texts:
I can't fit my blade on my bandsaw (Laguna 18BX). I have lowered the top wheel through releasing tension both through bottoming out the blade guide adjustment hand wheel and the quick-release blade tension lever and I can't get my 145" blade to fit.
I even used a clamp to try and pull the wheel down. Things are well made, but I'm at a total loss.


texts: Why is the paint around my ceiling air vent discolored?

texts:
What is this pattern of discoloration around my ceiling AC supply vent, and how can I stop it from happening again if I repaint?

Background: In September 2016, I had an air conditioning system installed in my house (built in 1893, located in Massachusetts, USA). This included all new ductwork (we have hot water heating so there were no pre-existing ducts). The air handler is located in the attic and there are 5 supply vents upstairs and 3 downstairs, with a central return in the upstairs hall.

Around the end of 2017 I first noticed some brownish discoloration starting to form around this vent. It has continued to expand in 2018 and 2019.

This type of discoloration is only visible on this particular vent, and none of the others. This is the vent for my living room and it is the largest of the 3 downstairs vents. This is also the only downstairs vent mounted in a ceiling paneled in fiberboard (masonite, I think). There is also a beam and wall near this vent, which may be impeding airflow, especially in the directions where the discoloration points. I doubt there have been any leaks/drips above this area.

I suspect the staining is some sort of condensation; could it be happening in the fiberboard, caused by over-cooling because of the nearby beam and wall?


texts: window top flashing/channel against flat surface

texts: I have parging above the window, nothing to tuck a channel under. What is the product to use to add flashing to the top of the window in this case?


texts: I was rearranging stuff in my basement and found a strange looking receptacle. It is on a 15A circuit in an 1950s house. It is in a room that I suspect (for a bunch of reasons) was finished by the owner rather than the builder, probably in the 1960s or 1970s.


texts: How can I safely sand a small, thin item with a belt/disc sander?

texts:
I have small, thin items measuring roughly 4"x2" with a depth of only .33". I need to sand the back of them down evenly, and have been using a belt sander to do so. However, I'm a little nervous about how close my hands are to the belt while sanding such a small item.

What can I do, or use to maximize my safety while sanding such small and thin items with a belt or disc sander?


texts: Can I safely pigtail #10 wire and #12 wire on a 20 amp circuit?

texts:
When they built my house, than ran  10/2 wire from the 20 amp breakers. I’d like to pigtail into one of those and make a new outlet. But I’d prefer to use 12/2 as it’s easier to work with and it’s easier to find outlets that accept 12 gauge wire.

Can I safely pigtail (under a wire  nut) #10 wire and #12 wire on a 20 amp circuit?


texts: How can I neatly install temperature probes in my ductwork?

texts:
I'm planning to install several temperature sensors in my hot-air furnace's ductwork, specifically in the return duct and in the supply plenum of each of our two furnaces.   The sensors I plan to use are 7mm in diameter; I'm looking for a way to get them into the ducts without a) leaking air and b) looking crappy.

So far, my best thought is a 5/16" or 3/8" hole drilled and sealed up with foil ("real") duct tape; are there other ways that might be cleaner-looking?

This is mostly a "because it seems cool" project; planning to use a Raspberry Pi to capture the data and add it to a small home status dashboard I have set up. It will also give some insight into how the furnaces and A/C are performing.


texts: How do I patch my wall with tile along the seam?

texts:
I just removed the top 6" of tile from my bathroom wall which is tiled from the floor to about 4 feet up. I just didn't like the pattern of tiles at the top. The tile seems to have been attached to the drywall with cement, not tile adhesive.

Removing the tile completely destroyed the drywall behind it, so I cut it out entirely & will now buy new drywall & replace this 6" strip that runs all around the bathroom.

Since the one edge of the drywall that I'm replacing is still covered by tile, I can't tape & join it properly. That edge is also not a clean edge, but crumbly. But I can't go any further because the tile I'm keeping is there.

My question is this:  How can I make this repair strong if I can only tape one edge? Can I fill the crumbly edge with joint compound & hope to get a good bond between old & new drywall?

I do not plan to re-tile over the new section, but will put in a wood moulding with a ledge, so the whole repaired area will be hidden, but not by tile. There are studs every 16" in the area to be replaced - the new piece of drywall will definitely be securely attached to the studs & the drywall above, but nervous about the connection to the drywall below, as explained above.


texts: Why is the light always on after replacing the light fitting?

texts:
I replaced the light fitting in our living room, which is controlled by a dimmable switch, and now the light is always on.

When the dimmer is in the off position, the light is not very bright. When I turn the light on by increasing the dimmer setting, the light gradually gets brighter as expected. In the fully on position, when I place my ear next to the dimmer switch, I can hear a buzzing sound. The volume of the buzzing sound gets quieter when I lower the dimmer setting.

While I was changing the light fitting, I turned the light switch to the off position; however, to my surprise still got a small electric shock (it hurt, but I survived).

The light fitting came with two wires: brown and blue. The fitting in the ceiling also has a brown and blue wire, so I connected blue to blue, and brown to brown.

I have a few questions:

Did I wire the fitting up correctly? Could it be possible that I just need to wire blue to brown?
Is the switch broken?
Could there be another issue?
Was I wrong (stupid) to assume that turning the light off at the switch was enough to protect me from an electric shock?


texts: Purpose of Fill Valve Tube Going into Overflow Drain

texts:
I can easily understand the purpose of the overflow tube itself, but why is the little black hose that comes from the fill valve placed down into the overflow tube?  On my toilet, there is a strong stream of water that comes from the black hose, and it seems like going right into the overflow tube is a complete waste of water.

I know I must be missing something obvious, but I can't see it.


texts: Would an electric back massager be forceful enough to vibrate bubbles out of concrete in a casting project?

texts: I've been watching youtube videos on casting concrete and would love to give it a shot. Thing is, I'm lazy and don't want to whack my form with a hammer for thirty minutes to an hour. I happen to have a back massage, the kind with two bumps that oscillate back and forth like miniature domed hammers (similar to pictured below). Would something like this provide enough force to loosen bubbles in concrete, or would I have to use a hammer to dislodge air pockets?


texts: Why are my floor tiles cracked and how can I lay them again so they won't crack

texts:
When I moved into my house, the kitchen has large floor tiles on the floor. Quite a few of these tiles are cracked. I've been told that the reason they are cracked is because under the floor tiles is a plywood underlay layer, and where the plywood pieces meet each other isn't exactly even, and so the tiles are cracking at that join.

If I was to pull up the tiles an lay a new floor, what would I have to do to overcome the uneven plywood flooring? Is there something I should lay on top? Or should the plywood be re-layed?

Thanks


texts:
I have a light cover that's covering at least 1 fluorescent light. The light just died and I moved into this apartment recently so I haven't had to replace this light yet.

I'm having trouble removing the plastic cover on this light. Does anyone see how I could remove it?

Thanks!


texts: Which kind of locks should be installed on external wooden glass panel doors?

texts:
When you have an external glass panel door it may be simple for a criminal to break a pane of glass to access the handle and lock inside.

What types of locks are appropriate to install on a door of this type? I think a deadbolt of some type should always be installed, but I've seen what I think are "rim locks" installed some places which I don't think are secure.


texts: How can I drain a low pan into a drain at standard sink height?

texts: I am a dog groomer and the building I recently moved in was used as a Beauty Shop. The drain that my bathing tub is supposed to hook up at is located too high. I know the water will not drain uphill. Does anyone have any ideas on how to remedy this issue? I cannot put a drain in the floor due to concrete slab. I don’t care about passing inspection or code, only if it will work. Thank you.


texts: Does my toilet drain poorly because of bad venting?

texts:
I have been in the house for about a year and the toilet has always had poor drainage. It doesn't overflow but there's hardly any suction at all when you flush it. The tub next to the toilet drains very slowly and will gradually fill up when using the faucet but just running the shower head it drains fast enough to keep up. Both are tied to the same drain line and I figure maybe there's a blockage somewhere. Btw, I replaced the toilet a few weeks ago and it made no difference. (reasons other than just drainage)
I had a plumber come out and they think that the venting was done improperly. The pipe on the left coming off the T is the vent and goes straight up through the roof. To the right, tying in just in front of the vent, goes to the bathtub.
I was quoted at $1200 plus materials to rearrange this. I'd prefer to keep that money in my pocket to fix other things and have no problem crawling in there myself to do the work. I'm just not sure exactly what their plan was to correct the placement of the pipes.
Here's what they wrote on the invoice:

Remove a section of the four inch main drain line into the crawl space area and tie in the drain and
the vent line separately so that it is no longer wet vented and. This conclusion was found due to having the customer flush
the toilet while I was on the roof to see what/ if any air was pushed through and it was minimal.


texts: How to wire programmable thermostat that doesn't have an E termimal

texts:
I am trying to replace a manual with programmable thermostat that is missing emergency heat (E) terminal. There are bits and pieces of information I have gathered but am still not clear.

Can I leave off (E)?

Manual thermostat (th3210d1004) terminals:
E|AUX|Y|G|O|L|R|B|C    where L,B are not used
Programmable thermostat (TX1500E) terminals:
G|RH|RC|Y|W|O|B|C

The plan is to wire:
R->RH,RC
E->not used
AUX->W ?
All the other letters are matched. Is that correct?


texts: I have a chimney with three flues (exterior chimney on a one story house).  One is for a wood burning fireplace we do use.  The other two were for the furnace and water heater but are both no longer in use (no metal liners, just clay).  I sealed them at the bottom in the basement (fire-rated spray foam and then plywood over the round hole).  Assuming the tops should be dealt with, should I break up the clay liner to just below the concrete cap and then redo the concrete cap to cover over the holes (looking like they were never there)?  If that is the case, how could I 'fill' the holes a few inches down so that the concrete filling them a few inches down inside doesn't fall all the way to the bottom?


texts: Can I mount a light switch and power on the outside of a wall?

texts:
My garage has no permanent light fixtures. The only thing there is an old chandelier hung from a hook in the ceiling and plugged into the wall.

To turn it on I have to use a pull chain which is in an awkward position that I don't like at all. Just inside the garage on the wall are my garage door switches. I don't really want to do everything that would be required to put a switch in the wall there, so I was wondering if it would be possible (and within code - I live in Arkansas if that matters) to mount a light switch to the wall that powered... something.

Presumably an outlet that I mounted elsewhere, such as the ceiling (we actually already have a ceiling mounted electrical box that the garage door openers are plugged into). Then I could plug the lamp into that outlet and just flip the switch in the garage which would be far more convenient.


texts: How to eliminate a small voltage in a home AC lighting circuit

texts:
I have a strange problem with a domestic circuit.

I live in Belgium and in some old areas with old electrical installations the AC supply provided has a hot "live" and "neutral" wire (as opposed to neutral being held to ground). Both are at around half the standard voltate (240v). (I'll refer to them as "live" and "neutral" though, even though both are actually half-live).

Unfortunately, this allows a small current to flow in, for example, a lighting circuit even when switched off. I believe this is because the switch only breaks one of the wires and there is enough capacitance in the circuit to allow a small AC current to continue flowing through the non-broken wire. In addition, a small current may be induced as there are two parallel "live" wires due to there being two-sway switching.

The problem is that this small voltage is sufficient to illuminate an LED, so it is impossible to switch off.

My question is how it might be possible to easily dampen the small voltage? I can't install a switch that breaks both "live" and "neutral" as there is only one switched wire available and for that I believe I would need another.

So I am looking for some device that is commercially available (in Europe) that could be safely (and legally) attached to the cable somewhere and that would not in itself draw a lot of power.

I have heard that a Zener diode or a capacitor might be used, but I have no idea which might be best or what specification should be used.

Side note: The matter of the non-ground neutral wire generates a lot of interest but isn't that relevant to the question. For whatever reason, there is a voltage in the lighting circuit. A quote from the power company:

  The 230 V network represents 88 % of the cable lengths.  These cables
  have 3 wires for the 3 phases. You get 230 V single-phase power by
  connecting across two phases.

Additional information: I get the problem in two different rooms, a bedroom and a bathroom. The glow is only faint, so it must be a small voltage. Both rooms have standard manual switches (new ones). Both are LED lamps multi-bulb units with 6 and 3 bulbs of the G9 type. Only the bedroom is two-way. I actually have some G9 bulbs that don't glow and some that do, but the ones that don't are unbranded and don't really go with the lamp. I tried ordering various replacements, but they all glow.

I have other LED bulbs around the house (the standard-sized ones) and I don't get any glow.


texts: How to fix frayed carpet at tile transition

texts:
I have a carpet/tile transition where the carpet is becoming frayed.  Pictures below for reference.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to fix this.  I don't have any spare carpet samples to use for patching.  I'm not entirely sure, but I think this may have started because the padding under the carpet was not cut properly and it prevented the carpet from sticking to the transition strip spikes.

I'm not sure if it would be better to try and find a different transition strip that would cover the frayed area, or try to pull the carpet back, cut off the frayed area and re-attach the carpet to the strip (fixing the poor padding cut job in the process).  If I were to cut off a quarter-half inch of this carpet would I even be able to pull it forward? Any advice would be greatly appreciated


texts: What tool can I use to cut this heavy wire?

texts:
I recently had a 40 ft blue spruce tree removed from my front yard.  I dug a hole in that area to put a new tree but noticed there is a solid metal wire inside of this hole.

Maybe this wire was the wrap around the bottom of the old blue spruce?  In either case I tried using cutters, knife, shovel anything and these things do not cut. Is there a strong tool to cut these metal wires out?

Here is a picture of them, they went from gray / silver in color to almost brown probably because they are now exposed:


texts: My refrigerator is freezing vegetables in the crisper

texts: Lately I've noticed that my refrigerator (Whirlpool side-by-side fridge/freezer, about 5 years old) is freezing vegetables located in the two crisper drawers in the bottom.  Liquids, including plain water, located on any of the shelves remains liquid.  I've adjusted the temperature control, but it's not clear which setting is colder (it's numbered 1 through 9). I've tried it both ways without any obvious difference.  I know colder air settles to the bottom, but this "feels" like a bad temperature sensor or a failed shut-off switch that keeps it running longer than necessary.  Any suggestions on what might be wrong?


texts: Heat basement from excess heat in boiler room

texts:
I'm trying to heat a basement room using excess heat from the boiler room but it isn't working.  I've run two 4 inch flex ducts from the boiler room to the main 300 square foot room at opposite ends.  I've then added booster fans.  These ducts are outputting 75 degree air but the room never gets above 61 degrees.  Without the fans on the room is about 59 degrees.
The one booster fan is rated at 200cfm, the other is 100cfm.
I can't run larger ducts.
If I run a 6 inch fan through the 4 inch duct would that pump more air?
I've experimented with using one duct as a return but that didn't help.
Any advice would be appriciated.


texts: Differences in capability between cross-cut, plunge, and traditional circular saws?

texts:
I just purchased a new house that needs a lot of work. I'm looking to purchase my first circular saw. I'm in Europe and like Mafell, but I'm struggling to understand the trade-offs between their:

cross-cut saw
plunge-cut saw
circular saw

They all seem to allow for plunge cuts. They all seem to allow for cross-cuts given the guide rails. What other significant differences in capability to they have?


texts: Is there a special type of screw to hang a light fixture onto the ceiling?

texts: I am trying to hang a light fixture on the ceiling of my kitchen. What i have noticed from other light fixtures that I have hung is that it takes a special type of screw (or at least it seems like it) that has a special cut on the top of the screw. What type of screw is this?


texts: What type of connector is this and how do I remove it?

texts: I was trying to install a ceiling fan in my apartment and came across these connectors when removing the light.  What is this and how do I take it off?


texts:
Old fan dimmer switch has red black and blue, new switch
Has yellow red and black plus a green ground . How do I rewrite?


texts: What can a Dremel tool do that a drill cannot?

texts: I'd like to understand: what is the point of a Dremel tool? I know that there are many Dremel accessories that are indeed useful, but why should I have to get the tool itself? Couldn't the whole system be implemented using an adapter for an ordinary electric drill?  Is there some special attribute about the Dremel motor of which I am not aware? Or is it just unnecessary vendor lock-in?


texts:
Stuck Patio Sliding Door is similar but has a different locking mechanism

I have a sliding door to my balcony which is stuck on one end. I cannot push the lever/button down that will unlock the latch.

I tried to remove the entire front face by inserting a sharp object (a small screwdriver in my case) at the pointed areas but I could not make much of a dent. I am unable to try this from the other side as there is no clearance to do so.

How do I remove the cover or unlock the door? I cannot slide anything between the frame and the door to unlatch as there is not room there.

A picture of the latch from the other side


texts:
I am constructing a mortar/cement board shower and i need to waterproof it.  Is their anything wrong with using a plastic vapor barrier  / pvc shower pan liner
for the bottom layer
and then also liquid membrane for the top layer
are would this be a double vapor barrier and create problems?


texts: What will I need if I remove a broken garbage disposal from my kitchen sink?

texts: I have a dual sink tub, with a broken garbage disposal attached to one drain. I just want to take the disposal off, and hook the dishwasher to the sink drain. Will I need to buy any extra tubing and such before i start?


texts: How should I install a signal cable duct from new home office to a wiring closet?

texts:
I'm constructing a new home office and rather than having fixed cables from the (existing) wiring closet, I want to have the flexibility to add/remove/change cables in future, so I've been looking at solutions for having a duct.

The closet is partially below (split-level house) and horizontally offset from the home office. There is a reasonably accessible void between the two rooms that could be used.

What I need is:

a ducting product which will allow new low-voltage cables to be pulled with relative ease, given a couple of wide radius turns
a WAG-friendly (i.e. neat and tidy) way to finish the ends of this ducting, particularly at the home-office end.

I would be open to solutions/products/ideas that terminate either on the wall or down through the floor (the home office is above the void I mentioned and is floorboards, with carpets to go down soon.)


texts: Can I connect two separate ducts systems together?

texts:
My apartment, which I own, is split upstairs by two hallways. Each hallway has its own A/C unit, to cool 6 single person rooms each. Recently the south side A/C broke. I have called the repairmen out a few times and a couple days after they leave there's another problem, in the mean time the residents are complaining of the heat.

My question is, can I buy an air duct and connect the North and South hallway air conditioning ducts together? At least until I buy a new unit, or get it fixed.

(Yes, we called a different A/C repair company.)


texts:
Some plumbing work was recently done in my building, and as part of this they changed some pipes under the sink. Ever since I have noticed that the drains tend to smell, particularly when draining the water from it.

There is a main bowl on the left (see pictures below), and a small bowl on the right, and an overflow drain runs out of the main sink, joining the outlet for the small bowl underneath the sinks. I have noticed that the pipe going from the overflow to the drain (A) has a low point below the level at which it drains, which I think means water and dirt will pool and sit in this low point rather than draining freely.

Is this likely to be the cause of the smell, and should I just shorten this pipe so that the flow is uninterrupted (so that the lowest point is the outlet end)?


texts: Intersystem grounding bus ran out of terminals; now what?

texts:
My intersystem grounding terminal bus is out of available terminals, and I have two additional communication wires to ground to it. Does NEC allow supplementary bus bars? NEC 250.94 seems to imply no, but doesn't say that definitively.

I'm in NJ, and so under the 2014 NEC.


texts:
I've got a switch box on a wall, it was originally meant to be a three-way with the switch outside, but that is not necessary and right now it is just functioning as a pass-through. I know you can't plaster over a junction box as it needs to be accessible. But I've read that you can plaster over the box if you permanently join the wires together by either crimping or soldering with heat shrink. Is this correct?

Further, if I do solder the wires and heat shrink them, can I apply plaster directly over the wires? Or should I put in some styrofoam/drywall as a "backing" for the plaster over the wires inside the junction box (we have fully plaster walls over brick).


texts:
I am trying to repair this low viscosity fluid pump, I have the original start and run capacitors but do not know how they are wired. When I found the pump Z2 and U1 were connected between which confuses me on how to proceed with the rest of the connections. Also I am very unaware of the purpose of X3 male. I attach a photo of the state of the connections as when I found it, hope someone can help this ignorant fool. Documentation regarding circuitry is nowhere to be found, it is however a single phase 220 volt pump. Model number is: 2BV3151-0GW02-1E. More details in the respective datasheet:
http://www.compressor.fi/media/EsitePDF/2BV3_vacuum.pdf
Color coding is as follows:

Z2 black
U1 white
Z1 green
U2 pink
N and L1 both red (unaware if correctly placed)


texts: Can I plug a driver/transformer for 12v undercabinet lighting into the same outlet the OTR microwave is plugged into?

texts:
I have an outlet in the cabinet above the microwave that the microwave is plugged into.
I'd like to  use the same outlet to plug in the driver/transformer for 12v under-cabinet lighting but am not sure if I can do this by code.
Any advise would be appreciated.


texts:
I'm trying to replace my tub faucet because the old one sat about 1/8" away from the wall and felt loose.  As it turns out this is most likely because the pipe coming out of the wall is 1/8" too long.  It's a 3/4" pipe threaded at the end and it seems like most faucets using this connection require that pipe to be exactly 4" out of the wall (or probably slightly less to be honest) but this pipe is 4-1/8".
I want the new faucet to fit snuggly against the wall but it has the same issue as the old one, fully threaded on it's still about 1/8" away from the wall.  I do have a pipe cutter but I don't think it would work very well on the threaded section of the pipe, however I was thinking if I just extend the threads on this pipe another 1/8-1/4" I should be able to thread the faucet on further because the female threaded section of the faucet looks significantly longer than the male threaded section of the pipe.
Is that a bad idea, and should I just cut the pipe somehow to be the correct length?  Also if I do end up needing to cut the pipe is there a correct way to cut cleanly through the threaded area?


texts: Rod fell into overflow pipe of tub pop-up drain

texts:
I have a Kohler pop-up tub drain and the lift rod fell off the crank piece of the overflow hood assembly.  What's the best approach to try and fish the rod, spring, etc., out?  Obviously, I don't want to remove the tub.

Alternatively, can I replace with a toe stopper style drain stopper?  For now, it's a $5 rubber stopper...


texts:
I am giving my best shot at remodeling a kitchen. I don’t have too much experience with framing, as the bathroom I remodeled was done with the assistance of an experienced contractor who knew when to sister studs, etc.

There are several studs in the load bearing wall that have small chunks missing (see picture), or knots that have since fallen out.

Do these studs need to be replaced or sistered, or are they just fine the way they are?


texts:
I just pulled up my carpet to install 3/4 solid oak hardwood and found my floors have been built badly, very un-level. 2/3 of the floor is okay in one direction but then it drops off. It is so bad I will not be able to lay the hardwood until I fix it. From current research it look like I could build it up with 1/4 ply and glue sand it but I have no idea!!

What is the correct way to fix this issue please? The home was built this way rather than any foundation problems!

I have a pic to help show the issue-


texts: What type of sub-floor is suitable for laminate flooring?

texts: I'm planning to put laminate type of floating flooring on a floor.  The floor has a sub-flooring of 3/4 inch planks and a sheathing of 1/4 inch plywood.  I would like to remove the plywood because its thickness will cause a bigger lip at the junction of the room and the hall.  Is it ok to install an underlayment of thin foam and the floating flooring directly on the sub-floor planks (assuming they're pretty level)?


texts:
I have a Fisher n Paykel OB60SVMX2 oven that I cannot figure out.
The manual implies you screw out the cover and pull the bulb out.

The problem is the top heating element does not have enough clearance to remove the bulb cover.  It hits the top element as it comes out.  Tilting the heating element down doesn't help in any way.

Am I supposed to remove an oven element?  Such a bad design to have to remove the element to replace the bulb!  It feels wrong.  So I'm asking for some wisdom and help here.  Any help/hints appreciated

Picture now attached.  Light is on the right top rear of the oven.  The heating element is angled down as far as it goes.  When the element is up all the way it still gets in the way of the light cover coming off.

There are two screws that appear to hold something but not clear if that is the element.  The two what look like inner screws are more like rivets.  It's not clear how that comes out.  I'd not be pleased if I have to remove the entire oven to get this out.


texts: How long screws for attaching sill plate to concrete foundation?

texts:
I need to attach a sill plate to a foundation that does not have anchor bolts. I'd like to use GRK Caliburn screws. The sill plate is 1.5 inches thick. How long should the screws be?
It looks like 2-3/4" is a commonly sold length. Is that sufficient?


texts: Should I superchlorinate a freshly filled pool?

texts:
I have a small (2000 gallon) pool that I recently filled.  I put a couple of 1" chlorine tablets into the skimmer 24 hours ago, and even after running the pump all day, my test strips are not registering any chlorine.

Am I supposed to superchlorinate a new pool to get an initial chlorine level, and then use tablets to maintain it?  Or perhaps I should be using more than 2 chlorine tablets?


texts: Is it ok to fasten a shower surround to Schluter Kerdi curb?

texts:
I am doing a master bath remodel and installing a Schluter system for my shower.  How do I install the glass surround on the Kerdi curb?  The curb is more or less Styrofoam and I don't see how it can hold a screw. I am also worried about penetrating the membrane, but I understand I can waterproof the intrusions with Kerdifix.
I imagine that this sort of thing is done all the time (I can't see spending the money for Schluter and then using a shower curtain).  It must be ok to screw into the Schluter curb, right?


texts: Faulty thermostat replacement needed or faulty furnace?

texts:
sorry for the long read, but I have a few questions in regards to my furnace.
I have an older system from the early 2000's (Honeywell PC8900 and a Lennox g50uh(x) furnace) in my newish house. It seems to be working but possibly poorly. I have it set to heat at 72 degrees (fan is set to auto) however, when the furnace kicks on, it seems like it blows "cool" air for quite some time (several minutes) before the air gets warm. House seems warm enough, some rooms warmer than others but it seems to be working. Is this strange? I have checked, and the burners light fine. I read through the manual and the only relatable section says the blower might be on for 20 seconds before the burner is lit. However, it also says that after 3 or 4 tries it goes into a sort of "safe" mode which does not appear to happen. I have zero fault lights/codes on my furnace either. With the lack of going into safe mode and a lack of fault codes, I am assuming the furnace is working as it should.
The thermostat however, is a different story. A couple of months ago It started displaying a "Humidity" sensor error. Per the manual, it says that the sensor is built into the thermostat control panel and will basically have to be replaced; unfortunately it is discontinued and eBay thermostats of the same model are twice the price of a new modern panel. I checked my wiring on the furnace and there does not appear to be anything connected to the "Humidity controls" so I want to think that my "Humidity" sensor error is not problematic (or leading to other issues) seeing as how I have no components to be controlled. Am I correct about this, or would my furnace still kick on hot or cold if the humidity gets too low or cold?
I might just go ahead and replace the thermostat with something modern but I have a few wiring questions. On the back of my thermostat panel, I only have four (4) wires. They are more-or-less labeled 1, 2, 3 and 4. These wires lead to a separate box (mounted to my furnace, but part of the thermostat components) which have the standard wire inputs (C, Y, W, R, etc) as well as inputs for remote sensors. The wires from the furnace go to this box. Obviously, the numbered wires at my thermostat panel won't carry over to a new thermostat as is. Can I just disconnect those wires at the separate box and then wire those to the C, y, w, r, etc wires on the furnace? Most likely, I will just run new 18/5 wire from the furnace to the thermostat panel wall seeing as how I only have 4 wires currently.
Common sense tells me this will be fine, but when I run a google search for replacing my currently thermostat, it comes up with a lot of people retrofitting all sorts of things to make the wires compatible. If anyone cares to chime in that would be great. Thanks!


texts:
I have a Worcester boiler (Greenstar HE?), with a TR2 thermostat. I was looking at replacing the thermostat with a Nest (or equivalent).

To complicate matters, I'm in a rented property, so I cannot do any work that could not be easily reverted when moving out. That would include any changes to the wall mounting.

Ideally, I'd be able to remove the TR2 unit from the wall mount, and attach the Nest to the same mount.

Is this possible?


texts: Which nails should I use for shoe molding installation?

texts:
I'm about to install shoe molding all over my house. The baseboards are hung for carpet, but we're replacing the carpet with vinyl. So I have a pretty good sized gap to cover. I'll probably use 11/16 quarter round.

The store display calls for 2.5 inch finish nails for installation. Will I be ok with 2 inch brad nails?

I'll be buying a nail gun for this project, and I'm trying to decide between a finish nailer or a brad nailer.


texts: What amount of moisture is acceptable in a mostly dry concrete basement?

texts:
My basement is generally very dry but I want to know how much moisture is too much, to better prioritize when I need to reduce it.

The basement is mostly concrete floors and walls with exposed wood joists and sheathing. It is in three small parts, with one of them well ventilated to the outdoors (for better and worse - needs better insulation); one with a painted concrete floor, drywall, a drop ceiling and a couple of windows; and one utility room with an exposed drain pipe in the floor and one window venting appliances.

Most of the time each space varies between 15 and 35% relative humidity* this time of year. The house overall is extremely dry this time of year, with all areas under 50% humidity that I've measured. Surprisingly even in cold temperatures (the room at 55dF) clothes dry relatively fast (1-3 days) because the air is so dry. During times of heavy snowmelt, a small area of the basement (less than 1 square meter total) does get dampness seeping in from the ground near the edge of the house.

At what point do I need to act to reduce moisture in the basement? Obviously if it's flooded, items inundated with water can be damaged and all the moisture can lead to other indoor environmental problems (like mold). But are small spills of water - e.g. from seasonal seepage, or from a pinhole leak in a pipe - alright on concrete? Roughly how much water can be there and for how long before it must be dried up to avoid further repair needs / permanent damage?

Some people tell me hanging clothes to dry in a basement is too much moisture, and the previous owner actually ran a dehumidifier in the utility room in the past. To me, <40% humidity* seems like there's no need for a dehumidifier, and even if clothes are sopping wet out of a wash for some reason (not usual), the shallow splashes/puddles they leave temporarily don't seem like they'd cause any problems in the long run. Neither does routine hanging clothes to dry ~1/week.

*Note, my humidity measurements might be wrong because I'm using a cheap electronic device. I did check my humidity gauge against a humidifier's and they matched so that's reassuring, but I wouldn't be surprised if mine isn't very accurate.


texts: Can you screw something that will not loosen?

texts:
I'm working on a wall hook project that is meant to be permanent (so once you install it you don't have to take it off the wall because of loose hooks or knobs - used for hanging keys or coats).

One thing is, the backing of the wall hook should be flat (so screwing would be inset).

I'm a laymen about this stuff. So would you use a bolt to lock the screw in or are there other options?


texts: Why is there an arc when I pull a plug out of an outlet?

texts: I notice that, on some of my (self-installed) power outlets, when I pull an appliance plug out of it, there is a small arc.  This most frequently happens with an iron, which has no switch of its own and is on when you plug it in.  Can anybody explain why this is happening, the physics behind it, is it "as designed", harmless, or indicative of an issue (potentially a fire hazard)?


texts: Will 2x8 spruce/pine/fir fencing rails last as long as 2x6 redwood in a hot sunny dry climate?

texts:
Can I expect unpainted, unstained 2x8 or even 2x10 spruce/fir/pine lumber used as fencing rails to stand up as long as 2x6 redwood in a climate (northern New Mexico) with the following characteristics?

105 °F heat in the summer
15 °F cold in the winter
Intensely sunny nearly year-round (mile high elevation)
Very little moisture; rot not a concern
Subterranean termites

And if the redwood will last longer, in what way?


texts: I just got a wooden sweet cart made for myself.  I asked someone to paint it for me but he did a really bad job. He didn't let paint dry completely so it has smudged all over an looks uneven. How can I go about repainting it myself? The cart is made out of pine. What process and products should I use?


texts: How do I secure wooden balusters to an exterior stair railing?

texts:
I'm building an exterior railing for my front porch & stairs.  I will be using pressure treated lumber.  My balusters will be turned like these:

(source: elyriafence.com)
To secure the baluster to the bottom rail I was planning on nailing straight up into the baluster from the bottom.
I am unsure how to attach the balusters to the top railing.  My handrail will be plowed on the bottom to provide side-to-side stability.  I was thinking about using a finishing nail gun to toenail in the baluster to the bottom of the handrail.  Is this sufficient? What size nail should I use?  The top of the handrail will be routed decoratively, and I do not want to have the profile marred by a nail.
Edit:
I just saw the question on using dowel pins in railings.  Would 1 dowel pin at the top and another on the bottom of the balusters hold securely?


texts: What does the inspector mean by "Hot and Neutral are not separated"?

texts: In an inspection report on my house, the inspector said "hot and neutral" are not separated. I think he meant "neutral and ground" are not separated. I've attached the picture, is that the case?


texts: Gas fireplace flame won't stay on; both flame and pilot go out

texts:
I have a Charmglow 300TQ unvented gas fireplace. It worked beautifully until I had the 100 lb bottled gas tank refilled three days ago. I am now having two problems, which I imagine are related:
1) The pilot burns just fine but the flame won't come on by itself when the room temperature drops. This has never been an issue before.
2) I have to turn the flame on manually. It stays lit for 5 to 10 minutes and then the entire heater--both the flame and the pilot--shuts down. It lights again immediately and again, the pilot will stay on but the flame doesn't come on automatically.

I take the fake logs out and clean the pilot assembly (including the nozzle the gas emerges from) every time I refill the tank.

I've done all the troubleshooting steps I can do without a multimeter, but I'm ordering one today so that I can do those steps, too.

One note: If the pilot assembly needs replacing, I'm going to have to do it myself. I'm ... let's say financially challenged right now. I can't afford labor to have someone come in. Is this something I'll be able to do myself or am I up the proverbial creek? Anybody have a rough idea of the cost of a pilot assembly? I've looked online but I can't seem to find my model Charmglow anywhere. I suspect it's pretty old since it was here when I bought the house four years ago and the guy who sold me the place didn't leave anything new behind.

I'd be grateful for any input anyone has.


texts:
ISSUE
Recently started replacing the outlets in my home - found out that the outlets in my basement were bootleg grounded (neutral jumpered to the ground of the outlet). The circuit is run is in the following order from the source - Light Fixture, Outlet, Outlet, Switch/Outlet Combo. I'm assuming the reason as to why the outlets are bootleg grounded is that the source first goes to the light fixture and the bootleg grounds allowed for neutral to the fixture to be broken by the switch without killing power to the outlets.
SOLUTION
It seems to me that the only safe way to fix this issue would be to run a new feed from the switch to the fixture to provide switchable power for the fixture. New wiring order would look like this - Outlet, Outlet, Switch/Outlet Combo, Fixture. Any thoughts on my solution or alternative methods to correct this? I'd rather not run a new wire since there is no easy access to the ceiling or floor (bi-level house).


texts: What type of screws would work best for hanging a projector from the ceiling?

texts:
I installed a projector and a screen a few days using toggle bolts in my drywall ceiling. One of the anchors didn't open all the way up, and the screen fell. So, I searched here, and quickly came to a realization that hanging anything heavy from the drywall ceiling is a terrible idea. I took everything down, and would like to mount the projector directly to the joists.

Here's what I have in mind.

What kind of screw should I be using to secure the extra wood to the joist?
How far into the joist should it be going?
Does it matter what I use for the extra wood (pine or MDF)?
What kind of screws should I use to secure the projector to the extra wood? I can't really use bolts, since the extra wood will be flush with the ceiling.


texts: How do I reroute my existing bathroom piping for a pedestal sink?

texts:
(Similar to this question here)

I am renovating a bathroom, and I'd like to put a pedestal sink in, instead of a full sized vanity. The primary issue is I would have to move the drain pipe, it is a cast iron drain pipe that is currently on the wrong side of an interior wall stud.

I have full access to the wall in the bathroom, so I can get at pretty much any part of the piping, but I'm not sure how to handle the stud and changing the iron piping.

Here's a picture of the way it looks now (what pictures would help?)

The bit of PVC you see sticking out immediately connects to the aforementioned cast iron pipe, it broke while I was trying to remove it.

Here's some more pictures:


texts:
Will a spike protector work in reverse?  Protect the circuit from an appliance?

My attic lights' blubs blow 10x faster than any other bulbs in the house.  I think it's because everything in the attic is on the same circuit, including these lights and an old crappy refrigerator, which turns itself on and off again every 15 minutes or so.  I figure it is spiking the line every time it turns off.

I can't spike protect the lights (without knocking holes in the walls) but I can easily insert a spike protector between the circuit and the fridge.  Would that do the trick?  Since it's just a glorified capacitor in series?


texts: How to repair a built in hole in concrete front steps

texts:
We just bought a house in Minnesota. The front steps are concrete I believe and they are built with what seems to be small glass block windows or tiles in the top that leads into the basement, letting light into a storage space (which is not necessary as there is a light inside).
The top block broke this winter. Right now we have a large piece of plywood covering it for safety and to keep the elements out, but we need to get it fixed ASAP. We prefer to try to do it ourselves because of costs. Not sure if we can fill the hole or if we have to replace the tiles. We just want the safest and most inexpensive way to fix it on our own.


texts: Will wrapping the stove pipes with copper pipes increase wood stove efficiency?

texts:
I've heard that wrapping my wood stove's chimney - the parts inside the house that go from the stove the the actual chimney - with copper pipes will increase the amount of heat generated.

Has anyone ever tried this?  What diameter copper would work best for a typical 7" stove pipe?  And how long should the copper be, given a 3' length of stove pipe?


texts: Plugging up ceiling vent hole...using backer wood to attach drywall

texts:
We have a bathroom vent that is covered by a thin metal screen. It vents directly into the attic. I want to cover it with drywall. The ceiling is plaster.

I need a piece of backer wood so the drywall can attach to something. This is what I did.

I basically screwed the wood to the attic side of the plaster ceiling. It actually goes across the screen frame.

Should I have attached the wood to the wood beams instead.  Note: a couple of small pieces of plaster ceiling fell off into the bathroom because of the screws.

I already screwed in the drywall piece from the bathroom.


texts:
Took down ceilings in a room on the second floor and it looks like they are 1/2”. House was built in 1983, but I thought all ceilings were supposed to be 5/8”? Joists are spaced 24” o.c., so I figured 5/8” would be best to prevent sagging.
If 1/2” is used, possible to replace with 5/8”? Space between joist and stop of room walls looks like 5/8” would fit. Or should I just replace with 1/2”?


texts:
For a room in the basement we connected a ceiling register to an existing duct.  It is not very strong, but I found this product that might make it a little more powerful:

Does anybody know how something like this powered?  Is it possible to connect it to the thermostat so that it only turns on when the heat/ac is on?


texts:
I have a bath tub faucet that leaks and needs valve replacement. No one seems to know what kind of faucet it is. I have sent a picture of it to the major suppliers and no one seems to know. Maybe someone out there can help. I have had plumbers here as well that do not know.

Click on photo for full size


texts: Need help understanding gas water heater

texts:
I just bought a house and it have a gas water heater. I need to know what is the water shut off valve to shut down water in the entire house. Also if you can help me label any of the other knob (which one is to adjust the temperature of the water inside the tank) .. that would also be very appreciated.
Picture:


texts: How do I eliminate one 3 way switch and replace it with a single pole switch?

texts: I have knob and tube wiring in our 110 year old house. There are 2 3 way switches that control one light in the house and also supplies power to the garage. There are 4 overhead wires going to the garage so I am not sure if the 3 way in the garage has the main hot wire going to the 3 way or if it is in the kitchen 3 way. How can I tell which one is the main feed and then replace the kitchen 3 way with a single pole switch?


texts: I have 100 amp breaker with a 4 wire 8-3 running from main breaker box little over 100ft to a 125amp sub panel will this work or is 8-3 to small also I'm going to have 1 30 amp double pole breaker for 220 AC/heat window unit and three 20amp breaker for plugs and lights coming out of the sub panel it's self


texts: Why does the paint in my home scratch off easily?

texts:
We bought a flipped home in 2013. Over the years, we've noticed that the paint chips and scratches very easily. We always thought this was about bad paint but we have recently started repainting rooms with quality paint. The other day, I scratched a newly painted surface with the corner of a desk. It was barely a rub that resulted in a white, powdery gouge. Is it possible that it wasn't cheap paint but low quality drywall or drywall mud?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2ahk0mydzwyili3/20200704_103458.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7nq7ssdexklgci9/20200704_103516.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sslvk93nhra9euk/20200704_103531.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zu7en9ihkgw4mt5/20200704_103558.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nvjon3ou13ooyng/20200704_103609.jpg?dl=0


texts: Are pressure-treated posts that have been submerged for a few days ruined?

texts:
I dug holes for four 8' 4x4 posts, and had the posts positioned and plumbed vertically in the holes, but had to leave for a couple days before I could concrete them in.

In the meantime, storms came and filled the holes. The ends of the posts have been sitting in that water now for 2 days. Are the posts ruined? I've thought about flipping them over to be sure, but if they're done for, no problem, I can use them for other stuff if I have to.

Thanks!


texts: How can I warm up my new LED recessed lighting

texts: I was just buying some halogen replacement bulbs for my kitchen recessed lighting  when the salesperson talked me into buying recessed LEDs instead. The sales pitch was great about how long they last and energy efficiency. They look super cool too.....until you turn them on.  Then they have a really harsh, blue light as opposed to the beautiful warm glow of my halogens. I've read that you can use photo gels somehow, but I just need to know more details about how to actually install them.  Do you just sort of "fit" them into the opening?  Will they get too hot?  What color should I get?  Anybody have any ideas?


texts: Wifi Light Switch won't fit in my electrical box

texts: I am fitting wifi light switches.  My back boxes are square metal, but the dimmer switches are all round euro style.  Is there a way to utilise these without repairing the wall.  Perhaps a converter widget of some sort?


texts: What's the best way to waterproof a concrete structure for a tropical climate?

texts:
I am constructing a building from reinforced concrete and AAC blocks in Indonesia.

The building will have a flat (2% sloping) roof of reinforced concrete. This will be exposed to tropical rain, as will a overhanging canopy. It will also have foot traffic, leaves, detritus, etc.

I understand that it is important that the roof not leak, in order to avoid water entering into the building, and the canopy also not leak, in order to prevent the rebar rusting and failing over time.

As the roof and canopy are yet to be constructed, I may have the choice of coatings after pouring, concrete additives/modification as part of the pour, or both.

I can find in terms of coatings:

'waterpoofing slurry' based on resin modified cementious material (this is supplied as a bag of cement-like powder with a solvent) - this needs to be protected by cement screed as it is not UV stable
waterproofing mortar - (cement to which water is added)
' a cold applied, one component waterborne liquid applied
waterproofing membrane', a 'Polyurethane modified Acrylic Dispersion'. Apparently this may also enhance solar reflectivity. There is an optional 120g weight polyester fleece, which is a polyester fleece product, you can apply at the same time.
A combination of non-woven polyester membrane, and 'UV-resistant acrylic emulsion'
" one component, liquid elastic waterproofing coating, based on styrene-acrylics copolymers in aqueous dispersion reinforced with fiber to increase the tensile strength of the product. It forms a flexible, waterproofed and durable film layer"
ATACTIC POLY PROPYLENE (APP) MODIFIED BITUMEN-BASED WATERPROOFING MEMBRANE
WITH NON-WOVEN POLYESTER FELT REINFORCEMENT WITH SAND BROADCAST  (i.e. you melt bitumen onto the roof, and there's sand on top)
self-adhesive, rubber modified, bituminous sealing tape - this is a roll of tape, so I guess you would not use it for a whole roof, but only for small areas
steel corrosion inhibitor - surface-applied (for the canopy only, which technically doesn't need to be waterproof)

Or concrete admixture:

Watertight/superplasticising (HRWR) concrete admixture (Combination Fatty Acid and Polycarboxylate )
Crystalline admixture

What's the best way to go? It seems like an admixture might save time and effort? But is it sufficient?


texts: How do I insulate around a gas fireplace without tearing it apart?

texts: My home has a gas fireplace that we do not use very often. It is in a "bump out" on the back of the house.  In the winter, cold air flows through the vents under the fireplace and if  you feel the tile around the fireplace, it is cold.  Is there a good method to insulate around it without tearing apart the fireplace?  What type of insulation should I use that would not be a fire hazard.


texts:
Good morning,
Im in the US and I have a problem that I can't seem to find a straight answer for.
I recently bought a new range and the receptacle was a 3 prong but the oven uses a 4 prong cord. I see a lot of people with this issue but the details are a little different.
The previous receptacle was a nema 10-50 and there are only 3 wires coming out of the box, a red, black and white. No ground. I found a video explaining that it's fine to hook the new 14-50r without a ground (just connect the 2 hot and 1 neutral) so I did that. I turned it on and everything appears to be working great. My question is if this is safe or not because aside from that video I haven't seen anyone else online do this same thing.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated


texts: What primer for bare wood stairs with nails showing

texts: I'm painting the stairs going down to my basement that previously had carpet. After removing the carpet, they are like bare, new wood. Unfortunately, the treads were nailed with common nails (not finish nails) and I cannot set them down enough to fill over because that would probably split the wood. My plan is to drive the nails flush and paint over them. Should I use an oil based primer since it will be going on metal nail heads?


texts: Should I connect one or both Ufer grounds to my panel?

texts: Local code requires the use of a Ufer ground (concrete-encased electrode) as a ground rod system for new construction. There are two electrodes in my construction. My question is: do I connect both electrodes with a single conductor to my sub panel or just one of the electrodes?


texts: How do I treat a recently sanded pine staircase?

texts:
I want to restore our Victorian staircase, going from a drabby flattened 1960s beige carpet, to a fully sanded, restored looking staircase, with painted risers, stained treads and a runner down the middle.

I've gotten as far as sanding the treads, and now I need to decide how to treat them. I've read all sorts about whether to use varnish or oil, polyurethane or wax, but I have not a clue which route to take.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.


texts: Can I remove my oven's wire conduit to save space?

texts: I am wiring our new stove top & oven. They both came with probably four feet of wire that is enclosed in this heavy metal flexible conduit. I don't have room behind my oven for all of this metal  conduit. How can I remove a part of this metal conduit on the wiring on my new stove top & oven?


texts:
I have an intermittently leaking tub drain, where it leaks to the ceiling below.  Pulling the drain insert, and replacing the putty with fresh putty seems to help for a while.

However, I was never able to extract the gasket from between the tub and the drain shoe, as it appears to be a very tight fit.  My guess is that things settled, or somehow there is allot of strain on that shoe from support.

Short of pulling the drywall off, and getting at that connection externally, any suggestions or tricks to reduce the pressure between the shoe and the tub so that I can pull the rubber gasket and set a new one?


texts:
I've got an old 1953 basement that I want to finish.  The walls are in pretty good shape.  Looks like the previous owner used drylok.  Some areas show some signs of staining, and efflorescence.

Can I use a wire brush to remove the bad spots, and put a cost or two over the existing drylok?  Btw...basement is dry.


texts: what lightbulb can I use in this 250V 100W light fixture?

texts:
I am located in the United States and have a light fixture in my kitchen w/ the following parameters:

250V, 100W
model: K512GU
not sure what this part is: 2/250

Can I use this 60W bulb in this fixture: http://a.co/eMM1v4R? More generally, do I have to use a 250V, 100W bulb, or can the voltage on the bulb differ, or can the wattage differ, or can both differ?

Pictures of the existing bulbs (which stopped working) and the info in the light fixture are attached.


texts: How can I add a service disconnect between main panel breaker and load side

texts:
I am working on a small shop and installed a 30amp plugin type breaker to the main breaker panel.
Now the shop has load of a 230v ac Single phase motor, some lights and outlets.
I wanted to add a disconnect to the 30 amp breaker and my tools (motors,c-outlet,lights) in the shop specifically because the main service panel is a but far for me to got back and forth in case and just for me to work on things without going to the service panel. Can I put a fuse box and just wire up a single fuse to the line side , no fuse on neutral (we have 2 lines, live and neutral wire.) And make the fuse box as a service disconnect.
Knife switch isn't my go, no good for sparks, corrosion as well.
Btw I do have ground, directly into the chassis of the motor.


texts: Can I vent a bathroom through the side of the house instead of the roof?

texts: Venting a new bathroom through the side of the house


texts: Product recommendations for clearing a drain connected to a septic system?

texts:
Our shower drain appears to be clogged and is draining slowly.  What product can I use to safely clear the drain without damaging our septic system?

According to Drano's site (http://www.drano.com/unclog-drain/), they're septic safe but I'm still a little skeptical...

-M


texts: Stair thread different color from old runner carpet

texts:
I removed my old stair runner and now the outside looks different from inside.

You can see that from the blue arrow:

It is hard to see with a few steps but if you look 10 steps up, it's very obvious in the afternoon (dark).

What is the best way to address this? Should I sand and stain them again?

Thanks.


texts: How many Tapcons should be used to anchor a baseplate to a concrete floor?

texts: I'm building a non-structural wall in my basement. I'm using Pressure-treated lumber on top of a foam sill gasket to protect from any moisture. How many tapcons should be used per 8-foot length to ensure long lasting stability?


texts: Do Tamper resistant receptacles violate ADA barrier-free requirements?

texts:
We are intending to build our home ADA barrier-free compliant, part of which has always been making sure people with limited mobility can reach all receptacles to plug things in, and also imposes limitations on how difficult it can be to operate things like doorknobs with a single hand. Yet the new tamper resistant outlets are so challenging to plug things into that even fully mobile, healthy, intelligent, and strong able-bodied people need both hands to put the plug in and are usually cursing at it before they finally get it to go in as much as a minute later.

This seems to defeat the purpose of ADA requirements. My husband has limited hand mobility already, which is only going to get worse as his disease progresses. Furthermore, we do not have children and will live in this home until we die, and I am only at my half century mark this year. It would seem that ADA and the NEC are at odds here, and if NEC doesn't make exceptions to tamper resistance for folks with disabilities, they are going to find that disabled people put power strips into all their tamper-resistant receptacles, and then instead of only two points where kids could contact power without TR protection there will be 6 or more at each receptacle and the hazard of a cord that can be damaged, too.


texts: How can I mount a railing in concrete steps when I encounter rebar in the hole?

texts:
I need to install a handrail in concrete steps. The problem is that after drilling ~2" (5 cm) down into the concrete, the drill bit wouldn't go any further. I suspect I'm hitting rebar. This is about 2 & 1/2" (64 mm) from the edge of the steps. The instructions for the handrail say I must drill 3 & 1/2 inches (89 mm) down for a secure hold. Then I attach a 1/2" inch (13 mm) threaded rod and secure it to the concrete with construction adhesive.

Would it be okay for both posts if I made a small mold, filled it with concrete, measured accurately, and drilled down through that?

Or I could buy a rebar-cutting drill bit. But I have concrete at home already.
Thanks for any suggestions in advance. I won't be tackling the problem for at least another week, since my neuropathy makes it hard to deal with the heat (I don't sweat).


texts:
I live in a condo with an in-home AC/heat pump. This morning we noticed that it was dripping water, and when we took off the front panel we could see standing water in the run-off tray. It was pretty clear that there was gunk (probably built-up dust) in the bottom of the tray, so we assume there's a bunch of it clogging the PVC piping too.

What is the best way to clean this out? We have one snake tool, but unfortunately it only reaches to about the top of the U-bend. I read that Drano is not a good idea, because without water pressure from above, it could sit in the U-bend and corrode the pipes. We poured about a cup of vinegar in this morning and are going to let that sit all day to see how it does. Is there anything else we can do if this doesn't work? We don't really want to have to call a plumber if it's just a clog job.

Update: All the vinegar drained through. Filled it again and it's a slow drain, though better than it was before. Hopefully a few runs of this will do the trick.

Here's some pictures to give you a better idea what I'm dealing with. The left shows the PVC piping. The right shows the coils, with the drainage tray underneath. The water pools underneath that lowest coil.


texts: Grinder guard question - can I use a mix sizes?

texts:
Getting ready to cut off a metal pole that is set in concrete and figure the best way to get a flush cut is with a grinder. Only have a 6" guard for my cutoff blade, but have brand new 4 1/2" blades suitable for metal...hoping not to let them go to waste.
Hoping this will work OK..


texts: What quality caulks are available in the United States of America?

texts: I have heard numerous bad things about DAP® ALEX® Painters Caulk cracking etc.  Looking for suggestions what some better quality caulk is that is preferably paintable without primer and is available in the U.S..


texts: Making a fake wall to mount a tv, easy as it seems? will the fake studs be able to carry the same weight?

texts:
The fake wall is strictly aesthetics but there are 5 studs on the actual wall, then we will be attaching 5 more "studs" kinda like this. But it will be from the floor to around 3/4th of the actual wall. Then put drywall/plasterboard on top of that. Will that fake wall be able to handle the weight of possibly 100-150 lbs? and the mount for the tv is stationary.

Most of the tutorials I've seen only had small screened tvs and for the most part did not include shelving.

thanks


texts: Blew a bulb, not the breaker, but now there's no power to the ceiling box

texts: I installed a new chandelier that worked initially, then a loose wire in the socket blew the bulb. I re-wired the socket, but now there seems to be no power. I have a current tester, not a meter and there seems to be no power in the box whatsoever. The breaker wasn't tripped. The only curve ball is that there is a main switch in the room as well as another switch with a dimmer. Both have to be on for it to work, though you can turn off with either. I've tried switching both on and off and can't get anything to work. Any suggestions?


texts:
I have an electrical issue. I have a garage that is about 150 ft from the main house. Electric has been fine since we’ve moved in 10 hrs ago  but now there is very little power (enough to turn on led light on a 18 v battery charger) .
The power is supplied from the main breaker box in the house where I have a 60 amp breaker that feeds the 2 main lines to the breaker box in the garage listed.  I’ve Installed a new breaker in both boxes and tested the power. I have 244 volt coming in to the lines at the house and only 1 of the lines have power at the garage one has 121V and the other has 5V.
I’ve switched the lines at the breaker in the house. (figuring it would switch which line had 121V and which one has 5 Vin it).
After switching at house side and going to the garage, I TESTED THE LINES AND THEY WERE THE SAME AS BEFORE I SWITCHED THE LINES !
I am out of ideas, any advice would be appreciated.


texts: How do I install this lamp on my ceiling?

texts:
I'm a big time novice but determined not to hire an electrician for what is probably a simple job. This is embarrassing, I think. Here is an exposed light fixture that I have in my attic

I want to install this simple Ikea lamp, but I'm dumbfounded by what is expected from me.

I guess I need to remove the black thing in which the light bulb currently is screwed and plug insert those wires into this contraption. Am I at risk for being electrocuted? Also: Am I correct that it doesn't matter in which hole I put the blue or black wire?


texts: My wall outlet is making a hissing noise, should I be concerned?

texts:
My wife leaves her laptop charger plugged into a wall outlet.  As soon as she connects the other end to the laptop (meaning AC is actively flowing through the plug to the laptop), it makes a strange hissing noise.

Is this something to worry about?  Is this the outlet itself, or a symptom of a bigger problem?


texts: What would cause a Klein ET300 to Identify multiple breakers for the same outlet?

texts: Environment : There are 2, 200 amp residential services coming into the house. Each has it's own breaker box. The home has had extensive remodeling over the years. I have found 2 different outlets that when the transmitter is plugged in, the receiver after multiple passes over both breaker boxes identifies multiple breakers.  In one case, the breaker that actually kills the power to the outlet being tested is in one breaker box but the ET300 also consistently identifies two separate breakers in the other breaker box.  The outlet is located in a kitchen island with other outlets, garbage disposal, two dishwashers, .... etc that all appear to each be on different breakers spread across both of the two main panels.  He ideas as to how I should proceed?


texts: How do I fish a wire into an existing electrical box?

texts:
I have a 2-gang switch box that houses two light switches. I'm replacing one of the switches with a Honeywell Programmable Light Switch PLS751, which requires both an ungrounded (hot) and a grounded (neutral) conductor.

To add this switch, I'm thinking I should route new 14/3 or 12/3 wiring to the box. I could alternatively route a single extra wire to the box also to act as the grounded (neutral). My question is: how the heck do I get either of these wires into the existing box? I've replaced a 1-gang box with a 2-gang before and routed new wire to that, but I'm clearly going to need some trickery to get a new run into an existing box without ripping it out first and fishing for it myself.


texts:
We just bought a house that was built in 1941. The bathroom doesn't have a toilet paper roll holder, so my husband tried to install one. In 4 different areas of the wall he hit something solid and our drill can't get past it. In the kitchen I tried to hang a broom holder (lightweight 4 broom holder) and when I ran the stud finder (with electrical detection) it alerted to wires running throughout the wall. When I tried to hang a plastic bag holder on the wall it bent 4 different screws. What could this be? cinderblocks/concrete?

I appreciate all the help, I'm at a total loss


texts: What kind of fastener should I use to attach a mounting bracket to metal studs?

texts: I want to hang a 26 inch flat panel monitor on a wall that has metal studs. What kind of fastener should i use to attach the mounting bracket to the stud through drywall?


texts: I search in google about how to shut off the water valve under the sink. And it say "turn counter-clockwise until it tight" and I did, but the water still running.


texts: How do I modify a refrigerator water line to add a shut off valve and flexible pipe?

texts:
I recently bought a house and bought a new fridge to go with it. The copper pipe that connects to the fridge water has a shut off valve underneath the house and is extremely inconvenient to access. The copper pipe is also fairly long once out of the wall (could probably stretch a good 4' - 5' if it was pulled straight) and once hooked up it would be hard to push the fridge back without damaging/kinking the pipe.

Is it possible for me to cut the pipe to around 1' or so in length and attach some sort of flexible pipe that would have a shut off valve on it?

If so does anyone have any good instructions on how to do it/materials needed?


texts: Is my plan to add a neutral wire to a switch box ok?

texts:
I'd like to add a neutral wire to an old switch box so that I can install a smart switch that needs a neutral wire.

I have a mud room and porch that each have a light fixture. The lights are independently controlled by a pair of stacked switches. Both fixtures are on the same breaker.

The wiring is old, and there isn't a neutral wire in the switch box.

I need to verify this, but I'm pretty sure 3-wire cable brings hot, neutral, and ground up to the junction box for the mud room light, and from there the same to the junction box for the porch light.

I think that neutral is then run in each junction box to each light fixture. The hot is then wired with 3-wire (including ground) cable to the switch box, which sends switched-hot back via the same 3-wire cable, to connect to the hot side of the light fixture.

I'd like to replace the stacked switches with a single smart switch that controls both lights (so that they would turn on/off together rather than being independently controlled).

My idea is to run hot/neutral to the switch box via the cable that currently is being used to switch fixture 1. The cable that is currently
being used to switch fixture 2 would continue to supply the switched hot that is necessary for fixture 2. The cable that is being used to take neutral and hot from fixture 1 to fixture 2 would then be repurposed to take the switched hot from fixture 2 to fixture 1, and to take neutral from fixture 1 to fixture 2.

Does this sound code compliant, and aside from code compliance, does it sound like a reasonable idea?


texts: Can I use a gauge designed for measuring air pressure to measure water pressure?

texts:
Looking around at the local home improvement center for a water pressure gauge, and all they seem to have is a gauge with 3/4" FGHT (Female Garden Hose Thread).  Of course I could get a bunch of adapters (3/4" MGHT x 3/4" MPT -> 3/4" FPT x 1/2" FPT -> 1/2" MPT x 1/4" FPT), but I'd rather not.

The only other gauge I can find, is a 1/4" MPT gauge in the air compressor section of the store. Specifically a Husky 2 in. Heavy-Duty Side-Mount Gauge.

This gauge is exactly what I'm looking for, except that it's designed to work with compressed air.

Would there be a problem using this gauge designed for compressed air, to measure water pressure?


texts: How should I connect an outlet to two white and three black wires?

texts:
I am trying to set up a outdoor patio. I realized that I have this outdoor outlet that is not set up. I did some research online and learned that to set it up:

test electricity for which one is line and load

connect it to a gfci outlet.

However, I noticed that there are 2 white and 3 black with one green wire. Isn't it usually 3 whites and 3 black with green as ground?
I am super new to electricity and DIY things in general. So thank you guys for your help.


texts: Help with adding outlet to middle of run; new outlet not powered

texts:
(Preface: I have read all of the related, earlier questions I can find... still stumped.)

I added an outlet to a run by cutting (before Outlet A) what I thought I had identified as the line in to Outlet A, and adding a Romex pigtail to the new outlet (Outlet N).

With breaker back ON:

Outlet A is powered and fine.
Outlet N is NOT powered.
Outlets B and C (down run from Outlet A) are NOT powered.

What did I do wrong? Did I add the pigtail to the wrong wire? If the answer is YES, wrong wire, I did my best to ID the line coming into Outlet A; what is the trick I missed?

Additional info: House built in 2003; breakers are identified in box, but IMO oddly organized (example: "kitchen outlets" turns out to include random outlets in living room);

Thank you!


texts: How can I eliminate a 4-way switch and still have two 3-way switches operating the lights?

texts: I have two 3-way switches and one 4-way switch. I eliminate the 4 way and want the two 3-way switches to still turn on and off the lights. So I went up in the ceiling and connected the one switch to the other color to color and I have constant power. The lights will not turn off from the switches. What do I do? The one switch has a feed from power and a switch leg going to the light. The other switch that was going to the 4-way I'm using that 3 wire to connect straight to the other switch where the feed comes in. Both 3 way wires red white black ground. So how can I hook them up so both switches operate the lights?


texts: We just did a small bathroom remodel.  The sink and the bathtub are connected to the same hot water line. Now I am not getting any hot water in the bathtub but the sink has hot water. The plumber did some adjustments under the sink and it worked worked . Today when I tried to turn the hot water in the tub Iam getting only cold water. The house is less then one year old and all the faucet are in good condition. Can anyone have any idea what the issue is. Thanks


texts: Is it acceptable to combine and then split two air ducts?

texts: I have a small older house that had wall stack ductwork running from the basement to the upper level at two different points.  I have installed a beam in place of the wall and will be combining the two ducts into one and then branching/splitting it/them back to their original venting locations in the rooms/ hall.  I realize that math/volume considerations don't equal out, however, I'm not sure how essential this is as it's an older home with various flaws.  I'm writing to see if this is something that folks would consider a big time don't do it.... Before i do it... Thoughts?


texts: How can I hang artwork on a rented home's walls?

texts:
Hi,

I am new to this part of America. I need to hang few pictures and few other very heavy paintings. I am in rented single family home.  How should I go about doing this?


texts: Electrical Cable Detector Goes Off On Several Walls

texts:
I have the Bosch GMS 120 sensor detector that I have used to successfully install several wall-mounted shelves and bits of furniture.

There seems to be a problem with live wire detection in my home, in that on some wall surfaces on my first floor, I get a continual detection, even as far as 10cms from the wall.

If I place the palm of my hand onto the wall surface, the detection ceases, but the second I remove my hand it begins again.

I have become concerned that there may be an unsafe current running through the wall.  Is this likely to be the case?

Some steps I have taken to verify what is happening:

I have borrowed another different detector with the same result
I have determined that it only occurs if both of the ring mains for the lower two floors are switched on in the fuse cabinet
I have isolated the behaviour to one external and two internal walls in the house (all of which are connected)

In addition, since we moved in we have had very, very high electricity bills with high usage.  Not sure whether this is relevant to the situation or not.

Here are some pictures to illustrate the above:

Alarm trigger without hand on wall:

Alarm not triggered when hand is on wall:


texts: 124V neutral to ground and 65v hot to neutral when circuit is off?

texts:
I moved in to a new apartment a couple months ago and noticed one of the LED light fixtures never really turned off, there was always a faint glow from it. Today I went to install some smart dimmers inside the fixtures to connect the to my Philips Hue lighting system. Unfortunately I dont have access to the load centers, so I had to just shut off the light fixture at the switch, work carefully and hope for the best. Before running some additional wire in to the fixtures to acommodate the dimmers, I decided to hook up a multimeter and see what was going on since the light never really turned off. To my surprise I read that the hot to neutral voltage was 65 volts, and the neutral to ground voltage was 124 when the circuit was supposedly off! What is going on here?
How it was wired, ground was never connected:

Hot to neutral reading 65 volts with the switch off

Neutral to ground reading 124 volts with the switch off


texts: Can I install an outlet on a freestanding pillar platform?

texts:
Example: could I take 4 pyramid deck blocks and cover with 2x12 pressure treated on edge, pour gravel in that and cover with 2x12, this then would be a solid platform for mounting the outlet.  Alternately 6x6's tied together.  Harder to work with 6x6 as stores can't cut.
This is because I can't dig down in this area due to soil compaction and multiple utility lines underneath.
314.23 Supports.
(B) Structural Mounting. An enclosure supported from a structural member of a building or from grade shall be rigidly supported either directly or by using a metal, polymeric, or wood brace.
(2) Braces. Metal braces shall be protected against corrosion and formed from metal that is not less than 0.51 mm (0.020 in.) thick uncoated. Wood braces shall have a cross section not less than nominal 25 mm × 50 mm (1 in. × 2 in.). Wood braces in wet locations shall be treated for the conditions. Polymeric braces shall be identified as being suitable for the use.
What NEC requirements apply to installing receptacle next to a tree?


texts:
I understand that you must have an electrical receptacle 6 feet from any obstruction or break in the wall, such as a doorway, and no more than 12 feet from the previous electrical receptacle.

Does this require that the receptacle be accessible? In other words, can the receptacle be inside a home theater stage (for subwoofer)?

Can the receptacle be a light switch?

Lastly, does there have to be a receptacle 6 feet from a door on BOTH sides?


texts: Replacing shower valve cartridge; water supply

texts: I'm going to be replacing my shower valve cartridge and I was wondering about how to go about shutting off the water supply. I'll be shutting off the main line for the house; I assume I'll need to shut off the water heater hot water outlet as well. Do I need to shut off the water heater inlet, or take any other precautions to prevent build up of pressure, air getting into the system, et cetera?


texts: Why does my GFCI periodically trip, especially after a few days' rain?

texts:
I have a GFCI in my living room bath that controls a couple of lights in the basement and bedroom upstairs (weird, thats what it seems to control).

Now, every 2 or 3 weeks or so, it seems to trip and the light in the basement for won't work (thats what I use regularly so I notice) . It seems to happen mostly when it has rained, but not necessarily with the first rain. It may take a couple of days' rain to cause the trip.

I have been just switching it back on again (must have done it 50 times) and keep going. Will I run into a bigger problem at some point?

I have two lights outside that do not have any covers so rain may be leaking into it through the gaps, but they still work even if GFCI has tripped.

Any ideas to troubleshoot or find the source of the problem?


texts: changing fluorescent multi ballast lights with 7 wires and wall switch to simple led 3 wire lamp

texts: i have situation where one end of old multi ballast lights have on one end a green (grond} a hot all the time red then a black and white wire. on other end there are black,white, and ground, that have no power switch on or off


texts: How can I provide power to a switch and outlet at the same time?

texts:
Since I've lived here my bottom floor bathroom has only had a switch but no outlet, so I decided to add a combo switch.
In my junction box I had one red wire, one black wire that was connected to the connected to the single light switch like this:

I also had to white wires connected to each other by a wire nut.
I followed the diagram and hooked the combo switch up like this:

I got power to the bath light but no outlet power so I decided to remove one of the white wires and connect it to the left bottom screw on the combo switch and boom power!
pats self on the back
Turns on kitchen lights, nothing.
Confusion.
Time to figure out what's going on so I take another look and say "well maybe both wires need to be hooked up to the screw so both things can work"
Found out very shortly as to why this is A BAD IDEA. So removed the wires and now I don't know what to do. From what I've read I can pigtail the 2 white wires and create one wire and connect that to the switch and I should be good right? Haven't tried it yet so I want to ask some people that have more experience than I have.
Also i kind of cut The black wire into 2 when I saw it was one whole wire and was on the original single light switch. I have now learned that's a bad idea as well.
This is how it was before i cut it

I have wire and pigtail connectors, so what now?


texts: I'm trying to change a light fixture that's on a switch loop. It's the craziest thing, but I can't find the circuit for the switch loop wires. I tried cutting every single circuit, then I cut power to the whole house. The switch loop wires are still hot even though the wires in the box from the panel (as well as the whole rest of the house) are dead. I know they're hot because a) my voltage meter says so and b) I got shocked. How can this be?


texts: How to determine how many gallons of oil your oval tank holds?

texts:
I'm not sure if my tank holds 250, 275, or 300 gallons.  Is there a way to determine the size?

The tank is oval shape and 60" X 40" X 27".


texts: What are the options for filtering fresh air entering a building (especially outdoor air with wildfire smoke)?

texts:
I'm confronting once again the California wildfire season. The outdoor air quality is poor right now and it's spreading all over. If we bunker down in place I'm worried about the air conditions inside our living space getting too unbearable. We have a couple of portable HEPA filters and they do a great job filtering and recirculating the air, however we still need fresh air in the building. The trapped heat, humidity, increasing carbon dioxide concentration, major stuffiness, etc is a lot to deal with during the summer heat where normally opening a window to the outside would mitigate all of the above causes of so called "stale air". However in these wildfire conditions ventilating with outside air subjects you to wildfire smoke which immediately and overwhelmingly infiltrates the house.
How can one exchange stale air with the outside while filtering the incoming air sufficiently to ideally eliminate wildfire smoke?

To be concrete we're talking about taking outside air with a Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) reading greater than 150 and dropping it down to the healthy range of at most 50.
PM2.5 > 150 ---> PM2.5 <= 50

Here's some background on wildfire smoke that the filters will need to contend with:

Particles from smoke tend to be very small - less than one micrometer in diameter. For purposes of comparison, a human hair is about 60 micrometers in diameter. Particulate matter in wood smoke has a size range near the wavelength of visible light (0.4 – 0.7 micrometers).
https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/files/ambient/smoke/wildgd.pdf

Particulate Matter, or “soot,” is made of microscopically small particles, either solid or liquid. The smaller the particles, the deeper they can penetrate into the respiratory system, which causes more significant health problems.
Particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can cause significant health problems. Particles under 2.5 micrometers, called “fine” particles, are considered the most dangerous. Fine particles can easily bypass filters in the nose and throat and penetrate deep into the lungs. Wood smoke from woodstoves and fireplaces is the major source of fine particulate matter in the wintertime in the Bay Area.
https://www.sparetheair.org/understanding-air-quality/air-pollutants-and-health-effects/particulate-matter

Clarification
In case this subtlety was missed, this question pertains to the filtering at point of intake into the building, not after the outside air has first entered the building where at some later point gets filtered by some device inside the building. We're taking about filtering air actively entering a building, not air that has already entered a building.
To use a car cabin as an analogy, think about when you use the recirculate function, eventually the air gets pretty stale and you need to open the windows. To be sure filtered air is not the same as fresh air because the composition of fresh air is more than the absence of particulate matter. In a more or less closed system such as a car you can recirculate through a filter indefinitely and have the cleanest air, but eventually you run out of oxygen. In short filtered air is not equivalent to fresh air.


texts: Can I insulate under my condo's subfloor?

texts:
My condo does not have a basement. I have a subfloor with three dummy registers. I don't know why they are there. My heating ducts are in the upper part of the side walls. In the winter the cold radiates two feet above the floor making it uncomfortable to keep my feet off the couch.

I wanted to insulate the space under the subfloor through the dummy registers or from the garage inside wall.

Is this something I should look into? Would it work?


texts:
I have a wall between the bathroom and bedroom.

The sound transfer between the bathroom -> bedroom is huge. Mainly the water sounds from the toilet and shower.

I'm about to tile the whole bathroom, floor to ceiling, so I want to know how I can improve the sound proofing between the two rooms.

The wall is a single layer of brick.

Ideas?


texts: What type of caulk can I use between the furnace vent pipe & flashing on a roof?

texts:
Looking to seal a gap between my furnace's vent pipe & the flashing on the roof, specifically here:

I'll have to check if there's a missing storm collar too, but should I use High-temp silicone, or go with the Big Box's recommendation of roofing asphalt (sounds burny).


texts: How can I find the cleanout for my cast iron drain line?

texts:
I bought a 1962 home in Merritt Island, Florida last year and immediately noticed a plumbing issue due to cast iron pipes corroding since they sat for a few years. Where is my cleanout so I can snake it?  At this time, everything is backing up into the master shower room and I am not able to use any bathroom or even the sink in the bathroom or the washer. I have many neighbors who tell me I have a cleanout but they don't say where.

How far should it be from the house? How far should I look to find it in the ground? How should I locate it? Is it in the front of the house or back, left or right?  I know if I find it I can fix a part of the issue but I don't know where to find it.


texts: Should I install a drain trap on the main pipe before it exits my home?

texts:
So my father-in-law and I are going back and forth..
I plan on redoing my entire main plumbing. When I purchased the house we remodeled the bathroom and had a plumber run a new schedule 40 stack and used a firmco to tie into the existing terracotta.
Due to snaking my lines every 90 days my plan is dig up the basement and remove all the terracotta, replacing it with schedule 40. There is currently a terracotta p-trap right before the line exists the house.
My understanding is that if all the appliances (floor drain, sinks, toilet and the washer and dryer) are trapped, then there would be no need to trap the entire line right before it exits the house. When I tell him I plan on removing that P-Trap and straight piping it directly out of the house, he looks at me like I’m crazy.
He is no plumber nor am I. But I plan on doing this in house rather than paying a company to do a trench less repair (which might not solve the issue) when I can save $2,000 by using a little man power.
So... who is correct ?
-Father-In-law says trap it
-I say no trap


texts:
I am doing a barn renovation project (pacific NW, 98922), and need to take out a large load bearing wall and replace it with a beam.  Was going to use an LVL (which I sized at about 5.5 x 18") but a lot of folks have recommended steel beams.  I am having trouble finding a good sizing chart for these beasts.  I am going to try to explain this as best I can.
Framing:  2x6 16" OC
Floor joists:  12" I-Joists 16" OC
Span:  20'
The tributary area is interesting, as there is a small second story over one half of it, and just a roof over the other half (of the tributary).  It is basically the exterior wall of the 2-story structure, with a large covered patio on the outside, if that makes sense.
So, trib #1 is 6':  This has second story above it (office space), with 6' of roof.  So 120 sq ft of floor and 120 sq ft of roof.
Trib #2 is also 6':  8' of roof.  No second story.  160 sq ft of roof.
Snow Load:  50
When I did the calculations, the beam needs to hold up about 1200 plf over that span without intermediate supports.
Basic calcs online say just divide the span in half ... so a 10" beam?  how wide?  I see 4" is generally standard for residential...
I should also note, the ends of the beam will be supported by wood posts onto existing perimeter footings.
I know, I should hire an engineer, but I feel I can do this safely with a bit of ground work and research.
Thanks!


texts: Roof truss with Odd 2x4 T-Shaped Reinforcement. Why is that there?

texts:
We needed to replace the air conditioning evaporator coil and air handling element.  In this house the cooling element is located inside the attic of the house.  And up in the attic space is really tight. The house has 2x4 roof trusses, and those trusses are reinforced with an additional 2x4 attached to create a T-shaped cross section.  I've never seen this type of construction before.  See photos...

The reinforcement(2"x4" construction lumber) is attached as a T-Shape.

So why is that there?  Is that a standard truss manufacturing technique?  I'm guessing the addition is to prevent bowing (or failure in that mode...)  My immediate problem is that with those elements there we are absolutely unable to snake the evaporator unit thru the trusses to even get them into the attic. There is not enough width between two adjacent trusses to push the unit through.
My tendency is to remove the top of the T on two adjacent truss elements and replace the top of the T-off center (think L shaped reinforcement...).  As far as I can tell that will still perform the reinforcement function and allow for Heating Ventilation AirConditioning (HVAC) repair.


texts:
I have a garage disposal installed in my kitchen double sink.  The pipe that comes out of the garbage disposal is horizontal to the main vertical pipe before it goes to the p trap.  The t joint is baffled, and I am not a fan of this arrangement since it clogs quite often. (once in 6 months)

This causes a big problem for me since the dish waster is connected to the garbage disposal.  How could I reconfigure this plumbing without the baffled t?


texts: Will coefficient of performance rise in the future for heat pumps?

texts:
I can see there are heat pumps with x > 4.1 SCOP, which is great!

Q: But will this get better in the future? Ex. in 10 years? New type of heat-pumps?

Or are there any psyhical limitations, that will only provide SCOP between around 4-5-6-7?


texts: How do I diagnose an occasionally leaking dishwasher?

texts:
We are remodeling our kitchen, part of which will be replacing the vinyl flooring.  When pulling out the vinyl and 1/4" plywood I found many water stains which appear to have started under my dishwasher.

I've run the dishwasher every day and once was able to get it to leak a small puddle of water.  Is there a proper way to determine where the leak is coming from?  Is it possible to put some sort of pan under the dishwasher in case this happens in the future?


texts: Removed tiles... what's underneath and how to proceed?

texts:
I've removed a couple of tiles from my bathroom wall (for a remodel), and I'm unsure about what each of the layers are underneath, how to proceed, and how to make sure I'm not damaging anything structural.

I was expecting plasterboard and then bricks, but am not sure exactly what I'm looking at.

Below are photos, of the top corner.


texts: Can I Piggyback 4 15 amp outlets off a 30 amp fuse?

texts: I have what you would call a “mini kitchen” set up in my house for a guest bedroom. Ran all new electrical for it and hooked it up in the outside fuse box. It’s a 20 amp fuse running 4 15 amp duplex receptacles. I have a large mini fridge (always running) a large window unit (rarely ever on while cooking) a toaster oven, hot plate, and 1100 watt microwave. Not all the outlets are even being used but if I use more than one cooking device (with the fridge constantly plugged in) it blows the breaker. Since I’m running all these appliances (not at the same time but sometimes I do) can I switch the 20 amp breaker to a 30 amp breaker? I’m tired of blowing a breaker everytime something is cooked in there. Also the wire is 14/2 if that changes anything. Someone please help. The “mini kitchen” is used almost daily.


texts: Something plastic stuck in the trap of the toilet

texts:
My toilet started misbehaving this morning. It does not flush, it does not empty at all, or it does it really slowly that I cannot see it.

I tried using a plunger, that didn't work.

The bad part:

I tried using the plastic handle of my toilet brush to see if I can feel something, but the handle broke and now there's a piece of the handle that is stuck in the trap.

I can touch it, but I'm not certain I can grab it to pull it out; and the toilet is still clogged.

Am I so screwed that I will need to replace the whole toilet if I cannot remove what is stuck in the trap?


texts: Can PoE cause interference with neighboring non-PoE Ethernet cables?

texts:
I plan on upgrading my home Wireless Access Point in the near future and rather than running an extension cord to the location I was thinking about getting a WAP that supports Power Over Ethernet.

My concern is, since there is DC flowing thru the cable, will it cause interference with neighboring non-PoE Ethernet cables?

The PoE cable path will run parallel in a bundle to several Ethernet cables and cross another bundle of Ethernet cables.


texts: Do I need to unplug my hot water recirculating pump when I turn off the water to the house?

texts:
When I turn off the water to the house (for vacation) and open a faucet to relieve the pressure, I notice that the hot water recirculating pump makes a lot of noise that it doesn't when the water is on. Do I need to unplug the recirculating pump to prevent damage while the house water is off?

If I do unplug the pump, can it be damaged if not woking for too long?

Thanks for any input.


texts: Buying a House On Underground Spring. What to do?

texts:
My fiancé and I are under contract on a new home which we are concerned it might be built on an underground spring. There are two sump pumps in the house, on opposite corners of the house. Both times we have seen the house was after a few days of no rain. One of the sumps only gets a tiny bit of water from the French drain leading to it. The other sump, there is a visible stream of water from both pipes leading into the hole. Every half hour or so, the pump kicks on and dumps about 3-4 Gallons (wild guess). We are concerned about a) flooding our basement, and b) future foundation issues.

Thing's I've researched:

The water bill is not very high, indicating there is not a leak in the mains.
The neighbors' pumps kick on intermittently also, but not to this extent
It is a 25 year old house, and there is no sign of foundation issues, and very little settling
Also, as a 25 year old house, it has been doing this for as long as any of the neighbors can remember, and do not know of one instance of the basement flooding.
Tried looking on the county website to see if there was an underground stream, but couldn't find anything.
Basement has no smell of mold or anything like that.

So my questions are this:

Is this a red flag / deal breaker? Is this just something we need to keep an eye on, or is there a possibility that the foundation might crumble at any time?
Assuming it is not critical, what precautions should I take? I already plan on buying a water-powered sump pump as backup, and getting a couple alarms for both pumps. The current pump already has a battery backup.
The water looks clear and fresh. What can I do with all this water? Anything productive?

Update:
To answer some questions, the home is in Maryland (US). There is a slight slope to the road and we are closer to the bottom, though it is so slight, I didn't even notice it until a neighbor pointed it out. It's a suburban area, homes line both sides of the street, spaced roughly 30 feet apart. I don't mind sharing the water with the neighbors...in fact I encourage it. The more water they take, the less I have to figure out where to direct.