texts: Can I repurpose an HVAC circuit for shop outlets?

texts: I recently relocated my HVAC system from back patio to side of house-can I convert the old system (#8 wire, etc.) to a 20 amp outlet for a nearby shop function?


texts:
We are renovating an old property in France where three walls of an old stone schoolhouse (10ish meters high I'm guessing, maybe more in some places) sit adjacent to the more recent house (1950s). We need to demolish the walls for a few reasons.  1) They present a safety hazard. 2) They block the view. 3) We want to create a large terrace in its place. Two of the walls are not attached to anything, but the third wall is attached to another house--abandoned and not ours--by a kind of short stone bridge which complicates matters further. This wall is not destined for demolition, but it is, of course, attached at the corner to the long wall.
We've brainstormed a few ideas for how to do this safely.

Climb up a ladder, starting at the top and chiseling away at the mortar, thus allowing us to knock down the wall stone by stone. This seems dangerous and slow.

Attach grappling hooks and use a winch to pull down the wall. This seems more efficient and safer for the people involved but more difficult to control where the stones fall. EDIT: No longer considering this given rebound issues: 2

EDIT: Solution 3: use a hand winch and attach to the top stones with a metal band across several stones and then pull down one layer at a time.
We want the stones to fall inward to fill the void where the old foundation used to be and NOT outward risking rolling down the mountain and into other houses.
Anyone have any idea how to approach this demolition? Are we on the right track at all? Any tricks, advice, etc. you could offer?
EDIT: Many have commented below regarding the legal issues involved like protected/historical sites as well as adjacent property considerations. Thank you for thinking of these issues, but we are approaching everything legally and going through all the proper administrative channels (demolition authorization, etc.). France is super serious about these issues, and we don't dare do anything that would jeopardize our neighbors or our project goals!
Picture below is looking up towards the walls which are now covered in vines.


texts: Two lights on a 3-Way Circuit with Separate Dimmers

texts:
The Background:
I have one room that's both Kitchen and Dining. There are two lights, one for the dining room table, and the other is for the stove / sink area. What I'd like to do is:

Be able to turn both lights on with either the switch at the hallway or the switch at the garage entrance
Be able to adjust each light's intensity.

The Requirements are:

Both Lights 1 & 2 must turn on at the same time with either Dimmer Switch 1 or 2
Dimmer Switch 1 will only dim Light 1
Dimmer Switch 2 will only dim Light 2

The Question is:

Using two 3-way light switches with built-in dimmers (Like: Lutron DVCL-153P-WH), it is possible to satisfy the requirements above with only one power source coming into one of the switches?
If Question #1 is not possible, how could I achieve a similar result?

Current Photo of Kitchen/Dining Room:


texts:
I heard buzzing and popping noises behind this kitchen outlet so I opened it up and it looks like this:

What might've caused this? And to repair this, do I have to cut up the drywall and replace the wires/sheathing? Or just wrap whatever is in the box with black tape?


texts: Venting a direct vent fireplace into an existing wood burning stove flue

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Currently have a floor to ceiling brick wall with a wood burning stove that connects to a round flue tile about 32" from the floor and then has a standard cinder block with tile liner up to the roof. Want to get rid of the stove and install a direct vent freestanding or wall mounted gas fireplace. Can I use the existing flue and install the coaxial type vent pipes required by the direct vent fireplace? Don't want to use a gas stove and can't use an insert.
I want the finished product to look like a real fireplace.

Spoke with a fireplace pro over the weekend who told me for direct vent units the flue opening should be about 36 inches high to allow about 22" of vertical rise before entering the first right angle into the flue. Will use flexible coaxial pipe for venting all the way to the roof. Prefer this method rather than breaking through the outside brick chimney.


texts:
I'm considering updating the window trim on my house but can't tell if the trim will come off easily or not. The windows were replaced about 20+ years ago but I'm not sure if the trim is the orignal trim or not.
Based on the photo, shows the window and also a close up of the trim, can anyone tell if the trim is embedded in the stucco/plaster? I don't want to remove it if it would require me doing a bunch of stucco patching.
Late 1940s Bay Area house with stucco/plaster exterior siding.
Thanks


texts:
Update: Unfortunately Chamberdoor does not sell hinges even though it's pretty simple to replace them. They do sell the Z Bar but with shipping it's almost $100. These hinges were not sold at either the big orange box or the big green box. I ordered online and fortunately what I ordered I was able to make work. I bought a pin kit and the only issue was my hinge had some casting flash so the nylon pin wouldn't slide in. A 5/16 drill was the perfect size to remove it. None of these hinge kits or pin kits have an application or brand listed. Most of them do list dimensions so if you disassemble you should be able to get the right kit. If I were to do this again I would remove the door take out the hinge measure it and then order based on the measurements.
This door is starting to sag, when it closes it hits the other door near the top. It looks like the hinge has worn out. I was at the big box store and I didn't see any replacement hinges so I'm thinking the hinge is integral to the frame. Is there any way this can be fixed. If it was just the single door I wouldn't mind replacing it but not likely I can find this same door five years later.


texts:
Within the last year I remodeled my house and a contractor put in some new laminate flooring. It was great because it was very dense, heavy quality stuff that didnt scratch at all. We really like it.

We decided on laminate instead of tile or wood because of the cost and the durability. We are living here now but when we move we will turn it into a rent house so didnt want to invest a whole lot of money into the floors.

The only downside that I've experienced is that when dropping items sometimes the floor cracks or chips. Honestly I think I've just been very unlucky recently as I never dropped anything on the old laminate floors I had before the remodel but since we remodeled I've created four chips/cracks from dropping things.

So the question is what are the best fixes / methods to fix small cracks or chips? I know I can just replace the board as I have 2+ boxes of extra boards but would rather just patch it up instead of having to go through pulling a bunch of boards up to replace.

Picture of the biggest chip attached.


texts: I  have a home built in 1956 that has a load-bearing wall that is about 2ft off the main support beam in the basement. There is currently a 30" opening in wall with 2x4 header. I would like to extend the opening to 72" and support with an appropriate size lvl beam. The width of the load is 24ft wide but supports a second story and rafter roof. There has been no evidence of cracking with the current wall. Are posts in the basement required?


texts:
I'm wondering if there's a practical method of recognizing what kind of plastic a something is made of.  This is a recurring issue I face when trying to fix/glue/work-with plastic stuff around the house.

More specifically, I was trying to fix the connection of a garden hose reel. I thought that the black, carbon-like, hard plastic was ABS and used some ABS-compatible glue, but the bonding came off almost immediately after it was put under pressure. So, before I try again, I'd like a way to identify the material and use the right kind of products for it.


texts: My mom just bought an old house (1917). The Main Breaker has 3 wires two hot from a 30amp 220 breaker and one ground going from the main into a sub-panel, there is no room to feed a 4th neutral wire. So there is not a neutral wire.  Can I add to the sub-panel a grounding rod from the ground to a grounding pole into the dirt? I then want to use the sub panel to only hook up the one 3 wire 220-volt plug. The ground to the ground bus in the sub-panel would be connected to the ground in the main and the grounding rod at the sub-panel. The 2 hots to a 30 amp 220-volt breaker in the sub-panel. The sub-panel would never have 110 volts or anything using a neutral and would not have a neutral bus. As long as only the one 220 volts was connected this way would this be safe?


texts: Voltage detected when separate breaker is shut off

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I just moved into a new home. The living room has a covered up switch and a covered up receptacle nearby. Since there is no ceiling light, I presume this used to be a switch-controlled receptacle.

It was wired as shown below, with all of the hot wires capped off, and the neutral wires joined at the switch, but capped at the receptacle. All ground wires were properly screwed to the boxes.

I verified this by hooking up a switch to the two hot wires in the switch box, and finding that the hot wire in the receptacle would carry current if and only if the switch is on.

Now things get weird. If I turn off the breaker, all wires in the switch die. The hot & neutral in the receptacle also die, but the receptacle box itself beeps using a non-contact voltage tester! I would use a multi-meter to test for a false-positive, but I'm scared of uncapping the wires to make contact if there is still current. Also see there are nails going through the receptacle box that make contact with ground.

But here's the weirdest part. If I turn off a completely separate breaker for the basement lights, the receptacle's hot & neutral start beeping consistently, regardless of the switch! I have looked closely at all of the wires running through the basement for this separate breaker, and at no point should they be mixing (although they do run close by to one another).

How can it be that turning a different breaker off causes the wires to consistently turn on? And why was the receptacle box beeping in the first place? Is there a safe test I can do with my multi-meter?


texts:
I've designed and installed a small stove to burn wood scraps and bio-briquettes. The stove is really simple box-shaped stove as drawn here below.

However the stove does not work properly: the fire dies quickly, most probably because there is not enough draught. Opening the door a little helps creating a draft, but then smoke fills the room instead of running out through the chimney.

I would like to improve on the stove, so the fire may burn happily. I have been told the 45° elbow on the chimney reduces the air draught, but changing this now would be a bit hard.

I've thought of adding some openings:

by perforating the bottom and adding a tray below. This would possibly create draft and allow to clean ashes more easily.
by perforating the front wall at the bottom with some holes, adding a small grid to prevent sparks from sneaking out.

Do you think any of the two options here above would improve the stove do increase draught? Do you have another suggestion?


texts:
Looking to hook up a new 20KW generator to an existing manual 200A transfer switch.

What size copper wire do I need (2 hot legs, 1 neutral and one ground) and what size PVC conduit do I need for all 4 wires? The distance from the generator to the transfer switch is 15 feet


texts:
So I have some in wall speakers that I've installed. I would like to put pictures in front of them. I was thinking that a silk screen or similar should have essentially no sound distortion.

I reason that most speakers have cloth grilles anyway surely I could find something similar?

I was just wondering if anyone has insight on a material that I should use?


texts: Replacing a water heater--the physical task, not the plumbing part of it

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Once again it's time for a new water heater and I find myself dreading the task.  The water heater sits on a pedestal that is approximately 18" high (required by code) and lifting a 50 gallon water heater onto/off of that pedestal about at the limit of my strength--and we have no friends that we could ask for help with a heavy lifting task like that.

To make the lifting problem even worse I put a catch pan under it last time after it made a mess.  It's proved it's worth--this time instead of a mess I just have a wet area outside where the hose drains.  However that means the water heater has to be lifted over the lip of the pan--and the pan most certainly would be crushed if the weight of the water heater were to come onto the edge of it.

I would think some sort of block and tackle system would be the ideal solution here but I've never seen anything built for the task and it's an awful lot of weight and bulk to be confident lifting with a homemade rig.  What would be even better is if the connection to the ceiling was to something that could slide--lift, slide it to open space and lower.

Any fixes beyond simply hiring two strong people?


texts: Window treatment that allows for a projection to be visible?

texts:
As a creative project, I'm trying to project some lines or text onto a window.  That is, I have a large window that I still want to see out of, but I want to use an LCD projector from the inside to project onto the window.  Someone looking at the window would be able to see through it, but could also read the time or temperature or something projected onto it.

Of course, most of the light from the projector is going to go through the window, but some of it is bouncing back in as glare.  I'm going to experiment to see if I can take advantage of this effect, but it might be tricky.

Is there any other sort of window treatment I can apply that might make this work better?  Perhaps some sort of stick on window darkening material that might reflect a bit more light from the inside?  Or, some sort of stick-on plastic that would react to UV?  (The LCD projectors tend to kick out quite a bit of UV, so maybe the visible light plus UV would be fine.  Color doesn't matter... this is going to be in monochrome.)

Any other alternatives you can think of to get a similar effect?  Open to oddball and creative ideas!  Thanks.


texts: Does such a door knob/handle exist that has the latch bolt installed on the outside of the door?

texts:
I am building a custom, soundproof door out of two layers of 3/4" MDF.  It's not as rigid as I'd like it to be and has a bit of bow to it which will eventually compromise the neoprene seal that I will be installing around the stop.

What I need is a low-profile method of reinforcing this door and Menard's seems to have what I need, a 1 1/2"x1/8"x6' steel strip.  It is very rigid and will definitely keep the door from warping or bowing.  My initial idea was to fix this strip to the inside edge of the door and drill a 1" hold through it for the door handle's latch bolt.  Someone else on this site brought up several complications in that method, so it may not work.

However, I still want to use the metal strip for reinforcement.  If I could find a door knob/handle that has the latch on the outside, I wouldn't have to worry about drilling a hole through steel.  Does such a thing exists and, if so, what do you call such an assembly as this?


texts: Does the NEC define a "dining room"? 210.52(B)(1)

texts:
I've attached a rough sketch of our house layout. My question is about the room labeled with a "?". Would the NEC consider this a "dining room", even if there isn't any typical dining room furniture - that is, no dining room table/chairs, no buffet/sideboard, no dish/china storage, etc? (We have a couch, a piano, and a desk in there.) It's largely open to what we call the "living room", with an open doorway to the kitchen. All walls are full ceiling height. The kitchen has a small table (like a breakfast nook) in it where we usually eat, when we're not eating in the living room in front of the TV, or outside on the back patio. We don't have any room in particular that we use as a "dining room", but if a future owner were to have a dining room, this "?" room would most likely be it.

The question arises because the NEC requires 20 amp circuitry in a "dining room", per 210.52(B) below. The house is currently wired such that that entire "?" room is served by one (dedicated) 15 amp circuit, with 14/2 wiring and a 15 amp breaker, for all the receptacles and lighting in that room.

(The kitchen does have the 2 required 20amp small appliance circuits.)

EDIT to clarify: the house is about 100 years old; the 15amp circuitry is already in place (an has been for decades). There are some wiring updates happening - addition of a couple of receptacles. I know I can just ask the inspector, but... I'm afraid to even raise the issue, in case he never raises it either. :)

I believe the 2014 NEC says the following:

  210.52 Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets.

  (B) Small Appliances.

  (1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room,
  dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the two or more
  20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits required by 210.11(C)(1)
  shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by
  210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.

EDIT to add: After reading the answers below... I still don't know if the room is even required to be classified as a "dining room" (which was my original question), but if it is, then I guess that if I want to add 2 wall receptacles to that room, code would require hooking them up to one of the existing 20-amp kitchen circuits, rather than hooking them up to the existing 15-amp circuitry in that room.

Or just keep everything as is and continue using extension cords as we have been. (Safe? No. Compliant? Yes.)

It's funny that the reason we want to add receptacles of course has nothing to do with "dining room" purposes; we just want a convenient outlet for an audio system and a computer. Tying those in to the kitchen circuitry seems absurd, as does installing a new 20-amp circuit just for those outlets. But oh well. Maybe somebody someday will want to put a hot plate in that room, and boy will they thank me for having put in a couple of 20-amp outlets! (Even though they're not required to be labeled as such. Go figure. Here's hoping they don't plug the hot plate into the wrong outlet, or the breaker will trip. Heavens! I can see why the NEC can't allow that!)


texts:
As a follow-up to this question, if I have wet/damp location-rated cables going from an outdoor breaker box, up a ~5' SCH40 PVC conduit, and into a building attic, do I need to secure both ends of the cable to both the breaker box and and interior junction box or just the interior junction boxes?

At one end is the breaker box, but at the other end, the cables exit the large PVC conduit, run outside conduit (in the attic) a short distance, then enter a plastic junction box to be spliced to NM cable used for the interior wiring. The plastic junction boxes have cable clamps for the cable coming from the conduit.

Would this arrangement be admissible under the NEC?


texts:
My house was built in 1996, and every water connection has a multi-turn shutoff valve.  These seem to fail the first or second time I use them - the inner rubber seal disintegrates and becomes brittle to the touch.   Tightening them just barely enough to stop the water flow is enough to break the seal.

Luckily the vendor still sells a compatible valve style, so I just buy a new valve and replace the multi-turn core and discard the rest.  They are all soldered to the pipes, so it would otherwise take a fortune in a plumber's labor to replace all of them in the house (quarter turn ball valves would seem to be much more reliable).

My question is whether this is a known problem with a certain vendor in the industry, or was the seal overheated during installation soldering, or if my replacement cores will also fail at next use?


texts: Installed new 3 way switch, now lights are still dim when switch is off

texts:
I installed this switch, to an existing 3 way switch setup that worked just fine (no dimming present). I wanted the automation, thus the programmable switch.

This is setup on outside lights for the garage and porch. The porch has a CFL, and on the side of the garage door (3 of these LED's on each side).

The very strange thing is, the switch works like it should, both lights turn on, BUT when I turn the switch off (on either wall switch) the LED's just dim, they don't turn all the way off - see pics. What would cause this?

Wall switch is OFF

Wall switch is ON


texts:
I recently bought a condo with a 11'x13' patio with a wooden privacy fence. The fence is in pretty bad shape so I want redo it while we are locked down in our houses. I've read up a ton and just want to confirm what I know before I purchase all of the materials. This fence is on concrete, I assume that is crucial information.

Here is my current materials list:

2 6x6 posts
4 4x6 posts
22 2x4
80 1x6 redwood fencing planks
EasyGate no sag gate kit
Galvanized post bases for all of the post
Camo Deck Fastener System
2.5" deck screws

My main questions are:

If the fence is on concrete and nothing will be touching the ground, do I need pressure treated lumber? I was thinking maybe for the posts only but even then they will be raised by the post base. For sure the framing I'm thinking I can just use normal 2x4 wood? Also I plan on painting the posts and staining the planks so do I even need pressure treated?
I know the planks will have their screws hidden because of the camo system, however for the general framing portion of the fence, do I need to do anything to protect the screws? I assume I should avoid having the screws facing up so that water doesn't collect but other than that do I need to seal them somehow?

I appreciate your help in advance, thanks!


texts: cold water too hot in AZ—worth it to insulate attic copper?

texts:
All of my plumbing runs through copper lines in an accessible attic in a 1960's slab-on-grade ranch style home in Phoenix, AZ where I don't need to tell you how hot the attic can get for a huge chunk of the year. This results in having to run the cold water for about 2–3 minutes to get water that isn't scalding hot—and this "cool-down" of the pipes only lasts for maybe an hour before you have to restart the process as the pipes have heated back up again in the attic.

I know insulating the pipes will not entirely solve the problem as I will just be slowing down the heat transfer, but I'm trying to get some sage advice on whether it will be at least marginally effective (enough to justify the work) to insulate my water pipes. They sell polyethylene (pool noodle) pipe insulators here in the big box stores, but I also noticed a fancier version online which has a fiberglass interior with a foil-like radiant heat barrier and wondered if this would be better? Any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated. I've done a lot of searching online but can't find anything to answer my specific question.

update (12Sept2018)
Thanks for all your answers and help everyone—I finished this project and wrapped the entire cold water line in the attic with the "pool noodle" type insulation. It made a noticeable difference in my house immediately. During the eight hours I am at work and no water is running through the pipes to cool them down the water still gets scaldingly hot, but once you run cooler water through the pipes it takes much longer to heat back up again to scalding (now it takes around 4–5 hours to heat back up rather than an hour like before). I have a temperature probe in the attic and during June/July it gets above 130F in the attic so there's a lot of heat to fight against.


texts: Should I get a single- or two-stage furnace for my three-floor brick home?

texts:
I just bought a house that has a furnace on its last legs. The house is 1941 masonry in Chicago with 3 floors: finished basement, first floor and a second floor that is a converted attic with vaulted ceilings and gets way too hot. The total square footage is about 900 per floor (so 2700 total)

I am looking at an American Standard AUH1C100A9481A as a replacement (recommended by a HVAC pro).

Is it worth going with 2-stage and how much extra would it be?

Any disadvantages? I hear variable speed units are pretty unreliable and really expensive on repairs.


texts: GFCI not tripped, but no current downstream

texts:
I have an outside shed with a non-GFCI outlet and a light fixture. Only the light is controlled by a switch. The shed is wired off of an outside GCFI outlet. Everything, including the outlet, was installed about 3 years ago.

In the last few weeks, turning on the light switch in the shed gives light for about a second, then both the light and the outlet inside the shed are dead. The switch and light are both downstream from the outlet, which also loses power. However, the GFCI is not tripped. Anything plugged into it continues to receive power and testing/reseting it works normally, except the shed often remains without power. Sometimes waiting a while and then testing & reseting the GFCI outlet will return power to the shed. When the GFCI is tripped, there is never power to the shed, so I think it is wired correctly.

Is it likely the GFCI that is to blame (and should I try replacing it?) or some other issue with the wiring?


texts: How can I protect this plumbing in an exterior wall from freezing?

texts:
We're converting an old bathroom addition in our house to be a utility/laundry room. The bathroom wasn't properly vented or sealed, so we are completely gutting the room to deal with mold and mouse damage.

We've already removed the old shower plumbing, which was behind a false wall, as well as the false and underlying interior walls as well. We've run new pvc supply and waste lines up through the crawl space and into the floor, where the washing machine will be located. The pipes are about 8 inches away from the sheathing of the exterior wall:

How can I protect this from freezing? We're in Bloomington, Indiana, which has gotten as cold as -12F (-25C) in the dead of winter. The wall itself is fairly exposed, as it is a corner room sitting on top of a half-exposed crawl space.

My initial thought was that, since this is effectively a double-thick wall, we could just use two layers of fiberglass and then throw our drywall on top of that. Alternatively, we could use some combination of foam, fiberglass, and pipe insulation. Would that be good enough, or should I create a more rigid barrier? If mice get into the wall again, they could damage any softer insulation that we use. Do I need to go through the trouble of building an entire false wall, or could I just build a little protective box around the pipes? Should I install an active heating element as a backup, like a pipe-heating cable system?


texts: Efficiency of having 2 heat pumps in my house

texts:
I have a 2 story house and I want to replace our old window AC. I was initially thinking of replacing it by a single heat pump unit, but in order to get government funding, I would need to get one heat pump per floor.  I calculated that it would cost me around $1000 more to have the 2 units system and I was wondering if it would be worth it in the long run.

So, my question is : will cooling the house in summer and heating it in winter be more energy efficient with a 2 units system?

(currently, my house is heated by electric baseboard heaters and cooled by a 12 000 BTU window AC)


texts: How do I make pavers stop shifting when I walk on them?

texts:
Disclaimer: I have no clue what I'm doing

Over the weekend, I replaced our mulch bed with some rock and a small paver path to our yard:

I laid a thin layer of paver sand under the path, and scrubbed in some sand between the pavers. I sprayed a mist of water a few times over an hour or two to get the sand wet so it would settle. The paver sand doesn't seem to be strong enough though? When I walk on the path, the pavers still shift slightly (enough to make the sand dislodge from the cracks) and I have to refill with more sand, wet, let dry, test again.

Can I use something more rigid? Is there a trick to getting these to stay firmly in place?


texts: Installing new outlet in the middle of an existing run

texts:
We're in the process of doing some minor reno in our basement, and we'd like to put our entertainment center in one corner.  Unfortunately there's no plug near there, so I want to add one.

The basement is poured concrete with old faux-wood paneling over 1x3 strips. The romex for the existing plugs generally runs along the sill plate, stapled to the rafters.  Because of the space constraints in the wall, I'd rather not try to pigtail in the box, so the solution I was thinking was to cut out the existing line near where I want the new outlet, install a junction box in the ceiling to some new romex, and the back out of the outlet into a second junction box, which connects to the rest of the run.

Am I out of my mind, or does this work? Is there a better way?

Thanks very much in advance.


texts: how can I Soundproof a room without wall modifications

texts:
My My room is right next to the staircase and basically I have two neighbours that does a lot a noise, the ones right next to me and under me, the noise doesn't go through the floor but by the staircase/hallway and then straight through the walls see diagram :

I saw a few things like using rockwool etc but they all require construction and I rent this flat so I can't do any hard work on it. Is there anything I can do to soundproof these walls that doesn't costs a ton and that can be placed and then removed when I leave ?

I don't mind if it's ugly I'd rather sleep in an ugly room than stay awake all night in a pretty one


texts: Thermostat fan control on old furnace without circuit board

texts: I have an old gas furnace without a circuit board. Just a 4064 fan limit control, 24v transformer, gas burner control and fan. I wired a new wifi thermostat in. It works great. I would like to be able to use the fan only control of the thermostat. Can I do this? Where would I connect the G wire? I was thinking I could remove the jumper in the 4064 limit controller. But if I use low voltage on the limit side will it still only allow the fan to run by temperature? There is a fan/auto switch on the 4064 that works.


texts: My electrical inspector just failed me because the hidden J-boxes that attach to my 6" LED recessed lights were not mounted to studs. He didn't cite any specific code, so just wondering if this is actually a thing or if more his personal preference.


texts: I just purchased a 1927 bungalow style house.  The roof has no trusses and has exposed rafter tails with 1x6's placed between as a block.  There are no lower vents and wondered how to proceed to correct this.  I thought of drilling holes for round vents but wanted to confirm this is the correct approach.


texts: different wiring in newly purchased ceiling fixture

texts: Purchased a new ceiling light fixture.  The new fixture only has a copper ground wire and a black wire that is partially "split" into two wires (and since it is a very long wire, I believe it is to be cut to the needed length and then split.  How do I wire this to the typical black and white wiring (and ground wire) that is coming out of the ceiling?


texts: How can I transition from tile to stained concrete?

texts: What are some good ways to transition from tile to stained concrete? We pulled up the carpet that was next to our tile and stained the floor instead of new carpet?  I am looking for simple DIY transition ideas


texts:
One of the breakers in my panel has shifted out of position slightly (#13 in the image).
This happened as I was turning it off. I am unable to shift it back into position by applying a decent amount of force (afraid to damage something if I apply any more force).
It appears to operate without issue.
Should I call a professional to investigate this or just use it as is?


texts:
I have a home on a relatively flat lot. I want to be very aggressive in removing moisture and am looking for ideas/suggestions.

My current thoughts:
1. Re-grade
2. Add a swale - again not sure my lawn can support this well, but I am also thinking about lowering the soil right up against my fence, then draining that out somehow.

Any thoughts, or other options?


texts: My plumber had to knock out some of my bathroom wall tile to access the stack and make a repair. I am trying to go about repairing the hole. However I cannot separate the tile from the existing wall board. I believe they used some sort of adhesive wall board because I am not encountering thinset. Should I just cut all the way through along the grout lines and butt the new cement board up to the existing wall. I would be unable to tape those joints then. What is the best way to go about the repair? Attached is a picture of the main area of the repair. Note this is on the opposite wall of the shower and does not get direct water exposure.


texts: How to get rid of new carpet removed from a new house

texts: I live in Sugar Land, Texas within city of Houston. I ripped off the newly installed carpet from a new house to install wood floor. What are the best way to get rid off the carpet and pad in my garage?


texts:
New here! I am DIYER who rehabs homes and rents them.

I’ve worked with a few panels but never came across one like this, which seems like a split bus panel.

It seems I didn’t adhere to the 6 breaker rule, I believe that’s what it is called and added some of my lighting and outlets on the first 6 spaces.

I guess my question would be should I remove those 4 breakers and place them below the red circled double pole breaker? I imagine that breaker will activate or deactivate any power below it, but not above it.

Also, if I were to use the the first 6 slots, what are they exactly used for and is there anyway to kill the power to those slots without having the meter pulled?

Thanks!!


texts: I have a 30 amp RV. I had a new breaker put in my breaker box cause it only had one 15amp breaker installed when I got it. I had three room plugs ran in my camper to the other breaker can I put 20 amp breakers in instead? And what amp plug do I need to run both breakers the other breaker was for fridge and ac and water heater everything else is on the other breaker


texts: How can I regulate pressure to a BAXI LUNA 240i boiler?

texts:
I need to increase the pressure to the boiler, how should I proceed? I checked on YouTube and found a couple of systems but they do not apply to my model (at least not at first sight).
Some pics here (click for full size):

This boiler also feeds the floor heating system.


texts: How do i remove this bulb from my bathroom fixture?

texts:
My bathroom fixture has one of these and I can seem to remove it.

Any ideas?


texts: I’m trying to track a fault in my wiring to the dishwasher. Ive seen evidence of a critter chewing on a coating but nothing touching anything bare to ground out. The breaker trips instantly after I try to turn it on so I know something is not right, I’m just looking for a good starting point for the troubleshooting


texts: Is it possible to use BC to ES adaptors in a custom light fixture?

texts: I'd like to make my own light fixture. I have a BC to ES adaptor lying about and was wondering whether I could directly wire them to use with my ES bulb? Would it possible to just wire up the two bottom screws?


texts: Can I pour a concrete footing on very wet base material?

texts:
I'm ready to pour a concrete footer for a small retaining wall.  The footer will be 8' x 1' x 6".

I spread and, with a plate compactor, compacted 6" of crush and run which will be below the concrete footer.  It rained all day yesterday. I had a 10x10 pop-up canopy over the area, but it still managed to get wet.

When I walk on the gravel it is noticeably squishy and shifts with my weight.

Is it OK to pour the concrete on this, or should I wait until it is more stable and re-compact?


texts: Pull-up bar hanged from drywall door-frame

texts:
I bought a pull-up/chin-up bar to hang from my door frame.

The instructions state that it is not to be used for walls made out of drywall/rigips. The hollow noise I hear when knocking on said wall though makes me believe that is exactly what it is made out of. This goes for all the door frames in my flat. One such door-frame looks like this, from either side:

The building is from 2007, so I suspect that door frames in most other new buildings are enclosed in similar types of walls. Thus, I cannot imagine that this pull-up bar is only to be used in the very few cases where the door frame is encased in a non-drywall (concrete) wall.

How much of a risk would it be to use the bar with this kind of soft wall? My weight (80kg) is well under the maximum load of the bar itself (150 kg), so the worry is really just about damage done to the drywall itself, assuming this is where most of the force will be dissipated (and not onto the door-frame sides).


texts: Is this a compliant way to control three circuits with two switches?

texts:
I'm planning to replace two dimmer switches -- but I found the following clever wiring when opening up the junction box.  Three circuits where the neutral lines are spliced together, one live line spliced to two switches, and the remaining two live lines going to the respective switches (photo below).

I'm tempted to just replace the switches and keep the wiring the same, but this looks very dubious!  Is my concern warranted, and if so, how should I correct the problem?


texts: How to stop the peeling of new paint that's not properly adhered to new drywall due to underlying spackle dust

texts:
Is there any way to secure new paint over new drywall which is not properly adhered due to a thin layer of spackle dust?

During my whole house renovation, I prepared new drywall by thoroughly sweeping off spackle dust with the head of a broom.  I assumed that using a wet rag or sponge would smear my beautifully smooth spackle, especially at its thin edges.

I primed the walls with Behr 75 tinted primer/sealer, then topcoated with one coat of Behr 7050 Premium Plus "Paint & Primer".  The painted walls look perfect.

A few months later, my builders came to install trim, doors, and more.  Their slightest scrapes against the wall pulled the paint off, as shown in the pictures below.  It seems that the thin layer of spackle dust left behind after my thorough sweeping, which only a damp sponge could remove, prevented the paint from properly adhering to the new drywall.

Is there any way to secure this paint to the wall?  Is there a coating I can apply to make it more robust so scratches won't peel the paint?

Peeling off the paint seems impossible.  I trust I can't remove 100% of it, leaving edges between painted and unpainted surfaces.  It may also ruin the spackle and sheetrock below, especially if I must do any scraping.  Thanks for your help.


texts: What can cause the capacitor in an air conditioner to fail?

texts:
I just had the capacitor on my air conditioner fail.  It was explained to me that the reason for this was the oil inside the capacitor got too hot, expanded, made the whole thing bulge, and no more cool air or spinning fan.

Is this is a "all parts wear out" thing?  Or can misuse of an AC unit cause this sort of problem?  Or can other things being wrong with the AC unit cause this sort of problem?

The main question I'm trying to answer is: How can I avoid this in the future?


texts:
I have electricity on cables but won't work any light bulb I try on.

In the first picture, is the light is not working.
 In the second picture is the light that is working.
I tried to switch them in every way. Not working.
And when I check if is electricity in wires, it is(picture 3)


texts:
I have recently replaced a motor for my attic fan because the original one burned out. I did measurements for the height of the fan blades in relation to the supports and ensured that when I re-attached the blades that they fit.

In the picture below, the fan is located in the angled ceiling of my attic.

After putting everything back together, I spun the blades and realized that they were making contact with 1 of the 3 support struts, suggesting that my replacement was not balanced. In order to fix this, I used several washers between the motor and the support strut to push the motor up and angle it in a manner that did not permit contact between the fan blades and the strut.

Afterwards, I reconnected the wires and let the fan run for about 5 minutes straight without issue. On the day of the work and test run, the attic was maybe only 80° F and I had to trigger the fan by lowering the thermostat down.

Satisfied that things were fine, I closed everything up. A few days later was much hotter and presumably the attic reached a temperature of 100° F and tripped the thermostat switch causing the fan to turn on. I heard a clanging downstairs, realized the blades were striking and shut the whole thing down.

Right now, I've just cut the electricity to the fan for now, but when I go to fix this, I want to ensure that however I balance the fan it will stay balanced through both temperature fluctuations as well as vibrations of the fan rotating. I'm pretty sure my washer-spacer solution was the wrong thing to do. What is the correct way to do this?

If it helps, I situated the fan blades at the same elevation as they were previously, but there is room on the spindle to move them further up if needed.


texts: Advice on what kind of paint to use on metal fire pit

texts: I'm in the process of building this fire pit made of 4x4 angle iron and rebar.  I know I will have to use some kind of hi temperature paint, my questions are what kind of hi temperature paint?  There is engine enamel, hi heat flat and fireplace paint. Which one would would be best suited for my purpose?  Will I have to cure the paint?  I'm sure there will be a few fires that will get hot but most will be mild.  Thank you.


texts: Do unswitched neutral and ground wires need to pass through a transfer switch?

texts:
I'm installing a manual transfer switch to feed a 240V subpanel from either generator or the main panel.  No devices other than the main panel are bonded.  Since the neutral is not switched, can I bypass the transfer switch with the neutral and ground wires and connect the neutrals from the main panel and the generator directly to the subpanel?
Does the pictured wiring meet code?


texts:
I have a bathroom with a wooden floor - not floorboards, but solid sheets of water-treated chipboard. It's an old house, ~90yrs or so, and we're renovating it. A lot of the work has been done by competent professionals, a little of it has been done by me.

As part of the bathroom renovation we had a shower installed. A carpenter erected a wall at the end of the bath to form a cubical in the corner of the room, this wall is made from a single sheet of chipboard sandwiched between four sheets of water-treated plasterboard. Following this, a plumber fitted the shower tray (porcelain), the pipe work and the shower itself.

I have then tiled the shower cubical (but alas, not with flexible adhesive), grouted it and siliconed between the tray and the tiles. The problem is the shower leaks. It's not much, but it's probably damaging the wall and the floor slowly.

At first I just used regular grout and silicone. It leaked.
I then got some flexible silicone, removed the original silicone and re did it. It still leaked.
I then got some flexible grout, scraped out all the original grout and re-grouted it. It still leaks...

I don't know what else I can do, I don't particularly relish the thought of regrouting and re-siliconing once again, and I'm not even sure that if I did it would fix the problem.

Does anyone have any experience of this situation with a wooden-floored bathroom. I'm sure there is a slight movement when stood in the shower. The floor is a new floor by the way, laid by the carpenter as part of the renovation.

Edit

Hi, thanks for the comments, ok:

@BMitch - No, I didn't install a membrane. Wish I had known about these 9 months ago!

@HerrBag - We've got the drain pipe exposed, it's definitely not this. We did fit the green plasterboard yes. The water is coming from from the edges of the porcelain base, it's definitely like it is seeping through the grout and running down the wall behind the tiles. i'll look out for grout sealer or some other waterproof agent I can apply to the grout. Thanks!


texts: How can I prevent aluminum window frames from heating up when they're in full sun?

texts:
There is a room that has a window, the frame of the window is made of aluminum. This window is subjected to direct sunlight a long time of the day, which makes the aluminum get really hot, and start acting as a heat radiator and heating up the room pretty quickly.

What can I do to block the sun from heating up the window frame?

I tried putting some paper with adhesive tape, but it was not durable at all, even though there wasn't a lot of rain or water.

I prefer something DIY, if possible.


texts: Do I really need 140 lbs of cement for a 5", 5' high vinyl fence post (31" in the ground)?

texts:
140 lbs Seems like a lot of cement, I was hoping to get by with just one 80# bag.
I guess the hole would be 12" per auger rental advice. I Live in Montana, not a lot of moisture but ground freeze down 8" at times.
Any advice appreciated. Also, they say to cement up to 2-3" below the surface, would placing dirt in first and tamping it down be a bad thing?


texts: Front door frame increasingly out of square

texts:
My house was built about 2 years ago.  The front door has been adjusted multiple times to get around problems where it didn't latch (deadbolt hitting too high on strike plate) and/or wedged against the frame:

At inspection, it was not latching.  Some adjustment was made to fix that (I believe they just filed the strike plate).
A few months later, the deadbolt was sticking because the top surface was wedging against wood in the frame.  I fixed it by hogging out more wood to square up the area behind the strike plate.
Before the first year was up, the door stuck shut completely.  The original installer (via the builder, via the included homeowner's insurance) came out to fix it.  He indicated that side-light doors were tricky to install (no ability to pull the door around because it's framed by glass).  He ended up completely removing the frame and re-hanging it.  To fix all the issues it's actually installed in a slightly different plane than the wall (one top corner is flush with the wall, and one is inset in the wall).  The trim carpenter did a good job of hiding this.
Now (about 9 months later) it's stuck against the frame again and possibly headed toward completely stuck.

The door is basically level (it doesn't tend to swing open/shut on its own, and it measures pretty level).  There's no cracking in any of the surrounding drywall, even though the above sequence of events seems like it must have moved one side of the frame by at least 1/2 inch.

Looking for recommendations.  I let it go this long hoping it would stop moving so the next fix would "stick", but I'm not sure the rate of change is slowing down.  I can't tell what is actually moving.  The only thing that I can think of is that the concrete stoop is dragging it down, but I don't see evidence of that against the outside of the house.


texts: I stripped the threads on the male pipe from my dryer. Now I cannot connect the gas line to my dryer. What are my options to fix this problem? Can I replace the pipe coming from my dryer? Or would it be better to try to re-thread the pipe?


texts: We just moved into a house that has outside patio lights controlled by 3 different light switches.  I want to replace one of the light switches with a digital timer. What type of light switch timer do I need?  3 pole?  4 pole?  And does it matter which light switch I decide to replace in the circuit?


texts: Can I put a PVC coupling in my vent stack?

texts:
I think my vent stack is plugged; I think this because the toilets sound different while flushing than I think they should, and I hear a knocking in the wall when a sink or toilet is flushed.  Normally I would go up on the roof and look in the vent stack, but my roof has a steep angle and is not walkable.  I realize I could use roof jacks, but I'm hoping I can avoid it.
What I would like to do is go into the attic where there is plenty of room to work and cut the vent stack into two halves so I can look in it that way (The vent stack is PVC).  After checking for blocks and fixing if necessary, I would re-attach the stack with a rubber coupling meant for PVC pipe, or if that's discouraged, weld a PVC coupling to re-attach the two halves.
Would my idea be acceptable?  I can't see any functional problem with it, but I'm wondering what an inspector might think years down the line, or if it's against code.


texts:
A slab leak was bypassed by a contractor with a single pipe to the target terminal and does not include changes to the drains or piping to fixtures (toilets, sinks, other user terminals).  What is the correct term for said bypass pipe?  I found the term "repipe", which includes drains.
From a permitting standpoint, is does the bypass fall under the repipe label? or is there another label?


texts: Can i use two AC sources to power one load?

texts: I have a 1.5 KW Solar array with a 48V  battery storage of 8KW, I am planning on using a 1KVA generator to back up the solar power system in case the solar system cant power the load on its own(both providing power to load at the same time, with priority to solar power system), i can't use an inverter to do this aswell.


texts: There is water in my basement and the outdoor sump pump failed. What am I doing wrong?

texts:
My house has water problems with the basement.  Here's what the entrance to my basement looks like.  When I get a really heavy rain storm, water manages to rise up and start seeping in under the door.  Given an hour I have a real mess on my hands (like today)

I have a sump pump hooked up underneath the black cover in the picture.  It's a simple automatic pump I bought at the home depot.  It sits inside a 5 gallon bucket with holes drilled in it and gravel in the bottom.  This bucket sits in a pit filled with gravel.  Here's what it looks like when you lift the cover

The pump has a garden hose hooked up to it.  The hose then runs through some pvc pipes and into the back yard.  The power cord runs into the house.  Currently it's attached to a power cord but I plan on adding a power outlet next to the door that it will plug into.  Here's a picture..

So that's my setup, which works well enough for regular amounts of rain.  But here are the two situations my setup fails:

Flash flood warning level rains.
Power outage.

So here are my questions:

What am I doing wrong?
What should I do to make things right?


texts: Why do a lot of old houses have drop ceilings?

texts:
I've been looking at a lot of older home listings in different areas and I'm seeing a lot of drop ceilings in older homes, especially in less populated areas. In my areas drop ceilings are primarily used in commercial locations and in some older finished basements.
When I see a drop ceiling on a main floor in an old home I assume there's a crumbly mess of plaster behind there that nobody wanted to pay to fix right. Is that it or is it something else? I've been looking with someone else online in areas I don't plan to visit but I'm very curious if anyone knows.


texts: Should I lubricate the motor in my power drill?

texts: I have a power drill that looks like the picture below. I've had it for years, but recently I noticed that it squeaks when I use it (I only really hear the squeaking while it's winding down, when it's spinning full speed it's too loud to hear anything else). My question is: should I try to lubricate it somehow? Is this an indication that I should get a new drill, or just be kinder to my old one?


texts: GFCI receptacle works partially when switch is turned off; not at all when on

texts:
I had an electrician install an outdoor receptacle recently, and it's not working as expected. Before the receptacle was installed, the only thing I'm aware of that was on this circuit was a single outdoor light fixture controlled by a switch. I swapped out the simple switch for a Honeywell RPLS540A (one of those no-neutral timer switches, as the switch box did not have a neutral available).

I was under the impression that the new receptacle was not hooked up downstream of the switch, and so it should operate at all times, independent of the switch.

Here's what actually happens (edited to reflect new information per DoxyLover's suggested diagnostic test):

With the switch turned on, the receptacle is completely dead. The outdoor lights go on fully, but there are no signs of life at the receptacle. The green LED turns off, and nothing lights up on an outlet tester. The GFCI doesn't seem to be tripped here, as it doesn't actually need to be reset. If you turn the switch back off, the lights go off, and the receptacle goes to the state described below.
With the switch turned off, the receptacle seems to get partial power and shows a dimly lit hot/neutral reverse with an outlet tester. The green LED light is on, and there is some power. Plugging in a 100-watt lamp, for example, results in partial power in the lamp plugged into the receptacle and partial power in the lights that are supposed to be switched off.

I'm confused as to why all this would be. It seems apparent that things are wired incorrectly, but what would cause this behavior? Part of what I'm after here is the issue of who screwed up: me in the installation of the switch or the electrician in the installation of the receptacle? (He should arguably have tested the receptacle a bit better, although I'd hardly rule out errors on my part.)

Second Update: I just went back to inspect my work in the timer switch, and it does appear to be installed according to the instructions given in the manual. Three wires come into the box: black (I assume line), white (I assume load), and a bare ground wire. The line and 3-way wires from the switch are wire-nutted to the black wire in the box, the load wire from the switch is wire-nutted to the white wire in the box, and the ground wire is wire-nutted to the bare wire. In other words, it's just like the diagram below (from the manual), except that the ground is connected to the bare wire instead of a screw in the box. I'm not 100% clear on how the receptacle is wired in relation to this.


texts: Can I split off a pipe to create an additional faucet in my basement?

texts:
I've been madly googling this question, but either this is not a thing anybody does or I can't find the words to express it well enough to get an answer.

I have a home hydroponics setup for growing hot peppers, and the faucet / laundry tub is across the room from the reservoir, which makes filling it up kind of annoying and unwieldy.

I have a PEX pipe that feeds an outdoor faucet and goes past pretty much exactly where I want it to go. Drainage would be an issue, since the drain is on the other side of the room, but since it's always going to be going directly into a reservoir, it doesn't really matter.

Can I split off that existing pipe and run another pipe to some kind of hydrant / silcock that I can connect a hose to without ruining everything? I have the basic plumbing skills to do the job, but I'm worried that it might be some kind of building code violation or that in doing this, I'll ruin the water pressure to my outside hose. Any clarifications on how best to describe this or videos talking about what I want to do would be very helpful as well.


texts: Who can you call to check on odd smells?

texts: Who would someone call to investigate odd smells. I've been going crazy trying to find the source of this odd,musty smell in our stairwell.


texts: I have a question about what the unit dead load is. For structural concrete, the unit weight is 145 pounds per cubic food. Is the Unit Dead load 145 pounds?


texts: How can I remove this piece of metal from my garbage disposal?

texts: Our garbage disposal was turned on with something that shouldn't be in it in there.  It all got destroyed and ground up except for this metal piece, which got wedged under the "teeth" of the disposal.  I've removed the disposal from the sink and turned it upside down to crank the thing around with the hex nut on the bottom, and everything fell out except for this metal piece which is wedged in there.  I've tried getting pliers in there but I just can't budge it.  If I put a sturdy flathead screwdriver on it and smack it with a hammer, it moves a little but doesn't dislodge.  I could probably hit it harder but I'm worried about damaging the disposal. Would it be safe to use some silicone lubricant or something else in here to help remove the piece?  When I turn the thing around, the metal piece scrapes in three places around the edge.


texts: uneven terracotta work arounds for Furniture

texts:
So in another post I asked how I can solve my uneven tiles + lippage.  unfortunately it sounds like I cannot grind them flatter with a rotary floor buffer/polisher, due to the terracotta.

how can I create some even surfaces on it?  I want to build some boxes or stands that are level, and place the various pieces of furniture on them.  Options?  Do I use sand bags?

Here's an example piece of furniture I want to have level :


texts: Is it legal by the NEC to have exposed Romex cable inside a kitchen sink cabinet?


texts: What prevents rain or snow from going down a concentric vent?

texts:
I am looking to possibly install concentric vents through the roof for two tankless water heaters I have.  But I am concerned about rain coming back down the vent and damaging my water heaters.  All the pictures that I see have a direct opening straight up with no elbows on it.  Most of the other vents on my home have a 180 degree fitting to point the vent down after penetrating through the roof.
For example,


texts: Is wood strength affected after weathering wood?

texts: Lately I have been looking at tutorials for weathering some Maple wood with vinegar but I couldn't find any mention if it may cause any long term issues with the wood such as splitting, warping, etc. etc.  So I was curious to know if there is any effect on the wood after weathering?  Is there any effect with applying an enamel polyurethane after wood has been weathered?  Would it be better to apply a varnish instead of poly?


texts:
I’m attempting to hang a 12.5kg mirror on plasterboard using a French cleat fixing. The studs are in the wrong place, so I’ve used three molly bolts. Unfortunately one is spinning (perhaps overtightened?). Moreover, I’m not confident that the other two are properly tight on the other side, as I don’t know what I’m looking for.
Would it be possible for me to neatly remove the bolts and replace them in the same spot with others (otherwise the mirror won’t be positioned correctly). I’m thinking of using snap toggles instead, but I don’t know if this is excessive for 12.5kg.
Thanks!


texts: Mounting a TV wall mount to stud where A/C is detected

texts:
I want to mount my TV on the wall and just purchase a wall mount for it. I've done this kind of install before, but when I was using my stud finder, it is indicating that one of the studs has AC current. There is an outlet on this stud ~ 1 foot from the floor, but I'm able to detect AC all the way up to the ceiling (and if I go to the second story, I'm able to detect AC all the way up to that ceiling, which is weird, because the third story is an empty attic). Presumably, there is an AC line stapled to the stud vertically.

Is there any way I am able to still use the stud with my wall mount? I'm mounting in a corner so there are only really two studs to use. Am I SOL? Presumably it's a bad idea to drive a 4" lag bolt into the stud, even on center, if there is a powerline stapled to the stud (which itself is an asumption).

This is the wall mount: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=8586


texts: Is it possible to insulate existing ducts without removing drywall?

texts:
My second story is always warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter than the ground floor. I've had the ducts cleaned and sealed and I've also adjusted the blower motor speed. It occurs to me that most of the ducts to the upstairs go along an outside wall, which might explain a temperature difference between the ground floor and second story. I have no idea how much insulation exists in the walls and I haven't gotten around to actually measuring for a temperature difference from the ducts yet.

I'm wondering if it's possible and practical to remove the end of the supply ducts where they blow up from the floor and put some sort of insulation around them. I think expanding foam would get expensive pretty fast and might cause damage. Any ideas?


texts: Considerations for making a 4-5 cm hole in a steel counter top?

texts:
About a year ago, I bought a small counter top dishwasher; the apartment I lived in a the time had a kitchen with a connector for it on back of the tap. I have since moved, and the new apartment's kitchen does not come with the necessary facilities.
My first thought was to buy a tap with the required connector, but since this kitchen is quite old, no modern taps (one large cylinder) fit into the counter (two small holes).
So instead I've prepared a connector for the dishwasher under the sink, and all I need now to get it installed is to make an hole in the counter top to route the plastic water pipe through.

How would I best go about this to make the hole look clean and have a raised edge to prevent leakage?


texts: Which peninsula sink vent strategy is best for this situation?

texts:
I am doing a remodel where I am removing a wall behind my sink to create a peninsula. This wall has my drain waste vent. So as far as code I do know that I cannot go less than 45 degrees (horizontal) until I am at least 6" above the sink flood plane. I should be able to make that work as I will be keeping a partial wall 16" to the right of the current drain.

I definitely can do a 45 degree vent. Though I might have the vent 45 possibly below the current sanitary tee. Reason being if I lower the whole p-trap then I lose more space in my cabinet #4 Or I will need to do a 90 jog #5 from the p-trap to the sanitary tee. So for those plumbers out there which solution would be most code compliant or is there a vent diagram that shows me a better solution? Thanks!

Notes, Single drain sink with garbage disposal. Also because of remodel and not wanting to move the current waste line (in concrete with the water lines on either side of it) the waste line will be to the far right of the cabinet. Sort of like #2.


texts: Should I use a low voltage magnetic dimmer or a low voltage dimmer for LED strips?

texts:
I just ordered a low voltage magnetic dimmer (Model # SLV-600P-WH) from Home Depot for $40 for undercabinet lighting I plan to do with flexible LED strips.  I understand that this  must be wired before a relatively expensive dimmer transformer such as this one for $65 to $100+.  Is it correct that I need a special low voltage transformer and not a cheap $15 transformer for this kind of dimmer?

If so, the thing is, why not just get a 12v LED dimmer like this one for $35 which presumably can be placed after a regular $15 transformer?

It seems like the majority of DIY sites assume one is going with the expensive approach.

Is there some advantage to going with the Low voltage magnetic dimmer and special transformer, even though it is far more expensive?  Or is it just as good to go the cheap route and use the low voltage magnetic dimmer for something else?

One possible issue: I've got a galley style kitchen, so there will be a run of wire about 12 feet going from one side to another.  Is either approach better suited for that kind of distance?


texts: Are these brown finger-like things on the outside of my house caused by termites?

texts:
Is this ground termite? This is on the outside of a wall in the backyard.
This is the only occurrence of this thing.

Should I be worried? Should I call someone to look at it? OR can I fix this myself?


texts: Any concerns with this water softener plan?

texts:
I'm trying to decide where to place my water softener. I originally planned to put it in the utility closet where city water comes in, but this plan had a variety of issues.

My current plan is to re-route cold water going into my (conventional) water heater so that it goes through the softener first. Is there anything I'm not anticipating with this plan? Is there any reason not to route the supply to the water heater as shown below?

The water softener will be in a laundry room with an easily accessible drain. I plan to run Pex through the ceiling.

It seems like a simple approach, but I'm not a plumber so my weakness is not knowing what I don't know.


texts: How do I remove a ceiling speaker cover?

texts: I have speakers in my ceiling and I need to get the covers off to check the settings. I've tried pulling them with my fingernails and a plastic knife but no luck so far. Any ideas?


texts:
It's a pretty simple problem, but I couldn't find anything, maybe I'm searching for the wrong keywords.
There's no room no unscrew my kitchen faucet, even if I twist the spout along with it there's just not enough room for a full turn of neither, it was probably installed before the countertop.

I tried to unscrew the spout off but there's not enough room for that either...
Worth noting that I'm in a rented apartment and I have no tools, I wonder if I can solve with by bending it with some pliers or some other cheap tool I can buy.
The other faucet I'm substituting this one with is bendable so it fits fine
Edit: I can remove the ring but not sure if its enough, tried wiggling and pulling the spout but it won't come off, I'm also afraid to ruin the wall.


texts:
My shower currently has a Delta shower faucet (https://www.manualslib.com/manual/37410/Delta-1700-Series.html).

I am planning to replace it with a kohler rubicon shower faucet. (http://www.us.kohler.com/webassets/kpna/catalog/pdf/en/1110626_2.pdf)

I want to see if i can avoid removing the existing Delta valve. Is it possible to use the existing valve for the Kohler ?


texts: Bought a used ceiling fan w 2 pull chains and lights. Seller assures me it was working. Hung it up and wired it fan black and blue to ceiling black, white to white, and both a  green wire from the down rod and a green wire from the fan hanging ball to the ceiling copper wire. Multimeter test shows 120v when red probe is touched to light socket and black probe to housing screw head. Pull chain to light shows 0 when chain is pulled off. Was a ceiling light with a single wall switch. Why is neither the lights or fan coming on?


texts: What is the maximum depth below grade for termite activity?

texts: I'm endlessly revising my perimeter footing insulation project and need to know: how far below grade do subterranean termites tunnel? These would be normal subterraneans, not formosans. For some reason, my search-fu is failing and I cannot seem to find this information anywhere online.


texts: My home was built in the late 60’s. An outside porch light was on a timer that recently broke. I replaced it and it works fine, however, now I have no power to five outlets.  One is outdoors and the other four are inside. All are along the same wall or vicinity. These do not have gfci resets. Do I need to start replacing one outlet at a time to find the culprit?


texts:
I have a box with a switch and a dimmer side by side. Last year I replaced them with smart switch/dimmer and had no problem until the dimmer stopped working. I am replacing the dimmer, but foolishly and overconfidently didn’t document the wiring and now I have confused myself.

The bundle for the switch has a black and a white wire. The bundle for the dimmer has black, red, and white. (There are also grounds for both.) Both the smart switch and dimmer need ground, neutral, load, and live.

The leaves one short on the switch (the bundle has white and black). Originally, there was a wire bridging the dimmer and the switch. I think the load went from the switch, to the dimmer, and then to the red in the second bundle, but I am not certain enough to test.

Using a tester, the only hot wire I detect is the black from the two-wire bundle. None of the wires in the three-wire bundle read as hot.

How should I wire this? (Keeping in mind that this was working fine until I decided to mess with it this morning.)

And obviously, never forget to document!

Top photo is the current situation. Bottom is the original (pre-smart).


texts:
What is a good margin of error on the diagonals for a 5x10 foot, square wood foundation? I have about 1/2" discrepancy on the diagonals.
(for a shed).


texts: Do I need this special strike plate on my laundry room to garage entry? It's creating problems with a new lock

texts:
Good day everyone. I recently replaced my existing keyed Schlage lock with a keypad security lock on the door from my mudroom to my garage. The door is metal and the frame/jamb has thick rubber/silicone weather stripping. The new lock has been in place for a few months but the lock cylinder has become damaged do to extra stress created by the weather stripping and the new strike plate used over top of some weird sort of metal bracket that was installed with the previous lock.
I can't explain it well, but the weather stripping pushes the door back inward, toward the very edge of the strike plate. The new strike plate, installed over top of what appears to be a security bracket (?) is a tad too far and the deadlock plunger has become bent as a result. You can see this in the pictures I provided. This causes the latch to bind and not close fully. I can replace the latch but that won't fix the stress on the part caused by the use of these two brackets/strike plates.
Do I need this weird looking bracket? Without it, the door will shut fine without the added stress on the latch or deadlock plunger. I assume it's for added security as the rear of the strike plate has teeth that grab into slots drilled into the frame. I can't even find a name for this part.
I'd like to just be able to not use it and use the strike plate that came with the lock instead, but I feel removing the bracket will affect the security of this door. What can I do to give the door more room inside of the strike plate? I can't get the door to sit any tighter against the existing weather stripping.
Thanks for your suggestions.


texts: Banging noise coming from somewhere every time when open or close the tap

texts: When open or close the tap in kitchen, bathroom or laundry knock or bang nose comes in every time. Any solutions? Thanks in advance.


texts: Using two screws on a four screw ceiling mount

texts: I want to hang an aerial yoga hammock from my ceiling. But the hardwares that came with the package are ceiling mounts with four screw openings.  My supporting beams are not that wide, and I’d prefer to use only two of the four screw opening across from each other. I will be using two ceiling mounts.  Is it safe to use two screws on a four screw ceiling mount?


texts: Prevent Electrical Wires from Cutting/Tearing in Ceiling Light

texts:
I installed a Recessed Ceiling Light. The Manufacturer Halo Eaton built Silver Metal Mounting Rack with Very Sharp Inner Edges. Wires loop through the center sharp edge .

So when installing or removing a ceiling light, it may cut/tear, and spark. (it happened to previous customer)

Sometimes ceiling light gets stuck, electrical bundle wires in tight space (pressing against the sharp edges) Many different factors.

1) Do you recommend any solution to prevent wires from cutting/tearing, in ceiling lights?

2) Is it Okay to place Polypropylene Spiral Wrap to Prevent it from tearing? Is Polypropylene spiral safe to withstand high temperature like electrical tape?

Proposed Solution:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bender-1-4-in-and-1-2-in-Spiral-Wrap-Assorted-Clear-FSP-AST2/202905456

Halo Ceiling Light: BLD6089SWHR

Product Reference:

https://www.eaton.com/flash/electrical/connectedlighting/products/halo-home/smart-surface-mount-downlight/

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Halo-BLD-6-in-White-Selectable-CCT-2700K-5000K-Integrated-LED-Recessed-Ceiling-Mount-Light-Trim-Title-20-Compliant-BLD6089SWHR/305501117


texts: Replacing old for New Honeywell thermostat

texts:
Old thermostat had a jumper between RH
And RC, iam replacing that with a Honeywell
Programmable thermostat, but idk if
I should replace this jumper on new ther
mostat ? And if so, should I remove
Metal jumper  (already in place) on new thermostat?  No clue what I’m doing


texts: Removing Joint Compound with Paint Over It

texts:
I was attempting to repair a handful of hairline cracks in my drywall over the weekend, and got a bit overzealous with regard to the amount of joint compound I added.  This meant I could not sand it down enough to be level with my wall.  I'd like to give this another try, however I painted a [thin] layer over one area.  Will I be able to use the warm/hot water + drywall sponge technique to remove the mud?  Should I do something before that (i.e., sand) to make the hot/warm water + sponge technique more effective?

Any tips appreciated.

Thank you.


texts: Can cold bond be connected to ground rod?

texts: I am updating the main breaker box and want to sure everything is done properly according to the NEC. Can I run one ground wire (4) from the panel to the grounding rod and then another wire (4) from the grounding rod to the cold water pipe. Or, do I need to run a separate wire from the main panel to each independently? Rod is 5/8" and service will be 200 amp. Thank you in advance.


texts: R and C wiring for Air Handler and Zone Panel

texts:
First time posting a question! But have been reading the questions/answers here for a while now.
Ok- so I have a brand new Goodman Heat Pump system (GSZC + AVPTC air handler) I’ve installed in my house. My duct layout is broken out into 3 zones. I have 3 Nest thermostats, one for each zone. Zoning is controlled by ZoneFirst H32P panel. The zone control panel has a dedicated 24V transformer that provides power to the dampers and will also power the thermostats (from Rc to C terminals on both Nest and zone panel).
My air handling unit (Goodman AVPTC) has its own 24V transformer which powers the control board in the air cabinet, and if wired appropriately can power the thermostats (I’ve tested this by bypassing the zone control panel and wired one thermostat directly to air handler).
My question is what is the right way to have the R and C wires set up for this application where there is a dedicated transformer for each piece of equipment? Should I not have an R wire going from zone panel (top right in picture) to air handler board? My thinking is it’s not necessary to have an R connection between zone board and air handler they’re getting their own 24v supply?
Below is image of the zone control panel:

And here’s a picture of the terminal block in the air handler (pay no attention to wires connected at the moment):


texts: 3 wire 240 double pole breaker to. 110v single pole breaker

texts: I have 3 wire ( black, white,green) 240 on a double pole breaker. White and black wire connected to breaker green to neutral bar. Want to convert to 120v single pole breaker. Which wire do I connect to new breaker? What do I do with the other wire?


texts: How would I wire a motion sensor to a fluorescent light?

texts: How would I wire this motion sensor to the fluorescent light? I’ve heard that not all motion sensors are created equal and it may shorten the lifespan of the bulbs or possibly the transformer but if it’s a light rarely used and not much traffic thru that area, then I’m not too concerned with that... right now it’s coming straight from the breaker box and it’s on 24x7! Just stupid simple instructions to wire it... cooors have me wondering what goes to what...


texts: What are my options for framing a thicker than average piece of artwork?

texts:
I have a piece of signed TV artwork that is mounted in cardboard frame aprox 1cm deep, that i want to hang on the wall. I've had a look round and most of the frames i've found aren't deep enough to fit the piece in.

What are my options for framing and hanging thick artwork?


texts: What brand is this 3-handle tub faucet set it?

texts: I'm looking to replace the current tub & shower faucets but need to know the right brand!


texts:
I noticed today that the button on the thermostat isn't turning the fan on by itself.  I tried today just to turn on the fan couldn't get it turn on.

Tonight we turn on the AC couldn't get cold air. Fan is blowing through the vents so I go outside to check the AC and the AC fan outside is not turning  on compressor is working. Could it be the thermostat capacitor or the fan motor? I turned the fan it turns I didn't reset it I took the breaker out from outside I think I should hit the reset button. I don't know how long thermostat hasn't been letting u turning on the fan by itself A.C.

The AC was working fine last night until today when I tried to turn on the fan something happen and it still won't let me just turn on the fan without the AC


texts: Is there a significant Difference between roofing and weeding torches?

texts:
I have a modified bitumen roof and I would like to go independent making patches for things like vents and other fixes. So far I have hired people to come and torch down material like this but I don't want to bring guys for just small jobs.

I need help selecting a torch. I will not be doing heavy duty jobs, only small patches, a few square feet at a time. I noticed that the Roof Center and Amazon sell $190 torches like this.

But also you can also buy a cheaper version, which is advertised for "weeding". They look similar and comparable BTUs.

I was wondering if the cheaper torch will do fine for what I need and if they can be mounted on a small camping propane tank, not a big one for grilling. In fact, my ideal torch would not need a hose at all and would just be directly mounted on top of a camping propane tank.


texts: Correct polarity of outlets from breaker

texts: I'm putting an ice maker in my storage shed at vacation spot. Some of the convenience outlets are inverted and I can't be sure of the correct polarity?


texts: Can I remove individual conductors from a 12/2 cable to act as jumper wires for a switch?

texts: I need small extra wiring to extend from the switch box to the switch. Can I just strip the wires from the 12/2 to do this? Is this against any regulations?


texts: I put a gfci outlet in my front yard for use during christmas time for lights and such. i ran it to on my front porch light so it only turns on when my front porch light is on. i also added to the gfci a light about 20 feet away so that it lights up a dark area. I turned my breaker on and the gfci works but the light doesn't turn on. why is this happening? Ive tested and reset the gfci. unfortunately it got too dark to work on the wires. what could be the problem as to why there is no light going to the light post?


texts: Need help understanding amperage ratings for panels and sub panels

texts:
Im trying to understand the concept of amperage ratings for panels, and sub panels, but I'm not sure I have it figured out, sorry for any novice terminology.

I'm in America.  Grounds omitted for clarity.  Thanks!

Part 1:

Let's say I have a 100amp main service panel (two hots at 120v each and a neutral coming into it).

I install a 60amp double-pole breaker in my main.  (Lets say for ease of example that this is the only breaker in the main panel, aka nothing else is using electricity in the main panel.)

I run 6 gauge feeder wires (two hots, one neutral) from this 60amp double-pole breaker to a smaller 60amp panel, a few feet away.

This sub-panel has a 60amp main breaker.

Now I install four 20amp single pole breakers, all in line, so two on each leg.

Now lets say I install four total 20amp single outlet receptacles, 1 outlet per circuit (using 12 gauge wire).

I have four theoretical high powered devices and i plug one into each outlet and turn it on.  Each device continuously draws about 1,920 watts.  So in total i am drawing about 7,680 watts (four x 1,920 watts).

The 60amp sub-panel can handle this because it is less than 14,400 watts (60amp x 240v).  Is this the correct way to calculate this?

Now lets say i double up and install eight 20amp single pole breakers, and eight total 20amp single outlet receptacles, one on each circuit -- but now i also have eight total high-powered devices, and i plug one into each receptacles and turn them all on.

Each devices continuously draws about 1,920 watts.  So in total i am drawing about 15,360 watts (eight x 1,920 watts).

This would trip the breaker in the sub panel, because it is over the 14,400 watts (60amp x 240v) it can handle, correct?

If this is all correct, then I am wondering this:

Part 2:

In the first example, I installed four 20amp single-pole breakers, two on each leg.  But what if i install them all on one leg -- for instance, I leave a space between each breaker I install.

Now I run the same experiment -- one 20amp outlet on each circuit, four devices total, each plugged into one outlet.  Each device draws 1,920 watts, for a total of 7,680 watts (four x 1,920 watts).

Would the 60amp breaker still be fine, or would it trip because all the circuits, and therefore devices, are on one leg?

Essentially I'm asking, would i still calculate the amount the breaker can handle by multiplying 60amp by 240v, or would i now have to multiply 60amp by 120v, which would only be 7,200 watts (less than the 7,680 watts my devices are drawing).

Thank you so much for your time!


texts: Why hot without neutral going downstream

texts:
I have an outlet for the air conditioner, not GFCI.
I purchased a GFCI outlet (Leiviton GFWT2) to replace it (the outlet was old, with marks and painting).
Upon opening, to my surprise, there are two hots and no neutral. The neutral is connected to ground with a short wire, to make the outlet work. It has been working like that for years.
I researched about these two hots. One is hot from a (most likely) dedicated breaker labeled "AC", but was not used (!). Turning on the "AC" breaker, brings power to that hot end. No other outlet in the whole apartment is affected by this "AC" breaker, only this hot end (and it was off all this time). The other one is also hot but coming from another circuit breaker labeled "Living Outlets". This "Living Outlets" hot end was the one installed in this AC receptacle (and neutral connected to ground as I said previously).
Questions:

I assume this was a totally wrong installation, correct? You can't just connect neutral to ground (even though it works).
To make it worse, I have no idea why two hots ended up there. If there was one already, and it is working (the "AC" circuit breaker), why did they put another hot there (from the "Living Outlets" breaker). Any idea? Since there is no neutral anyway, the "AC" circuit breaker seems to have been a better option since it's dedicated.
I read that a GFCI outlet might be OK to be installed in this case (with no neutral wire available) - is that right? If this is correct, what would be the correct way to "connect" the neutral?
If I misunderstood about the GFCI outlet with no neutral available, then the only option is to bring the neutral all the way from the breaker? Because as far as I know I can't take a neutral from a nearby outlet, it has to be a neutral from the same circuit (either "AC" or "Living Outlet" breakers). I would rather not "extend" the Living Outlet circuit to the AC (even though this is how it was working). To make it worse, pulling any new wire would be a headache because conduits seem to be on their accepted limit already. Would require a full rewire probably.

Picture of box (sorry you don't see much, but I assure you there is only one conduit arriving, with two red wires; I added label so I know from which circuit is each wire):

Picture of the outlet, neutral side (you see the wire connecting it to ground):

Thank you!


texts: Can 120v GFCI tester work for 240v source?

texts:
I setup the above to make a temporary gfci tester or tripper. The white button works manually, but when I plugged in a load to the hot and neutral output of the gfci 2-pole breaker, why didn't it trip it? I understand the GFCI monitors the current between the 2 hots, so when there is a leakage, it trips.
Why can't the hot to neutral output be considered a leakage?

Original message:

I have searched the archive, but couldn't find question or answer to this supposedly common question.

I have successfully connected 2 US Siemens 2-pole GFCI breaker and the outlet has 240v. Can I use the ordinary 120v GFCI tester for this 240v outlet? Is the circuit inside the tester only for 120v and what would fry if the source is 240v?

I can't use the European RCD tester because their test leakage current is high 30mA. US GFCI tester has 5mA trip rating and test signal.

If no product can be found for this. Any way to test if the 2-pole gfci breaker is working (besides testing its self test button)? I want to test the outlets connected to it 1 floor away of leaking 5mA can trip the gfci breaker.


texts: What size breaker and wire for a barn feeder circuit?

texts:
February winds blew down my overhead service to my barn.
I would like to replace the 1950's two wire service and update to a safe, sub feed using a complete new underground from a 150 amp house box.
  The current feed appears to be a branch from the upstairs outlet.(Not good.)   The total run will be 150 feet, 50 feet being the underground sub feed.

I have 4 spaces left in the house circuit breaker box that has a 150 amp main breaker. The house has electric water heat, electric oven and range and electric dryer.

Looking for max amperage and wire size to sub feed the barn that would power lights, small power tools, possibly an air compressor and a 110 mig welder.
My wife and I would not be using all the electric appliances at the same time. I am semi-retired now, but need to seek advise for this to see if I can do before spring gets here if it will be affordable to our budget.
Any help is appreciated.


texts: How do I troubleshoot my Kenmore dryer that doesn't heat up?

texts:
I have a Kenmore 110.64642400 that has just started acting up.

It spins fine, using the timed dry function the timer knob advances (although not in the auto dry function), but it never heats up.

I've read that it could be the heating element, thermostat or timer. I already checked the breakers (not blown, switched on and off for good measure).

I've got the back panel off, but I'm at a loss as to what to check for next. How do I go about looking at one of these 3 potential issues to find the solution? (This thread didn't help me decipher what steps to take)


texts: Replace Wall Receptacle / Outlet - What's the Right Leviton Model

texts:
Does anyone know what is the difference between a Leviton 16252-WS outlet versus a 16252-W? The "WS" version sells for 4.99 at Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-Decora-Plus-15-Amp-Duplex-Outlet-White-R62-16252-0WS/100191324?keyword=16252-0ws) while the "W" version sells for 2.91 at an online wholesale store (http://www.westsidewholesale.com/leviton-16252-w.html).

Was wondering if they are the same.

Background context: I'm attempting to replace many of our home's outlets and came into this issue.  I've originally purchased standard Leviton 15A-125v outlets, and it worked perfectly for first of few of the outlets I plan to replace. However, I also encountered many outlets where the wires seem to be too thick to fit into the standard outlets.  I went back to Home Depot and was pointed to "heavy duty" outlets that have a larger wire holes, but the price is more than twice of the standard version. Considering I need to replace ~30 outlets, this would be quite the hit on my wallet. I couldn't find anything about the "WS" version anywhere online, including the official site, but found "W" version which is considerably cheaper.

Edit: I wasn't expecting a reply but still did sent an email to Leviton, and they responded today!  According to the person on email, the two models I've listed above are identical.  He seems to imply the ending characters on the product number are per retailer.


texts: Buy Fluorescent Bulb With Warranty Or Without In This Case?

texts:
I need a new E-14 fluorescent bulb of 9W for my aquarium since previous was 15W and got burned. People recommended to drill holes in aquarium's lid to allow convection but since former bulb was 15W, overheat probably caused it to burn.

Now i am considering if to buy bulb with 3-year warranty or without since the latter is cheaper. Do you think buying with 3-year warranty one would be better than without warranty for examining how it will work without drilling any holes first? The worst case is that bulb is burned and i got a replacement and know that i will need to drill holes for stable operation?


texts: Recommended web sites that help pick out interior wall colors?

texts:
Is there any website where i can see what kind of color will look how on the wall? I am planning to get my living room re-painted and looking for some ideas.

Any suggestions?


texts: Can I put ceramic tiles right on my poured basement walls ?  I want to put a shower in and tile the walls floor and cieling. Should I put a false wall and tile over it or can I put ceramic right on the concrete?


texts: How can I relocate the primary lockset bore in a door?

texts: My current door knob hole is not standard.  The backset it uses is 3 3/4 inch which I no longer have.  I want to re-drill a hole so that I can use a standard 2 3/4 inch backset.  But how do I do that?  Do I fill in the existing hole with some type of wood plug...then re-drill a new hole?


texts: Large gap around new toilet due to improper floor installation

texts:
I recently replaced one of my toilets and ran into a snag.  I have another toilet to replace in the not-too-distant-future and I expect that I will encounter the same problem.

The bathroom has a newer floor, and after taking up the toilet I discovered that the new floor was simply laid on top of the old floor. Rather than replacing the toilet at the same time or at least taking the toilet up to install the floor properly, the new floor was cut to fit the body of the toilet as snugly as possible.  Of course my new toilet has a different footprint than the old toilet, and rests on the new floor at the back of the toilet but the old floor at the front.  I very-roughly hand cut some pieces of flooring and doubled them up under the front of the new toilet to at least keep it level.  This still leaves a large gap that I need to some how cover/fill.

I'm not sure what the best way is to deal with this. It hasn't been the highest on my list of things to work on, but this weekend my kids were taking a bath, splashed lots of water out of the tub, and some of it dripped into this space.  It seems to be drying up fine, so I'm not worried about water damage (the old floor is linoleum and it is a one story house, so there is concrete below that).  As a result of this event I figured that sealing the toilet to the floor would be a necessity, but apparently that might be controversial.

Regardless of whether or not I need to seal the toilet, I still don't want it to look this ugly forever.  Is there any way to fix this up without ripping up the floors?


texts: Why is one bedroom colder than the rest of the house?

texts:
I had a home built last year and we have one bedroom that is 6-10 degrees colder than the rest of the rooms in the house when its cold outside.

The heat is radiant and the system has temperature gauges on the manifolds which tell me what the temperature of the water is going out and coming back.  I have reflective bubble insulation between the floor joists and the water is coming back only 2-3 degrees colder than when it leaves.  I have three zones and this zone is our main living area, two spare bedrooms and the bathroom.  The bath is between the two spare bedrooms and the same radiant tubes heat all three.  The bath is warm, one of the bedrooms is warm, but the other is cold.  I have had additional insulation put in over the bedroom and have installed aluminum plates around the perimeter to increase the heat output into the floor.  This room is on a corner, as is the other spare bedroom, however this room had an additional 8 feet of exterior wall over the other spare room.  I have been told that is why it is cold.  It also has northwesterly exposure which I am also told is adding to the problem.

So my question is, will an additional exterior wall, even if it is only 8' long, as well as northwesterly exposure, make a bedroom 6 - 10 degrees colder?  The heat is getting there, it just isn't keeping that room as warm as it should be.


texts: How can I lower an attic ladder by remote control?

texts:
We have just put in an attic ladder in a shop. The problem is that we have a 10 ft ceiling and I can't reach it. What can I put on it to make it come down automatically with a remote control or switch?

My problem is not opening the hatch, but reaching the ladder itself. I can't reach the ladder to unfold it.


texts:
I am replacing a ceiling fan in my home built in 1999. The electrical box has four wires, black, white, blue, ground. I have no switch on my walls.

The old fan was controlled by a remote and we had issues getting the lights to work, hence the replacement. My fan has a remote and is how I plan to operate it. The instructions for the fan wiring can be found here on pg 10.

https://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/f1/f1521f17-4df1-4a12-b04c-26026838731f.pdf.

So, I have it wired as shown in the picture and now have an intermittent issue where when I turn on the fan from the remote, the fan pulses slightly. It does not get up to speed and giving it a manual push does not help get it going. The light also does not work when this occurs.

I have tried attaching the blue wire to the black/red wires as well but with no success.

Thanks in advance for any help/ideas!


texts:
I have two wall switches that control the same light. One is a master in that when it is off the 2nd one does not do anything.

Is there anyway to undo it so both operate independently of each other without running new wires?

I have not unscrewed anything yet as I want to first make sure what I want to do is possible without having to run new wires.

update

Adding some pictures.

The upstairs/master switch:

The downstairs/slave switch:

It looks like they are both the same type of switches with the master having more wires coming into it.


texts: How to run cable from attic inside an external brick wall?

texts:
My exterior walls are brick. inside it's dry wall. My house was built in 1950.  I'm not sure what's between the drywall and brick but I'd like to fish a cable down from the attic to this wall where my TV is located.

I'd like to drill a hole through the attic down into the wall cavity and then down to a hole I will make in the drywall.

My concerns are, will there (should there) be any horizontal studs along this cavity? And what would you assume is behind the drywall (on an external wall made of brick) on a house built in 1949?

I've done this with interior walls before, but I don't know whats on the other side of an external facing wall.

Stud finder seemed to only have vertical slats


texts: Photovoltaic installation: does it make sense (or is possible at all) to get a bigger inverter than the power output of the installed panels?

texts:
We are going to install a PV in our offices. Our actual needs would be satisfied by an installation of about 4kW, so that ~16 panels of 250W. It's going to be a central-inverter, grid-connected installation.

Now, we would probably need more power in a few years. So I'm asking the contractors to quote me a bigger inverter, say, one for 6kW, thinking that if I already have a bigger inverter, then I can just buy more panels when needed, without having to change the inverter itself. I had the idea that I could put a bigger inverter, say, maybe even a 8kW or so, and it will produce what my panels would produce even if it's just half the capacity of the inverter.

But one of the contractors just told me that it wasn't the case. That the inverters "just work" under specific loads, for instance, the 4kW "doesn't start" if it's not feed 3.2kW (or so) from the solar panels. That doesn't make sense to me, specially since for what I have read the inverters just need a certain voltage to start, and that voltage, for instance, is the same for the inverters (in this case, Fronius) from 3kW to 7.5kW, specifically, 260V. This means (I'm no electrical engineer, but I'm no complete layman either) to me that the same power from the panels array is needed to start any of those inverters, so even if the maximum capacity is different, they can start producing as long as the Voltage from the array is 260V.

I'm not talking about putting 4kW worth of panels and an inverter for 20kW or something like that. I'm talking at most of a 10kW inverter, that it's the max amount I could put of solar panels in our roof, and the max one can generate for oneself here in México (or so I understand).

I understand if they are not at their maximum efficiency if not feed under their expected output range, but that they "don't start" doesn't make sense to me.

Am I missing something?

Thanks!


texts:
I'm looking to install some outlets in an outdoor and rain-exposed location using 1/2 inch EMT. I've found plenty of raintight couplings and box connectors, so I'm good there. But I do need to make four tight 90 degree turns and I can't seem to find any elbow or conduit body that is specifically listed as raintight. I've seen plenty of options for compression fittings, but they aren't specifically listed as raintight.
Does such a thing exist? Or is it fine to just use a compression fitting for this even if it's not specifically listed for use in a wet location?