texts: Is it possible to wire this diagram the way I want?

texts:
This all started when I tried to attach a fixture in my Mudroom to a Ceiling Box that I was told was ready for it. The house is older (1948) and undergone some "interesting" DIY additions by the previous owner(s).
The Ceiling Box had four (!) cables coming into it, so it was a little scary to look at for me; however, there ultimately was one black and one white wire hanging down seemingly "ready" for a fixture. But, testing my fixture after attaching it, the bulb did not turn on, so I set about mapping out where all the cables went.
I'm pretty confident my diagram below is correct for the boxes I have access to.
I'm most likely going to hire an Electrician, but, I'd like to know if what I want to do is even possible without having to run new wires, or tear open walls.
So, I'd like to know if it's possible to:

Switch 1 (S1) operate the Garage Lights (E)
Switch 2 (S2) operate the Mudroom Light (F)
Mudroom Receptacle (D) be ALWAYS ON

Or, bonus points, turn (D) into a "half-hot" with Switch 2 (S2) operating the switched outlet

More Details from my troubleshooting and Googling:

I believe the Power In (A) from the Panel has an "Open Ground"
I believe the Circuit Breaker for this circuit is a Combination AFCI (black case with white button)
The Garage Lights were currently operated by Switch 1 (S1). However, there was A LOT of wire-nut gymnastics that seem unnecessarily complicated, so I'd rather start from an unbiased starting point and do it more simply (if possible).


texts: How much maintenance should I budget for a historic home?

texts:
We've been considering some historic homes as a future residence, but one of our concerns is how much to budget annually for long-term maintenance and repairs.  Let's use this late 1800's Victorian with about 3,700 finished square feet as an example:

Assume there are presently no major repairs needed or pending and that it has been very well maintained.  For more details about the home, see here.


texts: Do I need a stud on each side to install a swinging shower door?

texts:
I recently started looking into installing a glass shower door for my stall shower. The shower is a one-piece fiberglass pre-fab shower. I assume I need a stud on at least one side of the door to screw the frame into. (through the shower, into the wall, into a stud.) My problem is that I checked both walls and found out that the studs aren't lined up on both sides.

Luckily, the side I would put the hinge on lines up with the edge of the shower. It makes sense to me that the majority of the force/moment is going to be on the hinge side of the frame. However, I'm worried about what might happen if the shower door is slammed shut, applying a large impulse to the side of the frame not anchored into a stud.

So am I screwed because my builder didn't have enough foresight to line up the studs on both sides of the shower, or is one side good enough?

EDIT: What type of anchors should I use, if I decide to put in the shower door with only a stud on the hinge side? Should I drill out  the fiberglass and stick an anchor just in the drywall behind it? Do anchors exist that will span the 1.5" gap between the fiberglass shower and the drywall?


texts: Is there any benefit to using vented aluminum soffit over solid wood soffit?

texts: I'm wanting to cover over my home's old solid wood fascia and soffit probably with aluminum fascia and vinyl soffit. There's an option to have either vented or unvented soffit.  Since my current soffit doesn't factor into my attic's ventilation, does vented soffit provide any benefits to the wood/structure underneath?


texts:
I currently have a PCV water line to my fridge.

I’d like to connect a braided line to it to connect to the fridge. Is there a connector that will do this? I’m trying not to replace the entire line to my basement.


texts: Is a duplex receptacle counted as one or two outlets for branch calculations?

texts:
When counting receptacles or outlets for a branch circuit (where the limit is typically 10 or 12 outlets), does a typical duplex receptacle count as one or two? It seems that they each count as two, but I'm having trouble finding something that clarifies that (one post I saw said two on the same yoke count as one).

I'm wiring up an electronics lab space and I need lots of outlets. This is usually solved with long power strips containing 10 or more outlets. I wanted to put in three 2-gang boxes with duplex receptacles in each spot. That's 12 or 24 outlets, depending on the interpretation.

So, is this one or two receptacles/outlets?

Thanks!


texts: Difference in protection between GFCI breaker vs receptacle?

texts: I am selling my house in Illinois, and the buyer's home inspector complained that the house needed to have GFCI receptacles instead of GFCI breakers for the bathroom and kitchen.  I am under the belief that they provide the same protection.  Am I mistaken?  Is there a safety issue, or is this just busy work?


texts: Filling a crack in hardwood floor (between house and extension)

texts: I have a cinder block house that has a wooden frame sunroom extension. The house is from 30's, and the extension is at least 40 years old. There is a visible gap (about 1/4inch wide and fairly long) in hardwood floor where the house and the extension meet. Through this gap cold air enters in the winter. We had an inspection by structural engineer, who assured us that there is no structural problem. I am looking to fill the gap. Is silicone caulk good idea? If not, what should I use?


texts: Can I paint part of a wall in a seamless way a couple years after?

texts:
A couple years ago, I painted the walls of my appartment, but I was afraid to break the thermostat if I tried to remove it, so I painted around it.
However, I have decided to change my thermostat, for home automation purposes, and guess what, it's smaller...
Given that:

The paint is still sold
It is a color mix (done by the supplier, according to specs, but there may be some variability?)

Is there any chance I can paint just the bit I missed, or will it be so obvious that I am better of painting the entire wall?

Thanks,


texts: Replacing ceiling fan/light combo with standard ceiling light to wall switch

texts:
I'm replacing a ceiling fan/light combo, with a simple LED round flush "puff" ceiling light fixture. (1-blk, 1-wht, 1-grd)  The wall switch only worked the ceiling fan light. The wall switch currently is black to black, and white was connected to ceiling fan "light" wire.
What is the secret to having the wall switch get involved?
The junction box has blk/wht in from breaker, out to next room with ceiling fan, and incoming wall switch blk/wht.
Thanks so much...


texts: Adding whole home water filter to the main water line line

texts: I would like to install a whole home water filter just after the water tank. The line coming out of the tank to the rest of the house is 3/4in pex. The filter systems that I have looked at so far are all 1/2in connectors. If I use 3/4 to 1/2 adapter to connect to the filter, then another from the filter back to the rest of the pipe system, is this going to cause any negative affects to the water pressure for the rest of the house?


texts: Is this product suitable as a solvent cement for abs pipes?

texts:
I have this at home:
Glue

and I need to solvent-weld these abs drain piping:

pipe and elbow

Can I avoid purchasing solvent cement?
Or would that present some problem?

Thanks.


texts: How to electrically ground a gas furnace connected with an armoured cable

texts:
My gas furnace will not turn on. I verified 120V where the armoured cable enters the furance, so I was going to continue testing for voltage before and after the transformer (with the door safety switch pressed in and 24V call-for-heat  manually triggered, flame safety module is good), but I noticed a broken bit of (aluminum) wiring at the green ground screw. The black and white wires are solid copper. I assume the aluminum wire inside the armoured cable is ground, and was wrapped a couple times around the outside of the metal sheath, and then finally connected to the green ground screw.

Is using a short strand of solid copper ground wire, with the copper wire screwed into the grounding screw, and pigtailed to the aluminum wire with an AlumiConn the best practice?

Quck note - I'm comfortable and confident with the gas-related safety components on a gas furnace, but aluminum wiring requires special knowledge and is a source of fires, so I'm super cautious.


texts: Tracing elctrical outlets that suddenly stopped working.

texts:
Last fall an outdoor outlet and an outlet in my garage worked just fine.
However this spring neither of them work.
Any thoughts on how I can go about researching or identifying the problem?
I checked the circuit breaker and nothing is tripped, neither have a reset button on them.

Just not sure where to start with this.

I read some other posts, and these all turned out to be light switches that one didn't know about or a bad connection.  I have already reviewed the connections at both, I plugged a vacuum cleaner into both and walked around turn on light switches etc.

The two outlets are about 20 feet apart, one outside the other in the garage so they may or may not be on the same line, I am assuming right now they are because they both stopped working.


texts: Exterior Faucet Replacement Anti Siphon Valve

texts:
In my ignorance of how this valve is supposed to work, I over-tightened and sheared the valve. I am looking to replace the valve, but cannot seem to find any that are a similar style. The house was build in 2006, so I don't know if this style is no longer made or if I'm just using the wrong terms.

This is what the non-broken faucet looks like: https://i.imgur.com/ln1QHJc.jpg

And here is my broken piece and presumably the part that I need another of: https://i.imgur.com/JHw2zQN.jpg

Could anyone recommend how I might go about finding this part?


texts:
My friend is having a house built. Slab is poured, it's framed in, has the electrical, ductwork and roof. We went out to look and saw the roof had "buckles" or waves in it. There was another house like it, in the same stage of build, in the same new subdivision.
I let her know that was irregular, at least. But I don't know if this resulted from the decking being installed wrong, or being installed then a day or 2 later the shingles got nailed on, possibly over moisture? She has a meeting with the builder in the morning.


texts: How to correctly varnish/lacquer all sides of a countertop?

texts:
I am about to apply a varnish/lacquer[1] to a fairly non-small countertop (200x50cm). Because it'll be in the bathroom I want to apply it on all sides. I also want to minimize the amount of times I have to turn it around and want to minimize the amount of stains on the visible edges.

One solution seems to be to paint while keeping the countertop vertically, so that any stains from drips will form on the small side that'll be invisible in my case. But how do I hold the countertop while working and how do I rest it while it dries?

And if the better option is to apply it while it's laying flat, how can I avoid stains on the underside?

[1] - I don't really understand what's the difference, they both translate to the same word in Polish.


texts: Should I be concerned about creaks when the wind blows?

texts: Is it normal to hear creaks when the wind blows at about 20 mph speed? I heard the creaks in the upstairs when i was sleeping in the bedroom. I guess that was from the attic. I am little worried as does it have something to do with the house structure?


texts: How do I install a pre-hung door in a thick exterior wall?

texts:
I live in an old DC rowhouse; it was built in 1908.  I'd like to replace the house's two slab-hung exterior doors with newer pre-hung models with full-length lites to increase the natural light and to get rid of the gaps around the doors.

The problem is that I don't know how to go about installing a pre-hung door in walls as thick as ours.  Instead of 2x4-framed walls, which would be a cake walk, we've got 13-inch thick walls, and that's before you get to the siding.  On top of that, the front door has a transom window with only about a 1-inch plank between the top of the door and the bottom of the transom's glass.

How should I go about getting a pre-hung door installed here?  Any tips?


texts: How do I solve the allergic reaction (red burning eyes) from the mitsubishi unit in my bedroom?

texts: I have a twelve year old Mitsubishi unit in my bedroom.  I also have allergic reactions to pollen, mold, etc.  This year, for the first time, I wake up in the morning with red, burning eyes.  My husband changes the filter every year and I've never had this reaction.


texts: Could placing hot food in the fridge (as opposed to letting it cool first), cause significant reduction in appliance lifetime

texts:
My wife and I are having an "ongoing household discussion". She claims that it is bad to place hot food in the fridge, because it causes the fridge to work harder. I claim the impact is negligible. Neither of us have data to back up our claims.

To her point, yes the fridge must "work harder" since it is a closed-loop system trying to maintain a temperature set point, and the introduction of a hot body with decent thermal inertia must cause it to spend longer on whatever it does to whisk away heat.

However, the difference of "Hot" food and "Warm" food is probably 30 degrees (F), from 90 to 60F, and the fridge probably has a set point of roughly 40F. I assumed those first 20-30 deg cooling happen rapidly, and the last 20-30 happens much slower, due to the exponential solution to the heat equation.

Finally, neither of us know whether the primary source of fridge failure is wear from cooling or other factors, so we don't even know if the "cooling activation" properties are relevant.


texts: How can I center a drill bit so that it drills absolutely straight down rather than perhaps a little off to the side?

texts:
In Googling "drill bit guide" came across this and other tools like it:

Something like this seems perfect for being able to drill a straight hole through wood.  However, I can't seem to find anything like it at Lowe's, Home Depot, or Menard's.  Surely, I must not be searching properly as it would appear that such a tool would be a very handy addition to one's arsenal of precision tools.

What, exactly, is the industry term for such a tool that makes for the easy centering of a drill bit?


texts: How full can my sump pit get before I should worry?

texts:
After dealing with this issue by adding a circuit dedicated to the sump pump, it has been very dry in my area. The sump pump hasn't kicked on in the month or so since the circuit was added. I wasn't worried...

However, the last week has been a wet one. Today, especially, has been near flood conditions to the point that they are closing many local schools. I still have not seen or heard the pump come on.

The sump pump power runs into the power cord from a switch, which then plugs directly into the dedicated circuit. The switch cord connects to a float set up in the sump pit, along with the pump itself.

The sump pit is a 25+ gallon pit with several drainage lines feeding into it at various levels. It has standing water in the pit, which I, as I understand things, does not necessarily indicate a problem. However, the water has risen above the highest drainage pipe, to within six inches of the lip. Still, the pump has not switched on.

I tried manually running the pump, and it operates fine, draining fairly quickly - half an inch or so in under 60s even during a moderate amount of rainfall. So my concern isn't that there are problems with the pump. Rather, I am concerned about the switch.

I do not see the float anywhere in the water. How high can the water get before it is certain that there is a problem?

Note that my fiancee and I are leaving town on Saturday to get married. We will be gone for two weeks. More rain is anticipated, so if I need to replace the switch, it must be tonight or tomorrow.

Edit to include pics:

This is what the pit looks like currently:

This is the water-level of the pit. The brown line on the stick marks the water-line. The paint-can is a full-size paint can, used to show scale:


texts: Help running a C wire from my furnace--no voltage from the C terminal on the circuit board

texts:
I am thinking about changing thermostats for my ICP END4X36T17A2 furnace, but my options are pretty limited due to my current thermostat hookup lacking a C wire. It currently has four wires hooked up to the Y, G, W, and Rh terminals. I followed the wire bundle back to the furnace and looked at how it's connected to the circuit board. I see five terminals there labeled G, C, W, Y, and R; all of them except C are currently running to the thermostat. (There is a separate two-wire bundle running from C and Y to my external air conditioner) It would seem to be a pretty straightforward task of running a wire from the C terminal to my thermostat, except checking with a multimeter I don't detect the expected 24VAC from it. I'm guessing this means it wouldn't work. There are also two tabs next to the Y and R terminals labeled "TEST/TWIN" and "24VAC", but I don't detect any AC voltage from them either. Is there a way to make this work? Is this a job for a professional?
Here is a close up of the terminals (click to enlarge). The four wires running off the right edge are the bundle going to my thermostat.


texts: I have a screw that won't loosen completely it spins to the right and the left but ends up tightening again. I think it has a certain point where it'll just let go and be able to be pulled out but I don't know how to do that. It's not a regular screw that I've ever seen it has a hexagon deep inside but it has space for a regular Phillips screw driver and a flat head.


texts: How do you finish a valve when using pex pipes

texts: I'm doing all of my work with expansion PEX. I'm a little puzzled about how to finish the valves where the toilets and sinks connect. Are you supposed to just leave the plastic visible where the valve is sticking out of the wall?


texts: What kind of sealant to use by foundation?

texts: I have a small gap between my patio cement and foundation wall. I'd like to seal it to prevent water from going straight down. What is the best type of sealer to use? Here is a picture of the area I'd like to seal.


texts: Why does my ceiling light go out a few seconds after I turn it on?

texts: Weird problem.  My ceiling light will not stay on in the morning.  When I flip the light switch it will go on for a few seconds and then go out.  However, in the afternoon, the light seems to work perfectly and will stay on.  I changed the wall socket and made sure all the wiring was connected in the light.  Wiggling the light socket switch has no effect. It is a ceiling light with fan.  No issues with the fan turning on or off at all.  Any ideas?


texts: Bathroom toilet install - path of least resistance

texts:
I want to install a toilet in my ugly old basement and am apprehensive about how to actually do it.
Here's what I have:

...and here's how my house is plumbed:

So I'm trying to put a toilet on this line somewhere within the blue box on the diagram above. Is this advisable? I want to minimize or remove altogether any need to break into or cut any concrete. Wouldn't mind a solution involving a small platform or putting the toilet right next to this blue box area.


texts: What structure is required for my neighbors adjoining fence?

texts:
My next door neighbor has a drive way and the council workers have put a gate up (looks like 6ft fence panels). The post that is next to my fence has simply been drilled through my fence and into a post I have. The post is not sunk or anything just drilled into my fence with three screws.

Will what they have done weaken my exiting post? Is what they have done suitable for a 6ft gate?


texts: Must bathroom linoleum be sealed and water tight?

texts:
I got new linoleum fitted in a bathroom. After only 2 weeks black marks appeared on it. I contacted the fitters who had done the work. They came out and found nothing wrong (in their eyes). I also had my Councillor & Housing Manager out to inspect it and they too said there was nothing wrong.

When I clean my floor the water is lying underneath as it was not sealed around the edges so the water is just seeping through. The company said they don't need to seal it .

My linoleum is completely ruined and when I lifted it up it came as one whole piece. Surly it should have been sealed to make it watertight?


texts: Can drywall harden or become brittle over time? Or, am I dealing with plaster?

texts:
I was in the process if hanging curtains and when I was putting the drywall mounts into the wall the drywall was extremely hard and just crumbled.  Once the drywall mount hit a certain depth it just stopped.  I know there is not a stud in the wall at this spot, i checked with a stud finder.

I don't think the wall is plaster.  I even took a light switch off and looked behind it to confirm.  Maybe I'm wrong though.

Am I dealing with plaster... can the drywall harden or become brittle over time?

If it is plaster is there a good way to mount these curtains in the plaster.


texts: Paint is scraping and wiping off too easily

texts: I recently painted some of my house with Glidden Duo eggshell (primer included).  Days after painting, my wife informed me that the paint was wiping off and scraping off extremely easy (just the new paint- you can see the old paint underneath). This is still happening after about a month. I've never seen this happen before.  The paint underneath was a Valspar latex eggshell and was put on about 7 years ago.  I wiped down the walls before painting.  Any ideas why this might be happening and what I can do next time to prevent it?


texts: Light with 3 way switch does not work. Need help!

texts:
I have a 3 way switch with Source at First Switch and Light Between (same as below diagram)

I opened light fixture to pained the wall and after putting the light it did not work. I have tried following the wiring diagram but still does not work.

To ensure if my light fixture is good - when i plug it it outlet then it turns on.

To troubleshoot I even took out light fixture and tried attaching to source hot and neutral wire but light still does not work. when checking hot wire with multimeter it shows 122 volts with ground but show 0 with neutral wire.

I am not sure what I am missing and where to start as when direct connection of light fixture with source wire does not work then hooking up switches is also not working as expected.

Can someone help diagnose this? Its been like this since last few weeks me being little lazy.

Any help is appreciated.

The wiring diagram at the top of this page belongs to do-it-yourself-help.com. The original can be found here: https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/3_way_switch_wiring.html

Adding picture of boxes :
Switch1:
Light box:
Switch2:


texts: What is the best way to apply Shellac-based primer?

texts: We are preparing to shellac-prime all of the walls on a rental house due to nicotine odors.  Is it best to apply this product with a roller or airless sprayer?


texts: What humidity should I set my dehumidifier to?

texts: I just bought a 50 pint dehumidifier for my basement.  What humidity level should I aim for? This time of year the outside humidity is very high (over 80%) and we do not have central air.  Right now it is set to 55% and seems to be running constantly.  Should we keep it running and try and get it even lower than 55%?


texts:
The previous owners of my home covered the old basement stairs to add a small mudroom and a half bath. They must have added the plumbing before placing the floors because, from what I can gather, it is tight against the foundation of the home and is unable to be accessed because it is behind the old cement staircase.

The previous owners covered the old staircase with flooring and built on a 1/2 bath that extends past where the stairs are. When they did, they must have put plumbing under the floor of the 1/2 bath foundation that is behind the old staircase against the foundation. There is a very small crawl space to reach the pipe that leads to the sink but the pipe is frozen behind that beam and staircase.

I shimmied in as far as I can in an attempt to reach the little bit of pipe extending to my sink to at least try to apply some heat in the hope that the heat would hopefully reach the area that I can't. I'm afraid of applying to something that I can't see.  How can I thaw it?


texts: How do I repair the bottom lip of a concrete slab?

texts:
(My issue is kind of like this question but more of a missing chunk than a thin crack.)

I have a concrete patio in the front of my house that was fixed by a previous owner after a bottom chunk broke off.  Unfortunately, that repair doesn't appear to be permanent.  I'd like to:

Knock out the existing broken area with a hammer and chisel.
Drive some Tapcons in partially, such that enough of the Tapcon (say, 1/2" to 1") is sticking out from the old slab to provide some reinforcement (but will be covered completely by the new patch).
Clean the area with a pressure washer (and let dry).
Maybe wrap some metal wire between the Tapcons for extra reinforcement.
Build the area up using some vinyl concrete patcher (based on this guide).
Patch all the smaller chips elsewhere on the patio, and cover the whole thing in a nice, thick layer of Concrete Restore.

So:

Is this Tapcon reinforcement idea a good one?  Is it even necessary with a vinyl concrete patcher compound?
Would Bondo be a better in this case than vinyl concrete patcher (keep in mind: it's all going to be painted over with Concrete Restore anyway)?


texts: Can i use step-up transformer to transform 110v to 220v for my window AC?

texts:
Most receptacles in my house only provides 110V.  I would like to install a 2500 W 25000 BTU window AC that requires 230V.  It draws a current of up to 15 A.

Can I plug a step-up transformer to the receptacle, then plug the AC into the transformer? I understand that the current draw on the receptacle would probably be 35-40A? Accounting for the power loss in the transformer.  I am not sure if the circuit breaker and the wire are rated for that much current.
Is it safe to assume that the circuit breakers installed are the largest current that the wires can safely handle? i.e., it is unsafe to install a circuit breaker with larger current without upgrading the wires.

Thanks,


texts:
Any ideas how I could fill a hole around a radiator pipe - picture attached

Should I use an expanding foam product or some sort of patch?

Thanks,
J


texts: How to remove a tile with floor heating mat

texts:
Two weeks ago I laid 1 X 2 ft ceramic tiles in my bathroom using premix tile adhesive. After reading some reviews, I should have mixed my own - lesson learned.
This weekend I added grout and all went well, but this morning (Monday) the grout around one of the tiles which aligns against the bathtub seems to be cracking/splintering slightly. I have now found that when I stand on diagonal sides of the tile and shift my weight, I hear a creaking sound. Seems that the tile is moving, hence the grout issue.
The tiles were laid on a floor heating mat.
If there was no heating mat, I wouldn't hesitate to pull up the tile, but it seems the mat will be a problem for me. I know most of you guys are not psychics, but what are my odds here of pulling up a tile and ripping up the mat also? If the tile is creaking, I assume that it is loose? Also, how does one pull up a tile?
I don't want to dog a hole bigger that I need to (so to speak). Is there an option to fix this without pulling the tile?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions and advice.


texts: How can I supply 17 showers without a drop in water pressure?

texts: My question is in relation to hot water reticulation. I want to supply hot water to 17 showers situated on the same floor. How do I go about it in terms of avoiding a drop in pressure when multi showers are in use. Are there any special valves I will need to install along the way?


texts: How to avoid cutting electrical wires when cutting into drywal

texts: I want to install an attic access pull down ladder in the ceiling of my garage to put plywood on the rafters for storage.  How do I know where to cut into the drywall of the ceiling without cutting wiring?


texts: Is chert a suitable base for a concrete driveway?

texts:
I'm looking to extend my driveway to add additional parking spaces.  The area will be rougtly 20'x30'.  I've contacted a few contractors to get prices on material and labor.  Prior to calling contractors, my plan was to excavate 8" of soil, add 4" of compactable gravel as a base, build forms, pour and finish 4" of concrete.  The soil here is mostly clay and doesn't drain well.

Most contractors suggested similar.  One estimate that threw me was to use chert as the base.  The contractor claimed that crushed limestone is only 60% compactable, whereas chert is 100% compactable and less expensive.  During all my research, I've never read or heard this anywhere before.

So, is chert a suitable base for a concrete driveway?


texts: Wiring for recessed lighting through ceiling with floor trusses

texts:
I have a finished basement that I'd like to add recessed lighting to. Instead of solid joists in the ceiling, I have floor trusses. In a way, this is good because I don't have to drill holes in the joists in hard-to-reach places. But my concern is that the trusses are held together by nailing plates that might have sharp edges.

The image below gives an idea what's behind the drywall on the ceiling. Is it safe to fish Romex through the trusses near these plates, or should I use metal clad cable instead? Or is there some better way to mitigate the risk? This is a residence in Western PA

There's another wrinkle here as well. The junction boxes for the ceiling lights that I'd like to tap into for power to the new recessed lights are all plastic. If I understand correctly, armored cable can't be attached to plastic boxes. So if using armored cable is the best way to mitigate the risk posed by the nailing plates, how do I transition to it from the Romex that goes to the existing ceiling penetrations?


texts: What length of Tapcon/ramset nail for base plate?

texts:
I'm wavering back and forth between installing a my baseplate to my basement floor with either tapcons or ramset.

Tapcon Pros:

Can use existing impact driver and only need to buy Impact bit set which I could maybe reuse for other stuff down the road
Fairly safe
Can take them out if I need to for some weird reason

Cons:

Takes much longer than a ramset
MANY MANY complaints about stripping/breaking screws and bits

Ramset Pros:

WAY faster, easier (and more fun)

Cons:

Have to buy $90 tool (I'm not getting the hammer style, don't want to buy used, and will be building my walls so slow that I can't really rent)
Need to figure out how to dispose of unused cartridges
Potentially more dangerous (though I'm also using a framing nailer, so not that concerned)
Small chance for cracking/chipping concrete
The wife factor

I've tried finding info as to what the optimal size is for each for attaching the PT 2x4 to the floor, but haven't found anything concrete (pun intended).  From the best I've found, the recomendation is to go at least 1" into the concrete, and for tapcons, people tend to recomend the 1/4 vs 3/16".  Looking around it seems like my options are either 1/4" x 2-3/4" Tapcons, or 2.5"/3" Ramset nails.  2.5" on the ramset nails would be just cutting it on the 1" minimum, so I was thinking maybe the 3"?  Does it matter if it's the version that has the washer vs not?


texts: A creative Eco-friendly Underlayment for a metal roof?

texts:
I am building an octagonal cabin with a 200 sq ft metal roof (Grandrib 3) at a 30 degree pitch; the roof will sit on wooden strapping and will eventually have insulation below it contained by a ceiling.
It was only recently brought to my attention that because I am including insulation (type yet to be determined) I should have an underlayment - if this is indeed the case? My friend told me the cold air should flow between the roof and the underlayment, underneath the ribs essentially. This is to keep out moist air.
However, I am trying to make this cabin as eco-friendly as possible: so far I have used no plastic or asphalt materials, no plastic wrap, I expect the 100 sq ft cabin to dry out when I use its wood stove. By this I mean the underlayment would decompose over time if it got wet. So, if this cabin were left in the woods and no one tended to it eventually it would disappear. I don't necessarily need shopping guidance but maybe a creative solution with another material - can floor underlayment be used in my situation, for example? Can I combine materials in some way? I have searched for eco-friendly underlayments and they are either for floors or are not really that eco-friendly, i.e. they include plastics.
So, my question is has anyone come up with a creative solution for an eco-friendly roofing underlayment? I am not worried about water getting in from above, just moist air. I would be happy to hear about solutions that didn't require an underlayment too.


texts:
I have a circa 1920 push-button light switch which sticks occasionally.  The push buttons move fine, but sometimes the blade switch inside doesn't flip unless the button is pressed very hard.  I'd hate to replace this, because this antique switch has a more solid feel than replicas I've used.  Is there a safe lubricant for mains power the switches?
And yes, I plan to remove the paint. :)

Edit:
I would take it apart to clean, but the screws have been sealed by some kind of resin.


texts: Meaning of socket connector labelled 'A'

texts:
I have disassembled a (single phase) mains outlet and found the usual L, N and ground cable connectors but to my surprise there is also a 4th connector labelled 'A':

Green/Yellow is ground, blue is neutral, black is live, but what is orange? Symbol above 'A' looks like some kind of a switch or breaker.
Front looks like this (Switzerland type J):
Going by the numbers on it this seems to be the main part:
https://online-katalog.feller.ch/kat_details.php?fnr=87303.F.61 (sorry, no english version)


texts: What material to put between in-corner closet and walls

texts:
I have a wardrobe closet in the corner of my bedroom with a half inch space on the left, rear and top sides (almost reaches ceiling too).

Does it make sense to put a kind of dense foam in these spaces to make it look "built in" and in addition, prevent dust from gathering.

What kind of material is recommended?


texts: How do I properly wire a 5-wire thermostat? What is this ambiguous '4' label?

texts:
I took the old thermostat off, and had G,Y,W,Rc and '4' terminals connected to the Green, Yellow, White, Red and Black wires respectively.

Voltage from Rc to G|Y|W was 24VAC
as well      '4' to G|Y|W was 24VAC

all other combos read less than one volt, so I'll assume that's just noise.

The new Thermostat requires GYW, Rc and Rh (or a wire to Rc and a jumper to Rh)

So, what's  the Black wire for?  Do I just tape it off and ignore it?


texts:
I bought a small room fridge. According to the manual, I should keep it away from direct sunlight, as "direct sunlight may affect the acrylic coating". I placed it in a position where sunlight may reach it (since pretty much the whole room is well lit), but the windows are always fully covered by net drapery. Is this still direct sunlight, or can I leave it here without risking damage?

The picture below is the net drapery in question. It's dark outside now, though.


texts: What router bearing can I use to reduce groove depth?

texts:
I order this 3/32 slotting bit from Amazon.

Shank size 1/4, depth of cut up to 9/16. I only need 3/8 depth (slightly over is ok), but I could not find the right bearing. There are router bearing sets sold on the internet, but they are very sparse with descriptions. Can someone recommend the right bearing or a set that will do the job?

The application is to convert tongues to grooves in engineered flooring for this project.

Update:
I ended up making my own rip-fence, since the router's rip-fence could not accommodate a bit this wide at a shallow depth that my project required. Certainly not the prettiest thing, but served the purpose well. I was amazed at how smoothly it cut grooves in engineered hardwood flooring. When I first tried it out, I barely felt any resistance. It practically evaporated the material, rather than chipping it away.


texts:
I've got 2 lights in the house that have an intermittent flicker (we can go for days without having it at all, then it'll happen for a bit).  I've not seen them do it at the same time.  They are on the same circuit (but different switches).  It's not much of a flicker really, closer to a very subtle change in light output, just enough to annoy and concern me (my wife didn't even notice until I pointed it out).  They are 2 of the highest power consumers in the house, one being 200 watts, the other 180 watts.  For comparison, our third highest consumer is 160 watts, is on a different circuit and has never been seen to flicker.

There is also a 60 watt bulb on the same circuit as my flickering lights and on the same switch as the 200 watt fixture.  This one never has been observed to flicker (but perhaps I simply can't notice it as the light output is so much lower).

I'm at a loss as to how to narrow this down further.  I've observed other light and appliance usage in the house and it doesn't seem to match up with anything.  The closest I've gotten to a pattern is that the 200w unit seems most likely to flicker when used between 5-6am and the 180w when used between 8-9pm.  I'm not opposed to calling an electrician, but since I can't reproduce it at will, that seems like I'd probably end up throwing a lot of money at it for no results.

edit

I've now been able to isolate as the other light on the circuit has started flickering (very faintly) now.  It's only when the lights are on due to both (3-way) switches being "down".  If they're both "up", the lights are flicker free.  I'll be checking the connections at the switches now.  If not the connections, is that failure usually a bad switch or a bad connection wire for the 3-way setup?


texts: How thick to pour slab over existing brick patio

texts: I have an old brick patio, cracked in some places. I want to pour concrete over it and stamp the concrete with a texture. What is the thinnest I can go? 1 inch? 2 inch? I have 5000 square feet and need to save as much on materials as possible.


texts: What could be causing my garage door to randomly open and close?

texts:
A few mornings ago, my wife and I noticed that our garage door started opening and closing with no discernible pattern.  It would stay closed for some period of time, open suddenly, and sometimes reverse direction.  We located all the garage door openers, relocated the remotes far from radio range, are fairly certain that somebody isn't playing a cruel joke on us.

Our working theory on the root cause is an electrical outage that occurred two nights earlier had fried the circuitry.  The safety sensors that stop the door appear to be untouched, and the system generally seems unchanged from before the electrical outage.  Pressing the remotes or the hardwired controllers appear to normally operate the garage door.

Before we go ahead and replace the garage door opener, what other steps would you recommend we take to diagnose further?

UPDATE [3/30]: Thanks for everyone's help!  I didn't have a chance to try out everyone's suggestions until a few days ago.  In the meantime, I unplugged the garage opener and manually operated the door.  I didn't expect the door to reattach to the garage opener, and unfortunately, the only entrance to my detached garage is through the garage door.  Luckily, one of the windows to the garage was unlocked, so my wife and I hilariously broke into our own garage!  In any case, I detached the low voltage and control lines, plugged the opener back in, and left the garage door closed for an hour.

As far as I can tell, the garage door remained closed.  I plugged in the low voltage and control lines, and the garage opener continues to operate normally.  Perhaps, keeping the power off for an extended time helped?  I'm officially stumped.

UPDATE [4/21]: I disconnected the low voltage/control wires from the connector at the opener, and the garage door opener hasn't randomly opened.  I can still open and close the door with the remote, so isolating which of the two hardwired control lines is randomly triggering the opener.


texts: Turning off Air Conditioning when out of the house for extended time

texts:
Most people that live in cold climates know that you should not turn your heat off when you go away for an extended period of time.  Just turn it down so the pipes don't freeze.  What about the opposite?  If you are going away in the summer should you leave the AC turned on, just turn it up a little bit?

I am sure the best answers depend in your climate, if you live in Arizona and temps reach 115 degrees F (46C) every day, you should probably leave it on.  So for the sake of a good question and answer, where is the cutoff?  Outside temp averages in the 90's, 80's 70's, what should you do?

If you do turn it off and the temp reaches say 100 degrees F inside for an extended period of time, what things could happens to your home and its contents?


texts: plastic interlock screw ? this screw with no head


texts: Installed a bathroom vanity with one side up against the wall. Our baseboards are tapered from top to bottom. Do we install the toe kick up to the baseboard or do we install the toe kick to the wall and the baseboard installed to the toe kick?


texts: I removed the drywall in my utility room to inspect the plumbing and found a mystery pipe. I have no idea what it's for or what it is. Can anyone help me identify this thing's current or former purpose? Here is a picture showing other things in the vicinity. FYI the floor you see is a concrete slab so there's no getting under it to see where it goes.


texts:
I replaced an exterior door with a prehung Stanley door.   I also bought and plan to install an Anderson glass storm door.  Basically a direct replacement of the setup that was there before.

The problem is the threshold of the new door on the outside doesn't extend as far as the old one.   The old door's threshold extended out so it was a little past the face of the brick mold.

The new threshold is flush with the door frame / back side of the brick mold.  So an inch or so shorter.

The glass storm door mounts to the brick mold and should sit so the sweep seals on the threshold.  But there is nothing for it to sit on.

The old door was a little annoying because about an inch and a half of the threshold was unsupported and just sort of hung out in space.  But I suppose I need to extend this threshold or maybe get a 2 x something and sort of build a thick kick plate and put some kind of sill nosing on it?

Stanley also makes a threshold extension but for 36 inch door (could probably cut it down). I think it slots into those channels on the threshold. However, you are supposed to install it before installing the door.  So not sure how that will work out. Maybe it would be ok since nothing is under there currently?

I'm open to suggestions.


texts: Stove Burner Gets too hot? But not switch

texts:
I bought my house a year ago and over that time we noticed the dual burner on the stove top (front burner, right side) seems to always get too hot even when the switch is set on low. We often end up burning dishes.

I chalked it up to being a crummy brand and tended to avoid using that burner. But after doing some research it seemed the solution was to replace the dual infinity switch. I replaced the switch and the burner works but it still seems like the same problem continues to happen. I didn't want to believe it at first but it was as if nothing changed at all. Everything I've found online says the solution is to replace the switch. I suppose I could replace the element but based on what I've read that won't fix this particular problem.

Model Number: FEF368GCE  - Brand: Frigidaire


texts: What are disadvantages of wood floor covering in shower?

texts: I love the idea of the luxurious texture of wood flooring in a shower. Does this add significant maintenance/cleaning concerns to the shower?


texts: How can I secure a post to a conversion ball for a shower faucet?

texts:
I have a Delta single-handle faucet. I installed a conversion kit about half a year ago to update its trim from a knob to a lever. It's been great until yesterday when my wife complained that no matter how she maneuvered the lever, only scalding hot water was coming out of the faucet.

I took the assembly apart and discovered that the post which connected to the conversion ball was loose:

I tried tightening the post by hand and even with a wrench, but it quickly came loose again once it experienced the torque of the lever.

I checked with local plumbing supply stores and they don't carry the part. I'm wondering if I can fix it temporarily (for a week, say) while we await the new part. The post is secured to the ball via a short thread. Perhaps there's a suitable thread locker for this application which can withstand the torque and water? I tried JB Weld but that failed miserably. Both the post and the ball are made of steel.


texts:
I currently have downstairs in the hall, a 2 gang 2 way switch that has 5 wires, two red wires coming from 1 cable, and 3 wires (red, blue, yellow) coming from a second cable and they are wired to control both the hall light and the landing light.

On the landing, i have a 1 gang 2 way switch with the same as downstairs 5 wires, wired to only control the landing light. 1 of the 2 red wires and the yellow wire are connected to L1, the 2nd of the 2 red wires and the blue wire are connected to L2, and the red wire from the cable with the blue and yellow wires is connected to only 1 of the common terminals.

is it possible with this wiring to replace the landing's switch with a 2 gang 2 way switch to allow both the landing, and the hall to be able to control both sets of lights?

if so, a coloured diagram would be appreciated.


texts: What is the best way to retrofit an underfloor heating system in a concrete slab?

texts:
I have a UK bungalow that I am renovating. I would like to replace the current heating system (radiators, natural gas boiler) with an underfloor heating system. I think the cost of digging up the existing concrete floor for the whole property would be prohibitive.

What other options are there?


texts:
I am replacing an outlet in my kitchen and if I replace a regular outlet with a GFCI it and the kitchen lights stop working. If I put back the old outlet or a new "regular" outlet everything works.

The way the old is wired is the top white is one wire stripped and looped around the top screw. Black is opposite where the bottom is one wire stripped and looped around. From what I can tell it's tied in to the kitchen lights because they stop working as well if I use the GFCI.

I used the GFCI in another location and it works, so I think it has to do with the looped around wire.

I  removed the tape and wired up the GFCI in the same way.

Pictures of each side of old.


texts: So 3 outlets, and an exterior light (bulb is fine) in my garage stopped working. These outlets (and light) have been working fine for years, this is a recent development. I already toggled the circuit breaker to no effect. The only thing that does work is the ceiling light. I drew a diagram, and i'm making an assumption of how the wire runs (i don't want to start punching holes). I'm guessing the problem is between the ceiling light (orange circle) and the ceiling outlet (red triangle). Can y'all suggest what i could do to diagnose what the problem is?


texts:
I am restoring a fairly old alternator, single phase, 4 poles, 230V, 8kVA, cos phi=0.8, 50Hz @ 1500 RPM.

I measured a couple of resistance values and I am wondering whether the alternator is healthy (Please see the pictures):

Slip ring No. 1 to 4 resistance (Ohms):

1-2: 3.2
1-3: 3.2
1-4: 1.8
2-3: 3.2
2-4: 1.8
3-4: 1.8

None of the slip rings is shortened to ground. Electricity is delivered from the armature via slip ring coals to terminals.

There are four stator windings A - D. Every stator winding pack is connected to an adjacent stator winding pack. Stator winding pack A and stator winding pack D both have their terminals leading outside to a small connector block at the side. Based on the corrosion of these terminals is seems as there has never been anything connected to these terminals.

Resistance between the cables leading to these terminals from stator A and D is 8 Ohm. No shorting to ground. Couldn't measure individual stator packs resistance as all wires are isolated and I didn't want to remove the isolation).

Based on these characteristics:

Is the alternator healthy?
How do I have to connect the leads from  the slip rings to get L1 and N?
What is the auxiliary stator connector block used for? (Assumption: excitation via 12V battery when alternator has no remanence?)


texts:
This 5 minute task has kept me busy for an hour. Old switch/outlet combo melted. Replacing with gfci combo.

Red/White pair is the line.
Orange/White pair is the load to the  light.

Strangely, this outlet says its load and line are flipped, with the line on top instead of the bottom.

Wiring this way got me a dead outlet. Wiring with the load on top got a green light,  but it won't reset and light won't turn on.

What's the correct wiring please?

UPDATE:
This is a Leviton X7299-W switch / outlet combo.  Here's a link to a pdf of the instructions:
!4

When running just the line ( red / white ) pair to the bottom posts, I get a green light, but it won't reset and no power.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_FzlcEZYP_PX25GT2o0NUl6b2c/edit?usp=docslist_api

Note that this is the bottom terminals, because all the diagrams I've seen show the line at the bottom, load on top, and if I run them to the top, I get a dead outlet.  No green light, no power, won't reset. If the green light is an indicator of anything, it would appear that the bottom posts are closer to the truth, although it also appears that this outlet can't handle the truth...


texts: What kind of window spring balances are these?

texts:
We just bought a ranch-style home built in 1965, and the windows need some love — in the whole house, there is only one window with a semi-functioning sash balance. They have some kind of spring-based balancing system, but in all my looking, I haven't seen anything quite like them.

It looks like they're just tension springs that somehow clip into the sides of the sash and run up to... somewhere... in the frame. It looks like there's some kind of clip or something that fastens to the sides of the sash, and that's come detached (or broken, I can't tell) on most of the windows. I don't think there's any cable like I'd expect to see in a block-and-tackle balance, and the channel balances I've seen on the internet look different. Pictures (as best as I can get them) below.

So! A few questions:

Does this setup look familiar? What's it called?
Can I find replacement parts?
How can I get this apart to start making it better?

Thanks!


texts:
I am working on a 10' x 12' building with a 6' porch (16' x 12' overall). Roof is a simple gable that will cover the porch.

The porch roof will rest on 2x beams, which are supported by posts at one end, and by the building at the other end. I'm trying to figure out the detail of how to frame the wall to support the beams.

My plan right now is to shorten the last stud on the front wall, to act as a jack stud under the beam. Then I have a king stud next to it. Then a 3rd stud, to act as a nailing surface for drywall on the inside. (This is a full-length wall.)

The shorter side wall's 2nd top plate will be notched to fit around the porch beam. This weakens the joint between walls, so I may add a metal plate, as seen in Advanced Framing.

Front wall framing plan:

Is this a good approach?

I've considered extending the porch beam in to the side walls, perhaps to the next stud, but that would complicate things a great deal.

EDIT: Design snow load is 25psf here. With a 1' overhang, the total load on the beam is 1500lbs. Roofing is metal, slope 4:12.


texts: How can I waterproof a bathroom ceiling?

texts:
I live in an apartment building. The resident upstairs has overflowed her bathtub 3 times in 2 years. The water damaged my ceiling and has been repaired twice. Now the ceiling will be replaced at her expense. What is the best material to use for this -- knowing that it seems likely an overflow could easily happen again with this resident. MY building super advised that it's better to leave the current plaster ceiling (built 1953) because it has some small rocks and gravel that are intended to absorb small amounts water. He recommends putting a
"water resistant" drywall over the current ceiling.  What is the best long term solution for me ?
Is there a waterproof drywall?  If waterproof drywall would have water spilled from upstairs, would it become watersogged in time? Or would the water sit in the ceiling cavity, possibly collecting mold ?
What is the best long-term solution for me?


texts:
Found a junction box that splices all the neutrals for 5 separate circuits. 3 on one phase 2 on the other. All 12/2 romex.
Was trying to convince them to change it, but I don't have a good explanation besides why this shouldn't be done on the same phase. As my understanding falls short of what is happening as it's a combination of L1 L1 L1 L2 L2.
From a non code perspective, should this setup be changed and if so why?


texts: What should I do after topping up the oil in a lawn mower with petrol by mistake

texts:
I am house-sitting for my parents and I tried to cut the grass. In summary, I accidentally topped up the oil (thinking it was petrol, and running low) with a load of petrol. It took 10 mins of trying to start the engine to realise my stupid, stupid mistake. The lawn mower is a Mountfield SP536.

Is this even fixable, and if so, how do I do that?


texts: How reliable AFDD switches are? (fire protection switches)

texts:
A few years ago we had wood floor professionals extending power cables underneath the floor as part of an overall floor renovation.
We only recently learned that they used screw terminals which could be problematic when placed in inaccessible locations (such as under a wooden floor).
Our main concern is the fire hazard and it seems like we have two options:

Open the floor and re-wire everything - that would require re-finishing the entire floor to achieve a consistent look.
Install AFDD switches as mean to protect against fires.

I understand that option #1 is the best option. My question is how reliable AFDD switches are in this case? is option #2 good enough (realistically)?


texts: Metals in pool turn water green after adding shock, what's the solution?

texts:
Our pool hasn't been opened in 4 years. We are finally in the process of resurrecting it from the dead, and have spent a lot of elbow grease (and tears) to get it to the point its currently at. Last night the water was a blueish turquoise, but was still opaque and very hazy (still couldn't see to the bottom of the shallow end). I added 5 gallons of liquid chlorine ("shock") and instantly the water turned green.  I read up on it and it looks like if there is a lot of metal in the water, such as iron, chlorine has this affect.

However, all the articles/forums/info I find on this problem don't really have any good posted solutions, so I figured I'd ask:

What's the solution here? Is there a pool chemical I can buy that will help "get rid of" these metals and turn my water back to blue-ish haze?


texts:
Note: including a lot of details to avoid XY problem.

Background
I have been dealing with a minor pest (psocids, in case you're wondering, but I don't want the conversation to become about that), mainly in a kitchen cupboard and the surrounding area. I've already taken a few appropriate steps, and the next step is to try to close various gaps that the bugs use to go through, such as the ones in the picture below at the back of the cupboard (I think they've nested somewhere behind there). I will be doing that with silicone sealant.

Problem
These bugs crawled everywhere, including the holes in the chipboard of the cupboard, which they seem to like. One such place where the chipboard is exposed, is the side of the shelves inside the cupboard.

I want to seal these sides to stop bugs from hiding in there and kill any bugs or eggs that are possibly still alive inside. I don't care much about appearance since these sides are out of sight, but a clear or white layer would be better.

I tried spreading a thin layer of silicone on one shelf, but this makes the shelf a bit "sticky" on the sides of the cupboard. This is not a huge problem since the shelves don't move regularly, but the silicone is coming off easily due to this "friction".

I thought to use some varnish instead, but then I saw a guy on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV-bLLVrakM) claiming that if I put plain varnish, I risk ruining the shelf by causing it to swell. He suggests "semi-transparent" (i.e., one that includes some paint), which I could not find on Screwfix or other places (UK). His interchangeable use of "varnish" and "stain" does not help either.

So, is it true that I should not use a varnish directly on the chipboard? If so, could I use a coat of paint directly and then varnish on top (since I can't find a mixed product)?


texts: Is a thick, unvented hot roof a good candidate for spray foam?

texts:
Upon removing some drywall from an unvented hot roof I noticed two serious issues:

1) The roof sheathing is not a taped or sealed ply but a 2x8 T&G
2) There is no vapor barrier and the cavity is discolored and moist

This particular hot roof is framed with 4x10s, so the cavity is pretty deep. I have decided that I need to pull all the sheetrock and address it. I cannot add a vented attic space here so I'm thinking that I will have closed-cell foam sprayed in.

The question is whether or not this is an appropriate solution and how much foam should I use?

The cavity is 9.5 inches deep... I don't need that much foam but if I spray less do I need to fill the space? With what?

Is there a better solution than spray foam for this?


texts: Can dryer ducting be placed near gas line?

texts:
We are reconfiguring the laundry room on the main level of our house in Toronto, Canada. There is an existing exterior dryer vent but it is on the oppsite side of the room where the dryer will now be located. The mechanical room is directly below the laundry area.

One option that allows us to reuse the existing vent is to run the duct from the dryer through the floor into the mechanical area, across the room under the joists and then up through the floor and ultimately connect to the existing vent.

As you can see from the picture below (only shows a portion of the duct from the floor above - the horizontal section has not been connected) the ducting will end up being fairly close to the gas supply line that enters the mechanical room from outside. Is this an issue and are there any rules for how far apart they need to be?

Any pointers or tips are greatly appreciated. Thx


texts: light turns on when window ac unit is on

texts: Why does the light in the same room as my window air conditioner unit dim ON when the air conditioner unit is on? this happens when the light switch is on the OFF position and only happens on one outlet in the room... the light is an led and dims very little. also the light is not on a dimmer.


texts: Is it common to caulk around the edges of vinyl tile instead of going underneath wood paneling?

texts:
I have a guy going into a rental unit of mine to put in vinyl tile. I told him specifically that I wanted it under the base of the wall's wood molding (similiar to this stuff).

He was put off by this idea. Told me he wanted to use caulk instead and that it was a better option. I insisted because I thought he was corner cutting and he went under the molding like I had requested.

My question is though, now after researching this. It doesn't appear to be that much of a cut corner as I originally took it.

Is it common practice to caulk around the edges of vinyl tile in a kitchen instead of going underneath wood paneling?


texts: Disassembling a faucet to replace its cartridge

texts:
I am trying to disassemble a faucet to replace its cartridge. However, after taking out a metal button, there is no way to further disassemble anything.
I could not see into the hole because of the angle, so I just tried different hex drive  but I could not hold onto anything at all in the hole.
Am I doing it wrong trying to disassemble it with a hex drive?

[Edit]
Here are pictures taken with a mirror and a flashlight. They are not of the best quality. Can anyone identify a nut or screw or anything?


texts: Please I want to find out the watt of my LG Table Top Refrigerator ..I lost the manuals


texts:
I have an old brick coal bunker around which decking has been laid. I intend on converting it into a BBQ, but have not attempted a similar project before. I have a plan, and the question is whether it is feasible.

Step 1: Create a rail system to hold a drum BBQ in the centre of the bunker

This rail system will use oval chrome rail fixed to the drum replacing the as-bought legs
The rail will then slot into oval sockets, such that the BBQ can be lifted out if it requires cleaning or replacement

Step 2: Build the side walls of the bunker up to prevent sparks from damaging the fence

Use similar bricks and mortar to create a 1m high planar wall on each side
Not sure if any reinforcement will be required

Step 3: Create a surface around the BBQ drum

Currently considering stainless steel sheet with a cut out for the drum
Use timbers to brace on either end, resting on bricks front and back
Not sure if more bracing will be required
Not sure if it will require fixing - tempted to let gravity and the drum hold it in place, in case it needs lifting

Step 4: Some sort of roof?

Probably wooden slats over the top of the two brick walls, just to keep off the worst of the rain
BBQ will be covered anyway, when not in use

Eager to find out if I am wasting my time, or if this could be a good project over the next few weekends to prep for summer.


texts: How much temporary bracing do you need when cutting a new exterior door opening in an existing house?

texts:
I'd like to add a door to the back side of my garage, but since this is a load bearing wall I'll have to brace it temporarily while I frame the opening.  The garage has one room above it, which spans about half the depth and the entire width of the garage. I'm not sure of the joist size but the span is 12', and there is a steel I-beam that divides the full 24' span.

Red = 2nd story room
Blue = Garage with nothing above
Rust = I-beam
Brown = Suspected joist location

I'm not sure of the wall construction yet (I haven't opened up the walls yet), but I suspect 2x4 studs at 16" on center. I want to add a 32" or 36" door in the 20' wall under the 2nd floor room, but I'm not sure exactly where just yet.

What type of structure will I need to create, to temporarily brace the ceiling while I cut and frame the rough door opening? How many joists do I have to carry to support the load, and what size vertical members do I need to hold the weight?


texts: How can I measure the r-value of a wall?

texts:
What is a reproducible test to measure the r-value of an exterior wall? Or even a specific spot on a specific wall? It needn't produce an absolutely certain result, but a good estimate with known level of confidence would be helpful.

This is more a science question than a question about a specific project.


texts: I'm running a 60 amp circuit to provide power to my garage. It is about 70 ft in length, so I think I need to go with 4AWG to counter any resistance loss. I'll be pulling 4 wires (R,B,W,G) thru Schedule 80 PVC. According to Annex C, it looks like I need a minimum of 1 1/4 conduit, but I just wanted to confirm.


texts: The new GE blower motor is missing an orange wire, how to connect it properly?

texts:
My old GE blower motor had an orange wire. Unfortunately, the new replacement motor has no orange wire.

The new motor will not start up with just the black, blue, yellow, red, and the 2 browns going to the capacitor.

However there are 4 factory-connected wires coming out and then returning inside the motor: they are yellow to purple, and orange to brown.

Any ideas on how to solve this?


texts: Should the gas be turned off before leaving on vacation?

texts:
I have not seen this recommended in most lists of things to do before going on vacation. Wouldn't turning off the gas main prevent issues if there is a gas leak or a fire?

Is there a certain set of conditions or situations when you should turn off the gas?


texts: GCFI "test" button will not cause a trip

texts:
Preface to OP: I am a dope.   The reason the GFCI does not trip when I push the "test" button is because the GFCI has failed.   That's the whole point of the "test" button.   End of story.   Read on only if you want more details about how the things work.

I've noticed a GFCI outlet in which the "test" button depresses but does not cause a trip.  Pressing the "reset" button temporarily disables the outlet, until it is released (which may be normal behavior).

I don't have a GFCI tester, so I tested it by shorting a 10K resistor between hot & ground.  That's 12ma or so, which appears to be well over a typical trip threshold; and I've tried it on newer ones (elsewhere in the house) and it trips them just fine.

Furthermore, I have TWO GFCI outlets that are exhibiting this exact same behavior.  However, they are the same brand and were installed when the house was built 32 years ago.  Is this a known failure mode ?   Seems like the problems most everyone reports are needless trips.

P.S. They were not wired incorrectly (e.g. "hot" to "load" terminals).


texts: Finding "C" wire on old heat pump HVAC unit

texts: I am wanting to replace my old round mercury filled Honeywell thermostat with a new wifi smart Honeywell thermostat, the only problems is I don't have a "C" wire on my current thermostat and need help finding my "c" wire. I looked at my wiring diagram and it appears to me that the "c" wire is just not being used. I have attached a picture with blue arrow pointing to what I feel is the "c" wire on the wiring diagram and what i feel is the "c" wire in the actual wiring. I am hoping that someone with more HVAC experience can verify this.


texts:
A power strip here could likely be replaced with surge protector.

But I have no idea what "seized" means.


texts:
I have a wardrobe in the room I use as a little office. The wardrobe is built in and I'm planning to make a frame with beams to fit half of the wardrobe as shelves.
If you note the pic below, the inside wall of the wardrobe has the skirting board. I don't want to make holes inside the wardrobe, so I want to build the frame in a way that just fits inside so the horizontal beams will hold the vertical ones just using pressure.
So,
what is the best way and tool to cut the beam so it can fit the skirting board nicely?
Can I use the same tool/procedure to cut gaps so the vertical beans can fit in the horizontal ones?
I have a few tools in the garage like, circular saw, plunger router, drill and a dremel with a dremel router table.
Sorry if I haven't been clear enough.
Thanks.


texts: Buzzing noise coming from metal conduit when circuit under load

texts:
A few years ago, I had a 20A 240V circuit for an electric car charger professionally installed. The circuit runs from the service panel through metal conduit to the hard-wired charger (EVSE) in the attached garage. A couple of years after the initial install, some additional circuits were added to the conduit to serve a newly finished basement.

When the car charger circuit was originally installed, I had the electrician pull 10 AWG wire instead of 12 AWG for a bit of future proofing.

I recently upgraded the car charger to a 30 amp (24 amp continuous) unit with a 30 amp breaker.

Now, when the charger is operating I can hear and feel a buzzing noise coming from the conduit. It's loud enough that I can hear it from a few feet away. The sounds seems to resonate into the drywall, amplifying the noise.

If I lower the number of amps the car draws, the noise diminishes. It seems that prior to upgrading to a 30 amp charger, the buzzing was quiet enough that I never noticed it. At a full 24 amp load though, it's definitely noticeable.

The car seems to be charging fine and while the conduit does get warm where I hear the buzzing, it doesn't seem to get hot.

Is this normal or is it something I should have checked out further?


texts:
I'm hoping to use some scrap structural steel pipes and plates to build a large BBQ/Smoker, but they're all pretty heavily rusted. I've seen people in tutorials use both wire wheels and preparation discs to do this, but none have explained their choice.

They all seem similarly priced and all have the same description of their function! Ideally I'd like to select the one which least marks the underlying steel.

I'm currently choosing between just about everything in this category:
http://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/cleaning-preparation/cat5990034


texts: How to replace fan fixture for a flat LED light fixture?

texts: I removed a fan from the ceiling and noticed this pole in the picture below. I'm wondering what to do with this if I want to install a flat back LED light fixture. Should I cut it or is there a cover I can use?


texts: Power out, but no GFCI, no breakers tripped

texts:
My wife's grandma has been in her house over 50 years. Can't find A GFCI anywhere in the house. I have two bedrooms without power from her plugging too many things in at one time. All other rooms have power.

I went to the panel. Looked to me as no breakers were tripped. Panel is also not labeled. I removed and capped the outlet that she popped just for the time being. Then decided to recheck all the breaker. I reset all breakers none still don't appear tripped but I also know they can go bad after years. I would be surprised if one did go out without any indication.

What's my next step?


texts: Add combo (switch and outlet) with only two wires out of wall for the current light)

texts:
I probably have this diagram for my project. Or problem.

Facts:

a) only 2 wires out of wall, B & W;

b) switch ON, lights ON

Ceiling electrical box:

One black and one white connects to the ceiling light fixture.

Project: I need to add a combo switch/outlet

UPDATE after suggestions

Grey= Neutral
Is this right?
If it is, it seems to me receptacle will be ON at all times, right?


texts: What is the proper way to route ground from semiflush mount panel to grounding rod?

texts:
[

I'm using #6 shielded grounding wire to go down inside wall then coming out to a rod in corner by bricks and continuing on outside attached to house around corner going 6 feet away to 2nd grounding rod. Is there a box or something I need to install where ground wire comes out of stucco or do I just fill around it with fire caulk or? thank you for all the help everyone. You all make me proud to be an electrician. Also how much do I leave the ground rod sticking up out of slab and do I need to put anykind of sleeve around the rod where it goes thru the concrete? I'm in southern California.


texts:
I have a three phase system with 3 wires coming from the pole. All are green color #6 and one of them has a white tape on it. My question is if this wire acts as hot and neutral wire of a Delta system? inside the load center the voltage hot-ground wires is 120, 120, 208, and hot-hot voltage for all three is 240. I want to wire a single 120/240 60A sub-panel by using a ALU#4 SER service entrance cable about 80 feet from the 3phase box in the rear part(a guest house)of the same building. Inside this building there is suspended ceiling and above it there is the original finished sheet rock ceiling. I wanted to know the best way to take power to the 60A sub panel. my options are:
1- to wire inside the building by connecting the wire to the finished ceiling and down to the sub-panel with or without 1"liquid tight conduit
2- to take the wire with underground pvc conduit.


texts: Could a wall dimmer switch be connected as part of the power cord for a table lamp (UK

texts:
I'm not very experienced with wiring/electrics and wondering if I could use a wall dimmer switch to control a table lamp?

I'm using UK 3 core wiring and 40W bulb.

I would like to install the dimmer inline as part of the power cord, not use it installed in the wall.

Thanks.


texts: I have been trying to use smart bulbs in my dual head motion sensor fixture. I get them paired up with my wifi but they go off line rather quickly. I realized that I was pairing them in test mode on new fixture. Is the power cut to the fixture when I change it to dusk to dawn? Could yhat be why my connection keeps getting interrupted? The switch operating the fixture is always on, but does the setting change the power to it?


texts: Are water and vertical cracks normal for full height crawl space?

texts:
I am thinking about purchasing a home that is set on top of a crawl space (see image). The crawl space has the full height of a basement, windows and a door leading outside in the back. It has French Drains along the downhill base of the house and plastic lining covering a rock floor. I did see some water on top of the plastic in a few places. The foundation walls are footing and stem walls (I think). They appear nice but have some vertical cracks in several places upon closer inspection. The house was built in 2002.
Is the water concerning given the French drains installed?
Are the wall cracks normal for the crawl space foundation... should they concern me?


texts: disposal discharge pipe is not long enough

texts: I installed a new sink disposal, and got to the last step before realizing the discharge pipe does reach. What do I do next?


texts: I cleaned the fridge and it still smells. What part should I clean / replace?

texts:
My last tenant was, to put it mildly, a slob.  I spent several hours cleaning the fridge pictured below, with a steam cleaner and various cleaning products until it looked nearly new.  I then removed the rear of the freezer that housed the fan and cleaned the drain channels there as well (which were in a bit better condition than I expected).
I then added a fresh box of baking soda to both the refrigerator and freezer sections, however after a few days of running the fridge it still smells.
My refrigerator looks clean, why does it still smell? and how can I fix it?


texts:
if i hang mass loaded vinyl like curtains around the room,will it soundproof the room do other neighbours will not complain when im doing music in strange hours?
what other options do i have for a rental apartment?

i know about this product Producer's Choice
but i don't know if it will soundproof the room

thanks


texts: Main panel to subpanel part inside, part outside; does all need to be in conduit?

texts:
I am in Washington state. I want to install two 4000W infratech infrared patio heaters.
My main panel is in the garage and the run is about 100ft to where I want to place a sub-panel.  Part of the run from the main panel is in a crawl space and then transitions outside.
Does all the wiring need to be in conduit or can the inside portion(35ft) be 6/3 NM cable (or other recommendations) and then junction to 6 AWG THHN wire in conduit for the outside run(65ft),  Or can the entire run be 6/3 NM cable?
I plan to use a 50 amp breaker at the main panel and 6AWG(per above question) to wire to a sub-panel with two 30amp GFCI breakers in the sub-panel and 10AWG THHN in conduit to wire to each of the 4000 Watt heaters.  Then back from the heaters with 10AWG THHN in conduit to two control switches.


texts:
this morning it was 23 degrees F. The indoor unit was on and delivering heat. I looked out at my outdoor unit and the fan was not running but the compressor was. I panicked and pulled the quick disconnect. Later I put it back in and the unit ran normally (fan on, compressor on, etc). I did not feel excessive heat from the compressor but I did see what looked like some king of vapor?smoke coming out, just a little. Did not smell at all.
Question. Is that an efficiency thing for a outdoor heat pump unit to cycle off the fan? I'm a commercial HVAC guy and have zip experience with heat pumps other than theory of operation.


texts: Replacing a gas boiler fan - UK gas safe regulations

texts:
Is it legal (UK law) to replace the fan on a domestic gas boiler yourself?
The replacement (according to the manual) involves three screws and two blade connectors. The price of a new fan from the manufacturer is quite reasonable, the price quoted for fitting it is six times the cost of the fan!
My research so far indicates that I can do my own 'wet work' on the water pipes, radiators and pump etc. Plus I'm pretty sure I can work on the room thermostat and the external controller myself.
The regulations make it clear that I can't work on 'gas carrying components' - which I guess means the gas pipes, gas valves and burner etc.
I haven't been able to find any authoritative reference to other non-gas components in the boiler. Some sources suggest that you can't even remove the cover of your own boiler, others suggest that it's fine to remove the cover and replace switches, controllers, knobs and fans etc etc.
Anyone here able to offer any definitive advice (preferable with link to an authoritative source)
(For what it's worth, I'm a professional engineer, and probably qualify as a 'competent person')
UPDATE - the question is about which parts of a boiler can/can't be self-maintained. I know wet-work is ok, I know gas-work is not ok. What about electrical work?


texts: Does a water heater consume more or less power if one element isn't working?

texts: Will there be more power consumption to heat water in the tank if one of the elements is not working or will it just take twice as long to heat the same amount of water to a preset temperature?


texts:
A comment on an answer to this question seems to be saying that its illegal for an unswitched hot to run through a light fixture junction box, even though its not connected to the fixture at that point. (The light fixture would be receiving switched hot on a taped-white return from a switch).

Is this true and if so, could anyone give a pointer to where I should look in the NEC for that? I'm planning a little electrical work in the near future and I'm not aware of this restriction.

I am aware of the 2011 NEC rule which specifies that neutral must now be available at the switch to allow for new electronic lighting controls, which I imagine in many cases could result in the installation being wired differently such that the unswitched hot and neutral run to the switch directly rather than via the fixture.
But I can't see why in an older installation that it would be illegal or dangerous for unswitched hot to be routed via the fixture junction box.


texts: What is this metal bar in my 1950s electrical box?

texts: I recently bought a house and am in the process of replacing all the ungrounded outlets with GFCI outlets. I was able to install one correctly in a bedroom, but there are two others that I wasn't able to install. There is some sort of metal bar that is preventing the GFCI outlet from going all the way in. It's the rusty, round bar at the bottom of the receptacle in the below picture. What is that bar and what should/can I do about it?


texts: Should I frame energy walls inside sill plates that extend inside the foundation?

texts:
So...I'm getting ready to finish our basement, and I noticed that the pressure treated sill plate (I assume that's what it's called) overhangs the foundation by about 2-2.5". Should I just put my framing so that it butts up to that? I guess I would lose a slight bit of space, but it shouldn't be a huge deal, I suppose.

What are your thoughts for a DIYer who's new to framing?


texts: How do I remove Cement Board that has been screwed in and is bonded to wood subfloor with thinset?

texts:
I am in the process of purchasing a townhome and I am looking to tear up the existing 12" ceramic tile that covers the entire main level... an area close to 600 sq. ft. to make way for laminate flooring. Thinset has been used to bond the tile to the cement backer board, and the backer board has been screwed to the wooden subfloor. There is also some sort of adhesive/mortar bonding the cement board to the wooden subfloor.
What tools will I need. Are there any techniques that would make it easier? Would trying to remove the cement board damage the subfloor? If so, would it be acceptable to repair damage with some sort of floor leveling compound?


texts: NEC 2014: How many 12-2 Romex wires can I run through a hole in ceiling joist?

texts: What does the 2014 code say about number of wires run through a bored hole? Can I run 2 Romex 12-2 cables through a 3/4in or 1in hole? I need to add outlets to my unfinished basement (probably 8 total) and I need to run a new circuit from panel. Can I save myself some time and hassle by running my new wire through a current hole w/1 existing wire?


texts: Why is my receptacle tester not showing a complete lack of ground?

texts:
I've been using a receptacle tester which shows me that my outlets are perfect as far as it can tell. Yet I know for a fact that ground is completely missing from many of the receptacles I've tested. Sometimes the ground wire is wired but it connects to old cloth wiring with only two wires and the ground is just capped off not touching anything, and sometimes the outlet is in a plastic box with absolutely no ground anywhere. My tester still reports that everything is fine.

One example. In this one I had to dig the ground wires out for the photo because they were clipped short and buried under the plastic sheathing.
In the photo above not only are the ground wires not touching anything but inspecting from the other side of the wall I verified that the metal enclosure is not touching anything except wood drywall and insulation bats. The other examples are similarly clear that ground is not attained.


texts: What can I do if my nail gun leaks air through the chamber directly opposite from where it shoots nails? The gray part in the picture. Can it be dangerous?


texts: Light switch with 3 sets of wires (not 3 way)

texts: I'm trying to replace a couple of old switches with new dimmer switches that have the wifi capability. I understand electronics fairly well and have done basic electrical work around the house before. But this situation has me a bit confused. I have 3 wires. The 3 grounds are "pig tailed" the 3 neutrals (white wires)are tied together with an wire twist. 2 blacks are pig tailed and one is alone. The old switch is single pole and the black pigtail and the single black went into the back. Ground was around the screw. When I connected the new switch, it required the neutral wire. So after connecting the 2 sets of black wires and neutral into the switch I tries each neutral individually but no luck. One of the neutral would light up the switch but not the light. Later I discovered that by disconnecting the neutrals I lost power to my outlets. The switches I'm replacing are in the bathrooms and the outlets were in the bathroom and one in a bedroom adjacent to the bathroom.  The idea is to pigtail the neutrals and connect the tail to the switch. This way it won't interrupt the circuit and provides my neutral for the new switch. Does this make sense? Thank you for the feedback.


texts: How do I replace a 3-way switch on 2-wire cable with a programmable timer switch?

texts:
I'm using the same Honeywell Programmable Timer from my last question, but under different conditions. In particular, I'm replacing a 3-way switch on 2-wire cable.

Here is a schematic showing the back porch light, a 3-way switch located in the garage, and a 3-way switch located in the house:

And here is a closer inspection of the switch (demarcated by green):


texts: How to fill gap between brickwork and new door lining

texts:
I have just had someone install a new door lining, it's not gone off without a hitch unfortunately.
I have been advised to fill the large gap with bonding but it's 190mm deep and my (not small) palm fits in fully.
I am looking for good ideas on how to fill this correctly, so that when the plasterer comes to tidy up around it, the surface is suitable and ready to be plastered.
Thank you


texts:
The front step of my home is made of concrete, on which supports the overhang via two posts on each corner. One of the corners of the concrete has developed a good sized crack, and it's taking the post supporting the roof with it.

This has taken a little over 2 years to develop, and I would like to take action this spring to fix it. I'll probably get a local insured GC to handle it for me.

My Question: What should I be aware of with this porch? What steps would you take to possibly slow this down? Could I fix this on my own (with extra hands of course)?


texts: What size water meter do I need to connect to county water?

texts:
I have been on a deep well for over 30 years but now need to hook up to the county water line.
My house is 4,400 sq. feet.
Should I use a 5/8 inch or 1 inch meter?


texts: Old owner completed house addition with expired permit

texts:
Just bought new home in California.  We are planning to do some remodeling so was looking at the issued permits on the property.
In my research, it seems as though the old owner added 995 sq ft to the home ~ 5 years ago, but the permit on record shows as expired ( big “Expired” stamp on it.
My question is what is the implication for me? Do I need to be worried about this?  If so, what should I do?
Update: thanks for the comments - super helpful for me as I’m a first-time home buyer and navigating this for the first time.


texts: Replacing rotted brickmold and sill - what’s the sill piece called?

texts:
Thanks for your time.

I’m replacing exterior brickmold and don’t want to spend good money after bad so I could benefit from others’ experience.

Here’s a picture, I’ve circled the piece in question:

Anyone know what it’s called and what it’s profile is? I couldn’t find anything like it online, or at Menards. It’s driving me batty not knowing what they call this specific kind of sill.

The house is a 1965 colonial, so I assume this is original millwork.

Update: another angle to show how far the sill sits out in front of the vertical pieces of brickmold casing:

Just thought I’d ask this community before I do the obvious next step and tear it out to inspect and measure.

Thanks!


texts: safe to use a water extractor on a hardwood floor?

texts:
We were painting a room with a spray and had some drop cloth issues.  As a result, there is a thin layer of paint on part of the floor.  Part of it is wiping up with a warm, wet rag fairly easily, but part of it is requiring some pretty heavy elbow grease along with a very wet rag to loosen up the tiny spots of paint for removal.

Since I'm already having to get the floor fairly wet with a rag (I am drying immediately afterwards with a towel) I'm wondering if it would hurt to use a water extractor.  We have the heavy duty home version rug doctor which has pretty good suction power.  My only concern is that it came with a warning not to use on hardwood floors, but this may just be CYA on the part of the manufacturer.  As far as I know the unit doesn't actually heat the water, it just dispenses whatever I put in it.


texts: Should I connect the ground wire to the panel when the conduit is grounded?

texts: I ran 10/3 BX cable to my attached garage for an outlet. The BX has its own green wire for grounding, but since my home is grounded all through the conduit/outlet boxes and is bonded to the neutral in the breaker panel, do I still need to connect the ground wire from the BX cable in the breaker panel? I connected it on the outlet end just because.


texts: Can I leave Roxul Safe'n'Sound insulation exposed in a furnace room?

texts:
Hopefully someone has experience with this insulation.

We are finishing off our basement.  We have one long interior wall that will separate a family room from a furnace/storage room.  The family room side of the wall will be finished with sheetrock, the furnace room side will be left unfinished.  We would like to add some soundproofing in the wall and we were thinking of the Roxul product.

My question is how well do you think the material would hold up on the unfaced furnace room side?  Would it hold up to abuse from getting occasionally bumped by stuff being moved around in the room or boxes pushed against the wall.  I have never used the Roxul product, but it looks like it might "crumble apart" over time?

I don't want to sheetrock that side of the wall and don't really want to mess with plastic sheeting.  If it looks like it would be too fragile to leave exposed I would probably put pegboard over it?

Any input is appreciated, thanks!


texts: How can I fit an oversize retaining wall base adjacent to sidewalk?

texts:
I'm going to build a small retaining wall (about 3' tall) along the sidewalk in front of my house using Versa-lok standard blocks. They recommend compacted gravel base about 18" deep for blocks that are 12" deep. This would result in the gravel base a few inches in front and in back of the first course of blocks. Because of my sidewalk, I cannot excavate in front of the wall to have the gravel base in front of the wall. How big of a problem would this pose for such a short wall? I'm  also planning to use geogrid reinforcement fabric, proper drainage, etc.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Which side of kitchen sink should I install the filtered water faucet?

texts:
We have a double sink (same size for each) in the kitchen with a single water faucet centered in the middle. We have a garbage disposal under the right side of the sink, also the side we hand-wash dishes (and then place them to dry on the left sink). Now we are adding a reverse-osmosis filter system under the sink and it includes a small faucet. Which side should it be on? We're both right-handed, have glasses on the right, and have the free-standing soap on the right. Logic says to place it on the right as well but that seems to make for a crowded space plus having the disposal there makes for a very tight workspace.
What did you do that works?
Thanks much!


texts:
The side entrance to my house is just off the driveway and most people enter the house from there. This is the entrance to my wife's office which is a now enclosed slab porch. If the door is open, or the blinds up, you can see from the street, through the office, into the dining room and, finally, me in my underwear in the kitchen. I don't like that.

I'm remodeling that office and was thinking of putting a wall up in front of the door to block that view. This way, when one enters from outside, I can have coat hooks just inside the door for visitors and, to the left, would be a bench for taking snow boots off or whatever.

My concern is how far away from the door should this wall be? I don't want people coming in and feel the wall in their face or crowded while taking their coat off. Of course, it has to be deep enough for the door to open fully but is there a rule-of-thumb for this?

I don't want it too deep because we're converting it into a family room so there will be furniture on the other side of this wall.


texts: Replacing water heater gas control valve

texts:
First let me summarize my questions, then provide detail:

Summary:

Can a newer gas control valve be installed on an older water heater?
As an individual who has never attempted something like this and never worked with natural gas am I completely insane for even contemplating a DIY project?

Read details below in regards to why I am considering replacing the valve myself.

Also seeking general guidelines / instruction on replacing a gas control valve, especially anything specific to my model.

Fair number of YouTube videos that make it look easy
My model is an A.O. Smith GCV 50 100

Water heater still seems to be in decent condition; a replacement valve should get me at least a few more years (and hot water until the real problem can be fixed)

There is no brown water indicating tank corrosion
There are no apparent leaks from the tank
The water heater also already has an expansion tank installed on it. You can barely make it out behind the flue.

Details:

My wife and I bought a house last summer that is now 10 years old. Our natural gas water heater gave up the ghost last weekend.

Let me show you what my utility closet looks like:

Note the AWESOME freon line that runs directly in front of my water heater, therefore preventing it from being easily replaced without rerouting the line. It could probably be done, but that runs a risk of damaging my HVAC.

I was quoted about $1600 to replace the water heater by two different plumbers; one says he can "manhandle" the water heater out, the other wants the line rerouted before he will try (quoted me $1475 for the job). I'm afraid that the "manhandle" route might end up "manhandling" more than just the water heater.

One plumber also quoted me $700 for replacing the gas control valve. I already replaced the thermocouple on my own and I don't think it was ever part of the problem. I should definitely buy a multi-meter...

I can purchase the gas control for about $200 and I am confident that I can make the repair, however I am nervous about working with natural gas.

Here is the gas control valve now:

So can I use a newer gas control valve or should I get an identical replacement? Should I spend the $2000 + dollars to replace the entire thing or attempt a repair on my own, have the freon line fixed and then wait for the tank to go?

I am looking for instruction, direct advice and opinions more informed than my own.

Here is the model information for the water heater as well:


texts: Can ductless air conditioning+heat pumps work well on floors that have doors closed?

texts:
Our home is a split level, with 5 floors - basement, den, kitchen, bedroom, master. Each of those floors is mostly open EXCEPT the bedroom floor, which is 4 separate rooms.

A HVAC contractor we got a quote from recommended a ductless system+heat pump with 3 indoor units. One on the kitchen floor, one on the bedroom floor, and one in the master.

What I don't understand is how a single unit on the bedroom floor would effectively heat or cool all 4 rooms on that floor. Most of those rooms have their doors closed all of the time, which would greatly hamper air circulation (and therefore temperature circulation). With the current AC, each floor has a vent, so it's not a big deal. But I don't understand how it would work with ductless.

Can a ductless system effectively cool a floor with multiple rooms if the rooms have their doors closed most of the time?


texts: No power in r line after changed thermostat

texts: I have a carrier furnace 2008, just changed my old thermostat to new nest thermostat, forgot to turn off the power. Now I have no power on my r line, checked short fuse still good, red light in front of furnace still on, I am not sure why I lost power to the r line. My furnace was working fine yesterday. Checked with nest supporting line, nest base was not a problem. Help


texts: Distance between countertop power outlet and gas range

texts:
Is there a minimum distance between a gas range and a power outlet? My logic for concern is that a power cord close to a gas range can catch on the flames from the range. E.g. is 9" diagonal from the range okay, 6" lateral distance.
Please note this is not the outlet to power the range but just a countertop receptacle.


texts: Fluidmaster not working rubbing up against plastic flush flow box

texts: Fluidmaster is rubbing up against the plastic flush flow plastic box.  How to fix a dig still keep running.  I need to get away from the box any suggestions


texts: How do I "tie in" my washer drain to my utility sink drain?

texts: I'm installing a vertical washer drain pipe that will come down inside the wall. I assume that new pipe will need it's own P trap. How should I "tie in" that washer drain P trap to the existing plumbing for the utility sink? Do I simply attach a Wye fitting and have two drain pipes within a few inches of each, running almost parallel? Does the washer drain P trap have to stay completely behind the wall, or can part of it come outside the wall (i.e. can I turn it so half the P trap is behind the wall)?


texts: Can anyone recognize this window manufacturer?

texts: Can you identify this window manufacturer? I live in the Southeast.


texts: How can I tell whether a fluorescent ballast is T8 or T12?

texts: Is there a way to tell from a ballast's specifications (voltage, wattage, how many lamps it handles, etc.) whether it is a T8 or T12 ballast? Or do I need to look for the manufacturer's part number to figure it out?


texts: New Breaker, Receptacle, and Plug for New Appliance

texts:
I'm wanting to use a 220v, 50Hz, 6000w Infrared Flash Dryer but don't have a way to power it currently... Additionally, the appliance comes without a plug... just 3 wires ready to be connected to a plug.

I've done some research and figured out that I should be using a 30amp breaker with #8 wire (it'll be more than 25ft from the box).

How do I know what receptacle and plug to use? I read that NEMA 10 is typically used for clothes dryers and stuff and that I should be looking at NEMA 14, but it has 4 prongs and the appliance only has 3 wires...

If you suggest NEMA 10, would it hurt to go with NEMA 14? If I were to use NEMA 14, would I ignore the ground or the neutral when adding the plug onto the appliance?