texts:
Got a few nitpick questions about the finishing steps when shingling a hip roof and the hip ridges and main ridge. Worked beside a pro and he would shingle towards the hip-ridge and then came back later and cut every shingle about 3/4" back from the very point of the hip-ridge. He also top/face nailed the edge of each shingle on the top part of it likely to help keep it flat before installing ridge cap.

Is it acceptable to have the shingle cut that far back? Meaning before the ridge cap goes on, you can see all the way to the osb roof sheathing, or to the underlayment in places he didn't slice thru the underlayment? I'm talking probably a 3/4" to 1" gap between each plane of shingles as they butt into 45 degree part of the hip-ridge.

Next, is that nail on the top of the shingle at that edge okay? I know the ridge cap will definitely cover the nails, but it seems like a point water would get in. Maybe not.

Lastly, he didn't get far enough to do any ridge cap. I've watched several videos but none really on the hip-ridge. If I start on the very bottom of the hip-ridge, I assume the first cap will need cut so that it's edges don't hang past the drip edge. Is there any tips when it comes to laying this? So far I've picked up that I'll need to snap a line to keep it straight, and only use one nail on each end of the cap about an inch from the edge, and that when I terminate it, I'll need to cut one cap just above the nail line, flip it 180 degrees so that the sticky side is towards the end of the ridge, and then cut another cap so it's just the shingle color side, and facenail it with tar and granuals for cover. Also when the two hip-ridges come up to the main ridge it looks like I'll need to custom cut some of those to make it lay right.


texts:
Trying to install vertical blinds for 2 slider doors and I cannot locate any stud/plywood backing in the areas I need to drill the holes for the mounting brackets.

Have any of you used pop toggle anchors in this situation and has it lasted?
I have 4 brackets only included in the package, would that be sufficient to hold the vinyl blinds (around 96 inches wide, 80 inches tall

What other options do I realistically have? Not trying to open up the walls if it can be avoided.


texts: Do I need to add grounding and replace breakers at my sub-panel?

texts:
I doubt this is legal for the most part, but I have a 240v subpanel on my insulated tiny house, shed whatever you wanna call it. Right now it's my office, but a while back I set it up with a 240v 30 AMP Generator Hookup. I made a 75ft 240f 10/3 extension cord that runs to a 30 240 AMP breaker that used to be the dryer as I don't use that anyways. The wires from the hookup is 10/3 indirect and everything inside is mostly 12/2 with a few short 14/2 on the 15amp side.
Inside the tiny house is a 20amp and 15amp breaker. I have a spare 15amp, as I think the return wire must equal 30amps. I did separate natural bar with a nylon screw from the case of the subpanel and screwed down the ground wire to the body of the subpanel under the 4 screws holding the subpanel to the wall, and so everything is 10/3 to the 30 amp hookups and subpanel with the 20amp and 15amp breakers being 12/2
Do I need to add a grounding rod to the tiny house since I already have a ground wire coming from the main house
Would this pass inspection?
Do I need to replace the 20 amp breaker with a 15 amp making both breakers 15 amp or can I keep the 20amp since if I used both at its max amps it would be 35amps total exceeding the 30amps or it would trip the main 30amp breaker?


texts: How can I fix a leaky tap (exterior of the house) that I can't turn off the water source?

texts:
I have a leaky tap that's dripping water. I saw many videos teaching people how to fix it. However, the first step always involves turning off the water source from the inside.

I have two water valves on the opposite side from the exterior leaky tap. I turned them all the way to the end clock-wise, but the water from the leaky tap still goes strong.

Any idea how to approach this?


texts: I live in an old lake house built about 1938 to 1940 and the entire slab is concrete and stained red, I was told that lead was used in the concrete when the slab was poured.  Is this true and how do I cover it up and seal in the lead


texts: New kitchen, new home runs for appliances...lights flicker, what could be the cause?

texts:
We have a newly renovated kitchen. All the appliances are on their own breaker (according to code).  We also have recessed lights installed which I believe may be using the old wiring.

One day we had many appliances going and the lights flickered once really quickly.  It seemed almost as if the power was going to go out...that kind of flicker.

We didn't think much of it. It happened again after 5 - 10 minutes.  My wife thinks it's because she turned on our new exhaust hood to max.

We haven't been able to replicate issue.

What could have been the cause? Is there a way to test for the cause/issue?

update 1/30
We have a 200A panel.
We have a gas range & a gas tankless. We have a washer and gas dryer. All on separate circuits.


texts: What's the best way to insulate an attic with 2x4 joists?

texts:
My 1938 home currently has zero insulation (aside from a few fiberglass batts haphazardly tossed about). The ceiling joists are 2x4 (spaced 16 inch OC), rather than the more modern standard of 2x6 or 2x8.

This home is in California, with a mild climate even by California standards: temperatures dip below freezing and top triple-digits only a handful of times each year.

My question is: What is the best way to insulate the attic?

Here are my options as I see them:

Put standard fiberglass insulation that's appropriate for the climate (probably R-38) between the joists. Since this insulation will be 12 inches thick, the top will sit above the joists, but will not cover them. Some amount of thermal transfer will still occur through the joists themselves.
Put insulation meant for 2x4 framed walls between the joists (which will be the same height as the joists), then lay a perpendicular layer of attic insulation (maybe R-30) on top of them.

Option 2 has the benefit of preventing any thermal bridging via the ceiling joists. The drawback is that, according to Home Depot, the cost of 2x4 wall insulation is comparable to the thicker, R-38 attic insulation, so I will effectively be doubling my material costs by getting both types of insulation (approximately 700.00 for each layer on my 900 sq. ft. house).

Is it worth it to spend the extra money to prevent thermal bridging via the joists, or will the difference in heating bills be so negligible that I'll never recoup the costs?


texts: Will drywall mud stick to shellac-based primer?

texts: We are preparing to prime interior walls using a shellac-based primer, followed with a setting compound mud.  Will the mud stick adequately to the shellac-based product or do we need to use another type of primer over the shellac primer?


texts: Should I sand my traditional wood floor before staining?

texts: I live in a flat with traditional wood flooring boards. They are pretty much in  good condition although some have gaps of a few mm. Anyway we want to fill those gaps probably using Bona Gap Master (I heard it's good) and sawdust + resin. My main worry is to stain the floor with a darker colour and screw it all up. What is the procedure to fill gaps and stain the floor?


texts: We had the sewer line cleaned out. And my husband got up on the roof to look at the vent, but he said its too hard to see clear down in the vent. It goes too far.


texts: Used paint with the wrong base, will painting with the correct base cover it?

texts: We did my daughter's room with the color pink carnation semi-gloss. It was a light base. We had to buy a small can of that same color to use around her windows after holes were patched. We got the same color (pink carnations semi gloss) but it was a base 1. Now around the windows is a darker shade of pink carnation. Can I paint over a base 1 with a light base (same color) to fix the problem?


texts: Drilling a hole as near as possible to a corner

texts:
I want to run a few new wires through my apartment, and for that I need to drill some holes through the walls (10-20mm diameter). Due to aesthetic considerations and cable bent radius I want them ideally to be right in the corner at the ceiling.

Unfortunately my drill has a size and this allows me to get not nearer to the wall than maybe 7cm.

Is there any method/trick for drilling a hole ideally directly in the corner of a ceiling?


texts: Hi:  I have some undercabinet light fixtures from IKEA that each take 3 small 12V G4 size bulbs.  These bulbs are about 3/4" long x 1/4" wide with two plug-in prongs at the end.  The original bulbs were 10W Halogen bulbs but I found some nice 3W LED bulbs to use as replacements.  The new bulbs work great, but the odd thing is that they will only light up if 1 of the 3 bulbs in the fixture is an old halogen type bulb.  If I do 1, 2 or all 3 as LED's with no halogen bulb I just get a light flicker in all of the LED's.  But as soon as I make 1 of the 3 bulbs a halogen they all light up perfectly.  Any idea what's going on here?  I assume it has something to do with the transformer in the fixture and it's starter not giving enough of a jolt without the halogen bulb in the string.


texts: Why is my furnace blower running at low speed?

texts:
My Payne gas furnace (PG8UAA 42091) automatically shuts down after it lights and burns for two minutes. It then gives a 33 fault code. I've done some research and some testing and have narrowed the problem down to the limit switch, but I don't think the switch is bad. Here's the sequence:

Furnace gets call for heat.
The induction motor begins running.
The blower motor also begins running, but at low rpm.
The ignitor glows.
The gas kicks on and is lit by the ignitor.
The furnace operates for two minutes or so before it shuts down.
The gas is shut off and the induction motor stops running while the blower motor continues to run at low rpms.

I've checked all the common reasons for this sequence (dirty filter, blocked vents, bad limit switch, etc.), none of which apply. I've tested the limit switch. It has 27 volts at either of the two connectors when the second test lead is grounded to the furnace and 0 volts across the two connectors. Until the furnace shuts down, and then there are 27 volts across the two limit switch connectors. Which I interpret to mean the switch is working as intended.

I have seen no discussion of this anywhere, but I think my problem is related to the blower motor. I don't think the blower motor is running at a high enough rpm to supply enough cold air to the plenum. As a result, the heat in the plenum builds until it triggers the limit switch and shuts the system down. What I don't understand and, therefore, don't know how to fix, is why the blower motor runs, but doesn't kick up to a higher rpm when the gas ignites.

In the past, when the furnace was working properly, you could hear the blower kick up to a much higher and more forceful rpm to distribute the heat around the house. Can you tell me why my blower runs at lower rpm (smoothly and quietly), but does not kick up to the higher rpm when it's supposed to? What should I look for? What do I need to test?


texts:
This morning we woke up to the bathroom lights not working.  Investigation reveals that the culprit is the GFCI that serves two bathrooms and the laundry room.

It still pops in 10-15 seconds with no draw whatsoever on anything that appears to be connected to the circuit. (I haven't gone through the house looking for stray outlets on the line, though.)

My first thought was a bad GFCI but a couple of other things come to mind also:

1)  Two days ago we replaced every bulb on the circuit with LED lights.

2)  It's pouring rain, something that happens a few times a year here.  We certainly aren't aware of any water leaks but I could imagine water coming down a vent pipe and then going somewhere.

Do I just replace the GFCI and hope it works?  Is there some means by which I can test if there is an electric problem?  (With the GFCI popped wouldn't it show infinite resistance between the hot and the neutral and between the hot and the ground?)

Edit:  Replaced the GFCI, I get exactly the same behavior.  I've loosened every bulb on the circuit, no change.  Notably I'm getting very low (the highest I observed was 2v) but non-zero voltages downstream of the GFCI when the wires are hanging loose.  That's with a decent multimeter so it's possible this is just induced current from somewhere.

Edit again:  It apparently is water related somehow.  In the days after the rain it was slower and slower to trip, now it's behaving correctly.  I can't see how water could get anywhere near the wires, though, let alone to any junctions.  If it happens again I can try disconnecting things to find the culprit.


texts: What material to use for replacing interior porch panels?

texts:
I really have two questions, both pertaining to the enclosed porch on the front of my house.

The first is, what material should I use to replace the panels that are starting to warp (bottom of the picture). I can't really tell if they're warped from pressure or moisture or both. But I can say I need new gutters, water will get in through the windows if I don't shut them.

Also, if you look at the top of the picture, the frame is showing. You can see the 2x4 supports all around. It would be cool if I could cover the frame as well as the plywood wall with some thin material, just to give it a finished look.

Any ideas on what material I should be looking at? I'm open to all possibilities.


texts: How should I repair drywall seams that have developed cracks?

texts:
The second floor of the house was built 17 years ago. Every seam has fiber tape, and every seam on the ceiling and wall cracked. It's only the second floor that's cracking.

Can I just Spackle the lines?


texts: Best way to add p-trap under my kitchen sink when drain goes down into slab

texts: I just bought a 1980's condo, and there is no p-trap under the kitchen sink.  The drain is down into the slab.  It's a 50/50 sink with a disposal on the left.  Is a p-trap still needed with this vertical drain?  Thank you.


texts:
Seems that recently Ikea and many other menufacturers are using the screw you see in picture (classic 1.5 multi power plug, nothing fancy).

I have never seen anything similar and searching online didn't help much.

Can you please suggest its name so that I can buy a specific tool to unscrew it?


texts: Can a solder joint handle torsion force?

texts:
I'm replacing the shower mixing valve in my guest bathroom during renovation as the old one had a good deal of surface rust. This is my first time soldering pipes together.
I mounted the new valve to a 2x4 laid flat between the two studs that the valve sits between, as instructed. I placed a similarly-mounted 2x4 about 36" above the mixing valve so that I could mount the shower arm. The way the valve is designed, however, forces me to apply a slight bending force in the length of pipe that traverses the distance between the mixing valve and the shower arm in order to get the shower arm mounting elbow screwed to the 2x4. The reason for this is the fact that the outlet in the mixing valve juts further out than the inlet of the shower arm mounting elbow when the mounting elbow is mounted to the top 2x4.
Please note that this diagram is not to scale. The bend is exaggerated for illustrative purposes.

That length of pipe is soldered to both the shower valve and the shower arm mounting elbow. I used enough flux and got two nice solder joints, no leaks. I've had it like this for a few days, and no leaks have sprung up. The bending force I've applied is not excessive. I may have had to use three to five lbs of force to push the shower arm mounting elbow onto the 2x4 so I could attach it with screws.
Do I have anything to worry about? Will the constant torque applied to the pipe, and ultimately the solder joints, cause leaks in the future?


texts:
I'm in the process of tearing out carpet and installing laminate in my guest bedroom. After I got the carpet out, I discovered a hole several inches across underneath the wall that borders the garage. The other wall, which is a foot or so away, is an exterior wall. In the center of the hole is a copper pipe (~1/2" diameter) with pipe insulation around it.

I THINK it runs outside to my A/C unit, but I'm not sure why it's running into the slab, since the line for the A/C exits a few inches up the brick. The evaporator is in the attic.

Can I just fill in the void with concrete patch? Do I need to wrap the pipe with anything first?


texts: Can I change an outlet circuit to 240V (NEMA 6)?

texts:
I'm in an American house sitting in a jurisdiction that applies NEC 2014 unaltered. I've got a home office room with all the outlets on one 20A circuit. It is legal to 2014 code in all respects.

Who cares why, maybe I collect European pinball machines, maybe I just need a lot more power in the room, between my server grade PC and window air conditioner.   I decide I want to convert that outlet circuit to 240V and install all NEMA 6-20 outlets.  Pic

It's wired in NM 12/2 but I mark the white wire with red tape at every accessible point.  Ground but no neutral.  I have the requisite AFCI or GFCI breaker if required (whatever the circuit had before).

What code of Code compliance issues am I going to run into?  After all, I do have outlets in all the right places.

Now suppose I also wanted to power a permanently installed light fixture.  I want to use one rated for 240V.  Any code issues there?


texts: How to repair towel rack that was anchored in drywall

texts: I live in an apartment and my towel rack was ripped out of the wall. I put some weight on it, and one of the sides came out. I looked into the hole and found that it was anchored into the drywall, so maybe it wasn't very secure in the first place. I would like to learn how to fix this on my own instead of having my apartment management fix it, but I'm not sure where to learn how to do this. I would not like to take the other anchored side out that the pole was attached into as that side is still anchored and at a location I like. Is there a way I can re-anchor and reattach this?


texts: My kitchen lights operate with 3 wall switches.  Two of the switches work properly only if the third (3-way) switch is in the on position.  I assumed that the third (3-way) switch was malfunctioning, so I replaced it.  There was no change.  The other two switches operate only if the third (3-way) switch is in the on position.  Should I simply change all 3 switches?


texts:
When determining drain vents, 2" can have a vent 8' away and 3" can have the vent 12' away, how does that work in terms of wet venting?  I have a toilet flange connected to a line that has a Wye which picks up my sink approximately 4' down stream.

So technically, I have a vent connected to my toilet trap approximately 4' down stream, however it is a wet vent so does that mean I have to also add the length of drain line to the 12' maximum distance?


texts: Leaking & constant running water sound in hot water system

texts:
My Dux Proflo gas hot water system (with water tank) is leaking water. Water is pooling at the base of the hot water tank. Secondly, there is a constant water flow noise coming from near the top of the unit. I know it's water flow because shutting off the water mains stops the water flow noise. I have turned every valve and knob near the hot water unit to try and get the water flow noise to stop, but nothing works except for shutting off the water mains to my house. It's an intense sounding flow - there's a lot moving water, though I can't see it, I can only hear it. I have a plumber coming out in the next day or two.

I am trying to better understand my hot water unit before the plumber arrives, and in particular, what could be causing the water flow noise. Again, the only way it seems I can shut off the water flow noise is shut off the water mains - none of the valves/knobs near the actual hot water unit seems to stop it.

I have attached an image of my hot water unit, marking every input, output and valve. I am looking for a knowledgeable person to please confirm my markings, and to also confirm the purpose of the mystery knobs (3 and 4) and the mystery pipe (6).

Thanks in advance.


texts: How to run a cable raceway by doorway with raised floor?

texts:
I need to run a coaxial cable (and one more cable like ethernet) by a doorway. The floor is raised approximately 0.65 inches.

I found D-line raceways, and also the floor raceways that are wide (so people don't trip on it). I'm not sure they will fit well because they are right by a raised floor.
I also found baseboard cord channel which might be better but I'm afraid they are taller than the raised floor.

Picture (only one cable is shown but there will be two running left to right):

Any experience with this? Any idea what would be the best solution here? Breaking the floor is not an option. It should be something that won't require construction.

Thank you.


texts:
Trying to understand this gauge and ensure everything is working as intended.
I know the top part is the temperature of the water I am assuming at the boiler. Again PSI of the water pressure, but what is the red arrow all the way at the bottom what is that telling me?
Also if can tell me are these ok numbers or how do I find out if they are ok.
Thank you


texts:
I've soldered new copper pipe but have never resoldered it.

A shiny band of silver solder remains on the end of the copper pipe after an elbow has been removed from it. Does that shiny band have to be sandpapered away, to get down to bare copper, before flux can be applied and a new elbow installed?

This is 1-1/2" copper drain pipe (DWV), if it makes any difference.


texts: Mystery valve on hot water line from water heater

texts:
I have a 1/2" od PVC outside my home with a steady drip of water. It is a few inches above the line that runs to the TPR valve on the water heater (confirmed by opening the valve). It's not the AC condenser line either. There are two more for them and I checked both units in the attic to confirm there was no water coming from the lines.

Looking at the top of my water heater, I'm baffled on what the set up is. I'm guessing one or both of the mystery 1/2" lines running off the hot and cold lines are the source of the drip in the 1/2" line outside since it's next to the TPR line and right on the other side of the wall from it.

As a guess, I figure they are there to relieve pressure instead of having an expansion tank? The pressure coming out of the tank drain is @ 50 PSI. When I cut off both the gate valves on the cold water line, the drip is still there so that leaves me thinking it's the hot water line.

I believe the culprit is this valve coming off of the hot water line. I don't exactly what it is or why it is there. It's sprayed over with paint but it is a metal valve of some sort. It reminds me of a needle value for a hydraulic line which might make sense if it's some other mechanism to relive pressure but I think it's more likely a ball or gate valve I'm not familiar with.

Anyone know what this valve is and what it's purpose is? I'd love a larger explanation of why the 1/2" line on the cold water exists as well but my main priority is to determine what the one on the hot water line is and replace it to see if that stops the drip.


texts: Thermostat wiring identification - missing yellow wire/extra wires

texts:
Help please and apologies in advance for lack of technical knowledge! I'm looking to replace my old Honeywell 8022C 24v thermostat with a Nest, and have failed on several levels now I've taken a look at the existing wiring. The internet doesn't seem to know the answer so hoping someone has a spark of genius! Furnace is a Rheem rbhp-17j06sh1.
Wired to Honeywell:
There is a 4 wire multiwire - red, green and white are all connected to the expected RC, G & W terminals, with a jumper between RC and RH.
The multiwire has a blue wire which is currently attached via an acorn nut to a separate thick copper red wire (so not wired to thermostat - and it can't be seen in the photo).
The multiwire doesn't have a yellow wire; there is another separate thick copper wire which has been wired to the Y terminal on the existing terminal.
So, my questions are: Is the blue wire the C wire? If I wire it to the C terminal (which I would do if I install a Nest), what do I do with the copper red wire it's currently attached to? I don't know where that wire goes, so if I need to find out, suggestions on how I do that very helpful!
The other red wire currently wired to the Y terminal is too thick to fit the Nest Y terminal...are there any solutions for this?
Thank you in advance!


texts: How can I trace water pipes and the water flow under the ground?

texts: I'd like to close the tube that from my garden go to the garage box. Is there any cheap way to figure out where the tubes are without dig the ground/walls?


texts: Will an attic fan in a garage also cool the adjacent house attic?

texts:
My attached 2 car garage typically gets over 100 degrees in the summer. I have an insulated garage door. The garage has a drywall ceiling and attic space above that is connected to the rest of the ranch home attic.
If I put a whole house attic fan in the garage, would it cool down most of the attic or only the attic near the garage? I was thinking I would get some benefit from cooling my attic down in the evenings after the sun went down?


texts:
I am currently locked inside of the apartment that I just moved into today. I noticed that the door knob was a bit loose when I first opened the door this morning and when I turned the knob from the outside, the knob wouldn’t turn on the inside.

Eventually I tried to leave my apt and as I turned the knob and pulled, I just pulled out the knob. Anyone know how I can open this knobless door?

All other tutorials and forums on the internet seem to be for a different type of door. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. This is the best picture I could take because the opening is so small and the camera would not focus properly on any shot at all more detailed.


texts: Can an outdoor weatherproof electrical box use an inside outlet?

texts: Let’s say I have an outdoor weatherproof electrical box on the front of my house. Can I use a regular ‘ol outlet instead it, or are there special ones intended for external use?


texts: Do I need an extra deep old-work box for a stucco wall?

texts: Do I need a deep rework box to fit to the 1 inch wall thickness. Do they manufacture one that the  tabs are back about 1-2 inches? How does one get the tabs in the hole to secure them tight?


texts: What is this cement structure under ground?

texts:
I had a fence. It was destroyed in a hurricane. I thought I just would need to put new posts in an existing 2 feet hole. But the holes there were not 2 feet. So I started digging holes around where the posts were. And I noticed cement structures going deep into the ground. Could this really be quick set concrete? It is stronger than a rock. I can not get these structures out of ground (they go real deep). Right now I am just digging holes around the concrete, which will make the fence uneven.

I attached pictures here.


texts:
I have a single-family home with brick all around. The home was built in the early 80s. Some of the mortar is starting to crack here and there. I had a tuckpointer come and give me an estimate on repairing it, and he told me something interesting. He said if a horizontal crack is as long as the brick itself, that brick needs to be removed and reset because most likely, the mortar between the brick and its neighbor is most likely broken as well and needs to be replaced. The cracks I have are very thin, they're just long (nearly the length of a brick).

Is what he said true? Thanks,

mj


texts: Shade Sail post on brick/cinder block rooftop surface.

texts:
I am trying to install 4x4 wood posts to hold up a rectangular shade sail on my rooftop. The posts will be free-standing with nothing attached besides the sail.

Ideally, I would be able to attach them to the top of the half-walls. The top of the half wall is one layer of brick (that is covered in a little concrete or something) on top of cinder block. I think a 6-foot post will give me the right height, but I am worried about the brick breaking and the post falling 7 stories and killing someone on the sidewalk.

Please help me do this safely.

MY PLAN:

Use Simpson Strong Tie E-Z Base with a 1/2-Inch by 3-3/4-Inch Bolt Wedge Anchor for Cracked and Uncracked Concrete.

I also think I would have a back up cable attached to the wood and cinder block just in case, but I have literally zero experience in this type of installation. Below are pictures of my place. Any input is MUCH appreciated!


texts: Questions about subfloor prepping for LVP

texts:
This is my first time installing LVP. The subfloor in this doublewide, for the most part, is in good condition but I have questions about a few areas in the subfloor that I am unsure how to handle.
First pic is a section 4 feet by 4 inches.
Looks like the board was put there to fill a gap for reasons unknown. There's no other "patch" jobs anywhere else. It's not level and it's tilted toward the wall. I am thinking that I will rip that board up to see why it was installed like that and fix it, possibly just sanding it down and putting it back?

This is a gap in the marriage wall that runs half the length
the trailer, it's over an inch deep. Can I fill it with floor patch?
 This is the marriage wall in the other half of the trailer. This metal strip is wavy and uneven, with sharp pieces where it folded back on itself. Any advice about what to do here? Can I just put the LVP over it?
This section runs about 4" x 4". I'm thinking self leveler here. I appreciate any and all advice.


texts: Which is better to use under the lip edge of a pop up drain pipe on the inside of the porcelain bowl?


texts: We are insulating the external wall of a bathroom, and I know we should put green drywall.  A neighbour gave us a couple of red drywall, saying it would do the job as well.  Is it true?


texts:
There is an electrical outlet in a room in my house giving off a strange smell. It smells kindof burnt? It happens almost immediately when something is plugged in/turned on and I promptly turn off/unplug every time so I don't know what might happen if left on/plugged in for an extended period of time (and the outlet is in my young daughter's bedroom so I'm not too inclined to find out). If something is plugged in and off (like a lamp in the off position), the smell does not happen. But if it's plugged in and turned on (lamp turned on or something like an alarm clock that has no on/off switch and is thus always "on"), the smell comes within about 30-60 seconds and is quite strong. We've tested this on a number of different things to conclude it's the outlet and not the thing being plugged in. My husband replaced the receptacle and cleaned the dust & debris out of the box, but the problem persists. He noted that there was no discoloration of the receptacle, wires, or the box, though there did appear to be some mild corrosion on the wires he believed to be the result of arcing. The thing was old, but otherwise appeared normal.

Any ideas what the problem could be and how we can fix it?


texts:
The building interior gets hot during the day and stays hot during the evening when it is much cooler outside. It would be a really great option to simply vent the hot air outside instead of having to turn the air-conditioner on.

I'm looking for a more structural and long-term solution than just opening a window and propping a fan right next to it, something like a decent-sized exhaust vent to the outside with a switch-activated fan attached would be a good solution.

Is this something that has already been done and are there existing products or plans that can be referenced?


texts:
I need two sizes of wire nuts but I can't find anything that specify the work/wire load that I need.

Plus I wanna swap out my backstab/push in connectors with Wire nuts cause people saying it's not really a recommended way of tying lines together

I'm looking for wire nuts that support

4x 14 AWG solid copper
6x 14 AWG solid copper


texts: How do I choose more durable screwdriver bits?

texts:
I recently bought a $35 cordless screwdriver that came in a suitcase with screwdriver bits. I was in shock when the Pozidriv bit splintered after screwing only 3 1-inch screws in the leg of an unvarnished wooden ladder. After the initial shock, I used the other Pozidriv sizes but not surprisingly, they all splintered after screwing a few screws. Now all the Pozidriv bits are dulled out and completely unusable.

Can anybody tell me what these screw bits are made out of so I will not make the same mistake twice ?

Any suggestions about which metal bits to buy? Do titanium-coated bits wear out soon? How soon? What about chromium-radium bits?


texts: Should I replace amissing insulation over the heat tape on my water pipes?

texts: I recently moved into a mobile home and with the temperature dropping below freezing I wanted to make sure my water line was protected.  It has a electric heat tape wrapped around it with insulation.  A short, 3-4", section of the insulation wrap is missing.  Should I be concerned about missing a short piece or will the heat wrap still keep the water warm enough to prevent freezing.  The skirt is in place under the home.


texts: How should I connect a new ceiling fan which is controlled by a remote?

texts:
I am replacing an existing ceiling fan whose light was controlled by a wall switch & fan by the chain.  The new fan is controlled by a remote only, no chains.

There are 4 wires coming from the ceiling electrical box: white, black, pink & bare. There are only 3 wires to the input side of the remote: white, black, & ground.

The wall switch has only 2 wires: black & pink. I know that the wall switch must be "on" to permit the remote/fan to operate.

What wires from the ceiling do I need to connect to the input side of the remote? I already tried connecting the pink to white & black to black without success.  I connected the output side of the remote to the fan per the instructions with the fan.


texts: Horizontal blocking behind cement board necessary on edges(wonderlite specifically)

texts: Using wonderlite cement board in my tub area surround, instructions say all edges supported? but almost every instruction video including their own doesn't show any backing behind the edges where the horizontal seams line up. Is this necessary or once the boards covered in thinset with FG mesh its as strong as the rest of the sheet?


texts: why does my toilet have two overflow tubes and a refill line that tees?

texts:
I bought a house that has a second bathroom in the basement. I would like to replace this toilet.

It appears to have a single water inlet and two over flow tubes. The refill hose tees into the regular overflow tube and into a second overflow tube. The second tube has a line out of the toilet tank and into the wall.

The tank model is a Proflo 3112 - E. I have not found any information online that refers to this setup.

What kind of toilet is this and where does the second overflow tube go?


texts: How can I remove the bolts holding down my utility sink?

texts:
I have a utility sink that is sitting on 4 legs, the front two bolted to my cement floor and I want to remove it.

I'm not sure what kind of bolts these are. From looking at different kinds of bolts online they might be carriage or timber bolts.

How do I remove these? Is it as simple as having a pry bar and working it under to pull the bolt up out of the floor? That's what I briefly attempted to do, but I'm overly
 paranoid of doing damage and complicating things.


texts: GFCI not working, but circuit reads fine?

texts:
In my kitchen, I installed a GFCI but it will not work if I put one receptacle on its Load. I press reset and see the lights come on, but it immediately trips. If I put the wires in Line only, or remove the receptacle wiring, the GFCI works (so does the other receptacle if it's in Line). I have tried two new GFCIs and they do the same thing. The multimeter shows 120V, and the receptacle tester shows green for both outlets

Here's the set up: Breaker -- GFCI -- Receptacle

What's the deal?


texts: Installing a new dishwasher: integrated or freestanding?

texts:
In my kitchen, there is a spare cupboard under the counter, where I would like to install a dishwasher. I have spoken to a tradesman who has said this will be possible and will do the fitting for me. He has said that I just need to go ahead and buy the dishwasher, and he will do the rest.

However, after browsing dishwashers on various websites, it seems that there are two main categories: integrated dishwashers, and freestanding dishwashers. Which of these should I buy?

My first instinct was that it should be a freestanding dishwasher because this may may make installation easier, since this is something of an unusual case. However, technically, the dishwasher will be integrated into my existing kitchen units, so now I am thinking that an integrated dishwasher makes more sense. But what does an integrated dishwasher actually mean? Does it just mean that you couldn't have it standing on its own, and it must be fixed inside some other frame (e.g. my cupboard)? But would something like this easily fix within my cupboard?

Below are two photos of the spare cupboard where the dishwasher will go. There is some shelving inside, which the tradesman said he will remove before installing the dishwasher. He also said that the current door on the cupboard will be retained as the door on the new dishwasher (after removing the hinges). Other issues, such as power and water supply, are fine.

Any help? Thanks!


texts: Why is the non-contact voltage detector beeping over large area of a wall?

texts:
Before drilling a wall (drywall at the surface; not sure what's beneath) separating the bathroom from the corridor, I took a multimeter with a non-contact voltage (NCV) detector to check that the location where I want to drill doesn't have wires underneath.

To my surprise, the NCV beeped for... the entire wall. (Note: for other walls, the NCV beeps only in locations where there are wires inside, i.e. above the outlets or switches up to the ceiling, or sometimes to the left or right of them.)

If I cut the power for the whole apartment, NCV stops beeping. It also stops beeping when I turn off at the service panel just the items labeled “bathroom” and “lights,” however, if I turn off just one of the two, beeping continues.

What could be a possible explanation for that? What could it mean in terms of safety issues?

Note: there was a practically identical question asked before, but the answer which was provided doesn't apply in my case. The multimeter is quite new (bought a few months ago), the batteries should be quite new as well (haven't used the multimeter that much since I bought it).

Comments are not helpful either: I doubt there are metal profiles in the wall, given the location of the wall and how thin it is. If there is water, this could be, I suppose, a troublesome thing. The detector is indeed triggered when in direct contact with the skin, but not within a few millimeters. When I check the wall, I keep the multimeter at a few millimeters as well.


texts: Wooden bed sidebar to headboard screws loose, wobbly joints

texts:
What can I do to fix my bed? The screws go through the headboard and footboard into the side bars, but the whole thing is loose. When I get into bed it's all fine as I have pushed the headboard up against the wall, but when I wake up the top of the headboard is about 6-8" away from the wall. I have tried to tighten the screws, but they just keep turning, so I take it they are just loose.
Would getting steel braces that screw onto the leg and sidebar angle on all four legs solve the problem? It's quite a chunky pine bed with corner posts and knicker rail on the footboard.
Thank you.


texts: New house concrete slab foundation cracks - TX

texts:
I'm asking about advise\idea\help. I'm new home buyer in Austin area TX.
I bought a new home in the foundation stage. Now it's in the framing stage.
Yesterday I found that I have 3-4 cracks on the slab.
I have read almost all the articles on this forum on this issue. :)
"There are two kinds of concrete. Cracked and gonna crack." - is expected..
Please, tell me is it acceptable or I should find 3th party inspector ASAP.
Thank you

and videos on youtube: kitchen
near the garage and the room


texts: Mounted tv too high, OK to use same studs to remount?

texts:
I mounted a tv (60") on my living room wall too high. The heavy-duty mounting bracket uses large screws that required that I drill a 7/32" hole into the studs and used a socket wrench to tighten them in. (Total of 4 screws, two in each stud placed vertically maybe about 8" apart from one another)

I'd like to remount the bracket about 4" or 5" lower than what it is right now on the SAME STUDS. Is this a problem? I am worried that if I do this again (re-drilling/bolting into the studs) it isn't going to be as durable since I've already done this higher on the same studs.

I don't know that this matters, but this is a two story house and this is on the first floor. Thanks,


texts:
Recently I completed a bathroom remodel mostly on my own. It was an overly-ambitious project and one of the key mistakes I made was rushing the prep-work for the sloped tiled floor.

The bathroom design is "open", with the shower simply part of the room with no wall or glass or anything. I used a continuous linear drain across the middle of the bathroom. the slope was incorrect so that water pools up on one end of the linear drain instead of running to the center. At the time of install, I was unhappy with my job but didn't have much option aside from finishing the project and evaluating whether it would be a real issue.

After using this bathroom for several months now, it's turned into quite an issue that the floor is sloped incorrectly. The pooling water tends to turn foul and soap scum stain are all over the grout and tile, because it doesn't flow properly.

I'd like to avoid completely tearing out the bathroom and redoing it, so my alternative option that I'm looking to get feedback on is:

Pour self-leveling cement to create a new flat floor across the entire bathroom, except the shower area.
Pour cement curbs around the shower.
Install a glass enclosure on top of the curbs.
Drill a new hole in the center of the curbed shower area and install a round drain
Apply new cement in the shower with correct sloping towards the new round drain.

I'd like to get feeback or tips on ways this process could be improved or changed.


texts: Chamberlain B550 - How to use a relay to open/close door?

texts:
I have one of these: http://support.chamberlain.com/articles/How_To/Chamberlain-Models-B550-B750-Owner-s-Manual

On my old door, I wired a relay in to the same terminals the push-buttons (like doorbells) on the wall used to open the door.  The new opener uses 2 wires (in fact the same wires the old switches used) but they have lights and programming and opener buttons on them.  They must be doing some magic on the circuit to tell the door what to do.  How can I get my relays to work again?

I do not see any places to put push-button switches into the unit on the ceiling.  Any suggestions for how to do this?  I'm controlling the relays with a Raspberry Pi via the Internet, and the open/close sensors are working fine.

EDIT

I tried .1, .2, .5 and 1 second and nothing works.

Called Chamberlain and they said I have to buy some hardware and have a "partner agreement" with them to have my own software work with it.

Boo Chamberlain, next time I'll be buying something else.


texts: Can I still use existing drain, p trap & vent that's in place by extending drain pipe from new location to existing trap?


texts: Wire ratings in very hot attics, e.g. Phoenix where they go to 180F?

texts:
Someone asked a question about wire damage in an attic in Phoenix, Arizona.  Links on the web confirm attic temperatures go above 180 degrees F, or 85 degrees C.  Most wires have a 75C or 90C thermal limit.

NEC seems to say the thermal limits for wire start with its column in the usual ampacity chart we use, NEC 310.15(B)(16) -- and by the way, it  says it is based on ambient temperatures of 30C (86F).  That will come up later.   Confining ourselves to wires actually rated for 90C, such as THWN-2, you get, say, 55A for #8 wire and 75A for #6 wire.

Then, following what it says in NEC 310.15(A)(3), it says you use the tables such as 310.15(B)(2)(a) "Ambient Temperature Correction Factors Based on 30°C (86°F).  That says for 90C conductors operating in an 81-85C environment, you must derate to 0.29, or 29% of nominal value.  That means 15.95A in a #8 wire, or on a #6, 21.75A.  *And mind you, that's using THHN, not UF (60C) or THWN (75C).

NM (Romex) is a strange one: NEC 334.80 allows NM a 90C rating for the purpose of calculating derates like this, but the final, practical number can't exceed the 60C rating.  Thanks Ed Beal.

I just can't believe that all attic wiring in Phoenix is laid with #6 and #8 wire.   How is this done in actual practice?  What do Phoenix, Riverside, Tuscon and other sunbelt inspectors approve?


texts: Deciphering an Asian Bladder Pressure Tank + Pump

texts:
I have a bladder pressure tank + pump combo, and I'm trying to figure it out. It came with no manual, was bought in Cambodia, and is being used on the second floor of a home using city water (which is low pressure). It supplies an LPG water heater, which requires better flow. I want to make sure that the bladder pressure tank is properly charged, but I have no clue to know what the pressure ranges are to make sure it doesn't cycle (it currently cycles a lot).

Does this label contain that information? How do I interpret this label? If this information isn't provided, what can I do?

The unit looks like this:


texts: How to prevent DIY Activated carbon from throwing a layer of scum on top of water?

texts:
I cook regularly on a wood stove. Lately it occurred to me that I could also dump a sealed container into the flames to make activated carbon ... which I did. To test the carbon I dumped some iodine to colour the water - then tossed in a lump of the charcoal (crushed).

After a while the water was clear - which is perfectly fine. The trouble is, a layer of charcoal 'scum' formed on top of the water. I can get rid of the scum by passing the water through a filter - perhaps sand, or even fine cloth.

Is there a way to prevent the charcoal from carrying impurities that form the scum in the first place?


texts: What's the minimum reasonable thickness for subfloor in my attic?

texts: I want to install 4x8 sheets of T&G plywood in my attic for extra storage room, but there are so many different thicknesses.  There will be extremely minimal traffic on this floor as I will only be up there once or twice a year and for no more than 30 minutes to an hour at a time.


texts: I have a plug in hot tub on a 15amp GFCI outlet (120V).  The cord for the hot tub and outlet have GFCI.  I have tested the outlet and it works fine.  The breaker started getting hot and burned out.  I replaced it, plugged in the hot tub, and the new one started burning too.  Outlet and plug still did not trip.  Other than some outdoor lighting there are a few outlets on this circuit but nothing plugged in other than hot tub. How can the breaker burn out without the outlet tripping?  The breaker is a 20amp Siemens.  It was in the bar tightly and the hot wire is well connected.  The tub has been running more often lately but I don't want to call HT repair if there is an electrical problem.  I would love some help here.  Thanks in advance.


texts: 48" fluorescent light fixture with two bulbs, but only one side works. . Can that be fixed?

texts:
I have a fluorescent light fixture that's over 20 years old.  Light failed so I bought two new 48" bulbs.  Only one of the new bulbs light.  New bulbs both work.  There is no visible starter.  Power must be getting to the unit, since one bulb lights up.
How do we fix this?


texts: Should a smart switch (that requires a neutral wire) cause my non-contact voltage tester to beep?

texts:
I installed 3 smart switches which are all on the same circuit in my house.  I have never changed a light switch before, but I followed the directions very closely and watched a couple of Youtube videos to help me understand the different wires in the gang boxes. All the switches seem to be working (2 single pole switches and 1 3-way switch -- I haven't replaced the other 3-way switch).  All of the switches have a light on the button.  When I put my non-contact voltage tester near any of the switches, it beeps. Is this normal? Safe?
Edit:
To be clear, the voltage tester doesn't respond to any of the other switches in my house, but of course those don't have lights or use the neutral wire.


texts: Why is my Dishwasher making a loud popping sound when draining/switching cycles?

texts: I recently replaced my kitchen floors and, in the process, noticed my dishwasher was wired very poorly and was not in a box. A friend of mine put everything in a box the way it was wired before but now it makes a loud popping noise any time it changes cycles/drains.  Also, when we turned off the breaker for it, it was mislabeled at the breaker box.  The 'dishwasher' switch did nothing but when we turned off the 'garbage disposal' switch, it killed power to the dishwasher which makes me think the dishwasher was wired to the garbage disposal wires by the previous owner.  We don't have a garbage disposal.  My questions is why is it making a loud popping sound? .


texts: Installing a Bathtub that does not have a flange

texts:
We are in the process of doing a bathroom remodel and we noticed that the bathtub we ordered does not have a flange.  The bathtub will be installed in an alcove setup (surrounded by 3 walls) and will mainly be used as a shower.

The bathroom is currently stripped to the studs, the floor is not finished (just leveled).

What is best practice to install this sort of flange"less" bathtub?

We have already purchased 1/2in Durock and stone tile that will be used in the bathroom walls around the bathtub.


texts: Finding where the C "Common" wire should be in my heating unit

texts:
I'm trying to understand where the common wire would be from my system's wiring diagram. The thermostat itself only has the R and W connected.
Is my understanding correct that it would be the wire leading to 'earth' from the transformer in the below diagram?

Any help or info is much appreciated.


texts: How to turn off old Mears M7-D thermostat controlling electric baseboard heating

texts:
I cannot figure out how to turn off the electric heating on this old unit that was installed probably around 50 years ago. Counterclockwise or clockwise, the electric heating element in the baseboard remains hot.
After removing the cover from the baseboard, I can even see a small red-hot bit glowing. Is it possible that "off" position lies in between?
The power is controlled by a tandem-20/20 breaker which I've flipped off for the time being.  That's the only way I've been able to cut the juice to the baseboard so that glow stops and the baseboard gets cool.
Mears M7-D

glowing heating element


texts: new fan has 3 wires, 1-white, 1-blue, 1-black. coming out of the ceil is 1-red, 1-white, and 1-black

texts: Help: I can not understand how to connect these wires. my new fan has 1-white,1-blue,1-black. and from ceiling 1-red,1-white,1-black and 1-copper ground? The difference in matching the different colors makes no sense to me. I have tried many variations. Nothing works.


texts: Why does my toilet make a loud rumbling noise when flushed?

texts:
When I flush my toilet it makes a very loud rumbling noise that can be heard from other rooms, what could cause this?

The sound cannot be heard from the
bathroom.
There is no sound when the tank is filling, only just as the toilet flushes.
The toilet sits just off the main stack, by way of a Y connection.
The sound is mostly audible from the side of the house where the kitchen is, and not from the other side of the house.


texts: Adding always hot receptacle to a ceiling light that’s on timer

texts: Porch ceiling light runs on timer inside front door, so on at a set time and off at a set time, I need to add an plug somewhere close to fixture for a security camera, how would I keep plug hot while porch light is off due to the timer ?


texts: Water coming in below sump pit corrugated pipe! Is this normal?

texts: I have water coming in from around the inlet pipe in my sump pit. I dont think i ever noticed it before. I live in Illinois and the house was built in 2001.


texts:
I have 3/8" wire that needs to be tight (not sagging) between two wooden posts with screw eyes. I don't want to purchase turnbuckles if I don't have to.

How can I pull them and then secure it with a crimp sleeve?

This is different to the other question because in the other one I was asking about regular polyester rope.


texts: Issue with Red wire to a remote controlled ceiling fan replacement (14/3 to 14/2 wires)

texts:
The Situation:  20 yr old Ceiling fan replacement with a remote controlled new fan.

I have two wall switches: one controls 3 ceiling canned lights in the kitchen and one provides power to the ceiling fan.  The old ceiling fan light and speed were controlled by pull chains.

New Ceiling fan:  Remote controlled.  Has a receiver with a black and white wire to connect to the ceiling wiring.  On the other side the receiver has a blue, black, white to connect to the ceiling fan motor.

The ceiling fan junction box has a 14/3 that is wired together with a 14/2 to bring power to the other 3 lights in the ceiling with the ceiling fan box in the middle.

The extra red wire goes to the one wall switch that controlled the power for the old ceiling fan.

I originally capped the red wire but I don't want to have to turn all lights on for the ceiling fan to work.

I want the one switch that has the red and black wire connected to it to control the power to the fan.  The remote will control everything else.

FYI: In the wall with the 2 switches, the white wire doesn't go to either switch, they are capped together in the back of the box.

I hope this makes sense.  I've seen contradicting info on the internet and hope someone here can advise me.

Red wire is capped in the ceiling box.  The blue and black from the fan go to the receiver.

The switch that's pulled out is the one that powered the original fan.  With the red wire capped at the ceiling only the canned lights switch on the right gave the new fan power.

Hope this helps.  And yes believe it or not, I have to tuck that receive in the hangar bracket!


texts: 1 generator + multiple ATSes: how can I install this to Code without unobtanium?

texts:
I want to supply standby power to both units in a separately metered duplex from a single permanently installed generator.  The cheapest way to do this is a pair of bog-standard ATSes and a smallish loadcenter to serve as a generator distribution board, vs. having independent generators for each unit.

However, is there a Code-legal way to implement this, given that residential/light-duty ATSes are not available with a switched neutral pole (for instance, you cannot get an Asco 185 with a switched neutral), and that 300.3(B)/310.10(H) likely prohibits parallel neutral paths, such as the one shown in the diagram below? (Hots and grounds are omitted for clarity wherever possible, and so is everything downstream of the ATSes.)


texts: Garage Door Opener, Power to Motor Will Not Turn Off

texts:
I have a Craftsman model 139.53600 garage door opener.  While closing the door, the motor did not turn off and jammed the trolley against the trolley stop.  The motor hums, gets hot, shuts off, cools and restarts the cycle.  The down limit switch does not turn off the power to the motor.  I unplugged the opener.
I released the door from the trolley and can operate the door manually. With the door released and the chain removed from the pulley, the motor runs in the direction to close the door.  Unplugging and plugging does not change the direction.  Pressing the wall switch pauses the motor, then it restarts in the same direction.
The gears are working properly and the down limit switch makes contact.
In recent years, I have had to adjust the down and up limit  switches several times a year to keep the door in the proper position.
I would appreciate guidance on how to fix the opener.


texts: Cannot determine which breaker has my 3 dead outlets on

texts: My wife cut through the extension cord while hedge trimming outside in front. It cut power to that particular GFCI outlet. There is another GFCI outlet in back also dead as well as standard receptacle in garage dead. There are no visible tripped circuit breakers. I reset (flipped off then on, making sure breakers are snug in the slots) ALL breakers in my panel. Did not help. Tried to reset the Test and Reset buttons on both GFCI receptacles, but pushing the reset buttons do not make test button pop back out. How can I find which breaker controls these outlets? Could all 3 outlets all be dead?


texts: Best method for fixing chips in laminate flooring

texts: I'm looking for recommendations or techniques to repair some chips on our "homeowner" installed laminate. We have several spots where the tapping block did some damage - we were limited on the boxes of product so we just have to live with our woopses. Any help or recommendations are welcome and appreciated.


texts: Why is my fan continuously running when A/C is selected?

texts:
I bought a home with a honeywell TB8220U1003 thermostat that automatically turns heat on and off with no issues if I have the setting (switch) on my furnace set to heat. In order for my cool to be activated, I need to manually switch my furnace from heat to vent (electric furnace). By doing this, my blower/fan runs continuously even though I have the fan setting on the thermostat and the furnace set to auto. Why won't the thermostat control the fan with the cool setting the same way as the heat? I am grasping at straws here and frustrated, the thermostat is supposed to do the work for me....please help if you can.
It is too dark outside at the moment to provide the make and model of my A/C unit but my furnace is  Chaudair, Federal Pioneer, Model NCEF-15, manufactured in October 1987 (electric). From the little research I have done, I believe I am running a 1H/1C conv unit.Is this something that I will just have to live with or is there a solution to this issue?


texts: How to I apply a 'standard clearcoat 30 sheen' to some unfinished hard maple

texts:
I have some hard maple stair tread which according to the manufacturer has a 'standard clearcoat 30 sheen'.

I also have the stair risers, also hard maple, but that are unfinished. I wish to apply an identical 'standard clearcoat 30 sheen'.

I have no idea what to get or how to go about this -

What finish do I buy at the hardware store?
What type of brush should I use.
Before applying the finish, what type of nail hole filler should I use?
Is there any other prep necessary?

EDIT:

Since it was requested, here is the part - with options: hard maple and clear finish


texts: What should I consider / know about before replacing with a Stab Lok GFCI breaker?

texts:
My mom's house (close to Detroit, MI) has a Federal Pacific panel and we want to replace the existing kitchen circuit breaker with Stab-Lok GFCI breaker. I want to add that I do understand and read all the questions/articles on Federal Pacific panel / buss bar / breaker issues. While we do understand that replacing a panel is the best & safest option out there, she is cash strapped at the moment and plans to upgrade the panel next year or so. Currently, she is in the middle of a small renovation that requires GFCI protection for more than one outlets. Also, the house was built in 1983 so we believe we have the 'safer' FPE panel.

Am I better off using a bunch of GFCI receptacles instead? Please advise on whether it is a good idea!


texts: Does the amount of light Blackout Curtains allow in reflect on its heat reflecting capabilities?

texts:
I bought some panels from the store today as my room upstairs lets in so much heat during the Summer. Previously I had a Tan colored curtain up for years that was 100% Polyester on the Face and the Lining. Link below:
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/hometrends-63-sheridan-blackout-rod-pocket-window-panel-taupe/6000196944980
The new one I just bought is a Black colored curtain that is just 100% Polyester on the lining. Link below:
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/mainstays-100-blackout-curtain-panel-pair-linen/6000200796676
The first curtain blocked a lot of light from coming in, whereas the new one blocks much much less so.
That isn't an issue for me. I can deal with that, it's just the heat I care about. Does it matter that more light is being allowed in with this curtain? Or is it doing its job from a heat perspective?
If this is also a terrible curtain and I should make an upgrade I am down, just looking for a quick option as there's nothing around here locally and I would have to order online to get it.


texts: Where should carbon monoxide detectors be located?

texts: How many carbon monoxide detectors are needed in a house and where is it best to place it? Is it better to place it close to the ground or close to the ceiling?


texts: Is this wall on the second floor a load bearing wall?

texts:
I am removing a small shower in my master bathroom in order to install a larger one.

I want to know if this wall is load bearing, I don't think so but i want to make sure.

There is no wall underneath it on the first floor.

[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/vWlzp.jpg


texts: Do I need both GFCI receptacle and GFCI breaker?

texts: When wiring new construction or remodel for lets say a bathroom or kitchen, it is determined you need GFCI receptacles in wet prone areas. But do you need a GFCI breaker plus GFCI outlets on the same circuit? Wouldn't it be ideal to have AFCI breaker with GFCI receptacles to have both forms of protection?


texts: Can an HRV replace the air exhausted by a range hood?

texts:
I'm in the process of buying a 1950s ranch house. It doesn't have the greatest insulation, so I'm planning to do some improvements over the first few years to tighten things up. I'll certainly do the basics (expanding foam in window openings, gaskets behind outlet/switch covers, rigid foam sealed with expanding foam along the rim joists in the basement, an extra foot or more of insulation in the attic, rigid foam on the basement walls, new weatherstripping where needed). I live in Michigan, so we do have a real winter with snow, and a few days in the summer where it will get hot enough to turn on the AC, so anything to save money on energy bills is great.

I've been reading about the issues you can run into when you seal up a home TOO tight, such that you don't have enough fresh air in the house. I'm not sure I'm going to run into these, but then I'm not sure how good a job I'll be able to do with the above-mentioned improvements. If it comes to it, installing an Energy Recovery Ventilator or Heat Recovery Ventilator (ERV or HRV) is something that I would consider in the future.

All of this leads me to my main question: I like to cook. I would like to put in a fairly powerful range (nothing huge, though; I don't need six burners and a griddle), and will need a hood that can carry smoke, heat, steam, grease, etc. from cooking out of the house. I don't want absurd overkill, but I don't want my smoke detectors going off when I roast a chicken. It looks like I will be looking at hoods around 650-800 CFM (see my other question).

The air that goes out the hood has to come from somewhere. Will an HRV flow extra intake air if there is a pressure imbalance caused by extra air being exhausted elsewhere in the house? Will it flow enough extra intake air to supply the hood I'll need for the above? Chances are, I'm not going to have the hood on high unless I'm cooking something that produces a lot of heat/smoke, or cooking for lots of people (things I do regularly, but not every day). Would it OK to run the fan on low/medium most of the time, and open a window when I need to turn it up? Or do I need to look into providing dedicated make-up air?

Am I just over-thinking all of this and I'll be fine because there's no way I'll ever be able to seal an existing house up enough that this is a concern?


texts: Replacing old ceiling fan with light with a simple dimmer switch!

texts:
I have 4 blue wires and one yellow wire in a wire nut on the right side as your looking at the box and 2 blue wires on the left!  My dimmer switch has 2 black wires on the top in the back and 1 green on the bottom!!
How do I wire this dimmer switch????


texts: Need help finding an obscure and difficult to find seal for my leaking Shower Cubicle

texts:
Hopefully someone here will be able to help me in my search for a new seal for my shower cubicle. There appears to be a slot where one should fit but when searching DIY suppliers I haven't been able to find one that looks like it would fit. Everything I find seems to be seals for the bottom of glass shower screens.

I have contacted a number of specialist online retailers who deal in shower seals but none have said they stock a seal that would fit.

Is it possible that it is a custom part for this shower cubicle only? FYI, I live in the UK and this is a shower cubicle fitted to my apartment which was built around 2002.

The picture below shows the inside of my shower door and the groove where I think a seal should go but has probably been removed by a previous tenant.

Any pointers of where to look and what I'm looking for very much appreciated.

Edit: I looked again and the channel is flowing the water into the side of the door frame it is splashing up and collecting in the groove along the bottom of the door frame as shown int he picture below. It is this that is overflowing and leaking. Is there suppose to be some sealant of some kind in this groove?


texts: Why would Central AC, Fridge & Pool Pump All Fail Within 3 Days?

texts:
Could this be systemic?  Something in the electrical system for instance?  Or is it likely coincidental?

HVAC repair says they can't find a leak but the freon is very low and was fully charged in September.  It is 4 ton a/c unit split system with furnace from 1998.

Refrigerator repair says it needs a new board of some kind and that it will take 2 weeks to get one. GE Profile fridge from 2004.

Pool pump is not diagnosed yet. It did have low pool water level earlier in the week causing air to be sucked in.  Pump made a weird whining sound so I shut it off.

Should I have house electric checked?


texts: Need a way to rotate a chandelier *without* rotating its mounting point

texts:
I've just installed a chandelier at the bottom of a staircase.  I do not like the current orientation of the chandelier.  I would like the side nearest one wall to be parallel to that wall, but it currently is not.  So, I need to rotate the chandelier.  Here's the problem...  The chandelier is mounted to a retrofit Westinghouse fan safe-t-brace.  That brace is necessarily perpendicular to the joists, and the junction box can be installed on the brace in one orientation only (actually two orientations, but they are equivalent by symmetry).  The chandelier bracket mounts to the junction box in only one way, likewise, the chandelier mounts to that bracket by two screws in a fixed position.  Rather long winded way of saying, there is no way to rotate the fixture at its mount point.

So, I need to either fashion a new mounting bracket with slots that allow for rotation, or somehow adjust the orientation by twisting up the chain and fixing it somehow....  But I doubt that would be accurate.  Any gizmo or technique I can use here?  Thanks!


texts: What could cause my boiler to ignite 3 times then goes off?

texts: My boiler ignites 3 times then goes off but the boile people came round and said it was the switch but after they went we turned the switch on and it worked but it goed on for like a minute and goes off i dont know what to do? We got a new board put in 3 years ago? its quite annoying because i have asthma which means the cold affects my chest.


texts: Does this wiring look normal? If so, how can I connect a porch light to it?

texts:
I'm getting ready to (finally) connect a porch light for my outdoor office.  The overall wiring looks like this:

1) A sub-panel outside feeds a circuit into the shed:

2) The line goes from the shed to an outlet and then a set of two switches:

3) One switch is intended to control a port light. The other switch is intended to go to an overhead light:

4) If I examine the junction box where the porch light is, I see this:

Specifically:

Two green wires (ground) connected together with a wirenut.
To white wires (neutral?) connected together with a wirenut.
One red and one black (hot?) connected together with a wirenut.
A single black (hot?) connected together with a wirenut.

The wiring installation instructions are remarkably sparse.  It's one page that literally just has this:

So, I have several questions:

1) Which of the two black connections should I attach the black fixture wire too? I would assume the single black supply wire?

2) Can/should I attach the white fixture wire to the set of two white wires (making it a set of 3)?

3) The ground wire from the port light is quite literally bare wire/cable.  Should I attach that to the green bundle? Or is that not appropriate?


texts: Wire switches so fan comes on with lights

texts:
My bathroom has a light, an exaust fan, and two switches.  Someone before me rewired it so one switch controls the lights and fan together, the other does nothing.

I know how to switch it back to one switch each, but what I really want to do is set it up so:

Switch A turns on the light and fan.
Switch B just turns on the fan.

That way we could leave the exaust fan running when needed without having to leave the lights on, but nobody could forget to turn it in when they take a shower (unless they shower in the dark).

Is there some way I can wire it to do that?


texts: Why does my gas water heater's pilot light go out when I replace the outer door?

texts:
I have a 9 year old Bradford White gas water heater, model MI403S6FBN4. The pilot light went out today, and when I went to re-light it, it stays lit while the pilot button is held down, and it stays lit after I turn the switch to the ON position. However, it goes out immediately when I replace the outer door (which covers the viewing window). The metal of the door seems to be tripping what is, according to the online manual, the "Nat. Gas Resettable Thermal Switch". I've read a bit online and this seems to be a safety device, so I've turned the gas off to the water heater and left it unlit, but what causes that switch to trip, and what needs to be done to fix the issue? Or does the switch just need to be replaced?

My furnace is also gas and also has a safety device to snuff the pilot light in case it detects gas outside the combustion chamber, but it hasn't tripped. I called the gas company, they came out and didn't detect any gas in the air (I thought I smelled it but it was actually some urethane smell or something), so it wasn't the presence of gas that was causing it.


texts: Do I need to caulk where my vinyl siding meets the edge of my windows?

texts: To help prevent leaks, I was advised by a contractor that I need to caulk where my vinyl siding meets the edges of my windows.  Some research of my own reveals quite a bit of debate over this, a few saying that the caulking will wear out fast because of the expansion/contraction of the siding.  Others say that, if the vinyl is installed properly, caulking is a superfluous measure of protection.  I am wondering what SE has to say on the matter.


texts: Is it a good idea to repair a squeaky floor from above?

texts:
I have a second floor that squeaks, a lot.

Attempts at using scored screws haven't helped much, and the carpet is due for replacement, so there is little concern about pulling it up.

A contractor has mentioned that approaching the floor from below will be quite expensive, as it would be a sizeable amount of sheetrock to replace on the ceiling below.  Considering the carpet replacement, he recommends cutting up the flooring from above and replacing the plywood decking with new that will be secured to wood screwed in to the existing joists.

Is this a typical approach?  Perhaps there is more that was unsaid, and if so, what might be his concerns?

The room also suffers from a severe lack of sound proofing to the floor below which features the TV.  He feels we can also install sound dampening insulation from above while doing the work.

Assuming that everything goes as well as could be wished, what items should I be looking for to raise or calm my concerns?


texts: My Ceiling fan light in my bedroom keeps going out.  I changed the bulb and it worked for a few days and went out again.  I changed it again and days later it went out again.  The ceiling fan itself runs fine so I am not sure if I need to call an electrician or go from a 40W to a 60W bulb.


texts:
I'm trying to take apart an old bed frame. The fasteners are square head bolts, but they're tucked away with only 1/2" of clearance to access them.

I can't find square head bits shorter than an inch, so I've got no idea how it was put together in the first place.

Is there such a tool out there?


texts: What is the meaning of the letters on the top of a common hex bolt?

texts:
I recently drilled and tapped a 5/16"-18 in a piece of soft steel, then found that the 5/16"-18 bolt I had chosen wouldn't fit (the bolt was slightly too large).  When I found that other 5/16"-18 bolts fit just fine, I got curious and eventually tried every 5/16"-18 bolt that I had.  I was amazed to find thirteen different sets of letters (and sometimes numbers).

The one bolt marked "AKD" was slightly too big to fit.  Of the four marked "HKT", two fit and two did not (too big).  All the others fit just fine (though with slightly differing amounts of slop); they were marked "AFE", "AHB", "AKD", "AMD", "BL", "FH", "HBJ", "HBN", "HBS", "HHW", "HKT", "307A CYI", and "307A JZ".  A few had no letters at all.  I got these bolts at different times and places over an unknown number of years, at various hardware stores and big home centers.  They are all steel, not galvanized, not stainless (as far as I know), and all the threads are the same (18).  None of the heads bear any of the lines that are supposed to identify the grade.

I've been searching the internet, and I found many sites that claim to explain these codes, but so far none of them include the codes I found on my bolts.  Can anyone point me to a comprehensive reference for these codes?


texts:
I guess this one is two questions:

Can I replace this shower drain?
Assuming I can, how do I go about doing it?

Some background. We've just moved into an older property and are slowly fixing bits of it. The shower seems prone to clogging, and I think this might be down to my wifes long hair getting down the shower drain. The drain itself looks a bit odd to me. It has a raised upper circular dish with a screw through the center that screws into a central pillar within the drain itself. See the images below.

The design is such that you can't stop hair from sliding down the drain, so ideally I'd like to replace the upper "screwed in" bit of the drain with something with a grill or grid that will catch hair. Anyone know how to go about doing this? Google has not been much help.


texts: How to troubleshoot "refrigerator power goes off occasionally but comes back on when I cycle power switch off and back on"?

texts:
Refrigerator power occasionally goes off (lightbulbs are off, and apparently everything else though I haven't tested with a multimeter or anything) but comes back on when I cycle power switch off and back on. (Added due to comments: Yes it has a switch; along the top, where the compressor, condenser, etc. are, behind a panel.) It is a KitchenAid brand "built-in" style side-by-side fridge-freezer, about 12 years old.

I don't know if it has ever come back on by itself, but it has remained unpowered as long as a few hours.
By "occasionally" I mean I've found it unpowered 3 or 4 times in a few weeks.

How can I find  the cause or determine what will fix it?


texts: bedroom door will not close after hinges werre changed

texts: my son kicked his bedroom from the inside and the hinges were bent forward. I changed the hinges and now the door doesn't close there is a 1/4 in between the hinges when you close the door. I just try to do things myself but I wanted to see if anyone has some suggestions thank you Kay South


texts: What can I use for a water supply for my electric hot water heater?

texts: I want to move my hot water heater to the porch by my washing machine.  Can I use the same water supply lines that are used for my washer?


texts: How can I take this kitchen faucet apart?

texts: The hot water on my kitchen faucet recently started dripping. I haven't a clue what make or model it is, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to take it apart to get at the seat and springs. Can anybody help identify it or give my some hints on where I might find a model numbers, so I can find instructions to take it apart? Or, any suggestions on how to get it apart?


texts: Can not find the circuit breaker without power

texts: I have an outdoor outlet that when I came home, the cover was open.  The outlet is dead.  The GFCI is in the master bathroom and another is in the other bathroom and both are dead.  When I push the master bathroom reset, it goes on and immediately goes off.  I purchased a circuit breaker finder but it doesn't work if there is no power to the outlet.  All circuit breakers were turned off and back on and I have no idea how to find the correct breaker to shut it off to remove and replace the outside outlet.  Any advice?


texts: Can you add another stove to an existing circuit?

texts:
Suppose you wanted to put a second oven next to the existing oven in your kitchen. Could you simply add a second receptacle to the circuit?

Hypothetically speaking, suppose your stoves were a Kenmore 970-678534, and a C970-502123, and your circuit had a 40AMP breaker and I'm not sure what the gauge the wire is, but it's fat, much fatter than the dryer cable. Hypothetically.


texts: Should I ask if wall was inspected for moisture?

texts: My Mother lives in a community where the maintenance crew is supposed to maintain the grounds and outside of the condo buildings. I submitted a work order, because some of the wood panels on the outside of the condo were bent outward where they met with the deck. When I found out that the crew nailed the boards down, I asked via email if the wall underneath was inspected for moisture before the boards were nailed (since there were openings where the boards were warped). It has been two weeks, but I haven't received a response. Am I being too picky by asking that? It seems like any professional would have checked.


texts:
Really need some help. I was working on the wiring of my home air conditioning and managed to mess up the low voltage wiring.  I was installing a wifi thermostat and opened the panel to add a blue wire.  Discovered a lot of corrosion on the terminals.  I took a picture and proceeded to clean each terminal.  Well long story short.  My photo wasn't clear enough for me to get all the wires back where they belong.

I'm pretty sure I got the thermostat wires correct, what has me baffled is the low voltage wires to run the outside compressor.  My thermostat has power, the fan has power,  but I can't get the compressor outside to run.

I did some testing, and got the compressor fan to turn on, but it's not making cold air.  So I undid the wires.

Question is.  I have two low voltage wires that go to my outside compressor.  What should the connect to on my terminal panel.

I've attachéd a photo.  Notice the two wires on the side to my compressor.  It's a trane that's at least 10 years old.  It's a electric furnace and single stage ac, in south Florida.

Thank you.


texts: What needs to be replaced for correct eaves / roof edge?

texts:
The last homeowner installed a patio roof - connecting support beams to the roof structure. It was a very flat roof -- that had lots of problems.
I'd repaired it on multiple occasions - however, looking closer revealed underlying problems that could not be readily remedied.
In short, the patio cover is being removed (by me) and being replaced with a free standing patio cover (by a professional).

The patio professional has agreed to replace the fascia and soffits.

However, I need to fix some of the rotting roofing on the edge before he does this. I've done roof repair before - but nothing on the edge. I don't know what I don't know about getting the edges ready and fixed and what they need.

It looks as if the previous homeowner just removed the fascia board and nailed the patio rafters to the roof rafters.
My thought is to simply remove patio beams he added, fix the roof decking, tar paper and shingles on the edge, and let the patio expert fix the fascia. What am I missing? what about eaves and the drip edge? Don't they need to be done before I can replace the roofing?


texts: Can I cut out a blister in my drywall joint and add more tape to the small section?

texts:
The only reason I am asking is because i used Durabond and getting the tape fully off of this small 6" section is going to likely damage the drywall. With 50 inside corners and a ton of butt seams i missed a few small blisters. Any advice?
I removed the tape from 1 blister and had to dig and scratch at it. Got the tape and then some. Wondering if a 2nd piece of small tape is OK. the air pocket would be gone of course


texts: Should I add a second main branch to this water supply layout?

texts:
This image roughly represents the layout of a renovation house that I am working on. Due to a few layout changes and the plumbing nightmare that I inherited (a maze of piping, inaccessible shut-off valves, sloppy soldering), I am planning on re-plumbing most of the house. I attempted to search for some easy-to-understand articles and images regarding branch systems and pipe sizing but I didn't come up with anything that I found as very helpful.

My main question here is, should I use a single supply line (as indicated by the solid darker blue line) or should I end the bathroom line and add a second supply line (indicated by the dashed dark blue line) back to the kitchen and downstairs half-bath? Dark blue represents 3/4 copper pipe and light blue represents 1/2 copper pipe.

What would be the advantages and disadvantages of each layout?


texts: Will a 4", 100CFM bathroom exhaust fan work with 3" exhaust duct?

texts:
The bathroom is 112x80x96, the duct to outside will be 3-4' at max
This is a 100CFM 25W, 4" fan
The only reason why I want to buy this one is because it has humidity sensor and timer for under 90CAD...
I could use an adapter installed near the opening in the wall since the ceiling is open but not sure if that will diminish the side effects of the diameter mismatch between fan and duct
I wouldn't like to increase that opening in the wall


texts: If I am planning to install this spot light on the ground (in dirt), are support beams or things like that required or can I just place this in the dirt and it would be fine?


texts: Should I leave an oil water heater turned on while away on vacation?

texts:
I turned off my oil hot water heater during a four week vacation. When it was turned back on, the T&P valve leaked and flooded the basement.

Why did this happen? should I just leave the burner on while away?


texts: The bottom of my plumbing stack is rusting heavily. Do I need to replace it?

texts:
I noticed the bottom of my drainage stack (where the pipe meets the concrete in my basement) is rusting badly. Do I need to replace it?

It looks like the PVC might just be going through an old connection, but I didn't install this, so I don't know for sure.


texts: 3-way switch and top only hot outlet troubleshooting

texts:
We're trying to fix some electrical issues done by our house's previous owners and while doing so, somehow we lost the ability to control the top half of our outlets using a light switch. Long story short, this is an older house that has aluminum wiring but the previous owners had connected copper-only outlets, which had started to become corroded so we wanted to switch out everything to CO/ALR switches and outlets.

While switching the switches and outlets, I tried to be intentional about wiring the everything the exact same. When I finally got everything reconnected, every outlet in this room is hot all the time now (compared to the previous "top-only" set up prior to changing). I can't figure out what's different with my set up compared to the previous set up.

Today, it dawned on me that I didn't remove the tab on the bronze side of the outlets so I removed it on two of the outlets (see diagram). These outlets are still fully hot all the time.

Please see the diagram below (sorry it's so poorly drawn). This is how (I think) everything is connected, based on what I can see. The upper left has a single light switch that toggles the patio light on and off. Next to it is a 3-way switch which should turn the top half of the outlets on and off. Notice, I only cut the tabs as indicated in the purple text. The black wiring seems to be connecting each outlet's bottom together and the red seems to be connecting the top. There are white/gray wires connecting the neutral side of each outlet as well.

The empty box must have contained another 3-way switch at one point but it's capped off at this time. The black and white wires are connected together and the red is capped by itself.

Note: This is meant to be a top-down visual of the room's 3 walls, notice the "floor" text indicating where the floor is relative to the switch/outlet.

So my question is, what is wrong with my current set up that is preventing the top-only outlets from working? Do all outlets between both 3-way switches need to have that tab cut in order to work?

Sorry again for the poor illustration, I hope it's a little comprehensible.

---EDIT-----
I snipped the tab on the right and left wall outlets and also forgot to include the left wall as part of the 3-way switch scenario. So every outlet is snipped but the bottom wall (I think this was previously left tabbed because one of the old outlets still had their tab)

Here's a link to the photos:
https://imgur.com/a/4pZ0NeW


texts: Floor to Ceiling wall mirror - Wallpaper?

texts: What can we do to this bathroom wall with floor to ceiling mirror?   Looking to do a quick makeover - not wanting to pull the mirror off and patch the drywall.    We are considering peel-and-stick wallpaper over the mirror as a quick fix.  What kind of prep would be needed? I assume cleaning, light sanding with 400, then a primer?   What kind of primer?


texts: No hot water after teeing to outside spigot

texts:
I recently saw an outside cold and hot water spigot on This Old House.  After checking out prices, I decided I'd make my own redneck warm water spigot by bringing a hot water line close to the outlet and teeing into the cold water line.  It worked ok, the water out of the spigot was warm enough to wash off without gasping for air.  However, the house no longer has hot water unless the spigot is running....

I believe this is due to an overall pressure reduction of the water running through the hot water heater. It must be easier for the cold water to run back through my new tee into the hot water line then for it to run through the hot water heaters...

I installed a valve on the hot water line prior to the new tee, and when closed hot water is restored to the house.

I realize I could solve this situation by either doing it right... or by installing a back-flow preventer, but I'm now curious why this doesn't occur at existing facets, showers, bath tubs, etc.?  Do the valves on those components contain back flow preventers?  Specifically the ones that only have a single handle, it makes sense if you have two separate valves why the water would not mix.

Here's a quick drawing of the system before the valve was installed:


texts: Do gfci's have to be on a 20 amp circuit, or can they be on a 15A?

texts: Do GFCIs have to be on a 20 amp circuit? Also if you use the receptacle type GFCI, do you just need one in a circuit or do all receptacles have to be GFCI?


texts: Can I accelerate caulk drying by using a fan or heater on it?

texts:
From what I've found online, caulking takes 24-48 hours to dry. For my purposes, I need to apply caulking to my kitchen sink.

However, I am in a time crunch, so I would like to know how caulking dries. Specifically, can the dry time be sped up to less than 24 hours if I direct some fans at the caulking? Can apply a heat fan help too?


texts:
I want to light an entire room (~300sqft) using light strips as there is no wiring available for traditional lights. I want to make 3 rectangles on the ceiling ("zones") that I can control individually with Alexa. I have a few questions about doing this.

Is it possible to light a room with LED Light Strips
What accessories do I need to install light strips? (e.g. power adaptor, connectors for led strips, etc.)
Considering I am trying to use these strips as a primary source of light which is best: RGB, RGBW or White?
Could I connect 2 of these light strips together to extend
the strip?


texts: On a thermostat, are "R" and "Rh" terminals the same thing?

texts:
I have an older thermostat controlling an old ass Trane furnace with A/C. It has an "R" terminal and an "Rc" terminal (they are jumpered - see photo). I see references to an
"Rh" terminal online. Are "R" and "Rh" terminals the same thing? This video refers to connecting the other external transformer wire to an "Rh" terminal and I am confused.


texts: Repairing a leaking 1/2" shut off gate valve under kitchen sink

texts: Which is the proper washer to repair a 1/2" shut off gate valve: rubber, fiber or nylon? The valve is a cheap home depot product. I tried  a flat thick rubber washer; it held for about 5 minutes then started spraying from around the washer. Also should I use thread tape or compound on the threads of the valve before putting it back together?


texts: If I can smell my trash in my garage from the room above it, should I be concerned about other vapors?

texts:
We just bought a new construction home. We have some trash in our garage bin that does have a potent smell, but I assumed it'd stay confined to the garage. This evening while putting my daughters to bed, I noticed I could smell the trash faintly throughout their room - I could smell it enough to know it was the trash from the garage though.

It seems if the vapors from a trash bin can reach through their floor (literally directly above the garage -- we can feel the garage door vibrate in their floor), other more harmful vapors (co2 from the car? vapors from hot water heater?) could seep in too.

Should I be concerned about this?


texts: Shopvac drywall attachment too restrictive?

texts:
I have :

5HP 16Gal. Shopvac
 A drywall vacuum attachment , to suck up the dust while sanding.
 a brand new filter ( made for fine particles like dust)

The Problem :

When I start the vacuum, it seems okay.. but quickly slows down and starts to smell like it's overheating.

Should I not be using this powerful of a shop vac?  I attempted to adjust the holes on the attachment, but to no avail (no instructions are given).
  I'm thinking perhaps I need to open up the back port (exhaust port) .. would that help?


texts: One shower runs out of water in 7min.. Other stays hot forever!

texts: I live in an apartment complex where the rooms/bathrooms are identical, and there is one gas water heater for each unit. My shower will stay hot as long as I want it to, but my roommate has to rush through her showers just to keep it lukewarm. We don't shower at the same time or run anything else that uses the water at the same time. Can anyone help us figure out why this is a problem with only one shower?


texts: Why did the bottom water heater element fail before the top when run empty?

texts:
I rather stupidly drained my electric water heater without shutting the power off.
When I refilled it, it did not heat, which is expected. I assumed I blew the top heating element as it drained, which would have then shut off the bottom heating element or perhaps both would blow.
However, when I took out a multimeter to test, the top heating element seems OK (set to 2kΩ registers .01), whereas the bottom seems shot (registered 1.5).
I am worried I am misunderstanding something though, as I don't see how draining a water tank can cause the bottom heating element to fail, while leaving the top one intact. It seems like either both need to blow, or just the top.
Do I have my interpretation of the multimeter reading backward? Any insight would be very much appreciated.


texts: Use 10 inch network patch panel with 19 inch switch

texts:
I have 10 network outlets throughout the house that terminate in the basement. I got a 16-port switch for them to plug into, going via a 12-port patch panel.

I can't figure out how I'm supposed to rack mount the patch panel and the switch as they're different sizes:

The switch comes with brackets to mount it in a 19-inch rack, but I can't find a way to mount the patch panel in the same rack. I can buy a 10-inch cabinet, but then I have nowhere to put the switch (and I can't find any switch that would fit in a 10-inch rack).

Is there a standard way to adapt a 10-inch device to a 19-inch rack? Or an I stuck with improvising my own bracket? (or buying a bigger patch panel?)

Update 26th April: I went for a new 19-inch patch panel, and put the lot into a 6U cabinet for good measure.


texts:
Not sure what exactly the line of thought was here, but my bathroom walls were painted with flat paint. While there is a fan in the bathroom, I'm not exactly sure how well its working, as it seems that the moisture from taking showers is not able to escape properly. This has led to both mold and the paint cracking (surprise, surprise):

It's pretty rampant throughout the bathroom:

I'm not exactly sure what to do about it, since it seems to be a recurring problem. After we clean it, it just reappears a few months down the line.

Now that the paint's cracking, I'm debating what to do. I was thinking of just cleaning off the mold with bleach/anti-mold treatment, then just painting over the entire ceiling with high-gloss white paint, but now that the paint is cracking, I'm really not sure what to do. I don't want this to turn into a huge project, but I'd like to solve the problem once and for all if possible. What should I do?


texts: How to line up Tees when connecting brass fittings?

texts: I'm making a fire pit burner because the type I want is $1500+ and the materials amount to about $200 for diy. I need to make sure that when I tighten all the fittings that the fittings and pipes all lay on the same plane. The specific amount of torque that I've always been told to use is "good-n-tight" for brass fittings. When assembling this thing, do I hand tighten until snug and then tighten to the desired position? Or do I over tighten to the desired position? I plan on using yellow tape because the temp of the burner shouldn't exceed the temperature tolerance ptfe. The design is meant to be something like the "warming trends" cross fire inserts. I probably won't tape the jets.


texts: Identifying what material this ceiling is made out of

texts:
I am in the process of re-modelling my old bathroom and I had the ceiling removed today. It wasn't until I put the debris in the skip that I thought I have no idea what sort of material is inside it so I don't know if I'm even allowed to put it in the skip.
I took the one piece I put in the skip out and put it to one side just in case. My brother also grinded through it using an angle grinder with no ppe.
Is there something I should do to minimize my risk of anything bad I.E throw away clothes I was wearing if the material contains asbestos or something. I have uploaded a picture of the stuff.
Can I send it to a lab in the post providing it is securely wrapped or would I have to drop it off myself if I were to have it tested?


texts: What reasons are there to rewire an ungrounded circuit instead of adding GFCI protection?

texts:
The NEC allows replacing non-grounding-type (2-prong) receptacles with grounding-type (3-prong) receptacles by adding GFCI protection at the breaker or first outlet.

What reasons might there be for wanting to upgrade the circuit wiring to include an equipment grounding conductor (EGC) instead of, or in addition to, adding GFCI protection? (alluded to in this answer)

Specifically, I'm curious about:

Safety - In what scenarios does an EGC provide protection (from electric shock, fires, etc.) where a GFCI does not?
Can an EGC help prevent damage to computer or audio equipement?
Could an EGC reduce noise/static from audio equipment?


texts: Need to determine the correct start capacitor for hvac unit

texts: I need to replace the start capacitor in my HVAC unit and I don't see any identifiable markings on it. This unit also has a heat pump. I believe this start cap is for the heater. I found the part numbers on the manufacture website but they 6 different models. How do I determine which one is correct? Here are the pictures of my model and the parts available. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
I have a Honeywell thermostat with M-F schedule like so...

6:30 am (wake) - 70
6:45 am (leave) - 63
4:00 pm (return) - 70
9:00 pm (sleep) - 63

The Honeywell actually displays wake, leave, return, sleep when setting it. Now at 5am this morning, the target temperature was 70 degrees and it was heating the house!

Is this normal, is it trying to take 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to 70 degrees?  (This seems wrong...I don't want it to start heating until the wake time is hit TBH).
If that is wrong, is there a factory reset (as clearly this thing is way SCREWED up)?