texts:
I'm trying to find a good sand that matches the mortar that I have in our house right now. I live in Chicago.

The house is 30+ years old and as I look at the existing mortar, I see that it has large grains that are pretty diverse in color - whites, blues, reds, pinks, tans, etc. The grains in the mortar also seem to be fairly large.

In order to find an appropriate sand, I've gone to some construction material stores as well as some big box stores. The best sand I've found so far is a Quikrete masonry sand.

I spoke to a guy at the construction material store that seemed to know about concrete and mortar and according to him, the sample of mortar that I brought him seemed "washed out" which is why the large grain sand was showing up. Over time the smaller grained sand washed away exposing a large number of the larger grains that managed to hold on.

Should I be trying to match the large grain size sand? The Quikrete stuff seems pretty close however my "test" mixtures don't have that "washed out" quality. It's just nice, fresh mortar.

I also have this color powder that I add as I'm mixing the mortar. How long should I wait for it to harden in order to get a sample? Are 24 hours enough? Would a hairdryer be an appropriate way to speed this up?


texts: Should I texturize my ceiling after removing popcorn?

texts: I'm going to remove the popcorn ceiling in my 90's era house and was wondering if I should texturize after removing it.  The walls have the "orange peel" type of texture on them but I just don't know if it would be best to have everything match or if a primered/painted ceiling would be OK with texturized walls.


texts:
I just installed a new Rheem RTG-84-XNL-1 tankless water heater. The unit has been throwing error code 12 off and on since it was first run. The manual and their tech support only entertain the idea that there is insufficient gas supply. Here are the numbers:

10 wc from the meter
10 wc static at appliance
1 to 2 inch wc drop when unit fires
electrical is well grounded and unit powered via a disconnect fed by a home run
gas and water bonded
burner is running and I can see string blue flames when the error gets thrown
burner tubes look good. Wiring is tight and rods aren't cracked
unit specs require 4 wc min and 10.5 wc max (as per the machine panel)

Two things that may be worth noting:

there is water accumulating in the bottom of the chassis. At first I thought this was a leaky internal component but after further inspection it appears to be condensation
it seems like it tends to error out when particular fixtures are being used. For instance, every time I have turned on the master bath shower it has worked fine - another shower (also upstairs) always seems to anger it.
the house is two stories with a split level basement with the unit installed at ground level attached to the exterior of the basement at a location where the basement is level with grade. All that to say that the hot water runs are pretty long.

The Rheem tech did say that the unit requires < 1inc wc drop, which contradicts both code and their installation manual, which states:

The gas system is designed to operate at a certain
maximum pressure drop. A pressure drop greater
than what is permissible can cause operational
issues with the gas appliances. The National Fuel
Gas Code (NFPA 54, ANSI Z223.1 2012) allows
for three pressure drop levels, a 0.3 inch W.C.,
(see table 2); a 0.5 inch W.C., (see table 3) and
a 3.0 inch W.C., (see table 4) pressure drop for
natural gas

My inclination is to demand they send me a new unit. Is there anything else I should be looking at? Is this condensation (or what seems to be) normal? Could the water plumbing somehow cause this?


texts:
Please help if you can... I just replaced some old 3-way switches with new Maetro+Controller 3 way dimmers.  I did this on 2 light separate lights (I.e. changed a total of 4 switches...
2 of these:  Lutron MA-R-WH Maestro Companion 120V 8.3A Designer Digital Dimmer Switch
and,
2 of these:  Lutron Maestro C.L Dimmer Switch for Dimmable LED, Halogen & Incandescent Bulbs, Single-Pole or Multi-Location, MACL-153M-WH

I got the same behavior on both circuits.  Here is the problem.  When I was done wiring up, the lights looked a little dimmer than before (everything else worked perfectly).  So, I measured the voltage at one of the 4 chandelier bulb sockets where I got a voltage to ground of 100VAC!!!  Bizzar!  There is only one light being controlled on each dimmer circuit (a chandalier with 4 small bulbs...I.e. low load).  So, I measured the voltages along the circuit.  Here is what I found:

Power leg into first dimmer: 120V
With the light turned on, the voltage on the same dimmer: 100V on one connection and 107V on the other (pretty sure the 107V is the phantom voltage).

3.The voltage on both powered legs of the 2nd dimmer is 100V--I.e. 100V from the first transformer and 100V on the line to the light fixture (107V also on the secondary connection/fantom?).

As mentioned above, I have a second light that I also changed the switches on.  Same power coming in and same neutrals.  I got the same result.  I disconnected the second one to see if it was impacting the first... it didn't seem to be).

Thoughts?

Thank you in advance.  Dave


texts: How to stop cold drafts caused by a warped door sill?

texts:
One of my external door sill weather-strip is slightly warped near the center producing an area where cold air can flow in.

The door sweep appears to make good contact on the left and right sides of the door so air flows through in the middle.

What is the optimal way to repair this type of draft? (both economically and from a heat retention standpoint)

Should I use an adhesive type door weather-strip (http://www.amazon.com/Duck-1302370-Self-Adhesive-Insulating-1-75-Inch/dp/B002GKC2TY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420496967&sr=8-1&keywords=adhesive+draft+stopper)

or should I find a way to replace the door sill weather-strip? What would the work entail to access and replace the sill weather-strip?


texts: Having trouble wiring my fan to work with the switch. It either constantly runs or just doesn’t. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts: How should I caulk between bathtub and drywall?

texts:
My tub sits in an alcove that is 6 inches wider than the width of the tub at the head, and sits against a full wall at the foot. I tiled the alcove but stopped at the front edge of the tub so that painted drywall is exposed and meets at the tub at it's full height in the front.

I've used non-paintable silicone caulking already for the parts where the tub meets the tile, and all else is fine, but I would like to seal these two edges as well.

Should I use a paintable caulking?


texts: How do I connect to a dishwasher bushing?

texts:
I just bought a new dishwasher for a newly renovated house that I just bought.
I am trying to install it myself.

My sink drain pipe has one of these sticking out the side above the U pipe thingy like the bottom right most example.

Do I just go to town on the end of that with a hacksaw and clamp on the drain hose?

Edit:
My sink drain looks like so with the bushing circled. I do not believe there is a hole on it.


texts: Are four brackets adequate for an 8-foot wire laundry shelf?

texts: I am purchasing wire shelving for an 8 foot wide concrete wall laundry. I will hang two 8 foot by 16 inches. Are 4 vertical wall brackets enough to support it? I understand I should space them every 24 inches. Is this correct? Do I really need the Hang Track, since I will be attaching the wall brackets with Tapcom 1 ¾”  screws?


texts: How should I connect my new ceiling fan to the existing wiring?

texts:
We bought a new home and are replacing an old ceiling fan with a new one. We had contractors here doing some work that was very bad quality so I fired them. They moved the junction box over (where I'm going to install my new ceiling fan) which I'm hoping was done correctly. I'm only mentioning this because they were the last people to touch the wiring and it'll more sense as I explain further. I noticed when I took my voltage tester to the ceiling junction box there was no sign of power with the light switch in the "ON" position. Disappointed and remembering that this worked before the j-box was moved I decided to remove the switch plate cover that controls power to the j-box in the ceiling where the old fan used to be. There are three switches there. I recall one of them controlling power to the fan, but I can't remember which one.
As I started to remove each switch one by one I noticed that two of them had a completely disconnected wire from the switch. What was very disturbing was that wires weren't capped or taped off with electrical tape. They were completely bare and floating and I could have easily shocked myself or just tripped the switch at the circuit box. This was done by the workers I fired. They more than likely disconnected the power there in order to move the j-box at the ceiling. At any rate, I'm not looking to whine about it, but it's important info since I'm pretty sure a live hot black wire at the light switch along with the red disconnected wire belong to the wiring I see at the j-box in the ceiling.
There is a red, black and white wire in the J-box at the ceiling. My question has to do with rewiring it so that my ceiling fan will work. I have a Casablanca ceiling fan with light. This is the model that I boght:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Casablanca-Wisp-52-in-LED-Indoor-Painted-Pewter-Ceiling-Fan-with-Remote-Control-59152/206802477
It's late so I don't want to do this now because it's dark and won't be able to see what I'm doing. But in the morning I plan to turn the power off at the circuit box. Do I connect the red wire to the switch? This is the switch that has one live hot black wire connected to it. In the junction box in the ceiling there is a black, red, white and ground wire. By the way, the other two switches in the wall junction box at the three gang switch box do not have red wires.
By the way, as I look into the three gang junction box in the wall I see what looks like four white wires bundled together. Two of the switches in the three gang have all black wires and the one I think powers the ceiling has a black and red wire.
And I correct in thinking that one of the switches controlled the fan blades and a second one controlled the light on the fan? If so how can I put my fan on one switch and then hopefully turn my three gang into a two gang light switch?


texts: Gonna be a weird one. I've tried to open up a Neato Robot Vacuum to fix a small problem and I've found myself in a doozy. Trying to unscrew it, the tip of the screwdriver must have been loose and fell into a screw hole. The problem is that it won't come out now.. I've tried grabbing it with a pair of pliers but it's too much of a tight fit, I've tried shaking the hell out of it and bumping the other side but it seems to be really stuck in there. Any ideas?


texts: How can I determine the cause of a noisy spin cycle in my INDESIT washing machine?

texts: My washing machine has suddenly started being much noisier during the spin cycle.  It doesn't seem to be vibrating or knocking/banging.  It's just got a much louder whine when spinning fast than it used to.  What preliminary checks can I perform to identify the root cause so I can decide whether it's worth paying a professional for a repair or if I should just replace the machine?


texts: We had a water leak in our basement. We removed the laminate floating planks. We have let them dry out for weeks while we redid the walls. We are now beginning to relay the flooring. It isn’t going as well as the videos show laying a new floor. We are having to cut the lip on the ends a little so the planks will fit back together. Is there something we are doing wrong? Is there a video anywhere to watch? Will cutting the lip a little hurt in the long run? We are laying the floor on the concrete and only use the room for storage at the moment but still want it to look nice. Thanks you


texts: Why neutral wire connected to load wire?

texts: I opened switch box in the basement that has two switches: one for basement and other 3way switch for stairs. I wonder why white wire thet usually neutral connected to black wire that goes to another connection woth load wire.


texts: Why is the water supply for my refrigerator not turning on?

texts: I need to turn on the water supply for a new fridge that makes ice and water. I turned the valve behind the fridge to the on position but water is not coming out. I can not locate any other valve that will turn it on. I would hate to spend a lot of money on a plumber if it is something simple. I paid enough for the fridge already!


texts: Leaking toilet, stop water supply; Supply Valve Stuck

texts:
Need to replace seal between bowl and cistern.

But is there a way to stop water supply to just that one toilet, it has a tap thing next to it, see pic.  Tried turning it, but no luck should I turn it harder?


texts: What Paint Finish (flat, satin, etc) Should I Use in a Rental Property?

texts:
What finish should I use (flat, eggshell, satin, etc) for the walls in a rental home? In the past I've used eggshell and even satin on walls on the theory that I would be able to clean them (as opposed to repainting them) in between tenants. But I find that I want to repaint entirely in between tenants so the net result is that I've increased my prep time because it takes longer to take the gloss off those finishes. I'm currently considering two options:

recommitting to cleaning the walls, not repainting and just being better about setting a tone that lets prospective tenants know that they are our partners in maintaining the condition of the property
finishing all walls with 'flat' and repainting in between tenants ... still setting the tone mentioned above but accepting that the best way to get a really fresh look for new tenants is to paint, and given that, using the paint that is easiest to paint over.

I'd love to hear some opinions on the matter.


texts: What material can I use for this custom corner desk?

texts:
I'm looking to make a custom desk. I'm trying to decide on a material for the desk's surface. I have a fair amount of tools and am familiar/experienced in cabinet making (though it's been awhile). I have not, but probably could do laminate.

What gets me confused is the shape of my desired desk. It is roughly 4'x7' with multiple cutouts along the face. Cheaper is better, as long as it's functional and looks good. Laminate is an option, if I could face the edges well/cleanly. Something like carbon fiber or such would also work (the look, not the actual product.)

Requirements:

sturdy
able to be mounted to wall without legs
smooth/clean (writing surface) (will varnish if I have to, but tend to not be happy with varnish as a writing surface...too soft sometimes)
either modern-black or rustic-burnt wood grain

Done in Google Sketchup. (File available upon request)

Possible options (from answers below):

Coloured MDF -- Excellent option that I'm looking into
Particle board with laminate -- Backup option
Biscuit joined wood planks -- Only if I have to


texts: Power outlet that works off a switch no longer shuts off after replacement

texts: There is one power outlet (double) in my room where the top outlet turns on/off from a wall switch and the bottom one is always on. I just replaced the outlet with the new one, making sure all the wires go into the same holes in the new outlet as they were in the old one, but now the top outlet is always on as well as the bottom one and the switch does nothing to it. This is my first time replacing outlets (learned off youtube :)) and I have no electrical experience (just using common sense) so I can't figure out what might be wrong. Did I need a special electric outlet, or did I somehow mess up the wiring? Where do I start?


texts: What should I do with leftover sulfuric acid from a sump pump battery backup?

texts:
In our new house, we found that a previous owner installed a sump pump battery backup unit, which is nice. The battery in the system is like a car battery, but it's the kind where you initially add sulfuric acid to, and then periodically top off with distilled water.

However, the owner left behind the container of leftover sulfuric acid. The manual for the battery system says to never add more acid to the battery, only water.

So, what should I do with this acid?

Is it dangerous to keep in the basement? Will it emit bad vapor?
Can I keep it in case I need more if I buy a new battery in 5 years?
Should I dispose of it? How?


texts:
Note that this is in Thailand where there are no rules.
My home has a main breaker which includes a GFCI. Recently the breaker has started to trip when it gets cold. (This is Thailand. Cold means around 20ºC or about 68ºF).
I have isolated this to one circuit. When I turn that circuit off, the main no longer trips. I have tried unplugging everything on that circuit and turning all the lights off. It still trips at night when it's cool. The next morning when I turn that circuit back on, all is well. If the nights are warm, the breaker doesn't trip.
Any ideas?


texts: Should I attempt to repair a leak in my radon mitigation system's pipework?

texts:
My radon evacuation system has been in place for about 10 years and it operating efficiently. However, the caulk that was used around the outdoor fan has deteriorated. When I cleaned up the area to ready it for a new application of caulk I discovered that some of the air is exhausting out at the fan output connection.

Video

Is this ok? Should I caulk the spot where the air is leaking out which is just below the gasket that attached the exhaust pipe to the fan unit? I have photos and a video.


texts: Adding a bathroom fan (and speaker) to end line switch

texts:
My bathroom has one light fixture controlled by an end-line switch. I want to add a Delta Breez model VFB25ADBT ( that also has a built-in Bluetooth speaker--nifty ) and be able to control lights, fan, and speaker separately from the combination switch pictured.

The hot wire from the electrical panel comes into the light fixture, and there's also an additional run that leaves it and goes to lights/outlets elsewhere in the house.

I have a hunch I need to run some 14/3 but want confirmation before I spend a few hours fishing romex.

Any tips on how to wire all this?


texts: How can I tell if I have rock or wood lath plaster, and is there a difference when repairing cracks and peeling/flaking?

texts:
My wife and I are repainting our attic and aren't sure how best to proceed with fixing the wall cracks.  We have several different kinds of problems: long parallel cracks set a couple feet apart, and especially in the corners of the hip roof; spalling and crumbling powdered plaster (?) around the fireplace flue wall, with some exposed drywall mesh tape; and peeling and flaking paint chips / textured plaster coat (?) that seems to have a brown paper back with a very smooth stony surface behind.

It's the last bit, and the wide set parallel cracks, that make me think we have rock lath plaster.  My wife thinks we may be dealing with paint over wallpaper, and that the stony surface is in fact the original plaster.  We've tried searching for help in home improvement books and online but all we can find are how-to's for wood lath plaster repair.

Compounding my hesitation is something I recall my home inspector told me: that we have exterior masonry construction walls.  That makes me wonder if I'm looking at something else entirely.

Is there a good way to determine what we do have?  Does it make a meaningful difference in how you'd best repair it?  The recommendation in this question is to tape and spackle.  But since it looks like that was attempted already on the fireplace wall I'm skeptical that it's the appropriate fix for our walls.

Update: Here are some photos of the areas.  You can see in the first two the gray, smooth, stony surface behind, and the brown paper.  The seam visible in the 2nd photo makes me wonder if this is paint over wallpaper?  In photos 3-5 you can see what looks like evidence of drywall, or at least a past patch job with tape and mud.

1) sample crack

2) Wall crack not through gray surface, but showing seam / brown paper on the top layer

3) Fireplace flue wall. Cracks are worst in this section. The large exposed area is where my wife and I started removing the surface material to try to determine what the gray subsurface is.

4) Side view of fireplace flue wall. The corner has a metallic strip covering the corner, suggesting drywall, but the gray surface underneath seems much more solid than typical drywall.

5) Close-up of the left-side corner of the fireplace flue wall, visible from photo #3. Here you can see what looks like drywall mesh tape. There is a crumbly, soft white powder in this area, which makes me think there was prior patching using drywall mud and tape.

6) Vent pipe for septic system, with chipping/peeling/flaking top surface. There are no long cracks present in this area, just what's visible here around the pipe aperture.

7) Dormer leading up to the attic. Here you can see (faintly, sorry) the long horizontal crack, which then forms a Y and cuts at a diagonal down and to the right, while continuing horizontally as well. There are several places where cracks like these appear, spaced about 2-3 feet apart, which is what made me suspect rock lath plaster in the first place.


texts:
Recently I've been experiencing some backup with my toilet and tub due to some roots in our line.  I've had Roto Rooter come out a couple times to do their thing and cut out some of the roots to alleviate the problem and it's worked out pretty well except they needed to go through our toilet both times since there is no sewer clean out located on our property and we live on a slab so there is no basement.

Roto Rooter kindly offered to install one for us for around $3,500, however I was wanting to save at least some of that money and do it myself. I've heard the worst part is doing the digging and I'm looking for some advice.  I believe our line is 4" cast to some poorly repaired 6" clay.

How difficult is installing a clean out yourself?  What kind of supplies will I need?


texts: Can I replace Halogen fixtures with these LED fixtures?

texts:
I just moved into a new apartment, in the bathroom there are 6 lights in the ceiling and a dimmable switch next to the door.

I want to change the bulbs to LEDs, but these damn halogen bulbs are really really slim (G4 socket, 12v) and the LEDs that I bought are just too "fat" to fit in the housing.

So I thought I might as well change the whole housing and looking on ebay I see this
3W 5W LED Ceiling light Warm/Cool White Cree Down light Recessed Spotlight Lamp.

Will these work, or will they blow if I try connecting them to the present set?

Let me know if you need pictures of anything if you don't understand anything I wrote above.


texts: How does the insulation value of multiple layers of insulation compare to a single layer of the same total thickness?

texts:
If I insulate a surface with two sheets of rigid foam insulation with thickness x, or with one sheet of otherwise identical rigid foam insulation with thickness 2x, how should I think about the performance differences between those two situations? What about if there was an intentional air gap between the two?
I'm thinking of an application exposed to cold air, around 10 to 50 deg F (-12 to 10 deg C). I'm also assuming that the warm side of the insulation would be faced with aluminum foil. I'm especially interested in expanded polystyrene.
Thanks!


texts: Why are most of my cable/coax wires disconnected?

texts:
I'm researching an ethernet-over-coax solution for my home. In my closet where all the cabling meet, all but two coax cables are disconnected. There are 14 cables altogether, with 12 cables entirely disconnected, and 2 cables connected to one another with a female/female connector.

If this looks standard, can someone explain basic home coax wiring?

Why are nearly all my coax cables disconnected?
Is this related to FCC leakage regulations?
Do each of the 12 other cables go to wall plates in the house, or is this really just 6 lines that are simply disconnected at the moment?


texts: How can I replace failing ballasts in recessed CFL housings if I don't have access to the attic?

texts:
I have a set of recessed CFL (4-pin) lights and a few of the ballasts are failing (CFLs fail to start randomly, even after replacing them with new sets).

They are NHPSIC-626ELAT, CFL (4-pin) fixtures.

Is there a way to get to the ballast without going through the attic (there is no access in my house)?
I am thinking about replacing the CFLs with LED retrofits, but either way I have to either replace the ballast or bypass it.


texts: Voltage imbalance at the end of a sixty foot run

texts:
I have 240 volt service to my house.
I have a 50amp dual pole breaker feeding a sub panel
60 feet away.
At the breaker I have 120 volts on each leg.
At the end of the sixty foot run, L1 has 100 volts, L2
Has 140 volts. This is measured under no loads, just the end of the wires.
I swapped the wires and the readings followed the
Wire swap.
I’m thinking wiring issue. Does this sound right to everyone?

Update: Thanks everyone for the info. I picked up 100' of new copper, and bypassed the neutral in the circuit, that fixed the problem. So I'll be pulling it through conduit tomorrow... possible disaster averted!


texts: How to protect non-metallic cable parallel to face of joist in attic?

texts: I would like to run non-metallic cable (Romex) along the sides of the floor joists in my attic.  Code (NEC 300.4(D)) says that wires need to be 1.25" from the top or bottom of the framing member.  With my 2x4 joists, this gets me one cable on a face.  What are my options to run more than one cable on a side (i.e. protect the cable because I cannot maintain the 1.25" requirement)?  Code mentions steel plates, sleeves, "or equivalent," but I don't know what I'm supposed to look for.  AC cable doesn't seem to provide the adequate protection that Code requires, either (correct?).  Are there exceptions for attics?  I'm going to fill the attic (eventually) with about 16-18" of blown insulation, and there won't be decking where I'm running my cables.


texts: Any reason *not* to put electric oven on GFCI breaker?

texts:
I want to tap my electric oven's existing circuit to add a NEMA 6-15 outlet in my kitchen for a 240v kettle (the oven is rated at 21 amps and the breaker is 40 amps, so I think I should be OK adding my 12amp kettle.)
My understanding is that since it is 240v, I'm not required to have GFCI protection on that outlet but since it is a) in a kitchen, b 24" from my sink c) I'm plugging a kettle full of water into it, I'd feel a lot safer, especially at that voltage, if it was on a GFCI. As far as I know, my only option at 240v is a GFCI breaker rather than at the receptacle.
So, is there any downside (other than cost) to just swapping the whole 40 amp breaker for a GFCI breaker and running my electric oven on a GFCI all the time?
EDIT: to clarify, here's what I'm picturing and my current breaker box. The first electrician I talked to already pointed out the oven's current breaker is mis-matched and should be replaced with GE breaker. He said he could do it, but said something like "you sure you want to run the stove [oven] on the GFI?" which made me wonder if there was some downside to that?


texts: The wonderful designers of my kitchen installed a tall (oak) pantry cabinet next to the range.  I am concerned that this is a fire hazard.  Is there anything I can do to mitigate the heat from the stove top?


texts: Led pot light wire damaged at rough in by drywall cutout tool. How to repair?

texts:
Looking for advice on what to do here.

Surprisingly the light works fine even though it appears a lot of the individual wires in the stranded wire are cut.

120v 35w is the max rating of the fixture so line voltage.  The bulbs are led.  I might have a spare fixture lying around that i could pull a virgin connector out of.


texts: Wire at the end of the circuit activates my tester at about 12-14 inches away

texts:
Have a new circuit in the basement that includes a dimmer switch and 4 recessed lights, in addition to 6 outlets.
The switch and the lights are at the end of the run. The order is:: panel > AFCI outlet > 5 outlets > switch > 4 recessed lights
When a contactless tester (Kline Tools) is brought very near (about an inch) or touched any wire of the circuit, except the part between two last lights,  it beeps/blinks red, which is correct.
Checked the wiring (after turning off breaker) and all seem to be ok.
All are new products from Home Depot. Tester is also ok and all outlets functioned ok, including AFCI outlet (trips and resets).
When the tester is at about 12-14 inches from the wire between the two lights at the end of the run, it starts to beep and blink.

Why is this happening?

I'm planning on rechecking the wiring/connections etc., but any tips would be greatly helpful.


texts: Subpanel run to secondary floor apartment from basement

texts: What size wire would I need to run a 100 amp subpanel 28 feet away? I have 6/3 wire would  that do it?


texts: Resources for repairing double swing door (center pin style)

texts:
My Google skills have failed me in my task today - I have a double swing cafe-style door between my living room and kitchen that the top pin has become loose on - it appears to me the door is sitting low overall, as it also drags slightly at the threshold.
Alas, I don't actually know what this style of hinge is called, other than it is not the widely-available spring load saloon style I am familiar with - but, It's really kind of a nice door, and I'd love it to work again.
Images of the door, and the top and bottom hinges (click to enlarge):

Anybody got a nice video somewhere of how to adjust, or even assemble/disassemble these? Thanks!


texts:
I removed the quarter round and two trim boards to install a new hardwood floor.  I partially split one of the larger (lower) trim boards.  The split is about 24" long.  The wood is 12" wide birdseye maple in 14' lengths and is not replaceable at a price I can afford.  I would like to repair the split as best as I can.  I do not need structural strength here, just a good looking finish.  I would prefer not to have to refinish the board.

My current plan is to carefully open the split a bit wider and using a toothpick, work in some good quality carpenters glue (Titebond III seems highly regarded around here) then clamp.

Do you have a better technique?  Any tips?


texts: What happens if I use vegetable oil instead of machine oil or grease?

texts:
It's kind of tempting to use vegetable oil for lubricating door hinges and other similar basic mechanisms around the house - vegetable oil is readily available in almost any household. However I always hear it's a bad idea, but could never find any details of why exactly it is a bad idea.

What exactly happens if I use vegetable oil for basic mechanisms lubrication?


texts: How can I clean silicone mastic stains from a bath-tub and tiles?

texts:
I was redoing the silicone dilation around the bath-tub, using the silicone mastic from a tube. Unfortunately, I stained the tub and a tile with silicone. You cannot see it really, but they got quite slippery, which is obviously frowned upon.

I failed to clean them with abrasive cleaner, and trying to "clod it" by hands didn't help either (this works with acrylic mastic and I supposed the silicone one would be the same, is it not, though). How can I clean it off so that the surface becomes less slippery, as it was before?


texts: Fix issue with 2 independent lights on single source

texts:
I inherited an electrical conundrum. In particular, two hallway lights on the main floor and upstairs, sharing a circuit and each independently controlled by two switches, both on the main floor.

The main floor connections were a mess. No box; other than BX at the ceiling everything (cabling, switches) was surfaced mounted. The legs to the two switches were particularly unpleasant: flat nailed-in weathered 18/2 LVT cable running across walls and ceilings, not to mention some dead wires etc. Just a maze, so I decided to rip it all away and start over.

I knew what I wanted, and perhaps what the previous owner had tried to wire. Two hallway lights with independent 3-way switches. I planned to use wireless relays at the fixtures.

Upstairs was a snap even for an amateur like me. The short was just due to some fraying on both the hot and neutral. Cleaned up the 14/2 in the ceiling (shorted due to frayed wires), attached them to a wireless receiver I squeezed into the electrical box, connected it the fixture and put a pair of switches/transmitters upstairs and downstairs. Worked fine.

Next, I ripped out the LVT and switches. Should have paid more attention, because of course when I disconnected the switch for the upstairs light I opened that circuit.

I had envisioned the existing wiring to look like (switches & connections to fixtures omitted)

But of course that would not have made it possible for the main floor switch to control the upstairs light. Belated Duh!

At this point, the wiring to the old switches is irrelevant since they’re being replaced with relays at the fixtures.  But I’m having trouble figuring out what the real (hidden) wiring is, and more practically how to energize the upstairs pair with the existing cables if possible.


texts: How can I keep my paint from freezing in an unheated garage?

texts:
This is the first winter I've had cans of paint in my garage. Many paint labels advise that paint shouldn't be allowed to freeze. There are three five-gallon buckets on the floor and around ten one-gallon cans on the bottom shelf of a wire rack. Plus wood glue and caulk and other non-freezable miscellany. I'd be inclined to discard it all if it wouldn't cost so much to replace it. But insulating and heating the garage is a huge project.

What's the best way to keep this paint from freezing?


texts: How should I seal a flexible flue liner passing through large clay thimble?

texts:
I'm replacing my atmospheric venting natural gas water heater and I'd like to clean up the type B venting solution while I'm at it. I've had a high efficiency furnace put in so now only my gas water heater is venting through what I've found to be a flexible flue liner going into my brick chimney. The existing solution is the flexible flue liner is mortared inside of a clay thimble, with a sleeve protecting the liner in the mortared portion. The mortar is badly cracked and I pulled out pieces out by hand.
What would be the right solution to have a tidy connection to the flexible flue liner? Should I remove the wye, connect the water heater vent to the appropriate increaser and mortar the flue liner with refractory cement? Is there a better product to reduce the clay thimble to the size of the flue liner?


texts: How to determine if brick wall can withstand weight of TV with 1m swivel arm?

texts:
I live in a brick house in Spain and want to mount a large 65" TV on an internal brick wall. When I knock on it with my knuckles I get a hollow sound. I suspect they are perforated brick as shown below (I found some broken bricks on the roof of the house which could be the same).
The TV is 24kg (53 lbs) and the swivel arm is 13kg (27 lbs). However the arm can also extend 1m out which will put significantly more stress on the brick when fully extended. I have purchased Fischer Duopower 10X80mm wall plugs and screws.
How can I possibly determine whether this brick can withstand this weight? I am concerned that the brick or plugs will fail and the expensive OLED TV will smash into the floor.


texts: Can I install a flow through humidifier on either side of the duct?

texts:
I was about to install a Wait6000 whole home humidifier when I hit this snag in the plan.

On page 3 of their manual (PDF), it says the cold air return duct must be at least 10" wide. The diagram show the humidifier install on that skinny side of the duct.
My duct is only 8" wide. I was planning to install it along the other side where it is plenty wide enough.

My question is, does it matter if I install it on the length of the duct? It would meet all other criteria.


texts:
Are GX24Q-3 bulbs compatible with G24Q-3 bases and vice versa? Can a GX24Q-3 bulb be safely powered by a G24Q-3 base? Can a G24Q-3 bulb be safely powered by a GX24Q-3 base?

EDIT: If not, then can a 26-watt GX24Q-3 CFL replace a same-watt G24Q-3 CFL in a G24Q-3 ballast? I have a G24Q-3 ballast that has always used 26-watt G24Q-3 CFL. When the last CFL died, I replaced it with, and was able to fit, a 26-watt GX24Q-3 CFL in the ballast. But I get only one flicker (and nothing else) each time when powering on, so is the GX24Q-3 bulb incompatible or just a bad bulb?

Adding to the confusion, this page markets an LED bulb that’s “Compatible with only base G24q-3/GX24q”. I didn’t use that LED; my test used a CFL of a different brand, which doesn’t indicate whether it’s compatible with G24Q-3 ballasts. This other site’s search filter consolidates G24Q-3 & GX24Q-3.

The notches of the G24Q-3 and GX24Q-3 bulbs are located at the same 1- and 7-o’clock positions. The bulbs are different in their bezel above the notched section: a hexagon bezel for GX24Q-3 bulb and a rounded square bezel for the G24Q-3 bulb. I now see from some answers’ diagrams that the G24Q-3 bulb has a longer central peg (a.k.a. stabilizing block) than the GX24Q-3 bulb. Because my G24Q-3 ballast’s socket is deep enough to fit the G24Q-3 bulb’s stabilizing block, the shorter block on the GX24Q-3 doesn’t cause any fit issues. The plastic holder section of my G24Q-3 ballast goes only up to the notched cross section of the G24Q-3 bulb, so the hexagonal bezel of the GX24Q-3 bulb doesn’t cause any fit issues either. Both G24Q-3 and GX24Q-3 bulbs can fit in a G24Q-3 ballast. If the socket on a GX24Q-3 ballast is only as deep as its own bulb type’s stabilizing block, then G24Q-3 bulbs can’t fit in GX24Q-3 ballasts. Is this length difference designed to make GX24Q-3 bulbs backwards-compatible with G24Q-3 ballasts and prevent G24Q-3 bulbs from being forwards-compatible with GX24Q-3 ballasts?


texts: Why is water accumulating in my sump pail when there has been no rain?

texts: My sump pump started kicking out water about the 3rd week in March (still cold here, no rain).  I had a plumber out and there is no water running in the house and we checked with the water service in the neighborhood and no increase in water usage within my house or surrounding homes.  Where could the water be coming from and who do I contact for help?


texts: How can I safely get rid of the odor caused by EasyOff oven cleaner?

texts:
I recently cleaned my oven with something called EasyOff Fume Free. It worked great at getting the crud off my oven, but now, for the life of me, I can't get rid of the smell.

The "fume free" part of their marketing is a joke. If I turn the oven on, even at its lowest setting (~100 degrees), it starts emitting a nauseating odor that chokes me out and makes my throat sore. I opened up all the windows, opened the doors, started a big room fan, and left the house for an hour. I came back and the smell was still there. It only goes away after I turn the oven off.

I tried washing the inside of the oven with water and a sponge, and that didn't seem to help.

Is this normal?!? Has anyone else had a similar experience with this (or similar) oven cleaning products? What was the fix?


texts: Light fixtures flicker after replacement

texts: I have replaced the two lights in my kitchen with updated fixtures.  These lights are controlled by the same switch.  The first light went in with no problems.  The second one is a little bit more complicated.  There are supposed to be the three wires distinguishable by color.  Only the green, grounding wire is obvious.  The other two are not. I think that I have them correctly connected but the lights on both fixtures flicker when I turn the switch on.  Is it possible that I have wired them incorrectly or is this a separate issue?? Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thanks


texts:
I have a wiring configuration that appears to allow for a single switch piece that controls a ceiling fan AND 3-way switching of a ceiling fan light (there's another light switch on the other side of the room that seems to pair with the 3-way light switch).
What is currently hooked up in this spot is just a fan control (with a red and white wire), which controls the current lightless fan.  However, there is another loose red wire in the box that goes hot with the light switch across the room, so I'm thinking I can replace the fan with one that does have a light that I can control from both locations.
My primary questions are:

Does it seem like I have correctly deduced that I can add a fan with a light in this way?
Is there a slider/switch combo I can purchase that both controls the fan and acts as a 3-way light control?  I'm having trouble finding one, but might not be searching correctly

Bonus question: the fan is on a very high lofted ceiling - and some have said having a light there would get annoying when bulbs need to be changed (pretty much would need to rent a 12-ft ladder), however I think the extra lighting is worth it and bulbs these days last a long time… any thoughts or experiences? :-D
Thanks!!
UPDATE: adding photos of the two boxes.  The larger box includes the current fan control hooked up on the very left, and the smaller box is the one wired for 3-way.  The middle switch in the large box is a single-pole for a hall light and the one on the right is a 3-way switch paired with a different switch for another hall light.  The two wires hooked up to the fan control (one red and one white) are both hot (per my contactless voltage tester): the white wire is coming from the cable on the far left (along with the loose red wire that goes hot when i flip the paired 3-way switch across the room, a ground wire, and a black wire that's joined with the other black wires in the box); the red wire is coming from the second cable from the left in the box, along with a ground wire and white and black wires that are joined with their other like-colored wires in the box.
UPDATE2: adding a photo with more detail of the larger box and the wires labeled - source cables are colored in yellow and the corresponding individual wire terminuses in green.
UPDATE3: adding a chart of which wires are hot in the 3-way switch box and the larger box (just those on the left side: the red and white hooked up to the fan control and the other loose red wire), based on configuration of the 3-way switch I have installed (whether the red or the white wire is wired on the same side of the switch as the black common wire, and which position the switch is in). Checkmark=hot.  Maybe this isn't supposed to be a 3-way switch?


texts: Why are my water/radiator pipes whistling when I shut down the heating system?

texts: With winter coming up, I started to heat the house and for the first time the radiator pipes are starting to whistle when I heat and then shut down the system. I have a big house and I need to shut down the heating system regularly if I do not want to blow out my budget. I went in the basement to inspect the system and I saw that the bottom of my boiler is leaking: could this be the reason why the pipes are whistling or is the issue coming from an another source?


texts: What is the correct way to wire a utility light with an outlet?

texts:
I had a light fixture in a utility closet go out. The replacement fixture has an outlet but my original light did not have an outlet This complicates things for someone like myself.

And I wish I had taken a picture of the wiring before I messed with it, but I didn't.

Below is a picture of how I currently have it, and I need to know what I should do next.

The previous light had 2 white wires coming into Terminal A, and 2 black wires coming into Terminal C.  But in the new light, I could not get 2 wires to fit.  What did this accomplish?  Is the way I have the wiring of the neutral and hot wires OK?  The light turns on, but is it safe.

As for the bare ground wires (labeled D).  I assume that goes to Terminal C.  But do both of the bare wires go to the terminal? Or just one of them? How exactly should this be wired?

Also, I have this circuit switched off while working.  Just flipped it on to see that it worked and snap the photos.


texts: Need help naming / finding drill attachment

texts:
I have a ZUWA drill pump as seen in the picture but not the attachment to the drill that stabilizes the water pump (the thing that has the metal rod extending out that passes through the water pump)
 It's not absolutely necessary, but a nice-to-have.  I've had some trouble locating one and not sure how common they are, or if they have a common name?

On ZUWA's website I could only find an ID for this part.

Any help much appreciated.


texts: Weird breaker panel splice 200amp service to 125amp?

texts:
Located in the PNW.

So something weird is going on with the panel on my house. I pulled the permit records and they had a permit for 200A service installed to the house

but it appears to be spliced into a 125amp panel and the wire guage is reduced with electrical tape covering the splice.

Is this a safe install or is that a warning sign? Also could I rectify the situation by having the panel replaced with a 200amp panel or just have the breaker replaced with a 200amp breaker? Thanks!


texts: Do all sliding glass patio doors come pre-assembled in one piece?

texts:
I'm doing a soundproofing project in my basement, setting up a small home recording studio, and I need a door that doesn't swing. Looking at other studios, I notice that they often go with a double set of exterior sliding glass patio doors (air gap in between). I think this is a great solution since patio doors are designed to be air tight and insulate well (in Canada anyways) and shouldn't let a lot of sound through.

My problem is that all the patio doors I can find come with pre-assembled frames (72"x80"), and I won't be able to fit it around the turn in my basement stairs.

Where can I find glass exterior doors that come in pieces so that I can actually get it down to the basement?

Any other soundproof non-swinging door ideas out there? DIY options?


texts: How can I cut wood in a very awkward location?

texts:
I recently installed a new kitchen sink and faucet. It was one of those with the spot for a dish detergent pump.

After getting everything in, I come to find out there just isn't enough room to fit the bottle for the pump.

What I need to do is cut about 2 inches of wood that is about 1/2 inch thick, however, it's in a very awkward position.

Are there any suggestions on what I could use to cut?


texts: What types of surfaces can I use ammonia or isopropyl alcohol for cleaning?

texts:
Consider just NH3 and C3H8O (isopropyl alcohol) for their cleaning ability, in liquid form, on common hard surfaces (glass, aluminum, stainless steel, finished wood, PETE, etc).  The action is just soaking and wiping with a towel, repeatedly.

What's the best example of a "preferred hard surface" (i.e., the other cleaner would not work as well) for each cleaner?

I was thinking that the contaminant on the surface can be any greasy thing, but maybe it's more complicated, so feel free to instead give a "preferred contaminant plus hard surface".

The goal here is basically to understand the simplest cleaners since I never know which to use.  Memorizing a simple list might help me.


texts: What to do for the best on the exterior of our house?

texts:
We’ve just had our kitchen hacked off, injected and re-rendered because of damp and have now been told the exterior which is pebble dashed has blown.

The house is over 100 years old, end terraced 3 bedroom house, it’s a cold house with slightly higher ceilings approx 9ft. I have been trying to do a bit of research and I’m guessing we need a silicone based render and not the usual and the process will be different to what most builders are used to.

As we are on a tight budget I’m thinking of alternative materials we could use on the exterior and not having it pebble dashed again, although I don't fancy going thru this again in a couple of years. Could someone suggest an effective but cheaper alternative to pebble dash? I have thought of just paint but don't fancy having to paint it every couple of years.

I live in Wales (the UK) so my terms must be different to some of you. "Hacked off" means taken back to the brick, "blown" means the pebble dash has come away from the render allowing water in and causing damp "render" is the concrete applied to the brick and "pebble dash" is like a coating of loads of little stones something we use a lot of on the exterior of houses where I live. Our weather is varied but we hardly get winds stronger than 11mph, we can get cold winters down to -4 °C and a lot of rain and tend to have fairly nice Easter breaks and get short summers. It would be the whole house that needs doing so it would need to be the same.

I'm starting to think this would be the wrong site for me as we use different materials in the UK. Thank you for those who replied, I would still like feedback if you are familiar with UK materials etc however understand if you can't help.


texts:
DISCLAIMER: I'm new to this (specific) site, and I couldn't find any other Stack site that matches with my question.

I'm working on a mobile project and am hanging cardboard "medallions" on it. I am calculating the torque created by each side to balance them out.

However, the medallions are really light, so I can't just weigh them: instead, I plan to find the volume (area calculated using free online tool Sketch and Calc, height measured with ruler) then multiply it by cardboard's density.

But that's where I run into problems: I don't know the density of cardboard. I was wondering if someone could help me out.

I'm referring to the corrugated cardboard with two flat linerboards, with a flute in between them. Specifically, the type of cardboard Amazon uses with its boxes (the type of cardboard I'm using).

I would like the density in kg/(cm^3) (the medallions, along with being light, are also small).

After searching on the internet, I found (corroborated by two sources) that the density of cardboard is from 0.6-0.7 kg/m^3. Does this make sense?


texts: Will emergency heat hurt my heat pump during defrosting?

texts: I am using my emergency heat during the defrosting stage of my heat pump. Is this all right? If not, what can I do while it's defrosting?


texts: This lamp harp is welded to the lamp so cannot be easily replaced.  The screw for the shade was welded on and broke off.   Any suggestions for how to repair?   I've tried various glues with poor results.  I don't own a welder but willing to buy a basic one if there's a good chance of success.  Always willing to buy a tool and learn a new skill when appropriate.  I'm trying to think of some mechanical way to do this with brackets or other hardware.  Drawing a blank.


texts: What type of tape is appropriate for pipe insulation?

texts: As a follow-up to my sweaty pipe discussion, what type of tape is appropriate for to properly seal up pipe polyethylene insulation (see photo in link)?  I would think that scotch tape or painter's tape is not a good choice.


texts: How can I patch a concrete porch that separated from the house?

texts:
I have a concrete slab as a front porch on a property I recently acquired.  This was put in when the house was built.   At some point since it was put in, front sunk/settled and the slab separated from the house.   It looks like previous owners attempted numerous patches (silicone sealants, concrete patch etc).   The separation from the house allowed termites to enter and damage a 5 foot section of the rim joist along the front - there is no active infestation and we've determined the rim joist was the only damage.

At some point I realize I need to have the front porch torn out and the rim joist repaired.   However, in the short term I'm looking for the best way to patch the concrete and mitigate further damage to the joist from moisture or critters coming from the crack.   What would be the best thing to do?


texts: What can I do to fix the dispenser in the front of my fridge?

texts:
My ice maker works (so the fridge is connected to water) but when I try to get water or ice from the door on the fridge nothing happens. Is there a fuse or something that could be blown?  I know there is a switch that turns it off when the door is open but how do I take that apart? There are no visible screws or anything.

I don't want to call someone out as it'll probably cost over $200 just to get someone to come over and that's 20% of the cost of the fridge in the first place!


texts: Draining washing machine into combination size pipe

texts: Will 24" standing 2" PVC pipe with p-trap also 2", following horizontal 8-9" pipe 2" diameter that goes into 1.5" horizontal pipe 6-7" long that tees into 3" stack be enough to pass water at discharge rate is 4.23 gal/min? On the horizontal part there is a wye 2" and 1.5" branch to drain bathroom sink. Currently there is 1.5" bathroom sink horizontal drain that tees into 3" stack. House is old, PVC is all yellow and I don't want to cut stack to add 2" for both washing and bathroom drain. There is no room to add a separate line for washing machine. Below bathroom sink tee on the stack there is kitchen sink tee that is also 1.5" branch. Washing machine usual water capacity is 6.8 gallons.


texts: Why would turning on/off hot water when the toilet is flushing cause the tankless pressure relief valve to release water?

texts:
I noticed the other day that my tankless hot water tank was occasionally spraying water all over the place from the Pressure Relief Valve. The only way I've found that seems to reliably trigger this is flushing the toilet, and turning the hot water in the bathroom sink off while it's still flushing. Sometimes it's only a drip, other times it's a violent spray of water that gets everywhere.

Potentially relevant information I can think of

Here's pictures of the offending tankless and valve
The tankless was put in a few months ago, and I've never noticed water leaking before a couple of days ago. It's in the laundry room though, which I do not visit on a regular basis, so perhaps this has been happening longer?
Tankless is set to 120F ever since it was installed, and water temperature seems to be about that.
I'm in NY, where the weather has recently started getting cold
The plumbing in this house is really old, and in some cases looks like the previous owners did DIY plumbing
The toilet looks equally old. I've had issues with it flushing, flushing slowly, and clogging on a regular basis. I was considering replacing it because a plumber told me they thought it may just be the calcium(?) deposits built up in the piping over the years, causing it to have a really narrow hole.
The pipes go from the tankless in the laundry room, through the wall to the garage to where the old hot water tank sat (PEX pipes in garage), then metal pipes go from where the old hot water tank to the floor to run through the crawlspace to the water meter on the other side of the house. The majority of the water (kitchen and bathroom) are on the other side of the 1000sqft house.
The crawlspace is encapsulated (as of this summer), with the furnace venting down there. It should not get unreasonably cold, although a couple months ago a section of the metal pipe in the crawlspace did spring a leak and have to be replaced.
I have occasionally heard the toilet making weird noises, as if water is being forced into it. This is what makes me think it's an issue with the pressure and not related to a faulty valve.
I just read this post about a tankless turning on while flushing. Mine does that too, so I am guessing there is a mixing valve somewhere down in the crawlspace or in the walls? I've never noticed any condensation on the toilet bowl, but only lived here since summer

I'm trying to figure out why this is happening, and what I can do to fix it. Get an expansion tank? Get a new toilet? Any thoughts or knowledge would be helpful.


texts: Grounding new branch circuits in an existing subpanel

texts:
Barn A contains the main panel.  Barn B has a subpanel fed from Barn A via (3) 2-0 aluminum conductors, 2 hot and 1 neutral, with a 60amp breaker in the main panel.  There is no grounding conductor between the main panel and subpanel.  The water line between barns is PVC.  Barn B was built in 2000.  There is no ground rod in Barn B.
My plans for Barn B include at least one new lighting branch circuit, and a 50 amp RV receptacle (NEMA 14-50r).
My question(s):

How should the ground wires for the existing and future 120V branches be connected?
How should the ground wire for the 50 amp RV receptacle be connected?


texts: When finishing a basement, how do I transition from walls to doors/windows?

texts:
I am planning to finish my basement, which is currently naked poured concrete foundation throughout. I have a new door and new windows (only one shown in the Figure below because they are identical).

I am currently planning how to frame and insulate everything. Regarding framing, I will use 16" spaced 25 gauge steel studs. The house is located in Zone 5, and my insulation strategy is currently 1" XPS (R-5) and 3.5" Kraft-faced Fiberglass batting (R-15).

What's currently unclear to me is how to transition from this system to the door and window openings. Drawing and photo below for illustration.

The door frame potrudes about 1" beyond the concete foundation, i.e. it will be flush with the XPS.
The window is made of a steel frame (?) which is part of the foundation with the replacement windows sitting further towards the outside (this is not properly detailed out in the drawing, consult picture instead, please).

I would appreciate any help on how to transition from the insulated wall to the openings! Pointers to drawings of similar situations, descriptions, photos, whatever fits the situation... thank you!


texts: How do I correctly wire this lighted switch to provide power down the line?

texts:
I've gotten in over my head!

I just the Leviton lighted switches like the one in the pic shown for our bathrooms. There's just something so nice about the small light it gives off when it's the middle of the night!

That said, it's not fully working! :) I've been able to figure out witch wire is HOT from the breaker box and I also know which wire is the load out to the lights this switch controls.

There's a third line that WHEN I hook up to the screw that's on a side by itself DOES power up the light in the switch. But, there is another room of lights down past this switch that will NOT work when I'm wired up this way.

I have found that if a bypass the single side screw and patch to the hot line coming in, the other bathroom lights up just fine!

I am guessing that I don't have netural connected correctly, so I am not making a complete circut without the other room. But, it's beyond me at this point!


texts:
One side of my snow-blower got caught in a rope and snapped both shear pins (for that side).
I found two spare pins that came with it and installed them.
But when I turned the machine back on the blades on that side started hitting the side of the machine. I'm afraid to use it in this state I think I might break it more. Is there an easy way to fix this?
Now that I'm looking at this picture I can see that the blade is bent. What can I use to bend it back?


texts: How can I tell if two outlets are on different phases?

texts:
I have a house that had a 240v stove in it, and then was replaced with a gas stove, all before I bought it. There are two regular 120v outlets under it, that are both 120v, and the gas stove is plugged into one for the igniter. No 240v.

I want to put an induction stove in, which requires 240v. The last owner said he thinks the 240v outlet that powered the electric stove was just split into two 120v outlets, and I should be able to make a 240v outlet back out of them. Says it was a long time ago and not that sure.

How can I go about finding out if they are indeed on different phases so I would know a 240v outlet can easily be made there, before I go and buy a induction stove?

I have a basic multimeter if that is helpul.

Thanks


texts: dryer vent . venting into the crawl space

texts: Just bought a house no basement have a crawl space the dryer vent discharges into the crawl space . The furnace is also near by. ? Good or bad .


texts:
Early 1960's home.  200-amp main service panel on first floor.  3-wire (L-L-N) feeder to 100-amp sub-panel in the second floor attic, about 25-30 feet from the main service panel.

Neutral and ground bonded at main service panel.  I have 2 grounding rods on opposite sides of the house, more than 10 meters apart.  One conductor connects at the service meter and the opposite conductor at the main service panel (located in middle of house).

Sub-panel does not have a grounding conductor.  Neutral and ground are bonded and NOT grounded to the sub-panel box.

Am I safe?  The lack of a grounding conductor from the sub-panel makes me uncomfortable.

Possible options?

Leave it alone.
Run a grounding conductor from sub-panel to the main service panel.  This might be possible, but will be difficult at best.  Also separate neutral and ground at sub-panel.  Install ground bus bar and bond to sub-panel box.  Right?
Run a grounding conductor from sub-panel to main service panel grounding rod.  Leave the rest alone.  This is easier.  Is it safe?


texts:
we are in the process of framing our new basement after having some foundation work done (steel supports, interior drainage, egress windows). I have a few questions about how to frame around the windows, when considering all the beams on the wall (five over 23 feet, with 2 windows).

1) Is it required that there are studs every 16", or can it be staggered, as long as it's 16" or less? Basically, with the windows and beams, trying to get one exactly every 16" is impossible and it gets crowded with lumber with all the pieces to frame around, coming to a piece every 10" on average on a non-load bearing wall.
2) When framing the windows, do the horizontal pieces need to be supported at every endpoint, or can they just be secured to the nearest vertical stud? Example, with this window:

Should it be framed as the left or right side below?

Thanks for your help!


texts: Can different gauge wiring be used in the same circuit?

texts:
I am extending a lighting and outlet circuit in a basement. The current setup has the following characteristics

15 amp. circuit breaker (200 amp service)
4 existing lighting fixtures using CFL bulbs (~ 20 W each)
1 existing double duplex outlet box (no regular appliance in use)
14/2 and 14/3 NM cabling (lighting switched, outlets not) throughout
less than 100 ft of cabling so far

I plan on adding three lighting fixtures (for LED spots, less than 20W each) and one duplex outlet. I will tap off one of the existing boxes to get both a switched and a constant hot line.  Additional cabling will be less than 30 ft.

Is there any reason I cannot use 12/2 and 12/3 NM cabling for this project (I happen to have some on hand)?

Is there any practical benefit (e.g., less voltage drop in this small section of line)?
Is there any disadvantage in doing so, other than higher cost of cabling  and the slightly harder handling of thicker wires?

If the cabling were concealed, would the presence of a 12 gauge wire in an outlet box or fixture convey something to an electrician or future DIYer that is misleading based on the existence of unseen 14 gauge wiring upstream?


texts: What is an effective duck repellent for a swimming pool?

texts:
The novelty of seeing a pair of ducks descend on my swimming pool is wearing out. I'm not sure how they will leave the place, but after every two-hour visit, the surface of the water ceases to be pristine, and I know from past experience that hosting pigeons is a very bad recipe (worse, I fed them). They multiply and take over the place, make it filthy, and are very hard to shoo away once settled.

At this time the pool is still covered. The two ducks swim in the layer of water above the cover. Possibly once opened the problem will be solved on its own because, however minimal the chlorine I use, they may dislike it. So far I simply clap and that scares them to leave for a while.

What is an effective repellent for ducks? I thought about:

A bucket of concentrated chlorine,
Add some chlorine in the very shallow, still-closed, pool (with a risk of discoloring the cover),
A motion sensor that triggers some crackling sound (rather tedious to put together for what I hope would be a temporary device + neighbors will not be amused if it's triggered in the middle of the night).

Can you share your experience about a (perfectly humane) way to nudge the ducks to move over to the plentiful ponds and creeks nearby?


texts:
Introduction

I would like to cover my bathroom walls with wooden planks because it looks downright hipster. Trouble is that there is masonry directly under the surface, and also they will potentially face a lot of moisture from the shower.

The question

What would be the best way to apply about 12sqM of wooden planks (taken from wooden pallets) to this masonry, and would they suffer from moisture in the long run and therefore require special treatment?

We currently have the lower half of the walls covered in tiles which we would like to keep. Any solution will have to work with these.

Ideas

Masonry nail gun
No nails adhesive
Screws with hammer drill (this would take years)

That's about it, thanks for your help!

Our bathroom looks like this:

This is the effect we are going for:


texts:
My mom's toilet moves because one of the bolts in the floor is loose. It just moves a little and takes some effort to do it. We had a handyman come look at it and he can't fix it.

It will probably cost hundreds to get a plumber to come fix it. I'd rather not pay the money if we don't need to fix it but I'm concerned that there is a bad seal.

Do you think we should fix this? Or can we let it go?


texts: How should I fasten my shed rafters together at the peak?

texts:
I'm framing the roof of an 8x10 shed with a loft overhang:

The plan I am following has no ridge beam nor ridge board and instructs me to "screw or nail the rafters together at the peak" which seems a bit vague/insufficient to me. Here is a photo from the plan:

The rafters will be fastened to the loft joists, but I'm wondering how exactly I should be fastening them together at the peak. I've been considering plywood gussets or metal truss plates--I want to maximise headroom in the loft, so they would need to be fairly small. Since most of the rafters are tied together at ceiling height (due to the loft joists), I initially thought I would just need to connect them in a non-structural way that emulates what a ridge board would be doing (alignment, basically). However, I'm a little anxious because of the steep pitch (16-12), especially after finding out that past 12-12, a structural ridge beam should be used instead of a ridge board. I'd rather not add a ridge beam in (nor a ridge board, for that matter).
Where I'm building, there are about 2 weeks of snow per year and a lot of rain. Uplift winds are something of a concern as the structure is atop a hill.
How can I safely fasten my rafters together at the peak without compromising headroom?


texts: Replacing Furniture Cam Dowel & Lock Pin

texts:
I have a wooden dresser in perfect condition, which started to come apart. When I looked closely it seems the cam locks started to crack causing the drawers to fall apart. I have searched all major hardware retailers and could not identify a the correct name to find a replacement part.

Would appreciate any help on identifying the replacement part name or suggestions on repairing this problem.


texts: Did termites eat my sentricon termite bates?

texts:
We have Sentricon termite bait stations installed around the perimeter of our house.  This morning I pulled up a few of the bait stations and looked for evidence of termites.  But I'm not sure how to interpret the results.

Based on these images, did termites eat the bate?  Or is this degraded bate simply due to decay?

And another view

This is what the manufacturer says the bait stations look like when no termites have eaten the bait.


texts: How to change a single light switch to a light switch/receptical combo?

texts:
I have a light switch downstairs which is a remote switch for a ceiling fixture upstairs, the light switch downstairs works with a light switch upstairs that for the same ceiling fixture.

I want to remove the light switch that's downstairs and replace it with a combination light switch/receptacle.  At the downstairs location there are three wires - I have already tried (without success) to hook up the combo
switch/receptacle - but when I plug a vacuum into the receptacle, turning on the vacuum - turns on the ceiling fixture, but not the vacuum.  I know there is power in one of the 3 wires, I have tried the 3 wires on each of the terminals of the combo.

I have done switch changes before. So I have extremely puzzeled on why it's not working that way it's meant to.

Any input greatly appreciated.


texts: Sealing a cooktop to the counter? Manufacturer says no

texts:
I'm in the process of installing a Wolf CG365T/S gas cooktop, and according to the manufacturer's instructions, I am specifically instructed not to seal the cooktop against the counter.

I'm inclined to defer to the manufacturer, especially when it is called out specifically, but I'm also concerned about having no barrier between the top surface and the electrical connections and drawer contents below.

Can anyone provide some insight into why the manufacturer would specify this? Is this a common advisory for drop-in cooktops? Is it to mitigate a specific known issue that is caused when you seal (with caulk or some kind of gasket) the cooktop?

I'd like to make an informed decision, and decide for myself whether leaks or whatever the manufacturer is concerned about is the bigger risk. I may contact their support line come Monday, but I'm not optimistic I'll be able to reach anyone with any real knowledge.


texts: I have a rain water collection barrel attached to a section of my gutter.  I have a simple sediment filter attached to the barrel as the water is used inside a studio for a air chiller.  I want to increase the pressure of the water so it can flow through a 15' hose (a 50' hose would be even better but not necessary).  What pump option should I go with?


texts: What should I use to finish my plywood table top if I intend to leave the end-grain visible for a modern look?

texts: The plywood that I'm using is 33mm baltic birch.


texts: I need to power a dryer and a sauna from the same 220v/30a breaker, but not simultaneously

texts:
I have a 220V 30A dryer line with an outlet plugin for my dryer.  The dryer, the outlet, and the circuit box are all in the basement. The circuit box doesn't have room for an additional circuit.
I want to install an electric sauna, which requires 220v 30a, on the second floor.  The code requires there to be a disconnect in the same room as the sauna.  So I was going to run a wire to the second floor terminated with an outlet as a plugin for the sauna (meeting the disconnect code) terminating in the basement with the same plug configuration as the dryer.  Then plug in the appliance I wanted to use as appropriate, meeting the requirement for a dedicated circuit breaker.
The county electrical inspector said I can't do that because the NEC prohibits having a plug-in wire that passes through floors.  He went so far as to say that, according to the code, I couldn't run an extension cord from one floor to another via the staircase.
So I thought the way to go might be a switch so the sauna and the dryer outlet would both be hard-wired to the switch, both appliances are 3 wire. Then I could run only one appliance at a time meeting the dedicated circuit breaker requirement.  Manual switching is fine.
Any recommendations on an appropriate switch, or a better solution?
Thanks in advance.
Clarification
Harper - Reinstate Monica said, “Are you on NEC 2014? NEC 400.7(A)(11) specifically allows an isolated inter-floor run between an outlet and an inlet.”
The “inter-floor” may be an issue.  The inspector specifically said the code didn’t allow crossing a floor.  For example, having the outlet on the first floor and the inlet on the second floor.  And the example I found, https://www.electricallicenserenewal.com/Electrical-Continuing-Education-Courses/NEC-Content.php?sectionID=111.0 , shows everything on 1 floor, but doesn’t specify it.  However, to me “inter-floor” means crossing a floor, whereas “intra-floor” would mean everything within a floor like the example I noted.
Harper - Reinstate Monica said, “All this is beside the point. There is no limit to the allowed number of 30A receptacles on a 30A circuit. Route the new circuit to the breaker panel not the dryer recep. Share the breaker.”
So neither a dryer nor a sauna require a dedicated circuit breaker?  I looked through the sauna spec’s and it doesn’t say it needs a dedicated circuit breaker.  I’m not sure where I got that idea.  Perhaps from the first electrician to look at the project.  But there is nothing in the code that requires dedicated circuit breakers?


texts: I flush the toilet and when I use the sink it smells of urine.  The tanks does not to be pumped.  I thought it was the water but this smell is not in the kitchen sink.  I have used b soda and vinegar.  Help!


texts: Will Polyurethane bond to a surface that was sanded with 320 grit?

texts:
I have some MDF that was sanded with a random orbital sander with 320grit

Will polyurethane make a decent bond to this?


texts:
I'm trying to build a bed frame similar to the one shown below.

I'm struggling to design the long, chunky white support beneath the top bunk.

It looks like its about 200cm x 18cm x 8cm.

For such a long structure, I've thought about using two softwood CLS beams glued together with MDF boxing, but this seems fiddly and I wonder how strong it would be with a child jumping on top of it. I imagine CLS beams flex quite a bit and any mdf boxing around it may crack as a result or the glue may break.

Then I thought about maybe using 3 layers of 25cm birch plywood glued together vertically to create a single smooth beam which can easily be routed on the corners and painted easily without the need for boxing. Although this much plywood sounds a bit heavy, but think it would be very strong for the weight in the vertical axis at least. It would be supported horizontally to the wall, so I'm not as worried about horizontal or sidewise movement.

I couldn't find many examples of creating un-supported boxing like this on the internet.

Does anymore know of a better/best way to create long but strong structures like this?

I'm just interested in the long horizontal beam and not about connecting it to the other bits at the moment.

Thanks


texts: wire sub panel about 30 feet from main panel 50amp

texts: Can I use #8 copper with a 50amp breaker to wire my sub panel using 3/4" electrical PVC pipe running two leads one neural one ground. I have a 125amp sub panel this is for a new addition with full cellar one bed room one bath


texts: How do I/can I install a dimmer without a ground?

texts:
Full disclosure: I know very little about electrical work and was hoping for an easy fix.

I have been getting a buzzing from my dimmer every time the dim feature is used, and I read that a low quality dimmer can cause this. I read that this one is good, so I purchased it as a replacement: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BOA23U

I flipped the breaker and then tested the light switch to make sure the light wouldn't turn off. I removed the old dimmer, which had two black wires and a green wire.

Both black wires were connected to their own black wires in the wall (seen below coming toward the camera), but the green wire was not connected to anything at all. I'm really not sure what to do as I suspect that not having a ground on a dimmer could be causing the buzzing and could be unsafe. Here's what it looks like in the wall:

So...what should I do to make this safe?


texts:
The ground prong on my backpack vacuum came off and stuck inside a wall outlet.  Should I replace the plug or does the ground not matter much?  The plug itself gets really hot now when I use the vacuum.

Thanks for advice.


texts: Where do I need to insulate my house to help avoid ice dams?

texts: We have had some leaking this past winter due to ice dams. After we get everything dried out, we would like to put up some insulation to help prevent this in the future. Is insulating the ceiling enough or do we need to insulate along the actual beams of the house (we have easy access to a crawl space along part of the roof but not for an addition to part of the house which was where the main problem was)?


texts: What kind of trim should I use for an aluminum backsplash behind a stove?

texts: I would like to use metal trim for the aluminum backsplash behind the stove; the trim would go between the backsplash and the cabinet and tile.  What kind of trim would you recommend and what is the best way to install it?


texts: GE brand new front load washer trips breaker every single time within 5 mins (model GFW850SSNWW). Connected to a GFCI protected outlet (does not have TEST/ RESET buttons on it) and GFCI breaker (SWD brand) since it's in the utility room. Washer works when plugged to a standard  Can you please suggest what could we do?


texts: What are appropriate humidity levels for bamboo flooring post-installation? I've heard that most hardwoods are good between 35-50% humidity but have been unable to locate anything specific to bamboo.


texts: My tub usually sounds haunted when flushing. I cleaned it for hair. Now it only drains when the toilet is flushed. My toilet is vintage 1960s and is in need of replacement anyways but this is bizarre.


texts:
Evening all,

It's my first time posting so be gentle, I've been reading a fair few of your posts and hope you can answer my question.

I've attached a picture of where I would like to build a "floating" desk. the width is approximately 217cm, and I'd ideally like it to be 70cm to 80cm deep.

The white lines are my rough idea for the frame, and the red indicates a radiator.

The wall on the right is a stud wall, and I have no idea what the other 2 are. The back one is clearly exterior and the other is a joining wall with another house.

I'm basing it on the design used here: http://overthebigmoon.com/diy-file-cabinet-desk-blendtec-giveaway/

I could possibly use supports similar to those if absolutely necessary.

My question is really about support. Will the desk bow in any way? Is it too wide? Will the frame suggested be sufficient? Does any one have any other thoughts? How will I attach it to the walls?

Thanks,
Ashley


texts:
The sandstone wall is turning brown and black in places and I’m not sure how to restore is back to original appearance. Are there any cleaners which can be used? A picture is attached.

Thanks


texts: Oven element wire lead melted to back panel, not heating

texts:
I have a Frigidaire oven, about 1 year old. Several days ago when turning the oven on there was a spark, 'pop' noise, and then the oven shut off. Flipping the break returned power, but now the oven won't heat.
The heating coil has continuity so I pulled the back panel off, and the orange wire lead to one side of the heating element appears to have melted into the back panel of the oven. I'm guessing the contact caused some type of short.
Can I simply replace the melted lead or is the unit otherwise damaged?


texts: Can you mount a floor-standing bookcase on the wall and which fittings would you use?

texts:
Is it possible to mount what should be a floor-standing storage unit on the wall?  I am redoing my kitchen and have found a large oak bookcase with doors that I wanted to mount on the wall but I wasn't sure if it would be too heavy.  We have solid walls.  And what fixings would you recommend?

Dimensions: 196cm x 175cm x 39cm


texts:
I want to add a C wire to support a smart thermostat.  The existing wire is 2-conductor (R+W).  I can run a new 18/3 easily, but I don't see an obvious place to attach the new C wire on the burner/transformer side.
The control is a Hydrostat 3150.  The thermostat is connected to terminals marked T + T (which correspond to R + W on the thermostat end), but I don't see any other identifiable low-voltage wires.  The transformer is soldered to the PCB board but it's clearly visible, and if I were sure which wire to use, I could probably just put an alligator clip on it.  I am pretty sure (from the circuit diagram) that all the rest of the screw connectors (L1 L2 C1 C2 B1 B2 ZC ZR) are 120VAC.
Is there a place I can tap into the hot 24V output of the transformer for a C wire?  Or is adding another transformer the best bet?


texts: Why does significant condensation gather on my bedroom windows overnight?

texts:
When we wake up in the morning, we're observing a significant amount of condensation on the bedroom windows around the edges on the inside (inside the house not between the panes).  We had new windows installed in the spring, and we didn't have this issue last winter.

Is it likely that there's a draft around the windows keeping the windows cold?  If so, how do I detect and/or fix that?

Notes:

We have an electric radiator that we keep near the windows that we run typically for 2 hours starting when we go to bed
We have thick curtains that we draw closed when we sleep
We sleep with the door closed to block sound


texts: How do I eliminate stagnant water caused by central A/C draining outside?

texts:
So I just moved into a new house in NC that I am renting. The house has central A/C which is great, but because there is no basement so there is no basement drain. So the A/C expels the water into the backyard.

The place where the water is expelled from the A/C creates small stagnant pool of water which is making for a heck of a mosquito problem.

I could fill in the hole, spread the water out, and that will be fine in the short term. This issue will continue unless I can think of a solution. The hose that expels the water is near to the ground, so a sizable rain barrel seems out of the question.


texts: Safe to Lubricate Bar Valve in Shower Mixer Tap?

texts:
In my bath/shower I've had a new mixer tap fitted that has a bar valve (when the tap is running you lift the valve to make the water come out of the shower head. When you turn the tap off, the valve falls back down so that the water will come out of the tap again.)

My valve is a sticky and sometimes it's very hard to lift it. When I do lift it, it won't fall back down on its own and can be difficult to push down.

Is it safe to lubricate it?

Here's a photo of the tap and one with the valve without the screw-on cap:


texts: How do I balance air outlet/inlet valves without an airflow meter?

texts:
As my local hire shops (UK) don’t stock airflow meters, I am trying to find another way to balance our newly installed MVHR (mechanical ventilation heat recovery) system.

Firstly I need to set the fun speeds, so I need to be able to measure the total ventilation rate.

I then need to set the air valves in each room, so as to split the ventilation correctly between the rooms.

(I need to be able to measure values up to about 60 litres per second and as low as 1 litre per second.)


texts: I noticed on most ceiling sockets the wattage is listed as 660 or 600 Watts. Why is it listed this way and what is the safe amount of wattage that can be used by bulb in such socket. Picture of what I am talking about is below


texts:
I ripped out the subfloor and underlayment in my bathroom. The subfloor plywood was thinner than the underlayment plywood.

Should I make the subfloor thicker than the underlayment when I lay the new floor? (Does it matter? I plan to use the same thicknesses as the old materials, simply reversing the order.)


texts: Can I put this new switch (3 wires) in my switchbox (2 wires)?

texts:
So I purchased a fancy new programmable light switch. It has 3 wires
coming out of it: load (blue), neutral (white), line (black).

I opened the face plate on my current switch to take it out, and it has
only two (black) wires going to it. Behind the switch itself, I don't
see any ground (ie. exposed copper) wires.

However, I think I possibly see the neutral lines, I see 3 white wires
going into a red terminator cap (not sure if that is the correct term
for it).

My questions: (1) Is it possible for me to replace my old switch with this
new one? (2) If so, how should I wire the new switch?

FWIW, this switch will be controlling our outdoor porch light.

Here is a picture of the old switch, the new switch, and what's inside my switch box:


texts: How to connect a 2 wire 220v power inverter to a 3 wire 220/110v house

texts: I recently bought an off grid solar system from China but I was not aware that the inverter has 2 wire 220v input/output. How can I  connect it to my house?


texts: Have I got a faulty thermostat in my fridge freezer?

texts:
I'm wondering if a faulty thermostat is what is causing my fridge freezer to misbehave? The fridge gets down to 12C, and the freezer to -20C or so, then the compressor does nothing for hours and it comes back up to ambient-ish.

The fridge-freezer is a Hotpoint RFA52
The thermostat is a Danfoss 077B3281 B62 -20.0 -34.0,

I have taken the thermostat out to test continuity (results as follows), but not being sure of which pin is doing what, I've tested each pin against each other, at ambient and then with an ice block held against the temperature sensing tube.

Does this look like a faulty thermostat?

continuity test results: (/ohm, high = out of range)

resistance at ambient, to ground
setting    pin3    pin4    pin6
off        high    high    high
1          high    high    high
2          high    high    high
3          high    high    high
4          high    high    high
5          high    high    high

-

resistance at ambient, to pin 3
setting    pin4    pin6
off        0.5    high
1          0.5    0.5
2          0.5    0.5
3          0.5    0.5
4          0.5    0.5
5          0.5    0.5

-

resistance at ambient, to pin 4
setting    pin6
off        high
1          0.5
2          0.5
3          0.5
4          0.5
5          0.5

All results were the same when the temperature sensing tube was held against an ice block as well!


texts:
remodeling master bathroom and installed 2 rain shower heads with 16" arms on a 54" wall. They are evenly spaced 13.5" as shown below. It's a little tight on the wall sides. I would have liked to had them at 16" from the wall but it would be a lot of work to move them now. Are there any shower arm adapters that allow you to rotate the shower arm left to right? Are arms that articulate left to right? I able to find arms that adjust up and down but nothing for horizontal adjustment.

<-13.5-> <-13.5-> <-13.5-> <-13.5->
___________________________________
|       |                 |       |
|       |                 |       |
|       O                 O       |
|                                 |
|                                 |
|                                 |
|                                 |
|                                 |
|                                 |
|                                 |
|                                 |
-----------------------------------


texts: My rubber roof has developed a leak. Can it be fixed?

texts: Anyone out there who could give me some advice please? I've got a rubber roof and it has developed a leak. It is small, yet fairly centralised. Can it be repaired, or have I got to replace the whole thing?


texts: Shower head discharges water when not using

texts: Shower head discharges water periodically during day for a few minutes when shower has not been used in months. Shower only, no tub and all plumbing and fixtures 2 yrs old.


texts: How to waterproof our existing "lower ground" floor

texts:
Prelim

We have underpinned the lower ground floor (LG floor = common construction practice in Victorian London, whereby the floor is not technically a full basement.) of a mid-terrace house. Luckily, our neighbour on one side did the same thing at the same time.

The new concrete that forms the pin on the other side (i.e. the wall with the neighbour whose LG floor was not underpinned, and remains at its original slightly higher level) is therefore subject to ingress of water from the soil on the other side.

We have stripped our internal walls back to brick.

It just so happens we have also dug a basement at the rear, which requires a waterproofing system (cavity drain membrane and sump pump).

My question

Should we apply the same cavity drain membrane system to the existing LG now that we have underpinned? We can get water that drains from the LG floor out to the new basement and use its sump pump.

What are the pros and cons of doing this?

I guess the alternative might be to "tank" the wall with a waterproof render.


texts: Which is the better first step: rebuilding a basement closet, or insulating the basement walls?

texts:
Recently closed on a split-level. The basement was partially finished, with a closed off utility room and a hodge-podge closet (enclosed area in one corner of the basement with a door, separated from the rest of the basement).

In planning out the major milestones of the project, should I rebuild the closet or insulate the exterior walls first?

I have the rest of the project well lined up. Insulate the walls, put up a lattice structure, call an electrician to wire more outlets, put up drywall, tape and paint.


texts:
We've just moved into a new home with an heat only, oil, forced hot air furnace. The current thermostats are very old and we'd like to update them to something like a nest. The furnace is currently wired to the thermostat via two wires (T T) and there is no common coming from the terminal to which the thermostat is connected.

The nest says you can run it with a two wire system, but I don't want the nest pulsing the furnace to recharge its battery all summer when the system isn't in use and so would prefer to power it via a common wire.

My current plan is to buy a transformer and wire that to the C and Rc terminals on the nest. BUT, I wanted to look into another option.

There is a box on my furnace that does have a terminal labeled C. I believe it is a fan relay. Currently there is something running to that C wire, but it disappears into the furnace (pictures of the furnace system is attached). Could I buy some 18/3 wire, run two of those wires from the T/T terminals and then connect up a second wire to the C on the fan relay? Something tells me that's a mistake and I should go with my first plan, but if this second plan works it seems like a cleaner solution.


texts: Can I remove the bottom wall plate once a new header beam is installed?

texts:
I removed a section of load bearing wall in my house and installed a new header in the opening. The 2x4 at the bottom of the wall was not removed and sticks up above the surrounding flooring (~3/4" on one side and ~1/4" on the other).

The guys refinishing the floors want to remove the 2x4 so they can gradually build up between the two floor levels.
Does this sound safe?

The house is one storey built over a crawlspace, and the jack/king studs for the new opening do not sit directly over a floor joist.


texts: Anchor butcher block table to concrete wall?

texts:
I want to build a workbench using an end grain butcher block table top perhaps mounted on 4 6x6 oak beams. I still need to anchor it to the wall to make it really sturdy and how to do this is tricky question. One obvious approach is use angles, but I am not convinced that is as sturdy as possible and ordinary angles usually deviate from 90 degrees. Another idea would be to use 45-degree braces, but then I have rods underneath the table which could interfere with shelving for example. Another idea would be to make a steel girdle which would go all the way around the edge of the table and then bolt the girdle to the wall.

The way I am kind of leaning is to use a backplate. The way this would work is that a hot rolled iron plate 1/2-inch thick and 12" high would be bolted to the concrete along the length of the table, then it would be drilled and tapped to receive bolts. Then cast iron machinist angles would be bolted to the plate and to the bottom of the table. These type  of angles are incredibly strong and are 90-degrees to a high tolerance. The drawback to this approach is that it is expensive and time consuming.

Note that the table will be used to support heavy machine tools and needs to be rigid and not subject to vibration.


texts: I purchased a home with a car port attached to the detached garage. The current carport rafters are 2x4  spanning 12' (24" o.c.) with CORRUGATED FIBERGLASS panels for roofing material. The corrugated panels have held up well however the 2x4 rafters can't support much of a snow load so the previous owner put vertical supports at 6' to support the rafters. The carport can't be used with those verticals in the way. For budget reasons I was going to sister new 12' 2x6 to the current 12' 2x4 rafters and remove the vertical support but I'd like to know how/if that makes them as strong as 2x8?


texts: Adjusting deadlatch so it doesn't fall into strike pocket

texts:
Our front door's deadlatch falls into the strike pocket when pulled close -- if gently closed, it's ok.  So it just needs a minor adjustment.

If you look at the latch, you can see where it has been worn from rubbing against the pocket.

The strike plate we have is one of those larger ones so I can't just replace it with an off the shelf adjustable one.

I've seen some articles talking about shimming -- but I don't see how shimming the strike would keep the deadlatch from falling in.  The strike plate does have the piece of metal that bends into the pocket, but I doubt bending that out would make a difference as the bend would pretty much be in the same place.

Making new holes so close to the existing ones seems like a bad idea.

I don't see any way to effectively adjust the weatherstripping to keep the door from closing so far.

I'm thinking the only option is to remove the strike plate and maybe make the screw holes a tad wider to allow it to be shifted.

What's the best way to deal with this?

Edit:

Finally got around to finishing this -- I had to replace the latch again because the latch jammed as it has before from wear on the dead latch mechanism.

So in the end I did remove the strike and toothpick'ed the holes, redrilled, and moved it slightly towards the outside.  It was surprising how finicky this was to have the door click shut with an appropriate amount of force and still have the deadlatch not fall into the pocket.

In anticipation of having to move it several times I used shorter screws until I was sure of the position.  I also used shims (pieces of 14g wire) and tape to hold it in place during testing.


texts: What can I use to fix a gap between the light fixture and the ceiling?

texts:
It's a very old house that the ceiling is made out of lath and plaster so it would be too much work to dig a hole to put in a large junction box for the wires. They won't fit in the base of the light fixture so it leaves a 1 inch gap.

What could I use to blend it in and make this work?


texts: Old Rheem rhqa 1000 to thermostat wiring help

texts:
I cannot figure out how to wire my 30+ year old AC to my lux dmh110a thermostat,  I do not have the old thermostat to reference.

It seems to be 4 wires coming out of the air handler and to the thermostat Blue, Red, Orange, and White.

I have been looking at the schematic but doesn't seem to correlate to anything that works.

Here are some pictures of how it is wired at the air handler.

Thanks for any help.


texts: Will a standard wifi enabled light switch between an indirect water heater and the furnace stop the heat call?

texts:
We have a Honeywell thermostat on an indirect water heater that ties to one of the zones on a furnace in a vacation home.  I'd like to be able to stop the call to heat the water if the house will be unoccupied for an extended period of time via a Wifi connection of some sort.  After some research it appears putting a standard Wifi enabled light switch on the line in between the water heater and the furnace switch box would do the trick.  Does that seam right, or are there better solutions?  I can't seem to find a smart thermostat that will work on an indirect water heater.
We keep the temperature in the house at around 56F when it's unoccupied during the winter, so I'm not concerned about the pipes freezing.
Thank you!


texts: Minimum length for a shed ramp 8" high using 2x12" PT?

texts:
I've built a shed which sits on a frame built of 2x4's and those in turn sit on 4x4 runners, and the whole structure sits on a concrete patio.

The top of the shed floor sits approximately 8" above the patio.

I am using 12" aluminum ramp kit top and bottoms (pic below).  The most weight that will be used on the ramp is a riding mower (Cub Cadet XT1 42" - approx 500 lbs) plus rider (say 300 lbs).

I plan to use 2x12 PT lumber to create the ramp and add non-skid traction strips to the lumber for traction.

I have a decent amount of clearance in front of the shed (approx 12') but the ramp still has to be short enough to allow the mower to be aligned properly for climbing the ramp, so the question is - what's the minimum length the ramp can be to ensure a safe trip up the ramp?

These are the ramp kit pieces I'll be using.


texts: Mounted My Tv and I missed one Stud(Top left corner of mount )

texts: I for sure have 3 of my screws into the stud, but one of them missed the mark and I was wondering how much damage could it do. My Tv is about 35 pounds and was wondering how big of an issue is it because I didn't notice it until I move everything back.