texts: Water running in basement floor drain but no faucets or toilets are running

texts: I can see/hear water running through the pipe just under the basement floor drain in the laundry, furnace and hot water heater room. Nothing is turned on in the house. If I turn off the main water inlet to the house, the water in the above mentioned pipe stops after a minute or so. No leaks in toilets or faucets. What could be causing this?


texts: How can I soften the closing/slamming of this gate?

texts: I have this outdoor wrought iron gate that slams badly.  It has a basic spring closure.  How can I add some sort of shock absorption or piston or something to make it close more softly?


texts: What can I use to repair a crack in the plastic layer of a bathtub?

texts:
I have a bathtub with a plastic (I think) surface layer which has a small crack in it. The crack is at the bottom, on the inside. Some sort of rusty liquid has now started to ooze out from the crack, which feels less than hygienic.

Before I replace the whole bathtub, I'd like to try to repair the crack. What approach would be the best here? What sealant would be recommended? It obviously needs to be both water-resistant and non-toxic.

I'm thankful for any advice!


texts: Why I feel stuffy when my dryer is running?

texts:
In the house we rent, when the dryer is running, I feel the house is stuffy.

The Washer Dryer Combo's brand is Kenmore with model number 417.93702201. I wonder if the dryer is using gas or electricity?

Is the stuffiness I feel because the dryer produces carbon monoxide?


texts: Are 20V batteries of Parkside Performance series and Parkside X20V Team series compatible?

texts:
Parkside Performance series is a newer series with better motor and longer-lasting battery than with Parkside X20V Team series. I am trying to find out whether the older batteries of the old generation Parkside tools work with the new generation Performance series.

I could see that Parkside Performance series has 4 pins while the Parkside X20V Team series has 3 pins in the charger so they may not be compatible in the charging. The picture is from the video here but no mention about the backward compability.

Are the Parkside 20V batteries in Parside Performance series and Parkside X20V Team series compatible?


texts: How much D.E. does this Jacuzzi filter need when it says "3 scoops" on the label?

texts: This Jacuzzi filter requires "3 scoops" of diatomaceous earth. How much is that in SI units?


texts: Can the vapor barrier between a dry floating concrete slab and linoleum flooring be foregone?

texts:
I have a two year old house that sits on an 8" concrete floating slab.  The slab is insulated below and around the side.  The floors in the house are unfinished.  That is, the concrete slab is currently the floor.

To get some idea of whether there is moisture coming out of the slab, I taped a ~1'x1' sheet of plastic to a spot on the floor.  When I removed it a couple weeks later there was no evidence of moisture either on the plastic or the slab itself.

I am looking at having finish flooring put in.  I am considering linoleum (specifically, marmoleum click tiles).  On an early site visit the installer seemed confident that a vapor barrier should be installed on the slab to keep the tiles dry.

Considering the details of this particular slab, is there reason to think the vapor barrier will be completely redundant?  If the details are not sufficient, is there further information that can easily be gathered that would point to redundancy (or the opposite)?


texts: How to protect wire from excessive heat?

texts:
I'm running led strip lighting, on a hallway floor, for accent lighting. The floors are Warmboard subfloors, which house radient pex tube.

Here is the Problem:

When running the 18 awg cl2 wire, the wire comes up 1/2' away from the pex tube. The water in the pex tube can get as hot as 140 - 180 deg Fahrenheit.

Question

Is there a concern of running this 18 awg cl2 wire so close to the pex tube?
If it is a concern, is there any protective jacket, one that can be applied to the wire, to protect it from the heat?


texts: Can I shim the top of an 6x6 post that is supporting a beam?

texts: I'll admit it - I cut a 6x6 fir post 7/8" too short. I don't relish buying a new one because of cost, it being the weekend, and the attachment to the base pier is with a knife-style simpson connection which took some time to get right. The fir is not pressure treated - it's an inside application. Can I safely cut a 7/8" slice off of the left over fir post and glue it in there with PL? The beam is being attached using 5" L brackets on either side.


texts: color matching walnut, oak, pine, and antique douglas fir?

texts:
I'm renovating the living room this month, including the staircase, and I'm hoping that all different wood pieces can at least look like the same shade of brown.

I have a salvaged solid walnut newel post I'm about to install. I'm going to replace the pine stair treads with oak, and the rail will also probably be oak as well. The ballasters, riser boards, skitboards and rest of the trim will probably be painted white. The living room floor boards are antique douglas fir that we're hoping to restore completely. And I'm going to use pine boards to build box beams that will go around the perimeter of the ceiling.

Any advice on how the very different woods can at least look like they're similar in color??

The wife likes the dark walnut color and so do I, but I'm against staining the the walnut. From my experience, walnut can be "darkened" with Boiled Linseed Oil but it's not my preferred treatment - I like Tru Oil best for walnut.

Thanks!


texts:
My AC condensate pump currently pumps through a vinyl tube directly outside my house. However, I just replaced my broken home humidifier and realized that the previous one never had its drain properly installed and it just dripped into a plastic bucket or into the crawlspace (bad). I connected the drain of the new one to the condensate pump so it can pump out the excess water from the humidifier. As it often drops below freezing here and I'm worried the tube will freeze now that the humidifier drains into the pump during the winter.

Here is the tube outlet on the side of the foundation:

I was wondering if I can tie the condensate pump line into my sewer drain in the crawlspace. I've got a shower drain with the trap in the crawlspace so I could install a PVC wye above the trap and drop the vinyl tube into there.

Here are some photos of the drain.

I assume there is a vent that goes up the wall, behind the shower and out the roof.

Is this reasonable? I was worried if I added a separate trap for the condensate pump that it might dry out during shoulder seasons when the AC/humidifier are not running. I'm not sure if this is relevant but this would become my lowest open drain and I guess would be a problem if the sewer backed up, although it seems best that this happens in the crawlspace.

I'm in Franklin County, WA if that matters, I'm not sure how to look up codes for condensate draining into the sanitary sewer.

Thanks!


texts: Rafter Tail and Soffit Repair with new roof already installed

texts:
Recently purchased a house and they had a new roof put in before selling. Noticed some of the soffit and fascia were in poor shape so started pulling down soffit and find the end of the rafter tails are rotted.
The rafters are still good until past the notch at the top plate but degrade after that So I'm planning on cutting those out and installing a new section on just the overhang with joist hangers, along with some additional blocking between the rafter tails for strength prior to reinstalling the soffit.
My main question is how do I go about connecting the rafter tail to the roof sheathing? Can I just lift the roof tabs and nail/screw through? Screws may be easier to get in that space above but is there an appropriate screw for that since normally the sheathing is attached under the full shingle and felt?


texts: Is it OK to create a third prong ground from a cold water pipe, for a 2-wire circuit?

texts:
When or is it NEC code compliant to upgrade a 2-wire circuit, by adding a third prong equipment ground from a nearby cold water pipe?

A different case of borrowing a ground from a nearby circuit is covered at: Is it OK to borrow a ground wire from a different circuit? (the short answer is it's now OK in the USA).

I am aware that this method of grounding was once common.  However a water pipe ground is subject to issues in future partial re-plumbing, which may involve isolating pipe with a dielectric union:


texts: Can I recess electrical panel deeper than usual?

texts:
In California, I know that code limits how recessed behind the finished wall the electrical panel can be. I'm interested in improving the acoustic STC of the wall assembly and the easiest way is to add more layers of drywall.

This would cause the panel to be 5/8" recessed into the wall, which I believe to be a code violation. I can't easily remove and remount the panel differently.

Do I have any remedy here if I want to make the drywall thicker?
This is a square D QO panel, if that matters.
With other boxes, for example, I am familiar with things like box extenders to address this, but I don't think these are made for entire panels


texts: 3 hots, 3 neutrals, 3 grounds; so confused

texts:
We have a 78' rancher here in Texas we just moved into and just replaced all the power receptacles/ outlets. So of them were tricky some of them were straight forward, the room was split up into two circuits but got it figured out. I got to the one light switch in the room to replace it with a rocker switch and it as I disconnected it realized the ground, top, and bottom screw in terminals were all black hot wires. Upon further inspection I found three neutrals screw capped together, and three grounds all screw capped together. I plugged them in what I thought was exactly the same as they were before and it did't work. I decided to grab a pen and paper and keep trap of all the possible combinations and the results to figure out where the problem was. This switch controls the light in the room but also feeds power in to the bathroom right next to it. Here are the results.

Wire 1- Ground, Wire 2- Top, Wire 3- Bottom; Results [Light: No; Bathroom: Yes]

Wire 1- Ground, Wire 2- Bottom, Wire 3- Top; Results [Light: No; Bathroom: Yes]

Wire 2- Ground, Wire 3- Top, Wire 1- Bottom; Results [Light: Yes; Bathroom: No]

Wire 2- Ground, Wire 3- Bottom, Wire 1- Top; Results [Light: Yes; Bathroom: No]

Wire 3- Ground, Wire 1- Top, Wire 2- Bottom; Results [Light: No; Bathroom: No]

Wire 3- Ground, Wire 1- Bottom, Wire 2- Top; Results [Light: No; Bathroom: No]

So that looks like every combination and I couldn't get it to work. I am wondering if it is the switch it self... It is just a standard rocker switch, not a three way.

The next thing I tried was twisting the 3 hots together with a black piggy back to the top screw terminal and twisting the 3 neutrals together with a white piggy back and running that to the bottom screw terminal and left the grounds alone. [Result: Breaker tripped]

Finally I added a copper ground piggyback and twisted it with the 3 other grounds and ran that to the ground screw terminal. [Result: breaker tripped]

So, after all that I am still lost and can't get it to run. For some reason the AC is also on this circuit but it had been running perfectly fine, no trips with the previous switch. My best guess is it is the actual switch but I could use some help from the experts. This is the first day either my wife or I have really done any electrical work and while we figured a lot out, I am really lost here... Any help would be very appreciated, thank you!!!

*** Correction all existing wiring and new piggybacks are 12ga


texts:
As you can see, the (3/8") lag bolt broke off about 1.5cm beneath the surface.

I have a 18V cordless drill and a corded high speed dremel at my disposal.

My initial idea was to use some sort of EZ-out but I have heard that this may not be the best for my application. I'd prefer not to drill around the lag bolt if at all possible.

BTW, this is a follow-up to my previous question (Re-using lag bolt holes) from a few days ago. I realize that it may not be worth the effort and potential failure of trying to remove this lag bolt but I am just seeking ideas as to what can be done.


texts: How can I rewire a light to use three-way switches?

texts:
I have a light that is operated by two switches. One is upstairs, and the other is down stairs. How can I make the light work by either switch? Currently if I turn the light on down stairs, I cannot turn it off upstairs.

Please advise.


texts: Honeywell T6 PRO Z-Wave Thermostat (model th6320zw2003) exhibits very erratic behavior after battery replacement

texts:
Background:

My apartment complex installed Honeywell model th6320zw2003 thermostats in all units about six months or so ago, and it had been working well for all that time.  The only issue was that they'd neglected to connect it to AC power, so it was using batteries which had to be replaced several times during that period.

Problems:

The most recent time that I replaced the batteries (approx 2 weeks ago), the unit began to behave strangely.

First, it activated the A/C automatically when the target temperature was exceeded, but left it cooling continually while I was away at work for twelve. hours.  The target temperature was 68, but I came home to find the temp at 56 (and still cooling).
When this occurred, I tried to set both "Cool" and "Fan" to OFF in the menu, but the fan and A/C remained running (the thermostat display updated as if everything was working properly).  I had to unhook the unit from the wall (as when replacing batteries) to make the A/C stop.
When I put the unit back on the wall, it appeared to operate correctly, but the A/C didn't activate the next time the target temperature was exceeded.  When it got up to over 80 degrees in my apartment, I unhooked the unit from the wall again, toggled the settings off, then plugged it back in and enabled cooling again.  After that, the A/C again appeared to behave normally.
However, as soon as it hits the target temperature once, the A/C disabled and never triggers again.  The thermostat will say "Cool On", and the fans will engage, but the air won't be cold.

Issue #2 above keeps occurring, and the fix each time is a seemly random assortment of Windows-style troubleshooting: disable/enable/unplug/re-plug in seemingly random sequences (the same order of operations has not worked twice, that I can tell).

I've opened maintenance tickets with the apartment complex twice, and each time they've found issues that appeared to be relevant.  Each time, they've fixed the ostensible cause of the issue, and the A/C has worked fine afterward--until it hits the target temperature and problem #2 above repeats yet again.

Summary of the two visits, in case this is relevant:

The first visit focused on the wiring of the Thermostat; the repairman fixed it so that it now uses AC power instead of batteries.  Within a few minutes, it was blowing cold air, and appeared to be working correctly.  The problem recurred after it hit the target temp.
The second visit focused on the outdoor unit.  The repairman (different one than the first visit) noted that the "fuses" (he described them as such first, then later says "they're more like amplifiers") needed to be replaced.  He did so, and the A/C appeared to be working correctly again.  The problem recurred once it hit the target temp.

I've also accessed the "Advanced" menu on the thermostat and activated the "System Test" to turn on the cooling directly, but this also produced no cold air (the fans activated, but that's it).

What else could this be?  On one hand it seems like it might be a logic issue within the thermostat, not sending the signals it's supposed to.  On the other hand, it might be sending the signals, but the actual A/C unit is only randomly receiving them.

I don't want to keep opening maintenance tickets that appear to be resolved temporarily; how can I isolate this further, and verify that the issue is actually solved?


texts: how many outlets and fixtures can I connect to 20 amp cicuit?

texts:
can I connect one GFCI ,and one non GFCI, outlet along with 2 lights and an exhaust fan on a 20 amp circuit fed by a 12/2 wire?

I notice that some experts suggest a dedicated circuit for a GFCI outlet. Does this mean I must run a separate feed e.g. 14/2 to the lights in the bathroom?


texts: Raised plywood false floor for heavy equipment usages

texts:
I don't know if this is the correct stack, since it isn't in a home, but I think it still fits.

I have a electronics assembly company, and we run two assembly lines. They consist of several machines, with the heaviest being around 4000lbs, on 6 metal casters. We currently have the line on a concrete slab, inside a large converted warehouse.

The concrete slab is badly spalled, and apparently didn't have a vapor barrier when originally poured. If we leave anything heavy on the floor (cardboard box), it will be dripping with water the next day. We maintain a humidity level of 45%, which probably brings more water up also. We are located in Florida, so have a high water table.

The landlord is willing to work with us to fix this issue, and a contractor recommended we do a vapor barrier on the slab, then a grid of 2x4's, then tongue and groove plywood. On the plywood we would install ESD safe vinyl tiles. They said this is common in gyms and dance studio's. They use rubber strips under the 2x4's to help dampen noise and vibration.

It's hard to find information on this method, is this suitable for this amount of weight, in an industrial environment? I really don't see of many other options if this isn't acceptable to do. I would assume we would do the 2x4's either 6" or 12" on center.


texts: "power buffer" in front of generator for peak power shaving?

texts:
I need to do some work off-grid, and I only have a 1000W generator to drive my power tools, which easily draws twice that (and probably more when starting up) when cutting steel.

Instead of getting a new Honda generator that's powerful enough (minimum 1500$ for 2kW where I live) I was thinking of getting some kind of device that would even out the power draw. The tools usually only draw high currents for half a minute, tops, which would mean a energy usage of about 30s*100A=3000As=0.9Ah, each time. Typically, I would just have less than ten of those peaks, meaning I would require something that could deliver peaks of 100+A (1200VA) and be charged for about 10Ah. It needs to provide 220V AC, not DC.

I was browsing around for "super capacitor" and such, but I only found electronics bits. Then I remembered that a UPS serves a similar purpose, but they don't seem to be able to provide the short bursts of current I require (without costing many thousands of dollars).

I also thought about getting a cheap inverter hooked up to a spare 150Ah battery, but "cheap" and 2000W doesn't seem to appear in the same listings ;-) Found some generic cheap Chinese ones, but the reviews all claimed it would only really supply 500 Watts, so I guess there's a reason they're cheap ...

So do people have a tip on how I can achieve not killing my generator without it costing an arm and a leg?


texts:
I'm looking to build a 36" wide outdoor bench for an outdoor changing room. My thought is to use PT pine for the slats.
The span is 36" and would be supported at both ends (by the 2x4 studs in the the wall).
My thought was to 2x2 PT balusters with one 2x4 at the front at a 1/2" spacing.
Given that spacing, Will this be strong enough?
I am considering something like this.


texts: Does this wire covering contain asbestos?

texts:
I am wondering if anyone (who actually knows) can say whether this wire is likely to contain asbestos.

Thank you in advance!

Jack


texts: Can I use auto primary wire to add a new receptacle in my garage?

texts:
I need to add one more power outlet to my garage. The wiring for the existing ones uses 14-2 gauge solid wire. I have an entire role of this, worth of $60 which I don't entirely need but I bought it this way because I thought I would, and it was cheaper by meter/feet than buying exactly what I needed. Later on I discovered that I could buy "primary wire" (auto cable, seems to be stranded) for a much lower price.

What I need to know is what would be wrong if:

I use auto primary cable instead of 14-2 gauge
I mix the two (connect the stranded to non stranded)

In terms of intended purpose, the power outlet would be used to connect power tools if I need to work around my garage or if I need to work on my car.


texts:
I want to disassemble a broken hair dryer (just to see what's inside), but I just found out it uses a weird tamper-proof screw I had never seen in my life. Trying to google for it doesn't help much; I still could not find its official name.

It's like a standard flat screw, where the central part has not been cut, and looks like this from above:

It looks a bit like an "H", so I tried looking for "H screw" and got a few Google hits, but I find very few of them, and they look mostly related to watches.

I find it appalling that Philips (the hair dryer manufacturer) needs to put such tamper-proof protection on such a common household appliance, but I suppose they have their legal reasons to do so. However, without knowing the name of the screw, I can hardly find where to buy a screwdriver for it!

If there is an official name for this screw, please enlighten me. I found a screwdriver photo on the Internet, but it seems to be small and related to watches. My screw is a "standard small appliance size".


texts: Do fire-taped drywall seams need to be painted?

texts: I just added fire tape to the drywall seams in my 1950s garage using two layers of this compound from USG.  I couldn't find any reference to this question in their docs:  Do I need to paint over the mudded seams after they dry, or can I leave them exposed?  I live in the upper Midwest of the U.S., which sees pretty gnarly temperature swings and humidity levels throughout the year.


texts: Can I use existing horizontal tub drain pipe as vent and add new vertical pipe to drain?

texts:
I have a bathtub that has horrible drainage and its because of an old galvanized horizontal pipe that connects to the stack.

I cannot replace this pipe with PVC with a better slope without compromising the floor joist structure in the ceiling. Home is from early 1900s.

However, I do have the ability to run a new drain all the way down to the basement and add a y connector that would keep the old galvanized pipe as mostly a vent.

I am a little concerned with the space I have in the ceiling to pull this off but I think I can do it. I am more concerned about the small 2 in drop where the pipe exits to the stack if I use it as a vent. (Please see images below)

Can someone give me an opinion of what I have proposed? Would the existing horizontal pipe work as a vent in this situation or would I be making any regressions here?

Today:

Proposed:

Photo:


texts: What dangers are there with disturbed asbestos drywall?

texts:
We had a repipe job done on our home 5 years ago.  I was stupid and did not research the company before they destroyed drywall throughout the house.  After the pipes were replaced they informed me that they do not repair the drywall and it is my job to do so.

It has been 5 years since this has happened and the drywall is cut out all over the home. Since it contains asbestos, is there a danger to those living in the household?


texts:
I'm using a custom Wiremold ceiling fan box to surface mount a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan onto a wooden beam.  Problem is -- the Harbor Breeze mounting bracket does not have compatible screw pattern holes that allow the bracket to attach over the Wiremold screws extending from the mounting plate and the fan box cover.

The customer wants to continue with the same fan (instead of changing to a fan with compatible mounting bracket), so after brainstorming, I figure I could simply make my own mounting holes in the Wiremold cover and mounting plate.  I would the run screws through the mounting bracket, the Wiremold cover, and the metal mounting plate -- and ultimately secure everything directly into the wooden beam.

I believe the machine screw size that typically is used is #10-32.  Since my custom holes will need to secure into wood -- I'm assuming I go with a more aggressive (coarse?) screw type.

Question is:  What is the ideal screw I should use in this scenario?  Also, should I pre-drill the holes or will a self-piercing screw work?  Also -- any advice on screw length , or brand, or any other solution to solidly secure everything are welcome.


texts:
I would like to thank community for helping me with my initial questions regarding this project part I and part II.
Finally, I put all the parts together and would like you to review it before I plug it in.
Here are the component parts:

Bergen Industries Inc PS915143 3-Wire Appliance and Power Tool Cord
Fulham WH43-UNV-L
TUV 55W PLL
Shunted socket

Here is the schema I wanted to use between ballast and socket:

And here are the photos of all other parts:

In future I would cover the ballast and wires by some plastic box just for safety reasons.
Few questions below:
Common:
I have a Philips 55W twin tube lamp (Philips recommends ballast with programmed start type).
My current ballast WH-43 has instant start type.
From fulham’s documentation it is OK to use this type of ballast with Philips 55W lamp.
I read that using instant start type only affects lamp's lifetime.

But the question is: does it have any other side effects? (safety or any other)

Working mode:

How dangerous it might be to touch the ballast while it is plugged in?
(I am not going to touch it anyway, under no circumstances. Just out of curiosity)

Is that safe to plug it in without lamp in the socket?

Connection & wires:

Is ground wire connected properly?

Safety concerns:

How safe would be wood base in normal mode?

How safe would be wood base during short circuit? (Is that possible that the base would catch a fire)?

What is the proper material for base in such a project?

Any other advice?
Thank you.
UPD:
Thank you all for your help!
Final result, click to enlarge.


texts: GFCI in garage keeps tripping when I turn on kitchen lights

texts: The GFCI outlet in my garage keeps tripping whenever we turn on the kitchen lights.  When it trips, two cable TV boxes in the living room and one bedroom also lose signal.  I press the button (sometimes I have to press it 2-3 times to make it stay in) and the cable TV boxes re-acquire the cable signal.  I have not been able to identify any other impact by the tripping.  Does anyone have any idea what I can do to troubleshoot or fix this issue?


texts: What type of clothing is required when working around asbestos?

texts:
I find myself exploring environments rich in Asbestos, the specific type of asbestos appears to be both pipes and potentially the cladding around them (steam pipes etc), occasionally broken sheets as well. From time to time I'm required to crawl through these types of environments and there is a large amount of dust kicked up in the process. I'm not sure exactly what type of dust this is but since there are numerous warning signs about asbestos in the area I'm fairly certain at least a portion of it is hazardous.

I'm familiar with using respirators with P2/P2N filters however I'm unsure about clothing requirements.

1) If I were to do the above in general-day-to-day clothing and get dust/fibers in my clothing, will thoroughly washing remove the fibers? Do any potential remaining fibers pose a health risk? How can I tell if there are any fibers in my clothes?

2) How do you know when to replace respirator filters (I'm thinking of the face masks with dual cartridges)?


texts:
Hope you can help maybe.   Our Septic ( built 2009 ) is a mound system, but installed in a depressed area of the property so it doesn't really look like one.  After the recent torrent of rain we've had in New Jersey I noticed one of the inspection ports is crooked and there's a hole next to the pvc pipe.  Looking down with a flashlight I notice that it has a vertical crack.   ( see Pic ) .

Thinking of digging it out and patching or replacing the broken section.   Any wisdom for this project?  Why do we think that it made itself crooked?  Only theory I have heard is the ground shifted a little.   Could this theory hold water?

What would you do?   Thanks in advance.


texts:
I removed a spout handle that kept falling apart to repair it with teflon tape. I am now trying to put the handle back but the hex bolt is half recessed and badly stripped. How would I remove it?

I there is too little of the nut extended out for me to grab it with pliers or a wrench.


texts: How do I know what size grounding conductor is required?

texts:
Is there an international standard that specifies the size of the grounding conductor to bond a metallic part of the installation to a grounding bar?.

And to connect the grounding bar to the grounding rod?.

By "installation" I mean any metallic stuff such as the steel structure of the building, the case of an electrical panel, and so on.


texts: What to use to seal an exterior cable penetration in brick?

texts:
A Comcast tech came to our 3-unit building, ran a new cable into the utility room, and pulled out the seal that was there before, leaving it open as we're getting cold and wet for fall.
What should I fill this gap with? Is what was there before just some generic exterior silicone caulk? I'm wary to use polyurethane foam I don't want to "glue" everything shut, and caulk can kinda be removed without much destruction. I have some window/door/siding/trim caulk, but I don't know if there's something better to fill the giant gap (or just glob it in there...)


texts: can I connect 120/240 split phase washer If I just have 3 phase 220v?

texts: I want to install washer the washer connection box has 4 wires L1,L2,N,and GND (split phase) but unfortunately I do not have split phase power source I have 3 phase 220v instead, the question is can I use 2 phases to connect L1 and L2 ?  is this solution applicable and will not cause any damage to the machine?


texts: Why Would Hot Water Arrive at Faucet Faster Than Before?

texts:
I live in a 26-year-old second-floor condo with a 13-year-old hot water heater.

Historically, it would take several seconds from the time that I opened the faucet for hot water that I would actually get hot water.

For the past few days, though, hot water has arrived much faster. While most people would be pleased by this, I am worried about why hot water is arriving in just a second or two.

It is the sort of behavior that I normally associate with having used hot water recently, which has not always been the case during this period of faster-than-usual hot water. Since this is a second-floor condo, I do not have direct access to most of my pipework, which is mostly copper. And I once did have a pinhole leak in the pipes, though fortunately that was just under the sink and so I found out about it quickly.

So, I'm worried that I might have a hot-water leak somewhere that I can't see.

Is there another explanation for why I might be getting hot water at the faucet faster than before?

And, any suggestions for how I might determine whether or not I do have a hot-water leak?


texts: Why does flushing a downstairs toilet cause an upstairs toilet to also flush?

texts:
When we flush the bathroom downstairs, we can hear the toilet upstairs also flush.
When the upstairs toilet is flushed, the shower drain gurgles (in the second floor bathroom).
I know that something is wrong, just don't know what.


texts:
So after an overload from a power tool, I completely lost all my outlets but the breaker didn't trip.

I pulled that outlet and even removed the box to inspect as much wire as I could but there was no damage to the receptacle or wires.

I tested the breaker and it was 120. The neutral at the panel is also tight and undamaged. There is also a ground wire in the bus bar from that circuit but the outlets themselves have no ground (house was built in 50's)

The outlet I was using was the 3rd of 5 in the circuit. I pulled them all out and inspected but I can't see or smell any issues with the receptacles or wiring.

I figured out the rest of the circuits, so I know the outlets don't have any lights connected to them (although one in the living room is controlled by a switch on the wall)

Is it normal for the 3rd outlet to take out the 1st and 2nd like that?.. And also without tripping the breaker (I also replaced the cb just to eliminate that as a possibility)

*Not sure if I'm supposed to leave a comment or edit my answer to respond.. but it's a Square D panel and I can't trace from the first good or bad receptacle since they're all dead. As in, the very first receptacle after the panel, and then each one after that until the last.

Going in the other direction from the panel are the kitchen receptacles but they're on a separate circuit and working fine.


texts: Samsung Refrigerator not cooling (both freezer and fridge sides)

texts:
We have a Samsung RSG257 refrigerator.  Over the weekend we noticed that food in the freezer was melting and the fridge side didn't feel cold.  We ran all the self diagnostic options and it didn't report any issues.  We did verify that it was not in demo mode.

After taking things apart, this is what I have found:

The condenser fan is running
The compressor seems to be running.  It is vibrating and heats up.
The evaporator coils are not cold at all.
The evaporator fans don't seem to be running.

Any suggestions on troubleshooting the issue from here?  From what I have read it seems a lack of refrigerant could be the issue, is there any way to verify that?  Or ensure it is not an issue with defrost mode?


texts: Hot water flow is slow from 3 L/3KW instant geyser (hot water heater)

texts: Yesterday we installed a 3 liter instant water heater which uses 3 KW. After the install, hot water is coming through the tap, albeit very slowly. The cold water is coming fast. Our geyser was installed by an electrician who told us that instant geysers do not require pressure. How can I get the hot water to flow quickly?


texts: Is there a way to improve the appearance of a covered front porch roof that uses corrugated plastic roof panels?

texts: We are planning to retrofit a 5'x7' corner porch cover to fit under the eaves/gutter. We will be using corrugated plastic roof panels because they are light weight and we can made a 1/4"/12" pitch.  We need ideas on how to make this look architecturally attractive so the plastic panels don't show, making it look like a cheap mobile home.  What is a facade concept we could use to make it look like it 'ties' into the house a little better?


texts: We live in a 37 yr. old house that is total electric. When I try using a electric grill and a 1000 watt microwave at the same time it blows the breaker. How can we fix this problem?We live in Missouri if it matters


texts: How can I get all the water to go down the drain in this sink?

texts:
I have this sink, which is sort of inclined to the back, causing water to build up on the back part. Here's a picture

The sink can't be replaced easily as it is cast along with the kitchen counter. Is there any way I can get all the water to go into the drain?


texts: Room lights flickering when I connect my desktop computer when running on Inverter

texts:
I have all LED lights (tubelights and bulbs) in my house and has been backed up by an inverter (Luminous Eco Volt +1550 with Inverlast 150Ah Tall Tubular Battery).

The issue is when I connect my desktop computer (LG Thinkcenter, Intel Core i5-7400 CPU @3.00GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD, no CD/DVD drive) and if that is running on Inverter then my room lights starts flickering. Notice, if I am not running my desktop computer, the room lights does not flicker.

Now the inverter handles all the load I try to throw at it otherwise. Having every light and fan on in the house doesn't challenge the inverter. So it's not an issue of the inverter's power capacity.

Initially I thought the issue is because of inverter. On request to Luminous customer care, they have check by changing motherboard of my Inverter, but the issue still remains same. This says issue is not with inverter.

Then I thought it could be an issue with the electrical socket where I am connecting my desktop computer. So I connected to a different electrical socket, the issue still remains same.

Then to further analyze the issue, I thought their could be some issue with wiring in my house. So I connected my desktop computer at my friend's house who also has Luminous Inverter installed. Surprisingly at his house also the lights started flickering as soon as I connected my desktop computer (just a CPU) and running on inverter.

So now I am thinking there could something wrong to my desktop CPU? I am not sure what to test further or isolate the issue.

Any suggestion?


texts: What should I do with this broken toilet flange? Is it glued in?

texts:
I bought a house (foreclosed one) - and found a basement toilet was completely disconnected from the ground. So I picked it up and moved it away - and I'm gonna get a replacement toilet. But should I replace this toilet flange as well? Is it glued in you think?

More Pictures


texts: How can I install the electrical and plumbing for an aquarium filtration system through an exterior wall?

texts:
I have a large fish tank in my house, and would like to run a 1\4" reverse osmosis/deionization (RO/DI) top off water tube through an exterior wall into my house so that I can have the top off tank outside.

Can I drill a hole through the wall, caulk in a 3\4" PVC pipe, run my tube and then fill the gap left in the PVC with fireproof putty? I'm in Los Angeles where the weather is niceish, and the tube will be from a covered patio where it would be protected from elements.

Is there a better way to get an electrical cable out (for the pump) and 1\4" tubing back in (for the water) through my exterior wall?


texts: One of my glass shower doors shattered! How can I get it replaced?

texts:
We purchased a small house that was built in the 80's, and the master bathroom has a shower equipped with sliding glass doors. All of the hardware seemed to be in fair condition at time of purchase, though I'll admit I didn't thoroughly inspect it.

A couple of weeks ago, while showering, one of the doors exploded. When I inspected the damage, it appeared one of the aluminum pins holding the track in the door had failed. I believe that this might have caused the tempered glass door to fall an inch or so onto the track, shattering it. Research into this problem seems to lend credibility to this being a rather common occurrence.

The other door, and the framing is still in great condition. Therefore, I'd like to not have to purchase a complete assembly. Unfortunately, I cannot find any markings on the door or framing that indicate who manufactured the door or any model numbers.

I took the dimensions for the door down to Home Depot, hoping to find if they sold just a single replacement door, but the department specialist said they did not. His advice was to buy a complete new assembly with framing, as he believed it would be near impossible to match the door.

I was wondering if anyone else who has gone through this issue, or something similar, has any advice on how I might be able to just get a single door replaced, rather than buying an entire shower door assembly kit. I still have the hardware from the door that broke, and have the measurements from the remaining glass door.

Are there shops that do this kind of custom work? If so, what am I looking for? Would the cost be less than buying an entire new assembly (roughly $300).


texts: I'm installing a instant on demand water heater that requires a 220v - 40 amp circuit and would like to know what size wire is required for a 50 foot run. ??????


texts:
Can I set up the pressure tank set up in an unheated cabin ? I'm ok draining it when not in use for a month or two, but I don't have an air compressor - the drain would be whats on the tank tee and that's it.

Referencing:

Can I operate a well pump with no pressure tank by using the breaker as a switch?

Thanks.


texts: How to level a tilted free-standing closet

texts:
I have a very tall free-standing wooden closet, similar to the one depicted here, but with glass doors. The floor it sits on slopes down to the right so I laid a long piece of wood down under that side before setting it up. After several months it somehow shifted itself off the wood and is now sitting entirely on the sloped floor, causing some undesirable twisting and throwing the doors out of whack. The problem is that the closet is very heavy (even empty) and that the lower side is right up against a wall.

What is the best way to

tilt it back up so I can slide a new piece of wood under there to level it out?
Ensure that the closet will not settle itself off of the wood again?

I'm picturing somehow anchoring a cord on the top right side (closest to the wall) and pulling out and down using the lower left edge as a fulcrum, but somehow it seems like that might not be advisable.


texts: Retrofit motion sensor to multiple switch, multiple fixture floodlights

texts:
I want to retrofit motion sensing onto my floodlights.

I want to be able to easily override the motion sensing lights-on function to turn on the lights whenever I want.

I have three double-bulb floodlight fixtures on the house. Controlling those floodlights are three separate wall switches (presumably a couple of 3-ways and a 4-way).

Is there an easy way to retrofit one or more motion sensors to control all the lights in unison? I willingly would give up two of the three wall switches to accomplish my goal (leaving just one wall switch to control the manual lights-on function).

If there is an easy way, can you sketch a diagram and suggest the parts list? Many thanks.


texts: How can I repair the foundation and plaster coating in my old home's foundation?

texts:
I have a house which was built in 1890 in western michigan. The house is a fieldstone foundation. It appears at some point it was plastered or covered.

On the west side of my basement there also seems to be a bump out that appears to reinforce the interior of the foundation. This bump out seems to be full of sand and then plastered over the sand. Some of the plaster is cracking and falling off and I would like to repair/replace the damaged sections. I cannot find any information on what it might actually be or even if it is plaster. Does anyone have any insight on this?


texts: Does laying vinyl click flooring under appliances void the warranty?

texts:
I have just had  a new kitchen installed and after all I decided to put a new floor which happens to be vinyl click panels. I was told that to make the floor to  look professional the installer would have to remove all appliances and re-installed them after laying the floor. I am wondering if  anyone has tried or knows if it possible to install vinyl panels around appliances similarly to laminate? I am just suspecting that re-installing the kitchen appliances would breach the terms of guarantee (five years from Wren).

Thank you


texts: How to know that new appliance won't trip the circuit?

texts:
I'm buying new appliances and want to make sure I won't trip the circuit.

MW/convection is 950 W, 1750 W and 900W for three different functions.  There is 20 Amp circuit for that.

the new stove would have total BTU at 57,000 but the circuit is 20 amp.

We have a toaster on a different circuit that is 1800 W.

Refrigerator is on separate 20 A circuit but I can't find info on Watts of potential new ref rig.

Is this okay?


texts:
I would like to use the TP-link HS110 to control my plant grow lights and monitor the energy usage. I have chosen this model specifically as it has many raspberry pi compatible hacks to avoid using their stupid app.

The problem: my local variation of this product has only 2 pins:

whereas the UK variant has 3 pins:

Are those 2 metal pieces acting as the grounding connection? is this safe to use with 1x 500W (LED) and 3x 600W HPS lights at the same time? (it is rated for 3.8kW).

I don't know much about electrical which is why I opted for a commercial product, I just dont want to accidentally kill myself and/or burn down my house :)


texts:
I'm a DIYer swapping out existing switches/receptacles for a different color. I ran across a light switch that had ground wired to neutral instead of the ground connection on the switch. This doesn't make any sense to me but I'm not a pro so maybe I'm missing something?
In Ohio, maybe something in the code here that allows it under certain circumstances?  Internet Search  is failing me so thought I'd ask.
PS: Duplex receptacle a few feet away has the neutrals cut with tips electrical taped, and ground connected to the neutral terminal. (ಠ_ಠ Confidence in the correctness of the wiring in this area is not very high)


texts:
I have a small issue. Few months ago my apartment got renovated, and I listed all holes in walls i want to keep for future use. The rest was, depending on depth, filled with concrete or plastered. And it was done really good, I can't see these spots with my bare eyes.

Now, I forgot to list one hole, so it was plastered clean. But I need to have a hook there, and I'm reluctant to create brand new holes. I would really prefer to use existing one - I need bigger diameter now, so I can afford to be a tiny bit off, but boring new hole would needlessly affect concrete, and if it happened to be just next to original one, it would also be weak. So one way or another, I need to find old one, be it to reuse it or avoid it. But how?


texts: How can I replace a halogen light bulb inside this glass enclosure?

texts: I have to replace this fused lightbulb but it is being caged by the glass as seen in the photo. How do I remove the glass?


texts: I am repairing my bathroom subfloor which had a leak from the shower step that caused the floor to rot. So far I have demoed the shower floor and will demo the remaining bathroom floor and install completely new 5/8" plywood. It appears that not too much of the floor joist have any damage other than a single one which has visible water stains but no rotting. I want to sister another joist to this one just in case, I will do one as long as possible, end to end. My problem is as you can see from the image, the joist hanger  of the original joist will hinder the new joist from having a firm connection with the beam. What is the recommended solution to this?


texts:
I'm trying to mount a tv into my chimney walls. My TV is 65" and weighs in about 65"lbs or so. I drilled in 6 holes. 3 at the top 3 at the bottom with about 12" apart. I was going to use the strap toggle anchors since. I used a .5" drill bit thinking I wouldnt hit a stud. As I was drilling, I realized that I actually did hit a stud and probably drilled half an inch into the stud.

Now I have 1/2 inch hole which i would like to repair so I can screw directly into the stud. Do you think I can just take 1/2 inch dowel, sand it down a bit, dip it in wood glue, insert it in the hole, and patch the hole with spackle and then reuse the hole with maybe a 4" screw that way it ill pass the dowel and into some of the stud?


texts: Why won't hot water come out after turning the water main back on?

texts:
If someone turns their water main off to work on a plumbing and toilet problem, why would the cold water come on but no hot water. It doesn't come out at all or it will drip.

Why would this be, and how can I fix it?


texts:
How much material would it take to cement a 1 mile driveway

I would like to know, in pounds, how much material it would take to cement a driveway, exactly 1 mile in length, how many pounds of sand, cement mixture and finally gravel//brick

I think it is 2 parts sand, to 1 part cement mix to 4 parts gravel, so 2 pounds of sand 1 pound of cement and four pounds of gravel, but I also do not know how much area that would cover, the road I'm also unsure how thick it should be, some people do 2 inches the real roads I think are poured 8-12 inches

Its about 10-12 foot in width, not many sharp turns, 2 which is the same turn actually.
Two steep hills, one hill about a fifth of a mile couldn't tell on the angle.

An answer below has given me pretty much what I needed. The other thing, was that I read concrete mix could be halfed out for half its part in volcanic ash to make a mix that would last two to three times as long. I'm sorry it has taken me all day to come back and update this comment.


texts: What is the proper replacement igniter for my York furnace?

texts:
I replaced one of these before on another unit but the part number was printed on the igniter.

This one is not so, being ignorant to HVAC I just want to make sure I get the appropriate part.

York Stellar Model: M3UF044SA

I pulled the igniter and it looks just like this one but there is no model number on it so I just want to be sure.

Are most of these universal?


texts:
A heatpump thermostat is to be upgraded.   I am unsure of:

Which color wire is the Common (thought to be BLUE)
Where should the brown wire be connected?  (B node?)
Is the 'B' node in the photo associated with a color (BLUE?  BROWN?)

I would like to be certain that I have connected the BLUE and BROWN wires correctly


texts: Gable venting a bathroom fan and kitchen range hood

texts:
I am planning on venting my bathroom fan and the range hood in my kitchen out the gable end of my house in separate runs.  The gable end is above a gable roof, so I am hoping for some recommendations on how far above the roof I need to install the vents.  The gable roof has two roof vents on them, but I'm not sure whether that matters.

Thanks in advance!


texts: How to deal with seasonal expansion and contraction of wood indoors?

texts:
Some doors in my apartment are subject to seasonal changes, similar to what is described here. I made adjustments: shimmed some hinges, shaved off some material here and there with a planer, and the doors now close reasonably well. But the door moldings have quite a bit of seasonal play. There are gaps in the miter joints  that show up in  the winter and almost disappear in the summer.

I also installed two interior doors last summer. The way the doors open and close do not exhibit any seasonal variation, probably because I used screws to install door casings. I also filled the gaps behind the jambs with foam. The whole assembly is therefore very rigid. But the molding is again problematic. In a couple of places there are now gaps, very distracting because they appear as a black tear in the white paint.

What should I do to mitigate this? I am tempted to caulk the gaps and repaint, but I am not sure if this is a good idea: come summer time, the planks will expand and might pop out, or bend, or push other parts out of place. I also considered filling gaps with wood glue mixed with saw dust.

Is there a general recipe to avoid these type of problems in the first place?


texts: Two GFCI's on the same circuit in my RV. One works. One doesn't

texts:
My RV is running 120v off an inverter, if that matters.

One circuit is for everything in the rear of the RV and goes from the breaker panel to a GFCI in the bedroom and then branches out to all 4 receptacles in the bedroom - it also feeds the receptacle in the bathroom too.

Replaced the old GFCI in the bedroom and made sure to get the live wires from the panel into the LINE side and the other two sets of wires on the LOAD side. It lights up green. So far so good.

Then tried replacing the GFCI in the bathroom. It will not reset. Pressing the RESET button just gets me a red LED on the receptacle.

Took that same GFCI into my house and tried it on a regular circuit and it does reset properly and gives a green LED, so it is not defective.

So why doesn't it work in the bathroom in the RV?

A) There could be a short between the first GFCI and the bathroom box, but then wouldn't the first GFCI trip?

B) Do I actually need a GFCI in the bathroom if its already protected by one in the circuit? I'm guessing it's code because every bathroom seems to have one.

C) How do I find out what's making it fail to reset?


texts: Is it ok to run 14 gauge wire for lighting off of a chain of 12 gauge outlets on a 20 amp breaker?

texts: So, I had a friend wire my basement for me because even though I had a basic understanding of it, I wasn't 100% comfortable with doing it alone (he's been working construction for several years now). I noticed he wired a string of 8 outlets and then two can lights in the bar. He used 12 gauge wire for all the outlets but 14 gauge for the lights. All this is running on a 20 amp breaker. From what I've read, this is technically not code, but I'm not too concerned with that. I just want to know if it's safe. I also wanted to add an outlet to the circuit for under the bar for a mini fridge, so I'm thinking I need the 20 amp breaker for that reason, otherwise I'd just switch it to a 15 amp breaker. Any thoughts?


texts: Two water tanks at different levels to same output

texts:
The requirement here is something related with harvested rain water which is stored in one tank and fresh water stored at a higher level.

The building in consideration would have 2 levels and upper level has a small utility area for washing / terrace gardening etc. Roof of upper level catches the rain water and its first flush water is collected in a small tank installed in upper level. Excess rain water flows to a ground water recharge system.

This water so collected has to be flown to a pipe line connecting to outdoor hose / toilet flush which is primarily connected to fresh water tank, ensuring that a non returning valve safeguards the fresh water source from being mixed with first flush of rain water.

Now there are a few questions:

As the intention is to consume the rain water first, would this setup work if same thickness pipes are used or would it require bigger pipe for rain water tank as the pressures would differ due to tanks being in different levels, of different sizes (RW tank is smaller) and quantity of water varies(RW level reduces with consumption and not refilled unless there is a rain).
Considering RW tank is covered from direct sunlight(might still receive heat), would it develop germs / water creatures with time?
Is there a possibility that germs so developed in RW can flow back to fresh water tank through a non-returning value or a manual closing valve is really needed?


texts: Ceiling fan with light, 3 way wall switch and remote

texts:
I am installing a new fan in my bedroom.  I would like to control the light on the fan with a wall switch.  I would also like to control the fan by using the included remote.  My fan comes with just a remote.

I was following this thread: How do I wire a hard-wired wall switch and a remote for my ceiling fan/light?

And I was reading the response from ThreePhasEel.  His option three is exactly what I am trying to accomplish.  The only difference is my power is coming from the swich.

I have Black, White, Ground coming into the box.  I then plan on running 12/4 romex up to the fan box.  This is where I am hoping to hook up the fan and the relay mentioned in the above referenced post.

I was hoping someone could help tell me how to wire it properly with the power being in the wall switch versus the fan itself.

I am pasting from the other thread here for reference.

  Blockquote


texts: How can I stop a water leak in my basement?

texts: I have an unfinished basement in 40 year old home.  Block walls are extremely clean and show no signs of water having come down or through them from ground outside but when it rains for a couple of days, I have a small puddle, and by small, not even a half inch deep or a foot wide, on floor by wall.  Since I have ruled out surface water, where is it coming from?  Could it be coming in where the flor meets the wall from some underground source and if so, why only when it rains?  Is there something I can use to seal the joining of wall and concrete floor or seal block? I would like to finish basement but don't dare put in insulation and drywall with this unresolved.


texts:
I was lightly dusting my boiler yesterday and it was quite warm to the touch.

The boiler is around ten years old and is tank fed.

Is it normal to feel warm?


texts: What type of foundation is best in an area with silt loam soil, cold climate, and high water table?

texts:
I'm in the initial stages of planing a structure build, I say structure because what I'm really looking to build is an off grid ( no running water or sewer for staters ) vacation cabin on apiece of property I have. It's in farm country and I want it to bland in with the surroundings so I'm thinking of going barn style. I'm also interested in a post an beam type construction, or perhaps some post and beam hybrid.

The property is slightly sloped, and in the spring is quite wet, as the water table is not far below the surface. In addition it's in zone 6 so it gets quite cold in the winter. According the soil survey, the soil is "ontiora silt loam" but it seems to me that the soil probably has a bit higher clay content then that soil survey would lead one to believe.

Some of the neighbors build on peer foundations, but had some issues because of heaving ( perhaps they did not go deep enough ). I'm looking for some recommendations on what type of foundation to build on, I'm contemplating some type of radiant heat floor that is driven by passive solar ( just to keep the space above freezing ) and then supplemented by a wood or pellet stove. I've read about slab foundations, but I've also read about Raft foundations, although the material cost seems significantly more.

Cost is a factor, but I'm going to try and do as much of the prep work my self as possible, so if it comes down to material costs of a few 1000 here or there, I would rather go with the better option.


texts: I drilled holes in my brick too big for my anchors. How can I fix this?

texts:
I am mounting some bike racks to a brick wall (basically, a special hook that you hang your bike on).  The holes in the metal bike racks are big enough for #8 screws.  I purchased some lead plugs which were supposed to accommodate #8 screws, drilled holes for the anchors in the brick and installed the bike racks.  It turns out that the anchors were actually mis-labeled at the store, and are for screw sizes #10 - #14, so the anchors don't expand enough in the brick, and the bike racks don't stay on the wall.

My problem is how I can use the existing holes to re-mount the bike racks.

If I take out the existing anchors and buy smaller ones to fit the #8 screws, is there some way I can fill the hole so the anchor holds?
Is there another kind of anchor that will expand to fill the oversize hole?
Is it just easier to buy larger screws and drill a larger hole in the bike racks?
Other options?

Thanks.


texts: Can a 110v 3-wire thermostat be hooked up to a 110v 2-wire condo setup?

texts: My condo that was built in 1968 has an old thermostat(rheostat type) which supplies 2 thick gauge black wires of which one is live and the other isn't. This regulator is hooked up to a blower unit(fan) which is connected to a central ventilation system that brings hot or cold air to it. In attempting to upgrade to a programmable thermostat type, how would a single pole King Model ESP120-R that runs on 110v which has a set of red, black and white wires be connected to my unit's 2-wire setup?


texts:
Hi I have a zanussi zrb23200xa frost free fridge freezer. The fridge is room temperature warm but the freezer is ice cold. Did a bit of reading and have tested the following which are all working fine

The defrost timer is working it sends signal to heating element which warms up and melts ice build u

The fan spins so it's working

The fridge thermostat is working tested it with multi Meter

I have defrosted the fridge for 48 hours and still warm anyone any ideas?

Thanks
Phelim


texts: Can an improperly attached ledger board be flashed correctly without removing the existing ledger?

texts: I have a existing improperly installed deck attached to the house which I am retrofitting. I already have a permit approved but not sure how to flash the existing ledger board without removing the entire structure. Is there a way to flash this to keep out moisture? Currently there are parts that are attached with a ledger and some that is not.


texts: Is it ok to split a transformer directly off the wiring from an outlet junction

texts: I am installing a doorbell transformer for a new Ring doorbell and I have an outlet right next to the main box. It would be simple for me to take the existing wiring, branch it and use it for the new transformer (which I could attach to the side of this junction). That would save me from having to run any more wire - simply take the wiring provided as part of the transformer and splice it to the existing run. Is there any reason that this is not a valid setup before I go about doing it?


texts:
Situation is a sticky one for sure. My father did renovation downstairs all on his own because he is a big money saver. He decided that it would be a great idea to completely remove all the old 12x12 floor tiles with a scraper, underneath is a black mastic that is flat and not sticky. He hasn't covered over the mastic yet. He also decided to remove all of the ceiling tiles as well. This renovation happened 4 or 5 months ago (I was never there during any of the renovation). I confronted him about the mess he could have potentially done and he smiled and said he was 60 years old anyways and he isn't really too concerned about it. However, I am concerned because I stayed there for a few weeks this last month, while visiting him and brought all my clothes and bedding over and even used his washer/dryer. My questions are these. 1. Assuming the floor tile and black mastic have asbestos would they be friable? 2. Assuming the ceiling tile had asbestos would that be friable? 3. I've been exposed by staying there several weeks. All the renovation happened in the basement and I stayed 2 stories upstairs not going anywhere near it. But still am concerned because hvac furnace, obviously. At this point, I believe my bedding is pretty much toast, and I only washed and dried a few outfits in the washer/dryer. But still my clothes were hung up inside the spare bedroom, so they could have been exposed as well. In addition, I wore those clothes in my vehicle, so would I need to replace the vehicle as well? I know it's a bit overboard, but these are actual questions that someone must think about. Perhaps over the top xD I will note that I had nothing to do with the renovation. Also, it's worth noting that he has had friends and family over (even spending the night), what would be their risk?

And finally, from what I learned. An air test in home is like 700 to 1200 bucks that I don't have. I would assume there is some sort of government testing in the area? Or does anyone know of an alternate or cheaper route? Hopefully someone with experience in the field might be able to shed some light here.

Thanks!


texts: I'm using 2" EPS below grade insulation for radiant floor heating, Do I need a poly vapor barrier on top?

texts: In addition to 2" of EPS do I need a poly in a radiant floor heating system


texts: Replacing halogen under-cabinet lights - connection question

texts:
I'm replacing some old halogen under-cabinet lights but am not sure how to connect the new LED replacements.
The old halogen lights had the following connector which is not compatible with the new lights:

The new connection looks like this, and in turn connects to an LED power supply which then connects to the new lights:

My question is, can I just cut the plug off the new cable and wire it into the circular connection box, the contents of which looks like this:

I realise doing this will remove the fuse from the circuit, but is that an issue? Is it safe to assume that the connection into the connection box above is fused in some way?


texts:
I think most people would agree that sound proofing a bathroom is a swell idea. Since bathrooms are special rooms (high humidity), what are some tips and techniques you can use to sound proof one without running into water/mold problems down the line?

I am asking in the context of a bathroom in the process of being remodeled. This allows major "design" changes but probably not significant structural changes.


texts: I installed a honeywell WiFi thermostat, the primary heat runs the heat pump instead oh the gas furnace

texts: I want to run the gas furnace, but the primary heat turns on the heat pump. If I turn up the thermostat several degrees, then the gas furnace comes on . In emergency settings, nothing happens. How do I run the gas furnace and not the heat pump.Ted


texts: Safe way to close gaps around copper pipes?

texts: I have baseboard heaters in my main living space.  I can't see for sure without taking the covers off (which I haven't done yet) but it appears 2 copper pips come up from the basement (through the hard wood floor) to power them and the holes cut seem to be WAY too big around the pipes (fingers could absolutely fit in the spaces).  To prevent rodents from coming up from the basement and to just have a tighter living area altogether, I'd like to close these gaps safely.  I know there is foam out there and steel wool is also an option, but are those really safe for use around what I assume would be hot pipes?  I also read about something called an escutcheon ring but for some reason, I'm seeing those as being $10+ piece and I'd likely have to 10-15 of them (maybe I was looking at the wrong thing).  Any suggestions would be great!  Thanks.


texts:
I have a new construction home that leaks in the basement near where the frame meets the foundation. The house is on a slope, so the rear has above ground windows.

An attempted solution by the builder was to caulk the inside and foam the outside. The foam wasn't done on the outside between the siding properly, as most of the foam wasn't anywhere near where it needed to be.

The inside regular caulk was used but I think due to the house settling and it not being silicon it's no longer holding up.

Could the bolts holding the frame to cement need to be tightened?

What are the proper steps to take to correct this?  It was really windy and rainy last night so I snapped pictures of the action..  also, the insulation on the adjacent walls I can see moving back and forth,  like air pressure sucking it in, is this normal too?

My furnace draws return air in from the outside but I am not sure what it's using for combustion, if the basement gets a good seal from the outside, do I need to worry about carbon monoxide? Or is that more for older houses.. house is equipped with detectors.

The grade seems okay outside as it's about 6 inches below the window and is flat away from house. But i am not sure.  Warranty is almost up, so I want to make sure this next fix is the last.


texts: Motion sensor light fail on this old house

texts: My old home has a mixture of knob and tube, 2-wire, and 3-wire (w/ ground). I replaced an incandescent floodlight with a motion sensing, LED light. The circuit also has another switch in the garage, a garage light, and another incandescent flood flight. Both switches control all three sets of lights. My issue is the LED lights don’t come on at all. I checked that electricity is flowing through the device with a non-contact voltage detector. I used a known good light when I thought my new one was a lemon. Both lights come on when put on a different circuit. Could my old 2-wire system be the cause? Could there be a low voltage situation? I’m unsure about what’s going on as I’m not an electrician.


texts:
I'm trying to get my utility room in order, and one issue I'm finding is drain hoses.

My washer has a drain hose that drains in to the utility sink.
My water heater has the T&P drain that currently sits over bare floor, which might someday cause hot water to fill up my utility room.
My humidifier has a drain hose that drains to the floor drain
My dehumidifier has a drain hose that drains to the floor drain
My furnace has two drain hoses that drain to the floor drain
My water softener has two drain hoses that drain the the utility sink

That's eight drains, with varying requirements for air gaps, maximum heights, end heights, run lengths, etc. What I would like is to get as many hoses as possible off the floor, and ideally I'd like them all to drain to the utility sink because our floor drain is sketchy as hell. I'm not entirely against adding additional plumbing if that would help, but running adequate vents from the utility room is a pain.

Any suggestions, products, alternatives?


texts: What would cause a well pump to suddenly be louder when operating?

texts:
We currently have an unknown (in terms of GPM) 3/4HP Franklin well pump, at an unknown depth (though our neighbor's well is at roughly 100').  Since we moved in, when the well pump is running, there has been a low, barely audible humming that can heard throughout the house.  About a year ago, our (ancient) pressure tank developed a leak, and so I replaced it with a larger, bladder style tank.  It takes a few minutes to fill, and quite a lot of water use to go below the switches 40psi for the well pump to kick in.

Yesterday, the well pump started making a louder, more high pitched hum.  It can be heard clearly outside at the well head.  The pump is performing the same as it was before (fully pressurizes the tank in about the same amount of time), just with this louder operating sound.

Any thoughts on what could be causing this or how to troubleshoot it before a very expensive well service call?


texts:
There is no way of getting a neutral to the wall switch so:

Could this work?

I know they would not work together and it would be use the wall switch or the sonoff but what would happen if both were in the “on” position, would that cause a problem. Don’t want to blow the house up!!

I’m just thinking this way if it was off at the wall switch the light could still be turned on and off via the sonoff.


texts:
I just move to a home and noticed the previous owner closed quite a few crawlspace vent. It seems to be intentional. I am wondering why he choose to close most of the vents and leave some of them still open.

As my understanding, it's better to keep crawlspace ventilated.

So I am going to keep all of them open. Could there be any problem?


texts: How do I clean thick primer out of a paint brush?

texts:
I always clean my paint brushes after using them for painting interior walls. My usual routine is to rinse them under water and clean them out with a combination of a wire brush and a brush comb, but this isn't working for primer.
The primer I'm using is so thick that it's practically glue. Rinsing under water doesn't do anything at all, and I would need to comb for days to get this stuff out.  I'm sick of throwing away brushes after a single use. Maybe the answer here is to use a different primer?
The primer in question is a 5-gallon can of Kilz Original Interior Primer.


texts: How to wire 7-wire thermostat and restart

texts:
We setup a sensi smart thermostat by combining the Blue and Orange wire into the O/B connector and Black to C. This had the heat and fans working but NOT cooling.
We adjusted by trying to put Blue elsewhere.
Once this happened, no fans or heat or cooling.
We decided to just put the old thermostat on because its cold and now the old system isn't working.
Can we restart the old system some way?
What would have been the proper wiring to the new thermostat
Attached is the photo


texts: Why is there an opening where the burner connects to the gas line on a gas oven?

texts: I am replacing a gas oven igniter. On my model I had to remove the whole bottom burner in order to unscrew the bracket. I was very surprised that the burner is very loosely attached to the gas valve. In fact there are huge open holes near the attachment. How does it work? Why doesn't the gas escape through that, but instead goes directly into the burner?


texts: How can I find out where a door is sticking?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Doors are sticky and noisy when opened?

We have several old doors in our house, with possibly a great deal of paint build up on them.  As a result they are very difficult to close solidly (and then open) - they stick a great deal.  Is it better to "work" on the door or on the frame, and how do I find out where exactly they're sticking, and then what is the best way to resolve it?


texts:
I have an outdoor light that isn't working. I've removed and tested it indoors. It works fine and the bulb is fine.

The wiring that comes from the house consists of two twin-and-earth cables. Power is on the same circuit as the indoor ceiling lights.

Please excuse my amateur diagram. The wiring into the lamp looks like this, with the two incoming cables at the top, lamp connections at the bottom:

   | | |     | | |
   | | |     | | |
X__| | |_____| | |__X
     |    |    |
     |    |    |
     ο    ο    ο
     L    E    N

The earths are entwined and wired into the lamp.
The live input is taken from one cable, and neutral from the other.
The other two wires (X) go nowhere, but may have come loose!
I presume one cable goes to the switch, but I can't be sure.

Is this wiring correct? I inherited it when I moved into the house, but it did work once upon a time.

Is there anything incorrect/unsafe about this wiring that could have stopped the light working?

Possible solution:

If the two loose wires have come apart, and assuming one cable goes to the switch. I am wondering if the following is correct. Below the loose ends (previously marked X) are connected so they complete the circuit via the switch (S).

    (S)
   o   o     L E N
   | E |     | | |
   | | |     | | |
   | | |     | | |
   | | +--X--+ | |
   | +----+----+ |
   |      |      |
   +---o  ο  o---+
       L  E  N


texts: Decrease apartment intercom door buzzer volume

texts:
The intercom in my condominium unit (that I own) works well, but is horribly loud. I understand this can be a boon so that I never miss a buzz, but my unit is small enough that the volume cannot be justified. There is no built in volume control.

Since I own my apartment, and we are self-managed, I cannot call a landlord. Perhaps I could call a maintenance company to install a different panel, but in my Googling, I cannot find replacement panels with volume control knobs, so I'm not sure that would help.

The manufacturer of my intercom panel does not seem to actively promote/advertise their intercom products, so I worry there's no obvious replacement.

This is my intercom panel, a Jeron.

I don't want to remove the buzzer completely, or add any glue to dampen the volume. I was hoping I could add a potentiometer or some other device to decrease the volume, but it seems a potentionmeter may be discouraged for this scenario.

Is there any simple solution here? Install a lower capacity speaker? Some sort of resistor that could be installed to decrease the volume? An alternative sort of intercom panel I haven't yet found online?


texts: Years ago I had a stuck bolt that would not budge. I applied electronic component chiller, and then some creeping penetrant, and bolt came out. I thought I was a genius, until somebody pointed out there is a penetrant lube out there with a chilling component that combines both of the techniques I described. I don't remember the product name, but it worked very well when I had it. Does anyone know what the name of the product is?


texts: How did the sideboards come to be raised over a hardwood floor?

texts:
I'm a little puzzled at the position of sideboards in this picture.

I am not covering with carpets. I will remove the sideboards, hopefully without breaking them. Then I'll paint them before re-installing them, and renovate the floor while they're off. I'm assuming that it's all right in the final look for a few nails to remain visible, and that I can be spared having to apply masking tape to the entire perimeter of each room on both sides of the sideboards. Leaving the sideboards high is not an option because it looks ugly and, more importantly, is a recipe for having dust and mites.

My question is: how did the sideboards reach this position. If initially a carpet was installed in this bedroom, I have a hard time believing someone would have used a reasonably decent hardwood (oak? I'm not sure) as a foundation for the carpet.

If the hardwood was initially installed, then the sideboards would not be where they are.

My conclusion is that when I spot this sort of thing (hardwood and elevated sideboards) it means that the room must have gone through three stages:

Hardwood was initially installed.
At some point someone decided to install a carpet. That person raised the sideboards.
In a third renovation someone decided to get rid of the carpet. So they just ripped it and didn't bother to lower the sideboards.

Did the room really have to have gone through these three stages of renovation for the sideboards to be high over a hardwood floor, or is there a simpler explanation?


texts: Why won't my new exhaust fan wired between switch and light fixture work?

texts:
DIY electrical guy here. I have one 2/12 coming into the top of an existing wall switch (sgl. pole) that powers an existing light fixture. So I assume (right or wrong) that the current is coming into the switch on the black side and (when switched on) follows the common wire back to the black side of the 2/12 running over to the light fixture. Since the voltage after the switch is carried on the white side, I spliced my exhaust fan into the white side of the romex between the switch and the black side of the 2/12 running out to the light fixture. In my thinking, I figured the existing switch would power my new exhaust fan AND the light fixture. But after flipping the 15A circuit breaker back on, the switch still worked the light fixture, but the fan wasn't working right. The fan blade turns, but not with enough force to move any air. Where did I screw up?
The fan works, by the way. I checked it by plugging it into an outlet and it moves 70CFM no problem.


texts: new washer installed in my condo, and water is backing up and overflowing on the floor through the hose

texts: I have a plumber came in last wednesday to replace my faucet in the bathroom shower, because the water coming from the shower, both hot and cold was not mixing properly, he replaced the faucet with a one piece handle faucet. everything seems to be fine. He also installed a new washer for me that is just beside the bathroom and the hose where the water suppose to drain out is escaping on the floor. Are you able to tell me why something like this is happening when the washing machine is releasing the water. Is it that the plumber did not hook up the hose properly,or does this have any connection with fixing the new faucet.


texts: What future-proofing should I include when refurbishing an apartment?

texts:
I will soon be renovating my apartment, going to the bare bricks (removing the floor, electricity, plumbing). Would you have some advice on what not to miss, from the perspective of cabling and domotics (home automation)?

I may not be able to immediately have a science-fiction-like automated home but I want to make reasonably sure that I will not have to do major works afterwards to be able to.

Things which come to mind are:

Ethernet cabling
power cables to less obvious places like the cupboard where the systems will be stored
home cinema cables
maybe something with the entrance door to install an NFC card reader

Any other ideas?


texts: Can I charge my Electric Car from two 120v home circuits?

texts:
I'm in the USA. I'm wanting to use two different 120v 15A plugs that are on different circuits at the same time to charge my car. I'm thinking of creating a hub adaptor that is the inverse of what is below.

Where there would be two male NEMA-5 plugs reconciling one female NEMA-5. Since current always flows to the female, I would plug my car's charge cable like normal (which is rated for much higher loads than I would ever encounter).

Should this work? Is there anything I'm failing to consider?


texts: How can I keep my computers cool in a 100 degree house?

texts:
I live in a tiny house of sorts and my AC doesn't run while I'm not there. I have two desktop servers that I use for my work which are currently stored elsewhere, but I'd really like to move them to my home. My only problem is that I'd need to supply the computers with cool, dry air (think 60-70 degrees) while the rest of the house gets over 100 degrees F during the summer months.

I've designed a basic insulated box (R19) with a vapor barrier on the inside to fit my computers. It's a basic box with some mineral wool insulation and some plastic sheeting between the insulation and the computers.

I have the following already:

box and insulation
temperature controller like this one https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Fermentation/dp/B015E2UFGM

I need help with the following:

What small, efficient appliance can I use to cool and dry the air going into the box? basically a mini AC + dehumidifier
Is the vapor barrier in the proper place to keep water condensation from damaging the computers?

I've tagged this under different appliances, but feel free to change if there is a better tag for it.


texts: Is it safe and legal to replace an extension cord plug end?

texts:
Accidentally I cut my extension cord with the hedge trimmers in a tight spot.
Normally I would just rewire it with a new end from the hardware store.
However, a friend told me that repaired cords are illegal.

Are repaired extension cords covered by building codes (such as NEMA)?

Are repaired extension cords covered by safety codes or guidelines from major organizations (e.g UL, OSHA, etc.)?


texts: Bathroom Fan with Humidity Sensor Wiring Question

texts:
I just purchased a new fan for a bathroom with an in-fan humidity sensor.  Here's the installation manual.

The fan has 6 wires coming out of it: 2 black, 2 white, 1 brown, and ground; the brown is labeled 'for humidity sensor or speed control'.  Am I going crazy or does the wiring diagram on p.3 of the manual suggest that you need two switches for this: one for the fan and one for the humidity sensor?  This seems a weird set up because I can see my kids repeatedly flipping the useless switch that apparently does nothing (i.e., the humidity sensor switch!) to get the thing to work.  Two questions:

Any ideas on whether this must be wired with two switched?
If not, do you think everything could be wired to one switch and everything still work?

I've tried contacting the manufacturer and it seems that customer support is non-existent smh...

Thanks in advance.


texts: How can I use a switch for outlets to control a new overhead light?

texts:
I am trying to rewire our bedroom so that a wall switch that turns on/off half of all receptacles in the room will instead control a ceiling light and leave the receptacles (both halves) always hot and add a dimmer switch to control the overhead LED light.

I have two cables coming into the current switch box, a 3-wire (black, white, red and ground) and a 2-wire (black, white and ground).  The current light switch is wired the following way on a 2 screw switch with a ground:

Both whites from the 2- and 3-wire cable are together (wire nut) not connected to the switch.
Both black wires from 2- and 3-wire cable are together on the power screw (darker) on the switch.
The red is connected on the same side of the switch on the lighter screw.
Both ground wires are connect to one another and pig tailed onto the ground screw of the switch.


texts: Sink pressure increases after turning water off and on again?

texts:
The water pressure in my kitchen sink is usually low when I first turn it on, but if I turn it off an on again, the water pressure increases. Subsequent attempts to turn it on and off do not alter the pressure, unless I turn it off and let some time pass, at which point the pressure is lower again next time I turn it on. The water pressure seems normal elsewhere in the house.

I've already cleaned the aerator and checked the hot/cold water valves to make sure they're open all the way. This seems odd to me. Any insights on what it might be, and how to fix it?

This is not the exact faucet I have, but it's a similar style:
https://secure.img2-ag.wfcdn.com/im/91148106/resize-h800%5Ecompr-r85/8418/8418965/Pull+Out+Touch+Single+Handle+Kitchen+Faucet.jpg


texts: How do I level a basement floor but not the slab underneath?

texts:
I'd like to install laminate floor on top of Delta FL in my basement.

The basement slab is not level, it slopes (from all directions) towards a floor drain (that, via a pipe, leads to a sump pump) near the exterior door. I wouldn't like to level the slab, because drainage is a good thing.

How do I level my floor.  And should I?  I think I should, because otherwise the laminate won't be stable.

I came up with two ideas:

1) Somehow level below the Delta FL layer, for example with some sort of small pebbles (allowing water to go through them but large enough not to go in the drain).  Or other material, I'm open to ideas!

2) Level above Delta FL but below the laminate by using dry sand.

Edit: My basemen is dry, but since I have a drain and a slope why would I give that up?  Turns out that using sand, while uncommon, is something people do (google it!) and the only downside I read was that the sand can move over time unless you somehow contain it.


texts: 100 amp main with not enough ground slots

texts: i have a 100 amp main panel. it was put in in the 70's; i was wondering if it is ok to add a small box  to put a new ground bus bar in to run all the grounds to because the box is bar very small and there are not enough slots in the boxes small bus


texts: How do I wire 2 switches to control a ceiling light?

texts: I recently bought our house in Australia, and one light wasn't working, so I took a look at it. The wiring was not connected to the light. There were lots of wires coming from the ceiling for the light, and no junction box. 3 Red wires, 1 Black and 1 Green (Earth). There are 2 light switches for the one light. I connected the 3 red to the live on the light, the black to the neutral and earth....but the light comes on and the switches have no effect. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong?


texts: Add an electric socket to an existing light circuit (230v AC)

texts:
I have an existing single light controlled by a single switch in understair storgae space. Now I need an additional electric socket there as its an ideal location to power my security alarm. (No heavy load, its just a 12v adaptor to be plugged into the 230v socket).

I tried to open the existing switch and it has a single chorded cable with 3 wires in it. With the line (Brown) goes through the switch and remainig neutral(Blue) and earth (Green/Yellow) goes directly to the bulb.

Can I safely add a socket to this circuit ? Please kindly help with the connection details.

Many thanks in advance. This is for house located in UK.

Here is the connection diagram, I am planning to get the result. Is this is fine without any issues ???


texts: Can I move the kitchen to the living room?

texts: I am thinking to buy a ground floor flat and am wondering is it possible to move the kitchen to the reception room.  There is room to put it to the right as you walk into the room as an L-shape.  Problem is waster and water pipes.  Could I run the pipes to the bathroom and pump it?  The back boiler is in the reception room, so hot and cold water could come from there potentially.  Help!


texts: Help connecting unused C wire for Smart Thermostat

texts: Looking to connect a newer WiFi thermostat which requires the connection of a c wire. My old thermostat didn’t use a c wire however there is a c wire present in the bundle of wires ( unconnected at thermostat and inside air exchanger/furnace. However I am a little lost on where to connect this loose C wire inside the air exchanger compartment. My furnace doesn’t use the typical screw terminals I’ve seen while looking for the solution to this. It uses a clamping type of connector ( see pics) there is a C terminal however this is already used. The wire from the c terminal goes to some black block ( I believe is a heat sequencer through some googling) then another connection off of that “heat sequencer” connects to the red wire from the 2 wire cable that I believe goes to the air conditioner? Any assistance on where I need to connect this c wire would be greatly greatly appreciated!!!! If any additional pics are needed I can do that ASAP


texts:
First of all, I'm clueless when it comes to DIY so forgive my amateur lingo and general clueless attitude. I'm still learning, be patient with me.

My wife and I bought a house on the sunny island of Guernsey last year which as you may know don't come cheap. The house looked immaculate when viewing it but upon closer inspection there's a few oddities that cropped up.

One of the significant oddities was when I clambered up into the attic to find that it's open to the outside air. By this I mean at the bottom of the roof (where the guttering is) to the top of the external walls it is completely open. You can see outside. The gap isn't big at all, but the attic is very cold. A typical attic I know of is usually warm and closed to the open air.

Now I know nothing about this kind of thing, but I assumed this isn't normal nowadays at least? Should it be closed off? Would this help with heating the house?

Apologies for the awful explanation, perhaps someone could decipher what I'm talking about and apply some logic to this construction? I'm assuming there's a name for this kind of thing?


texts: Doorbell constantly rings even after replacing switch

texts:
This is a newer home in the US (fewer than 10 years old).  The doorbell started ringing all the time.  Disconnected button and it stopped.  Replaced the button with a new button, and it stayed on all the time again.  Touch the two wires together that connect to the button and it rings, and stops ringing when they are disconnected.

Both the original and replacement buttons were lighted.  In testing the new button with a multi-meter, there was a continuous connection (with some resistance) even when the button was unpressed, and a completed connection with no resistance when it was pressed.

I disassembled the new switch and removed the LED from the circuit, and now it works as expected - ringing the doorbell when the button is depressed, but not ringing when it is not.  But the doorbell is no longer lighted.

What do I need to check (or replace) to allow a lighted switch to work?


texts:
A wall of a second-floor full bath (in TX) has the following outlets.

The middle box is for a phone wire! I plan to remove this box. This box is nailed to a 2 by 4 above it that is running between the studs.
There is also a slightly slanted 2 by 4 below the now-removed mini wall vanity/shelf. The shelf is to be placed back.
The double plug on the left is nailed to a stud to its left.
The triple switch is nailed to a stud to its right.
All incoming or outgoing wires are through the bottom of the boxes.
The studs are about 14 inches apart.
The plug and switch are not level with each other. They are off by about 1/2 inch.
Their boxes also are not flush with the drywall, they are inset too much and there is a gap between the face plate of the triple switch and the switches.
I am planning to replace the plug and switches but I want
(a) for them to be flush with the drywall
(b) for the plug and the triple switch to be level
What is the best way to achieve this?


texts:
I want to ask two questions done go on title. I'm from India.

Can I connect 15 ampere switch in 5 ampere socket.
If I want to replace a 5 ampere socket to 15 ampere will the 15 ampere socket work properly for with the same input wire used for 5 ampere socket.


texts: Add an electric outlet by tapping through wall into garage?

texts:
I'm mounting a TV on the family room wall. On the other side of this wall is the garage, which is unfinished (and therefor easier to work on). There are no convenient outlets, so I'm considering punching a small from the family room to the garage to run Romex to a new outlet behind the TV.

I'm concerned about the fire rating and any firewall issues I need to be concerned with, but having a hard time finding relevant codes.


texts: I have a roughly 14" * 14" hole in my ceiling, after an electrician put a junction box there. The box is a flush 10x10 box, and I want to be able to remove the lid later. The lid right now is close to flush to the bottom finished side of the 1/2" drywall. I don't have a lot of experience with drywall, and I'm especially puzzled on how to make a nice transition to this box (which does not have a mud ring). I could cut back the sheetrock a bit on each side to expose half of the joists. Would you recommend one large piece of drywall with a hole cut for the box?


texts: Garbage disposal install - runs on off, trips breaker when switched to on

texts: My newly installed Insinkerator Evol Plus garbage disposal runs when switch is turned to off, trips breaker when switched to on. I tried it on a shared circuit. Now it's hardwired to it's own dedicated 15 amp circuit. Replacing the switch didn't help. Is this brand new disposal defective?


texts: I am looking to finish the area under the stairs. There are two diagonal beams under the landing step. Can these be removed or do they contribute to the integrety of the staircase?


texts: How to cut angled pipe for a segmented/lobster back bend?

texts:
I'm trying to create a segmented/lobster back bend out of some straight sections of 200mm diameter acrylic pipe, like so:

As you can see the bend is made from two types of parts: Part 1, which is a section of straight pipe with one end cut at an angle, and Part 2, where both ends are cut at an angle. Some drawings of the two parts are shown below:

Part 1 drawing:

Part 2 drawing:

I'm trying to figure out how I can go about making these pipe sections. The problem boils down to two questions:

What's the best tool to cut reasonably precise angles (say, nearest 0.5-1 degree) for such a large pipe diameter (200mm)?
Cutting Part 2 might be more tricky because I need to make sure that the pipe doesn't rotate around its longitudinal axis when I come to cut the second angle. Otherwise, when I put the bend sections together, the pipe will start to form a sort of spiral. How can I go about cutting those sections?


texts: 14g wire on 20amp circuits all over home

texts:
A couple of years ago I bought an old house that was built in 1880. Right after moving in we had the old electrical fuse system replaced with a new circuit breaker box by an electrician. Our electric bills seem to be very high - almost twice that of other people in the area with similar houses.
I know a decent amount about electric but am no expert. I have not been able to determine what is using all of the power. I did however notice that when the new breaker box was installed, he used all 20 amp breakers even though most of the outlets in the house are wired with 14g wire. I've read that that is not safe to do, but could that also be the cause of our high electricity usage?


texts: Can we build some sort of ventilation system in our rental apartment?

texts:
There isn't an exhaust fan in our kitchen. Everytime we fry or bake something we set off the smoke detector.
There's a window pretty close to our kitchen.  Is there a way to rig up some sort of flexible exhaust tubing and a fan so that we can draw the smoke out our window?


texts: How do I determine the correct rise of a step for a concrete footing on a slope?

texts: Going to be building a retaining wall in the front yard on a slope. I'm going to be using King size residential bricks to make a 2 wythe wall. Because of the slope I'll need to have 3-4 steps in the concrete footing and was planning that the rise of each step would be the height of the brick plus the thickness of the mortar. Is this the correct calculation for the rise of the step?


texts:
So I have a bathroom that I am going to remove the old wiring, add a new breaker and pull new wire to from the breaker panel the bathroom. I want to install an exhaust fan and a vanity light on the same switch with a new duplex outlet next to the switch. The outlet should have power independent of the switch. Wires will run through the attic down to the vanity and down to the Outlet and switch. Would some one help me with a drawing of how the wires should run.

Thanks,


texts: Can I vent a bathroom fan through an attic window?

texts: Would venting a bathroom exhaust fan into the attic and through the attic window cause any problems?  I was thinking this would prevent cutting a hole in the roof or the soffit.  My thought was to insert the vent through a pane of glass.    The window is old and that attic is large(it could actually be a room).  Also, should the windows in an attic be well air tight?


texts: Why are there four electrical lines (12 wires) in this ceiling fan box?

texts:
My ceiling fan stopped working many months ago. I had somebody looked at it and they couldn't figure out what was wrong so I bough a new one today. When I dismounted the old one I found this strange wiring setup as shown in the image below. I'm no electrician, and this is my first time installing a fan, but it's still puzzling.

Why are there four lines? You can see three at the top of the box and one coming in at the bottom.
Why are all the hot lines connected together?
Why was one neutral line being used as the live line? The terrible thing is I can't remember which one it was.

This is connected to only one wall switch. The previous fan was controlled by a remote. Is it possible that more than one switch was used to control the fan before the remote was installed on the previous fan? There are no other switches in the house which could be used. Perhaps they were removed.


texts:
I have 200A service, but I want to add a whole house generator (GENERAC 17k) that has a 100A transfer switch. I plan to use a seperate 100A load center after the transfer switch for the backed up circuits.

My question is what breaker do I use out of the 200A load center to feed the 100A transfer switch? Do I use a 100A dipole (100A/100A) or a 50A dipole (50A/50A)?

If i use the 50A dipole (50A/50A) what size copper conducter do I use and still fit it into the breaker?