texts:
I have a 1920s building with a gable roof that has a 10' peak. I'm going to finish the space and had an engineer detail the specs for structural safety, but I'm stuck on the appropriate way to provide venting with what I have.
The space has 8 static vents (not a ridge vent, unfortunately) that are about halfway down the roof, but no soffit intakes - there's simply a solid board under the eaves of the house on all sides (no visible openings). The previous owner had blown-in insulation put in about 20 years ago, but other than that there's no insulation.
I'd like to drywall all the way up to the peak (around the collars that I need to install, which will remain visible) and plan on insulating all of the cavities in the rafters, including those behind the knee walls that I'll install.
I'm doubting there's really any "venting" going on in the attic as-is, and I know it isn't as simple as installing baffles since there's nowhere for air to flow. How should I go about this?


texts: Running audio wire in office, wall or ceiling location?

texts: I am running speaker wire before drywall.  I have an office, square shape, that I want to later install 5.1 or 7.1 surround for playing certain movies or video games on the computer.  I know that the speakers should be placed just above ear height.  This would mean my speakers are all located about 4' high if wall mounted.  They would need to be placed on shelves, stands, or wall brackets. (definitely not doing recessed speakers in the wall since 2 walls have insulation and it would mess with my vapor barrier install) The other option I am thinking about is running my wires to the corners of the ceiling.  I would buy speakers that have triangle mounts that screw into the drywall and then swivel to aim the sound towards my listening height.  These speakers would be out of the way, but I wonder if the sound is weird since it's coming from above instead of feeling like it's beside and behind me?  I can easily run the wire, but I don't have enough left to run wire for both options.  Any input would be awesome.  I'm leaning towards running all wires in the attic and having a place for 3 speakers along each side of the office to allow front, side, and rear speakers all spaced equally apart.  Otherwise I would do something very similar with the wire ran through the wall roughly 48" high.


texts: light switch use now affects other lights

texts:
I changed my pendant light in the bathroom, this is what it looked like when i took the cover off (i choccyboxed off those 3 cables)
I put the new light fitting on and rewired exactly the way it was, and now it interferes with another light in the bathroom. (turning it off and on)

Can anyone see what i've done wrong at a glance!?


texts: How do I choose between ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms?

texts: I need to change my smoke detectors but I don't know how to choose between ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms. I guess that there are pros and cons to choose one or the other. Should I buy a combination detector that uses both methods?


texts:
Bootleg ground means a scenario equivalent to (deliberately) bridging the ground wire and the neutral wire.

How it was physically done (e.g. bridged screws on a receptacle, deliberately bridged wires in the wall without a junction box, or otherwise) is hard to find in a home one moves into. This DIY.SE post shows the dangers of bootleg ground: one fault can energize everything, including metal chassis. Does replacing the example’s regular receptacle with a GFCI receptacle alleviate the problem at all? This 05/30/2017, 09:39 Wikipedia entry implies it won’t, but doesn’t cite a source, so I’m not sure about its correctness.

This other DIY.SE post implies any GFCI with bootleg ground can’t be tripped by external testers but can be tripped by its own test button, but given that Wikipedia entry, I’m not sure which one is correct. If Wikipedia is correct, does that mean such GFCI can’t be tripped with either method?

I tested 2 GFCI receptacles and they’re on different circuits. I used the Amprobe INSP-3 wiring inspector circuit tester. One GFCI can be tripped by both its own test button and my circuit tester. The other can’t be tripped by either way. I measured .45 ohm ground impedance on the latter. Does that mean bootleg ground?
 This video says properly wired receptacles should have 1 ohm impedance. The video’s bootleg ground receptacle tested with .03 ohms impedance using the same tester. Amprobe throws a warning if it’s ≤.04 ohms.

How can I make such GFCI receptacle extend protection downstream and function properly without adversely affecting any other receptacles (on the same or different circuits), breakers, or main panel?

Is it as simple as disconnecting the GFCI's ground wire on the line side? Must I also disconnect the ground wire on the load side? Could this adversely affect bootleg-ground upstream receptacles?

Must I also disconnect all ground wires on the line and load sides of all downstream receptacles, too? Is it safe to leave said disconnected wires in the box or wall? Or, is the only solution to tear the walls apart?

Which does any GFCI disconnect upon tripping: ground, line hot, line neutral, load hot, load neutral? If tripping doesn’t disconnect ground, then wouldn’t a disconnected upstream neutral be dangerous if there's a load elsewhere on the circuit?

I’m in a guest house that has a (sub?)panel that likely sources from the old main house. The main house likely has bootleg ground receptacles and I don’t know what’s inside its panel other than it doesn’t have GFCI breakers.

The .45 ohms ground impedance was measured in the main house’s GFCI receptacle. The guest house has all non-GFCI breakers & non-GFCI receptacles, the latter of which measures .04-.07 ohms ground impedance. Are these bootleg ground? I see 3-conductor Romex when opening some of guest house's outlet covers but can’t search everything. I don’t know if guest house’s Romex is correctly wired or if it matters given main house’s condition.

Would installing GFCI breakers in the guest panel be safe or can the main house’s condition energize the guest panel?

If it’s safe, would these breakers protect everything downstream if some or all downstream receptacles or unmarked junctions have bootleg ground? Must I disconnect all downstream ground?

For the guest house, I have the same question if opting for a GFCI receptacle instead. What are the dangers of replacing a regular receptacle (that has 3-conductor Romex which might be compromised upstream with bootleg ground) with a GFCI receptacle in the middle of a circuit and connecting the GFCI receptacle’s ground?


texts: Repurpose unused 50 amp hot tub panel for 30 amp hvac?

texts:
I have a sub panel that was from when the previous owners had a hot tub.

I'm currently needing a 30 amp circuit for a mini split system and was wondering if I could just swap this 50 amp breaker and then run my 10/2 ** ( correction 10 gauge wire) ** in place of the 6 gauge wire that's currently in place?
I know I could run a sub panel from this panel or replace this with a small panel and have the advantage of expanding things in the future.  However I can't see any scenario where I would ever need that.
** Update For Clarification **
The conduit and 6 gauge wire that was feeding the hot tub would remain in place just be capped and disconnected in the box.  I would  punch a new hole and run the new conduit and 10 gauge wire about 10 feet from here to the outside condenser.


texts:
I am planning an addition and trying to compute the insulation design, and it seems like windows are where all the heat is lost. For example, thermal triple paned glass only has an R-value of about 2.3 compared to 18 for 6 inches of mineral wool. If you consider that that is just the R-Value for the GLASS, and that double hung windows seem to lose most of their heat at the seams, the value could actually be a lot lower than 2.3.

Other than making the addition windowless or reducing the size of the windows, is there anything I can do?

On a related note, I am planning to use commercial-style sealed windows, so I have no issues concerning heat leaking past the cracks in the window.


texts: Screw & Glue Subfloor and Screw Underlayment

texts:
I'm replacing a floor in a bathroom. I've ripped out everything down to the joists.

Is it okay to:
a) screw & glue the subfloor

AND

b) screw the underlayment

Should I use nails? I don't care about speed as it is a small space. I just want to avoid squeaks and problems


texts: Do i need to worry about leveling the floor if there are dips no more then 1/8 "

texts: I have a small bathroom ( 5' x 6' ) that i want to lay ceramic tile. I layed down the backer board and screwed down as recommended. I checked for level and i see that in some spots there are dips but they are no more then 1/8 inch. Do i need to level or when i apply the thin-set for laying the tile will it even out the dips ?


texts:
I'm replacing my flooring, when I removed one of the baseboards it revealed a electrical wire nailed to the floor. What really has me worried now is there WAS 1 area where the previous owner has a nail going through the electrical wire.
"WAS" is because they had the baseboard caulked to the floor and some must have gotten on to the electrical wire as I was trying to removed the baseboard by pulling it up I guess I pulled the wire through the nail. Now there is a hole in the wire.
This wire is attached to a electrical outlet for my fridge and it is working fine.
I only lived in this house for 5 years and it's been like this until I discovered it. Do I have to be worried about it? I was planning on just taping up the damaged area.

I opened it up, good news the nail went in between the ground and hot wire, insulation on hot wire has a little scratch, but wire not exposed. But the ground wire where the nail touched turned green. Is it safe?


texts:
I recently installed an trampoline in my garden. The inclination made it necessary to bury parts of the trampolines feet in the earth.

Since matching replacement feet are hard to source I am interested to protect the feet from corrosion. I wonder if sacrificial anodes are a viable way to protect the metal? Do I need an anode for each foot?

The trampoline feet are made of several individual (hot dip)? galvanized steel tubes stuck together and fixed each with a bolt. The coating is old and partly worn. At several places the joints are also covered by earth. The entire assembly looks like this:

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trampoline_with_enclosure.jpg


texts:
I have 3 of these: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Westinghouse-Make-A-Lamp-Kit-7002500/100192701.

Instead of plugging all 3 of these into the wall, or into a splitter and then plugging it into the wall, I wanted to join all three of them into one wire that I plug into the wall.

I know this can be achieved by joining 3 wires for each connection on the socket and then splicing it into one cable that goes to the wall. However, I also realize that not knowing what you're doing with electricity can start house fires.

Each lamp socket will have a 100 watt bulb. So I assume the wire from that goes into the wall needs to have the right amps for it to work. But this is where I am lost.

And/or, instead of joining the 3+3 wires, is there some kind of junction box that does what I need?

Any ideas?


texts: What are things i can do myself to keep mobile home from falling apart until i can get money to repair

texts:
I live in an Old mobile home.  I am a  53 year old female, single and  some what mechanical. I have a very limited (low) budget.
The walls, inside and out, are coming apart and the cracks are getting wider. The cold is coming thru and the floor is separating.
Things that need attention; roof, walls, wiring, floors. Everything from A to Z, but all that requires money I don't have at moment.
What, if any, are little things I can do to hold it together until I can do better. I have basic tools and can do some things myself.
All suggestions appreciated.


texts: What size Screw/Nail should I use for a 6 lb painting in drywall?

texts:
I am sure you experts get tired of questions like these, but I'm a complete newbie when it comes to hanging things on drywall.

I ordered a piece of framed wall art, which is listed at 6 lbs. If I'm hanging this on drywall, do I use a nail, a screw, or a drywall anchor? It's on a small wall where I won't be able to find a stud.

This is a rental unit and I have no idea how thick the drywall is.


texts: Can I split a 120v outlet off a 240v air conditioner circuit?

texts: I have a 30amp 240v line running to my central  A/C unit. And I want to install an 20 amp 120v outlet next to it to run an air compressor unit. Is this possible and how is done?


texts: Two 14/2 cables for a Ceiling Fan with Two Separates Switches for the Light and Fan

texts:
Is this wiring scheme a code violation for showing two 14/2 cables controlling a ceiling fan with separate switches for the light and the fan a code violation?
We are remodeling and added ceiling fans and slim Led lights to all four bedrooms. I cut the holes in the ceiling and pulled the 14/2 cable to each hole. There are holes everywhere and the sheetrock taper/texture guy is making it all look great.  A licensed Union electrician is installing all the lights and fans and he is making all the wiring connections. However, I am the one who bought the 14/2 cable and ran the cable and the electrician is a commercial electrician working on very large commercial jobs.
The electrician is unable to work for me this weekend so I Googled how to wire a ceiling fan with separate fan and light switches  and found multiple posts stating 14/3 cable is the only proper wire to use unless Smurf tube is used. The posts stated 14/2 cable can be used but will not allow separate control of the fan and light.
And, then I found this diagram on HomeDepot.com which shows two separate wires, although the written instructions accompanying the diagram state 14/3.
I just got this reply from the electrician after sending home post from this site titled “Switch leg to light/ceiling fan with two 14/2 cables”
Electrician’s Reply....Good morning....the wiring for the ceiling fans isn’t a code violation..there is no unbalanced load..the white wires are tied together at the ceiling fan box and switch box..a 14/3 wire would be ok also but two 14/2 wires is acceptable..running two 14/2 cables as you did is good✅ there is no unbalanced loads for they share the same circuit..a unbalanced load occurs at the panel for example ..you have two hot wires feeding the panel..when one of the hot is drawing more amps than the other it is unbalanced..panels are calculated for each load served to prevent this..we can check this when I come back..but everything we did is acceptable..have a great weekend!
So, anyway, am I relegated today to buying 14/3 cable, removing the drywall patches before they get taped and textured, disconnecting the 14/2 cable, removing the ceiling fans, pulling 14/3 cable, and waiting until the electrician can return to rewire everything?
https://images.app.goo.gl/WBHozDSgABBJpuDi7


texts: Can I replace a floor joist cross-brace with two horizontal pieces of blocking in the same spot?

texts:
I am doing some remodeling and want to run a 6-inch HVAC (kitchen exhaust hood) duct through the floor joists. There is one section where the path is impeded by a standard floor joist cross-brace. Can I replace that one cross-brace with two horizontal pieces of blocking between the floor joists? Should I use one at the top by the subfloor and another one at the bottom? How thick should they be? Would 2 by 10 work?

Floor joists are 2x10 on 16-inch centers.


texts: How to make a subwoofer that is also a clothes closet

texts:
I am building a tiny home and do not have room for a dedicated subwoofer. However, I am thinking about making a DIY multipurpose subwoofer/closet. I've read around that clothes can packed into a subwoofer as an alternative to using polyfill. If I make a sealed enclosure subwoofer, the question becomes how to build an airtight door that gives me easy access to my clothes.

Does this sound do-able? I'm thinking of using a refrigerator door gasket to make the airtight door.


texts: Garbage disposal trips breaker when it is switched off

texts:
Our garbage disposal trips its breaker when the unit is turned off. Flip the breaker and the unit runs, turn the unit off and the breaker trips. I have replied the switch. Wiring of the switch, double checked, is correct. Black wires connected to switch. White wires to other connector and white wires to the green screw on the switch. Any ideas on what may be wrong?
Thanks!


texts: Trane heat pump compressor and outside fan do not start after being idle

texts: Trane 4dcy4060a  in heat mode,  after being idle for a while the thermostat calls for heat - the indoor fan starts but the compressor and outside fan do not.  initially  (a couple months ago) i could push on the contactor and the unit would run and keep running and the problem occurred maybe once or twice a week - mostly when the weather is 30 - 35.   recently the contactor would not stay closed - no voltage on the coil.  I determined that if i tap the high pressure cutoff switch the unit starts up and keeps running- until next time this happens.   It has become more frequent - and is now happening more frequently  - almost daily.  if I tap the high temp switch when it is not running it will run for maybe 15 seconds and stop; then tapping the high pressure switch starts it and it keeps running.  Is the problem the high pressure cutoff is faulty or could there be some other problem?  seems odd it would be open when the unit has been idle.


texts: How much of a damaged shower wall should I replace?

texts: I was trying to fix a few crack tiles yesterday, upon removing the loose tile, I found out the dry wall on the back has developed some mold, I removed all the mold drywall, and think about replacing the drywall with some Cement board as the drywall is definitely NOT a good idea to put behind the shower tile? My question will be whether I need remove all the tiles and replace the whole wall, or just replace the damaged area? Any suggestion will be highly appreciated.


texts: Is using a single hanger plus a framing angle on a double member sufficient

texts:
I recently had a deck built.  The deck has a few places where double joists are used between beams to allow cutouts for trees.  The framers used single joist hangers for the 2x6 16" oc joists.
On the doubled member they just added another member to the joist that was already hung with a single hanger.  Is this common practice? - I would never have thought of doing that.
2x6s are less than 7' span between deck beams.  Deck beams are 19' 2x12s on outside.  11 7/8 PSL at house and in middle.
Blue arrows to area with doubles framing around tree.


texts: Can I add an additional outlet using an existing outlet that has no ground wire?

texts:
I am looking to add new receptacles (15A) behind my TV by running a 12/2 romex (20A circuit/breaker) from a nearby existing receptacles (15A). The problem is, the existing receptacle has no ground wire. House is old (1960s), I see the that the receptacle is grounded to the metal box (tested this by running a voltage meter touching the hot prong and the metal box).

After doing some research, I came across the possible solution of just getting 15A GCFI receptacles (over buying 2 prong receptacles) for the new outlet and only connecting the hot and neutral wires. This seems to be the "relatively safest" method without rewiring from the breaker.

Is this the best and easy option? Or are better ones out there (again, without having to rewire from the breaker)?

All suggestions are welcomed! thank you for your guys/gals time!


texts: I have a 2-gang box with a single pole switch and i took power from there to a dimmer next to it. Can i take power a second time from the original switch to install another switch?


texts: How can I prevent the light leaks on the side of blackout motorized blinds

texts: I bought motorized blackout blinds from Ikea. After installing it I still see lights coming out of the side of the blinds. What can I do it completely block the light from entering in? Please see the picture for reference.


texts: What method to use when cleaning an old wall-mounted garage heater?

texts:
I recently bought a home with a detached garage, and within it is an older natural gas heater that I cannot find any information on. It is hooked to the gas line and has instructions on how to light the pilot and operate it, however, I would like to clean it out first because it looks like it has been a very long time since it has been used.

It's about five feet tall, stamped LSC-25 on the front and vents horizontally through the garage wall to outside (metal circular fins).

Who manufactured this heater, approximately when was it made, and how do I go about cleaning it so that I can safely operate it?

I finally found the model information; it was completely covered with dirt and dust.

"Gravity Direct Gas Heater / Mfd. by LSC, Inc. Kansas City, MO / 1982"

I live in KC, so that's kind of neat that it was made here. It states that there is an optional blower... too bad it's not installed!


texts: What size wire for a 60 AMP panel 400 feet away?

texts:
We are putting a sign and several lights in our parking lot and need a 60 amp panel to be located 400 feet from the breaker box. Allowing for the voltage drop, what size wire do we need to run?
Thank you. North America is the location. The sign is 120 volt, 20 AMP in a dedicated circuit There will be three 120 volt, 30 watt lights, one 115 feet from the panel, one 100 feet from the panel, and one twenty feet from the panel. We have considered setting another pole but would rather not


texts:
I am looking to set up a metal shelving unit in a room that has laminate flooring. The shelving unit weighs around 150 pounds with a 2' by 8' footprint. I estimate around 300 lbs of added weight on the shelves once everything is set up.

My current idea is 2 1/2" sheets of plywood side by side with 4 furniture sliders on each

I do not know the brand/type of laminate, it was installed quite a while ago prior to my move in. It is only slightly elevated above the concrete foundation level, so it may or may not even have batting underneath.

Would this method hold up appropriately under typical conditions, without causing undue damage to the flooring?

If not, what would be a better method?

Stock photo shelving unit in question


texts: correcting the Indents on my Fascia boards --- after I chipped and sanded the old paint and then primed and painted

texts:
I  spent a lot of time chipping , scraping , sanding the fascia boards    some of the paint would not come off  and my circular sander just does not do the job my old belt sander did .  Anyway, I put on two prime coats and two topcoats , but the indents are still visible. The man at the paint store said I should have put some mud on in the beginning and use a wide trowel to smooth it out.

Any help from the audience out there ?


texts: If I have a custom sized tarp, is there any way for me to put a grommet where I need it, in a process similar to riveting for example?


texts: How can I fix a large hole in plaster ceiling that's backed by drywall instead of wood lath?

texts:
We are renovating a 1959 home and have a large hole in our plaster ceiling due to the removal of a kitchen wall and soffit. I have reviewed lots of videos about how to patch plaster + lath ceilings; however, instead of lath supporting our plaster ceiling, they did it with sheets of drywall? How do I fix the hole if I don't have any lath for the plaster to adhere to!? If I use hot mud instead of plaster to fill the hole, will a 1/4" of hot mud adhere okay to the drywall without any additional support?
(Note, image includes an additional layer of drywall we added in an attempt to patch!)


texts: Scientifically speaking, how and why does sweating (soldering) copper pipes work?

texts:
A few years ago I remodeled my bathroom and learned how to sweat copper pipes. I've always been able to do it successfully since then, but I've always wondered exactly how and why it works. I've done some searching on the web but most of what I find are "how to" articles and videos, but nothing that explains the specifics of how and why it works. Can anyone give me some answers to these questions that have bugged me?

What exactly does the flux do?

What happens if all the flux burns away before the solder melts?
What if you didn't use flux at all?
What is flux in the first place?

Where exactly should you aim the flame? (I've seen differing reports on this one)

Right at the joint (where the flux is)? (in my limited experience, this seems to burn away the flux immediately and sometimes causes problems)
At the copper pipe, an inch or so away from the joint?
At the fitting that the pipe is being soldered into?

What exactly is the capillary action that draws the melted solder into the joint?

What causes it and how does it work?
Sometimes I find myself in a situation where the solder melts but just drips right off the pipe instead of getting sucked into the joint. What have I done wrong? I usually have to clean everything off and start over when this happens


texts: Suggestions for treehouse platform support without posts

texts: I'm building a treehouse in a fully grown 50 foot tree that has four trunks (as it were) each of which is between a half foot to a foot in diameter.  First, is this a good candidate for a small tree house (5x5 platform) that will be attached directly to the tree?  If so, does anyone have any recommendations for supports in a configuration like that.  I have some ideas but I wanted to get the opinions of people who have experience in contracting and even treehouse building.


texts: How can I effectively hide cables under my carpet or around the room?

texts:
Current situation:

I have recently hooked up my PC to my new room setup. The problem is, the LAN cable is exactly in the middle of the other side of the room. Here's a quick sketch of my room (horribly out of proportion):

The red line is the LAN cable, and the gray area is my carpet. You can see that on the other side of the room, the cable goes under the carpet. This is annoying in two ways:

The cable is loose. If anyone slips on the carpet hard enough, it slips right out of my PC.
The carpet has a pretty visible bulge.

Currently, without a lot of effort, I can't put the cable under the.. wooden thing (I do not know the name, here's an image:)

(Image source: profhome-shop.de)

This is because I would need to rearrange my wardrobe and bed. Also, the cable would need to go under my heater, and I do not want to risk any damage to my cable from the heat.

So I pretty much have no idea.

Is there any better way of arranging my cable around my room?
Can I somehow hide the bulge on my carpet?

(Note: WiFi is not an option ;) )


texts: How long should I let my window dry out before caulking?

texts:
I just noticed a major leak in one of my windows last weekend during a heavy rainstorm. Upon inspection, I found several gaps in the caulking that I think the water is getting through. I managed to get a tarp over the window for a quick fix, but I'd like to caulk as soon as possible.

How long do I need to let the window dry out before scraping the old caulk off and reapplying? I don't want to trap any excess moisture and end up with mold problems, but the longest stretch this week without rain forecasted is only two days. Is that long enough for everything to dry out? My home exterior surrounding the window is brick.


texts: What type of outlet has a button and small hole in the middle?

texts:
I just had a home inspection done for a home we are planning to purchase. The home inspector saw an electrical outlet and didn't know what the part in the middle was for/what was special about it.

  The outlet at the front right corner of the family room is one I have
  not seen before, as shown in the following photo. I believe this
  outlet is designed for use with electrical equipment such as stereos
  and TVs. This is not a GFCI (Ground FaultCircuit Interrupting) outlet.

My first thought was home automation of some kind, but as I'm not in the house yet, not sure. Does anyone recognize it from the photo?


texts: I am trying to install a dryer at the far end of a large house. There is already a 220 circuit on a designated circuit running back there to operate a hot tub. The breaker box is full so no room to add another. Is there any way I can tap into that circuit at the far end of the house and run both the dryer and the hot tub? Can I swap out the 10 gauge wire that's there now with 8 gauge and/or increase the size of the breaker?  Thanks, Steve


texts: Put mortar on cement board for outdoor kitchen

texts:
I am building an outdoor countertop and still thinking about what to "cover" for the bottom part:

To make it simple, I was thinking about some plain design like concrete looking.

Source: http://www.urbankitchendesign.com/fascinating-small-sinks-for-outdoor-kitchen-with-brown-granite-kitchen-countertop-and-black-glossy-one-door-kitchen-refrigerator/

Is it OK to put mortar outside of cement board? I am thinking it could be "uneven" but not sure if it's possible to perfect it.


texts: Non IKEA dishwasher for IKEA Metod system

texts:
I have a kitchen finished with IKEA Metod system and a narrow, 45 cm wide non-IKEA dishwasher. Apparently the IKEA dishwasher front does not fit the typical dishwasher - Metod front's dimensions are 45x80 cm, while recommended ones for a typical dishwasher are 45x(71 - 75) cm. If you follow the dishwasher's manual and mount the Metod front on in, you will not be able to open it (see the image).

There are two recommended solutions:

cut the IKEA front in two pieces and mount them in a way where one is static and the other one is attached to the door. I don't want to do it due to aesthetics.
replace dishwasher with IKEA one - they have a sophisticated hinge system where front slides up while opening door. I would like to avoid this solution if possible, because IKEA's dishwasher is very expensive and really noisy in compare with competition.

I tried my luck with a DIY solution using drawer slides - I attached them to the dishwasher and front. I had to pull up the door while opening and it was kind of working. The biggest issue was that you had to be aware of it - if you didn't pull up and hit the bottom of dishwasher like in the middle picture, you would destroy the "construction". It happened twice. Recently, after the third assembly since October, one slide bent and it all fell apart. I gave up this solution.

I have a second flat which I want to decorate and rent. I am prepared to do "dishwasher transplantation" and get myself a new one. The question is:

Do you have an experience in non-ikea dishwasher with IKEA Metod system? If so, how should I mount a Metod front on a 45 cm non-IKEA dishwasher?


texts:
I'm in the process of removing an old deck attached to my house in an effort to replace it with stairs and a paver patio.
I've gotten most of it torn down and removed, but I'm wondering what the best way to handle removing this last bit of the frame is.
It's nailed directly into the siding, so is my best option to just rip it out and repair/replace the piece of siding afterwards?


texts: DIY cable railing corner post configuration?

texts:
Using Steeltek pipe fittings to create a corner railing over a half lower level. My plan was to have the uprights and top & bottom rails made from the galvanized pipe & fittings and use cable rail for the in between horizontal rails.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to run the cable through the corner post so I can use the two outside posts as terminals. My concern is that I want to alleviate any kinking/scraping of the cable as it makes that turn and is tensioned.

My little drawing:

 .--.                       .--.
/    \_____________________/__  \
\    /                     \  | /
 '--'                       '-|'
                              |
                              |
                              |
                              |
                            .--.
                           /    \
                           \    /
                            '--'


texts: Can I replace a outlet dedicated 16A/240V with a 20A/125V outlet

texts:
can i replace 16A/240V outlet to 125V/20A outlet and it will work for 240V? israel outlet
i want plug my pc and monitor + ups + isolator transformer on this outlet but its 120V/20A
this is my electrical panel i dont know how i check wire size but i use 14 awg cables

i have bootleg ground on my outlets i think so i want change the whole outlet + fix the bootleg ground
i heard those outlets are high quality and very good for sensitive equipment


texts: Double-vanity sinks drain slowly -- venting problem?

texts:
When I turn on the water to my double-vanity bathroom sinks, water begins pooling within the bowl after only a few seconds. The drain lines below the sinks appear to be clear (there is no debris in any of the pipes I could access when I took apart the P-traps) and the problem occurs even if I remove the drain stoppers completely.

Each sink bowl has its own 1.25-inch P-trap, both of which tie into a 1.5-inch vertical PVC pipe that goes into the floor. There is also a vertical vent line going up through the wall, although I can't see where it connects to the drain line going into the floor (in fact, I don't know for sure that they even are connected, but that is the only reason the vent stack would be there, so I'm assuming they are).

I installed this double vanity myself in place of a single vanity. I didn't make any real modifications to the drain line when I did that; I just installed P-traps below my two new sinks and tied them into the vertical line that goes into the floor, which was already there.

I'm wondering if I needed to install a separate vent stack for each sink when I converted to a double vanity. I'm also wondering if there could be some kind of issue where each sink in the vanity wants to vent out of the other sink instead of using the vent pipe in the wall. Basically, I don't understand enough about how venting works to figure out if this is indeed the problem, and if so, what specifically is not right.

I'll hire a plumber if I can't figure this out, but I'm hoping to get insight here that will save me that expense.


texts: can I convert four-wire 250 volt, 30 amp dryer to two 125 volt dual outlet receptacles?

texts: Can I use the 10 gauge wires (red, black, white, ground)from 30 amp, 250 volt dryer receptacle for two 125 volt circuits for two separate duplex receptacles? Can I use stranded wire for jumpers, or must I use solid wire?


texts: What could be causing the grinding noise in my washing machine?

texts: Recently my Kenmore Series 80 washing machine has developed a grinding noise, which occurs just as the washing machine starts doing a spin out to remove the water. It last maybe 3 seconds, and then after that normal sounds of the water being emptied is all I hear. Last year I replaced the motor coupling, but am wondering if that might be what it is? Or what else might cause that problem?


texts:
I have an old house that came with stained wooden planks for the lower bathroom shower ceiling. I recently tore down the ceiling in order to fix a drain leakage in the shower above. Now im looking to redo (reinstall) the ceiling using brand new wooden planks.

I got thin aromatic cedar plans from home-depot. They came in a box and they inter-lock with each other. After the ceiling planks are all installed i planned on doing additional caulking and then painting it with paint + gloss coating (to further prevent moisture from entering thru).

Link to the cedar slats im planning to use.

Questions

Does anybody see any outstanding or possible future issues with this nearly complete DIY project (i still need to sand this down and paint it)?
Also, I will probably add an extra layer of gloss paint for water/moisture protection. Will this cause any issues, like trapping undesirable moisture above the wooden planks?

Thank you for reading. All feedback is welcome!

Updated

I have installed the cedar plans (despite them being very thin and warped in some places). I used nails, liquid nails, and finished with latex/silicone caulking along all the joints.


texts: How do I make my floating shelf stronger/less susceptible to vibrations?

texts:
I'm building an entertainment center. I plan to put a turntable on the middle shelf in the picture below. There will be a floor standing speaker directly below the shelf. I expect the bass from the music to cause the shelf to slightly vibrate. What can I do to reduce the amount of vibration that occurs on that middle shelf? I'm worried the vibrating will damage the records and/or distort the sound.
As you can see, I've already added an extra 2x4 on the top and bottom of the shelf, but I'm not sure that will actually help (I'd add more if I knew it would help). Do I have any other options? I'd like to keep the floating look so I'm looking for a solution that doesn't involve running chains/wire from above the shelf out to the lip of the shelf. Once I start putting reclaimed wood on the frame, there's no going back - that's why I'm asking now. Thanks!


texts: How should I reconnect two switches to these six wires?

texts:
I did not take a photo prior removing old light switches. So, now I am basically stuck. Our home is from ‘53 and wanted to upgrade the original light switches.
From what I remember is that the left 4 wires were attached to one light switch to feed the outdoor light at the front door. The remaining two wires would feed an outlet below. This switch was connected with one black wire to the other switch.
I currently have and had to use two-way light switches only. How would I need to reconnect all? Thanks!


texts: Water coming out of shower head without using the diverter

texts:
I installed a new faucet set in the shower, and when I turn on the water, without pulling the diverter up, water comes out of the shower head. The flow increases, when the knob is adjusted to the highest flow of the water out of the tub nozzle.

I used 1/2" CPVC from the valve body to the tub nozzle, and I am thinking there maybe too much back pressure there. I used CPVC because I do run hot water into the tub.

Will CPVC not allow enough water flow?

Will standard PVC work, without problems from the hot water, to the tub nozzle? The diverter appears to be working open and shut, as it should.


texts:
I apologize for the poor photos but if anyone can figure out what type of bug this is that would be a great help! I was sweeping the other night and when I looked down at my pile I realized some specks were moving!  Upon closer inspection, they were a bunch of tiny bugs! I would say as small as if you were to dot an i.  There were about 30 of them. Tonight, after sweeping some more in an additional area (I removed the children's playmat) we found some more!

Everyone is bite free. Though my son has had bites on his face and legs recently but we think they're mosquito bites (since we found one or two around the apartment).

Extra Info:
They are not located near the bedrooms or bed. I live in a second floor apartment in NYC. I feel like they might mostly resemble fleas - they're not as wide across as a bed beg.


texts: Adding an Electrical Outlet when original is in conduit (what do I do with the ground?)

texts: My home was built in 2015 and all of the electrical wiring is in conduit and there are no ground wires.  I am looking to add another electrical outlet in our bedroom for a wall mounted TV.  I used the last receptacle in the series and have wired up both outlets already.  What do I do with the ground wire that I brought into the box with the existing outlet that I am tapping off of?


texts: Fastener Material for Children's Play Structure

texts:
I'm building a back yard play structure for my children. It is composed of some treated lumber (where necessary) and cedar. I'm trying to keep it as "healthy" as I can, which is why I limited the treated lumber to structural members that won't be frequently touched. High-touch surfaces like railings and floors are cedar.
In looking at lag screws and carriage bolts, I was initially going to use galvanized, as these are generally recommended for outdoor use. However, I noticed at the store that all the galvanized fasteners are plastered with lead and cancer warnings. The display even had a "wash your hands after handling" warning. This is probably an overabundance of caution, but for children, I'd prefer to avoid something with a bunch of lead warnings. I noticed the equivalent zinc-plated fasteners had no such warnings.
My concern is, will the zinc fasteners be sufficiently corrosion resistant? I'm in the Midwest USA, so salt isn't an issue, humidity isn't too bad, and we don't have earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. Also, this is for children, so I assume the structure has a useful life of about a decade before they lose interest. It doesn't need to withstand daily use for a century.
I also picked up some of those new "structural screws", which seem well regarded, but I still want carriage bolts for some of the heaviest loads, like the swingset beam.


texts: Avoid glare on facade/architectural lighting

texts:
I have a neighboring house that is lit with flood lights from all four corners, and am trying to design some form of shielding to eliminate stray lighting and glare from this lighting setup, which is leaking to the neighboring properties, including mine. Dark Yellow is light required for facade lighting, light yellow is stray light hitting everything else

What I need is to design some form of panel that eliminates stray lights AND reflections in both directions. I have come up with this but it doesn't really work as intended:

The funnel prohibits direct light, but creates a reflection from the panels themselves

Making the funnel block direct AND incident light is beyond me without making the panels perfect within a millimetre, and I believe there must be a better way to handle this...

Edit: affected neighbors


texts: Water Heater pilot light blows out after burner ignites!

texts:
MODEL: Rheem Fury 6yr 22V30F
MANUFACTURE DATE: 31 May 2012
I replaced the Thermocouple, and made sure all connections were good, and secure, replaced the Gasket for the inner panel.
This is a Natural Gas unit, and the wall furnace that is on the same line is working fine. Furnace is less than 8 feet of line from the Water Heater. Gas supply good.
I can light the pilot, and it stays on. As long as I do not turn the unit to the "ON" position, the pilot will stay on. As soon as the unit goes to on, and the primary gas flow starts, it will all light for a few seconds, then it is like it burns itself out. Almost like there is too much gas pressure, but that should not be the case as it has been working like a champ since I moved in here.
Any advice would be appreciated.


texts: How can I adjust the water level in a Grohe inner wall toilet?

texts: How do I adjust the water level in the toilet bowl itself? With flushing there is a gush of water that actually flies forward and onto the floor, not really ideal. I think it's because the level of water inside the bowl is too low but I have no idea how to adjust this...a more traditional toilet, no problem, but this one it too high tech for me!


texts: I mounted my 60” inch tv over my fireplace and a bulge has appeared on both sides in the last few days. I’ve done some searches and it sounds like this is a “nail or screw pop”. My question is this something I need to be concerned about? Can the tv come down because of this or rip the tv and mount off the wall? I used a stud finder and there’s 4 2 3/4 lag bolts into the studs but I just want to make sure the tv is safe. The tv covers the bulge/bubble so if the integrity of the mount is fine I don’t care. Any information or advice is greatly appreciated!!


texts:
I purchased this wine rack even though I'm skeptical on the strength of the L Brackets.

I do not have studs in my wall but purchased these heavy duty anchors for 3/8 inch drywall.

Any thoughts on whether this will work or not? I've never done this before so am very skeptical. Any other tips or tricks would be super helpful. Thank you!


texts:
This ball valve is stamped with 304.
304 is supposed to be stainless steel.
Does 304 mean stainless steel? will it rust?
It isn't used yet, how come there is already rust inside?
If i use it, will i expect more rusts?


texts: Is There Any Downside to Using An Air Impact Driver to Drive Screws?

texts: I was interested in using an air impact driver that I had for automotive work and using it to drive screws in my shop. Is there any downside to using an impact driver this way? I know that these types of impact drivers have more torque than a standard drill. The conversion kit looks like this: https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-20754A-Change-Convert-Impact/dp/B0051AE85W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495757695&sr=8-1&keywords=Impact+Wrench+Drill+Chuck


texts: Can I fill a drywall hole with something and reuse the hole?

texts:
I made a mistake with drilling a hole in the drywall.  It's off by about 1/4-1/2 inch.  The new hole will be really close to the old hole, or knowing my poor drilling skills, it will overlap the old hole.

Someone told me I can use joint compound or something to fill the hole and reuse the hole.  However, when I went to OSH, the worker said structurally, we can't refill a hole and reuse it and that the screw/anchor will eventually get loose and fall out.

Is my friend correct that I can reuse the hole or is the worker correct that structurally we can't reuse the hole?

EDIT: I'm trying to drill holes for screw to hold a curtain rod and use anchors in the drywall.  The anchors are the plastic anchors that came with the curtain rod set.  I don't think the rod and curtains weigh that much but the store worker said the filled in drywall won't be as strong as untouched drywall.

I didn't measure the line or drill the hole correctly b/c one of the end brackets holding the rod is like 1/4-1/2 inches too low (stupid me).  I COULD move it out (or in) 1-2 inches to the left or right but then it doesn't look symmetrical, which is why I want to just fill the holes and re-drill a hole 1/2 inch up to line everything up but if the filled in hole won't hold the anchor, then that won't do.


texts:
I'm looking to purchase 4 remote controlled blackout roller blinds in the UK.

I'd like to have them connected to 4 switches in a single grid plate, so they match my light switches.

I'd like each switch to control a blinds individually (using a 3 position retractive switch - up/down/off).

I know that the motor used is basically a 2-core - 2 wires that would connect back to the appropriate control module to supply the voltage to drive the motor in one direction or the other:

A +24Vdc supply will result in the motor driving in direction 1 (i.e. blind open)
A -24Vdc supply will result in the motor driving in direction 2 (i.e. blind close)
Removing the voltage will stop the motor (i.e. stop the blind at a mid point between open and close)

Can you suggest the best way to wire this - I assume wired to a master controller that takes a mains feed and powers all the blinds or something similar? Any ideas what I could use?

Anyone who has seen a wiring diagram would be really appreciated!

Thanks!


texts:
Replacing the trim and floors as well as painting. What order is best?
Here is my thought:

Rip off trim
Prime/paint
install flooring
Install trim
patch/paint trim
finish coat paint


texts:
Our fireplace is about 7 years old and for the past couple of years, only the last opening in the burner has worked. I see the pipe's threading shortly where it comes out of the wall in the firepit, but when I try to turn the pipe with a wrench, the whole pipe, including the pipe the burner is connected to, turns. Any advice on replacing this pipe? And where I could even purchase a burner like this? Thought I would ask here before calling a chimney sweep.

Click for larger view


texts: Is there a way to even out the paint without painting whole wall

texts:
Just painted second coat and noticed botches that weren't there after the first coat.

What's the best way to smooth it out without painting the whole wall?


texts: I have a ground rod but I have no grounds in the house

texts: My panel is connected to the main water intake jumping the meter and I just installed an 8 foot copper ground rod. Even connecting a new breaker with only one outlet attached to it shows that I have no ground on the outlet. I've tested with two outlet testers and a multimeter. Any ideas to what I might be missing?


texts: water running but wont run hot through the kitchen only

texts: we have hot water in all other parts of the house, but not in the kitchen? the water will come through cold and not become hot.  If we turn the laundry hot water on, it will turn the kitchen hot water on, but the pressure is at half strength.


texts: Which type of site tool box/vault is most secure

texts:
I've been investing quite a lot of money in power tools trying to up my game in the world of carpentry construction and feel that's it's just a matter of time before I lose the lot to thieves unless I take preventative measures.
   There are several types of tool vault with different approaches to how the vault is secured. I know from experience that exposed padlocks are a waste of time and disc locks like on the yellow "Van vaults" can be easily drilled out. This leaves me with 2 options that I can think of - vaults with "chubb" style locks or vaults with recessed pockets like on the RIGID(brand) type.
   The rigid vaults recessed pockets leaves the key hole exposed (could these be drilled out? and there are another type of recessed pocket where your hand goes into the recess and the padlock hooks up.
   Does anyone know which type of box is most secure form being openend?


texts: Understanding sink drains with S trap / no trap

texts:
This is an >100yo apartment in the northeast USA. I'm on the third floor/top floor, and the kitchen sink drain appears to have an extended S-trap going into the floor. The piping seems to be done using 2" PVC after the sink coupling. Directly behind the kitchen sink is a bathroom, where the sink drain which goes directly into the floor, and likely shares a drain with the kitchen sink
I haven't encountered any sewer gases and even when changing a toilet did not encounter any bad smells even from an uncovered toilet rough-in.
Am I right in assuming that the whole building likely has a whole house trap? While the sink drains are not up to modern code, does the bathroom sink drain indirectly act as a vent for the kitchen drain? Meanwhile, with a large diameter 2" pipe is the kitchen drain acting as a wet vent, or at the very least reducing the likelihood of siphoning simply because of the size?
I want to add a garbage disposal but wanted to check that shortening the "s-trap" wouldn't significantly adversely affect the drain's venting.


texts: Pouring self-leveling cement to a given depth

texts:
I am renovating a bathroom and installing radiant heat under a tile floor. The subfloor and cement backer board were installed without considering the finished height of the floor. What is a good way to ensure that the self-leveling cement is thick enough, but not too thick?

The floor is a long, narrow room, 5' × 12'. The heating mat covers 22.5 sq ft in the middle with unheated areas along all 4 walls. Per the mfg, Thermosoft, I have stapled the mat to the backer board over a plywood sub floor. Next I plan to embed the mat in a layer of self-leveling cement prior to laying 1-inch square tiles using thin-set. The height difference from the backer board to the adjacent hardwood floor is 9/16". Mat is 1/8". Tile 1/4". How do I make sure that my self-leveling cement is a consistent depth for the entire length of the room?

I am thinking using nuts that are the correct height and securing them in place every 18 inches with a recessed screw. When I pour the cement, I can let it come up level with the top of the nut. It won't matter if it's visible since the tile will cover this surface. Will this work?


texts: Troubleshooting a circular saw that quit working

texts:
I have a circular saw that quit working for no obvious reason.

I cut a board and sat the saw down to get another board.

When I tried to cut the next board, the saw wouldn't work. Pull the trigger and nothing happens.

Is a circular saw DIY repairable? If so, where would I start looking?

EDIT

Sorry, here is what I've tried.

Verified outlet has power.
Removed blade and blew out all debris (doesn't work with blade out either).
Jiggled the cable.  :)


texts: Fixing a door hinge when the part of the board it was attached to is gone?

texts:
In a house built in 1950 there is a door in the basement that the top hinge is connected but the bottom hinge is not attached because the part of the board it was attached to is gone.  I do not know what is holding the rest of the board in place, nor do I know what happened to the bottom part of the board.
I also don’t know how to fix it.  Here are the photos of it:


texts: Do I need a permit to open a wall up for a kitchen passthrough?

texts: I'm interested in opening the wall between the kitchen and the "Dining Room" in an apartment that I'm renting. Before I pitch this to the landlord, do I need a permit for making that kind of modification in a non load-bearing wall? realistically I would only be cutting through one 2x4 and building a header in for the span.


texts: Aircon cold enough only when weather is cold?

texts:
I have a weird condition here.

If average weather temperature outside is 30 (86 Fahrenheit) in whole day (8am - midnight), my room will be quite hot, even I set my aircon in fan 2 - 18 degree.

While, if the average temperature is around 26 (79F), my room will be cold enough in fan 1 - 24, or even 25 (77F), degree.

What could be wrong in my aircon? Usually I turn on the aircon after go back from work - going to go to work next day.


texts: Am I allowed to surface mount a hardwire LED Driver

texts:
I'm installing new LEDs for under cabinet lighting.  The kit I'm looking at comes with a hardwired transformer/driver.

It has clips for screwing it to a wall or the underside of a cabinet.  But one side takes 120v and I would think that then code would require this doo-dad to be in a metal enclosure.
Can I mount this or does code in the USA require devices like this one to be placed in an enclosure ?


texts: what is the most effective and cost efficient way to heat basement rooms via electricity?

texts:
I am finishing my basement and will have 1 bedroom, laundry room, full bathroom and family room with bar.   I want the heating source in the basement to be electrical since the rest of the house is heated by oil and fireplace.  I want to be able to control heating individual rooms when necessary if it will save me on heating cost.  I have a electrical heating unit controlled by a thermostat in my sunroom that is like a big square air vent on the wall.  Are these units better than the individual baseboard units that have a power on and temperature control dial on the baseboard?
what are some of the best names out their for reliable electrical heating units?


texts: Phillips (non-dimmable) 60W LED bulbs breaking in the light fixture

texts:
I replaced all of my light bulbs (CFL's) with Phillips 60W LEDs when they were on sale with coupons last October 2017.  They claim they will last 13+ years if used  4hours / day for 7 days a week.  6 months later.... they are flickering in the lights (overhead ceiling fixtures/no dimmers).  When I take a look, the bulb has separated where the metal socket and glass bulb meet -hanging off the insides of the bulb and the interior white coating is missing in spots.
Home Depot has given me my money back for some... but they cannot explain what is happening to them.  Phillips is asking for receipts - which I do not have anymore.  I am about to ramp up my discussion with Phillips - but wondered if anyone else has had similar issues?


texts: How to unfasten electrical subpanel attached with ramset

texts: I'm getting ready to frame out a wall in my basement that has an electrical subpanel.  I would like to move the panel out an inch or so, so I can frame around it and it will be flush with the finished wall.  There is plenty of room and extra cable above so that I shouldn't need to rewire anything.  My original plan was to remove cover, frame around it, turn off power, unscrew panel and slide it forward, reattach to studs, replace cover, turn power back on.  But, the builders attached it with a ramset directly to the concrete!  So, does anyone have any ideas on how to get that thing removed without having to disconnect all of the wiring to get a prybar in there?  There might be enough clearance to get a sawsall blade behind the box and cut the nails from there, but I wouldn't bet on it.  Any other ideas would be much appreciated.


texts: The cable that feeds the range in my kitchen has the following written on the insulation "Aluminum-B Type SE Cable Type RH CDRS 6 AL-3 CDRS 300 Volts to ground".  The pic below shows the inside of the range receptacle. What type of cable is it (and is it up to code)? Thanks much.


texts: Best way to create a 2" wide * 6" deep channel in conrete

texts:
I'm looking to run a PVC pipe from my new laundry room to the garage where the house main sewer pipe lies. How would a pro do it? I'm assuming a concrete saw and hammer drill will be in play....

Thanks


texts: Floating shelf bracket using shorter metal prongs

texts:
I routed out 25cm long grooves in the center of the thickness of my floating ply shelves (3.4cm thickness). I have metal jumbo bolts of 12mm thickness and 25cm length that worked very well (the section in the wall expands when I twist the hexagonal cross section metal stud that extrudes from the wall. I ran out. I have same thickness but shorter length bolts that are identical except for the length (15cm). Cannot work out if the length should make any theoretical difference or it is purely the cross section thickness that determines load bearing here.
Thanks for any input


texts: How can I attach a light to a tiled wall without having a socket (also avoid drilling)

texts:
In the bathroom the sink has as usual above a mirror. The wall behind the mirror and the sink has tiles.
The light is only in the ceiling.
How could I add some light (source) above the mirror if there is no electric socket to put a bulb?
Is there some kind of lights that can be "glued" on tiles? Same as IKEA sells for e.g. soap or shampoo etc.
I would prefer to avoid some light stand that is in the bathroom. Is there any good solution?


texts: Replacing window frame without replacing window?

texts: I was talking to someone and he mentioned that you could remove a window, replace the sill/frame, then put the old window back in....to me, that doesn't make sense at all, as the old window has caused the damage to the frame/sill. Has anyone heard of this being done?


texts: I am installing a subpanel in an out building that will be fed from a 50 amp subpanel in another out building ( going all the way to the main box is not an option). I only need 30 amps in the new bulding and I am using #6 wire for the 80' run between buildings. After the new subpanel and a 30 amp breaker will be another 55' run to a 30amp plug for a RV hookup. According to the interwebs I can use a #10 wire for that run. My question is when I'm calculating wire size is the length of the run considered from the new breaker to the outlet or do I need to use the distance from the original subpanel in the other building ? My thinking is I should use #6 all the way to the outlet as well.


texts: Professional grade Expandable and Contactable tubing - similar to Slinky Pop Tubing

texts:
I would like to find some kind of tubing, piping, or hose that I can both make longer and shorter, but just as importantly, with a material that even when expanded doesn't 'slag' down, that the material is strong enough to extend horizontally a couple of feet without need of an intermediate support; such as the slinky pop tubing as seen in the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z0hs2p7YN4

Now there are lots of small diameter tubes such as the one in the video, but seem to be used for toys. I am hoping to find something more professional grade that can be contracted/expanded hundreds of times, has a few inch radius. A plus if I can send water through it.

Thanks,

Brian


texts: If I have a firepit on my screen porch, how high does the ceiling need to be?

texts:
I'm building a large screen porch.  The roof is held up by wooden trusses and there is no ceiling.  There will be ceiling fans attached to the joists on the trusses (but they won't be run when we have a fire in the fire pit).  I'm planning a chimney on the ridgeline of the roof.  (The fire pit may be off center, but I figure if the chimney is on the ridge, then the smoke will rise and always find its way up to the chimney.)

I'm thinking about putting a wood burning firepit on the porch.  If I do that, how high would the bottom of the roof trusses have to be to be fire-safe?  (Note I'm not worried about discoloration.)

Also, what if I switched to a propane fire pit?

This is not the same as this question.  The variations may be slight, but the other question is in enough of a different setting that the answers there didn't give me the answers I needed.


texts: Using tarpaulin to stop soil absorbing to rain, trying to prevent foundation damage

texts:
There is a forecast for several inches of rain between Thursday and Sunday here. I am in an old brick home with a sandstone block foundation. The soils are clay in this area.

There is a rather large stair-step crack in one of the front bedrooms, it seems to open up by a fraction of an inch every time we have a large rain event. Due to recent drought, the front yard is mostly bare soil, that is very hard and dry. There is a slight downward slope, from the street towards the backyard.

I am concerned about the soil absorbing moisture and causing more cracking. Is it feasible to use heavy-duty tarpaulins to try and minimise the amount of soaking of the soil? I have been told I am an absolute nutter for even thinking this.


texts: Why does my Qlima™ portable gas heater shut itself off?

texts:
Just brought Qlima gas heater with flame effect.  It starts out ok, but after few hours, the flames turn blue and the heater turns off.

Any ideas why this is happening?


texts:
I would like to connect a new chandelier to the ceiling of my bedroom. The ceiling box has two cables:

black, white, ground - none of these is hot
black, white, red, ground - black on this cable is hot (120 V to ground)

The hot on cable 2 is not controlled from any wall switch (it seems as if it used to have a ceiling fan/light before). It is hot all the time; each switch checked in the house-none controls the power on this hot cable in the ceiling box.

OK, now there is also a wall switch in the same room that seem to be dead. It has three cables (each has black, white, and ground) and none of them is powered.

black, white, ground - none of these is hot (entering the switch box from the above)
black, white, ground - none of these is hot (entering the switch box from the above)
black, white, ground - none of these is hot (entering the switch box from the below)

Cable 3 in the wall switch seems to be the same as cable 1 in the ceiling box (checked the resistance - 0.5 ohm on 1 and 3 probed, and 0.5 ohm when white on 1 and 3 probed)

I am wondering if I can utilize this dead wall switch to control the ceiling box power (and my new chandelier) without laying out additional cables inside the walls.

For example, I was thinking about using white (neutral) on cable 1 to bring hot to the wall switch (connect hot on cable 2 and white on cable 1) which would bring the hot down to the wall switch through 1-3, connect to the switch, and then bring the hot back to the ceiling box through the same cable 1/3). Then I would use black from 1 and white from 2 to power the chandelier.

Possible or is there any other more "professional" solution?


texts: How do I snake this dual-sink configuration?

texts:
The sink drains have become blocked in a duplex apartment.  There is a bathroom on either side of a shared wall, with each sink belonging to a different living space in the duplex.  There is a straight pipe between the sink drains: if I remove both traps I can see through it.  The setup is something like this:

That tee in the middle is inaccessible - it is between two walls and above the subfloor.  Running a snake from a sink obviously doesn't work, and it would take a lot of liquid plumber to fill up both traps and the bottom of the horizontal pipe.

Under the house, there isn't any access that I can see.  I'm not a plumber, though, so maybe I'm missing something.  Here's a mediocre picture of the pipes (the purple circle in both images represents the same elbow):

Any suggestions would be appreciated!


texts: The plastic gadget that contols the string for opening/closing and lifting/lowering of the blinds broke. In not sure,  but it may need new string too. Is that something I can easily fix myself?  I have minimal skills. If so, what is it I need and how do I fix it? If not, other recommendations? Thank you so much!


texts:
I’d like to change my hallway switches to Lutron Caseta Smart Dimmers but I’m not sure how to proceed. I’ll preface with I’ve done pretty basic electrical (swapping to GFCI outlets, changing junction boxes that were damaged, swapping to fan rated boxes, single pole/three way switch and basic outlets) but this one seems to be a bit more complicated than expected. The house was built in 1992 and I’m located in lower mainland Vancouver Canada.

The setup:

The hall consists of three switches and two ceiling lights, both ceiling light fixtures turn on and off together. If switch C is on, all three switches work. If switch C is turned off, switch A ceases to work.

Switch A - One 14/3 wire coming into the box (red, black, white all backstabbed on the same switch and ground just unattached in box) https://imgur.com/L2sXx5l

Switch B -  Two 14/3 wires coming into the box (two reds attached and two whites attached to switch, ground wire nutted in back, blacks wire nutted in back) https://imgur.com/X0qtHBC

Switch C - Two wires (one 14/3 and one 14/2 coming into the box (14/2's black into switch, white wire connects to 14/3's black.  14/3's Red and white into switch. All grounds together in the back)  https://imgur.com/0u5rp0j

I suppose I have two questions/issues here.

First, Is this setup by design (wtf is the point?) or is something janky going on? A lot of inconsistencies have been found by the previous owners so it wouldn't be shocking. It’s been like that since we bought the place and the previous owner, an old lady who bought the place new, just had Switch C taped so no one ever used it. We do the same, Switch C stays on and we control the hall with A and B. We’d really like to use all three if possible without having to worry about which one is on or off hence the Caseta (and the obvious wireless aspect)

Second, I know the Caseta only requires only one switch actually wired and the other two become mounted Pico remotes so how should I proceed?

Any and all help is appreciated


texts: Regular Outlet to GFCI Outlet with four wire connections and no ground

texts: I am changing out another regular outlet to a GFCI outlet and the existing outlet had the four wire connection using all the terminals.  It is an older condo and there are no grounds.  So I thought I would wire the four (two white and two black) the exact way on the new GFCI.  The green light is on but no power in the new GFCI outlet and I cannot push the "test" button.  I have seen mixed responses to similar questions, so I wanted to pose my exact situation.  It is a new Leviton 15A GFCI and based on some other responses to other questions it sounds like I should try to switch the connections (reversing them top to bottom), which I will try when I get back down there, but I am not replacing another GFCI outlet and if the regular outlet replaced has the metal connections intact between the side terminals, I would not think that should matter, but perhaps it does.  Any thoughts or confirmations would be appreciated, I wanted to ask before I swap the wires around (not hot for neutral, but line for load).


texts: What causes standard door hinges to close up to a certain amount automatically?

texts: Hopefully a relatively easy one to answer. :) My bathroom door has a standard hinge attached, that requires the door to physically be closed - this matches the setup of the other doors in my house. However, when fully opened, my bathroom door closes up to a certain point and then stops - this amount is consistent each time. What causes this to happen for certain doors, and not others? This is the only door to do this in this house, but I've seen others that have done something similar previously.


texts: Can I have multiple GFCIs on one circuit?

texts: I have a 70s kitchen with a very long countertop. I understand that I only need one GFCI to protect the downstream outlets (for example near the sink). However, I decided instead to install 3 separate GFCIs, by using pigtails going into the line connectors on each unit. While it may seem redundant, my goal is to make it convenient and clear for anyone in the house to understand which outlet tripped. My question is whether this is an okay setup.  20a circuit for 3 of the. 12-2 wire.


texts:
Update: added some additional details below based on comments.

I have a basement bathroom that I am currently working on. I've framed and installed rough plumbing. I have some vapor barrier problems I need to work through. I live in the Vancouver, bc area and the climate is quite mild, but we do get wet winters. I've had this house for close to 9 years and the basement has always been bone dry. We have a dimpled membrane around the foundation, which keeps the basement dry.

A note about why I'm going vapor barrier. Our local building code requires stud wall with bat (I'm installing roxul mineral wool insulation) and vapor barrier for exterior facing walls. Which is why I'm asking.

The joist header is currently insulated and vapor barriered. I was planning on insulating and running the vapor barrier up and around obstacles via cutting/acoustic seal/taping. Is this correct?
The furnace room, I have two choices finish or not finish.

a. I was planning on leaving unfinished. This poses a challenge though as the vapor barrier will end and then the furnace room will be unfinished. If I was going to do this, how would I vapor barrier? If I'm leaving the furnace room unfinished, I would need to insulate and vapor behind the bathtub and up to the duct work? I was under the assumption that vapor barrier behind tile is not a great idea.

b. The other option is to frame/insulate/vapor barrier the furnace room. How would I do this based on the supplied photos? My areas of grief are the water tank and gas pipes. A note is that we have a insulated hose that is supplying fresh air from the outside into the furnace room.

What option do you guys think is the best and which way should I go? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to get as much info/questions out as possible.

See photos below:

Exterior facing wall in bathroom

Bathtub, furnace room on other side of wall.

Bathtub showing the ceiling

Drop ceiling, working around the furnace ducting

Furnace room, How would I create a wall/insulate/vapor around this?

thanks in advance!

Eric


texts: What is "gauge" size for door hinge knuckles?

texts:
Anyone know the meaning of "gauge" when talking about the outer diameter of a door hinge's knuckle?

For example, commercial door hinge knuckles often have "gauge" sizes of 0.134 or 0.180.

Doing my own measurements, I'm guessing that in this context it means tenth-of-a-meter.  E.g., 0.134 gauge = 13.4 mm.


texts: Why is the TPR valve dripping on my new water heater?

texts:
I recently install a Kenmore #58240 40 gal. electric water heater. I had a 50 ga. approx. 12 yr. old Rheem which started to pop a little so I just decided to get a new one. After I installed it at factory set of 120° F, I noticed the TPR valve was cracking open and dripping as the water was being warmed up after usage.

I had the house pressure checked overnight using an outside faucet to record the house pressure for 24 hrs. and the meter showed that the 150 P.S.I. occurred thru out the night. My incoming water line meter was replaced around 6 yrs. ago and I was informed that the meter has a double check valve in it (closed system now).

My old water heater never had the TPR valve open even after they replaced the meter with the check valves in it. I do not have an expansion tank on the incoming line and am curious why I am seeing this pressure spike all of a sudden.

The service man came and replaced the TPR as a shot gun approach but I checked it immediately afterwards and the same dripping from the TPR valve occurred.


texts: Leaking from roof between a one-story sun room and main structure

texts:
After a big wind and rain,  today I found that it is leaking from the roof at the seam between this one-story sun room and the two-story main structure. This is the first time it leaked at this location since I moved here two years ago. However, there may have been temporary fixes, as a crack in the paint can be seen in the second picture.
Should I call a handyman or the company that installed our new roof two years ago? I suspect that the flashing between the sun room roof and the neighboring wall is broken.


texts: Can dishwasher lines be routed behind range?

texts:
My kitchen set up goes from left to right: Cabinets, range, 18" dishwasher, sink, more cabinets. We would really like to upgrade to a full size dishwasher. I want to hack into the cabinets to do this.

The cabinets immediately to the right of the sink are not the right size, would take some work. The cabinet to the left of the range is perfectly sized interestingly. There seems to be a gap behind the range that could accommodate the dishwasher lines, but is that a stupid idea? I assume the oven is insulated since its not catching wood/drywall on fire.


texts: How do I force pump to force supply to radiators at top of house,

texts:
If I want to force pump to direct all its attention to radiator in loft to see if I can get them hot. Will simply turning down the thermostatic valves for all the other radiators have that affect or do I also need to close the lockshield valves as well

Edit, update explanation of my system

I am based in Uk with three storey house. I have a 2 year old Worcester Bosch 24R Boiler, There is a 22mm supply and 22m return copper pipe round along the first floor floor joists from left to right through the house, with a pump on the supply pipe near the boiler. The supply pipe serves both the Central Heating and Heating a regular Hot Water Cylinder, I can control whether to use CH, Hot Water or both, there is a T-valve near the the hot water cylinder
that controls this.

On the first floor there are 15mm copper pipes that come off the 22m supply and back onto the return, the same downstairs. Evey radiator has its own loop.

The only slight problem with this arrangement is that the T-Valve is positioned after two downstairs radiators have been supplied, so unless I turn them off they are always heated even if only specify Hot water.

In contrast there are two radiators on the 3rd floor (but still top of radiator is 1.5m below feed/expansion tank in loft) supplied by plastic pipe, although it doe seem to also be 15mm. What I can see is there is one set of pipes shared between the two radiators so I guess this halves the flow immediately ?

What I cannot readily see because I would have to remove bathroom laminate flooring is where they join the 22mm pipe, there is a possibility that they are sharing a loop with bathroom radiator.

The radiator that I described as further away, and you say nearer is physically quite far from the boiler (i.e start of 22mm supply pipe), but is probably nearest to somewhere along the 22mm supply pipe. So what is (most)important , distance to start of supply pipe or distance to supply pipe ?

I did consider whether to replace the plastic pipes with two set of pipes and that would be quite easy, however there would still be a short run under the bathroom floor of one 15mm pipe to the 22mm pipe, so if any of the pipe run is shared would that mean having two sets of pipes further up would have no effect.

All of the radiators and valves have recently been replaced ( 2 weeks ago) so there is no issue with sludge in bottom of radiator and unlikely to be problem with valves. Actually last night one of the radiators did get warm (but no hot) throughout, but the other failed for warm at all. I bled them again and there was no air, there was water.


texts: Can I use my old radiator valves when replacing the radiator itself?

texts:
One of my Stelrad K1 radiators has died (corroded enough that there is a hole into it, and it's full of sludge and rust) so I'm going to replace it. It's a standard model, so should be a straight swap in, however:

The new one doesn't come with the pair of radiator valves - I can order them separately (once I have figured out what is meant by 15mm manual angled radiator valves and 8/10mm manual angled valves)

But can I just use the old ones?


texts: Is it a legal requirement / building regulation to have a stopcock within a property?

texts: I recently moved into a property (in the UK) - it's a 1930's semi which was renovated about 2 years ago. I am wanting to have a water meter fitted - utilities company came to have a look and couldn't find a stopcock in the house. There is a mains stopcock in my front garden which controls the supply to both mine and adjoining neighbours, but nothing we could find in the house. I struggle to believe that i can't turn my water off without disturbing next door - is it a legal requirement or building regs requirement to have an individual stopcock in each property?


texts: What is an efficient way of moving home?

texts:
I have been moving so many times in the past few years, usually on my own without any help. It’s exhausting and painful. I’ve probably become more efficient over time but I’m still trying to figure things out and the fear of next move scared me to death while I’m unpacking in the new place for a couple of months now!

I usually keep all the boxes for appliances from the grater and teapot to that exercise thing, etc. I have been wondering if it would be more efficient and less time consuming if I get rid of all these boxes and pack/move them only by wrapping clothes around them? The concern about that approach is that then clothes would be mixed up with kitchen items and separating them would also be time consuming.

Should I keep the boxes or not?
How do you move and what tips do you have to ease of the pain of this process?


texts: 71 gallon water heater doesn't maintain hot water

texts:
Hoping someone can give me some thoughts on what might be going on here so I can be a bit more informed when I call a plumber.

Situation is, we got our water heater replaced a few years back and ever since this has been an issue. It's more noticeable when it's cold outside it seems, but still seems to be a year round problem. Whenever we  use hot water, we basically run out of it within minutes. In order to get an acceptable amount of hot water (enough to take a 10 minute shower), we literally have to prime the water first. By that I mean I have to turn on the hot water, let it run for a couple of minutes, then turn it off and wait 20 minutes. Then when we go to use the hot water again we'll get hot water for a respectable amount of time. Now I am fairly ignorant to all this, but it seems a 71 gallon hot water heater should be capable of holding enough water to not need to be primed like this. I should be able to take a 30 minute shower, let alone 10 without running out. My shower this morning was decently warm for maybe 2 minutes before it was just warm-ish.

So if anyone can give me some ideas on what might be going on I would appreciate it. We've just put up with this for some years assuming perhaps it was some eco friendly thing. Like the system doesn't maintain much hot water in the tank so it's not always running and only heats water up when you start to use it? I hope that isn't the case though and even so, I should be able to get more hot water out of it. Any help?

UPDATE Sorry everyone, I meant to tell you all that the water heater was gas. The pilot light is lit. I don't recall the specific model though I can look that up if people think it will help. I have actually turned up the thermostat on it above the default and when the water heater is putting out hot water, it can be very hot. Too hot. But again, that requires us to prime it before we get any decent amount of hot water out.

UPDATE 2 Looked it up, I believe this is the model info if that helps anyone: State Select: High Output. Model number: GS675XRRS 300


texts:
Can anyone tell me how I can get rid of this black mould?

It has appeared in the corner of our window ledge, as well as all around the bathroom ceiling.

There is no texture to it, it seems very flat on the surface.


texts: How to do modern interior window trim (extension jamb)?

texts:
I have traditional interior window trim in my bedroom:

and want to replace them with extension jambs for a more modern look:

I’ve never done window trim and have never worked with drywall before but have seen a couple of great tutorials.
The reveal on my window measures 2”-2.5”. I’m pretty confident I can tear up the old trim, install corner beads if the drywall edges/corners are unfinished, lay down two coats of drywall compound (basically do a drywall return), and then cut-to-fit the extension jambs.

But I’m wondering how to get uniform spacing between the extension jambs and window frame.
Any additional tips? This project seems straight forward enough but I’d just like to cover my bases.


texts: backup electrical feed to main panel from inverter's GFCI outlet without ground?

texts:
I have rigged a 1000watt/120vac inverter to my EV, to use for backup electrical power during short grid outages (the main "traction" battery has 40kwh and the DC-to-DC converter is known to be able to supply 135 amps to the 12v system). The inverter has duplex GFCI outlets.

I could just run extension cords to the few loads I'd like to support (fridge, modem, a few lights), but I'd prefer to feed the main panel (using an interlock, of course).  I'll probably just feed one phase of the panel, and shuffle a couple of breakers if necessary to get the loads I want (though feeding both phases from the 120vac may be possible, see: feeding both sides of load center from 120vac backup source).

The problem is, ground and neutral are (of course) bonded in the main panel.  This will cause the inverter's GFCI outlet to trip - GFCI's typically test for a ground-neutral short (as well as, of course, an imbalance in the hot and neutral currents).

Question: would it be inadvisable to simply connect the GFCI's hot and neutral to the main panel (via an interlocked breaker) and leave the ground disconnected ?   Seems the house would still have a working ground network, and hazards from the inverter are protected by GFCI; the only real hazard would be if the inverter's case became energized.

P.S. Yes, I realize there are other, more complicated, approaches.  A critical-loads sub-panel, which would have to be connected to the main via a breaker that also disconnects neutral.  Or separating the ground and neutral connections onto separate busbars in the main panel, with a ready means of temporarily de-bonding them.


texts: Can I use separate circuits for Light / Ceiling fan combo for future backup power integration?

texts:
I am in the process of rewiring my 100 year old house.

I would like to use 14/3 wire from the breaker box to run 2 separate circuits, one side will be just lights, the other side will be just for the ceiling fans. Both sides together will be about 1200 watts if all fans are on high and all the lights are on and if I use incandescent bulbs (but who does that anymore).

My thinking is this, some day I would like to put in a backup/alternative power source, I don't want everything to run off the backup power source, just lights and a few other select circuits. In trying to keep the demand on my backup power low.

Anyways is it an option to run those 2 circuits on a single 14/3?


texts: Changing light fixture with red/black UK wiring using only black wires

texts:
I am planning to change a ceiling light fixture in my 1980s-built home in the UK.

I had a look at the box and was surprised to see 3 red wires nutted (?) together and 3 black wires feeding the light. And a healthy amount of tape.

Even though the wires are red and black, the fact that the 3 red wires sit unused does not seem to match any UK wiring scheme of any era, but hopefully I am wrong!

The two beige cables go to the light box hanging below.

Can someone tell me what's what? Note again this is in the UK. I don't know how old the wiring is but the house was built in the 1980s.


texts: When doing a line side tap, Can ground and neutral be tap before the main panel?


texts: How to securely attach a wooden plank to a wooden banister

texts:
I need to securely attach a wooden plank to a banister. The plank is temporary so I need a method that won't do permanent damage to the banister (I do not mind plugging holes and using touch up paint if needed)

Please see attached diagram. I don't know if nails or screws are the right approach. Or if I need to drill holes and use one of those plastic tube inserts.

I need to do this because I need to attach a baby gate to the banister but the irregular shape of the banister prevents me from using any pre-made baby gates.


texts: Can a surge protector prevent electrocution?

texts: My pet keeps chewing cords, and I haven't found a good solution. Will getting surge protectors help keep the pet safe from electrocution if they chew through the coating into the wire?


texts:
I built raised gardens this year and added cheap DIY PVC irrigation.  I used a 1/16" drill bit and drilled several holes in 1/2" PVC pipe.  The 1/16" drill bit was the smallest I had but the holes were still too big for the misting action I was going for; the water comes out in streams and pools in the low spots of the soil.

I am looking for ideas on how I can get more of a "misting" action.  My ideas:

drill smaller holes: problem with this is that 1/16" is my smallest bit, I would have to buy specialty "micro" drill bits plus a special chuck and/or Dremel to use them
drill more holes: I currently have pairs of holes every 9" or so; I could turn the PVC into swiss cheese and put holes every 1/2" or so; I can't really go back once I take the plunge, though
use duct tape: the answer for everything! I could tape over the existing holes with duct tape and use a needle to poke pinholes in the tape; this seems like it would work but might not hold up well

Any thoughts?


texts: How to wire programmable switch to only a single set of white-black-ground wires

texts:
I have a switched outlet that I want to control using a programmable switch. I have done this before with other lights around the house but they all have 2 sets of wires: one from the source and one to the fixture, so I'm familiar with Line, Load, and Neutral connections.

However, this particular switch and outlet seems to be wired with only a single set of wires where black connects to Line and white connects to Load. This makes me think that the switch is wired this way (switch wires are reversed in my case):

Is it possible/appropriate to tap the white load for the Neutral required for my new switch? Would the current draw by the programmable switch be an issue for the outlet? Are there other ways to solve this problem? Thanks.


texts: How can I tell if I have a carbide tipped blade?

texts:
I bought a miter saw about six years ago, and haven't used it that much over the years - however, I have worn all of the labeling off of the blade, leaving no trace of the manufacturer, blade type, or whether or not it is carbide tipped or not.

I now have a need to cut aluminum, which necessitates the use of a carbide tipped blade.  Is there any way I can determine by looking at the blade itself if it is a carbide tipped blade, i.e. are all carbide tipped blades in a special shape or color or something like that?


texts: My husband left the water running from the hose and the well is dry!

texts: My husband was refilling the hot tub and left the hose on. I have arrived at our cabin to find the well is obviously dry. After reading some of the comments on the site I have unplugged the non submerged pump but have no idea what else to do. I have no experience with wells. This is a new property with a new well shared by one other household. What next?


texts: Where should I connect the C wire in a Janitrol furnace?

texts:
I currently have a Honeywell Thermostat with 4 wires going to a Janitrol Furnace.

I am trying to install a Honeywell WiFi Thermostat RTH6580WF and I'm missing my C wire. My bundle has 8 possible wires, 4 of which are currently being used by the old thermostat (see attached OLD Pic). I went to the terminal block and saw a black screw above the W, G, R terminals.

My question is: can I use the black screw above them as my C Wire? It has 24VAC burned into the board above it, so if my assumptions are correct, I would be fine with it; is this correct?


texts: Can I place an inductive range in an iron counter top?

texts:
I have a 1900 Bridge & Beech wood/gas cookstove that I'm refurbishing as electric/gas.  I'm considering placing an inductive range in the wood burner side of the cast iron top.  I can't find an answer to the question of how much (if any) energy escapes the inductive burner that would heat the surrounding cast iron cooktop.  Think of this as dropping an inductive range into a 1/4" thick steel countertop.
Can this be done?
If there is a minimum lateral distance required I'll find a non-ferrous plate to provide the necesary distance.


texts: Should I buy a drill or an electric screwdriver?

texts:
I wanted to buy a drill, but some friends suggest I buy an electric screwdriver instead. They say you can use an electric screwdriver more than a drill, but I'm still unsure which to buy.

I think a drill would be more useful than an electric screwdriver.

Which would be more useful, if I could only purchase one or the other?


texts: Light flickers once when fan is turned on

texts:
Greetings beloved comrades,

I have several lighted ceiling fans of the same model wired with separate, non-dimming, wall switches for the fan and light.  The lights inside may be LEDs, but I haven't disassembled them yet to confirm this.

For one of the fans, switching on the fan at the wall causes the light to briefly go out, for maybe a tenth of a second, then come back on.

This strikes me as very strange.  I thought maybe the inrush current for the fan was dropping the voltage enough that an LED light might turn off and then recover, but this seems unlikely.

I thought maybe there was a loose connection in the switch that would move when the switch was operated, but tapping/manipulating the switch didn't seem to have the same effect.

Any thoughts before I de-energize the circuit and start testing everything?


texts: Actual efficiency of an old oil furnace?

texts:
We purchased a house with what appeared to be a relatively well-maintained oil furnace, about 30 years old (installed in 1984). We don't have any records of annual oil usage, or any way to find that out. From what I can tell, it was originally 80% AFUE.

Energy.gov says old heating systems may be operating at 56%-70% AFUE.

Is there any way to guess what the actual AFUE for this furnace may have been? It's been removed, so there's no way to test anything at this point. The furnace appeared to be well-maintained, and was fully functional. Is it really conceivable that the AFUE could have been as low as 56%? That's a waste of nearly half of the energy! Could it have even been lower? Is there any place where I can find an average AFUE for furnaces of a certain age?


texts: Where does the extra wire connect on my new furnace blower motor?

texts:
My furnace is approximately 20+ years old and i need to replace the blower motor.  however the replacement has six wires and the existing has 5.

Here's the existing motor's wiring diagram:

And here's the replacement's:

I understand the brown wires will connect to the capacitor, and the red, black, and blue wires controls speed. What I do know is what the  white connects to (it’s the wiring between the capacitor and the speed controls). There is a green wire for grounding.


texts:
I live in north TX near Fort Worth.  Not a humid place but a very hot place, averaging 104 degrees in the summer outside in afternoon.

I was planning to buy a Tuff Shed 16 X 20 shed with asphalt roof and a standard home door and a single small window.  I contacted Tuff Shed and discussed my interest in making this a climate controlled building with air conditioning/heating unit and insulation.

They said that insulating it would be something I would have to set up on my own.

But, I don't know how that is possible as they pre-fabricate walls with OSB siding.  Essentially 2 x 4 framing and OSB.  I have a TS now and they are very solid and well built. Been in place for 11 years without issue.

I would think the shed would require a climate barrier layer wholesale on the shed prior to siding.  In other words a plywood layer with vapor barrier and then siding.  Does that make sense?

This implies that Tuff Shed may not be the best route to go but rather a custom built shed if climate control is desired.


texts: OK we moved recently, it's been less than six months. I don't know if it matters but the weather has been its warmest sense we've been here. I think it's relevant because this smell just started about two weeks ago. The smell is only in my room, it smells like it's coming from the two vents, one under the window and one in the bathroom. The bathroom does have a spot on the floor with some pretty tough mold about three or four feet from the vent. When the heat was on you couldn't smell it, but now that the air is on you can, which I thought was weird because it smells just like spoiled milk, or maybe some type of weird mould, but definitely not a dead animal. I did just have some people move my new bed frame in by the window, about two weeks before the smell started. I looked in the vents, down just before they turn, nothing there. I smell it the most when I'm setting on the edge of my bed, the edge by the vent, and at my desk, which is by the the bathroom door, which is where the vent air flow is. You can see why I think it's the vents. But I'm confused and haven't called any professional because I don't know if that's really where it's coming from, because of the stuff I said before and because I haven't smelled it anywhere else in the house, but I spend the most time in my room. I guess that's about it. I just want to find the source, I can take it from there.


texts: How can I transition a square duct to round of the same outer size?

texts:
In remodeling my bathroom I had to convert a 6"x6" square duct underneath the floor joists in the basement to flex so I can get around my new toiler drain. I cannot for the life of me find a 6"x6" square to 6" round transition anywhere.

Do I need to fabricate one myself? I don't know what to do.

I am aware that a 6" round duct is smaller than 6"x6" square by ~20%. It feeds the foyer which I have kept the damper nearly closed anyways because it gets very hot/cold in that location.


texts: I received my refrigerator and after having it in the house by taking doors off and leaning it on side, 30 minutes late I plugged it in not knowing until after 24 hours that I was supposed to wait before plug it in.  The manuel was missing.  Do I unplug it and wait another 24 hours and plug it back in.


texts: What can I do about water coming in from underneath when it rains?

texts: I live in a newer home. when it rains really hard and  a lot water comes in and soaks my carpets.I can feel the walls wet. I don't have gutters or any leaks around window. I already had that checked. somebody said water statics. what do i do if it is ? I would love any help


texts:
I need to hang a (light) decoration temporarily between two irregularly shaped stone outcroppings. I'm looking for something like a tension rod that I could place between the two stones (and would hang the decoration from the tension rod). The space between the stones is only about one inch.

Is there anything like that on the market? When I search for tension rods, I only find those used to hang curtains, and they are way too big.

This is supposed to be a temporary hanging, I can't modify the stones, and since the stone is irregular, those temporary glue hooks won't work.

Thanks


texts: Weather proof connection from FMC to box

texts:
I usually use these clamp connectors to connect flexible metal conduit to a box:

However, I am now installing a weather proof light fixture box outside of a shed (just surface mounting it, poking the FMC through the wall straight into the back of the box - basically like this but surface mounted). So I didn't think that warranted fully water proof conduit, but I can't seem to find any connectors that will keep water out of the box at the connection point. Do I not need to be worried about this?


texts:
I'm seeing this sort of interface where grout has been placed between the wall tiles and the door jamb.

Is that the best material to use? Why not silicone? And how about aluminium angle trim? Or is that just over the top and too visually intrusive?


texts: Sloped Floor: Quick Fix for Bed and Desk

texts:
The room I'm in is about 8' wide x 16' long.  It slopes fairly heavily, primarily width-wise. The bed and the desk both go against the long wall, meaning the slope either results in a raised head or feet when sleeping, and I'm either pushed against the back of my chair or to the front. I've tried to ignore it, but it's starting to do damage to my legs and back.
I'm going to buy a bed frame with adjustable legs and use a level to level out the bed.(unless anyone has any better ideas).
But what about the table and chair? How can they both be level and on the same level as each other? I can't redo the floor. Are there any quick fixes? Any kind of large, adjustable chair/desk mat I could put underneath?