texts: How should I build the concrete footings for my deck?

texts:
I plan on making a small deck and I live in Howard County Maryland.  The deck code here says that the concrete footing must be 30 in below ground level and have a thickness of at least 8 inches (i.e. to 22 inches below ground level).  This which means the wood post is in the ground. This is also how all the contractors I have talked to would do it. (Deck guide for my county (PDF))

The books on deck building I have only suggest having the concrete footing extend above ground level by a little bit (I think this is called a tube footing).  This method has the post not touching the dirt.

Is the second method better?  Do I need to worry about the post rotting with the first method?  I am assuming that I should be able to do it the second way because that exceeds the minimum requirement here.  Is there anything better about the first method?  Should I consider a different type of footing than these two? My deck with have about 3 posts and footings and will also attach to a ledger on the house.


texts: Combi boiler on 2nd or higher floor - how to tell if water flow and pressure is sufficient?

texts:
The combination boiler in my house has to be moved, and one idea is to put it in the loft space to free up a decent amount of space in the main part of the house. The house isn't big, so this would be very useful. The entire water system is being redone, so all I have is the mains stopcock connection right now.

I can measure the flow and pressure at the stopcock easily.

Can I use the measurements to assess whether I will lose much output from the boiler if I put the boiler in the loft instead of the ground floor, or what the effect will be if I put the boiler in the loft?

Notes if useful:

I'm in the UK, so floors here are ground, first and second. The second floor is the house's roof space (loft). The house has central heating. The kitchen and bathroom are almost above each other at the back of the house, and there's a ground floor walk-in shower at the front of the house. All hot pipes will be heavily insulated.

If it helps, the effects of a loft location as I see it are: Boiler directly above main areas of use, so water has a shorter run and space is saved. Won't affect piped cold water as cold water to taps doesn't go through boiler. Won't affect central heating as the heating circuit is sealed and pumped, at worst an extra floor means installing a slightly more powerful pump. Possible effect on hot water at shower, bath and taps?, because water has to be drawn up to loft to be heated (maybe offset by a matching "syphon" effect as it falls down to the taps?). I'd like to have a good rate of hot water for taps + shower if I can, so this would be a consideration.


texts: How to pour concrete for curved walkway to prevent cracking?

texts:
The front edge of my home slab is about 37 feet from the street. There is a 12*4  feet landing pad next to street and a  7*4  area next to front door.  Originally there was a 33*4 rectangular walkway connecting the two. It has been removed and I want to rebuild a walkway in its place.

I am wondering if a curved walkway design resembling a tall trapezoid with curved sides and a wide base close  to 12 feet and a narrow top  close to 5 foot will be practical and good looking.

In particular I am concerned if the curved design is more prone to cracking and what to do to minimize it.  How are spacers and rebars are to be placed?


texts: I am remodeling my basement and have a bedroom connected to a bathroom. Between them is a walk-in closet. A door leads from the bedroom to the closet, and another door from the bathroom to the closet. I'd like to have a 3 way at each door, one inside the bedroom and the other inside the bathroom. It's easiest for me to wire them to a 15 amp lighting circuit. However, I'm unclear as to what the code requirements are in this situation as current codes for fixtures and outlets in bathrooms have to be on a 20 amp circuit. Would the attached configuration pass a code inspection, or would I have to put this on a 20 amp circuit because one of the switches is in the bathroom? (I understand the 20 amp circuit would be the safest way to go - I just don't want to do the extra work if I don't have to).  Thanks for the help.


texts: North Carolina Code question for splicing 6x6 posts

texts:
I have a 48 X 10 second floor deck with 6X6 posts.  I want to add a roof above about half of it.  It is not feasible to replace the 6X6's with longer ones as I would basically end up replacing the deck, and it just wouldn't be a safe process.

I am also not sure about the minimum/maximum distance from deck boards that this should be done.  Obviously the lower the better for looks purposes.

Does anyone know if this is defined in North Carolina code?  I have checked around and it seems like the acceptable method is a 24" rabbet sandwiched between galvanized plates, through bolted.

Anyone else have any knowledge of this as it relates to North Carolina code, or am I getting an engineer?


texts:
I'm a complete amateur, so please bare with me.

I have a pendant ceiling light that requires a hook.

I'm guessing that simply screwing a hook into the ceiling is a bad idea (electricity and all that). I'm also guessing that if I purchase a wire detector it isn't going to be too much use, as there is bound to be wires all over the place.

When travelling to Sweden I noticed that all the lights had pre-fitted hooks, so I'm wondering if there is a safer way for me to fit the hook or something particular I should purchase.

Either that or I'm thinking way to much into it.... but I'm trying to be safe as I don't fancy an electric shock!

EDIT:

Here is a link to the light http://www.philips.co.uk/c/choose-your-luminaire/ecomoods-402353116/prd/


texts: One zone of my sprinkler system comes on at times and not at other times. We have 70 PSI at the meter coming to the house which drops to 20 PSI when the zone comes on. If the heads come up, the pressure rises quickly to 35-40 PSI. If the heasd just gurgle and squirt, then the pressure remains at 20 PSI. We have had the backflow checked as well as the water meter replaced. I don't know where to turn as they come on sometimes and not others. Any ideas what would be causing this?


texts: Why when I turn the one knob kitchen Facet from running cold water to hot water does the water stop?

texts:
We just got home from a weekend away.  We actually dropped the house temperature while we were away from 70 C to 58 C (outside it was actually the coldest its been all season (-30 C)
When we got home our Kitchen Facet - which is a single knob facet - wasn't working properly.
When I ran it on cold water it runs normally - when I turn the facet to hot water the water shuts off completely.  Could it be that our hot water line froze?  Every other facet in the house works properly - so it isn't the hot water tank.  Any suggestions before I call a professional?


texts: I am buying a new home.  The foundation was poured in Sept 2019. The home is nearing completion but the floors have not yet been installed.  I see cracks in the foundation.  Most concerning are two separate cracks that run the width of the home. In most, of not all, places I believe they are 1/2 cm (1/4” I think) or less.  Do I have a potential structural problem?  Do these need inspection by a structural engineer? Home inspector? Or can they just be filled? I’m including a sample photo.


texts: Giant magnetic something behind drywall/fireplace

texts:
I'm trying to mount a flatscreen TV above our fireplace that was converted by a previous owner (from wood?) to direct vent. During the process of finding the studs, I noticed that magnets stick the wall in a continuous rectangle, not in discreet spots like one might expect drywall nails to be. In the picture below, I put magnets in some places; again, they actually stick in between all of the places.

Notice that the rectangle is off-center with respect to the fireplace.

Here is the picture of the other side of the wall:

Any ideas what might be behind there? And any ideas how I might go about mounting the TV bracket?


texts: Have never figured out what this is. There is basically a false roof frame in the attic. The peak is the opposite direction of the actual roof. As far as I know there hasn't been any major remodeling to this house, definitely not something of the scale of adding a completely new roof. Can anyone tell me what the purpose of this is, or if it was just likely built accidentally and left in place? The area with plywood is over the kitchen as well, so possibly someone was planning on vaulting the kitchen ceiling?


texts: White Rogers 9600 Thermostat-Set at 70 Deg,dropped to 62 deg-no heat-Trane XR90 gas furnace

texts:
I checked the batteries on my White Rogers-9600 thermostat,which were fine.(earlier in the day-furnace ran fine)
At 12pm the thermostat dropped to 62 degrees with no heat. After kicking up the heat to 70.It worked fine till 6am.When the thermostat showed 62 degrees again,and the house was cold.I hit the reset button. Now the heat is staying at 70 ,but for how long,as only time will tell. The thermostat wasn't programmed.
Assuming the reset fixed the problem,why did l have the drop in temp w/o programming the thermostat?
[


texts: How do i reduce and split hvac duct from 8" round into two rooms

texts: Hi  i have small minisplit  with 350 cf/m i attached a plenum with 8 inch ridgit round duct attached to it  now i need to run it into a bulkhead  where one register goes into a small room aprox 12x12  and the second one into a master bedroom aprox  20x12 and i cant run one 8 inch and split at the end into each rooms divided by 1 wall because you would hear the noice through . what is the best way to duct? I had it 8 inch into 1 big room and 3 inch into small room  thru the ceiling before but it was too far from the window and i had bad heating


texts: Ideas for how to hide an 8ft sewer vent pole in backyard

texts: I have a sewer vent pole in my backyard (about 8 feet tall) and I'm looking for ideas on how to best hide it. I haven't seen any fake rocks etc that would be large enough to cover or hide it so I've been thinking maybe plant something near or on it or maybe build something around it. I've included a picture (I've temporarily stacked rocks on top of the manhole area), any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated!]1


texts: Need a window exhaust fan with louvers that close automatically

texts: I currently put a box fan in a window as an exhaust fan when I need to ventilate a room in my house.  But when I turn the fan off, I need to remove the fan and close the window.  I'd like to have a system with louvers that automatically close when the fan shuts off so I don't need to worry about hot air or bugs coming in.  But I don't want a unit that requires any alterations to the window frame.  Is there such a thing?


texts: How to repair basic cable/wire issue for household appliances

texts:
I have a set of very old computer speakers that works fine except for one problem.  One of the wires connecting to the volume control dial is loose, so that if the wire is jostled or flexed, the speakers lose sound.  I'd have to re-jostle or flex the cable into another position before the sound can be heard again.

The image below shows the problematic cord:

I circled a region in pink.  The sound disappears or re-appears depending on how the pink region is flexed or jostled.

I want to know how I can repair this problematic cord?  Should I strip away the black plastic casing of just the pink region, then try to solder the metal wires that have been damaged, then tape things back up? Or are there some other off-the-shelf components I can consider?


texts: What is the name of the device that allows switching between two power sources?

texts: What is the component called that allows switching between two power sources so that only one of them can be used at a time?


texts:
I have an outlet in my home that not only does not work if it is not in a certain position, but shuts off the power to about a 1/4 of my home if it’s not in an awkward angled position.

At first I thought it was being overloaded, and I even tried flipping the breakers with nothing plugged in, and it will keep the power down. There must be something plugged into that outlet and it must keep the outlet in an odd angle for it to run and not shut off electricity in other areas of the home.

Does anyone know what’s causing this or what I can do to fix it?


texts: How to install a electrical outlet box in a workbench?

texts:
I'm building a workbench for hobby electronics. I have have my basic blue prints for the bench.

I want to install outlets(3-4) along the back of the bench, embedded into the workbench.  I want to have two plugs from the workbench to my home outlets.

What cabling would I need? Can I cut up a power cable and tie it into the outlet box, and string the wire from one outlet to the other?


texts: What is involved in replacing a missing speed selector on my two speed hammer drill?

texts:
I have a Bosch CSB 500-2 2 speed hammer drill for wood, concrete, and steel. As can be seen in the image below, the speed selection knob is missing.

Would it be simply buying a new selector, which I imagine is pretty simple and inexpensive, and just opening the machine and slotting it in, or is this repair more complex than I envision? If more complex, I would appreciate a short summary of what needs to be done, but I am not looking for instructions on how to do it.


texts: Fixing a gap with silicone on shower base

texts:
I recently discovered a problematic area in the shower base where the silicone peeled off and the gap was visible underneath the tiles.
Now I removed a bit more silicone left and right from the problematic spot and planning to put some new bathroom sealant on the gap.
Would that work ok?
Thanks


texts: Was this countertop stabilized properly?

texts: I'm in Florida and recently moved into a new apartment complex. One issue we submitted for maintenance relates to a countertop you can see in the attached in the pictures. Basically, there were no brackets under it and it wobbled significantly. It looks like there were brackets previously, but were probably removed when a new counter was installed. In the pictures you can see how they resolved it. I'm not clear what type of brackets they are or what their intended use is, but they don't seem appropriate for this type of task. Am I wrong? Their placement/number also seems inappropriate; 3 total, one centered on each side and one at one end. The counter IS substantially more stable, but the end without brackets still has a little give. If it was my own house, I would have used heavier/longer brackets; two at each end at least. Is this something that we should ask to be redone?


texts: Connecting a ceiling fan with lamp to white and blue house wires

texts:
I've purchased a Hampton Bay ceiling fan with a lamp and I'm trying to connect it to my house wiring.
I can see the following house wires:

2 connected (twisted) white wires
one wire of blue'ish color (maybe purple, I'm not good with colors)

What I've tried:

I connected the white fan wire to the white twisted pair of house wires.
All the other fan wires were connected to the blue house wire.
Result: short circuit and a broken switch.

House wires:

Fan wires (2 green, blank, white, blue):

How should I connect my ceiling fan to the house wires that I have?


texts: Wonky fan wiring problem (smart switch caseta)

texts:
I have have a ceiling fan/light combo that was installed by the previous owner. I am attempting to install lutron casetas to control the fan.
I had noticed that in the original set up, the fan was only controllable by the fan slider when the light dimmer switch was at full power
When I installed the Caséta to control the light, for some reason I don’t understand, the Caseta only gets power when the fan light cord is manually pulled. So when I turn on the fan light by the fan cord it completes the circuit to the light switch. When the fan light is pulled to off, I lose power to the switch. The switch is also unable to control the light for on and off when the fan light complete the circuit. It’s essentially backwards.
When attempting to put in the fan switch, when I removed the old one, it only had two black wires and a ground. All other switches in the gang had red and black and ground so not sure which would be the load. The Caseta requires a H, N, L and ground so not sure how to accomplish that.
Any insight would be appreciated. I have attached photos. The one of me holding two toggle switches and the fan slider is the the order I found them in the gang. The toggle to the far left is for an outlet and is not part of the circuit for the fan. The second photo is my hopeful set up with the light and fan Caseta.


texts: California code for gas range ventilation

texts: Is there a california code for gas range ventilation to the exterior of the house. Because I have a gas range that has a downdraft but the exhaust is hitting the wall of the the cabinet.


texts: How fix a smoothie drain pipe in kitchen double sink

texts:
To solve the problem is de 2 draining pipe are draining too slowly
;DOUBLE SINK WITH DRAIN HOLE 40mm
;can I joint the two sink drain together with T-fitting at the center of the 2 sink and then out with 2’inch water trap then only totally drain out


texts: Is there a masonry filler tough enough to drill into once it's set

texts:
Our new home has two old metal gates front and back where the screws mounting the locking points have chipped out of the brickwork leaving large holes (40 - 50mm tall/deep).

Is there a masonry filler tough enough that it will allow me to repair the damaged brick work and redrill the mounting points afterwards?


texts: The door to our kitchen cabinet doesn't stay open at a right angle. Instead, it swings closed right away. How can I have it stay open until I want to close it?


texts: converting two lights from two switches to two lights from one switch

texts: I have a double gang box with two switches that run different lights, from the same incoming cable (power through the switch first).  Therefore, I have one "incoming cable" and two "outgoing cables", one running to each light fixture.  I would like to make it so both lights operate off one switch, doing away with the other switch.  I want to make sure it is OK to run a pigtail hot wire off the switch and connect to the two hots of the cables running to the lights, while connecting all three neutrals together.  Is this the correct way to wire this situation?  Thanks for any advice/assistance.


texts: What's the strongest anchor for something heavy in double drywall?

texts:
I have a party-wall in my apartment-née-condo that seems to have two sheets of drywall installed against eachother. All attempts to find some sort of stud or resilient channel / furring strip have failed miserably; short of going Hulk and tearing out a hole large enough to stick my head in and look for studs, I've given up. (And I don't have the drywall-repair skills to seriously do that; if it can't be repaired with spackle, I'm not going to try it.)

I've looked at quite a few anchors; but most (toggles, mollies, and the like) of them seem to assume a standard(?) 1/2-inch thick sheet, or so. All the ones I have certainly do. I don't want to fall back on using plastic-expansion plugs, if I can avoid it; I hear they're extremely unreliable.

Does anybody know if high-shear-capacity drywall anchors exist that latch onto double-thickness drywall? Or have other advice for me?

(For context: I'm installing a large shelving system, that should ideally be able to support quite a bit of weight.)


texts: Should the solenoid to a Furnace Humidifier be intermittent?

texts:
This should be a simple yes or no question but I can't determine it myself. I have an AprilAire 550 Humidifier built into the ducting from my furnace. It appears that the humidifier isn't working due to water never spraying out of the line. I have narrowed it down to the solenoid. I can test the line going to the solenoid with a multimeter and confirm that 24 volts is going to it. Whenever the solenoid is connected, while monitoring the power, the power stays at 24 volts but the solenoid only opens the valve briefly when I connect it.

So I do know solenoids can be both intermittent and not. My question is, should this solenoid be an intermittent one? If the answer is no then of course I will replace it. I believe the answer is no since the humidistat and furnace circuit will determine whether it should be on or off.


texts: Forgot washer when after building a desk

texts:
I just finish building a desk. I already drilled holes prematurely (not deep, the table top isnt pre-drilled) and force my screw to fully go in.
It includes washers that is meant to be between the table top and legs but I totally forgot about it!
Should I take it apart to put in the washers? If so, would I run the risk of having the screw not being able to screw tightly (with/without the washer)
The washer is about the 50% of the hole depth.


texts:
I purchased a new construction home just a month ago that has a year of warranty. I have started noticing bulges in the wall and ceiling. Is it poor construction? There are several like these.

How hard or easy is it to fix?
Is it concerning?

Please let me know your thoughts.


texts: Dirty dishes at the top even after cleaning parts

texts:
I have a Maytag Quiet Series 300 dishwasher. I am not sure how old it is but I've been in this house for 5 years now. The dishwasher was never a superstar but recently it started washing dishes really badly. Specifically, the cups at the top come out with some sort of grime on them on the inside. They are perfectly clean on the outside. The bottom rack is also generally quite clean.

Here's a relatively extreme example of what I'm witnessing.

my first attempt was to clean the dish washer parts as seen on numerous YouTube videos. That didn't help much. We also tried running vinegar in an empty washer. I've also replaced the upper wash arm and one of the wash manifolds hoping they were clogged. None of that made much of a difference. I've also ran the wash empty with 4 cups flipped on the upper rack to confirm water is flowing up. They came out full of water as expected. I am getting desperate but before continuing to replace parts in the wash I was hoping someone could give me an educated guess on what could be the cause of this.

Thank you!


texts: What to do with unused water supply lines?

texts: I am remodeling my bathroom and installing a single vanity in place of a double vanity.  There are two sets of PEX water supply lines in the wall - can one of those sets be plugged?


texts: A couple of my pop up sprinkler head rotate when they rise. One eventually rotated 180 degrees spraying my driveway instead of my landscape. What causes that and more importantly... how do I fix that?


texts: Is it normal for the voltage tester to beep when touching the refrigerator frames?

texts: I've bought a Klein Tools NCVT-3 non-contact voltage tester and while I was playing with it I've found the tester beeps whenever it touches the frame of the refrigerator. This won't happen with any of our other appliances like the microwave oven or the dishwasher. Is this an expected behavior or does it indicate something is wrong with my refrigerator?


texts: Rain gutter backs up and overflows in heavy rain

texts: I live in a terrace house and my gutter keeps over flowing every time it rains heavily. I've  found out that my gutter is a bigger size than both my neighbours' gutters on either side of me. Can I take my gutter out and fit the same size as my neighbours'? If so, will this solve my problem?


texts: Why would turning off a sink faucet stop the shower?

texts:
We observed a really weird behavior this morning.

While showering, if any sink faucet is turned on anywhere in the house, the shower continues without any problem. However, when that sink is turned off, water flow in the shower drops by over 90% to a trickle. Turning off the shower and back on restores water flow to normal.

We've never had this problem with the shower before. (The shower plumbing was all completely replaced 6 months ago as a part of a remodel)

Is there any explanation for this?


texts:
In my master bathroom are 4 light switches:

1 dimmer for dimmable overhead LEDS
1 toggle for mirror LEDs
1 toggle for runner LEDs
1 timer switch for light/fan exhaust for shower

I recently replaced these switches. Unlike every other circuit in my house (which have 1 hot per light switch), this 4 gang had the following:

1 hot wire
6 return / pole wires
6 neutrals
6 grounds

I wired it all up and it's working (daisy chained the grounds, split the hot into 4, and tied together 3 of the returns with a wire nut (which is how it was done by electrician before I replaced it).

I did wire the hot differently than the electrician however. The electrician daisy-chained the hot across the 4 lights; I instead used a wire nut to split the 1 hot into 4 hots which I ran to each of the 4 light switches. All the rest of the circuit is fine (neutrals are tied off and unused).

Is this safe and/or OK? Any issues to look out for aside of loose wires? All wire nuts are located in the 4 gang box, and other than the grounds which I daisy chained, there are never 2 wires on a single fastener screw.


texts: How can I unclog my gutter downspouts from the ground?

texts: My house downspouts often get clogged with debris.  Is it possible to clean them without getting on a ladder or on the roof?  I was thinking about snaking my gutters.  I made a quick trial using a garden hose and also a plumbing snake.  Neither worked out.  Is there a lighter weight snake type option available (I don't want to rip off my downspouts)


texts: Will 12" tiles crack if laid on a bowed concrete floor?

texts:
Today I laid tile in a 25sq ft bathroom with a concrete subfloor.  The concrete had a slight "bow" to it, meaning if you hold a straight edge across the 5' width, there is a gap of about 1/8" in the center.  The tiles pretty much follow that slight curve.  Will this cause any problems with cracking?
If it matters, the tiles are 12" squares, inexpensive ceramic.


texts: How can I correct wiring of a half switched receptacle?

texts: In the living/dining area (of a home I just purchased in a new city/state where I don't yet know an electrician) there are 5 outlets with the lower-half switched. I was attempting to eliminate switching of the dining area receptacles, and in one box fed with two (2) 3-wire romex plus ground feeds I removed the red wire to the lower hot side of the receptacle with a broken tab between the upper and lower outlets. I jumpered the upper and lower outlets effectively making both hot, but now the switch does not control other half receptacles.


texts: How to plumb aquaponics systems that are far apart?

texts:
I am setting up an aquaponics system. There is one large basin for plants (left) and one large basin for fish (right). The basin for plants is filled with rocks and is about 2" higher than the fish basin, filled with water. A pump delivers water from the fish basin though a pipe with an outlet buried under the rocks of the plant basin, supplying nutrients from the fish waste to the plants.

The black items show the pump that pulls water and moves it to the plant basin.
Normally I'd have a simple pipe return the water by gravity back to the fish basin (pipe shown in purple). The problem I have, is due to some other conditions, the two basins are located 20 ft apart, and the space between the two basins is the only walkway to another area of the garden.

I think maybe a drain pipe can then snake back, but I don't know if it is physically possible for the water to return as shown (in green). The return water must equal the amount pumped. I'm concerned any such configuration like shown in green either won't work, or might cause a siphon effect that doesn't flow at the same rate as the pump that adds water.

I want to avoid drilling holes in the basins, as that introduces the risk of a leak and insurance costs or lawsuits from neighbors. I'll only choose this option if a way without involving holes if impossible.
How can I plumb this so water returns back to the fish basin in an equal amount to that pumped, without obstructing the 20 ft space between the two basins?


texts:
The outer "frame" of my fireplace is comprised of a thin, sheet-metal-like material that is separating at the seams in some places.  Ants are finding their way up from beneath the fireplace and making their way into my house through these broken seams.  I Googled "metal filler" and happened upon epoxy putty, one type of which is designed for higher temps in the 500 degree range.  Would I be able to fill these broken seams with this putty?  If not, what should I use?

Also, I know that ants are relentless and that many of you will say that I am wasting my time trying to keep them out.  However, I am gradually sealing off all their entry points into my house and have been successful thus far as they are forced to locate another way in.  Eventually, though, I will prevail even if it leaves me with only one arm and one leg.  I have declared war on these ants.  While I could kill the colony with ant traps, a new colony will only replace them.  My home is my fortress, and keep out the enemy I surely will.  As Bruce Campbell would say at a time like this: Come get some.

Edit: Per commenter's suggestion below, I came upon this product:


texts: How do I prepare walls for wallpaper after removing wallpaper?

texts: Do I have to take the old glue side of wall paper off before I wall paper again? How do I prep the walls?


texts: Water from refrigerator tastes bad after 5 day power outage

texts:
The water from refrigerator tastes very bad after 5 day power outage. Everything rotted in the fridge and we had to clean it out after the power came back on. The fridge is fine now, but the water that feeds the ice machine and the chilled water spout still tastes pretty funky.

I tried to flush the system by running water through it for a while, that seems to help temporarily, but the funky taste came back.

This is the refrigerator that I have: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04651073000P

This is the manual for it: http://www.managemylife.com/mmh/lis_pdf/OWNM/1006612L.pdf

Should I just change the water filter in the fridge, or will I have to flush the system some kind of cleaning agent?

How is this kind of thing normally handled?

Thanks!


texts: Coax and cat6 close to the main power trunk

texts:
I want to run coax (for a cable modem) and cat6 (for a phone connection) from the garage (where my cable and phone boxes are located) to my basement.  The garage wall is not drywalled, so I can run both cables along the wall and then drill a hole at the bottom to run through to the basement.  The problem is that the main power trunk runs in to the basement at this same point.  I can probably keep the coax and cat 6 a maximum of 4 inches away from the power trunk at this point.  Is that too close?

Away from this point I'd separate the coax and cat6 a lot more from the power.  Is there anything I could put in the new hole to shield the coax/cat6 from the power?

My alternative is an ugly run in the garage on the outside of a drywalled wall before drilling through to the basement in another spot.

I know this question has been asked before, but I thought this is a slightly different version.  I'm not trying to run low voltage in parallel with power over a long run.  I just have 1 pinch point in the run and it's a doozy with the giant main power trunk running to the service panel.


texts: How do I look up a contractor's license status in Pennsylvania?

texts:
I've seen this question but it's a few years old and isn't specific to a state.

I am past the inspection stage on a potential new house and the seller wants to use a certain plumber to do some repairs. They forwarded me an estimate and the plumber's address comes up as a residence. I realize that doesn't necessarily mean much, but Googling the business name also yields no results. Does the state of Pennsylvania maintain a searchable online database of licensed contractors in the state, so I can see if this plumber is in fact licensed and insured in PA (specifically, the city of Philadelphia)?


texts: Condensation at roof, down outside of furnace/water heater vent. What is happening?

texts:
I am getting condensation dripping down the outside face of my furnace vent at the roof. I think I know why this is happening I'm just curious how to remedy it.
There is a cast iron exhaust pipe that travels from my basement to above the roof. What you are seeing in picture 1 below is the aluminum sleeve and cap I installed when replacing my roof. The sleeve slides over top of the cast iron pipe, and the cap sits on top of the sleeve. Where the cast iron pipe stops at about the ridge of the roof, the sleeve extends a foot or two above the ridge. What I think is happening is when the steam in the exhaust goes out the top of the cast iron, it still has to travel a few feet to get outside of the sleeve and it is condensating between the top of the cast iron and the top of the sleeve onto the inside face of the sleeve. It is then dripping down to the roof plane, hitting the outside face of the cast iron, and dripping down the face into my house.
Is this what is happening? If so, what is the best remedy?
I considered cutting down the sleeve to be flush with the top of the cast iron.
Thank you in advance for your help.


texts: Garage door opener has loud buzz while operating

texts:
About a week ago, my garage door opener (Genie Screwdrive Pro) started making a very loud buzz sound while the door moves.

All the google searches for buzz or hum from an opener either point to a constant hum all the time (transformer) or a loud buzz and no movement on the door (start capacitor).

However, mine still operates just fine, and the buzz only happens when the motor is running.

The motor unit is securely fastened to the garage ceiling, it's not loose or rattling that I can tell by shaking it with my hands (both parallel to the center rail and perpendicular).

Is my start capacitor about to die on me? Would that be a symptom?


texts: How can I move a non load bearing wood frame wall?

texts:
I am remodeling my basement and want to move the location of a non-load bearing wall that is diving a section of my basement. Currently the wall is down to the bare wooden studs. The header was nailed directly into the floor joists and the footer into the concrete. There is no wiring, duct work to worry about.

What is the best way to remove the wooden studs from the frame so that I can resuse them?


texts: Can you waterproof Luxury Vinyl Tile floors without grout?

texts: My questions are on the use of Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) flooring - my preference is to use the LVT without grout. However, I'm skeptical on how well the LVT will hold up to moisture without the grout and cleaning will be an issue.  Am I right about the need for waterproofing or would the flooring work well any way?  Is there a way to waterproof the joints on LVT without grouting? If water gets between the floor tiles as you step out of the shower will it cause even bigger problems?


texts: What to do when spray foam has been removed and still have bad smell?

texts:
Several years ago my dad was talked into spray foaming the ceiling of the attic with spray foam.  Ever since there has been a tremendous amount of dust and bad smell.  Lots of health problems have also occurred.  We had foam tested and it was offgassing.  Company finally came in and removed most of the foam.  Unfortunately the house was built in 1920’s and has tongue and groove under sheet rock.  There is still a bad smell.  Dust is not so bad.  Health issues include severe burning of lips, pain in gums and teeth
, throat, and eyes.  Stomach problems are not as bad as before.  Vents were added to roof.  What else can we do?  Also we put sheep wool insulation in attic ceiling thus covering whatever residue is left.  Is that a bad idea to cover the foam?
Appreciate any input.


texts: Closing in Garage door while raising existing header on load bearing wall

texts:
I am closing in an 8'x7' garage door with a wall and 32" exterior entry door to make more space in our family room. The floor will be raised to meet the existing floor which will elevate the new exterior entry door.  I need to cut and raise the garage header for the door jamb to have 81 1/2".  Width of new header is 37" long.

The wall was installed therefore supporting the existing headers with 2'x4' 16" o.c. leaving 34" unsupported for the door jamb.

Can I cut the remaining header without supporting the 2nd story above since it will only be 37"?  I plan to raise the header and reinstall with jack and king studs.  Thank you.


texts: What kind of terminal is this, and how can I fix it?

texts:
So I have 3 damaged wires that I need to add new terminals to. The picture below is of the same type of terminal. What type of terminal is it, and how can I add the same kind of terminal to a stripped wire?

I need to add terminals to these wires (I need to splice the two black wires with one terminal):


texts: Is my three-way switch miswired and causing an outage elsewhere?

texts:
I was planning to replace a three way switch in my garage, but after replacing it, a section of my house went dark.  I ended up replacing the original switch to do some troubleshooting.  The problem is, I forgot how the original switch was wired.  In the switch box, there is one hot 2 wire line coming in, one (not hot) 2 wire line going out, and a (not hot) 3 wire line going out.  This makes me think that the switches are part of a circuit, leading me to assume that the non-hot 2 wire line was a continuation of a circuit (I can't think of another reason why there would be one hot line coming in and one non-hot line coming in).

Below is a picture of how I have it wired.  The top right line is the hot line.  The bottom left line is the non-hot line.  The top left line is the 3 wire line.

The three way switch works, as expected, but the other section of my house is still dark.  I've tried the following:

Hooking the hot wire up to different lines, to see if that will continue the power.
Running an external wire from this hot line to the next switch (six inches away) to see if that power source would power the switch (it didn't).
Flipping each breaker in my house, to ensure they're reset.
Face timing with my Dad (painful).

I'm honestly out of ideas.  The goal at this point is to just replace the original switch and repair power to the other section of the house.  If anyone has any other thoughts, I'd love to hear it.  Thanks in advance.


texts: Furnace runs for about 5-minutes only and shuts off

texts:
Furnace (Lennox G40UH, 12 years old) runs for about 5-minutes (sometimes as high as 7-minutes) and they turns off despite the heating call from the thermostat continuing. Flame sensor has been replaced. All vents in the house are open. Removing the furnace filter and it’s cap (5”x16” cap)appears to buy about another 2-minutes of run time…though that could have been a fluke.

The High Limit switch is showing 0 ohms when the furnace is not in a heat call and for the most of the cycle during the heat call, sometimes there would be a few ohms (under 10) for a few seconds. On multiple shutoffs when the flame when out  (blower still on) the High Limit switch jumped to an open circuit and then quickly to 142K ohms (photo below) and then stepped back down to 0 ohms over the course of a minute or two. When the flame was turned off in this way (aka not by the thermostat), the furnace would try to fire 1-3 times again before it was able to fire and stay on for the roughly 5-minutes again. When it tried to restart some resistance would appear across the High Limit switch.

Flame is a healthy blue with no signs of drafting from the exhaust venting.

When the furnace is unable to fire, it does signal a code for “Primary or secondary limit switch open. Limit must close within 3 minutes or unit goes into 1 hour Watchguard.”

Actions taken:
 - used compressed air to blow out dust from blower area, burner, exhaust fan, and exhaust venting pipe.
 - Replaced the flame sensor
 - Ensured vents throughout the house are open.
 - Tested removing allergenic 3M furnace filter.
 - Tested using a cheap blue furnace filter.
 - Tested using no filter.

Could the fact that I am running the furnace’s heating cycle back-to-back-to-back be causing the issue? For about 90 minutes I was running heat cycles typically with no more than 5-minutes in between.


texts: Heat transfer to adjacent solder joints behind wall

texts:
I need to remove a soldered valve from a supply line and there is a soldered elbow only about 2 inches away.
I've read another post about trying to keep the second joint cool but it sounded less than convincing.
It's the first branch in the house so if I mess up I'll have no water until I can fix it.
Am I wasting my time trying to keep it cool or should I just open up the wall so I can deal with the elbow right away?


texts:
I have a shed in my garden, and I'd like to remove it to plant trees instead. But I am not exactly sure how I can go about it, and would appreciate advice. I've included 2 pictures of the shed below.

The shed is basically made of wood or some sort of plywood, nailed together. I could not see how the roof is attached. Is there a better way than simply brute force to dismantle the walls and roof?

There are also some electric cables in the shed. I am not sure they are connected to anything, but how to best handle them?

Also, the floor is made of pure concrete, and a fair amount of it by the looks of things. How can I remove that, and how do I dispose of the material?


texts:
In my < 10 m^2 basement I have a screed floor which either from the beginning or over the years (some decades) has the following deficits:

uneven thickness (10 to 50 mm judjing from the sides of a few smaller holes)
makes an uneven floor with height differences up to 50 mm.

I'm not the owner, so the best option to replace the complete floor is not an option because the property management is incapable of accepting useful contributions to the house in case they're involved.

The charge is max. 2 people and some tools with < 100 kg/m^2. The house has stripe foundations. Under the screed floor is sand.

So, I assume my options are:

adding something on top, which could be

wood panels, but that's a lot of measurement and cuts and requires to add at least another 10 cm taking into account the height differences and the basement is humid or
levelling compound or a similar compond/concrete, but I assume for thickness < 10 mm it will crack after some months under load and levelling compound is not for use without a cover (tiles, etc.) afaik

removing the highest irregularities which still leaves the problem with the joints where pieces with < 10 mm thickness will crack and requires renting a relatively expensive milling machine

There're no lines running in the floor.


texts: Its all over the ceiling. Its really black spots everywhere and its because the awning windows (hinged at bottom) dont provide enough ventialition. The paint is cracking and pealing, i think its supposed to be water-resistant but no use. This is the third time this happened after redoing the ceiling.


texts:
So the first installation of my bike mount, I failed miserably because the wall isn't completely straight above the door and has a slight angle to it. I thought it'd still be able to hold up my bike but nope, the weight of the bike started pulling out the mount from the drywall (I used drywall anchors too).

So now I'm thinking of using a long-ass 2x4 to support, but I don't want to fail again or create a mess too difficult to fix. Does anyone have tips? (I will, of course, fix the wall)

See images so you can see my fail and get an idea of what I'm trying to do (sorry if my question/explanation is crude).


texts: Dedicated wiring to luminaire - what's the minimum gauge

texts: I am wiring a luminaire fixture through a short dedicated 1/2" EMT conduit (a couple of feet). The maximum rating on the luminaire is 100W, although I expect to use much lower wattage. What is the minimum gauge wire I am allowed to use? Am I allowed to used something smaller than 14AWG in the conduit (say, 16AWG)?


texts: Should I have multiple cable runs for a room, or just one?

texts: My girlfriend is finishing up her basement and has set up a good layout for electrical outlets throughout the rooms (family room, bedroom, and office), but she's only accounted for a single coaxial cable run to each room for her ideal furniture arrangement.  I talked her into at least running a phone line along with the cable to match the rest of her house (and at least an ethernet connection as well for when I move in to accommodate my geek projects), but I'm trying to talk her into more than one run per room.  I've rented for several years and most apartments have at least 2 cable/telephone outlets on opposite walls/corners of the room to widen the options for furniture arrangements.  Since she's looking at putting her place on the market in a few years I'm trying to convince her it will be a helpful selling point, but my Google-fu is failing me at finding supporting or negating evidence.  Is there any evidence one way or the other, or are my geeky more-is-better ideas influencing me?


texts: Oven spare parts - does serial code matter

texts:
I need to replace the heating element on my whirlpool oven. The model number is AKZ451/IX/01 and the serial code is 858545115073.
When looking for spares online, I see heating elements listed as compatible for the same model but different serial codes - often for the same code but ending -072 or -074 rather than -073.
Will a heating element fit the same model but different serial code? Or do I need to find one that matches exactly?


texts: Can engineered hardwood floors be refinished?

texts: I want to replace the floors in the lower floor of my home.  I'm estimating about $8000 worth of work, installed.  My wife has been looking into engineered floors.  I have never been a huge fan of engineered, because I am under the impression that long term durability is not there. We have big pets and children. The chances of needing the floor stripped and refinished in under a decade is extremely high.  Can you even refinish an engineered floor?


texts: Tile pattern with two different tile thickness

texts:
We are in the process of tiling our kitchen floor. We would like to do a pattern with two different tiles, some are large planks that are 1/2 thick while in the middle we will have some small tiles at 1/4 thick.

What's our best options to lay everything flat ? Using more Thinset under the 1/4 ones ? using a 5mm easymat ?

Thanks for your help.


texts: Is there a wall outlet power meter that I can interface with from a computer?

texts: I'm wondering if there is a wall outlet power meter that I can somehow interface with from a computer. I'm aware of all the google power meter products, but those are for an entire house. I'm trying to measure the electricity usage of a single outlet during an experiment without having to physically read the power meter and recording the result. Let me know if I need to explain anything.


texts: How do I seal a leak from my overhead tank filled with water without draining the tank?

texts: I need help! How do I seal a leak from my overhead tank filled with water with out throwing away or draining the tank? My tank is made from steel.


texts: paintable silicone caulking at shower ceiling joint?

texts: Should we use paintable caulking at the joints of the shower surrounding tiled walls and ceiling (drywall ceiling)?


texts: How do I get the most out of cracked lumber?

texts:
I'm about to build my first* large project with real hardwood, and because random widths and lengths lumber is so much cheaper than standard cut lumber (and typical cut lumber sizes are often not even multiples of project parts anyway), even with a charge for milling to 13/16 inch and one straight edge, I bought random-random. The catch is that some of the boards have wane, non-straight opposite edges, and worst of all, cracks. The photo shows the largest board of the order, which also has the worst cracking.

So, my question is: How do I get the most out of the cracked lumber?

One strategy is to cut straight edges around the cracks and joint them back together, tossing the cracked edges into the kindling pile. One disadvantage is that cracks often don't run parallel with board edges, and ripping straight edged diagonals can be difficult (at least for my skill set and equipment).

But it seems like I could put glue into the cracks and clamp it, pretty much the same way I might join cut edges. This is only workable if the crack hasn't lost surface wood from the crack, which would leave gaps (such as in the crack on the right in the photo). A possible risk is that the cracks might be there due to tension in the wood, and that they'd just crack again, either along the glue line or elsewhere.

Are there other tricks to getting the most out of boards with cracks and other defects that I haven't thought of?

* Doing my floors in bamboo is a large project, but it's an engineered material made from woody grass, not real wood.


texts: How to Remove a Stuck Kitchen Sink Strainer

texts:
I have a two basin stainless steel kitchen sink. Whoever installed it did not use or properly apply plumbers putty and both sides leak. I went to replace it with a new strainer but can not get the old one off.

I've tried grasping it with different tools to keep it from spinnig but the nut just will not budge. I believe it's plastic so I've considered trying to just cut into it with a chizel or even a hot knife.

Do I need a special tool to help me remove it without damaging the sink or the trap and other plumbing underneath?


texts:
I'm replacing a hob and they were wired up for Earth, Neutral and Live.

Now I don't know which one is the earth, they have a different composition of wires in the cable.

Here is the image

Thanks


texts: Is there a safe way to de-ice an unsealed driveway?

texts:
My girlfriend had a new driveway put in this fall, but the weather turned bad before she could get it sealed.  I guess now it's too late...

The driveway is incredibly slippery and has lots of ice at this point, but she's worried that using rock salt on the driveway would ruin it.  She also has a dog and is worried about what is dog safe...

So is there anything we can get that won't damage the pavement and is dog-friendly?


texts: What kind and size of AC do I need for an enclosed garage workshop?

texts:
I am building a workshop / equipment room (computer workbench, hosting servers and network equipment) in my garage. The room will be fully insulated 8'x 12'. Since I'm running some heat producing computers 24/7, it will become an oven if I don't install some kind of AC unit.

I was considering installing a split system air conditioner, but I don't know what size to buy, or other attributes to consider. Because of the room will be sealed with heat producing computers, it will heat up quickly, but because the room is small, it should cool down quickly as well. I would think this would cause the AC to go on and off every 10 to 15 minutes, which might be hard on it over time.

This will be located in the North Texas area, so it can get pretty humid depending on the time of the year. I will be running an upwards of 4 servers and 3 workstations, and a few network appliances at all times. All-together, this may run up to 2,500 watts.

What type and rating of AC would be best for my workshop / equipment room?


texts: What type of primer and paint are better used in a bathroom?

texts: I just removed some wallpaper from a shower ceiling. I now have exposed drywall. What type of primer and paint do you suggest I use? I'm overwhelmed by the oil/water/latex bases, and when to use which. It stands to reason, being a shower, that moisture is top concern.


texts: Modify a wooden desk so the legs either fold or are removable-and-reattachable

texts:
I own a janky old wooden desk, and have been using it for 20 years.  Before that it was someone's kitchen table, and its at least 50 years old and has had many modifications - its not an antique despite being old.
I'd like to move it into a small sewing room, but it won't get around the corners.  To resolve this, can I cut the legs off and reattach them firmly once in the room?
The four legs are 55mm square ( 2 1/16 inch).  The front legs are exposed on three sides, and the rear legs are exposed on two adjacent sides.
Option 1. Cut the legs, and use some kind of threaded wooden dowel or big metal coach bolt with threadded ends to wind the legs back together.

Option 2. Use one of those toolbox closure clasps to tension the leg, peraps with a slip-fit center dowel.

Option 3. a fancy hinge somehow, combined with a latch - there's a bunch of them for card tables but they are supposed to sit right under the desk's top.
Option 4. Remove the legs and support completely, and make new folding legs for the old tabletop.
Option 5. Remove the stringer at the back, and make each pair of legs fold in toward the center, like a cheap plastic buffet table.
Other ?

I'm contemplating cutting the legs right under the stringer board and having 4 legs that fold at 80% of their length, or removing the top and making both sides fold on a pair of long piano hinges.  Locking the sides open might use a couple of wooden dropper plates also hinged.


texts:
I assume my tub is fiberglass because it flexes a bit when I stand in it.
There is rust around the drain, so I'm not 100% sure about the fiberglass-ness of the tub. But, I'm a n00b in general.
Photos of Tub Issues
----------
I'd like to refresh the tub and not replace it. I've seen epoxy kits from Rust-o-leum for example and am wondering if that is a good option.
There are two issues I'd like to address.

The rust around the drain.
The low spot where the water ring is (near the drain)

My plan of attack is this:

sand down the rust until its clear of rust.
use an epoxy repair product to fill in the rust ring and raise up the low area.
sand down the epoxy to make smooth/level
scuff up the entire tub and use an epoxy coating product to renew the surface

Am I missing anything? Any pitfalls to look out for? Experiences with these epoxy repair and resurfacing products?


texts: Hot water heater thermostat contacts burned - how to repair?

texts:
The attached photo is the lower thermostat on my electric hot water heater.  We noticed a burning odor yesterday so I shut off the power and looked behind the panels to investigate.  How is this problem repaired?  Thank you.  If it helps, I believe the problem is described by someone with more knowledge that me in this answer: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/130763/56424.

Update:  It looks like the thermostat got fried - it was all burned out on the inside and stunk something awful.  I replaced it and all seems well.  The burned screw is leading to the heating element, which I tested for resistence as described by other members and concluded was fine.


texts: Glass table supporting 12 gallon aquarium

texts:
I just recently setup an aquarium I had on this long glass table with dimensions of 54 x 18 inches. The glass is about a half inch thick.

My 12 gallon tank I would estimate filled at around 200 lbs. I am worried about the glass being able to support the tank.

As a precaution, I just ordered another 52 x 16 tempered piece of glass at 1/4 inch thick. I ordered it slightly smaller since the original piece has angeled edges, and I wanted it to be flush so I subtracted the angled bit from each side.

Should I worry about this amount of weight? Once i add this second piece on top, will that remedy any concern? It looks like it may be bowing every so slightly, but it could just be in my head.


texts: I have a shelf liner that has bumps on one side and is smooth on the other side. It is non-adhesive. Which side faces up, or what are pros/cons of each? It looks  like this:


texts: why is there a gap between the carpet tack strip and the wall?

texts:
This house was built in 1951.   The house was "flipped" and the previous owner put in builder grade carpet with no carpet pad.

When I pulled up the carpet observed this odd gap between the carpet tack strip and the wall.  It looks like someone removed a strip of the concrete foundation.  The strip is about 3/4 inch deep and 1.5 inch wide.

Has anyone ever seen anything like this before?


texts:
So im in my attic installing Cat6 cable in some places. It's a yellow looking insulation (Some is sort of "loose" and some are in sheets, the loose stuff is more white-ish). The House was built in 2002 so there is no asbestos or anything (I'd assume).

Anyways I was handling some of it with my bare hands, (Not a ton) before I realized...wow I should not be doing  that. This is in an attic that's walkable.

Is there any super immediate danger to handling this a little bit (was just pushing some out of the way). I also washed my hands right after.

As far as masks I was wearing a 3M 8200. It seems like this can be used for Fiberglass/Insulation (Unless im wrong). Or do I need to get a different mask?

As far as handling it, is there any certain type of gloves I should be using?

Since I touched it previously, am I in any danger? Is insulation THAT dangerous or is it more-so if you are around it a lot? (My skin seems fine as far as itchiness goes)


texts: How do I determine the ideal height stool for a given height surface (table, counter, bar, etc.)?

texts:
My immediate need is to ensure that I'm matching the right height stools to a kitchen island, but I assume there's a standard difference that's ideal for an eating seat to be from the eating surface?

(Note that I don't want to consider the height of the user(s); I'm looking for the best bet to accomodate most users.)


texts: Do I need to replace the thermostat wiring leading to my boiler?

texts:
I have a boiler in an old building with four different apartments. There are two thermostats that call for heat from the boiler, and valves that direct the hot water to the respective part of the building that is calling for heat. On the east side of the building there is no radiant heat.

If I jump the boiler at the control panel for the east side of the building, the boiler turns on and sends heat to the east side. If I jump the boiler from the thermostat for the east side, the boiler does not turn on.

Would this indicate that there is a problem with the wiring? Would I need to re-run the thermostat wire?

Thanks for your help.


texts: How should I insulate this basement wall?

texts:
I've been doing a lot of reading. I live in Maryland, not particularly cold. We have an 8 foot  ceiling in the basement which is poured concrete built in 1973. Only about a foot is above grade. I've done the tape and plastic test and let it sit for a couple years with no issues. We do have a dehumidifier in the basement. When we bought the house 5 years ago is had a slightly mildew smell. I believe they had had water issues before but they were rectified with grading and such outside. I messed up and added about 100 feet of framing before insulating. I left a bit of space between the studs and walls so i can make sure the walls are true even if the basement isn't. I did paint the areas behind the walls with Drylock. I still have the majority to do.

Questions:

Is drylock sufficient to use R-15 batt? Or should I skip it entirely?
If not then should I put in EPS/XPS? (again Drylock?)
Would I really need more than that? We aren't in the mountains but it is a little chilly in  very very cold weather (cold for us anyway, like 12F outside).

I have a feeling once I add returns and vents int he basement it would clear up any potential mildew buildup just having air exchange.

My father is very much pushing for plastic and batt but I'm concerned about the batt becoming a sponge. I've read up on the building science site. Still concerned because they always talk about Canada and New York.


texts:
My question is where to install a P trap on this configuration (Disposal is directly over the drain pipe). We are on conventional foundation, so is installing P trap under the house an option? We went from a double sink to a single deeper sink and there was only 6 inches of clearance so I took a chance with no P trap....bad idea. Sewer gas now coming in regularly.  Any help with details and illustrations from a plumber would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Max


texts:
I want to keep track of when my furnace is on, with an eye to reducing how much energy I use to heat my house.

I could compare it with weather data (temperature, wind speed, precipitation).

I could see what it saves to turn the heat down when we're out.

I could tell my kids exactly how much it costs when they leave the front door open.


texts: Finishing Attic Floor (Joists Blocking / Insulation)

texts:
I moved into a house built in the 1920's several months ago that has  a finished attic where the former owner's two teenage boys were living. I want to go from the old ratty carpeting to nice floor laminate for a yoga studio for my wife.

I assumed the subfloor beneath the carpet was the original old floor paneling that exists in the remaining unfinished part of the attic because walking around produces a lot of squeaking and noises. Upon removing the carpet I found my suspicions confirmed, so I will be removing the old ancient floor boards and replacing with 4' x 4' tongue and groove OSB boards. Upon starting to remove the original subfloor I saw that it sat on top of 2x6 ceiling joists without any blocking or cross bridging so I plan to add blocking for extra structural support.

There is also loose fill insulation under the current subfloor that looks like it's been partially removed over time and or was just never blown in to fill the joist space.

Can I screw the blocking instead of nailing it as I'm a little worried the nailing might cause cracking in the plaster ceiling (with wood lath) below?
Is it okay to sister a 2x6 board to the current 2x6 board along the front and back perimeter of the finished area to support the ends of the new subfloor since I'll be cutting the current subfloor back to the edge of the current 2x6's? Can I use screws instead of nails?
Should I replace the loose fill insulation with unfaced batts and fill in any small areas with the old loose fill?
Does all of this sound kosher / is there anything else I should be considering?

Here is a picture of the current space and a simple diagram of what I want to do.


texts: Do Wood Stove/Fireplace Inserts come in 'direct vent' configurations?

texts:
It appears that gas fireplace inserts are common in a direct vent configuration (where combustion air is brought in from the outside).

Are there wood burning fireplaces that are direct vent? I'm not finding any with my web searches. Do they exist under a different term? Or do they not exist and, if not, why is that?


texts: I have had this Delta portable air con from Aldi for several years.  It puts a tube out of the window and collects water in a side bucket.  It has worked well albeit noisy but not needed often so in that sense nearly new.   Recently the bucket does not fill up and instead leaks onto the floor below.  Can these units be repaired either by myself or by asking an engineer.  Or is is better to buy a new one even though they are quite pricy?  Thanks, Colin


texts: How do I improve the insulation in a vaulted ceiling?

texts:
I live in a twenty year old Florida condo quadplex. The upstairs ceilings are two by four trusses of a mansard roof.

I have replaced the ac, wall insulation, ducts. An IR thermometer shows huge heat gain from roof itself. I want to fir down the trusses to double the insulation to the new high r rated 2x6 insulation. Can I simply bolt 2x6s to each truss or do I need to build out the edges with strapping? Do you have an alternate idea?


texts: What precautions should I take installing tile on a backerboard in an area surrounded by cement?

texts:
I had to have my old three-handle tub faucet replaced by a plumber, because the valves in the handles were rotted into the handle bodies.  When the tile came off, we found that the wall behind the tile was not backerboard, but the old-style cement laid on a wire mesh.  So, the plumber had to punch a hole in the cement to get to the pipes.  Coming in from behind the wall was, unfortunately, impractical because there's a double sink in another bathroom on the wall behind the shower, and moving that out of the way would have been even more trouble.  So now my new faucet is located in about a 16" by 14" (four tiles wide by about three and one half tiles high) hole surrounded by cement, which I have to suspend tile over.

The plumber did a pretty good job of making a square hole in the cement, although it's not possible to make a perfect square when chiseling cement, and he installed backerboard into the hole for me.  So now I've got backerboard cut and installed, but there are smallish (about 1/4") gaps where the cement isn't perfectly square with the backerboard.  The backerboard comes out to almost the right depth, although it looks like the new tiling is going to be sticking out a little bit compared to the original tile.

I'm pretty comfortable trying to install the tile myself, I'm mostly just worried about the gaps between the backerboard and the cement, and how to deal with tiles that will stick out a little bit from the rest of the wall.

The faucet, and the hole, is located directly on top of the tub.

So, my questions:

Will thin-set mortar suitably fill in the gaps between the cement and backerboard?

Is there anything special I need to do to prevent leakage on the transition between the new tiles and old tiles, where the new tiles are going to stick out about 1/8" from the old tiles, or can I just apply grout liberally?

I've placed a vapor barrier (3 mil plastic sheeting) between the first and second layers of backerboard.  I tucked the plastic sheeting around the rear piece and poked the sheeting into the gaps between the backerboard and cement around the sides and top of the backerboard.  At the bottom where the hole meets the tub body, I've let the plastic sheeting lay over the curved "drip edge" of the tub, so any condensation that might form between the cement board and sheeting should drip back into the tub.  Should I do something different with the sheeting before I put mortar into the gaps?

I'm really hoping that I don't have to take down the whole side of the wall where the faucet is installed just to make everything uniform.  Honestly, I'm okay with a solution that would drop tiles in 5 years time (but not a solution that would leak into the wall, obviously), I just don't have the budget, time or experience right now to undertake a "big" project.  Alternative solutions that fit in my constraints are also welcome, e.g. perhaps I could get some more wire mesh to put cement on to more closely match the original wall?

Absent any more answers, I'm going to proceed with plan "A" - use plain thin-set mortar to fill the gaps and let the new tiles be proud and just use extra grout on the raised edge.


texts: Retrofit Fan box for horizontal 2x4 truss

texts:
I am attempting to install a retrofit fan brace and ran into an issue where my 2x4 are horizontal and not vertical, what are my options to support a fan or are there alternative braces for this setup? (also if any of the wording is inaccurate based on the picture please update/comment)

Answer
I ended up using 3 screws a top 2x4 and a sideways 2x4 and screwed into the brace, seems very stable but I noted it for only a light or lightweight fan (for now it's just a pool table light anyway) and then used the retrofit kit, which secured nicely (I hung on it for a few seconds at 150lbs)


texts: Securing Cable when installing old work box

texts: I am installing an electrical outlet above a gas fireplace for TV.  I understand that electrical code requires securing the NM cable within 12" of outlet box.  I am curious how one goes about achieving this in a finished wall being that there is really no room to get hand, hammer, drill or screwdriver inside the wall through that box opening.   I am sure this is straightforward for experienced electricians but I have no idea how to go about this.


texts: Light flickers after replacing different fixture

texts:
I have spot lights in the kitchen and I replace a light fixture on the dining area. I replaced it with a chandelier.
Now I noticed the kitchen spot lights flickers at very random time and actually very rarely. I know the kitchen lights and the dining lights are on the same circuit
What could be reason  and how to fix it ?
Thank you


texts: Just moved into a house that has Hager CB's all labelled. Brilliant. The one that is currently causing me problems is the one for what is labelled 'gas hob' with 6A Hager circuit breaker. I fitted a Neff Induction hob rated at 4600w and works ok with 1 hob on. Try any more and it trips. Quite prepared to upgrade it to 20w CB, but how do I know what rating the wire is between the hob and CB?


texts: Can I plug a powerline adapter into a grounded-in-wall adapter?

texts:
I have one outlet right next to my router and need it for a bunch of other electronics. I currently have a grounded 6 outlet in-wall adapter plugged in. It is not a surge protector, just an outlet. Will a powerline adapter work through this or does it need to be plugged in directly to the outlet?

Example of the adapter I'm talking about:

Thanks!


texts: Maximum number of wires allowed for junction box

texts:
Please take a look at attached pictures of my can light junction box. Outside says max 8 14 AWG conductors. It also says 10 cubic inch is J-Box volume.
Inside, there are 3 push in connectors (for hot, neutral and ground), each with 4 holes. 1 of the hole in each connector is occupied by internal wire which goes to bulb holder. It seems to me that I can connect 3 more 14 AWG NM cables given that 3 holes are available in each connector, but outside the junction box it says only 8 AWG conductors allowed. Each NM cable has 3 conductors (hot, neutral and ground) , so I am not sure if I can connect 3 NM cables with this can light. One for power source and 2 going to other cans.
Can someone tell me how many NM cables can be connected to this box ? There are 3 knockout holes in addition to 2 black clamps. If you can give explanation of how to interpret what it says outside junction box it would be helpful.


texts: Rain chains at an angle from the vertical

texts: I'd like to hang a rain chain, but not quite vertical straight down -- at a slight angle from vertical.  What angle from vertical can I hang the rain chains, and still have them work?  Are there any guidelines?


texts:
we are thinking about the best way to rewire our kitchen. It had 2 circuits when we moved in. We managed to add 2 circuits using an existing 3/4'' conduit that goes from the basement to our third floor apartment in the back hallway (see pictures below). However, we want to remodel the kitchen next year and our goal is to have at least 6 circuits in a kitchen with gas appliances. What are our best options and how much work do they require? We thought about three possibilities.

Stick with the EMT conduit and use multi-wire branch circuits to maximize the circuits we can get out of it. This is based on a previous suggestion from this forum.
Install 60A sub-panel in the 3rd floor using the EMT conduit with 3x #6 wires plus #8 wire for ground. Run 6/3 mc cable from basement junction box to main panel. A sub panel seems much more future proof. How do people feel about the #6 wires for 60A sub-panel. I read different things about that.
Install 60A sub-panel in the 3rd floor by replacing the EMT conduit with 4/3 mc cable that goes directly from main panel to sub-panel. We would remove the EMT and use the same holes for the mc cable. Maybe I am wrong but it seems relatively easy to run this cable.

In general, I like a sub-panel because it's more future proof and because it avoids the MWBC

Current conduit

The 3/4'' EMT conduit goes from the basement to a third floor junction box in the back hallway (about 30') and currently includes wires for 4 circuits (2 for kitchen, 2 for the living area).


texts: Do I have to seal gaps in my plywood subfloor before I install base cabinets?

texts:
I have diagonal board above my floor joists. My contractor added a 1/2" ply subfloor on top of that.

The diagonals have maybe a 1/4" gap between them.

You can see the diagonals in the picture below. There's a gap between the subfloor and the wall. And you can see a small opening (the dark/black space in the middle of the picture) that basically goes to the crawl space.

Should I seal this gap between my wall and subfloor? I'm concerned that bc of the spacing between the diagonals beneath the subfloor my cabinets may be exposed to the crawl space. Basically exposed to the elements and maybe critters.

If I should seal that gap what should I use?

Do I need to just vacuum up all the dust and debris and use a silicone caulk?


texts: Can indoor cable be connected to outdoor cable of the same gauge?

texts: i want to run power to my shed but i can cover about 1/2 the distance from my panel to the shed by running wire through the house. I've got a bunch of regular 14-2 cable left over from a previous wiring job so rather than running the whole job in underground cable, i'd rather just buy outdoor cable for the part that's outdoor. just wondering if you know if this is allowed. I'd splice the lines together using a junction box.


texts:
I have a bunch of tempered glass panels from disassembled patio doors.  I'd like to use one of these  panes as a shower door.  Most glass shower doors are hung with drilled holes or with cutouts in the glass.  Of course neither of these will work with existing tempered glass.

Option 1.

There exist non-bore hinges that clamp onto the glass.  Do these hold up and not creep with time.  Most of ones I've seen are for smaller doors.

Option 2.

Glue one half of each hinge to the glass using epoxy.  The  problem with this is getting the hinges co-linear enough that it doesn't bind.

Option 3.

As in option 2, but instead of gluing directly to the glass glue to a 2 mm layer of gasket material. This would absorb small amounts of misalignment, as well as tolerating some differential expansion between door and surround.  I'm thinking of something like a synthetic rubber.  This may require different adhesives.

Option 4.

Build a framed door from scratch.  Now the problem is to make it from something that tolerates being wet a lot.  I figure that the same panel that cabinets for outdoor kitchens are made from would work.  Other ideas?

Option 5.

Keep my shower curtain.


texts: How do I level a sloping floor that has been tiled?

texts: We have a large room that we want to use as a bedroom and it has been tiled, over a concrete slab.  On further inspection we now realise that there is a slope of approximately 5cm from one end of the room to the other.  There are no cracks in the tiles, and I don't want to pull them up, if I can help it.  I would like to put something like timber laminate over the top, but need to level the floor first.  What can I use that will adhere to the tiles and enable me to fix laminate, or floating floor, over the top.


texts: I have some applewood 13 ply 3/4" plywood that I'm using for a desk top.  I was wondering if I took a router to the edges if it would turnout ok.


texts: Furnace blower motor runs briefly then turns off

texts:
I have an Amana AMH80804BN with a Nest thermostat (wires Y,C,Rh,W,G) and a 3 ton AC. I have been having issues with the AC portion the furnace (heat) seems to work fine.

The AC will start out the day working great! Cold air blows out it will run for an hour or two and before it gets to temp the blower motor shuts off while the compressor continues to run. Then at this point the evaporator coils tend to freeze (sometimes).

Then, the blower motor seems to try to run every 10 minutes or so. The blower spins up, runs at a low speed for a few seconds, and turn off again.

Eventually, after many attempts the blower fan will kick on and the AC will begin to cool again then rinse and repeat all day.

Also a strange and likely connected issue is that I cannot turn the blower fan on from the thermostat I turn it on from the thermostat and nothing happens.

I can power cycle the whole unit but doesn't seem to fix anything.

Cooling is adequate on most days with this issue when the outside temperatures are 70-85F but when it's hotter outside (above 85F) the AC can't keep up and it never gets colder than 80F inside.

Troubleshooting steps I've taken:

Multiple google searches. The issue seems to be unique to my case.
Cleaned my evaporator coils and compressor coils. They were pretty dirty and neglected but issue continues even though now they are squeaky clean.
Full wires check. Checked AC sender wires, thermostat and thermostat on the furnace side.
Removal of 'saver switch' my electric utility company added a saver switch that turns off the compressor during peak times of the day. I have bypassed this.
Hardwired the blower fan. Tried to direct wire the blower by crossing the green and red thermostat wires.
Checked fuses, breakers and wiring at the unit itself.
Checked on-board diagnostics (solid red light showing)
Bypassed the blower limit sensors
Quick check of air duct blockages


texts: Can I share a 240V outlet between two devices?

texts:
I have a single 50 amp 240 volt outlet.  However, I've been using both my dryer and a welder on this same outlet, both have 3-prong (10-50P) plugs.  It can be difficult to plug and unplug cords from this outlet.  Are there any ways to share this outlet with both devices with the assumption that I won't be using both simultaneously?  Splitter box (with toggle switch)? Splitter cable?

I plan to eventually run a second 240 volt outlet when I have the time and consider this a temporary solution.


texts: Should expansion gaps in an OSB3 roof be filled before installing EPDM roofing?

texts: I've boarded a roof in OSB3 prior to laying an EDPM membrane. I've left 3mm expansion gaps between boards. Should these be filled with anything prior to covering?


texts: Ventilating a room with no forced air without opening windows?

texts:
I would like to ventilate my bedroom because air quality monitors show CO2 levels rising above 2000ppm every night.

I have two windows in the room, both with blackout blinds, but I prefer not to open them at night because they are street-facing and sun-facing and bring in noise and light. I also can't open the bedroom door for roughly the same reasons: light and sound from the rest of the house.

My question is, how can I ventilate the room given these constraints?

Two solutions I have thought of so far:

Use window fans. This would work, except it would also probably bring in both light and noise.
Use a fan + some sort of duct to force air under the door. According to the article here, from what I understand, door undercuts can work. I am just not sure what to look for to begin to build or install something like a door undercut fan duct.
??

Any other suggestions are welcome as well.


texts:
I have a solar light with motion detection that works fine outside.  I'd like to know if I can use it inside as well.  I want to place it on the windowsill of my clerestory window so that it charges during the day from sunlight.  And at night I want it to turn on when it detects motion.

But what's not working is that the photoresistor, or whatever, is not detecting that the room lights are on at night presumably due to its location high on the ceiling.  And so motion at night when the lights are on triggers the light on.

Is there a way to either improve the light sensitivity?  Or, can I put a timer on the light somehow, so that the motion detection is switched off until 11 pm when the kitchen lights are usually ( but not always ) off.

I'm not wanting this light to replace the room lights.  I just want it to light up when people enter the room so that they don't need to switch the lights on just to do something briefly.

Edit: I think I know what the problem might be.  The light detection appears to be on the solar panel side which is facing outside to the sun, and not to the room lights.  So, at night time it doesn't sense the room lights are on.

Supplementary Question: Can I solve the problem by putting in a 5V photo switch like this one between one of the two wires to the LEDs?

The red and black wires look like power to the LEDs which is at the top of the picture, and the brown and blue wires are I presume from the photosensor.


texts: Can I replace an old exhaust fan and connect it to an existing light switch?

texts: I just purchased a new home and in one of the bathrooms there is an old exhaust fan and two light switches. There is a recessed light located in the ceiling above the shower and another light above the sink, each on their own switch. I would like to wire it so that when I turn on the light in the shower, the fan also kicks on. If possible, I would like to put it on a timer so that I can set it for a certain period of time in order to run the fan while I am away from the house? Is it possible to connect both the light and the new fan to the same switch?


texts: Did I break my Kwikset SmartKey lock by trying to rekey with a key that doesn't fit all the way?

texts:
I got a Kwikset deadbolt lock (has key hole on both sides instead of key hole externally with latch internally).  This lock uses SmartKey technology so you can rekey the lock to use a new key rather than having to replace the lock itself.

After I installed it, I wanted to rekey the lock to use my hold house key until my roommate got home so I could then give her the new key, after which I would rekey the lock to use the new key.  While rekeying with the SmarkKey in the hole, I found that my old house key was too big for the Kwikset lock and would only go in half way, so I pulled it out.  I then tried using the key that originally came with the lock and now it doesn't work on the inside where I was attempting the rekey, but it does work on the outside.

In order to rekey these locks, you have to insert a working key, give it a quarter turn so the key is horizontal, insert the SmarkKey, take out the current key, then insert the new key.  Since no key will work with the inside lock, I can't get it to turn at all.

Am I going to have to disasseble the lock to fix this or is there another way?


texts: How can two different breakers both turn off the same circuit?

texts:
I have a 40 yr old home with circuit breakers.  While looking for the breaker to turn off a circuit (I was replacing a light switch), I found that two breakers, on the same side of the bus, but separated by a few other breakers, both disconnect the circuit.  To be clear, I am telling you that I can turn off either one of these to kill the hot wire in the switch box.  The only thing I can think of here is that somehow one of the breakers is feeding the other.  I've never seen a circuit behave like this.

This is similar to the other thread on this site about "Two breakers switches control the same thing" except in my case, I have the opposite result: either of the two breakers will kill the circuit.

Is there any reason this may have been done on purpose?  Is this allowed by code?


texts: How to handle vanity replacement when finish materials do not continue behind existing unit?

texts:
I had a plumbing leak under my bathroom sink that soaked the vanity before it was discovered and the water shut off. The vanity is cheap crap made out of particleboard that has swelled up like a balloon as a result. What a terrible choice of material. So now I need to replace the vanity with one of much higher quality, but there's a hitch: the bathroom was remodeled by the previous owners, and whoever did the work either didn't remove the vanity before doing the work, or else cheaped out on it to save on materials costs: the floor and baseboard tile was terminated at the base of the vanity, and walls behind it were not finished.

If I remove the vanity, there's a glaringly unfinished area of the bathroom. It seems like I need to replace the vanity with one of identical dimensions or else I'll have a ton of finish work to do, including hunting down several different types of tile that were used for the tile baseboards, which seems impossible.

What are my options here?


texts: can a 2x4 withstand 200lbs out pressure on the 1.5" side?

texts:
I need to know if I cut a 2x4 at 42", which will be down the side of a 2x8 by 7 inches, carriage bolted at 2" and 5" below the surface of the deck, bolted through a 2x8 (1.5" thick), that will extend 34.5" above the surface of the deck, if it will withstand 200lbs of outward pressure at the top (which is handrail height).

The 2x4 will be flat (3.5" side) against the 2x8 girder.

  ||
  ||
  ||
  ||_________________________
  ||------------------------- decking
 *||| BOLT
  |||
 *||| BOLT
  |||_________________________ 2x8 Girder


texts: How should I connect mains wires to those in my exterior light?

texts:
I have an old 500W halogen PIR floodlight secured to an outside wall. It currently has mains wiring coming out the wall and terminating inside the floodlight.
The floodlight has been broken for a while now and I've recently removed it and bought a 50W LED replacement which comes with its own length of wiring. My question is how should I connect the existing mains wire coming out of the wall to the cable coming out of the new floodlight? My initial thought was strip connectors and a junction box, but perhaps solder and heat shrink would be better for outdoors?


texts: Why will 26 1.2W 220V LED lights not work with an 800W inverter?

texts: We live off the grid and have just installed 26 220V 1.2W LED lights. We are using 220V as the batteries are some way from the house and and thick copper wire is expensive. Everything works on the inverter except the LED lights. We can only use 6 and then the inverter trips out. With everything turned off, adding 1 bulb at at a time and measuring the current, everything is fine until we add the 6th LED light and the current reading starts going crazy, up and down very rapidly until the inverter trips. What is happening here?


texts: Kitchen faucet leak worsened after O-Ring replacement

texts:
My kitchen sink has a Moen model 1225 faucet, like the one pictured: .

I replaced the O-rings because of a leak around the handle (not the nozzle).

I'm wondering if I installed the O-rings incorrectly or if my faucet (~16 years old) needs to be replaced? My region has very hard water. When installing the rings, I did try applying the silicone grease to them.

The leak has gotten worse after the replacing the rings. Many times a steady stream of water will run out of the handle, although sometime rotating the handle reduces this to a trickle.

Before originally installing the rings, I soaked the faucet parts in a diluted vinegar solution until most of the mineral build up flaked off.


texts:
I had been using pre-mixed joint compound, but I ran out just before I was finished, and my neighbor (who had just re-done his basement) gave me some Sheetrock Easy Sand 90 Joint Compound, and his drill bit /paint stirrer so I could mix small batches.

Unfortunately, I missed cleaning the paint stirrer when doing my cleanup, and didn't remember it until a couple of hours later, when I was in class.  When I got home, I gave it a soak, and have scraped / scrubbed as much as I can off, but there's still quite a bit stuck on it in difficult to reach places.

Is there anything that might soften it? (eg, a strong base?  I have Barkeeper's Friend, lye water, and lye crystals), or do I need to stick with mechanical means?  (I have some brass brushes if I can remember where I put them)


texts: I have a double sink, garbage Disposal & dishwasher. There must be a better way. How I can modify this to make it better?


texts:
Our exterior wall has 2x4 framing and we wanted to see if we can run a periscope vent for the dryer in the exterior wall before venting out. We are trying to save some space in the laundry area so wanted to know if that is an option. Could it interfere with the wall insulation? Any other considerations to be aware of?

This is an example of a vent from the home depot.

Thanks!


texts: Doubling the size of a closet with two rods

texts:
The closet currently contains one 48" rod, two flanges and two 1" wooden piece to support a shelf.

I'm thinking of moving this one higher and installing a second rod lower to double the space in the high-ceiling closet, but as a home-improvement beginner I have a few questions:

Are these wooden pieces always needed? The walls are 50" apart and standard rods I found were 48" long, so I can guess the landlord either had to complement with the wooden pieces or used them to support the shelf. In my previous, the flangers were nailed straight into the wall, but in this video the guy is moving the wood higher as well.
One side is a drywall, I'm not sure it's ideal to support a rod and the heavy clothes, let alone two rods. Is it safe?
If I need to install the wooden pieces, where can I find some in NYC?
How should I look for studs, and what kind of nails are recommended?


texts: Why don't my inline booster fans operate as expected?

texts:
I have installed two inline duct booster fans to increase the airflow for my furnace/ac in a new addition that I got built. The new run that I installed is an 8" flex duct that runs about 25 ft. then splits into two 6" flexible ducts running to the two registers that I installed for that addition.
I checked the new run from beginning to end and there are no obstructions or slack in it. Right now I have one booster fan in each of the 6" split runs and they are controlled by a Suncourt ducstat.
I have two issues that I am puzzled with:

First,   The fans are really not blowing a lot of air through the registers, although they are positioned about 3-4 feet away from the registers.

Second, The fans turn on for a few seconds only and then turn off, then a few minutes later they come on briefly and then shut off (they don't stay on continuously for the entire furnace blower cycle) I have followed the Suncourt Ducstat instructions carefully and set it up correctly.

Any advice as to what the issues could be will be appreciated.
Before anybody asks the obvious, the fans are installed correctly with the correct airflow direction!!


texts: Installing Router inside Electrical Closet and Hacking the Telephone Socket

texts:
I live in the Netherlands and I have a router which I would like to hide away in my closet. Currently, it gets internet from the telephone socket seen in the image below.

I would like to place this router in my closet, near the electrical service panel, seen in the image below.

The closet includes an electrical socket, however, it does not have a socket for the internet/telephone connection. I assume that my internet/telephone cables do pass through the closet as it's the main entrance for outside connections (electricity, gas, water etc.). How can I find out which cables these are? What is a good way to hack these cables and make my own internet-socket there?

I understand that the information I have provided may not be enough to describe a detailed plan of what I should do. My question here aims to get information which can guide me in connecting the internet plug seen in the first image to whichever wires are the telephone connection in the last image.


texts: LED module retrofit into old quad fluorescent not working

texts:
I am replacing a bathroom "quad tube" fluorescent recessed ceiling fixture with a Halo recessed downlight LED "module" (RL560WH6940R). This module is the kind that comes with a male edison screw mount so all you have to do is take out the old build and screw the module in:

Here is a picture of the old quad fluorescent  bulb:

The fluorescent bulb fits into a reflector housing shown here:

This reflector trim has metal springs on the side that allowed me to remove it from the recessed housing in the ceiling. I cut off the white and black wires from this reflector trim leaving the black and white wires. I then wired in a female edison screw mount piece that allows me to attach the Halo retrofit LED module.

However, I cannot get the Halo LED module to work in the bathroom fixture. I know the LED module works because when I screw it into my desklamp it lights up perfectly.

Also, I have screwed in two other LED bulbs (a 9W Sylvania and a 15W GE PAR30) into the bathroom fixture, and those light up.

Why doesn't the combination of the Halo LED module with the bathroom fixture work?

UPDATE: It appears that the ballast for the original quad fluorescent bulb is above the housing and not visible. I would have to take out the housing to remove the ballast. To remove the housing would be difficult (it is probably attached to a beam). However, I found that the Feit LED modules (1200274) work even with the ballast.


texts: Trying to set up a new light fixture and confused by wire situation!

texts:
I am attempting to set up a new night fixture but I was confused when I opened the junction box on the ceiling. It contained two green wires together, two white wires together, and one blue. There was no previous light being hung when we moved in so I opened it for the first time.

I usually don't have trouble with lights but the extra wires threw me off as well as the unusual colors (I'm used to black and white). My question is which wires do I connect the black, white and ground wires from the new fixture to?


texts: Insulation type to use on a hinged metal attic door

texts:
In this question, I asked about the best type of insulation to use on a hinged metal attic door, when one is also concerned about heat entering around the edges of the door when closed.

The answer I received is a good one (and provides an answer to that question as it was asked), but adds an extra step to entering the attic.  If I may, I would also like to ask the separate question of when one is not concerned about the edges of the door, but just concerned about the lack of insulation of the door itself.  So...

What is the best type of insulation to use on a hinged metal attic door (no integrated ladder)?

Only concerned about heat entry through the door when closed.

Would like something that does not cause a mess when the door is opened, and does not add extra steps to entering the attic.  I'm thinking along the lines of something added to the metal door itself.  There are a number of choices, and I'm wondering what type of product is best.


texts: What is the equivalent degrees of one "turn"

texts:
Often in install or specification manuals you will see something like:

  Tighten X turns past finger tight

Example

This has always bothered me as it seems ambiguous.  I've always taken this to mean a "turn of the hand".  Depending on flexibility, seems like this would be a little less than 180 degrees?

However, it could also easily be interpreted as a full rotation (360 degrees)....

I'm honestly surprised that the lawyers allow this in technical specs like the example above (why not just give torque?).


texts: What are some alternatives to a square ceiling air diffuser?

texts:
We recently bought a house that had an addition put on in the 80's. The addition is on the back of the house and has separate (electric) heating and cooling. In the ceiling are two square, 12.75" air diffusers. Picture here:

The hole that it covers measures 12.75", but the actual cover seen here measures 17.5". The other thing is that I'm having a hard time finding different ones in this size.

Personally, I've never seen these used in residential, only commercial. And frankly, they're ugly. They're the first things you notice when you walk into the room. Is there an alternative that is more updated and more attractive that I'm not aware of? I would settle for the same thing, but one that doesn't drop down 3" or so from the ceiling (the more flush the better).


texts: Aligning kitchen faucet handle with the nozzle

texts:
My kitchen faucet's handle is not aligned with the nozzle. I opened the faucet up and it seems like the gray part inside the faucet (upon which the cartridge sits) is not aligned. How can I align the gray part inside the faucet. See attached photo. Thanks
[![][1]]Kitchen faucet[1]
[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/wciPw.jpg![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/d2fYU.jpg)


texts: How do I safely install a weight bearing fitness equipment system in an apartment?

texts:
I am looking to (semi) permanently install some fitness equipment in my apartment (the Lifeline Jungle G XT system if that helps). It requires installing a strap mounts into either two ceiling joist or wall stud mounts. The device at maximum use will be holding full body weight, around 235 lbs for the heaviest user, dispersed across the two mounts. Ideally this would be installed in the ceiling for maximum usage/space, but I was also considering installing it above a doorway if possible. I am not sure what the joists are like in our ceilings or how to find out. Are either of these locations strong enough to support that much weight? I have a horrible image in my head of performing an exercise, pulling the joist, and my neighbors, through onto me.

If neither of these solutions are suitable, is there a way, without many power tools (basically just an electric hand drill), to build a free-standing structure that could support this weight?


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I think that my mother has a bad thermostat.  When the A/C is turned on, the furnace blower works but not the outside unit.  However, when I press the contact switch (outside), both the compressor and fan come on.  This would seem to indicate that the proper signal is not arriving there.

Mom always had problems using the old 5-2 programmable thermostat, and the buttons no longer work, anyway.  I would like to install a simpler thermostat so that she can easily set a target temperature and select heat/cool/off.  Is there any reason this can't be done?  When I installed the programmable thermostat many years ago, the old wire colors were different from newer configurations, so I know I would have to be careful in that regard.  There are 4 wires- red, white, green and blue (yellow).