texts: What bathroom vents/ceiling/roof vents and fans are most recommended?

texts:
I need to vent a room in an uninsulated cabin - the ceiling is also the roof - so I don't need soffit tubing or anything like that.  I am looking for a fairly cheap item that has a large cfm ability.

(This is for venting steam from a maple syrup evaporator)

EDIT

We ended up just putting in two vents in the roof.  (Maybe 12"x12" each - though maybe a little smaller than that)

We did not need a fan.  We still get a tiny  bit of condensation on the ceiling but not even close to what it was before.  We are happy with the two vents but may add one more.

First we put in one vent and it was FAR superior to just having windows open.  We could actually see across the room when boiling/evaporating.  Then we put in a second vent and that made a difference too.

The next vent will be fed directly from a steam hood we will put over the evaporating pan.


texts: How to know if I can use LED ceiling light bulbs?

texts:
I'm renting a flat and need to replace some light bulbs. The bulbs I need are 12V MR16/GU5.3 bulbs.

How can I tell if I can use LED bulbs as opposed to the halogen ones that are there currently? If something needs to be installed in order to be able to use LED bulbs, is this something that I (as someone with no expertise in this area) can do myself, or would I need to get an electrician for that?


texts: Light required at bottom of L-shaped stairs or is on landing only sufficient?

texts:
I have a L-shaped stairway with connecting landing going from my ground floor to my to-be-finished basement.  There are 11 risers going down to the landing, then a 90-degree turn to the left, then 5 risers down to the basement floor.

To meet NEC requirements, must I have a light at the base of the stairs (in the basement ceiling) controlled by the switch at the top of the stairs, or is one light on the landing (visible from top and bottom of stairs) and controlled by a switch at top and bottom of the stairs sufficient?

NOTE - I don't really want a light at the bottom of the stairs on that circuit.  There is already one there on another hallway circuit that is switched at the bottom of the stairs.


texts: Is it possible to use a hot water recirculation pump with a PEX home run system?

texts:
I am interested in getting a hot water recirculation pump installed so that I can get hot water faster to each of my faucets.

From looking at the picture and researching I believe I have PEX in a "home run" configuration:

When doing my walk through with my warranty guy I mentioned I was interested in getting a recirculation pump, but he told me he wasn't sure how that works with a manifold and that I should investigate first.


texts: How do I identify drywall that does not have fiberglass to add strength?

texts:
I know from long experience that drywall often (always?) has glass fibers (fiberglass) mixed in with the Gypsum to add strength.  Because of the number of drywall related products that have fiberglass in them, I am having trouble finding good references.

I did find Possible Environmental Concerns with Recycling Gypsum Drywall which says Type X drywall has fiberglass in it. The article also says older drywall may have Asbestos and/or Mercury.

Looking for reliable references that indicate how I can tell that a drywall product only has Gypsum between the paper, or at the very least how to reliably identify drywall that has fiberglass or other hazardous additives.


texts:
The future bathroom in my basement has been roughed-in by the builder. Spot where the tub / shower goes was covered over by a square plastic tub (a "dap-out", if the spelling I see online is correct).

I removed the plastic, and under the gravel out there, all I find is a diagonal pipe that runs horizontally. There's no vertical riser, though it does look like there's probably a slight down-grade towards the sewer cleanout.

There's no P-trap; I'm assuming I'll have to build one as part of the fixture here.

How do I install a tub/shower over this riser-less rough-in? Should I install a riser and connect to this horizontal pipe, hoping that waste will flow through normally without settling down at the spot?

Or, should I call a qualified plumber and have them worry about it?

I don't have pictures at the moment, but will be able to upload a few later tonight.

Edit: Here's a photo of the setup. Top right of the photo is a vent stack, to the right is the 4" toilet rough in, and one sewer cleanout is towards top left, around 15feet away: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=984BD8DB48E0EE68!84829&authkey=!AJ6s_mgiiNRkLm8&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg


texts: How to remove Joist finder screw of Squeeeeek-No-More-Floor-Repair-Kit using jaw locking pliers

texts:
As I was inserting a joist finder screw in carpeted floor, a component of the Squeeeeek-No-More-Floor-Repair-Kit, it got stuck in the floor so tightly that it couldn't be removed with a power drill no matter how much pressure I applied. You can see in the picture below that about half the length of the screw is stuck in the carpeted floor.

So I purchased locking jaw pliers from Walmart but maybe because the screw is very thin they do not close firmly so when I rotate them to remove the screws they detach.

Can anyone recommend any videos or other resources or methods I can use for help with removing the joist finder screw using either jaw locking pliers or a power drill as these are the only tools I have? None of the Youtube videos I watched or articles I read have addressed this issue specifically (or for some reason the jaw locking pliers did not stay attached to the screw once they closed as shown).


texts: Best way to make large clean cuts into particle board?

texts:
Pictures:
http://imgur.com/a/WK7nP   (please try to ignore the large amounts of dust/dog hair)

I have a fairly cheap tv cabinet / AV rack that I assume is made with particle board. It is sectioned of into spaces for stereo / AV equipment. In one of the spaces I have a very large power amplifier that is nearly too large to even fit. It runs very hot right now and does not get adequate ventilation.

What I want to do is cut two large square holes in the top, leaving room for the other small devices to still be supported and sit up there, a very large hole in the left side of the unit, and either cut a large hole in the right side divider piece, or just remove this divider entirely if it doesn't compromise the structural integrity.

How would I go about make good clean cut that don't look tacky? Is the right divider needed for support?

Thanks!


texts: Plastic screw from a toilets flushing mechanism

texts: What is the name of the red plactic screw in the picture? It's from a toilets flushing mechanism.


texts: LIghts flickering across multiple circuits

texts:
I've found multiple questions that are similar to mine, but not quite the same.
I have multiple LED lights that occasionally flicker (maybe a few times an hour, for about 15 seconds). Not like a "trying to turn on and then turning off" kind of flicker, like a very visible 10Hz-ish-I'm-going-to-have-a-seizure kind of flicker. This happens to multiple lights: bathrooms, hallways on different sides of the house, dining room, and entryway. All told it's three different circuits. When the flicker happens, they all flicker. They otherwise work perfectly fine.
I cannot seem to connect the flickering to anything consistent: sometimes the heater is running, sometimes it's not. Sometimes the fridge is running, sometimes it's not. I tried replacing the light switches on a whim, but that changed nothing. These are all just dumb switches, by the way-- no dimmers or anything.
I don't really know what to investigate, here. My appliances appear to work without issue. My outlets appear to work without issue. I don't notice any flickering in the LED trim lights I put into my pot lights; it's possible those are too high on the vaulting ceiling for me to really notice, but that seems like a dumb explanation for why they don't seem to be flickering when honestly at least half the house seems to be. If I want to go to a rave, I'd like to do so by my own free will.
Update 1: every single one of these bulbs are new, from Home Depot. I recently purchased this house and went on a color temperature matching spree (we've all been there, right?). I just noticed that one of the bulbs in question, in a bathroom, is dead. That seems relevant.
Update 2: Scratch the previous update, that bulb was just loose. Between all of the flickering lights, the brand is the same. The entryway and dining lights use EcoSmart B11s, and the hallways and bathrooms use EcoSmart A19s.


texts: Can i use Straight blade connector for garbage disposal under sink

texts:
The current garbage disposal is hardwired , I am replacing it with new one which comes with cord . can u use cord connector (Straight blade connector)
is it ok to use this setup ans be under building codes ?


texts: Does an app exist to allow mobile control of Velux windows?

texts:
We live in a rental apartment and we have several windows by Velux controlled with homecontrol-io.

Is there an accessory that performs as a gateway and allows to control the windows with a smartphone?


texts: Ground to neutral bus/connector on receptacle

texts:
I'm replacing an old/aged receptacle. Incoming hot wired to hot on receptacle. Neutral had been previously connected but snipped off and wire is loose in box (copper end more or less insulated). Incoming ground is wired to ground on receptacle and then jumpered into the neutral connector on the receptacle. It appears it was originally wired as I would have thought appropriately but then later altered. The original wiring is mid-70s vintage. There are no other conductors in the box so it's not in series with anything (at least visibly in the box).

I suspect this wiring has been in place for decades without issue but this feels like a hazard. Can't think why it has been altered in this way. My thought would be to pull this and wire new receptacle in traditional manner.

Any reason anybody can think of why I shouldn't proceed with traditional wiring on new receptacle?

Cheers.


texts: What's needed to add an Osram Lightify bulb to a Philips Hue installation

texts: I have started my experiments with Philips Hue with white bulbs, and so far it looks appealing. I would like to go on and add some more interesting bulbs, namely Osram Lightify Tunable White. Googling hasn't helped yet: Do I need to buy an Osram Bridge too, or can I pair an Osram bulb directly to the Philips Hue bridge?


texts:
... Apologies if this is the incorrect forum for hardware recommendations...
I'm planning on wiring my Portland, OR (cold & damp, but non-freezing climate) house for Unshielded Cat 6 or Cat 6a ethernet.  I enjoy this kind of long project.  I'll be running in various locations and don't know which type of wire I should choose for the various locations. No buried or wet runs, BTW, but they do come close to the elements.   I don't need any gel-filled direct burial.  I'm very knowledgable about wiring types, terminations, keystones, patch panels, and low voltage installation so please be technical.  I Just ran lots of Cat 6 in my dad's new basement for his 8K TV. (My dad ONLY watches the talking heads, BTW!)  My wires will come to a closable cabinet in my finished basement.  The cabinet will house my fiber modem router, switch, UPS, and NAS.  The wires will go out to different locations in the house through different conditions:

Out the back of the cabinet into my covered non-temperature controlled closed garage.  This visible cable run will run up to the ceiling and go through the joists along the ceiling, around the garage and into a connected under-porch storage area.  It will run up and enter the front wall of the house.  This will run a Ring Doorbell via PoE.  Does this need Exterior gel-filled cable.

Out the back of the cabinet and behind the wall around the indoor inside of the foundation of the house.  The finished basement walls were installed about 4 inches away from the foundation for insulation.  Wires can be fished through there.
-- One wire will travel 50ft around the basement along the foundation and up the inside of exterior uninsulated wall to an external backdoor outdoor webcam powered via PoE.  Outdoor or Riser?
-- One wire will run along the inside of the foundation (behind the basement's finished walls) and then up into a desk in the kitchen.  The foundation doesn't freeze, but it gets cold.   Riser?
-- One wire will run 50ft along the foundation and then have a short run under the house through the joists.  Covered but there are spiders.  I hate spiders.  Outdoor for this run?

Up from the basement cabinet in the wall alongside the side of the 1910 chimney (directly above this cabinet on the first floor) up to the second floor. There's enough of a gap between the bricks and the floorboards/ceiling to run several wires up.  These will be run all the way up to the the attic floor/second floor ceiling (which I am re-doing) and then dropped down various walls for TV/workstation jacks as well as the upstairs WiFi access point.  Cat 6 Riser for this.

I don't want to violate code by running outdoor cable when I should have run Riser.  I didn't want to find that I should have used gel-filled under my porch or under the house.  Alternatively, I didn't want to run Riser under the porch only to have it disintegrate due to the cold.  Or find that my outdoor cable needed to breathe more or something.  I also didn't want to worry about the cable jacket breakdown since it will be running along the inside foundation.
Thanks so much,
DW


texts: Reinforce ceiling joist for ceiling storage

texts:
I am planning to build ceiling storage in garage. One side of it will be hanging from ceiling joist the other one will be attached to the wall. The joist that I am planning to use 20 ft long and consist of two 2x4 linked by metal plate, so it is not strong enough to hold 1,500 lbs of my planned weight. I am planning to reinforce it with i-joist from below and pull and old joist and new i-joist together with giant u-bolts (so ceiling's sheetrock will be sandwiched between current joist and new i-joist). For 20ft width I am planning to use i-joist 14" or 16" tall and have 7 u-bolts. I am curious if this design makes sense and strong enough? I am also concerned about my roof, which might be deformed since current joist is linked to it by 2x4s again by metal plates.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully, my explanation makes sense, I am currently learning SketchUp so that I will be able to draw proper illustration.


texts: How can I Run a 230V 50hz tool on 100V 60hz

texts: I have a drilling machine bought in England which I want to use in Japan. I believe I will need some kind of inverter. Suggestions for the cheapest way to do this?


texts: How to pump water from two cisterns with one pump

texts: I live in Mexico where we get city water two or three times a week which is stored in our small cistern. I want to add a second cistern and use the same pump for both to send water to the house. The two cisters cannot be connected at the bottom.  How can I make this work?


texts: What is the difference between a professional grade drill and a non professional grade drill?

texts:
I need a hammer action drill capable of masonry drilling but also for my workplace, (plastics).

I keep on coming across references to 'professional' ranges

e.g.

  If your Bosch drill is a professional range then it will more likely
  be better than these budget Makita tools. Makita make some real
  quality gear but these B&Q are real budget non LXT so proper Makita
  batteries will not even fit them.

All I have been looking at is torque and hammer action.  I don't want to buy rubbish that will wear out in a few months.

What exactly does professional range mean?


texts: Adding an electrical outlet to a toilet/tub room

texts:
I would like to add a GFCI electrical outlet in a toilet/tub room. I can tie into a dedicated 20 amp switch circuit for the light/vent/heater in the toilet/tub room. I am concerned about having enough room in the single gang box for the light/vent/heater switch to add the additional pigtail and GFCI supply.
Conversely I can tie in to a 15 amp circuit for the adjoining bedroom outlets and light switches, however I’ve read that a bathroom GFCI should be on a 20 amp circuit.
Any perspective would be appreciated.
Dave


texts: What materials could be used instead of cement for a water-tight trench

texts:
I'm trying to create a water obstacle to walk horses through - maybe even deep enough for them to swim through.

I'm having trouble coming up with an idea for what to use to keep water in and have good footing (without mud) at the same time, but something that's a lot easier on the pocket-book than cement.

Any suggestions for what I should use for the walls and the floor? they can be different if necessary. I figure since sailing ships and canoes were created long before concrete, I should be able to make something that holds water. I could probably even spray on a water-proof liner that has traction for the footing.


texts: Why did an HVAC installer add this PVC pipe?

texts:
We recently had a VERY old central heating furnace replaced and I noticed that the HVAC installer added the following PVC pipe shortly before the inspector arrived:

The metal vents were already part of the original furnace.  I'm confused on what the PVC pipe is for.

I don't think it's the condensation water escape - those are going out both sides of the house.  So what is this for and why is a metal vent insufficient? Does this pertain to newer standards/codes?


texts: Why were all three of my toilet bowls empty upon returning home?

texts:
Away for a week, came home to find all 3 toilet bowls dry - 2 on upper floor and 1 on lower.  Each flushed and filled fine, except with a kind of clunk sound with each flush.  No sign of leak anywhere in 10 year old house.  We heading away again; feeling a little nervous.  Any suggestions?
Connected to community sewer, no dog left home alone for a week yikes!  Very hot & dry in Kelowna , maybe Jack is correct.  Will try the plastic wrap nex week.  Thanks all


texts: Are generator "bonding plugs" safe and legal?

texts:
I've been researching portable generators, and I have learned that models with a floating neutral need to be grounded.  Some people say you can bypass this requirement by plugging a "bonding plug" into one of the generator's outlets.
These bonding plugs are basically a normal 120V electrical plug with the neutral and ground pins connected to each other.
Is this a safe and legal (in the US) approach to portable generator grounding?


texts: How to have my house inspected for mold?

texts:
I recently did a Google search for mold inspection and felt a bit overwhelmed by the results and conflicting advice.

I am asking because I am chronically ill and have recently been diagnosed with severe mold allergies.  I just started a five year allergy immunotherapy program, but I'd like to know what I can do right now in order to reduce my exposure to environmental allergens.  Nasal sprays help enormously, but I'm constantly suffering with fatigue, malaise, and now I'm getting a flaring up of tinnitus on one side, too.

It may or may not be relevant to point out that I have lived in my home for four years, it was built in 1982, and the previous occupant of the home was an elderly man who only did work on the house if it was absolutely broken.

By my Google search, I found that there are two routes I can go.  One way is to get a home test kit.  The ones I've seen only test suspect surfaces.  Critics say that these kits are useless and I'm inclined to agree because I'm concerned about what I am actually breathing.  (I have a gut feeling that it likely has to do with the ventilation downwind from the air filter, which does get changed regularly)

The other way is to call for a professional mold inspector.  This is even more confusing, with advice about inspectors advertising questionable credentials and charging a huge range of prices for services.  I have no idea how to tell who is a credible professional or how much I should expect to pay.

I also have no idea what to do with any test results.

I don't know what to do, but I want to get some actionable information.


texts: How Much Power Do LED Drivers Draw When Not Loaded?

texts:
Question is about those LED drivers that convert 120V (or whatever your house voltage is wherever you are) AC to 12V DC for driving LED light strips and the like.
Do they draw power when plugged in, but not loaded, i.e. the lights are turned off (switch on DC side)?  If so, do they draw full power (e.g. 100W), or some kind of standby level of power?
TIA.


texts:
I recently purchased a ceiling fan - Harbor Breeze Tilghman WITHOUT a light - to replace a ceiling fan WITH a light.  The wires coming from the (old)ceiling are red, black, white, green, and copper. The green wire is coming from the ceiling mounting bracket. I do know the light worked on the previous fan before replacement, but the fan motor had long burned out.  On the new fan, the wires are white, blue, and black; with the green ground wire from the downrod.
The old fan connected to one switch, which turned on both the fan and light, then we could use the pull chains to turn either/or off as desired.
I have tried multiple wiring combinations and still the fan does not work.  What wiring combinations do you suggest - aside from the obvious white-white, black-black, and green to green, I'm not sure if I need to connect  the red (from the ceiling) or the blue (from the fan - since we don't have a light on this fan) to anything or to simply leave the alone and wrapped in electrical tape.  Any suggestions??


texts: Water not circulating in one radiator on a hot water boiler

texts:
My boiler has 4 zones. Zone 1 is the bottom floor.

There are two radiators in zone 1. I am replacing one of them, an old baseboard radiator, with a cast iron with similar BTU.

We hooked up the new radiator and got nothing. But the other radiator on the same zone is working fine.

In the process of troubleshooting, we confirmed that whoever installed the boiler was reading the diagram backwards and put valves on the supply lines, not the return lines, so there is no easy way to bleed the air out of each zone other than the air vent taps on the radiators themselves.

Naturally, all 3 air vent taps on the new radiator are frozen, so we had to drill a new tap. After that, we confirmed there is no air in the system.

We thought, blockage. We disconnected it, flushed the lines, got a little gunk but nothing significant, and are able to easily blow air through the whole circuit.

The two radiators in zone 1 are connected in parallel, that is, the supply line is split right near the boiler and they have separate return lines.

The radiator that isn't working shares the return line with radiators on the 2 floors above. The way the return line is configured is it has to push water up 6 feet, and it joins the return line with a standard T joint, meaning there is also pressure coming from the floors above.

Is the problem the pressure in the system?

I figure either the two radiators connected in parallel are not balanced, so the pump is not circulating enough water in the line to the new radiator, which is the longer of the two.

Or, the pump can't generate enough pressure to push the water up 6 feet and against the water coming down from the floors above.

Does that make sense? Do I need to reconfigure it? Constrict the supply line on the one so the two are more balanced? Hook up the return so it's not fighting the pressure of the water from the floors above? Just get a stronger pump?


texts: full size wood mantlet (5 in+) 12 inches away from the fireplace openings top? US - TX fire code

texts:
TLDR, can I have a full size wood mantlet (5 in+) 12 inches away from the fireplace openings top?
I am reading the fire codes

Exposed combustible mantels or trim may be placed directly on the
masonry fireplace front surrounding the fireplace opening providing
such combustible materials are not placed within 6 inches (152 mm) of
a fireplace opening. Combustible material within 12 inches (306 mm) of
the fireplace opening shall not project more than 1/8 inch (3 mm) for
each 1-inch (25 mm) distance from such an opening.

Does this mean if I had a 3 inch mantel, which is pretty stubby, I would need 6 inches + 21 inches? 27 inches is massive. My fireplace top opening is at 37, and my ideal height (top) is 53 inches, maybe 49 inches off the ground. Or is it saying that I can have at most 6/8 inches unless its over a foot away? The wording is super confusing.


texts: What could be causing our cedar siding to be warped near the chimney?

texts:
My wife and I noticed some warping in our cedar siding near the chimney. Any idea what could be causing this and what sort of repair might be needed? Here is a picture:

https://ibb.co/dH4zQF


texts: Can I install laminate (Pergo) flooring over previous underlayment?

texts: I tore up laminate flooring and the underlayment is still intact and in very good condition.  Can I install the new laminate (which has the underlayment attached) on top of the existing underlayment?


texts: Water Filters Before a Shallow Well Jet Pump?

texts:
I have a cottage which has ridiculously rusty, hard water. Previously I asked about putting filters before or after a water softener.

My question here is, Can I put a filter, like an in-line rain-fresh filter, before the jet pump? e.g.

feed from well --> water filter --> pump --> softener --> tank


texts: I've had several mold remediation specialists come to my home each touting their preferred EPA approved mold killing agent including: Cal-brite, Fiberlock Shockwave, Microban BotaniClean. I've looked at the specs and can't tell the difference. Their prices very greatly. How do I know which one to use?


texts: Running a jumper ground wire from panel to non grounded outlet

texts:
I opened up my panel and ran a green wire for ground (14 solid awg) from the grounding bar up through the floor into my office in order to ground an existing outlet.  I have also done some grounding where I tapped into an existing grounded outlet in the basement (newer wiring down there) and ran a green wire up to other previously non-grounded outlets.

The only issue I have noticed is on the second senario, and it may be due to the ground coming from one circuit (18) and being tapped into for an outlet on another circuit (6). I find the outlets on both 18 and 6 that have been upgraded to GFCI are tripping every few days.

Is what I have done acceptable?  I am in Wisconsin, USA.


texts: How to repair an electronic igniter on a gas stove?

texts: How can I repair an electing ignition on a gas stove that is intermittent?


texts:
While doing other projects I discovered that my receptacles (garage ceiling) are 15 amp rated but are on 20 amp circuit. House is 20+ years old.
What does it mean?

20-year old code allowed this?
Special case for garage ceiling receptacles?
House was not built according to the code?
Somebody did the work not according to the code afterwards (previous owner)?

Also - these receptacles are not GFCI protected. Inspector did mention another not protected receptacle (at the time code didn't require it) but didn't mention that these receptacles need to be protected. Does it mean there is something special in this case?


texts: Process and product to fix concrete slab surface issues prior to framing over them?

texts:
I have some issues with the slab that was poured for a garage, and I need to frame an interior wall over a bad area.

The slab was poured with a bit too much water (5.5 slump) on a hot day in July. I think this caused some water to get trapped, which caused a top layer of concrete, about 1/4" to 1/2" thick to peel off and sound hollow under some spots. Also, the floor isn't perfectly level, as the troweling machines were put on it too soon.

What products(*) and process should be used to correct these surface defects prior to framing walls over them?

Here are some photos:

* By "product", I mean self-leveling, patch, hydraulic, ready-mix, etc, or a combination thereof, not necessarily a brand recommendation.


texts:
My house came with a lovely 36" Viking propane range that's now 20 years old, and starting to die. Replacing it would be expensive. Exorbitantly, and infeasibly expensive.

Replacement 36" ranges are pretty pricy - even the low-end ones, and I could put in a very high end 30" for less than the cheapest 36".

But - what to do about that extra 6", and are there any other issues I'm missing? The range is in the middle of the counter, so I can't just ignore the gap.


texts: A guest pushed in my shower wall tile. How can I fix it?

texts:
Some guests stayed over at our house a couple days ago and one accidentally leaned a little on the shower wall. Leaving behind a gap between what seems to be the drywall or backing and the actual tile!

Now we’re not up to the idea of spend hundreds on tearing it down and replacing it. So is replacing it necessary or can we just fill in the cracks with grout filler or cement? Is this an option.


texts: How to remove big PVC coupler in hot tub

texts: This PVC coupler is dripping enough to empty my hot tub in a few weeks. I can't figure out how to remove it. Do I need to cut? Or is there some way to get it off, put new sealing tape, and put it back?


texts: Is this mold in the walls or something else?

texts:
We are remediating visible mold in certain areas of the house. This weekend  I took photos in side the walls and into the attic. Does these photos look like mold or something else? Some of the dark areas in the photos could be shadow.
Video: in the wall


texts:
So I got a boiler that had not been used in a bit, maybe a couple of years but was working. The last time they needed to have some come light the boiler. My assumption there was the ignitor was going bad and needed to be replaced. I found a new one and replaced it, but it still wouldnt lite. I did the normal digging on the internet to test multiple things and see if I could come to a solution. I am no way certified to do this but figured Id give it the home owner try. So I took a volt meter and tested power through out the system and I am getting power everywhere. The only place I dont get a reading is from the MV connection to the gas valve which I assume is accurate because the PV sends power for the pilot to ignite. MV/PV also has power as well to the gas valve. When the furnace is powered on the damper goes from open to closed which I also assume is correct because if its not on why be open. The only thing here is it makes a buzzing sound when closed, but not all the time. When I set the thermostat to a temperature higher than what its reading, the relay kicks and sometimes that buzzing sound goes away. The recirculating pump gets power. Now if this is working or not I do not know. My lack of knowledge is the sequence it should turn on. I would think it would tell the pilot to turn on, then the pump kicks, then the MV to the gas valve gets power and allows more flow and then the damper opens. Again I dont have the education for this just the typical home owner stuff. There is a water regulator on the supply feed at 12lbs which I dont think is comprising anything. I am at a lost now and dont know what else to really test for. Another thing I noticed is when I set the thermostat higher, I dont get any voltage from the board that has the igniter plugged into. My assumption is to use a small lighter if that was the problem but I still get no flame from the pilot. My next guess is flame roll out sensor is bad, I added a picture. I ordered a new one to try since it was only 15$ so the test/fail wasnt that impactful. Please any advice or suggestions would be great, even if it is to just call someone. Knowing I gave it all I could is also satisfying. The pilot gas feed line was not clogged as well. I know gas is coming to the gas valve from checking the inlet tap.
Things that are currently new:
Gas valve and the igniter
Make and model: Vaillant GA92-080-EIVD


texts: Downsides of Linoleum (in kitchen specifically)

texts: I am thinking of replacing tiled floor in my kitchen with linoleum (in Canada). I see a few benefits to it, 1) easy to wash 2) fallen glassware doesn't always break. However, there seems to be unexplained negative attitude towards linoleums. (At least from my experience.) What are real downsides of linoleum?


texts:
I have been trying everything the internet wants me to try to remove this lock. I've stuck a hex bit inside the little hex thing in the picture below and spun in every direction and still the handle won't come off.

I've tried putting the key in and turning slightly past the normal spot.

And I've tried prying the backing plate off as far as it can go in hopes of finding some sort of hidden "catch" or latch or some other item.

The lock will not come off.

Any thoughts on what I can try next?


texts:
I just bought the HoneyWell Wifi thermostat and so wanna use it. However my old Thermostat was battery powered and does not use the "C" wire.
I opened up my panel and found that there were three unused wire.
a brown color, an orange color and a blue color wire.
One by one I plugged each into the "C" terminal of the honey well wifi thermostat (R, W, G are already plugged) but none of them worked. I tried plugging G into C but it didn't work (my cooling isn't gas or propane powered but is electric. Maybe that's why).
The thermostat doesn't turn on.
What should I do?
Should I buy a 24V power adaptor and plug the power chord into C. I don't wanna do it as there would be a wire hanging outside thermostat. Do I have any other option?

P.S I don't have a cooling circuit board. All I have is an on / off circuit breaker.


texts: Attaching metal studwork to a drywall (not the other way around!)

texts:
So I'm about to put a metal stud partition wall into my utility room which is a converted garage itself.
The existing walls are plasterboard (I think this is called drywall in the states..) the South facing wall has vertical wooden battens every 530mm, behind these battens is a brick wall, with a cavity that is approx 170-200mm deep.
Battens run across the ceiling following on from the ones in the wall.
On the North side there are battens again, but in line with the ones from the opposing wall.
None of these battens are in a suitable place for the partition (on the North wall is the main fuse box for the house, which can't be moved).
My question is - can I fix a metal C-stud directly to the plasterboard using snap toggles or screw toggles? I've discovered these are incredibly strong fixings and for the ideal position would be maybe 30mm from the wooden stud. Or, do I have attach the C-stud directly to something more solid? If so, why? Maybe there are forces put on to the fixing that I hadn't though of.


texts: How do I attach a deck joist to a ledger at an inside corner of the house?

texts:
I'm planning a deck for the back of my house that will be tucked into an inside corner of the building. I'm not sure how I'll attach the outer joist to the ledger board, since that will be tucked right up to the corner on the foundation, so I wouldn't be able to drive nails in from the left side:

The only things I can find by Google search suggest things like a corner bracket:

I don't see a specific line in IRC that prohibits this, but I note that the
AWC Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide states "Use joist hangers with inside flanges when clearances to the edge of the beam or ledger board dictate. Do not use clip angles or brackets to support joists."

I can't believe that this is an unusual problem, so there must be a standard way of addressing it, right? The best I can figure is to attach this joist (and one at the other side with the same issue) with a hidden-flange hanger before I anchor the ledger, but this seems cumbersome. My locality requires three inspections, the first of which happens after the ledger is attached and footings are dug, but before concrete is poured, which means that during all the foundational work, I'd have these joists hanging out in the breeze for me to trip over and/or break while I'm working.

What do I do here?


texts: How to correctly add flooring to insulated attic

texts:
My attic is well-insulated with fiberglass insulation strips laid between the joists, silver thermal wrap stretched across the joists, and 18-20 inches of blown insulation on top.

But as I conclusively demonstrated yesterday, there is no flooring to prevent me from plunging through the ceiling and into the room below.

What is the best way add flooring to the attic without compromising the insulation factor? There is too much blown insulation for me to simply compress it all under plywood. Should I add plywood to the existing joists and leave the blown insulation on top?

Two slight complicating factors: my only attic access is through a standard pull-down ladder, so I can't fit whole sheets of plywood. Also, I have an A/C unit (no heat) in the attic that sprawls extensively across the floor. I can work around that, but it makes access more difficult.


texts: Installing a "key cylinder" to open and close the garage door

texts:
I have a Chamberlain LiftMaster Professional Garage Door opener (June 2007) with a wireless keypad to open the door but does not open consistently in cold weather. I would like to install a hardwired "key" solution so that the garage door opens consistently in all weather. Can this be done? Is there a specific cylinder I need to purchase for this task?

thanks


texts:
I am building a brick BBQ, and I need to put a surface or "countertop" on which to lay fire bricks.
I have seen this done in many videos. I will create a "shuttered" area, use steel mesh for reinforcement.
But I don't know what concrete mix would be suitable for this. I'd like it to be fairly smooth,but obviously strong.
Here is an example - I am thinking of a much smaller version!


texts: A light fixture in my foyer was working fine for years.  One day, I turn it on, hear a buzzing noise in the wall, and the breaker trips. I tried a bunch of things, finally discovering the problem doesn't repeat when I replace the fixture (9 60-watt candelabra base bulbs) with a 1 bulb fixture. It wouldn't seem that the 9 bulbs were suddenly too much for the circuit.  So do I likely have a problem with my fixture?


texts:
Want to replace outdoor ceiling light fixture.
When I removed the old fixture I pulled down all the wires from the junction box . I did not pay attention as to how the wires were connected.

Came to find out, there were 2 feeds from the box. I now am looking at 2 sets of white, black, and ground wires.

My new fixture has 1 white, 1 black and 1 ground.

One wall switch controls this light.

Unsure of how to reconnect the wires. Please help


texts: How to reroute grounding system to a grounding rod?

texts:
I'm building a ham radio room and need to ground my coaxial cable and antenna. If you are not a radio ham, you might not understand but it does not matter. All the resouces I can find online tells me to pound in a new grounding rod for my ham radio antenna and bond it to the existing home utility grounding rod. However, I am 100% sure that my house either don't use a grounding rod(the ground goes back to the utility company's transformer) or use a ufer ground(grouding rod inside stucco). In either of these cases: 1. How do I wire a lighting ground for my ham radio room.   2. Is it possible to reroute the grouding system to a grounding rod? 3. Do I need an electrician for step 2 or I can DIY it myself.  4. Someone on Reddit told me it is good to have a pair of grounding rods, but isn't that against the electric code if you don't bond all grounds?

For your reference, I put a picture of my house's electric/breaker panel, and you can see their is no visible grounding rod.


texts: How to connect liquidtite to schedule 80 (or 40) pvc conduit?

texts:
I'm running 3/4" Schedule 80 PVC conduit above ground for some backyard electrical.  There is a section where I need to go up a retaining wall to a receptacle box, and then back down to continue the run.
It's complicated to do straight runs here and I really think the best way for me to do this is to use flexible liquid-tight conduit at the receptacle box, but I can't figure out how to connect the straight sch 80 PVC pipe with the flexible liquidtight conduit.   All the connectors I'm finding online show a compression bushing for the liquidtight and external threads with locknut for outlet box (which I can use for the box).  But I'm looking to do conduit<->conduit.
Addendum: The conduit body + liquidtight coupler looks like it would solve my issue? (at minute 3:00) https://youtu.be/QcxWw_M6uVE?t=180


texts: Can I hang two inch blinds with only one inch of available window sill overhang?

texts:
I just had new windows installed in the house and they look great! It's definitely time now to put up some decent looking blinds.

I love the look of the two-inch blinds (nothing fancy - most stuff at Lowes would seem to work fine), but I only have just a little over an inch of available overhang on the windows to mount the brackets under.

I'm definitely okay with the top of the blinds sticking out some, but I'm not sure if mounting the two inch bracket on only one inch of "wall" will be stable enough. If it wont be, would a 1.5" blind work?

I'd really like to mount inside the window opening rather than above if at all possible.


texts: I have a vent in the ceiling that no longer stays in place. I think it is drilled into dry wall but the drywall is too corroded to keep the vent in place. Any suggestions on how to fix this? Do I just use ordinary spackle? It seems like a simple job.


texts: Direct stove/kitchen exhaust into kitchen sink drain

texts:
I live in an apartment that has terrible or zero ventilation for kitchen smells generated while cooking. The exhaust under the Microwave just removes oil from the fumes and circulates the air within the kitchen.

Can I hook a 4inch vent pipe with an inline exhaust fan and direct the exhaust into the kitchen sink drain? That way kitchen smells dont linger for too long, and the hall/dining area, and the rest of the apartment doesn't smell like food I just cooked.

Trying to google it, I don't see anything that addresses my need. But I'm wondering if it'll lead to any issues with the kitchen sink drainage, or the dishwasher that is connected to it. (There's no garbage disposal / insinkerator in this kitchen)

Any advise or suggestion is welcome!


texts: Chimney flue repair before installing liner for wood burning insert

texts: Planning on installing a wood burning insert in exsisting fireplace, the top of the flue at the chimney is spalling and was wondering if/options of repairing? the wood burning insert will use a stainless liner and its cap will be sealed to the top of the existing clay flue. Pictures included:


texts:
Background Info: My house is all electric.

Last month when I got my electric bill, I flipped.  It was triple that of any month prior.  Now I know the cold (heating) can affect this so I decided to turn my thermostat back, even though I never had to before.  I've finally got the results back and to my surprise, it's still pretty darn high (but somewhat lower thankfully).  The head-scratcher is that not only did I turn my thermostat down 4-6 degrees, it also hasn't been very cold here lately.  It has ran a fraction of what it did the month prior, and that's just from the ambient temp difference.  This isn't considering the fact that the thermostat is off for half of the day while I'm at work.  I also wouldn't deem my system extremely inefficient, as I have a heat pump.

Anyways, so I'm suspecting there's something else at play here.  Perhaps another large appliance like the washer/dryer, dishwasher, hot water heater, etc.  However, I do not know how to troubleshoot this or determine how much energy any one appliance is using.

Are there any pro-tips or easy/cheap ways that I can measure, or at least get a general idea, of which appliance in my house could be causing such high energy usage?  I've seen before meters that you plug into the wall (in-between the socket and appliance), but I imagine those are not the most inexpensive route to take.  I was wondering if maybe I could see the real-time load for the entire house?  Like at the meter, and then I could one-by-one disconnect appliances and notate the fluctuations in total usage.

Anything like that would be great, or if you have better ideas, please share!

Quick Note: I recently had someone move into one of my spare rooms.  One of my suspicions that I'm looking to verify is that they take extra long showers and overwork my hot water heater.  I mainly suspect this because they mentioned that they ran out of hot water, something that has never happened to me before.

I wouldn't be concerned if I was still considered "efficient" by my electric company, but as you can see, I went from being relatively efficient to not even close.

UPDATE 3/3/2018 After doing some testing, I've come to realize that my heat pump isn't putting out any heat at all. So basically, I have been running off AUX heat exclusively.  That combined with how cold it has been may very well explain the large spike in usage.  I called a tech to come look at it. I will update and close this question once it has been verified.

UPDATE 12/10/2018 It has been a while so I thought I would share with everyone what the real issue was.  After a few visits, it was finally discovered that my heat coils were stuck on.  Even with the thermostat off, they were getting constant power.  You could actually feel the heat radiating from the floor above the coils (they're in a crawl space).  I'm lucky they found it, otherwise I could've had a fire on my hands.  So yes, in essence, my AUX heat was running 24/7 for what was likely a month or two.  CRAZY!


texts: Does it matter which 3-way switch I put a dimmer at on a 4-way circuit?

texts: I was working a side job today and re-wired quite a few 3 and 4-way circuits.  I have a good understanding on how each work, but when I hooked up a 3-way dimmer on a 4-way circuit, the light would come on only if I had a certain switch on.  Basically, I put it where I thought was at the switch leg end of the circuit.  I'm only assuming this because the first 3-way is a foot away from the panel then the 4-way and finally the last 3-way.  I've heard several people say to put it on the switch leg end (granted it's wired for a traditional 4-way circuit) or the switch that is not the line side.  I also heard it does not matter... as long as it's obviously not in the middle.  What the heck is the problem here???


texts: So recently I have purchased a set of LED fairy lights. As soon as I turned them on without even putting them up, the lights would only turn on for 30 seconds. For example, I pressed the colour blue on the remote provided, and it would light up perfectly for 30 seconds, but then completely turn off. After 3-5 seconds they turn back on. Does anyone know how to fix this problem or have any suggestions, so I can have the lights on a colour for a longer period of time?


texts: Do I need chemicals if I drain my hot tub after 3 days?

texts:
I'm installing a free hot tub I got and I'm looking for ways to use it without chlorine, bromine, balancers, anti-foamers, clarifiers, etc etc. I only plan on using it on weekends and my calculations tell me it costs about $7 to heat my hot tub from cold and water is free and plentiful where I live so my thought is to simply fill it up Friday morning and drain it Sunday night. I will have a cartridge filter running at least 12 hours per day.

How quickly does hot tub water go slimy/green/smelly/cloudy?

Thanks!


texts: Why is my bathroom drain stinky even after being cleaned out?

texts: My bathroom drain stinks! The smell gets worse after you run the water. My husband cleaned the P-trap and I cleaned the drain itself. I used baking soda and vinegar about a month ago and it worked, but last week I noticed the smell coming back so I used Drano just in case. Now the smell is back full force :/ the drain looks great! I don't have an overflow so I know it's not that. What else could it be if the P-trap has been cleaned and the drain is clear as well?


texts: Every time someone touches any of my light switches they get a static shock. I know the root cause is the humidity is too low, but until I fix that, I heard that nylon cover plate screws (vs the usual metal ones painted white) would help this problem (I guess the theory is that the screw is touching the box which is what the person is "discharging" through). So I was going to pick up some of these to test it out, but I couldn't find them in hardware stores or on Amazon. There must be a reason these are so hard to find - is there a reason not to use these? Or can anyone recommend where I can buy them?


texts:
I am modifying a fountain, by adding spouts, made of shaped copper. I need to attach the spouts to the stone bowl, but am not sure how.

The fix must have a watertight seal with the stone, that is, the glue/mortar/filler must fill the small gaps between the cut stone and the copper shape
It must also prevent ingress of moisture which will freeze in winter and push the spout off
The fix must provide mechanical strength
The fix must be resistant to weather and both standing and running water
The fix must be flexible as the stone and copper will deform at different rates as it heats up and cools down over time

I have tried building mastic but it doesn't cure (its been over two weeks) as only small areas are exposed to air. I have also tried heating  with a heat gun and it just makes it even softer.

What do I use to attach copper to stone?


texts: How to get the sunshine and sunlight in my house

texts: I am living in house in which the sun is not overlooking through the window at all, Is there a way to make overlook at least partially inside the house.


texts:
Recently some graffiti appeared on the side of my house. I knew I should have done something right away but I didn't, and now there is more. Here is a picture:

I read this article. I think I just want to paint over it. Someone told me to use dry lock. Is this the best thing to use for this, or might there be an easier way?

EDIT: I finally painted over it with stucco paint. Here it is now:


texts: Alarms on Doors that have Access to a Pool

texts:
I am finishing up renovating my pool and I changed the configuration of the barrier fence I previously had. I now use my house itself as the 4th side to keep the pool deck open (since our kids are grown). The county/state code indicates I must install door alarms on all doors that allow access to the pool (I have 7 due to big sliding doors opening at various points).

While I don't agree with being forced to install these alarms in MY house where no children live, I must do so to pass the inspection. I am a do-it-your-selfer and heavily into home automation. I have my existing home security system, motion and existing door/window open sensors integrated into my home automation system, so I wanted to use this same automation system to meet the pool alarm requirements. I want use a RaspberryPi or ESP8266 Wireless module to handle the override button presses next to each door. Ideally rather than a blaring alarm, I would like a notification sent to my phone or watch. I could setup a blaring alarm just to pass the inspection.

Has anybody had any luck getting their local government/county inspectors to budge on this archaic building code? (By archaic, I mean there are more modern ways to get your attention other than an obnoxious 85dB alarm -- like mobile phone, watch, etc)

I am trying to avoid purchasing seven $50 "official devices" for each door just to pass the inspection. If my DIY system meets the regulations, but is not a UL certified alarm device, will that pass inspection?

The specification I found is listed below:

The relevant parts are from http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/swimming-pools/_documents/cpsc-safety-barriers.pdf

  All doors that allow access to a swimming pool should be equipped with
  an audible alarm that sounds when the door and/or screen are opened.
  Alarms should meet the requirements of UL 2017, General-Purpose
  Signaling Devices and Systems, Section 77, and have the following
  features:

  The alarm sound should last for 30 seconds or more and start within 7 seconds after the door is opened.
  The alarm should be loud: at least 85 dB (decibels), when measured 10 feet away from the alarm mechanism.
  The alarm sound should be distinct from other sounds in the house, such as the telephone, doorbell, and smoke alarm.
  The alarm should have an automatic reset feature to deactivate the alarm temporarily for up to 15 seconds, to allow adults to pass
  through house doors without setting off the alarm. The deactivation
  switch could be a touchpad (keypad), or a manual switch, and should be
  located at least 54 inches above the threshold and out of the reach of
  children.


texts: Should blueboard overlap at outside corners or stop flush with framing?

texts: When hanging blue board for veneer plaster, should the board overlap on outside corners like normal drywall or should they end on the edge of the studs and the corner will be filled in with veneer (and a corner edge piece)?


texts: Framing long walls - Lots of 8' sections or should I use longer top plates

texts: For interior walls (bearing and non) I'm wondering what the preferred method for framing might be on long walls. For example a hallway. Should I just use normal ~8' long 2x4 as top plates and stagger the top and bottom plates a few feet or is it better to buy longer top plate 2x4's to reduce the amount of joints.


texts: Where can I find a remote mains socket for my electrical heater?

texts:
I have been looking around for a remote mains socket which will operate my heater in my office at the end of the 70 feet garden. I want to be able to switch on the heater from the house.

The label on the heater says 250 Volt - 50Hz - 2500 Watt so the plug must support this voltage (amp?).
I checked this np8800 but this only supports up to 6 amp and the seller said it won't support my heater.

I live in UK by the way.


texts: Is an inline dryer vent booster fan recommended?

texts:
In my house the nature of the construction causes the rigid vent pipe for the dryer vent to be about 22 to 23 feet long including the vertical rise in the wall behind the dryer. The 4 inch diameter vent runs horizontally for most of the distance between joists in the garage ceiling before exiting through the back wall in the garage attic space. Due to the routing there end up being a total of 8 turns in the vent pipe as can be seen at the indicated elbow locations in the layout diagram below.

As you can imagine cleaning this vent pipe is a total pain that takes a good half of a day which involves taking joints apart and having to crawl into the tight space under the garage rafters. Regular cleaning is necessary because the the long run with many turns causes dryer lint to accumulate in the pipe.

Would it be an advantage to install some type of inline booster fan unit to increase the flow rate in the pipe?

It seems like this could blow out more of the airborn lint coming from the dryer and also help the vent line dry out after the cloths dryer is used.


texts: What could prevent a motorised CD player drawer from opening after not being used for an extended period of time?

texts:
Many years ago, I used to use a CD player that had an opening drawer - you'd press a button, the drawer would open, you'd insert the CD and then either push the drawer closed or use the same button. For some unknown reason to me now, this drawer somehow became damaged and after being off for several hours, it'd take around 50 presses of the button before the drawer would open. The button would press without issue, but each time I pressed the button I could hear the drawer sticking until it'd just open - if I kept using the button to open the drawer it'd open without issue, but if I stopped for an extended period of time I'd have to repeat the same process outlined above. This drawer would open outwards - it wasn't a flip-up kind of thing.

What could have changed in the period of time that I stopped opening the drawer to make it stick and not open? I'm not an expert on these types of things, and even though I no longer use this particular player I've always been interested to know!

Thanks.


texts: How can I remove these stains from my ladder? Do I need some sort of special cleaner or would some regular household cleaner work as well?


texts:
I built my house in 2004 builder installed a Bryant 90+ 350mav048100fgka. From what I remember, when you selected fan to ON it was a lower blower speed.  My wiring diagram identifies BFANR with a red wire plugged in which is the same on the circuit board.  I can not find any info even calling Bryant as to if a relay has gone bad or bad wiring.  I can not figure out why I cant get a low blower speed back a wire is plugged in.  My information manual is incorrect too because the label on the furnace door calls out "continuous fan select relay, SPDT".  Sometime between 2004 and now I lost this feature of a lower speed when I could run the blower through out the day or night and when it called for heat or cool the blower would ramp. I'm going to go back and install the round Honeywell stat that was in the house when built to see if the feature was disabled when I installed a programmable stat.  Actually I thought maybe I was wrong on this feature, but the furnace schematics list the feature in Notes but can't find any supporting info.

Being new to the forum I'm going to suspend this question until I can do more testing.  Being a mechanic and engineer something isn't right.  Thanks for the comments


texts:
200 amp meter/service at private pole exists.
Underground cable to 200 amp panel in a "shed".
Underground cable between new "house" and existing "shed" exists.
Entire property will run on a 200 amp service by calculations.
"House" has a 200 amp panel.
Canadian electrical code applies.
I want to split the service connection at the "shed" so that both 200 amp service panels are connected to the service main. Neither panel should be a subpanel.
Inspector says it is technically legal because the "shed" doesn't need its own minimum reserved service of 60 amps so we can have one load calculation for the whole setup. What we don't know is what set of panels etc are available (in Canada) to accomplish this kind of feed-thru or split service.
Options:

split bus box outside of "shed" that connects both panels somehow.

New "shed" panel with feed-thru lugs that connect to "house" panel.

Some external box with simple lugs to merge line with 2 loads going to 2 different main breakers. Similar concept to 1 but maybe different implementation?

Anyone aware of how to do this and what equipment is available?


texts: I'm helping a friend build a cabin and we have a generator. I was wondering if I could wire an outlet on the outside of the cabin and another inside. The outside outlet would be for power in and the one inside for power back out, basically utilizing the two outlets as an "extension cable". Obviously we could just run a cable in the house but that doesn't look nearly as good. I'm also thinking of splitting off the wire and running a single light. Does this sounds plausible?


texts: Is there any reason to not span entire deck with boards?

texts:
I'm looking at needing to rebuild my back deck and researching my options. The way the deck is currently rotting It appears that it is at the seams where two adjacent boards share the same joist it is the most likely place to degrade.
The deck is about 15' long while the boards are about 8', so we have seams in the middle of each run (it's offset so the seams aren't all in the middle, but there are still cuts).
Is there any reason I should avoid using boards that run the entire length of the deck? (I'd think not, but I'm starting to realize that there might be non-obvious gotcha's here.)


texts: Can I Notch a Double 2x12 Floor Joist Down to 2x6 Size (5.5 inches) if I need a 2x8 (7.25) per My Local Span Table

texts:
I have a 12' span with a floor joist that is currently 2 2x12's. It was originally a 16'+ span with an attic opening that was 3' wide thus the reason for the double 2x12's. I'm installing an L staircase to the attic (live load, but no bathroom or kitchen will be up there) and the headroom at the point of the double floor joist is not tall enough to meet code. If I was able to cut the double 2x12's down to 2x6 size, which I think is roughly comparable to a single 2x8 (a 2x8 spanning 12' meets code for a floor joist 16 OC where I am), then the headroom would meet code.

You can see in the attached drawing what I'm trying to do.  Can I notch a double 2x12 like this where they're still 2x12 depth at the bearing point, reduced to 2x6 depth for the 3 feet of stairs and then back to 2x12 for the remainder?  Again, I only need a single 2x8 for this span so my thinking is double 2x6 depth for that 3 feet of 2x12 will suffice.


texts: Is this going to be safe in the rain?The contractor left it like this & the property manager doesn’t care. It’s directly under my bedroom window, so I’m a bit concerned.


texts:
I am installing a dishwasher that has a 3/4-inch threaded male connection for the water line. The instructions say to buy a dishwasher elbow to connect to this piece, then connect the other side of the elbow to a standard 3/8-inch compression sink hose.

Is there any reason why I couldn't instead connect a 3/4-inch female hose directly to the dishwasher?

Another way of asking this question is: What is the purpose of a dishwasher elbow? Other than adapting a standard 3/8-inch sink hose to a larger dishwasher water inlet, is there a reason you need to have the elbow?


texts: How to hang load from ceiling I-beam joists behind drywall?

texts:
I'm looking to attach rock rings to my garage ceiling. I've found similar posts, but in each one, they have a seemingly critical difference from my setup:

I don't have access to above the joist because my living room is above my garage (here).
I have I-beams, not 2x8s (here, and seemingly here).
I have drywall covering my I-beams (here) but would prefer to leave it.

I do like bcworkz's answer but I'm not sure if this is something I can do with I-beams. I would think that lag bolting along an I-beam would be bad due to its thin profile. Perhaps this concept could be adapted with opposing angled bolts to better catch the beam?

Are there other options/variants for attaching to I-beams behind drywall?


texts:
Hello:  I just had my front door buzzer replaced by my co-op's handyman and the new buzzer is lousy.  I want to replace it myself with a chime.

The rating of the current co-op buzzer is 8-12VAC. Can I use a 8-12VDC chime?  I'm not sure how much of a difference, or if there is a difference between 8-12VAC & 8-12VDC, if there is a difference will a 8-12VDC still work.  The transformer and all wiring and button are all good.


texts: How do I turn light the oven pilot on this vintage stove?

texts:
My 30s Wedgewood stove has an oven pilot that is funky. I distinctly recall that I had to do something special to light the oven pilot last time I shut the gas off, but I can't remember what it was. At the time, we had just

The right third of the oven had a trash/wood burner, there's an apparatus in there with a red button:

I do recall that the red button was involved in relighting the pilot:

But that's all I recall. I tried holding it down but that didn't seem to help. This is where I think the pilot is:

Note that my view isn't nearly so clear, but I could stick my phone back there. Am I even lighting the right thing?

Does anyone actually know how to light this oven?


texts: Is the thickness of glass tile important in pool installations? If so, would thicker be better?

texts:
I have a gunite pool which desperately needs resurfacing. I'm seriously considering going with  glass tile mosaics for the entire thing. What I'm somewhat confused about is whether I should be looking at 4mm or 8mm thick tiling.

I've read that thicker tile are more susceptible to fracturing under the weight of water. I've also read conflicting reports that suggest thinner tile are more likely to pop off.


texts: I am trying to mount a 20 inch TV on a plasterboard wall. There are only two studs in the wall. One where I won't be able to see the TV and the other above an electrical socket. I do not want to put the bracket on the stud with the socket. Nothing is in line in my house, so god only knows where the cable is. The only other wall is a chimney breast. I am reluctant to mount it there, in case I get it wrong. Also my drill is a bit week when going through brick. I really want to do this my self and not ask my brother. Many thanks.


texts: What do I need to do to extend the width of a doorway?

texts:
I want to make the doorway from my kitchen 39 inches longer opening the kitchen up to the living room. The door way that we have now is only 36 inches wide and I want to make it 75 inches wide.

What do I need to make the door open wider?  Do I need to add onto the existing header or add a whole new header and if so what size of header do I need to install where it is a interior wall in the center of the house and what do I do to get around the a/c vent over the existing door way between the kitchen and living room ?


texts: How do I properly feed coax through an outside wall?

texts:
I would like to add a new cable outlet to an outside wall and wanted to find out what kind of drill bit is needed to drill through and feed the coax cable as well as anything else to be mindful of. Comcast wanted $70 for a new outlet installation ($30 install, $40 tech visit), so I figured I could do it myself. The part that I'm most unfamiliar with is how to properly weather seal it. The outside just has vinyl siding and there's no electrical outlets nearby.

So far, I think I need the following

Coax Cable
Coax Cable Wall Plate
Long drill bit
Add a 3-way Cable Splitter to cable box
Weather sealer?


texts: Older home soap dish fell off tile wall and left a hole - how can I fix it?

texts: In my home I have a tile wall where the soap dish has fallen out and left a hole. Can I put a tile on top of tile to cover the hole instead of putting plastic against the hole to keep the inside from getting wet?


texts: Can I use existing #4 wire to supply a 15A outlet?

texts:
I have a 2 part question.

Can you connect an existing 4 gauge wire to a 15 amp breaker? (The wire is already there, instead of me pulling everything out.)

Can I connect this 4 gauge wire to a 14/2 cable and run it underground to a GFCI outlet on the fence post?


texts: Have just read your 2010 posts regarding whether an interior door is LH or RH.  Using the "hand that plus the door toward you" guideline, I get the opposite of what I get when using the hinge/jamb guideline. I do in fact have 3 interior doors that pull toward me using right hand but using the jamb guideline, they are LH. I would call these outswing as they do not swing  IN to the area they are closing. I have another door into a small bath I would call inswing RH using the jamb guideline but LH using the left hand to pull towards me. I'm starting to like the idea to take a drawing with me...


texts:
I am planting a small nut orchard.

I have about 1500' of fence line enclosing a few acres.

So far, I have placed all of the poles for the fencing.  These are 12' 6 inch diameter treated wood posts, with 4 feet buried.  The distance between posts is 12'.

My plan was to trench along the outside of these posts, and to bury vinyl coated welded wire mesh fencing 2' deep.  This is to exclude groundhogs from the planting area.

My issue is that the trenchers I have looked at all seem to have the digging blade in the center of the machine, so that the closest I could get to the poles easily would be half the width of the machine.

Any ideas/advice would be much appreciated.


texts: Can anyone identify this light switch brand?

texts:
We've got a bunch of light switches and covers in our house but in the process of removing them to paint around them, one got broken.  Can anyone help me identify it?  They were put in by the builder of our townhouse (Sydney, Australia) which was constructed in the last five years or so.

The first picture is of an unbroken switch of the same style.  The second picture is of the naked (uncovered) switch.


texts: How do I smooth a concrete pool surface after an acid wash?

texts:
After an acid wash, the surface of the pool is very rough.

What should I do to smooth it out?


texts: Can I frame a new window without adding jack studs?

texts:
I'd like to add a small window to a blank wall above a tub/shower, without removing all of the tile (interior) or stucco (exterior) below the new opening to add jack studs. Is that possible, using framing angles on the existing studs?

One of the 2 studs that would be "promoted" to a king stud is already doubled 2x4s. The window would use 3 stud bays (cutting 2 existing studs). The work would not be inspected. The header would sit against the top plate (so no studs above the opening).


texts: What size dip in the floor needs to be filled before carpet is installed?

texts:
We are planning to put carpet over an oldish hardwood floor. I noticed that the floor has a dip of about 3/8" in a few areas. I intend to measure around with a long straightedge and see if I can find any worse spots.
The dips are about 6" across by 3-4 feet in length (coincide with a once-removed wall). There's no structural issue underneath (basement) so I'm only concerned about the effect on the carpet - how it looks, wears, and avoiding a trip hazard.
Is this size dip bad enough to do something about? If not, what is generally considered to be the maximum allowed variation in the floor?
(If it is enough of a problem, I intend to fill with strips of 1/8 or 1/4 hardboard or plywood or similar.)


texts:
I have a problematic pipe that has a blockage.  Problematic for three reasons:

I could not snake through it (I have a 25 feet snake with a manual spin, spent a good while spinning trying to snake through, could not :(
it builds up blockage very quickly (2 months) - now can have only about 5% water in shower than usual to avoid flooding
no clean out cap/access point around the bendy area (red circle)

Can someone please suggest:

a) short term/quick fixes I can do?

b) solutions (expensive/inexpensive) that a plumber may be able to do?

Note that there's not much of a drop from shower drain level to the soil pipe level (because of the storage door and where soil pipe is located).  See below.

Note also that the pipe is all glued up. Can't disconnect anywhere in order to take out the blockage.

Very many thanks for any comments/answers,

Ben


texts:
I need to create a non-standard shape of thick plywood (1+") for an extension to a kitchen island.  Shape is something like this:

... the size is roughly 3ft-square, and the inside and outside corners have radius 1", though I might settle for a bit more **.   I have some preliminary thoughts about how to do it.  I'd appreciate commentary on these and additional suggestions.

I'll create the material, before marking or cutting, by glueing two 3/4" sheets of plywood with Liquid Nails and screwing with 1-1/4" screws.

For marking, I could draw directly on the plywood using pencil.  Or I could draw on a large sheet of paper (or print, if I had a big enough printer, which I don't) to get it right and somehow transfer that to the plywood.  Anyhow, I can use trial & error, an eraser, and both sides of the double-thick plywood, to get it right.

Cutting will be the crux.  I can imagine first cutting out circles where the inside corners are, using a hole saw; and then roughing out the rest (with the outside corners squared) with a circular and guide fences, or a table saw; and finally, shaping the outside corners with a jigsaw.   Simpler and better, if I knew where to go, would be to take it to some shop where they cut it for me, perhaps using a band saw.

** As background, though I've worked this part out with a temporary piece: the flared out part will sit on an existing kneewall at the end of a lower countertop and it'll be cantilevered out from there with a diagonal brace back to the kneewall.


texts: What is the height of the IKEA BILLY plinth?

texts:
If any owner can do a quick measurement and help me out, what is the exact height (cm. not in.) of the IKEA BILLY plinth? Se the image below:

I need the exact height to the bottom of the first shelf because I want to order one (several actually, I have many tangible books), pop the plinth, put some tiny variable-height legs for some extra support so I can easily vacuum under it. I hate dust and it hates me.
I somehow concluded it's 10cm but I'm not really sure and also not feeling like making a trip right now to IKEA just to measure it. Their email support will probably reply on Monday so maybe I get lucky here.:)
Thanks!
PS: In centimeters please.
PPS: I'm quite shocked there's no IKEA tag.


texts:
I have some of these inflatable kids rubber rings, toys etc, I presume made of PVC, with little holes in them here and there, leaking air
some rips are close to the seam so I cannot put on a sticky patch. I think it is possible to put a "glue" on top of the little hole to seal it (without a patch). I read about MEK glues, but MEK is a solvent right? How can it glue anything?
What kind of glue would you recommend for this kind of repair? Must be

water resistant
stretchy (to resist inflation)

Another concern is the cost; these toys cost $5 or less so I don't want a glue that costs more than the toy! I would also prefer something that lasts for a few months once opened.
thank you for your recommendations
Nikos
PS. would plain superglue work on a small hole without a patch?


texts: Can I replace a quad breaker with a tandem breaker?

texts:
My panel has a 15-amp breaker for two-bathroom outlets and two outdoor outlets. Is that normal? I would like to replace that with a 20 amp breaker. Also, I want to replace my water boiler with the "Ecosmart ECO 36 - 36kw 240V 150A Electric Tankless Water Heater" but that requires 4 x 40 amp breakers (my electrical panel is 200 amps).
So I'm trying to make room for it on my electrical panel by replacing the quad breaker with a single-pole tandem 20 amp breaker since the water boiler won't need the quad breaker anymore. Is all of that possible and correct to do?
In the future, I will remove the furnace and replace it with an all-in-one heat pump, perhaps some of the furnace breaker slots will be freed up.
Another thing to note is that my refrigerator and microwave are on the same line and when the toaster and microwave get used the microwave power dims a bit. My microwave keeps dying every few years. Perhaps the fridge and microwave should be on their own breaker, right now it feels like too many things are competing for power on that line/breaker. My electrical panel is exactly the way the electrician left it when the home was made in 2006, except for the labels.


texts: My three way lamp is suddenly just one way. Is this an electrical problem or fire hazard?

texts: my three way lamp is suddenly just one way. is this an electrical problem that could be a fire hazard? Why would a lamp just suddenly stop being three way after being plugged and unplugged?


texts: What might be the cause of the lower level black brick staining, shown on the pictures?  What is the remedy?  I did not get up close to look at these, rather saw them when I was posting neighborhood notices for an association where I'm the board.  These are north facing units that are part of a quad-unit building.  I did not look on the south facing units to see if there was similar staining.


texts: BBQ: Add Propane Connection with Y Connector

texts:
I live in Western Europe, where there are two common types of gas cylinders for BBQs: butane and propane. I have a BBQ (second hand) that came with a butane bottle and regulator of 28 mbar. The BBQ is clearly marked on the front that it's compatible with propane at 37 mbar.

I'm interested in switching to propane, as I've heard it's better at lower temperatures, and I use the BBQ regularly even during the winter months. I understand I will need a new regulator as the pressure and interfaces aren't compatible. I was in the store looking for one when I saw a Y connector, like this:

This got me thinking, would it be possible to use some extra hose and a Y connection to have both these regulators attached at the same time? Would I need to add shut off valves between the Y and the regulators to prevent the higher pressure propane from reaching the butane regulator?


texts: Although my hot water works, why won't my radiator come on?

texts:
As above, the hot water works but the radiators do not come on. It's an old gas powered central heating system. We're thinking it's the wall thermostat at fault but is there anything else it might be?

Update:
I thought I should post a follow up for the sake of future Googlers.

It turned out to be the pump as ChrisF had suggested. The hot water still worked because it's gravity fed from the loft (or attic if you prefer ;)), whereas the pump wasn't kicking in at all. 20 years' worth of use had clogged it up. When the system was emptied the water that came out of it started brown and quickly went black.

With your car you get it serviced every year. Boilers get serviced on a regular basis too but the system itself doesn't, so over the years the muck builds up and builds up and nothing gets done about it causes something to break, i.e. now.


texts: Baseboard heat - Installed and then drywall around

texts:
I'm in a 1980s house that has baseboard heat. The baseboards are pretty beat up so was going to use a product like neatheat or baseboarder to cover.
When I started looking at the way that they were installed, the heating units themselves are 'sunk' into the wall... like they were installed, and then drywall was hung around them.
Have others seen this? (end caps are not able to be removed...the front piece can be removed on some units, but not others).
Will I be able to use any of these retrofit covers given how the drywall was installed?


texts: Is my rental house safe even if the electrical is not grounded at all?

texts:
Just found out when the electrician came today that the entire house I am renting is not grounded.  I really like this place and real estate here is a nightmare.  But, we have some iridescent lights he said need to be grounded to work properly.  I called the leasing agent right when we moved in because when we initially started plugging cords in a few outlets sparked and one smelled hot. We have three prong outlets, but apparently they are not properly installed.  We also have outdoor fixtures and switches that do not work because they are not protected from the weather. I knew it was an older house, but I was told by the agent before I leased the property that they had just had the entire electrical system checked.  Turns out that there is no way that could be the case.  The electrician wouldn't add much more information when I asked him what we should or shouldn't do currently to stay safe because of liability.
What needs to be done for my family to be safe?  What are my options as a renter in Hawaii?


texts: How do I do a straight cut of all 4 legs of a metal chair?

texts: I need to cut the legs of my chair a bit because it is too high for me. It would not have been a problem but all legs need to be of the same length so I am looking for straight accurate cuts at the same distance from the end. I was trying to find out how to do it without much luck. Any ideas?


texts: High water pressure issue from hot water heater

texts:
Hoping someone can help me with this weird issue I am having with the water pressure at my house (at least seems weird and mysterious to me). This is an issue that started happening about 6 months ago.

When we turn a faucet on, hot or cold, we get a burst of higher pressure water for a few seconds and then it settles down. We have a pressure regulator on the main water line coming into the house and it seems to be working because I have adjusted the value to reduce the pressure some.

About 6 months ago, I replaced the pressure relief value on the water heater because it was constantly allowing hot water to drain. After a few weeks it started leaking again. It was about this time that we noticed that we get the burst of higher pressure water when we open a faucet.

If we turn off the cold water intake for the water heater, we don't get the pressure spike when we turn on a faucet. So the pressure issue is apparently related to the water heater. I have checked and the water heater is set to around 125 degrees and the water that comes out of the tap is around that temp so it isn't set at too high of a temp.

Now, the mystery is this. As a test, I turned off the power to the water heater and ran the hot water until what was coming out was barely warm so that there would be no extra pressure in the system due to hot water expansion. After doing this, I still get a spike of higher water pressure when I opened a faucet.

So, when the water to the water heater is turned off, I don't get a spike of water pressure when I open a faucet. When the water to the water heater is turned on, I get a spike in pressure, regardless of the temp of the water in the heater and if the power is even turned on to it.

I know I need to install an expansion tank and replace the water heater pressure relief value, but I don't want to spend money if that isn't likely to fix the issue because of something else that may be going on. Any suggestions on what may be causing this issue and would an expansion tank really fix the pressure issue?


texts:
I just bought new programmable z-wave thermostats (Honeywell TH8320ZW).  I thought I had the wired correctly, but I woke up to a pretty chilly house this morning.  The fan is working, but it seems to be blowing cool air.  Here is a picture of the original wiring for the upstairs thermostat:

Full disclosure:  A year ago, I replaced this thermostat, but realized I had ordered the wrong thermostat, so I put the old one back.  There is an outside chance that I wired it back incorrectly, but that would not be typical of me; also I have not noticed it not working properly.

Here is a picture of the new thermostat wiring as I have done it:

Can someone help me figure out what I did wrong?

OK, I figured out part of my problem, but it presents another question.  I have not configured the thermostat (I know stupid mistake, but in my defense those pages were stuck together in my manual).  However, there does not appear to be a configuration in the manual that matches my wires.  The closest appears to be 2H/1C Heat Pump (with aux heat).  If I am correct, and reading the foot notes correct, I need a jumper between E & Aux, and the L is optional.  Am I correct?


texts: What is this pipe? It leaks when the sink runs

texts:
I have a pipe that is halfway under a door jamb and inside the concrete floor which when I run a the sink water is now coming out of it. This pipe is next to our AC blower unit inside the basement. I suspect this is somehow connected on the other end to our sewer septic tank and was never capped correctly when they made   changes to this 40 year old house.
Does anyone know why there would be a line near the AC unit?
(Could it have been an original condensation drip line into the septic tank?)
Any suggestions on how to uncover more of the line to cap it?
I am guessing this also means the septic is nearly full and needs to be pumped. Original owners didn't know where it was located to tell us at time of sale a year or so ago.
Any ideas on how to find it?


texts: Why did I have to change the wiring to use a smart WiFi thermostat?

texts:
I just installed a Emerson Sensi wifi thermostat.It works, and I ran a separate C wire. I had a 24 volt 5 wire Robertshaw programable thermostat that ran my boiler, air handler and AC. It is all single stage. On the old thermostat the W wire went to the Taco boiler control and made a loop back to the common side of the transformer in the 20 year old air handler. RH, RC ( jumper removed), powers the T stat,is on the hot side of the transformer. G goes to the fan control and Y goes to the AC condenser.It did not have a common, which I added to the Sensi with a new wire

When I wired the Sensi up with the same configuration, and the new C wire, it did not energize the heat zone on the Taco controller when the Sensi calls for heat.. I called Emerson and they told me I had to take the return loop from the Taco and attach it to the same hot side of the transformer that the RH and RC are connected to (they are now all wire nutted together). Nobody at Emerson can tell me why the W wire leaves the Sensi on one side of the transformer, and returns to the same side of the transformer. This goes against typical thermostat wiring and my old configuration. It also is not how the G (fan) wire and the Y (AC) are configured. They return to the common side.

Does anyone understand why this new thermostat actually works in this situation. It baffles me. The people at Emerson are very nice, but they are only reading from their manuals. They are clueless about how this stuff works.


texts: Should I block my basement air returns to better cool my top floor?

texts:
My house has three floors (basement, main floor, and upstairs) and the top floor is much warmer than the basement, especially in the summer. I have an air conditioner attached to my furnace, and it works well, but it mostly cools the basement and the main floor, while my upstairs floor is still too warm.

My brother suggested using magnetic vent covers to cover my basement air returns. His logic was that this would force the system to suck more warm air from the top floor air returns. It made sense to me at first, but now I'm thinking that I'd like that cool air in the basement to be sucked into the basement air return and distributed to the top floors.

Can somebody tell me the most efficient air return/vent setup for cooling my top floor in the summer?


texts: Cutting and welding a BBQ lid to make it narrower

texts:
I have a  fairly heavy-gauge park style BBQ made by Pilot Rock.
If you needed to reduce the width of  this BBQ lid by a couple inches (facing the grill), how and where would you make the cuts and then weld the pieces back together?


texts: Non-glass options for custom shower door

texts:
I have an unfinished neo-angle shower enclosure (see dimensions below). The tile is in, but there is no door or glass panel. This is a bathroom in the basement, so I don't want to spend $3k on a frameless setup.

What is the next cheapest option above a shower-rod? Is there a non-glass option?

I recently stayed at a hotel, where the shower was enclosed in some acrylic-like material. It was definitely not glass, as the door was very light. At the same time, it looked quite nice and didn't feel cheap.

In any case, I'll appreciate any ideas whatsoever!


texts: What is open time, working time for adhesive?

texts:
Most floor adhesives specify open time and working time. The instructions on the can of glue do not spell out the meaning of these terms. Looking on the Internet yields ambiguous results.

To my best understanding, as of now:

Open time -- minimum required time from when adhesive is applied to when installation can begin.

Working time -- maximum allowed time for installation to complete, from start to end. Or is it from the time when adhesive is applied (thereby, including open time)?


texts: If I have a basement mixing valve, do I need one at the shower?

texts: If I have a mixing valve at the hot water tank, do I need to have additional mixing valves at each shower/sink/tub etc?


texts: fireplace thermostat will turn off fireplace but won't turn it on

texts:
I have a propane fireplace that wouldn't start. Cleaned the thermopile and thermocouple and got the pilot to work fine. Then the main burner wouldn't light from the thermostat--it only lit if I jumped the terminals at the fireplace with a paperclip. Then it ran. I could turn it OFF from the thermostat, but not back ON. So I removed the thermostat, connected the wires -- that would turn the thermostat both off and on. So I replaced the thermostat, and still have the same problem-- the thermostat turns the burner off but not on.

So what's my problem? Is the thermopile or thermocoupler bad? Is there another bad switch in the circuit somewhere?


texts:
We recently bought two of these windows on a garage sale of a local window provider.  We were so happy to have found two windows of the same size with the right color on sale that we quickly bought them.

Now that our shed is advancing, we are wondering how to fix this window on a stud wall.  It wouldn't be a problem if there was a wood frame or a nail fin.  Sadly, there's nothing like that on it.  We are having a really hard time figuring it out.

Here's some picture of the window.

We are currently thinking of replacing the larger Styrofoam by a custom made wood plank, so we can create our own wood frame.  Although, I don't think we should have to do that... maybe there's something we are not seeing.


texts: Best method to use carpet samples squares to create a Rug?

texts:
I have plenty of carpet samples and I wanted to make an area rug with them.
I would like to make a rug out of them,  maybe I can create a pattern with the carpet squares and then glue them to some kind of soft padding/underlay.
I was thinking to use carpet underlay and glue the samples to it directly. I am not sure if that's possible, and  in the case that it is possible, what kind of glue can be purchased in order to stick the two surfaces together? (considering that each piece of carpet has a different backing).
What kind of underlay should I consider to use?
Any advise will be really appreciated :)
I am trying to do this without breaking the bank.

Photo added to illustrate the project.


texts: Why does my dusk to dawn light go off when the furnace kicks in?

texts:
My dusk to dawn light goes off whenever my furnace kicks in throughout the night. It obviously comes back on right away, but it takes a minute or so to be fully restored.

What is the reason behind this and how can I fix this?


texts: Does anyone know what amp fuse is in a Heath/Zenith security motion sensor outdoor light has. The unit has a little fuse which is ceramic type fuse with markings on the silver ends, with ( F2H 250V ) on it. I have looked everywhere but no joy.


texts: Kitchen Fan extraction not working as intended

texts:
After a long time suffering of sub-optimal fan extraction in my kitchen, I decided to go to the root of whatever was causing it. I have a Zanussi ZHC60136X. I clean the filter grids every now and again (~6 months?) but haven't done any other maintenance on it. I had the impression that the fan was blowing, instead of sucking, and after removing the filters, it's quite obvious that it's venting air out. I did the usual test for this, placing a pot of steaming water on the hob and see if the stream of steam gets sucked when the fan is on: there is not much difference between turning the fan on or off, and some of the steam escapes the hood without being sucked by the fan.
After checking the manual, I saw that there were meant to be some coal filters attached to the air inlet. I thought that the filters must have been saturated and needed replacement, but after disassembling the inlets, I realised that there were no carbon filters at all! There has not been any since I moved into the house (two years and a half ago) and I doubt they were before (the house is around 4-5 years old). The fan seems to work nicely, so the grease has not affected it much even with the absence of filters.

Could it be that the lack of carbon filters is affecting the way the fan works, making it blowing instead of sucking air? Is it too late to fix now, could the vent be blocked somewhere upstream, where I can't clean it? I don't run a chicken shop, the motor assembly was dirty, with some grease as you would expect, but is not a clusterf*** of grease.
Thanks!


texts:
My friend's condo has a junction box installed in the ceiling, but no light.

Can we legally install a light here? Ontario's ESA page states that installing a light requires a permit, but does that include installing a light onto an existing junction box?
If we remove the cover, we see the following wires:

green (connected as though it's ground)
white
orange
yellow
blue
brown

We were expecting a green, white and black (or red) wire. The green white and orange wire appear to emerge from the same point on the side of the box. Am I correct in assuming that the orange wire is live?


texts: Water is dripping from the furnace exaust flue

texts: I replaced my hvac and noticed that my flue is dripping water. Wondering what might cause it? I assume some sort of condensation, but I don’t know what should I do to fix it.


texts: I am working on wiring my basement and I am adding an outlet to a stud that is green treated. When I attach the wire to the stud with a cable staple, is using one that is zinc coated enough, or does it have to be galvanized like nails need to be?


texts: How likely is it that my 1980 home has asbestos in the drywall?

texts: I live in a townhome and water leaked from the 2nd floor to the ground floor and caused water damage to the ceiling drywall on the lower floor. I would like to fix it myself. According to this, there could be asbestos in the drywall. My home was built in 1980. How likely that there is asbestos in the drywall? The home is in Tulsa, Oklahoma.


texts:
We closed on this new construction townhome in January 2014. 6 1/2 years later, cleaning the Panasonic exhaust fans in all 4 bathrooms, to my astonishment, basement bathroom fan has no ductwork. Fan works fine, just no ductwork leading anywhere. Steam from shower and everything else went into airspace between basement and main floor. Any recourse here to the builder and town inspector who  evidently 'didn't’ inspect?
Thanks


texts: Does a 1.6 gallon toilet really flush better than a 10 gallon toilet?

texts:
In the pre-1970 period toilets were 6-12 gallons per flush. Then 5 gallons became standard, until 1992 when "low flush" toilets were the only kinds allowed to be manufactured in the United States. I have read plumbers making the rather unbelievable claim that modern 1.6 gallon toilets flush better than 6 gallon toilets. Is this just a plumber trying to justify his business or some kind of reality?

All I know is that I have a house built in 1999 and the toilets flush like crap to use a pun.


texts: I've a top floor apartment in India which gets almost like an oven during the summers which is like for 9 months out of 12. I've decided to apply under the deck XPS 50mm (nailed to the ceiling). I dont want to do a gypsum false ceiling after that, since I like to keep the height and cost low. The supplier (Supreme Petrochem) suggests to apply putty + acrylic paint over the XPS board, but I'm skeptical and dont know if that will crack. I'm thinking of just sticking wall paper over it. Any experience of such application & suggestions will be appreciated.


texts: what is the best route for my shed? what amperage should I use?

texts:
ok...so...I am undecided what to use to power up this detached shed, which is 70 feet away from the main panel. I obviously want to go the safest route (shed is 200 square feet) Before hand, I really want to go the 30amp route, due to its cost friendly ways and I dont think I am going to use that much power; just want some opinions.

route 1 -

Use a double pole 60amp with #6-3 UF wire to feed a 60amp sub panel in the detached shed? (wire will be buried)

route 2 -

use a double pole 30amp 10-3 wire UF rated to feed a 50 or 60amp sub panel in the detached shed and use pvc conduit for the wire (or does NEC only allow direct burial with no conduit for UF wire?

what I plan on using in the shed -
3 security cameras
5 outlets (GFCI)
power tools such as table saws and vacuums
small TV and leave batteries charging

thats about it....

what is the best route?


texts: Is this double tap for a subpanel a problem?

texts:
I've been reading posts but am still a little confused on this as each situation is slightly different and I am not familiar with the terminology.

Main breaker has two larger wires coming into it.  The second one feeds a panel in the garage, which was an addition.  Panel has 3 circuit breakers in it.

Here is picture. My home inspector mentioned it as a problem. Do I need to deal with this?


texts: Mount Nissedal mirror away from the wall

texts:
I have an shallow space which I would like to use for some additional storage, with a mirror as a door. The space is only 15cm deep, so I've not been able to find something that I could buy to fill the space. This leads me down the route of building something myself.

In this diagram the black line represents the walls, red the shelves and blue the mirror.

I was planning to use Ikea Mosslanda picture ledges for the shelves, and a Nissedal mirror mounted on hinges as a 'door'.

The picture ledges are obviously not intended to have mirror attached to the front of them. So how can I mount the mirror (which weighs just over 6kg), 12cm from the plasterboard wall?

My first thought was to use two pieces of wood (one for each hinge), and attach the mirror those. However, I'm not sure how to securely attach the wood to the wall. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


texts: What are some ways to remove hardened epoxy from drain pipes?

texts:
Long story short. Some idiot poured down half a gallon of mixed epoxy into the sink, and washed it down with water. Epoxy traveled quite far, and then hardened, fusing with the pipes, creating a hard and watertight clog. The clog happens to be in a place where it is completely inaccessible (under and inside structural elements), so it is impossible to replace these pipes without demolishing half of the building. What are some ways to separate that epoxy from the pipes and clear the plug? We already tried flexible "snakes", but the epoxy is fused with the pipe, and won't move. Are there any chemicals that can dissolve it or break it apart without damaging the pipes? As far as we know, the pipes in that section are made from PVC.

I know it is a hard case... But demolishing half the building is really not an option. Looking forward to your ideas!