texts: Is a little ice on the cooling coils ok?

texts:
This is our first summer in a new house which has central air.  It was a bit hotter today than normal so the AC was running for a long time.  After awhile we noticed the airflow stopped because the cooling coil completely iced over (about 1/4" of snow over the whole thing).  Bits of the suction line, including where the suction lines meets the outside unit, where also iced over.

We opened up a couple registers which we had closed for the winter, and fixed a blockage of our largest return vent.  The system seems to be working better now, its been on for hours and is still working.  However I have noticed that the bottom inch of so of the A shaped coil is frosted over as are most of the loops on the sides.

Is it alright to have some frosting of the cooling coil or should it be completely clear at all times?


texts: Is my indirect fired hot water heater hooked up correctly?

texts:
I have an indirect hot water heater HTP/Superstor SUU-119 and the heating loop looks like this:

I am wondering whether this is correct because it seems weird to me that what appears to be the supply (hot) side of the boiler is going into the middle of the tank. Since the cold water is delivered to the bottom of the tank, I thought the supply from the boiler would go into the bottom.


texts:
I am planning to build a deck but it has been difficult to find contractor.
My question is - how difficult is it to build a deck without another set of hands ?
Are there any devices available which can do such as supporting a beam at one end etc.


texts: How should I replace a 6 wire, 12 gauge electrical outlet?

texts:
I am trying to replace a 15A electrical outlet. The existing one is attached to 12 gauge copper wire. There is a ground connection, one set of wire on the bottom screws, two sets of wire going into the holes in the back. Obviously, the existing one can accept 12 gauge wire in the holes in the back.

The new one cannot accept 12 gauge wire in the back (I read that code doesn't allow this anymore), so am I not sure what I should do.


texts: Can I wire a 3 phase plasma cutter to single phase power?

texts: I bought a plasma cutter at an auction, at the time I had no idea it was 3 phase, I checked on a rotary phase converter, and it is around 1200 to 1400 dollars, I could but a new plasma cutter for the cost of the converter, but I'm told the cutter I have cuts up to one inch material, the smaller cutters cut 1/4 inch material, Plus I have NO IDEA if this thing actually functions, so I need a way to test the waters before buying something that I may not be able to use.


texts: I want to raise my shower head a few inches. It seems a common solution is an 'S' pipe such as this one. But when tightening this pipe on the wall, how do you ensure that it stays perfectly vertical? The weight of the shower head will be on top, so if it's loose, if will fall down, right?


texts: I moved recently into a new house and had to replace an outdoor light and switch because both were dead. In the picture, the switch on the right is a 3-way switch that is wired and working fine. The left switch goes to the outdoor GFI switch and light. I replaced the GFI and wired it correctly but I’m still getting nothing. Everything works when I tie into the 3-way hot wire (but then the other 3-way switch has to stay on). Is there something I might be missing? Or do you think maybe the hot wire was cut somewhere? All the circuits from the breaker are good.


texts: What kind of wire should I use to pigtail an outlet?

texts: I want to turn my 2 hot and 2 neutral wires into a pigtail for my outlet.  Since I don't have any extra wire or black wires, what kind should I purchase? The wires in my receptacle are copper.


texts: How do you get rid of flies that like to hang out on the side of my house in the sun?

texts:
Each year as it gets nicer outside, I begin to find flies congregating in the sun on the side of the house just outside our patio door. It tends to be a nice sunny place for them.  I do not have a grill and I have potted herbs that are supposed to be things they don't like based on other websites.  It's not unusual for small fuzzy bumble bees to also hang out in the same place, so I'm reluctant to spray it since I need the bees to pollinate my vegetable garden and flowers.

Any ideas would be appreciated.


texts: Baseboard heater install from room to room?

texts:
I am looking to install 240v electric baseboard heaters which will be fed with 12-2 on 20 amp breakers. I did my amperage calculation 4000/240v = 16.6 amps. So with that said I can run all my heaters on one 20 amp breaker considering you are allowed 18 amps on a 20 amp breaker per IRC 2009 code.

1st question: However, does anyone know if there is code against feeding from one room to another (piggyback) my feed from the thermostat to the next room.

These heaters will be installed in 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and a walk in closet.

2nd question: Is GFCI circuit breakers required for these heaters? From what I gather from the IRC 2009 Code any equipment ran with 220v does not need GFCI breakers. Or am I wrong? Thank you in advance.


texts: Water began flowing from some taps even with whole house shut off

texts:
I recently shut off the whole-house water supply when replacing 2nd floor bathroom sink faucet cartridges because I couldn't get the sink supply line shut off all the way for the hot side to close all the way. I opened the other bathroom sink taps to verify water was truly off and started working.

After maybe an hour, maybe a bit less, water started coming from the open taps of the second sink (which were open), and dripping from the showerhead (which was not). No water came from the faucet on which I was working - though I also had the under sink shutoffs shut.

Why did this happen? Did I just not have the whole-house valve shut all the way? If so, why the delay? Was water just slowly making its way to the 2nd floor? Is there something else going on here that I'm overlooking, like, should have also turned off the supply just to the hot water heater (though the whole-house I thought would trump that)?

All ended up fine, but I'm interested in any ideas why this would have happened.

Thanks,

Andrew B.


texts:
I've used it in a boat-building workshop, but I'm not clear on what "doorskin" is. Is it just plywood made of a single ply? What is its intended purpose? Is it sold at building supply stores that have plywood?

The one suggestion I've seen for DIY house work is to use it when building a ripping guide for a circular saw. You attach a reliable straightedge (like a factory-edged strip of plywood) to a piece of doorskin, then cut the doorskin with a saw. The reason for using doorskin is that you don't lose much of the cutting depth of the saw blade.

I tried Google, Wikipedia, homedepot.com, and lowes.com, and couldn't find it. Maybe my google-fu is weak today.


texts: What size SDS drill bit for red rawl plug

texts:
I've heard that if using an SDS drill I should go a size down for drilling for rawlplugs.

I want to use red rawlplugs which source vary on saying I either need a 5.5 or 6mm hole for. I am based in the UK if there if is any difference in the colours.

What size SDS bit should I use to drill a suitable hole.

Thanks


texts: GPO Has No Power but All Breakers Are On

texts: Have a weird one. I have three power points at opposite ends of the house that are on the same breaker. Randomly tonight power went out to them. All breakers are turned on and all other outlets work fine; the only issue is those three outlets. Why would they not work when all switches are on?


texts: I have 2 single slots (left & right) at bottom of panel but using 12/3 wire for two separate runs

texts:
I'm learning to wire and have done okay lately, but now I want to tackle adding a Ground Fault Breaker to my panel to power some outdoor receptacles and landscape lighting. I've already run 12/3 (in the grey sched 80 conduit) in an exposed ditch that was used to run power and gas to a new backup generator. It has been filled in. For now I am setting up two or three outdoor receptacles on the black run to our fence which will be used for a variety of events... social/xmas lighting/vacuum for vehicles/power tools/etc. The second hot (red) will be run to the front of the house in a couple of months to power two or three receptacles on our sizable wrap around front porch for the same type of events.

Problem I think I am running into is at the panel. I just realized that I am down to two open slots that are both side by side on the very bottom of the panel. From what I am reading I will want to use a 20amp GFCI breaker but I'm thinking I need a double pole breaker(?). If that is the case, am I out of luck if I only have two single side by side slots at the bottom of my panel? Are there 20amp breakers made that would accept 12/3 wiring AND fit into a single slot?

If "NO", can a 12/3 wiring setup be used across two separate single side by side 20amp breakers? I see the issue of sharing the common/neutral wire as being a major problem if I tried this approach.

I'm open to suggestions short of re-running two runs of 14/2. The hole (through our 20-inch concrete foundation) I will use to run the 12/3 only has just enough room left to get through. I fear pulling two 14/2 lines will be way too tight.

I do have the option of removing a breaker on one side of the panel because it's use is questionable. Once removed I would have to then move all the breakers below up a notch to make the bottom right have two open slots. Is that a lot of work to move them up? I've not done work in the panel before so don't know if doing this requires any rewiring or if it is just a matter of popping the breaker out and moving it one higher and popping it back in.

Again, I'm open to any suggestions and look forward to some constructive feedback!

*****UPDATE 4/20/2014*****

After looking closer at my wiring panel I see that the issue of limited breaker space may not be an issue after all. We recently had a natural gas backup generator installed. When installed, a transfer switch was also set up right next to the wire panel. In the process of rewiring, it appears the majority of breakers were redirected to the new transfer switch. It appears that I now have about 10 or 12 breakers available (they no longer have a hot wire going to them)... to include 2 unused 20amp double pole breakers. I'm thinking now I can simply replace one of the 20amp double pole breakers with a 20amp GFCI double pole breaker and be done with it. I did note the neutral bar still uses the original neutral wiring but see that there are at least 4 open neutral slots. I will consult with the electrical contractor who did our back up generator install.

Does this make sense that the transfer switch would be the primary source of control for the circuits on back up? Does it also make sense that the breakers in the original wiring panel are available for other uses?

*****UPDATE 4/21/2014*****

Just heard back from the electrical contractor re: availability of those breakers. All of the breakers that have no wires are now available for other uses. I can now replace one of the existing 20amp double pole breakers with a 20amp GFCI double pole breaker! Makes my day!


texts: Constantly running toilet with floatless fill valve

texts:
Is there anything to try or does the fill valve just need to be replaced?

A toilet with a floatless fill valve isn't fully closing and is filling past the overflow tube (blue circle in image):

I have adjusted the adjustment knob (red circle) as much as possible to lower the water level. If observed closely in the image, the diagram at the right of the valve indicates to turn clockwise to "raise" or counterclockwise to "lower" the water level. Turning it completely counterclockwise essentially closes the valve and causes the water not to fill at all or to fill very very slowly, however it does not seem to adjust the water level as much as I need.

To my recollection, even when this valve was brand new it was difficult to get the adjustment right. It brought the water level to the edge of the overflow tube, but over time it has gotten higher, at first barely seeping over the top, and now it's overflowing constantly.

Another thought was to try to add some extension to the overflow tube but that might be more trouble than it's worth.


texts: Roofing nails through 95 year old tongue/groove soffits

texts:
I just had my 95 year old house painted and re-roofed. Is this acceptable? I’ve read that the nails need to be so long- but this is crazy! My shingles aren’t 95 years old- and didn’t have this problem when it was last reroofed.  So sad for these little pieces of history.
What can be done?


texts:
So im about to be wiring up cat6 around my house. Probably around 8 lines, and 3 drops total (leaving to floating for Cameras for outdoor).

So I have 2 Spots Im debating on, both in my office. One would be right next to the Cable Modem, which is convenient, however the Joists above it don't leave much room:

https://imgur.com/a/DL3iHSN (The spot would be above the white pipe, somewhere closer to the black coax cables going down).

Pro's to this Spot:

It has a Beam going Vertically that would be a great spot to mount the cables to
It's right next to an outlet and the coax outlet

Con's:

Not a lot of real estate above the wall where it would go (As you can see venting is right above it too.
Everything would be out in the open in the office (Going to be having a kid so this is more scary

The other option is in the Closet within the office:

https://imgur.com/a/t4Mba5g (Where the small brown/white wire is coming out, the joist next to it is where i'd drill down)

Pro's:

Hidden away in the closet which keeps it less cluttered in my office
Very open spot around the area for drilling/cables, actually closer to the drops I'll be doing.
More protected from a wandering kid. And probably better for resale (I'll have a cable passthrough which won't look bad...but still
As I expand my gear it's less of a problem as far as clutter (Since it'll all be in the closet)

Con's:

No outlets in the closet, and running them seems pointless and would need to pay someone
Because of the above i'll need to run 2 cables out of the closet door (Which is not far, maybe 10 feet total to the coax cable and outlet (Any suggestions on hiding it?)
No vertical beam to attach to (Which isn't THAT big of a deal, but I could always just create some sort of makeshift beam I suppose too, suggestions?)

Any ideas? Im leaning towards the closet, since it'll just be less messy, but I hate the idea of 2 cables coming out the closet door.

Sidenote: Any suggestion for how big of a hole I should drill for 8+ cables to be going into? (I don't want to mess with the structural integrity of the house)


texts:
I've been seeing some strange water pressure in my house, nothing has changed recently.  I had always seen the pressure coming out hard at first, after the water heater had been running, but the pressure seems higher lately.  I found a leak behind the fridge that I think was caused by the high pressure, ruined part of the floor in my kitchen.

City water comes in at about 90 psi, there is a pressure reducing valve that reduces it to about 40.
Hot water temperature was about 130F

I just replaced the expansion tank with another 2.1 gallon expansion tank, it was precharged to 40 psi, I double checked it and left it there.  Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the old tank, it was only at 10psi once removed, but it still holds air.

Now, with the new tank on, I still see bouts of high pressure.  I clocked it at 100psi this afternoon.  100 seems very high to me, I've never noticed it that high in the past.

Do I need a bigger tank?  Just odd that this started out of the blue..


texts: I purchased an older home and the ceiling fan in the bedroom has a resistor (I think) on the wall, it is a switch with a round knob to control the light and fan speed.  Can I bypass this and control with the pull strings, as the fan in this room is newer.


texts: Changing blower motors with different wiring schemes

texts:
My blower motor crapped out and I got a basically new, used one for cheap but only realized after the fact that they were wired differently.  Basically I'm attempting the opposite of this previous post:

Where does the extra wire connect on my new furnace blower motor?

My old motor had black, yellow, and blue wires for high, medium, and low speed, an orange common wire, and two purple wires to connect to the capacitor.  The new motor has black, blue, and red wires for high, medium, and low speed, and a brown and purple wire to connect to the capacitor.  On the wiring diagram the purple wire from the capacitor is shown completing a circuit with the black wire.  So do I need to connect a jumper from the leg of the capacitor the purple wire connects to with the orange common wire connection on my air handler?

Old motor P/N: Lennox 34K7601, Emerson K55HXEKD-7375

New motor P/N: Goodman 0131M00005P, Zhongshan Broad-Ocean YDK-250S63223-02


texts: How to reattach the "head" of a ground wire?

texts:
I just bought a new turntable and receiver

When I began using it, I noticed there was a loud buzzing sound coming from it.

Looking at the turntable's cables, there are the two Left and Right RCA cables as well as another cable with a missing head (not sure what the proper word is).

I realized this must be the ground cable and it just has uninsulated wire coming out of it.

Can I buy a new ground "head" and reattach it? How do I do this? Thanks


texts: How deep should PVC drain pipe be buried to ensure grass will grow above ground?

texts:
I’m burying 4” solid PVC drain pipe (not a French drain) in my yard for downspout & surface drainage. How deep should the pipes be buried in order to ensure that grass will grow above it?
Due to a limited amount of drainage fall on my property, in a certain section I may need to bury the pipe close to the surface (1-2”), and I fear that will mean I’ll end up with a strip of brown grass right where the pipe is.


texts: Solid wood front door seasonal swelling makes latching deadbolt difficult

texts:
My front door is solid wood and in the summer it swells making it difficult to latch the deadbolt (I have to lean my weight into the door to latch from the inside or pull on the handle from the outside to latch it).

In the winter the door latches without issue. If anything it feels "loose" in the latch during the winter.

I'd like to modify the door or the frame/jamb to make it easier to latch the deadbolt.

What do I need to do to determine what the specific issue with the door is and how can I modify the door to easy to latch in all seasons.


texts: Problem: Knob & Tube + conduit together in ceiling junction box

texts:
First post here! We bought this old (1925) house late last year and have been fixing things up. Went to swap out a ceiling fixture in our finished attic bedroom, flipped on the breaker, and despite even the wall switch being "off," my wife screamed that sparks were flying out of the J-box!

I'm not electrician (obviously) but I swear I just replicated how the previous fixture was wired. The box has two old knob & tube wires (one with a black sleeve, one with a tan sleeve), and what looks like conduit with the standard black, white, and green wires. I connected the k&t black/conduit black/fixture black together, the k&t tan/conduit white/fixture white together, and so on.

After realizing what happened, I checked the damage. The conduit black/hot wire apparently snapped in half inside the box. I'm not sure if I damaged it somehow when moving the wires back into the box before putting up the fixture, or if it's possible it snapped from the energy release?

What am I doing wrong? I've put in a call to an electrician to come help us out here, but I'm still curious in the meantime. Pic attached.


texts: Accidentally removed grout behind bathtub caulk, necessary to replace?

texts:
I got so excited my first time removing caulk that I believe I have removed some grout as well that was behind the caulk.

Of course, I'm most worried about water damage, so is it best to replace the grout that was there? Or would caulking over the gap be good enough to keep water out?


texts: Color adjusting LED ceiling light intermittent issues

texts:
I recently installed CE color changing (5 temperature settings) LED all-in-one fixtures in my bedrooms and have been having an odd issue. I wired four fixtures with 12/2 Romex in parallel out of a Lutron Caseta wireless dimmer, compatible with LEDs. The fixtures have a physical temperature control 5 position selector switch and we use the 3500K setting. The second light in the circuit will power on very dimly, and show a noticeable flicker. I am talking like you can barely see any light coming from it. After 30 seconds or so, it will  begin to operate normally. I have changed 3 fixtures, ensured all wiring is tight, and even replaced the switch. It still persists every few cycles.

Finally, the other issue is occasionally, the second light on another will get stuck at either its lowest or highest color temperature setting, regardless of color selector position on the light upon power on. cycling power doesn't clear it but it will go back to the desired setting eventually. No clear pattern i have noticed.

The only other information I can think may be relevant is that they are fed through an AFCI outlet, and that is fed by a 20A tandem breaker. Additionally, I am getting 120.2- 120.6 VAC at the breaker and switch.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.


texts: How can I temporarily disable a garden hose tap without an interior valve?

texts:
I have a  water tap in the garden of the house. My little son keeps opening it regardless of how tight I close it. I would like to seal it off. I was hoping to find a metal cylinder shape element which I can screw on the tap water end. Any help would be highly appreciated.
Please note that I can't close the water supply to the tap.


texts:
We had an electrician move our breaker box. He put in a junction box and ran a 100 amp cord, along with other wires next to one of our air vents. Is this to code?

We worry that even if it is framed around that if somebody tries to put a nail in for some reason and it goes into the 100 amp cord they will die almost immediately. When the electrician was questioned he stated it was fine because we were going to drywall over it. I added pictures of the cords next to the vent as well as some of his other work. How does it all look?

Thanks!


texts:
I wonder how secure my deadbolt lock is.

How difficult is it for a professional to open such a lock?


texts: Preparing a deck & playset for re-staining

texts:
The question asked here is pretty much similar to mine except that there are few splinters and chipped wood on the deck. How to smooth those out? Also there is a kid's play structure (with steps and a border that hosts a slide, swings and monkey bars) in a similar staining need state, any special considerations for doing it?

Any good videos/links with the procedure, tools and product recommendations is highly appreciated.


texts: How can I repair water damage under the kitchen sink?

texts:
I found out that our kitchen water connection had somehow loosened up and was leaking water on the floor underneath the sink. Now the particle board cabinet floor is warped quite a bit. I was thinking about cutting it out and placing a Sintra® material as a new floor.
Does anyone have any suggestions how to do this and if it's a good idea to replace the main floor plywood too. Or only replace the main floor wood if it's really fried?  How or what tools would you recommend I use to cut out the old wood/particle board?


texts: AC Disconnect Ampacity - can fuse size be something other than 30 or 60 Amp?

texts:
I am currently hunting for an AC disconnect to sit between my main service panel and the AC power that will be supplied by my solar panel microinverters.

Nearly every AC Disconnect I find online is rated at either 30 A or 60 A. It is unclear to me if that rating is the MAX breaker ampacity allowed, or if it is specific to that breaker size.

The max current used for sizing the wires from the microinverters is 33 A, so I am using #8 size THWN wire, which is rated for 50 A.  This puts my current load and my protection requirement right between 30 A and 60A.  Ideally, I'd like to use a 40 A breaker.

Does the AC disconnect ampacity rating refer to the max breaker ampacity?  i.e., can I buy a 60-Amp disconnect and put a 40 Amp breaker in it?

Note:  "AC" here means "Alternating Current", not "Air Conditioning", in case anyone was confused.


texts:
OK, that's a very broad question. Let me give the details:

We own a very old (estimate: about 100 years) rural house with some land. My wife spent lots of her childhood summers there, our kids like it, sentimental value, etc. We generally like the place, but the house is in a terrible shape.

It would probably need to have MAJOR renovations/upgrades done; or possibly even be rebuilt from scratch -- but we don't have that kind of finances available right now. We're not broke though - despite the COVID situation we're pretty financially stable and could devote some money to it. It's hard however for me to put down a specific number; and anyway the prices of things in my country (Latvia) cannot be directly compared to other countries, so I won't bother. Let's say I can afford small stuff (for a house). I would also like to complete the project myself without hiring additional people, unless absolutely necessary.

The house itself is a log-cabin type, although probably larger than what most people would imagine with that name. 3 large and 2 small rooms; a kitchen; spacious attic - it's a decently sized small house. I don't know the state of the logs themselves because they're covered both inside and out; but I'll assume they're fine. In the olden days people lived in the house all year long, but for decades now it has only been used as a summer cottage. Hence it is not being kept warm and dry all year round.

As far as we can tell, the house is built directly on the ground. There's no basement, and I doubt there are any supports in the ground or whatever. This also means that... the floors are directly on the ground too. As in, a most of the rooms have wooden floors which are more or less fine; but some just have thick, painted cardboard (there's probably a special name in English for cardboard that is meant for floors, but I don't know it). This cardboard... has not fared so well. In fact, the state of the floor in those rooms is pretty critical.

So, my current wish would be to restore that floor. Maybe even upgrade the floors in the other rooms too, if it seems worth it. But what do I do? Where do I start? What's the proper method that would ensure a structure that would last for ages?

Should I dig a pit beneath and add ventilation and sheets of plastic for moisture insulation? Pour concrete? A layer of bricks? Get creative with waterproofing membranes (the ones used in bathrooms)? I need ideas to work upon. :)


texts: Range Hood has plug, no outlet on the wall

texts:
I removed my upper cabinets and bought a range hood. There is a BX coming from the hole above my stove. There is no wall outlet. Is there any way I can convert this to make the new range hood work? I don't want to reinstall cabinets but also don't want to dip into my budget for serious electrical work. The house is old an has enough problems. Thank you!

Update- I used an old box that I got from the hardware store and used it to install a new outlet. Everything is working great and looking lovely! Thank you!


texts: What new technology replacements are available for incandescent globe light bulbs for the bathroom vanity light?

texts:
I have a bathroom vanity light fixture with a row of exposed globe light bulbs. They had been burning up recently, and I was wondering if there are reliable CFL or LED globe bulbs available as a replacements.

I have searched for the globe lights, and so far it had been unclear whether there is a direct replacement. By which I mean a bulb with the same luminosity (which is important, as it is the only fixture in the room), and the same aesthetic quality (spherical glass globe all around).

As the question pertains to North America, it should be G25 bulb with the standard E26 Edison screw. Currently I have Feit Electric 60 Watt G25 incandescents.

If I am to switch to LED lights, options from major manufacturers seem scarce:

GE 63013 G25 Energy Smart bulb rated at 2.3 Watts (at third party retailers it is rated as 10 Watt replacement) and producing only 95 lumens which seems very low.
Feit Electric has G25 LED bulb which they bill as 25 Watt replacement though it is only supposed to consume 2 Watts. Its specifications state luminosity of 150 lumens and colour temperature of 3000K. At the same time they are only rated at 20000 hrs, whereas their own Decade series of incandescents last 15000 hours (regulars, however, only rated at 1500 or 4200 if 130 V bulbs used on 120 V line).

In CFL department Philips offers 9 Watt G25 bulb which is advertised to replace 40 Watt incandescent, Feit Electric has 40 and 60 Watt replacements in EcoBulb range (11, 12 W and 560, 640 lumens respectively, 2700K, 8000 hours), and GE has 47485 G25 Energy Smart (15 Watt (60 W replacement), 800 lumens).

The CFLs perform closer to the original, but why are there not more LED globe bulbs available? How do both technologies hold up in humid bathroom environment? Would more powerful LED lighting require heat sinks, and can it be detrimental in high humidity? Are there other manufacturers I could look at?


texts: I have almost a whole gallon of Behr white semi-gloss that is 6 years old.  When I opened it, it looked good.  But is it expired?


texts: Are these walls around the closet load-bearing?

texts: we just recently purchased a house and wanted to see if I can knock out the walls around the closet to put in built-in shelving. Do you think these are load bearing?


texts: please see attached picture. Is it safe to step on the angled wood support highlighted in red box?


texts: Is it acceptable to have an electrical box the same depth as the stud?

texts:
I have several "SuperBlue" electrical boxes.  These are very sturdy boxes and have the most room (cubic inches) possible without being too deep to fit in a stud space.

However my question is: If code says we must staple wire to the center of studs and drill holes in the center to avoid using metal nailing plates...what do I do when my box is literally 1/4" from being the same depth as my 2x4 interior walls?  We all know the wires enter at the very rear end of the electrical box, meaning I have wires well past that safety point of drywall screws at electrical box locations.

Is this acceptable?


texts: Is it possible to make an "energy harvester" that drains old batteries?

texts:
I am currently looking at my stack of old batteries at home, did some measurements and found that most of them contain at least some energy left. I was then thinking. What is I could make a device with several mountpoints (holders for different types of batteries such as LR6, LR03, 6LR61, LR20, CRC032, LR44, and so on). All have an expected operating voltage but since they are removed as being "empty" they usually are below the expected voltage.
Is there some kind of low voltage (like under 1 volt) transformer that could take in a variable voltage and convert it into another so that I can unload all old batteries into a rechargeable battery pack? Are there already existing diy projects that attempt this? Or out-of-the-box solutions I've missed?
But, I'd like to build this as a hobby project maybe. A simple device where I plugin all old batteries, and they are drained into a battery pack. So I suppose "energy harvester" would be the proper terminology.
I saw this video on Joule Thief: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6jytol. It's a good explanation but I need to get a broader understanding of this subject in order to control the output voltage and to charge a rechargeble battery with it.


texts: Why does the pilot light on my gas fireplace go off over night?

texts: Pilot light on gas fireplace works fine all day. After turning thermostat down over night,it is off in the morning. We tried it three days now. Why is that happening?


texts:
I'd like to add this PZEM-061 digital multimeter near a 14-50 outlet I'm installing in my garage. It uses a CT sensor for the current and taps into the line for voltage.

How I can safely splice the small gauge wire the meter needs into the larger wire feeding the outlet? I was planning on using 12-18 gauge for the meter, and the outlet is being fed with 6 gauge.

I'd like something that's simple and cost effective, DIYer friendly, and passes inspection. Here's what I've come up with so far:

Tap the meter into the 14-50 outlet directly? When I search about this on EV forums, lots of people seem to be doing this. I don't think that would pass inspection with two wires under one screw, but I agree it would be the easiest. Is there a NEMA 14-50 outlet with load terminals? I haven't seen any in the home stores.
Wire nuts pigtails? Twisting two 6#'s and an 18# seems like it would get difficult or the 18# would get damaged.
Split bolt? Can you splice 3 wires in split bolt? I'm not a fan of the wrapping and box bulk needed to do this, but it seems the most straightforward way. 3-way Polaris blocks would avoid the wrapping, but then there's the different gauge problem.
Distribution block? I'm looking at something like this. Pricey but seems safest. I'm not sure if I can fit that in 4 square deep junction box or if I need to find something bigger. I mean, I could go all the way up to a...
Subpanel? I don't need a subpanel or shutoff there, but I've seen that idea suggested. The cost of the box and extra breakers just for a multi-gauge splice seems overkill.

The meter only draws minimal amps so the small gauge wire is appropriate, and it's rated for 240V. I can wire an inline fuse to the meter if there's a concern of putting such small gauge wire on a 50 amp circuit. I don't expect to to draw more than 0.1A.

How can I finish this project and make me and the inspector happy? Thanks!


texts: Upgrading baseboard thermostat -wiring help

texts:
Going from old analog thermostats to programmable digital. They're all 240v but appear to currently be wired as single pole and new stats are double. Photos attached of line in, and two out for load- this one runs two baseboards.
New stats are Honeywell double pole. I think I just need to separate the nuts connecting the white wires from the line in and run that to the new stat, leave the two white load lines and connect those to the load out of the double pole but wanted to make sure. Couple pics attached.

https://ibb.co/b2A6hG
https://ibb.co/f6v6hG
https://ibb.co/job1Gb


texts: Double Switch to Triple Switch - 2 Hot Wires

texts:
I have a bathroom switch that powers two light fixtures from one set of wires (line, load, ground). I added a vent fan and wanted my electrician to wire them together into a triple switch.
He says it can't be done because we have an extra hot wire and he tried to pigtail the two hot wires together into the switch but it tripped.
How should this be wired? I've taken a pic of the way existing double switch and the other incoming 14/2 white romex wire is in the back unconnected.
Thanks in advance!


texts: Replace 3-way switch with 4 screws with 3-way dimmer with only 3 screws

texts: I want to replace an existing 3-way switch with a 3-way dimmer. The old switch has 2 brass screws and 2 black screws, plus a green ground screw. Ignoring the ground, there are wires attached to all four screws and all four wires are brown. The dimmer switch has 2 brass screws but only one black screw. How do I connect the 2 wires that are  on the 2 black screws on the old switch to the new dimmer switch?


texts: my washing machine was automatically stop and this message was shown

texts: Samsung washing machine was automatically stopped and not working any botton exept power botton what should i do give any suggestions


texts: Are two 6x6 posts adequate to support a stone or brick wall in an earthquake zone?

texts:
Will 2 (one on either side) of treated 6 inch by 3 inch wood beams set 3 feet into concrete with a 12 inch footer support a rock or brick wall that weighs say 2000 lbs if the wood is properly mounted to the wall. The wall is 7 feet long and 6 feet high 15 inches wide. How much would wind be a factor?

 ________________________________________
|  ____                            ____  |
| |    |                          |    | |
| |____|                          |____| |
|________________________________________|


texts: Replacment remote for an older garage door

texts: I have an older Lift-A-Dor garage door opener. The remote is no longer working. The remote model# is RC-10. The garage door lift is model# LD100. Where do I purchase a replacement or is there a compatible universal remote available?


texts: The wall outlet is burned out after using a 120v heater. I was able to pull the orange cord out of it. The outlet is blackened, and the smell of burned odor has stopped . What is required to get this fixed?


texts: Best sound-proofing techniques and recommended sound-absorbing materials?

texts:
This is fundamentaly a question about soundproofing and sound absorbtion. When working this project I've realised I don't understand the concepts as much as I though I did.

I basically set up a shelf train set. The shelving is made out of fiberboard covered with melamine. And for the model base I chose extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), the kind used for insulation. Now, I was under the assumption that materials used for insulation were also good and used for sound-proofing... However, I found out after the fact that perhaps the XPS was the worst choice I could've made, soundwise, as the foam, contrary to what I expected from foam, at this density at least, becomes like the membrane of a drum and multiplies every noise! So now my mission is to quiet it down as much as possible.

At certain points the XPS sits right on top of the shelves. Here, I understand my best option is to glue it completely onto the melamine/fiberboard, thereby dampening its flexibility, which will prevent it from vibrating freely. Though here is where my knowledge of the concepts involved starts getting hazy... Would it be better to glue it entirely? Would it be better to glue it in certain parts and leave certain other parts unglued? Maybe even put some sound-absorbing material like cloth between the XPS and the shelf in those unglued parts? Is it better to glue it sparsely? Will any of this make a difference?

Then come other parts of the model where the foam needs to rise in an incline to meet another level of foam. I've got these set up as follows:

Where the incline is made by adding 3mm-thick pieces of MDF cut at intervals ranging from 0.5-4cm tall. In this case, my thougts are that leaving these empty "chambers" under the XPS will simply act as the body of a guitar and amplify everything even more. But what to do? Should I fill them with sound-absorbing material?

Should I glue in more incline intervals out of cardboard, for instance, to make it all more rigid?

Should I glue a more rigid base under the XPS? Like some MDF or even place some cloth?

What is my best option for achieving a good sound absorbtion here?

I can't get rid if the XPS because I already invested in a lot of it. I've already spentsoun way over what was planned, so I would greatly appreciate any solution that's rather on the budget side.

Thanks in advance for your input!


texts: How can I inspect 6" horizontal ducts to locate a rattle?

texts:
Something is rattling somewhere in a 6" round metal ceiling HVAC duct network, not near any vents.  Maybe it's a loose damper.  The ducts are now behind finished wallboard and since the airflow to all vents is adequate it's not worth destructive inspection.
I was thinking that a cheap wired robot with camera – probably designed and sold as a toy – could crawl through the ducts to inspect them.  My search for such a product has only turned up 4-figure robots designed for commercial HVAC operations.
Are there any clever and inexpensive tools, robotic or otherwise, for inspecting deep into 6" round rigid ducts?


texts: No neutral in metal switch box for three-way switches in an older 1930's home

texts: This is a 1936 home in Virginia with BX wiring and metal switch and outlet boxes.  We went to replace original three-way light switches located at the top and the bottom of the stairs controlling a hall light and found that the neutral wire from switch at the bottom of the stairs is connected to the metal box at the top of the stairs.  There is no other neutral in the box at the top of the stairs to connect it to otherwise.  With the new switch, connecting it to the metal box is only way to make it work.  Is that o.k.?  It seems to have worked for 80 years.


texts: Installing a new exterior door into a taller existing opening

texts: We are remodeling our 1948 home, and the previous owner was quite tall.  We are trying to replace our exterior door, and have come across a wonderful deal on a door.  Here is the issue: How can I make a 36w x 78L door fit into a 36w x 82L frame?


texts: Is pressure grouting of a wall-crack, a good or potential solution?

texts:
Some of the walls in my house, have developed cracks, which are 2 to 4mm wide. One crack, runs diagonally, from floor level to about 80% of the wall height, and other cracks run along the window frames. The house is built on a concrete beam and column structure, but apparently the foundation in one corner has sunk a bit, due to heavy construction in close vicinity. The impacted walls, are not load bearing walls.

I am planning to paint my house, and wanted to fix these deep cracks prior to that. I've been told by few people that pressure grouting might be an acceptable solution, and wanted to check. Reading around the web, I see pressure grouting involving drilling big holes (about 2-3cm dia) in the wall, and grouting them, but couldn't figure out the purpose of doing so. Also, I've seen some photographs showing grouting attempts of the foundation itself by pressure-grouting deep holes near foundation. So, the process, and recommendations aren't clear.

Finally, does grouting / pressure-grouting require specialized tools, equipment and skills, or can one attempt this DIY ?

Edit:
Forgot to mention that the cracks in question, appear on both sides of the wall, so it is not just a crack in the plaster-work.

Edit2:
Building is not old - about 7 years. Cracks developed about 3 years back, and I think I've not seen them grow in the last 1 year.


texts: How can I improve hvac air flow to my attic?

texts:
Two years ago I converted the attic of my 1.5 story house into a livable space. It had no HVAC ducts going up, so I ran some coming from the basement where the furnace is.

Air flow to the attic via the ducts is really low. I would say it's at least 10 times weaker than the first floor air flow. This isn't so bad in the winter because there's computers and a projector that emit heat (as well as radiant heat coming from the first floor).

I had a new central air system installed a few months ago, and since the flow is so bad upstairs, I'm forced to put the old window unit back in, which really bums me out.

I installed two duct fans in the attic to try and improve the air flow, but it only marginally improved things. Not enough to make any difference.

Is there anything else I can do?


texts:
We have steam heat in our 1930s-era home and one of the bedrooms is much colder than the other two.  Here is a picture of the radiator in the cold room:

The room is 12'x12'x8'.  This radiator is 8"x25"x4.5" in size.  It has four fins each with four tubes.  The tubes look like they are about 0.75" in diameter.

In contrast, our other bedroom of the same size has a larger radiator and the room is well-heated.  (If it matters, both rooms are on the north side of the house; the colder one northeast and the warmer one northwest.) The larger radiator is 14"x38"x7.5" in size.

From what I understand the ability of a radiator to heat is proportional to its surface area, but using volume as a ballpark to check the appropriate size, I get that that radiator in the cold room is about 900 cubic inches in volume while the one in the warmer room is almost 4000 cubic inches.  That makes me think it's too small.

Otherwise, the radiator seems to function well.  It hisses loudly once in a while, but it does warm up—just not enough to heat the room.  If the size is not the issue, what else could be the trouble?


texts: We recently had our house renovated and two of the bathrooms now have bare wooden floors. At some point I'll get round to putting down tiles or vinyl but for the time being what should I do to protect the wood from water? One floor is ordinary floorboards and the other is plywood.


texts: Replaced Water Filter in Refrigerator, Now Having Issues (Loud Noise, Increase Water Flow)

texts:
I have a Whirlpool refrigerator that has a built in ice and water dispenser, I can't remember the model number but I don't think it should matter for the issue I am having.  I recently replaced the water filter, the old one was working fine but it had reached the end of the life of the filter.  When I replaced it, a simple open the filter door, unscrew the old one, screw in the new one (made sure it was installed properly), closed the filter door.

I ran 3 gallons of water through it as instructed but the whole time there was a much louder noise when the water was running, almost like a machine gun going off (not that loud obviously but that type of noise).  My refrigerator also has a measured fill option where you can dispense one cup (or more) and it cuts off automatically. Along with the loud noise when I have it dispense one cup it dispenses significantly more, around twice as much as with the previous filter.

The water is not really cloudy after running the three gallons through it but it seems to me that perhaps the issue is it isn't sealing properly and air is getting in the line, hence the loud noise?  I pulled the filter out and it seems like the O-rings are in place like they should be and I can't determine an issue from visual inspection.  Since it occurred after replacing the filter I can't imagine it is an issue anywhere else in the system.

Any ideas? Did I just get a defective filter?


texts:
We have a solid-core wooden front-door and would like to repaint it as our dog has scratched it many times (ahh the joys of pet ownership). We've sanded down the rough spots on the door but we noticed some hair-line cracks in the groove between the panel and the mullion.

The cracks aren't large enough to affect the structural integrity of the door but we're thinking that we'll need to seal it before proceeding with applying the paint. We can't sand it because the crack is in an awkward location on the mullion.

What can we use to seal small cracks? Caulk? Wood Epoxy?

-M


texts: What kind of paint should I use to paint a field stone foundation wall?

texts:
I have a 1900 house with a field stone foundation. The foundation is in good shape. There is minimal moisture. I want to paint the walls to make it look nicer. What kind of paint should I be using?
I will be spraying on.


texts: Is it safe to remove risers from stairs?

texts:
I have removed the risers from my stairs (currently halfway up) and I am wondering if they are safe? They seem sturdy enough, and since they have been like that, I have had a massive water tank removed and carried down them. But everyone keeps saying the stairs will collapse, so I am at a standstill. I do not know how to proceed.

I have been adding another tread on top of the original tread to make it meet regulations, and I like the chunky look it is giving them. I am also going to be getting them carpeted.

Any help would be appreciated!!


texts: Can I replace my draft inducer blower with a model of a slightly different speed?

texts:
My furnaces draft inducer blower sounds like a snow blower running, so I set out to replace it.  Finding a replacement part proved difficult, but I found a site advertising a compatible part and purchased it online.

My current blower runs at 2800/3200 RPM and is rated for 1/30 HP.  The new unit is 2300/3000RPM and 1/25 HP.  Otherwise, the two units are identical size, layout, etc.

Can I use the new blower as a replacement and is there anything I need to watch out for, such as the pressure sensors?


texts: How to set up a basic single-zone irrigation system

texts:
I am thinking of installing a very basic irrigation system (one zone) to water the area but I do not know where to start.
Below is a basic diagram of the area I want to water. I want the irrigation system to be connected to the hose bibb in my backyard. I cannot lay a pipe in the area where the shrubs are since it is beyond my property line (the shrubs are in a green belt and they were planted by the previous owner). The red line in the diagram below shows where I would like to bury the pipe.
What would it take with things I can buy at Home Depot? Should I go with PVC, pex, etc.? Can I simply bury a PVC pipe, connect the sprinkler heads and then connect to pipe to the hose bibb?
Thank you!


texts: Why don't we just use combination AFCI/GFCI breakers for every circuit in a home?

texts:
With pretty much every circuit in a home needing one of the two types of protection (AFCI or GFCI), why don't all new homes have combination breakers installed just to be safe? Would it hurt anything using both types of protections for every breaker? I know that based on code we technically don't NEED both types of protection, but is it necessarily a bad thing to have?

Of course this wouldn't apply to circuits that have exemptions such as dedicated circuits for an appliance.


texts: Need help choosing correct Allen or Hex tool

texts:
I need to loosen a 3mm hex bolt in side an appliance. The simple"Allen Hex "L" shaped key does not let me reach and turn the bolt located in a tough position inside the appliance

Have been told to get
" a 1/4" drive socket with extension and an allen drive socket"

I need a 3mm "hex bit" as I have always called them.It has to be a "male" shaped bit as the bolt is female.
I need a holder for that bit
And I need an extension arm

But nothing is called that when I look on line
What is a "socket"? Is that another term for the bit?
What is  socket wrench? Is that another name for the holder
Why do I see so many female hex "sockets" and such few male ones?

All help will be appreciated. What do I ask for?


texts:
I received my second quarterly water bill and cannot believe it says I'm using 49,000 gallons of water each quarter. That's over 500 gals per day!

So I started thinking about average water usage per appliance, shower etc and it still does not add up. The only thing I can think of, is maybe the water passed through the radiators is the culprit? I've tried searching online for an answer, but no dice.

While I do know my home heating is based on hot water passing through radiators and baseboards, does this mean its an open system? Therefore, whenever the water passes by all the radiators then it leaves the house and into the sewer? Hope not, since this looks to be inefficient to me. I would assume home heating systems that use water are closed systems and not lose water.

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree on what's consuming all that water, but at the moment, I need to understand how water circulation works in radiators.


texts: Way to mount a small tv (27-32”) on bottoms of stairs angled down slightly?

texts: I’m looking to add a tv to underside of stairs? Is it possible to do so?


texts: Can I wire 3-way switches so that when they are both in the same orientation the light will be off?

texts: I replaced my 3-way switches.  Is it possible to have either switch shut the light off, by pulling down on the toggles Either switch does shut the light off, but then one toggle is up, and the other is down.  I want both to be down after shutting the light off. If there is a way, can you give a diagram of how to wire it?


texts:
I use a WISI OR 152 set-top box to receive a DVB-C TV signal.

A couple of months ago I rearranged my living room and as a result I had to connect the receiver to the wall outlet with a rather long (~4m) cable. Probably not surprisingly, signal quality deteriorated significantly. However, what I do not understand is the following: I have the impression that the signal is getting worse over time in general and seems to change over the day as well (better in the morning, worse in the evening).

My question is: What could be the reason for this and what can I do about it? Should I buy a higher quality cable?  Or are there any signs that in fact the receiver might be the culprit?

To describe the current situation in more detail: There are some channels with in general quite good (audio and video) quality. However, in particular during evenings, even when watching these channels sometimes the video freezes and there are "squeaking" noises distorting the audio signal. Other channels suffer from much stronger distortions, up to a point where there seems to be no signal at all.

One of the channels with less distortions:

One of the channels with mediocre signal quality (but in the morning where the signal seems to be rather good):

One of the very bad channels:


texts: My sink connects with my 5 inch cast iron toilet drain in the basement.  Figured the clog was either in the P trap or somewhere before the piping reaches the toilet drain.  Snaked it a couple times and is still clogged.  I'm pretty sure the snake made it to the 5 inch piping....some sludge on it.  Just don't get why water is not draining at all


texts: New Build - Bowed Lumber & Holes In Sheathing

texts:
I'm building a new home and wanted to be on top of things that may become major issues later on. They just did most of the framing and there are some 2x4s which are visibly bowed as well as floor joists which are bowed as well.

Upstairs I could see light coming through some of the walls that are coming together which was kind of surprising. There were a couple of small gaps between the walls which had light shining through.

I didn't realize they no longer use OSB on the exterior walls and it looks to be some structural insulated sheathing which looks and feels very cheap. I'm not even sure how this will hold the siding on to be honest.

If something were to hit the house it would seem like it would be easy to punch a hole right through this stuff.

Here's the sheathing product they used.

Are any of you familiar with this? I'd like to get your thoughts both on the sheathing, the holes I have found punched through in various parts of the exterior walls and what problems I could be facing with bowed wall studs and floor joists.

I'm not very savvy when it comes to this stuff which is why I come here to ask the experts. I really want to know the right questions to ask my project manager for the house or demand things before I sign off on anything. Thanks!

Pictures


texts: We had a water leak about two months ago and since then I have been sick. We have a mold specialist coming out but they couldn’t come for two weeks. We peeled the carpet back to find this...


texts: Wiring an in-line on/off toggle switch on an LED lamp with additional controllers is not working as expected

texts:
I purchased a USB powered (5 volts) LED lamp that included a controller with (from bottom to top in the picture):

power switch
brightness decrease
warmth selector
brightness increase.

I am attempting to put an in-line toggle switch to control the power to the lamp, but I'm facing an unexpected result.

I wired the toggle switch in between the power supply and the controller so it would be the open/close point for the circuit, but what I am seeing when I plug it in is that the power switch on the controller (#1) takes precedence and is 'reset' each time the toggle is flipped. I know this because the controller has an led indicator when it is receiving power. So, if the lamp is on, I can turn it off with the toggle, but when I flip the toggle again, only the LED indicator illuminates indicating the controller has power but the lamp does not turn on. I have to press the power button on the controller to turn on the lamp.

How can I override/bypass/circumvent the power switch on the controller/board? I want the toggle to control the circuit closing and opening (the lamp being on or off). I'm hopeful its a simple as moving the toggle switch 'after' the controller, between the controller and the lamp, and not messing with the white (data) wire, just cut into the power (red and black) wires. Any advice is appreciated as I'm sure my description of the problem reveals my novice skill and ability.

(click to enlarge image)


texts: Double-pole breaker connected to two receptacles/outlets on same column/post

texts:
We have a double-pole breaker that seemingly is connected to two outlets in the same column/post in a room. 3-Light tester reads all three lights, multimeter reads around 240 volts in each outlet. With four wires per outlet, I assumed the person that wired these simply forgot to break the tabs, thus causing the 240. I broke the HOT (black) tabs, measured something low like 12v from three plugs and 240 from the fourth... Broke the other tabs, and now it's 240 on one plug and 0 on the other three...

I'm not sure what to think now, about how this was ever left wired up like this.

Outlet 1, Top measures 0.02 V, Bottom measures 238 V, slightly fluctuates.

Outlet 2, Both measure 0.02 V.

Background information: It's the same support beam behind each, just different sides. When we bought the house a month or so ago, this was the only outlet the inspector must have missed. After realizing something was wrong, the easiest thing to do was attempt to replace the old-looking outlets. On the old outlets, the tabs were all still intact but they were connected via the push holes instead of the screws.

 26,28 breaker

 Outlet 1, Left Side

 Outlet 1, Right Side

 Outlet 1, Rear

 Outlet 2, Left Side

 Outlet 2, Right Side

 Outlet 2, Rear


texts:
My hot water circulating system was installed in 2006.  It has a dedicated return line from all faucets.  I've been having trouble lately with the hot water, it turns cold at the faucet when the pump is not on. I just replaced the back flow valve thinking that was causing my problem but I was wrong.  Does anyone have any idea what might be the problem? The water goes cold after turning off the pump.  It stays running cold until the pump is turned on or the circulating system is isolated  from the rest of the plumbing.
This occurs at all faucets.  They are all single lever faucets. The water never gets hot again until I turn on the pump or isolate the circulating system.  I do not know how it is hooked-up.  What you say makes more sence.  I think that the back flow valve may have been installed backwards. That would explain hot water turning cold when pump is off.


texts: Do new gas water heaters have safety features that shut off the gas valve if they over heat? I have one that the pilot will be off and water all around the tank but we cannot find out where the water is coming from. The exhaust is tied in with the gas furnace, I am wondering if there's some extra heat from the furnace causing high heat in the water heater?


texts: Replacing a switch with something that is always on

texts:
I recently installed a dusk to dawn light for the front porch and would like to keep the switch Always On at all times. This is more for the overzealous kind at home who want to switch everything off at night :)

I am thinking of replacing the normal switch on the wall with a stationary plate and making the wires hardwired at all times. Is there a specific term for this type of plate?

I've searched all over but could not find this in the store.


texts: Hanging 60 lb beveled glass frame in courtyard on a brick wall

texts: The mirror had a frame on it but it rotted off from being outside. I would like to hang the mirror now but need help to know what I need to purchase to hang it. I have a heavy chain that I had connected to the frame previously to hang it on the wall. I could use the chain again it I could figure out what to put on the mirror to hang it from. Thank you.


texts: Driveway crack repair work failed over the winter, how can I make it last?

texts:
I live in the Northeast, and we have lots of hard winters. My driveway had many cracks with most under ¼ inch in width, but a few larger. So last summer, I cleaned those cracks with jets of water, let them dry and filled them in with patch fillers. Some I got from Home Depot (Latex-ite 1 Gal. 2X Premium Blacktop Crack Filler). I also got a little bucket of trowel patch filler from Walmart for the bigger cracks. Anyway, I applied all these per their instructions early last summer. A couple weeks after that I then sealed my driveway with a product from Home Depot: (4.75-Gal. Ultra Shield Driveway Filler Sealer), again per the product's instructions, and with two coats.

A harsh northeast winter later, I have been dismayed to see most of my cracks are back to their state where they were before I patched anything. A few repairs that were done in the shade seemed to fair better. Yea we had 75” of snow or so that I only used a shovel to clean up with, no salt etc.

Anyway, do you have any recommendations for how I can do this right?

Update,  here are some pictures:


texts: Remove support under the interior stairs

texts:
Hi I’m putting storage space under my interior stairs. The area I want to open up has a piece of timber right in the middle. I’m hoping some one can tell me if it can be removed?
Pic1-Purple is the timber I want to remove, blue circled is where I want to open it up.

Pic 2- directly above opening- can I remove the horizontal timbers at the top too? (Circled blue)

Pic 3- looking in from outside- stair support . Circled blue is the horizontal timber I want to remove.

Hopefully these are clear enough to understand!


texts:
I need to set this freezeless valve through a layer of bricks/mortar.

Should I set mortar directly around the pipe or should I leave some spacing and fill it with insulation foam (or something similar)? Or set a 1" pipe directly in masonry and put this valve pipe inside it with something to fill the gap.

My primary concerns are thermal insulation and preventing pipe breakage.


texts: What Kind of Outlet Allows 1 In-Wall Light Switch w 2 Outlets to Control 2 Sconces w Semi-Independent On/Off Buttons & Outlets on Each?

texts: I have a bathroom light switch with two outlets and one light switch. The switch turns on/off two wall-mounted sconces. Both sconces have their own on/off buttons and an outlet. The buttons on the switches will not turn the lights on unless the wall switch is flipped on. If a sconce's button is set to off, flipping the wall switch will not turn it on. Neither of the sconce's outlets will work if their light is turned off by button or switch. Neither sconce's button can control what happens with the other sconce. What kind of in-wall outlet/switch is this? How many poles and ways is it going? What would I need to buy to just replace the in-wall switch with two outlets? Thx


texts: Everything was working as usual then NOT.  I used a 3 prong circuit tester in several outlets and got the same reading on all of them. HOT / GRD. REVERSE. how or why would this suddenly happen and how do I fix it?


texts: In a secondary panel, are grounding and neutral bus bars required on each side of the hot bus bars?

texts:
In a secondary panel (not a service panel), the grounded (neutral) bus bar is to be kept isolated from the grounding conductors (250.24(A)(5)). In article 408, the code has this to say...

National Electrical Code 2014
Chapter 4 Equipment for General Use
Article 408 Switchboards, Switchgear, and Panelboards.
408.3 Support and Arrangement of Busbars and Conductors.
(D) Terminals. In switchboards , switchgear and panelboards,
load terminals for field wiring, including grounded
circuit conductor load terminals and connections to the
equipment grounding conductor bus for load equipment
grounding conductors, shall be so located that it is not
necessary to reach across or beyond an uninsulated ungrounded
line bus in order to make connections.

In a panel like the one below, where there's a grounding bus bar on one side of the panel and a grounded (neutral) on the other. It's easy to terminate all the neutrals at one bar, and all the grounds at the other. However, does 408.3(D) mean that there should actually be a grounding and grounded bus bar on each side of the panel?

Should the panel actually look like this?


texts: How can I remove paint from a wood deck so I can stain it?

texts: We recently purchased this house and the deck was painted.  It now needs to be repainted, but we want to stain it.  We are in the mountains and can not use a pressure washer since we do not have outside water.   What do you recommend to take off the paint and stain the deck?


texts:
I recently bought a house with the laundry closet upstairs. The washer and dryer were conveyed to us by the sellers. The washer does not have a drain pan underneath it, and as far as I can see, the laundry room does not have a floor drain.

I'm planning to have a drain pan placed under the washer, but I don't think I will install a floor drain as this will require substantial plumbing work (the laundry closet is in the middle of the house).

What else can I do to prevent water damage from supply hose leaks in the absence of a floor drain? I'm thinking of installing the Floodstop automatic shut-off valves, and wondering if anyone has experience with this or better suggestions.

A product like Floodstop will not prevent leakages from the drain hose. Do I need to be concerned about significant water damage from a detached/leaking drain hose? The washer I have is an LG Direct Drive front load one, so it minimizes the water it holds at any point in a cycle. If I do need to be concerned about drain hose leakage, what solutions are available to prevent it?

Thank you,
Fijoy


texts: Vinyl Flooring: Wet glue underneath and pink and black stains on top

texts:
I had vinyl flooring professionally laid 2 years ago. Now it is covered in black stains and a faint pink discolouration. We have the same flooring in two different rooms - in the kitchen (which is stained) and in the downstairs bathroom (not stained) which is next to the kitchen.
Today i pulled up the flooring to see what was causing the stains on the kitchen floor. The glue was still as wet as the day it was laid. The bathroom however, whilst a bit sticky, was pretty much dry. Does anybody know why this has happened?


texts: Looking for termites when thinking about buying a house

texts:
I'm buying a house in an area where termites are a serious problem. I know most people are honest but most is not all. When I'm with a Realtor, at a showing of a house that I'm thinking of putting an offer on, how can I tell if there is a serious, obvious termite problem? I realize I can't tell for sure without a professional but strong signs or ways to "estimate" would be helpful.

I know there are other posts about checking for termites but they all assume that you already own the house. I will not have so much time or freedom to look around.


texts: How can I force hot air through this fireplace grate?

texts:
Ok, here's the front of my fireplace (note the grates on the top and bottom):

Here's the model tag:

This fireplace came with the house and I know almost nothing about it except that the chimney was clean. We burned a cord of wood in it last year without a problem. I was less than impressed with its efficiency and I want to get more out of it this year, so I did some investigating.

Here are two shots of the back of the fireplace:

Last year, I didn't even know this line coming out of the back of the fireplace existed, but since the front of the fireplace is grated, I assumed I could use it the way a conventional fireplace insert works. After checking that the lever on the front of the fireplace (picture below) opens and closes a door behind the duct entrance to the back of the fireplace, I installed a fan on the duct line.

The problem is that when the fan is running (and I installed a serious fan at one point just to check that I was too low on CFM), I can't feel any airflow from the grates on the front of the fireplace unit.

Can anyone help in explaining why there's no air coming out the grates?
Is this not the intended use of that duct?
What's the easiest way to make it work the way I want it to (if possible)?
I tried Googling for the manufacturer's documentation but couldn't find anything. Does anyone have a line on some documentation for this unit?

**UPDATE:**I found out that the blowers made for this fireplace have been discontinued. However, I found a company that makes aftermarket blowers. They had a low-profile one that I'm going to give a shot (http://www.fireplaceblowersonline.com/lp_4500_low_profile_fireplace_blower_fan_kit-details.aspx).


texts:
I've had a sprayer faucet in my kitchen sink since I bought the house over 8 years ago. Somewhat recently it sprung a little leak on the right side. Today I noticed that this leak has expanded from one little jet of water to three, so clearly it's getting worse. I'm not sure what the best method to deal with this is - will I need to just replace the whole sprayer? Or is there some sort of sealant or other substance I can patch on there? I have photos attached.

And here's an animated version too.


texts: What are the pros and cons of sash vs. tilt and turn windows?

texts:
I've lived in both Germany and the US and one of the biggest construction differences is the style of windows used. In Germany, the most common window design is tilt and turn. In the US, a variety of windows are used, but I would argue that in private homes, sash windows are the most common. I have never seen a tilt and turn window in the US.

Here's an illustration of the different types for those who haven't heard them described by these names before.

In words, tilt and turn windows can be opened in two ways: (1) on a hinge at the side of the window similar to a casement window, and (2) on a hinge on the bottom of the window similar to a hopper window. The position of the handle determines the direction in which it opens. A sash window slides up and down in its frame, in the US sash windows are often called double or single hung windows depending on whether both halves of the window can open.

I have found no source comparing tilt and turn to sash windows. The arguments that I have read in favor of sash windows in general cite 2 main reasons to prefer sash windows

Aesthetics i.e. people like the way they look
Ventilation i.e. you can open either the top or bottom half of the window without needing to prop the window open

But tilt and turn windows arguably have similar advantages

Aesthetically, you can have a larger uninterrupted piece of glass or you can use several panes to get the same visual effect as a sash window.
Because you can open the window in two ways, you can control the amount of ventilation
Additionally, because the window opens all the way horizontally, you can easily clean both sides of the window. There are modern sash windows that allow the window to pivot for cleaning, but this is not part of the basic design.

Other than historical reasons, i.e. tilt and turn windows were first adapted in Germany, sash windows were first adapted in England, why are tilt and turn windows not more common in the US? Are there other pros of sash windows and cons of tilt and turn windows that I am overlooking?


texts: Dealing with a toilet that doesn't have an air vent

texts:
We have a powder room on the main floor with a toilet that has a sluggish flush. It's not clogged. While investigating the issue I discovered that neither the toilet nor sink in the powder room is vented (the full bathroom on the second floor is vented).

When I remove the powder room's sink from its waste pipe, and attempt to use that as an air vent for the toilet, the toilet flushes perfectly.

What are some permanent fixes to this problem?


texts: Should I add a vapor barrier when re-siding?

texts: I am removing the siding on my house in Montana, which was built in 1964.  From inside out I have sheetrock, 4" studs with R-11 paper backed fiberglass insulation and gypsum board sheathing.  I want to add 1 inch rigid foam insulation and reside with steel siding.  Should I install a vapor barrier between the existing sheathing and the new rigid foam insulation?


texts: Can I put plywood over Schluter radiant heat

texts:
I would like to add radiant heat to my kitchen floor.  I will be using vinyl flooring (with a floor heat sensor to keep the temperature below 85 degrees F). One option is Schluter radiant heat.  In their instructions for installing vinyl they suggest pouring self leveling cement over the electric wire mat.  In my case there is about 5/8" dip near the doorway so self leveling cement would give me a 7/8" step at the doorway (1/4" plus the 5/8" dip) which is unacceptable.  I am wondering if I can use thinset adhesive to glue 1/4" plywood to the electric mat and put the vinyl over that.  Another option is to trowel thinset directly on the mat and than apply the vinyl to that but I do not feel confident I would get the thinset flat enough.  I have not seen anybody address the problem of not being able to use self leveling concrete.

I also considered the ZMesh low voltage floor heating system which is approved for this type of installation (vinyl over plywood over mesh) but the cost is significantly higher.

Any other suggestions?

Brian


texts: How should I approach my landlord about doing basic repairs on their house?

texts:
I have a good relationship with my landlords, and there are some small improvements that I would be willing to do to the house in exchange for, depending on the situation, either

permission
permission + materials
permission + materials + compensation (e.g. adjusted rent).

As examples (small jobs to start with)

I already do pretty heavy yardwork because I enjoy it, but I would want their permission before doing serious pruning
the driveway is cracked and I would be willing to remove the weeds and fill the cracks if they would buy the materials
They have a really nice deck that needs to be stained, and I would be willing to do this in exchange for materials and something like 1/2(?) of the going rate of a professional.

I would appreciate advice from people who have made such arrangements (as a renter or especially from the landlord's side).


texts: Is it better to replace this flange or install a “repair kit”?

texts:
I have noticed that sitting on my toilet feels a little crooked, and today we have removed the toilet to inspect the flange. It’s an older flange with a metal ring and  PVC insert which I imagine is the kind that is glued to the drain pipe inside.  The metal looks pretty warped to me (ie im pretty sure that it’s lower around two of the screws and higher near the others, kinda like a very subtle roller coaster), which I suspect is why the toilet sat a little crooked but I’m not too sure as I don’t have experience with this.
I think it would be a good idea to replace it here but I have also seen these “repair kits” that can go over the top, like this one: https://www.homedepot.com/p/NEXT-by-Danco-HydroSeat-Toilet-Flange-Repair-10672X/204403879
I’d be all in on replacing it except it’s a little scary to have to cut the PVC insert while making sure I don’t cut the drain pipe as well, especially since I’m not too sure where one ends and the other begins, so I wanted to ask if anyone had advice on what might be the best route to take. I’m comfortable with cutting the old one out if I can be confident enough that it’s not a terrible idea :-)
Thanks!


texts: Putting in a new 240v circuit for a dryer

texts: The run is around 85 feet. Would #10-3 wire be ok to use or would I need to go with #8-3?


texts: Thoughts on Home Security Camera Location

texts:
We are building a new home and now is the time to run CAT5/6 for IP cameras I have planned.  The system can support more than 4 cameras, but that's what I'm think of starting with for now.
I've marked the areas I'm thinking in red. The house has a courtyard where the pool is. I'd like a camera on the pool, the driveway, the back of the house, and the front east corner.  I know there are some blind spots, I'm not looking for 100% coverage. But this will get most of everything coming and going.


texts:
I've decided to move an old floor air return to the baseboard.  I am going to use two adjacent wall cavities and a ~30" grille.

Not sure what sort of duct I should use to run through the sill plate and mate to the grille, if any.

Is it okay to just cut holes in the sill plate and have no ducting at the grille, and then start ductwork below the subfloor?  That will be easiest based on where studs and floor joists line up for this.  A "standard" 10" wide stack header/boot won't fit without mods to go around the joists underneath.

Here's a picture of what I'm dealing with.


texts: How to install tub into non-square rough opening?

texts: I am remodeling a bathroom and I am putting in a new tub and then tile the walls of the tub. My problem (right now) is that my rough opening is 60-3/4" at the back and 60-1/2" at the front. This leaves me with a 3/4" gap at back and 1/2" at front. My backer board has to butt up to sheetrock on an exsistng wall. How do I fill in the gap, which will be almost an inch, behind my backer board after I set it inside the lip of the tub but still keep it where my backer board will butt up to the sheetrock and be on the same level.


texts: Can I use 12AWG for my grounding pigtails of 14AWG?

texts:
I can only find 12AWG grounding pigtails at my local hardware store but I wanted the pigtails for the 14AWG wire that I'm running right now.

I assume it shouldn't be an issue because I'm not carrying electricity through it.


texts:
I've been having hot water problems of late. I have replaced all shut off valves in bathroom and kitchen, have installed new faucets throughout and replaced the dip tube BUT I'm still not getting any hot water at my kitchen sink (furthest away from tank).
I do get hot water in both bathrooms near the tank.
Please help. Have had 2 plumbers in who havent been able to fix the problem. We have had no construction done that would require extra lines etc in several years.
Mary


texts: How can I mount a TV to the wall so that it folds away?

texts:
I currently have a projector that I connect to my Mac or to my XBox 360, and then project onto a screen that pulls down over a window.

I now want to get a PS4, but the PS4 only has an HDMI output and my projector has no HDMI input. From what I can gather online, while there are options for converting HDMI output to a VGA or component input (both of which my projector has; it also has S-Video), these are far from perfect solutions and often don't work at all, or work inconsistently.

So, if I want to use a PS4 it seems I have two options: buy a new projector, or buy a TV. It seems that new, HDMI-compatible projectors are expensive, although there are some cheap ones on Amazon. But -- and here's the first part of my question -- are these cheap Amazon projectors any good?

As for the option of buying a TV, this is made more complicated by the fact that I live in a small place and there's no room for a big TV. But is it possible to mount a TV on the ceiling, so that most of the time the screen is flush to the ceiling but when I want to watch TV I can pull the TV down 90 degrees so that is parallel to the walls/window? It would also probably be necessary to be able to adjust the height of the TV when it is pulled down.

It might also be possible to mount the TV on the wall next to the window, so that when the TV is not in use it is perpendicular to the walls/window, and then pulls out when someone wants to use the TV. Going down this route would probably require that it be possible to rotate the TV, to, to make it possible to completely hide the TV away behind a cabinet.

I've found a few TV mounts online that come close to doing what I want, but nothing that does precisely what I want. Are there any particular brands of mount I should be looking at? And should I be trying to mount the TV on the ceiling or on the wall?


texts: If you have a sump pump in your house/basement, does it mean you have (or potentially could have) a flooding problem?


texts:
There is a direct burial electrical cable running from my house to the shed in the back of my garden.  This had been put in years ago, was inspected by a certificate electrician and confirmed as correct/valid installation.  If I had my ways, it would have been put in a conduit, but it wasn't.
The cable is connected to a separate 30A RCD in the CU in the cupboard, from there it goes under the floor, runs for about 6 meters to the rear wall, and then about another 20 meters direct burial under ground to the shed.  It then rises straight into the shed from under the shed's floor and connects to a sub-panel in the shed. In the shed, this powers a light fixture (led flood light - 20W) and a receptacle, which in my 10 years in the house has only been used for electric lawn mower and some hand-held tools (e.g. angle grinder).
The shed has lived its useful life and I will be replacing it soon.  When I replace it, I want to put the new shed further away from the house and the existing cable is too short - by about 2 meters or so. What are my options to extend this cable to the new shed location?  Ideally, I'd like to keep all of the cable underground, but I'm not sure if a junction box can be buried.
To the best of my knowledge, it's this cable.  I am in the UK.


texts:
I started replacing a light fixture with a fan + light, and ran into a weird issue. My contactless electrical tester indicated current despite having turned off the breaker. The light was off in the room, and outlets were all disabled, but I am kind of spooked and want to get a some advice before I touch this stuff.

Any suggestions for what might be happening? I'm afraid there might be a second circuit. It's an old 1906 house, and I just don't trust it to be wired up in a sane way.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eLhqrqzK6k8KRdzZ6


texts: Exists: power to outlet1 to outlet2 to switch - can't change wiring, would like switch to control only outlet #2

texts:
Not sure how I would make the connections at outlet #2 and switch to control outlet #2??

Any help appreciated.


texts: Boiler losing pressure only when central heating is on, and only a little, leak?

texts: I have a MAIN 30 HE boiler and it loses pressure when the heating is on, seems to be fine and no loss of pressure if the heating is not on or only use hot water. Would this indicate a leak somewhere, iv'e tried to read up on it but unsure of the answer still. Anyone able to advise where to look, on the pipe outside for any drips? Iv'e checked the radiators and can see no sign or any water/leak. It will take two days of heating for it to drop 0.5 bar. Really appreciate any help on this one :)


texts: Any reason not to ground the sheathing of MX wire?

texts:
Having recently bought an older house (c1943) I am doing a little work on the place. While rewiring a light switch I noted that there is newer Romex wiring from the distribution panel to the switch, but older BX (2-conductors) wiring from the switch to the light fixture.

I now need to put in a junction box nearby to join the BX and a new length of Romex (which runs to a different appliance). This gives me a chance to connect the sheathing of the BX to the Romex ground wire (which is grounded at the distribution panel). Is there any reason not to do so?


texts: Clean or replace aerators in Kohler 1261404-VS spray head?

texts:
I have a Kohler pull-down kitchen faucet with a Kohler 1261404-VS spray head.  Recently the water stopped flowing as strongly through it.  We had a similar issue with some bathroom faucets, and replacing some clogged aerators was the solution in that case.

I've removed the spray head, and removed a piece off the top of it that exposes what looks like a recessed aerator screen.  There also appears to be another aerator (or something like it) at the bottom of the spray head.

Although I was able to remove the one piece from the top, I can't figure out how to dismantle the spray head any further to actually get to the aerators and remove them.

And, as much as I'd like to believe I have good google-fu, I haven't been able to find any maintenance / cleaning information online.

Is it possible to open one of those up and replace the aerators?  If so, how?  Or are we just going to have to replace the entire spray head?


texts: I have a GFI Outlet in my kitchen.  It trips faithfully, every morning at 6:05 AM.  I have checked every outlet on the same line and nothing attaches to anything on a timer that may trigger it.  When we set clocks back or ahead, it still trips at 6:05.   Electricians haven’t figured it out.  It is a source of amusement now.  Any ideas what would do this ?


texts:
I recently bought a shower speaker from fabfurnish.com worth Rs.3,490..Does anyone know how to install this speaker exactly??
this is how it looks:


texts:
Just finished patching two rather large but thin cracks that required taping and 8" on either side of joint compound/feathering. It looks rather smooth and would blend in nicely if it weren't for the fact that the wall has a texture to it.

I believe the name is Sand or Perlite? Although it is a very fine texture.

http://imgur.com/qFL2QqS

I know that home depot and the like have additives to paint that will help achieve the desired sand look.

However, I am wondering what has been your experience in matching sand textured wallpaper with the rest, and if using an additive such as the one provided in the link above is better than say: using a paint roller to roll on some joint compound?

Or should I even do it at all? In a small repair behind a doorway with the same texture the paint roller was able to recreate some of the 'sandy' appearance and is rather unnoticeable. I am just concerned as the area in question is highly visible.


texts: Hardwood loose, has gap over radiant floor

texts:
Just bought a new place with white oak hardwood and radiant heating.

The hardwood is 3/4" (verified). Floor has developed gaps in certain areas. One area in particular is loose when I walk on it, so the gap is more pronounced. Looks like the gap had been puttied in the past and now the putty is coming out.

You can see gaps and putty coming out in the photo below. The floor board moves up and down slightly if I step on either side of the gap.

What's the best way to fix address this?

p.s. I'm not sure what kind of radiant heating installation I have either. It was done in 2009 on a new construction in SF if at all helpful.

edit: here is one part that's exposed in the closet, wood is 3/4" thick


texts:
Does anyone have any idea what this strange noise is in the linked video?

It happens after the heater has been on for a while, and it always seems to happen twice (a few seconds apart).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtQA0HVVUM0


texts: Voltage Drop on long runs of LED Christmas Lights?

texts:
I'm looking to invest in some quality LED Christmas lights for my house and try to hang them in a way that would wrap the entire house and all the roof lines.  I think that the total length covered is just under 500' with the peaks and valleys.

I'm looking at buying a spool of Christmas Light stringers and LED bulbs similar to the products below.  Although it's not mentioned in the specification, the wire is 18awg.

Based on my rough math and Ohms law, I've calculated that this entire spool, when lit will draw less than 3 amps (I understand this to be well under the limits for 18awg wire and a single circuit), but I have concerns about the voltage drop.  Using online calculators, I've calculated the Vdrop for 18awg copper with a 3A load to be ~20V at 500', and ~10V at 250'. I'm not sure about the tolerances of LED bulbs, but I can't imagine running them at ~100V AC is healthy when they're designed for 120V.

What is the maximum length I can run without causing a fire hazard, impacting the life of the bulb, or causing any other problems?  A product rep for the store said I could run all 500' in one run with no problems.  Does that sound legit?

For reference, the products I'm considering are pasted below:

Thanks for your help.


texts: I have a light switch in my basement that controls  three lights how do I make each light come on with its own  switch so do I I go from a three way switch to a two way switch on the main switch and add to more two way switches  for the other two lights


texts: How should I go about a partial (bottom 1/5) exterior wall stud replacement?

texts:
I tried searching for this answer but only found one other question that seemed relevant, but doesn't exactly answer my question.

My water heater blew while I was on vacation. I didn't have insurance on my home at the time due to a lapse that occurred to a disruption in my employment so now it seems I'll have to clean up the mess without help.

After removing the bottom 14" Of drywall it was clear that the studs nearest to the heater have a fair about of mold damage near the floor. As these studs face the exterior foundation, I'd like to remove the moldy studs to prevent it from spreading.

After cutting out the stud and replacing the plate, how do I replace the bottom part of a stud that has mold?

Do I just cut an equivalent block of wood and place it under the hanging piece?
Do I need to brace the block? should I brace it on one or two sides?
What type of bracing should i use? Aluminium? Wood?

Thanks!


texts:
I've been unable to diagnose why a circuit in my house no longer works.  It's a 20 amp circuit that feeds 4 outlets in my kitchen area, and it has both a GFCI(link) and AFCI.  The entire house is newer construction (1yr) and this circuit has certainly worked before as it has the refrigerator on it (currently plugged into a different circuit).  So far I've tried a few things (in no particular order):

I tried to test/reset the GFCI which resulted in no change whatsoever (lights on the GFCI are out and buttons will not depress)
The circuit breaker AFCI I flipped and pressed the test button on (then flipped back to "on")
I purchased a new replacement GFCI and swapped it, with the same results as before
Ensured that nothing else is on the circuit that I can locate
Swapped line and load on the GFCI (no power at GFCI and no lights on the GFCI at all after pressing test and reset)

At this point I'm not sure what else to try.
Here is a picture of the GFCI circuit in question, flipped to off:


texts: How to convince plumber that there is a gas leak?

texts:
I had some gas lines replaced in the crawl space and the next day after the plumber left I noticed a minor gas smell.  I got into crawl space with a HomeFlex leak detector and it is clearly going off full blast around one connection. However, I couldn't see any bubbles with liquid leak detector.
I called the plumber back and he also couldn't see a leak with soapy water.
I am fairly certain that there is a leak because I smell it and repeated tests with the HomeFlex detector clearly show the area has gas present. It's a bit of a confined space but not completely blocked.
Why would soapy water not show anything?
Is there any additional way to test for leaks? Pressure test?

Resolution
I was able to get some bubbles as a proof of leak. Then plumber tightened the connection and said it's fixed. It was not and my HomeFlex meter was still going off like crazy but I couldn't get anymore bubbles. At this point plumber had more trust in the meter, took apart the joint and discovered badly cut edge on TracPipe and fixed it.
After that I demanded full pressure test at the meter which he performed to my satisfaction and there are no more leaks and my meter stays quiet on every joint!
I definitely think that this inexpensive meter does a good job.


texts: How can I prevent bluestone mortar from degrading so quickly?

texts:
We live in Milwaukee, WI.  Our front porch has a combination of bluestone pavers as well as brick on the stoops with mortar joints.  We have had repeated problems with presumably water/expansion in the mortar joints causing cracks/loosening of the joints and subsequently the pavers/stoops over years.

We have taken the whole porch down to the concrete block and rebuilt it.  We have also tried tuckpointing a few times, etc.  However, every 2-3 years the issues come back.  We have had it sealed a few times as well, though not done every year.  The porch is not covered, so it is exposed to all of the elements year round.  I am very careful to not get driveway salt on it however.

Is there any "permanent" or longer lasting solution that you think is worth trying?  I have looked into the idea of concrete stamping so as to eliminate the issues with the joints/mortar. However, in reading about this, I have also read that the stamping will also crack and can be slippery when it is sealed (not good on a front porch).

Should we just go the tuckpointing route again?  Is there a type of mortar to use that may last longer?  Should we seal the porch every year, and if so, what product works best?

I don't anticipate covering the porch, so regardless of which option we choose, it will still be exposed to our summer/winter conditions.    We are tired of spending thousands of dollars on this porch every few years and would really value your opinion. Thanks very much in advance.


texts: Is it up to code to do a parallel circut with 220V? Is there a limit to number of splices?

texts:
State is Florida.  I am wiring a continuous run non-submersible irrigation well pump.  I am using a 30A breaker with #10 THHN in Sch 40 PVC conduit buried 18".  I could have gone direct bury but I feel safer in conduit in case either me or the next homeowner dig.

I have a pump start relay that is controlled by a rain bird sprinkler controller.  The controller is all the way in the garage.  Since the sprinkler controller is far away I want to wire in a simple switch in parallel so I can flip the pump on if needed (I have a hose on it, need to test it, or something).  Since I'm going through all this trouble I might as well give myself an outlet.

My questions are:

Are parallel circuits allowed per code @ 220V?
Am I correct in bonding the neutural and ground since this is an outside panel.  I assume I still need to run a neutural for my GFCI.
Is there a better, cleaner way to do this?  Perhaps a small 24V transformer on a switch?
How many splices am I allowed?  I would assume splices have to limit something.  Can I splice 4 wires into a splice w\ wire caps?
Is it ok to use stranded THHN?  That's all home depot had.

Here is my wiring diagram.

http://i.imgur.com/p00KTlB.png


texts: Freestanding Pergola with 2x12x15ft beams need knee braces to prevent sagging?

texts:
I built a freestanding pergola on my existing pool deck. I used pressure-treated lumber, ( southern pine ) eight 6x6 posts sandwiched with 2x12 beams that span approx. 15ft, 14ft and 10ft.

All bolted with 1/2 bolts and then topped with notched 2x8 rafters that vary in length from 9ft to 12ft. I will also be adding metal roofing panels ( with non-treated 2x4 running parallel with the beams atop the rafters ).

I live in central Texas, so no concern for snow load.

My question is whether or not I need to add knee braces to keep the 15ft and 14ft spans from sagging over time ?

Thanks,
Brent


texts: How can I trim around an electrical outlet?

texts:
I had the floor in a sunroom raised up to be level with the floor in the rest of the house. The electrical was already in place, and I didn't think to check how the new floor height would affect the trim. Now I'm left with an outlet that is 1 1/2" into the baseboards:

(Please ignore the almond colored outlet, leaving those in place until everything is painted)

My first thought was to just notch the baseboard like you see in the photo, but I was wondering if there is a better way. What would you do in this situation?

EDIT:
I just cut this out of some scrap I have. Does the angle make it look better or worse?

EDIT #2:
A twitter follower suggested I carry the bevel around like this (ignored the botched bottom piece). I think this might be the winner.


texts: How do I patch this hole in my vinyl window frame?

texts:
Not sure what the previous homeowner was thinking when he drilled this hole, but what would be the best material to patch it with?

As you can see in the picture, it's a purely aesthetic fix but I'm remodeling the room and I'm obsessed with details like this.


texts: How much old material do I remove before laying new rolled vinyl?

texts: We are installing new rolled vinyl in an old home. We discovered there is an original layer of vinyl then a layer of plywood (underlayment?)and a second layer of vinyl. How much do we have to remove before putting down the new vinyl?


texts: What kind of screw is it this with two different intertwining threads?

texts:
I have a screw that is 1 1/2" long, and it has two different threads around it.  It's a button head, made for a Phillips-head screwdriver.

What do you call this kind of screw and its threading so I can search to find more of this kind of screw?


texts:
Below is a photo of my current thermostat's wiring. I have a few questions:

Why is the RC and RH are bridged with a black wire?
I have an unused blue wire. Is there a way to find its function? Could it be the "C" wire?
This is used to control Rheem force heat / AC unit.


texts: I am currently hiring for a ~550 sqft basement (semi-finished) remodeling job. We are planning on adding drywall, insulation, redoing our suspended ceiling, adding a bathroom and a designated laundry area. We are also adding windows. We are going with an Owens Corning system. Our current estimate that one of the contractors has given us is ~$55000(all materials included). Is this the going rate?


texts: How far away must a woodstove be from walls?

texts: I'm thinking of installing a woodstove in my cabin. How far away must I install it from the walls (which are surfaced with wood planks)?  Should I cover the nearby walls with bricks? Is there any other surface which would be better (I have seen sheet metal used in some places)?


texts: Convert Full Switched Receptacle to Half Switched

texts: I have a switch that controls both halves of an outlet. I want to convert it so that it only controls half the outlet, leaving the other one hot all the time I found a diagram online, does it look right?