texts: Curtain drain in the crawl space - Part 2

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Part 1 is done.  We've dug a trench at the interior perimeter of the crawl space.  It took 8 hours 3-4 people (I was working myself but not all the time) and one dump truck.  Total budget was around $400.  The quote from the professionals was more than 5 times that so I'm happy budget-wise.  I'm also happy because the experience was quite intense and I learned a lot.  It was not as bad as I imagined it would be.

Now, I need to plan the next phases where I put insulation on the wall, perforated pipe in the trench and cover with plastic.  What would be the correct order of doing these?  Also, I saw these pipes in HD that are wrapped in something which is advertised as a no-gravel-needed solution.  Should I get those?


texts: I was replacing some water damaged siding (see first pic) and noticed that the bottom 2x4 was a little rotted as well (see second pic). It doesn't appear to be load bearing. Do I need to replace the full board, or can I cut out the bad and connect it? Lastly what wood would I use to replace this with regular 2x4 (white wood) or would I use weather treated, or something else


texts: Is grout required when installing luxury vinyl tile flooring?

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My wife and I are redoing two bathrooms.  My wife hates ceramic tile due to mold issues here in the South Eastern US and generally not liking the grout which requires frequent cleaning and resealing.

My questions are on the use of Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)flooring - my wife would prefer to go with either the LVT, or a high end single sheet product that is tough and will hold up to water. Her preference is to use the LVT without grout. However, I'm skeptical on how well the LVT will hold up to moisture without the grout and cleaning will be an issue.  And am I right about the need for waterproofing or would the flooring work well any way?  Is there a way to waterproof the joints on LVT without grouting? Also, do the vinyl flooring grouts have the same issues as the ceramic tile grout?


texts: How to turn water valve on to dishwasher

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We live in a rented house and  recently bought a dishwasher. The previous owners had a dishwasher in the same place so we know it works.
We have attached the waste pipe fine and think the water pipe is attached in the right place, but we can’t turn the water on as there isn’t a  handle on the valve. It looks like perhaps it may have come off.
How can we turn the water on?
Do we need to get a little spanner or am I on completely the wrong track?


texts: Is this awkward dryer exhaust plan manageable?

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I'd like to replace my 90's era washer/dryer with a modern one, but my space constraints are very strict. I can't get a dryer that sticks out any further from the wall than my current one, which is 25.5" deep and vents out the back.

GE dryers let me vent out the left side, from what I've read, and this should gain me a few inches of precious clearance and let me get a 27"D model.

However the exhaust hookup is only a few inches away from the dryer on the floor, and I'm having trouble visualizing how this would connect using standard components. Can I just run a flexible duct from the side of the dryer, do an immediate 90 degree turn and plug it into the floor a few inches away? It might even need to loop up and back down.

This is the current setup:

I'm planning on having a handyman do the installation but I want to make sure its reasonable before I place the order.


texts: How does a garage door motor wall control on a two wire circuit determine between door control and light control?

texts:
I am trying to recreate the garage door wall switch (making a custom assembly that has two buttons to toggle the door and toggle the light). The first thing that I am attempting to understand is the voltage being passed from the motor, to the wall switch and then back to the motor.
While looking at different articles and other places on the internet I discovered that the COM port on the motor passed power down to the wall controller and when the door button was pressed closed the circuit for a brief amount of time to make the motor move the door. To control the light, I thought that the same voltage was passed down through the same wire but instead a lower voltage was passed back up (making the switch more of a voltage divider). There is only one wire going back into the motor meaning it has to be something of a varying voltage to control the door and light.
When using a Fluke Multimeter I was getting a jumping reading from the wire connected to the COM port on the back of the wall control around 0.750 VAC. (I didn't like that it wasn't giving me a constant reading, originally I thought the meter was broke but put it into a standard outlet and got a solid 120 volts). When pressing the door control the voltage on the wire that went back up to the motor read 0.750 VAC. I figured that jumping the circuit would toggle the door, which it did. This made me think that the door opening was a simple instance of closing the circuit for about half a second but made me unsure of what the true voltage was.
The second challenge was how to tell the motor to turn the light on/off through that same wire. A few articles I read stated that the wall control acted as a voltage divider but not by how much or if the motor needed said amount of voltage for how long. When measuring with the light switch pressed down I got readings jumping around 0.350 VAC, but once again nothing concrete.
Here are my questions from all of this, and I am mainly asking those who have tried something like this before or know the common circuitry of these products.
How many volts are sent through the COM port on the motor to the wall controller?
How many volts are returned to the motor from the controller to open the door?
How many volts are returned to the motor from the controller to toggle the light?
I have a Genie Pro Max system, but from what I can tell and the fact that manufactures sell universal door switches I think most systems operate around the same circuitry.
Thank you in advance for your help.


texts:
We are remodeling a bathroom. Currently it has an exhaust fan vented through the attic.
We purchased a Broan roomside series surface shield. (No attic access required with ezduct connector, no attic access needed).
Is this as efficient as what we already have?
Should we take this purchase back and stick with an attic vented exhaust?


texts: What are some reasons that my 240V clothes dryer connection (outlet) suddently only has 18V per side?

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My clothes dryer suddenly stopped working and I wasn't sure if it was my (new) dryer or the power outlet.
Things I Tried
I checked the circuit breaker and reset it but the dryer still didn't work.
I then unplugged the clothes dryer and used an auto-ranging meter to measure the AC voltage on the actual house connector (where I plug the dryer in).  It looks like the following:

From other sources I've learned that from ground (L shaped port) to each of the other terminal ports I should get around 120V.  However, I only get about 18V now.
I double-checked my meter too by plugging it into one of the other househould sockets and I got a proper 120V as expected.
What Are Possible Reasons?  What Should I Check Next?
What might be some reasons that this circuit suddenly only has 18V on each side?
I could understand if there was no voltage, but it seems odd that there is 18V per side?
Is this a common thing to happen with the circuit breaker itself?
Does this indicate a loose wire possibly?  What else might this indicate?
Or is it just completely unknown?  Just curious if it indicates a starting point?
EDIT / UPDATE
When the electrician arrived he plugged the dryer back into the receptacle but didn't quite push the prongs all the way into the socket.  He then connected a meter probe on each of the exposed prongs* (two at a time) and measured voltage that way.
Doing this, he determined that there was power on the socket but the dryer was malfunctioning.
*This seemed dangerous to me and I stayed out of the way.


texts: Connecting a C-wire to a Burnham Independence Boiler

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I would like to install a Sensi thermostat which requires a c-wire. I am planning to run a new thermostat wire, since the old one was 18/2. I am trying to figure out the correct way to wire the c-wire for the new thermostat wire, if possible. The wiring diagram for the boiler can be found here:

http://bostonheatingsupply.com/Burnham/Burnham%20Independence%20I&O%20Manual.pdf

The set up for my boiler is on page 30:

Also, see the similar question How to connect c-wire to Burnham Series 2 boiler?. It seems in this case that 24v power was able taken from an extension plug for unused accessories, which is not applicable to this situation as far as I can tell.

Thanks for any help that you can provide!

Edit: Here are some additional pictures:


texts: How to repair damaged fence to its original strenght

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am farming with cattle. Lately my fences were cut by a team doing exploration. The fence consist of 2.24 fully galvanised  steel wire, 4 strains of wire. Straining posts are 500m apart with poles every 12m inbetween. Then i have hangers (droppers) every 3m apart. The fence was cut on all 4 wires.
What would the correct way be to repair a fence like that to its original state?
The company that cut the fence differs from my opinion.


texts: Why do garage remotes revert to billion code?

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According to the LiftMaster troubleshooting guide, one common problem is that a Security+ remote reverts to billion code technology.  What causes this, and is there any fix?

  One of the remotes may have reverted to billion code

  If you have two Security+ remotes and only one or the other will program to the opener, one of the remotes has reverted back to billion code technology. To figure out which one has, you will either need another remote or a keyless entry.

  Clear the memory on the opener. Press and hold the learn button for 6 seconds.
  Program the keyless entry. How to program keyless entry (If no keyless entry is available, program a 3rd remote.)
  Program one of your handheld remotes. If the first remote does not program, try the second remote. How to program remote control

  The remote that will not program in with the additional accessory is the defective remote.


texts: Cable gland with thicker rubber seal/apron

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I'm looking to use a cable gland to waterproof a low voltage valve actuator connection in a junction box. I have a cable gland appropriately sized for the wire, however the connector on the end of the wire is too large to fit through the gland opening. Using a larger gland fits the connector, but does not create a tight seal around the wire sheathing.

I have seen similar gland in an outdoor ethernet splice which contains a female/female connector with a a normal cable gland on each side. However, these include a larger rubber seal with a cut on the side allowing it to be placed around the ethernet cable from the side, and is thicker to accommodate the wider gland opening.

Where can I find this type of rubber seal (blue in the photo above) or a cable gland that includes them? I don't want to buy a bunch of ethernet splices that I don't need.


texts: How can I avoid blotches when staining pine?

texts: I am refinishing a 1940's pine miracle door and am having issues with splotching of the dark stain on the inner panel. I am using minwax dark walnut for stain. Applying the stain with a stain sponge and immediately following up with a t-shirt to remove any excess stain and also blend. I also used a stain conditioner prior to staining, but even with all of this I am still having issues. Any suggestions to remedy this? The image is after one coat of stain. Thank you for any advice you might have!


texts: Drip leak on ceiling right above toilet. Can't nail down the source

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So, I have a few drops of water showing up on my first level ceiling right about where the bathrooms are on the second level. On the second level I have two bathrooms - back to back (and the toilets are almost back to back).

I got a plumber to look at the leak. He opened up the ceiling but couldn't find the source of the leak and suggested I replace the wax ring of the guest bathroom toilet (which seem to be right above the point where the drops of water come). We did that. A few days later I noticed the leak still happening.

I have tried to "troubleshoot" the leak - first few days had no one use the guest bathroom toilet but the leak still was there. Then, switched around - had folks not used the master bathroom toilet. The leak is still there. It is not a steady drip - seems to happen a little after the toilet is used.

I am having the plumber come back and take another look at the issue. Does anyone have ideas on what might be the cause or how to better troubleshoot the issue or even be a little more intelligent when discussing with the plumber or someone else.


texts:
Good morning - I'm installing a new door to my crawl space that provides a tighter seal.  The older door left a small gap underneath the door.  The crawl space door is right off of my flagstone patio.  The problem is that the larger sized crawl space door gets caught on a slightly raised portion of a piece of flagstone, so that you aren't able to open it.
Is it safe to just sand down this small portion of the flagstone, so that the door will open cleanly?  Or will sanding down the flagstone compromise its integrity?
A picture of the current door with the flagstone patio is attached.
Thank you!


texts: Exceptions for support when fishing crawlspace wiring

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After having cut a hole in the wall to peek into the crawlspace, it seem rather feasible to relocate our 3-prong dryer receptacle to a new location by running new 4-wire cable all the way back to the main panel, by disconnecting the current 3-wire cable at the panel and at the receptacle, attaching a rope to one end and pulling it out through the other end, which would seem to be feasible since the existing 3-wire cable is unsupported as far as I can tell. The 1940's crawlspace is dry, no evidence of mold or rot.

I can't get in there to support the new 4-wire cable, but could probably figure out something to keep it off the ground.  I read elsewhere in a discussion about crawlspaces that exceptions exist allowing no support if you have to fish or snake.

Is that true? Would this apply to my crawlspace run? What is the code section? Does it change the type of 4-wire cable that is allowed?


texts:
I have an empty cargo trailer I want to wire up for use at BBQ competitions.  Installing a 30 amp rv power inlet to be used at campgrounds or via my generator.  I will wire that to a panel.
Hooked up to the panel:

Roof AC
Dedicated plug for full-size fridge
LED lights & switches
3 additional outlets

My question is:  Is a 60 amp 120/240 V panel the correct size to use?  Or is a 100 amp panel ok?  I keep getting conflicting answers.
Thank You


texts: Converting KFDD500ESS Dual Fuel Range from 4 wire to 3 wire plug

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EDIT
Thank you for the information.  It doesn’t look like I was lucky enough to have a ground lurking behind the outlet.  Our breaker box is located approximately 40ft from the receptacle with a difficult to reach attic space (vaulted ceiling) between the two.  I’m not aware of any 50amp capable grounds that could be tied into any closer.  What would be a fair price for an electrician performing the work needed to get a 4-wire receptacle installed?  Just looking for ballparks.

ORIGINAL
We recently purchased a KFDD500ESS Dual Fuel Range which came with a 4 wire power cord.  Our house was built back in the 70's, and we only have a 3 wire outlet.  I'd like to remove the 4 wire power cord and install a 3 wire power cord, however I have a few concerns.

Based on my research, it looks like most ranges allow for this by allowing for a copper grounding strap that connects between the ground screw and the neutral terminal.  However, the manual for this range doesn't say anything about it, and I do not see evidence of a grounding strap (which typically must be removed for a 4 wire configuration).

Would it be safe to take a thin length of copper and have it act as a grounding strap, connecting the ground screw to the neutral with the strap, then using a 3 wire cord?  Similar to the grounding strap here:  https://www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/WB02T10067/0022/364.html

When it comes to the type of 3 wire cord, the manual states "This range is manufactured with a 4-wire power supply cord rated at 240 volts, 40 amps, rated at 194°F (90°C) and investigated for use with this range."  Should I get a 3 wire cord rated for 40 amp or 50 amp?  Is there a negative to getting one rated for 50 amp?

Here's some reference materials for the range, and some pictures:

Installation Guide:  https://www.kitchenaid.com/content/dam/global/documents/201508/installation-instructions-W10694070-RevC.pdf

Product Page:  https://www.kitchenaid.com/major-appliances/ranges/dual-fuel-ranges/p.30-inch-5-burner-dual-fuel-double-oven-convection-range.kfdd500ess.html


texts: Running new electrical with drywall removed, but insulation installed

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I had to pull a 4' high and long section of drywall out of my garage due to a ton of damage in various places.

While that's off, I'm planning to lower the electrical boxes along that wall about 3 feet. I'm just going to drill new holes through the studs and run it like brand new electrical basically.

The trouble is, these walls are already completed in the sense that there's batt insulation existing and stapled into place.

I'm wondering if there's an easy way to work around the insulation to drill the holes for the new electrical, staple them to the wall running down into the new boxes (and install the new boxes for that matter).

Or am I better off just removing sections of insulation across the new area, running all the wire and installing boxes, then patching insulation in those areas?


texts: What is this "appliance control" power strip?

texts:
I found the pictured power strip in the cabinet under my kitchen sink. It was mounted to the wall and has an attached wire connected to a metal disk that was mounted to the the cabinet, just under the countertop. The only thing plugged into the power strip was some non-functional under-cabinet lighting whose power cord had been routed through the wall. On the underside of the power strip is a label that says "38AF APPLIANCE CONTROL".
I removed the dead lighting and also pulled out this power strip, along with the attached wire and metal disk. I don't think any of this stuff was serving an important function, but I don't like removing things when I don't even know what they are. Can anyone tell me what this thing is?


texts: pivot hinges on kitchen cabinet doors preventing removal for refurbish

texts: help, trying to remove kitchen cabinets with pivot hinges and screws that are hidden on top by the top of the cabinet wall.  Is there a way to get at the top screws on a pivot hinge without demolishing the cabinet?


texts: How can I identify the cause of ceiling water damage?

texts:
Just wondering if there is an easy way to tell if water damage on the celing is a result of a roof leak, or condensation build up in the house.

Here are some pictures:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6w9uajoAcbcgYpbT8

I drilled a hole from the bottom and stuck a wire so i can be directly over the damged area.

The worst of it is in the corner but there is a bit of mold along the wall too.

Because the damage is in the corner, its very difficult to see the draywall/roof from the attic. However with the limited pictures i managed to snap it looks pretty dry.

I did order a moisture meter, and plan on testing both sides. Is there any thing else i can look for?

This is an older house, with no kitchen exhaust fan.


texts: I have just received a set of light switches but have been unable to fit them because the small screw in the COM connector doesn't screw far enough to grip the live wire.  I'm sure it must be something I am misunderstanding.  Anyone offer any suggestions please?


texts: Dual Evaporator Refrigerator -- Evaporator Coil and drain Freeze up... Internal Fan Operational?

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I've got a very nice split door refrigerator, bottom drawer freezer. (GE model GFE2HSHFSS).  This unit has two separate evaporator coils, one for the refrigerator (fresh food) and another for the bottom freezer.  So the top evaporator coil totally froze up, including the drain.  Made lots of ice in the wrong places.

I took everything apart, waited for the ice to melt and carefully put it all back together. Its not clear at all to me on what caused the freeze up issue.

It could have been poor seal on door allowing high humidity to condensate / freeze in the refrigerator.  (highly unlikely, as I would see a fail somewhere.. I see not.)

It could be low refrigerant causing screw ups with Thermostatic eXpansion Valve (TXV) and partial core evap issues. I'm not seeing that.  Remember this unit has two separate evap cores, one for freezer and another for top refrigerator.  The freezer evap core seems just fine.  I doubt this unit has a leak.

My suspicion is the top DC air flow fan motor is inoperative.. but this isn't really clear.  When the door is open (or open with door switch pushed closed) I totally can't hear or feel much in terms of upper refrigerant airflow.  There is a barely discernable feel of air coming out of the refrigerator evap core outlet, at the bottom of the refrigerator fresh food area.

I can't tell how a properly operational system functions.  I would have thought that in a system with evaporator core at the bottom of the refrigerator that air would flow INTO the evap core at the bottom of the unit and output from the top of the refrigerator area, but this doesn't seem to work that way.  Generally in HVAC design cooling air is delivered to the top of the area where cooling is desired, not the bottom.

Also, although the freezer is getting cold, the top refrigerator (fresh food) unit @ 20 hours of operation since startup is around 53 Deg F.

Anybody have one of these split door bottom drawer freezer type units?

How does the top unit air flow work?
Can you hear / feel the upper fan motor running when you open the door?
Can you hear / feel the upper fan motor running when you press the closed door button?
Can you discern the direction of air flow in the back of the unit?  (air IN at the top, or OUT at the top of the refrigerator fresh food unit?)

Many thanks.


texts: How do I troubleshoot a newly installed non-working outlet?

texts:
I recently spent several frustrating hours trying to figure out why an outlet on a new branch circuit would not power a load even though there was proper polarity at the outlet, my non-contact voltage tester showed a live circuit, and my multi-meter showed 110 volts both in the outlet slots and at the side-wire screws.  I tested all conductors for continuity, remade all connections, tried four other duplex outlets and three other breakers, and even replaced some of the wiring.  Nothing worked.  Finally, I hooked up the hot side to another breaker in a different "slot" in the breaker box.  That powered the load in the outlet, so I then hooked up the hot side of the circuit to the original breaker and put it in that same slot and it worked.  I concluded that something is wrong with the buss bar at the position where the breaker I'd been using was installed.  After finishing the job and putting the cover back on the box, I labeled that slot as not working and indicated that the breaker itself may be OK.  The box and breakers are Cutler Hammer.

I found no visual evidence of a problem with the buss bar.  Is this problem common?  Why would my meter have shown 110 volts at the outlet when the outlet wasn't able to power a load?  I had thought at first that the outlet was haunted but was happy to find that there was a "real" reason for the problem.

Does anyone have a step-by-step checklist of things to try when troubleshooting a non-working outlet (or any other problem for that matter)?  I'm envisioning something that would start with the most likely causes and solutions and work down to the more exotic ones.  Such a checklist sure would have saved me time.


texts: Is it safe for dryer vent ducts to overlap in different directions?

texts:
Hard to describe this in the title. What I'm referring to is how segments of duct overlap each other where they are connected. Ideally, as with plumbing, the tube the flow enters should be overlapped outside of the tube that flow enters.

Maybe some ASCII art can help:

   CASE 1: THE CORRECT WAY TO DO IT
   -------------------
--------------
-->-->FLOW-->-->
--------------
    ------------------

The two ducts are close to the same diameter. I understand the overlap should be as it is in that ASCII art so that flow does not come up against the seam of the overlap, as it would in the opposite case:

   CASE 2: THE WRONG WAY TO DO IT
---X----------
 --> X------------------
-->-->FLOW-->-->
 --> X-----------------
---X----------

In case 2, flow (lint, for dryer ducts) can get stuck on the inner overlap as it comes up against it. If the overlap were as it is in case 1, the flow of lint has no seams to get stuck on.

So, I think I got all that right. Thing is, doing a dryer install I find that some existing ductwork is fit together such that the joint going to the outside vent connects with a rigid piece with the overlap shown in case 2. I tried changing that, but I think I'd need to replace the part, as the rigid smooth piece just does not fit within the knurled end of the joint it flows into. There is also one other part of the duct extension that's going in, where the pieces fit together in such a way that it's much easier to use case 2 than case 1.

Thus my question: it is not ideal, but is it reasonably safe for case 2 to exist in a ~8' dryer duct? Wherever possible connections would be done with case 1 overlaps. Just trying to get an idea of if case 2 is an absolute no-no, or just not a best practice.

As an aside, I had a similar situation as case 2 with a drain hose for something, and with some plumbers tape (and a tray underneath to catch drips if they did occur) the connection has remained leak free for a while (months, not years). So again, while it isn't ideal, in some cases it isn't a big deal.


texts: Leaking threaded connection to shower valve

texts:
I have a threaded joint to a shower valve that has a small leak. I used teflon tape, however the joint isn't fully sealed. Ive read on the proper technique and such so I'm not looking for how to do it better. Any suggestions/advice on the fix. Ide rather not remove the valve as its not the easiest to get to but I will if there are no suitable alternatives.

Thanks


texts: How to Diagnose the noise from my Hot Water Tank

texts:
I Have a air source heat pump supplying a 250L ecoCyl tank.  When it is warming the water, it makes a loud rattling vibrating sound and a series of bangs, getting louder as the tank warms towards 50C.

Is this normal? Should I just put up with it?

Or is there something wrong?

Attached, a clip of the rattling with a bang at 25s.

audio clip of rattle and bang


texts: How do I determine how much weight an indoor hammock mounting kit can bear?

texts:
I'm looking to mount hammock indoors using an indoor hammock hanging kit, and was wondering how I'd determine how much weight the wall studs or ceiling I attach this mounting kit into can bear.

The hanging kits come with a weight capacity limit, but that's for the kits themselves, and not what they're mounted into.  Is there any way to determine how much weight the studs or ceiling can bear, short of putting [someone else's] weight on it and hoping for the best?


texts: Brick chimney with no smoke chamber: is there some type of metal insert that would work instead of rebuilding inside of chimney?

texts:
Recently I bought a house that had a ventless gas log insert in the hearth, but had obviously been used as a wood burning fireplace previously, showing lots of charring. A chimney inspection revealed that the house had been built without a smoke chamber back in 1953 (!). I was told it could never be a wood burning fireplace because of the obvious lack of draw.

I'd like a WBFP but cannot afford to rebuild the entire chimney. Is there some sort of flue liner or stove pipe/insert that could make this work? Thank you for your advice.


texts: Can I reduce static pressure in one room by adding a vent to an adjoining room?

texts:
Our return vent for our hvac is right outside the master bedroom. The master bedroom gets very little airflow with the door shut.

It was recommended that we add secondary return duct in the master bedroom to combat the high static pressure that the house is under.

I have a question though, would it be beneficial to put a vent in the wall between the master bedroom and living room to help ventilate air in and out of the room so there is not as much pressure in the master bedroom?


texts: How can I make my side-by-side refrigerator's freezer colder?

texts:
I have a brand new Whirlpool Side By Side Fridge Freezer and it is working as designed, and the temps are within "limits". But there is only one compressor and one cooling function, so while the fridge stays at 40deg, the freezer (after a defrost cycle or after adding/removing contents) will be 20 or 30deg, for example.

My understanding is that in order to have the unit begin cooling, the fridge needs to get warmer. Or if something is blocking the air flow to the freezer, the freezer side won't get cold enough.

I have set the freezer to the coldest setting, but would still like the freezer to be colder. Is there something I can do, something I can block or open, something I can set, etc to get the freezer colder than it is?

My guess is that the only way to do this (since the fridge and freezer are cooled together) would make the fridge cooler than it should be. But maybe someone has a suggestion to get the freezer colder? When the freezer gets like this, ice cream is pretty much soft serve.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
I recently bought a house with a deck that has what appears to be a thin layer of concrete over wire mesh over wooden (2x6 or similar) beams.

A friend mentioned that he figures the concrete was not poured on thick enough, which is the reason there are tiny cracks forming all down it. The cracks are letting in rainwater and there is a spot where the wood underneath rot a little.

The dark spot you see here is an impression left when I stood on it where rainwater pooled, where there is the rot. (That's the only rot I'm aware of).

I've seen suggestions all over to use Quickcrete or epoxy for cracks in concrete, but the context is always a thick slab of concrete with cracks a half inch wide or more. That's not what I have.

I have an estimate to replace the deck for $4k, but I'd rather not spend it if I don't have to.

What do I do about cracks so tiny on concrete this thin?

(I'm not really concerned about it looking pretty.)

Updates

It's a dry warm climate except for the winter rainy season which was very significant this year. The temperature rarely dips below 32f. The deck is almost a story up over dirt and the A/C and entry to crawl space.


texts: How can I remove this type of blue onyx slab from an old kitchen without damaging corners? I want to reuse it on another house as Onyx is a bit expensive.


texts: Can I glue two 1" solid oak treads to make one 2" tread?

texts:
I am licensed floor contractor in the state of California. I am installing  solid oak treads in open steps in stairs 2"x12"x43", because open steps over 39" wide must be over 1 1/2" thick. But, 2" solid oak treads are not available at my local supplier; they are only available in 1" thick treads.

Can I glue two 1" treads to make one 2" tread and be within code?

If so, how would I do this?


texts: Stopping outside damage from active outside loo overflow pipe

texts: Why is  the outside WC cistern overflow pipe almost never plumbed so that it does not trickle over the brickwork, thereby eroding the mortar and causing damp bricks? Since cisterns overflow levels can be recurrent problems why not make the outside spout long enough to prevent trickling over the brickwork?


texts:
I have a Mastech digital clamp meter and I can't for the life of me get it to display any reading other than 0. I was wondering if there are any tricks I'm simply not aware of?

Here is what I have done:

Replaced 9V battery with a brand new one (tested at 9.66V)
Removed the leads
Set the dial to, respectively, 20A (AC), 200A (AC), 1000A (AC)
Turn unit on
Clamp around a live 120V AC cable powering a desk lamp (turned on)
Align cable to the guide marks to center it within the clamps
Observe the reading (0.00)

I have also attempted to read AC voltage using the clamp and get readings of 0.

Finally, I have tested voltage using the leads and that WORKS, so the device itself is functional, at least partially.

Is there anything else I should be doing or do I have a defective unit?


texts: Do these pipes need to be winterized? How?

texts: I already winterized the sprinkler system itself and I am wondering if I need to winterize these copper pipes as well. Should I open up the bottom plug to drain the verticle pipes? I live in the Northeast of the USA. I don't have a bleeding valve inside the house that's close to these outside pipes.


texts:
If you zoom in you can see that the posts have has a groove to slide in the boards but I wonder if they guy used spaces or screws to position the horizontal boards

How do you make posts like this? A dado blade or a router? Do these posts resist in time? I am thinking about the water that might widen the grooves


texts: What kind of light can I install in a small, low-ceiling coat closet?

texts:
Our Northern California house has a small coat closet (really a hallway with 2 doors and hooks for coats) between our front entry-way and our basement. It's a tiny space: 3 feet wide, 5 feet deep, and has a low 7-foot-high ceiling. The door to the entryway swings out, and the door to the basement swings in.

What are options for installing lighting in this closet that are likely to pass muster with the local code inspector?

I'm familiar with the NEC requirements for closets which I believe means that a ceiling-mounted or recessed CFL or LED luminaire is the only valid option. But the 7-foot-high ceiling is a wildcard and I'm not sure how it interacts with other code requirements.

In addition to code questions, I'm also concerned about functionality—will any solution actually light up the space effectively? If I used recessed fixtures in this small space, will they shine straight down and leave the coats in shadow?  If someone passes underneath will it kill all the light in the closet?

Or should I stick to ceiling-mounted fixtures instead?


texts: Why are their no cheap wifi thermostats?

texts:
We have a simple analogue dial-based room thermostat. The sort of thing that costs about £15. I'm considering replacing it with a programmable one - which would cost maybe £30.
When I recently went to buy a timer plug for an electrical appliance, I could buy a wifi-enabled one for much the same price (£10) as a normal programmable one, but that allowed me to set the schedule, etc using an app, which I found much more convenient.
How come this isn't a thing for a room thermostat? Instead I seem to need to buy an expensive thermostat, some sort of hub, etc, etc. Easily £100+.
Is it because a typical room thermostat doesn't have a mains connection and so having normal wifi built-in would drain the batteries too much? Or something else?


texts: Can I have two different types of water heater in the same house?

texts: I currently have an indirect fired 55 galon water tank. The house is pretty big and the former owner had a second, power vented water heater on the other side of the house. It seems he also had the two water heaters working the whole house Can I use a tankless water heater for the second water heater? Do I need to cut off the flow so the each heater only sends hot water to certain fixtures?


texts: Can I remove remaining studs below already installed load bearing beam?

texts: I recently purchased a two story building that had a load bearing wall removed and a beam installed.  When the beam was installed there was about 3 feet of paneling and studs that was not removed below the beam.  Is there any reason why I wouldn't be able to remove the the paneling and studs to be flush with the bottom of the beam? Thanks for the input.


texts: Can't reset Craftsman garage door opener

texts:
I have an old Craftsman door opener that has been opening on its own and have looked at all the possible causes and no fixes seem to work.
I removed wires from the wall-mounted opener so it isn't a wiring issue. The door opened while the remote was gone in the car so it doesn't look like a remote problem, plus it's new. I thought maybe it was a radio frequency issue. But when trying to reset the codes by pushing and holding the SR code button, the LED won't go out no matter how long the button is held down so the existing codes can't be erased. So I'm looking to see if this door opener can be reset by some other method.
I removed the wires at the opener itself so that should eliminate the wiring. The SR code button is yellow and the original remotes are long gone so no numbers from those. My opener doesn't have the photo sensors and uses force or torque settings for safety reverse. I have changed the plastic worm gears so it looks like it's time for a replacement seeing as that I can't reset the codes. I noticed the front sticker doesn't have a model number at all and the only number is 41A3625 which is on a sticker by the SR button. The original manual I have is
for a Model 139.18616sr 1/2 HP.


texts: Is this a safe way to clean black mold in the attic?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to remove/clean black mold?

My dad says there's mold in the attic (that looks black), and he plans to spray it with a mixture of water and chlorine.

Is this a safe way to clean it?


texts: I'm building a small wooden foundation for a new shed (pic below, joints in question highlighted). I'll be using wood screws to put it all together. My question is simple, should I be screwing through the perpendicular piece into the butt of the other piece ( =|| <##)? Or try to toenail the screw from the butt piece into the cross piece ( ##> =|| but a toenail angle)?


texts: Computer makes USB unplugged noise when I run the microwave/heater

texts: Not sure if this is the correct place to ask, but my computer, heater, and microwave are all on the same socket.  I have had times when if I run the microwave, the fuse blows.  But just curious, if I have the heater off, but run the microwave, the computer makes the "dun-duuh" noise of a usb drive being unplugged.  Is this because there is insufficient power?  Something else weird?  Would getting a UPS assist with these moments of power insufficiency?  Other solutions (obviously running another fuse to spread the load is the long term solution).


texts:
I am currently in the process of rebuilding my kitchen. Removing cabinets was easy, but now I need to remove all the plumbing from the kitchen sink, and I haven't got the slightest clue where to begin. A lot of tutorials online show how to install some parts of the sink plumbing, but none show how to remove kitchen sink. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I have a house built in 1992, if this if of any help.

I want there to only be three pipes (hot, cold and return), to be sticking out so that I can install the new cabinets.


texts: What sort of device plugs in to this outlet?

texts:
I am looking to buy a window air conditioner. I would like the get the most powerful air conditioner my electrical system can support. I have this plug on my wall:

I have never seen this plug before, but based on the size and shape I think it may be a NEMA 6-30. The round outlet face is 2 and 1/8 inches and each prong opening is about 9/16ths of an inch:

I have not found any air conditioners with this specific plug shape and size. Would I be able to plug in an air conditioner with a different plug using some sort of adapter?


texts:
I am planning to build the 16x18ft floating deck in the back of my townhouse. The back patio is paved with 12x24" patio stones and I am trying to figure out if I should remove patio stones and lay the deck blocks on the soil or should I leave patio stones and lay the deck on top of them.
Is there an issue with setting the deck blocks on the patio stones?
I am concerned that if I remove them, I might allow water to collect and stay in that area which might cause foundation problems down the road.


texts: How do I seal this grating when it rains?

texts: I use this 6x10' grating for sunlight and aeration but its a menace when it rains. I have used multiple plastic sheets and tarpaulins. They do block the rainwater but start leaking or tearing apart after a few months. What are some permanent measures that I could take to fix this. Also, is there any automated method to do this when required.


texts:
I recently moved to a new flat. The hotwater is supplied by a electric heater located in the kitchen which is directly next to bathroom.

In the bathroom, the tap for the shower doesn’t get hot to run a bath. When turned fully hot, it’s too warm for a minute but then decreases to a temperature that it sustains indefinitely. Stopping the tap then starting again repeats this processs.

The heater can be adjust but it needs opening up. The water temperature in the kitchen (the closest outlet) seems fine.

Do symptoms point towards anything specific?


texts: Newly installed hardwood flooring bowing when I step

texts:
A few days ago I had a guy come out to install engineered oak hardwood flooring in my living room.  It is installed in a floating style with nails holding it down on the edges of the outer walls and a threshold joining it to the vinyl in the kitchen.  I don't recall seeing him measure if the subfloor was level, and the only thing I saw him put down was some kind of thick brown paper.  It acclimated to the house for about 4 days before being installed.

There are several spots that visually look ok but depress down quite a bit when you step on it.  It feels flimsy and cheap and is surprising to me because the same guy did several laminate floors for me and I never once experienced this.  He swore to me that this hardwood floor was a better quality product than the laminate and that I would love it but I have serious doubts now.  It was much more expensive.

On separate occasions I expressed my concern to him that perhaps this is happening because the subfloor needed to be leveled first, and he insisted that the floor would "settle" after about a month and that this bowing/depress thing when I step on the floor will go away.  I haven't read anything about this with engineered hardwood floors so I am skeptical.

I was thinking of giving him the month and if it isn't any better I was going to ask him to pull the boards up and level the floor before replacing them, salvaging as much material as he can.  Is this normal and will the floor settle?


texts:
I need to locate my stopcock / stop valve, but am not sure how to find it. I live in a flat the UK, within a house which has been converted into three flats. However, after looking at pictures of stopcocks on the web, I cannot find anything which resembles the "brass tap" design, which seems to be typical:

So instead, I have been inspecting the back of my sink. This looks like:

And on closer inspection:

Then following it down and to the right:

Could it be the red tap on the end?

And then following it round the back to the left:

Those red and blue taps are the only taps I can see. Could these be my stockcocks? I would have thought that there is only one stopcock though, for cold water from the mains, rather than a separate one for hot water too since mains only supplies cold water.

If I follow this even further round to the left, after removing part of a cupboard, I've managed to capture a photo of this:

There are some black taps in there, as well as a red tap. However, this is by no means an easy place to get to, and I would have thought that the stopcock would be in an easier place to reach? For example, I cannot even get my hand down to those black taps, without removing the entire cabinet.

I have also tried looking under by boiler, which is a combi-boiler located in my kitchen:

But nothing there looks like a tap.

Other than these images, there really are no other places I can find in my flat which has any exposed plumbing where the stopcock might be found. Can somebody spot the stopcock in my photos, or advise how I should proceed?

Thanks!


texts: Do I have to remove the thinset before re-installing new cermic tiles

texts: I have just pulled up my old ceramic tiles from my bathroom an there is the thinset on the subfloor an some grout left on it.  Do I need to clean that before putting new thinset on it?


texts: Is an air pressure switch required for a whole house humidifier?

texts:
I've installed a Honeywell whole house humidifier. For the time being, I've left off the air pressure switch that goes between the humidistat and the humidifier. It appears to be working fine without it and seems like just another fail point. Haven't been able to find much on the use/necessity.

Can anyone provide guidance?


texts: Can I wire a 200amp auto transfer switch from one metered service to two 100amp panels?

texts: I have one metered service feeding two 100 amp panels separately one to the house then one to the garage. Can I install a 22kw generator and use one transfer switch for both 100 amp panels?


texts:
My back yard slopes toward my house.  Below is a picture taken from my dining room to help explain things.  Previous owner had a french drain installed marked by the red lines.  We've had a week or so of rain and low temperatures.  Everything inside the red lines toward the house is dry (reasonably dry for the amount of rainfall). However, everything outside the red lines is complete mush.  Hard to walk in and impossible to cut grass.

So my question is: would it be possible or worthwhile to put another french drain further up the hill by the trees to collect water?  The hill actually continues to rise about double the length you see in the picture to some more houses on top, so there is a significant amount of surface area up the hill.  The hill goes up very sharply to the right of the photo due to a large sewer block.

Would even digging a simple trench at a slight diagonal angle across the tree line help at all?


texts:
I'd like to paint in white my Ikea shelves's brackets (described thus: Aluminium, Nickel-plated, Clear acrylic lacquer).

What would be the best (but hopefully cheap) route in terms of products I need to buy for this job?


texts:
I have this metal box, I believe stainless steel.
As seen in the following photos, this box has many grooves and details. These small grooves are filled with grime, dirt, gum, candle wax, smoke, some sort of stains, and who knows what else.

How can I properly clean this metal box?

I have tried brushing it with water and soap, and also with baking soda and vinegar. Most of the grime has been removed.

If this question doesn't fit this site's profile, please advise for better placement.


texts: Best way to install light switch inside the bathroom which is currently outside

texts:
I have a light switch installed outside the bathroom which I would like to install inside the bathroom so I can install a motion sensor light switch.

What is the best way to do this? Should I install a 3-way switch or remove it from outside and move it inside?

If possible I would like to have the fan and light turn on from the same sensor switch but the fan and light are on 2 different circuit breakers.


texts:
I need a fixed base machine for a 2" to 3" diamond cutoff wheel. Most typical tools for cutoff wheels are angle grinder type hand held units. I need a fixed base machine, basically a motor with an arbor, ideally with speed control and can be clamped to a table.

Does such a tool exist? If so, what is it called?


texts: Southwire M550 says coaxial cable is misfired and reversed?

texts:
Ever since I moved into my house the upstairs cable has not worked, so I recently I started looking into fixing the cable wiring and figuring out how its laid out in the house.

I bought a Southwire M550 to trace the coax cables run under the house and attic, and discovered a strange issue. One of the coax cables, when tested using the M550, shows that there is a miswiring and a reversal issue. I thought these types of issues were more reserved for network cable, where there are individual pairs within the cable, but a reversal within a coax? Would this be an issue with a splitter where it has in/out sides, and maybe the hookup is reversed?


texts: Can I connect my generator transfer switch to a subpanel instead of to the main panel?

texts:
My house has a generator transfer switch (ProTran 30310B) attached to circuits in the main panel (see photo).

I added an attached garage to the house. I want to add a subpanel in the garage, connecting it via 6-3 cable to a 60 amp breaker in the main panel. I will isolate the neutral bar as usual for a subpanel.

Once I do that, can I migrate my transfer switch and the corresponding circuits from the main panel to the subpanel? The goal is to plug my generator in near the subpanel in the garage and to enable some of the new garage circuits to go onto generator power.


texts:
I have a 150 amp switch by the meter at my house.  My meter is too far from my service panel that's why I have a switch outside.  There is a 50 amp service panel in my detached garage fed by a 50 amp breaker in my house service panel.

I was thinking about putting a 50 amp generator inlet socket in my garage and putting a lock on the outside 150 amp switch with the key to the generator in the switch box. Then if I need to use the generator I would unlock the 150 amp switch box and turn off the breaker get the key to the generator re-lock the box then go into the house turn off all my service panel breakers. Then go out side and plug in the generator start it go into the house and turn on the 50 amp breaker to the garage and then select which breakers I need in the house.

I have had one electrician to my house to quote a inlet to my house and a interlock on my service panel. He didn't seem too interested but said he would email my a quote. I have contacted another contractor but he hasn't call back yet. I want to eventually have it done right but want a temporary solution, if needed.


texts: Plastic-on-plastic lubricant that wont leave a residue?

texts:
I am working on an outdoor LED lighting project where I'm making my own rope lights to hold up to the elements. I am using waterproof LED strips which are surrounded in a plastic "jelly-like" material and I am enclosing them in clear, plastic tubing. This means that I intend to slide the LED strips inside the plastic tubing and it's a slow go because I'm getting plastic-on-plastic rubbing. To put this in context, the strips are 6 feet long and about 3/8" wide and I'm putting them in tubing with a 1/2" inner diameter.

So, I think I need some sort of lubricant to make sliding them in easier but I also need it to not leave a residue so that it won't interfere with the clarity of the tubing and wont affect the electronics of the LED strips. Any suggestions?


texts: Leaking sink drain. Possible defective drain assembly?

texts:
I replaced the drain on my bathroom sink, but I'm getting a slow leak when draining water.  I've checked and re-checked the P-trap, the rubber gasket at the bottom of the sink, and the wall drainpipe.  The water is definitely oozing through the seam between the brass body around the stopper joint and the drain pipe below.
I was thinking of trying to apply some silicone to that seam.  Would I be better off replacing the drain assembly completely?


texts: What to do with small space at the edge of the step when tiling floor?

texts:
I am tiling an entryway/hallway floor, which has a somewhat irregular shape. While I've dealt with all the corners and funny shapes, there's one place where I can't think of a solution.  At one point, the floor ends with a step down into a garage. I need to tile the whole area as one. Yet when I lay the tiles, because the step ends slightly at an angle, I end up with a very narrow strip along the edge of the last tile.  Look at the picture below (not drawn to scale):

This is a simplified drawing of the area in question - and I'm interested in the little corner marked in grey. Normally I would just cut a tile at an angle, however the width of that grey area is only about 5 mm at the widest point and I am tiling with 3 mm spacers.

One option I'm thinking about is to put one tile vertically along the side of the step (basically from the drawn surface down) but sticking 13-14 mm up above the surface (i.e. the same as thickness of the tiles plus the thinset) and then grout.  Are there any other options?


texts: Do I need junction boxes where conduit containing data cables terminates?

texts: I'm going to be running 1" blue PVC conduit from all my low voltage boxes to a structured wiring panel. My wiring panel will chase to the attic where necessary and I was wondering what the best practice/code compliant method was for reducing my 1" conduit runs down to the chase. Will I need a junction box somewhere in the attic? Can I just leave the 1" conduits open ended somewhere near the chase(s)?


texts: What's the right way to mix and use boric acid spray for fleas?

texts:
My fleas were begging for it, so I let them have it.. sort of
After an hour of trying to figure out why my sprayer won't spray properly I have realized boric acid is not soluble in water. Or is it ?
As i have read over the interwebs, boric acid = borax + salt in a 5:4 mix ratio. There were crystals in the water + boric acid mix (about 200g per 4L) which would clog my sprayers. Would I be guessing correctly those insoluble crystals were the salt ?
I took out the crystals, put the solution in my sprayer and sprayed all over the place. Upon drying a noticeable film of something got laid out where I have done the spraying. Is that the borax ?
And for future referents, should we buy just borax instead of boric acid if we wanted to dissolve  it in water ? What ratio borax : water if so ?


texts: I have California double sided wall furnace, only one side is producing heat. How would I go about trouble shooting It?

texts: I've been using my furnace for 19 years without issue. Living room side cranks out the heat, dining room side has no flame of any kind. How would move forward to fix?


texts: Old Skilsaw model 77 blade won't tighten

texts:
I'm on a farm, and I'm a little person learning to do big work.

I was having so much trouble controlling a direct drive circular saw due to the gyroscopic twist when starting it up, my "adopted brother" found me this wonderful worm drive Skilsaw.  It's an old solid metal case, the thing weighs like three times the Ryobi direct drive, but when it's running, it doesn't feel like anything at all!  I love the darned thing.

We replaced the blade for something newer, as I've got some cabinetry to tackle - but neither he nor I can get the blade to tighten down.  If there's no real drag it cuts fine, but the least thing makes the blade just stop.  No jerk or bounce-back, the shaft spins but the blade is obviously not tight to the shaft.

This scares me, but I really want to be able to fix ths so I can get back to cutting.  Any help would be appreciated!

Edit: Thank you all for your suggestions!

I got the bolt off (yes, reverse thread) and yes, the diamond knockout is knocked out.  So it's a problem with the blade thickness.  I got a hefty washer on there, threaded the bolt back on, tightened the you-know-what out of it, and the difference is obvious without even running it - before, I could hold the blade with my fingers and spin the shaft with a wrench.  Now I tried holding the blade with a pair of slip-joint pliers and couldn't get the bolt to budge.

I'm leaving a photo here of how it looks, and will check back in a bit - let me know if what I did is in some way dangerous or unsafe.

Note to the respondent who noted the dangers of worm drive - thank you!  I already knew, and have a healthy terror of kickback.  Scariest thing I ever did with a circular saw was stand on the top rung of a ladder and cut notches into roofing plywood - and that was a direct drive, and I definitely self-medicated with a bit of Tito's that night, well after I was finished.  :)

You people rock, and if I haven't forgotten I'll post shots of the finished bed frame.  Thank you all!


texts: Toggle bolt stuck in the ceiling with mounting plate

texts:
I bought 3 LED flat panel ceiling lights from Costco.  2 panels installed perfectly. One one panel, 3 toggle bolts are installed perfectly, but 1 toggle bolt is stuck and I cannot screw it into the ceiling with about 1/2 inch gap.

The toggle bolt seems to get loose and cannot grab the ceiling and I cannot screw it into the ceiling.

I am wondering what I should do?  Unscrew it and try again?  It took me a while to make the toggle bolt into the ceiling, so my intention is to get it done by keep trying.

Any suggestions?

Update: I can push the bolt all the way to ceiling, so it does not hit a frame.


texts: How large a span can a 4x6 hold safely for a swing set.?

texts: I have a 4x6x16 to use for the header of a swing set. I was going to span 12 ft between supports and cantilever 4 ft but I now would prefer to put the supports at each end. I would hang 4 swings over the 16-ft span. Assuming 200 pounds per swing, would this be safe. I plan to use 12-ft splayed legs.


texts: How to retrofit existing kitchen exhaust fan

texts:
I'm remodeling a kitchen that is circa 1940's.  In the kitchen is an exhaust fan that sits inside a 3.25x10 duct.  I would like to keep an exhaust fan in this location and re-use the existing duct, however, the fan motor is froze.  I'm trying to now understand what my best options are.

The fan motor plugs into an 110VAC receptacle (no ground) and is countersunk into a sort of frame that is inside the duct.  3 bolts hold the fan on, and they are on an 8" spacing.  I am guessing this is probably not a current standard.  I was hoping to avoid cutting out all the ceiling drywall and the duct, but it's staring to look that way.  Do you think there's any possibility of me re-purposing the in-ceiling hardware?

Googling 10x3.25 exhaust fan, I found some like this one here, however, it's not clear if that's meant to go into a 10x3.25 duct or is a replacement part for some sort of larger assembly.  Does anyone have any experience with these Broan ceiling fans?

Possible replacements that use the 10x3.25" duct:
Broan.
NuTone


texts: Turning water off to house for a vacation, does furnace need to go off as well?

texts:
I am going away for a week, I want to shut off all water to my home. I have an oil furnace, with a separate water boiler (connected to the oil furnace - there is no gas in the house). It is summer in my area. Do I need to turn my furnace or water boiler off? What could go wrong if I leave the furnace / boiler on?

Thanks


texts: How to slightly enlarge a worktop hole for replacement kitchen sink

texts:
The task

I am replacing my kitchen sink. The existing sink sits in a rectangular hole (with rounded corners) in the kitchen worktop. The worktop is about 1½" (40mm) thick and is made of some kind of particleboard (chipboard) with a laminate top surface.

The new sink is about ⅜" (10mm) wider and the same depth front to back. However it also has a smaller overhang.

Consequently I need to make the hole about ¾" (20mm) wider and about ⅜"(10mm) deeper. If I keep the sink centered that means cutting back ⅜"(10mm) and 3/16" (5mm) from each side.

This will have to be done with the worktop in place and from the top.

Tools?

I don't have a suitable power tool (I have drills, sander, angle grinder, Dremel) so I'm wondering what to buy or hire.

From what I've read, the usual tool for this job is a jigsaw but I'm concerned that it will be difficult to cut such a thin slice around the hole using a jigsaw.

Question

Should I buy a jigsaw or a router and what issues should I look out for?


texts: What type and size of wood should I use to make a form for concrete?

texts:
I am a complete beginner and need to lay a concrete slab for my new cabin (about 18 ft by 16 ft in size).
I'm planning to lay a slab 6in thick.
I'm wondering if there's any particular type of wood I should use to make the form for a concrete slab?
I'm in the UK so constrained by whats commonly available here.


texts: Automatically catching mechanism for drop leaf table

texts:
I need to build a changing station. We have a great location for it
between two walls in our bathroom (they are only about 4 feet
apart). The table will span from the one wall to the other.

We need to be able to remove the table when not in use. It would be
much better if the table top could go down rather than up for
stowing. But the parent carrying a baby, the table must go from the
stowed downward position to the locked horizontal position by a
one-arm movement. So the challenge is how to receive and automatically
support the table top on the right-hand side wall.

Getting the table back to stowing position may require two hands, but
that is fine. We just need to be able to go and change that diaper
without putting the child down first.

Essentially, this is like a door lock. You can close the door by a push. But you need to turn the handle to open it.

I am very open to suggestions for how to obtain this mechanism. The mechanism needs to be fairly strong so it can easily carry a 2-year old troublemaker. Also, it would be great if it can be released from one handle/lever/whatever.


texts: How can I extract rusted/painted outdoor screws?

texts:
We have an outdoor lamppost that is controlled by a switch from inside.  Originally the light was burnt out, so we replaced it, and it started working again, but it blew out the light again.  So I'm trying to look at the socket to tighten up and/or replace it, but it's impossible to get at unless I undo a couple of screws at the interface between the post and the 'fixture'.  They're all rusted and painted over, and I'm having limited success.  Things I've tried with varying amounts of goodness:

Naval Jelly rust dissolver
A screw extractor bit
metal drill bits to drill out the screw

None of them has really done the trick, but I'll keep trying.  The fixture is probably stuck on the post as well - but it does appear to actually have a collar, so once I get these screws out I may have better luck with a mallet to dislodge it.  Any other suggestions?


texts: Some questions on installing 125 AMP rated subpanel for 30AMP draw with 10AWG wire

texts:
I'm in need of a subpanel in the middle of my shop to wire up a few receptacles and lights fed from the 100 amp main panel which is being fed from the house. I have not much experience with wiring as I've only messed with outlets/switches and lights so bear that in mind.

Currently, there is a 10-3 AWG wire (black hot, red hot, ground and neutral) from the shop's panel (it's hooked up to a double-pole 30 amp breaker) to the middle of the shop (30 feet away) where I want to install the subpanel.  The wire was ran by my dad years ago otherwise I would have ran new #6 or #8 wire which would've eliminated some of these questions.

The first question: is it okay to use a 10 AWG copper wire to feed from a 30 amp breaker to a 125 amp rated subpanel?  I obviously wouldn't be drawing more than 30 amps from this subpanel as it would just be used to wire up my bedroom (tv, low wattage lights, 2 receptacles and a low amperage mini fridge).  It would power the tool room with a couple receptacles to charge batteries, run a couple lights and occasionally power up a circular saw.  (The bedroom and tool room would never be active at the same time.)  The subpanel does say the line A, B and N terminals are suitable for #14 to 2/0 so I figure #10 will be fine.

Second question: would it be okay to have three 15 amp and one 20 amp breaker in this subpanel?  As that totals up to more than 30 amps but as I said, no more than 20 amps would be drawn at one time.

Third question: Considering the low amperage power this subpanel would be running, could I simply use a light switch as a main disconnect for the subpanel? Or is a disconnect even needed for a subpanel only 30 feet from the shops main subpanel

Fourth question: does the neutral bar need to be isolated from the ground in the subpanel? It is already isolated, but it came with a bonding strap and ground screw.

Fifth question: Does it matter which hot wires go in to which hot terminal? (A and B)

I think that's about it, any help or tips or advice would be much appreciated, thank you!


texts: How do I calibrate a Totaline thermostat?

texts:
Our thermostat is not reading correctly

how can I calibrate it? I searched the Totaline site and it seems like this particular product is not listed (and I can not find the model of this product), and all the instructions of holding down one of several keys did not work for us. Does anyone happen to know how to calibrate this?
Also, it is showing "E3" message after my previous failed attempts

Thank you in advance and it would be a great help in this cold weather...


texts: Would it ever make financial sense to install a GFCI breaker vs an GFCI outlet?

texts:
I've been into many new construction homes in 2016 and haven't noticed a single home w/o a GFCI in the bathroom, implying that while GFCI breakers exist, they seemingly are never used.

With a GFCI outlet costing on average $6, and a GFCI breaker often costing $35+, it would require having 6+ outlets on the same circuit before the costs are equivalent. Since GFCI outlets protect everything downstream of the circuit, needing 6+ outlets seems pretty unlikely.

It doesn't appear like GFCI breakers are ever being used that I see by anyone else. So it is safe to conclude that buying a GFCI breaker is a waste of money in just about every situation reasonably imaginable?


texts: Can I hang 100lb boxing bag from wood ceiling beam?

texts:
I'm looking to hang a 100lb combat sports banana heavy bag from my ceiling as shown in picture below.

Obviously the iron beam is the most stable point, but it's only 7ft high at the low point and the bag itself is 6ft (won't have much room for chain/swinging right?). The beam is also in the middle of the room and blocks a walking path so would prefer to put it on the wood joists beyond the beam if possible.

What would be the best method/bracket/hardware for handing the bag on the wood beams of this ceiling. These basement joists support the 1st floor of my house so would imagine can take a strong load. Can I bracked the bag directly to one beam or do is a cross beam needed? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Secondly, I'd like to hang an aqua bag outside under my deck shown here. Ignore the hook - that's just for plants

The deck joists actually are doubled up, so is there a bracket that could mount under both of these? Or could we drill right into the beams themselves (probably not great idea right)?


texts: Extend power from outdoor frontyard lamp with a modified smart outdoor plug?

texts:
I have surveillance camera in front of my house that will be plugged in at all times through its USB power adapter. Also, I would occasionally plug in my electric pressure washer and possibly charge my car (yes, it is slow, but enough at 15Amps. AFAIK the car also slows down charging if it detects bad extension cord via voltage drop).

I am considering to get one of these smart power plugs, cut the plug off and attach to the lamp wiring (there was also a ground wire that I forgot to draw):

Is this idea fine as I would not be getting a dedicated electrical box that would be installed in the wall? Instead I simply plan to attach this smart power plug to the surface of wall


texts:
This is a question that just occurred to me. Assume you have multiple grid-tie solar PV inverters connected to your home load center. What would happen if, while in operation, you were to open the main circuit breaker?

The inverters are monitoring the AC side to detect loss of grid power to shutdown. But wouldn't each inverter see the other's output as grid power and continue operating?

Obviously, this is not a problem with micro-inverters as there are generally multiple on a house. Is it a problem with full-sized inverters? If not, how is this solved (or how do micro-inverters solve this)?

In case it matters, I'm specifically asking about US split-phase 240 volt systems.


texts: Dryer exhaust from 2nd floor through crawl space, out roof

texts:
This is my setup, 1986 built town home. I just purchased a dryer and before connecting it, I decided to inspect the 4" tube going from the dryer, up behind the wall to the crawl space / attic and out of a hole cut from the roof.

This is what I found:

That's just a 12" segment, I kept, it was like this for 12 feet. While I assume, total blockage is bad, I presume that so is even this amount of lint stuck to wall of the tube. (Is that right or did I remove it for nothing?)

Anyhow, they had a aluminum flex duct tube tube going through the wall, but I'm wondering if perhaps it would not be best to replace it with a rigid smooth (without the flex ducting) aluminum tube for the straight section that goes from the bottom the wall behind the dryer into the crawl space. Then at both ends, replace it with new, clean flex duct tubes.

I'm also thinking of adding a secondary lint filter so this doesn't happen again.

Any advice, or what to use is appreciated, I want the safest solution.


texts: I have a receptacle box that needs to be reinstalled. While replacing one of the cables running to the box, the drywall became damaged. With this level of damage, is my best bet to cut out and replace a large section of the drywall (10in by 16in) between the two adjacent studs and make a receptacle cut out in the new piece of drywall? Is there another way that is any easier, what provides enough support for the box?


texts: What flooring material to install in a sunroom with wide temperature and moisture variations?

texts:
Late last fall, we had a sunroom built on our nhouse, and we're trying to determine what type of flooring should be installed. We live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, so the climate will definitely be a factor.

The flooring is plywood, with metal flashing around the outside edge at the walls.

In January/February, the temperature can reach -35C (-31F). In July/August, the temperature can reach +35C (95F). The sunroom is south-facing, with all glass/aluminum walls, so the air temperature inside during summer will be higher than that. In winter, the sun won't have any significant moderating effect on the temperature.

Compounding this, we have a dog that we let out into the back yard every day, so we walk through the sunroom two or three times every day, winter or summer. In winter, this lets a lot of moisture into the sunroom, which condenses on the windows. As we get closer to spring, the moisture melts and pools at the edges of the sunroom, and wicks onto the plywood if I don't mop it up quickly enough.

We have been told that some flooring types won't be suitable (linoleum and vinyl, I think) because they get brittle in our winter temperatures. We were expecting to have to use some outside carpet, but one flooring company told us we could use laminate flooring. I'm getting a sense that the contractor is a bit of an amateur, though, and I've read that laminate flooring contracts in the cold, so I would expect it to shift as we walk on it.

Can someone please recommend types of flooring that may be suitable for our conditions? I plan to have whatever we choose professionally installed (I'm not very handy).

To clarify, the sunroom is a raised structure with insulation in the floor and ceiling. It is an unheated space, and with the temperatures we get in the winter, no amount of insulation will help an unheated space in January. The structure seems quite secure, with teleposts of some kind on top of concrete footings.

EDIT: Not enough reputation to comment on my own question. My installation does not have any sort of pan. The walls are mostly glass with a metal frame, which stands on metal flashing. The flashing extends 5" from the glass/metal walls, and the remainder of the floor is plywood. Since we open the door from the kitchen several times a day to let the dog in and out, the air in the sunroom, which would normally be very dry in the winter, ends up having a lot of moisture in it, which condenses and freezes. In the spring, as the sun becomes more intense, the condensation melts and pools at the base of the wall. I mop it up every day to reduce the amount that can condense that evening, but a couple of times it has reached the plywood before I got home. My thought was to install whatever flooring type is best, then put a barrier of some sort (metal or plastic edging), then add a bead of silicone along the entire edge, to force the water to stay on the flashing until I can mop it up.


texts: Can I add a 50 amp breaker for an arc welder?

texts: If my service disconnect breaker is a 150 and my fuse box isn't maxed out, 3 slots still available would I be pushing the limits to add a 50 amp breaker for a arc welder?  I haven't pulled the cover to see what gauge wire is coming into the house or how it's split.  I have a newer home (2007) and nothing out of the ordinary requiring power.   The typical dryer, stove, water heater and a/c circuit breakers.  I don't want to push the capabilities of the fuse box but would really like to add the 50 amp breaker for a 240 lead in the garage.


texts: I broke a CFL lightbulb while unscrewing it, do I need to throw away the clothes I was wearing?

texts:
I was unscrewing a compact fluorescent lightbulb this morning and it broke while it was unscrewing it. A few chunks of glass showered down, but the entire bulb didn't shatter; ultimately a few chunks fell close to where I was standing.

I've read about the presence of mercury in CFLs and I'm wondering if I should throw away the clothes that I was wearing? There's potential that some of the glass shards, and even some of the mercury, came in contact with the sweater I was wearing.


texts: How to wire new Honeywell smart wifi thermostate( RTH9590WF) to replace older Honeywell thermostat using only 3 wires

texts: Old thermostat was only using 3 wires, connected to W, G and R-Rc jumper. no C wire.  Does have extra wires not being used at each end. Big question is what to I connect to at the furnace for a power source for the new wifi thermostat? There is only Y, and Com 24V Terminals available on the furnace board.  Can I use Com 24v at furnace terminal and C wire at thermostat?


texts: Is NM (Romex) wiring ok for a shop wired in 2006?

texts:
The shop building on a property I want to buy was built in 2005 but not wired until 2006. The building is metal with a wood framed interior office and bathroom.

It appears to be wired with Romex and has been carefully structured with the outlets at the 5' high purlin. All of the other runs are taken up to the 10' or higher to go across and appear to be captured with clamps or plastic ties to the metal structure and protected by the material similar to running down a wood post, etc. The load balance appears to be ok, with separate circuits for the items that require them, etc.

On the area above the office, the wires are stapled to the floor along the steel wall, but the floor is storage area.

Is this an acceptable situation for an outbuilding of this type? Does it matter whether or not the proposed use of the building is as a shop, or for storage, or for animals or a combination thereof?

I am wondering what would be necessary to fix it if it is not ok for some identified use. For example, could the romex be rerun in plastic conduit or raceways anything like that to make it acceptable if it is not ok as is.

Update: I am so sorry I left this info off - this is an outbuilding on an acreage with a separate house with attached garage, not commercial. This building is a playroom/shop/horse stable/whatever building. I  don't know exactly how it will be used yet. I expect that the building is not to code, but I don't know. It looks like someone tried pretty hard to get it right. No one seems to know who did the work, nor how many owners ago. The building has water, electrical 125 amp service panel tied to the main house (outside of the house not in its panel. There is a breaker in the panel for the house and another for this special use building, both served by the same meter although separate meters could be installed easily. The building has a concrete foundation with water and sewer plumbing installed in the floor. It is not insulated except the office and bathroom 20 x 8 is insulated, heated with space heater and air conditioned. It also has a water heater (small)).


texts: How do I diagnose and fix a toilet blockage

texts:
I have a toilet that makes a gurgling noise IF it flushes down. However, at times it will fill up when I flush the toilet and I will see something come up from the bathroom drain. I have tried putting septic tank cleanser through the toilet because I have a septic tank.

What should I do to find and fix the problem?


texts: Multiple AFCI breakers tripping at same time

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What could be causing AFCI breaker and GFCI receptacle nuisance tripping?

I have a new house.  During the last couple of months I will find that multiple breakers will have tripped at the same time.  I can't find any info on multiple breakers tripping together.  It isn't always the same breakers, or the same number of breakers, but it is always AFCI breakers.  A group of them will trip about once every two weeks, but at random times/days but never in the middle of the night.  They have no problem being reset.  It almost always happens when we are away from the home.  There is nothing on that would make me suspect it is the problem. The  The non-AFCI breakers don't trip.

The most common breaker to trip is in a area where I installed an extra outlet (and has an alarm system plugged in to it).  Although this is the most common brekaer to trip it doesn't always trip when a group of them trip.  The second most common breaker to trip is one that I put a chandelier in (the house was already wired for it, I just had to hook the wires up to the ceiling).

Although I mention my two additions, I don't know for sure that this is the problem, but maybe.  I find it strange that a group of them trip, but not always the same group, or even a common breaker that always trips.  I had an electrician come out to take a look but he was confussed and just tightened all the connections in the breaker panel, but we are still seeing the problem (although maybe less severe).  What should I check?  What could cause this?  If I have the electrician come out again what should I have them do?


texts: What is the name of the pin that holds a toilet seat-and-lid hinge together?

texts:
The lid on my toilet seat slammed down one time too many (I found this site by searching for the answer to that problem, which I had kluged by putting a bungee cord around the tank to hold the lid up while cleaning the bowl) and sheared off the pin around which the seat and lid and bolt extensions rotate. It's a piece of opaque plastic (acrylic?) and probably costs about a dollar, so I don't want to buy a whole new seat & lid combo just to replace that piece.

I intend to use the brilliant solution I found on this site (rotating the hinges 180 degrees) to keep this from happening again, but in the meantime I'd rather not send the seat & lid combo to the landfill for lack of a tiny piece of plastic. Any suggestions welcome.

To clarify for the helpful souls who responded so far: I do not want to replace the hinges if I can repair them.
I'm not sure what the stainless steel bolt and nut refer to. The piece whose name (and buying site!) I am looking for is a small cylinder of plastic/acrylic/manmade whatever. There are no bolts or washers or parts that stick out. Just a smooth cylinder. Sorry that I wasn't clearer :-(


texts: How do I identify and fix a buzzing noise in my commercial freezer?

texts:
I have been using a second-hand TRUE commercial freezer for almost 13 years for my home catering business. It has been making a buzzing noise since yesterday.
How can I identify the source of the problem?


texts: Auto Refill Pot with Water as Liquid Evaporates

texts:
I have a Instant Pot operating 24/7 without the lid. The water in the pot slowly evaporates from the heat and if I do not refill the water every couple of hours it will completely evaporate and burn the pot. I am not able to babysit the pot and refill it manually when the water level drops too low.

Attaching one end of a metal hose to a faucet and placing the other end in the pot will obviously not work, since it would cause the water in the pot to overflow as there is no way to control the flow of water from faucet to pot with any level of precision.

I have toyed around with several ideas such as using a Auto-Fill Water Bowl however the way this product is designed there's no way for it to detect low water level in a pot and automatically refill it - it is designed to work only for animals (the end is also plastic so I can't put it in a pot of boiling water).

I've also toyed with a Mechanical and Smart Water Timer but the product can only turn the water on/off at preset intervals. Since I cannot precisely control the amount of water that flows through the timer, there's no way to control delivery of water to pot with precision.

It might be possible to design a system by borrowing some of the principles behind the Self-Dispensing Gravity Waterer however the way the product is currently designed, it is not a viable solution.

Any other advice or ideas on how to modify aforementioned products so that it solves my problem?

Thanks!


texts: PP 1 1/2" tubular f409 doesn't fit 1 1/2" WYE nor 1 1/4" WYE

texts:
Beginner with Plumbing here. I'm installing a dishwasher and I believe I'm working with a non-standard drain pipe (between two sinks) where I would like to connect a WYE fitting (to connect the dishwasher drain to).

When I was about to ABS cement the horizontal pipe shown I noticed that it fit loosely all the way through the 1 1/2" WYE fitting. I've never used ABS cement before but from videos I'd seen I assumed it shouldn't be loosely sliding through (around 3-5mm of wiggle room). Am I correct in believing this?

Then I found out that it could be an "old" pipe that would be 1 1/4" so I bought a 1 1/4" WYE fitting. This time the horizontal pipe was obviously much smaller than the larger "shoulders" of the WYE fitting and it just butted up against the narrow inner part of the WYE fitting. Again this didn't allow for a quarter turn whilst pushing-in-and-cementing...there was no snug fitting whatsoever.

Does anyone know what might be the issue? At this point I'm wondering if I've got some unusual outer diameter on the PP 1 1/2" pipe that I'm hoping to add the WYE fitting to. It does also look like "PP" means PolyPropylene...which I understand can't even be bonded with ABS cement. I suppose that makes sense since both ends of the pipe are compression fitting.

Ha, at this point I'm thinking I'm going to have to take the horizontal piece of pipe to the hardware store and say "how can I replace this so it accommodates a WYE fitting?"


texts: How to build a wooden ladder for a loft bed?

texts:
I want to build a five foot ladder for my 6 ft loft bed that's being cut down to 4ft tall because it's too close to my ceiling. My bed is going to be in front of my window which is on my shortest wall.

How do I build a ladder to meet these requirements?


texts: Mini Split HVAC System Size for a 1700 Sq Ft basement,,,

texts:
I have a 1700 sq ft basement on Long Island, NY. It is a less than 1 year old condo with a finished basement.
The initial gas heating was supposed to be a separate HVAC zone, but with only one zone control, the builder tried to balance the main floor heat with the basement. It did not work and the builder's second attempt was a 12000BTU electric split unit on a 15 amp circuit hanging on a wall - but that didn't heat more than 2 degrees in winter, upon from 62 degrees. NOW they want to replace it with a 18000BTU unit on that 15 amp circuit. Is that BTU enough andis the 15 amp circuit sufficient?


texts: What equipment/material/knowledge is needed to visually fix a garage ramp

texts:
On the left is the actual state of a garage ramp. I'd like to rectify it visually so that it looks as on the right. What knowledge/tools do I need to achieve such?
##Edit
Following the answer received, I believe my question may not be clear enough. The image on the left, illustrate some visual defects, where it makes it clear that the ramp was "patched" at one point in time and hence doesn't maintain the same visual consistency it had from the top (see half top is correct).
Please ignore the debris, materials, etc. I am specifically asking for the surface itself, do I need to break it and redo or is there a way I can apply cement or something on the top to rectify the surface so that it's uniform and visually correct?


texts: What are some computer interfacing electric energy meters on the market?

texts: Does computer interfacing electric energy meters exist? With possibilities to get/log current power usage and monthly used kilowatt hours. With ethernet/rs232 etc interface. I am looking for this for European current 3phase, 230V. Looking for affordable options.


texts: Sump Pump runs several times a day every day rain or shine

texts: I am looking to buy a house that has a French Drain and a sump pump installed.  The basement is dry but the sump pump is constantly pushing what I assume is ground water out.  This occurs several times an hour every day rain or shine.  Is there another solution that will prevent this constant flow of water.


texts: Bathroom Exhaust Fan with Light - Wiring

texts:
I have a new bathroom exhaust fan and light unit replacing an older unit of the same. Two switches — one for light and one for fan.
The wiring instructions show.

I have 4 wires coming to the unit. 2 hot (red and black), 1 neutral (white) and a ground.
For the fan: the white and black white wires coming from the fan are pre-twisted together. I’m assuming I connect these with the black or red wire coming from the desired switch.
I connect the other black/red wire the brown wire and white to white, correct?
N. Light refers to night light but I can’t find anything in the instructions about it. Aero Pure ABF80L6W
Thanks in advance.


texts:
I am trying to charge my car at my workplace however the 110V plugs in the garage are "upside down" and my charging cable is designed to hang downward when the 110V plug is "right side up".

Is there a 180 degree plug adapter? I've looked around for it (I'm sure it exists) but can't find one beyond a very short extension cable.


texts:
I moved to the new condo and found that fan works loud.

The sound meter showed that the noise level during operation of central ventilation (without fan) is between 46 and 49 dB (it is the average data for 15 minutes with silence in all rooms). During the night the noise seems very "loud".

The installed fan is Épurair EP100 G (or EP100G2V (2 speed)). Based on the characteristic of Épurair EP100 G, the sones should be 0.8 (the fan is rated at 0.8 sone, which equals 32 dB).

Verification by the sound meter showed that the noise level of installed fan is between 46 and 49 dB. Sins an 1 sone is equivalent to 40 dB, I can assume that the noise level of  Épurair EP100 G2V is around 1.15-1.2 sones. I do not understand this discrepancy (0.8 is in technical characteristics and 1.2 sones are in reality). That seems a bit loud, doesn't it?

May I ask you: which Panasonic model will be fit for replacement of EP100G2V (2 speed)? 2 speed, because the fan is making airflow for the whole condo (breaker for slow speed is in the room), but for using the bathroom is another breaker in the bathroom who makes a speed up.

I found one Panasonic model: Panasonic FV-08-11VF5 Whisperfit EZ Retrofit fan. Is it good for change old one(Épurair EP100 G2V).


texts: Do you need to oil the bushings in a doweling jig?

texts: I got a second-hand doweling jig with no directions. It just seems wrong to spin a drill bit inside the bushing without some lubrication. I found several sites that don't say anything then one that suggested a few drops of oil; that reinforced my suspicion and shook my confidence in the non-oil sites.


texts:
I would like to create a panel for 13 switches, for a small shop area in one location, that will switch lights and outlets on and off for different applications.

I've been told to use the breaker panel but would rather not because of location as well as having access to all the breakers versus just the ones I want to switch off daily, I.E. Lights.

It could be visible but would prefer it to be behind a small access door as 13 switches would look bad for sure.


texts: Is my dimmer switch failing or is it bad wiring?

texts:
A few days ago my wife mentioned that there was a "burning smell" near the kitchen, but it went away before I could investigate. Today I turned on the dimmer switch in my kitchen, and the lights began flickering. I turned off the switch, but not before a smell had started coming from the dimmer switch (pictured below). We've used the lights in my kitchen a bunch of times since my wife first had the issue, so it isn't consistent.

Is it likely the problem is faulty wiring or could the dimmer unit simply be going bad? I'd like to know my options before I replace it or pay for an electrician.


texts: Fire Extinguisher In Unheated Garage & Shed

texts:
We are talking about getting fire extinguishers for the various areas of our house.  One place where it seems a fire extinguisher would be a good idea is the garage.  I also plan on adding a shed to the property this summer, and I would like to put a fire extinguisher in there as well.

However, our garage is uninsulated, and it is not uncommon for the winter temperature to go below 0F.  So, I am concerned how the cold will affect the extinguisher.

Will regular exposure to cold damage the unit?  (e.g. My lawn mower catches on fire during the summer, will the extinguisher still work properly?)

Will it still be able to put out a garage fire effectively during freezing temps, or will the fire suppressant be frozen solid?


texts: Dryer won't start. Uses a 4 prong 240v outlet where hot/ground is 120v but hot/neutral is 50v. What's wrong?

texts:
I recently had a dryer hooked up to this outlet and it ran for 2 years without problem. I recently got a new (to me) Kenmore 400-series dryer that was serviced a month ago and was in perfect condition, though it traveled from 2 states away and was jostled a bit. The new dryer will not start, but I can hear the timer motor ticking when it's plugged in.

I used a multimeter to check the timer, the start switch, and the door switch. All of them were ok (according to what I was seeing from a YouTube tutorial by theapplianceman). I checked the cord. It's fine.

I checked the outlet. H1-H2 gives me 240v. H1-G and H2-G gives me 120v. H1-N and H2-N gives me around 50v.

I don't know what this means. Is this why the dryer won't start? Is it even an issue?


texts: How can I connect a 10/3 range to an old 8/2 circuit?

texts:
This was working fine, but I had to move the range, and I didn't pay attention when I disconnected it. There is an 8/2 in the wall (black white bare) and the range has 10/3 (red black white bare).
I need this back in use.
What if I use wall black to range black, wall white to range red, and then wall bare (ground) to range ground and white? After all, don't white and bare go to the same place in the breaker box?


texts:
In the US, there are two phases that is 120V each to neutral. If you connect it phase to phase, then you get 240V. In my country. It's illegal to use phase to neutral of 120V because we are promoting our local products which run at 240V only (to avoid buying stuff from US). Hence are only allowed to use phase to phase of 240V.

Now I just bought a 240V Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. A normal line to neutral GFCI would have current flowing from line to neutral. But in my case, it's 2 phases without neutral. So can the GFCI still work?

How does the current flow in phase to phase connection versus phase to neutral? Are they the same?


texts: Quickest way to fix a wet carpet that smells

texts:
So I have messed up. I am moving house.

On Saturday I hired a carpet cleaner and ran it round my flat. Something went a bit wrong when I was doing the bedroom and it didn't dry the carpet very well. I wake up on Tuesday morning to find the carpet really smells of .. wet carpet.

The carpet isn't soaking, but just feels damp to the touch.

I need to vacate the property by Friday. What are my options?

I am at work until then, so can't get any equipment. I might be able to get a carpet cleaner though. Could running over the carpet again fix things?


texts: Outdoor 3-way motion sensor on a low volt circuit?

texts:
50ft path from driveway to front door.
Volt 150w transformer.
5 kichler fixtures, currently daisy chained.
no significant drop.
Want a motion sensor on each end: exactly how does one wire this?
Thanks!


texts: Installing a door threshold on concrete slab

texts:
I am trying to install the following door threshold on a concrete slab.  The door leads outside and the old threshold was rotted from water penetration.  The following pictures show the concrete subfloor and the rotten threshold.

The person that installed the old threshold first placed a bunch of caulk directly on the concrete slab, then placed a sheet of plastic over that, and then placed the threshold over the plastic and held it in place against the door frame with some staples.

I believe that the plastic might have contributed to the rotting by trapping moisture.  Is the correct way to install the threshold to the concrete slab to:

Lay down a bead of caulk (I have the DAP Alex Plus) at the very edge of the slab to prevent water from running under the threshold,
Add more caulk to the rest of the underside of the threshold and put in in place on the slab,
Fasten the threshold to the concrete with screws?

And should I leave the plastic sheet out of all of this?


texts: Why does the outside fan stop but the blower fan continues to run?

texts: We can have the thermostat set on 76 but wont stay 76 in house. Will come on when temperature is 79 in the house.


texts:
I am remodeling my kitchen, and am completely redoing the drain system because I have to move it over. I am looking online, and it seems that the part after the P trap to the vertical part of the drain pipe needs to be slanted. How do you make it slanted when the parts I see only make it straight.
Does it need to be slanted?
Thanks for any feedback!

(see image to see what I mean by slanted part)


texts: What affects the cost of a concrete driveway installation?

texts:
We have an existing wraparound driveway, and with our daughters looking to get cars we're looking to add a few pads on the side for parking.  I called around to talk to different contractors, as well as posted on Craigslist.  Google tells me it should cost $7 - $10 installed, so I estimated a budget of $3k for approximately 300 square feet.
I've now received seven quotes.  Five of them fall between $5000 and $6600  ($16 - $22 / sqft).  One was $2500 and another was $1700 ($6 - $8 / sqft).  The numbers vary wildly, and I'm wondering why they're so different.  Specifically, my concerns are that because I don't understand what can cause the difference in cost:

I may miss that one contractor is using superior materials or techniques
I may miss communicating a part of the project scope that matters to the cost

In all cases I have communicated a need for minimum 4" thickness and 4000 psi concrete, as well as a need for them to haul away dirt after digging and finish/texture the driveway to match the existing.  What else may account for the wild variations in quotes?  I don't want to pay way more than I need to as money is tight, but I also don't want to end up with a maintenance headache a few years down the road.


texts:
It looks like incorporating a wider toilet pipe "system" (everything from the u-shaped tube of the bathroom toilet down to the home pipe that finally connects to the greater "public" sewer system) should make for an overall "less cloggable" toilet experience.

But, since homebuilders can't alter the general public sewer pipes dimensions, is there a legal limit as to how maximally wide the pipes of a home sewer system (just for the house itself!) can be? It seems like there would be some limit here to prevent the general/public sewer system itself from getting clogged -- by keeping everyone's "home" sewer plumbing widths to a minimum!


texts: Attaching ceiling ground wire when fixture socket does not have the green screw for attaching grnd wire

texts: Ceiling ground wire is available, but fixture socket does not have the ground wire screw for attaching same.  Is there a way to "fake" it?


texts: I have a 3 total wire 220 volt service. New oven has 4 wires

texts: How do I wire my new oven with 4 wires, red black white and bare ground to my 240 service with black wire with red stripe, black and a bare ground. Thanks in advance for your help.


texts:
I have a chip and some rust in my porcelain sink.

How do I repair this and is this causing water leaking?

I was thinking to use a wire-brush to brush out the rust and use porcelain paint to repaint the porcelain.

Is that a good idea? Do I need to remove the sink drain?

Thanks


texts: Should I replace or patch a plaster ceiling?

texts: My house is about 109 years old,  excellent condition, other than cracking in the plaster ceilings.  I've had one 3x3 section even fall out in my dining room.  I want to replace the ceiling in the dining room with dry wall and put up imitation metal tiles.  This will probably cost about 1k-2k to finish.  Should I just patch the hole in the ceiling with plaster, or tear it all down?  I also have some soon to be serious cracks in my living room ceiling starting now too.