texts: Opening in dropped ceiling causes room to get warm

texts:
I've moved into a new home last year. One attached room is a workshop with a drop ceiling and it was comfortable at around 70 degrees last summer with the air conditioning. This year, I moved a piece of equipment in there and had to removed a section of the ceiling to accommodate the equipment height as it's about three inches higher. I now have one to two feet of open space around the equipment.

It got into the 80s yesterday and the room got quite warm, about 75F. I assume it was because I removed part of the ceiling which lets the much warmer air above it to filter down to some extent.

I'm trying to find something to put over the space in the ceiling. I can't build anything permanent cause I need access to the top of that on occasion. I'm thinking I could make a light frame of sorts that could lay up there but what would I put in it to keep it easily movable and not too awkward? I can't just throw insulation up there cause I can't worry about fibers from that.

Or is there a better idea? Of course, I don't want this to be expensive either.


texts: What wire is needed for a double 3-way switch on fan/light

texts:
My house is 60+ years old, with original cloth wrapped 2-wire 12 ga wires throughout the house, and an updated 200A breaker box.  I wish to replace a 3-way switch setup on a ceiling fan/light  with a double 3-way switch setup - a 3-way on the light and a 3-way on the fan.  I am looking at using two Leviton 5640 in the existing single-gang spots, while replacing the old boxes with old work.

I planned on wiring it up based on some homeowner's how-to books, like this diagram shows.  My question is what wire should I use to replace the existing 3-way setup, while adding for the double switches?  I've wired a fan/light on a double switch before, using 12/3 with a ground, but I didn't know what wire I should need for the double 3-way setup.

From best I can tell, I need a hot and ground going to the first switch, 4 feeder wires going to second switch, and a 2 hots and a ground coming from second switch to fan/light.


texts: how do i take the rain away from 2 sloping roofs meeting in the middle?

texts: i have an extension on the side of the house with a pitched roof with a gutter and downpipe to take the rain away. There is a carport to the front of this extension at the front of the house with the roof sloping back and sharing this gutter. I want to convert the carport into a room and open up the existing extension. Whats the best way to make rainproof the two meeting pitched roofs please


texts: What range of heights are allowed for wall receptacles?

texts:
I need to mount a receptacle on a basement wall.  If I can mount it high enough, it can go on the wood cripple wall instead of having to drill into the concrete and risk the excellent watertightness of the basement.

How high can the receptacle be placed and still count for the "within 6' of any point on the wall" requirement?   While we're  here, since it's related, what's the lowest allowable position?


texts: Is the full-height newel post for this oak railing structural?

texts: There is a railing between the kitchen and a sunken living room. I really dont think the post is structural since its a.)just an oak post b.)looks nailed in with finish nails. I just wanted a second opinion.


texts: 2 AFCI Breakers Tripping - One instantly and the other after a few minutes

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I have 2x 15amp AFCI Siemens breakers, both are tripping. One breaker would trip instantly and the other one after a few minutes. Nothing new was plugged in into these circuits. It just happened out of the blue and was working fine for years.  The house was built around 2003.

The breaker that instantly trips connects to the master bathroom which has a light, 2 receptacles (non gfci), and bathroom fan.  It also connects to the laundry room but only to the light and fan. Lastly, it also connects to 2 lights in the upstairs hallway.

The breaker that would trip after a few minutes is connected to 3 bedrooms, 2 rooms has 2 receptacles and the master has 3 receptacles.

Would replacing the breaker be my first (quickest) option at this point?
would swapping breakers to see if the instant tripping follows the breaker or the circuits be a good troubleshooting idea?


texts: Filling in 1/4" wide sharp joints on cured indoor concrete floor?

texts:
This concrete garage floor is 3 years old.  It has these quarter-inch wide sharp joints cut in every 12 feet.  All settlement/curing cracks are in the joints, but I don't understand why they were cut so sharp and deep: All the depth and edge seem to accomplish is to collect dirt and provide a home for moisture and pests.

At this point is it OK to fill them in – at least partway to reduce the space available for dirt to accumulate?  Or are they serving some other ongoing purpose?


texts: Ceiling Hole in Closet, Sprinkler? Light? What is it?

texts: There is this hole with this gadget in the condo ceiling which is in the bedroom closet. I cannot tell what it is exactly? Does anyone know what this can be? Thanks!


texts: Can I remove the framed wall on the outside of my basement?

texts:
I have a 20 year old house (which is a basic colonial box).  The basement has a standard poured concrete exterior wall.  Against the concrete exterior wall, they framed a standard wood 2 x 4 wall, filled the bays with fiberglass insulation and covered it all with a plastic sheet, which I guess is a moisture barrier of sorts.  I would like to rip out the insulation and framed wall and replace it all with foam boards (DOW Thermax).  My question is, how do I know that the framed wall is not load bearing in any way?  I'm 99.9% sure from what I've read that it's the concrete wall holding up the house and the framed wall is just there to hold the insulation in place and possibly to add sheetrock to in the future.

I know that people might be nervous to answer questions about load bearing walls.  I'm just looking for some general advice rather than a definitive answer.

EDIT: Here's a photo of the rim joist area.  The framed wall at the front is the one I'd like to remove.  From the answer below, it sounds like the joists are indeed sitting on the concrete wall.

EDIT 2: Somebody commented that I have no insulation in the rim joist.  I actually pulled out the fiberglass to take this photo.  I then replaced it with a block of 2" XPS foam board and used spray foam around the edge.  I luckily have access to a thermal imager from my employer, so I took some images.  Here's an image of no insulation (lots of heat loss):

Here's the original fiberglass.  It does  a good job, though there are some obvious cold spots from air leakage:

Here's the new 2" of XPS with spray foam around the perimeter.  It also does a good job and it's more even.  However, I'm surprised that there are still cold spots around the edge.  It was tough to maneuver the spray foam gun in the tight area and I may not have done the best job:

Finally, here's a side by side of a fiberglass next to XPS:

Overall, I'm not sure there's a big enough improvement to warrant the cost.  I think I could do a better job with the spray foam and a second piece of foam would obviously improve things.  Aesthetically, I do like the clean look of the foam boards.

Getting back to the original question, here's a photo of the framed wall with the fiberglass insulation.  Again, the fiberglass does a decent job, but there are some cold spots.


texts: How can I determine if there is any damage to the conductors of a circuit?

texts:
I recently went to replace a couple 3 way switches and, I am ashamed to admit,  did not do my due diligence when wiring up.   The new switches were a different style and the wiring configuration was seemingly different,  not to mention that this is a 50 year old house without much conduit or even a grounding system.  Though there are quite a few gfci's.

I finished installation and as soon as I put the fuse back in,  it blew.   I put another in, and it was ok.  Went and checked and nothing on the circuit worked.

I must have shorted from hot to neutral through the 3 way switch,  though after thinking on it,  why was there a neutral leg for that switch anyway?

Too late at that point.  Now I am trying understand what I did. ..i get 120v from just downstream of the fuse to the neutral bar, but after it leaves the fuse box, I can't find a hint of hotness anywhere on the circuit.   I'm worried I burned the line open, especially since it looks like the previous owner had a 20 amp fuse in with all 15 amp circuit components.

I feel pretty dumb for letting this happen.   I have two years of electrical and have schooling though it was back in 2009, and I let my confidence get the best of me.

Tomorrow I might look through the basement drop tile ceiling for clues.  Any suggestions on troubleshooting this would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Leaking whirlpool tub; in alcove, but no tile flange at bottom of walls

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In brief: my alcove whirlpool tub has always leaked at the seam between the tub and tile wall, and it needs to be fixed. I just discovered that this tub has no tile flanges where it meets the walls; does this mean that leaks are inevitable?

In detail: when we bought our house 20 years ago a previous owner had joined two bedrooms to make a master bedroom and en-suite bath with a whirlpool tub set into an alcove. I've never been impressed with the construction (e.g. no apparent floor reinforcement). Specifically, we've always had leak problems along the edges of the tub, although recaulking has seemed to fix it.

Now, after a carpenter ant infestation and opening up the wall behind the tub, I've found that the leaks were far worse than I thought, and there's significant water damage to the underlying floor. I'd consider recaulking yet again, but only if I knew it could be "done right"; if not, then I'm thinking to rip it all out and start from scratch (we plan to be here for a while).

The leak is in the center of the long side of the tub where it meets the tile wall. I've removed the drywall on the opposite side of the wall, exposing the back of that joint, and I just noticed that the tub (an American Standard model 00-2720, if anyone has a pre-Internet catalog they could dig out) has no tile flange along that wall (I assume there's none along the two short walls as well). In fact, this tub may have been designed to be set into a platform, not into an alcove.

The lack of tile flanges would be an obvious cause for the problem: when we fill the tub with water, the sides sag, and tear open the caulking; after that, there's no gravity barrier to keep the water from just heading out and down.

Is it a lost cause to try and patch this? Now that I have the back exposed I could try caulking it to within an inch of its life. However, I suspect that I'll just get leaking (and ants) again, and I don't want to have to keep checking for water damage.

Edit: for clarity, here is a diagram of the edge of an alcove tub with a flange:

Again, my tub does NOT have such a flange. so the cement backer board just rests on the edge of the tub, with a bead of caulk (attempting) to keep water coming through.

Edit 2: this is indeed a drop-in tub, which is meant to drop into a horizontal platform. It is not meant for an alcove installation.


texts:
Our house has a Victorian bay window and what appears to be chunky masonry/concrete window sills. They look like they are painted with some form of gloss which has become flaky and green over the years.

I want to repaint it and after either stripping or sanding I want to know what paint to use. I was going to buy some good quality masonry paint to use to paint the walls of our house (combination of brick/render) and wonder if I can use the same paint on the windows sills?

But masonry paint sometimes looks thinner than gloss paint and I wondered if should I buy some proper masonry gloss paint (if that exists?)

Thanks.


texts:
I am planning to build some steps from stone slabs. The slabs weigh a maximum of about 600 pounds. I need a way to move them around over ground like a lawn, so small wheels or a pallet truck are no good. Also, I need to move them into position, so just carrying them is not good enough. It has to drop the stone into the right place.

I am familiar with small cranes used to move machine tools, but those cranes typically have pretty small wheels and are designed to move over asphalt or concrete, not rough ground.

What are options? I think in the old days they had a thing used to move stone that was like a pair of long iron arms that were joined at a fulcrum where there was a wheel. You could manipulate the arms like tongs to pick up the rock. I have not seen these things in any modern context though.


texts:
I bought a Chevy Volt and would like to charge it. My driveway does not have any sort of power so I need to run a new line.

I live in a manufactured home ( trailer house ) which is raised off the ground. I am going to hire an electrician to inspect my work and run it through the floor and into the breaker panel. But I want to run the cable my self and save a little money.

What is the proper way to run a cable like this? Do I need conduit? If I do can I run it on the ground or does it need to be raised off the ground?

If I go in a straight line it is around 50 feet but if I go around the perimeter of the house it is like 75 feet.

I will be running 15 amps from the cable.

Thanks in advance for the advice!


texts:
The city inspector said the new 100 amp service panel  needs to be grounded to the street side of the water meter. It is currently grounded to the nearest cold water pipe. What is correct?  Also, for a washing machine in an unfinished basement near the laundry sink need a gfci?  It is plugged into a single plug outlet.

All pipe in the house is copper and is grounded to the panel about 2-3 feet away. The distance to the meter from the panel is 20 feet or more

Currently, the only grounding is to the water pipes. Inspector wants ground rods installed also


texts: Can a 20' section of #4 rebar server as concrete-encased electrode ( UFER ) if it is not attached to the rest of the rebar matrix in an on-grade slab

texts: Let's say we have 9'x25' monolithic concrete slab of 5" thickness with a 12" deep by 12" wide "haunch" footer around the perimeter. At 2-1/2" inches below the surface of the slab there is the #4 rebar grid set at 24" on-center.  Now, running through one of the 25' footers is a 20' length of #4 rebar that is sitting on chairs that rest directly on the soil. It is encased in the footer but is not attached to the rebar grid above.  Can that  20' length of #4 concrete-encased rebar serve as the UFER electrode that has the copper wire attached to it?


texts: Furnace will run for half a day to a day producing heat, then it will stop producing heat but the furnace will try to run still blowing air. Also, if I flip the switch off and then back on 10 seconds later it will kick back on, heat and all.


texts: Should threaded pipe be torqued to spec?

texts: Most, if not all threaded automotive fasteners have specified torque, which is ensured by using torque wrenches. But how about threaded pipe, galvanized steel for water or black pipe for gas, especially the latter? Should it be torqued to spec using something like a torque version of a pipe wrench, to ensure a proper joint?


texts: Should felt paper overhang an eave drip edge?

texts: I am replacing my roof shingles and I would like to know if there is a preferred dimension for roofing felt overhang on drip edges.


texts:
Moved into a new place  recently and I don't know what kind of dimmer I have.
The dimmer switch: (the whole thing is on/off and then there's an up button and down button; the blue led presumably corresponds to different settings but I don't know what)
When I moved in the lights would flicker and hum (I didn't systematically try the dimmer settings). Soon after, the lights went out. The blue led on the switch itself wouldn't turn on either so I thought maybe it was a wiring thing but when i replaced one of the incandescent bulbs the bulb worked and the blue led worked again as well.
The light is steady and doesn't hum. Hitting the up/down settings makes the bulb flicker (pulsing rapidly and hum) in some positions. However, when I turn it off, it also pulses rapidly (but not as bright) and never goes off--at least for the couple of minutes I've tried to wait it out (the blue led stays on on the switch too, but before it would be off if the light was off).

<img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/ir1PZ.jpg" alt="inside...there's three bulbs but thought a close up would be better. I don't know what the writing on the socket says.
" />


texts: Measuring frequency of a fluorescent light source?

texts: I noticed that my eyes feel tired with certain fluorescent lights in my office. I read that low frequency fluorescent lights can make eyes tired. Is there a tool I can purchase to measure the frequency of a fluorescent light source?


texts: How are these installed and how can I remove them?

texts: New home.  Hate the tiny shelves.  Want to remove them, put a normal mantle in, and a TV above.


texts: How do safety labels on light fittings work with energy saving bulbs?

texts:
My lamp says "Max 40W or Energy Saving 8W".

I have a halogen bulb which says "28W = 36W".

Is it safe to use with the lamp?  Why / why not?

(Sorry if the answer is easily available on the web - I did search before posting here!)


texts:
When my dad's BTFP01012 air compressor reaches 150 PSI, he uses the relief valve, and the unit stops working i.e. turns off and does not restart to replenish the air.

So he replaced the pressure switch. The symptom is now random.  After reaching 150 PSI, he uses the relief valve, and the unit sometimes stops working i.e. turns off; otherwise, the unit continues working as usually, continually gathering air. When the machine stops working, it can't be turn on for awhile. What do you think seems to be the problem?

Nameplate: https://imgur.com/JsLoZfZ


texts: Should a concrete pool look like this after an acid wash?

texts:
I'd like to redo after the contractor who did an acid wash of my pool:

But before I start, I'd like to understand (since I have never seen the pool acid washed before): is that what "the product" of an acid wash should look like?


texts: My patio cover has wood columns (that support the over hang) that actually go into the ground and are rotten.   I really need to fix this but not sure how to go about it.   It has 4 columns.   I'm assuming they need to be on concrete and the wood out of the ground.   Please help.


texts: How to adjust a pressure regulator, that doesn't have a screw/bolt?

texts:
The pressure in my house seems to have dropped, so I called my City Water department. They came out and tested it, and said my regulator must be bad. So I dug it up, and found it's one I've never seen. It doesn't have a screw/bolt on top. It could have broken off, but it's hard to tell with the dirt. There is something that looks like it could turn, if you had a special star/hex/torx/allen bit.

In general, it looks similar to a SharkBite 3/4 regulator. I did make a letter P on top, right were it starts to curve down.

So any thoughts? Here is a picture of what I have now.


texts: Brand new AC unit makes whooshing sound and air "chokes"

texts:
My brand new AC recently started making a whooshing noise. It sounds kind of like a sudden gust of wind, but it repeats every few seconds. Another way I can think of to describe it: imagine a PC cooler running relatively silent, but still being able to hear it. Now imagine it increasing its RPM noticeably for just around a second. Now imagine it doing this continuously.

It's a ComfortStar split type 12k BTU.

It also doesn't result in air being blown faster but, when you can hear it, if you stand in front of the indoor unit, the air stops coming out for like half a second. Like the unit "chokes".

Things I've noticed and done:

If I lift the front panel by 2-3 cm or more the phenomenon stops! I thought something might be pushing on the filters, or that it's not closing properly, but I can't see any issues...
Efficiency doesn't seem to be affected, it still cools very well, but the sound is annoying.
It only seems to happen on the low or auto fan setting. For example at medium, high or turbo setting seems to result in a steady stream of air uninterrupted by whooshings.
It doesn't always happen. Sometimes I run it for hours with no annoying sound, other times it starts a few minutes after turning on the AC. Sometimes it stops for a while.
I tried recording the sound but my phone doesn't really allow you to notice it when it occurs.
I'm using the AC Unit with the front panel/lid just a bit open, is it wrong or bad for the unit to use it like that? (see picture with a red circle)


texts: What's the best way to repair a cut floor joist? It looks like when removing floor boards for remodel, someone has cut about half way through the top of joist with saw straight cut. No notching. I'm thinking of either metal plate and coach bolting with a 30 inch over hang of cut or adding new wood either side as with the plate. Would this be the right method ?


texts: How can I fuse galvanized sheet metal with a circular bottom together so that it is water tight?

texts:
I want to make a large circular pot out of sheet metal that can hold water. How should I construct it so that it has a circular bottom and ensure it is leak-proof.

Boiling water will be poured into this pot.

Thank you


texts: I have this outside hose tap, the handle arms have broken off at some in the past. Is fixing it as simple as undoing the screw and putting a new handle on? are there any gotchas to be wary off?


texts: Repairing Water Damage on a Window Frame?

texts:
My parent's house has had a leaking window frame for the last few years. I think that the water comes in from outside the frame.

I took a few pictures from outside:

And the interior:

How can I prevent further water infiltration and seal up the interior?

I've done some drywall repair projects before, should I just use my putty knife to scrape off the existing drywall and put on a new coat of drywall mud?

Or should I cut off the drywall and buy a new piece of drywall and screw/nail that in place and joint the edges?


texts:
I am trying to answer questions about the construction of a roof and was wondering if it is possible to tell from the picture attached, and if so what the construction is?

EDIT: The roof is difficult to access however I have one additional picture from a slightly different angle which may or may not help. The house was originally built around 1890 (although I am guessing the roof has been reconstructed since then).


texts:
I have built a 38"x81" pressure treated platform to host an air condenser and a heat pump (two unit house) on the roof of my house.  It is positioned right above the master bedroom so I am a little concerned about noise even though both units emit noise upwards.

Is there some kind of rubber sheeting that I could spread over the platform before I set the units that would reduce the noise by impeding reverberations?  I was thinking a rubber mat similar to the Oatey shower membrane.


texts: Fixing some switches and adding Wifi switches to a home I just bought.  I pulled out some old style switches from this box and added 2 WiFi switches plus a 3 way paddle on the right.  I believe a 3-way switch was on the right before since it controls a light controlled by one other switch down the hall(might’ve been the middle switch though.. idk).  Anyhow, I’ve managed to get the two WiFi switches working like I want them to but I’ve got a smattering of leftover wires and can’t get my 3-way to power it’s light no matter what I try.  What am I missing in this rats nest?


texts: Running romex in 20" attic space using pipe hangers

texts:
My drywall ceiling is attached to 2x6 joists 16" OC.   Then, a 10" air gap above these joists are the 2x6 rafters 32" OC, for my flat roof just above.   Even though the home is 1955, I have knob & tube throughout this attic space which I'd like to replace.   Also, I'd like to improve the current insulation which is blown-in cellulose only about 4" deep (you can see the ceiling joists if I pop my head up).

I'm thinking of installing some 3" pipe hangers such as below, on the underside of the rafters, to help with running 12/2 NM-B romex cables for now and in the future.  I'd put one above the light fixture and one near the attic access hatch (for each room).

QUESTIONS:

Is there a better/standard option rather than these pipe hangers to
accomplish my goal?
Am I overthinking this and I should just let the romex be buried
by the new/additional blown-in insulation?

Pic of my "attic"

Footnote:  The new wire which replaces the k&t will be run from the basement below, where the main panel is, and only switch-to-light wires will be in the attic.  And I'll leave the old k&t in place, but disconnected.

Footnote 2:   I'm very tempted to completely rip off the ceiling drywall and do batt insulation or spray foam, but I fear the cost/time will be prohibitive.


texts: I wanted to use an oldish fluorescent tube lamp and find there is no power, I replaced the tube, also the stater, also the fuse in the plug and still no power. I have a multimeter but don't know how to use it ( 87 yr old widow), any advice?


texts: I live in an 8 unit co-op.  Recently had the bathroom totally redone.  New pipes and bathtub/shower. My new shower seems fine.  Not long after I got this done I have noticed someone is causing a high pitched sound when they take a shower.  Could the plumbing done in my unit cause someone else to experience this problem?  Could the pressure change in my Unit cause someone else to have pressure problems.  What should I do about it? The noise is very load.


texts: How to avoid over tighten or stripping screws with an impact driver?

texts:
I got an impact driver last month, but I'm still afraid to use it for some stuff because I think I might over tighten the screw to the point of damaging one or both the parts or even strip the thread on plywood or plastic.

There is no torque setting (and from my research impact drivers don't have them), and I've seen it drive a screw deep into plywood and wood.

Can an impact driver be use for every kind of job? Like screwing electrical receptacles or knobs for drawers, for example.


texts: Are electric stove/burner elements/coils interchangeable

texts:
Are the electric burners/elements/coils for electric stoves interchangeable between brands? This is aside from the "big" and "small" diameters.
They appear to have the same connectors ends, but I'm wondering if there are any differences, either in connector design, element resistance, or other aspects I haven't considered.
Since the connectors on the elements appear the same, it is tempting to use them in any stove without a second thought. The cause for a second thought is a disintegrated connector in another question, and whether it was simply normal wear and tear or if an out-of-spec element could be a reason. I know elements from an older now-discarded GE range were kept and used in a newer Whirlpool range.


texts: Why is my Radon level high even with passive ventilation in place?

texts:
We have about 6 PVC pipes with Aqua covers on them that were installed when we built our log cabin.  We were told that they were for the Radon to escape.
   We just had a 24-hr test done and the number was 14. They said it was too high and we needed to get a "something inhibitor". I have no idea what they're talking about.   My son's bedroom is down there for five years - he seems fine?  Are these pipes that we have sporadically around the house for radon gas escape?
     We also have one about 60’ away from the house - it’s a drain pipe for gases to be released.
         What do I do and do you know where or what they're talking about?


texts: How often should the red fibre body washer be replaced in a tap?

texts: Should the red fibre body washer be replaced as well when you disassemble a tap to replace the tape valve and "O" ring as a convenient mean to update all the wearable parts or do they last much longer (someone indicated to me that they could last for decades) and I should only replace them when there is a need to do so?


texts: I need a multiple-switch light switch which can't all be turned off at once

texts:
I have a 4 switch (I think it's called "4-gang"?) light switch on the wall.

It's not connecting to lights though, but to AC vent doors. Now, these AC vents must never all be closed at once. Meaning, minimum one switch must be on at all times.

But, it's just an ordinary 4-switch wall panel, so you can actually turn them all off, potentially causing damage to the vents or AC unit.

But I imagine there might be switches that actually enforce this requirement (a switch won't turn off if it's the only one on). Perhaps physical switches, perhaps electronic buttons.

Does anyone know if these exist? Or what they would be called?


texts: Can hail-damaged shingles be repaired, or should they be replaced?

texts:
We had a nasty hail storm recently and while none of the shingles are pierced or broken there is extensive damage to the top layer but so far we had no indication that the roof is leaking. Based on the attached images of typical damage:

Could this type of damage result in leaks?
Should all the damaged shingles be replaced?
Is there a possibility of repairing the damaged top layer?


texts: What is the proper preparation to re-apply silicone caulk?

texts:
We have a Swan Stone shower surround that consists of 3 solid surface panels caulked at the corners with a corner molding them applied and caulked.

The previous owners weren't great at things like caulking so it's a mess and I've pulled off the corner mouldings and scrapped off all the existing caulk to get it ready to re-apply.

I was about to wipe it all down with mineral spirits to remove any remaining caulk residue, but then notice in the product literature is specifically says NOT to use mineral spirits as it will prevent the caulk from adhering and that I should instead use denatured alcohol to prep the surface.

So now I'm confused. Should I used mineral spirits to clean off the old caulk, then denatured alcohol to clean off the mineral spirits? Is there some other product I should be using?


texts: Should I be concerned about rust on a post in my basement?

texts: How long do support posts last? Any reason to be concerned with rust on them? Seem to be working fine.


texts: Sink P-Trap doesn't line up with Drain pipe

texts: How can I get my sink drain lined up properly. The drain coming out of the wall is welded together and it doesn't have the connector that catches the threaded side of the p-trap. It's' also about an inch short from the p-trap. Thanks for the help guys.


texts:
My home was built in 1914 (Portland, Oregon). In 1948, the house was moved 200 feet to its current location. The 750 square foot house has a concrete basement with a concrete floor. The concrete basement walls are approximate 7 feet tall.

A view from the inside of the basement shows the concrete was poured in layers. Some of these layers are crumbling. 1/2 to 1 inch aggregate is falling from the wall. Other layers are in great condition.

Interior and exterior "tapping" with a screwdriver reveal most of the the concrete is solid - even though the aggregate can be seen in some areas. Other areas sound hollow. This is where the aggregate will crumble from the wall.

The exterior has a skim coat, but half of it has fallen off, or is ready to fall. Again, other exterior section where the skim coat remains appear and sound solid.

Questions:

What is happening to the concrete?
How can this deterioration be stopped?
Does the concrete need to be replaced?
What type of trades person should look up to make the repairs?


texts: Represurise Vaillant Turbomax gas boiler - turning filling screws, but won't fill

texts:
I have a Vaillant Turbomax boiler (unsure of exact version as I don't have the manual).
The pressure is a little low so I'd like to refill. I've followed these instructions:
http://www.vaillantservice.co.uk/Vaillant_Boiler_Self_Help.html
("Turbomax Filling Loop Mechanism" section)
But nothing seems to happen when I turn both screws 90 deg. I can't hear any water flowing and the pressure isn't changing. Any thoughts? I'm currently on about 0.5 bar. Many thanks


texts: How to handle existing electrical when adding a partition wall where two existing wall switches exist?

texts:
I'm adding a wall to turn a loft into a bedroom.  The new framing will be right where an existing junction box is.
Coming into the box from the top right are two 14/3 romex cables for a 3-way hallway ceiling light to the right in the image.  I want to move the switch a few inches to the right so it's outside of the new bedroom.
Can I drill a hole in the stud right above the current j box, add a  new work box  old work box on the other side of the stud, and simply feed the existing cable through the new hole into the new box?  My concern is that there would not be any staples since I do not have full access to the right side of this stud.


texts: Is it normal to have an unsecured copper line coming off a propane tank?

texts:
Due to insurance purposes anything with gas or electricity I pay someone else to do.
This 1000 gallon tank had new copper ran to our new generator.  After they did the job I got to looking at it and it's floppy and loose which leads me to believe it will be very dangerous come Winter with a couple feet of snow pushing it off with a broom daily.
Is this really a typical line install on a tank?
I searched online and I see a lot of flex lines to allow movement....
I'm basically looking for confirmation that this isn't right. Then I need to find a way to get them to change it.


texts: Retaining wall repair and conversion to tiers

texts:
I've got a retaining wall made from 6"x6" timber that is falling in.  It would appear that when it was built there was no backfill and now the wood is rotting.  Unfortunately, it's supporting part of my deck, and the part that's falling in is pretty close to a deck post.

I was thinking about digging out sections of the garden supported by the wall and doing a more gradual tiered approach instead, probably with stone or blocks.

Is this a bad idea?  Can the wall be compromised by removing dirt from adjacent parts?  Is there a better approach?  Is it a huge project?  Am I insane?


texts: Millivolt fireplace turns on by the thermostat but will not shutoff

texts:
I inherited a freestanding direct vent fireplace and I'm trying to get it to work with a thermostat. It functions fine using the ON/OFF/PILOT switch but will not work with a thermostat. It is a SIT millivolt system and the previous owner had a thermostat hooked up to it, so it was working at one point.
With that said - the fireplace will turn on with the thermostat but it will not shutoff with the thermostat. Could it be a bad thermopile?

When the fire is lit I get a .330mv reading for the thermostat and .220mv for the thermopile.


texts: Electrical (3way switch and wire but single pole)

texts:
I had a load bearing wall removed, to make a long story short, I forgot to take pictures of the wiring and now I’m stuck in a jam.

Had a ceiling fan that was fed from a 3way switch but there was only one switch. Power source was coming into the switch box, then 3 way wire was used to feed the ceiling fan and 2 other wall outlets all from the ceiling fan box.  Where it gets confusing is that the hot (black) and common (white) fed power directly to the outlets (wall plugs) and the red wire was tied to the white and black wires of the light fixture.

My problem is that I can’t remember the wiring inside the switch box where the power source connects to the switch and the 3 way wire.  Any help here would be beyond appreciated.
Thanks folks.


texts:
I bought a 36W (220V/50Hz/425mA/E27) LED growlight (well, only the lightbulb).
To make it work, I also ordered a simple lampholder (AKA the other part of the lamp).
After wiring it up, the light bulb doesn't work. I have already tested the lampholder with other bulbs (both lower wattage) and they all work.
Now I turn to you guys. Is the lampholder too 'weak' for 36W, or is the LED bulb broken?


texts: Is a wire coiled around a post adequate for grounding light fixture bases?

texts:
I was changing a light bulb in a ceiling light fixture. I unscrewed the nut and removed the glass cover. When I was replacing the bulb I noticed that there was a copper wire loosely coiled around the center rod (threaded at the bottom...that's where the nut goes for holding the glass cover)

I'm assuming that's the bare ground wire. Is that adequate grounding. Does the wire need to be attached via a screw clamp...similar to what you see in receptacles?

I saw this with a couple of other fixture bases around the house.

UPDATE

Here are pictures of two fixtures.

The one on the right looks like the wire is screwed in AND the remainder is coiled around the post.

The one on the left...don't know where that wire is coming from.

Is there an easy way to test for proper grounding?  I know that for receptacles I can plug in a device to tell me.


texts: I installed Hardi Backer under a ceramic tile floor several years back. We are planning a remodel soon. Can I remove the tile, clean up the backer board, and install new tile? That stuff has a million screws in it! I would really like not to have to remove it.


texts:
I just finished removing 100 year old plaster/lathe combination over a long load bearing wall in my basement.  It revealed quite a bit of termite damage to a load bearing wall and header going across the bottom of the house.

The current structure is a bunch of 2x6 studs holding up 2 stacked 2x6s across the top as the header.  I know this isn't to any sort of current code, but I'm looking to shore up the existing setup for the short term until I can do a full replacement.

I'm wondering what the right process is here.  Do I cut a couple 6x6s to just slightly longer than the current studs and pound them in?  Should I mechanically secure them to the header somehow?  I've found plenty of info on sistering joists, but little on the right way to do that for a load bearing wall.


texts: Slow water drainage, then air bubbles from shower drain

texts:
I tried loads of things that may clear a blocked shower drain (store-bought liquids, vinegar+baking soda, running hot water through) over the past months, but the water still drains very slowly. After a minute of shower you would stand in 3-5cm of water.
When I remove the shower head and stick the tube in the drain (and turn on hot water on max strength), after like a minute or two I start to see air bubbles coming up and then after a while the water suddenly drains. Still, when I start showering again, the same old problem comes back.
Do you have any idea what could be the problem? Could it be that the blockage is somewhere further down the system (the apartment I rent is on the 4th floor)? Is it fixable by myself or need to call a professional?


texts:
hoping to get your feedback on what could be going wrong here. Hope you can understand my diagram. When switch 2 is flipper on it trips the breaker. In the light 2 jbox there is no light installed yet but I connected the wires together in anticipation and this is when I found the issue. There are also grounds and they are all connected to the light plate and not touching any other wires. Any ideas what could be going haywire?

Derrick


texts:
Any tips on a DIY solution to panel monitoring?

My electrical panel has separate breakers for three different baseboard heaters and each major appliance for two apartments in my house. It would be illuminating to be able to set up something central to get a view of what's contributing to my electrical costs.

I've seen "Eyedro EYEFI-4" and "Emporia Vue Energy Monitor" and a few others. Emporia's solution seems close, but it's a closed system and there's no API access to the raw data, everything requires manual control from the app.

But what I'm really hoping for just the basic hardware which might be connected to an arduino or a hat on a Raspberry Pi, and which I could monitor with my own software. I've found this split core current transformer on Amazon, but I'm left with two problems:

I don't know what I'd need to do to convert its output to something that, say, and Arduino could understand (i.e. a voltage from 0 to 5V for an analog_in). And.
Given that the arduino only has 6 analog_in ports, how do I switch a port so that it can alternately take reading from more than 6 CTs? Might there be ab IC that could take a binary number on one set of pins (driven for example by the arduino output pins) and control a switch based on the number selected? Or is there another better way of doing this that I haven't imagined yet? (I'm sure there must be.)

I would love to get any advice as to the approach I should take. (Maybe not even arduino?) Then I'll be able to direct my research so as to improve my next question here. :)


texts: How to add bars or strengthen a sliding door?

texts:
I am trying to secure a home, by adding bars to the windows, and metal door to the front, as well as added locks to the garage door.

The back door has a glass sliding door. I can strengthen this with some extra lock on the interior, in the floor, or piece of wood, or suggestions here but that still presents thieves with a large area of glass to break through.

Is there any product that either, serves the same function and is an easy replacement for double sliding doors, that is strong, or that can be added to the outside or inside, making it very difficult to break in?


texts: Can I install laminate next to tile without using T-moulding?

texts:
I'm installing laminate flooring in a bedroom next to a tiled hallway. I'm planning to have a standard expansion gap all the way around the room, but I'm stuck on how to do the doorway. I know the standard approach is to use T-moulding,  but whoever did the original floors in my house just used a thin metal divider between the engineered hardwood floors and the tile. I'd like to be able to install the laminate the same way without a gap for just the length of the doorway. The room is 10' x 11'. Am I going to run into problems?

I haven't noticed any expansion issues with the engineered hardwood floors, and they seem to be blocked in on several sides by these transitions. The living room has a 17' wide section with no expansion gap between doorways on either side. If it matters, the house is on a slab.


texts: Risk of fire due to wiring a new light fixture

texts:
I'm in my first house and have zero experience with installing light fixtures. I finally decided to install the new hanging fixture my wife bought online. With no experience and crappy instructions I was able to get it hooked up and attached to the ceiling after fighting with it for a while. Now I'm concerned that I may have done it improperly.

After taking off the old fixture I found some exposed copper wiring at the top of the wire box. Nothing from the old fixture was connected to it, it's just two ends coming in on either side and they're twisted together. Thought it was weird but I moved on. I hooked up the house wiring to the light with wire nuts and then connected the copper wire with the hoop on it from the base of the light to the green ground screw. Then I pretty indiscriminately shoved the extra wiring from the light into the wire box because it didn't seem like I had much choice.

Everything turns on but now I'm worried that maybe the extra wiring I shoved in there could cause a fire. It's shielded with a white woven sleeve but I'm not sure if that's adequate. I'm also worried that maybe the extra slack on the copper ground wire could come in contact with something and cause an issue. Would a messy job like this worry any of you? Should I just take the light off and have an electrician put it back on?

UPDATE: I took the fixture back off because I was nervous about it. Here are some photos of the box. I assume the exposed copper wire at the top is for grounding and I was incorrect to just attach the wire from the light to the ground screw since the box is apparently not metal.

Photos


texts:
Looking for some structural wisdom :)

I have a deck that sits 6 feet off the ground, and I want to build a pergola whose "roof" (beams/slats) are 9 feet above the deck. So, from ground (grass) to roof beams, would be 15 feet (6+9).

I don't want to build the pergola ON the deck, because I don't know if the deck can sustain that extra load.

My plan is to dig 4 new footers (one for each post) NEXT to the deck (two on each side).

Being that the deck is raised 6 feet up and the ceiling is 9 feet above that, these 6x6 posts would be 15 feet above ground level and 5 feet in the ground (6x6x20 posts).

Would the roof being so far above the ground cause any top-heavy weight/lean issues?


texts: How can I remove a hot water timer installed by the property owner?

texts:
My landlord has just installed a device that cuts hot water supply after 3 min of using hot water.

I open the hot water tap and after 3min then water out of the tap run out meaning Nothing comes out then after 12min there is hot water again and the cycle continues. There is nothing wrong with the cold water tap. There is no timer in the cold water only the hot water.

What is the device called that he used and how do we remove it.


texts: How can I remedy a slight bump underneath my new hardwood floor?

texts:
I recently installed some hardwood floor in my living room / kitchen. I'm very happy with the job I did except for one strip of hardwood.

The problem is I can feel the some part of the sub-floor pushing up against the piece of hardwood as though it wasn't perfectly level.
It's really only noticeable when you walking on it but I'm wondering if there's anything that can be done to fix this.

The floor is nailed in, so I can't remove the board and sand down whatever might be pushing it up.

Any tips?


texts: Wireless Security System deadbolts with door handle that locks - how to disable door locks

texts: We installed a wireless security system to eliminate keys for entry into the home.  This works well for the dead bolt, but the door handle has the lever on the inside to turn and lock.  To enter, you have to have a key.  What is the best solution without tearing up the door handle lock for future owners?


texts: trying to wire a light fixture in a 1923 house with knob and tube wiring

texts:
I am installing a new light fixture in my bedroom ceiling.  Up in the attic, at the fixture there are three copperish looking wires (wrapped in cloth tape) coming in from different directions.  I can tell one is the switch cause it goes cold when the switch is off.  The other two are hot.  Does this make sense?

I've tested one of the hot wires going to black on the fixture and the other to white.  That did not work. I switched it around and it lit the fixture.  Now my question is what to do with the switch wire?  does it go to black or white on the fixture?  I tried black and it shorts out when i flip the switch on. I think that when the previous fixture was connected I think one of the hot wires was not even connected to the fixture -- just capped. but i could be wrong. this is SO confusing.

I should also mention that it seems like some of the switches in the other bedrooms are interconnected. I can tell because at one point in my trial and error, a switch in one bedroom was turning off lights in another room.  Ugh! Oh the joys of living in an old house!


texts: How to prepare floor for vinyl plank installation over old sheet vinyl

texts:
I've demoed a built in bathroom vanity leaving a footprint that I had to fill in with OSB. The thickness of the new OSB and old sheet vinyl appears pretty darn level; maybe 1/16" (or less) off? Looking at the best options to 1) cover the seams where old vinyl meets OSB, but also 2) ensure that this new OSB replacement is level with the existing floor as best as possible? I'm not sure if a self-leveling compound can be poured on, or some form of floor patch could be troweled on to ensure a proper foundation before laying planks, or if this would even be overkill? Suggestions? For context, I'm installing 6 x 24" vinyl plank tiles over this. Separately, I also utilized screws (countersunk) to fasten the OSB to the previous subfloor which in hindsight apparently wasn't appropriate to do?

Is it Ok to use Henry’s patch’n level compound on the OSB and seams? Figured I could trowel it on and then sand presumably?

Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of adding a thin underlayment to the entire room as the flooring that meets this room is so uneven and already low. Anymore depth added would make the transition very high and strange.


texts: How should my third-generation Nest thermostat be connected?

texts:
I have an old Honeywell Q674 thermostat with mercury in the house we just moved into.

I'm attempting to upgrade to  the nest 3rd generation thermostat, however the wiring labels are VERY different. I believe I have figured out that:

W2=w1
G=G
O=OB
Y=Y1
E=aux
X=C
R=RH or RC

Does there need to be a jumper from  rh to 3rd? Does W2 go to W1?

Amy I do would be helpful. Here are some photos.


texts: Basement supporting wall header increase

texts:
We are finally in the process of finishing our basement after a number of years. I have a load bearing wall that has a header for a doorway, however, we are looking to have a more open hallway. I originally designed this wall to be part of a closet in the office (orignal layout), however, I'm thinking now that I should open the hallway up a little so the hallway isn't as crammed (new layout). See attached floorplan designs.

original layout:

new layout:

Questions:

Should I leave it as a closet or open up the hallway? what would you do?
Do I need to seek expertise of a structural engineer before extending the header?
What is the max span that a header can take load? I'm going to check my local codes. Measuring it out, I believe that the header would take on 4 more joist loads and the  total span would be around 6'8".

thanks for looking at my post,

cheers.

Eric


texts:
I have the compressor which can be seen below and I would like to connect one of the the two Alligator Compressor Nipples.

Question

Will the hose work with the first nipple?

Does there exist a special hose for the second nipple? Or does there exist a converter?


texts:
My ensuite bathroom has a major humidity problem. I took the fan out (it's one of those combo heat lamp + light + fan units) expecting the fan to be broken, but found another problem - it's just venting into a little box of rafters, with no path to outside. I'm no HVAC expert but it feels like the fan isn't going to do its best work if it's blowing into an effectively sealed cavity the size of a shoebox.
I think I've got two options to ventilate this ceiling space - I can go sideways, carefuly putting a hole through all of the rafters, put a duct through and have a vent on the outside wall. Advantage: less risk of leaks. Disadvantage: huge job, I'd end up with a pretty low diameter duct because I don't  want huge holes in my rafters. I don't like this idea much.
The option I'm more interested in is going up, and venting to the outside (through a mushroom vent, a whirlybird or something else) directly above the indoor fan. I asked a roofing contractor about this and he wasn't very keen on the idea - I have a flat roof (bituminous flashing over what I assume is a concrete deck). He was pretty confident I'd have leaks if he put anything in. I'm a bit perplexed by this because - a few meters away on the roof - there are some existing vents, presumably for the plumbing stack / sewer. Here's a pic. I belive the extra height on these is because there's meant to be a layer of solid foam insulation + a pebble ballast on the roof (I thought perhaps the original owner decided to do batts in the ceiling space instead, but on my most recent foray I noticed the ceiling space is very empty).
Am I right to think an additional bit of venting will help here? Should I go for something passive, and hope the interior fan provides enough force, or should I get a powered unit on the outside too and try to run it off the same circuit as the fan so they come on together? Am I mad to try and put something like this on a flat roof?
I'm in Australia, which I mention because we have heat and rain but never snow.


texts: Is there a way to look through wall paintings for pencil writings?

texts: I had pencil writings on the wall from my childhood and this year I came back home and I found that my parents had the wall repainted with white paint. I should've taken a picture of these writings as they are part of my childhood memories. Is there still a way to look through the white paint for my pencil writings?


texts: Are wooden kitchen counters meant to be shaved (with a planer) to continue looking tidy?

texts:
After 15 years of use, my 20"x14" cutting board looks tired.

Now that I'm looking to put in fresh kitchen countertops, I'm contemplating using the same kind of wood (do identify the type if you know) for a far larger area, but I know that its upkeep could become a hassle. Normally I'd say that after 20 years I'd be ready for another countertop anyway, and it'd be good if it lasts that much. The trouble is that I would hate it if it already looks tired after 4-5 years.

How do you maintain a wooden kitchen countertop? I have the impression that no amount of cleaning will keep it fresh enough. It may be necessary to shave off (with a planer? with a belt sander?) a thin layer every 3-5 years and oil (with a food safe product) the newly exposed wood. At that rate it would continue looking decent for 25 years, but then, just like a hardwood floor, would have reached the tail end of its lifetime. With this kind of care, would I be asking too much if I use the countertop as a gigantic cutting board?


texts: How should I repair a loose marble door sill?

texts: My bathroom door has a marble door sill, which turns out not to be affixed to anything, so that I can move it freely. (See photos.) I imagine that I ought to fix this. What should I use?


texts: Cutting acrylic bath panel to fit profile of baseboard trim

texts:
We are decorating our bathroom and the current bath panel is looking a bit yellow.

We have found a lovely clean white bath panel made from Acrylic, but we have a skirting board on both walls where the bath panel touches.

What i am wanting to know is the best way to cut the acrylic so that it fits nicely with the skirting without any gaps.

The skirting is similar to the image below.


texts: How do I ensure my wood screws have a minimum of 120 lbs pull out or shear strength?

texts:
Some assembly instructions for a project I am doing requires that I use fasteners (screws) with a minimum of 120 lbs pull out or shear strength.  What I plan to use is #8 2 1/2" coarse thread wood screws.  I've noticed that none of the boxes of screws I've ever bought in the past two years indicate any such thing anywhere on the box.  Is this pretty much a standard weight threshold with all wood screws or are some brands just "cheap" and don't make the cut?

Update:  I'll mark the only answer as the answer because it answers my question.  However, if you're not sure about the strength of your screws and you absolutely need to be, buy a brand new box that has the shear and pull-out strength clearly labeled on the box.  This is what I ultimately did.


texts:
Cabin has EDPM roof, real 2x4 rafters in the one room.  I have slabbed on 2x2 to the rafters in the room, inside, to make a 6 inch cavity.  This is an accommodation for poor contractor work shoving 6 inch insulation into the 4 inch cavity.  Some rafters have fiberglass.  One rafter section has nothing.  Going to put foam board in it.  What are the rules for vapor barriers with the EDPM on the top of the assembly?  Do I fill the cavity with the foam board or just one at the bottom with air between to the roof?  Roof underlayment is old wood board.

Intent is to then cover that section with 1/2 foam board foil faced down and then wood wainscot.  Eaves are rather leaky... No actual ventilation in the eaves.

Northern US zone.


texts:
Rather large 2 story home in Western WA. I currently have cedar singles for siding that are EOL and I want to replace them along with the rotting fascia board with T1-11. It turns out the sheathing is a rather thin foil faced paperboard(although it seems to be rated as structural). Some of the sheathing is also shot and must be replaced. Furthermore, it appears it no longer meets building codes due to the thinness of it.

If I were to replace the old sheathing with OSB, what benefits would I gain, if any? I have the time and money to replace the sheathing(and understand the additional complexity) - that's not a concern.


texts: GFCI outlet reading between 80 and 640 volts on multimeter

texts: I am adding a circuit to feed off a live GFCI outlet. At the outlet I read 118V in both receptacles and the reading is stable. With the new cable, I connected the neutral white to the silver screw directly underneath the old one, and the hot black to the gold screw directly underneath the live one. When I go to test the exposed wires on the other end (not connected to an outlet yet), the voltage readings are crazy and bounce all around from 80V to 640V. Did I wire the new circuit to the GFCI incorrectly?


texts: Why do each of my 3-way switches have a hot lead?

texts: I have a light controlled by two "three-way" switches. It has worked properly for many years. It started getting a little flaky. I noticed that one of the switches needed to be pushed up a little harder for it to work. I replaced that switch (I checked the continuity of the old switch, and it was flaky). I got some of the functionality back, but not all. Then I pulled the other switch and it was bad as well. I replaced it and still did not get total function back. So, I pulled both switches off, and with no wires connected in either box and with the power on, found power going to each of the switches. I am baffled at how this could ever have worked. Is there any explanation other than I have some sort of short in my wiring?


texts: Calculating flow volume for whole house fan

texts:
My house has a 24" Dayton belt drive whole house fan that's at least 20 years old but looks exactly like the current model 2EAX5.  It's nice and quiet but I want it to move more air.  It has a 1/3hp two speed motor with a 2" pulley driving an 8" pulley on the fan. The motor doesn't have any markings to tell its speed, but I've found quite a few that run at 1140 & 1725 rpm.  With the 8" pulley that works out to a fan speed of 285 & 430 rpm, about 75% of the currently advertised 370 & 560 rpm.  I don't know how many cfm that comes out to but current ads with a 6" pulley say 2500-3700 cfm.

I recently acquired a Cool Attic / Ventamatic 30" belt drive whole house fan, model CX30BD2SPD.  It also has a 1/3hp two speed motor, marked 1140 & 1725 rpm, with a 2" pulley, but driving a 6" pulley on the fan.  This spins the fan at 380 & 575 rpm, very comparable to the current Dayton advertised speed.  Because this fan is 6" larger and spins 25% faster it moves more than double the air the Dayton does, advertised 5400-7800 cfm.

To summarize...

Dayton 24":
   6" pulley,
   fan speed:  370 / 560 rpm,
   air flow:  2500 / 3700 cfm  (advertised)

Dayton 24":
   8" pulley,
   fan speed:  285 / 430 rpm,
   air flow:  ??? / ??? cfm  (not enough)

Attic Cool 30":
   6" pulley,
   fan speed:  380 / 575 rpm,
   air flow:  5400 / 7800 cfm (advertised, LOTS more than the 24")

Attic Cool 30":
   8" pulley,
   fan speed:  285 / 430 rpm
   air flow:  ??? / ??? cfm

Why not swap out for the larger fan with the 6" pulley?  My attic doesn't have enough ventilation for it.

I've thought about swapping the pulleys, putting the 6" on the 24" fan and the 8" on the 30" fan.  I'm reasonably certain that would get the 24" up to the advertised 2500-3700 cfm.  How can I estimate how much air the slowed-down 30" fan would move?  Is it a linear function of speed, blade area, or some combination of the two?

Once I know how much air is moved, I can figure out how much more ventilation my attic might need for either one.


texts: How many wires per connector, why is a black wire connected to a white wire, how to install brace bar without attic access?

texts:
Hi all.
I have a single hallway light that I decided to replace with two new fixtures. It is a 3-way with a switch in the office (3-way switch 2) and another in the hall (3-way switch 1). It appears that the source cable to the bathroom also pigtails from this box (switch 3).
Additionally, it appears that none of the switches are grounded…they don’t even have a ground screw. The house was built in 1979. Does this mean I need to update my switches? Plus, I keep trying to figure out how/why a black wire and a white wire are connected in switch 2’s box. Isn’t that black wire hot and that white wire neutral? I would have expected it to short out.
My plan is to pigtail a cable from the current fixture box to the new fixture box. My concern is the best way to get all of the wires properly connected. In my existing fixture box (which I will be replacing with a roomier box) I have my source cable, a cable to the bathroom, and a cable to switch 2. I will also need to add a 4th cable that goes to my new fixture box.  So, should I combine all 4 wires (of each type) with the (5th) wire from the light fixture into one connector? If so, is there a wire nut that can safely accommodate this configuration? If not, what are my options? Existing cables have 14 gauge wires.
Lastly, I am installing the new light fixture in the ceiling of the first floor (so, no attic or crawl space access). There isn’t a stud conveniently located to attach the fixture box. Any suggestions on putting in a brace without having to dismantle the ceiling? I abhor drywalling. ; - P
Oh, one more thing…my terminology above is subject to my limited knowledge and may not be correct. Although I grew up helping my father with doubling the size of our house, I didn’t listen so good to what things are called. In doing research I have picked up some of the lingo, but keep having to google what things are referring to. I appreciate your patience.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions/answers/help.


texts: Can two kitchen disposals share a circuit?

texts:
I'm in California.

Current code, AFAICT, requires a dedicated circuit for dishwasher. That means that, by default, the disposal (being under sink) would also have its own circuit.

In my kitchen renovation we're intending on two disposals. One in a primary sink and another in a prep sink. They will be on different receptacles, on opposite sides of the room.

Can these two disposals share a single 20A circuit or must each disposal have a dedicated circuit?


texts: How do I patch sections of polyurethane coating on a hardwood floor?

texts:
Sections of the floor in our dining room have worn sections, where the polyurethane coating has worn through to the bare wood. Having the room emptied and properly refinished isn't really an option at the moment. I understand that you really can't stay in the house while the pros are using their giant floor sanders and spraying polyurethane, and that it takes several days.

Can I sand the section of floor by hand and paint or spray polyurethane on the damaged sections? Is there any way of doing this so it'll last for more than a few months? Or are we best off simply waiting the several months or so it'll be until we can have this done properly?

The research I've done has yielded several opinions on the subject. This one, for example, seems to outline a procedure I could do on my own, but can I do this to just a section of the floor?


texts: NCV meter beeping over large area of a wall

texts:
I use non contact voltage tester function of Uni-t ut210e for detecting main wires under/in walls. It worked pretty well until yesterday.

The wall is made of bricks/mortar and some metal profiles (as I experienced today when drilling holes for wall shelf). There is 0 voltage between that metal profile and the ground.

Also, there is a wall socket 20 cm from the bottom of the wall. Mains voltage is 230 V.

What could be the cause of NCV meter beeping over almost entire wall?


texts:
I want to connect two parallel, overlapping wooden beams by putting two steel “braces” on each of the ends of the overlapping stretch, so four in total. These braces should look like the one I’ve drawn, with holes for one, two, or more screws on both sides.
The beams rest against a board, so there needs to be room for the heads of the screws, but whether there’s a few millimeters space (like drawn) or several centimeters doesn’t matter. (10 cm are about 4 inches.)
I can buy the beams to fit the braces, so the exact dimensions are not so important. It just can’t be flimsy.
None of the search terms I’ve tried (like “steel bracket,” “steel connector,” or “steel clamp”) has been successful.
Thank you!


texts:
I bought a Bosch SMS50E98EU dishwasher, but after installing it, there is still a part left. It is quite flexible, 3cm wide and 60cm long (just like the dishwasher).
Where does it go?


texts: What is the purpose of the rear end of a roofing hammer?

texts:
I am referring to this kind of hammer, also known as a roofing hammer.

I understand that the flat end is intended to act as a normal hammer, and the sharp end is intended to pierce holes through roofing slate, to aid in fastening (perhaps by nails)
However, what is the purpose of the non-sharp protrusion from the rear (non-hammer) end? In other words, why is the roofing hammer's rear end asymmetric?
-edit- I found another roofing hammer, which clearly has the two rear protrusions offset from one another, so it is unlikely to be for the purpose of being a nail claw. Anyone has experience with one of those, then?


texts: Eliminate center stack to finish basement?

texts: I'd like to eliminate my center stack in order to finish my basement. It's for my hall bath. I have another stack along a perimeter wall inline with the same joist, but around 13 feet away. Will this be doable to code?


texts: Air handler fan relay keeps shorting out after using heat

texts:
Comfortmaker - FEM4X3000BL
I’ve had two fan relays go bad in the past month, each time after using heat. (This is in Florida, we only turn the heat on a few times a year.) Wiring diagram attached. Any ideas? TIA
To elaborate, heat was called for and used successfully in the morning. That evening the fan didn’t work at all in either heat or cool mode. Testing the components with a meter, I determined the fan relay was bad. As well, bypassing the relay activated the fan. I replaced the relay and used the system successfully in cool mode for a month. Then used the heat again one morning and the same thing happened.
The heat section is not represented in the schematic for some reason. There is nothing else posted on the unit itself and I don’t have the manual as the unit was installed prior to us buying the house. A search online wasn’t very helpful either. It’s a simple system with no circuit board, just the relay. I’ve attached a picture of the relay diagram.
My thoughts are the heating element is causing the relay to short, or the thermostat is somehow configured incorrectly and causing the system to switch modes too rapidly.
Thanks again for the help.


texts: Can you attach more than one wire in a given hole on a bus in an electrical panel?

texts: Is it permissible to attach more than one neutral or ground wire to any terminal screw on the service panel bus?  A home inspector says this is not allowed. THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT, because all of these wires are being bonded to earth ground - they are all the same point, electrically.


texts: Unknown freezer parts do not correspond to assembly diagram

texts:
The evap coils in my freezer have been building up ice, so I opened up the freezer to diagnose the issue, and was confused by what I saw:

My fridge is the following model (freezer assembly is shown at the attached link): HTS22GBPBRCC
I've discovered that the white probe at the bottom of the copper pipe is a temperature sensor, but I have no idea what the blue object is. My guess is that it's the defrost thermostat since it's clipped to the copper pipe, but it doesn't look like any defrost thermostat I've been able to find, and it's definitely not the thermostat that's supposed to be in my freezer. Moreover, there shouldn't be a temperature sensor in my freezer either, at least according to the freezer assembly.
According to the freezer assembly, my freezer should have two separate defrost thermostats:

Thermostat 1
Thermostat 2

My questions are as follows:
1.) Has anyone seen this blue part before? What is it? If it's a defrost thermostat, it doesn't appear to be wired like the correct defrost thermostat for my freezer.
2.) The freezer assembly states that I should have two defrost thermostats - is that unusual?


texts: Shop Electrical - MWBC Serving 240V and 120V Outlets

texts:
I've seen this setup in use in other shops and am interested in using the technique myself. However, the mere mention of it seems to incite rabid pandemonium rather than civil discourse.

I'd very much like to learn more about any potential safety concerns, especially if its use violates the national electrical code. I've been researching this for some time and have thus far found no issues with its use despite stern warnings and admonition from folks that were unable to articulate the reasons they felt it was a bad idea or cite the NEC code that prohibits the configuration.

If there are indeed issues with its use as many suggest, I would like to understand the reasoning behind those issues.

This is for a 1-man garage workshop where GFCI is required for 120V receptacles. I'd like to put several of these in. Each electrical box will have a dedicated home run back to a 100A subpanel. The 240V outlets will be used for tools with 240V single phase motors like a 3HP table saw, 3HP jointer, 2HP band saw, and 2HP dust collector. 120V outlets will be used for smaller tools like handheld drills, sanders, routers, etc.

Each electrical box:

One (1) 240V 20A double pole breaker
12/3 Romex; red (hot), black (hot), white (neutral), bare copper (ground)
One (1) two-gang PVC electrical box
One (1) commercial spec 6-20R receptacle
One (1) commercial spec 5-20R GFCI receptacle

There are commercial dual-voltage outlets available (without GFCI protection), so it would seem this notion is not as outlandish, unacceptable, or dangerous as some would suggest. Here are a couple examples:

Leviton 5842-I (20A)
Eaton/Cooper 829V (15A)

This article seems to indicate this configuration is acceptable and safe as long as all rules and exceptions are accounted for. As far as I can tell, my drawing above complies with those rules and exceptions.

Is this truly acceptable? Complies with NEC? Will pass inspection? It seems pretty clear to me there is no issue. Perhaps I'm still missing something, hence the question.

Additional reference: NEC 210.4 Multiwire Branch Circuits (MWBC)

Thanks!


texts: Grout or caulk on tile floor to tile wall

texts:
My shower has tile floors and walls and the connection between them is very rough and needs to be re-done.  It looks like previously there was some caulk added in spots.

What is the recommended product for this location?  Grout or Caulk?  I've read that caulk tends to mold over time.  If it is grout, how do you grout in a 90 degree angle like this?

Thanks!


texts: My lamp was making a noise. Now it won't turn on. How to fix?

texts:
The lamps in my bathroom was blinking and making a hissing noise. I think the noise was coming from just one of the lamps but I'm not sure.

Now I don't have any light / power in the bathroom.

I replaced all the fuses even though I don't think any of them were broken.

I removed the light socket that I think may have caused a shirt circuit. So now I have two wires sticking out of the lamp in the ceiling.

No power in the bathroom still.

I still have light and power in the rest of my apartment.

Coild it be a short circuit in the wiring in the walls? Wouldn't that result in a broken fuse the moment I try to turn on the power?

I guess it's obvious by this post I know very little about the subject.

Any suggestions to what could be wrong and how to fix it?

Janey


texts: What kind of portable electric heater should I use in my kitchen?

texts:
My landlord doesn't see the need to install a heater in the kitchen, but I do as it's like 12°C (54°F) in it this morning. I'll buy an electric one then. But I realize there are many types: fan heater, oil filled heater, and convection heater.

My kitchen is very small (6 square meters or something), and I want to spend as little energy as possible, as well as the least amount of money possible for the purchase.

Typically I will turn on the heater few minutes before using the kitchen then turn it off when I'm done.

With this in mind, which kind of heater should I buy?


texts:
I have seen a few examples on here of boxfill calculations but not one where the box is directly attached to a light. So if possible please verify if these calculations are correct:
3 14/2 nm romex cables coming into the box = 3 * 2 * 2 + 1 (grounds) = 14
Lamp Yoke = 4 = 4
Total 18
The lamp head itself is what is throwing me off. It has two screws that hold this lamp to the box but doesn’t really have a strap or yoke like an outlet or switch but instead is like the cover to the box with a light on it. I plan to add one more 14/2 Romex to this box and pigtail the whites together so there is no double wire for single terminal as shown. However I was recently told pigtails don’t impact the box fill calculation so I should Be good on that front. Just need to figure out that lamp aspect and then add in these extra conductors from the wire to see if I fall under the 20.8 cubic in limit of this box.


texts: Possible to have more than one wire connected to "G" terminal in furnace?

texts: I have a 25 year old gas furnace without A/C. I had a 2 wire basic thermostat that I have replaced the wiring with 5 wires and also a new Nest 3rd generation thermostat. On the wall beside the thermostat is a humidifier control to run the fan that connects to terminal "G" in furnace. The new thermostat also requires terminal "G" for the furnace... Is it possible to have both the nest and humidifier control connected to the "G" terminal in the furnace or will something go up in smoke? The nest does not automatically run the fan when humidity increases, it only has a setting for a timed control.


texts: How do I pre-wire for in-ceiling speakers and give a clean finished look without installing speakers for several months?

texts:
I am building a new home and I would like to pre-wire for in-ceiling speakers. I have seen in some newer homes small plastic plugs in the ceiling where the wire is located. This allows the home owner to install the speakers at a later date, while still providing a nice clean finished look without a large cover; the plug is about the size of a silver dollar.

Does anyone know what these plugs are called and where I can purchase something like this?


texts: Need the name of a small pin used as a cheap door hinge

texts:
What is the name of this pin?
I have a cheap piece of furniture where two of these pins are used as hinges: one side goes in to the frame and one side goes in to the door. I lost one of the pins and I can't find the name of it to buy another one.


texts:
The old air conditioners I had could blow out snow literally that is how cold they got, now air conditions are only moderately cold. What would be the best system to get to just blast one giant vent of snowy air into a living room? For example buying a full size central ac system but only hooking it to one large vent or do I just want an overpowering mini split?

Specifically I am looking to blow a large quantity of ice cold air onto myself in a 500 sqft room and have it get to almost freezing temperatures.


texts: Why are bulbs burning out quickly in newly installed light fixtures?

texts:
I installed five incandescent, recessed light fixtures in the cathedral ceiling of my living room. The fixtures are wired in parallel series (A connects to B connects to C ...). All the wiring is done correctly.

However, the fixtures are burning out bulbs very quickly. More quickly than normal, in my experience. Some of the bulbs were expensive LED bulbs and the rest were incandescent floods.

What should I check?  I really don't want to open and recheck every fixture, even though they are easily accessible from the attic. I need some idea of what to look for.


texts: How can I seal electric outlets to prevent garage fumes from seeping through?

texts:
Two of my bedrooms share a wall with my garage attic. One of the bedrooms started smelling like gasoline after my snow blower started leaking in the garage. After long investigation, I found out the smell is coming from an electric outlet which backs to the garage attic.

So the question is how to seal this electric outlet so my bedroom stops smelling like a gas station.


texts: How can I stop mice from chewing garage door bottom weather strip?

texts: I noticed that there was a 1" gap between the edge of either side of the bottom rubber weather strip on the garage door and the door frame.   Now I see that it is 3-4", and likely being chewed by mice.  I don't have a serious mouse problem because they don't hang around in the garage or come into the house, but would still like to keep them from eating the weather strip.  Is there a solution to keep mice from eating the bottom rubber weather strip?


texts: Ceiling light wiring problems, please advise

texts:
I was changing my light fittings as they were old and yellow.
My living room has 2 lights on the ceiling at opposite ends
Controlled by a single on off switch.
The first fitting was normal, red/live black/neutral and earth.
When I took the cover off the second fitting I saw what is in the attached picture.
Because it seemed strange (a red and black with tippex, together) I took a photo so I could put it back the same way.
Trouble is when I pulled the old fixture off and pulled the wires through the white tippex flaked off and now I don't know which red and black to put together.
I thought I could see a tiny bit of tippex on a red and black so I wired it up and switched it on.
It tripped the fuse and killed the lightswitch.
So I removed the fitting and let each wire hang without touching each other, no lights in the flat would switch on that way.
Now I have no lights at all.


texts: Brand new insinkerator soaked in water and hums without turning

texts:
Last weekend I had to fix my leaking insinkerator under the kitchen sink. I bought a new badger 5 from home depot. Due to the leakage before, I put a plastic wash basin right beneath the old insinkerator. Unfortunately during the installation of the new one, I had to use a lot of arm strength to hold the heavy new insinkerator up against the bottom of the sink, but my hand slipped and the new machine fell into the washbasin full of dirty water. When I finally got it installed and plugged in, and turned on the power switch, I only hear a humming sound but see no blade turning.

I tried pushing the reset button but it was inactive. Also tried turning mechanically with an Allen wrench to no rescue either; it did turn under external torque. The insinkerator got palpably heated up in a minute of turning it on. My question is, does that mean my insinkerator is completely broken due to short circuit? Would it recover after drying out in a few days? Can I qualify for warranty?


texts: I am installing a GFCI outlet and I am having some issues.  I have identified the hot and neutral wires.  They test positive with the voltmeter when I turn on the switch.  I connect the receptacle to the wires, turn on the switch and power is not getting to the outlets.  I test the screws which hold the wires in place on the receptacle and it gets power, but the outlets aren't getting any juice.  I tried pressing the reset button and test button a bunch, nothing.  The LED on the receptacle doesn't light up either.


texts: Alternatives to bituminous membranes for concrete roof?

texts:
This new question is related to this old question I had previously asked, but from another point-of-view.

I have a 13ft x 13ft rooftop made from plain concrete. It's leaking a bit, so I have to do something about it. I was going to do it on my own, but decided to hire a professional... for now.

I called several contractors, and they all work with bituminous (or asphalt) membrane rolls that are installed with a torch. I asked a few of them if they can apply a product applied with a roller, but they make a point of telling me that they only work with asphalt membranes. Unfortunately, the estimates are very high.

So these is what they will do:

wash roof with power washer
Apply primer with roller
Apply bituminous/asphalt membrane rolls with torch

Few people (if any) walk through this 13'x13' area, so I'm not sure if this membrane is overkill.

I guess my question is, is there anything as "thick" as the membrane that can be rolled on and that may also cover up any defects in the concrete?

I really like the idea of this membrane, because it's almost like a "carpet" that will cover the concrete and any ugly details the the floor may have. On the downside, this product is quite expensive and the labor is ever more expensive.

Btw, we live in the Caribbean and it cannot be the reflective white that hurts your eyes when looked at directly. Also, I don't mind the surface getting warmer.


texts: Works fine through rest of the house. Its a mobile home n the water pressure was fine until water lines froze. Have replaced tub fixture n checked for leaks. Anything else that I can check


texts:
I bought and installed (into the wall) a breaker panel box (screenshots below). As shown in one of the screenshots (#5), the circuit of the panel box appears to be "series". I installed a 60-amp breaker as shown in one of the screenshots. Does this mean that since the panel circuit is series I can connect the source hot wire to the 60-amp breaker and all other breakers will automatically be connected to the 60-amp breaker? For example, if my assumption is correct, then I can connect the 20-amp breaker to a washing machine outlet for example then the 60-amp breaker will act as the main switch/breaker?

Thanks for any help!


texts:
I'm looking into mounting a motorized projector screen in my home theater room.  I measured that the screen needs to be approximately 120" diagonal, so I'm looking into buying one of:

Elite Screens Spectrum Electric Budget Projection Screen
FAVI 16:9/120-Inch Electric Projector Screen (HD-120)

The problem is that I cannot mount the screen flush with the wall.  This is because the screen will be above my fireplace and due to the height of the picture, it'll need to come down in front of the mantle and cannot sit on top of the mantle.  In other words, the screen will need to descend approximately 8" off the wall.

Does anyone have any experience doing something like that, or any advice on how I could go about accomplishing it?

Judging from the specs the screen would weigh approximately 30 lbs, and since the chimney and flue is behind it, I would be nervous to try supporting the screen from the middle of its base, and ideally would only want to put supports from the sides.

Finally, the ceiling for the room is high and vaulted, so I'm not sure if it would be possible to mount the screen from the ceiling (nor do I have any experience on how to do that).


texts: Panel without basepan but insulating sheet only.. long term problem?

texts:
I'd like to know how common are these panels that don't use plastic basepan but has only insulating sheet between the chassis and the plug-in bus bar like the following:

(click to enlarge)

What are its long term problem for those who used it. Can these reddish insulating sheet tear?  What is it exactly made of?

My concern is one of the hot bus bar touching the metal chassis (in grey). What brands carry these just to see how it compares to those brands using the plastic basepan.

I'm thinking whether I should replace my main panel.


texts: How can I hang a shelf on a paneled wall of a mobile home?

texts: I would like to hang a shelf on the wall of my Mobile Home. This is my first mobile home, it's a 1977. The wall are paneled. Should I use a toggle bolt? If so, EXACTLY how do I use one?


texts: When connecting hot to ground, lights turn on. Open neutral?

texts:
In troubleshooting one circuit, I accidentally discovered information for a second circuit that I've also been trying to sort out. So, bottom line is I was stupid and lucky. While replacing a switch on the first circuit (breaker off), I accidentally touched the hot to ground on a switch next to it which is on the second circuit (breaker on) with a ground wire and the lights on this second circuit came on.

This second circuit is a combination of lights and outlets with branch circuits. Part of this circuit works and part doesn't. As I said above, when I jumpered hot to ground, everything worked. I think this means there is an open neutral somewhere because the circuit was completed when connecting hot to ground. Is this correct? If so, how do I find the open neutral?

thank you.


texts: I've got a couple of sets of 3 way switches in my house that aren't functioning properly.  Basically, one switch has to be in the "up" position for the other switch to control the light.  In the set pictured, the metal box is the existing/untouched switch 1, the blue is a new box and relocated switch 2.  If switch 1 is down, the light is dead and switch 2 has no effect.  If switch 1 is up, switch 2 can turn the light on an off.  Aside from the taped neutrals with no wire nut and overall sloppy install of switch 1, what is wrong with the wire placement?


texts:
We live in a block of apartments made from bricks, and the wall outside one window is damaged. We have a clothes hanger attached to that wall, and one screw has already fallen off, and wall around the second one on that side is cracked.

Is there an easy way to fix it, considering the fact, I have no experience with such things? What materials or tools do I need for this?


texts: How can I fill a hole in masonry so I can redrill?

texts:
I am looking to install a folding clothesline that is bolted on the outer wall of the house.

To do that I will need to drill several holes into the brick wall, but as I have never drilled anything in my life, I am somewhat planning ahead for my mistakes.

If I was to make a mistake and drilled on a slight angle, is there a way to seal the hole and be able to re-drill on the same/similar spot?


texts:
A Florida small HOA pool needs approximately 8 hours of pump time

What is the thought process to optimize the duty cycle?   For starters,  minimizing transients (cycling on / off) should extend the service life the pump.

My first cut at a schedule is a controller that switches the pump on at 6 AM, and off at 11 PM.  Hopefully, someone with a success story can provide a better suggestion.


texts: Bought a 230V air conditioner, but my apartment is 110V. What to do?

texts:
Is it possible to somehow connect this air conditioner?
Would I have to simply change the outlet receptacle to the one it could connect to?
Can I buy some sort of an adapter?
Is it easier to return this air conditioner and get a 110V?


texts: Replaced ceiling light with a ceiling fan and light, then added a remote control

texts: I replaced an existing ceiling light with a fan/light combo, and then added a remote control.  The fan and light work, but the light only seems to have partial power as the light is very dim.  What is wrong?


texts: Non dimmable switch where dimmer switch previously was?

texts:
I just found that the dimmable switch to my dining room overhead light had stopped working. I currently have 4 dimmable led bulbs in the overhead light. When the light switch (and the overhead light) was working, the LED bulbs created a slight buzz even when the dimmer was up all the way on the switch. I was wondering if I was able to replace the dimmable light switch with a simple on and off switch and if so, would that solve the buzzing problem as well?

Thank you,
Justin


texts: Any ideas how to cover up this hole in my siding? This hole is on the side of the house. Not sure what is was used for. Hopefully it’s something I can do myself.


texts: Programmable timer for boiler without touching thermostat

texts:
I'll try to be clear in a field of which I know little...
I have a new pellet boiler feeding hot water into a puffer for radiators and hot tap water. A thermostat in the house requests water at given intervals for the radiators. Fine, when I go on holiday, I tell the thermostat to wake up the day before I get back. But in the meantime, the puffer has been cooling due to heat loss and the boiler has been keeping the puffer temperature up. I would like the whole system to shut down until I programme it to wake up.
Now, the manufacturer tells me there is a wire bridge on the circuit board. Without it, the boiler stays off, so what I would like to do is put a timer in on this. It's just one wire: out of one connector into another. Are there any times for just one cable? All those I've seen are plug-in between a power source and the utility. Any ideas? Thanks!


texts:
Hoping someone may be able to give me some help in figuring out a problem.

I just opened up a house last night that had been shut down for over a year with the plumbing system drained and winterized. It is uses a jet well pump with 2 lines running back to the well and a pressure tank.

I had to go through the whole priming process to get the water going from the well again, and it took a couple attempts before I got prime and the water flowing. Once I had water I went around and opened all the faucets to bleed out the air and winterizing fluid, and then let the pump run until it built up pressure and shut off.

The issue I am having is that now when I turn on any fixture I am getting a lot of air coming out as well as the water. I will get water and then it will sputter and be a blast of air and then back to water, more air, more water, etc. It keeps doing this until it reaches the point that the well pump switches back on, and then all is fine. No more air coming out, just water.

If I then shut the faucet off and let the pump build pressure back up, which I think is taking an abnormally long time, and then open up the same faucet, the whole air/water thing repeats, sometimes quite violently, until the pump kicks on and then it is just water running fine again.

I did some research and read stuff about maybe a leak in the line from the well to the pump or a low well water level, but I would think if that were the case I would still be seeing air even when the pump was running.

I am not sure what is going one. Maybe the long time getting prime got a lot of air into the pressure tank bladder? Just not sure what the issue is. Any help you can give me on what the issue could be and how to solve it would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Is it necessary to fully cure plaster if covering if with a layer of joint compound before paint?

texts:
So I have a wall that I had to replaster.  Usually, what I do with plaster walls is, because I am never happy with the smoothness of plaster alone, apply blue lightweight drywall joint compound and sand it before painting, that way a plaster wall looks as smooth as drywall.

Now, I know the theory that lime-based plasters (which is exactly what I use) requires up to a month or longer to cure and should not be painted before.  What I am not sure is how things change if joint compound is applied:  does the plaster need to cure on open air regardless of paint or is it just bad to put paint directly on plaster before it is cured?  Because the latter case would not apply if there is a layer of drywall mud between the plaster and paint.


texts:
I have an electrically powered Drop-shade that is hot-wired to the load side terminals of my GFCI.  The GFCI is a dedicated circuit there are no other outlets daisy chained to this GCFI.

It worked fine for a month or two then fails and is not able to Reset. The Reset button can be depressed but does not give that detente click but just springs back.

I have had 2 of these GFI's fail. I called Levaton they said the load terminals cannot be used to connect a direct load but only are there to connect downstream non gfci outlets that need gf protection.   This seems counter intuitive as any load connected to a downstream outlet is directly connected to the load terminals on the parent GFCI.

Maybe there's something else in play that I don't know about  but if I replace the non-functioning GFCI with a new one it probably will be like watching  the same movie again and i am hoping for a different ending.

Any thoughts


texts: Using a Flitch re-inforce a notch in LVL

texts:
I am looking to make a small notch in an LVL beam in my basement. In full transparency, I have installed a golf simulator in my basement, and I need another 2-3 inches of height to swing a driver freely. I would like to make a notch that is roughly 2 ft wide by 3" deep. My basement has 2x12" LVL Boise Cascade joists and every other beam has a sistered joist for added support that I had the builder include for strength. The notch would be in the highlighted area, which is roughly 3ft from a steel structural support beam going through the middle of the basement.

What I am thinking would be to add a steel plate on each side of the notched joists making a "flitch plate". The steel plates would be 5ft long x 5" high x 1/2" in depth. Use bolts to run through the plates and the sistered LVL's to connect each steel plate to the LVL's to "sandwich" the LVL's that are notched between the steel plates.

Would this work? Would I need a different size steel beams? What type of fasteners are needed (would need to use bolts).

Thank you!


texts: How to install low voltage bracket through a drywall block?

texts:
When installing an old work low voltage ring/bracket in a room (for a network plug), I cut the hole where there is a block behind the drywall.

The block is what looks to be a 1x4, going vertically up and down at las far as my hand can reach. I cut the hole right in the middle of the 1x4.

So now the swing clamps in the bracket won't latch properly as they wont go far enough to go behind the block.

I sawed the 1x4 at the top and bottom of the hole in a so the clamps got a little grip, but that's not gonna hold if somebody pull a cable from the plug.

Any idea on how to fix this?

Are there any brackets with swing clamps that would go further back?


texts: I need to replace some broken clips in a recessed light fixture. I was unable to attach a picture because it's over 2 MB in size. It's not a remodel can. It's probably about 50 years old (originally installed when the house was built). What the clips do is slide down 3 cross-shaped slots in the can and wedge themselves between the can and the surrounding drywall. There are 2 horizontal “wings” of each clip that are actually the only parts of the clip that is on your side of the can. The rest of the clip is on the drywall side and it’s bent in an “L” shape to support the light in the drywall hole. You would normally slide the clips up in the vertical slots to release the can from the hole. Then you can drop the can down from the hole to, say, replace the socket in the can for the standard incandescent 60 watt bulb. There are a total of 3 of these clips per can wedged in the vertical slots spaced 120 degrees apart, and they’re what hold the can in the hole. I’m just wanting to replace 2 of these clips that broke on a recessed light without having to replace the entire light, and I’m having a hard time trying to find replacement clips. Can you help me? Thanks.


texts: What could be causing low water pressure in cold line in only one bathroom sink?

texts: My back bathroom sink just started having low water pressure on the cold side only,,, all tubs and other sinks are fine,,, my house is less than 20 years old and plumbed with pex only,,, I have taken the valve off the faucet and looked for clogs and were none and shut the water off and checked the ball valve for that side at the sink,,, no clogs,,, it even runs low into a bucket,,, I know it must be a clog but how on pex only and just one water line to one sink only? Can't see a kink happening on a system that has had no work and has been fine for years.


texts: Can I shave the bottom of a metal casement window to get it to close fully?

texts:
I have a Casement Window installed that, as the new building has begun to settle, now has to be forced closed. It is on the verge of breaking the crank off now because it is so difficult. While wood is easy to shave to help fit, the window and its frame are made of metal.

Can I shave the metal to make the window close properly or any other method? I think 1/8" - 1/4" is all the needs to be taken back. The option to reseat the pivot point is not available, outside of a contractor doing it.


texts:
Have square D service Panel and has QO breaker in it.
I am excited to pull wire through service Panel. I have lots of space left for new breaker at the bottom of the panel.
In the highlighted picture, is it completely ok to pull wire like this ?
Or what is the best way to pull wire in this service panel ?

Any help and suggestion is highly appreciated!
Thanks!


texts: Filling in a sunken living room to level of other floors

texts: My sunken living room floor is concrete slab surrounded on two sides by higher concrete slabs at the level of the rest of the house. The other wall is a brick fireplace hearth. The wall opposite that is a sheetrock exterior wall. It is an area about 13' x 10' which is much too small for a "sunken" anything in my book and is just a hazard for an old woman (me) to fall into. One of the concrete side walls is the entryway at the front door and is far too narrow as well. I want to raise this floor to the level of the rest of the house and I have ceramic tile to do throughout the house. This area is about 6 inches deep. What is the best and possibly cheapest way to fill this in and level it off?