 2".

All told, if I connect the frost-free faucet to the existing pipe, I'm looking at it sticking out of the outside of my house about 4.2". Ugh.

So, my question is sort of two part -

I thought about blocking the exterior of the faucet. That is, I thought about taking a 4x4 (or a piece of wood that's an appropriate size) and cutting a section of it to place on top of the siding, into which the pipe will go, extending it away from the siding, but giving me enough room to attach the sillcock to the existing pipe. What I'm worried about is whether this is a waste of time. If the extension of the sillcock is sitting outside of the house, will it even buy me anything additional over having just a standard sillcock?
Is there another way I might be able to attach this device that, in my less than infinite wisdom, I haven't thought of yet? I'm a pretty new homeowner, so it's possible that I might be able to do something else that isn't quite as ludicrous as having a 4" pipe sticking out of the side of my house. :)


texts: Red wire in ceiling box: traveler or smoke alarm interconnect?

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I have an electrical box in the ceiling, currently with all the wires capped and a blank faceplate over it. Two cables coming in, both with four conductors (black, white, red, and bare).

I don't know whether the red is meant to be a traveler for a three-way switch, or an interconnect for smoke alarms. The weird part is that this particular breaker already has both: all the smoke alarms in the house plus a hallway light controlled by two switches. (Other three-way switches in the house use a red wire as the traveler.)

Is there a good way to tell which it is? I'd like to put a smoke alarm there, but obviously I can only do that if this isn't controlled by a switch and interconnects with the other alarms.

The house was built in 2002, if that helps.


texts: How to add a secondary circuit breaker, limited to cutting a single appliance

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Situation:

My apartment has a main 50A circuit breaker, and several small appliances with the normal total current never exceeding 40A. There are also 3 240V appliances with higher nominal power: one is 3350W, and two are 5500W. Each is connected to its own circuit breaker.

In normal everyday use these 3 are very rarely used on their highest Wattage, and hardly ever I have more than 2 powered on at any given time. So normally the circuit operates easily under 40A.

If all three are powered on their high-ends, however, that would generate a ~59A current and activate the main circuit breaker, shutting off all power.

What I want:

The main circuit breaker is 4 floors below the apartment and it is managed by the building and the power company so I just can't replace it. But there's no damage that can occur from shutting down any of those 3 appliances, particularly the 3350W one.

I want to establish a first line of defense against total shutdown by first disconnecting only the 3350W appliance if the total current surpasses 40A. If the appliance is already off, or if the current remains over 50A after it is disconnected, then the main breaker would be activated shutting down the entire circuit.

Is it possible to design the circuit to make this happen? how or why?

Edit with answers to the comments:

This is a biphasic installation and I have both 120V and 240V.
I do have a distribution panel inside the apartment, feeding from the 50A master. This panel has 16 slots I can fill with single or double breakers.
I don't have a master breaker in the panel. I thought of adding one but didn't see much value in limiting the overall capacity below 50A until I started thinking of this. It is possible to add one, though.
The appliances are one Oven (1000W to 3350W) and two Showers (500W to 5500W each). The reason I wanted to cut the oven is actually practical: you don't want to risk your shower breaker tripping and having to finish in cold water.
These are the only appliances on 240V lines, by the way and each has their own double-breakers. 120V holds the refrigerator, freezer, light bulbs and all other outlets and they are split in shared breakers by room iirc.
I know I could just set the house rules and instruct everyone to not use everything at once - I was just wondering if there was a way I could be a little more foolproof.


texts: How can I determine the manufacturer of these cabinet doors?

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We have a couple of kitchen cabinets that our dog chewed the corners off of. Our landlord is giving us a chance to find replacement doors before he charges us for a whole new set of cabinets.

The problem we're running into is that we can't identify the door model or manufacturer. Our landlord purchased the cabinets a couple of years ago and doesn't know the manufacturer.

Does this look familiar to anyone? If so do you know the make and model?


texts: Can I configure a two-stage thermostat to manage two heat systems?

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The System
I have a relatively simple system. It starts out with a standard, run-of-the-mill Rheem gas forced air setup with central air. One transformer in the furnace goes to one thermostat like normal. I recently upgraded the wire to 18/5 so that a C wire now exists in the system. Everything with the heat and A/C works as it should. However, during the heating season this system is used only as a backup "emergency" source of heat.
That's because I have added a hydronic radiant floor as the new primary heat source which is a lot more comfortable and efficient. The relevant part of this is the NIX circulation pump controller which has its own transformer tied to its own thermostat. It also works as it should.
My goal
What I want is to simplify the system to one thermostat if that is possible. At negative outdoor temps the radiant floor cannot hold 70 degrees indoors because I have so much glass in the home (bay windows and patio doors) (and yes, this is a "double-tube" install). It would be great if a thermostat would see this condition (say, a delta of 5-8 degrees) and kick on the gas forced air furnace when the radiant floor cannot keep up.
Here's what I've tried
To get this to work, I have been under the impression that what I needed was a "2 stage" thermostat. Accordingly, I purchased and installed the Honeywell RTH6360D1002. FYI, this thermostat "clicks" every time it does something. I've hooked the NIX radiant transformer to Rh and the furnace transformer to Rc, the NIX controller's W to W1 and the furnace's W to W2. The other G, C, and Y wires are as per usual.
This results in the A/C working fine (I assume the Rc from the furnace is being connected to Y and G). This also results in the radiant floor working fine (I assume Rh from the NIX controller is being connected to W1).
However, the 2nd stage is not turning on the forced air furnace. In a 75 degree room, I have set the thermostat to its max of 90 degrees. The radiant floor comes on almost immediately. After 2 minutes or so of the radiant floor being on, I hear the Honeywell "click" once again. I assume this is the thermostat realizing there is a 15 degree delta and is turning on the second stage. I assume this is Rh from the radiant NIX controller being connected to W2 (furnace).
Is it a no-no to cross transformers like that? Can the 24v from the radiant's NIX transformer be used to signal the W in the furnace (via W2 in the thermostat)? What is the solution? Can I just wire differently? Is there a solution at all, or must I continue running two thermostats, one for each system? If this Honeywell is not right, do you have a recommendation for a thermostat that will accomplish this? Thank you.


texts: Is AC power really worth it anymore? Is it time (or almost time) to switch to DC?

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Houses have historically only offered AC power throughout, but I'm wondering if that makes any sense anymore.  If I were building a large addition, or even building a new home from scratch, would it make sense to build with only AC power?

Let's think about the main things we have in the house that use power.

LED lights: the bulbs have to convert the AC to DC.  Why not just use DC to begin with?  Of course this means buying new bulbs, which may be expensive, or altering the existing ones, which may be time-consuming...
Laptops, phones, tablets: again, they have to convert to DC power, which seems silly and inefficient.  Of course I'd need DC cords for all laptops...
Refrigerators: I don't know what form of power they actually use, but I've seen DC versions available at a much higher price, so this may be one reason to at least not get rid of AC completely.  Maybe.

Those seem to be the main things.  I don't need hair dryers or toasters, and can use gas for most other major appliances.

Now let's say I'm going to try to power the addition (or new house) completely with solar panels.  Suddenly any difference in efficiency has a much more noticeable effect on what I'm paying for the panels.  Would it make sense in this case to use DC for almost everything, if not everything, even if it didn't make sense previously?

* UPDATE *

While at first glance this may appear the same as another question, anyone who takes the time to actually read both of them can see that they are very different.  That other question is looking toward the past and asking why things came to be the way they are.  My question is looking toward the future and asking if it makes sense to change.  In that sense they are the opposite.  Therefore this question should be reopened.


texts: Does it matter where a pipe is reduced when splitting the line?

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I want to split a 3/4" cold water line before it enters the water softener.  I want to run a dedicated hard water line to our icemaker, outside faucet and upstairs sink drinking faucet.  My current 3/4" cpvc lines run about 15' after leaving the hot water heater before reducing to 1/2" cpvc lines for the remainder of the house.

My question is,  does it matter when I reduce the 3/4" line after making the Split? Can Ido it immediately with a 3/4" x 3/4" x 1/2" "T" or should the reduction be located further away from the split?


texts: I'd like to install a screen door for accessing my deck.  Currently I have French doors with one that is stationary and one that opens to the inside.   Looking at the existing setup, it appears that there might(?) be a rail for attaching a screen door to?  Is the ridge in this picture for a sliding screen door, and if not, what is it?  It seems like it would impede me installing any sort of swinging or sliding screen if that's the case.


texts: How can I figure out why my light won't turn on?

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My home electrical system is single phase, two wire (live + neutral; grounding is short-circuited to the neutral). I have no schematics as to how it is connected. However, there is a separate circuit breaker for the lamps.

Today the ceiling lamp in the living room stopped working. The lamped is controlled by a two-way switch.

After conducting a series of experiments, I concluded that the neutral connection is faulty. Namely, a light bulb lights up when connected to the output of COM2/live input of my ceiling lamp and a reliable neutral, but stays dark when connected to the same output of COM2 and the ceiling lamp's neutral.

As can be seen from the schematic above, there is no junction box in between the lamp and the central electrical box (or I can not find one). Somehow, somewhere, there are more lights, connected parallel to this one, for the next room. Some of them stopped working too.

What should be done in this scenario? I would like to avoid bringing down my whole ceiling - maybe at least to know where to cut.


texts: Leaving a pool covered for a season and through another winter

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So over the course of the year we've been remodeling the house and left the pool covered for the season. With winter approaching I'm curious to know if I should pump out all of the now green water remaining in the pool and replace it to the normal winter fill height with fresh water, or if I can just leave it until next year when we re-open the pool.

My primary concern is that the green untreated water will possibly permanently stain the liner of the pool. It's a 10k+ gallon pool and I wouldn't want to open it next season with an ugly green stain stuck at the level the water sat at all season this year.

Is that a valid fear? Or will it be fine remaining covered through the winter with the current water and opened next season without trouble?


texts: How often should ducts / furnaces be cleaned?

texts: Asking for a house with a dog located in Canada but any general answers would be welcomed.


texts: Apartment's Hallway Lights Controlled By My Unit's Circuit Breaker

texts: I manually flipped a breaker before doing work in my bathroom and noticed that the apartment hallway light is controlled by my unit's circuit breaker. Does this mean that I get billed for the hallway light usage? Are electric meters and breakers always linked?


texts: Wood Choice for Strength in Shear and Tension Along Grain

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I have a heavy gate (shown below) mounted to a concrete pillar using a 2x8 board and a piano hinge. The board cupped and finally split, so I must replace it.

The mounting board has a piano hinge along one edge. It bolts to the pillar with three bolts positioned 3-1/2 inches from the hinge edge (not quite along its center line).

As you can see in the picture, there is a metal post that takes the weight of the gate most of the time (when it is fully closed or fully open). The post is raised to move the gate.

When the post is raised, all of the weight and quite a lot of torsion is put on the mounting board, tending to want to tear the board apart.

Without the post holding the weight, I expect the weight of the gate will put shear force on the mounting board when the gate is closed and tension force when the gate is open. That force will be (nominally) parallel to the grain of that board.

I'm surprised it lasted as long as it has, about 25 years. But my local planning office pointed out that wood that I might buy today is generally not as strong as what was available 25 years ago. (I guess growers optimize their products around changing objectives, which makes sense).

All of this makes me think I should choose a replacement board carefully. For instance, I have read that Douglas Fur is stronger than Redwood, but wouldn't have the same resistance to moisture and bugs. (This is in Southern California, so moisture should not be as big an issue as it might be in other areas.) I understand that treated lumber is typically not very dense, so I would expect it to be a poor choice for strength. What I understand may also be entirely wrong.

I don't know how much the gate weighs, but the frame is made of steal tubing. I can't change that right now, so I have to go with just replacing the mounting board.

What commonly available woods would be most suitable for this application (in the 2x8 dimensioned size)? My biggest concern is the shear and tension forces, followed by resistance of the environment.

Update
I'm considering laminating a couple pieces of 3/4"marine plywood (7 layers each) together to replace the mounting board. I think I can weatherproof that and it might give me the tear resistance I want. I don't know if there is any other disadvantage to this, but would be interested to know if anyone would agree or disagree.


texts: I need to paint my doors, and wanted to clean up by hardware. I can't figure out how to remove the old glass door knobs. I've removed every screw (including the set screws on both sides). I've tried pulling it out. I've tried rotating the outdoor knob, and unscrewing the interior. I can't figure out how to get it apart. Thanks for any help.


texts: Do I need to let my basement subfloor breathe?

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I live in a mostly cold environment and I’m planning to finish my basement floor with standard interlocking foam tiles (with a slight rigid texture) for underlayment (soft/insulated) topped with roll-down adhesive vinyl planks.
I’ve read things about letting the floor breathe, and other people saying to lay down plastic, and others not even mentioning it.
The foam underlayment is .5” thick and interlocking, so I don’t imagine much moisture working through it. Ceilings are 7’, so I’m hoping to keep everything under 1””. If I had the money, I would buy the fancy bubbled foam underlayment, but my current solution has me under $2/sq’. = AFFORDABLE.
Is my current solution sufficient, or should I avoid/take extra steps?
Thanks!


texts: How can I use cordless drill batteries in projects?

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I found this project on Make for an automatic ball thrower for your dog, and am in the process of wrapping it up.

For power, I'm using a cordless drill battery. (Specifically, a Ryobi lithium one+ 18v battery)

I've seen a lot of projects out on the web where people just use electrical tape to wrap the leads of their wire to the battery, but this seems a bit ghetto to me.

In all of the tools, the batteries "snap" into place. Is there some kind of battery mount that snaps a cordless drill battery into place and provides some leads to solder wires to? My google-fu just results in how to rebuild a cordless drill battery, which is NOT what I am looking to do.


texts: Adequacy test on a septic system to sell house

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Does any one out there know how to figure the adequacy test on a 1000 gal septic system?  It's required here to sell your house. It's an engineer question but I don't know any.

I know you add water, say 500 gallons, to your leach field and see how fast it goes down. I have an 8ft deep trench with 24" of standing water to start, I added 500 gallons of water to the leach field which raised the water level to 44". The water went down one inch per hour for the first 12 hours. Now 24 hours later it is still at 36" and has stopped leaching.

Question: does it pass and what is the formula the engineers use?

It's had the 24" the past 10 years and I assume it will get back there again. The system is 20 years old and I pump it every 5 years. Still a lot of trench for me to fill but I may want to sell it.


texts: Can I run 275ft underground cable to pole barn?

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I have a new 1500 sqft pole barn that needs electric. I expect to need 100Amp service at the barn which will have a 220V 15A compressor and 220V 25A welder. The rest of the barn will be 110V fluorescent lights, and few if any high amperage tools. My house has 200A service, and I could branch off a 100A breaker from the house breaker box.
My first question is: Can I run 275 ft of underground feeder wire (in pvc, 24 inch burial) to this barn from a 100A breaker at the house? I've done some calculations that suggest #1 aluminum feeders would be good, and the voltage drop should be less than ~3%. But most calculators stop at 250ft, and runs over 250 ft aren't discussed much. I want to ask here because the experience is unmatched. The house has a good 3-wire feed and breaker box. But the house is all electric. I'm willing to go with copper feeders if I have to.
I plan to use two 8ft deep copper grounds at the barn.
I done a lot of research and can't find a definite answer on maximum feeder lengths. BTW our state uses the 2014 NEC codes, but I'm all about safety.
EDIT:
Thanks again, let me give this a try. I'll probably not be using all tools or equipment at once. Figure VERY intermittent use of the compressor and welder because I'm not setting up a paint booth. But a 50A car charger is a real future possibility (thanks @jwh20). A large fan, permanently wired (but not always on) could be 8A (so figure 10A), a heater or small A/C (for a very small office) would be about the same 10A because it will be on when I'm in the barn when the compressor kicks in. Lighting would be LED almost certainly just as in my house with no weed being grown. So 1500 sq ft of space needs requires three 20A circuits for lighting, but will likely be less than 5A. Add an extra 10A for everything else, so my provisioning is for 50+10+10+5+10 or ~85A (someday).
Wire type: Using UG-F inside conduit seemed to be the safest, most long lasting option. Because THHN/THWN saves more space within the conduit (thanks to @NoSparksPlease) this decision will likely come down to availability and costs. Thanks also to @Ecnerwal for the tip about putting the grounding rods in the trench, and that 18" deep is enough. I'm not crossing any roads or areas where there will be vehicles crossing.
The ampicity table 310.15(B)(16) under 60C says that at 85A I'm at AWG3, or at 105A I'm at AWG1. So if I use AWG1, I can use a 100A breaker. the ground wire would need to be about #8 (Best guess). But now I need to check the voltage drop.
So you guys are magic or something, because I went to the voltage drop calculator that @Ecnerwal recommended and it was literally already set up exactly for this. Using 275ft of AWG1 aluminum wire, I would have a 4.48% voltage drop, and would have 229.25V at the barn. This seems okay to me (not in Canada I assume) with the main line only 15 ft from my house meter and breaker box.
I know I need to mark an answer... Hard to pick just one but going with @Harper - Reinstate Monica for the process he described, but you all were extremely helpful.
Thanks everyone.


texts:
I would like to place a cheater vent (aav) behind the toilet. I just want to make sure this arrangement will work properly. Most of the vented toilet arrangements I see show the vent being downstream of the toilet. The Main toilet drain is actually 30 deg. from the toilet to meet the main waste drain in that direction. Is this arrangement ok? Or should I wait till the toilet drain crosses under the adjacent wall and run the vent there. That would have the toilet working without a vent for about 4'.

I will have a box with a vent that is accessible from the wall inside the bathroom. The vent wont be enclosed with in the wall. I want to be able to perform maintenance on the valve if required. Sorry, I didn't draw that part of the system.


texts: Is it OK to run 12-3 cable to a ceiling fan from a switch that's wired with 12-2?

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I'm installing a ceiling fan into a room that has no existing ceiling mount (no light or ceiling fan previously existed). I've got a ceiling fan mount in place with a supporting brace that can support the weight of the fan. I will ground the ceiling fan box with the run back to the breaker box.
While I'd like to be able to operate the light on the fan, and the fan itself separately, it's not an end requirement.
In my switch outlet box, I have a 12-2 cable on a 15A breaker.
Here are the two configurations I thought were possible.
Single Switch Configuration
One switch would operate both the light and the fan.
My plan was to connect the 12-2 hot (black) to the top of the switch, then connect both 12-3 hots (red & black) to the bottom of the switch. I'd then directly connect the 12-2 neutral (white) with the 12-3 neutral (white) in a wire nut. Finally, I'd crimp the 12-2 ground with the 12-3 ground.
Double Switch Configuration
Two switches. One would operate light. Other would operate the fan.
My plan would be to twist the 12-2 hot (black) feed from the breaker box in a wire nut with two pieces of 12 gauge (black). One of these pieces would then feed into the top of the light switch while the other one of these pieces would feed into the fan switch. At the light switch, I would connect the 12-3 (red) hot. At the fan switch, I would connect the 12-3 (black) hot. Again, I'd twist the neutral (white) together in a wire nut, and I'd crimp the 12-2 ground with the 12-3 ground.
Questions

Are none, one, or both of these configurations safe?
Is there a better alternative that doesn't involve a new 12-3 run back to the breaker box.


texts: What does the "thickness" measurement in a t molding measurement actually describe?

texts:
I'm trying to buy t-molding online for hardwood that is 1/2" from subfloor to top of the hardwood, so I would like a t-molding that is 1/2" from the bottom to where the t-molding would rest on the hardwood.  But I can't tell if the descriptions measure from the bottom to where the t-molding rests on the hardwood, or if it measures the thickest part of the trim piece.

For example, in this HD product description:

"9/16 in. Thick x 2 in. Wide x 84 in. Length"

Is it 9/16" from the bottom to the where it would touch the floor?  Or 9/16" from the bottom to the top?


texts: Why doesn't this LED strip work, even though the power supply seams appropriate?

texts:
I recently bought a 3528 SMD Flexible LED Strip, 300 LED for 5 M.

The Power Supply I have output 12V and 3A.

From what I found online, this seams okay, but it doesn't work. I managed to light them once, but the led strip doesn't light up until the end.

How can I know if my power supply is appropriate?


texts: We’re replacing a rotten flange from a cast iron pipe and are not able to cut the pipe. We need only to replace the flange connected to the top of the pipe that connects to wax ring on toilet but are having a hard time finding solutions that do not require cutting the old pipe. I would post a pic but right now our new toilet with only the wax ring is sitting on top of the pipe. We know that we need to clean off the old/new wax ring, of course, but where do we find a replaceable flange that connects directly to the top of the cast iron pipe?


texts: How can I reconnect the tension cable to the bottom of my overhead door?

texts:
Update

I was able to screw the roller fixture back into place, however, the right side now rides high:

Many thanks to Trevor's helpful response.  Given isherwood's feedback I will attempt a more specific follow-up  question: Should the right-side gap be corrected \ closed by tightening the tension on the left or reducing tension on the right?  Any explanation of why is appreciated.

ORIGINAL POST

In an attempt to replace the (bottom) roller of the garage door, I did not notice that it was tied to a cable and now it is difficult (if not seemingly impossible) to restore because of the cable length seems short.   The reason for replacing the roller is that was exposed to saltwater flooding and it may be the causing the door to stop after moving 2 inches (from either the open or closed position).

Is there a good explanation and video that can explain the purpose and mechanism so that I can safely restore the garage door back to working order?  If I can learn how the mechanism works from a good-simple youTube video or URL, then I can troubleshoot the other umpteen garage doors in the community.  Thank you for an lessons-learned and pitfalls to avoid.


texts: Converting outlets in 3 3/4 boxes to GFCI

texts: Have 4 outlets in one box and 2 outlet box with a light switch that measure about 3 3/4". Have to convert to GFCI. Are there any other options for faceplates to fit the existing boxes or will I have to remove the boxes and redrywall? Or, is there another solution?


texts: The 200a main disconnect is mounted under the meter on the power pole. It has spaces for 8 breakers and a neutral bus bar. The only ground I see is from a rod at the base of the pole to the meter. I've run 50' of #8 2wireuf from the 30a rv pedestal to the main in PVC conduit. The neutral and ground are separated at the pedestal. I intend to put the neural and ground on the single bus bar. The question is do I run #4 bare from the existing rod to the neutral bus bar in the main and put in 2 at the pedestal.


texts: If the walls are covered with wallpaper, eventually to be removed, can one test for lead in the paint under it without stripping the wallpaper?  Or does one first have to strip everything, and then test?


texts: Can I run a ground wire of a single circuit to the panel outside the house?

texts:
This is a follow-up to this question.

I am adding (outlets) on to a 2-wire 12AWG (no ground) circuit and I want the new outlets grounded.  Can I run a ground wire to the panel along the outside of the house?  Obviously it is at greater risk of corrosion and damage than a wire run internally, but this is my only choice (other than leaving the outlets ungrounded).  It seems like most ground wires I have seen from the panel to the ground rod are usually un-shielded and un-armored, but are heavy gauge and short runs.

I am thinking maybe a 10- or 8-AWG bare wire run under the eaves would be the easiest/best (however ugly) solution.  Total run would be about 30 feet.  All suggestions, warnings, or scoldings are welcome.


texts: Range Hood Ductwork, ceiling to roof offset issues

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I'm installing a new chimney style hood, with a 6" exhaust that vents through the ceiling. The fan I'm replacing has an 8" pipe, which vents out of the roof of the house. The issue that I'm having is i can't seem to fit a 8"->6" reducer and get the ductwork from the hole in my ceiling to the hole in the roof of my attic.

The complication is that there is an offset between the attic hole and the ceiling hole, so i need to use 2 90" elbows to get the offset just right, if i add the reduce that I have (roughly 8" long) i overshoot the offset.

Is it possible to buy a elbow reducer, that both rotates 90" degrees and reduces from 8" to 6"? If so what are they called/where an i find it?


texts: Can a flexible flue liner be installed in an old central heating flue for modern HVAC systems?

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I have an old gas central heating system which has recently failed. Newer systems cannot leverage the old flue as they require an internal pipe as well.
Replacing the flue will cost a considerable amount of money. I was wondering if there is an option where a composite 'rubbery' pipe can be thread through the old flue thus not requiring me to swap out the entire flue.


texts: Can I use a 2-wire NM cable staple on 3-wire cable?

texts:
I have a package of Gardner 1/2 inch staples and the package shows that they are good for 2-wire, see below:

I am running some 14/3 wire (flat) wire for AC hardwired smoke detectors but these staples are all I have on hand. I've stapled the 14/3 using these and the 1/2 inch is just enough to fit the wire without pinching it. I can even slide the wire back and forth fairly easily. FWIW, I read the package after stapling about 100 feet of wire. See below for an example:

Is it necessary to use 3/4 inch staples instead? What is the hazard associated with using the 1/2 inch staples? I'm not sure how much copper expands when heated but I can't imagine that it would outgrow the 1/2 inch. Is it more of an issue that people tend to pinch and/or impale the wire while hammering so the 3/4 inch is an attempt to reduce errors? I can definitely see the need for using 3/4 inch for 12/3 wire but I haven't run any.

My walls are currently wide open so if I should be using the 3/4 inch staples then right now would be the best time for me to make things "right".

Additionally, can I use the 3/4 inch staples for 2-wire? I'd rather simplify the contents of my electrical bag.


texts:
I have water hammer arresters for my washing machine like in the image.
The pressure at my place is about 83 PSI (no pressure reducing valve, no expansion tank, no check valve in the main). These arresters were installed by the previous owner, probably 7 years ago.
The washing machine makes a very loud banging when in use. The only way that I have found to work around the issue is to open the valves just a little bit (it is like 90% closed).
I wonder if it is that the water arresters are damaged and need to be replaced. If so, how to replace them? Am I supposed to replace the whole plastic box, or can I replace individual arresters? There doesn't seem to be enough clearance in the box to unscrew the arresters and get new ones in.


texts:
I have two office lights, wired in parallel that were switched for LED a couple of years ago.
For over a year they worked fine. They are the type with multiple little LEDs not LED bulbs. On switching on & off they alternated through warm / cold / middle light.

Unexpectedly both stopped working and now extremely intermittently turn on when trying the switch.

I checked the voltage with an multimeter, all correct at the switch and where voltage enters both light fittings. Voltage is there with the switch on, reading is 244V. I haven't checked around individual LEDs but given the light is intermittently coming on I don't think that the LEDs themselves have blown.
I checked in the loft all wires are still secure, not chewed or loose (as the voltage suggests anyway)
I changed the light switch - no change. the lights came on & off briefly when I changed it but then just as instantly stopped working / responding again.
I changed one of the lights for an alternative light (completely switched the actual light & wired a new one in) - this briefly turned on & off to the switch, then both lights lit when switched on & off & then nothing again.
In desperation I changed the wires for the upstairs & downstairs circuit breakers at the distribution board to see if that made a difference, no change. (all other lights upstairs have been working fine including an LED one in the hall).

what the heck is going on? I don't know where to go with this next!? I'd appreciate any suggestions


texts:
So I bought some new taps as the old tap corroded in the middle and snapped so it needed to go.

I took the old ones off which never leaked before and popped the new ones on.

Replacing the washers, but keeping the existing lock nut.

Now on the hot tap only, the nut as in the picture has started leaking. Using a basin wrench I have tightened it to it's absolute maximum and it hasn't made a different at all. What are the suggestions here? Do I need to get a new nut? If so how the hell do I get it off?


texts:
I asked a version of this question yesterday, but now I would like to know exactly what the code says when it comes to nailing.

So I am placing this 13ft (12.8ft) Versa-Lam LVL beam as header for a 12ft patio door. You can see the opening I have. I will be adding 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 Versa-Lam LVL posts as Jack studs on each side against the King studs that already exist there once I build up the support wall.

Right now, the king stud that exists on the left side is right at a corner wall. It the very last King stud right at the corner. And I have no access to the opposite side of the King Stud for nailing the beam to it.

Once I place the beam, what are the code requirements for nailing it to the king stud? Do I just toe nail it?


texts: Importance of plaster repair skills/experience

texts:
I have an old 1920's house in the Chicago area with many lath-and-plaster walls and ceilings.  We are going to be removing a whole-house fan, which will leave a 3' square opening that will need to be patched.  There are also a few other spots, such as the area around the thermostat and some electrical boxes that need to be filled.

How important is it that I find someone who is skilled at plaster repair?  Is it something a typical handyman or painter can handle, or do I need to find a specialist?

Also, I've seen several contractors who specialize in plaster and stucco; are they similar skill sets?  Should I assume that someone skilled at stucco work is also skilled at plaster work?


texts: Why is my GFCI recpeptacle slow to trip?

texts:
I have a GFCI receptacle that takes 2-5 seconds to trip when testing with a standard 3 prong receptacle tester. The test button on the receptacle trips right away but two of my trustworthy handheld testers (different brands) take much longer.  After changing out the GFCI, the circuit can be tripped immediately with the testers.

Is this a common failure mode?  I've replaced many that trip unnecessarily or won't reset at all, but this slow-trip is a first for me. (and has now been replaced)

This also leads me to wonder if there is a tester that measures the time to trip.  I'm unlikely to notice the difference between 30ms and 300ms when punching the test button, yet this could be a serious hazard with the equipment, right?


texts: What wall materials to use behind glass shower wall?

texts:
I am looking to install a glass wall shower system like the one in this video:
https://youtu.be/8-qDda-c6yo
Question is: What should be behind here? They don’t say in video. Should it be some kind of concrete board or is drywall sufficient?


texts: How do I renovate these walls to be smooth?

texts:
My skill level: Complete novice
The walls in my apartment are quite old, and I would like to renovate them and make them smooth and modern, Similar to the walls in this article at The Spruce. (sort of)
I'm guessing the easiest option is to just put up drywall on top of the old wallpaper?
A few things to consider:

Behind the wallpaper the wall is brick and concrete from 1933. Does that pose a problem on how to mount the drywall? Do I need to erect some wall studs for support? If so, how are such studs mounted?
The wallpaper does not go all the way up to the ceiling (see bottom picture), but is cut short by a kind of black thin molding (?) about 20-30 centimeters from the top. I would like to remove that molding and have my new walls go all the way up to the ceiling.
Above the black molding the ceiling does not connect to the wall on a sharp edge. Instead the walls curve outwards slightly (see red arrows in bottom picture).


texts: What is the minimum height to a crawl space, and where did you get that information?

texts: I am working with a customer and it was a great question. I was trying to find the exact answer.


texts:
I have an air compressor for running tools in my garage.  I recently moved the compressor to the basement and put an accumulator tank in the garage ceiling.  I did this to reduce noise in the garage and outside.

It works very well, but now I'd like to control power to the compressor from the garage via my insteon or zwave home automation system.

Years ago, I made the mistake of plugging a compressor into an outlet with its switch in the 'on' position.  (The manual advises against this.)  After a major arc flash, part of the plug was missing, and I replaced the outlet and plug.  So, I suspect that the initial inrush current may be some hundreds of amps depending on where the piston last stopped, and I'm reluctant to trust a standard 20 amp relay to the job.

How many amps should I plan for?

The compressor is "rated" at 120v, 14.5A.  My compressor manual does not mention how I would like to choose a relay or switch that will show no appreciable wear after 5000-10000 cycles.

What type of relay should I use?

Here's a picture of the compressor:

And one of the labels on the back


texts: How should I go about fixing a faulty 240 V Electrical Outlet

texts:
This afternoon, my wife and I noticed a peculiar smell coming from the garage.  We localized it to a faulty 3-wire 240 V outlet.  Something got really hot resulting in part of the rubber melting on the socket:

Upon further examination, it looks like the socket itself has issues.  Here's a view of it with the cover on:

Here's a view with the cover off (and yes, it's completely powered off at the breaker box :D)

Obviously the dust is a concern. I plan to clean that out.  What concerns me more though is that the black wire appears to be frayed and turned black.  Like it was overheating perhaps?

Here's another view:

I'm prepared to hire an electrician to come out but I'd like to know more about what's going on here so I don't get swindled and spend exactly one billion dollars fixing something that isn't related.

If it helps to clarify, the house is about 50 years old and I'm pretty sure the original romex is still going to this socket.

Questions:

What could cause this issue?
What are the next steps for troubleshooting/repairing?
Would the entire wiring need to be replaced or could this just be a faulty socket?


texts: Fill leakage gaps/holes in AC condenser cabinet?

texts:
Is the condenser unit engineered to be optimal with a leaky cabinet? Any reason not to pimp it up, blocking air leaks?

While I was troubleshooting my 12+ yo Carrier AC this morning, I vacuumed out needles and debris that had built up on the floor of the condenser cabinet, and noticed that the cabinet is a bit leaky, with passages that allow air to bypass the condenser.  Examples are the gaps between the condenser coil/radiator and it's cabinet, and several unused OEM holes, and several un-grommeted in-use holes.

https://i.imgur.com/ionfIb7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HjtpeMr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fd5WlK9.jpg

FWIW, the canine pee pee corrosion blocks 10-15% of the condenser.

On another note, unless best-practices have changed, I will put some pipe insulation inside the cabinet around the low-temp low pressure refrigerant line.

Should I insulate air conditioner coolant pipes?


texts: where can I buy a new trim for my bath plughole?

texts: My bath plughole needs replacing. I don't need the whole unit for the overflow. The problem is that when I fill the bath, half the water has drained away within 15mins. I think the plug doesn't fit properly. My husband thinks there's a leak around the trim. Both could be true. It's an old bath so probably has the old standard fittings (not metric). What's the least we need to replace? I've bought new plugs but they don't fit properly either. I'm looking for plug + plughole, but will I need to get an old style fitting?


texts: How to repair exposed waterproofing underlayment caused when removing a slate tile on deck?

texts: I inadvertently chipped away too much mortar bed, exposing the bituthene waterproofing underlayment, while replacing a slate tile on my deck.  I'm not sure whether to repair with additional thinset mortar when I lay the new tile or apply a silicone roofing sealant before the thinset.


texts: How do I splice a repaired end joist? (California residential code/IBC)

texts:
I need to replace part of an end joist. The joist sits (parallel) on a 2x4 cripple wall. How should the joint between old and new joist be handled?

As far as I can tell, California Residential Code chapter 5 just requires that the joist ends bear 1.5" minimum on wood support (R502.6), and that joists "framing from opposite sides over a bearing support shall lap not less than 3" and shall be nailed together with a minimum three 10d face nails" (R502.6.1).

The bearing part is easy--I can add a pair of 2x4 studs, or a 4x4 if required, to the cripple wall. But the 2 joist sections can't lap if they are in the original positions. I could easily add a 2nd sister joist next to the joint, and this sister could be as long as needed.

How would you handle this? Any input is appreciated!


texts: I know the junction box cannot be permanently covered, but I am looking for ideas for decorative covers. we are taking down a stairwell light fixture and just want to cover it up with something other than the plain round plates.


texts: What are these valves downstream of my water heater?

texts: Our water heater has two valves located on extended pipes perpendicular to the hot and cold water lines. When Spring hit, the maintenance people in my complex mentioned we needed to turn the valves before the AC would run properly (we tried running the AC first and it was producing no cold air). Since these aren't connected at all to the actual AC unit, as far as I can see, I'm confused about what they do and whether or not I should turn them back off if I want to switch back to heat.


texts: Ground level deck - how to attach bearers to concrete

texts:
I'm building a free-standing deck that is at ground level on one side, and the ground slopes away to about 60cm on the other. My question is, what's the best approach for the bearers at the point where it will be at ground level (edit: seems like 'bearer'  is a local term, I mean the horizontal support that the joists go on, which seems to be commonly known as a beam).

I'm planning on making concrete pads, but how should I attach them? None of the hardware for posts, like the metal post supports I've seen are the right dimension for bearers.


texts: What tool will allow me to make a cutout in the middle of a vertical sheet of cardboard?

texts:
On low end furniture such as bookcases and entertainment centers, the backs of them are usually sheets of cardboard nailed on.

I have a bookcase with a cardboard back already assembled.  I would like to make a rectangular cutout above one of the shelf boards to allow cords to pass through.

What's the best tool to allow me to make this cutout in place without disassembling the bookcase and ensuring the cutout has clean, straight lines?  I tried using a utility knife on the back of my entertainment center and that required a lot of effort to saw through and it got messy.


texts: Can I replace the factory installed common wire on a GFCI circuit breaker?

texts:
I purchased a used hot tub and the previous owner decided to cut all the wires in the spa pack instead of simply disconnecting them with a screwdriverver.  Therefore, the common wire (pigtail) is now cut off at about 1" from the breaker.  Obviously, I'd prefer to replace the wire instead of buying a new $250 breaker but I can't figure out how to do this.  Does anyone know if it's possible?
Thanks!


texts: Can vinyl siding be painted or stained, and more importantly, does it last or will I be repainting every year like a wood sided house?


texts: I'm changing a light fixture that has no mounting bracket and the ground runs to a nut and bolt. The old light fixture bracket won't work cause the new light fixture won't cover it up. Where do I attach that ground nut and bolt?


texts: Gas line pressure testing, is there an acceptable limit for losses?

texts:
Last week I finished installing the gas home runs in a house I'm working on.  Never really done this before, but I figured I'd take a shot at it since it was only 20 ft of pipe.
Last Saturday, with all valves open except the main and the last valve before the appliance, I pressurized the line to 15PSIG.  When I left that night, still at 15.  Monday morning it was at 14.  Tuesday evening it was at 11.  Today it was down to 5.  Obviously, I don't want gas issues, but nothing is going to stay pressurized forever without maintenance.  Is there a rule of thumb, practical limit?


texts: How do I shut off hot and cold water in the house

texts:
I want to replace a kitchen tap.

I know how to turn off my main cold water supply, but I don't know how to shut off the hot supply from the large hot water tank in the basement.

There is no valve coming out of the hot water tank.


texts: Heating element in oven not working - can I still use it?

texts:
We noticed a few days ago that one of 2 heating elements in the oven is not glowing. I would assume that would mean that for some reason it has stopped working. I did notice recently that whenever I cooked pizza, it would be floppy in the middle. Other foods seem to be okay.

My question is, is the oven still safe to use?


texts: Why is my Hoover Pet Cyclonic belt not spinning the brush anymore?

texts:
Does anybody have any experience with this particular vacuum or series and can offer me any more explicit things to check than just "is the belt on the brush cylinder" and the like.

I'm under the impression my father in law was "helping" me with this particular vacuum and I wasn't there when he did so.

It has a floor height setting, and a setting for brush control, but that's not changing it's indicator and changing the floor height doesn't make any difference (neither does lifting the vacuum off the floor.

Model# UH70085

I have tried what I know to be the basics, but feel free to go along behind me and suggest the dumb stuff, I'll respond as I am able.


texts: How can I prevent mineral build-up from my water?

texts:
I'm not sure whether my house receives really hard water, or water that has a lot of junk or sediment in it, but I am constantly having to soak my faucet spreaders and shower heads.  Recently, I noticed that a number of the jets in my dishwasher are clogged with some build-up as well.

How can I prevent these minerals from entering my house in the first place?  Do I need to put a water filter, or water softener, or both, on the outside of my house?  If so, how would I do so?


texts: What type of mortar should be used for small mortar repair on a 100 year old house?

texts:
I've read that one should use a special type of mortar with old brick houses because they expand more - portland mortar vs soft lime.

The recommendation from the NY Landmarks Commission states:

  Use a soft, lime-rich mortar that will be elastic and allow for
  movement, which will help prevent spalling and breakage of historic
  brick due to expansion caused by water absorption.

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/lpc/downloads/pdf/pubs/App_Guide_Restoring_Arch_Features.pdf

I might possibly need to submit a permit to do this small repair.

If I need to repair some small sections of mortar to prevent water and ice getting in - should I use commercial regular mortar repair tubes or should I get an acrylic-based or some other special mortar repair product?  Is the section small enough that I don't need to worry about matching expansion rates and sand color?  It looks like this small section was already repaired more recently and doesn't have matching color mortar.  Was using the wrong type of mortar the reason it's cracked?

The cracks are not huge - pictures shown below.  Could I even use non-sanded grout repair material?

Cracks around mortar at knee level around the 1st-floor main exterior doorway (up a set of stoop stairs)

Front on shot of the cracks near doorway

Some mortar cracks between my house and the next adjoining house.
Should I use different mortar for the cracks between my house and the next door house?


texts: Westlock latch bolt does not retract completely

texts:
When I turn the door knob, sometimes the latch bolt would not retract completely. When that happens, the door cannot be opened. This applies to both entering and leaving the house.
When I am inside the house, if I turn the knob fiercely a few times and the latch will work again and the door can be opened. The trick does not work when trying to entering house with a key.
Obviously some part is not functioning normally.
How to fix it?


texts: I spray WD-40 on metal parts in a high moisture area to prevent rust.  But in one particular case, I don't want the oil getting on other things in a tight area, so I'm reluctant to use the spray.  Is there like a non-spray equivalent of WD-40 that I could smear on by hand or coat with a paint brush to the thing I want to protect from rust?  It should ideally protect against rust for several years without requiring any more applications.


texts: Help with vinyl planks on damaged subfloor

texts: It previously  had sheet vinyl and  still has some adhesive  residue  on it.  How do I cover up the residue?  I can't  get it completely  off.  Thanks!


texts: I have wrongly inserted a nut into a wrong place. Now i want to take them out but drill wont unscrew it as the nut is free, neither would L-key. How can i take it out?


texts:
I am a little embarrassed that this question might be ridiculous, but I feel like I'm losing my mind.

I purchased this wall sconce and added in a toggle switch because there's no wall switch on the circuit.  The finished product came out pretty well:

However, now that it is installed on the wall, the issue I am facing is that the included G9 LED bulb refuses to fit in the socket.  I have tried pushing it with a fair amount of force, but it refuses to go in.  Here is a close-up of the socket:

And here is a close-up of the base of the bulb:

You can see some scuff marks in the center near the bottom where it appears to have been scuffed as I tried to push it into the socket.

Is it possible that the vibrations when I was drilling for the added switch loosened the small metal pieces that would grip the bulb?  Or is this a common issue with G9 LEDs?  Or am I simply being overcautious, and should just add force until it gets in there?


texts: What is this type of garden appliance power socket?

texts:
I've inherited a garden shredder with a missing power cable.

The missing cable plugs into this large 3-pin socket on the body of the shredder where the earth pin is female, and the other two are male.

Googling the make of shredder isn't giving me anything useful. Neither is searching for general garden power extensions etc..

The shredder is from a German manufacturer called Atika, but I am in the UK and it is rebranded as Parkside. I have no idea where the product was purchased.

If it helps, this video shows the power cable being inserted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vc36GJsqw0&t=6

Does it look proprietary? Tips appreciated so I know what to search for.


texts: White solid drain pipe vs black flexible corrugated pipe for a french drain

texts:
Which one is preferable if you have a straight line 2 feet deep trench in mostly clay soil?

I'll put either one in a sock with gravel.

There are some roots around the trench so I thought the solid pipe would be sturdier.

Any comments on this would be appreciated.

Edit: I need more comments please.


texts: How do I remove mold from a vacuum cleaner?

texts:
I returned home a couple of weeks ago, only to find my Dyson V6 Slim Cordless Vacuum has been filled up with mold.

It looks like the mold has reached back in towards the engine area:

I'm wondering if the vacuum cleaner is salvageable - is there anything I can do to clean it properly, and make sure that no mold makes gets spread across my house?


texts:
I live in a rented flat filled with dimmer switches. One day we knocked a rack of halogen lights connected to a dimmer and blew a fuse. I reset the fuse but the circuit with the rack of halogen lights never worked again... We tried changing the bulbs, but it appeared that the dimmer switch itself has blown.

When I opened it up, however, I found this:

I can't quite fathom how two live wires can go into the same dimmer. What's going on here? Could it just be a wrong coloured wire?


texts: How can I insulate the inside of a fire escape door?

texts:
At our office, we have a server room located on the southeast-ish side of our building, exiting onto a parking lot/loading dock area (a completely paved area with zero shade). The door is an emergency exit (made of steel I believe) with one of those bars you push to open the door. And the door is completely exposed to the sun for most of the day. The rest of the exterior wall is concrete. We keep that room closed because it contains sensitive hardware and some sensitive files.

On hot days (like yesterday), that door gets hot - like, you can't touch it with your hand hot. And the server room gets uncomfortably warm as well, because we have this metal door radiating into the room. And occasionally, we have hardware issues as well - we have a "disaster-proof" NAS in there that overheats and shuts down (because it's insulated to protect against fire damage). We do have a dedicated air conditioner in there which can usually handle the heat, but once in a while it just gets overloaded.

I should note that the landlord will not permit major renovations, and that's probably not an expense we need right now. Also, this happens maybe two or three times a year, so it's not a huge issue, but it would be nice to correct if we can do it inexpensively. I have thought about perhaps sticking some fiberglass insulation to the inside of the door, but that's going to be ugly, kind of messy, and probably not something management will go for. Something like styrofoam might work as well, but I suspect actual styrofoam would not be an adequate insulator.

Is there something we can do to cheaply and easily insulate the inside of that door so it's not radiating so much heat into the room?


texts: How much pressure fluctuation is normal on 3/4" line when one tap is open?

texts:
We have a 3/4" meter / water supply line to our house.  How much pressure difference should I expect between when no water is running and (say) one cold tap is open full?  I assume flow rate is about 1gpm.

The reason I ask is that our pressure regulator was replaced recently, but we are still seeing noticable pressure drops.  Input pressure is close to 100psi (I haven't measure it exactly) so I would expect that setting it to 60psi there should be enough source pressure to sustain a fairly constant 60psi even with some water running.  How far below 60psi should I expect to see?


texts: How can I convert from 2 sconce lights to one vanity bar light?

texts: Help! My husband is legally blind and we need more light in our bathroom. The only light source we have comes from two sconce lights above the vanity (controlled by one switch). We'd like to know how to convert these two wires to one bar light.


texts: Is it safe to attach a bath screen to a steel stud behind tile?

texts:
I'm putting a 13 kg screen up in my bathroom, which has tile and then plasterboard or drywall, not sure which. There is a metal girder, about 4 inches wide, that runs vertically up the wall, exactly where I need to attach the screen. Am I safe going through the metal stud and fixing the screen like that?

Thanks a lot


texts: Confused about 230V Air Compressor Wiring

texts:
I just got an Ingersoll Rand SS4L5 230V Standalone Air Compressor, and I need some spot-checking on my wiring configuration from my panel. First let's get the details out of the way:

I'm not sure from the image what the starting amps required are, but it looks like running amps are ~21.1A.
The install location is roughly 40' from the breaker through the walls/ceiling. Current thought is:
Conductors sized at 125% motor load current, which would be ~27A, so rounding to 30A would give me 10/2 w/g CU NM-B Romex. I've anecdotally seen people using 8ga here, so I'm not sure if that is overzealous on safety or not...
As for the breaker, this article references NEC 440.22, saying that 225% is an OK rating to target to get over the starting current required. I have absolutely zero idea if this is too much, or if I need to bump down to 175%.
225% would give me ~47A, and 175% would give me ~37A, so the difference between a 40A and a 50A breaker.
I've seen forums recommend 10ga romex and 60A breakers,  8ga Romex on 40A, 10's on a 40A (and when that failed he ran 6ga on a 60A)....
I just want to avoid tripping breakers on startup and burning my garage down...
Thanks for the help!


texts: Choosing a well filter for household use

texts:
I need help with selecting the appropriate equipment to filter well water in the US for rural household use.
Current situation:

Greensand iron and hydrogen sulfide filter that has failed. Installed
about 10 years ago.
Local company that installed it claims they don't support it.
Water discolors everything orange.
There is a slight odor, but I don't know if it's caused by hydrogen
sulfide, iron or something else.
Septic tank withing 100 feet of well.
Cattle are as close as 50 feet of well, but usually are more then 500 feet away.
The adjacent property where the cattle graze (15+ acres) is sprayed
with something that smells like fertilizer.

Requirements:

At a minimum, filter iron and be safe for drinking.

Solution must be modular to allow for other types of filtration to be added inline.

Cost less than $1,500.00.

Cost less than $250 for yearly maintenance.

Should be obvious when system needs maintenance before filtration failure occurs.

Should be DIY installable.

Should be made by a reputable company that provide good US support after purchase.

Filters should be certified by a reputable third party organization.

I also need:

A recommendation for water test kits to determine the type of iron,
iron ppm and general water chemistry to ensure safe drinking water.
Help in determining the well pump flow rate and water pressure.

I've spoken to a few water filtration companies, both local and far. They all require a salesperson to come out, which is not going to happen now. Additionally, getting them to provide the total cost of the system has proven difficult. They only mention needing two maintenance items for $200 a year only to admit after repeated questioning that the system is going to cost between $4,500 - $5,000 installed.
Can anyone help ?


texts: Is A Moisture Barrier Required/Redundant with Basement Waterproofing System?

texts:
Full below-grade basement
Poured Concrete walls/slab

A few years ago I had major waterproofing done to our basement/foundation. When they did this, they also installed an external dimpled waterproofing membrane across 2 or the 4 walls. From what I know, this helps with drainage towards the footer french drains.

I will begin framing the basement and wanted to know if a moisture barrier (not a vapor barrier as I've learned) is necessary behind the studs on these foundation walls which had an external barrier already applied. I intended on using an insulating foamboard (XPS I believe is the industry name) behind the studs for the untreated basement walls.


texts: What is the correct way to install a washing machine drain pan?

texts:
I've got a laundry room on the second floor, and when it was remodeled the contractor put in a drain pipe, but no drain pan.  At the moment, I have the washing machine hooked up, but it's away from the wall and the drain pipe.

I picked up a drain pan only to find that its shape and features weren't conducive to a good installation, so I ended up getting this one from Driptite.  I feel a lot better with this pan because it'll lay flat regardless of where I drill the hole for the drain pipe.

Now here's my issue -- I just don't know how to install it properly.  The drain pipe isn't centered with the hole in the floor, it's angled, and I don't know how to patch the area around the pipe.  This is what it looks like:

I can drill a hole in the pan in the right spot, but then how should I really make a good seal with the pan?  The pan came with a PVC fitting that is not the right size for the pipe, and I'm actually not sure how it's expected to go together.  This is what I was given with the pan:

I assume that it's supposed to go in upside down from the way it is in the picture, otherwise the water level in the pan would have to be ridiculously high before it drained.  So let's just pretent that the fitting actually fit the drain pipe (it doesn't right now) and I flip it over.  It would still sit way too high because the fitting wont go down into the floor since the pipe is off-center!

At this point, I was thinking that I would need to do the following to finish this project:

Fill in the hole in the floor with something.  If so, what should I use?  Maybe some kind of silicone sealant / caulking?  Is there a particular kind I should use for the floor?  Is this a bad idea?
Cut the hole in the drain pan at the right spot.  Sadly, this is the only step that seems pretty straightforward.  I would cut it to be as close as possible to the diameter of the fitting
Caulk around the interface between the pipe and the drain pan.  The only thing here that scares me (a lot) is that when I put the washing machine in, it'll probably shift a little, and I would expect there to be a big risk of tearing the caulk and compromising the seal.

Perhaps there's another way to deal with this?

I could try to finesse (heat up) the pipe and bend it a little to be more straight, then find a fitting that will actually fit over the pipe snugly.
I would then have to cut the pipe little by little until the screw portion of the fitting is flush with the floor
Cut a hole in the drain pan the right diameter to fit over the threaded portion of the fitting
Slide over rubber washer
Screw on nut

After typing all of this out, I bet the second approach is the "right" way to do it, though the bit about heating / bending the PVC makes me a little uneasy.

Can anyone offer their suggestions and / or solutions?

UPDATE -- I picked up a better fitting and attached it to the pipe to see how much needs to be cut:

The bottom of the wrench flats is about 1.5" from the floor, so I imagine that's how much I will need to cut.  If I do that, the bottom of the pan will have to bulge up a little where the fitting is, as I'll need to put a rubber gasket ring below the pan since the plastic nut can't screw down all of the way (the thread is tapered).  This ends up being about 3/8"... has anyone had issues with their drain pans bulging a little?  I guess my main concern is that this means the water will tend to flow away from the drain... but as long as I cut the fitting low enough and it's below the lip of the drain, I should be okay.  Perhaps it would be a good idea to cut the wrench flats off and shorten the fitting so that it can be mounted even further below the level of the floor?


texts: Identify old shower stem in 100 year old home

texts:
Every supply shop is stumped. Possible very old American Standard due to its 22 spline broach.  I am also leaning towards Gopher due to similarity of appearance to some seats I found online.
This is the shower:

The stem is just over 5" (but I don't need one that long) and was chrome decades ago.  The stem is actually good now, but I would like to replace it for appearance purposes.  The washer head on the end of the stem swivels so the seal does not spin with the handle.

Also mainly need seats, it is 1.125" long and threads were probably 1/2" maybe bigger.  The seat is cracked and leaks through the side.  Threads inside actually look decent even though the seat's threads are shot.  And they are so shot it is hard to guestimate the pitch but I would say 24 if I had to make a guess.


texts: I'm planning an installation of twelve 12VDC deck post cap lights, each drawing 1.6 watts.  The manufacturer says the lights must be driven by a DC supply.  They offer a system that uses a 50 watt supply with proprietary patch cords and splitters to connect the lights.  I prefer to use less expensive standard 12/2 wire and a standard low voltage landscape transformer.  What I'm finding is that most "standard low voltage transformers" output AC, not DC.  Those that do output 12VDC have no built-in timers, dimmers or photocell functions.  They're just power transformers that are on 24/7.  What I want to do is install the power supply in the basement and turn on the lights at dust and turn them off 6 or 8 hours later.  Dusk-to-dawn would be a reasonable alternative.  My question is, what would a professional lighting installer use?  I suppose one could use an external timer and photocell or convert 12VAC to 12VDC after the transformer but surely there's a proper power supply for 12V DC landscape lights.


texts: What is the easiest way to "detect" electrical installations (wires in wall)

texts:
I'm starting to redecorate a small flat soon, and would like to make some changes as to the electrical installations in it (would like to install pipes for some cables, if possible; would like to install potentiometer light switches, maybe motion detect light switches and place a few more electrial sockets) - and for that I need to know where the current electrical installations go through.

So I'm wondering, what is the easiest way to detect where wires/installations from electrical sockets go and what is the right way to go about this? (Really, grateful for any advice you can give, no matter how useful you may think it may be).

I would like to avoid tearing down the walls, more than necessary.


texts: Can a Dryer with a 4" exhaust safely vent through a 3" pipe?

texts:
During some home-improvement, we need put in some new dryer venting. The most aesthetically pleasing option is to have a 90deg turn out of the dryer, then into a 3" pipe that goes for 9 feet. There is another option that would have a 90 degree turn, vertical for 4 feet, another 90 degree turn and then 9 feet out through a 4" pipe.

We have received different advice from different technicians, some who say that the 3" pipe isn't a problem, and that it is preferable since it avoids the second right angle and the vertical distance. A different technician told us that going through a 3" pipe is definitely not good, and even though it is more corners and distance, the second option is preferable (still under 25 feet of piping, even taking corners into account).

The main question is on the impact of a 3" pipe. Should this be avoided at all costs, and if put in there is a good chance that it will lead to dryer damage/reduced lifespan? Or is it manageable, and worth the tradeoff for shorter overall exhaust pipes?


texts: Is it likely that water can enter below the slab?

texts:
My question is about basement/foundation function and the relationship to sump pumps and water.  If a sump pump is supposed to pump water from below the slab out to the surface and loses power, what will generally happen with the water?

In my instance, I have poured concrete foundation walls, concrete slab, and foundation walls are painted with sealer type primer/paint.  When we lost power the carpet pad got soaked.  Some of that came from the water breaching the sump pit.  But on the opposite side of the basement the carpet still got wet.  Is it likely that water enter between the slab/foundation wall joint all around at the same time the sump pit is filling up?


texts: How should I add a second level to a closet?

texts:
I would like to separate a closet into two levels for storage. The closet is 55" by 55" with 8' ceilings. I would like the second level to cut this in half at a height of 4'.

I was originally thinking of using 4" x 4" fence post in each corner then using plywood as the floor material. But I do not have the experience to design the structure to be able to support the heavy loads with confidence. I would like to avoid a vertical support beam that would block storage.

Can someone offer some suggestions? I would like to safely hold a few thousand pounds to be on the safe side.

Thanks!


texts: Help with hot/neutral outlet - false reading?

texts:
I recently bought an older house and on one of the circuits every outlet (7 outlets spread out over two rooms) gives a "hot/neutral reverse" reading when I use a circuit tester. I looked at each outlet and each one has the correct wiring colors (black to brass, white to silver, and copper to green). Then I measured the voltages using a DMM, and I get the following results (on every outlet): hot to neutral: 120V, hot to ground: 0V (!) and neutral to ground: 120V (!). Then lastly I used a non-contact voltage reader and on every outlet it lights up on BOTH the ground and the hot wires, but not on the neutral wires. Why would the ground wires be live?

Update: thanks for all your responses so far. I used a circuit analyzer and found some more details 1) analyzer also says it's a hot neutral reverse 2) ground to neutral shows 33.5 volts rms 3) ground to hot shows 121V RMS 4) ELL (estimated line load) is weirdly high, 20 amps when there's nothing plugged into any of the outlets (no fans or anything similar on the circuit either). 5) voltage drop is higher than it should be, highest reading was 11% drop for 20 amps 6) impedance is high too, hot reading impedance was 0.67 ohms.

I scheduled an appointment with a professional electrician since the knowledge from my college circuits course and some googling is feeling tapped out. I'll update this post with whatever the pro finds.


texts: Is it acceptable to use a ground wire from one outlet to ground another?

texts:
I live in a condo/apt. Two of my three prong electrical outlets were not showing up grounded when I plugged my surge protector in. I think from lightning or something. I need to plug computers and an air conditioner in, so we called the superintendent. In the end, he came over with some wire from Canadian Tire and attached a ground wire from the one good electrical outlet to the other one outlet. The wire he attached goes around the walls of the room like a cable wire to the other outlet.

Since he has done this, I keep noticing weird lighting on peoples faces when I watch T.V., but I can't put my finger on it.

Should he have fixed the problem using a ground wire from a good outlet, to fix the other two? Is it safe? Can it cause problems with my T.V. or other electrical equipment?


texts: What techniques are there to smooth out or remove textured (knockdown) drywall?

texts:
We have knockdown texture on the drywall in one of our bedrooms that we're turning into a nursery. We'll be repainting the walls and want like to apply some wall decals so we need to have a smooth surface to work with.

What is the best way to smooth out the texture? Is it feasible to scrape off the knockdown texture (like some sites recommend, after wetting the surface), or would applying a layer of mud/compound be a better route?

Our knockdown is very similar in appearance to this, in a matte "sand" color:


texts: How to buy a land and build a cottage in the United States?

texts:
I plan to buy a small residential land (<1 acre) to build a vacation cottage there. Since I want to explore possibilities across different states, I am searching for possible options over the internet before personal visit. I am not sure about the factors to be considered for selecting the land.

Can I simply build a house in a residential land, or I need some permissions for that?
Are utility services always available for a residential land, or I should check it for a specific land?
Should I request for physical postal address after construction, or is it part of the land registration?

In general, it is great if someone explain or reference the general procedure for buying a land and building a home there.

NOTE: I was not sure if this question well falls within the scope of this QA site, but I had no other alternative.


texts:
I have done some basic wiring on 120v circuits, adding outlets etc.  I want to add two 30 amp  240v circuits to this panel (w/dual pole breakers).  Its a 200 amp box with 100 amp breaker going to a subpanel and a 40 amp breaker for the oven.  My question is about connecting the neutral wires to the same bus bar as ground.  It looks to already be set up this way, but I'm just looking for some feedback on this plan.

Also, there's no main shut off, and while I would prefer not to work in a hot panel this one looks like I should have plenty of room to stay safe.


texts: Sill plate alternatives when *not* using pressure treated wood?

texts:
I have a barn I am restoring. I do not want to use pressure treated wood for the sole plate or sill plate. My carpenter would use 4 x6 locust at 12 foot lengths, but we cannot find any.

Can anyone suggest an alternative? And if so, what kind of moisture barrier would be necessary.

We are not going for code regulations here. So I am open to suggestion. Lumber mill suggested white oak with tight knots.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.


texts: Thinnest screed over the water heating floor

texts:
I installed a water heating floor system with 17 mm pipes and studded panels.

This is how a studded panel with a pipe looks like:

It has 52 mm height (the polystyrene has 30 mm).

Now I want to add a screed over the heating floor system and I'm looking for the lightest solution that doesn't load the slab too much. The screed should uniform the pipe temperature and assure a solid base for the finishes.

The screed should be:

floating
compatible with the heating floor system

enough elasticity
a good heating conductor

thin
light
resistant
ready to add wood flooring or the ceramic tiles (depending on the room) on it

Until now I analyzed some classical solutions like:

normal cement-sand screed => 132 kg/m2

at least 45 mm over the pipes (=> ~60 mm in fact)
density 2200 kg/m3

anhydrite screed => 100 kg/m2

at least 35 mm over the pipes (=> ~50 mm in fact)
density 2000 kg/m3

perlite screed => 66 kg/m2

at least 45 mm over the pipes (=> ~60 mm in fact)
density 1100 kg/m3
bad heat conductor

Do you have any better suggestion?

It would be nice if I could mitigate the thickness of the screed over the pipes to at most 25 mm.


texts: Sourcing and installing a stainless steel backsplash

texts:
I recently replaced an over-the-range microwave with a hood.  Since the hood is about half the height of the microwave, this left a ~15" gap between the preexisting tile backsplash and the start of the hood.  Instead of trying to match tile to the existing backsplash, I am thinking of filling the gap with a piece of stainless steel.  I have a few questions:

There were some extraneous holes (~5" square) in the drywall behind the microwave.  I don't think they served a purpose (it's not like there was a junction box there or anything; that's in the cabinet above).  Do I need to patch any of those holes, or is it sufficient just to cover them by the metal plate?
The hood manufacturer sells an accompanying backsplash plate, however, (a) it costs upwards of US$200, which seems very expensive for a ~15"x30" piece of metal, and (b) the size it comes in is too big, so I'd have to cut it down to size.  Therefore, I am thinking of finding a cheaper piece of sheet-metal and cutting that down.  For what type of metal should I look?  Could I get a reasonably nicely finished piece of metal from a local metal shop?
In the event that I need to cut the sheetmetal to size myself, what's the best way to do that?  Am I better off just getting a local metal shop to do it?
I've read in a few places that one should glue the steel to the underlying drywall, however, some other instructions simply say to drill it to a stud.  Is glueing really necessary?  If so, what type of adhesive should I use?


texts: Painting oil base over latex paint using a latex primer

texts:
Repainting my shed (wood siding/trim), the prior owners left behind old paint. The paint they left was oil base, so I went out and bought oil base paint. But I'm concerned that they possibly repainted using latex paint. I read that you can determine the paint type by rubbing the old paint with a Q-tip dipped in alcohol, if paint come off it means you have latex. I did that and the paint came off.

So here are my questions:

Is there a better way to determine if my shed has oil base or latex?
If my shed has latex can I use a water base primer over the latex and then top coat it with the oil base paint I bought?
Am I better off just buying new latex paint?


texts: How can I eliminate unneeded receptacles?

texts: The house I just bought has three different outlets in the walk in closet!! I want to remove a couple of the plugs and just put a solid plate on them. The outlet has 2 black wires and 2 white ones. It also has a ground. Do I wire the black wires together and the white ones? What do I do with the ground?


texts: What could cause my washing machine to stop before the rinse cycle?

texts:
My washing machine will get stuck right before the rinse cycle. The washing machine will be full of water. The way to "fix it" is to twist the knob right after the "rinse" line, find the sweet spot, and pull the knob out. It can take 10+ tries to find this sweet spot and seems to have no rhyme or reason.

I've read online that this might be a drainage problem, but I'm not sure that is the case here. I'm basing that off of the fact that allowing time to pass doesn't increase the likelihood of hitting the sweet spot.

Anything I can check? As the pictures show this is a Whirlpool Ultimate Care II


texts: What type of junction box cover do I need?

texts: We are building a set of shelves to cover up a sewer pipe in my basement. The shelves will have a false back that covers the pipe then have usable shelves in front of it. The only problem is that there is no way to build this without covering up the existing light switches right next to the pipe. Our plan is to extend the wires into a remodelers box in the side of the shelving unit so it sits behind the false back. That will make the existing box a junction box. I realize that junction boxes need a cover to meet code. On a metal box, I would get one of those covers with the hole for the wire so it can come straight out and that wire gizzy that goes in the hole to clamp the wires tight (sorry, I can't recall what they are called right now, please edit to the right term). Do they make those for plastic boxes? Or what are my options?


texts: HVAC plastic drainage tube snapped off outside

texts: The plastic tube where the condensate drains outside has broken off partly. I would say about 2/3 of it broke off. It still points away from the house a little so shouldn’t get on the wall. Should I fix this or is it fine to have a shorter length?


texts: What drainage slope does artificial grass need?

texts: what slope should an outside slab have which will have artificial grass glued to it?The slab is joined to a glass covered conservatory


texts: Electric front load dryer making room extremely humid and wet

texts: My front loader electric dryer makes the room extremely humid and hot and it also forms condensation inside its display. The vents are not blocked and they are not leaking. It's a brand new dryer. What could the problem be? It's a maytag front load dryer, current model.


texts:
I put an inch layer of mason sand down over a compacted base of process, and am about to lay large concrete pavers (18"x18", 12"x18", and 9" square) down.

Now I'm reading that I should have used concrete sand.

Will mason sand work ok?  I'm noticing that when dry it compresses and spreads very easily when I lay the large pavers down.

Thanks


texts: My Meile vacuum has all of a sudden started blowing circuit breakers.  It does not matter what outlet in the house I plug my vac into the breaker blows.  When I plug the vac in there is usually a spark at the plug.  I have had the vac for over 20 years with not problems. Any ideals


texts: Light fixture, power source and range vent fan & light wired together?

texts: I removed a light fixture to find this wiring in box.  4 sets of 12/2 wires coming into ceiling box for light fixture.  One is power, one goes to switch for light fixture.  Other two go to an exhaust vent over stove.  There is a light switch and fan switch on vent.  When looking closer at wiring, I noticed that there was a ground wire with a green wire nut that was 'on' the wire.  I.E. someone put a hole in end of wire nut, and ran wire through wire nut. I don't believe this ground wire was attached to any other wires, seemed loose in box when I pulled on it.  Ground wire comes from either vent light or vent fan. Additionally, light fixture white wire is wired together with black wires from power source and vent light and fan.  Then when checking switch, there is only the white wire attached, black wire has been twisted around the white wire.  After taking light fixture down, I lost power to the vent fan and light.  Never seen anything like this before.


texts:
My wife and I bought a house and had most of the outlets rewired (to add a ground wire mainly) when we bought the house.
Unfortunately, one outlet in the laundry closet (which is there the laundry machine plugs in) did not get rewired for some reason.

The washer was working ok even if the outlet was not grounded (despite having no GFCI and a 3-prong plug -> It's a no-no, but it's how we bought the house).

We recently had our furnace removed and we had a heat pump installed in the attic. A lot of work (including some electrical work) was done and now, the washer is not working any more. I used an outlet tester and the outlet is now dead. The washer works fine when connected with an extension cord to another outlet.

Let's name the broken outlet as outlet A and the outlet that I used to test the washer as outlet B. Outlet B is the closest outlet to outlet A and it is newly rewired 2 years ago by an electrician (it is also grounded).

I called the HVAC company and they sent someone to check it out (since, in my opinion it was their fault: outlet was working before they started the job and not working after). The guy they sent did not speak English so I got some information from his boss (who was acting as a translator over the phone). The worker said he traced the cable from outlet A in the attic and traced it to outlet B (not surprisingly since outlet B was the closest outlet). He opened up outlet A and found two disconnected cables. He hooked them to the outlet and then, the breakers tripped so he gave up.

When I got home, I did the following:
1) I checked for shorts in outlet A (between hot and neutral) -> no short
2) I plugged a cable in outlet A (the broken outlet) and ran it next to outlet B. I then measured connectivity between outlet A (through the cable) and the wires that were in the same box as outlet B. Wires were indeed connected.
3) I removed outlet A and capped the loose cables with wire nuts and connected the cables in the outlet B box (that lead to outlet A) to outlet B. The breakers tripped again.

At this point, I am puzzled. Why would the breakers trip when there is no load? My only potential explanation is that either that outlet is also connected to some other circuit and I am crossing two circuits when I make the connection in the outlet B box or that somehow the Romex cable insulation got punctured and it making some electrical connection to something else.

The HVAC company says the breakers are tripping because the outlet is not grounded and I should replace my ARC breakers with regular breakers. This makes no sense to me (but I am not an expert). How would be breaker know that I have two loose wires connected to hot and neutral when there is no load connected?

Here are some questions:
1) Does anyone know what is going on? This is more out of curiosity as probably the correct fix is to rewire the outlet.
2) Is it possible to fish new Romex cable using the existing cable so I do not have to drill holes in the drywall? One of the walls has insulation.


texts: What is the proper way to patch acoustic ceiling after collecting possible asbestos sample?

texts:
I want to collect additional samples of an acoustic ceiling for the purpose of having it checked for asbestos. The previous test came back negative but I'm paranoid =)

The procedure as per instructions on my prior collection kit was:

Spray water (light soap/water mix) while collecting sample.
Double bag the sample.

What I'm confused on is:

What are the best areas in the ceiling to take a sample?
How large of a sample could I be collecting? The test is supposed to be able to detect 1% asbestos by volume.
How do I patch/seal the area where I took the sample?

Any thoughts? The ceiling is in great condition so far with no cracks or significant abrasions so I want to keep it that way (especially if there is asbestos).

-M


texts: GFCI on a different circuit keeps tripping

texts: I will be as thorough as possible. Both breakers will stay on. If I flip a light switch in the bathroom the gfci on breaker A will trip but breaker B stays on. Now if I reset GFCI while the light is still on it will stay on. Until I turn the light off and then on again. However IF I have more lights on breaker B on then it trips less frequently. But none the less it WILL trip. I have a family moving in this weekend to this rental and want to make sure they are going to be safe or not have to be bothered by this?


texts: What should I look for in purchasing a replacement recessed light?

texts:
I have existing recessed lighting that currently has incandescent bulbs in it.  I want to replace the incandescent bulbs and existing trim with a new LED fixture.  The problem that I am having is that my can seems to be about 4 7/8th inches in diameter.  I have tried both a fixture for 4 inch cans and a fixture for 5 & 6 inch cans and neither option fit.  Is my can a non-standard size or do I need to look for something else when purchasing new fixtures?

Here is what my existing can looks like.  To me, this is a 4 7/8ths inch diameter can.  But is that considered a 5 inch can?

This was a LED light that should work with 5 or 6 inch recessed light cans, it didn't fit at all:


texts: How do I close and seal an old external vent?

texts:
I was removing some ancient hanging cabinets in my small laundry room when I found an old vent of some kind. It had been completely hidden behind the old cabinetry. My dryer vents out through the roof so I want to close and seal this opening, especially before it gets really cold.

I believe the gist of it is that I fill the hole with insulation and put some drywall on the inside. I then cover the outside with some sort of aluminum plate or plywood. Any experts out there have input as to choice of insulation or external covering? I think the box is too big for the kind of spray foam one would use around pipe holes. I have stucco on the outside of my wood house. Also, should I remove the inner walls of the box or just leave well enough alone?


texts: Is the wooden-stud basement wall that runs next to & parallel to the shared concrete wall separating two townhouses load-bearing?

texts:
Okay gang, so here's my deal:
My wife and I recently bought a 2-story (with a half-finished basement) townhouse, sandwiched in the middle of a row of other townhouses. After lengthy negotiation, I have prevailed upon the wife to let me have half our basement - which itself is pretty much the full footprint of the townhouse - for my workshop (I grew up a cabinet-maker's son, so I know my way around wood, tools and joinery, but not quite so much around construction and framing).
Built into the the wall running parallel to the concrete basement wall we share with the neighbors - the West wall - the previous owner had installed a really quite fine workbench, atop some lovely cabinetry. Unfortunately, he wrapped the surface AROUND the 3 exposed exposed faces of the studs, anchored it into the concrete floor, and appears to have used a combination of lag screws and either wood glue or epoxy to affix the top to the cabinets below, then laminated the worksurface ATOP all the screw heads. In short, I cannot remove/move the bench without destroying it.
This would be fine (as I said, it's well-crafted and aesthetically pleasing enough), but for the fact that the surface is only 2 feet deep. Due to the space constraints the room imposes, I'd very much like to install shelving above said workbench, but attaching shelves to the face of the studs will reduce the usable work area to about a foot. "Okay," thinks I, "how about we cut out to 4' lengths of these two studs, frame the newly-created gap like I would a window (double sill, jack studs, etc.) and slide the shelving in between?"
My problem here is that I cannot determine if they're load-bearing or not. Please, see the diagram below (the three questions I'm seeking an answer for are below it):

Okay, so here're my questions

Would a builder have relied on wooden studs 2" from a poured concrete foundation? These seem awfully janky; it's entirely possible a previous owner added them in just for the purpose of hanging drywall (I'm given to understand both the walls with exposed studs were once finished, but water damage necessitated their removal.)

Would the steel I-beams run parallel to the floor joists (east/west)? I would think they'd be run north-south to use the stronger I-beams as floating support, as well as to orient them towards the exterior walls of the structure (instead of those shared by the neighboring units)

Finally, if they ARE load bearing, given that they're so close to the corner of the concrete foundation can I safely remove a few feet from each for the 90 seconds It'll take me to slide in a preconstructed frame? I'm well aware that the load must be transferred, but does it have to happen instantly?
Will the building's equilibrium/the shared concrete firewall/the studs' proximity to the foundation give me some wiggle room, or would I have to go the whole screw jack/temporary wall route? Presupposing I can both build an adequate support frame and size everything snug, can I make the 4 cuts, knock out the centers and just slide the double-silled frame into the gap? Or would the stresses hit instantly, narrowing the gap and making such a plan unfeasible?

Photos
Per Lee's request:


texts: I have some PEX with Sharkbite connectors routed around a joist.  There is some tension where the PEX joins the copper plumbing.  Is it too much?


texts:
Recently moved into this place where the previous owner had put the softener on bypass. I’ve reconditioned the whole thing, new seals, scrubbed out the brine tank, new salt...
Come time to hook it up, with fingers and toes crossed with great trepidation I tripped the bypass and started a manual recharge.  Everything was going fine, softener was sending water to the drain and getting brine from the tank when all of a sudden KABOOOOOSHKAAAAA!  The TPR valve on the hwc blew! Water everywhere.
I’ve changed my shorts, moped the floor, put the softener back on bypass and everything seems fine again but I really want to use this water softener.
Any thoughts?  I suspect it was a water hammer, maybe air in the resin tank getting blown out... who knows... but I can’t have that happening once a week at 2Am.
Can I run a hose from the TPR pipe to the drain?
Many thanks.


texts: What's the easiest way to cut a chunk out of a buried railroad tie?

texts:
I'm in the process of digging holes for concrete piers (for a small deck - nothing fancy) and on my last hole I came across what appears to be an underground railroad tie (or some other huge piece of wood with a sticky tar on it).

Here's a picture:

I tried to just avoid the wood by moving the hole down a bit but then it becomes misaligned with the rest of the holes (which in turn messes up my plans for the deck foundation).

I don't relish the idea of having to re-dig 8 other holes just to workaround this.  Is there an easy way to cut into this piece of wood?  It's not associated with any large structure so cutting a piece out of it won't cause any structural issues in the surrounding area.

I tried using a simple chisel and that yielded little results.  I'm thinking perhaps a sawzall? Or chainsaw? Cutting in vertical lines... then chiseling that off?


texts: Added sconces to switched outlet run and made the outlets always hot, what do I do with the last outlet?

texts:
Kind of long story.. I had a run of half hot outlets in a bedroom. I added a wall sconce and ran wire pigtailed off of one of the outlets half way through the run to have a switched reading light. We want that light to be dimmable, so I also replaced the old switch with a dimmer switch.

Then I learned dimmable outlets are a bad idea..

So, I replaced the outlets in the run with new outlets, leaving the tab in place. The run uses 3 conductor wire (w/r/b) and I've just twisted together the reds in each box and have black to black + the outlet, and white to white + the outlet.

My question is, what do I do with the switch (red) wire in the last box? Do I just cap it off? Is it ok to have a sometimes hot wire capped off in the box? That's what I've done, and everything seems to work, just makes me nervous having that one wire not connected to anything and sometimes hot, seems wrong.

Thanks in advance!


texts: How can I fix mosquito problem in my garage, sealing garage doors

texts: I live in swampy Florida, I get pterodactyls in my garage at night, it's weird too like clockwork at 1am it seems they peak. The garage seems relatively well sealed. Are they getting in through the garage door most likely? I've found prallethin works very well but I hate using chemicals. Would prefer to beef up my sealing. Any recommendations on improving garage door sealing?


texts: Will the original ceiling box in my 1939 home support a new 45lb chandelier?

texts:
I recently purchased in a house built in 1939. The electrical boxes and wiring have been replaced, but the ceiling support bar holding up the box looks original (i.e., flat steel bar attached to the joists). Can this support the new 45 lbs chandelier I want to hang?

The following picture (NOT from my house) is an example of my situation, but I do not have access above the ceiling like the picture.


texts: Can a 120 V/ 0.35 A input for a phone charger help to determine if voltage is real or phantom? I don't have a multimeter with impedance function. I have a problem circuit which shows to have 120V AC but when I plug in a 25 W light it will not light but there is now no power in line. However if I just plug in charger requiring 120v and .35 A, the phone shows to be charging. From this can I conclude that the voltage is real. Once I know that, then I can focus on where the current is being lost in this circuit. Thank you.


texts: Easiest way to dig trench along existing fence

texts:
My friend cannot currently allow his dogs in his backyard because they dig under his privacy fence. I wanted to fix it for him and just planned on digging a trench (8-10inches deep, 6-8inches wide) and burying chicken wire. Then covering the chicken wire in gravel.

Cost of rental not being a factor, mainly just time, what is the easiest way to dig that trench? It's a long enough fence that digging it manually seems like a bit much. Is there an excavator that can dig right next to the fence? Anyone solved this issue before?

Thanks in advance


texts: Is toenailing necessary for a joist-to-ledger attachment?

texts: Is it sufficient to rest joists on joist hangers or should you always toenail (drive screws/nails at an angle through the joist). And does the toenail have to drive into the ledger or just hold the joist on the joist hanger?


texts: Why do foundation bolts at corners deteriorate faster?

texts:
I replaced the washers on a house's foundation bolts (replacing old round washers with larger square washers).

On 6 of the ~30 bolts, the nut was rusted in place and the shaft was eroded where it sat in the sill plate. Trying to unthread the nut just twisted the bolt until it snapped. All the other nuts unthreaded without much effort (and some Liquid Wrench or WD40).

These 6 damaged bolts were the pairs at 3 of the house's corners. What would cause that? (I've replaced these bolts with UFPs, but am wondering if it's a sign of some other issue that should be fixed.)