texts: How to wire C wire to the transformer of HVAC?

texts:
How are you all doing?

I tried to connect the digital thermostat (Ecobee3) instead of my old honeywell thermostat.
The original wiring is below (figure 1)

HVAC is located on the ceiling of bathroom and looks like these. FYI, there is no board or control center for it. The blue wire in this picture is the free wire I would like to use for C wire (figure 2). It is not connected to any wire or transformer. The end of wire is just free.

It might seem like there are separate transformers for AC and heater.
The Y wire is from one wire bundle (Figure 3).

R wire which was hooked up at Rc in my old thermostat, G wire and W wire all are connected to a part which seems like a transformer (figure 4 and 5)

I did 2 different connections.

a. I connected free blue wire to the blue wire which is stretched out from transformer (in figure 5 at the bottom). The thermostat was not turned on and just blinking.

b. I connected free blue wire to the black (or brown) wire at the same point depicted in figure 2. Thermostat was successfully turned on but when I tried to turn the AC on, there was a burning (because I smelled something burning) and I shut the power off. I don't know where the burning was.

I have no idea how I can connect free blue colored wire to which part of transformer to supply 24V to thermostat.

I am absolutely new to this electrical thing so please kindly suggest or recommend me a good solution. If you need more detailed pictures I will provide them ASAP.

oh, the ecobee wires connection is below (figure 6)


texts:
I have replaced an old intercom in my top floor flat (which was always rubbish and crackly) with minimalist approach. A basic ding dong chime that’s nice and loud and a light switch to open the door interlock.
I’ve found the two wires from the old intercom which unlock the door for the building and wired that up to the light switch (works perfectly) and can leave it switched on while I stick my head out the window to check guests have got in before turning off. however. I’m struggling with the chime...
I’ve bought a Byron Chime from screwfix which I have wired to the mains and can trigger the chime with a short piece of test wire. Next step, I have then found two suitable wires from the old intercom which have continuity when connected together with my doorbell, but when I connect these to the chime they don’t seem to make it chime! (I can hear a feeble buzzing noise like it’s struggling to trigger the solenoids)
Using a multimeter I read 0.4 ohms when touching them across my short piece of test wire, but the wire loop to the front door reads 22ohms. Is that resistance too much to trigger a chime?
If so how can I amplify the connection in these wires, or lower the signal needed to trigger the chime or is it something else altogether that I need to be doing.
Many thanks in advance.
Charlie


texts: 3-way chandelier switch strange behavior

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I have a chandelier with 12x 100w incandescent bulbs and controlled by 2 3-way dimmers. I was going to replace the bulbs with LEDs, and I didn't think the dimmers were rated for LEDs, so I decided to just replace the dimmers with normal 3-way switches. The switches are rather near each other, so I checked that I knew what was going on with the continuity checker on my multi-meter. With the power off, I was able to find the two wires that ran directly from one switch to the other, and was sure to install them in the same location on each switch, and then of course with the hot on the remaining terminal of one switch, and the load on the remaining terminal of the other switch.

Now, everything basically seems like it's working... but every handful of times I turn the chandelier on (I can't find a pattern, and it seems to be with both switches), the lights only turn on very dimly (remember, these are not dimmers). If I fool with the switches (on/off a few times), then the lights turn all the way back on again.

Any ideas? I thought it might have been too much load for the switches (they are Leviton Preferred), so I took some of the lights out of the chandelier but it still does the same thing.

Any thoughts?

Update:
Ok, before I tested each switch separately, I noticed there is actually a Y from one of the traveler wires on both switches (the same one). After racking my brain, I actually found a THIRD switch that is connected to this light (this is a new house, sorry!)! So I guess this is a 4-way configuration? I also found little labels on the wires - I will write them below as:

'Label': function

Switch near door:
'5': hot/load
'3': Traveler A
'4' and '6': Traveler B

Switch near stairs:
'1': hot/load
'3': Traveler A
'2' and '4': Traveler B

Switch near kitchen:
'5', '6', and an unlabeled yellow wire (the ones with labels are all orange) - I don't know what these are function as.

I tried shorting the 3 'kitchen' wires together (as I don't even want this switch at all), but that made the other 2 behave oddly (in most positions of both switches the lights were on, but in the same 'dim' mode I was originally asking about). I also tried leaving the 3 'kitchen' wires disconnected entirely, but in that setup the light will not turn on at all with the other two switches.

Then I tried (with the 'kitchen' wires all disconnected) just setting it up as a normal 3-way switch (i.e. Disconnected '6' from 'door switch' and '2' from 'stairs switch'.), leaving me with:

Switch near door:
'5': hot/load (I guess? that's what I was assuming before the 4-way fiasco... '5' near 'kitchen switch' when disconnected shows current as well, so it seems like this is reasonable)
'3': Traveler A
'4': Traveler B

Switch near stairs:
'1': hot/load (I guess?)
'3': Traveler A
'4': Traveler B

However, in this case with my AC voltage detector all 6 wires read "live current", but the light does not turn on in any configuration of the two switches.

Any suggestions for next steps?

---------- Update 2

You guys aren't going to believe this...
I went hunting around the house for the other end of wires '1' and '2' and found ANOTHER switch for this freaking light. (So what is this, a 5-way switch??). We'll call this one 'upstairs'.

Door:
'5'
'3'
'4' and '6'

Stairs:
'1'
'3'
'2' and '4'

Kitchen:
'5'
'6'
yellow

Upstairs:
'1'
'2'
red

So then each wire does the following:
'1' = stairs to upstairs
'2' = also stairs to upstairs
'3' = stairs to door
'4' = also stairs to door
'5' = kitchen to door
'6' = also kitchen to door
yellow = ? (perhaps to the light?)
red = ? (I think 'hot'?)

I'm out of time for tonight, but I guess I'm going to get power from another circuit in the 'kitchen' and try to turn on the light by connecting it to the yellow wire.


texts: Lighted bookcase with capacitive touch hinge

texts:
A while ago I saw a lighted bookcase at a furniture store whereby you could turn its lights on and off (actually dim them by a couple of levels), just by touching one of the hinges on one of the cupboard doors.

Does anyone know if there are pre-packaged components for such a thing, or what would be involved in setting up my own for a bookcase I want to build?


texts: How can I remove oil/ATF from a newly paved driveway?

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I had my asphalt driveway repaved this spring, and of course my car has started leaking - ATF in this case.

How can I remove it?


texts: Is this insulation in my HVAC installed correctly?

texts:
Inside my HVAC (past the horse hair filter) is a large gap before the air hits the radiator. The inside of this area appears to be lined with some kind of fiberglass insulation.
I asked maintenance why it looked the way that it did; I thought it was mold at first but was told that it's just dirty. It does appear dry and I agree that it's probably just dirty.
I'm also concerned that the fiberglass material looks like its deteriorating and the fact that its locates past the filter where it can get sucked up and into the ductwork.
My questions are: is this the right kind of insulation for this purpose and does it need to be replaced?
It looks like a very old unit but I can't find any indication of when it was installed.


texts:
I noticed the other day that one of my sprinkler valves appears to be leaking. The valve still works, but when testing it I noticed the solenoid is also buzzing. I'm not sure if these two things are related?

I tried testing the solenoid manually using 9v batteries and it opens the valve fine and runs quiet. But when I tried running it off of another sprinkler wire or another station number on the controller it still buzzes.

Should I just replace the entire valve and assume the wiring is good? If it's replace, is there a way to get this off without cutting the pipe?


texts: How deep do I dig to install a walkway when there is already a trench that has some vegetation?

texts:
I am planning to install a walkway along the wall of my house. This will replace an existing area where the former owner had plants.
It looks like below

My plan is to level it and to add 2" of sand stone. Not sure if I need gravel as basys here. After that I would compact it and then install these precast slabs that look like flagstone
Then fill the gaps between slabs with white decorative stone to add some contrast (https://www.lowes.ca/outdoor/garden-landscaping/mulch-rock-soil/stone-gravel-rock/)

I hope that the final result will look like this:

My question: I know that when you are installing something like this you need to make sure that whatever plants and roots are there they must be removed. One way to take care of this problem is to install landscape fabric. Would that be enough or I need to also dig a layer of soil deep enough to remove any vegetation roots ? Most of DIY instructions show how to install this when you have existing lawn and the reader in instructed to remove the sod and build on that.


texts: 1790 brick Federal home with fieldstone foundation

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We live in a 1790 brick federal upstate NY with a fieldstone foundation.  The basement has above ground windows, and is the same footprint as the upstairs floors.  The walls of the basement are all stone.  Basement has 7 foot ceilings.

I would love to fix the stone, and perhaps insulate the inside exterior walls in some way.

Lime mortaring perhaps?

But what would I have to do to create actual interior plasterboard walls for the basement?


texts: Can I use an existing Ground Rod for Sub-Panel in Detached Garage (Meter box is using the rod currently)

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Two buildings: Home and Detached Garage (circa '04 US). Service comes in through a Meter on the Garage to a PVC conduit into the Main box in the home (Single phase 240V with Neutral). In the main box Neutral and GND are bonded and bare ground wire coil heads out somewhere towards the front of the house, presumably to a ground rod.
There is an additional PVC conduit from the main panel back to the garage with 2 Hot, Neutral, and Ground that is used as two 120V runs (opposite phase), one for lights one for outlets and no sub-panel.
I'm planning on putting a 240V outlet in the garage and increasing the conductor side for 50A service. I will replace the two 120V breakers in the main panel with a 240V breaker and pull new wire (6ga x3 and 10ga Gnd) to a new sub-panel. From the sub-panel I'll wire back in the lights/outlets and the new service. Ground and Neutral will not be bonded and I know I need at least one grounding rod on this panel.
So finally I get to my question: There is an existing grounding rod that is being used by the Meter and apparently nothing else. Can I just add a new ground rod clamp to use with the sub-panel? Any code I'm violating?


texts: How can I reduce the humidity level in my basement?

texts: I have an unfinished basement in my 1040 square foot ranch house. I just bought an energy star  30 pint dehumidifier to replace an old one that came with the house 1 year ago (I set it on the "driest" setting after mold started forming & it ran all the time). I have not been able to get the RH below 61% & fear mold will form again. Should I get a larger capacity unit, or is there some other solution?


texts: Confused about CO/ALR devices versus AlumiConn and Copalum

texts: Our 1960's house in California has aluminum wiring.  When we bought it 15 years ago, I wanted the nicer Lutron receptacles and light switches, so I rewired all the outlets and switches using twist connectors + anti-oxidant paste + copper pigtails.  I gather this is now not a recommended approach.  We're selling the house and I don't want to leave a fire hazard, so I want to redo the work.  The simplest and cheapest route is to replace receptacles and switches with CO/ALR rated ones, which I thought would be correct until I came across documents such as the CPSC guidelines that said this is not recommended, and that instead, using AlumiConn or Copalum connectors is the recommended approach.  However, I also find discussions (on this site and elsewhere) where people say using direct aluminum wire connections to CO/ALR rated receptacles and switches is actually okay.  Is it okay, or should I avoid CO/ALR devices in favor of the much more expensive and difficult route of using AlumiConn?


texts:
My walls and ceiling are skip trowl lath and plaster and (many layers) painted, I’m doing some cutting and patching and using DAP Patching Plaster.  It goes on great but after I sand and paint it the texture looks too smooth compared to the old plaster/paint, how can I get it to look the same?  It looks like it’s a paint texture issue, I’m painting with small rollers and acrylic paint.

Lower center is desired texture, left and upper left around the square hole is too smooth


texts: How to clean up spilled paint on carpet?

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My drunken roommate came home last night and knocked a whole can of paint all over the carpet.  I just found it this morning, half-dry.  I scooped most of it up, but there's still the bottom layer seeped into the carpet.

What's the best way to clean the paint off the carpet?

Update:

The top of the can says

  Premium plus int satin enamel - Custom color match - Pastel base
  (7500)

That's pretty much it, except the color (A mix of Lamp black, yellow oxid, and thalo green).


texts: can 3 2x6 x8' wooden board support a 900lb load?

texts: I wish to support a 900 lb motor I want to use 3 2x6x8 for a support beam will this be enough?


texts: Cutting laminate countertop with minimal waste

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I have a 6-foot long "slab" of laminate kitchen countertop that I need to cut in half. Each half will be installed on top of a 36-inch long base cabinet.

At least, that is my tentative plan. I am concerned that when I cut the countertop in half, I'll lose an eighth of an inch or so to the saw blade, I'll therefore end up with two pieces of countertop that are just short of 36 inches long, and they won't quite fully cover the cabinets.

Is that something I should be concerned about? Is there a way to minimize the loss from the saw blade (would cutting really slowly help, for example) or to squeeze any length out of the cabinets so that the counter top will fit them cleanly? Or any kind of trim that people use in this situation to hide the imperfection if the countertop is a little too short for the cabinet?


texts: Cement around decorative bricks leaves grey/matte coating on bricks

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I'm installing a decorative brick wall (individual thin bricks) for the first time. I glued all the bricks and now I'm working on the cement (mortar) around the bricks. I did a few rows yesterday for a test. While applying the mortar, some fell on the bricks. I wiped the bricks with a dry cloth as much as I could but the bricks are now covered with a thin "coating" that makes them pale and matte.

Q1: How can I clean the bricks?

Q2: How should I work the rest of the wall to avoid that?


texts: Type of Lumber for carport load-bearing post replacement?

texts: So I need to replace the 5 load-bearing posts on my carport due to visible rotting. Do you recommend using the standard Southern yellow Pine Pressure treated 4x4 lumber I see in your typical big box store or is there better material? The 5 posts the carport has now are all 4x4 lumber.


texts: How can I extend a deck post on an existing deck?

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I have an existing deck (built in 1991) that I am making repairs to.  As part of the work I want to extend the deck cover that's already there.

Existing deck

Desired outcome

So I know I need to either "extend" or put in new posts.  Ideally, I would just replace the post with a longer one by attaching it to the the post anchor (as explained here).

However, the posts are embedded in the footing:

and have been cut off at deck height:

I'm looking for recommendations of how I would support the extended deck cover with posts?  How would I attach them to the deck I currently have?


texts: holes in the wooden columns of the porch

texts:
I noticed there are some holes in the wooden columns of my house's porch, once a while I see bees in and out of those holes (shouldn't they be living in a hive?).
Do you think this might pose a problem to the columns, should I do something about it?


texts: A living room ceiling light was working this morning. I wiped around the switch on wall with damp duster and now it won't turn off.  As I am elderly and disabled I can't do anything other than try to remove the light bulbs until my son inlaw gets back from holiday. Is it dangerous?


texts: Can I mount my hangboard on a wooden ceiling beam?

texts: My main worry is that I am 180 lbs and this would have to support my weight


texts:
Hello all! New Years Eve problem occurred. We have 3 switches in our master bathroom. One controls the light above (or that’s what we were thinking because when you click it- it turns on the light), second controls the ventilation and third controls the vanity lights. When we click the last one we hear buzzing so we didn’t use it until now when we decided to fix it upon buyer’s request. Anyway...

We opened up the switch and surprise, surprise- 9 wires!!! 9!!! After my husband couldn’t figure it out, he taped them all so we can try this morning. He tried the switch in our master bedroom- nothing, tried the first switch for the bathroom- nothing. The outlets are working, but the other 2 switches that  are working okay are also with 9 wires.

If anyone has any idea how to fix them I will be very grateful! The buyers are coming again in 3 days to have a look at the house, and we want it fixed beforehand, but we can’t afford to pay someone since will be a “holiday pay”. Thank you!

Ps We are foreigners so if someone have the patience to start everything from scratch- amazing!


texts: What insulation should I use when converting a metal shed to a pool house?

texts:
I need to know which insulation I need for my 20x12 metal shed.  I am making it into a pool house. Bathroom, sink, bed. Is made of 2x4s, and plywood floor on beam, sheet metal siding, aluminum type doors, 2 small windows.
I live in north Texas, summer can be over 100 degrees and some winters 10 degrees for a few days.
Am putting in ductless air/heat unit.  Using Lifeproof Luxury vinyl plank flooring.
Studs are mostly 22 in apart, some 18 and 30 inches apart. Ceiling is studs and sheet metal also.
Also, can I add this before my electrician and plumber get started?  Or wait.?  on a budget, need cheapest solution, but do NOT want to deal with roll fiberglass insulation.
Thank you


texts:
I have an OLD circuit breaker.  I think it's the original one for my house (1950's I think).  It's a Pushmatic Electri-Center "Automatic Protection Push Button Control" from Bulldog Electric Products Co. in Detroit.  Which is now out of business and I guess they got acquired by Siemens at some point.

I have noticed that if I run more than one major appliance - like the dish washer and the dryer - at the same time, it will pop the breaker for the whole house.  To me this says there's too much going on for that to handle.  Occasionally a single breaker will pop but usually if something goes it is the whole house. Sometimes, when I try to reset a breaker, it won't "stick" so it will be on and then just pop out again.  A lot of times I have to use a lot more force than I think should be necessary in order to get a breaker to go back in.

The thing works, but I wonder if it isn't time to think about a new breaker box?  Is 200A a good size for a typical 3 bedroom house?


texts: Replacing rotted shed flooring without changing foundation

texts:
I realised recently that part of my shed floor had sunk. When I pulled up the carpet I found that the wooden floor had rotted away. After pulling away some of the rotted wood it looks (to me) as though the underlying support is still in tact.

I don't know how old the shed is. The property is around 20 years old, so the shed will be less than that.

My question is - to fix this can I simply rip up the rotted wood on top and replace it with new wood?

See below 2 pictures to help explaining. The orange dot in the 1st picture indicates the placement of the shot in the 2nd picture.

The purple speech bubbles indicate what I believe to be support beams just from where the wood lines up and the sound made when knocking the floor.

Edit

Below is an image the shows the interior wall as well as the issue.


texts: what would be the highest temp limit switch i can run on a colman 3800a816 furnace

texts: Put in new 150 degree switches but it seems to not be hot enough would it be ok to go with 200degree or what would you suggest


texts: What is this, and can my dryer work without it?

texts:
My clothes dryer had about a quarter of the rope in the image hanging out from inside the door. By pulling it the rest of it came out. Looks like some sort of gasket that's broken.

Questions:
Does anybody know what it is?
Can the dryer operate without it?

Dryer maker/model: General Electric Profile


texts:
I bought a 200x90 cm. bed and assembled it. The bed frame is assembled out of hollow iron rods. After using for a few days I started having back pain. So I checked the bed and found that some of those rods got bent in the middle and that made the whole frame uneven. I want to strengthen it, however I don't have much stuff at hand, and we are in a lockdown due to coronavirus.

I have not thrown out the wooden planks from my older bed. So I thought putting them on the bars will distribute the load and may help it. My question is what is the pattern that will provide maximum strength? I arranged them in a way (see picture) and it already feels quite solid. I will appreciate any feedback. For information, I don't have an electronic drill machine or any such thing; also I don't know how to use them.

Thank you for reading, it is my first post here. :)


texts: Should I sand each layer of mud when joining drywall?

texts: I'm plastering my first drywall and have been given advice from a friend who as done it a few times before. He believes I should not sand down the mud (a.k.a. jointing compound) between coats, but I think I should. I don't think the first layer is as smooth as it should be and I think getting any little bumps out now before the next coat would be a good idea. Surely the next swipe of the knife is going to catch on them and leave elongated ridges or scratches down stream.


texts:
I know this doesn't necessarily apply to home improvement, but I figured the bit about fiberglass repair might be useful to others here. I have a paddle board that has several cracks or damaged areas to the. This is my first time doing any type of fiberglass repair. I've read several articles about repairing small damaged areas with epoxy instead of going through the process of applying new fiberglass. I've also watched a few fiberglass repair walkthrough videos on Youtube.
Can someone tell me what level of damage dictates whether to use epoxy or fiberglass? I've attached the images, so maybe someone can tell me what method I should use for repairing each of them. Thank you!
UPDATE: Thought it was worth mentioning that while I was researching repair methods I came across a forum that said to use an epoxy-base resin and NOT a polyester-based (Bondo). Not exactly sure why, but someone briefly mentioned it can attack the foam core pretty aggressively.


texts: Precaution before getting a whiteboard: carpet stains?

texts:
I'm considering getting a nice large whiteboard for my living room. The problem is: I've got a light-coloured carpet in the room and I'm afraid if the whiteboard marker ink leaves stains on the carpet.
At work, I see the stains on the floor from time to time, but seemingly they come from people cleaning the sponge by rubbing it on the edges, which I wouldn't do of course.

So the question is: In casual use, will I get a color stain below the whiteboard in some time? If yes, is it difficult to clean it from the carpet?


texts: How would you fix this cabinet not opening all the way?

texts:
I’d like to see what I can do to fix this very annoying problem I have with one of the cabinets in my kitchen.
Whoever installed it didn’t take into account the pillar behind the hinge, so it’s only able to swing open to about 50 to 60 degrees out rather than opening to the full 90 degrees or more that you would expect when opening a kitchen cabinet.
What would you do that’s the easiest fix for a novice DIYer?


texts:
I have a toe touch drain stopper that is causing a leak.  I'm trying to unscrew it, but to no avail it just keeps spinning.  I tried a lubricating oil and it still just spins.  Is there anyway to get it off without breaking the bolt?

thanks


texts: From metal roof to composite shingles, mold and water issues?

texts:
So we had our roof replaced in 2007 from a ribbed metal roof to a comp roof. We also live in Washington State in a gambrel roofed home with no duct work and about a 4' by 12' attic.

During the tear off, the metal roofing and stringers were torn off. Then sheathing was layed down, followed by paper, ice dam and shingles. Beautiful roof right!

Fast forward six months later, I was fetching something out of our small attic and there was standing water and mold under the visqueen. It was horrid and I was less than thrilled. So I called the roofer and he sent a dude out and he yoked out the bad stuff, painted the entire attic with Kilz and replaced the insulation, A few weeks later a few of them came out and cut in a ridge vent. Cakes and rainbows right?

Now, there are dark areas showing up on the ceiling where the rafters are. The only thing I can think of is that the rafters are getting wet.

So my question is what are the chances that the rest of the insulation is in as bad of shape as what I saw in the attic? Am i looking at a huge mold problem?

Also, before the sheathing was put down, shouldn't the stringers have been replaced as well? Without the stringers, wouldn't it be a giant dead space with no circulation? Looking from the inside, the layers are drywall, visqueen, insulation, sheathing and roofing. I would assume there is no air circulation.

There are a few roof vents but I'm not sure how effective those are either.

Any suggestions? Should I call him up after six years? Is this an insurance thing? Should I track down a mold inspector?

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

R, Zac


texts: Removing Pin Holding Planetary Kitchen Aid Classic Mixer

texts:
I'm having trouble removing the pin holding the planetary. I need to remove it in order to remove the top of the machine exposing the motor so I can troubleshoot the main problem with my KitchenAid classic. I tapped  the pin with a hammer & drift punch but it  moved very little. I sprayed WD-40 & still no luck. Some of the pin got worn in the process of trying to tap it out. I also damaged a bit of the paint surrounding the pin. How do I remove it while minimizing damage to the machine?
My machine stopped working properly the other day & it could be a worn gear. I wont know the source until I  have access to the motor.
Thanks

m/qHAWL.jpg


texts: 5 Post Pergola Design - How big to make the beams and rafters?

texts:
I'm building a new deck and pergola in my backyard. The deck is pretty much done, and the pergola posts are in. I'm now I'm trying to decide how to finish up the pergola.
Deck is roughly 12 feet wide and 24 feet long. It's a rectangular shape with the corner cut off, so it makes building the pergola interesting. I've decided to go with 5 posts for the pergola (all 6x6), with a cross beam over the cut off corner. I'm then planning on having the pergola rafters/joists overhang symmetrically with the cut off corner of the deck.
Deck is built on 9 posts, poured concrete 4' deep. The pergola posts are secured onto Pylex foundation screws 4' deep and then also secured to deck and blocked it (you can swing on them and they won't move). Everything is cedar (PT under the deck, but boards and posts and all the other pergola materials will be cedar).
I'm trying to decide what to do for the pergola beams and rafters/joists. I've had some feedback saying just use 2x8 for the beams and 2x6 for the joists, and then add strips running perpendicular on top to prevent rotation, although after searching around online I've seen people mention that 2x8 and 2x6 may look too small with the 6x6 posts.
I've attached a diagram of what I'm looking to do, along with a picture of it at its current state. The alternative I was thinking about was 2x10 beams with 2x8's for the rafters.
The overhang that I'm proposing to create is also a bit of a concern since I don't want the ends of the joists to sag.
I'm looking for structural feedback along with aesthetic feedback (if 2x8 and 2x6 will work but look like trash then I'd rather just go up a size).


texts: How can I attach cabinets and shelves to an Insulating Concrete Form wall?

texts:
So my house and garage have been built with Insulating Concrete Forms (Perform wall to be exact) and I want to attach shelves and cabinets in my garage.  Pictures and other lighter stuff have been easy to do with some special plugs and standard picture hangers.  But I am unclear about how to attach heavy items.  There are no studs to attach to.

Anyone have some ideas on this?


texts:
I have 2 family house where 1st floor drainage system working fantastic. Now, 2nd floor bathtub and kitchen sink is connected to my basement bathtub drain. My basement bathtub backs up sometimes and after a while the water goes away. Sometime I see some bubbles in basement bathtub when someone take shower in second floor. I ran 50ft drain snake through my basement bathtub and nothing is stuck.
I’m guessing it’s some kind of venting problem.
Anyone know how to fix this issue without calling a plumber and paying lot of money?


texts: Is it a good idea to separate switch for recess lights and chandelier in living room?

texts:
I am just asking in general. I have 8 recessed lights to install and 1 chandelier in the center. There will be plenty of light so I can turn on just the recessed light and/or chandelier. The chandelier by itself won't do much in term of lighting but for decoration.

Should I separate the light switch for recess lights vs. chandelier? What is the typical "practice"?


texts: Replacement Options for T12 Four light fluorescent light fixture

texts:
I have a good number of fluorescent light fixtures that are old the ballasts are going out. There are two ballasts per fixture. The ballasts are expensive when factoring in labor cost. Covering to T8 requires new ballasts as well. Can I go with three lamps per fixture and get by with one ballast.
Is there an LED option that can eliminate the fluorescents and ballasts all together.


texts: Running UF-B along the outside wall of the house

texts:
I want to run an outdoor cable to an outside outlet box without burying the cable. My location is upstate NY, USA.

Here is the circuit description:
120v/30a CB feeding #10/2 UF-B cable to an outdoor outlet (this is for an RV hookup on the side of the house.

I am interested in coming out of the wall with the UF-B, attaching it to the side of the house(about 2ft above the ground) to the outdoor box. The run along the side of the house is about 30ft.

Will code allow this run without conduit? If not what is code requirement.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Gene


texts:
I got a dry tumbler and a washing machine that give off shocks when touched on the inner barrel.

I'm in Europe 230AC 3 phase 50Hz but no ground(old house) ground is connect to neutral at main panel going around the main HPFI breaker.

With high impedance DMM I measure 120V between each machine inner barrel and water pipe. Between them I measure 200V. All at 50Hz. Putting meter in low impedance I measure 4V between them and 2V to water pipe. Taking some cobber wire and connecting to washer and then tabbing the dryer I can throw small sparks.

If I turn off the power on the wall socket all measurements go to zero.

The machines are not grounded at the wall socket.

My first guess was capacitive coupling from the main breaker panel that is right next to the machines but I'm not so sure when all goes to zero when I turn off the power and I can throw continuous sparks when on.

Thank you for any help!


texts: Why did the junctions in a circuit for my electric range melt?

texts:
I have a range and it runs 240 through the attic and then splits off in the attic to two 120 lines to the breaker box but whoever installed it before did not do it right because the range wasn't working and when I found the problem the wires had melted.

Does that mean it gets too hot or just wasn't capped  off right? They had electrical tape around it instead of wire nuts. Could that be why the melted on the connections?

I connected it this time the right way but I just want to make sure it's fine and it's not going melt again


texts: What should I do about a recessed light without a housing?

texts:
I looked into my attic today and found one recessed light mounted directly in the ceiling (sheetrock) without a can/fixture. Isn't it dangerous (in terms of fire hazard) to have so.

What do you guy suggest, should I put a remodeling can in it?


texts: What - if any - annual maintenance is required for grout/caulk in a shower?

texts:
I'm a new home owner who has been living in house that was built last year. Upon moving in the builder mentioned that grout needed yearly maintenance--would he referring to re-sealing the grout? Are there other types of maintenance involved for tile grout? Any recommendations here about the process would be greatly appreciated.

Below is a picture of one of the corners in my shower where the grout has cracked. Does that area need to be re-grouted or would caulk be sufficient to seal the gap? Thanks!


texts: Help, need alternative to dissolving cheap T-11 siding

texts:
fall is coming and the cheap T-11 siding on my garage has dissolved along the bottom just below and above the sill pate on both sides - it will do the same in the front shortly as the siding comes low to the ground because the foundation is non existent on the front of a garage, and only a few inches on the sides - yikes.

I'm a 57 yr.old woman so the answers need to be DIY :)

I would like to cut off the siding by 4' up (there are a couple of holes) and replace with a water proof and price friendly material.  The walls are open 2x4 studs on 24" centers (oh the lingo I pick up around here :)

Q - Is there a way to better seal T-111 so it can repel water?
Use primer on the sides and inside is what a guy at homedepot said he did....

Prince is an issue as the side walls are both 26' feet, and the front is 32'.

One other thing - the side that is the worst is the west - setting sun side.

Thank you for all you wisdom and ideas,


texts: Just moved in and there is no kitchen light. There is a ground, two whites nutted together and two blacks AND a white nutted together. My new fixture has a standard hot and neutral. How do I connect?


texts:
I own a raised range house and upstair with hard wood floor.I just bought a 70 pin dehumidifer and put it in my basement. My question is what is dehumidifier level need to set for best result for my wood floor upstair.
Thank you


texts:
We have an A-frame house in Alaska.

The ceiling is 2x8 rafters 16" on center with drywall on inside and 5/8" plywood on outside.

We installed R-44 insulation in space, no vapor barrier, no air space. We don't want to remove the plywood since the roof is so steep (slope is 19:12).

Can we install 2x2 furring strips along rafters runs over plastic and resheet with 1/2" plywood to allow air movement and stop moisture buildup on underside of roof deck?


texts: Replacing an octagonal ceiling fan power outlet

texts: How do I remove and replace the octagonal power box in the ceiling as one tip (for screwing the fan motor body into) is broken?  I assume I have to remove from within the attic as there are two screws coming from the attic into the power box that will not back out.


texts: Can a C wire be added to an old Teledyne Laars JVT-100C boiler?

texts:
Good morning.   I have an old Teledyne Laars JVT-100C Boiler, that only has R,W,A terminals.  is there a way to add a C wire to this boiler in order to power my thermostats?

Thanks in advance...


texts: Is my plan for a shed base on pre-cast concrete supports reasonable?

texts:
Will this work for a 10 x 8 plastic resin shed -

3 deck pyramid blocks on a side (corners and in center of a side) and two in center.
Dig down 6 inches, tamp, gravel (have .5 to 1 in round stone on hand), level, deck pyramid on the gravel.
2 x 6 pressure treated wood, tie with metal angle ties.
At least several cross members as well.

Surface is 3/4 OSX 4x8.

Thanks.


texts:
I found lots of questions about this, but with many different answers.

I'm looking to run a 100 amp line from my 200A main breaker box to a subpanel in my new detached garage. The run is about 120 ft. A large part of the run will be under my house in a crawl space... the rest will be below ground.

The garage will charge my car and power some equipment, possibly at the same time. I wouldn't expect more than a 60 amp constant draw.

I've read I should probably use at least 1-1-1-3 aluminum cable. I'm not sure if I want to use direct burial or conduit. If I use direct burial USE-2/RHH/RHW-2 cable, will I need conduit in the crawlspace? I think USE-2 wiring is individual - Do I just kind of bury the 4 wires together in a trench and put some danger tape a few inches above?

Honestly I'm not too familiar with electrical work, so I want to make sure I do it right (it will be inspected too, don't worry).


texts: Can I connect two phases on a single phase inverter?

texts:
At home we have three 127v AC power supply, 120° from one another. I want to install grid tied PV array, and the project approved by the electrical company displays a single phase inverter connected to two out of the three phases available at home (I guess I'll have to choose the phase with higher load or something like that). The inverter in question is this one.

The problem is: nowhere in the manufacturer's manual such weird configuration seems advised. It is explicitly stated that it is a single phase device, and I must connect L, N and PE on the AC side of the inverter, which I take L to be the phase, N the neutral, an PE the ground (which is shorted to the neutral inside the electric box at home). I assume the project advises to connect ground to PE, phase 1 to L, phase 2 to N, and leave phase 3 out.

How is this supposed to work? Only one phase will be powered by the inverter and the other will be used simply as reference? Can it damage the equipment? Is such installation common?


texts: New RV refrigerator sat outside in hot weather

texts: I purchased an RV Dometic refrigerator.  Before it was delivered, it sat outside for 48 hours in over 100 degree temperatures each day.  There was no packaging around the refrigerator.  Should I return it?


texts: The faucet in the kitchen with cold water starts up somewhat warm and then turns cold. The hot water is hot right away.  I used to wait a little bit before it turns hot.  A spot in my tiled floor is a little warm. The water meter does not indicate that I have a leak. One plumber told me I have a leak, while another plumber told me that I don't. I live in the Dallas area. We had pretty cold winter. Do I worry about this and get the opinion of a third plumber?


texts: How can I build a shed in two halves and join them without the roof leaking?

texts: I am building a shed and I need to build it in two halves so I can take it off the foundation if I need to. The problem is that due to the dimensions, I have to split it in such a way the split line goes across the roof perpendicular to the ridge. The fact that I will be using wooden shakes makes this even harder. What can I do to keep it from leaking?


texts: How to attach a drawer without screwing?

texts:
In my rented flat, I have a kitchen table that has a gap beneath it with another surface underneath, as shown in the picture (it is open on both sides)
I would like to put a drawer in this gap for cutlery etc. (it is about 80 cm wide, 60 cm deep and 10 cm high).
While an option is to screw drawer runners on both sides, I unfortunately cannot do that because I can't damage the table.
Is there any alternative to insert a drawer, other than just laying it in the gap.


texts: How can I remove carpet adhesive from hardwood floors?

texts: We are doing some renovations to a home we just purchased.  The carpet had hardwood flooring under two layers of carpet.  The bottom layer of carpet was glued down by a dark amber colored adhesive.  Does anyone know how I can remove the adhesive from a hardwood floor?  I have tried mineral spirits to no avail.  I also tried some hot soapy water.  It worked to some extent but it there was still a lot of scraping needed to get it up.


texts: Regular then low pressure from well water

texts: First of all I have a drilled well with an in well pump. My house is manufactured housing with PEX lines. I recently drained the lines to install a new kitchen faucet. I just shut off the breakers for the pump and water heater then opened up the cold faucet to drain. After the job was done I turned the water pump and heater breakers back on, then turned faucet on. Everything seemed good at first then the pressure dropped off. I tried the outdoor spigots and I got normal pressure at first then dropped right off to low stream. I checked all Faucets and showers in the house and same thing, normal pressure and then very low. I checked the pressure tank and it is pumping up to pressure and the valve on top yields no water just air. Spigot at the pressure tank blasts water out when I open it. Problem occurs with hot and cold water. Screens have been removed from all faucets and still problem exists. I recently installed a water softener about 2 weeks ago because of hard water but problem didn't start till I replaced kitchen Faucet. Could it be the pump? Clogged lines? I am stumped!


texts: Wiring for kitchen remodel - appliances, electric oven/microwave combo, fridge, 2 dishwashers

texts:
I am working on a plan for a kitchen remodel. The existing range is natural gas powered so it doesn't have a dedicated circuit (It's just plugged into a 15 or 20amp outlet). Other existing wiring includes a dedicated microwave circuit (15amp breaker but need to check wire gauge). This one I suppose can be used for the fridge (since the fridge currently doesn't seem to have a dedicated breaker).
The oven/microwave combination model I am looking at is KitchenAid KOCE500EBS (KOCE500E model, the BS is just a color code) or similar. The installation manual has these electrical requirements.

My breaker box has a 200A main breaker but I am basically out of room. There is a sub-panel wired right next to it (with a 40A double breaker) that I added for laundry and it has room for 4 single breakers.
What options do I have here? I'm thinking the best approach would be to offload a couple of 15amp circuits marked with red rectangle on the photo (provided I have enough slack - which I should for those bottom breakers) and wire them into a sub-panel. This would free up 2 neighboring boxes in the main panel for a double 40A breaker. Is this a good solution? If I cannot relocate those two 15amp breakers, can I wire for the oven from the sub-panel or do I need to beef up the sub-panel circuit (and by how much), since it already has washer/dryer? Should I be using an 8 AWG or 6 AWG wire to cover me for any future upgrades (say double oven)?
Thanks so much!
Dave
The photos of the panels are shown below.


texts: Pulsing and Constant light from 3-way switch?

texts:
We have two hallway lights controlled by two separate light switches (3 way switch). One switch has a dimmer, the other does not.
When we turn on the hallway light, with the dimmer at its lowest level, half the time both lights are on at the lowest levels of brightness (constant) and the other half of the time the lights transfer, turning on one at a time (pulsing). The probability that the light is either constant or pulsing is approximately random (50 percent)
Any idea as to why this effect is occurring?


texts: I am taking a non bearing wall down that has electrical work in it, including a 3 way switch for a single light. I want to disconnect this switch so the other one works. How do I do this?


texts: How do I know what light bulb size I should get for a socket? The socket is smaller than the average socket

texts:
There is a light bulb socket which is much smaller than a regular light bulb socket, so I think I need some sort of specialty light bulb.
How do I know what size to get?


texts: How to harden a sloped grass driveway so that damage does not occur that has some softer spots?

texts:
I am wondering how to harden a particular soft edge along a driveway so that I can drive on it without damaging the lawn.
Last year I installed a secondary approach by building up my lawn with the recommended soil sand mix and most of it setup great and I am able to drive on it even right after a rain or snow melt with a full size pickup and trailer.  There is however about a 10ft section right off my driveway that is softer than really the rest of my lawn and especially the rest of the secondary approach (which is lawn).. by August it is hard as a rock with the dry weather.. but the first half of the year it is soft.
The problem existed before I installed the secondary approach but thought I was addressing it by sloping it off the driveway at an even angle building up the section with the same type of soil (even though I dug it up a bit and mixed it in) I used to build up the secondary approach.. but it did not help.
I know I could put down some crush gravel and just let it be gravel but I both want to keep it lawn as well as not 'move' the problem. I've used Geoblock in trail building but its expensive and not always practical and not sure how it does with driving on.
I also read that sanding probably wouldn't help and I already installed drainage ditches or slopes on both sides (there is a ditch between the hardened lawn and the trees and a general slope downward side of the hardened lawn in this picture).. what else can I do?
Diagram below

I read other posts that sanding it


texts: Can I use a WiFi thermostat without a C wire?

texts:
I have a very old Honeywell programmable thermostat. I am going to replace it with a White-Rodgers UP500W Emerson Sensi WiFi Thermostat.

I just want to know if the WiFi unit will work without a C wire.  This is what they said:

  In certain situations, Sensi does require a common or "C" wire. On
  "heat only" or "cool only" systems, Sensi requires a "C" wire to power
  the Wi-Fi radio. Without a "C" wire installed, the Wi-Fi connection
  will drop off after about two hours to preserve the AA batteries. On
  combined heating and cooling systems, Sensi does not require a "C"
  wire because the thermostat is designed to "Power Share" between the
  two systems. For example, on a call for heat, Sensi will use a small
  amount of power from the cooling system to power the Wi-Fi radio. In
  "Power Sharing" mode, the AA batteries may last more than a year.

Since the one I have is for both heating and cooling, I think I should be fine.  I just need someone to confirm that.


texts: What spray or paint can you use to insulate metal enclosure from conduction (say in breaker panel just for double protection in case the breaker won't open during ground fault to case)?


texts: Recommended moisture content for painting bare wood

texts: What is the recommended substrate moisture content for painting or priming bare wood (Douglas Fir - rough cut T1-11)?


texts: I have an outlet that’s connected to a switch. You’re supposed to plug in a lamp. But I want to remove the outlet and connect wires to run a ceiling light. When I took I off the outlet the wire colors were white, yellow and pink. Which one do I connect to my Romex wires that are white, black, and the ground? Any help is greatly appreciated!


texts: 2 circuits in single Box for kitchen receptacle how to properly wire

texts:
I have an issue with 2 independent circuits in a single box. Is it possible to put a Gfci switch at this location one circuit is connected to my basement bathroom via the kitchen circuit the other wires are part where of another circuit with its own breaker for the counter top outlets.

It seems strange to have 2 circuits in one box there is a gfci upstream immediately after a refrigerator outlet that supports all the outlets on the kitchen counter. I don’t understand why there is 2 different circuit with a line coming from the other circuit where all the outlets work fine

I am concerned about protection for the bathroom in the basement


texts: Proper installation of a three-way shower

texts:
I recently purchased this shower kit: http://soak.com/300mm-square-stainless-steel-head-handheld-&-four-body-jets--thermostatic-mixer-shower-kit_p31112937.htm. It has three outputs: overhead shower head, hand-held shower head, and side jets. There are then three controls: two one-way control, and one two-way controls.

I recently paid a plumber to install this in my bathroom, and I have just returned to find that things are not as I would have expected. One of the one-way controls is for temperature, as expected. However, the other one-way control is for the hand-held shower, and the two-way control is for changing between the overhead shower and the side jets. This means that I cannot use the overhead shower and the side jets simultaneousy....but I thought that was the whole point!

What I had expected, is that the one-way valve would be used to control the side jets, and then the two-way valve would be used to decide between the overhead or the hand-held shower. This is the set up I have seen everywhere else, to my memory.

So, my question is, can I accuse my plumber of installing the shower incorrectly? Or has he actually done a standard job with a standard configuration, and it would have been up to me to brief him beforehand as to which way I wanted it configured? Unfortunately, he has taken away the instructions, so I cannot see what the original instructions said.


texts: How does a panel get its current rating?

texts:
While looking for panels, I see various current capacities, and I would like to know what is different between two panels, like a lug fed 50 amp panel that has six slots, and an otherwise identical 100 amp panel.
Without a master breaker, to state the current, what would be different?


texts: How can I get low water pressure in sprinkler system fixed?

texts:
I have a new house that is still under warranty. Compared to at least two of my neighbors whose houses were built by the same builder and have very similar sprinkler systems, my sprinklers put out very low water pressure. The water pressure is so low that several sprinklers don't even deploy (that is they don't fully come out of the ground).

I demonstrated the problem to the builder, and he's sent out two different contractors in succession (first was a sprinkler guy, then was a plumber) that have said that it's not their area of expertise. The plumber confirmed that the decrease in water pressure was localized to the sprinkler system (water pressure at the exterior spigots was 55 psi, I believe), which I already knew from anecdotal experience, and said that an irrigation specialist would be the one to call.

Given the way the last two experiences have turned out, I'm hesitant to tell the builder to call a third contractor before I have a better understanding of the steps needed to get this problem solved, because to this point I've just had to take what the contractor's have said at face value.

So here are some specifics I would like to know:

Is it likely that the plumber is right, that the problem will necessitate an irrigation specialist (by process of elimination, I would expect this is true, but I had no idea of the existence of such a specialist before the plumber mentioned it)?
Are there any steps that I can take to better prepare for the next contractor?
Is there information that I'm missing that I should try to collect? I've basically given all of this information to the builder and the contractors, but we still haven't arrived at a solution.
Neither of the two contractors spent more than a couple minutes trying to diagnose the problem. Once I'm pretty sure I have the right sort of contractor, is there anything I can do to make sure that the he or she actually works to pinpoint the precise problem before trying to pass me along to someone else?

Notes:

I haven't noticed any water pooling in my yard, so if there's a leak in the irrigation system, it's not obvious where it is, but my yard is pitched pretty sharply for drainage purposes, so I don't think that this indicates that there is no leak.
Water pressure in the house is quite good
At each step, I've actually had to push to get everyone to acknowledge that the problem isn't just that the city is not supplying my house with enough water pressure, which considering all the above, indicates to me that this is the sort of problem that nobody wants to deal with, probably because it's difficult and time consuming.
The sprinkler system is separated into zones, one of which only has two sprinklers, so I think that it's unlikely that the system simply has too many continuously running sprinklers to maintain enough water pressure.


texts: Is it okay to pigtail 12AWG and 14AWG on a 15AMP circuit?

texts:
While working in my attic I lightly bumped a stud that had an outlet box as well as a switch that controls my attic light attached to it and when I did sparks shot out of the outlet and the circuit tripped.
When I looked at the breaker it says its a 15Amp circuit, so I shut it off and opened the outlet box that was sparking.  Apparently that light bump was enough to knock a loose ground wire into one of the hot screws which caused the circuit to trip.
My problem is this, the outlet has 1 yellow Romex (12AWG) wrapped around the top screws (hot and neutral in their respective places) and 2 white Romex (14AWG) backstabbed into the outlet (also hot and neutral in their respective places).  The problem is that all of the ground wires are simply twisted together and all 3 wires wrapped around the single ground screw.
So I figured I would try and do a proper job (or as much of one as I can) and connect everything to the screws using pigtails.
My questions are:

Should I pigtail all the hot wires to one hot screw, all the neutral wires to one neutral screw and all the grounds to the one ground screw?

Since I have a mix of 12AWG and 14AWG in this box (and my circuit is 15Amps) can I just use the wires from a strand of 14AWG Romex to make the pigtails?

Assuming the Yellow/12AWG wire is providing the power, would it be better to wire the yellow/12AWG wire to the top screws and then just pigtail the white romex together to the bottom screws?  And all grounds pigtailed to the one ground?

Sorry, I'm not an electrician but have replaced a couple receptacles before.  I was always told to never backstab and rather to use pigtails, to never wrap more than one wire around a screw and to always wrap in a clockwise direction.
Thanks for all the help in advance.


texts: lights flicker sometimes in my apartment

texts:
I live in an apartment building, each unit has a separate electric meter. I have noticed that the incandescent bulbs in the bathroom flicker quite visibly in the morning, but not usually at other times. I am not running anything else except for clocks or possibly the fridge (which cycles itself on and off) or the water heater (ditto). It is winter, so no A/C is running, and we have electric heat (not heat pump).

Why would the lights flicker only at certain times of day? I figure that I only notice it in the bathroom due to it being a small brightly lit room with no windows, not sure if light bulbs flicker elsewhere in the apartment at those times. I sometimes observe a single flicker occasionally in other rooms at night. This did not happen when I lived in houses.


texts: closing cold water inlet valve to propane water while away for 2 months

texts: I have a 16 year old State Industries 40 gal propane water heater. It currently works fine (only issue I've ever had was to replace the thermocouple a couple of years ago). However, I'll be away for two months, and I worry what would happen if the water heater gave out and began to leak while I was away. Rather than have the possibility of water running non-stop and flooding my house in that scenario, I want to shut the cold water inlet valve off going into the top of the tank. That way, the worst that could happen is that the water in the tank would drain out if it leaked (which really wouldn't be that much of a problem). Unless it's absolutely necessary, I really don't want to drain the tank, turn off the pilot and/or turn off the gas. If it's not unsafe or going to damage the water heater, I'd rather just turn the cold water valve off, and when I return to the house, turn it back on and wait for the water to heat up before using it again? Will that work?


texts: Are water heater piezo igniters compatible across brands?

texts:
Is there really any difference in the piezo igniters used on water heaters? My Maytag has a bad one and they are not available any more, but it and its bracket look exactly the same as this Rheem one.

Is it likely that this Rheem one would damage my igniter if I used it? Can it put out a spark so much more powerful that it would somehow damage the sparker?


texts: Would mold eventually just die by itself if its environment was made uninhabitable?

texts:
I decided to move my noisy server farm into my basement. I enhanced the ventilation somewhat with 500CFM intake/exhaust fans and in combination with the heat coming off the farm, the room is now a cozy ~30C with around 25% humidity.

Anyways, the basement also has a mold problem. It has exposed limestone walls with mortar between the stones and half of its 2 walls are pretty much covered with the mold (mostly the mortar, stones not so much).

Its been that way since I moved into the house and I've considered getting rid of the mold but there hasn't been any real need for it. Several days after I moved in the servers though, I noticed that the moldy/mildewy smell was pretty much gone.

So just out of curiosity, if I keep this up, would the mold just die by itself in a dry and toasty room? How can I tell when its dead? Would it change color? Its black/brownish right now. I had a dream that it would turn white and I could just vacuum it up like dust, I have weird dreams.


texts: We (our local athletic association) bought a pre-built building, but we had to relocate one of the doors.  We replaced the panel with a matching piece, but we're not sure how to finish it so that it matches the rest of the building.  I guess the manufacturer is no longer reachable (which doesn't give me a great feeling), so we're left to guessing.  Any ideas?  Original is the yellower material on the left side and the thin strip on the top by the green metal roofing. The new panel is on the right (paler color).


texts:
I made a DIY pull up bar by putting a barbell onto a barbell holder, however it rotates a bit when hanging on.
How can I stop it from rotating given this set up?
(There's only 1 barbell in my set up)


texts: Can POP (Plaster of Paris) and Paint done without waiting

texts:
I am undergoing paint in my house and POP at same time.

A guy did a POP in most of the rooms.

Now after how much time i allow a painter to start doing a putty and paint on it or should they wait for some time.

Overall i want to ask how much time i left POP to fully dry before painters can start doing their work?


texts:
I had a security light installed on the outside of my house.  The power feed (wiring) came off of my existing surface mounted porch light.  The installer added a junction box under the porch light, and ran conduit along the wall from the porch light to the security light.
The porch light now sits on top of the junction box, and extends about 2-3 inches away from the siding and is so horribly ugly.  Before I hire an electrician to redo the whole thing, and recess the box into the wall, is there any kind of trim box or other easy solution for this problem?


texts: I had a plumber replace my T & P valve on a 08' 50gal. American water heater. It kept discharging water practically every other day. He replaced the T & P valve and water started relieving again 2 hours after the plumber left. Not much, but enough to indicate a problem still exists. What other troubleshooting solution is there, short of replacing the water heater. Should I just replace my water heater?


texts: What kind of wiring/switch to use for gas fireplace switch?

texts:
I have a gas fireplace with a remote control plugged into an electrical outlet hidden below the fireplace unit. The remote control is old and not working, and I had thought about wiring up a switch instead by wiring the switch in place of the remote's leads. According to a fireplace tech, the remote box just acts as a short circuit between the leads.
Also there are other questions that mention needing specific milli-volt type switches.
Can I use normal romex/wire and 120V switch or is there something specific to high-heat situations and/or small currents?


texts: How can I repair this rotten entry threshold?

texts:
My entry door threshold is sunk into the concrete from the driveway and leaking.
How can I repair this sunken threshold?
OR, what kind of contractor should I get to repair it for me?


texts: Allow downspout discharge to cross a sidewalk in a freezing climate?

texts:
I have two downspouts whose discharge I need to get past a sidewalk.  Currently for each gutter, corrugated tubing is run underground, under the sidewalk, for approximately 20 feet where it discharges out the side of the hill approximately 18 inches lower than where it began (it's not a steep hill).

One of the corrugated tubes has a dip in the middle of the run which isn't ideal, but otherwise during the summer this configuration works decently for the time being.  In the winter is a different story--the tubing quickly freezes up and remains frozen until the ground thaws, which creates big problems for roof melt-water and early-Spring rainfall.

In the winter I've tried disconnecting the tubing and installing downspout extensions that run to the near edge of the sidewalk (so the water runs across the top of the sidewalk and then down the hill).  This allows the gutters to drain properly but creates some icing problems on the sidewalk.  I don't leave it like this in the summer due to concerns that the quantity of water will erode the concrete in those areas.

What is the ideal configuration so it can drain properly?

I've attached a crude sketch and a photograph.

Sketch:

Photo:


texts: Is it safe to install a wet rated recessed can/light in shower without gfci connection?  No fan, just led light.


texts:
I was reading the posts on why it is NOT a good idea to vent a bathroom fan to the attic.  I agree, but is it against most code to do this?  Can someone point me to the code?

Shouldn't the person who was hired to inspect the home before we bought it have noticed this and had the owner fix it?  This was not even noted on his report.


texts: motion sensor light with a three way switch

texts: I want to put a motion sensor light in my breezeway.  Right now the light is controlled by a three way switch.  Will I ab able to do this installation.


texts: 2 prong to 3 prong outlet - with pigtailed grounds

texts:
I've seen a bunch of these questions and I just want to be absolutely positive that I'm doing the correct thing here.
I have about 2-4 wall outlets per bedroom - all of them on 15amp breaker(s). I would like to replace them with 3 prong outlets.
Each outlet (aside from the last on the line) has 6 wires (black, white, bare copper - in/out). The bare copper ones are pigtailed together and attached with a screw to receptacle.
To replace, do I just need to:

15 amp 2 prong outlet get a 3 prong outlet
Connect the black to brass, white to silver, and the pigtailed to ground in new outlet?

Photo of outlet with pigtailed grounds
Anything different from above if I want to put in a GFCI? (Converting a br to home office with computer) - is the gfci necessary?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do I run a wire underground to an outdoor post lamp?

I need to run power to an automatic gate operator at the entrance to my driveway. I have 2 questions:

1) What type of conduit do I need to use underground?

2) And how deep should I bury the line?


texts: Temporary power pole new home construction

texts: Building in Gaston county NC. Called both power company and county. Power co. told me to call county and county said call power co. My question , can I use a 4x4x16 post 36 in ground with a 60amp 2 brk box.Just trying to get everything in place before we start with the permit process. Thanks


texts: Will These Electrical Panels Support Hot Tub?

texts:
I’m trying to have a hot tub installed that requires a 50amp breaker.
My main panel is a quad-throw 200amp service see photo #1  This main panel feeds 2 other sub panels - one to the garage and one to the basement.  I’m wanting to have the hot tub 50amp breaker installed from the garage sub pane - picture #2.  I’m worried that since the main panel appears to be feeding 125amps mac to the garage panel and 50amps of that is going to be used by the hot tub that there won’t be enough amps left in that sub panel (125 total) and things will start tripping.
Am I over concerned?


texts: What could cause a gas fireplace to come on by itself?

texts:
My natural gas fireplace has a mind of it's own.

It has been working properly until today--it decided to come on by itself

It has been cold (15 degrees) here in SC--could this be the problem??

The pilot remains on and seems to be find.

My service man came and disconnected the control valve from it's electrical source and the fireplace remained on--strange at best.

Finally disconnected all wires to control valve and fireplace went off.


texts:
I have some coaxial cable on my wall, I need to replace it with a different cable, but when I pull the cable, it doesn't move at all.
I know in the US it's common that these cables are stapled, but where I live that is not common at all, these are brick walls, and the cables are inside plastic tubes. I think the cables have been there for a very long time and now they are stuck, is there a way to pull those cables?


texts: Wiring a ceiling light with conductive tape?

texts:
I'm wondering what's the downside to running conductive tape up the wall and across the ceiling to install a light fixture in the middle of my ceiling?

I feel like it's going to be less efficient, electricity wise, but I don't have a ceiling light right now and I saw a cafe in Berlin do this and I thought the copper up the wall effect was cool.

I'd probably just link up the end to a normal plug put that into a smart plug to control it from my phone.

Thanks!


texts: Electric Guitar at an outdoor show - Grounding issues?

texts:
I play electric guitar and today I had an experience where the guitar would give very slight tingling sensations - I wouldn't quite call any of them a bad shock because none of them really hurt badly, but it was noticeable.

My question is: how to I test if the outlet we use is grounded properly. My bassist who uses the same power strip also said he gets little shocks from his bass. We play at football games and we are on those metal bleachers doing pep band crap which requires us to use an extension cord that connects to a power strip - everything that is connected is three prong including the amps.

Is this a situation where it's dangerous enough that I shouldn't plug in again until I know the reason why and fix it?


texts: What steps are needed before brazing attic a/c copper tubing with a leak?

texts:
Yesterday I discovered water stains on one of the air ducts in my house. I went up the attic and saw that a copper pipe cool to the touch which seems to be linked to the condenser? had a pin point leak. (pic at bottom of post)
After googling around, I've seen this can be fixed by brazing it with a torch. I've called around, but none of the local a/c techs seems to work with the plumbing part of a/c's. I have experience in welding and working a torch, but that's about all I know when working with a/c's. I want to tackle this problem myself, but before I do, I've been reading that these tubes are filled with freon or something of that sort.
Can anyone fill me in on what these copper pipes do, how to bleed them before working on them and refilling them back up? What kind of equipment is needed? Any google/search terms you might want to throw my way would be helpful so I can figure out how to do this.


texts: Why is water leaking near my bathroom's exhaust fan?

texts: This weekend when the snow started melting on my roof, I noticed a small water spot developing around all three bathroom exhaust fans in my house. I'm guessing the water leaked in around the exhaust fan flashing on the roof and ran down the pipe.  Is there another possibility?  What is the best way to fix this?


texts: Can I drill into basement concrete wall to hang a mirror?

texts:
My basement is unfinished and I have a large concrete wall. Can (should) I drill some small holes in the concrete to hold up a mirror or two?

Are there any serious downsides to drilling into the wall an inch or so?


texts: Levelling across multiple garden grids or concrete path tiles

texts:
I'm trying to create a level, sturdy space outdoors, where I can ultimately set up a heavy workbench with various tools. This needs to be 2.5m wide, and 1.0-1.2m deep, giving sufficient area to both place the heavy workbench and to move around it on solid and steady footing. I can however only put up a temporary structure in the garden space.

Plan A has been to fill the area with self-levelling concrete at 10cm deep. This would make for a 500kg slab of concrete which, while level and sturdy, might need to be removed later.

Plan B is to use garden grids filled with gravel, on pre-tamped-and-levelled ground, or use prefab 1x1 foot slabs from the hardware store, fitting them together (though I don't like their bevelled edges as they will cause me to trip at some stage when I am focused on something more important and/or hazardous). I would then need to level across several of these "tiles", so hopefully a long spirit level would work. But Plan B means the surface is trivial enough to remove.

Having never levelled before: Is it likely I'll get a level surface just using unbonded garden grids or small concrete slabs, put together? I'd think their being individual would cause them to slowly settle in different ways, over time, even after serious initial tamping, thus creating an uneven surface.


texts:
My old roof wasn't  buckling, so why is new one buckling?
What would you suggest I do , roofer refuses to fix. Roof is 3.5 yrs old.
Thank you.


texts: Floor joist attachment improvements in presence of existing ledger?

texts:
TL;DR: AFAIK there are no joist hangers that can be retrofit in a location where there's an existing ledger board without removing said ledger, right?  Is there anything I should think about aside from adding blocking between joists, given the existing structure?

Full deal:

I have a house built in 1910ish.  I think there were some fairly significant modifications to the structure early on.  In any case, most of the 1st floor joists are riding on ledger boards.

Some of the joists have twisted or shifted (or both) over time.  I suspect this is because of an external, shifted retaining wall (it's slated to be replaced too) and because of a significant area of water/insect damage that was repaired in the past.  Some of the joists have, of course, split horizontally where the notches were made, and there are four or five in one corner that have pulled away from their attachment at the sill beam.  (I haven't figured out quite what to do about that.  It doesn't look like it's moving now, so I suspect this is a consequence of the insect and water damage in the past.)

Some searching online does not suggest to me that there are joist hangers designed to work around existing ledger boards (but I solicit pointers).  I don't know it would even be possible to remove the ledger board without affecting the structure pretty badly, so I don't think that's the way to go.  (This is just some stabilising work I'm trying to do, not a gut job, so I don't want to rebuild everything.)

I'm now thinking that putting blocking between the joists, to reduce the tendency to twisting, is all I can do.  Am I failing to think of something obvious?


texts: 220 outlet burnt caused other outlets to go out breaker didn't trip

texts: A outlet in LR was plugged in but not in use burnt up as seen in pictures. Many other outlets and porch light went out also. The breaker didn't trip. By the looks of it I think it is copper. I cleaned out and wrapped the two corroded non black but burnt wires with electrical tape and replaced with a new outlet. Everything turned back on. I want to know if I should have it checked by an electrician to be safe and make sure the wire didn't burn further up in the cloth stuff that it is coming out of. I didn't pull it out or cut any but one small burnt piece off.


texts:
Hi I just bought a new cooker that says on the back it's 9.5kw to 10.7kw so was wondering what cable would be best 6mm or 10mm iv got a 35amp fuse in the breaker but do have a 50amp one I can put in. on a watt to amp calculator it said about 45 amp and in the manual it just said minimum 32amp cable.
Any help greatly appreciated
Thanks
Ben


texts: What are these wooden glass dividers called (cabiner window dividers)?

texts:
I'm replacing broken glass in my display cabinet door, with glass on order.
When removing the old glass and glazing I tried to salvage as much as I could, including the thin wooden strips that divided the glass pieces. However, it is clear that they are unsalvageable and need replacing also. The only issue is... I have no idea what they are called or where to buy them.
Can anybody help?
I am assuming they are a specialist piece, rather than just a wooden strip?
I have measured the dimensions to be: 18mm (height) x 1mm (width) x however long they need to be.
I did find something like this online for model boat making; I'm nust not sure if it's suitable and could do with some guidance.
FYI: I should also state that the strips should be flexible enough to fit the shape seen in the pictures below:


texts: How can I pull cable through wood and metal framing without damage?

texts:
I had to install a new wire for my water heater (higher amperage/bigger wire), and was drilling through the wooden top plate to snake the wire down the wall to the pass-through. Everything seemed standard. Put the wire in and heard what sounded like wire scraping something (possibly metallic). Pulled it out, and the cable sheath had little scratches on it; not gouges, or cuts. The hole was at least 3x larger than the wire and was clean.

Now this house in Florida where metal studs are commonplace. Elsewhere in the house there have been metal bottom plates which transition to wood as we exit the exterior wall zone so I suspect under this wooden top plate there was a metal top plate - probably a few mm of metal.

I know that with metal studs anti-short bushings are used, but I am curious how this kind of situation is handled in old-work scenarios such as this where putting in an anti-short bushing isn't possible. Short length of conduit? Don't worry about it? Pulled the wire in and out a few times - more scratches but no cuts or gouges.


texts: How to properly allow for drainage for a backyard retaining wall?

texts:
I'm building a retaining wall for a circular fire pit area in my backyard, which has some slope to it. I've stacked the stones along the front part of the fire pit to make a kind of retaining wall, but I haven't put mortar in-between the stones just yet. The plan is to eventually build up the backside of the fire pit area where we've dug into the hill. We'll set flagstone down eventually as the base of the circle. And just so you have a sense of scale, the diameter of the circle is roughly 14.5 feet and the maximum height of both the "uphill" and "downhill" retaining walls are roughly 1.5 feet (see photo below).
I'm a little unsure what to do about drainage for this thing. Should the circle be slightly angled downhill to allow for runoff? Or do I need to bury some piping behind either retaining wall to allow for drainage? And if I'm going to mortar the stones together (on both the "uphill" retaining wall and the "downhill" retaining wall), should I plan to leave holes in the mortar so water is allowed to seep through the retaining wall?
Thanks so much for the help, I'm a bit out over my skis on this one.


texts: What is the process for power washing and staining a deck?

texts:
I am planning to power wash my deck and stain it afterwards. But I am not quite sure the correct procedure for this process.

After power washing the deck, can I stain the deck immediately or should I wait some time?

Should I stain the deck first or apply the sealant first? Should there be any time gap between these two procedures?

Moreover, which kind of protective clothing should I wear when applying the stain and sealant?


texts: Where to install underfloor heating under tile; thinset layer or concrete?

texts:
Putting in either a thermal wire/mesh (SunTouch) type underfloor heater or carbon film under tile.

The subfloor is OSB.  Going to pour 3/4" of LevelQuik Self-Leveling Concrete (replacing Gyp-Crete that was removed) and then thinset and tile.  Which is the proper layer for the underfloor heating to go in?  Energy efficiency is of minimal importance.

Pro of putting it in the concrete is it would survive a re-tile job, possibly?  Whereas putting it in the thinset below the tiles means it's junked during a retile.  My only worry is that it wouldn't heat properly if it was in the concrete layer.


texts:
Is there an issue wiring a traditionally single-pole receptacle as a double-pole? (i.e. Instead of L-N-G, it would be L1-G-L2)

Hmmm. When I started typing this I could not find an IEC-320-C13 to NEMA 6-20P power cable to save my life. I have... so the question is more of a curiosity at this point. But such a cable is difficult to resell as opposed to one with a NEMA 5-15P termination....

Would such a wiring decrease the ampacity of the outlet? This is fine to me. Just means I need a bunch more. Equipment will be pulling max of 6A at 240v.

Thanks! If you're further curious about this read on but that pretty much sums up my question.

I'm searching for cost effective means of wiring my equipment. I've purchased five Tripp Lite PDU1230 for a cost of ~$800. This can wire up probably all the equipment I have. But I have space for about 5x the equipment. I can wire up everything for less than $1600 (subpanels, wire, connectors, outlets, etc.) versus $4000 in PDUs. But it's contingent on wiring a 5-15 receptacle as L1-G-L2 vs. L-N-G.

Using NEMA 6-20R/P will be significantly more expensive (~$2,000) than the 5-15 but cheaper than the PDUs.

Clarifications / Update

This is for 240v devices only; in an area with only 240v devices (racks of them); accessed, operated, and maintained by myself only.

Other precautions such labeling area as "240v only"; placing plug covers over the unused receptacle; limiting one device per outlet, etc. can all be done. (Again, I'm the only person with access though.)

I'm not looking to increase ampacity as someone commented below. I'm assuming the doubling in voltage, if anything would halve the ampacity. In this case 6A is 80% of the 7.5A capacity and therefore save to use.

This question is, as I mentioned above, "more of a curiosity at this point."


texts:
I am building a ceiling under an existing roof, covering an area of 22' x 28'. This rectangle will be supported at the two ends of the 22' run, as well as, optionally, one or possibly two ends of the 28'.

There will be about 2' of space between the ceiling and the roof, which will be used for storage of boxes, etc, and which I expect to be accessible by crawling.

Aside from the crawling person, the weights on this ceiling will vary, ranging between 0-40 pounds per square foot, with much of it empty aisles for access. I would say the average psf among the non-empty area would be much closer to 0 than to 40. However the total weight may reach several thousand lbs.

I have been looking at some steel beams to support this ceiling, to run horizontally inside the ceiling. I wonder if anyone has an idea off the top of their head what would be suitable. I wonder if I am in the right range with a product such as:

https://www.metalsdepot.com/steel-products/steel-beams
B1495 4" x 0.326" x 2.796" steel I-beam
or
https://www.metalsdepot.com/steel-products/steel-rectangle-tube
T142316 4 x 2 x 3/16 wall steel rectangular tube

It does seem like maybe the I beam would be more appropriate since the stress is concentrated on its single strong center rather than the two weaker sides of the rectangle.

The beams would be running the 22' span, and then perpendicular to them, running between them, would be 2x4 lumber attached to the beams with the standard hanging joist attachment mechanism.

I do want to try to optimize the cost here, as far as the number of beams / how far they are from each other vs their strength.

Can anyone refer me to exactly what mathematics I should be looking at for making a more precise calculation?

I am hoping to keep the height of the beams to 4" but willing to go up to 6" if necessary.

This will not be subject to any building codes or inspections.

I welcome any comments regarding this task.


texts:
Background:
I had a contractor finishing my basement, and part of that was installing underfloor heating using several heating mats in parallel.  It worked initially but soon after it just started tripping on a ground fault (built in to thermostat).  I think my contractor is a little out of his element so I took some time to try diagnose the issue.

There are no obvious issues in terms of element resistance or total current draw, so I started to check for ground leakage.  I don't have a megger and so I used my DMM to check resistance to ground for each element, nothing measurable.

Here is my question:
As a more detailed check for leakage to ground I used my DMM to measure the current.  For each mat I DISCONNECTED the neutral side, connected one lead of my DMM to the hot side of an element and then touched the other lead to a hot wire (not from thermostat).  So in theory this should just measure current leaking from the element to ground, right?

I ended up measuring between 4-8 ma for each element.  Seems a little high if this was correct.


texts: How can I stop my garage door from hanging up on the door frame?

texts:
I have a 7 year old, 4-section automatic garage door that has been working fine until recently. When I open it, the second section (the one beneath the uppermost section) is catching on the upper (horizontal) door frame and resisting travel. So far not enough to cause the motor to disengage but enough so that it hangs, then quickly releases.

The door has had nothing run into it, no accidents or anything which would cause the door to bow. My gut feeling is that age has cause the present linkage to go out of adjustment, but I'm not sure.

Is this a common problem and can it be rectified??


texts: Replacing existing ceiling fan, with on/off switch only to wall mount control of light/fan

texts:
My old ceiling fan switch used black, red, green (ground) no white. Built after 2004 white was in outlet box, 4 white wires but all together in single cap - not used. New wall mount switch has separate fan on/off, and light on/off - wires are black, red green ( ground) and white ( assume neutral). There is an adjacent wall light switch in the box that uses black, red, green - no white.   So, I am guessing I need to access the whites for my new fan. When I first wired I capped one of the 4 whites to my new switch - the other light switch would not power on . I put the borrowed white back to the 4 wires capped together and the second switch worked. I am unable to test the fan until I wire the new fan from ceiling. I would like to make sure the wall switch is functioning before I get the ceiling fan wired in place.

So, how do I wire the new switch with the existing scenario ? Which of the 4 bundled white wires do I use, or do I wire my white wire from the new switch to the 4 bundled white wires?
Please Help!


texts: How to I fit a drawer into this cabinet? (Kitchen - no side panel)

texts:
My plan is to fit a drawer into the pictured space. (Apologies for the bad photo.  It is for all intents and purposes identical to the one below but without the runners)

Based on a fixture elsewhere I have determined that I need to mount the right-hand runner to the back of the unit somehow.  There even seems to be 2 conveniently placed screw holes for just this purpose.

My questions are:

Is this the correct, modern way to do this.
Where (UK) do I buy such a fixture and what is it called.

I ask because I have spent >1 hour so far searching the web and cannot find a UK supplier.  I have found them in the USA but at $15-30 postage this doesn't seem viable.

Thanks


texts: How do you maintain good posture when working on things on the floor?

texts: Over the past few days I've been working on some aluminum frames which are fairly large and don't fit on any tables (without stuff piled on them) I have.  Now, my back is starting to hurt from being hunched over for so long.  (How) can I work on things on the floor without causing myself much pain?


texts: How many twists and turns can a vent pipe take?

texts:
I'm replacing a bathtub in the basement and by the looks of it, its trap is not vented. I want to know if I can put a vent pipe in the location I've identified as most feasible and secondly, if it's not too far away to tie into an existing vent pipe.
Here is a picture of the plumbing and a direct shot of where the tub will go. The tub sits right up against the 3" horizontal pipe.
1.
Can I put a horizontal tee in the horizontally running 3" waste pipe?
2.
Can I bring a vent pipe up ~5 feet, horizontal 5 feet over and then a 90 degree turn, run horizontal 2 feet to tie into an existing vent? How many twists and turns are too many for a vent pipe? If I can't go this route to tie into the existing vent, but going up vertically from the 3" is OK, then I guess I could use an AAV, which are allowed here in Ontario Canada.


texts: Change a outside 220v line from hard wire to a irrigation motor to add plug and receptacle

texts: I have an 220v 30 amp connection for my irrigation system which I bring the motor in over the winter. Currently it's hard wired to the motor with the conduit coming up from the ground. I would like to make it easier by adding a plug and receptacle. Thinking of cementing a 4x4 in the ground to attach the receptacle, any issues or tips?


texts: How much space do I need between rafter ties?

texts:
I have a living room that I'd like to vault the ceiling on. I've had a contractor come out and tell me that my ceiling joists are not supporting the roof in anyway, they are just tying the walls together.

The room has 3 exterior walls and is 14'x20' with the ceiling joists running the 14' direction currently spaced 16" o.c. (built in the early 50s). The 20' walls are both exterior. I'm in an area with little to no snow, wind, and seismic activity (Raleigh, NC). The roof pitch is pretty low.

Ideally I'd like to remove the ceiling joists at the top plate and move them up to the 1/3rd mark so they are a bit higher and also reduce as much as possible the number of ties needed.

I'm thinking two or three 2x6's spaced fairly evenly across the room should do it, but I'm just guessing.


texts: Re-drilling into existing hole in plasterboard/breeze block

texts:
I live in the UK. I drilled a hole to hang a mirror and it’s slightly off, I’d like to shift it over to a new location, the new location will be half over the old hole.
So I’d like to fill the existing hole but fill it to be able to bear the weight of a heavy mirror still.
It’s plasterboard and breeze block as it’s an external facing wall.
How can I fill the hole to a strength strong enough to bear load?
Thanks!


texts: How do I open attic A/C unit to perform maintenance?

texts:
I live in metropolitan Houston, Texas (note: high humidity), and this concerns a home I recently purchased. I have a heater (furnace) and blower unit installed in the attic, which is typical for many homes in Texas.

I do DIY maintenance on our home, but I am not extremely familiar with A/C DIY. I noticed what could be a little mold forming on the outside of the box portion on the right. Edit: After doing some more research, I am almost certain that this section of the A/C unit is where the evaporator coil is located, as there appears to be two lines entering the top of the unit, one of which is a copper refrigerant line.

Here is a close up of the suspected mold (the drain pan, which also suggests the evaporator coil is located in this section of the A/C unit, is located on the bottom of the image):

I would like to inspect the inside of the evaporator coil box to perform maintenance and inspect for mold, but it seems to me that it is sealed by some sort of white sealant and a bit of duct tape (tape is not an issue, but the sealant is).

Do I just use a utility knife to cut the edges and open it up? And, if I do that and need to re-seal it, what do I use to do so?


texts: Can I bury RG6 in the same conduit as electric?

texts: I am burying electric wire in a PVC conduit from my house to my shed, I want to run RG6 cable for cable TV also, can I run the RG6 in the same conduit as the electric wire? without any trouble or interference?


texts: How should I fix this drywall hole for my bathroom paper towel holder?

texts:
The bathroom paper towel holder is loose and can't be hold anymore. It was anchored on the drywall I believe. This is caused by the hole was broken.

Please see the images.

Do I need to buy a drywall to fix it? But it is too small. Thanks for your ideas.


texts: I'm trying to replace an outlet with a GFCI outlet and when I remove the wall cover and pulled out the old outlet it contained one neutral one ground and two lines on the hot side. The original outlet is located in a electrical box that also contains a light switch and I think the garbage disposal is also spliced inside this electrical box. I wanted to know if I should just pigtail the two hot wires together then connect them to the hot terminal on the GFCI line in and then connect the white neutral on the line in terminal? I know I only want to connect to the line side of the GFCI and not the load.


texts:
In my house, the kitchen is on one side of the house, and bathrooms on the other side.  For some reason, the kitchen drains are not vented at all, but bathrooms are.  I would like to vent the kitchen plumbing, and I was wondering what would be the best way to do this?  Here are some options I thought of given my house configuration:

Run pipe from one side of the house to the other to connect into the vent stack, but this would be a very long run and a lot of effort passing through all the joists in the basement literally going the length of the house.
Install a "cheater vent" (1 way valve).  This would be perfect, but I need the vent to allow gas exchange in both directions.  This is because my basement has an ejector pump (into a septic tank), and the lack of venting on the kitchen side is causing the pressure from the pump to push gasses past the traps when it runs.  This is the big reason why I want to add venting.
Run a new vent stack through the roof?? Is there a better way than going all the way through the roof?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!  Thanks for your time.

EDIT: More info.  The vent stack is behind the drywall ceiling in the basement bathroom, so not much access, but there is a vent branch extending into the exposed joists in the oil tank room next to it that I could tie into.  The access beneath the kitchen is completely open. (only some of the basement is finished at this time).

I would call myself a very capable DIY'er.  I have a good deal of experience in plumbing, framing, electrical, concrete work, etc.  I don't have any issues tearing into things.  Although one area I don't have much experience in is doing work on the roof so when it comes to this I have a bit of apprehension, but would be willing to do what ever to get it done.


texts: Is a large change in radon test results normal?

texts: I am selling my home in Georgia and just had a Radon test result of 7.0 as part of the buyer's inspection. When I moved in 10 years ago the test result was only .9. Is this much change normal or should I question the result?


texts: Does running a dehumidifier with an AC unit save money?

texts:
I've done as much research as i can an every site i hit seems to have a different story on my question: "Will a dehumidifier save energy while running your AC through the summer"?

The ones that say "yes" pretty much reason that you usually can raise your thermostat a few degrees because of the lower humidity it will "feel" more comfortable. While they reason that yes AC do dehumidify also but it will put less of a load on your AC system.

The ones that say "no" say AC units doesn't run optimally when a dehumidifier is running (they don't go into details). Also, by design, dehumidifiers heat the air. How much of a difference that makes, i don't know.

That being said dehumidifiers do pull quite a bit of energy (i'm sure not NEARLY the amount of an AC unit though).

I live in zone 5 (central IL). Hot/humid summers and cold/dry winters. I don't need a dehumidifier for the winter (we actually need a humidifier then).

Also, as a lot of you probably already know, current dehumidifiers are some of the most unreliable appliances you can buy. Its one of the few things i know make sure i get an extended warranty for. I'm on my 3rd unit and, one of the reasons i'm here, is to find out if i need to budget for another one. Sure i'm sure there will be days when i could not run the AC and just run the dehumidifier but i don't think there will be enough of those days to warrant a dehumidifier if i really don't need one.


texts:
We have the mixed blessing of a giant swath of exposed Canadian Shield on our property in Ontario. Literally a big flat area of exposed rock, no soil whatsoever.

Scale is hard to see, but a satellite view looks like this:

In our area it has been tested to have a bearing weight > 10 000 pounds per square foot (basically high enough that the number doesn't matter anymore). We have the pieces of a high tunnel style greenhouse (32 ft wide, 96 ft long, 24 ft high in the center), like this:

Perhaps foolishly (no one we've spoken to in the area has tried to permit a greenhouse), we took the plans to our local permitting office. The only particularly difficult part we've run into is the foundation. As purchased, the plans were for a standard installation with a more house-style foundation. We were presuming that it would be extremely easy to do a foundation as frost heaving and bearing weight aren't a concern. The only engineered diagram we've gotten past the permitting office is a 24" tall x 14" wide concrete beam poured directly on the bedrock.

Our issue is that this seems to avoid all the benefits that exist with the exposed bedrock, makes it virtually impossible to do ourselves just due to the volume and the associated risk of mistakes, and is crazy expensive without much perceived value.

I've seen this related question, which basically ends up with something like this:

Are we missing why this same principle cannot be applied with just enough concrete to level out the area and provide a consistent and level wall to form the perimeter of the structure? Is 2' high really required, or is this a case of the engineer getting fed up with the back-and-forth with the permitting office and over-engineering it?

Are there any other options we're missing to accomplish the same end result - a blocked in bottom perimeter that can support the greenhouse "hoops"?

Note: We haven't measured the grade over the entire length, but it can safely be assumed to be < 6" after clearing away surface dirt, loose stone etc.

Late Update: After building a few small outbuildings, we were misunderstanding the concerns addressed in the design. The massive foundation is essentially a humongous anchor. If hurricane force winds come through (and in this imaginary scenario I guess the plastic holds to the frame better than the frame to the ground anchors) the foundation is spec'd so the whole building doesn't lift up and blow away. All that to say the bearing weight and heaving are not large concerns as we were thinking they are.

To summarize, it is almost exclusively uplift which is being addressed by the massive amount of concrete. No engineers are willing to say the bedrock is really bedrock without a (hugely expensive) core sample (I guess the system works?), so the building has to be designed to not fly away with no consideration of the uplift resisting ability of the ground underneath, or fastening systems attaching to the ground.