texts: What's that dripping sound I hear in the attic whenever we turn on the water?

texts:
Obviously it has something to do with water, but I haven't been able to track it down.

Basically, whenever someone turns on the water in my house, I hear a dripping sound coming from the ceiling above the living room.  At first it sounds like a fast drip, then gradually slows down and stops.  This is over a period of 30-45 seconds.  If the water's running longer than that, there is no dripping sound.

I've gone up into the attic to look around but we haven't been able to replicate the issue while I've been up there.  Whatever is causing the noise apparently has a "cooldown" period of some sort.

What could this be?  At first I thought it was a leak, but then wouldn't it be dripping all the time and not stop after 30-45 seconds while the water is still running?  (and shouldn't I have had a flooded attic by now?).


texts: GFCI Outlet in kitchen cutting off power of all other outlets

texts:
I have one GFCI outlet in my kitchen and sometimes it just tripped and cut off power without anyone touching it. The annoying thing is that it is the head of the circuit which ends up cutting off power of many other outlets in the kitchen area including my internet modem.

I was reading this post Which Kitchen outlets do NOT need GFCI? and learnt that GFCI outlet is required for countertop outlet. I got that.

BUT few questions:

Why GFCI outlet is tripped for a random reason? I am not sure what triggered it. Would it be possible if the current is overloaded somewhere else causing that specific outlet to pop?
Is there a way to rewire and avoid the chain reaction where one outlet leading to the next? I would like to isolate the outlets so they don't end up blowing each other off like that.

Thanks.


texts: Recipe for a 2m x 1m concrete working plane

texts:
I'd like to create working plane from concrete to be put on a support and be used as desk. The dimension should be 1m x 2m and the thickness will depend on recommendations. It should support 150 kg.

I plan to mold the concrete in a wooden form and flatten it before leaving it to set and dry (28 days).

I'd like to use glass fiber as enforcement to lower costs and weight. I assume that it's fine to use fiber glass isolation mats and somehow cut them into pieces and mix them with the liquid concrete before molding. I'm uncertain about the technique for the mixture (how to avoid clumps of fibers) and the amount of fiber per volume.

Does the plan with the reinforcement work (if yes, how to mix in the fibers) or do I need to use steel? What thickness should I use?

A place to dry, the construction for the form and health protection (I'll use a full mask for cutting the glass fiber) is not an issue nor is the weight of the resulting plane as long as it's below 100kg.


texts: Terrible flushing - Duravit Starck 2 Happy D

texts:
My two Duravit Starck 2/Happy D toilets have turned me into a full-time toilet scrubber. Any suggestions before I replace them?

The problems:

Fecalpheliac bowls. "Matter" seems to stick tenaciously on the bowl.
I must scrub the bowl after each and every usage.
Poor flushing. I must flush two and sometimes three times to clear
the bowl. So much for "lo flush" water conservation.
Long refill times. One toilet takes 90 seconds.

What I've done:

Cleaned the fill lines and filters.
Adjusted and re-adjusted the fill levels in the tank.
Had a plumber examine the bowls. He said "It's a shame - they're so expensive."
Asked my Duravit supplier. Their answer: "Most Europeans use a scrub
brush."
Written scathing "Happy D" reviews - "SAVE YOURSELVES! It's too late
for me!"

In short: Pretty to look at. Awful to use.


texts: Is there a correct orientation for hurricane clips?

texts: When installing hurricane clips to joists where it crosses a beam, is there a preference to mounting the clips on the inside or the outside of the beam? And should the ears on the clips point inward over the beam or outward? (Does it matter?)


texts: How do I dig out a hole for fence posts in a concrete patio?

texts:
I'm installing a short fence to run from the side of my house to the external garage. It will run along a seam where my asphalt driveway meets my concrete patio. I'm fairly certain that the footers will have to be on the concrete side in order to keep the fence from sticking out of from the side of the house.

My question is, is there a good way to dig the holes into the patio without having to break up the entire slab and re-pour it? Also, once I've dug the holes, is there something special I need to do when I set the footers in concrete since the concrete will be joined with the exiting patio?

EDIT:

I just wanted to clarify. I'm installing a wooden fence because the rest of the yard already has a wooden fence that I'm trying to match so I'm trying to avoid using chain-link.


texts: What are my options for replacing 50W GU10 lightbulbs?

texts:
I've been looking at replacing 50W GU10 halogen lightbulbs for something more energy efficient.

Some people say that LEDs cannot give you the same light (even 10W LEDs), and to use 11W CFL instead, like the ones from megaman.

I need these light bulbs for both my kitchen and my living room, so I don't want to be surprised by way dimmer light bulbs.

What's the current state of this?


texts: Header requirements for basement egress window

texts:
I have poured concrete foundation walls and I am adding an egress to my basement wall.  I'm cutting a hole 3' width by 4' in height, about 44 inches from the floor and about 12" from the top of the foundation wall.  The wall is load bearing.  It is a 2 story house. The roof slope towards the foundational wall.

I was told since I have a monolithic pour, I don't require a header, but it seems strange with cutting 3x4 hole that I wouldn't.  If one is required, should I use 2x8's for header supported by 2x8's as jacks?


texts: I took out an old oven and replaced it with a new gas one so now I have a spare 220 line that I don’t need anymore. It backs up to the garage and I’m Wondering if there is anything useful I could use it for other than just capping it off and putting it in an access panel for the future.


texts: I know that standard deck construction involves attaching the beam on top of the post. On the small deck I am building (4X6) I would like to continue the posts up through to be the rail posts. Is there an acceptable metal bracket to make this possible?


texts: Running a new kitchen light circuit from a receptacle with a "traveller."

texts:
I'd like to power a set of three ceiling-mounted down-lights from an existing receptacle in a kitchen reno. A picture of the existing receptacle is attached. My confusion is it has a fourth wire (red), which I believe is called a traveller. I think it indicates this receptacle is part of a switched circuit, but I can find no such switch in my old house and according to my breaker box, this receptacle has a circuit all to itself.
Anyway, I just want to power this string of LEDs. Can I tap into this receptacle to get the power without disturbing the rest of the universe?  And how do I do it?
Sincere thanks!


texts: What adhesive/glue is best to join PVC pipe to MDF?

texts:
I'm running a piece of 90mm diameter PVC pipe through a sheet of 20mm thick MDF. I've cut a hole the right diamater in the wood to fit the pipe through, and I'm wondering what the best glue would be to join the pipe in place.

I've been using liquid nails for the rest of the project but I'm not sure how well it will bond to the PVC. Should I use this, two part epoxy or something else?

It needs to be as strong as possible since the joint will be under a fair load.


texts: What do I need in order to fix the sloppy work done by cable providers?

texts:
As some of you have surely experienced, residential telecom installers can leave a thing or two to be desired when it comes to how they get the service into our homes.

A small project I've had in mind is to repair the extra holes in my home, and to do a better cable management job with all this coax. What do I need to repair the walls and organize this mess?

Note: I use separate providers for internet and TV

Incoming coax

Exterior coax

"Cable management"


texts: Why don't some LED lights work in my ceiling fan?

texts:
I replaced the two incandescent light bulbs in my Hunter model 28679 ceiling fan with 3000k 7w LEDs.  All works fine but I want them to be brighter and to be a different color/hue of light.  So I replaced the 7w with 6000k 15w LED bulbs.  The 15W bulbs do not work.
However, if I use the 15W bulbs in a different fan (Hunter fan 23902) they work fine.
Neither light has a dimmer and I've even tried different combinations of just one new LED and one old LED bulb and one LED with one incandescent.


texts: I have a circular saw with an overly tightened arbor bolt and a blade that spins freely>  How can I get that repaired?   This saw was one that I inherited from my dad and I need to use it for some up and coming projects.


texts: Placement of evaporator unit on top of furnace (residential)

texts:
I am installing an updraft 3 ton system with the evaporator on top of the furnace.  They fit nicely, but I'm not sure which front-or-back orientation the top unit should be in.

In the attached picture, the copper refrigerant lines are up front, as is the condensate drain, and they're all on the left of the unit.  The 1/2" iron pipe stub-out is also on that side, as are the electrical wires.  So, everything is conveniently placed.

However, the flue vent is going to go up vertically, and will be just about 3/8" or less away from the coil access panel, as well as the paper product label, and the coil access panel will be difficult to remove.

On the other hand, if I flip the evaporator unit, There's closer to an inch of clearance between flue and evaporator unit (the lips match up differently but it's a tight fit), though now the copper and condensate lines are to the rear.

I really prefer the first setup with the panel accessible.  Is that OK? Do I need to elbow the flue away from the unit before I go vertical?  Or should the copper/condensate go to the rear as well as the panel?  Appreciate your help!


texts: Can someone explain this old switch wiring?

texts:
I wanted to replace a light switch in my 70s built house with a motion sensor. The motion sensor has 4 wires: two black one green and a ground. When I unhooked the old switch I found it was connected to two wires. The top was straight forwarded but the bottom is a continuous wire looped around the screw.

I tried to connect a black to the cut wire and everything else to the continuous wire.
The lights came on when I flipped the breaker but the switch didn’t work, ie. Wouldn’t turn off.

I figured I should understand what’s happening before any more experimentation.
The local hardware guys were stumped. They just said the older house around here have some very janky electric!

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks all for the info.

Yes it appears the the continuous wire connects all three switches.
Photos below.

Unfortunately the instructions are pretty useless, it just says connect the two blacks to two blacks from the wall, and the green and ground to ground wire from the wall.
Also photo'd below.

It's a Lutron and does appear to be a UL device, at least it has the logo on the box.

@phil-g thanks much. I dont know anything about electric.
Would you say to connect the blacks to the two grey wires (the cut and continuous) and try to attach the green and ground to say, the metal box? Or is there an identifiable ground wire?

Thanks again!


texts: Why do I have less than line voltage at a switch box?

texts:
at the breaker I have 120 volts but I only measure 20 volts between either the black or the white and ground at the switch itself. Between the black and the white I have zero voltage.
Any idea what the problem might be ... the switch controls a ceiling fan.


texts: Effective alternative to water-resistant barrier behind siding?

texts:
First off, this question is a spin-off of this question which I asked recently.  Summary:  We have several buildings throughout our condo association that do not have WRB.  As the answer in the linked question suggests, getting WRB installed is absolutely critical.  However, it may be that we are going to have to eat the costs of installing WRB where it does not exist as the contractor may not be liable.  This is going to cost our association well into the tens of thousands I am sure and will put everyone in the community in quite a financial pinch.

Therefore, I am researching possible alternatives that will yield an acceptable degree of effectiveness in preventing water penetration.  I'd prefer a permanent solution if one exists, not something that requires yearly maintenance like caulking.


texts: Why do people run 12-3 cable to feed completely different circuits?

texts: Been updating circuits in my basement and I'm horrified at the previous work that has been done. Improperly routed cables, overloaded junction boxes and, in two separate instances, 12-3 cable feeding completely different circuits but with single-pole breakers.  Aside from the obvious problem with the breakers, I am wondering why anyone would use 12-3 in this way.  Seems to me it's just laziness during cable routing but I'd be interested in hearing if there are legitimate reasons to do so.


texts: Greenish gray mold on wooden window frame

texts:
Does anyone know how to deal with greenish gray mold on the border of my window frame and the insulated glazing?
I've never had mold before and my house is 32 years old and very well insulated. The wood in the pictures is impregnated hardwood.
The mold is on all four sides but is thickest at the bottom and lower part of the sides:

Close-up:

My take:

Scrub away the solid parts (fungi)
Clean with diluted vinegar

Would this be a good idea or could the spores have penetrated too deep into the wood?

Will it need replacement? If no, if it gets worse is there a point of no return?

Does anyone know what kind of mold this even is? I've never seem it before. It's pale green, completely different from the black mold that can grow in the bathroom or the deep green mold that grows on fruit.


texts:
I live in a city, and the back door of our condo has a regular wood and glass door that swings inward and a iron security door that swings outward. The security door currently has a deadbolt which un/locks with a key on both the inside and outside.

We would like to replace the outer door, including switching to a deadbolt with a thumb-turn latch that doesn't require a key to unlock from the inside. This is required by law if we ever decide we want to rent out our place. The security concern would then be that someone could just cut the mesh and reach in to easily unlock the security door. To combat this, I've often seen security doors with a metal cylinder around the latch so that you cannot reach it and unlock it while the inner door is closed.

My question is, what is this guard around the latch called? I've tried searching and can't find any pictures of this type of latch guard. Not knowing what this is called then makes it impossible to find a door that has one. Is this something that I can even purchase COTS, or will I need a welder to make one custom for the door?


texts:
I stained this 2 years ago before installation - back and front.  The boards were kiln dried and stained inside.  The penetrating stain I used contains linseed oil and after I installed I read some reviews saying the stain wasn't very good.  I had hoped my cedar being in the soffit would not have any problems but there goes that.

This is the worst one but you can see signs of mold on the others.  I tried sanding with 150 grit but the mold seems wet and just smudges.

Any recommendations?

What would you sand with?  or would you scrape it? maybe steel wool it?  I could go for a dish sponge?  I haven't done much work with stain grade wood so any advice appreciated.  I currently have scaffolding up so now is the time to fix if there is a time.  I don't think I'll spend time on the lesser effected boards unless there is something easy, maybe a topical mildicide?  I can't see sanding / staining 140 linear feet at 2' depth being worth while until the lesser effected boards look much worse even then maybe I go with it and stain black.


texts: 1" S-Type Screws OK for hanging 5/8" Drywall on short wall in basement?

texts:
I recently had my basement framed/rocked/finished, and stupidly told the contractor to leave one small wall unfished.  That decision came back to bite me as I now want to finish that wall...  It's a short little wall at the bottom of my stairs thats 9' long, and just under 9' high and the contractor wants $500 to do the job.  That seems way high for the amount of work to be done but I understand his reasoning in that they would need to be back so many times from start to finish, etc.

So I'm going to tackle this short little wall myself.

I want to hang the few panels of 5/8" drywall on a concrete wall without framing it ahead of time (due to timing, amount of wasted space if I were to frame it out).  I have some leftover pieces of RC2 Sound Channel (typically used for sound proofing but I was told would work fine here..) that I'm planning on going directly into the concrete with. And then hanging 5/8" fire-rated drywall on it.

I'm using tapcon's to hold the RC2 to the concrete.  The RC2 will give a gap of 1/2" from the concrete wall. 1/2" from the RC2 plus 5/8" drywall equals 1 1/8" total distance.

I know the rule of thumb is 1/3 of screw into material, 2/3 into the backing support, but I can't go very deep due to the concrete being 1/2 away from the back of the panel.  So with 5/8" drywall will the 1" screws be sufficient to hold the panels?  Should I just add more screws to compensate?  Good idea? Bad idea?

Thanks


texts: How should I repair a cracked trough roof beam?

texts:
My garage has a 17' 2x8 ridge beam. The roof is a V, lowest in the center, with 2x4 rafters nailed to the sides of this ridge piece.

At some point the roof drain clogged, the roof turned into a swimming pool, and this ridge board/beam cracked/tore in the middle. (As I understand it, this failure means that it is a "beam"--a load-bearing piece?) Someone "fixed" it by propping the ridge up with a 4x6 post wedged under the damaged point.

I'd like to replace the post with a more permanent fix. I assume some kind of sistering/bracing would be the standard approach? It would not be extremely hard to put a full-length sister of the same size next to it, sitting on added jack studs. But if that approach is overkill, it would be nice to not have to wrestle with shortening all of the rafters on one side and removing all of those metal joist hangers.

EDIT: tweaked wording and added pics. The bottom one is an attempt to show the damage to the wood. There is a similar "tear" in the top half of the beam on the other side of it--sort of a mirror image.


texts:
Ultimately I'm looking to use a C wire for a Nest thermostat, but upon looking at the HVAC panel I'm confused by the wiring.

There's a grouping of wires going from the HVAC panel to the thermostat: the green, yellow, and leftmost red and white wires. There are also blue and brown wires which are unused currently but presumably could be used as a C wire.
The part that's tripping me up is that second grouping of wires: the rightmost white and red wires. The other end of that grouping isn't by the thermostat, and I don't actually know where it terminates. Both groupings of wires leave the HVAC closet at the same point.
Does this wiring suggest any likely place that second group of wires terminates? Even if I leave the second grouping in place, can I just attach one of the first grouping unused wires alongside the white wire that currently lives in the C terminal?


texts: Thermostat will not power on with C wire, but it has voltage

texts:
I recently purchased a Honeywell wifi thermostat and tried to hook it up as a replacement for an existing battery powered unit. I have a typical forced air HVAC setup with gas furnace (no heat pump), and I have replaced several thermostats in the past at other houses on very similar systems and never had any issues.

In this case, when I removed the original battery powered unit, the C wire was tucked behind the wall, so I manually connected it back up to the wall plate and inserted the new thermostat, but it would not power on. Then I tried putting the battery powered unit back in (removing its batteries, the manual says this will work), and still that one would not power up. I got out my volt meter and measured 20 volts across R and C, and 27 volts across R and G. I put the old thermostat back in with the batteries and that unit is still working fine.

Any idea why I am not able to power either thermostat when using the C wire, but I can measure voltage across it?


texts:
I just wanted to confirm any safety hazards or possible fixes. I moved into a home that has 12/2 gauge wire going under the house to a shed on the other side of the house, so it's stretching the 12/2 wire about 20 foot and it's ran in some PVC piping. In the shed itself there is a GFCI weatherized receptacle protecting 2 other 20A receptacles and a light switch with fixture.

I guess my question is, is the 12/2 gauge wire going to harm any power tools in the shed that use 15A? This is because it is stretched farther than recommended and ran in PVC pipe.

It also has a 20 amp breaker, I'm concerned about the length of the 12/2 wire and no breaker panel in the shed as a shut off, I guess the GFCI is a shut off, but how dangerous is this , and should I run new 10/2 wire


texts:
Is 3/4" AC Plywood on 16" joists suitable for subfloor?

I am remodeling and the original subfloor is 3/4" plywood (not tongue and groove) and I want to match up with this, AC (6 ply) is all I could find. On top of this will go tile underlayment and then tile.

It seems modern building has gone to 23/32" tongue and groove plywood or OSB


texts: What 4x4 lumber is appropriate for a skybed lounger swing?

texts:
I am going to build a sky bed lounger. ( a 4-pod swing made from a trampoline) I have the 4 point steel bracket that needs 4x4 wood in each slot. It looks like this:

I would like this to hold a 6-foot trampoline base (just base no legs etc) which is roughly 4 stone in weight. What is the best wood that will be strong enough to hold this structure and what screws would I need for the bottom? I'd secure rope from each bottom base to secure the legs of the swing and stop the wood bending.


texts: this is a picture of my kitchen table and coffee table. Both are sanded down to only wood. We like the rustic non shine look and the color exactly like it is but need some coating for use. What is the best coating that will keep this color and not add a shine or gloss? ](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0cvCY.jpg)


texts: Overthinking basement flooding prevention?

texts:
I've been recommended by two companies now to install an interior vapor barrier along my basement walls to prevent the water that is shooting out during heavy rains. The vapor barrier will stop water as soon as it passes through the concrete blocks and fall into the perimeter drain which leads to the sump pump. While I'm comfortable taking this route to prevent flooding in my basement, I can't help but worry about potential issues that may arise if I'm not preventing water from first entering my basement walls.
Am I overthinking this situation? Or should I consider sealing the exterior side of the basement?


texts: What size wire will I need to feed a 3/4 hp pump?

texts: I have a 230 v pump that will be 210 ft in the well and will be 820 ft from the house with a total of 1030 ft the pump is a 3/4 hp Gould pump What size wire will I need?


texts: Thermal protection switch replacement in recessed incandescent can lights

texts:
I find very little discussion of this issue on the net.  My son has a Nutone Scovil 60 watt max incandescent recessed can light, damp location rated, in a shower with a high ceiling.  Its thermal protection switch has been flaking out and now it is totally dead.

I contracted Nutone who tells me they have been out of the light fixture business for many years and don't have that part nor can advise on a replacement. I read that these switches are not generic but engineered to work with the fixture's particular design.

The fixture is not in an easy position to replace as it's been crowded by later added A/C ducts and a distribution box. (It's not covered by insulation and has plenty of air around it and I can reach the electrical connections, but it will be a pain to remove the fixture).

So.... I wonder if it's okay code wise to remove the switch and use an LED replacement in place of the 60 watt incandescent?

To see how hot they get I unscrewed a LED from my kitchen spot that had been on for hours and no part of the bulb could even be described as warm.  My thought is if I can't feel any heat from the LED (whereas a 60 watt incandescent gets too hot to hold) then what purpose does the thermal protect switch serve?

I thought I would cross out 60 incandescent watt max and write "LED only" realizing that someone could ignore the warning... but that's always been possible such as over-lamping with a 100 watt instead of 60.


texts: Looking for some advice. My Trane A/C 5 ton outside unit has provisions for the Trane BAYKSKT252A start assist kit. This appears to be a standard 5-2-1 start capacitor, so I got a 5-2-1 4-5 ton kit, and looking at a picture of the kit it’s using a 135-162 MFD capacitor, where the 5-2-1 is using a 270-324MFD capacitor. Is this going to be a problem if I install the 5-2-1?


texts: Will a 12 AWG circuit handle a TIG welder rated at 28 amps when set for 220V?

texts: I bought a 110/220V TIG welder rated at 28 amps at 220V. Duty cycle varies with output. It has a 12 AWG power cord. Garage now has a 220V circuit with 12 AWG.


texts: Mount TV in stone facade or drill through to chimney block?

texts:
I'm mounting a television above my fireplace mantle. I know about the heat and neck strain issues, and they are outside the scope of this question. I am looking for an answer as to whether the stone facade will support the TV, or if I should drill through it to anchor the mount into the block of the chimney.

The stones in the facade are relatively thick, averaging 6" (15cm). They are laid and mortared in front of 1/2" (1.2cm) plywood sheets. The sheets are in front of the actual block of the chimney.

If I were to go, say, 3-4" (8-10cm) into the mortar and use concrete anchors, would that hold it? Or is this a better-safe-than-sorry situation, where I need to get some all thread rod (ATR) and go through the mortar and plywood, anchoring into the chimney blocks? If so, could anyone recommend anchors to put on the end of the ATR? Most of the anchors I see have the bolts already with them, and I'm not seeing any online that are 12"+ (30cm+) long.

Here are some pictures--first is the front of the facade, for reference. Stone is 8' (2.4m) wide, by maybe 12-14' (3.7-4.3m) tall. Note the power wire expertly run through the mortar just left of center.:

Looking in from the left, behind the facade. Note that same power cord coming through, for reference. The plywood sheet on the right of this picture is behind the stone facade:

Here is a profile picture of the facade, with tape measure for scale. Here you can see the stone facade from the side.:

I put up an album of full-resolution pics here: http://imgur.com/a/qpDue

If it's relevant, the house (and presumably the chimney) were constructed in 1976, 40 years ago.

Long time reader, first time poster. Please be gentle. :)

EDIT: The TV weighs 50 pounds with the stand. So I think 35-40 pounds is a fair estimate for the TV alone.


texts: Will a french drain help the runoff ditch in front of my house?

texts:
Like most rural yards I have a shallow runoff ditch between the road and my main yard. Over the whole 40 ft span the ground seems to slope in a consistent direction towards a larger common ditch/creek. But there are a few 1-2 ft spans of it that flatten and hold ~1 inch of water occasionally, causing the entire span to stay saturated.

The soil in the runoff ditch is clay so it's prone to saturation anyway. I wouldn't care much except for the fact that I need to mow the grass along this area, and 2 inches of clay mud isn't conducive to that. The soil does occasionally dry, but it can also go weeks as mud, especially in the spring.

Would a smooth-piped french drain with a fabric pipe sock & gravel help this situation? The saturated area is about 40 ft long and 3 ft wide.

I'd also like to get some thicker grass to grow there to help with evaporation, but not sure how much that will help the situation.


texts: Gas dryer vent install, how close to wall?

texts: I am installing a gas dryer, I understand all the requirements, but cannot find anything that addresses this question; my install comes out the back of the dryer and goes vertical about 4 ft, then turns 90 degrees to exit out the wall to the outside. But is there any requirement that states how close that vertical portion can be to the interior wall? That effects how far the dryer juts out into the room. My dryer installation manual specifies how close the dryer cabinet can be to adjacent walls, but not the vent pipe itself.


texts: I cant get my plugins in my room to work?

texts: This is not the first time that me and my mom have had to change the outlets in my bedroom because three of them were broken and needed to be fixed because every time i plugged something up in the one behind my headboard it would spark and one time I plugged something in wrong and it broke the breaker so we had to immediatly get them fixed. In 2017 my plugin behind my headboard and one at the far end of my bed stopped working all of a sudden, and we hadn't tried to fix them since. (same year during the summer my father and brother broke a plug in our hallway and we decided to change that one also.) So we started with the one in the hallway and we did it all and turned our breaker back on and it didn't work, we told one another that maybe that it wouldn't work because of mine being broken. (the hallway plugin and my headboard plugin are on the same wall together and same spot mostly) so we changed the one in my bedroom and i tried mine and then the hallways and it still did not work... Does anyone know what we did wrong or what could be wrong we are absolutely confused and frustrated. (By the way we had an electrition and he had fixed three plugs in my room and my light switch just to give that info) Please if anyone could give us some advice, thank you so much.


texts:
My water pressure almost stops every 30 seconds (I timed it while showering). This happens throughout the house. I have a well. We just bought the house, and we're new to wells. This morning it started doing this about every 5 seconds. Please help!
Thank you!


texts:
I have an old (mid 80s) Rheem gas furnace I hope will last me through at least one more California winter. It's been known to go down into the upper fifties, so it has its work cut out for it.

In any case, this is my furnace

Its breaker is on, and there's AC power to it, I've checked.
This is the switch through which its AC power comes in.
(bonus points for who can tell me what that little transformer looking thing below it does - is it related?)

I any case, after a remodel that involved moving the thermostat, I went to plug it back in, and it complained about there being no power on the Rh wire.
Troubleshooting led me back to the furnace itself. I measured DC between the terminals here, but they all read 0v not the 27v I read about and was expecting.

What can I do, am I even in the right place?


texts: If I apply for an electrical permit, will an inspector call me out for previous unpermitted work?

texts:
I want to do some electrical work in the house I just moved into (adding a 220V branch for a home shop) and do everything 100% aboveboard, with permits and all. I know that the previous homeowner did some unpermitted work in the house, however, and it will be obvious to an inspector (e.g. installing new branches with new, bright white romex vs. the old armored cable that runs the rest of the house.) Am I inviting trouble upon myself by having the inspector in? Is he/she going to tell me that I need to rip out all the old work? Or will they just inspect the work that I propose to do? Is it basically at the whim of the inspector?
I'm in upstate NY.


texts: Do I have to obtain a permit if an electrician does the work?

texts: I'm looking at installing a new 220V outlet in my home garage.  My town requires a permit for any alteration to an electrical system. Typically, if a certified electrician installs this for me do I still need to obtain a permit and have an inspection done?


texts: Using rj45 connectors for home alarm wiring

texts:
I'm setting up my home alarm (a dsc 1832) using cat5 cables (these were the closest I could find in my country to the specs recommended by the 1832 manual).
I've had to make some splits since the cat5 cables has 8 wires and most sensors only need 4, but joining each wire individually is a bit of a mess.
¿Would using rj45 connectors to join the wires have any drawbacks? I already have the rj45 crimper and tester so I'm hoping that could simplify the installation.
More context: Old house, there was a single pipe we could spare for networking, alarm and doorbell, and given the topology there was no choice but having to join some wires since we couldn't fit more cables in the pipe to run everything end to end. All concrete walls here, getting a new pipe in for cables is very expensive. RJ45 connectors are very very cheap.


texts: Adding recessed LEDs to existing ceiling fan/light circuit - where to tap?

texts: I'd like to add a couple 4" recessed LEDs to an existing fan/light circuit in my room.  The fan/light is controlled by a wall switch, and it also has a remote (fan does not turn on if switch is OFF).  I could use some help figuring out how/where to splice the LEDs into.  Does this need to be done in the ceiling box or in the attic?  There are three 'Romex' entering the ceiling box, as pictured.  I believe one goes to the closet, one to the switch, and one to the main (?). I've also attached photos of the fan wiring and switch.  Any help is much appreciated!


texts: Is it OK to use powdered graphite to lubricate a garage door opener?

texts:
I am about due to lubricate my garage door opener and related parts, and while I have some silicone lubricant, I was wondering if I could be doing better.

The can I have says it's good for all parts (springs, tracks, rollers, chain and screws), but lately, I've heard about powdered graphite as a highly effective lubricant, and was wondering, since it's safe for extreme temps and bonds to a variety of materials, if it would be safe to use on any or all parts of my garage door system?


texts: Air in cold water line from well. How do we replace the check valve?

texts: Reading this question, I suspect we have a bad check valve. How can we tell and how do I replace it? I have a submersible pump in a 100ft deep well and a pressure tank in my basement with a single PVC line coming from the well.  Bill


texts:
I have breaker that is 20 amps and is a 12 gauge copper wire that leads out of the box. Somewhere along the line in my upper crawl space it connects to a 14 gauge copper wire? What is the best way for me to find out where this connection has been made? Yes?

I have checked my whole house when I been replacing receptacles and switches and even the junction box except for the upper crawl space. What is the best way to trace this type of problem. If you used a multimeter it won't tell you if the gauge of wire is 14 or 12? Is there an instrument for tracing this kind of problem and identifying where the two 14 and 12 copper gauge wire meets--if not what would you suggest. Yes getting an electrician would be last resort but besides that I'm curious on what you guys and gals do when this happens.  I'm sure it has to be a wire nut connection somewhere in the upper crawl space. This connection happened some 7 years ago when I had a new box installed but never checked the labeling until recently. This particular breaker actually connects to bedrooms and some hall lights. Thank u Larry


texts:
My friend is planning on installing some security cameras on the outside of his house and I'll be helping him. I have a few questions:

How do we avoid drilling through wires and pipes? Is there a rule-of-thumb for were these are normally located in the walls?
Should we use a long drill-bit to go all the way through to the inside?
What is an easy way to route cables (data and power) from the outside into the inside of the house?
Are plain old wood screws good enough to mount the camera securely to the outside? Or should we use something extra for mounting?

We've never done this before, so any advice is appreciated.


texts:
I have a bathroom that needs to be gutted and re-done, but for now it has a mirror attached to the wall and someone has stuck wood around it that is supposed to look like barn wood. It is very thin and finished on one side and gives the look of a frame around it, which improves the appearance even though it doesn't go with the house.

The problem is that the top board falls off. It is obvious that a previous owner has used wood glue to try to glue it up, but it has fallen down.

When company is coming, like this weekend, we typically use high adhesive duct tape and I make a loop like we did in grade school. I do this the length of the board and stick it to the mirror. For some reason, this has worked decreasingly over the last couple of years and now it will only hold for a couple of hours. (Maybe the age of the tape? Can't figure that out.)

Does anyone have a suggestion how I can attach this thing and keep it up so that it will look presentable until we get around to remodeling?


texts: Figure out if I have gas or electric heating

texts:
I have a year 2000 house in Bay Area California. The Honeywell RTH2520 thermostat that came with the house doesn't work anymore because the metal things on the side of the AA batteries became aqua colored and corroded. So I'm replacing it with a Honeywell RTHL2310B. This new thermostat asks me to flip a switch to gas or electric. I looked at the back of the old one and it doesn't have a switch at all. I don't know which type of heating/cooling I have in my house. How to I figure out?

The old existing wiring:

Left: New. Right: old.


texts: Unplugged alarm panel - battery died - keypad says low battery

texts:
I have a honeywell alarm panel that I believe trickle charges a 12v 4ah casil lead-acid battery.  The panel and battery are ~2 years old.  It was unplugged while doing a drywall repair and the battery was fully drained of power.  I've plugged in back in but the system is saying low battery.  Will the trickle charge be able to charge the battery back up and if so how long should I expect this to take?
If I can't expect it to charge up from trickle charging what other options do I have?
Thank you !


texts: In our plant valves are installed at BFW and SHS lines in opposite direction as mentioned on the valve body.Do this will create problem in future?? Valves are globe and gate type sizes are ranging from half to 4 inches


texts:
Earlier today my kitchen light switch fell apart.
I picked up a replacement and weird it as best I could comparing the terminals on the old switch
The kitchen has two lights on a 2 gang switch. Now one of the lights is on and off I flip one of the switches it goes out and the other comes on. Second switch does nothing.
There is a red wire, grey, blue & yellow plus a red common wire that was bridged between the two common terminals.
Edit picture added


texts: How can I prevent water trail stains on bathroom drywall?

texts:
In an upstairs bathroom, I found these water trail stains on a wall.

There's no plumbing behind the wall so I imagine these are from humidity.

What I'm curious about is whether there's any way to prevent such stains from occurring. Is there a special type of paint, or a water-resistant drywall, that can prevent this?


texts:
We have a relatively new house (built in 2002) with a cold storage room under the poured concrete porch.  There is a door with full weatherstripping leading to it.

We'd really like to close it off (it has two vents to the outside) and turn it into a storage room (unheated), but not open to the outside to help control humidity levels.  It's a relatively dry room (no pooling of water or anything).

What's the best way to close off the two vents that go outside?  They are about 6 inches in diameter and about 8 inches deep (from memory, it may be more).  Or should they not be closed off?


texts: What Condition Can Concrete Be In And Be Recycled?

texts:
I have a basement slab that I'm going to be breaking up and sending to a recycler. Here's what I would like to avoid:

The concrete being rejected at the site of recycling
The concrete causing some problems with the recycler's facilities

Both are admittedly unlikely, but I'm a worrier. In my basement I have carpet pads that I will be removing to access the slab, and those pads were attached to the concrete with what I assume was construction adhesive several decades ago. I'm wondering how clean I need to get the concrete to be able to get it accepted for recycling.

I asked the recycling facility this question, but didn't get an answer. Anyone know?


texts:
Code jurisdiction: USA, current NEC and IBC with no addendums or modifications relevant to residential construction.

I am wiring up an outbuilding to the house and using 1" PCV conduit for the exterior run, buried 18". I would like to use EMT on the inside to join with existing wiring. Interior is exposed in both buildings and will not be covered by drywall or anything else. Wires will be #12 THWN.

How do I join the two types of conduit correctly?

Here is what I was thinking:

On the outside, a 1" PVC conduit body in this configuration:

On the inside, a deep EMT junction box with a hole cut out in its "bottom," the side opposite the cover. If I cannot find one with a hole large enough, I would punch one out.
Use a hole saw to cut a round hole through the exterior walls of both structures. The conduit body and EMT junction box would sit on either side of the hole, with caulk on the outside to prevent water ingress to the building.
There needs to be a short piece of something between the two boxes, inside the wall, to protect the wires. This is where I am stumped. What goes between the boxes to protect the wires that is code-compliant? Clearly, some type of conduit, even if only a few inches long. However, I cannot cement PCV to EMT, and I have been unable to find any unions or other adapters to get a secure connection on both ends.

Note: this is for a single 120V/20A branch circuit. I will not be wiring a subpanel, in case that is relevant to anything. I am using such a large conduit for no reason other than ease of pulling wires. I also have a GFCI breaker and am aware of the 360 rule: this is why I am using conduit bodies and minimizing elbows in the trench.


texts: How to reseal wiring coming through roof after adding an additional coax drop

texts:
My AC condenser unit is on the roof. The wiring and refrigerant lines run through a PVC pipe in the roof. That pipe is sealed with what looks like some sort of foam product:

I would like to put a TV antenna on the roof and was thinking that using this existing PVC pipe channel would be the best way out to the roof. I can just follow the existing lines and create another hole through this grey foam.

My primary question is: what sort of product is this and/or what sort of product would be best to use to "reseal" the area where I push the coax through?

Secondarily: Is there any reason I should not run the coax out this way?

Here are some additional photos:


texts: Wiring a bathroom fan/light with only one neutral wire

texts:
I bought a new light/ fan combo to replace and old one in a bathroom. This new fixture has those connectors that are plug and play, so to speak.  You simply plug the appropriate color wire from the cable into the corresponding hole in the wiring harness for the fixture.

The catch is that I have a ground, two hots and one neutral (12-3?)and the harness has a spot for each of them plus an extra white (neutral) that of course my cable doesn't have.  Seeing as my old fan/light was wired with the same house wire, should I cut the harness to splice together the two neutrals, or somehow branch/split the neutral and plug into the harness?

If branching/splitting is the recommended course of action, how do I do that?


texts: Identify shower brand (circle with two lines inside)

texts:
I'm trying to identify this shower brand to replace a cartridge. There are no other markers on the shower except a symbol at the front. The symbol is a circle with two vertical lines in the middle, the left hand line leaning forward.

Is anyone able to identify it and point me in the direction of spares? It was installed around ten years ago. Thanks in advance for any help!


texts:
I've taking an extra layer of bricks from the front of my fireplace. I want to replace the fronting with marble. The original surface is really rough. My question is should I apply a mortar to smooth out existing front and then put the marble on that, or should I just apply concrete board then put the marble on that?

This is a working fireplace that's approximately 80 years old.


texts: Is it unsafe to use an appliance that infrequently trips its circuit?

texts:
In my apartment I have a freestanding electrical oven/cooktop appliance. It was there when we started renting the unit and it certainly looks old, but I don't know how old it actually is.

For two months we used it regularly and had no problems. Then, one night, all the power went out while we were using the stovetop. The "Oven" switch had flicked off on our board, so I flicked it back on... but still no power. We went downstairs beneath the building to the electrical room and saw the master switch for our apartment had also flicked off. Flicked it back on, power restored.

Another month passed with no further problems. Then, last night, we had the exact same thing happen again. Doesn't appear to be tied to a particular element on the cooktop as we always use the same ones.

Is it unsafe to keep using this appliance? We currently can't afford to replace it.

And, as a side question, why would it present a problem so infrequently? I've never seen this before.


texts:
I'm going to be installing a TV antenna with a mast.

I want to make sure I ground everything properly. As far as I can tell, I need to ground the antenna via the coax and a grounding block, and then ground the mast separately.

My house was built in 1969 and has no ground rod. The breaker box is in the center of the house and has a ground wire wound round a cold water pipe in a crawl space. This is nowhere near my antenna installation.

I have cable internet. The coax from this is attached to a grounding block, which is in turn attached to the thermal expansion outlet pipe from my tankless water heater.

It seems I have two options. The first is to follow Comcast's lead and use the thermal expansion outlet pipe for everything. The second is to buy one (or two?) ground rods and use them instead.

Which one is correct? Or are neither correct?

Edit: here's a plan view of the current situation:


texts: If black mold is discovered underneath the siding, does that necessarily imply interior air quality problems?

texts:
Consider this video.
Without a vapor barrier, this home will accumulate black mold on the plywood on the exterior of the home.

My Question:

  Does black mold on the exterior of a home necessarily imply air quality problems on the inside of the home?

Reason for my question:

I suspect that vapor barriers are a recent invention.

And if they are, then I doubt that all homes built without a vapor barrier necessarily have black mold and air quality problems on the inside.

Am I correct?


texts: Wiring for humidifier to Goodman gmpn080-4 furnace

texts: I have a Goodman gmpn080-4 furnace and am installing a Skuttle 190-1 humidifier. Where do I wire the two wires from the humidistat to the furnace? I see a 24v HUM screw on the board, but not sure where to place the other wire.


texts: Why was the ground for this fluorescent fixture not connected to the ballast?

texts:
I just purchased a set of fluorescent fixtures that are fitted with a plug to connect to a standard 3-prong receptacle.  My intention is to replace the plug with Romex cable, and wire the fixture directly into a switched-controlled circuit.

When I disassembled the fixture I noticed the plug's ground wire was attached to the fixture chassis via a screw, while the live and neutral attached to the ballast.  However, the ballast has a terminal for live, neutral, and ground wires (see photo), which is confusing.  Why not just attach the all plug wires directly to the ballast?

I suspect this happened because the plug ground wire is stranded and that it may not make good contact with the spring-loaded terminals on the ballast.  In any case, is my plan to connect the three Romex wires directly to the ballast sound?


texts: Why am I reading low AC voltage on my garage opener light?

texts:
The light on my BuildMark opener won't come on. The door works well, and both the light button and the safety sensors trip the relay for the light.  A check with the AC voltmeter shows 15 VAC when the relay trips and 0 VAC when it resets.  I've tried twisting the bulb back and forth several times  to see if oxidation is the problem, but that doesn't change anything.

I know the bulb is good (tested in other fixtures).  Something is causing a low voltage at the bulb fixture.
Suggestions?


texts: Is it safe to substitute a 10-gauge wire for ground strap on dryer?

texts:
I am backfitting a dryer with a 3-prong plug.
The manual says to connect the body to the neutral terminal using a copper ground strap.
I don't have a ground strap and none of the stores around carry them.
Is it safe to use a 10-gauge solid copper wire in place of the ground strap?

Model #: GE DCVH515EF0WW

The negative terminal is about 2 inches away from the grounding screw on the dryer body. I folded a 4-inch, bare, 10-gauge, solid copper wire into a long U. I fitted the U around the grounding screw and put the tips of the U under the screw at the negative terminal. This results in two 10-gauge segments that can carry current from the body to ground.


texts:
I looked at an earlier set of answers that seem to apply to this situation, but they are not quite the same and the question is different.
I have a large pin that is threaded on one end. It is 1" dia and about 3" long. It holds a very large blade onto a stump jumper on a brush cutter. I worked very diligently with a 1-5/8" 3/4" breaker bar with a 5' long cheater bar in an attempt to remove them on the machine. I think I applied a torque of about 700 lbs-ft just pulling on it and about 1000 lbs-ft by putting my whole weight on it and trying to 'jerk' it to bust it loose. I was unable to do so and decided to remove the entire assembly to take to my shop. In the shop, I have applied WD-40 again (as I had for several days in the field) and used a 1000 # air wrench to try to get it off.

Finally I applied over several hours a 1/3 part acetone to 2/3 transmission oil to both nuts. After over night, I still was unable to break the nuts loose so I heated one with a torch to almost red (I could see the color from the heat). After waiting an hour for it to cool down, I was able to get it off with the air wrench (1-5/8" socket). So I tried again on the other one. I could not get it off, so I heated it as I had the first one. After some more bashing with the air wrench, it too came off.

I was told that I could just use a large drift to drive these bolts out of the bar material that they are mounted through - nope. I tried that, no effect. So I put one of the nuts two-thirds back on the bolt. I hit it with a hammer using a 2x4 for protection. Broke the 2x4 after a couple of whacks. Finally I went after it with the hammer directly with just another piece of metal between, then with a 5 lb sledge - no dice.

Now I'm stuck, I used a press arrangement to jack down on the bolts with the nut part way installed. I applied about 3000# directly to each of the nuts with the bolt head above the ground - neither bolt will budge. I then heated the area around the bolt with an acetylene torch, trying to not heat up the bolt. I was unable to get it very hot, but it was quite hot - the bolts are still tight.

The bolts are flat headed (2" in dia head) with a 1-1/2" dia x 5/8" high step for the blade. The shank of the bolt is 1" with all of that 1" part out of the material on the opposite side from the blade. The part of the bolt's shank that is in the other material appears to be larger about 1-1/4" thick. It might be keyed, that is, with a swaged portion about a half inch long and 3/16" thick that goes into a notch in the material. Cannot tell if the bolt has turned, but it will not budge when I try to turn it with a pipe wrench.

The material the bolt goes through is 1" thick with another 1/4" plate around the hole. There was a lot of corrosion in the hole which I dug out and attempted to break loose using a screwdriver and the acetone/transmission fluid mix (ran out of WD-40 anyway).  Then I heated the bolt head and shank from one side and the other so that they were both red-hot (dull red) so now I am about to bash on that thing with hammer and if it won't come out, I'll cut it into pieces with the torch and drive it out, and pay $30 apiece for new bolts and nuts. One way or another I'll get it out of there. I don't want to do that because the identical bolts might not be easily obtained. I have found something that looks similar, but I cannot tell for sure.

Question is - what should I have done when all else failed?

BTW my experience here suggests that the heating of the nut was essential to its removal.

Update: I was able to get the bolts out - they had turned part way into the slot that the bolts had a 1/2" long key swaging to fit into. After the heating and letting it sit in the transmission oil over night, I just rapped on them and out they came.

I have been using the machine all summer without problems in that area anyway.


texts: Why did my wall-mounted garage door opener button stop working?

texts:
Yesterday, my wall-mounted garage door opener was working fine. Today, the opener is not working. There is no green light or any other sign of it working. I tried pressing it a few times but no response.

The opener still works with the remote outside the garage to enter.

I opened the button and touched both wires together as mentioned in another post but that didn't open the garage door.


texts: Plywood repair - subfloor prepartion - subfloor leveling

texts:
I am installing 2000 sq ft of engineered wood flooring.  Some pieces of plywood are missing portions of the top layer.  The plywood is 5/8" for 5 x 1/8" layers - I am not worried about strength.  How do you typically fill the portions that are missing.

I've added some example images - some of the worst.  Let's assume that over 2000 sq ft.  There are 100 knot holes that should be filled, 40 areas that are missing some portion of lamination.

Replacing portions of the plywood for something like this would require cutting a new piece, removing the old piece carefully including trying to get it off the joist without destroying the joists as the ply is glued to the joist, and re-installing the new piece.  Possibly also require sistering the joists depending on how the interior walls fall and where the patch was going to go.  This is certainly a lot more work than whipping up a batch of thinset and screeding it into the areas needing filling.

I appreciate that using something like PL could fill the areas but I need the floor flat for the hardwood installation.  It can vary by 1/4" over 10' and I can't remember the number for shorter distances but I want it really flat.  I don't think filling with PL and then trying to sand would work.  I need a production level technique.

For some of these I've used a modified thinset (for extra flexibility/strength).  It mixes quick, installs quick and seems to be easy enough to screed level with the floor (it might shrink a small amount and be shy of the floor surface but I think that is reasonable.

If you read books on hardwood flooring like

Wood Flooring: A Complete Guide to Layout, Installation & Finishing

by Peterson.  He suggests that "manufacturers" have a liquid filler to repair plywood.  I wasn't able to find one.

I've also had someone say wood filler.  The wood filler I've used is fairly viscous and would take a lot more time to fill in the missing space in the plywood than thinset.  I am also not sure the wood filler would be any better - will it adhere better, flex better?  Certainly easier to sand flat if needed but a lot more labor intensive to install.

How should the areas that require filling be prepared?  Would you take a wire brush and vacuum and then prime them?  If using a thinset should you apply a latex primer to the area first?

I am looking for best practice for this kind of issue.  I am sure it is common but maybe there just is no standard approach and people just 1/2 ass it.

Maybe some of the larger areas in the pictures below should be patched?  I am not sure where the line is for patching vs filling.

Thank you!

]
]


texts: How much weight can my garage's ceiling joists support?

texts: I've got a detached garage which was built in the 1940s and I'm trying to figure out whether it's safe to add an attic ladder and use the attic space for storage. The ceiling joists are 2x6 [pine/fir], spaced 16" OC, and span 20 ft. The wide span makes me bit wary about putting heavy items up there or installing a ladder.


texts:
Whenever I get a roll of packing tape, I hook the tape under the little teeth underneath the blade (pictured).

Yet somehow, after I rip off a couple pieces of tape, the excess escapes from the teeth and falls back onto the spool, seemingly disappearing . You know this feeling.

I then spend a few minutes hunting for the break, and then much wasted tape, pulling tiny strands into medium strands, medium strands into full-width ones, until I finally have the tape pulled back through the teeth.

This continues.

Of course, when storing my packing tape, I make sure to fold over a quarter inch or so, making it easy to restart the roll. But no such strategy is viable during usage.

What gives?

Is there some secret to packing tape I am missing? I find it hard to believe that after so many years of packing and taping, run-of-the-mill packing-tape spool manufacturers haven't made any progress in this field. Contrast with Scotch tape dispensers.

Simple, usable, frustration-free, for the most part. Sure, they're far from perfect, but you don't get tape fallback every couple of pieces.

Is there a similar invention for packing tape? Am I doing something wrong, some secret of packing tape that has escaped me all this time?

Please help. I am moving out of my apartment this weekend, and have many a box to tape.


texts: Russian motor from washing machine with 4 wires coming out. How to use for windmill generator?

texts:
I've just pulled apart an old russian washing machine to extract a couple of motors to use as in windmill generators I'm making. I don't know much about motors, so I'm kinda new to this but want to learn about it.

One motor has 4 wires coming out of it. 1 wire is copper, the other 3 I think are aluminium. The copper wire has red insulation, there's another red one, a black and a blue. There is also a 5th wire connected to the body which I'd guess is ground/earth.

I've read a few posts around the place like testing with a multimeter the resistance between the wires to find pairs.

The resistance between:

Red(copper) & red(aluminium) wires: 19.2ohms
Red(copper) & black: 1.4megaohms
Red(copper) & blue: 1.3megaohms
Red(aluminium) & black: .9megaohms
Black and blue: 51.2ohms
Red(aluminum) and blue: 1megaohms

So from what I've learned, whatever pair has the least resistance is connected to the Armature and therefore, the other 2 are for the field. In my case then, red and red are armature (brush?), black and blue are field

What I'm curious to know is, how would I connect these wires for using it as a generator? I saw a video of a guy connecting the 4 wires into 2 to 'induce some voltage' as he says.

If I connect mine the same (2 red wires together, and black and blue together) then connect it to a multimeter to test volts and give the motor a spin, I can see it's creating a AC voltage, but not much (.02v). I'm not using a drill. If I switch it to testing DC voltage, nothing changes when I turn the motor. So I'm assuming it is an AC motor but I really don't know. How can I be sure?

BTW, these are the details from what I've gathered reading the russian
180v, 1.5a, and I think 1350RPM. Here's a photo(s) if you happen to be able to read this:

Any tips for this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks


texts: Will galvanized metal conduit balusters resist rust?

texts: I'd like to use galvanized metal conduit as deck balusters with pressure-treated lumber. Will the bare metal resist rust? If not, is there an inexpensive way to improve its rust resistance?


texts: I just bought a house that has a stone fireplace but the facing was actually covered up with faux veneer. I want to hang up my 65 inch TV on it, how would I go about that?  any help is appreciated!


texts: Installing panel off the meter box through 60A breaker

texts:
I am installing a 60 amp (main lug) panel (240v) from the meter panel 75 feet. I plan to use copper buried in PVC conduit using 3- #6 thhn and one bare solid #8 ground.  I will install 2 grounding rods 10' apart in the detached building. I see lots of sub-panel installation info. How is the grounding to be connected and what precautions (if any) should I take when connecting the neutral?
Any additional advice is greatly appreciated.
I want to have everything ready for the inspector. Thank you.


texts: I am upgrading an undersized bathroom fan that is 50 CFM and has (possibly) a 3" to 4" exhaust pipe. The new fan, which is 150 CFM requires a 6" exhaust pipe. Do I need to rip out the existing vent pipe and replace everything with 6" (including the roof vent) or can I get by putting a vent reducer (from 6" to 4")?


texts:
I would like to install smoke detector in the basement, which has the following layout:

    +----------------------------------------+
    |                                        |
  Small           Living Area                |
  Window                                     |
    |                                        |
    +---+       +---------------+------------+
    |     Utility Room          |      |-----|
    |  (furnace, washer,        |      |-----|
    |   hot water tank)         |      |---- |
    +---------------------------+------------+

The right bottom box indicates stairs to upper level. So my question is: where is the best spot to install a smoke detector? Is it right next to the stairs, e.g. to the left or right, or in front of the stairs, or closer to the utility room?


texts: Should I replace my 30 AMP with a 40 amp circuit breaker for a new glass radiant heat cooktop?  Now I have 30 amp just for the glass cooktop. Best Buy recommended I use a 40 amp after a pre-installation check-up.


texts: Why is neutral wired to ground at this switch?

texts: I was looking to add an outlet near my light switch in the garage.  When I opened the box for the switch I noticed that the neutral is wired to the ground.  In the picture of the switch, the top wire screwed to the switch is the only hot wire in the box.  Its hard to see but it comes from bottom right corner and the neutral from that same wire is wired to the ground.  The wire at the top was stabbed all the way in to the back of the switch and i pulled out to test it which is why it is out.  The second picture is the garage light.  Two sets of wires coming in to the box.  Have never seen anything like this.  Did some reading on this site and couldn't find the same scenario.  Any help on explaining why this is set up this way is appreciated.


texts: Can I repair this dent on a finished surface?

texts:
I have a closet door that has a finished surface (melamine panel?). Unfortunately, I dented it with the bed and now there's a giant dent and some break in the wood.

Is there a way to fix this or is it to the point of unrepairable? If it is repairable, any suggestions or recommendations as to the best way to fix it?


texts:
Sorry for the weird question, but here goes.
I am planning to install an electrical, tanked water heater.
For the inlet, I will screw a pressure relief valve directly in the cold water pipe, and screw the inlet pipe of the water heater to it:

This type of device will automatically drain the water when the pressure gets too high.
For the outlet, I have been advised to plug a tap like this directly into the hot water pipe, and the outlet pipe of the water heater into it :

I was surprised to be recommended a connection that has a 90 degrees angle, with a valve. Why not a simple straight connection? Does the 90degrees angle matter? If so, why?
Knowing that my water heater will be higher than the connection, should this angled connection face up or down?
In addition, I was thinking of adding a pressure meter just before this outlet connection, so that I can monitor the pressure myself and make sure there's no excess pressure going into my pipes (they are old and I am terrified of the work involved if they burst). Is that reasonable or will that create issues?


texts: How should I fix incomplete insulation on a skylight shaft?

texts:
I recently bought a house and am looking at doing improvements and repairs, but unfortunately I don't have a lot of experience or knowledge in such things.  We had a home inspector look over the place and he noted the lack of insulation on one side of the skylight shaft and provided the pictures shown here:

I wanted to pass my current plan by some people on here before proceeding...

I was planning on placing batting up against the bare wall (which already seems to have a vapour barrier there against the drywall) and then using vapour barrier sheets to hold it in place by stapling the barrier into the studs visible in the photos.  I'd then tape the sheets of vapour barrier together.  This is what was suggested to me at the hardware store I bought the materials from.  Is it daft, good, acceptable, or something else?


texts: Plumbing cuts through five studs. Is ok?

texts:
My kitchen remodel is in progress.  After ripping out existing cabinets we found that the plumbing for the sink drain cuts through a total of 7 studs, more than 50% through each (see photos).  Contractor and I were originally worried that these were load supporting -- why else use 5 together?   But contractor went into the attic, and said based on rafters this is not load barring.  Consequently they are going to leave the existing situation.  Next room has vaulted ceilings, and there is quite a bit of structure in the attic to support/implement that.

Should I replace the studs and somehow route the plumbing around, or is it ok as pictured?


texts: Where should my humidistat on my whole house humidifier be located

texts:
I have a Trion cm200 installed on my air handler up in the attic of my house.  Toward the end of 2018 I had an entire electric system installed in my house (duct work, air handler and outside condenser ) . Did away with the old oil burning radiator system.   I decided to have them install a humidifier while they were at it.   Keep in mind all this was done while house was under construction. I was not living there at the time.

The first time I used the humidifier, i set it to roughly 40% because the humidistat has a guide on the front that says what percentage to set the humidity in comparison to the outdoor temperature.  At the time was roughly 10-20° outside for a couple weeks.  The next day my hallway ceiling was leaking. The humidifier ran so much that the air handler actually took water in and was just dripping non stop.  I shut it off. cleaned it up then a couple weeks later I tried it again. Same thing happened.  I did not call the installers back because they were friends of mine and (“ I got what I paid for”). Also I don’t think the installer was that familiar with installing a humidifier.  However they did a great job with the rest of the system.  I shut the humidifier off for the rest of the season.

Summer passed. AC worked great.  This winter 2019-2020 is here and we been running the heat with no humidifier because I was nervous.  About 3 weeks ago I decided to give it a try. I turned it up slightly to 10% on the humidistat And the humidity in the house changed slightly from 25% to low 30% after a few days. So after that I cranked it up to about 15% on the humidistat and let it go from there. I would gradually check my Nest thermostats. (I have 2 zones. 1 on first floor other on second floor). The house was hovering anywhere from 37%-42%. So I figured it was working properly.  I noticed I been waking up the past few days with a very dry nose.  The thermostats are reading 25% again...

So here I am no seeking help. It seems like I read elsewhere that the return vent is a good location for the humidistat.  Mine is on the return but it’s after the humidifier in the flow of air. So it’s like this.  (Return air —> humidifier —> humidistat—> air handler—> vents)  I’m wondering if the humidistat is getting false readings because it may be after the humidifier but I don’t know if that’s why. Just a thought.   Also another question is. Can I bypass the humidistat and run the humidifier off my nest?  I do have spare wire running to the thermostat.  I will attach a photo bellow. The arrows indicate air flow

Thank you in advanced for info


texts: Wiring question from EMT to opposite side of wall

texts:
I have 3 THHN wires in EMT conduit surface mounted to one side of a wall, and I want to connect this to existing NM-B that runs to an box and outlet in the other side of the wall.
I plan on using a junction box to make the transition from THHN to NM-B. How do I make the connections from EMT to j-box? Can I simply use a knockout in the back of the j-box to have the NM-B make its exit and use the j-box as the cover for the hole into the wall?


texts: How far does a ground rod need to be from the foundation?

texts:
I need to ground an antenna strapped to my chimney, which requires hammering in a new ground rod.

However, the entire side of my house is paved, meaning I can't dig it up to find the foundation footing; I'll need to drill a hole to drive in the rod.

How far should the ground rod be from the side of the house so it doesn't hit the footing? (This is especially a concern because it'll be right next to the chimney stack.)

Also, please keep any answers to code (NFPA 70), as I need it to be able to pass inspection. If it is of any relevance, the house was built in 1942.


texts: Why are the inside diameters of some pipe larger than the stated size?

texts:
I'm looking over some specifications for black pipe. I understand why dimensional lumber is smaller than the stated dimensions, but why would the pipe manufacturers give you more volume than what is expected?

Does anyone know the history on this?

     Size   |     O. D.     |      I. D.    |   Wall Thickness
==================================================================
    1/4 in  |   0.540 in    |   0.364 in    |   0.0880 in
    3/8 in  |   0.675 in    |   0.493 in    |   0.0910 in
    1/2 in  |   0.840 in    |   0.622 in    |   0.1090 in
    3/4 in  |   1.050 in    |   0.824 in    |   0.1130 in
      1 in  |   1.315 in    |   1.049 in    |   0.1330 in
   1.25 in  |   1.660 in    |   1.380 in    |   0.1400 in
   1.50 in  |   1.900 in    |   1.610 in    |   0.1450 in

...and so on.....


texts: How long a horizontal run will a condensate pump support?

texts:
I have the model 21786 condensate pump described below. The specs say it can push the water up 16' using a 3/8" PVC pipe.
Does this mean it will do it in any possible direction (my case 8' to the ceiling and then the remaining in the ceiling horizontally?
I am considering buying a 20' one as that will be enough to get the water across the hallway in a bathroom where I have the ceiling open and I can control the slope of a drain that I could build there.
Preliminary testing with the 16' model is not conclusive and I am having difficulties with building a properly sloped drain in the ceiling. Along the joists there is insulation and I can't reach that area to make room for the PEX pipe I am using so I can slope it properly. I guess the only solution is to use such a 3/8" PVC pipe and a more powerful pump that will at least push the water to the area where I can control the slope of a drain that I could build.


texts: Insulation exposed behind face of my fireplace

texts:
I recently had my house inspected and this was identified. I don't know if the previous owners used this fireplace regularly but it looks like the insulation between the face of the fireplace is exposed to the fire pit of my fireplace. What sort of suggestions should I take to cover this up?
Thanks.


texts: epoxy grout in contact with regular sanded cement grout

texts: We don't have a floor threshold between the bathroom floor and the corridor. is it a bad idea to grout the bathroom floor with epoxy grout and the rest regular grout? what happens if the epoxy grout gets mixed with cement grout during the work? the guys do not want to wait till the epoxy entirely dry then grout it.


texts:
Purchased a home and several of the upstairs rooms have a single pole switch that connects to one of the outlets. I wish to dissolve that association and install a ceiling light. The final result would achieve:

Switch controls on/off of ceiling light (single-pole swtich)
Outlet switch was previously connected to is always live and switch won't affect

I haven't gotten into the wiring yet but what  should I roughly expect my circuit to look like? I'm assuming source comes in to the outlet and not the switch and additional outlets in the room are loaded from that initial outlet. Or is it typical to have source running top down so it will appear at the switch first?
When I can I'll take out switch and associated outlet to see how the wiring appears.


texts:
I have a faucet from an old house (Over 20 Years Old) and am having issues with the sink leaking. This isn't a problem because I'm familiar with how to fix it (Replace Rubber Washer) and have diagnosed (By turning the water valves at the bottom of the sink) that the leak only happens when the hot water valve is open, and doesn't when the cold water valve is open.

Everything was going great until a couldn't get the nut for the stem off. It requires a lot of force, and makes the entire faucet assembly shift in response to the required force. I figured that I should find out if I'm doing anything wrong first before going full primate on it. The faucet (Minus the handle and underside of the sink are posted below.)

On the underside of the sink, there appear to be threads and that white thing there. Should I loosen them first?


texts: New range with old time wiring.the aluminum has 2 jacketed wires and 1 raw aluminum and the range requires red black and white

texts: I have 3 cdrs 6 aluminum wire on a 40 amp breaker and my new range reguires 3 wire 6 to a 50.Is there anything i can do temporarily to use my range.


texts: Home Network Interference on Cat6 Unshielded cable

texts:
Background:
I live in a level two apartment and want to get WiFi in my individual lockup basement garage and install a security camera.
I have pulled a Cat6 UTP cable to the garage via the services shaft being careful to avoid some of the mains cables. At a few sections in the shaft they cross over one another and are very close together. For the majority of the run (100 feet in total) in the shaft they are about 12 inches apart with other building network cables except for the situations already mentioned where they are close to one another.
Problem:
I cant seem to get any network connection in the garage to the router in my apartment using the new Cat 6 cable and I suspect interference from the AC mains cables.
I have tested each of the four pairs to ensure integrity of the cable by terminating each pair end and got a complete circuit to ensure I did not accidentally break / cut the cable during pull through.
Question:
Assuming that the interference is from the Mains cables (or other devices in the ceiling void I can't see) is it likely that the interference would be reduced or eliminated if I were to replace the Cat6 UTP with Cat6 Shielded cable ?


texts: Inspector told me to match breaker size to appliance

texts:
questioning what an electrical inspector told me and hoping for a bit more detail.
Back story:
I installed a hot tub in my backyard (NYC, NY) and hired an electrician to run a 208V circuit out to it. I asked the electrician to run 6AWG cable in rigid conduit. The heater + pump only pull ~32A, but I wanted some wiggle room in case I want to add extra lights, audio system, etc to the hot tub. Since 6AWG can support up to 55A, I've got a 50A GFCI breaker
guarding this circuit.
Inspector comes, and says we need to swap the breaker to a 35A breaker because he needs to "match the breaker size to the appliance current". The inspector says this is a code requirement. Is this true? Seems incorrect (but what do I know). I'm pretty sure the breakers protect the wire from frying (not the appliances). I fact, I could install a circuit and have nothing plugged into the recepticals...how is that not in violation of "matching the breaker size to the appliance current"? Maybe the difference is that the hot tub is hard wired in (not plugged into a receptical)?
Anyways, I cannot contact the inspector again since he told me he will not answer any follow up emails. I called the electrician who did the work and the
electrician told me, yes, it is a code requirement, but told me he does not have the patience to tell me which code it is and hung up on me (great).
Can anyone shed some light here?


texts: Should I insulate a garage when converting it to a workshop?

texts:
I am wanting to convert my garage in to a workshop and i wanted to know how important it is to insulate the walls so i am never working in freezing or roasting conditions.

I am in the UK so our weather isn't usually extreme.

What suggestions on how, or if, i should insulate?

It is breezeblock constructed with brick on the outside. The door is a regular thin metal garage door.


texts:
I need to remove about 100m² of ceramic tiles, mostly floor tiles. We have floating concrete floors and brick walls. At the moment I have a Bosch rotary hammer (SDS Plus, about 3Joule impact energy).
Is that enough or should I better get an SDS-Max hammer?


texts: Can I add/install overhead kitchen cabinets without a wall?

texts:
Setup

In my current kitchen, I have a semi-decent (yet always inadequate) amount of cabinet space. I would like to add some overhead cabinets over the peninsula. However, being a peninsula, there is no wall to which I could mount or anchor the cabinets.

Restrictions

To make matters more interesting, the ceiling is vaulted, from roughly 8 feet at the lowest point (exterior wall) to 13 feet at the end of the peninsula.

As a further restriction, attic access to most of that portion of the attic is impossible due to the shape of the roof over that section of ceiling.

Question

Do I have any (relatively simple) options as far as installation and mounting? I imagine I could create a wall on the back side of the peninsula, or find a way to mount/hang supports down from the roof joist. Could I mount them (using support beams) on top of the current cabinets? If so, I presume that could get in the way of replacing the countertops down the line (if not done correctly).


texts: Minimum height of step between two interior rooms

texts:
I'm trying to figure out the minimum safe (and code compliant) height of an interior step between a kitchen and mudroom. I'm pretty sure 7 3/4" is roughly the max height but is there a minimum height specified?  This is for a remodel. The height of the kitchen is fixed but I am replacing all floor framing in the mudroom so I can basically set it at whatever height I want. Headroom in the mudrooom requires a step of at least 2" but that is certainly a trip hazard.

I figure a step of 5" to 7" is OK but what about 3" or 4"? At what height does it go from step to trip hazard?

Thanks! I'd prefer to avoid asking the code official any unnecessary questions. He rarely gives me a helpful answer.


texts:
So I asked a long-winded version of this question in another thread, but haven't really received any good responses yet. I'm going to condense and try again...

There is an 8" duct feeding a 6x12 register in my kitchen, that I need to relocate. By doing nothing else, will changing the size of the register to say a 10x10 or 12x12 provide more air and/or better distribution at all? I am pretty sure I need more "washing" of the exterior windows/doors in the area, so I am relocating the register to the center of the room (and will get a 4-way type as well), but I also wondered if going any bigger would help any too. And if so, what would be the biggest size?

Just speaking in generalities here and it doesn't have to be exact...


texts: 2018 IBC code requirement for tempered glass windows (safety glass)

texts:
I'm trying to figure out if I can bypass requirement for tempered glass.

I have 3 windows 40x69 ea, installed in a row separated by 1 1/2 inch material  (2x8), all of this is installed in a rough opening in the front of the house.  (most people have a bay/bow window there, in that rough opening, but the house I bought has these 3 windows)

The interior seat (sill) is only 15 inches from the floor.

2018 International Building Code (2406.4.3) specifies that tempered (safety) glass is needed if all these conditions exist:

The exposed area of an individual pane is greater than 9 square feet (0.84 m2).
The bottom edge of the glazing is less than 18 inches (457 mm) above the floor.
The top edge of the glazing is greater than 36 inches (914 mm) above the floor.
One or more walking surface(s) are within 36 inches (914 mm), measured horizontally and in a straight line, of the plane of the glazing.

Now I want to replace these 3 windows with possibly 5 windows to bypass rule (1) - 9sq ft area rule.
By splitting that huge opening into 5 (instead of the current 3),  the window glass pane area of each window could possibly be below 9 sq. ft.

Is this acceptable?


texts:
We're selling our home and the buyer's inspector says the white cable in these photos must be protected from damage, by either a conduit or instead using a metallic cable.  It's connected to the furnace, which is in our attic (no stairs/ladder access -- a ceiling hatch 6.5 feet away, instead).

The furnace installer, the electrician, and another home inspector all say it doesn't need protection.  If these folks are right it could save me an expensive electrician visit that it sounds like I don't really need!

I would love it if somebody could cite the code for me so I can give the inspector more than just a bunch of opinions.

Thanks,
- Rich in Woodinville


texts: How to remove screws with stripped heads?

texts: I have wood screws whose heads are stripped from trying to remove them with a drill. The drill (or screwdrivers) can't grip the heads anymore. What can i use to remove these screws easily?


texts: What kind of filter fabric should I use for the curtain drain in my crawlspace?

texts:
I'm having a hard time finding appropriate filter fabric for my curtain drain in the crawl space.  HD had some stuff but that's for gardening and may not be suitable.  Also since their gardening season hasn't started they didn't have enough of it.

Do people have any recommendations?  Anything I should avoid?  What works best?

Alternatively, do I really need it?  The pros who did the french drain in my basement didn't use anything at all; they said the fabric gets clogged but I suspect they just minimized their expenses.

Edit: HD sells 4"x100' socket filter fabric for ~ $20.  So, since that's really cheap, the question is why did my contractors not use that?  Do they really believe that it would clog or were just lazy?

Edit2: Since Joe, below, mentioned that clogging might depend on the type of soil, let me clarify: my soil is mostly clay.


texts: How do you install the plastic/nylon toggle anchors?

texts:
I recently bought a shelf that included these types of wall anchors, and for the life of me, I could not figure out how to install them. What's the trick with them?

They are also shown on the Lowes website here too: TOGGLER 20-Pack Plastic Toggle 5/8-in to 3/4-in Drywall Anchors with #8 x 1-3/4-in Screws


texts: Can you vent electric dryer into furnace return?

texts:
I've got an electric dryer currently vented outside:

Behind the door to the right is our heat pump furnace:

I was thinking about, during the winter, venting the dryer (properly filtered for lint) into the furnace return (which would then be filtered again by the furnace filter) instead of outside.

My thinking is that it will act somewhat as a humidifier (the house is very dry in the winter) as well as conserving a bit (not much) of heat from the dryer output.

Can this setup work?  What dangers would I need to address?  And of course will I actually be doing any good at all?


texts:
Today I wired in a new LED utility light in my work room. The light I replaced (wired by a former home owner) was a typical bulb hung from an electrical junction box light bulb cover.

The box from which the old bulb hung serves as the junction for the light, a switch for the light, the furnace, and an electrical outlet.

The light switch has a single cable from the junction box, and within the junction box the light bulb was connected in parallel with neutral coming from the switch (so in fact, the neutral from the switch is actually "hot"). So question #1: is this a bad way of wiring? I disconnected the old bulb and wired my new light in the same fashion.

While examining my work for safety's sake, with the light on, my multimeter read ~70VAC from the surface of the switch box to the junction box. With the switch turned off, my multimeter read ~36VAC. Upon closer examination I noticed that the ground from the cable to the switch box was cut short and not attached to the junction box.

I opened up the switch box - the single cable that comes in has black and white on one pole each, and ground attached to the box. It doesn't look like there's anything frayed or otherwise amiss.

Can someone help me understand why there's voltage between the switch box and junction box, and whether I'm in danger? I'm on my way out now to pick up supplies to redo all of this because it's a bit of a mess. I intend to combine the outlet and light switch if I can find the right supplies.

Update (pictures):
As requested, here are some pictures. I just picked up some supplies to redo all of this. But I'm still curious about the stray voltage.


texts: Should I pre-fill hairline cracks in render before painting?

texts: We have a home that has all of the external walls rendered. Some areas have hairline cracks appearing, and some thicker (but not significant) cracks. Should I fill all/any cracks before painting? Or will a good masonry paint be sufficient to cover the cracks and protect the render?


texts:
I'm considering remodeling one side of my basement, adding a new bedroom. I've been researching egress codes and it's not entirely clear to to me if my basement meets the egress code now, or if it will after my remodel.

The wall along the side I want to remodel, is about half underground, with two  windows and one exterior door. There is an upstairs deck outside which runs the entire length of the wall. The sill for each window is right at foundation/ground level which is 44" above the basement slab. The door is a full height exterior door, with a concrete stairwell leading down to it outside. The deck structure starts about 10 inches above the tops of the windows and door.

I know the windows are too high from the floor to meet IRC egress code, but since there is an exterior door, does that mean that the code is satisfied? How does the deck affect this?

For the remodel, I'm considering having the new bedroom span that entire wall, which means all windows and the exterior door would be inside the new bedroom. This would leave the rest of the basement to be a rec room without any windows.

Incidentally, the basement is accessed from the main floor via interior stairs.

Assuming that the door alone meets egress code, my understanding is that even though the door would be inside the new bedroom, it would still be sufficient to meet egress code for the new rec room area. Yes?

Any other things I should consider? Thanks!


texts: We are re-doing our shower in the house - we are adding a multi-component system to the shower including a hand held sprayer and jet sprayers.  The bathroom is on the second floor.  The water pressure to the shower system is pretty poor and dinky right now and the contractor wants to change the pipes at the shower level to 3/4 inch from 1/2 inch.  Will that make a difference?  Does he not need to go all the way back to the main line rather than just behind the shower?  How else can I get better pressure to the shower?


texts: Is there any reason I shouldn't make my own stair treads?

texts:
Our main stair case is carpeted. Underneath is (at best) construction-grade plywood.

We'd like to replace this with wood overlays. Probably maple (to match other floors).

I've found prices for overlay treads between $33 and $100. $30 sounds reasonable. $100 definitely not.

Yet, even at $30, we're looking at at about $350 + shipping in treads.

I did some quick math and figured that with two really nice sheet of 3/4" maple ply, I could easily rip down more than enough treads and then finish the front with a maple half-round (glue and pin). I figured that'd be about $100 in materials total.

Is there any strong reason to not go that route?

Obviously, with the pre cut option, I'd save a little bit in labor. Though I'd still be cutting those to 'fit' the existing stairs properly so maybe it's not that big of a difference.

Any other strong arguments as to not go the DIY plywood + half-round route vs. premade?


texts: What steps to take in painting this damaged wall?

texts: Water leak from above windows created bubbles.  I stripped the damaged section with putty knife, did I go too far? What steps should I take next? I'm new at this, I think I'm supposed to add primer and then a coat of paint.


texts: perimeter wiring LED lights thru pipe fence

texts: I have a some used airport taxiway lights, and want to place some around perimeter of 4 acre property on top of existing pipe fence for looks. Want to install about 16 lights total. Will rewire with LED at 7-9 watt range. Can run wiring thru the top rail of the fence. The distance is the problem...can do in two circuits of about 1000ft each, with 8 lights each. So to the experts, I will take any advice i can get. Specifically: will 12/2 wire suffice? Since LEDs come in 110 or 220 should I wire circuit at one or the other and why please? Can I use one good quality timer for both circuits starting at source and dividing there? The idea is low cost lighting of property for aesthetics, so if this will spin my meter like a top may have to rethink...and do not want to spend a ton. I already have a 2000' of 12/2 wire, a heavy duty mechanical timer, power at the meter located where I can divide into two "runs", enough taxi way lights to light an entire airport, and the property already has pipe fence to run wire thru. LED rework of lights is cheap. Soooo...besides the fact that I am nuts, advise please>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


texts: What should be done to check the capacity of a 100+ year old wooden floor joist?

texts:
Short version
A 7.5cm x 20cm wooden floor joist from an apartment constructed in 1906 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands will be subjected to an increased load. The type of loading the floor joist will experience is already carried by other floor joists with the same cross-section.
The floor joist was thoroughly checked for any reduction of its cross-section and for damage due to some organic process. Mild spots of white rot were found. The spots were removed, the floor joist was painted and measures were taken to ensure the floor joist would stay dry and have adequate airflow around all sides. According to the Eurocode (NEN-EN 1990:2002, NEN-EN 1991-1-1:2002 and NEN-EN 1995-1-1: 2005), the floor joist will have adequate capacity for the governing design loads.
My question is: Is there anything else which should be checked?
Long version
Currently, the masonry facade on the top floor of a four-story apartment in Rotterdam supports the apartment’s roof. This masonry facade will be removed and its role in supporting the apartment’s roof will be replaced with a wooden truss that has already been constructed (as seen in the image below).

The truss elements are all 16.5 x 6.5cm douglas fir, the truss is resting on a 7.5cm x 20cm wooden floor joist from the original construction. Both ends of the wooden floor joist are embedded into the masonry wall and the floor joist is supported by a 12cm x 7cm wooden fill beam at gridline B in the section cut below, this fill beam has adequate capacity in moment and shear for the additional load applied on the fill beam from the truss. Additional drawings of the structure can be found in this pdf.

The loading applied to the structure was calculated according to eurocode NEN-EN 1990:2002 and NEN-EN 1991-1-1:2002 and the following loads were used:

Dead load (roof) = 0.55 kN / m2
Imposed load (roof) = 0.3 kN / m2
Snow load (roof) = 0.16 kN / m2
Dead load (floor) = 0.15 kN/m2
Imposed load (floor) = 1.5 kN/m2
Wind load = 0.83 kN/m2

The new truss will support 1.7 meters of the roof. However for simplicity and to be conservative it was assumed this truss would support 3.4 meters of the roof. The structural system was modeled in SAP2000, and a full calculation report can be found here. The rafter element of the truss had the largest applied moment and shear. According to Eurocode NEN-EN 1995-1-1: 2005 the rafter element on the truss has the following Demand / Capacity:

Moment = 0.89
Shear = 0.44
Bearing = 0.03

And according to Eurocode NEN-EN 1995-1-1: 2005 the floor joist has the following Demand / Capacity:

Moment = 0.22
Shear = 0.33
Bearing = 0.09

Both the maths and engineering judgment check out. Engineering judgment checks out because for the life of the structure three trusses have been resting on their own floor joist respectively with no visible issues.

Health of floor joist
The floor joist, which will support the new truss was thoroughly inspected for damage and minor white rot was found. The white rot was removed, and the floor joist was subsequently cleaned and painted. More information about this can be found in this question.
When the renovation is complete the building envelope will change. However, as discussed in this question and answer the system has been thought through to prevent water and fungal damage.
Is there any reason which I have not thought of as to why this new system will not work?


texts: Laminate Floor, existing is 8mm, installing 12 mm next to it, How should I transition?

texts:
So the current laminate floor is 8mm, we are removing the carpet and installing 12mm right next to it.  Currently there is standard T molding with the blunt edge adapter strip on one side.  I would like to reuse the T molding and just remove the   under strip.  But I worry that this 4 mm different will cause issues.  What would you recommend?  Is there something out there designed for this?  I am having trouble finding this exact situation.
Thanks


texts: protecting a wood deck from rot next to a stone patio

texts:
I have a wood porch/deck built on top of a cement slab. At some point a previous HO layed a stone patio right next to this porch at the same level. The stone of the patio is abutting the wood framing of the porch and I'm afraid will lead to rot over time. I'm not sure how to fix this.

A cutaway diagram (view from the side) would look like:

-------Wood decking---------+ +----------------------
-----------+-+----+---------| | Stone   ||   Stone
    | |    | |    | |    | || |         ||
    | |    | |    | |    | || +----------------------
    | |    | |    | |    | || +----------------------
----+-+----+-+----+-+----+--| |   Dirt/sand
      Cement               || |
----------------------------+ +----------------------
                       ... dirt ...

My only thought was to dig up around the edge of the porch and put some kind of waterproof membrane between the wood and the stone/dirt of the patio. Any other ideas?


texts: Are 15A receptacles acceptable on a 20A circuit?

texts:
I have a 20 amp breaker for my dedicated man cave home theater. It's a rental unit. Recently I had a few loose-fitting plugs on some of the receptacles so I just went downstairs and found the breaker and saw it was 20 amps.

So I went and bought 20 amp receptacles. Only a few fit loosely so I chose to only replace the loose ones. After the install I noticed that the other 2 receptacles were in fact 15 amp receptacles. Is it ok to leave it like it is with both 15 and 20 amp receptacles in that room on the 20 amp breaker and if so what's the max amps i can pull through that circuit?

I think the 15 amp receptacles are on each end of the rooms circuit and the 20's are in the middle. Will that matter in any way? Right now i am pulling around 11-12 amps from that room but most is on a better quality power strip rated at 15 amps. Thanks in advance for the help.


texts: How do I reattach a SubZero refrigerator door handle?

texts: The handle on my SubZero refrigerator just came off. The "thing" that's attached to the door is fairly stiff and I haven't been able to unscrew it yet. Inside the hole in the "shim" that attaches to the handle is a star screw that holds the shim to the handle. Any idea how I would reattach this handle to the fridge?


texts: Why Do 240V Circuits Not Require Neutral?

texts: Someone told me that a 240V circuit does not require a neutral wire in the cable.  Can anyone explain this phenomenon from the electricity perspective and generally explain why circuits do and do not need a neutral wire?