texts: How do I pressure test a natural gas line and what do the valve pressure ratings mean?

texts:
I'm planning to add an appliance to my house, and will want to do a pressure test of the newly installed gas lines. My main shutoff says 175 PSI, but most of the appliance valves say either 1/2 or 5 PSI. Finally, I see a Nibco valve at my local hardware store  GB1A-3/4 that lists three different pressures: 1/2, 5, and 600 PSI CWP.

For the nibco valve, does that mean that it would be able to withstand up to 600 PSI of (cold) air/gas pressure, but should only be used as a main shutoff for up to 5 PSI, and an appliance shutoff where the working pressure is less than 1/2 PSI? Should the other shutoff valves rated at 1/2 or 5 be able to withstand the 4 PSI of the pressure test?

I plan to do the pressure test at about 4 PSI, with a gauge that reads up to 15 PSI. Should I cap off the lines before the shutoff valves (to avoid stressing valves, but not test them), or close the shutoff valves and remove the caps on the traps so that excess pressure leaking through valves would be vented instead of damaging the appliance regulators.

My house's regulator is set at 7" of water column, gauge pressure, and I need to test at a minimum of 3 PSI-gauge, and I'm located in Indiana, United States.


texts:
Does anyone know if you can install new Pergo over existing Pergo?  I have installed Pergo or similar type products, in many rooms of my home.  Some have been directly on a new wood subfloor, some over existing ceramic tile.  Have never had any issues--this would be my first attempt at putting it over an existing Pergo floor.

Thanks for  any insights.


texts:
I'm practicing some connections on water lines, but I'm a bit worried the parts I have are bad.

Here I finger tight the parts and then was able to do just a half turn with the channel lock before felling like it was "right". I'm not sure if that was enough or if I hit the "neck" of the male threads.

Below I show how the tape got after that, in the left side I used 15 turns of tape and on the right side just 5 turns. Both were cut around the last thread, does that indicate that the seal was done? How much tape is enough?


texts: HVAC blower comes on by itself. Even after I remove the thermostat wires

texts:
I have a rheem classic 90 furnace/AC. From the past one month, I am noticing that my blower fan turns on, runs for 2 mins and then turns off when thermostat is off. Also, when running the air condition, I am noticing that motor speed keeps going up and down every 2 mins. The outside unit  seems to be working well - it runs at constant speed and doesn't turn on itself.

First I changed to a new honeywell filter, still the same problem
Bought a capacitance meter and measured blower run capacitor. It is rated 15 MFD and meter shows 13.50 MFD
Turned off the thermostat. Measured voltage at G (fan) with C (common) at the furnace circuit board. It was reading 0 volts and still the fan kicked off
I removed all the thermostat wires on the circuit board. Motor fan still kicks off and runs. Please see the attached picture I took when motor fan was running and there are no thermostat wires attached. So thermostat is not the problem.

Right now I have concluded that the fan relay is bad and its time to get a new furnace circuit board. I don't know/want to replace the relay on this board. What do you guys think?


texts: What are these grommets (= snap holes / snap-rings?) on tool cases for

texts:
Wanted to buy a set of pliers and noticed that a lot of cases are equipped with holes on:

What is the use of those holes? Do they have a name?


texts:
I recently wanted to repaint an interior wall. I took many precautions to cover the carpet using tarps, tape, and newspaper. Despite all of that, I still managed to get paint onto the carpets and didn't notice until it had already dried.

I've been googling and all I can see are guides to remove the art-types of  paints from carpets (acrylic, latex, and water-based), which I assume is probably ill fated for me because I used a paint + primer that I got from walmart.

Is there any way to remove this paint without damaging the carpet any further?


texts: Complex continuous run vs easier single junction boxes

texts:
I am currently in the process of finishing my basement and I am doing the electrical wiring of all my rooms. The work will be checked by my electrician before he connects everything to the electrical panel.
For all of my electrical outlets and other appliances, I have used a continuous circuits that have no unnecessary junction box. The junctions take place from one outlet to another, etc.
However, for my light and my heating circuits (one of each), I am considering using two single junction boxes at the center of my basement that would have 4 load romex going out to each of the rooms of my basement. That would save me from using a continuous circuit that would require hundreds of feet of cabling passing through weird places (under sheetrock ceiling, around staircases, etc.) instead of going through the middle of the main room that has dropped ceilling for easy access. Also, if I want to add lights in the future, I would be able to just add a cable to this 4x4 junction box.
I know that the use of junction box is frown upon, but since they would be under a drop ceiling (easy access), would you consider that this design is justifiable?
Also, I know having a single light circuit is not ideal, but that would power a few low wattage LED and won't utilize 10% of this 15 amp circuit. Again, having a center junction box could enable the addition of another 15 amp circuit load line, but I highly doubt this would be required.


texts: What could happen if a 240 stove cord was improperly installed and then stove was plugged in to the receptacle?

texts: I think my new stove cord was installed incorrectly — after being plugged in we heard a ((whooooaamp)) sound and all the lights in the house flickered, now none of my 220 appliances will work correctly. The other appliances weren't plugged in when this happened, except the water heater which I can't get to turn on either. The time and displays on my stove come on but the stove top & oven won't do anything, my dryer displays come on, but when I push the start cycle button the display flickers and then everything shuts off, as if everything isn't getting enough power to fully work. What could have happened? and what can I do now?


texts: Using extra plywood as stringer for window boards?

texts:
Trying to size out some window boards for a hurricane.  It's actually two questions but the stringer is the main one.

I have a section of windows that is roughly 14' x 4'6".  Given a sheet of plywood at 8' x 4', I was thinking of laying one full sheet horizontally, and then stringing together 1' worth making the sheet 8' x 5'.  Then stringing in the remaining length of windows from a second shortened sheet that is also strung with an extra 1'.

My first question is, can I string these pieces together with whatever leftover plywood that I have?  Or do I need to get something thicker / stronger?

My second question is, does the above strategy seem structurally ok for boarding against a hurricane?

I imagine something like this... where """" indicates stringers.

+---------------------------"-------------+
|                           "             |
|                           "             |
|                           "             |
|                           "             |
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|                           "             |
+---------------------------"-------------+

Sorry if I'm butchering up any terms / ideas!


texts: Why isn't the "C" or Common wire working on my Nest thermostat?

texts:
I Have connected the Blue wire to the C terminal on a 3rd Generation Nest and to the Blue wires on the Transformer....... But the Nest Thermostat does not show the Blue wire connected on the Equipment Detected Page of the Nest Thermostat.

The Problem is the Heater Has Short Cycles when heating. Nest support folks say a C wire is needed.

Help Needed  !!!!!!!


texts: If they can put a man on the moon, why can't they build a 'composter-friendly' under-sink disposal?

texts:
If they can put a man on the moon--and add wi-fi to our thermostats--why can't  they build a  'composter-friendly' under-sink disposal?

I'd love a disposal that could send the ground up 'solid waste' to a bucket for easy transport to a compost heap and send water down the drain. Does anyone make this? Why not?

Ideally, good design/engineering would minimize mess and overflow (e.g. with some type of gasket) , alert you when the 'compost bucket' needs emptying, work correctly if the bucket was full/etc.

I see the following advantages:

disposal cuts food waste into small, quick to decompose size
disposal would co-mingle all waste foods into a "compost slurry"--mixing leftover food scraps with banana peels and orange rinds--rendering it inedible to pests
allow the low-green/high-"ick" household residents to have a consistent means for disposing food waste. (i.e. in my household, one resident gets "grossed out" by having a compost bucket near the kitchen. she would just use the disposal and not have to worry about it).

I would loveto have something like this in our house and would appreciate any insights.

thanks


texts: My air conditioner replacement contactor has terminals labelled L1, L2 and T1, T2. Are the L terminals the line in (power) and the T terminals the output that goes to the compressor and fan? Its part is c25bnb230t and is made by Eaton.


texts: When replacing carpet, can you re-use the tackless strips?

texts: I need to replace some carpet. Thee carpet was installed over a concrete slab, so the tackless strips were fastened down with concrete nails. The tackless strips seem to be in decent enough condition. Do I have to replace them? This would be more of a hassle then it would be if I was dealing with a wood subfloor due to the necessity of sinking new nails into a 40 year-old slab.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Options for adding “C” wire to thermostat

I am upgrading to a newer thermostat that requires a constant 24 volt feed, I have an extra (unsused) wire in the cable at the thermostat. Do I simply connect it to the transformer at the furnace?


texts:
I came to posses an amazing, strong metal alloy bar that would fit my door frame perfectly! I'd like to turn this into a pull-up bar and hang it onto the frame.

What is the name of the things that I can screw into the frame on which the straight bar can rest?


texts:
have dead White Rodgers select comfort II 1F90-51, 4 wire gas heat, elect AC, RC RH jumper (red wire to RH).  Using only heat mode now (though was just 75 yesterday but 33 last night!)

Needs replacement - Sunday only have a Honeywell CT2700 available 4 wire no RH or RC.

Can I use the CT2700 w/o issues, or is there something on heat or air end needing RC RH?

thanks!


texts: Below is the picture of how the ISP cable enters my house. Just wondering where all the rain water that gets into the same conduit goes? Doesn't seem right that no measures were taken to prevent water from getting in.


texts: Is it Safe to Have an Attic Light & Receptacle on 60A HVAC Circuit

texts:
When I went to add a light switch near my attic access for an existing light with a pull cord, I found that the light was wired to the disconnect box that feeds the air handler. This particular circuit is fed by a 60A breaker in my main panel (I assume it is so large due to the emergency heater if the heat pump is not working).

The light is wired with a 10 gauge cable, but this just seems really wrong to me. I suspect this was put in by the AC guys before we owned it since it was attached to a truss with hex head screws. It also didn't even have a junction box! The fixture was directly attached to the truss with enough clearance to wire it from the back. The terminals were exposed to open air and someone could have have touched a live 60A circuit. These are the same AC guys that cut 3 truss members so I don't have a lot of faith in what they did.

I have fixed the junction box situation, but before I add a switch to this I wanted to confirm that I need to move this to another circuit. Maybe there is another breaker inside the disconnect box that is only 15/20A? I didn't see anything...

This light fixture also has a receptacle built into it. Like this:

Update

I looked a little further into it and the neutral for the light is connected to the ground and it measures 120V at the receptacle. There is what looks like a 2 gauge aluminum coming in and a 6 gauge aluminum going out to the heater/ air handler, plus the 10 gauge copper going to the light/ receptacle. There is no separate 15A for the air handler. Side note, why does the tester show hot/ground reversed for this situation? My pictures don't stay rotated properly on the phone app...


texts: How close can I bury circuits to each other?

texts:
I need to run 3 lines (2 - 20amp circuits and 1 - 50 amp circuit) in a trench 140 feet from my 200 amp panel. How close can I bury these circuits to each other?
To follow up with your questions: These lines are 1st going 140 feet to the 1st building (which will be a tiny house) That is the 50 amp. The tiny house will have it's own 50 amp panel.
Then the 2 - 20 amp circuits will go another 70 feet to a green house.  I have been looking at running the 2 - 20 amp circuits in one 3/4 PVC conduit, coming up at the tiny house location just because I will need a box to pull the fishing tape through. The 50 amp would be a separate 1" PVC line.  I have some depth limitations because of rock, but, for the most part can go down to 24 inches. I have concerns with the proximity of the 50 amp to the 2 - 20 amps. I would choose to run these in the same trench. But, I don't want any current jumping from one circuit to the other.
I plan to have all these circuits coming from an updated 200 amp panel from my barn, and wired with GCFI breakers, grounding them at every box and final locations.


texts: using a light switch for electric baseboard heater

texts: Can i use a light switch to turn on and off a cadet 36” 120 volt baseboard heater. So it would either be full on or full off. It is wired now for a line voltage thermostat but in this time of the virus i’d rather use what i have on hand, which is light switches.


texts: Brick fireplace - pulling away from wall

texts:
I have a brick fireplace that is 8 feet wide by 39.5 inches tall.

The brick is pulling away from the wall.    Attached pictures show what is happening.

I can see the brick was attached to the studs with nails.

One idea is to use a heavy duty jack to push the brick back into place, but wondering how to make the brick adhere to the studs (if it is even possible to safely move the brick using a jack).

Any thoughts on this project would be appreciated.

Thank you,


texts: I need to run 110 volts AC 300' to a subpanel. What size copper wire do I need? Wire will be run in conduit underground.


texts: How do I install a neon indicator for a light?

texts:
The switch for the bathroom light is outside the room.

I want to put in a switch with a neon indicator that tells me that the light is on in the room so that users will switch it off.

There are only one blue, one brown and one earth wire at the switch.


texts: Can cutting pressure treated wood harm my saw blade?

texts: Should I take time to clean my circular saw blade after cutting pressure treated lumber? Since fasteners other than stainless steel or galvanized can corrode when used in pressure treated wood, is it going to cause my blade to corrode? Or is it only prolonged exposure?


texts: Adjusting speed of a kitchen range hood motor

texts: I have a range hood in my kitchen that moves air from a 6 in pipe reduced down to a 4 in pipe. This causes air flow turbulence which makes the operation noisy and inefficient. I'm thinking that if i can reduce the speed of the blower motor the hood would work more efficiently and quietly. The blower motor is 190 watts, has 3 preset speeds and is 120v/60hz. Is there a way to lower the preset speeds?


texts:
I started getting only warn, not hot water in my shower (all other taps are fine) I tried playing with and removing the anti-scalding device with no luck. My guess's maybe the shower valve is bad.
I don't own the place and with everything that is going on, it's not an ideal time to call a plumber.

The only solution I found at the moment is slightly close the cold water ball valve behind the shower. However, I'm not sure if that will cause any other issues or will wear it out while we wait to get it fixed.


texts: Why did I need to switch several appliances in order to power my electric stove?

texts:
This is a bit more theoretical but I am confused as to how this may have happened. I own an electric stove that is plugged into one of those large 240V sockets on the wall. Yesterday when I switched on the oven the appliance completely shut off but did not trip the circuit breaker so no other devices around my kitchen switched off. In order to turn it on again I tried to reset the circuit breaker but that didn't work. Then someone suggested that I power off some of my AC's which consume about half a KW, I did and after I reset the circuit breaker once again sure enough, the stove turned on. Needless to say I was completely dumbfounded.

So question 1) why would only the stove itself switch off without tripping the circuit breaker? It is simply connected to the socket without any sort of surge protector. 2) Most importantly why would I need to unplug some of the other appliances in my house just to turn the stove on? this is what confused me the most. I thought things just scaled, I am sure the power grid can carry much bigger loads than whatever my house was consuming.


texts:
My house has single glazed windows. I understand that bubblewrap can act like double glazing, however doing this will ruin my views.

Is there much advantage in only covering part of the Windows (say 50% -  the parts behind the curtains and close to the floor)?   Im interested both from a power saving and "crying Windows" POV.

Are there any other "low cost", fairly easy ways to improve my window insulation which do not require modifying window frames that I can do myself with only basic skills? Getting this professionally done would not seem to make sense from a cost POV.


texts:
In a shared garden, I have access to a pipe where the water comes from a well. the water is already pre-filtered but still contains (small amount) particles.

I would like to install a shower, the few particles would not be an issue for the shower, but I need to install a water boiler and I am concerned that the particles would then drastically reduce the life of the boiler.

I could find lot of water filters on-line but they are all focused on making the water more drinkable which is not my goal.

Is my worry justified, and a water filter is definitely required?
if yes what type filter should I better use for an economical and quality shower? (I do not have to make the water drinkable)


texts: Is continuous exhaust from basement level closet a good idea?

texts:
I have a recurring problem with mold in the closet of a basement level bedroom. After considering various options, I'm currently contemplating installing some sort of a low powered continuous exhaust fan which would keep the air moving out of from the bedroom and closet to the outside. The top of the closet is above ground level, so it could go directly through the wall. There is central air in the house which would allow the bedroom's air to be replenished from other rooms.

Is this a good idea? What could be the pitfalls (other than the obvious heat loss)?

This makes me think that the solution is similar to a radon mitigation system (although admittedly, I know very little about those).


texts:
I left my stove un-attended for 8 weeks and when I got back to using it, I noticed mould on one of the stove's knobs. I sprayed some white vinegar, let it sit for 5 minutes and wiped it off. Sadly, it has turned the knob pink in color.

What causes aluminium to turn pink in color and how can I restore this knob to its original aluminum color ? I live in a very humid coastal city in Australia if that helps.
Here's a picture of the pink knob :


texts: What is the best way to insulate an unvented interior vaulted ceiling with 2x6 rafters?

texts:
I'm in the midst of re-doing our garage. The space will be used as a nice woodshop/mancave. I'm looking for some suggestions in terms of insulating.

The garage is 12x20, and has about a 27 degree pitch in the roof with 2x6s as rafters. I live in Vermont so it's recommended to have around R50 insulation in the ceiling. If I retain the vaulted ceiling I'll need to furr out the 2x6's to achieve the recommended R value. From googling around people are pretty divided on furring (with a 2x4) vs. sistering a 2x10 to the existing rafter. I'm leaning towards furring because with sistering i'm adding 1.5" to every rafter which is less insulation value up there. But perhaps this is a non-issue?

If I do end up furring are there any sort of recommended techniques to do this? I plan on hanging 1" thick pine boards on the rafters and want to ensure the furring holds up with the added weight.

Forgive the myriad of questions, but any help/guidance is much appreciated!


texts: Why does adding a C wire for a thermostat blow the fuse?

texts:
I am adding a WiFi thermostat. I have R,W,G,Y wires. Plus 2 extra coming from upstairs that go between humidifier and humidistat. So I ran an extra wire for the C wire. When I attach it to the C terminal on circuit board, it blows the 5 amp onboard fuse. The white wire that is already attached to the C terminal and the red wire on the G terminal go to the outside A/C unit. Could those cause a short when adding the new wire? I have a tester but not sure what to check. It could be a bad thermostat. How do I test for a short on the thermostat terminals?

Here are some images without the new wire connected:


texts: Is it OK that my AC is making squeaking and rattling noises?

texts:
Just want to get some initial thoughts before the repairman comes. I have a 3 year old 2.5 ton Goodman AC unit. I set the temperature to 74°F last night (AC) and woke up to a nice and chilly house. An odd noise was coming from the outside unit — almost a high pitched squeak followed by a rattle and then the unit kicks off. Several seconds later, the unit kicks on and the pattern of squeak, rattle, shut off continues. The fan is not obstructed, and spins cleanly.

It's still blowing cold air in the house and the coils appear fine and not frozen. Any thoughts?


texts: Installed new breaker to relieve load in existing circuit. Still trips new breaker

texts:
I recently moved a treadmill to workout room. Whenever the treadmill is in use, it trips the breaker shortly after starting up. I figured this is because the workout room also shares a circuit with another room that uses outlets for heated blankets and electronics. I decided to put the workout room on its own breaker with the exception of sharing an outlet which runs the heated blankets. I'm not sure when but sometime during the night the breaker tripped. To my knowledge only the heated blankets were running. The treadmill definitely was not running and this has never happened before moving the treadmill to the workout room.

The breaker I installed is a 15amp combination AFCI/GFCI breaker and neither the AFCI or GFCI tripped. It looks like this is due to overloading the circuit. How can I find the source of the problem?

NOTE: The treadmill has been runnning on a 15A circuit in a different room. The treadmill previously had an issue with shutting off after 5-10 minutes of use. The treadmill screen/panel would reset and just freeze up. I was told it was due to a fried/bad board from not lubing the belt. Haven't used the treadmill until it was moved to the new room.


texts: 240 outlet giving abnormal me abnormal readings

texts:
I just moved to a new house and was troubleshooting a dryer when I noticed my outlet is giving me incorrect voltage. I know I should have two hots (A and B) on either side, a ground at the top (C) and a neutral on the bottom (D).  When I hook up the multimeter I get the following readings: AC 120, BC 120, AB 240, AD 0, BD 240, CD 120.

Can anyone tell me what the problem is?


texts: Loud gushing noise when neighbour runs their faucet

texts: I live on the 2nd floor of an 11 floor condo.  Lately I have heard a loud gushing water sound under my kitchen sink when a neighbour runs their water. This occurs every time the neighbour turns on their tap. When I touch the hot and cold pipes under my sink, I can feel the water running through them. I do not feel any vibration in my kitchen faucet stem or handle. I do feel vibration along the wall beside the sink which is where the water stack is located (all the way up/down the wall). The building Superintendent and a Plumber could not recreate the issue when they visited the upstairs suite to investigate. Has anyone encountered this type of issue and, if so, any advice? Is it possible that this could be caused by the suite downstairs?  Thanks!


texts: How can I clean and restore old interior shiplap planking?

texts: In renovating our 2nd story master bedroom, we found one wall of shiplap.  We would like to keep it in its natural state, altho after years of being there, and covered, it looks very dark and most likely needs to be cleaned. It is most likely dirty from years of being covered up.  We think it may have originally been part of an outside wall, but the house has been added on since being built and this wall was incorporated into one of the bedroom walls, then covered with drywall and the drywall had been painted. Looking for advice on how exactly to accomplish this feat.  Someone told me to purchase a "sanitizer" that sprays directly on the wood.  Is this a good idea?


texts: What could be wrong with my flood damaged water heater?

texts: We have an electric water heater. The basement flooded with 2 1/2 feet of water.  Now when I take a shower the water goes cold in 3 to 5 minutes. What could be wrong?


texts:
We purchased a newly remodeled home last summer & over the holidays I received a treadmill. The treadmill will not work in any
of the outlets bc they are all GFCI protected. Can someone please help me solve this ANNOYING problem!


texts: Do I need 5V or 12V to power a LED light strip?

texts:
What is difference between 5V and 12V power supply?

I want to power my WS2812B LED light strip (5m at 60 LED/meter) and don't understand why I would want a 400W 5V 80A power supply vs a 400W 12V power supply?

What is the impact of using 5V vs 12V?

Each individually addressable LED on the strip (needs?, accepts?) 60mA and 3V forward voltage.


texts: How to connect 4” PVC to broken sewer line?

texts: I have a piece of broken cast iron pipe with almost no overhang. Wondering what are my options here?


texts: Left switch on gang light pair not getting power

texts:
I’m trying to install a set of light switches to control my fan and lights. The left switch has two black cables running to it and the right has a red and black.

I installed both switches and the left doesn’t power on when I flip the breaker. I’ve confirmed it isn’t a manufacturing issue with one of the switches by uninstalling/reinstalling them in the reverse order. In both cases, the left side is the one not receiving power.

Below are the original and new configurations, respectively:

The new red wire on the left connects to the nest of black wires similarly to the original bottom black wire. I’m afraid what may happen if I reverse the wires going to the red and black on the left switch, though I don’t know whether that will do any actual harm.

Any clear issues with how I rewired these?


texts: How to learn home improvement for young adults?

texts:
I am 22, living with my parents. I plan to buy a house in the next 4 or 5 years. I want to learn more about home improvement so I can renovate my future house easily. My dad does renovations, but I see how his lack of education in this domain makes him do mistakes occasionaly. I want to learn about this domain in case I need to renovate a part of my house or if I need to hire a contractor and make sure he is qualified.

What can I do to learn about home improvement? Read books?


texts: Solar system with both grid tie-in and backup power without battery?

texts:
My wife and I have been talking for a few years now about getting some solar panels installed on our roof.  We even went so far as to have a sales rep for an installer come out and talk through our options.  He told us that we could:

Have a system that ties into the grid and sells electricity back
to the power company.  This sounds like a great idea, and seems
cost-effective as well.
Have batteries that store surplus power to provide our home with backup power in case of a blackout.  Again this sounds like a great idea, but it also sounds like the cost
would be prohibitively expensive for us.
Have a battery-less system that provides power to our house when the power goes out, but
only when the sun is shining.

.... but that we could not have both (1) and (3) without (2).  He insisted that if we are connected to the grid, there is no way to switch our system to directly powering our house in the event of a blackout; if we wanted to be connected to the grid and have emergency power, a battery backup system is the only way.

This makes no sense to me, and he was unable to explain why (other than "it's just a different kind of system").  I suspect he was just trying to upsell me to a battery backup system. But since I don't really understand the technology I thought I would ask here.  Can someone explain to me what, if anything, are the issues here?  Please be gentle, as this stuff is well beyond my zone of competence.


texts:
I spilled some water on the knobs of my GE stove. 5 minutes later, I heard some buzzing and then there was a brief fire from a knob for 30 seconds. I turned off the gas and electricity, opened the stove, and saw that the wire from that knob to its indicator light was completely fried. The rest is fine, and the stove works fine except for that light.
Do I need to remove the wire to the light? Or can I leave it there without danger. I’m fine with the current function of the stove without that indicator light.


texts: Should I let my contractor drill and set rebar dowels in my concrete storm shelter to secure a concrete patio that will be poured around it?

texts:
I want to pour a 16 x 22 patio from my house foundation (slab) and encasing 3/4 sides of the storm shelter.  The contractor states he will drill and place rebar dowel every 2 feet into the foundation AND storm shelter.  I have concerns with him messing with the storm shelter.  I believe it has 8” wall.
Does this sound like the way to do this.  I sure don’t want to mess with the integrity of the shelter or foundation.
Any guidance appreciated.


texts: How can I prevent decay in a deck post resting on the house footing?

texts:
The porch I'm building is 20' x 15' with the 20' side running along the house and the 15' coming out. I have a ledger board connection with 6 footings around the perimeter of the porch. 5 of the footings will be filled with a concrete footing 10" thick with a 12" diameter pier on top to bring it above grade. The 6th footing is right along the side of a bump out and I have dug to the house footing and plan to place my post directly on the lip of the footing. The county inspector says this will work fine and I've seen it done this way at other homes in the neighborhood.

My concern is accelerated rot of the post since it will be below grade. I came up with two options but wanted to see other opinions out there.

Place the post on the house footing as planned and surround with compacted gravel with soil around the gravel. This may help any water that comes in the hole to flow down into the french drain directly beneath the post.
Pour concrete directly over the gravel surrounding the french drain and up along side the house foundation wall to bring the concrete pier above grade.

Thanks for the feedback.


texts: Does a longer immersion heater last longer?

texts:
I have a titanium immersion element in my water tank. It sounds as if it's on it's way out and I'm looking to replace it with another titanium one. How long should it be?

Currently I'm using an 11", but I've seen 14" ones. They are both BEAB approved 2.25 BSP thread and either would fit the size of my tank. They're both 3kW, and there is only a few pounds extra for the longer one. It mounts horizontally.

My thought is that a 14" element will run cooler per unit length. Might it therefore last longer as thermal effects will be less? Am I right, or does experience prove otherwise?


texts: Is WD-40 alright to use in freezers/places with food?

texts:
Recently I used WD-40 in my freezer to stop the fan from maxing such obnoxious noises. But, now the freezer reeks of the smell, and my food inside also stinks like the product.

I cooked some steaks for dinner tonight, and the steak itself tasted like WD-40. I might be going crazy, but hope that I am just going crazy.


texts: Why isn't Floetrol (or the same chemical) just added to paint by the manufacturer

texts:
I keep hearing how adding Floetrol gives much better results when painting mouldings and doors etc. As gloss paint is almost always used for these surfaces, my question is: why does gloss not just have this substance added as standard by the paint manufacturer?

Any thoughts?


texts: Is MDF a reliable product for interior trimwork?

texts: We are debating whether to use MDF or real wood for interior trim around doors and windows.  We're told that the MDF is easier to work with ~ no sanding and possibly cheaper. However, we have gotten mixed reviews from several people, some saying the MDF can warp and dent easier than wood.  Can someone with experience address this issue for us?


texts: Best Practices for Measuring Screw/Bolt TPI?

texts:
It is extremely nice to be able to use a caliper to measure screw/bolt major diameter (and length) to find correct replacements.  However I am struggling to come up with a good way to determine accurate threads per inch (TPI; eyeball counts are difficult for me to get right, especially for smaller screws/etc).
What would folks here recommend for accurately determining TPI? I would prefer something other than prebuilt thread gauges, which based on my research are relatively expensive, dedicated-use, and of surprisingly variant build quality/accuracy (e.g., folks have complained about such gauges not being tapped correctly!!!).  Thanks for any advice.


texts: DIY trenchless technology -- what options would be suitable?

texts:
I have seen, on occasion, folks on this site whose situation would call for the use of some flavor of trenchless technology -- this guy is the most obvious example, but others have come up.

However, it seems that directional drilling requires a skilled drill operator to run the machine, and pipejacking may not be possible for DIY-sized pipes, just culvert-sized ones.  Is moleing the only option for a DIY trenchless job, assuming your local tool rental place carries a mole and a suitable air compressor?  Or does moleing require a similar level of training and skill as directional boring or pipejacking would?

(Of course, you call One-Call and get all the utilities marked out thoroughly, but you'd be doing the same if you were digging a trench, so that point isn't an issue.)


texts: Would folded 2" green masking tape protect the foundation covering?

texts:
Related question: Protecting the bottom of the wall while painting vinyl siding

I have some 2" wide green masking tape.  I am wondering if the following would be enough protection of the white strip that covers the foundation (below the siding): put down about three feet of the tape but without putting pressure along the bottom, then grasp both ends and fold the whole length of tape up, to make an L-shaped profile.


texts: How to make IN swing french doors OUT swing?

texts: So I want to buy this french patio door for my she shed & its an IN swing.  I will need to buy a door frame and want the doors to swing OUT.  Is this something that can be done?  The doors are $80 for both. The man building the shed does custom work, but I dont want to cause tons of extra work/expense.  Suggestions?  I can DIY to an extent with good instructions, depending! :) Each door has 3 hinges on them that would attach to frame & each have a door knob near center and one has a twist latch/bolt in center.


texts: Do I need more space between my AC unit and bed headboard?

texts: I'm unsure whether I can place an AC unit in my bedroom window because the headboard comes up right against the window. There would only be about 5 inches of space between the AC unit and the headboard. Would that be a problem?


texts: Advise on proper placement of floor threshold

texts:
I have just widened my kitchen by two feet.  As well I removed a small 45 degree wall and straightened out the doorway into the bedroom.  As you can see in the Before Image, the threshold between the vinyl and parquet floors followed the 45 degree line.

Here's the "before" plan:

Here's the after plan:

In the new layout, my wife and I disagree as to where the new vinyl floor should end.  My choice is red line in image AFTER and my wife is partial to where the green line is placed.

Opinions on this would be appreciated.


texts: What should I do with a double gang box if I no longer need two separate switches?

texts:
We're relocating our TV to a side of our living room that has a power outlet controlled by a wall switch.  The switch is part of a double gang box (1 switch controls the porch light, the other controls the outlet). I don't want people to accidentally turn off the electronics if they hit the wrong switch but I'm not sure what the right method would be to address this.  It's a trivial issue so I'd like to avoid spending too much time on it.

What are the recommended options here?


texts: Where should I run the plumbing, under or through the base cabinets?

texts:
I'm installing a dishwasher that is around the bend from the sink and plumbing. If you measure along the front of the cabinets it is barely 42 inches (3-1/2 feet), so it seems that running the plumbing under the cabinets would be economical. Alternatively, if I go through the cabinets, I'd have to run around the back which measures roughly 120 inches (10 feet).

The more economical route--under the cabinets--would involve cutting through the kick plates (toe plates) on all the cabinets and I just haven't see anybody do that. Going through the cabinets would be as easy as drilling holes at the back where each cabinet meets. That's four holes in total with no cosmetic surgery afterwards.

Are there any other considerations that ought to sway my decision one way or the other?

So far I see these pros/cons:

Under

shorter, no splices required
won't be easily accessible in the future which is probably fine since there won't be any splices
will require cosmetic work to restore the kick plate and lino covering

Through

will require drain hose extension and probably a spliced source hose
will be more accessible in the future
no extra cosmetic work


texts: Would these 3 motors perform differently?

texts:
I've three older, used, 1 hp, 3450 rpm, Sears/Crafstman motors to choose from to run a used 10" table saw on a 110v power.  None smell burnt.
If they are all in equivalent decent shape, will they perform the same?
If not, is it possible to deduce which will perform best, or do I need to test all three?
Two have a capacitor wart for start-up, the third is labeled as "capacitor motor".
Two are 115, the other is 115/230.
One is labeled 40 degC Ambient, another 40 degC Temp Rise, the third 50 degC Cont. Temp Rise.
1) Smallest motor, sleeve bearing:

2) A bit larger than the smallest motor, sleeve bearing:

3) Largest motor, ball bearing:


texts: Seamless construction joints on concrete floor

texts:
By construction joints I mean the joints between a batch of concrete floor poured one day and the new work on a following day. What is the proper way to get the most seamless joints when making finished concrete floor in a large area?
Since I will be making small batches, it will be at least 10 days, so at least 10 joints to deal with, and if the joints are too visible it will look terrible.
I read many different opinions on this:

Each joint should end in a 90°, preferably with a form.
Chamfer the joint (more perpendicular or more shallow angle?), no need for forms.
Before the start on the new batch, break the end of the previous one to ensure it is level, well adhered to the base and rough to receive the new batch (no need for forms as well)
Use plastic strips for control joints as construction joints (how does this work exactly?)

I liked the idea of using the plastic control joints, but I'm not sure how I use it for construction joints. Any thoughts?
I tried the chamfer option and I didn't like it: too hard to make set the new batch. The break and 90° options seems to work, but I would rather not have to rely on forms or having the break part of the previous day's work.


texts: One-way switch. Why is a separate pvc conduit used?

texts: Why is it in the lighting circuit a separate earth wire is drawn in p.v.c conduit type of installation and not in steel type?


texts: Pinched a wire, is this an electical danger?

texts:
I was swapping out the gears in my garage door opener and when I plugged it back in I heard a pop and some smoke, unplugged it immediately and realized that I had pinched a wire with a screw that I had totally not noticed.  I can see on the circuit board that something blew out on it and it looks like the wire leads to the light that is supposed to come on when the garage door opens/closes.  The light doesn't work but I am honestly not sure if it worked before as the others don't but the garage door itself works fine.

I wrapped the wire that I messed up with electrical tape to prevent any raw wire from being exposed but my lack of electrical knowledge has me worried that this is a dangerous situation.  Should I be concerned to leave the garage door opener powered?


texts: I need to construct a solid core door for the knee wall attic in our new room.  Rather than purchasing a custom door, have people been successful in constructing a door from particleboard or MDF?  I have a doorknob borer from Harbor Freight for just such a possibility.  I'm thinking about cutting a 4'x8'x3/4" into two 2'x3' pieces and sandwiching two with liquid nails, then boring the knob and latch holes.


texts: What would make my Lennox gas stove just shut off and the pilot light goes out as well?

texts: We've tried cleaning it and restarting the stove still doesn't seem to stay on.


texts: I’m trying to pull a new thermostat wire down from a first floor room down into the basement. The exit point in the basement is in the ceiling, between two ceiling boards pretty inaccessible. Would it be stupid to try to hook some fishing wire to the old wire, pull that through, then tie the new wire to the fishing wire and pull that through? Is that unlikely to work? I don’t know about the opening diameter, and I’d be going from a 2-wire setup to a 4 or 5, so I guess it’d be thicker.


texts: Can I sand and re-varnish a flawed area on my staircase?

texts:
I have a new staircase that's gone in, and I've happily stained and varnished it.

Now I have a problem.

It appears that on the handrail that was varnished, some of the adhesive from tape that was holding a covering cloth in place was missed.

Its a single square right in the middle, and although I've gone over it a few times (and I thought I'd cleaned it thoroughly in the first place) it's glaringly obvious, even from a distance.

What I'm wondering is, could I sand off the varnish on that section and (hopefully) lift the adhesive, then reapply the varnish without making the situation worse?

The varnish I'm using is a water based polyurethane.

Cheers!


texts:
Let me start by stating that I'm an IT (information technology) guy, but I'm a novice at electricity. I just educated myself to some degree using YouTube tutorials and some written articles. I'm trying to be as brief as possible, but it's still a very long post, sorry. So here's the deal, I pretty much nuked my old consumer unit altogether.

First I replaced the box itself and the circuit breakers (MCBs). Then added a ground fault detector (RCD, or RCCB) to the mix. Recently I decided to get an surge protector (SPD) as well. Finally, now I want to have ground-fault detecting circuit breakers (RCBOs) instead of the single-pole circuit breakers (1P MCBs) -- but as with all previous changes, I just hit a wall. Except this time I have no idea how to proceed. Here's what my main breaker box (consumer unit, or CU) looks like:

Let me explain it all. The surge protector (SPD) attaches to the ground fault detector (RCCB). Live comes straight into the ground-fault detector (RCCB), then goes through the two-pole circuit breaker (2P MCB). The consumer unit has a bus-bar, which provides live to all ground fault detecting circuit breakers (RCBOs). Then it all goes to the circuits.

Neutral plugs into the neutral bar. There earth is taken from it, goes to the earth bar via the surge protector (SPD). From the earth bar, earth goes to the circuits.

From neutral bar, neutral also goes into the ground fault detector (RCCB). From there, neutral goes to the two-pole circuit breaker (2P MCB), then it's distributed to the ground fault circuit breakers (RCBOs) with twin ferrules. From the RCBOs, neutral connects to all the circuits.

There's a "dead" circuit. I have no idea what its purpose was but right now it surely doesn't lead to anywhere. All my outlets and lamps are functional without it being wired up. The corresponding neutral and live is laying in the background insulated (under the main neutral wire). There's also 2 live wires next to these, which could be utilized if I had three-phase but I have just one ATM. These are also insulated, just in case.

I also made a diagram but this doesn't take the actual wiring into account, this only shows which devices are powered up when the corresponding live is on:

So what's the actual question? Well, it seems that the "green" and "blue" circuits overlap, if that makes any sense. If neutral comes through a common neutral bar and live goes through the 1-pole circuit breakers (1P MCBs), all is good. But when I try to replace the circuit breakers (MCBs) with ground-fault breakers (RCBOs) and try to pair the live wires with the neutrals, it's a mess.

We have 2 neutral wires and 2 live wires, call them N1, N2, L1 and L2. Regardless of the way you plug these into the two ground-fault detecting breakers (RCBOs), you can only have one turned on at a time, the 2nd one immediately breaks like when earth connects to N or L (assuming the lamps are turned on). Here's the matrix of what happens:

Naturally the second combination seems better. Yes, I tried with a different bulb, to no avail. All my bulbs are LED ones, don't know if that makes a difference.

Guys, do you have any idea what the heck is going on? I've faced very strange solutions in this house, like outlets being powered through lamp switches and stuff, but with this issue I'm totally clueless. Could the 5th earth cause such an issue? Like I said, I've disconnected the L and N wires of the 5th circuit, but not its earth, mostly coz I don't want to accidentally "unearth" anything in the house. I have an outlet tester like this:

Should I find and disconnect the 5th, "dead" earth with this, maybe?

Edit: I solved it, check my answer below.


texts: Gap between sash frame and pane of single-hung window sash - DIY-able?

texts:
Short background: we have a single-hung window in our living room that opens sideways, and it is noticeably hard to open. I noticed recently that the lock side of the moving sash's frame seems to have been bent away from the pane of glass, probably by someone attempting to open the window by pulling on that side instead of the side closest to the frame. The window still locks when closed, but the sash doesn't have to be forced into place to get the lock to line up, so the gap remains even when the window is closed and locked, introducing drafts.

Obviously this is something that needs to be fixed, so my not-incredibly-efficient HVAC system doesn't have to work any harder than it needs to. The question is, is this a DIY-able job? I've never taken a sash out of a window before, much less disassembled a sash (as I presume I'd need to do to straighten the bent portion). Obviously if I break the window that's an expensive call to a glazier; it's a pretty big window especially for being a single pane. But, if it's possible to get the window apart easily, I should be able to get the glass out and set it aside while I pound the sash frame back into shape.

There's also the question of how the window can be closed and locked without this gap causing a problem due to the change in dimension. I'm concerned that if I straighten the sash, when I put it back in I'll simply be moving the gap over to the other side of the sash, because the window won't fully seat in the closed position in order to lock it. That could be as simple as the window's weatherproofing has degraded and I need to replace it while I'm at it, but it could also open up a whole new can of worms with regard to this window's installation, which I wouldn't have the time, money or knowledge to fix properly.

Pics when I can upload them (I'm currently at work).

EDIT:

Just to update everyone on the status of this, I was able to remove the sash from the window frame and take it apart to look. The problem turned out to be that someone else had done this before me, possibly to replace the pane, and when putting the sash back together had not properly seated the gasket that goes between the pane and sash. The gasket had been forced back into the sash frame along a part of this edge of the sash, and that in turn created pressure forcing the frame away from the pane. Removing this edge of the sash, properly seating the gasket on the pane and then putting the sash frame piece back on made everything line up again, and of course, no more gap anywhere; turns out the slot the locking tab had been fitting into was not designed for it, so with the sash squared again the locking tab fit into the groove it was supposed to. Still a bit sticky when opening it, but in a 30-year-old house some of this is to be expected, and it's much better than it had been.


texts: LED Replacement for T5 Fluorescent lights

texts:
I have several T5 fluorescent lights in my kitchen, serving as under-cabinet lighting. Some of them are bust, and I’d like to replace them with LED strips instead.

The power for these lights are incorporated into the walls, hooked up to standard light switches. If possible, I’d like to replace the T5 units without needing to try to pull the new cables through the units.

I have some basic electrical skills: I’ve replaced several light switches and can rewire plugs, etc. But beyond that my knowledge is relatively limited. I’m pretty confident  could follow a decent guide though.

Are there LED strips available that easily plug into these connectors?

Alternatively, how would I best go about replacing these with LED lights? Is it just a case of sucking it up and pulling cable through the walls?


texts:
I have a garden entrance gate that has rotted and I am planning to replace it.

Because it matches my neighbour's gate I want to make one that looks the same rather than buy a ready-made gate. Also, making a gate should be fun. I've not done much woodwork before so I'm pretty much a novice.

The original gate has a full frame with two stiles and three rails. It has no diagonal bracing in the frame but is faced with diagonally laid tongue & groove cladding. I guess the cladding provides sufficient bracing to resist sagging.

I can't work out how the rails were joined to the stiles, there are three plugged holes on the stile opposite the rail, so I guess there may be dowels or maybe large screws.

Anyway, I used some small scrap timber to make some test joints to see if it would be feasible for me to make a mortice & tenon joint or a lap-joint using hand tools. This was a lot of work and I'm inclined to use a lap-joint. It will mostly be hidden behind the cladding so visually it will look the same as the old gate to most people.

The lap-joint relies on glue, should I insert some screws to make the joint stronger or would that just create a pathway for water into the wood & joint?


texts: Does it matter which wire goes where on single pole dimmer?

texts:
I’m updating the switches throughout my house. I have an old rotary style single-pole dimmer controlling the just-as-old chandelier in my dining room. This dimmer shares a double-gang box with a 3-way switch that controls half-hot receptacles in a connecting room. (For context: both switches are on the same circuit but unrelated, as the 3-way switch is the dead end of the 3-way.)

So...back to the dimmer wires. There are two black wire pigtails pre-attached and coming out of the back of the old dimmer. There are no screw terminals. Each black wire is attached to a separate single black wire coming out of the box. The new dimmer I’m replacing it with is a rocker switch with a small slider next to it. The new dimmer can be used in a single-pole/1-way or a 3-way application. (More specifically, Legrand Radiant RHCL453PTC.)

The old rotary dimmer is a no-name brand from 1986 (even though this house was built in ‘96), so any identifyable markings are nonexistent. I know for an ordinary single pole single throw switch, wire placement is typically interchangeable (with the exception to the grounding conductor, obviously). Is this the same for a dimmer switch? How about if the dimmer switch can be used in both a single pole and 3-way application, separately?


texts:
The furnace in my house is having a problem.  The furnace overall works well and heats the house fine.  The problem is that it cannot turn itself on.  There is a Nordyne vacuum switch on it that is supposed to test whether or not it is being ventilated properly.  It works by itself about half the time, but other times I need to go down and connect the two wires that come out of the vacuum switch with a jumper wire.  Then it makes the furnace think that it has the necessary vacuum power and starts up.  However, when it is bypassed, after it reaches the desired heat on the thermostat it goes off but will not turn back on until I unhook the bypass wire.  This makes sense and is not really what I am asking about, it is just what I do.  I have gone through three vacuum switches of the same model and they all have the same problem.  Here is a basic routine of what happens every time:

The temperature in the house goes below 67 degrees, and the thermostat tells the furnace to turn on.
The exhaust fan on the furnace turns on, along with the red LED on the main board.
It runs for about 10 seconds.

This is where a few different things happen.  If the switch wants to work, then this happens:

The furnace makes a click, and then the glow plug starts up.
The glow plug heats up.
The furnace clicks again, and the gas kicks on.  A yellow LED on the board turns on as well.
A few seconds later, the blower turns on and starts to heat the house.

However, if it is completely not working, then this happens:

The red LED on the main board of the furnace starts flashing a pattern like this:  On, Off, On, Off, On, Off, On, Off, and then stays off for a few seconds and then repeats.  Here is the pattern visually with 0 being off and 1 being on:  1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0.  This loops forever until I turn off the furnace either with the main power switch on the back or by telling the thermostat that I do not want to heat the house anymore.

Another thing that happens sometimes is the switch kind of works and kind of doesn't:

The furnace waits more than 10 seconds, usually around 20 or 30, and then starts the glow plug.
The glow plug heats up to maximum power.
The furnace clicks twice like it is trying to turn on the gas, the glow plug goes out, and the burners do not turn on.
This sequence repeats without getting anywhere.

As I said, I have tried 3 vacuum switches, and the same thing happens with all of them.  The furnace was put in when the house was built, so about 13 or 14 years ago.  I have tried a lot of different things and some researching, and I could not come up with anything.  I don't know if it is the vacuum switch that is giving me the problem, or maybe the circuit board or one of its relays, or maybe the ventilation pump.  I am really hoping to be able to fix it without needing to replace the whole thing.  My question is if it seems like I have defective vacuum switches, if the board is bad, or if there is something else I need to check on.

(Note, I will try to get some information about voltages and things when I get a chance, and maybe a picture of the inside of the furnace.)

Edit 1:  The label inside the furnace says the model is a "Nordyne FG6RC 080C - 168"

Edit 2:  The problems have been happening for about 5 years.  Last year the two inch pipe for air input was replaced with a three inch pipe.


texts: Do I need to seal coat part of my new asphalt?

texts:
I just had my driveway asphalt coated.  In general it looks pretty good, but there are 2 areas (about 10 sq ft each) where the (due to the location) the asphalt was laid by hand and not rolled on by a large machine - so the surface has some roughness and is not as flat as the rest of the driveway. (Aesthetically this is not a problem as one area is where trash cans will be situated, and the other is the creation of a side path through some bushes.)

Today it is raining and the first thing I noticed is that those manually laid areas are extremely porous - rain is running down to them and then just disappearing.  I called my asphalt guy and he stated to me that "oh once the asphalt has cured then those areas will naturally seal up"

I am skeptical of the curing process closing up those porous areas, and my concern is that in the winter there is potential for cracking due to ice expansion.

Will the porous areas seal themselves up?
Are my concerns about cracking in those areas valid?
If seal coating is advised, is doing this myself a smart or dumb thing to do?


texts: Is the permeability of normal shellac (flakes dissolved in spirits) the same as Zinsser B-I-N sealer?

texts:
I've made a whole batch of clear shellac for sealing ceiling and concrete floors in a heavily nicotine damaged apartment.
But I'm worried now that there may be some differences between them, such as permeability.
Can anyone ease my fears?

I'm simply too poor to pay $130 per room to paint BIN sealer (that's how much it costs here... and I'm laying it on thin).


texts: When replacing non-grounding type receptacles is a GFCI receptacle required, or can any GFCI device be used?

texts:
Under the NEC (it was 210(7)(d)(3), but appears to have moved around some), it is permissible to replace an ungrounded receptacle with a GFCI receptacle, then wire further ungrounded or non-grounded (i.e. a NEMA 5 without a ground wire hooked up) receptacles on the circuit to the load side of the GFCI, all in lieu of running a ground wire in order to replace the existing ungrounded receptacles with grounded receptacles.

However: does this permission extend to replacing the branch circuit overcurrent protection device with a GFCI-type circuit breaker (or a CAFCI breaker that provides ground fault protection for personnel)?  Or can only GFCI receptacles be used for this retrofit? The NEC's verbiage does not make mention of breaker-type GFCIs...


texts:
I have a rental unit and I can not find a condensation drain line on the home heating unit. The unit is old and my question is do all heating units have a condensation drain?
Thank you


texts: HF compresser pops gfci on different circuit

texts:
Guys I have an almost new HF oil fairly large 15 amp compressor.  I have it on a 20 amp circuit in garage with no gfci that I added myself.

From almost day after warranty expired on startup it started pop a gfci on another garage circuit. This circuit has a freezer plus outlets in living room with home entertainment center.

I'm sure there's an issue with the compressor but it works great so currently I only turn it on when needed and then reset the gfci on the other circuit..

Any ideas on how to stop this for happening if he then replacing the compressor or removing the gfci?  The gfci has been replaced a couple of times so that not the issue.

Yes it is a Harbor Freight compressor item 61489 r120v/60Hz/15 Amp. It only has 5 hours so not due for first oil change. So no haven't changed it yet. Believe its due after first 10.

The GFCI pops on startup. I can even reset while compressor is running and it stays on fine. Remember the freezer is on the GFCI circuit and compressor is on a non GFCI circuit.

The circuit I ran actually has 3 outlets and a switch. Sorry I forgot. I looked at the circuit and all wired correctly. When I installed it I added a new 20 amp breaker. Black to breaker white and ground to different places on bus bar but both on same side of bus bar. (There is another one on other side left that only has white. Right side has grounds and white.)

So if both circuits white and ground are on same bus in panel could that cause the over lap?  Do I need to switch them to the left side bus?

And thanks for all your input! I did have an electrician come look at it and charged me $300 with no resolution. Lol. But they didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with my installed circuit.

I've also wired 2 different 220 volt circuits for a welder and a table saw.


texts: 1920 UK London House - How should I internal insulate?

texts:
The house was built in the 1920's east of London. The inside walls are cold to touch and we are considering insulating them. The house was recently externally rendered without external insulation :( and therefore I am looking at internal insulation.
I drilled into the wall ~6 inches above the skirting board on the ground floor and was surprised that it took me 9cm to hit something hard which I think is brick work. I have been told the house has solid walls, please take a look at the photos below and let me know what you think the wall is made of?
Under the render is ~3 cm of grey material with a metal mesh. I have a piece taken off the extension non-original wall. Is the grey material likely to be cement?
The piece of wood is 20cm width which is what I am guessing is a single brick width solid wall
There is 9cm of material which creates yellowish very fine dust. Is this 9cm of plaster?
I have read articles about brick walls needing to "breathe" and horror stories of soggy insulation. How should I go about internally insulating the walls? Should I remove the 9cm of yellow material? I am looking at getting new windows as the current windows feel drafty.
Outside is rendered picture 2008


texts: How do I compact backfill behind a retaining wall under a driveway?

texts:
I have a retaining wall that is on the property line. Along the top of the wall is my driveway. Part of the wall has given way and needs to be rebuilt. I think I have everything figured out except how to compact the backfill as I rebuild the wall.

What type of tool or method can I use to make sure the fill is compacted?


texts: I have a situation where power comes to a switch and the light either won't go on at all or else it stays on continuously. What can be wrong?


texts: How to fill recess in fireplace before tiling

texts:
I wish to tile a fireplace pictured below

The brickwork has a recessed area directly above the firebox (pictured below)

This recessed area measures 28" x 8" x 1-1/2"
I wish to tile over the recessed area flush with the rest of the fireplace front.  In other words:  Remove the recessed area.  My thought is to fill this area with a non-combustible material like durock.  Not sure what the best material would be, though.  Seems to me that it would be easier to use something thicker and lighter.

I was also thinking of making a mold and filling it with a high-performance cement.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


texts: Is it safe to use Greenboard drywall in a shower?

texts:
I've seem a lot of people telling that greenboard drywall SHOULD NOT be used in bathroom and wet areas. However, in Brazil (where drywall is kind of a novelty yet) the manufactures recommend greenboard for bathrooms and describe treatments to make it safe to use (even with tiles), not only that, but cement board is very difficult to come by here.

Basically, it says that the junction between the wall and the floor must be waterproof treated up to at least one feet up the floor (using various methods). Shower areas should be completely waterproof using the same technique, and after that you can install tiles using a flexible grout and mortar on top of the waterproofed drywall.

My question now is: is it safe to use greenboard if done in that (correct!?) way?


texts: Heat against laminate flooring causes condensation

texts:
I bought a house a year ago which had laminate flooring installed across the entire house.
Sometimes I will sleep on the floor on a foam mattress topper. I noticed that there would be days where I'd fold up the mattress topper and the back side of it would be damp. I originally found this out after leaving the mattress topper on the floor for several days and would sleep on it nightly. When I finally picked it up to put it away, the backside actually had some mold / mildew growing.
Fast forward to today. My dog has a bed he sleeps on. I picked up the bed and notice it was wet underneath. I didn't think anything of it because I had just washed it a week ago and figured maybe I hadn't dried it completely, but as I thought more, it seemed similar to what I experienced with the mattress topper.
Either I just sweat a lot and the dog bed truly wasn't dry or there is some sort of condensation issue.
Any ideas?


texts:
The grounding pin of my extension cord broke off in the outlet when I unplugged it.
Is it safe to use pliers to pull the pin out of the outlet?
Will I get shocked?


texts: How should I connect GFCI outlets where the wires loop over the existing outlet?

texts: Hopefully this picture explains it all. However I'm confused what to do with my hot and neutral wires in a loop like this. Obviously these lines are connected to outlets down the line, but I'm not sure if I can just keep my hot and neutral in a loop like this, or if I need to cut them and connect to both line and load on the gfci. There will be 4 of these for my kitchen. Thanks]1


texts: Where can I find a Time Restricted Keypad Lock?

texts:
I'm looking for a keypad to use in the external door of an small business office to open said door. The plan is to give every employee (around 20) a PIN that they input into the keypad for the door to open during work hours.

The thing is I haven't been able to find any keypad that offers the option of setting access times. I'm looking in the wrong place? Does anyone has a suggestion of what to look for?


texts: 3m Lead Test negative for days then turned positive?

texts: I tested some dust for lead using a 3m lead check swab. The test was negative, and I left the testing fluid on the surface for several days because I hadn't gotten a chance to clean it up. I know it was orange minutes after testing, and also orange a couple days after testing. It's maybe a week after testing now and I just found that it has turned pink. Does this mean lead is present?


texts: We have some gaps in the basement floor of our new house. They're a few inches deep, seemingly with dirt underneath. There are some others that are less deep as well. Think some crickets are getting in this way. I'm wondering what's a good way to fill them in; sealant, or something like quikrete?


texts: Fan blew up capacitor, replaced capacitor, now it won't turn

texts:
I have a three wire fan, diagram looks like this:

Source: Google
Or this one:

Source: https://www.electricalonline4u.com/2016/09/replacing-motor-capacitor-ceiling-fan-capacitor.html
The capacitor swelled but was still somewhat functional so I replaced it, the fan would barely turn.
The problem is I replaced the switch (switch looks like the top diagram, with three pos tied together) and capacitor (except its a purple and yellow wire cap with a value of 1.5 and 2.5uf, now the fan won't turn. But it does get hot (like 110C hot). The hot wire reads 120V at the switch, I can't really measure the other points because of difficulty of reaching them with the meter probe.
I am thinking that the coils could be out... I get 70Ω across the main winding and 150Ω across the secondary of the motor.
What could be the problem?


texts:
My plumbing rough-in is done, and inspection was passed.  Unfortunately, I had to move a couple of things the plumbers did.  I probably had to redo about six crimps rings.

Before I go any further, I'd like to pressure test the system again.  How many PSI do I pump it up to, and how long does it need to hold?

I've heard everything from 5 PSI for 15 minutes up to 100 PSI overnight.

Is there a definitive answer?


texts: I purchased a new Genie 1hp garage door opener Model Excelerator II and installed it but when I plugged it in (to GFI circuit) it sparked as soon as the connection was made but didn't trip the GFI. I could turn the openers light on and off but as soon as I tried to open the garage door it immediately tripped the GFI. I reset the GFI tried several times with the same result. So I ran a HD extension cord into the laundry room and plugged it into a non GFI washer circuit. It sparked again at initial connection but now I could activate the garage door up and down. I called the Manufacture and told them the problem I was having. They said the sparking when it is plugged in is normal because this model does not have physical limit switches and is always hot causing the spark. After long discussion they sent me a new circuit board to install (without any instructions to check the wiring). I have tested my Garage door circuit with heavy duty tools, grinders, heat gun and no sparks or tripping. What can be causing it to trip The GFI? Could they have the neutral and hot crossed in the circuitry of The Garage door opener?


texts: How can I repair scratches on a painted French door?

texts:
A dog chewed up our solid wood, painted french doors. The tricky part is he got the trim between the glass panes and along the edge where the doors meet. If we want to repair ourselves can someone tell me how much time this could take? What materials I need and how much it will cost? If in your opinion this is a repair for a professional, what type of craftsperson should I look for (carpentry?), and how much would you estimate the cost to be? Thank you for your time.

update: 6/21/19 1:42 PM CT

Thank you so much for the quick replies! In addition to the methods and tools to use, does anyone have an estimate on the time it would take to fix this door and how much it would cost? The dog's owner gave us a $100 gift card to Lowes, without asking how much the damage cost. It's not really the money I'm concerned about. I just don't know if I have the talent to fix this, and I certainly don't have the time. I'm not sure what to do.


texts: Is acoustical texture in HVAC ducts an asbestos concern?

texts:
We bought a house 3 years ago - it was built in 1972.  Most of the textured ceilings were already removed, except for a few.  I recently noticed the texture actually extends behind the wall-mounted HVAC vents.  Mostly to the top of, but also the bottom of the actual ductwork.

The vents seem to attach in a way that you cannot get them on and off without scraping some of the texture.  I've never removed them before, but there appears to be loose texture on the bottom of the HVAC ducts.

What's the best course of action to deal with this?


texts: Should I cap one vent in a two vent stack?

texts: I have relocated some fixtures in our house, and now have two 3" vent stacks in the same drainage route that leads to our septic system.  I'm thinking that this may be a bad idea, . . . that it may allow freezing air to enter the route. (I should say that about twenty feet of the drainage route occurs within an unheated portion of the building.)  Should I cap one of the vents?


texts: Incoming water lines: Just a like to know what this is

texts:
I have a strange water line arrangement coming into the house and I would like to know what line is for what - I understand that I have cold 3/4 pipe coming in to the house and cold 3/4 pipe going to other parts of the house and the hot water heater. The hot water heater has 3/4 line going to the rest of the house.

Now here is my question where on earth do the 1/2 inch lines go (or where should I expect them to go?)

The Red rectangle in the picture is the concrete floor. The lines are all copper pipe.


texts: Why don't electrical receptacles have more than one ground?

texts:
All modern receptacles have places for additional hot/neutral wires so you can add more outlets in series, but they all have a single screw or hole for the ground wire.

Why don't they have two ground holes?!? I see many receptacles wired where the installer simply twisted the wires by hand, or only used electrical tape, or used a wire nut but did not use the proper size, or did not know how to properly use a wirenut (only doing a single twist)! Sometimes the connection is good when they install it, but since there is so little space behind a GFCI for example, they had to manhandle the wires back into the box, and this caused their halfass attempt at a connection to come loose the second I pull it out of the box.

I am so tired of replacing receptacles only to find that the previous installer didn't know how to continue the ground line properly.

It would seem that adding a second hole would be preferable to the dangerous situation that arises when someone does not have/know how to use a wirenut correctly.

Is there any good reason they make them this way?


texts:
I'm in the UK, I bought a new induction hob that has the label in the picture. It mentions 7kW, although I'm not sure what those 1.5kW/2kW mean then.
Is is safe for me to use in a dedicated ring circuit that has 30A fuse in it or should I get it changed for a weaker one. In case I wouldn't have to worry about drawing more then 7kW, still 7000/230=30.43A. But I also read that ring circuits should be rated for 32A.
Could I just replace the 30A fuse for a 32A?
EDIT:
Attached the picture of the cables and wiring
.

EDIT2: Seems that I didn't mention the electric oven connected to the same circuit that draws 3.8A max. But I even had an electrician come have a look and he said that its very unlikely that I'd run all 4 surfaces at full power at the same time plus the oven and that the oven doesn't consume that much all the time either but it turns itself off once it reaches the target temperature. He was more concerned about an extractor fan that I had completely disregarded due to the fact that this extractor fan is a joke but it will still probably run simultaneously with the the hob so it has to be counted. And to be honest I've been using all these now for some time together and I've never used 3, let alone 4 surfaces at once (all at full power), and oven, so never had a single trip of the fuse.


texts: Can I tap in to a interior wall outlet for outside

texts: I want to tap in into a wall outlet that I don’t use and add a outside outside. I’m using it for a electric grill that requires 110 volt, 60hz, 275w, 5 amp service but I don’t know if I will overload it. What should I do before?


texts: I have some sections of 2" PVC and some Tee fittings that I need to join.  On the Tee fittings, the main line is threaded and the outlets are smooth.  How can I cut the threads in the straight sections to join with the threaded main line?


texts: What size wire for 100 amp sub-panel from a 200amp main panel?

texts: I want to add a 100 amp sub-panel from a 200 amp main in an attached garage. It will be about 100 feet from sub to main. What gauge wire should I use? The sub panel is to hook up a 7.5 horse air compressor and a welder.


texts: Can granite countertops rest on plastic corner braces?

texts: Some plastic corner braces included with Ready To Assemble cabinets have lips that sit on top of the plywood cabinet sides.  Do these lips need removed in order to keep the granite from sitting on these smaller points of contact, to distribute its weight more evenly?


texts:
I'm trying to install a new under sink filter and what should be a fairly simple installation is turning out to be a nightmare.
I've figured out most of the connections but what has me puzzled is something a plumber did a long time ago. It appears to be some sort of  needle valve connected to the cold water pipe directly behind the cold water valve. The hose emerging from this goes into the old filter system.

I tried to close this valve but no amount of turns in either direction did anything, it just spins in place. Engaging the cold water valve does nothing either. How on earth to I stop water coming from this needle valve???


texts: How do I repair damage to the plaster on my bedroom ceiling?

texts: I have noticed that the ceiling plaster in my front bedroom seems to be crumbling off and the ceiling around where it is coming off feels spongy.  My house is a mid terrace over 100 years old I guess.  What could be causing this and is it something to worry about?  I hope it isn't too expensive to fix. It seems to be the ceiling towards the front of the bedroom towards the window.  Certain parts along that side feel spongy and the plaster is falling off.


texts: Always On (Closed, Loaded) Temporary Timed Off Switch

texts: In my backyard I have a couple of motion activated PIR lights. I also have string lights across the yard that need to be plugged in to turn on. What I would like to do is this. I would like to have a "switch" that the motion lights are plugged into. This switch would be always ON except when I press a button turn a knob etc, and then they are OFF but only for a time; i.e. 15 minutes, 30 minutes etc. The purpose for this is that when we plug in the string lights and are enjoying the nice atmosphere those create, we do not want the motion lights triggering on and turning off all the time. But, I also don't want to put the motion lights on a manual switch and then forget to turn them back on and be left out in the dark. There are lots of remote timers to turn things OFF in 15 minutes etc. But I want to turn something off FOR 15 minutes or 30 minutes and then allow it to come back on.


texts: Placing a manufactured (tiny) home / RV, trailer foundation on stands or blocks

texts:
What are the best practices in placing a fairly temporary, a few years with full time use, 10K lb manufactured home/ rv with a trailer foundation on stands/blocks in the western pacific cascades?

Unit currently sits on a few cinder blocks that lie flat on the ground soil.


texts: air vent on downstairs bathroom but not upstairs

texts:
Is it true that downstairs bathroom "need ventilation" more than upstairs, to avoid mold growth?  I know at my house the downstairs bathroom has a vent fan but the upstairs does not.  I'm wondering if there's a reason for this, and also wondering if I need to add some ventilation to my downstairs bathrooms but not upstairs ones at a 4plex (these bathrooms do have windows).
Thank you.


texts:
My secondary A/C unit has been drawing too much current and trips the breaker. It has happened about 4 times.

Yesterday, I spent a bit of money to replace the whole A/C and furnace with one which is supposedly energy efficient. After the workers left having installed and check the new system, the breaker tripped again.

Do you think it's the circuit breaker that has weakened or the new system might be drawing still too much current?

I guess my question is does a circuit breaker get weak after being tripped several times?

It was pretty warm when I turned the breaker back on.
Thanks in advance for the answer.


texts: Diagnosing faulty ignition coil on lawn tractor

texts:
Model: 13AM662F765 Engine Model: 283H07-0197-E1

I have an MTD lawn tractor, circa 2004, that hasn't been running quite right. The mower runs for about 10 minutes and suddenly stall. I would turn the key once and the engine would backfire. Turn the key again and it would start running again. After the initial stall, the mower only runs for a minute or two before stalling again. After running through some basic troubleshooting -- replacing spark plug, replacing fuel, checked fuel filter, checked air filter and few other things. I've finally arrived at the ignition coil and I believe it needs replaced. The spark at the plug appeared weak, so I tested the coil for continuity and didn't get a reading. I'm assuming that faulty wiring in the coil isn't producing the necessary spark.

It's several days later and I've since received a replacement coil. The new coil is much smaller, so I'm not sure this is the correct part. Tested the resistance on the new coil (10-12Ω). I decided to retest the old coil and this time got a reading of 4-6Ω. Why is there a difference in the resistance? Does it mean the old coil is faulty and the reason for the weak spark?

Replacement part: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Briggs-Stratton-Magneto-Armature-591459/205448695


texts: How can I tell the handedness of a bolt?

texts: I have a craftsman lawnmower (with a Honda engine) and I'm trying to remove the lawnmower blade to sharpen it. It seems really tight. I'm wondering if I'm turning the bolt the wrong direction. Does anyone have a trick to determine if it's a 'normal' bolt or a reverse threaded bolt?


texts: Adhesive removal from my recently installed carpet

texts:
I recently installed some outdoor type - low profile carpet on my new office floor.  The adhesive used was TEC multi - purpose carpet adhesive.   The mastic bled through in a number of spots throughout the carpet (probably too much mastic). I was told the mastic would dry clear and therefore not be a problem.  It was installed this past Thursday, today is Sunday, I see no difference; even though the room is well heated with an added fan for good circulation.

How can I remove the bleed through mastic?


texts: LiftMaster garage opener will not erase memory

texts:
Moved into a new home a couple months ago. Car was broken into on my driveway a week ago, and one of my garage door openers was stolen (along with some other things). The problem is that the opener refuses to erase the memory for connected remotes.

I have followed the instructions on the device, YouTube, and LiftMaster support docs, and none of them are erasing the memory. All directions say to hold down the LEARN button for 6 seconds and wait for an LED. I've held it down for 6 seconds, 60 seconds, etc.

I currently have remotes "locked" via the control panel, but need to reset the memory.

Is my circuit board fried? What are my options?


texts: Why do my ceiling fan lights flicker and then come on later?

texts: The lights on my living room ceiling fan do not come on when switched on. They flash on then off. But if you leave the switch on and come back a few mins later the light will turn right on. It’s been going on for a long time. The fan works just fine every time. House was a new build 2014. Not sure of brand the fan is.


texts: Hoping to salvage a poorly sloped shower pan

texts: I pointed out some dips in the corners to the guy who built my shower pan and his action was to add more mixture in the corners and drag it down. He did not smooth it out, or "screed" it, I believe is the correct term, so I'm left with a situation where the new mixture ends very roughly on top of his first attempt. He has stopped work for now, while I save up some more money to finish the job (and more than likely hire someone else), but I'm wondering if I can use my grinder to smooth it out, and put another topping on it and try to screed it properly this time. I'm hoping to salvage this and not have to jack hammer this shower pan up.


texts: Troubleshoot motion detector that turns on for only a few seconds at a time

texts:
We have a light connected to a motion detector in our backyard. It detects motion and turns on the light for 2-3 seconds, then the light turns off again, and won't detect further motion.

A single switch inside the house powers both the motion detector and a patio light. The patio light turns on and off with no issues.

Interestingly, if I leave the patio light on for several hours, the motion detector will stay on longer. It will continue detecting motion & stay on for several minutes.

Do you have any advice for troubleshooting why it won't stay on? It is about 20 feet off the ground, so anything we could do to figure this out without needing to rent a giant ladder would be helpful. I tried to get close enough to determine the brand but could not. Generic white security lighting.


texts:
I have a need to build a room that is resonably fire resistant. I have played around the thought of adding fire resistant panels underneath the dry wall, but if they heat up too much, they themselves with catch anything behind them on fire. The room is in the basement, so the floor is on the foundation but the ceiling and the three internal walls are shared with other rooms. The house is made or brick. I would go as far as to destroying the three walls and putting in concrete with re-bar, but the ceiling is my main concern.

I need a room to contain a device that is capable of internally heating itself to 3000 kelvin. I do not expect the room it get that hot, however, if the device malfunctioned it would get pretty hot, as the room is 20x20x12.AND the longest this room would be unchecked during the operation of the device is around 20 min.(this goes without saying that if the fire burned through the room, my home fire alarm would alert the fire dept.)

Can this be done, and if so, how?
Clarification: I need this to be fire PROOF not super resistant, resistant is not enough. I know it can be done by turning my basement into a furnace, but I was hoping there was a slightly simpler solution.


texts: Can I use 10 gauge wire off of a 20 amp breaker?

texts: Can I use 10 gauge wire off of a 20 amp breaker for outlets, lights or a window unit? I am wiring a barn and have a lot of 10/3 wire I would like use up.


texts: How can I pour a concrete pad with a circular hole in it?

texts:
Essentially, I'd like to put down a concrete pad for a patio, but leave a couple of circular areas within that patio unpaved (for planting shrubs).

I'm familiar with the techniques for using dimensional lumber for angular concrete pads, and even using plywood for curved ones, but is there a clever trick or something for creating say a 3' diameter unpaved area within a concrete pad aside from trying to bend plywood planks into a circle?


texts: Garage has switched outlets only, cannot operate new garage doors. What are my options?

texts:
UPDATE: For anyone curious about what I ended up doing -- I bought 6 motion sensor plugs, plugged those into the existing outlets, then plugged the lights into that, and the garage door opener plug went into the existing outlet. Now everything works just fine, and I can walk in and out of the garage and the lights automatically turn on with motion, and the garage doors always have power. I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0106IYO2K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So I just spent about a month re-doing a 36 year old garage garage from top to bottom in preparation for new garage doors being installed. The previous garage doors were manually operated when I bought the house 4 years ago, however, they did have an old broken garage door opener installed on one of the doors.

I re-did the walls, some of the ceiling, some electrical, patched holes, removed cabinets, sealed every nook and cranny, and re-did the entire floor. The day the garage doors were installed (after everything had already been re-done and painted), I realized the outlets where the openers were to be installed were switched only, and not half hot (it actually didn't even cross my mind until we installed them).

So now my new openers do not work unless the garage lights are on. I'm now looking for any possible alternatives to not have to open up the wall, run wires, etc. as it will be a complete mess.

The garage has 6 outlets on the ceiling, 3 per side. The outlets are on a two way switch, so you can turn the lights on and off in the garage from either the entrance, or the back of the garage.

Neither of the two boxes where the garage opener plugs into has a constant hot.

I've already thought about leaving the switch on 24/7, and buying 6 motion adapters to plug the lights into, but IMO it's expensive long-term as it's possible they'll eventually fail, have issues with turning the lights on, issues with lights going on in the middle of the night from bugs, etc.

So, what are my options?


texts: Is it safe to flush expired food down the toilet?

texts:
Let's not discuss the economics of this - the fact is that it sometimes does happen.

I don't think food is physically that different from "poop" (especially certain types of it)


texts: Can I ground my portable generator into the third prong of an active outside receptacle?

texts: I have read that it is best/safest to use the house ground to ground my generator. Why will using the ground connection in my outside active receptacle work, or not work, when grounding my 4000 watt inverter generator with 2, 20 amp outlets?


texts: Mounting a pull-up bar on drywall and metal studs?

texts:
I live in a high-rise that utilizes metal studs. My roommate wants to hang this pull-up bar above a door frame. Is it possible, and via what options, to hang this without a high chance of ripping out drywall?
The door frame itself appears to be painted metal, guessing by the sound it makes when I hit it with my finger nails and looking inside the latch. I am not sure if there exists a wooden header on it, but my stud finder does not seem to indicate anything solid behind the top of the door, except a slugger in the middle. The door frame is flanked by two metal studs as expected.
Here's some options I've considered:

Place two 2x4s behind the bar. Toggle bolt the 2x4s into the studs and drywall, then lag bolt the pull up bar to the 2x4s. This will give some distribution of the weight and give me more points to bolt onto drywall, as well as some horizontal support. Per this question, it sounds like it won't make a major difference if I toggle bolt into the drywall between studs.
Option 1 will hold the bar up (about 33lb), and potentially the weight of my roommate (~120lb, so 155lb altogether). However, it does not seem safe for handling the torque caused by lifting one's self up on a bar that extends ~6 inches from the wall.

Use the 2x4 method in option 1, but also add an exoskeleton to the sides that extends vertically down (basically, two 2x4s going a few feet in each direction vertically. Toggle bolt these 'skeletons' to the studs and mount the outside of the pull-up bar to them, and the middle to the interior 2x4s. This will distribute the torque vertically and give more mounting points.
Option 2 is inspired by this other style of pull-up bar that I think my roommate should have bought instead. Not clear if it would work with just drywall either, though.

Is this workable with some clever mounting technique, or are we SOL?


texts: How do you break in a new air compressor?

texts: Just got a new craftsman air compressor (33 gal).  I have read that it is important to "break in" the unit by running it with the pressurized chamber open (so that there is no load on the motor).  How long do I do leave it running in this state?  Is there anything else you would recommend I do?


texts: Are these termite droppings (aka frass)?

texts:
Are these termite droppings. If so, can I do some sort of localized treatment?
This house was tented in the past 4 years. This is the only place I’ve seen any kind of pest.


texts: Refinishing Front (Fiberglass) Door Advice

texts:
I'm in the middle of refinishing my fiberglass front door. Definitely not going the way I've planned, but I'm hoping it may still turn out ok. :)

What I've done so far:

I used Citri-Strip Paint and Varnish Stripping Gel to remove most of the finish.
I used a Purdy Patainers Tool to scrape the finish off after the gel had set for about an hour.
I used Crown Mineral Spirits with a rag to clean up the residue and remaining paint after scraping the surface (especially around the panel contours).
I dried any remaining mineral spirits off the surfaces with paper towels so it was dry to the touch.
I waited about 20 minutes.
I've stained the exterior side of the door with Minwax Walnut Gel Stain.
The door is currently drying (only the exterior side is stained thus far).

Note: I've got Rust-Oleum Marine Spar Varnish to seal the door, but haven't gotten this far yet.

The instructions says the Gel Stain takes 6-8 hours to dry - it's been drying for 12 hours so far, and it feels very 'tacky' to the touch, but no residue is transferred to my finger.

It's propped up on saw-horses right now, but if I flip it lay it down on the saw horses, I'm worried it's going to ruin the stained side. I've got painter's squares, but I'm worried those will leave marks as well.

I'm not sure what to do at this point. I still need to stain the interior side of the door, apply the varnish to both sides, and put the hardware on the door.

Not sure if I should let it dry longer, or if it's ok to flip.
Not sure if it's ok to lay on sawhorses, or if painter's squares are less likely to damage the stain.
Considered putting the hardware on, hanging it back up, taping everything off, then finishing the interior stain & varnish on both sides while it's hanging.
Planning to put hardware on last, after varnish has cured, then hang the door, but it occurred to me that maybe it should go on before the varnish? Not sure.

As of this A.M. (after drying 12 hours) the stained side of the door looks like this:

Note: I've got almost no experience with DIY projects like this, so I've got pretty much no clue what I'm doing (except for some videos and articles I've read online). This is more a learning experience than anything (though I hope the door comes out alright) - any advice of any kind (basics, painters tips & tricks someone with no experience wouldn't know, things I should have done completely differently, etc) would be greatly appreciated.

Album of in-progress pictures are here.

Edits:

After about 4 more hours of drying, it feels less 'tacky' to the touch, and some areas feel not tacky at all ... it's been drying for a total of about 16 hours so far.
After drying for close to 24 hours it was no longer 'tacky' to the touch. I flipped it on the sawhorses and stained the other side. The other side seems to be drying much faster (I used less gel stain).


texts: Can I change the air relief valve on one of my hydronic heating registers without draining the system,I have a water shutoff valve at the register and the system is cold.The boiler pressure shows 10 lbs. Thank you, Mike.


texts:
My couch is covering both the outlets on the wall in my living room.  I found a great idea on Pinterest to solve my problem, and I am looking to modify it a bit.  See pictures:

The blog on which this was originally posted is no longer up, but the basic premise was to cut an extension cord and strip and expose the wires; I would certainly do this with a grounded extension cord.

I would like to use this idea and put 2 outlets on top of the table and an outlet at each end of the table, daisy chaining them together.  I am thinking should put a GFCI outlet at the beginning of the circuit.

So my questions:  Is 4 outlets too much to plug into a single outlet?  Are there any other considerations I am not thinking of?


texts: Power Panel Grounding and Neutral Bonding / Dryer hookup in an older home [1975]

texts:
In my home I have the old 3 wire Dryer and Range connections.

Looking at my CB service panel; my neutrals (white) and my ground wires (bare copper) connect to the same bus bar.  Main service panel - this seems up to code for all intents and purposes (someone who is more knowledgeable correct me if I am wrong). I know secondary panels they must be separated.

So I have some questions here to enlighten me a bit more:

I have a Dryer and a Range Receptacles with the 3-Wire hookup (H-N-H) and I would like to make them 4 wire compliant (H-N-G-H).

I could run 4 wires back to the panel and connect my neutral and ground to the same location on the panel and of course the two hots to the hot lines.

What is the the difference doing that versus say connecting the ground lead to the neutral at the receptacle ? They end up at the same place.
I know you should not do that; of course I know that people do this at the outlets in some homes to pass an inspection. I have had someone tell me - just connect the wire to a metal pipe .. but that smells bad to me..

While neutrals should not carry current - the possibility is that they can in a failure situation or a bad installation, so just having a separate wire go back to the bus bar and call it a 'ground'; how is that making a difference?

I was reading here What happens if you don't bond neutral and ground in a main service panel?

The answer does not clarify this for me exactly - it states advantages and disadvantages but never specifies exactly advantage / disadvantage of what .. (bonding in the service panel  or not bonding in the service panel)??

  I guess what I am really asking is how does it make it safer to have 2
  wires go back to the same bus bar from the dryer receptacle and Why is
  it not safer to have a true separate ground at the main service panel
  where grounds are  grounds and neutrals are neutrals ?


texts: Best way to protect a new fence from weather before it can be stained

texts:
I just installed a new fence and now it's supposed to rain every day for 10 straight days.  Woohoo!!

The stain guys can't come out for 5 weeks.  And the fence is not supposed to be stained for at least 2 weeks.  Right now my poor expensive new fence is soaking up rain water.  I'm worried these downpours are going to destroy my new fence.

Is there anything I can do to protect my fence from getting destroyed in the meantime?

Fence Notes:

8ft cedar, board on board
Has a top cap, double trim, and washer head screws
126 linear feet of unstained fence.