texts: How do you connect a long string of LED strips to power at both ends when including a controller?

texts:
I'm looking to use 24v LEDs (https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01LYNJTBN/?coliid=I359TOA9WZGE2V&colid=3HRP4V1TLBJ6P&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it) along my fence to help light my pool area.  I understand from reading online that I'll want to connect power to the strips at both ends to avoid voltage drop.  However, details on how to do that for an electrical novice are sparse, and none discuss how to wire a controller into the setup.

I would like to setup a waterproof 21 amp outdoor power supply at the foot of one corner of the fence.  I would then like approximately 65' of LEDs to run from there along my fence to the West daisy chained every ~6' (run A).  I would also like a 20' run from the PSU North along my privacy fence daisy chained every ~7' (run B).  I planned to give each of these runs their own controller.

My guess is that I'll need to get two DC pigtails to run power from the PSU to the controllers.  Then I need a very long piece of (10 awg?) wire to run from the end of run A all the way back to the PSU.  What I'm unclear on is:

Do I connect that wire coming from the end of run A to the same terminals on the PSU that the DC pigtail is connected to or a different set of terminals?
Where do I connect the positive and negative of that return wire to?
Will the controller act as a switch and continue to properly function when I'm connecting both ends like this?
Will connecting run B cause any problem in this setup, assuming it's on its own set of terminals on the PSU?

My alternative is to go with this 120v system that will end up costing me over twice as much: https://www.birddogdistributing.com/rgb-color-changing-led-strip-light-120-volt-high-output-smd-5050-65-feet/

Update

Given the answer provided, I assume that this would be the appropriate way to wire Run A, with Run B a completely separate controller/strip coming off the same PSU:

My understanding is that the amplifier will take the signal from the first strip and use that to control the color and brightness of the second strip.  Am I likely to notice anything odd where the end of the first 10m strip meets the beginning of the second, since the second has a fresh 24v power source?


texts: Why might I measure less than 240 volts on a 240V circuit?

texts:
I recently had an electric dryer fail and I have been unable to determine the reason.  All of the obvious items within it to check for (as mentioned in many youtube videos on such appliance repairs) all were in proper working order.

When I first checked the line-to-line voltage at the socket where the dryer cord plugged into, I measured around 208Vac.  That seemed a bit low and the dryer is spec'ed for 220/240Vac.  After trying to make several attempts at repairing the dryer, including carefully taking some measurements at various points with it plugged in, I checked the voltage at the socket again...  To my surprise, I was only reading about 160Vac line-to-line.

Clearly that is way low.

I also did not see any evidence of short circuits or melted/scorched connections and wiring inside the dryer.  Also, the circuit breaker for the dryer circuit was not tripped at all at any time from first noticing the dryer no-start situation to during the troubleshooting.

Before I contact a local electrician, I figured I'd ask here.  What would cause a circuit that is supposed to be 220/240V line-to-line to only be about 160V line to line??


texts:
I disconnected the wires in a working outlet in my house (built 2001) while replacing the termite damaged studs.  I forgot to document the wiring and now I am having problem putting the wires back. There are 3 sets of cables in the outlet box. Cable A and B have white, black, and ground. Cable C has white, black, red, and ground. On the same wall, there are another outlet and a triple switch panel.

I tried to pigtail all the blacks together and put them into screw #3; all the whites pig tailed into screw #1; and red wire to screw #4. When I turned the power back on the circuit breaker tripped and I decided to stop and seek help!  Thank you in advance for any suggestion.


texts:
Every year I have to get on the roof and clean out debris, mostly pine needles from the gutters surrounding our roof.  I didn't go up on the highest 2nd floor roof for safety reasons, so those gutters never got cleaned for years.  Last winter, these gutters got so heavy from all the accumulated debris that the long gutter screws came out and I had to bring them down.

The 2nd floor roof has gutters on only one side now.  The missing gutter does not seem to be exposing that side of the house to more moisture.  The rain just comes down evenly over the sidewalk and garden below.  In fact, the roses are blooming from the constant moisture which we formerly had to apply by hand.

Do the gutters provide any protective function or are they only there to route moisture to a particular path?  Is there any risk that some of the moisture will get into the soffit and fascia and rot them over time?


texts: Waterproofing 1st floor bathroom with original wooden floor boards in a Victorian house

texts: I want to convert a 1st floor room into a bathroom, retaining the original wooden floorboards. There will be no shower, just a bath in the room. What needs to be taken into consideration with regards to waterproofing the floor to prevent splashes, spillages and kiddie bath time from ruining the ceiling below?


texts: What can be done about unusual toilet noise?

texts:
Our toilet makes a sound after it has filled.  This is at a beach house and the water is turned off when no one is there.  Last weekend it sounded like someone was outside with a weed-eater (high pitched hum).  Ran water in tub, sink, and flushed.  Seemed to help but then sound came back.  Any one else ever have this problem or have any ideas?
Thanks
GL


texts: Master Shower Won't Get Hot Unless Another Faucet is Turned On

texts:
We have a brand new gas & electric water heater.  Purchased in 2013.  For some reason, when we turn on the hot water in the master shower, it only gets lukewarm unless one of the sink faucets is also turned on.

I know another person posted a similar question, however, ours is not a tankless water heater.  Ours is a 70-gallon water heater.

As a note, we do have a timed circulator attached to the heater.  And we have set it to run at the right times.  Even still, the shower wont' get hot unless we also turn on a sink.

Another note, we've also removed the mesh inside the shower head so there is no restriction on the water pressure.

Any advice would be of great help!
Thanks in advance,
Lilly


texts: Hvac condensate line not draining, New ac system

texts:
Hi so I just purchased a house. It was a bank foreclosure. The bank installed a new ac unit. The ac wasn't running in day one. I figured out it was bc the condensate line wasn't draining properly. The drain pan was full and the wet switch was causing the power to be cut. I vacuumed that up and the ac works now. The problem is that the condensate still isn't draining properly. I the pipe is not clogged. I put some downward pressure on at as shown here

And I could here the water draining into the sump pump.

I took as many pictures as possible. Is this something I could perhaps fix myself or should I just call an hvac service?

http://imgur.com/a/RBc1urZ

Sorry for the poor formatting, trying to do all this from my phone.


texts: Can I install NM cable, junction boxes on attic rafters

texts:
I'm replacing knob-and-tube wiring, and plan to add blown-in attic insulation afterward.  I figure it would be safer to run NM wire on the underside of the attic rafters than to bury it in insulation, where they might be stepped on or tripped over.  I can't find anything in NEC 320.23 regarding rafters.  Is this allowed?

Further, I figure junction boxes would be considered accessible on the rafters, since they won't be concealed under insulation.  Is this allowed?
 Do all j-boxes in the attic need to be accessible through the ceiling?

The attic is accessible via access hole.

Thanks!

Edit 1:
Here is a sketch of what I have in mind.


texts: Shower runs cold, then hot, then cold. Faucet in same bathroom runs hot after shower

texts: The 50 gallon gas water heater is on the first floor. Water pressure coming into the house is roughly 40 psi. On the second floor the kitchen and bathroom faucets are cold when turned on. I mention it, but it might be due to the design of the house. On the third floor in the shower, when turned on it runs cold, then a normal temperature, then it starts progressively getting colder so I have to keep turning it up. After taking a shower, a faucet in the same bathroom runs scalding hot. Giving it a minute, it gets to a more normal temperature. The mixer in the shower is an old design, the faucet is brand new. Water pressure everywhere in the house feels a little weak.


texts: I just painted my metal interior handrail with krypton water based paint. The banister has not been painted in 10 years but could have been painted with oil base paint. The new paint is tacky after two days will it ever dry?


texts: Outlets not working in laundry room. GFCI nonreactive. What should I do?

texts:
The washer in laundry room was working fine.  Then it quit working.  Anything plugged into any of the outlets in the laundry room do not work.  Went I put a voltage detector in the outlet it tells me there is voltage.  The breaker is not tripped.

There is a GFCI in the laundry room and when I press "test" or "reset" nothing happens.

But that does not explain why the other outlets in laundry room do not work.

Help please.


texts:
I'm trying to replace an old fan switch in my bathroom. The top two switches don't even work anymore. Here's a picture:

The three switches on the left are the ones that need replacing.

And here's what's behind the switch:

I'm trying to replace it with one of these three switches (A Leviton 1755, 15A-120V):

Before giving up and calling an electrician, I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. There are three things throwing me:

What's going on with the small black wire connecting the two switches on the right hand side of the old setup?
What is the small black wire connecting the left hand side of the old switch to the right hand side?
There's no grounding wire that I can see on this setup. Is this normal?

In general, step by step instructions on how the wires in the old switch would correspond to the new switch would be much appreciated.

Update: Here's a picture of the inside of the box:


texts: How should I flush my refrigerators drinking water system after storage?

texts: Have a refrigerator that has been turned off and left closed!  It has a ice maker and water line.  How do I go about making sure that it is safe to use the ice and water?


texts: A customers 70 gallon gas fueled Bradford White water heaters' pilot light goes out immediately after releasing the red pilot button when relighting it. I concluded (in order of most likely suspects) the thermocouple which was replaced. No change. I figured next it could be a clogged orifice (not likely), but pulled the burner anyway to clear the tube. No clogs and no change. Gas supply is strong. No blockage in the exhaust vent.   This is a model that is 8 years old. It's most likely past the its' life expectancy. The customer has left the decision to repair or replace up to me. A similar model will cost $1200 plus my labor to replace. If I wanted to repair it and wanted to order a part would I be correct in assuming that the thermostat valve is what's preventing the pilot from staying lit?   I will most likely replace the unit, but would like to know if my guess about the repair is correct?


texts: Encapsulate A/C duct inside roof deck insulation?

texts:
I just bought a house and am evaluating my options for A/C retrofit. We have a partially finished attic, and plan to fully finish it. The roof is currently uninsulated. We have 6" roof joists.

One installer I spoke to proposed to put down 2" of closed-cell foam along the roof deck, then to run oval ducts between the joists in this partially insulated space, and then finally to envelop the ducts in additional spray foam.

Vanguard Energy expressed horror at an analogous setup that used fiberglass batt. The installer argues that this setup is much better than that because the spray foam insulation performs so much better.

Is he right?


texts: Do I need to caulk the walls and around tub of my shower all at the same time?

texts: I caulked two sides of my tub surround last night and waited a day to caulk the long wall, is this ok or was i supposed to caulk all sides and corners at the same time to ensure there is no leakage?


texts: 2-way switches and LED Light glowing faintly when both switches turned 'on'

texts:
I have an LED light on the landing operated by 2 way switches upstairs and down.

When both 2-way switches are in the 'OFF' position the light goes out completely.

When the light is turned off by both switches being in the 'ON' position, the light continues to glow dimly until the light is turned on again.

What can I do to make the LED light go out completely which ever way it is turned off?


texts: How do I determine if I need attic insulation to keep cool in summer?

texts:
How can I determine if I need more attic insulation to keep cool in summer?

I live in the desert of southern California so it can get pretty hot in the summer (110+ is not uncommon).  I would like to lower my electric bill but more to the point I would just like to ensure that our house is comfortable without the air conditioning going all the time.

I feel if I asks a company that does insulation I know they will say we need more but I don't know who else to ask or how to determine this.

The electrical company does not offer an energy usage assessment at this time (they used to).


texts:
Let me preface by saying that I'm not really looking for "shopping advice". I just need some direction on how to tackle this issue.

We recently purchased a house and it has a block fence around the back yard, with a side gate. The latch is facing the exterior so, I would like to put a lock on it. The issue is that the latch (located on the right side of the gate) is too close to the block to fit a standard lock through it. I've tried a few different kinds of locks and nothing seems to fit.

Any advice and/or direction would be appreciated.

UPDATE -- Photos added


texts: Seemingly overbuilt basement wall - load bearing?

texts:
I'm doing some prep/exploratory work before I begin finishing my basement. Home was built in 1980 and has a cement block foundation. There is a seemingly random wall framed in the otherwise unfinished basement. I pulled one side of the sheetrock - I was originally planning on demoing the wall completely to accommodate the layout I was going for. I was surprised with what I found: a "diagonally" framed wall with a pretty serious 4x6 header spanning about 12' across. This occurs at an outcropping within the foundation. The wall runs between the front of the home (flat wall, ~52' in length) and an outside corner. Obviously the wall is not carrying any vertical load, but rather it seems to perhaps have been framed to allow some horizontal load (to support the outside corner of the cement block foundation, perhaps?). Notice the about 16" into the cement block outside corner a steel beam that is supporting the middle of the home is resting on the top of the foundation (2nd pic).
Whether I leave the wall or not isn't a huge deal to my design, and I'd need to run some electric into it anyways, so removing one side of the sheetrock isn't wasted effort. I've honestly just never seen anything like this before (father was a general contractor, been in many homes getting framed during my early years). I'm thinking someone was just bored on the job one day, but would love some other opinions. One odd thing I noticed is that the black waterproofing paint/coating is present behind the vertical studs that are affixed to the cement block, meaning this wall wasn't there during the time that coating was applied. Another odd thing is that the 4x6 header appears to be much older than the rest of the framing, almost like it came off a different job site or something.
Anyone seen anything like this before?


texts: How can I tightly join two perpendicular pieces of wood in a loft bed from the inside corner without access to the outer side?

texts:
I'm trying to assemble a double loft bed from Ikea (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80160867/), but the problem is that it's 80" wide and the room is 80" wide. This means that there's no space to reach around and put in the very long screws from outside the bed frame, to secure the horizontal pieces to the 4 vertical posts. (Nor is there enough space to put in the screws on the vertical pieces, and then fit the horizontal pieces so they slot into the screws.)

Here's what the loft bed looks like:

It's steps like this one, connecting the 76" long horizontal pieces, that are impossible to do in this tiny room, there's simply no space:

One solution would be to not use those screws that come in from the outer side of the frame in the above illustration, and instead manually screw in a bunch of heavy-duty corner braces to join the horizontal and vertical pieces - something like these:

1st concern: Any reason this would not be safe?

2nd concern: It might be hard to get all the pieces flush together (the whole thing is somewhat bendy and needs tightening pretty hard to stay tightly flush) and I want to avoid unsightly and wobbly gaps. Is there some piece of hardware I can use here that would let me tighten these pieces together from the inside?

A custom loft or securing the loft directly to the wall would obviously work instead, but either of those options is going to be significantly more expensive and/or time consuming (and I'm not sure the studs in my 100-year-old house would need reinforcing or anything) and I already have this bed.

Any thoughts/advice appreciated.


texts: Will it damage my washing machine and tumble dryer to be left in a shed for storage

texts:
I have a Miele washing machine and tumble dryer, each worth around £600, that I bought last year.

I just moved houses and my new already has a washing machine and dryer.

Would it be safe to wrap and put my washing machine and dryer in a Plastic Keter shed in my garden for a few years, or could the cold weather in the non-insulated shed damage them?

(Another option is to put them in my storage loft, but that is a real mission!)


texts: How will a granite countertop on a floating island affect the laminate floor it sits on?

texts: We are looking at upgrading our countertops to granite.  We have a floating laminate floor under a movable island that we don't wish to anchor.  The island would have a 40"x50" top surface.  How does the weight of the granite affect the floor?


texts:
This would presumably be installed in a door jam to turn a light on/off when the door is open/closed. It works on 110V with a maximum current of 2A. All of that is fine for my application (125mA LED light).

But is this safe/legal/to-code? The wires are not shielded, and not long, so they would need to be extended, which would require a junction box, right?


texts: Rewiring Outdoor Light to Switched Outlet (half hot, half not)

texts:
I have an outdoor light that's currently controlled via a light switch inside the house, that I would like to convert into a switched outlet (half hot, half controlled via the existing light switch).

However, I'm not sure if it's even possible... I opened up the outdoor light and there are three wires coming from the wall (black, white and ground).  Each of these wires have a pigtail with another wire added that is then connected to the outdoor light.

Advice appreciated!


texts: How to wire garage exhaust fan to humidity sensor/fan control and ventilation controller

texts:
I'm installing this exhaust fan in my garage. I also want to install this garage ventilation controller, which is triggered when doors open and by temperature.
I also want to install a humidistat/switch which is trigger automatically based on humidity and/or manual switch and Air Cycle mode which automatically turns ON the ventilation fan for a set period of time and repeats the cycle hourly.
I can bring power in to either the exhaust fan, humidity sensor/control or ventilation controller. How should I wire?
The way I understand it, they both are basically just single pole switches, so I should run them separately with power feeding each switch, leading to fan?


texts: How do I drain my sump pump in a semi-detached bungalow?

texts:
The previous owners of my house installed a sump pit in my semi-detached bungalow. The sump pit is located next to the inside wall (the wall I share with my neighbour), so I cannot drill a hole through it for the drain or I'd be flooding my neighbour's basement.  Instead I will have to run the drain pipe across the basement to the outside wall.  This requires probably about 20 feet of pipe, and it will probably have to go up about 8ft to get over the wall.

My question is, will having such a high and long drain pipe create any issues with the effectiveness of the drain? I will be using a check valve.

The reason the owners install the sump pit next to the inside wall rather than the outside wall is because this location has easy access to the weeping tile.  They are currently draining the pump into the city sewer, which in major storms is useless because the drain will back-up.


texts: Chemical Smell After Tankless Water Heater Install

texts:
I recently had a plumbing company install a tankless water heater in my crawlspace. Everything with the install works and looks great, but we are experiencing a very strong chemical smell (like nail-polish remover or a strong sharpie marker) that comes out of our faucets when we call for hot water. It usually lasts for about 10 seconds then goes away. I notice it whenever we haven't used the hot water for awhile. For example: the smell is very strong first thing in the morning when turning on the shower.

The plumbers used PEX pipes to install a hot water recirculation pipe that is soldered to the original copper pipes. Other PEX pipes were soldered where they needed to connect to some other areas of the copper pipes including a new Pressure Reducing Valve.

Does anyone have any insight or advice on what could be causing this issue?

Thanks,
Mike


texts: How can I increase the size of a subpanel to fit the breaker for a solar array?

texts:
I am considering solar and the easiest place to connect the system for grid-tie is into a subpanel. With the 2013 CEC, this is permitted.  However, I have a slight problem.  I don't have any free space for the additional 2 (240VAC) breakers to be back fed by my micro inverters.  Fortunately, swapping out the subpanel for a new one is fairly easy to do.  However, I don't know the specifics of the code here.

The issue is this... The panel is a 100A sub and all work was done with permits. Installation of solar will also be with permits.  The question is what total amperage as a function of breaker specifications can I add to this sub panel.  The question is further clouded by the fact that the two new breakers would never be loads.  They will always be sources and hence would, I image, deduct from the aggregate value.

To be honest, I don't really see why there should be any load calc here (and possibly there isn't... I really don't recall that nuance of the code).  When installed, the breaker in the main panel that feeds the sub was installed and is 100A; the wire to the sub was gaged to carry that load.  So, the 100A breaker ultimately is protecting the sub.  Even if there were some 500A worth of breakers in the sub, the sub's breaker in the main panel will trip at 100A.  That comment applies to loads only.  The solar only "helps" here.

So, how can I increase the the size of a subpanel so that I will have space for the additional breakers?

Thanks!


texts: What kind of mask is required for grouting?

texts:
I finished putting up tiles for a backsplash last night and am getting ready to grout tonight.  I looked at the package and saw Contains known or probable carcinogens.  Yikes!

What kind of mask should I pick up on my way home?  A simple dust mask, or a more elaborate respirator?


texts: Interior Sliding Door Latch or Snib, openable from both sides

texts:
I'm looking for a interior sliding door latch or snib that can be released and engaged from boths sides.

I've been unable to find such a piece of hardware, it should not be lockable. Each item I have found has the opening mechanisim on one side only.

Has anyone seen such an item. (Also looking for the Australian term for it if known)

Thanks


texts: Are self-grounding outlets appropriate for use in metal boxes with BX cable?

texts: Would self grounding outlets (15/20 amp) be useable in metal boxes fed by BX? The house was built in 1959 and all original wiring is BX! Any new wiring (Romex/style) has the appropriate ground wire!


texts:
This seems like a really silly question, but I haven't been able to find the answer (maybe because it's so obvious).  I commonly see that PVC piping should be run at a minimum slope of 1/4" per foot.  That's great and all, but the only connectors I know of come in 45 and 90 degrees.

If I have a pipe that is coming down vertically, how do I make the 90'ish degree turn to assure I maintain this minimum slope?  I saw this question How to get down slope on drain lines? but it only had one un-accepted answer.  It seems a little odd that the answer would just be "bend it till it fits".  Why don't they make 110 degree fittings if this is a standard thing?  What if the end of your pipe is free open? How would you achive that angle?


texts: Dryer not turning on. Potential component isn't getting a Ohm (200) or continuity reading. Next steps?

texts:
My issue can be a bit lengthy and I am learning this as I go as well. I don't do any electric work and just want to do more DIY to fix things around the house.
From checking on youtube there were some common issues to check why the dryer would not be working.
I have checked the power button circuit and the thermal fuse. I used a multimeter's continuity setting and got readings of > +1. I also tried Ohms 200 and got on average 0.06 reading.
I have checked the power outlet and it is giving off proper voltage. Unsure what else to do I decided to check continuity and ohm reading from a bunch of different components. One such component stood out.

I measured at the purple wires and I got no change in reading for continuity and Ohm (200). While all other components in the back of the dryer got a change in the reading.
What are my next steps?
Replace the component? Are the wires bad?
Edit:
Inglis Dryer IGD4400VQ1
I believe this is the component Dryer Cycling Thermostat


texts: How long can I run a vent duct for a new bathroom exhaust on an old house that doesn't vent out properly?

texts:
all. I live in an old Edwardian home where the attic above is a finished loft space so I can't run any ducts upward. I have a second floor bathroom below that needs to be vented correctly. Right now it's only venting directly between the joists. What's really unfortunate is that the current exhaust in the ceiling is literally less than two feet away from an outside wall. But the joists run the wrong way. I don't know a lot but I know not to cut a four inch hole into a joist.

Since the joists run the wrong way there is a bedroom next to the bathroom. I think it'll be around thirteen feet, including the bathroom area to run a duct from that point above the ceiling along the adjacent bedroom to get to an outside wall. My question is, will this be too long to run a duct or will I encounter problems of some sort?

Here is the model that I'd like to get. It has good reviews and appears to be the quietest:

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003U9TNG0/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1FB73YAR81YX4&colid=3CARMNY93861P&psc=1][1]

Unless anyone has any ideas for a wall mounted exhaust that is of similar quality and as quiet I feel like doing a ceiling mounted exhaust is my best option.

Hope to receive some suggestions.

Thanks.


texts: Are the rotting windows and window sill salvageable?

texts: My windows and window sill have rotted on the bottom. The quote for the windows without installation are thousands of dollars. Could this be salvaged with epoxy, bondo, and making frames for the glass? The top portion is solid.


texts: Nailing tongue and groove cedar trim in a 4 inch space

texts: We have a tongue and groove cedar ceiling to install; however, the problem is we have a lower coffer two feet inside the upper ceiling to be covered in the cedar. The space we have to nail into is 4.25 inches. Can anyone help us?


texts: What could be causing my dishwasher not to drain?

texts:
The dishwasher stopped draining a few days ago. I reached in to unclog it, but couldn't find a clog. Then I poured some draino in and that didn't do any good either.

I'm thinking maybe the pump or solenoid that controls draining the water is out or jammed? It looks like the drain tube goes up to the sink, so I suppose it uses a pump to drain the water? Any ideas on how to fix this?

Some pictures:

I removed the drain cover and used the tube in the picture to siphon all of the water out. The dishwasher is a "Frigidaire Gallery"


texts:
I want to flush my tankless water heater (DIY).

I've never read plumbing schematics before.

Which one of these is the "V1" value they are referring to in the doc?

(And have I correctly identified all the values??)

P.S.
The values I circled look like threaded ports, but the diagram leads me to believe V1 is to to the left.

EDIT:

EDIT2:
This is how I flushed it and it worked!


texts: We noticed a small puddle in the basement due to melting ice but it has not happened since - should I still replace patch on foundation wall?

texts:
We noticed a small puddle during a warmer period last week and traced it back to the foundation wall. I removed the drywall and insulation (it was only on top half of wall) and found that the previous owner had patched over a small crack at that spot. They seem to have done a very thorough job and the patch seems fine but it was slightly damp - not wet - to touch so we assume this was the source of the puddle.

Since then we have also cleared the ice around the downspouts and drainpipes and even extended the drain pipes to go further from the house - and we have not seen any water in basement since!!

So - do I need to do anything about this? I am wondering:

Should I remove and then re-patch the spot that seemed to be the source of the first leak?
Should I just put a moisture alarm in there and replace the drywall/insulation again?
Should I just focus on just keeping water and ice away from the house for next year?

As mentioned - there has not been any further leak noticed since we improved the drainage in the area.


texts: How to clear outbound blockage using the snake/auger?

texts:
If there is any information that I can provide to help make this a
  better question or to assist in getting a better answer please let me
  know in the comments and I will update.

Please check out my photo below (sorry about the quality), you can see that I've removed the trap (elbow) and I have the snake in the outbound pipe. The snake makes it to the wall (about the length of the pipe) and comes back with black gunk but can go no further. It's my first time in the kitchen area with a snake so I'm unsure what to make of this...

I guess I should try turning the snake downward somehow but before I start really mashing about down there, I've stopped (since there seems to be a hard wall or something inside). This seemed like a good point to reach out and ask someone for a bit of guidance since I don't want to make things worse.

Any thoughts on what I can do at this point or how to work that snake further down the pipe?

Background:

I have the issue where the kitchen sink is clogged when I turned on the garbage disposal unit, the water backed up into the two sink (about a 1/4 of the sink full). I tried the Hair and Grease drain cleaner (from Home Depot ~ the heavy duty one sold in the plastic bag) overnight and the water did drain out of the sinks. When I tried to run water through in the morning, the sinks began to backfill again.

Update:

Per request please note the photo of the outflow pipe below.

When I tried to rotate the snake clockwise I was able to get 7-8 feet further. But afterward (maybe an hour or so later) the water starts to backfill even more after I replaced the trap and did NOT run new water down (https://youtu.be/Mcxoekjoazk). Now clear water is coming up into the sink.  In fact, the water in the kitchen sink is (several hours later) now rising to about 1/3 height of the sink.

Final Update

  I'm posting this update for the next person having this issue. I was
  able to use the auger on the outflow pipe (going into the wall and
  downward). Once I did so I hit a blockage that felt like a
  brick/cement/hard packed dirt. I then went out to Home Depot and
  picked up a medium sized bladder(1-1/2 to 3 inches). Attached that to a water hose,
  inserted it up to the first turn of the outflow pipe and turned on the
  water. I noticed that the water sound changes as it eliminated the
  blockage and became fully smooth running after 10-15 mins. I gave it
  quite a bit more time just to make sure and now the clog appears to be
  completely gone. Hope this helps anyone with the problem and thanks to Ed Beal for all the advice.


texts: KDW60X16 Dishwasher - Not Pumping Water (Wash Pump)

texts:
I have the KDW60X16 dishwasher, and two days ago it started making a whirring noise.
It will fill and drain fine - But will not spray/move water at all. The motor makes a 'humming/buzzing' noise when it starts, and continues for some time until I stop it.

I have removed the motor (YXW50-2E) and checked for any blocks etc.

I have found that the impeller is broken. I assume that this is no good and may be causing my problem?

I have also checked the resistance on the motor and the manual states it should be:

116.2 Ohms (Main Coil)
101.5 Ohms (Assistant)
41.4 Ohms (M1)

All +/- 7%.

I have the following readings:

158.4 Ohms (Main Coil)
117.2 Ohms (Assistant)
41.9 Ohms (M1)

Does the above readings point to a faulty motor?

I also have access to a capacitance meter, so I have taken the starter capacitor off and it checks out at 2.9uf (Rated at 3uf) - I was really hoping this was the issue as its best described from the manual as this but appears not?

Any help you can give me would be invaluable :)

Images attached of the user manual plus the broken impeller.


texts:
On multiple occasions now, I have noticed odd things going on with my HVAC system, only to go to the thermostat and find that it has been set to heat! This happened once in the middle of summer, when it was 95+ degrees outside... I came home and the house was burning up! It happened again just last week during a cold snap. No kids in the house, and neither my wife nor I have adjusted the thermostat during the times when it was set to heat... so it's just changing itself. What could possibly be going on? I'm assuming it's a malfunction and I'm just going to replace it, but I wanted to check first.

Incidentally, I leave my pilot light off for my furnace except for November to March. Gotta save those few bucks. So, when the heat comes on, it's just running the system but not actually blowing hot air since the gas is turned off...


texts: Wiring new 'c' wire to heat pump system. Do I need to connect at both air handler and condenser?

texts:
I am planning on installing a new WIFI thermostat (Honeywell RTH6580WF).  I have a heat pump system (outdoor condenser unit and air handler in attic).  Old thermostat did not have a 'c' wire, but it does have an extra wire in the bundle that I can use.

Do I need to connect the new 'c' wire on both units?  Or will hooking the one to the air handler be enough?


texts: I need to 'fish' a cable through two Ethernet wall sockets. I have one in my living room and another one in my bedroom. I want to put an Ethernet cable between them. How do i do that?


texts: What would cause a circuit to become hot when a breaker is turned off?

texts: First thing, I"m not an electrician but have some electrical knowledge. I'm renting in a house and am trying to help the owner with some issues. This is an older house that has a combination of old knob and tube wiring and new wiring. There is a circuit that contains old wiring with only two lines. Sockets and lights on this circuit don't have power. When one of the breakers is tripped the outlets and lights start working and other lights and outlets on this breaker turn off. What could be causing this?


texts:
My sprinkler solenoid won't activate and I would like some advice on trobuleshooting. Here is a picture at the manifold: https://ibb.co/kRoR5Q

Here are the facts:

The solenoid at the top, attached to the yellow wire, is the one I would like to turn on. Both it and the manifold are brand new.
The solenoid at the bottom, attached to the red wire, does work.
The one in the middle, attached to the orange wire, also does not work but I don't care about it.
I measured voltage by putting a NCVT to each wire while it was activated using the controller. When measured at the controller, all three outgoing wires show voltage as expected when activated. However, when measured at the manifold, only the incoming red wire triggers the voltage tester.
The other colored wires are also present at my controller, but they are not wired to any zones.

Any idea how I might troubleshoot this further? I am at a loss.

If there's no hope of resurrecting the yellow or orange wires, I would appreciate suggestions for workarounds. I was thinking that maybe the red wire could be "split" at the manifold to feed each of the three solenoids. Any suggestions to this end would be welcome as well.

Update: here is what I found at the other valve box: https://ibb.co/fvCkh5

I count 11 wire nuts, which would account for the seven zones, the three extra wires and the common wire.


texts: Cutting and defraying metal railing cable

texts:
I am new to installing railing metal cable. One problem that I encountered is that, when I cut the cable with a grinder, it leaves the end slightly wider than the cable and often frayed threads so that it won't fit inside the ferrule of the swivel end, which is barely wide enough to fit the nominal width of the cable. I am using the Atlantis railing system.
I tried cutting it with electric cutoff pliers but they were not strong enough so I resorted to a grinder. Is there a tool, or a method of cutting, that will neatly cut the cable and then twist or splice any frayed threads so that it fits nicely into the ferrule?


texts:
I am rebuilding the wall at the front of my house, but the previous (now partially taken down) wall was built into the pillar on my neighbours land.

It used to look like this (pillar is 100% on their land, white wall is 100% on mine);

It currently looks like this;

What is the best tools/ technique to "sand" the bricks in the pillar, so it resembles a pillar in it's own right? (I then plan to build my new wall adjacent (but separate) to the neighbours pillar).

Some thoughts;

Use an angle grinder to sand the brick down. Not sure it's the right tool?
Chisel out the "jutting out bricks", and replace them. Not sure how cleanly the bricks will come out?
Knock down the pillar, and rebuild it. Seems like a waste, when it's only a few bricks that are the problem.


texts: Garage door sticking: WD-40 temporary solution but still sticks: need to change hinges or what?

texts:
We live in a rental house built 1982 but need to fix some things around the place without involving the landlord ... the garage door has started sticking. I got it to close using WD-40, but it's still sticky; had to give it another shot last night and 'rock back and forth' until it finally closed.
Do we need to change out the hinges and rollers? Or do you have any other suggestion for a not-complete overhaul?
I'm a software guy and was thrilled when I got the WD-40 fix to work ... but it was a short-lived triumph. Thanks for any guidance whatsoever!


texts: Why does my boiler keep shutting down and reigniting after a minute?

texts: My central heating comes on via the timer and runs for about 30 minutes, then it shuts down for a minute, runs for 2 minutes, shuts down for a minute, runs for 2 minutes. This is a constant thing hence my house never reaches temperature and does not manage to get warm.  All the radiators get hot and the pump is working.  I have a central heating system with a hot  water cylinder.  I have had the boiler serviced but this did not make any difference.  I am desperate to get this sorted. Has anyone got any ideas?


texts: How can a non-working corroded tub plunger with a broken linkage assembly in the open position be fixed?

texts: I’ve read the helpful advice on  bathtub plungers  stuck  in the closed position. However, I have a bathtub plunger stuck in the open position. The trip assembly has come away leaving the plunger in place with The tub not holding water. The CLR used to help uncorrode the plunger, immediately  drains away.  How do I get the plunger free from it’s corrosion so I can use as a hopeful retrieval aid( suggested) a hooked coat-hanger to snag the plunger?


texts: Was the brick laid correctly in this wall?

texts:
Could any architect/engineer/brickmason/blockmason/builder/constructor out there give me their honest opinion of this brick wall? Pretty please! Thanks in advance. In my opinion, I feel like it's constructed incorrectly, or better said, built with low standards/quality.
Please give me your honest opinions, even if they are harsh. I feel like the brick isn't working nor laid in the way it should have been, so I want to be able to express this complaint to the builder.
It seems the mortar joints are way too big near the upper portion of the wall near the right side. And in the lower part of the wall, some of the bricks don't even seem to have the bare minimum joint thickness of 10mm. Also, there is almost a lack of overlapping in the upper courses.
Anybody please give your best constructive criticism. I really need it.
Thanks in advance.


texts: How do I install a receptacle in the soffit?

texts:
I'd like to add a receptacle (for x-mas decorations etc) in the soffit of my house. I'd prefer flush-mounted so it's the least visible possible. It will be wired to a switch (timer) inside the house; I may end up running 14/3 to it so there's also constant power.

What type of box should I use? What type of cover? Any other requirements to meet NEC?


texts: I refinished my kitchen cabinets. I got some water based wood stain on my kitchen wall. I tried to remove it with soap and water on a sponge. It did not work. How can I move it? My kitchen wall is painted with water based satin finished paint.


texts: Sub Pabel Install, NEC 250.24 question, Mixed ground/neutral at main

texts:
Did this install today on my home. How'd I do?

I asked an old electrician and he said that I ought not to mix the Neutral with the Ground at the main like that cause "it could cause problems", though he did not give further detail. But if the Neutral and Ground Bus are bonded in the main anyway (which they definitely are on this panel), what does that matter? I used the ground bus for the #6AWG Neutral (white wire) because the other buses did not have any opening's big enough for the #6, at least it didn't look like it would fit...

I used #6AWG THHN for all 3 conductors and #10AWG THHN green for the ground, and these are are conveyed in the Steel Flex 3/4" you can see coming in from underneath. I installed bushings in the FMC where they connect to the compression fittings. The Sub panel Neutral is Isolated. This is fed from a 50 Amp (Connecticut Electric UBITBA250 Challenger “A” Series Circuit Breaker, 2-Pole 50-Amp) housed in the main. Which used to house a 30 amp for an old electric dryer circuit no longer in use. I had to source breakers for this old Challenger panel and they were pricey.

It's mounted to a 3/4" plywood board that is then fastened to the studs. The main is a 100 AMP service and according to the usage calculations for the house I'm well within that. Most big appliances are gas. I needed more outlets in the garage for my dust collector and table saw.

I live in San Francisco. The Panels are located in the garage at street level. Plan is to run 1/2" emt to job boxes along the workbench top, protected with GFCI outlets. I may at a later time install a 220 for the dust collector and a welder, which is why I went 50 amp.

So am I gonna burn the place down?


texts:
I have a manufactured building that is built like a mobile home. It is already wired with an A/C, outlets, lights, etc. through a 125 amp panel. The panel is very small and has no room for additional breakers. I need to run a few additional circuits for GFI's in the kitchen and bath, a 50 amp range plug and a 30 amp hot water heater.

So I have two options (may be more, two that I can come up with). The first option is to upgrade the existing internal panel box to 200 amp and run the additional circuits to the new inside panel. The second option is to treat the 125 amp panel box as a subpanel and then run the circuits to the outside load center (it's 200 amp with capacity for 20 breakers).

My thoughts, it would be more expensive to run to the load center (it's about 30' but only 10' to the interior panel). However, if I modify the existing panel box, I'm concerned it will expose me to a requirement to upgrade all existing wiring to current code (the building was built in 2000).

Between the two options, is one better than the other? Additionally, if the second option is employed, what is the best way to get all of the individual circuits to the load center? In essence, will they need to be in individual conduit? The building is block and tied about 30" off of the ground.

I checked 550 of the NEC and it doesn't seem to speak to running ancillary circuits (only the main feed).

Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Can this 4'' PVC perforated sewer pipe be used for a french drain?

texts:
I would like to use PVC pipe instead of corrugated pipe.
I went to HomeDepot (Canada) to see what is available and the below is my only choice. I don't think this will work as is since the lateral holes marked with blue are too high and the bottom ones are very few (2 in total for 120in!!)

By my opinion if the water does not reach around 1in depth at the bottom of the french drain this will never work since the bottom side has just 2 holes.

I am thinking about buying this and putting more holes there. Is that a good idea ?

Legend:
-blue dots -lateral holes
-red dots -bottom side holes


texts: Can I use self-levelling cement over different levels of plywood?

texts: I want to put large format tiles in a 10 x 10' bathroom over ditra. I have a solid flooring substrate but it is sloped, losing 1 3/8" over 8 feet. I am concerned about the weight of this much SLC (and the cost). Can I reduce the thickness needed by adding sheets of ply in the low area and then use SLC over the different thicknesses of plywood?


texts: Do I need to seal the base of a shower and the surrounding tile?

texts:
The "seal" between my shower base (fiberglass) and the surrounding tile started to crack (it is around 5 years old). It is not regular caulking, it's more like mortar/cement. It cracked a little bit and some areas fell.

Should I re-seal it? If so, what would be the recommendation? Remove the entire mortar seal and replace it with caulking, or just apply caulking on the areas where the mortar cracked?

UPDATE:
Based on the answers and comments, I think there is a lip that won't let water drip into the wall, here's a picture of the corner of the base. There's a "hole" like this in two of the corners of the base:


texts: Can a 220V AC to 12V DC adapter be plugged into 120V mains?

texts:
I ordered a piece of equipment with a small low-RPM electric motor that came with DC adapter. It's marked

ANGEL
MODEL SG-4805
DC 12V
AC ADAPTOR
HA 10025-2003A
AC 220V 16VA
50/60Hz
DC 12V 850mA

Can it be plugged into 120V mains (safely, and without loss of performance)?

When I look around on the internet, I see some adapters that state the input like INPUT: 100-240V but this one does not give a range.


texts: What's the standard way to mount wooden board to concrete wall?

texts:
I would like to put a wooden board on the concrete wall of my basement so that I can easily mount and dismount electronic equipment to the board with drywall screws without creating concrete dust.

My electrical main breaker panel board is mounted this way, but I can't tell how the wood is attached to the concrete.

Is chipboard ok in this application?  I think it would help "hide" holes from removed screws better than plywood.

And how should I attach the board to the wall?  Epoxy, concrete lags, nails fired from some sort of gunpowder powered tool?

Including electrical tags because I know that main breaker panels are mounted this way.


texts: Should I apply termite preventative products to pressure treated wood?

texts:
There are pressure treated (4"x4") fence posts (set in concrete) nearby to a house. In that area there were previously termites (professionally treated in-ground). This is in a humid region, along the Ohio River (USA) valley.

Is it desirable to apply a termite preventative product (e.g. a borate solution) as well?

Would this be beneficial or purely a waste of money?


texts: Energy Monitor Install load center phase connection

texts:
In an attempt to ensure accurate electrical load center phase connection for a neurio home energy monitor, the installation video around 2:40 mentions connecting to the red wire to another Phase "let's call it, Phase B" then mentions "every other breaker is on a different phase" with a A B A B diagram for each (tandem) breaker. Per the install diagram on the install video, is it safe to assume the red wire is on a the fourth breaker from the left top, if the first black wire is connected to the leftmost top breaker?

A more pertainant question in my case, per my load center, image below, the second breaker from the top left is on a separate phase from the top tandem breaker, in this two phase load center?

Is there any relevant recommended general industry encyclopedia type resource for this?

The neutral bus bar has white wires connected to it, and the ground bar has the no insulation on the wiring?

Thanks in advance!


texts: Water is too hot in electric water heater

texts: My electric water heater all of a sudden started producing scalding hot water. Tried turning down the thermostats. No change. Replaced both thermostats. No change. Turned new thermostats way down to almost off. No change. Tested element for continuity. Tested OK. Tested for element short using continuity tester, element terminal to element flange and tank. tested both elements and both element terminals. No continuity which should indicate no short. What am I missing?


texts: I just replaced an outdoor ceiling fan/light on a gfci circuit, and once we completed the work and re-energized the circuit, my light switch will not move so I can test or turn on the fan. The GFCI breaker in the panelboard operates just fine when I test it. Is there something wired incorrectly or is my switch damaged for some reason?


texts: Is an interior laundry room without an HVAC vent a code violation?

texts:
Currently looking at a home which has a nice 2nd floor laundry.  Vented dryer, nice rack for hanging clothes, etc.

However, it's in the center of the home and does not contain an HVAC (central air) vent. It does have a vent for the dryer. Is this a "code" problem or just poor design?  I'm concerned that clothes may not dry properly without air circulation when hanging...and also in the dryer for that matter.


texts: Can I use a ballast that is rated for four 32W T8 bulbs with a different number of 15W T8 bulbs?

texts: If so how might I figure out how many? I don't know how the math would apply in this situation.


texts: What is the purpose of this outside air return in my utility room?

texts:
Curious what the purpose of this duct is and whether I can close it off. It goes directly outside.

I was planning to convert this room to an office. The furnace and hot water heater are a few feet away from this opening. Today is our first cold day (26 degrees and snowing in MT) and I can feel the cold air beneath the opening.


texts:
As the title states I'm resorting to cutting my marble tiles with an angle grinder. The grinder and the blade are brand new. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a wet table saw since all I'm doing is my 9X6 bathroom. I have an 8.5 amp Black & Decker angle grinder, 11,000 rpm, and an appropriate size continuous diamond blade with a max rpm of 15,000 and good with dry/wet use.

I got through about 6in. when let off the power to check the tile out and the blade rattled as it was coming to a stop. The top flange came loose on the angle grinder! I'm afraid to keep going. I've seen people use cut off blades with angle grinders before so I don't really understand what the issue was. Any ideas?


texts: How can I adapt a wall outlet to suface mount conduit?

texts:
I have a single gang in wall outlet in my basement. I would like to adapt it into surface mount EMT conduit to get an outlet at a different location. Ideally I would be able to keep a plug at the current location, but its not critical.

Once site I found online said to remove the old in-wall box, patch the drywall, and install a new surface mount box.

Is there a simpler way, possibly by installing a face plate or new box on top of the existing box?


texts: How can I prevent water seeping up into my carpet?

texts:
I have a 300 year old cottage, and the carpet seems to have water marks on it around the edge. It smells badly. I am wondering if the water is coming up through the flooring. I have taken part of the carpet up and it seems to be some sort of cement there, but I cannot see any actual places of deteriation in the cement part. Should I ask a professional to come and look at it? What type of contractor would deal with this sort of thing?

I am an older lady (widow), and I have no idea what I am doing. I'd appreciate any help you can provide!


texts: I have a GE Profile PVM9005SJSS microwave oven. It worked fine for 2 years but now it is tripping the circuit breaker whenever I turn it on. I have tried plugging it into different outlets with same result so I think the microwave has a short circuit in it somewhere. Wondering if anyone can help/guide how to fix it?


texts: How can I prevent my hoop house from being uprooted by strong winds?

texts:
I am installing a 20' x 100' hoop house with 5' spacing between each of the hoops.  The arch is about 10' tall.  The hoops are galvanized chain link fence top rail.  3 rails inserted into one another makes one arch.  The hoops are inserted into 2.5' vertical posts which have been pounded into the ground about 2'.  From there it is a caterpillar style hoop house.  There will be a three ridge poles.  One down the center and one on each side.  The end hoops will have double hoops with 1" x 8" fastened to them with wiggle wire channel fastened to that.  There will be diagonal supports at both ends spanning two arches.  There will be a single layer of plastic pulled over the building.  From there I will use 550 cord (parachute cord) to lace over the plastic in crisscross fashion.

Is pounding the vertical posts into the ground good enough in a strong wind?  Or should I also put some cement around the base?  Any other ideas to keep this style of structure from being up-rooted in a storm?


texts: Plumbing and Vent Layout - back to back bathroom renovation

texts:
Please see attached vent and waste layout. I have back to back bathrooms that I'll be attempting to layout as such.

My concern is the main vent going to through the roof. In the image, I have it a 4", and in the existing bathroom it is 4".

My question is can I use the 2x4" bushing to reduce in size to meet the 4" vent? Does the UPC require the vent to be 4" for the two bathrooms? This will require some furring in order to fit the shower mixer valves because of the 4" going through a 5.5" wall. The kitchen sink has its own vent.

Also, did I get my fittings correct? Any other concerns? Code is UPC.


texts: I had to use a brass threaded street 90 male and female  on chrome plated male nipple on commercial facet. It's trying to seep with Teflon tape any suggestions


texts: Will a stair skirt on only one side look weird?

texts:
I have some roughed in stairs with 2 landings that have 1 and 2 more steps to go 180 down into the basement. On the inside I have puck lights (already rocked) so I can't put a skirt there but on the other side one could work, and if it did, the skirt would hit the yet to be installed baseboard around the landing and look fine. Has anyone had a project like this? Is there a rule like no single skirts, lol?
Thanks for your time.


texts: How messy to get underlayment off of concrete floor?

texts: Because of my cats, the carpet of my dining room is really in horrible shape. I live in a townhome. I replaced carpet on the second floor with bamboo flooring without too much mess since the underlayment there was only stapled to the subfloor. It seems that that in the dining room, it is glued down. I don't mind a little bit of work. But since my family has no other place to stay, I don't want to use anything toxic to get the underlayment off. Can I just use a scraper to get the glue off? My home was built in 1980. I don't know when the carpet was installed. Will asbestos be a concern when I remove the carpet and glue?


texts: How can I pour a concrete floor/slab with two levels?

texts:
I am pouring a slab for a concrete floor for an 1800 sq foot house and would like the bathroom area to be about 3/8" lower than the rest so I can tile it and wind up with the floor and seams that are level throughout
once the tile is laid in the depressed area.  How can I do this?


texts: Does electrical wires on exterior need to be in conduit?

texts: Do I need to run electrical wires exiting the breaker box on the exterior wall of the house & traveling across the wall in conduit or can the wires be stapled to the wood siding with steel staples?


texts: Is it okay to run a switched and unswitched hot on the same neutral?

texts:
I have a room where I need to toggle the lights by a switch and the outlets in the room to not be affected by the switch.

As they are on the same circuit, am I able to run a 3 wire cable from the switch so that I'm feeding switched and non-switched power throughout? A little ASCII art to explain:

Incoming cable                          Outgoing cable
--------------            --------      --------------
Hot (from service)        |switch|      Hot (from switch)
Neutral (from service)    --------      Hot (from service)
                                        Neutral

I suspect this isn't an issue because everything is on the same circuit, but thought I'd double check since I would normally pair a neutral with every single hot line.

EDIT: Just so there are no misundersandings, the incoming and outgoing cable also have a ground wire in them.


texts: Does the combustion air inlet for a 95% HE furnace need to be sloped down the same degree as the exhaust?

texts:
I'm determining if existing 2.5" PVC furnace vent pipes can be moved inside an existing soffit box in my garage ceiling.  To do this the exhaust outlet pipe could keep it's existing grade from the terminal on the external wall to the furnace, but the inlet grade would be less.
From here:

All condensate formed in the vent must run back toward furnace for
proper drainage. Install vent pipe with no less than a 1/4 inch per
foot slope from furnace to vent terminal.

AFAIK condensation isn't a problem on the air inlet and I'd have bigger problems if water was dripping down the inlet into the furnace.
Does the grade of the air inlet need to conform to the same rules as the exhaust outlet?


texts: I want to improve my attic insulation. What is the best option to use - Fiberglass batts or blowin insulation? The code says R-30, but will R-38 or higher be better option (New York area and also plan to air seal the attic). I currently have batts which I believe would be R-20.  What would be best option? Thanks


texts:
Today I was trying to put in my smart thermostat and have had no luck. My old thermostat (pictured below) did not have a C wire connected but did have the wire behind the old thermostat.

After the power not coming on to my new Smart thermostat, I checked the furnace to make sure the blue wire was hooked up to the furnace. To my surprise, there were two blue wires that I found. There was a wire "pack" that had all the wires bundled together (including a blue wire) but that blue wire wasn't connected to anything. On the other hand, there was another lone blue wire that was connected to the furnace. It seemed odd to me that the blue wire including in the bundled wires wasn't connected, and a random other blue one was. Any thoughts on this? Any help is appreciated!


texts:
I have a 90 year old house that is located on a flat lot.  To drain water from my crawl space I have trenched around the inside of the crawl space.  Since my house lot is flat and sectioned off where it was added to over the years, I had to install 3 sump pumps located around my trench.  I have installed tarp, and a de humidifier and things are dry most of the time.

My problem: On one side of my house the trench is obstructed by my cast iron sewer line exiting the house.  It cause the trench not to flow down to my sump pump.  I do not want to raise the level of the trench above the sewer line.  Adding another sump pump would correct this but cost $300 and a days work for me.

Would a two foot section of water hose or PVC pipe going underneath sewer line work? The water would flow down in the hose but would have to rise up several inches after the sewer line to regain the trench on other side.

Any ideas?


texts: Running a low-voltage audio cable through a wall; with or without conduit?

texts:
I'm running wire for a 70V audio system and there is a barrier wall in the way of my run. I was wondering if it is legal as far as NFPA 70 / NEC goes if I just poke a hole in the wall (non-insulated and hollow) and run the cable through that? The cable is CL2 so it should be rated for in-wall, but I have no idea if I should still get a piece of conduit to run the cable through.

Thanks!


texts: Dehumidifier Repair - Compressor Heats up but Coils and Lines are Room Temp, How to Troubleshoot

texts:
I have a new Dehumidifier that has never worked. Why I haven't exchanged it or returned it is a long, convoluted story.

My first dehumidifier worked for about 6 months perfectly, but every time it kicked on it would spark and jostle, until one day it stopped collecting water. So, I got it exchanged, just in time for a dry season. The new unit never worked, but I wasn't sure if it was due to the basement temperature, the relative humidity, or or whatnot, so I didn't rush to exchange again. In the meantime the store I purchased from went out of business. Now, I'm at the point where I can tear it apart and hope it's something I can fix.

It powers on, fan runs, compressor turns on, but no water ever collects.
Once dismantled, I see that, to my dismay, everything is 100% clean and in pristine condition.
The fan runs without issue, the coils are completely clean and free from any dust or debris.
To my further dismay, I verify the compressor is being powered, it vibrates and heats up, still touchable, but hot.
The lines to and from it remain completely room temperature.
The coils in front (the cooling coils) and the coils in back (heating coils) stay room temp.
What's going on here? Did the manufacturer just forget to put in the refrigerant?
I don't imagine they would have pinched and welded off the line if that was the case.
Is there any way to check if there is any refrigerant in the system?
Any way to check if there is a flow obstruction?
Seems very wasteful to send this thing to the dump when all it's components have zero wear.


texts:
I'm looking to replace my old thermostat with a wifi one. Looking at the wiring on my HVAC, I can see red and white wires connected (matching what's connected to the back of the existing thermostat). This is what I'd expect, but on the wiring diagram the R terminal is labelled 'Common'. This is strange, as I'd expect the C terminal is the common.

Is the red wire actually a 'Common' terminal, or is this the standard R/W setup that I'd expect for heating?

The cable that is shown runs from the HVAC to the thermostat. As well as the red and white wires, there are also blue and black wires.

I was planning to connect the blue wire to the C terminal on the HVAC, and then attach the red, white & blue wires to the new thermostat. Is this correct, or am I missing something?

Cheers.


texts: How do I fix a garage door opener light that loosens in its socket?

texts:
The light on my garage door opener keeps getting loose in the light socket, causing it to not work. Giving it a slight turn to tighten it fixes it temporarily, but it comes loose again within a week or so. I'm assuming it's the vibration of the opener that's causing the problem.

How can I prevent the light bulb from coming loose in the socket?


texts: How to go about building an aquarium into a wall?

texts:
I plan to install a 180 gallon aquarium in my basement. The dimensions are 72" x 24" x 25" About 2000 pounds after sand and decorations when filled

How should I go about doing this without having structural issues in the future?


texts: Ceiling drywall for basement with 48 inch oc joists

texts:
we are remodeling basement by replacing drop ceiling with drywall. The floor above is supported by 16 ft 4x6 beams at 48 inch oc.

I see the below 2 options. Any inputs will help.

Run a 48 inch(2x6)  blocking between the beams using joist hangers and attach 2 pairs of 8 ft 2x6 to create a 16 inch oc frames to hang the drywall ( again with joist hangers). The new 16 feet length can be plumb with the beams for a flat drywall surface.
Attach 2x4 furring strips on the 4 inch side perpendicular to the beams with 16 inch oc (2 inch ceiling height will be lost). I see that it may be possible to use 1x3 furring strips as well. Can 48 inch span for 1x3 handle 5/8 drywall?


texts: How to replace 12v halogen under cabinet lighting with LED lighting from scratch?

texts:
Somebody initially wired up six 12 vac 10 w halogen bulbs under my kitchen cabinet, wiring them in parallel. The 12 vac power supply was putting off a lot of heat, and within a day or two appeared to burn out. Prior to that I questioned that the power supply was enough to power the 6 bulbs and, trying to recall some basic calculations from physics class 25+ years ago, I think the math showed that we were pushing the transformer beyond the load that it was created for.

So with with the wiring in place, I'm thinking about replacing them with some form of LEDs instead. I think that the power requirements for LED's will be significantly lower and I do have a large box full of assorted transformers that might work as a power supply.

Rather than purchase a kit from a store, I'm thinking of using the existing wiring that's running through the cabinets, purchasing high output LED's and whatever components I might need (resistors?), warming up my ancient soldering gun to wrap this job up.

How would I go about this? What types of LED's should I use, and how would I go about figuring out the power requirements for this set of 6 lights? Should they run in parallel or in series?


texts: LED vs. CFL Bulbs on Modified Sine Wave Inverter

texts:
I have been installing solar electric lighting systems in schools in Haiti for several years now using CFLs.

I have been thinking about installing LED bulbs instead.  I am using a DC to AC modified sine wave inverter at 60 Hz, 120 volt, 1750 watts.  Will the LEDs work as well as the CFLs do now?


texts: How to cantilever a roof beyond the end wall?

texts:
How can this roof be extended 16 inches beyond the end wall?  Seems like it requires some 8 foot 2x4's but I'm unsure how to brace them to the truss.  My way of thinking would put them above 4 inner trusses and also above the outer truss, which seems wrong.

Would blocks provide enough support?

Thanks to Sam's keywords (“step down truss” and “roof outriggers”) I was able to find this image showing a "lookout" and "fly rafter".

From there, I was able to come up with a reasonable solution:


texts: What is this furniture part, and where can I find one?

texts:
I am trying to repair some chairs at church. One of them is missing the part in the photo. What is it called, and where can I find one in the US? Metric threads.

Thanks.


texts: Attic insulation: Giving unfaced insulation a face

texts:
I just moved into a small 1950s home. The previous owner had purchased tons of unfaced fiberglass batts and they are still in their bags, piled up in the attic. So I'm going to clean up the little bit of loose fill insulation that was there, and lay the new stuff on a clean slate

What should I do so that this unfaced insulation will have the same effect as faced? A plastic vapor barrier? I'm getting mixed messages on those...


texts: I installed a backup sump pump following the instructions.   The backup pump will turn on  but does not eject any water from the pit, the water only swirls around.     The pipes aren't clogged: the main pump works great and it is new pipe on the backup.     I tried drilling a hole in the pipe above the backup and water will shoot out the hole when the pump turns on but not up and out through the main discharge pipe.    There is a check valve on the main pipe, but is working as the main pump does empty the pit.   My only guess is that the backup line hits the main line at a 45 degree angle and the water coming up doesn't have enough force to open the check valve.   Again I installed it as indicated in the instructions.   The backup is battery operated and both the pump and battery are brand new.  Anyone have any ideas?


texts:
MY Wife and I decided to take on some remodeling with the help of my plumber father in law. We moved the washer and dryer into the garage and re-ran the plumbing.
While looking at what it would take to remove the small wall to the left of the refrigerator I opened up the inside of the closet and found a pretty substantial beam above the ceiling. I think it's directly underneath the top of the stairs. The beam only spans  the closet, 64 inches, and is only sitting on a single 2x4 sistered against another 2x4 that goes up higher on either end.
I realize now that taking out the beam is not going to happen. I essentially want to build a wall going back into the closet to allow a 60" set of base and upper cabinets to go where the fridge currently is and move to the fridge to the left of the little wall I'm going to build.
Can I add a 4x4 post 20 inches in, secure it to the concrete foundation  and secure  it with a strong tie to the beam above?
Also, I could use a steel corner bracket to attach the beam to the structure to the left of it.

Thanks in advance,
Andy


texts: How to remove the handles from this faucet

texts:
My bathroom faucet is leaking around the base of my right handle.  With previous faucets I've been able to use a set screw to loosen the handle and replace the washer.  With these, though, I can't seem to pop off the faucet handle.  Does anyone know how to remove this handle?  Does anyone know the brand of this faucet?

Update -- Nov 29th

I've already tried to get those cap ends off.  I tried to use some pliers and unscrew them, but couldn't remove it.  I tried taking a small flat head and popping off the ends.  Still nothing.  It doesn't seem like the come off.

I also tried unscrewing the handles, but they just don't see to turn for me.

Also there is definitely no set screw on the handles.  I've searched all around the faucet and found nothing indicating a set screw.


texts: Hopper Gun for Knockdown: Decision Point

texts:
I (newbie) intend to apply drywall mud and knockdown a ceiling this weekend: 3BR 2BA apartment.  Youtube videos indicate that it can be applied manually or sprayed pneumatically with a hopper gun.

What are the questions that I need myself to ask in order to make the decision as to whether I should try using a hopper gun?


texts: Will my gas meter accommodate the demands of a new tankless water heater?

texts:
I'm hoping to install a tankless water heater, and I'm trying to figure out if my current gas meter can handle it. So I'm trying to figure out how much gas my furnace uses.

It's a Goodman GMH950703BXAD. The label says the max temp rise is 69,000 BTU/hour, and the EnergyGuide sticker says it's 98% efficient. Am I right in thinking this means a max gas usage of about 70,500 BTU? (69000 / 98) * 100 = 70408

In response to comments about pipe size, it's 1" pipe coming off the meter. This is about 30', then it reduces to 3/4" at an old unused T, and it's about 25' of 3/4". The furnace and water heater are both at the end of this. So I've already got the required 3/4" gas supply, and it wouldn't be out of the question to extend the 1" line the entire distance if that would help.


texts: Missing chunk of the side of a laminate countertop

texts: I just bought a piece of property that included a 49 yo trailer.  Am trying to fix up as best I can.  There is a big chunk missing from the countertop.  I really don't want to replace the countertop and am hoping there is something I can do to patch up the countertop and then I can paint the entire thing.  Anybody know how I can fix??


texts: Has anyone heard of or have experience with a reverse pressure radon mitigation system for your home?

texts: We purchased a home that had one installed during construction.  I'm just wondering if people have had a positive experience with this type of system and can explain how it works.  We just had a radon test completed and it came back above 4 and would require mitigation to sell.  The monitor on the tube shows that it is "working" as the pressure is not equal. Anyone have this type of system and any problems with it?  Thanks!


texts: What wire size do I need for a 200A residential service?

texts: I’m planning on upgrading my electrical service to 200 amps but I’m not sure what aluminum wire size I need. I get confused with the ambient temperature chart, I’m located around Houston Texas area


texts: Capping a leaky outdoor faucet, good idea?

texts: I have an old outdoor faucet that is leaking water. The switch of the water source is very old and hard to turn to stop the water supply to this faucet. I wonder if I can buy something to cap it to stop the leak, if I do that, will I risk water trap inside, and would it be risking bursting pipe in winter when the water freezes?


texts: Is it ok to run a 30A water heater circuit on #12 wire?

texts:
I moved into a 50 year old home about 2 years ago and we’ve been using a (miraculously working) water heater from 1994. Yesterday, its life finally came to an end when I found it had sprung a leak in our laundry room. Since it’s a rental, we had a technician come to assess it and he’s going to bring us a new one later today. Since the house is pretty old, however, I checked our circuit today and found something (maybe?) troubling.

We’re still using the old fuse boxes from the sixties and while our current water heater has its own 30amp circuit, the wire that runs to the unit is 12 gauge, which I’ve read is a no no. Our current heater is 40 gallons and 3000 watts with a max amp of 18.75, so it’s probably never maxed out the load, but I’m concerned that a new one might.

When I mentioned it to the technician, he waved off my concern and said the new units run at a lower max amp than this and 12 gauge would be totally fine. He’s obviously more experienced than I am so I have no choice but to defer to the professional but I just figured I’d check here to ease my mind a little.

Is the tech right or am I putting myself at risk by having a new unit put in?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!


texts: How do I draft proof a “drop down” loft hatch

texts:
I am trying to draft proof our drop down loft hatch, however I can't see how to get a good seal as its “push to release” click does not hold it tightly enough against the draft proofing strips.

Are there any good solutions?


texts: Where is the pilot light on my Carrier Infinity Series 48XT dual fuel hybrid furnace/Air Conditioner?

texts:
THE ISSUE

We bought a new home and it came with this state-of-art system. The model number is #48XT-A6011530TP. Haven't had much luck finding information about this model or type of unit online.

I've got a box inside by the thermostat, in a closet, behind the return air filters, and a box outside about 4-foot square. They tell me that is called a "split unit".

QUESTIONS

1) Where is the pilot light on my Carrier 48XT Hybrid Furnace/Air Conditioner unit?

2) Why is there almost no information on this type of unit available online. There are all kinds of videos on YouTube about how to turn on a pilot light on different models of heaters, but not this one.

3) Is this some magical type of unit that all-of-a-sudden doesn't have a pilot light? If so, when did they start doing that? Is it controlled by a computer, like automobiles are now?

If for some reason I have an outdated understanding of how things work, the main thing I want to know is How do I turn on my hybrid furnace?

Any help is appreciated.


texts: What type of Anode rod should I get for my water heater?

texts: It's time to replace my anode rod and I'm not sure what type I should get (Magnesium, Aluminum, Combination, or Powered). I have a well and use a water softener. I have a high iron content (orange stains in toilet tanks and in showers) and I've just started adding rust-remover pellets to the softener. There is also a very slight rotten-egg smell to the water. I don't think the anode has been changed in many years. What type of anode rod should I get?


texts: Is sealing via tape necessary for knee wall foam board insulation.?

texts:
I have dramatically improved the ventilation and insulation situation in my house's knee wall attic space, but I have one concern.

I nailed up foam board over the studs and fiberglass batts.  Do the seams really need to be sealed with expanding foam or tape?  How much more performance would I gain?  If so, which is the better option?


texts: Why does my water heater stop heating when some outlets don't have power?

texts:
I just bought a house 2 months ago. The water heater has been working fine until now. We experienced some receptacles in our kitchen coming in and out (meaning they'd work and then quit, work and then quit, all without tripping the breaker) and in the same day the hot water heater stops producing hot water.

I've checked everything I know to check (elements, thermostat, etc, with my ohms meter and an electricity testing pen) but,I'm by no means an electrician and am at a loss for what to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts: How to power Honeywell wifi thermostat with external transformer

texts:
I want to install  A Honeywell RTH 6580 WF thermostat in my garage for heat only .  My heater is a simple LP gas, hanging unit heater; heat only and my thermostat has two wires labeled W and R .  I have no C wire which I understand is necessary to power the Wi-Fi thermostat .  I have also read that instead of a C wire that an external transformer can be installed and used to power the thermostat .  A transformer that I looked at at my local Menards is actually a doorbell transformer and can be wired as 24 V AC output and is rated at 20 VA.

Question 1: Is this an acceptable transformer for my application?

Question 2 & 3: There will be two wires (I believe) that will go from the load side of the transformer to the thermostat. Which terminals do these wires connect to on the thermostat? Then do my existing "W" and "R" wires connect to the corresponding "W" and "R" on the new thermostat?


texts: How do I avoid a rough surface after applying polyurethane

texts:
I've looked at other answers to this question but still have a problem.
Application of multiple thin coats is always recommended but the only way I can get a thin coat uniform over a large piece is by "brushing over" when moving from one patch of varnish to the next.  The result is thin but dries rough.
Isn't there an equally durable varnish that dries slowly enough that brushing over won't result in the roughness?
Or is my idea of a thin coat too thin?


texts:
When I purchased our house the previous owners recently installed electric baseboard heaters in rooms A, B and C.  I did not want to keep these but needed more outlets so I had swapped the breaker at the panel so I could run 110 volt instead of 220 volt.

Originally the feed line (from the panel) ran from the panel to the heater in room A. It was then spliced directly on the unit and a line ran to rooms B and C.  After removing the baseboard units I ran the feed line to the outlet in room A.  I ran a line from the outlet to a junction box, then spliced in the lines that go to rooms B and C.

Last night, one of the outlets that is connected at the junction box stopped working, then started working but received very little power.  I immediately cut the power to the line at the panel.  The other two outlets were working properly.  It was really late so I didn't dig into the problem too much but did verify that the connections at the outlet were tight. I am assuming the problem is somewhere in the junction box.

Since the lines were originally running 220 they used some 12/2 wire.  When I put in the junction box I had a hard time getting a good twist on the wires before putting on a wire nut and was worried that at some point they would come loose.  I am pretty sure I used the red wire nuts which I think should be the correct ones, right? I don't think wrapped them in electrical tape but should I?  Any tips on how I can keep this from happening again?


texts: Metal around wall register boot for trim

texts:
Below are two images of what im talking about. Around the duct boot for the wall register is a metal box to make up for the difference between the wall and where the trim ends. What is it called and where can i find it?

Thank you for your time.


texts: Do I need to prime/seal new drywall behind cabinets?

texts:
If I were doing it, I would usually prime and paint before installing the cabinets. My painter for this project says he'd prefer that I install everything before he paints.

Do I need to use a sealing primer on the new drywall behind where the cabinets will be installed or can I leave it unsealed?


texts: DIY Tubular Skylights for special application; seeking tubular skylights smaller than 10"

texts:
We would like to have several "tubular skylights" in the construction we are planning. These are skylights consisting of a circular opening in the roof with attached dome-shaped or circular window, attached to a cylindrical duct with a reflective material on the inside, which eventually reaches the interior through the ceiling, terminating at some kind of window. These skylights not only deliver the light from outside, but they also "disperse" the light (using the tube's inner material) so that upon exit at the ceiling the light is spread out over a larger area and not as concentrated as it would be otherwise.

As far as I can tell, 10" diameter is the smallest size offered among today's tubular skylight products.

We are going to be using a concrete roof technology that has a fixed spacing between its concrete beams. I currently understand it to be the case that 10" would not pose structural problems in the roof, and it may not necessarily interrupt one of the beams, but we would prefer to opt for more numerous openings of a smaller size given that strength and storm resistance is a priority for the building.

I suppose that the "volume of light" that is delivered, both physically and with regards to our perception of it, diminishes exponentially as the diameter of the skylight decreases. This may be one justification for the minimum of 10" among the available products. Aside from that, it is not clear to me whether there would be a big issue with hitting some kind of other physical diameter threshold, smaller than which we would be severely limiting the function (light delivered and/or proper dispersion of the light) of the skylight.

There are two particularities to our situation that make me think a smaller diameter would be OK. (1) There will be no bends in our skylight tubing, whereas generally the commercially available skylights are designed to accommodate bends in the tubing (and the eventual decrease in delivered light); (2) Our tube will be short, maybe 4 feet from exterior to interior, whereas existing products are designed to accommodate longer lengths. So we already have two factors which appear to boost the effectiveness / functionality in our case.

Other possible benefits of producing our own skylights: We can adapt it to our specific use, and specifically we can make it more storm resistant or adapt it to the particularities of our roof (which is more-or-less flat and will be topped with a concrete slab, which is different from the average roof with shingles etc). Another is that existing skylights seem to be expensive, though I haven't researched prices much.

I wonder what people think about that reasoning so far. I am thinking of having openings that are as small as 4".

Now, aside from whether it is a good idea or not, I am looking for advice on constructing the skylights. It seems straightforward to create a cylindrical tube, and apply a reflective material to the inside. However I am not sure about:

what to use for the exterior light collecting window / dome, which are usually designed to collect light from all angles. We do not need to take into account storm resistance necessarily, because we can install separately some kind of shutter that encloses the dome. I am thinking that we may be able to just install a 10" dome even though the opening that it will sit over will be smaller.
How best to connect the tube to the dome, in a way that minimizes leaks into the roof opening/canal; or if they are not connected, how to best secure the dome to the roof to minimize leaks.
What to use for the interior circular window.
General construction advice for assembling these items.

I apologize if this question is very long. Thank you.


texts: How to wire a light with two white wires and one black wire

texts:
I bought an old house, and I have a light fixture with two white wires and one black wire.  I tested the wires, and one of the white wires and one of the black wires are hot, the other white wire (the middle one) does not register with my tester.

I tried hooking a led light with only two wires to the live white and black wires, but after hooking it up it will not turn on.

The switch it is on previously had a fan with a dimmer attached.  Any ideas how to wire this up correctly?


texts: Convert One 3-Way Light Switch to Belkin WeMo Light Switch (Single Pole)

texts:
Our foyer chandelier has three switches that control it. I want to control it with a Belkin WeMo light switch, which specifically states is not compatible with 3-way switches/fixtures, sadly. Well, if I can't convert one of the three switches to be a Belkin WeMo light switch and keep the other two switches working, I'd like to just convert one of the switches to be a WeMo light switch as a single pole, such that the other two switches would simply be left in their on positions.

In my case, the light switch I want to convert/replace has four wires. Two black wires. Two white wires. There appears to be a couple loops of bare copper wire inside the metal box, but currently it does not appear to be connected to the existing switch in any way.

The new Belkin WeMo light switch has four wires of its own. Two black (labeled switch, one with a lightbulb icon, the other with a lightning bolt icon), one white (labeled neutral, with a zero icon), and one green (labeled ground, with the standard icon for ground).

So how might I go about figuring out what wires on the WeMo light switch to connect to what wires currently connected to the existing 3-way switch to pull off this functionality?

Any tricks/hacks that might help me keep the functionality of at least one of the two other three-way switches and have the third WeMo light switch altogether? I do wish Belkin would just come out with a 3-way version already, but until that happens, I guess I'm stuck taking this route if I want the WeMo capabilities (and I do).


texts: How should I prime/paint a new red cedar exterior windowsill?

texts:
What's the best currently available paint combination for a new cedar windowsill in a non-freezing climate (San Francisco)?  I've read that current oils no longer match the performance of their predecessors.  But I also know that oil primers soak in to the wood much more than latex primers.

Here the old sill is a Marvin finger jointed pine sill, which lasted about 25 years:

The original sill was redwood installed in 1925, and all the sills on this side of the house failed (the rest are still in service). The location is shaded but not otherwise exceptional.

The Marvin sill will be hacked out, and a new redwood/cedar sill screwed in from below.  I know the cross section of the Marvin design and know this will work (you can see the joint between the sill and the window frame in the picture).


texts: Does white vinegar over asphalt cause any harmful reaction?

texts:
I previously asked a question about which glue is under my vinyl tiles and the answer said it was tar/asphalt.
Is this abestos glue/ do these tiles contain abestos, if so how can I safely remove/work around it?

Today I wanted to disinfect the area as there were a lot of dead maggots under there and I sprayed all the glue down with a concentrated amount of white vinegar.  I don't know why I always do this.

It could be my imagination or my medical issues as I'm sensitive but it made me feel very unwell.  The glue before the vinegar was making me unwell.

Maybe this is better suited to the chemistry site but does any reaction take place with white vinegar and these glues which lead to harmful toxins to be emitted?

Thanks


texts: How to tighten this kitchen sink faucet?

texts:
I have an unknown model of kitchen faucet, with two problems.

The handle  is loose, i.e. it has a lot of play before it starts
adjusting the flow.
The pull-out sprayer hose doesn't seat properly when retracted, so it wiggles.

Both problems are quickly illustrated in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRVtZPf-4zw

EDIT: I got the handle off, and found the below mechanism inside.  The left piece screws on top of the right piece, creating a groove where the white piece is shorter, and there's a metal piece that slides back and forth in that groove.  This plastic is clearly worn, so I guess I just need a new one.

About the sprayer problem, here is a photo showing it a little better.


texts: Electrician recommends to replace 50 amp with 60 amp breaker

texts:
After 20 years the stove blew the breaker.

The Home Warranty Company sent an appliance guy out. He said it was the breaker.
Home Warranty Company sent out a electrician. He put his gauge on it and said the stove was drawing 57 amps and wanted to replace the 50 with a 60 amp breaker.
He didn't check anything else.

Please verify that this is ok.

I don't think so, rather a retired electrician found the wires loose & tightened them and it then was drawing the 40 amp current.

Please confirm that replacing a 50 amp breaker with a 60 amp breaker could actually do more harm and could literally set me house on fire as the breaker wouldn't trip if it drawing an over currant.


texts: Where would you place the thermostat in a single zone, 3 story building. Tt's a multi-family residential, 3 units, one unit per floor. The boiler is a high-efficiency condensing boiler in the basement, with hot-water cast-iron rads in all units. I know the ideal is to have multi-zones, one per unit, but that isn't currently a possibility. So is it better to put the thermostat in the first floor,  since heat rises, or in the top floor, since the top floor is farther away from the boiler?


texts: What are the best options to repair this kind of damage in my bathtub?

texts:
Please let me know in the comments if any other information is
  required to understand the issue or help one construct a good answer.

I've reviewed other questions regarding bathtubs without success. The current tub covering appears very thin. I've had some experience with a spray on product (can't recall the name).

However, I am concerned with the possibility that I ought to somehow strip the material off the existing tub surface before putting on anything new. Any insight or advice would be much appreciated.

Background

(per request in comments)

We've had this house for 10 years. We didn't really notice the peeling on the side but the one around the drain began just a few months ago. The covering seems very thin as the picture indicates and the tub itself does appear that it might be fiberglass. We've never applied any finish to this tub so I don't have much more history there.


texts: Fence gates with two holes for lock and handle

texts:
I have a wooden gate and an iron gate, both have holes similar to how entry doors have for a door knob/lever and dead bolt.

I'm not sure what kind of lock sets I need to install. I thought about the quickset and other types of locks but I'm not sure how well they'd handle outdoors.

Searching online only results in fence latches, but I already have the holes in the fence.


texts:
I need to run coaxial cable to another room and the original hole near the bottom of the wall got covered by a taller baseboard. Is it ok to drill through the baseboard?

There's still a hole on the other side of the wall because that side has a shorter baseboard. Is it best to drill from this shorter-baseboard side that still has a hole? I don't want to push the taller baseboard off its wall though.


texts: Non-permanent way to cap a clay cleanout pipe

texts:
I have a clay cleanout pipe, with bell, in my side yard. There is no type of cover and I want to prevent mosquitoes from breeding inside.  Does anyone know of a way I can cover it while still allowing periodic access and not damaging the pipe in anyway?  I've looked online and at Lowe's for rubber caps but nothing fits the exterior 9.25"-9.5" perimeter.

Thanks,
Adam


texts: Can I install wide-plank solid hardwood over radiant floor heat?

texts:
I've been planning to replace my living room carpet with hardwood.  I have radiant heating under the floor (boiler and pex piping).  I was originally looking at 3/4" thick 3" to 5" wide boards, but after looking into how to DIY, I ended up with more questions than answers.

The recommended method of installation is nailing, but I have radiant heat, that sounds like a bad idea.  Other advice I found recommended not to glue or float the boards.  I'm in a cold climate as well, and saw advice not to use wide boards because they would warp.  Is it really a good idea to put hardwood over radiant heat?  And if so, what's the recommended method of installing it?

I used to have engineered beech (plywood backing) in my 2nd floor bathroom which was floating and the boards were glued to each other, and it held up well for over 10 years aside from water damage around the shower.  I have laminate in one room and it was ruined when the roof leaked while we were on vacation (ice dam that formed in a spot that had never leaked before), so I'm not fond of anything that is MDF backed.  I have pets and kids so its possible liquids could sit unnoticed on the floor.

I ordered various samples of solids and engineered woods.  To my horror, some of the samples of engineered hardwood were MDF backed, and the 5" wide 1/2" thick plywood backed samples were slightly warped.

Whatever I install, I want it to last.  Can I go with 3" hardwood and short nails or glue the boards together and float it?  Or is engineered really the best way to go?