texts: Oven Hood Light Fixture Borked - Help Please

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Country: Canada

I was replacing my oven hood light fixtures with LED bulbs. One of the LED bulbs swapped in no problem. The other LED bulb was having trouble getting contact and subsequently a current. So I brute forced it a bit and out came the bulb with the thread assembly as well.

Here are some pictures: https://imgur.com/a/zJEsH

As you can see the thread portion (gold) was attached to the socket with two (rivet like) structures. These two structures snapped off and brought the whole thread assembly out of the hood fixture.

I tried putting a couple of different light bulbs into the bare socket to see if the light would work by touching the contact but the bulbs would not work.
Have I totally borked the socket? Is there any way for me to fix it? Is there any way for an electrician to fix this?


texts: Can I use bolts to attach a bed to the walls of my room?

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I plan on mounting my bed to the walls of my room. You can say that it will look like a loft bed without the legs. To make it look like it really is floating, I won't be using angle brackets. Instead, I plan on mounting the frame using multiple relatively long and thick bolts.

The bolts will go through the frames instead of under it like with brackets. The house is made of concrete so I'm pretty sure the walls can take the load of the bed, me, and lots more. The wood that will be used will be wood that is normally used for making beds so I'm pretty sure it can handle my weight too.

First Problem

My problem is if the bolts can withstand all the weight and transfer them to the wall. I will use thick enough and long enough bolts for these. How thick and how long exactly, I'm still not sure. Please look at the diagram below to see what I'm trying to say.

If you are wondering why I'm only bolting the bed on the short sides of the frame, that's because the back wall (which one of the long frames is touching) has a window in it (at best, I might be able to put a few more bolts near the corners). The bed frame is made using 1" x 4" pieces of wood. I also plan on making the frame capable of being disassembled.

Do you think this is feasible? If so, how long and thick should the bolts be? Is 3/8" thick enough? Is 4 inches long enough (I can get longer bolts if necessary)? What material should the bolt be made of? How many should I use?

Second problem

My next problem would be is that the walls of my room are not parallel with each other so a rectangular bed won't be touching the walls on both the short sides. See the diagram below to see what I'm saying:

As you can see, the left side of the bed isn't fully touching the wall. While I can still attach the frame to the wall, I don't like seeing any space in between. I think the space in between would be an inch or so at its widest.

First thing I've thought of doing is to just make the frame adapt to the shape of the room. Can anyone suggest a better solution to this as I would rather have a rectangular bed just so that I won't have an irregularly shaped bed when I move it or convert it to a regular one.

Another solution I've thought of is to make a wedge that will fit the space. I'm not sure though if that's an easy task (by the way, I will hire professionals to make the bed). Another is I can just make a small piece of wood to cover the front side of the space. This is easier than making a wedge but I don't think it's pretty to look at from below or over the bed.

What do you guys think?


texts: Building a ledger for indoor use with with some cut to size 2 by 4s, should I stain or paint them?

texts: I'm builduig a ledger for indoor use (to support a work surface) with with some 2 by 4s cut to size, my question is, should I stain or paint them to protect them? for spills etc, or is staining indoor wood purely for cosmetic reasons?


texts: Installing a replacement window in new construction scenario

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I am replacing a wood window that was build in the early 1900's.  The original installation was really odd, it was mounted in place by the trim boards.  Two nails on the outside of the trim into a stud and two nails into the wood window frame were all that held it in place.  I ordered a replacement window but before I install it I need to cover and seal the 2x4's that are in place, right?  I am thinking I need to put some flashing over the studs and then put some 1x6 around the perimeter of the window, then install from there.  Am I on the right path with this?  I am fairly handy but this was my first window replacement so the installation curve ball is throwing me off.

I found the link below about a guy that has done this before but it seemed a bit confusing.

https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/making-replacement-windows-into-new-construction-windows.152909/


texts: I teak-oiled my table, and put the teak oil can in my sink. There's now a can-shaped ring of dried teak oil in my stainless steel sink. Also some on my granite counter top. Question: what should I do?


texts: How can I recondition aluminum door sills?

texts: I have three prehung doors with built-in aluminum door sills.  They are 15-20 years old and starting to look kinda crappy.  I've tried cleaning them with household cleaners but it didn't improve the appearance much.  One is between my LR and a newly renovated 3-season porch so the bad appearance really contrasts with and detracts from the new floor.  Any thoughts on making them look better?  I suspect paint would not wear well.


texts: How to address minor mold problem in paint prep

texts: A little bit of localized roof leaking occurred over the winter above the bathroom.  We have addressed the roof problem, so no leaking is occurring any more, but now I'm getting ready to paint the bathroom.  One ceiling corner has a bit of mold around the corner.  How should I prepare this area before painting?


texts: What's the right connector for connecting #12 solid copper to #14 stranded?

texts: Still working on installing my exhaust fan. It required a dedicated 20A circuit so I ran #12 copper. The wiring from the unit appears to be #14 stranded. It's also silver colored but I don't know if that means it's aluminum. I need to connect one #12 wire to each of the #14s (so two wires per connector). What's the right connector to use for this?


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I'd like to make myself a lighting control that would schematically look like this:

I don't know a lot about dimmers, but I heard they have some parameters which might prevent them from working. I'd like to have three dimmers, two of which would control their own branch of lamps (incandescent only, I hate all other lamps atm), and the one that would control both. I assume all dimmers have an option that completely cuts power, because I need that at least on the main dimmer (leftmost on the picture).

What kinds of dimmers (exact parameters are welcome) do I need to use with a maximum of five (on each branch) 75w incandescent lamps?

I wouldn't like this question closed, so I'm adding that this should not only work with exactly (5 + 5) × 75w incandescent lamps, but a maximum of that quantity to include all variants with less lamps, as I believe it should work with equipment required for maximum load (but I am prepared to be corrected on that).


texts: Can I do multiple neutrals and potentially make a bad situation worse?

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I'm a new homeowner looking to swap the 2-gang (switch) light/exhaust fan combo in my bathroom for a wifi-enabled version. When I pulled the existing switch out, I noticed something quite interesting:

The hot wires to the light/fan are independent
No ground was connected
The two white neutrals are wire-nutted together to a single neutral.

I'd still like to install the wifi-switch, which requires a neutral. Based on previous threads here, I'm not sure if I could

A. Add a third white neutral from the wifi-switch at the wire-nut
B. Ignore the neutrals from the light/fan and just cable up the switch
C. Other

Thank you


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I'm repainting a room and noticed that the paint was chipping off (and was even bubbly) in one of the corners just above the baseboard. It wasn't wet but to me it looked like evidence of past moisture. I chipped some of that top layer off without looking too much into it. I spackled the corner and when I started sanding it the next day, I noticed that the spackle didn't dry and almost all of it fell out while sanding. I also noticed that the wall was cold (wouldn't call it wet to the touch). I've decided that I will need to cut out a piece of the drywall in that corner to inspect what is happening inside. The room is on the second floor and that corner is protruding in the air as seen in the photos.

House is located in southeast PA. At the moment it's cold around here (usually just around 32). Hasn't rained in a week or so. No evidence of wetness outside so I'm wondering if there is a weep hole that Is allowing the cold air to get in. I'm hoping to not leave the wall open for longer than I have to and that is why I'm posting here before I start.

I will check the insulation in the two walls as the walls converge to the corner.
I will also check to feel any cold holes. If I find that there is air coming in, would it be enough to get some kind of a wood caulk or sealer, and seal the corner joint from the inside?

Edit: Opened up the drywall - no evidence of wetness. I did notice a draft from the corner I guess. applied some insulating foam to that so hopefully that will help in the future. Thanks for the advice!


texts: Can you charge Bosch 18V batteries from your car?

texts: I'm trying to find out if Bosch or someone else makes a charger for their 18V cordless tools that can charge from the cigarette lighter (actually from a solar panel that has a 12V cigarette lighter adapter). So far my searches have been unsuccessful, does anyone here know if there's something out there other than using their 120V charger with a power inverter that can do the trick?


texts: Can you install hardwood floors on a concrete slab?

texts: I was told the slab is like a sponge and the moisture would ruin the floor.


texts: Material for water feed line on furnace humidifier. Latex required?

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The water feed line on my furnace humidifier that connects to the pad started leaking, so I need to replace it.  The original was made latex 1/4" OD tubing, but the store doesn't have that size and the latex tubing they do have is MUCH more expensive than vinyl tubing.

My questions:

Is it a problem to use Vinyl for water tubing that will end up circulating in my air?
Will Vinyl tubing work for my situation?  Was there a reason the original had latex tubing?
Do I need to be concerned about the temperature the tubing may reach being next to my furnace?
Aren't there a lot of types of vinyl? Do I have to look for particular properties of my specific vinyl to make sure it would work for my situation? Or would any vinyl do?

If it helps you can see a diagram of my HE220 humidifier and you can see the tubing on page 3 which also connects at the top of the pad.


texts: Modern half-bath copper DWV configuration

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First off: I KNOW PVC is fine. I KNOW PVC is cheap. I KNOW PVC is fast. I KNOW PVC is more flexible. I KNOW PVC would still be working [sarcasm] 300 years after I'm dead.

Now that I've sufficiently acknowledged PVC and hereby also acknowledge the other plastics I discount any solution that includes switching a significant amount of this project to plastics.

1) Copper is already bought and cut so it can't be returned.

2) Copper is still perfectly fine for DWV usage.

3) I'll pretend to be allergic to general contact with plastic so as to minimize it's use as the "solution".

All that anti-plastic info aside, plastic is OK if it's a fitting that addresses the issue and is reasonably contained.

Now onto the project.

I am moving a half bath on the first floor to another location on the first floor. All original copper plumbing was removed. New copper was bought to maintain the quality and valuation of the property.

The half bath is a standard configuration: 1 toilet and 1 vanity.

The toilet is the first (closest to waste stack) fixture on the drain line and the vanity is the last fixture (furthest from waste stack) fixture on the drain line.

GOAL: Properly design the DWV for use with DWV copper on site. Leverage the vent from the toilet as the branch vent for the vanity using 45-degree verticals to maintain optimum pressure conditions.

PROBLEM: Sanitary tee's cannot lay "on their back" such that the branch is facing upwards regardless of whether that is intended for use to enable a directly-vertical vent for the toilet.

Attached are 5 images that (HOPEFULLY) demonstrate the general site conditions and intent.

Image 1) ms paint drawing of the layout

Image 2) work site picture with subfloor removed for view of available joist space

Image 3) diagonal view of the work site in question

Image 4) front view of the work site in question

Image 5) front view of the work site with annotations, drawings, and sample parts to exemplify the intent/thought process.

General Question: How was this EVER possible in the past with copper-only solutions? There are insufficient fittings to make this work today when the goal is to have a directly-vertical vent system off the toilets waste line.

Specific Question: How do I fix this?

Some thoughts of how to solve this that I have come up with include:

Use a couple TEEs along the main waste line. 1 to go up the toilet and 1 to go up (and reduce) to the 1-1/2" vent line. This would offset the drain from the vent though and therefore potentially (albeit probably a small probability) of backflow towards the vanity.

Use a WYE 3" x 3" x 3" (if that exists). This would be akin to a combo [wye + 45 elbow]. AFAIK there isn't such a thing in copper based on the handful of manufacturers sites I've visited.

Use a twin elbow (if that exists in copper). However, it is a code violation to use one to connect two fixtures to a vertical drain. In my case, though, what I'd do is connect the toilet outlet to one side and use the other side to directly access the ventilation pipe.

I'm open to other creative solutions [that are code-compliant and reasonable]!

Thanks,
-Nick


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What kind of drill bit is this? Can it be used to drill a hole in concrete?

EDIT: after the accepted answer provided me with some details I found out what it is. Details here, on page 5. And the answer is yes. It can be used on concrete.


texts: How can I empty a bucket of stinky water under my sink?

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Well, the kitchen sink was leaking and a family member stuck a bucket under there and never told anybody. The problem is the pipes under the sink actually go into the bucket and it is full of water that smells HORRIBLE. I can't move the bucket without spilling horrible smelling water everywhere. I tried using a fast food cup to remove small amounts at a time but the fumes made me light headed and I got some on my hand.

Any other ideas at all? My brain isn't working correctly after breathing that stuff in.


texts: Can a tub and shower share the same drain?

texts: Can a shower and tub share the same drain?


texts: Can I install a brick with a corner missing by filling the gap with mortar?

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I took out a wall in AC unit from a rowhouse wall and was attempting sawtooth new bricks in to help remove any evidence of the AC in the wall. In doing so, I have 2 challenges.

One brick cracked off in 2 pieces , but the dislodged portion covers little area on the face.  It starts from the bottom corner and to the top about an inch over on the 8 x 2.25 inch brick.  My question here can I simply slide it back in place - or should I replace it which means more drilling and cleaning. Its getting close to the edge of the wall.
The AC chassis was about 25.5 inches wide so I have about 1.5 inches to fill - how thick can vertical mortar be? The existing mortar elsewhere is very thin - like 1/8 inch but vertical joints shouldn’t be so noticeable- right?   Also, I plan to have someone paint the brick in the end :).


texts: hydronic floor heating system efficiency - using concrete as thermal energy store or not?

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I am renovating my house and would like some advice on floor heating for my living room. I have dug this room out to a depth of 97 cm to create a lower level. I have lined this box with 2.5 cm thick polystyrene and then a double layer steel reinforced concrete floor of 15 cm.

I am now looking to add a hydronic floor heating system to this lowered area. As I understand it I have two basic options.

add the pipes directly on the concrete with a layer of screed or
add a layer of insulation in which (or on top of which) the pipes are fastened and then add a layer of screed

I would like to know which system would be the most efficient in my case. Reading up on option 2, it seems like this heats up the room faster, but you are not utilizing the concrete floor as thermal storage, so you lose the heat very fast as soon as the boiler is switched off. With option 1 it takes longer to heat up, but then you are also using the concrete floor as thermal storage.

EDIT: I fear I may have under-insulated by only adding 1 inch of insulation (extruded polystyrene), thereby negating the effectiveness of the thermal store.

Could someone please give me some pointers?


texts: How accurate does a door rough-in need to be?

texts: Having never installed a pre-hung door before, I am wondering how accurate does the door rough-in need to be?  I am planning on installing a 28" bathroom door, which has a 30" rough in.  After framing it up, (and I can't figure out exactly how this happened as the bottom gap is 30" and the two Jack studs appear to be level) I noticed that the gap at the top is closer to 29 13/16" instead of 30".  Is this a problem?


texts: Small trickle into toilet bowl, flap and valve seem fine

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I have a small trickle into a toilet bowl that I'm trying to stop as it's causing rust lines and wasting water.  The flapper is relatively new and I ran my finger along the edge of the valve rim to see if there was anything abnormal and it seemed smooth to me.  Any other suggestions on where to look for the source of the problem?

Update:  I've replaced the fill valve and the trickle is still there.  Going to replace the flapper and scrub the flush valve rim with fine steel wool before assuming the flush valve needs to be replaced.

Update:  That seems to have fixed it.


texts: Removing old cable that goes through external wall

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I need to remove an unused cable that goes through my external wall. Is there a method to do this or do I just pull it with force?
The old cable was connected to a TV satellite dish outside that was removed, but the cable was left there. I want to install a security camera outside my house and use this hole to run the cables through the wall (instead of drilling a new hole). Is there a good way to remove the old cable? Do I just pull it out with force? From inside or outside to minimize damage to the wall?
This is a standard Victorian house in United Kingdom, and the external wall is a solid brick wall around 20cm thick.
Thanks in advance.


texts: Why isn't my 3-way dimmer setup working?

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My dining room light is currently controlled by 2 different light switches.  However it isn't wired how I am used to seeing them.  In my old house, there were 2 switches that controlled the dining room light.  No matter what, if I toggled either of the switches the state of the light would switch on or off.  In my new house, one of the switches will turn the light on off, but only if the other switch is in a specific state.  Does that make sense?  It's almost as if 1 switch is a switch to allow usage of the other.

Anyways, today I went out to get dimmers for these switches and I wired them up exactly as the instructions said.  When I turned the power back on, I didn't get anything from the dimmers however one of the new switches turned the light on in a constant flickering and I heard some noise coming from the switch.  I quickly shut the power back off and wrote this question.  Any ideas?  My house was built in 2013.

UPDATE:  I just noticed the bulbs that were installed in my dining room light say "Do not use with dimmers, timers or other control devices" which may be part of my problem.  I am starting to think, however that I should only be using 1 dimmer and not 2, in addition to using different bulbs.

UPDATE 2:  I may be dealing with a 2-way switch?


texts: Can I raise the floor of a culvert with concrete?

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I have a concrete culvert under my driveway. The first pipe section on the input side has dropped about 2 inches causing water to back up into my yard.

Digging up the pipe section  would be expensive.

Considering pouring a soupy concrete mix into the pipe to effectively level the dropped pipe section. The pipe diameter is too small to access the total area needing leveling which is why using a watery concrete mix could fill the place I can't reach. Will this work? Other ideas?


texts:
In 2018 you answered a question regarding crumbling or brittle insulation on wires inside of a recessed can light. I have the same problem.

Could it have anything to do with the fact that the wiring from the wall outlet is orange cable (like 12/3) instead of white cable (10/3)?

If that makes sense, I know little about electrical. The “new” wiring to the cans is more of a robust thick copper wire, orange Romeo. While the “old” white cable goes from the outlet to the main.

Are the wires getting too hot from the halogen bulbs or is the thin wire from bulb to transformer on can getting overloaded and causing brittle insulation in wire?


texts: How do I fix bumps in carpet that only appear when it's warm and humid?

texts:
We put all new carpeting in our church worship area in 2007.  The church is on a floating slab and in the summer when the humdity comes, we get serious bumps in the carpet. Some can be as long as three feet while many are five to six inches.  As the weather cools in the fall the bumps disappear.  In the meantime we have bumps that are a threat for tripping our members as they move through the sanctuary.  The carpetlayer used a glue that is suppose to make removal of the carpet "easier" when it comes time to remove.

How do we go about getting rid of these bumps?  Is it feasible to shoot glue with a needle in the carpet and then try and roll the bump out?


texts: I'm after some advice please.  This afternoon I was replacing a ceiling light fitting with a pendant fitting in my boys new bedroom.  Put the bulb in and no power.  Checked the bulb and it works, checked the wiring all correct.  Still not working.  Replaced the new fitting for the old one and still no power.  Noticed that on the switch board there are 2 breakers for the lights.  One breaker work, the other doesn't.  All the light on this breaker are off, this breaker also controls my boys bedroom.  Do I have a problem with the breaker or is it something else?


texts: Cable Modem Placement: Longer Ethernet/Shorter Coax vs Shorter Ethernet/Longer Coax

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I am trying to decide which location would be the better spot to mount a cable modem.

Cable modem jack will be home run to the cable box.

Current Coax run is ~50 Foot thru crawl space.

Location #1 is small hall linen closet and would re-use the existing Coax run.  Install a Coax jack and a CAT6 jack in hall closet, then run CAT6 ~30 feet up into the attic to a patch panel in another bedroom closet.  Panel would connect to a pfsense router with maybe a 7 foot patch cable

Location #2 is the bedroom closet mentioned above.  I would have to re-run a new longer Coax drop to the hall linen closet, then up into the attic, and along same path as the CAT6 to reach the bedroom closet, estimate ~80 foot Coax run.  From where Modem would be mounted to where the router would be mounted might need a 10 foot patch (maybe 7 but overestimate the 10)

So which run would be better:

50 foot Coax main, short Coax patch to modem, short CAT6 patch to jack, 30 foot Ethernet run to panel, 7 foot Ethernet patch from panel to router
80 foot Coax main, short Coax patch to modem, 10 foot CAT6 patch from modem to router


texts: Can I run cable across the gap between floor joists?

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I've been working on wiring my shop in my unfinished basement (sub-panel installed by a licensed electrician) and I've come across a question I haven't been able to find an easy answer to.
There are places where I'm running down the length of a floor joist (at least 1.5" from the bottom edge, secured every few feet) and I need to change the side of the joist bay (to go through a hole in the joist usually).  It's a simple crossing of the open air space between joists.  Are there any code requirements or rules on how to cross the joist bay if the wire continues to run parallel to the joist for a bit on either side of the crossing?
I live in Ohio if that matters for the answers.
Thanks for the help!


texts: Do electrical junction boxes in the attic that are mounted above the insulation and on the roof truss require a cover plate?

texts: Do attic junction boxes require a cover plate?


texts: Removing a window from 1930s era building

texts:
I’ve broken a pane in one of my windows and am being quoted ludicrous amounts of money to replace it because it is an old style window on the third floor with a tree blocking access.
I figured it would be simpler if I took the window off it’s hinges, however I can’t figure out how to do this. The windows have been coarsely painted including all the hinge parts. There seems to be a couple of round headed rivets holding the window to the hinge.
Is there any trick to removing these other than drilling out the bolts ?


texts: Is it safe to use barn wood indoors for furniture, trim, walls and ceilings?

texts: I am renovating a farm house built in the late 1800's. I am planning on tearing down the barn from the same era and using some of the wood to finish trim etc. I believe the moisture content is good 7 to 12%.  I'm most concerned about bugs. The area is south-western Ontario.


texts: Recommended pine dimensions for desk/shelf unit

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I'm looking to make a desk/shelf unit like in the image below. For the vertical pieces of wood (to make the two A-frames) what dimension of wood is advisable?

I would like it to appear skinny rather than chunky so considering using 18 x 65mm pine. Does this look suitable?

If using this 18mm x 65mm wood how could I attach the horizontal supports between the A-frame vertical sections? To use screws from each end the screws would need to be 65mm (through vertical sections) then ?25mm into horizontal support. This would require very long screws and a long drill bit. Does this sound reasonable? Is there a better way to attach the supports?

Thank you


texts: air conditioning system stays on even when we turn off our thermostat

texts: Our A/C system stays on even when we turn off our thermostat.  What should we do to try to fix it?


texts: Are neutrals for several circuits supposed to be connected at the panel?

texts: I have 3 hot wires from the breaker box, 1 goes to a 3 way switch, from the 3 way 2 tracer wires go to the other 3 way switch, the lights are connected to the load terminal of the second 3 way. The 2nd hot wire from the breaker box goes to a group of 3 outlets. The 3rd hot goes to another group of 3 outlets. The neutrals for the lights and the outlets are all hooked together and go back to the fuse panel. Will this work ?


texts: Can I make the seams between the tiles in my shower water resistant?

texts:
It seems that water is seeping through the seams between the tiles in the shower. We suspect that the construction worker who installed the showers and the tiles did a lousy job in selecting/mixing the proper grout.

Is there a product or film on the market that would allow us to make the seams water resistant, without having to fully demolish the shower cabin?


texts: Popup outlet on kitchen island - is it against building codes? California

texts:
I've seen these small round popup outlets.

I spoke with a contractor we have doing a remodel of our kitchen and he said it would violate building codes. Didn't even give me a chance to show him what I was talking about. So I was just hoping to get a 2nd opinion with someone who's knowledgeable about california building codes (specifically san mateo county) as to if something like this is ok or violates some code?

Thanks


texts:
Hi I'm wanting to mount a 112x112x3000 post onto a concrete slab.  I have purchased L shaped brackets to do the job.  Because the post will sit at the edge of the concrete I can install at most three brackets as there isn't enough room on the fourth side for a bracket.  Also I could only find L brackets, they don't sell the sleeve type where I am.

The issue is check that the post is level I realized that the concrete slab is not level on one side. its only out by a little but there is a very small gap under the post.  So I am wondering what I should do.  I figure I have four options.

Use self leveling grout level the slab surface
Grind the slab level
Sand the edge of the post until it sits level on the slab
I don't need to worry about it as the brakets will hold the post in place.

To me option 3 sounds the most viable if the post must site level on the slab but if I don't need to do anything because the brackets will keep it in place then thats easier.

There isn't going to be much load on the post as it isn't going to be supporting a gate, only three 50x100 rails and 1.8m palings, pretty standard.

I would appreciate some advice on the matter thanks.


texts:
My toilet starting overflowing, but no one had used it for at least 30 minutes.  The water overflowing was clear, so I don't think it's a sewer back up  issue (this is not on a septic  tank).  What could be the cause?

Edit:  I found out that the washing in an adjacent unit was running at the same time this happened.  I'm not sure if it's related, but more details might help.


texts: How to temporarily repair a hole in a window pane?

texts:
I came home yesterday and found a hole in one of my window glass panels.
Looks like a rock hit it from the outside of the house, somehow.

I am going to have to replace the glass panel anyway in another 6 months or so. Meanwhile, I am looking to plug this hole for a little while (primarily so insects dont get in and my air con bills don't go through the roof). So it doesn't have to be pretty.

Would applying clear packaging tape on both sides of the hole, leaving a little gap on one side and filling it up with some sort of resin/epoxy do the trick ?

If so, what type of resin should I be after ? If not, how could I plug this hole ?
The window gets plenty of sunlight

Another option I was thinking was to fill the hole with a clear sealant like http://www.selleys.com.au/sealants/co-polymer/all-clear/

All in all, how do i plug a hole in a glass panel ?

This is a picture (the 'ridges' and 'cracks' are on the inside):


texts: My central heating comes on when it feels like it

texts:
I have checked the wireless thermostat is sending a demand signal to the receiver but boiler isn't firing up (BTW my hot water on demand is working fine).
Later on the heating comes on until I turn it off.
It is as if there's some blockage that suddenly gives way, but it can't be blocked if it works when it wants to.
It's a Worcester Greenstar Junior combi with Drayton wireless thermostat and it has been working perfectly up until this although I haven't needed to the put the heating on in probably 6 months or so. I haven't made any changes to it.


texts:
I would like to learn more about possible causes of hot water flashes. More specifically when I shower, the water often (seemingly randomly) turns pretty hot for about 3 seconds and then goes back to the temperature that I originally set my water to.
The frequency of this appears to be pretty random.

I have a 60 gallon electric water heater.

Could anyone please share thoughts what could be causing this and whether it's something that could be fixed?


texts: What should I do with an abandoned gas line in my kitchen floor?

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I am currently renovating my house and have just had the kitchen plastered. After removing the cabinets I found this under one and am looking for any advice as to what it may be and options in regard to removal etc.

I'm assuming it's gas so haven't touched it / tried to open as it's quite stiff and don't want to find it won't close if it is.

Edit The house is in the UK, a 1950s 2 bedroom semi detached ex-council house. It is build on a solid concrete foundation so I'm assuming this pipework is an original but have no idea what it is from.


texts: A small chunk has broken out of this white ceramic tile (see photos), from impact. It is on a wall in a bathroom. Are there any good ways to fill in/cover up the hole?


texts: Can I drill a hole for a faucet in a porcelain sink?

texts: Looking at this bathroom sink from below a round area is visible in the middle where the material is thinner. Is there a safe way to drill a middle hole there (to install the faucet recommended at https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/18330/7480)?


texts: How to install a portable AC exhaust in a vertical window with horizontal blinds?

texts:
I have a window with a moving vertical part, so to open and close this window I need to slide the moving part left or right. And the window has horizontal blinds on it.

I'd like to install a portable A/C and put its exhaust into this window, but I think the portable A/C exhaust would get in the way of the blinds.

What is the best way to install the exhaust, while keeping the blinds functional and aesthetic?

One of the options I see is to install vertical shades, but if I install them in one window, I would need to replace window blinds to vertical in all the house windows to keep a coherent appearance.


texts: What's an efficient way to soundproof the space between my door frame and wall frame?

texts:
I am going to be creating my first soundproof door assembly.  I have my idea down for the frame and door itself, but the problem is going to be that empty space between the door assembly and framing of the wall.

A few ideas I've had:

Get some MLV (mass-loaded vinyl) and backer rods.  Wrap the backer rods with MLV and stuff them into the cavity.  The rod will allow for compression which would give a tight fit.
Sand.  This may sound insane, but I figure I could create a custom casing that I could slide into the cavity, after which I would pour sand into it from the top.  The casing would eventually fill up and expand to fill the cavity.  The only thing I might have to worry about is settling which would require it to be refilled a bit at the top, but perhaps there's a type of heavy sand that wouldn't settle.
Green Glue.  Using my MLV/backer rod method, an idea came to me to create an actual sheet of Green Glue which would serve the purpose of the MLV.  Basically, I would get some heavy-duty plastic, spread GG liberally out all over it, then put another layer of plastic over the top.  If I gage the thickness with something that's about 1/8" like some thin dowel rods running along the length of the inside and then setting something heavy on top to flatten it out and disperse the glue, I think I can get a consistently level sheet of GG compound.  GG thickens up after a few days, so I wouldn't have to worry too much about any of it squishing out all over the place.
Safe 'n Sound insulation stuffed liberally into cavity.

Since my door is going to consist of a layer of plywood, GG, cement board, GG, and plywood all in that order, I am sure it's going to have a fairly high STC.  Therefore, I'd like to make sure I get the edges around the door really well even if it means the edge has an aburdly high STC in comparison to the wall and door assembly themselves.


texts: What is the difference between a single and double union pressure reducing valve/regulator?

texts: My house was built in 1978 and the water meter is underground. In 2016 a plumber moved my water meter away from the street and closer to my house. Apparently there was something weird about the PRV he used and it's a single union. Can I use a double union as a replacement? What is the difference? Thank you.


texts: Low pressure in sprinklers troubleshooting

texts:
My sprinklers acts like they don't have enough pressure when they are turned on. If I start closing the heads, from the upper part of the lawn down to the lower part, the pressure seems to build up high enough for the rest of the sprinklers after the third one gets closed.

Now, If I go back and open all the sprinklers, then they all start running fine. I would think that if there was not enough pressure to run the system, then when I reopen the top 3, the other ones would lose pressure again, and the ones that I reopen would also be experiencing the low pressure. But instead it's like doing that little procedure of closing then reopening fixes the problem. Does anyone have any ideas?


texts: Paint sticking & pulling from interior doors and frame

texts: It has been months since interior doors were sanded, primed and painted (by licensed professionals) each time I close a door, when re-opened more paint and wood break off from the both the door and frame, sometimes the frame is left stuck to the door and other times it's part of the door stuck to the frame. Exactly the same thing is happening with the windows they painted as well.


texts: What would "level with the driveway" mean exactly

texts:
Working on a big gravel patio project and already asked three questions here about it (1, 2, 3). Now, a third one, which may seem not so important, but if I make the wrong decision, it will be incredibly cost (if not impossible) to fix.
The image below shows U-shape driveway with a circular patio in the middle. The arrows show the direction of the downward slope. I would like the driveway to flow smoothly into the patio on the high side (bottom left). In other words, I would like it to be "level" with the driveway.
But this is where I'm stuck. Should I make it level with the shoulder of the driveway or the crown (i.e. the driveway won't have a crown on the high side and would "flow" from the highest point directly to the patio).
This is a difference of 4" in height and thus a difference of over 10 yards of dirt. More importantly, I will be pouring concrete at the transition so if I get the height wrong I won't be able to simply make up the difference with gravel.
So what's the right thing to do: level with the shoulder or level with the crown, from all points of view: aesthetics, usability, drainage?


texts: My garage switch on the wall and my remotes will not open the garage.I unplugged the opener and then everything started back working. An hour later it all stopped again. I unpluged it again and they started back for a little while.


texts: How should I remove the texture from the ceiling *without* tearing it out?

texts:
We want to get rid of the texture on our ceiling.  It's a very ugly stipple effect.

However, there's a foot and a half of insulation over this ceiling.  Knocking it down to install new drywall is not an option.

We also don't really want to slap another layer of drywall on top of it, because we don't want to give up any more height than we have to.

So we are torn between sanding it down with a very coarse paper on an orbital sander or just skim coating the entire thing (and yes I do know how much effort that is, I skim coated a whole wall once to eliminate the texture).

Is there another option, and if not, which one of the two above should I use?

Edit:  The stipple I mention is joint compound which, while wet, was pulled down upon with a wet sponge, creating lots of peaks.  It has subsequently been painted many times presumably over 72 years.  (House built in 1940)


texts: Why does a tub spout leak. Brand new combo shower tub valve and tub spout. Will slowly leak over a few days before completely dries out, about a tablespoon. The plumber came back and replaced the cartridge which did not stop the  leak and did not know what else to do. Is this normal? The water here is very hard, if left unattended for any length of time the tub will stain. Is this excess water left over from the shower? Why would it take such a long time to drain and why doesn't the tub spout diverter hold the water?


texts: Sub-panel tapped from aluminum feed in Duplex

texts:
I live in a Duplex (build in 1979) with a 200A distribution panel which has 2 meters and 2 100A breakers (one for each unit).The distribution panel is on the outside of the garage and is fed underground by the utility. I live in California and the code currently references NEC 2014.

Each unit has a sub-panel and is about 1200 sqft. There is an aluminum 3 conductor + ground cable going to each unit, I believe it is a #2 AWG Al (but I'm not sure). I assume it was sized correctly in 1979 to be protected with a 100A breaker in the distribution panel.

I wanted to add a sub-panel in the garage (between the distribution panel and the unit sub-panel to charge my EV (14-50R outlet) and add a couple of 20A outlets. In the near future I plan to connect a PV inverter to this panel (20A 240V breaker installed for this future use).

I think based on the tapping rules specified in [240.21(B)(1)] I’m allowed to tap into the cable that runs from the distribution panel (with a 100A breaker) to the sub-panel in the unit. I used a #2 3 conductor, copper, NM-B cable between the junction box where I did the tap back to the distribution panel (<10ft of cable). I used #2 copper conductors between the tapping junction box and the panel below. I did this work without permit, but would like to get it permitted when I get my solar installed.

According to NEC Table 310.15 (b) (7) “These are the permitted ratings for Dwelling Unit service and feeder conductors which carry the total load of the dwelling”. 100A, Copper #4, Aluminum #2. #2 Copper can provide 125A.  But is this still relevant now that some of the load of the dwelling is coming from the sub-panel in the garage.

Here is the load calculation according to the optional method of 220.82
For the unit only (excluding the garage):

 1200 sqft @ 3 w/sqft=3600
 3 kitchen 20A appliance circuits: 4500
 Dishwasher NPR: 1188
 garbage disposal NPR: 1224
 microwave NPR: 1350
 washer: 1500
 gas fired dryer:720
 Sauna NPR 6000
 Total: 20082
 1st 10,000W @100%: 10,000
 remaining at 40%: 4032.8
 Total: 14,032 W (58.47 A)

If I add the EVSE in the garage (32A NPR), the total load goes to 71.3A. Do I need to multiply the EVSE rating with 125% (operation >3 hrs) ?

Questions:

Am I allowed to run a #2 Cu cable from my tapping junction box back to the main distribution panel? Southwire states it is rated for 95A only, but the main breaker is 100A.
Is it OK to use a #8 wire between the 50A breaker at the 14-50R outlet based on the 75C rating of the outlet and the breaker? I read somewhere that you have to use 60C in residential applications
If I add a 40A 240V inductive stove to the unit, can I keep my existing aluminum cable? I had an electrician tell me that it needs to be upgraded, but I figured as long as I keep my 100A main breaker, there should not be a problem. I checked the ‘feeder and service load calcuations’ in [220.82] using the optional method and it is within 100A (including the loads on the sub-panel in the garage. I do need to replace the sub-panel in the unit, because it is a Zinsco panel and it is located in a closet.
Any other problems you see in the pictures provided?


texts: Where can I find resources on Gas Furnace manufacturers

texts: We are going to replace a 30 year old residential gas furnace. We have estimates for furnaces from Rheem, Trane and Bryant. This is a rental, so we aren't going for the 95% with tax rebate but standard 80. Looking for information about these three manufacturers.


texts: Adding an extra 240v outlet to dryer connection with switch for charging car

texts:
While I have limited experience working with high power (e.g. 120-240v) electrical systems I have a great deal of experience working with electronics. I want to install another socket on the same electrical line that powers my dryer and put  a double pole double throw switch to pick which device is receiving current at any point in time. The idea here that I would either allow the dryer to run or the car to be charging and want to prevent someone from throwing the breaker by doing both at once. The dryer connection is a three prong which if I understand properly those are two hots and 1 neutral(e.g. back through the non ground wire) with no ground. The 6-20p connector for my charger https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018A6QK7C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 also has no ground so this doesn't seem to present an issue.

Is this sound? The idea would be that I would connect hot to the double pole double throw switch and send current to only one device at a time as I mentioned earlier. Are there safety concerns aside from the more basic stuff like putting everything in enclosures?


texts: 2 Identical Fixtures with LED Bulbs only work when one has regular bulbs in it (PICTURE)

texts:
I bought two light fixtures with 4 bulb slots, each, to replace two fluorescent lights. I also bought LED bulbs that can be controlled using an LED remote for those fixtures.
The issue One of the fixtures, with 4 LED bulbs, only works if the other fixture has two non LED bulbs plugged in, even tho the non led bulbs don't turn on. If I take out one of the non LED bulbs, the non LED that's left begins to flash.
If I have all 8 LED bulbs plugged in, then I have no color control of the LED bulbs and they begin to flash. I can show it on video if anyone needs any specifics. It seems like there is too much or too little power coming through and the fixtures are dependant on how much power is drawn from the other.
The previous lights were fluorescent. The new ones will be powered under the GU10 bulbs in a 2, 4 bulb tracker lighting fixtures, shown in pictures below.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Light-Track-Lighting-Ceiling-Wall-Interior-Lamp-Fixture-Oil-Rubbed-Bronze-/251640124753?hash=item3a96eb9551

Please let me know if you need any more information.
Thank you!


texts:
I hope my terminology makes sense.
My sink was draining slowly so I tried to remove the horizontal ball rod, and it was stuck tightly. Using a wrench I got it free but the connection to the sink's drain was so rusted it broke off inside of the horizonal ball rod's metal nut(unsure if this correct name). SO I think I have to either buy a new metal drain under the sink and horizontal ball rod kit, or is there some way I could jury rig it? I was considering using epoxy to make it serviceable for now. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.


texts: Is it ok to twist THHN together before installing in conduit?

texts:
Is it ok (code compliant and not otherwise inadvisable) to twist two or more THHN conductors together (before running in conduit) ?

Issues I can imagine:

EM fields cancel out.   Not a bad thing.
Twisting stresses the insulation jacket.  Seems like you'd have to twist REAL tight.
Causes excessive heat buildup - this one seems like it could actually be a concern.

I want to twist a couple of neutral-hot pairs together, to keep distinct within one conduit.   Easy to do by chucking the two ends together in a drill.    Should give a nice clean look.


texts: How can I create low-cost, fire resistant, hidden in-wall storage?

texts:
I've taken all the sheetrock off of an interior wall for some renovations we're doing. What I would like to do is use a section of that wall to create a fire resistant hidden storage compartment. It's not a safe, I don't want to spend that much money and security from thieves is not a primary concern.

My goals are:

Cost - cheaper than buying a standalone fire safe with similar capacity.
Capacity (limited depth, but height could be several feet with shelves.)
Camouflage (shouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.)
Fire protection (consider this the value to "solve for" while meeting all other requirements.)


texts: Is peel and stick vinyl tile flooring really waterproof?

texts:
I am installing these tiles in a bathroom mainly used my youngsters in a bath.

When they inevitably splash water on the floor won't the seems in these tiles allow the water to pass through.

I really want to do the flooring install myself and want to give these tiles ago.

What can I do to prevent any water getting through the gaps?

Is caulking a viable alternative?


texts: What does a slow beep mean from a Klein non contact tester?

texts: I am using a Klein non contact voltage detector and when the power is switched on I get a fast steady beep. And when I switch the breaker off I get a slow beep. Does this mean I am safe to cut the wires?


texts: What is the best way to fix this garage floor?

texts: I need an educated opinion about how to fix the garage floor shown below. I need the surface to be level and even. As you can see I have two items, a table saw and and work bench that have adjustable casters or legs. Every time when I move them into position to work (usually they sit on the sides of the room) I have to adjust the legs to bring the table top level with the table saw top.


texts: Switching a 240 volt 3 wire to a 250 v 2wire

texts:
I want to use my generator to power my welder. It runs off a 250v, 50 amp receptacle in my shop. The generator receptacle is not a 3 prong  as the cord is to my welder. I picked up a receptacle, 250v, 50 amp. When I opened up the housing of the generator I noticed that the one I'm taking out is a 3-wire and the one I'm putting in is a 2-wire.  This outlet also connects 120v and 2 standard outlets as well as a couple circuit breakers. I understand that I need to wire both hots to x and Y and also the ground to the rounded prong. What do I need to do with the neutral wire so that all the other outlets work as well?
Thanks


texts: Can I hang things from a thick sound proofed wall?

texts:
I have a sound proofed room. It's constructed like this:

Specifically, the layers of the wall are:

studs
3/4" MDF
1/2" air gap (RC-8 channel)
3/4" drywall
3/4" drywall

The exterior of the wall is 2" from the MDF and 2.75" from the studs.

Can I attach things to the studs even though it's 2.75" away? Is the load bearing capacity any different? Can I hang things like heavy cabinets?
Since I have MDF everywhere, can I attach heavy things to the MDF and ignore the studs?


texts:
What are some suitable adhesives for gluing plastic (in my case strips of Azek) to glass? Is contact cement good? Should I cement just the plastic or both sides (it would be hard to apply to the glass because of keeping it from spilling outside the perimeter of the plastic)?
Also, are there reliable temporary/removable caulking-like products that are gooey and although holding it together can later be scraped off?

Azek is between the foam and the glass


texts: how to extend wall board to window for narrower trim

texts:
We installed cement board on a wall to prep it for tiling.

The gap between the window and the outline of the rough opening is anywhere between 3" to 3.5" (it's inconsistent).

I want to install narrower casing than what was there before and also to eliminate the apron entirely.

Is there a way to patch or bridge the gap with cement board while not setting up a situation that will lead to grout cracking?


texts: Can I run THHN for separate washer and dryer circuits through the same conduit?

texts:
I am relocating a 120V washer and 240V dryer from the basement on south side of my house to the basement north side.

The current wiring is one 110V 20amp circuit with dedicated circuit breaker and one 240V 40amp circuit with dedicated 40 amp dual breaker.
The wiring for both circuits runs out of the panel box into one 3/4" conduit to the receptacles (first receptacle in line is the 110V and terminating with the 240V 3 prong receptacle for the dryer.)
I also plan on removing the old circuits.

I have two questions:

Is it still within code to run all the THHN wiring (12 gauge for 110 and 10 gauge for 240) or should I run two separate conduits for each circuit as one will be 20 amp and the other will be 30 amp?
My current dryer has a 3 prong receptacle (2 hots and 1 neutral).  The NEC code since 1996 states that all dryer circuits 220V for house dryers need the 4 wire (2 hots, 1 neutral, and 1 ground).  My house is 1925.  So in converting from an 3 wire to 4 wire plug and receptacle where do I attach the new ground wire on my old dryer? And does the ground connect into the neutral bus or the ground bus?

I will need to get a permit here in Oregon and I am not a licensed electrician.


texts: Supply/return plenum box: OK to use top of box?

texts: For sheet metal supply/return plenum boxes, I noticed the builder didn't make holes in the top for any of the ductwork.  I figure it's because it wouldn't make sense considering every duct works its way back down from that point.  Question I have is for cases where I just have run out of room around the plenum box to make new duct, is it ok to make a new take off on the top of the box?  Is there any gotchas with doing that?  I figure not but just checking.


texts: removing glue from felt pads on chair legs

texts: I am trying to remove old glue from chair felt pads.  I have tried GooGone, sanding and paint thinner.  Does anyone have a remedy for this problem?


texts: Upstairs is getting frigid at night during cool nights

texts:
I have a dual zone Lennox system, and it cools well, but for the past few weeks it seems to run away at random cooling the upstairs to several degrees lower than requested.

We have EcoBee thermostats and have them set to AUTO with a range of 72 ( heat ) and 76 ( cool ) this will generally give us a temperature of 74 or 75. If anyone gets hot, and sets the temp a little lower like say 74 ( cool ), it will continue to cool until i reset the breaker on the system. ( last night the upstairs got to around 62 before i got home )

It seems like something is sticking, like a contact or something.

Any idea what could cause this ?


texts: One of four outside light fixtures (all controlled by same switch) isn't working and it's not the (3) bulbs

texts:
We have four outside light fixtures in the front of the house, all controlled by a single indoor switch. One of them has stopped working (so it can't be a circuit breaker issue).
It's not the bulbs, since they work in the other fixtures and the bulbs from the other fixtures do not work in the faulty fixture.
Does that mean the only thing it could be is the wiring for the faulty fixture?  There's no way all three sockets in the fixture went bad at the same time.


texts: Is there a window or portable AC system I can use with an awning window?

texts:
My bedroom gets ridiculously hot and I taped tin foil over the window. It didn't help much. I'm thinking of getting an air conditioner but the ledge on the window is small and the window doesn't open very much. I was looking at the portable air conditioners on Amazon and wonder, how do they work? Does the hot air get ejected through a hose that I could put out the window?

My window opens like this one so I take it a window AC is out of the question?


texts: How can I seal the edges of a linoleum floor that possibly contains asbestos?

texts:
The linoleum floor in my kitchen was installed extremely poorly (long before I started renting the apartment). Many of the edges are curling and in some places, it was not cut to the correct size and they just left the excess curled over. I am concerned that the exposed backing has asbestos in it and was wondering if there is a way that I could seal the exposed backing? I am only going to live there for one more year and I suspect that if I go to the landlord, he will have the floor replaced without taking proper safety measures.

EDIT:
Here are some pictures of the floor edges


texts: Connect a channel drain to existing drainpipe

texts:
I want to add a channel drain at the front of my lean-to in order to direct rainwater from the lean-to's drainpipe into the existing house drainpipe. I understand that this is not a typical usage situation for a channel drain, but I can't see why this wouldn't work?

This is the channel drain I am thinking of buying:

And this is how I am thinking of connecting the two drains:


texts: Would pine or MDF baseboard better handle humidity fluctuation?

texts:
I am in the market for baseboard in my son's room.  I am now trying to decide between pine or MDF.  In New York we get humid summers and cold winters.  Since one of the walls will need two pieces, I am afraid of expansion and shrinkage exposing the seam.

What is the best material to use, between the two, where price is not a factor as I priced both out and I can do either?  I'm looking for easy to work with and reduced fluctuation answers.


texts:
A few years back, I bought a $500 studio producer desk. It's made of particle board and has been through more than a few moves and has received a proper beating over the years:

Is there any way for me to repair this, now that it's been done? I thought of possibly using something like Bondo, but this seems like overkill. Do I have any other options?


texts: Adapting 3/4 gas outlet to 1/2" appliance?

texts: One of these things is not like the other.  That's a 3/4 gas outlet and a gas dryer with a 1/2" fitting. What's the best approach to making them connect?  The dryer is old so I'm a bit leery of trying to unscrew the 1/2" adapter at the appliance side.


texts:
I am mounting my meter/distribution panel & RV panel on a 6x6 post (opposite sides). I was thinking about mounting Unistrut channel to the post for better support across the back of my main panel and to allow me to shift it to one side so i can line up my back knockout with the back knockout on my RV panel which will be mounted on the other side of the post.
Now I know I can just bolt the panel directly to the post and just off set it to one side to achieve the same result, but I thought the channel would also provide more support and the little screws coming out the back of the panel would not be digging into the wood. Am I over thinking this?


texts: How can I install a stair skirt to fit the stairs instead of running alongside?

texts: Can I place a stair skirt on the top of basement stairs instead of between the stairs and the wall? The gaps between the stairs to the wall are all different so instead of dropping the skirt between the wall and stairs I need to place the skirt on top of the stairs to cover the gaps. I hope this can be done and that someone has instructions on how to do it.


texts:
I have an exterior door that leaks water into the house when rain is blown against it. The floor on the inside of the house is unfinished, meaning it is just the raw subfloor.  I don't want to put the finish floor down until the leak is addressed.

The few things I have done thus far have not improved the situation but has also not made it worse.

Here is what I have done:

Pulled the exterior frame off and filled all the gaps with slow expanding foam.
I have put a roll of 4" valcor rubber strip over all the now foam filled gaps.
I have checked and confirmed that the door is plumb.
I installed a aluminum drip edge across the top molding and behind the clapboard.
I inspected the gasket on the bottom and it looks ok.
The surrounding gaskets seem ok (no cuts or overly squished look when the door is open).

I do not know the brand of door, but it is about 5 years old and has been doing this since pretty much the first storm after install.

What is the next thing I should look for OR what can I do to test and find what is failing to allow water to come in? And then, How do I fix it?

I will also say that depending on who I listen to from the DIY shows, Mike Holmes from Canada says "Use a storm door, that's why they call it a storm door". Norm Abrams from My USA says "an exterior door should keep out all the elements on its own and not require a storm door to do its job". I like and believe that an exterior door should do its job and something is wrong, broken or failing and THAT is what needs to be addressed.


texts: What do i need to stop my computer from rebooting in electricity fluctuations

texts:
AC 240V location.

My computer at home keeps restarting at the time of fluctuations and i loose all my work, this happens minimum once every day and some days more than 2 times.

I have 1100va Microtek Inverter (Microtek ups sebz 1100va) with UPS mode for computers for quicker switching.

still it started to reboot my computer. at the time of fluctuations and low voltage.

MAINS POWER => INVERTER => COMPUTER

Then i have been told i need a stabilizer so recently i bought Microteck EMT2090 Stabilizer (Microtek EMT 2090 Voltage Stabilizer for LED Television (2 Amps) (90V ~ 300V)) and connected it before the Inverter.

MAINS POWER => STABILIZER => INVERTER => COMPUTER

But still my computer keeps restarting.

Now i have been told i need double or triple booster Stabilizer.

What i need to do , so that my computer wont restart at the time of low voltage and fluctuations.

More details :
My PC runs 24x7

There are low voltage and electrical fluctuations are common in my area.
My inverter and external battery(exide tubular battery 180ah) is 1 year old, my stabilizer is new.

My computer has corsair VS450 SMPS and i have calculated computer power usage from https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator and its not more than 300 watts. so its not like , my computer is drawing more power than the inverter can provide.

i have checked earthing in home and its Good.

i was thinking that my inverter was faulty so i sent it for repair at customer care and they told me, its fine. so issue with my home power supply only.

If i switch power supply of inverter off then inverter comes online and PC doesnt reboot. i have tried doing it many times. switching power supply of inverter off then on continuously , and computer does not restarts.

But once in while at the fluctuations computer reboots.

Why exactly is this happening ?

what i need to make it stop rebooting the computer ?

I can think of 2 ways.

1) buy Triple BOOSTER Stabilizer (Microtek EM4090 Digital Display For AC upto 1.5Ton Voltage Stabilizer (90V-300V)  )

MAINS POWER => TRIPLE BOOSTER STABILIZER => INVERTER => COMPUTER

2) buy small UPS which gives power backup for 15 minutes and install it like this.

MAINS POWER => STABILIZER => INVERTER => NEW SMALL UPS => COMPUTER

update 1 :

i as suggested to measure the fluctuations , i dont have Battery powered oscilloscope with me.

update 2 :

The UPS operates from Standard Voltage range from 100 V~ 300 V and Narrow Voltage range from 180 V ~ 260 V for running computers and sensitive appliances.

idk how i missed it, but the UPS/Inverter has narrow mode which works in

180 V ~ 260 V

so if input voltage to UPS/Inverter goes below that range then it does not works in narrow mode i guees so , so what i need is power supply cutter when the voltage drops below 180 V or goes above 260 V so it will get my UPS online.

so i have ordered Microtek EM 4170+ Voltage Stabilizer (Microtek EM 4170+ Voltage Stabilizer for A.C. upto 1.5 Ton (170V ~ 270V))

i don't want my stabilizer to double or triple boost voltage, and reach the 180 V ~ 260 V  range. so that inverter can work in narrow mode , i just want it to cut power altogether and let the UPS take over, UPS is more than enough to give power backup for 8+ hours.

will update when i receive the new stabilizer and do some tests.


texts: No water going to tank at all everything is new above ground

texts: I got no water going into the pressure tank on my well but water flows to the house when water is on at the faucet but when you turn off the faucet it doesnt back feed into the tank what can cause this? No water going to tank at all


texts: During Thanksgiving I believe my wife must have overloaded an electrical outlet that must be connected to our dishwasher somehow but now neither work and I've tried all of the breakers in my electric box to see if any tripped, none tripped.?????


texts:
Hello I renovated my kitchen and had plumbing moved and replaced.  Didn’t really think about the height of the waste pipe before cabinets sink and countertop went in.  With new sink and disposal installed, I’m afraid my p-trap is too high in order to line up with the waste drain.  This is what I did in the attached picture.  Is anything wrong with my setup?

Thanks everyone for your responses so far.  I’ve attached a slightly better pic which shows where the waste pipe is.  I will get dimensions once I get back tonight.  Nothing is glued yet so I can’t say it’s leaking.  I was hoping I could get some advice before it gets glued.


texts: Penetrating a drywall ceiling; NM in conduit or NM not in conduit?

texts: I have an outlet box (a simple receptacle box, not a cabinet, cutout box, or meter socket box, so I don't see 312.5 applying to this) surface mounted on the block wall of my garage.  Then I have NM cable in EMT (for physical protection) leaving the box going up the block wall.  I have a drywall ceiling in the garage.  I want to go through the dry wall ceiling and go on my merry way with just the NM cable.  My question is:  How do I go through the drywall ceiling?  Do I have to stop the EMT short of the ceiling and go through the ceiling with the just the cable?  (Of course, I'll seal around the cable)  Or, do I go through the drywall ceiling with the EMT and then exit the EMT in the attic?  (The attic is unfinished, no floor or anything.)


texts: I know in modern commercial buildings, "phone" jacks are wired like data with CAT5e (or higher) cabling to a patch panel on a 19" rack.  How does it work in small home with POTS?


texts: blocked sink due to same height of drain outlet?

texts:
I recently bought into a new place.  It's a fixer-upper, but before my wife and I start the work, we're living in it while we finalize our plans.

Our kitchen sink does not drain on its own.  We either need to use a plunger to get airflow going or squeeze the pipe a couple of times (it's flexible rubber; which I've never seen before) to get it to drain.  We declogged it with a liquid product a couple of times, and once we get airflow, it drains fine.

I was looking under it, and noticed that the sink drain and the waste outlet in the wall is at the same height, with a P trap between them.

Would this (lack of) height differential be preventing the sink from draining?

If so, what would be our options? We plan on moving the kitchen when we renovate but until then, we're kind of tired of water piling up in the sink.


texts: What are my options to change the finish on a faucet?

texts: I have a copper finish bathtub faucet (Roman style), and I want to change it to match the other faucets. Can I paint it? If so what kind of paint will hold up? Can I refinish it by any other means?


texts: Ok to connect a 1.5" sump pump outlet tube to 2" discharge line using a no-hub fitting?

texts:
My new sump pump is pre-plumbed with 1.5" PVC, but my existing discharge line is 2". Is there any problem with connecting the 1.5" pump outlet to the 2" discharge line using a flexible Fernco coupling on the vertical section of the line? The check valve will be below the Fernco connection point, right at the base of the pump.
Update: I installed the new sump pump with the flexible 1.5" to 2" fernco coupling, and it's working like a charm. Thanks for the answers.


texts: 3 way switches with switch load at each end

texts: I’m trying to figure out how/if I can make this 3 way light wiring work. I have two boxes with two 3 way switches in them with 14-3 wire running between them. Each box has a load wire from a different set of lights with 14-2 wire.  Power from a 14-2 wire enters in to the right box. Having a switch load at each end is confusing me so I may have a wire wrong somewhere.  Thanks for your help.


texts: Why does my ceiling fan turn itself on at night?

texts:
We have a ceiling fan with three lights that came with the house, and that is operated by an electronic switch driven by a 9V battery and with 5 buttons: Hi, Med, Lo, Off (for the fan) and Light (a toggle for the lights). At around 11ish pm every night, the fan turns itself on. This great in summer, but is quite annoying in winter. I suspect this is a remote controlled fan of sorts, but I have no remote control for it that I can find.

Does anyone know why this happens and how I can stop it?


texts: Why does my fluorescent light fixture ruin bulbs within six months?

texts:
My bathroom has a fixture for twin 48" fluorescent bulbs. About every six months, the bulbs start to go bad. At first they will only come on about half way, and they flicker dimly for a few seconds before reaching full brightness. After a few weeks they just stay dim no matter how long they are on.

I have already replaced the ballast in this fixture, thinking that might help. No joy. I have replaced the bulbs twice a year for four years. I use the same bulbs in my other bathroom with no issues. Any suggestions?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Animal in the attic (possibly a raccoon)

We have just finished a major renovation of our house. Since complete, a possum has taken up residence in our roof. Unfortunately, it is living in the floor space between the ground and first floors and we have little or no access to this area. We have sprayed "Poss-off" in as many places as possible and cut all trees next to our house to reduce access but every night he comes back. I suspect that he is either walking along the power line (although it has a possum guard, I found possum scat under it) or climbing up the pipes to our pool's solar water system (50mm).

So the questions are:

what more can I do to discourage him
if we have it professionally removed (they are a protected species), will another one just take over.


texts: What are the structural and health issues for a long-time slow-leaking toilet?

texts:
I recently discovered a very slow toilet leak (only when flushing), which has dampened the bathroom floor, and dripped onto the basement ceiling, where there is now a pretty mold spot.

A restoration company gave me a quote to remove the floor in the bathroom, the affected area of the ceiling, and 12 inches (31cm) of drywall along the base of the bathroom floor.

My question is:  How important is it to replace all the drywall (both on the bathroom walls, and in the basement ceiling)? The quote was to remove the area with > 13% moisture.

Is this strictly necessary?

I'm concerned about the structural integrity of the wall and ceiling, as well as any possible health implications, since the leak was used toilet water.  As the water had to wick into the walls, from the floor, I suspect the water there should be "relatively" clean, but the leak has also been going on for quite some time apparently, so who knows what's been growing in that water.


texts: Do I need rebar and footing for a 1'4" tall 4" thick concrete wall?

texts: I'm building a small concrete wall for an inground sandbox. The wall will be about 1'4" tall 4" thick and the longest 2 sides run just over 80" long, it is an L shape and the other sides are fairly short. Do I need rebar for this, or can I just use a concrete reinforced with fiber? Do I need footings?


texts: How to fit a new door in a narrower frame?

texts:
I would like to replace a door which has non standard dimensions. The door itself is old, 8 cm wider and 5 cm taller than current doors. It is also very expensive to order a new door for these dimensions, and I don't want to do that.

The door is mostly rotten and damaged by dogs. I don't have the skills nor the tools to repair it.

So my plan is to keep the old frame and buy a new door, which is sold with its own frame. Now I have to prepare the old frame so that the new frame will fit inside it.

How should I proceed ? I don't know what to use between the old frame and the new frame (the one I will build so that the opening is at standard dimensions).  Should I use some kind of sealant between them ?

In this picture, 1 is the width I need to get to fit new new frame, and 2 is the interior width of the old frame, which I don't plan to modify too much.

What kind of material should be used between 1 and 2 ?

The actual dimensions are:

exterior width of the frame sold with the new door: 79 cm
interior width of the current frame: 84.5 cm


texts: Cast iron clawfoot tub diverter faucet riser stem question: what is this called?

texts:
I have a clawfoot tub faucet where the "stem" that leads to the shower part is angled at less than 90 degrees because back of the tub is angled greater than 90 degrees from the floor. Most of the replacement faucets I have found online have a 90 degree angle for the "stem", but for some I see that the angle is acute -- unfortunately nothing from the respective descriptions/specifications seems to distinguish a 90 degree on from an acute angled one.

What is the name of the thing I'm calling a "stem" and/or what term(s) can I use to find a replacement that is so angled?
Is the difference implicit in the classifications "cast iron only" and "acrylic only"?

I wasn't able to get a great angle (no pun intended) on the picture, but the "stem" is the part pointing down in this picture, looking almost like a spigot itself but for the threads around the opening. I've tried to highlight it with a red line.

UPDATE

I have still been unable to find a replacement. Sign of the Crab says they have never seen anything like it. It appears to be an Elizabethan Classics model, which afaict is a Home Depot exclusive brand. Home Depot says they know nothing about it. Trips to the top plumbing/building supply shops and salvage yards have left me no closer to finding a replacement.

Luckily I happened upon a catalog that had tons of pictures of diverter valves and identified the Kingston Brass model that appears to be the one that failed on this unit, so I'm just going to replace that and hope nothing else happens to the faucet.


texts: When can the gauge of wire change in a household circuit?

texts: Normally in a pigtail, you are suppose to have the same gauge of copper wires from that receptacle which would go to that one particular circuit breaker. Are there any exceptions to this rule?


texts: Pressure washer loses high pressure when high pressure hose umis attached

texts: I have a branded Honda cvg 120 pressure washer. It was sitting in storage for a while so prior to starting I emptied the gas and cleaned out the carb. With fresh gas it started on the 2nd pull. Gave high pressure for 20 seconds and then never again. I also opened and replaced the one way valves in the water pump thinking something was stopping it but the problem seems to be near the outlet hose. When the high pressure hose is removed the water shoots out about 15-20ft. When hose attached with no gun the water shoots out about 3 feet. Thinking its the hose, I got a new one and I'm still having the same problem. With new high pressure hose and new gun I'm not getting high pressure. When pulling trigger I get a burst and thats it. Engine does not die nor does it bog down.


texts:
I designed a wardrobe for my new house with mirrors on the doors. The project was executed, and after that I see a scratch on one mirror.

The mirrors have 5mm thickness. The scratch is like a line with about 2cm length. If you touch it with your fingernails, you can feel that it isn't so deep.

Does someone know any way to fix this mirror issue?


texts: Geotextile Filter for French drain woven or non-woven?

texts:
I'm getting to the point of buying the material for my French drain, which is suppose to go at the foundation of my house's crawlspace.
Now the question, I couldn't find a definite answer to...the fabric that is used to wrap the PVC pipe.... I'm assuming it is the woven one because I want water to get to the pipe? I also plan on putting a sock on the pipe so that small particles don't clog it.


texts:
Total noob here. Replaced a ceiling fan with an LED light. Connected the green to green, white to white and the black to black. The light is turning on but the switch is not working.

Not sure what to do. There is another black and another red wire.

Please help.

Thanks.


texts: Dimmer switch replacing 3-wire switch not working

texts:
I need some help to get my dimmer switch working with my light. I have power coming into the junction box and then leaving to go to a second outlet and the light. The original light was a 3-wired light with a fan, but the new light is just a light, no fan.

How do my wires need to be connected to make this happen? Both outlets continue to work just fine, but I can't get the switch to work with the lights. The dimmer is a Lutron 600w dimmer. Thanks.


texts: Need to attach shelving unit to wall; what kind of wall structure is this?

texts: I live in an Australian inner city apartment built in 2007. I want to attach a shelving unit to a wall but haven’t ever done this before, so I want to make sure to do it properly. I’m not sure exactly what the wall structure is, so I’d love to get some input from anybody that can help. I’ve taken off one of the electrical outlet covers and taken some photos; see attached. Can you tell much from this? What will be important when hanging up the shelving unit?


texts: How to open a door that has the insides of a door handle inside without a door knob

texts:
Currently this is what my doorknob looks like below

I was trying to change out my doorknob and left both sides inside of the room but the AC kicked on and shut the door on me and now I am stuck outside of the room. I was wondering how I could I open the door?


texts: What type of pipe joint is this, and how do I repair it?

texts: The plastic pipe under my kitchen sink is leaking. This top pipe seems to simply be resting on the bottom section. Is this how it is supposed to be? I can freely pull the pipes apart with a little bit of force... Where can I get more information on this type of joint?


texts: Which windows work with which automated window openers?

texts:
I need to replace all the windows in a house. In planning to do so, I'd like to preserve the option of eventually (not necessarily simultaneous with the new window installation) installing some kind of automated window opener like this one so that when home-automation technology is more fully mature, I can add some kind of window opening/shutting device that would communicate wirelessly with a home automation server and allow me to do things like open all the windows in the house from a remote location via my Android phone or tablet.

But it's clear to me that not all windows work with all window openers.

So does anyone know a good resource with a comprehensive list of automated/electric window openers and which windows they function properly with? Or perhaps a list of windows and which automated/electric window openers they work with?


texts: Should I move this support post in my basement?

texts:
I am trying to create a new bedroom in the basement.  The first problem I hit is that there is this short concrete "wall" with a post coming out of it.  Actually, the post is 3 2x4's joined together.  If I leave it as-is, it would make the future bedroom a few feet shorter than if I were able to remove it.

My first thought was to put in a temporary post, jackhammer out the wall, take out the original post, and replace it.  However, that seems kind of daunting for a couple of reasons:

How to build a new post? Maybe jackhammer out some of the floor slab then fill it in so that it sits below the floor and not just on top of it.
This seems like it would be a "structural modification" which requires getting a construction permit and having things inspected, and I'm wary of that because all the other improvements to this 1925 house (such as replacing knob and tube wiring) were clearly done not up to code.

With that in mind, I'm thinking it would be better to rent a concrete saw and cut that wall vertically close to the post, so I can jackhammer it out without disturbing the post.

Any advice is appreciated!


texts: I have a motorised shutter and I need to buy a in-wall switch to automatically stop when the shutter reaches the floor or the ceiling by only one push and not keep holding the switch.


texts:
I'm looking to build a retaining wall on my sloped backyard. I'll be using cinder blocks (with mortar to join them together and rebar for added stability).

(added info: at the lowest point the wall is going to be close to 4 feet tall, not counting how deep I have to dig and how much of the wall needs to be underground)

Some questions:

1) Footing or no footing? Can I start setting the cinder blocks directly on base gravel, with rebar vertically every 3-4 feet for added stability, and filling them up with mortar as I go? Or do I need footing?

2) If I need a footing, how deep into the ground should my footing be? Not how deep the footing itself should be (I'm thinking I'll go with a 1' footing—feel free to comment on that), but rather how deep into the ground do I need to dig my trench in order to set the footing?

I know that for gravity walls on sloped yards I need to measure 5' out of where I plan my wall to be and dig the difference. What about for cinder block walls, is it the same? Or the added strength and stability of rebar+mortar, or footing+rebar+mortar, makes it so I don't have to dig as much?

Hope the info I provided is sufficient to get help and answers from. Let me know if you need me to try and sketch the design of the wall for added context.

Thanks


texts: Replacing a ceiling fan with light kit on 3-way circuit

texts:
How do I wire a replacement ceiling fan on a 3-way circuit? I have four supply wires; red, white, black and ground. Do I just hook it up the way the old fan was wired or is there any rewiring i need to do in the fan itself? The old fan was wired; ground to ground, black to black, white to white and red to blue.
The wall switches are two 3-way switches with the fan in the middle. The switches supply power to the fan then you control the light and fan with the pull strings on the fan itself.
Thanks for any help!


texts: We have fluorescent lights in our office and someone said that the ballast was bad.  How can you replace a ballast?


texts: What can I use to rigidly hang a lot of flat/paper artwork on a wall?

texts:
I have dozens of pieces of unframed artwork. I would like to hang them on the wall, in a way that is somewhat easy to rearrange. I'd like them to line up horizontally, and to be against the wall so they don't swing/flap as much when the room's ceiling fan is on.

I have in mind to simply buy a long piece of wood and glue a few dozen tiny clothes pins to it. I'm hoping there is some better / nicer / easier solution.


texts: How can I fill gaps in wall plates on an uneven backsplash?

texts: We're having a new house built, and the kitchen backsplash that was just installed is a tumbled stone, which looks great, but isn't a flat surface. As a result, the wall plates for electrical outlets, switches and phone jacks don't sit quite flush. Is there something that can be done about this, to fill the gaps with some sort of caulking or something, or is this just something I have to accept?


texts:
I have an older house (1940’s) with a dip in the hallway leading to my downstairs (1st floor) bathroom.  From wall to wall the hallway is 14 feet with the wood floor joists below running parallel to the length.  I ran a line level and found the floor is dipped 2 1/4” max at about 1/3 of the length of the hallway.  This 1/3 length point is closer to the bathroom.
Here’s what I’ve done so far:

Looked for cracks in the floor joists from the basement.  No cracks were found.
Pulled tile up in the hallway to find that the previous owner tried minimizing the dip with the addition of plywood where the dip is at its lowest and blended the tile around it in.
Had a few foundation repair companies come take a look.  They both suggested jack/post systems to prevent any further dipping, but not a solution to level the floor.  One quoted $2600 and the other $5600 for their specialized jack/post system.  Again, the jack/posts they said would be used to support the joists, but wouldn’t do anything about the floor dip. They felt that the dip was caused by the joists getting wet at some point and warping.  These joists are old rough hewn 2x8’s.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


texts: Will using a dimmer switch damage a transformer?

texts:
I've been looking at lighting for a house I've just moved into, and see lots of low voltage lighting which is marked as not working with dimmer switches.

I can live without the dimming but will setting the dimmer to 50% say,
a) actually damage the transformer or
b) just make the lights go off or flicker or something..

I would worry if accidentally dimming the light caused permanent damage.


texts: How can I figure out why my breakers are tripping?

texts:
A few years ago, I installed a solid wood "pocket" sliding door for my workshop. It's on an exterior wall, so I had to add some thick sealing strips that keep the cold air from Wisconsin winters outside. As a result of the heavy material and tight-fitting strips, the door can be a bit of a bear to open – especially with one hand.

Last summer, just when I was about to remove the stripping, I spotted a garage door opener at the flea market and had an idea. A few days and a couple gears later, and I had a door that would slide open and closed very quickly through a foot pedal (requiring zero hands) or an outdoor  keypad.

Just recently, however, I've been having a few obnoxious electrical issues. About halfway through the door opening, a breaker will trip… losing all power. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal to diagnose, but the wiring is a bit weird.

I have two electrical mains (the garage requires a separate electrical company account being on a separate property), but the previous owner wired the house, garage, and workshop together so that you could turn outside and garage lights on/off from various switches.

Sometimes a breaker in the house will trip, and sometimes a breaker in the garage will trip. The workshop is supposed to be wired to the house's electrical line, but the house will trip about 30% of the time instead.

It's not a big deal to flip the breaker, but I'd like to figure out where my problem is so that I can use my sliding door like I have been.


texts: How to plasterboard half hollow wall with gas pipe running up it

texts:
I recently had a breast wall plasterboarded and skimmed, however the right side cheek of the wall wasn't done because of what was behind it. That wall has concrete on the left, hollow in the middle and on the right there is a big gas pipe running from bottom to top!

This will be easier to understand with pictures:

I'm not really sure the best way to approach it, the plasterer who did the rest of the wall suggested some wooden battens running horizontally across the wall with the plasterboard stuck to them, the problem then will be there will be a gap between the external corner of the wall and the new plasterboard.

The final complication is that there is a valve sticking out the case pipe towards the bottom, so I would probably need to box this out of the plasterboard.

Anybody got any suggestions? Ideally looking for the simplest solution but i know in this case there probably isn't one!

Thanks in advance.


texts: What is the proper disconecting device for a heater + air handler not in sight of the panel?

texts:
I'm finding all sorts of conflicting information on this, some of which is hearsay, local, or outdated.

For an electric heater and air handler unit, with #6 wire, that will be either 50 or 60 amps, what type of device is code compliant to be the "readily accessible" disconnecting means?

This is for new construction and the unit is not in sight of the panel. NEC 2017 and IRC 2012 apply here.

Some say the breaker built in to the air handler is enough. Some say it isn't. Some say to use a non-fusible disconnect, like this. Others say that the door on the front make it not "readily accessible" and some inspectors will fail it.

Can you please tell me what the correct device should be and cite a code reference to support it?


texts:
I wanted to use an old electric driller that it's battery has worn down and i couldn't find a new battery. on the battery it says 7.2V.
So i took a AC-> 7.5V DC 1A Transformer and used it in place of the battery. it worked, but it didn't had a lot of power, and I'm trying to figure out way.

can it be that the driller need more then 1A? it doesn't make sense cause in this current it probably drained the battery in a few consecutive minutes.

so WTF?


texts: How to use an air conditioner port to bring in fresh air from the outside?

texts:
My condo building has AC ports (essentially a round hole that goes outside) in every unit, to which you can connect an air conditioner. However my unit doesn't get too warm so I want to use the AC port to bring in fresh air from the outside instead, possibly warming it up first during winter months.

Is there a fan/heater combination I can use for this purpose? Or perhaps regular portable air conditioners can work in this mode?


texts: Should I glue or nail hardwood flooring in several widths up to 6 inches?

texts:
I'm preparing to install 3/4 inch solid white oak in a bedroom using 3-1/4, 4 and 6 inch width boards. I'll be using a alternating pattern of 3-1/4, 4, 6, 3-1/4, 4 and 6.

I'm told if a board is over 5 inches wide, gluing the boards is the best method. However, because only one of the boards is 6 inches, I'm wondering if gluing is necessary.

My inclination is staple the flooring to felt, leavings a 1/4 inch gap between the sheets where I would apply a flooring adhesive.

What would you do?

FYI: I live in CT, where we get all four seasons of humid summers and dry winters. This will be installed in a child's 16 x 12 bedroom above a garage.

Thanks


texts: when my sump pump in the basement runs, the kitchen drain gurgles

texts: I don't understand why the gurgling. This year we've had a lot more precipitation than usual, so the sump has been running more frequently. Last year I had my main line rodded, repaired and a cleanout installed. Of course there were major plumbing issues at the time. There were no tree roots, it's just that the house is 60 years old. The sump pump is right under the upstairs bathroom plumbing and the mainline exits right under there through the basement wall and down to the public sewer line. The kitchen plumbing branches off upstairs, as does the washing machine and laundry tub just below in the basement. I've had no plumbing issues since the rodding. All drains run smooth. I do have two bathrooms upstairs and a bathroom in the basement. I recently added a kitchen in the basement, which comes off the plumbing by the washing machine. Could this be a venting issue?


texts:
I have a drain pipe for a shower. I need to attach a new pvc drain to it for a kerdi shower base. How can I tell if this is cast iron or galvanized, or something else? I'm assuming I will need to cut off that flange on top prior to doing anything.

For the record, house was built in 1956 in Hampton, Virginia. Main stack is cast iron, also lots of galvanized for other drains.


texts: Continue with Back Wire on GFCI when the wire keeps coming out?

texts:
Having trouble with the back wire on GFCI's popping free. 20amp, 12 gauge wire. When I fold the wires into the box, they like to come free of the back wire hole. I suspect this is due to the difficulty bending the 20 gauge wire to fit into the box.

I've read this which suggests I should be using the back wire on the GFCI. A few other web sources say the same thing.

Earlier, I had a problem with just being at the conductor fill limit of what could fit inside the outlet box because I was using two GFCI outlets. I was unhappy with this and am rewiring so each box has one GFI and one normal 20amp outlet downstream. The GFCI is pigtailed. The regular outlet is side wired to the GFCI outlet so it protects the standard outlet.

I feel like I should side wire the GFI outlets because they keep popping out from the back wire, BUT numerous sources say that GFCIs should use the back wire. This is a proper back wire that gets screwed down, not the "Quick Wire" push in wiring. I'm hand tightening as much as I'm able.

I suspect it's the process of folding the wires into the box, with the 12 gauge being so stiff, that causes the wires to come loose. However, on the outlets I've done so far, I was able to eventually make it work. But in one case, I was getting an error with the GFCI tester, and it was because the neutral wire had popped out. I fixed it, but concerned over the long term if they might work their way out.


texts: How much #12 NM-B can I put in PVC conduit?

texts:
I am going to be upgrading a full, very small 6-space panel in my attached garage to a much larger (40+ space) panel soon. I will have a number of circuits to run from this panel to a planned addition, then I will take advantage of the additional spaces to start bringing other wiring in the house up to (modern) code. To get from the panel, which will be surface mounted, in the garage, I will need to run the cable down the wall then through hole(s) punched in the brick foundation and into the basement/crawlspace.
My plan is to run as many pieces of conduit as I can get out of the bottom of the panel, and of as large a diameter as possible during the panel install. Only a few cables will be run on day one, but I want to have as much space available as possible for when I do additional work in the future, and I don't want to break out the sledge and chisel any more often than necessary.
At this point, I do not have a panel picked out, so I don't know what size knockouts may be available, however, I will beg/buy/borrow whatever tools may be necessary to make as large a knockout as possible to give myself plenty of space for the future expansion.
Assuming I get/can make holes large enough for 2" PVC conduit, how many 12/2 NM-B cables can I run through each one?

Yes, I know pulling NM through conduit is difficult. However, these will be a fairly short runs (under 36", I'd imagine) straight down, then around one 90° elbow and through a short straight piece through the wall and into the basement, so the pain will be minimal. Since I'm thinking PVC, I don't need any sort of nipple on the inside for protection from the conduit, correct?
Yes, I know that individual THHN would be easier to pull, but that would mean I would need a collection of junction boxen just inside the basement in a space that is already very cramped and/or to continue runs in conduit to a place where I can put junction boxen, which I don't particularly want to do.
I would be OK with going with metal conduit if I can get a larger number of cables into each one. PVC is easier (for a non-electrician without the proper tools), but I can cut steel pipe, I just don't have any threading tools, so non-threaded fittings would be easier/cheaper (fewer tools to invest in).

Note that I have checked a couple of on-line fill calculators, but they don't give NM-B as an option for cable type because the general recommendation is to not pull cable in conduit.


texts: What do I need to know for wall-mounted desk

texts:
I'm trying to build a rather large desk that's going to hold 2 computers 2 monitors and accessories associated with them, and well, 2 humans working all day long and occasionally resting on the desk.

I've already picked the countertop, which is a 2000mm/600mm/28mm in size made of highly compressed chipboard but it's still relatively heavy.

It's going to be wall-mounted to a red-brick wall that has some plaster on it but I intend to use dowels with steel screws (black ones) and 3 triangle shaped steel corners positioned at both ends and in the middle.

Thing is, I don't know what length the screws should be and currently I have trouble finding steel triangle that goes at least 300mm in width and to me it feels like the whole thing would just be unstable. The countertop is sort of heavy. It's not real wood but it still weights something in the ballpark of 10-15kg (could be wrong, just feels very heavy)

I also noticed the stores sell L-shaped corners but I don't know how they distribute weight to the wall.

Eventually I considered using table legs but you know ... the desk would lose it's wall-mounted spirit, but even with that I think of using at least 1 leg in the horizontal and vertical center of the plot.

I'm not an engineer nor an architect and I'm wondering what maths should I use to calculate things properly to get a stable and sturdy desk. Sure I won't sit on it, but my guests could and it has to hold 2 Full-ATX computers and screens to them.

Is it even possible to have this wall mounted or I'm better of with 4 legs (although it's an issue finding legs with the height I need so I guess I'll have to order some custom ones, which is expensive).

Thank you for any advice.

EDIT NOTE: On the diagram, the triangles are 180mm not 18mm !!!!!

Side diagram:

EDIT: I was considering adding legs and make it as a combination but do I add 2 or 3 legs? The material doesn't bend much, if at all, it's a work countertop but I don't know. And If I get 3 legs, first, my chair is going to bump into it sooner or later and second ... if I get 3 legs ... why not just go for 4 legs. I mean ... 4 legs is going to cost less than 3 legs + 3 steel braces. Minus the issue that I can't find legs with the height that I'm looking for.


texts: 3 way switch controlling outlets. Top working bottom now?

texts: So I just replaced all the outlets and switches In my new house. A three way switch controls all 4 outlets in the living room. I broke the brass tab on one of the outlets and now only the top outlet works with the switch and none of the other outlets work. I was told there was something wrong with the wiring in the house. Any ideas?


texts: How can I best prepare a nozzle for a gas cooktop so it doesn't lock into place?

texts:
I have a Bosch cooktop, and several of the igniters have stopped working. I'd replace them, but the venturi nozzle that holds the burners in place has gotten completely frozen in place. This is the case with all 5 burners, and I just cannot get them out any more.
I've decided to replace the entire cooktop, but with the new one, what can I do to the pipe threads of the venturi nozzles to keep them from freezing in place? Is there a pipe thread lubricant I can apply that'll be resistant to the heat, and still work after years of operation?


texts: There has been a humming noise coming from the hot water heater, and it sounds like it's coming from the Grundfos UP 15-18 B5 pump. The humming is constant 24 hours a day and from what I can tell it is NOT affecting the performance of the water being heated and sent into the house.