texts: How can I tell if slow drainage is caused by a problem in the main sewer line or the venting system?

texts:
I recently had the plumbing get backed up and snaked out. Things are working much better now, however, there are certain conditions (notably the use of toilet paper in conjunction with a shower or the washing machine) which result in extremely slow draining for the whole house. This also results in the showers backing up (slightly) and the sinks gurgling.

I'm thinking that the main line may need to be snaked another 20-50 feet but I want to rule out anything within the house. The main is the only common drain between the various rooms impacted so the only other thing I can think of would be the vents.

How can I tell if this is a problem in the main line or in the venting?

Edit: city sewer. At the end of a dead end road if it matters.


texts: I was going to change a light switch and repair some wall damage. When I started opening up the wall above the switch, I saw the electrical wire clamped to the stud. I noticed black marks around it. Does this look like it might be a fire hazard and need an electrician. Personally I think so but I want to get some other opinions.


texts: What is the minimum distance from the floor for a 1/2 bath power outlet?

texts:
I am remodeling our 1/2 bath and about to mount a floating sink/vanity. There is an existing power outlet on the side wall, that is in the way and that is about 10” from the floor (measured to the bottom of the receptacle). Would it be to the code (KY, USA) if I moved the outlet down a bit where it is 6” above floor, just clearing a 5.5” tall baseboard?  This is the only putlet in this bathroom, and its circuit is already GFCI-ed in another bathroom.
Edit: added photo for better illustration of the two options I am considering.


texts: I renovated my apartment this month and hired some guys to place the ceramics in the bathroom. They used points of adhesive to glue pottery on the wall. In the evening I observed that few spots appeared on pottery right where the adhesive is located. It is normal? Will they dry?


texts: How do you ground residential network equipment?

texts:
I needed to run some Cat5e UTP network cables and decided to add network outlets to most rooms, run new phone wiring and RG6 as well.

Much of what I've seen and read about residential and small office installations doesn't mention grounding much but I know that in the data center It's an important consideration. I called a local antenna installer (the only one I could find) to have them move an attic antenna to the roof and they said they don't recommend grounding the antenna. I'm a bit confused by both the lack of information and conflicting information. The bits I've seen on the TIA residential spec didn't mention grounding.

All the cables will be terninated on a plywood panel in the basement with 2 small wall mount racks. One for patch panels (coax and cat5e) another to hold a network switch. Cabling is cat5e UTP for data and phone. Coax is RG6 with 2 seperate runs, one for commercial tv provider, other for an attic mounted antenna that I'd like to eventually move to the roof.

Is there a requirement (USA NEC) to bond these racks, and the equipment in the racks?

If it's not a requirement are there good reasons to bond this equipment?

How would you recommend grounding bonding this setup? The current drops from providers are properly grounded.

In larger data centers I've seen those big copper grounding bus bars which seems like overkill. In smaller installations I've seen small aluminum(?) grounding bars that look like the ones in electrical panels. From there ground wires connect between the block/bar to the racks and then the racks are connected to patch panels and other equipment with ground wire and grounding lugs.

Where can the other end of the grounding conductor go? People have different opinions of what the code states. Some have said a separate ground rod, other's have tied it to all sorts of things including steel building structure, water pipes, electrical conduit....

This is what's available to me where I'm mounting my equipment.

A) Lots of copper cold water pipe on the house side of the water meter. Main line is underground copper that runs at least 10' in ground. This would be the easiest/cheapest. I know in the past the cold water line (house side) was at least once used to ground the incoming phone service.

B) Some armored cable (old 2 conductor where armor is grounded)

C) The street side of the water meter is a bit further away and a little difficult to get to but possible if necessary and less than 20' of cable run to it. Thre's a ground wire on the street side of the meter for the electric panel but I think there's also another ground wire going outside from the panel.

D) Main electrical panel. The wire run would be greater than 20' though.

The above is just to illustrate what I "know" (think?) and what I have available.


texts: Why is the finish coming off while sanding between coats of polyurethane on glazed cabinets?

texts: I am refinishing my kitchen cabinets. I have sanded them, painted two coats of paint and then glazed them. I have put one coat of polyurethane on them, and am trying to put a second coat on. When I try to sand them, it is taking the finish off. I first tried sanding lightly with 220 grit and have now tried with 400 grit sandpaper and am having the same problem. I have tried in an unobvious place and am barely touching it with the sandpaper. What should I do?


texts:
I work with LVL beams frequently and see a lot of them placed under I-Joists to carry load of the floor. This is usually no big deal in 9' deep basements but in 8' basements an 11-7/8" triple LVL beam takes up a good amount of space.  In terms of load, is there any difference in instead putting the LVL beam in the same plane as the I-Joists are, and setting I-Joist hangers on each side of the triple LVL 11-7/8" LVL beam so that the floor joists still use that beam for support, but now there is no "header" or "beam" to have steal some ceiling space? I think in one sense it may be stronger because the beam has a lot less change of twist factor to play where as when it's under the I-Joists it can actually twist one way or another.

I do realize this severely limits accessibility for plumbing, hvac, and wiring though if needing to get into those joist's cavities which is almost guaranteed, but I believe running a small plumbing/hvac/electrical chase down below the LVL beam will take less space than the 11-7/8".

Thoughts?  This would not be altering any span ratings, just the method the I-Joists transfer load to the carrying beam.

This is all in question for a space in one basement where the stairs go down and there is a support wall on one side of the stairs once you hit basement level, but an open family room on the other. It would be really slick to have that right side family room have no joist support below the joists for that span for about 10' of the basement. The staircase wall would carry the rest of the floor joist load for the family room space.


texts: I'm framing some longer walls and in one post (I can't find it again) it mentioned it'd be a good idea to not cut the sole plate where doors will be until after the wall is raised.  Is that correct and if so, how would you cut the sole plate after the wall is raised?


texts: When would you use "hot mud" or setting joint compound for leveling concrete?

texts:
To my surprise (or ignorance) the bag of 'hot mud' I bought specifically says it can be used for :

  leveling interior above grade concrete

When would this be an appropriate choice, and does it have any advantages to just using more concrete or cement-based self leveling compound?

I'm skeptical about this because:

There's no way this type of "plaster" type material seems like it could be nearly as hard / strong as concrete. Just based on my experience with both materials. (Though maybe hard enough for a subfloor?)
Secondly its more expensive at about 61 cents/lb vs 54 cents/lb for self-leveling compound, which is itself pricey for cement-type products; regular premixed concrete or mortar would be only ~10% of that.
I don't see the mud as being particularly easier to work with. There's mix, mess, cleanup to deal with regardless.

So given those downsides I'm curious why they recommend it for this use. Are there specific applications or situations where it's better? Maybe just the quick setting time?


texts: Replace the drywall but preserve the molding trim?

texts:
I've got a 1949 fixer-upper with water-stained drywall on walls and ceilings that measures only 3/8" thick instead of the usual 1/2".  I want to update wiring and re-insulate so I'm thinking to demolish all the funky old drywall.  (Because of the presumption of lead paint, I'll make sure it's done with necessary precautions.)

But the wood molding trim around windows, doors, and baseboard is quite decent - very good material in reasonable shape, but with (presumably) some lead paint.

Is it worth the effort to remove, repaint, and re-use the moldings? Better to remove them with pry-bar or use a recip saw (to cut the nails from behind)?  Is the lead paint on moldings a deal-killer?


texts: How to connect a 220v gfci that has no neutral coming from the load

texts: On a boat dock with a220v boat lift I have pulled 2 hots and a ground as that’s all that is required to operate the lift motor. My Bldg dept is requiring a GFCI 220 breaker. I assume the pigtail will go to the neutral bar in the panel but what do I do to connect to the GFCI?


texts: tieing different gauge of speaker wire together for one speaker

texts:
I am running speaker wire around the room but I've run short for 2 of em
can I safely tie 2 different gauge of wires together for one speaker


texts: What are drawbacks of installing outdoor sediment filters this way?

texts:
On the far left is incoming water pipe split into 2 flexible(?) pipes where each goes to the inlet of each of the filters. Outlet of both filters are joint to each others with a Tee connector at the center. Water coming out from both filters goes out through the center output of the Tee.

On one hand, I think it's good idea due to standard 10inch filters are being used here which I think kind of underwhelmed for outdoor POE filter, so it helps with filtering load by having 2 filters doing a shared job at the same time and also prevents water flow slow-down when one of the filters gets heavily clogged over time. On the other hand, I'm not sure if there's drawback or pitfall I fail to see which makes this kind of setup a bad practice


texts: Why does electricity turn on and off in one part of my house?

texts:
For the past week, one side of my house will lose power for a few hours at a time. It extends from the living room into the far bedroom and will happen any time of the day and last for hours. But it comes back on. No breakers have flipped and I've tried switching them on and off when it happens.

What is causing this, and how do I fix it?


texts: What actually happens if I vary proportions of cement and sand in mortar?

texts:
When preparing cement mortar proportions of sand and cement can AFAIK be varied. I've always been using the "default recommended" 1-to-3 (one volume of cement for every three volumes of sand) proportion.

What actually happens if I alter the proportion - how will it affect mortar and why would I want that?


texts: We have a house built in 1953 that has the original terra cotta porch.  The porch is filthy.  Is there an easy way to clean the tiles?  My husband wants to just paint the entire porch.  It's not perfect but has character.


texts: Heard that this part should be replaced and I can't find a replacement part for my model in my manual or online anywhere. Can I just buy a generic one at the hardware store and what kind should I get? I have a Whirlpool 319118-002.


texts:
I have a food trailer i’m Building, and am now at the testing and set up stage, and am having problems with my panels.  I have a 20kw generator built in, feeding a main panel on one side, and a sub-panel on the other.  Both bonding screws are removed from the panels. Every outlet has it’s own circuit and 15A gfci breaker.  The 2 coffee machines are on 30a gfci breakers.  The smoke detector is on its own CAFI breaker.  The panels are Schneider Homeline Square D push on neutral.
When I energize the panels the cafi breaker is fine, the 2 30a gfci breakers are fine, but when I turn on anything on the other circuits, they trip.

Thanks for your help.  kurt.


texts: Floor leveling compound ontop of glued-down laminate

texts:
There is floating LVP currently installed in my kitchen which needs to be replaced. Underneath it is glued-down laminate.
There is a small section of the floor that dips down that I would like to level if possible. Can I apply floor leveling compound ontop of the glued down tiles?


texts: Red wire spliced into a bundle of blacks?

texts:
This switch currently provides power to the top half of an outlet, through a junction box.  I installed some pot lights and want to tie into the circuit, at the junction box.  I attach the black feeding the pot lights to the black at the junction box, and the white of the pot lights  to the switched power (red) circuit at the junction box but nothing...when I look at the switch, it seems to me the red mixed in the black is strange.  Why is that red getting constant power? House built in 90's.

Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks
Jbob


texts:
A long story how this got this way but there's a house with two furnaces and two thermostats. One of the furnaces feeds a long hallway with the return vent at one end and four feeder vents evenly spaced in the ceiling from one end to the other. There are no windows at the return vent end so it gets cold back there while the other end seems fine cause there are windows.

One issue is that the thermostat for this side is directly below the second vent from the back of the house where the return vent is. Placing a thermometer there registers three or four degrees warmer than the back of the house by the return vent.

I'm not sure if it would be best to just remove the vent above the thermostat or maybe close this one down along with the next one closest to the return. I can't move the thermostat but to the wall on the other side of the hall. I don't want the front of the house vents pumping more heat just to warm up the back of the house and then the front of the house gets too hot.

I'm just perplexed at the moment and looking for suggestions.


texts: How can I reattach this pivot bracket for bifold doors to the wall?

texts:
I decided to repaint my bedroom a few weeks ago.  I removed the closet door in preparation for it, then painted the room.  I went to reattach the closet door and noticed that the pivot bracket on the ground wasn't screwed in to anything.  Looking closer, it seems that the drywall it was attached to has disintegrated.

Bracket near the wall:

Close up of the wall

What should I do in order to re-attach this bracket to the wall?


texts: How do I use an extension ladder to get onto my roof?

texts:
I have a two storey house and need to get onto the roof to apply some heat paint on my furnace exhaust pipe before winter.

It looks about 20-22' from the ground to the edge my eaves, so to be safe I figure I need a 28' extension ladder.

The ground around my house is level and there is plenty of room.

How do I correctly position my ladder? Do I need to attach it to my roof somehow so it won't fall over (with me on it)?


texts: What are the NEC requirements for a temporary power pole?

texts:
The county requires the temporary power pole to be installed "in accordance with the NEC" but doesn't elaborate further.

Are there any specific requirements for temp power poles in the NEC 2014 or 2017 editions, such as number of receptacles, in use weather proof covers, amperages, number of plugs, etc?

There are some pre-built temporary power panels like these, but they don't appear to have in-use water proof  covers, and I thought that was a requirement.

Does anyone know the relevant code section(s) that lists specifically what features are required or not required for temp poles?


texts: How do I safely clean my paver stone driveway?

texts:
I sprayed moss killer to prevent moss from growing between the cracks of my paver stone driveway.  I tested a small area first to make sure it wouldn't stain the paver stones.  It looked fine after about a day--no stains--so I proceeded to spray the whole driveway.

It came out fine, except that, shockingly, one portion of the driveway became stained with a rust-like color.  I tried power washing it out with water only, which worked a little bit, but it's still discolored.

What cleanser can I use to clean up the stain without damaging the stone? The stones look like this:


texts:
I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to remove this type of tap in my bathroom. It is leaking and it gets worse and worse everyday so I'd thought of replacing the washer.

What are the next steps?


texts: Is this fix for a cracked whole house fan collar sufficient?

texts:
This past fall we had a new HVAC system put in along with new duct work and insulation. There were a lot of people in my attic, and over the course of the project, the collar that sits above my whole house fan was cracked in a few places.

Before the last guys left, I ran the fan and realized the fan was rubbing against the collar, making a horrific noise. They adjusted it and it was fine. Since that was the fall, we haven't actually had a chance to run it since. My attic will get upwards of 120 - 130 degrees in the summer, and I'm worried about how this collar will hold up in that heat.

I had the company over two days ago, and one of the guys put some duct tape (the shiny kind, not the standard gray) over the cracks to reinforce them. I told them it was fine for now but come summer, if things start moving around because of the heat and there's a problem, that I'll be expecting them to come back out and fix it. They complained about not being able to find that collar, about the unit being so old they couldn't replace it, etc. etc.

I'm wanting to know two things:

How would you expect a fix like their's to hold up in the heat? Am I worrying about this too much?
Are these types of collars able to replaced, contrary to their opinion?

There's hardly any clearance between the fan blades and this collar, so I'm worried that eventually the rubbing will start happening again, long after they've been paid. I'm trying to be reasonable and work with them, but I don't want to end up with a busted fan two years down the road.

Here's what it looks like now:


texts: Do you size a DHW expansion tank to incoming pressure or pressure after PRV?

texts:
Thinking of adding a pressure reducing valve (PRV) to reduce my home's water pressure. I understand that I'd need to add an expansion tank to the incoming cold water line of the domestic hot water heater (DHW).

My question is should I size the expansion tank for the system pressure before installing the PRV or after installing the PRV? By sizing for original pressure I have the capacity to handle expansion in the event the PRV fails.

Also related question... Do I pressurize the tank to the system pressure before or after the PRV for the same reason of possible PRV failure?

I'm probably just going to go with a larger expansion tank that will handle the current incoming pressure since it's not much more expensive and having a larger tank won't hurt anything but I'm curious to know the answers and reasoning.

Here are the stats:

Current pressure around 92 PSI
Desired pressure 65 PSI (maybe a little more like 68 PSI)
HW capacity 40 gallons
HW temperature 125F


texts: I am trying to match a custom stucco interior which is full of cracks, some very pronounced and deep... and thats the look I want to achieve. Altogether it gives the place a very warm, old-world feel. It is a rough-ish texture, color coat appears to be quite thick (in spots, maybe up to 1") There are scores of articles on how to keep stucco from cracking... I want to find one which tells me HOW TO GET THE STUCCO to crack.


texts: Can PVC conduit be run through garage/house firewall?

texts:
The wall between my garage and the rest of my house (US) is the usual drywall-insulation-drywall wall framed out with 2x4 studs.
Can I run 1.5" PVC conduit through that wall perpendicularly (e.g., not a run inside the wall, but straight through) from a utility room into the garage, provided I fire-caulk around the conduit on both sides?
Edit-
What would change if I used EMT instead of PVC?


texts: is there a way to nail hardwood floor where ceiling meets floor at 45 degree angle

texts:
I am putting in hardwood flooring in a room that has a sloping ceiling that meets the floor at 45 degrees.  It's not very useful space, and at some point I will build a knee wall and storage cabinets of some sort.  However, in the meantime, I want to extend the floor all the way to the corner of wall and ceiling.

There is obviously very little space to work (e.g. 8" away from corner has 8" of clearance above).  I have enough room to swing a hammer to blind nail and then top nail most rows, but as I get close to the edge, I don't think I will even be able to top nail the last couple of rows.

Is there a clever trick that I am unaware of?  Is there a way to nail them?  Or is my only option to glue?

Thank you.


texts: Filling big horizontal gaps in bathroom tile

texts:
This is one of our first DIY projects, thank you in advance for your help!

We removed an old baseboard of the heating system in the bathroom and were left with a horizontal gap in the tiles. As you can see, the gap between the tiles and the drywood gets up to about 1 3/4" at its widest point.

We heard about grout, epoxy grout, acrylic grout, silicone and other options.

Which one should be best for this case?


texts:
I'm adding new lights to my basement ceiling. I pulled out the old messy tangle of wires and ran new romex, but was missing the 4ft needed to reach the last box.  I reused the old wire.  Will this pass inspection?

Both old and new wire is 14/2 copper with ground.  New wire has plastic sheathing (NMD90), old wire appears to have paper strands wrapped around the conductors with a dark/black outer coating (NMD-7).


texts: How to lay rebars for a 4'x4'x12" footing for a column?

texts:
I have three columns to support lvl beams under an addition and have a question about proper rebar layout for each (identical) footing.

All specs are already checked by engineer, but there is one area I'm not clear enough. I'll be doing this myself and the engineer is away. I cannot wait due to the other deliverables on the project.

Each column will be below the frost line, 30".
They will be poured 4 square feet by 1 foot high.
A cinder block column of 24"x24" will come up from the middle of that footing to about 7-8' to hold a 4 combined lvl beams to support the weight.
Number 4 rebars will be used in the footing & will come up with the cinder block.

Please help me on how to layout the rebars, such as spacing, how far from edge, from soil, how to come up to the cinder block, etc... All this will be inspected by the county prior to concrete pouring.

Thank you!


texts: Looking for a chimney enclosure solution before insulating attic

texts:
Project: I need to add insulation to my attic. I live a few miles outside Rochester, NY. Most of the attic has only 4 inches of cellulose insulation, and some parts have less than one!

Obstacle:
The metal flue and hot water pipes for our baseboard heat go through the attic in an area that has essentially no insulation at all. In the attic I can see bare ceiling drywall over most of the laundry room/utility closet. Before I insulate this area, I have two issues that need addressing:

I need something to keep the insulation away from the metal flue - and simultaneously prevent cellulose from falling into the utility closet.
I need a way to completely air seal the utility closet from the attic space.

My question: Can I build a plywood box around the flue, all the way up to the roof deck, and then seal the edges with foam? The box would be slightly wider than the hole in the drywall. Would this be a safe and acceptable solution for my two issues?


texts:
We are working on an "inline" GFI Circut (has 4 or 5 outlets on the GFI Circut).  When we use a tester to test for 110 (Red prob to hot side of socket and Black prob to ground at box) it pops the GFI on the outlet.  After every reset (reset always stays in) and a tool is plugged into the outlet, the plug doesn't respond.  We test for 110 again, and the GFI pops out again (As soon as the probe makes contact, the GFI pops).

Thank you!

Kim


texts: What could be causing a moth ball like smell?

texts: We have a smell like moth balls in bedroom of condo. Moth balls and camphor smell coming from heating unit in bedroom.


texts: Tried to remove one GU10 bulb, afterwards lost the entire fixture

texts:
We are in a new-to-us home, and the breakfast nook has a hanging fixture with 5 GU10 (or at least I think they are GU10) bulbs, all in a row. The 4th one has been dark since we moved in so I decided to tackle it earlier today.
After much wrasslin' and cussin', I ended up breaking the bulb despite trying the rubber gloves 'push and turn' method.
After getting most of it out, glass shards and all, some of it was still left in there so I tried some pliers, only making the problem worse.
Left it for another day, but as I was about to close up for the night I dimmed this fixture (the fixture uses a Lutron I believe) and after working as normal for a few minutes there was a sound like something between a loud click and a snap, and the entire fixture went dark.
The dimmer switch does not respond at all, and nothing lights up on the little dots in the switch. The breaker panel is all fine, nothing tripped.
I am concerned this could be a fire issue, and of course I'd like to get the fixture working again, even with 4 out of 5 bulbs.
What is the likely problem? Is the fixture toast, or the dimmer, or both? How do I go about troubleshooting? I've done light electrical work before (and one time, in a foolish prior life, actually added a 20 amp breaker to a box but I won't be trying that again). I do have some tools but before trying anything I thought I'd check here first.
Thanks in advance!


texts: How wide should a workbench top's overhang be to accomodate clamp-on vises and work lamps?

texts: Is 2" (5 cm) of workbench top overhang enough to accomodate most clamp-on vises and work lamps?


texts: How to supply air in 2 rooms through a single joists cavity?

texts:
In my basement, I have a bathroom of 8'X5' and next to it there is kid space of 10'X15'
both sharing one wall. I don't have much space in ceiling to run 2 flex ducts in their own separate joists cavity.
Just above in the upstairs, have two bedrooms and one bath room which took almost entire ceiling space for plumbing/flex duct. so I have only one cavity left between 2 joists in the ceiling to supply air to both of these rooms/spaces.
But How ?
Thanks


texts:
We had a new septic system put in about 2 years ago and love it.  No more problems for us with water backing up and not flushing when it rains.  It is an aerobic system with a pump that runs continuously.  The pump sits on our back patio.  At the time it was installed we didn't use the patio, ever, so the noise didn't bother me.  It's not extremely loud, about like a dishwasher or washing machine.  But it is loud enough that at night I want to hear the crickets and frogs and it interferes.

Is there a way to quiet the pump some way.  Right now I have a cement block type thing sitting over it to protect it from the dogs.  There is an opening on 2 sides for air. The plumber actually put this on it for me.  It needs air flow I am pretty sure so it does not overheat.

If I can't quiet it is it okay to unplug it for an hour or two at a time each day?  I have googled this and can't find an answer.  I know it is okay for the power to be off at times because the plumber said if we lose power for a few days not to worry.  But I wonder if I do this every day for an hour or two is it okay?


texts: How to attach a 2x beam to the side of a post?

texts:
I want to attach a 2x to the side of a vertical 4x4 post.

I can think of several options:

nails
through bolts
lag screws
a cleat under the beam
Sampson Deck-Joist Tie

I know that notching the post makes it stronger, but I don't want to notch.

What are the guidelines for selecting proper fastening, e.g. the number & size of fasteners for a given load?


texts: Confusing result on three-light outlet tester

texts:
I have a switched outlet which, when turned on, reads as correctly wired on one of the three-light plug-in testers.

When turned off, however, I get it weakly lighting as "hot and ground reversed".

I haven't taken a proper meter to it yet, but I am hoping this is just an annoying trickle of back-current/induced current from another circuit... Or perhaps a switch installed in neutral rather than the hot side.

Has anyone seen this particular nuisance before, and if so what's the likely cause?


texts: No flow rate in underfloor heating manifold

texts:
I've recently fitted a Under Floor Heating system; a two room, four port manifold system.

I filled the system from the hose connection as directed (flowing water through the circuits until there are no air bubbles etc), checked pressure and so. I followed the instructional video which the supplier pointed me to with my order: video

I then connected the system to my central heating loop, and the pump is running (when required) and the actuators are firing, however there is no water flow according to the gauges at the top of the flow manifold.

So it looks like I'm not getting anyway water flow through the manifold. Is there anything obvious which could be the cause of this?

I have isolated the loops and turned on the drains out of the manifold and managed to get water to flow through the manifold from the flow line and out of the drain on the side of the manifold. So water is free to flow down the pipe, it just isn't for some reason.


texts: Can you connect a 14 gauge electrical wire with a 12 gauge?

texts: In the attached image, the 14 gauge wire coming from the left and into the junction box, is from a gas stove the floor above. The 12 gauge wire coming from the right is connected to the panel and is no longer used. It would sure be convenient if I could just tie these two together instead of running wire all the way to the panel again. Is there anything wrong with connecting a 14 and 12 gauge together? The stove only requires 15amps so the 14 should be ok on that front:


texts: how do I wire a duplex outlet that will always be hot from a switch outlet combo?

texts:
I have a combo switch outlet that has one hot outlet and the switch controls a floodlight over my pool.

I want to add a duplex outlet further down my patio to be able to plug in my aerator pump and ceiling heat lamp. This outlet needs to be hot and not affected by the switch.

A diagram would really be helpful also. Thank you, Harr.


texts:
I have seen this done but never knew HOW it was done and remained in place. I am planning to gravel my sand driveway within the next month or so but in the meantime, I'm thinking about buying a heavy duty tarp to cover the sand (it's driving me crazy!) I was told to get cinder blocks to hold it in place but was wondering if there was a less conspicuous way to keep the tarp from blowing around (a huge blue or green tarp in the front yard is already ugly enough!). Also, recommendations on the type/brand of tarp would be helpful, as well!
Thank you in advance for your help!!


texts: How can I close a gap between ceiling drywall and a furnace flue?

texts:
My gas furnace is located in my laundry/utility and is normal(~80%?) efficiency with a Type B Flue. It goes up through the drywall ceiling into my attic(1 story) and out the roof and I verified that there is no insulation in contact. There is a ~1" air gap in the drywall which is a draft leak and worse is pulling in a significant amount of combustion air from the attic.
I'd like to seal this gap and can't quite make sense of the best way to do this. I understand that no contact with combustible material within 1" is code for type b vent but what is defined as combustible is not clear.
The closest thread I can find here is this one for a range vent How do I air-seal a range hood flute?
But I can't easily slip on the collar so I was thinking I could cut a slit to bend it onto the pipe at the ceiling and then aluminum tape or firestop caulk the cut once installed.
Could I instead just caulk the gap with 3m fireblock which is noncombustible? Or is setting drywall compound considered noncombustible?


texts: Whole house fan possible with vaulted ceiling?

texts:
I live in an area where I think a whole-house fan would be a big benefit.  But my upper floor has a vaulted ceiling.  I don't know anything about the construction.

There is a ceiling fan, but it doesn't do anything to introduce cool air into the room.

Are there products out there for this situation, or should I give up hoping that I can get one to work?


texts: Garage Gym - Mounting Folding Squat Rack to Plasterboard Wall

texts:
I have purchased this squat rack to go into my garage:

Unfortunately, they do not come with mounting instructions and the manufacturer recommends getting a builder in to do it. Instead, I'm going to try and do it myself.

The rack itself is quite heavy duty steel and will potentially have to hold a lot of weight so it needs to be as sturdy as possible and solidly fixed to the wall. The wall in the garage is 5mm plasterboard. One possible complication is that my house is a new build and so has been built with some fairly new techniques. The house is steel framed, so no wooden studs, and instead the walls are attached to steel studs 1.5mm thick.

My plan is to buy some 2x8 wood planks and mount two horizontally at the top and bottom of the wall, and then fix the brackets (pictured) to the wood.

Is this a good plan? Or is there a better way to do this?

If I go with my plan, what is the best way to fix the wood to the wall? Would it be best to find some long (100mm+) self-tapping screws to go through the wood, plasterboard, and finally into the steel studs? Or use these  toggles to attach the wood to the plasterboard? Or a mix of both? Is 2x8s enough, or do I need to go thicker?

Once the wood is up I can use the provided thick wood screws to mount the brackets.

Thanks.


texts: What is this white fitting inline with my showerhead?

texts: I just got a new apartment and am going to replace my shower head as it's too low. I noticed that it has a white plastic fitting on it that comes before the shower head. I'm not to sure what it's for. Maybe someone can enlighten me?


texts: Heat dissipating materials for a wall that gets very hot?

texts:
The exterior wall adjoining one of our rooms gets a lot of sunlight in summer, and I suspect heats up the room a lot, as the exterior wall continues to radiate heat well after sunset during peak sunlight hours.

What kinds of materials could be used as a cladding (preferably decorative) to dissipate or disperse heat and cool down the adjoining room?


texts: What is a reasonably economical way to heat a basement bathroom?

texts:
I have a basement bathroom (roughly 8' x 4') that corners two outside walls, and has no heat vent. Months like this it's ice cold. I'd like to heat it up, just not sure how, outside of running a space heater unattended (!). I use the bathroom quite often so a spending a little money is worth it. It's on the opposite end of the house from the furnace, and the closest vent is just outside the door in the laundry area.

I'm pretty handy, so I should be able to handle most diy solutions.


texts: What is causing that buzz when running my mini-split air conditioner?

texts: There is a short buzz noise that emanates randomly while running my GREE mini-split air conditioner.  At first I thought it occurs only while running one of the 3 units, but it seems to occur when running one of the other units independently too.  Leads me to suspect that the issue is in the condenser unit located outside on the deck rather than the condensate pump in the units.  BTW, is it possible to attach a recording of the buzz on this website?


texts: Fridge keeps turning off and only back in when I flip the circuit breaker off and back on?

texts: just wondering if anyone has any ideas, we got home and opened the fridge and the light was off and the fridge was off completely, my husband went downstairs to look at the breaker box and the switches were all in regular place none had flipped, he flipped the kitchen one on and off and it came back on, a few minutes later it turned off again but back on when he did it again?


texts: How should I connect a new dimmer switch?

texts: I'm trying to install a dimmer switch. Are the 2 black wires acting as a pass through? Obviously, green to green, but then what? both blacks and brown, leave white capped? Please help, sorry for being a newb. :)


texts: Can I use a magnet to make a hinged mirror stick to the wall?

texts:
After installing my Ikea mirror which can open like a door (in order to install small hooks on the wall behind it and hang keys and stuff), I realize it touches the wall only if I apply pressure on it, otherwise there's a 1 centimeter gap.

I was thinking about installing a small magnet on the wall at half height of the mirror, then a small metal sheet glued on the mirror at the same height so that the mirror is attracted by the magnet.

Ideally the magnet on the wall would be a simple screw whose head is a magnet! Is there such a thing?

Otherwise, what do you suggest?


texts: Is a 100 amp transfer switch adequate for a 15KW generator?

texts: I want to add a 15KW standby generator to my 200 amp house The generator came with a 100amp transfer switch. Is this arrangement ok or should I get a 200 a transfer switch?


texts: How do I install the trap for a standard bathroom sink?

texts:
I have an open 1.5" drain pipe in the wall. I just need to redirect it through the (currently non-existing) drywall and put in a trap. What is the proper way to do this? Do I just put a 90 degree EL on the pipe?

Also, I noticed that most traps are 1.25" instead of the 1.5" of drain pipe that I have. Do I just step my drain from 1.25" to 1.5" and call it a day or is there some special way to do this properly?

Is PVC or some other material preferred? What else do I need to take into consideration?


texts: Does 100 yr old concrete floor need replacing?

texts: Our house was built in 1905 and the concrete floor is uneven and gets a lot of moisture at times.  We replaced the gutters which helped a little.  We'd like to finish the basement, maybe use stained concrete.  Is newer concrete normally better, less prone to getting as moist?  Is there an additional way to create a moisture barrier that wasn't used in 1905?   I would consider the moisture to be relatively minor, but too much to consider installing a floor or carpet.


texts:
I have 2 bathroom remodeling we are planning on the 2nd floor of 2 storied house. I want to carve out part of the bathroom as laundry room where Washer (27") and Dryer (27") will be stacked in a closet 31" wide. And there will be 28" wide door to this closet. Look at the picture below. The two walls extending towards the top are closet walls so you can ignore them.

The joists are going perpendicular this wall and for almost any location they do not lap over this wall but extend straight to the nearby parallel exterior wall (9 ft away). It sounds like non load bearing wall so far. But I need help to confirm.

Now, I have 2 issues:

In the image, yellow/black are existing door frames in the wall. The left one is entrance to a bedroom and the right one is entrance to the bathroom. The blue one is the opening I want to create. Right above this opening I have 2 pair of joists which are lapping so it definitely makes it load bearing section of the wall. I am wondering why only those 2 joists could be lapping?
I would definitely be putting sistered header above the new door. But I am wondering the 2 other doors being so close to this new opening, should I consider 3 doors together as one big opening and put a longer header to support all the 3 door frames together?


texts: How can I secure this metal 1-gang electrical box without creating a bigger hole?

texts:
I removed wood paneling in a room to reveal shoddy plaster & lath. I covered it with 3/8 in. drywall. I now need to add spacers to electrical outlets and a light switch.

Except for this one electrical outlet that was never fully secured to begin with. (I'm guessing the previous owner secured it to the lath that is now broken/missing?):


texts: How can a glossy finish be achieve on a wooden desk?

texts:
I'm planning to build a desk for my workstation and I wanted to have a glossy finish something like this.

I'll be using a 3/4" thick plyboard and plan to cover it with patching compound to have a smooth surface. I'm not really good at DIY and I'm saving some money... but will try my best to get a good result :)

Question 1: Is my approach stupid?

Question 2: What paint would you recommend? Can I use spray paint on this?

Question 3: Any alternative suggestion?


texts: How many bathrooms can be connected on a 3 inch vertical stack?


texts: How would I go about turning a tree in to a tabletop?

texts:
My father-in-law is about to cut down a large Ash tree (on the insistence of a neighbour).  At the same time, we need a dining table, and quite like the idea of a simple wooden slab on legs.

Unfortunately I only have basic knowledge of woodwork, and know almost nothing about seasoning the wood etc. Hopefully there is someone here who knows about this stuff!

There is a local sawmill willing to cut up the tree as required.  And I'm able to make the metal legs etc.

What we want to end up with is a thick (about 10cm if possible) chunk of wood for the table top.  If this can be done in a solid piece (or 2) then great.

The question is - how to go about this?  Should I just ask the sawmill to cut a slab of the required size?  Is it better to ask for smaller planks that will together make the required size? Should I leave the top to 'season' after it has been cut?  How can I expect the wood to behave as it matures? (I don't mind some cracks and a slightly rustic feel - but not a twisted table top or legs that no longer touch the floor properly).

Lots of questions I know - any advice appreciated!


texts: Is a propane supply necessary for a standby generator?

texts:
(This question is about a small house in the northeastern US.  Power outages are not uncommon, especially in winter, and can occasionally last for more than 24 hours.  We are considering a standby generator that is capable of powering the whole house so that the water pump, electric range, freezer, and fridge can all run in the event of an outage.  Our furnace is forced hot water and heating oil for fuel, so we'd also be relying on the generator to bring power to the furnace to circulate the heat.)
One electrician told me that in order to install a generator, a propane tank would be necessary.  Since we would have to install a rather large propane tank, this increases the project budget significantly.  Another electrician quoted the same project but did not mention the need for propane.  Is the first electrician right?  Is propane the only power source that can work on standby to power a small house?


texts: How to extend my washing machine standpipe?

texts:
I need to extend my standpipe so that it's higher than my washing machine drum height.

I need it to be about 24" taller than it currently is. I'm not experienced doing any plumbing work beyond installing a new shower head.

I've included photos of the current state of my standpipe.

I'm renting an apartment, so I'd prefer a solution that could be reversible if needed.


texts: Polyurethane on damaged floor isn't creating smooth surface

texts:
I had the wood floor chipped from heavy object played on it, removing the varnish that covered that small area. I tried to fix it by first sanding, then polyurethane on a cotton swab as the affected area was fingernail size.

Here's what it was initially:

Here's the result:

Sanded with 120 grit. Did 4 coats of polyurethane with q-tip. And the polyurethane browned it a bit. But it's rough texture and not smooth, and feels unfinished.


texts: Why don't my composite deck screws go in all the way? Why RT screws?

texts:
I'm trying to finish up a composite deck project. We had been using SplitStop screws when we needed them, but I only need about 30 more and don't want to buy another box of them because they're very expensive, and I don't need anywhere near a full box of 275. I found a box of 'cladding' screws that looked similar and tried them, but had problems with them not going in all the way; they left the head exposed quite a bit, a good 1/4".
The original Split Stop screws have a blank part of the shaft, and then at the top they have strange threads, almost like 'flanges' that are perpendicular to the shaft. Occasionally we had the same problem with these, with them not going in all the way. Never could figure out why, anyone know?
Before these cladding screws, I thought I tried something like these, which look the same as SplitStop and had the same problem with them not going in all the way, but I'm going to give them a shot again.
The cladding screws are slightly different in that their last section, near the head, has reverse-threaded threads. I guess this is why they stop going in?


texts: Can I remove the bathtub -- just the tub -- without shutting off the water supply?

texts:
I have to replace my bathroom subfloor due to water damage from a leaking toilet.
Therefore, I need to move my bathtub, replace the subfloor underneath it, and reinstall the tub.
However, there is no separate shutoff water valve for my bathtub, and it's not viable to shut off the main water supply because this project will take me days if not weeks.
It looks to me like there's no need to shut off the water: My bathtub is a bathtub/shower combo, with the faucet and showerhead built into the wall, not attached to the tub itself. (Pictured below.)
Can I safely remove the bathtub -- just the tub -- without shutting off the water supply?
(Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me the tub itself is just a ceramic basin with a drain attached, with all the actual waterworks floating above it unattached.)


texts: What's the right type of lumber to construct a small TV platform?

texts:
I'm buying a new TV, which will be my first flat-screen TV for the home theater. I currently have an old RPTV, and our center channel speaker rests on a stand that supports it on top of the TV. Since that obviously won't work, with a new flat-screen, I plan to place the speaker in front of the new TV instead.

The problem is that most center channel speakers (mine included) are at least 5" tall, and the stands that come with most TVs these days only prop up the bottom edge of the screen by a few inches at most.

The model I purchased (that hasn't yet arrived) has a stand in the center, instead of the style that places one smaller piece at either end, so I figured I could cobble together a board to raise it up as high as I need to.

I plan to cut the boards to the size necessary (roughly 9" deep, 28" wide), stacked as high as I need (about 4"). I will glue them together with wood glue, and also fasten with some countersunk screws, and then paint the finished product to match our A/V stand (a shade of white).

First, does that sounds like a reasonable construction for such a platform?

Second, what type of lumber should I buy? Looking at Home Depot's site, I wasn't sure whether to choose from their Framing Lumber and Studs section, or the "Appearance Boards" section. I liked that the framing lumber would come in nominal 2" thicknesses, which means I might be able to get away with fewer laminated layers. But the "appearance boards" seemed like they were more intended for interior use, and the "edge glued" varieties are supposed to stay flat better.

Since I'll be painting it, the grain characteristics don't matter so much. But it's very important it not warp, and that it can support the 55 lbs the TV weighs.

Update

Allow me to add some more info to address the comments and answers.

We're not considering wall-mounting the TV or speaker in this room for aesthetic reasons. The stand of the TV is 8.5" deep and around 27" wide. Also, I'm planning on rounding over at least the front top edge of the stand with my router for a more finished look (and I might do all four top edges).

I hadn't considered stability, though a 55 lbs TV should hopefully weigh down a flat piece of wood enough that it won't slide. Should I consider any special coating on the bottom surface? A non-skid pad would probably make it at least a little wobbly.


texts: Should I lubricate moving parts of electric dryer? If yes, then how?

texts:
Recently the belt of my 8 year old electric dryer snapped due to wear. So I have opened up the dryer and while I am waiting for the replacement belt to arrive I was wondering if it makes sense to also lube up pulleys and/or other moving parts inside the dryer to extend lifetime of remaining parts? If yes, then what lube to use (teflon, lithium, graphite or some other)?

Following considerations came into my mind and I am somewhat overwhelmed with all the lubricant options available:

pulleys are made from plastic. Hence lube must be plastic-friendly
small lint will be inside dryer. Hence lube should not attract such particles.
the temperatures can get quite high. Hence lube should not be flammable.
any other considerations I may be missing?


texts: Honeywell RTH6500 WiFi Thermostat wiring questions for a heat pump

texts:
I'm trying to install a new Honeywell RTH6500 thermostat on an old heat pump system that has regular plus emergency heat and the closest matching diagram says to put both the white "W2" wire and black "E" wire into the same port called Aux/E.  (pic attached of instructions page)

Questions:
1.) Is this right?
2.) Can regular and EM heat work off of the same port? (W2 & E wires in same port)
3.) I get all the other wiring matchups (I think) but what am I missing?

Here is what I have on my old system:  (Some of the labels could be wrong here)(pic attached with wires still installed on a regular Hunter Thermostat)
G__C__O__W2__E__R__Y1
  G = Green wire
  C = Blue wire
  O = Orange wire
  W2 = White wire
  E = Black wire
  R = Red wire
  Y1 = Yellow wire

The New Honeywell RTH6500 has two wiring rows for Conventional or Heat Pump: (pic attached)
Top Row - Conventional:  K__Y2__W2__G__W__C__Y__R/Rc
Bottom Row - Heat Pump:  K__L__AUX/E__G__O/B__C__Y__R/Rc

What goes where?  W2/White and E/Black are mysterious.

G to G on RTH6500 = Green wire
  C to C on RTH6500 = Blue wire
  O to O/B on RTH6500 = Orange wire
  W2 to W2??? on RTH6500 = White wire
  E to ??? on RTH6500 = Black wire
  R to R/Rc on RTH6500 = Red wire
  Y1 to Y?? on RTH6500 = Yellow wire

Thank you very much for your help!
Scott

enter image description here


texts:
Sorry for the long post but if you can make it to the end, I would greatly appreciate it. I have what I believe to be an uncommon situation that I haven't been able to solve. I have a thermostat that controls only my a/c. I wanted to upgrade the thermostat and picked up a Honeywell Lyric T5 secondhand. I then discovered that I don't have a C wire.

I currently have Rc, G, and Y. When I connect them to those spots in the thermostat, it does nothing. I went to the attic and found that the Rc wire is connected to the C terminal in the air handler. So I moved it from R to C in the thermostat. Now the thermostat will power on and acts like it's working but only the air handler turns on, not the a/c compressor.

So my question is, is there a way to add a jumper at the thermostat? If not, I can run new thermostat wire but I'm not sure how I can hook it up at the air handler since C is being used. I don't remember what other terminals were available at the handler but I can fnd out. I'm pretty sure the air handler is original to the house from 1970 so I don't know if things have changed since there. Thanks in advance for any help.


texts: I have a very old house and I am renovating my basement and i recently bought a new 140k BTU boiler for heating. I have a separate boiler for hot water. Both boilers are being vented through a Chimney running all the way up through the roof. Do i need any additional vent in Boiler room if I am already venting through chimney?


texts: When tiling a floor must I start in the middle of the room?

texts: I am tiling a small bathroom ~45sq ft. The book I am referencing suggested starting the tile in the center of the room to prevent laying any tiny fractions of tile near one side of the room. I'm working with 12x24" tiles and it looks like I might be better suited with starting the tiles at the door threshold. Is the start at the middle idea just a guideline that I can go ahead and break?


texts:
First, some set up:
My friends and I have been building a sort of Mancave over the last year.  It's about 300 square feet, with a height of about 14 feet -- half of the place has a loft (making something like 2 floors) while the other half has tall ceilings.

We initially did not have plans to put in a bathroom -- so, we put drywall up everywhere.  THEN, we decided it would be nice to have a bathroom.  We ran all of the water lines from city water up into the crawlspace (passing inspection), but now are preparing to tackle the bathroom.

My question:
With the drywall up, and roof shingled -- and the whole place basically ready for use.. we are putting a bathroom in.  Under the loft, we have built a 2x6 dividing wall for all of the plumbing to sit inside (just the studs right now).  HOWEVER -- we did not realize, being newbies, that you need a plumbing vent stack.  The question is, can we possibly vent our plumbing for an entire bathroom WITHOUT penetrating the roof?

There is a somewhat tall crawlspace under the building.  Could the drain just be low in the crawlspace, and have a vent that angles out through the rim joist and run the vent outside?  I have read that it is possible to vent through an exterior wall -- but as this 2x6 wall is in the middle of the house, reaching an outside wall might be difficult.

What is my best option?
I really appreciate any help!!

P.S.  I will be making sure any plans pass inspection before doing the plumbing -- Any help I get will go toward my plans.


texts: I'm having a hard time stain matching some existing interior oak trim. I finally thought I found a good match, but then I realized that the different pieces in the house (even of the same species) look different with the same color stain, so the color that looks good on one piece of oak looks different on another piece of oak. My question is, would I be better off using a gel stain because it doesn't actually soak into the wood and therefore the characteristics of the wood won't matter as much as with penetrating stain? Any other advice?


texts: How can I handle expansion drainage from water heater?

texts:
I have a couple of 150L electric water heater cylinders in the cellar, fed by mains water pressure. They're designed to bleed a little from the bottom, as water inside heats up. If they were above ground, it would be easy to pipe this water to outside. As it is, their bottoms being below ground level, that's impossible.
I have to catch the water in a tray, and periodically empty it, every few weeks.
Looking for a fix-it-forget-it solution.


texts: How to ground a 3 prong outlet in plastic box no green ground wire

texts:
I have a 1954 two-story Pacemaker trailer. It's been rewired by somebody but the receptacles are in plastic boxes. Some have ground wires, some do not.

PG&E is going to give me a refrigerator, but my receptacle is not grounded so they can't give it to me until I ground it. However the outlet box is plastic not metal. There is no green wire anywhere. It's a 3 prong outlet, but has no ground.

How do I get around this so I can get a new refrigerator? Thanks so much.


texts: A dimmer onto a circuit that controls the top receptacle of 2 plugs and also two led pot lights?

texts:
I'm wondering if, because the light switch turns on and off the top receptacle on a wall plug,  can you still install a dimmer on this circuit?

Thanks
 j-bob8


texts:
I have two sections of flooring that are currently uneven by about 1/4". One side is 3/4" OSB, and the other is 3/4" Plywood. Both sides are screwed and glued onto joists. I'm planning on putting cement board across both sides to prep for tile after that.

Should I use 1/4" Plywood to bring the two sides to level? Is there something else to use instead - like self-leveling compound?
Do I screw the plywood into the joists or just into the underlying subfloor? Screw every 6 inches - or more or less?
Do I use glue between the plywood and the OSB? Or something else between the layers?


texts: Installing a generator transfer switch on an ITE Pushmatic panel

texts: I have purchased a transfer switch,the Reliance Controls Corporation 31406CRK 30 Amp 6-circuit. The panel in question is a ITE Pushmatic, like the one in the picture except it has two main breakers on top of each rail. I plan on using this on six 115 VAC 15 amp circuits; if I have to I guess I could rewire the circuits I need to one side of the panel but just wondering if there is any technical issue with running the transfer wiring to both sides of the panel. I am no electrician but I do have some understanding of the work involved, and I don't think there are any pitfalls; however I know my limitations and rather ask smarter folks than me. Thanks


texts:
We live in a traditional Victorian house in the North-East of England, i.e. fairly damp and wet. The windows have sandstone lintels. However due to damp and age the paint eventually bubbles (see picture).

I would like to repaint the house exterior.

What is the best way of treating and preventing future paint bubbles on the sandstone?
A couple of dozen bricks have also been painted. What's the best way of stripping the paint off these bricks to expose the original bricks.


texts: Switch wiring for 2 single pole switches and 2 different lights

texts:
Hi novice electrician,
Question- I have 2 lights, 2 switches and 2 receptacles but I put wired them weird. 12/2 wiring used FYI.
I put one switch with one receptacle and one switch with another receptacle.  Both receptacles are connected together.
When I turned on the lights they don’t work independently. If one is off, the other light is off. I know possibly because they share the same power source.
However I want it to function where If in the toilet closet, I can turn only that light on and then in the small closet in front of the toilet closet, I can turn on that light if I want to.
Both switches are not in the same box. Any ideas?
I know it’s something with the wiring at the switches and not at the receptacles I used. Both receptacles are correctly wired verified with my receptacle tool. Thanks


texts: Are push-connect sockets intended to be reusable?

texts: are push connection light sockets a one time use only.  I disconnected the lamp cord to replace it but now the wire holes will not grip the wire.


texts:
I'm looking for tools that can help me test the signal coming into my house from my cable provider. I am currently having issues with a Leviton CATV Relay which I'll replace, but I've been having issues with the cable modem since I took it offline.

I now realized, after reading the manual on Leviton's site, that the relay is actually a two way amplifier, which I presume could have previously been affecting the signal coming into the modem, and the modem was probably calibrated to handle it as it was.

Anyway, that's neither here nor there, I'm hoping once the relay is replaced it will normalize the modem, but I still would like to know what tools I can get to test the stability of the signals coming in (or being relayed out).


texts:
My wife and I just replaced the vanity in our bathroom. To fit the new sink, we had to cut some new PVC. Here's a picture.

All the plumbing works, without leaks, except that it will not drain completely out of the sink. After the sink stops draining, there is still about 1/2 inch of water standing in the sink.

All of the pipes that look horizontal are almost exactly horizontal. Did we not include enough of a downward slope? If so, how would we do that?


texts:
As part of my kitchen remodel, I am planning to install cabinets between studs.

Essentially these are about 14" x 3.5" shelves and can be installed between studs.

( if you google "between stud shelving", it will give you an idea of what I am talking about ).

Now - I am planning to widen one of the wall by installing three rows of studs so that the thickness of wall becomes 10.5" ( 3 * 3.5 ). This the shelves can be upto 10.5 inches wide ( enough to store toaster or toaster oven ).

There will be electrical wiring through studs and also issue of placing a toaster oven in recessed shelf in a wall.

My question is how to make all this setup according to code ?


texts: How easy is to relocate a plumbing vent pipe fixed verically on an outside wall to a different wall

texts:
I recently had a loft extension with bathroom in it. My builders have installed the vent pipe on the wall outside the extension on the wall shared with one of my neighbours.

Now my neighbours are claiming that the pipe is trespassing their air space and want it moved away.

The vent pipe is also connected to the soil pipe from the outside (the soil pipe is on another outside wall so the connection from the vent to the soil pipe goes round the corner).

My question is: is it possible to relocate the vent pipe and the pipe connection to the soil pipe.

Assuming that this is possible, is this an easy and straight forward job? What is involved in doing this?


texts:
When I try to screw in the dryer power cord, the screws make contact with the square plate  behind the contacts. The screws, however, will not screw in all the way and are leaving a gap which is preventing Full Contact of the three pieces. Is there supposed to be a gap? How can I fix this?

edit
Maybe the screws are the problem? Should I get a smaller screw that goes all the way in?


texts: I have an internal wall with marks / staining. The damp meter reading shows that there are no leaks coming down the wall and I have taken the floorboards up and they are bone dry underneath. The wall was vandexed up to a meter high a few years back and the staining appears above the vandex area. Do you have any idea why the marks re-appear on the wall?


texts:
I have a rowing machine (a WaterRower) with a water tank (picture).  The tank has a few cracks on the top.  I'm thinking of gluing a piece of plexiglass on it as a patch but was wondering if anyone had a better idea.

Add'l info: the tank is 23" in diameter and 9" tall.  The plastic is ~3.5mm thick.  The cracks are roughly 2" long.  I'm not sure what caused them.  The tank is normally sealed except for a bung hole in the top (visible in the 2nd photo) but it's currently in 2 pieces so I can work on it. I can't tell what the plastic is made of (no markings) but the tank has a little give when pressed.  Here are 2 photos taken from the inside:


texts: Wiring Z-wave Dimmer switch into 2-gang switch setup

texts:
Novice here...

My 2 gang junction box had 2 switches, controlling a fan and its light.
I got this fan from HD (Fan) which needed only one hot and a neutral to operate. The remote controls the fan's light. The other switch was wired to 4 new can-lights. The electrician did everything good.

Now, I want to replace the Light switch with a Z-wave dimmer : Dimmer

When I opened the junction box, the existing wiring confused me. The right switch controls lights and left one controls the fan. The new Dimmer needs 4 wires - Line (Hot), Neutral, Ground and Load.

The dimmer switch I have has only 3

Link to Dimmer switch wiring : Dimmer Switch Wiring

Another view -

I was able to swap the fan switch with a modern one and it worked fine. However, the Z-wave dimmer I couldn't make it work.

Can someone guide in simple words, how do I wire the dimmer to make it work ?

P.S. The neutral wire hanging down is something I haven't used yet. The dimmer switch said it needed a neutral, so I pulled one from existing lot.

P.S.S. I don't know how the new fan and can lights are wired. I cannot open it either. Sorry!

Thanks!


texts: NEC 2020 Compliant feed to an outbuilding

texts:
I am doing something similar to Running Service to Outbuilding. I tried asking for clarification there, but couldn't figure out how to. Sorry to start a new Q. If there is a better way, I'd appreciate feedback for the future. Also, FYI, this is asking for details related to a broader question I asked (400 Amp service to 225 amp and 150 amp panels). Hopefully, the below reflects what I learned there :)
I have a 2 car detached garage in Washington state, across a dirt county road from the main house (50-75 feet - need to measure). I want a 70 amp feeder to it (50 amp 240v car charger, 2 garage door openers, well pump, lights, GP receptacles). I've tried to plan the best I could based on the previous post and reading NEC 2020. I'd appreciate feedback on my plans, detailed below.
I believe I need a disconnect at the garage, so I'm planning a panel with a 70A main breaker, and 3 breakers for 3 branch circuits. E.g., Eaton BRP10B100, BR270, BR250, BRP115A1CS, and BR120. I don't also need a disconnect on the outside of the garage, do I?
I plan on running wires from the main house in a 1" PVC conduit in a trench 20" deep with 2" of sand, then the conduit, then sand, then dirt back to grade. I plan on using 3 wires of 4 AWG AL XHHW-2 and one 8 AWG solid copper wire. I believe I also need an 8 AWG solid copper wire to a copper grounding rod at the garage.
Similar to the $3K+ 400 AMP Meter Combo on the other question, I plan on using a much less expensive version, the Siemens MC0816B1400RLTM. The description of this says "This 400 Amp meter-load center combination is provided with one 200 Amp main breaker that feeds an 8 space, 16 circuit interior with feed-thru lugs that can be used to feed a load center down stream." Does that mean I can add lugs downstream of the 200A breaker and have my feeder wires connected there? Or do I first need another 70A breaker installed after the 200A breaker and before the feeder wires?


texts: 14/4 cable use in switches for vent fan and light combination

texts:
This post is similar (but different) to one I posted previously, and I got great answers at that time. This is a different bathroom:

I currently have an overhead bathroom light with a single pole switch at the door. The power for the light first comes into the ceiling box directly above the light via 14/2 cable. The hot for the light switch is tapped in right there by using the black wire of a 14/3 cable, said 14/3 then runs to the switch where the black wire supplies feed for the switch and when switch is turned on the red from same 14/3 runs back to the light as power (right before the light, another black wire is tapped in to feed vanity light). Now, here is something else; in the switch box on the wall, before the black feed from the 14/3 runs to the switch, another 14/2 cable taps into that hot feed to supply overhead lights to the bedroom on the other side of the bathroom wall (it runs straight to the switch that controls those lights from the bottom of my bathroom light switch box).

So, now I'm replacing my bathroom light with a light and fan combination. I will be installing a 2 function switch instead of the single pole so I can control the fan and the light separately. So, I'm thinking, why not just replace the 14/3 that runs to the switch now from the light junction box with 14/4 wire. I can do that in the attic. So, what kind of 14/4 should I buy, stranded or solid? Any special markings need to be on the cable? Also, it has to be able to be the feed for the bedroom lights I mention in the last sentence of paragraph #1 above. I'd tap into the 14/4 in the switch box to feed the bedroom lights. I also need to tie in to the 14/4 at the light box to feed the vanity light.


texts: I am just starting out welding. The job is to fillet weld 2"x1" 16 gauge (1.2mm) Rectangular Mild Steel Tubing for fabricating a frame. I have a 250 Amp DC welding machine. Can you suggest Electrode diameter and current? I currently have 8mm electrodes. Would they work fine if I used a low enough amperage setting?


texts: Microwave oven blows internal fuse when door is closed

texts: My GE model mc0165uw above range oven blows its 20amp ceramic fuse when i close the microwave oven door. I have checked the continuity of all 4 door interlock switches, and as far as I can tell they check out ok. What would be the next troubleshooting step here before heading to the pawnshop for a new one.


texts:
I am living in an apartment which has a balcony right next to the small road. Even thought the road is quite small, cars are still driving there and it makes a lot of sound if the doors to the balcony are open.

The balcony has no solid vertical wall toward the road, but only iron bars every 20cm. Would that help if I would put on the ground a half of meter height plastic (or other material) board over the length of the whole balcony next to the iron bars?

I don't expect 50% of noise reduction but at least little bit would be good.

To illustrate my point, this is how it looks:


texts: What is the purpose of a double pole breaker for separate 15A circuits?

texts:
My new house is done being built and I am going to come in and install my new gas range and dishwasher, both 120V 15A appliances.

I got thoroughly confused looking at the breaker box because gas range and dishwasher were labeled on different circuits but at the breaker the electrician installed a double pole breaker.  I traced the two ungrounded conductors to two separate wires coming out of the box, telling me it is really two separate circuits(EDIT: On second thought I did see a red wire in the one end so I must not have traced that right. It probably is going to one 14/3 cable now that I think about it).

Clearly if the gas range or the dishwasher were to trip the breaker then it immediately trip the other circuit as well.  I am curious why it was done this way.

Is this a new NEC code that I am unaware of?  Could this be a regional code of some kind?  Are there any safety concerns for why the electrician decided to do this over using two separate 15A breakers?


texts: Red wire to green? Old electric wiring circa 1949 to new dimmer

texts:
I installed a lighting fixture in the hall, running off an older fixture. It worked fine with the existing switches. Then I wanted to replace one of the two old switches (circa 1949) with a dimmer (lamps are dimmable LEDs).

When I took out the old switch, there were three colors of wire from the box: black, white, and red. The dimmer has two black and one green. I connected the dimmer wires to the box wires in the position they had been respectively on the old switch, but was unsure about the red/green connection. I did it, and the dimmer worked. But now when I flip the second old switch - identical to the one I replaced - it trips the breaker, and did so until the breaker wouldn't even power on.

So I removed the dimmer, and everything else on the breaker works fine - except the hall lights, which won't power on (I understand, I think, that there must be a switch connected to each outlet to close the loop in order for the lights to power).

Should I cap the red wire extending from the box, and just wire the green/ground from the new dimmer to the box?


texts: I am have a concrete pool installed and the builder attached a ground cable to the rebar before spraying the concrete. He told me it is up to us whether we want to ground it or not. Given the lights are 12V, I don't really see any point in this. Any thoughts on this?


texts:
I’m trying to replace a very old outlet in my kitchen. The garbage disposal and the dishwasher are plugged into this outlet. The top outlet is switched, but the bottom is always hot. Everything I’ve read about this type of outlet has both circuits sharing a single neutral, but this outlet is odd. It has a single neutral from one circuit plugged in on one side, then on the other it has the two hot wires with the broken tab (as you would expect). The weird thing is that there is a second neutral wired to the same terminal as the hot wire for the first circuit. [see below illustration]

My question is what is going on here? At this point I’m not even really concerned about replacing the outlet, I just want to know if it’s even safe to put it back like this?

Thanks!

           [ || ]—————-H2
           [
      ——N1-[ || ]======H1/N2


texts: How difficult would it be to convert a regular US-style shower faucet into a thermostat faucet?

texts:
I have a regular US-style shower faucet at home which looks like this:

I would like to convert it into a faucet that has a built-in thermostat, so that I could always have the same water temperature while showering. I see various products being sold for adding a thermostat to one's shower (such as this one from Grontherm), but I would rather not buy one if I'm not sure I can install it.

How difficult would it be to add a thermostat to my shower? Do I need a plumber or is it something I can do on my own? I'm open to hiring a plumber, as long as the installation won't require tearing down half the wall to fit in the new faucet.


texts: Should I redo my house wrap that is under the sheathing?

texts: When my house was built, the builder put the Tyvek wrap on the frame of the house, then installed the sheathing and then installed the siding. I am about to have my siding replaced and one of the contractors wants to take down all the siding and sheathing and peel off the Tyvek, then put sheathing back on, then Tyvek wrap it and then install the siding. He claims if I don't do this it will void the warranty on the James Hardy siding.  I am aware that I may have some sheathing damage, but I don't see any reason to do all this as I can't believe it would void the Hardy siding warranty.  Another contractor wants to put another layer of Tyvek on the outside of the sheathing and leave the old Tyvek underneath the sheathing.  I am also not sure this would be a good idea since you could trap moisture on the sheathing that would now be in the middle and then I would have mold and mildew in there if moisture did penetrate.  I would take any information that someone might have about how to handle the situation.


texts: is it ok to daisy-chain hot wire to multiple switches in same box?

texts: Making a few changes in an existing 4-gang switch box, I notice the original electrician did some things that seem a little funky.   The various neutral and hot wires are just twisted together with a crimp ring and taped, but no wirenut.   I can easily, and will, add wirenuts.   But ... there is a pigtail coming from the bundle of hots, and it goes to two different switches, with a little insulation stripped off where it's screwed to the first switch, and then the stripped end screwed to the second switch in the usual fashion.    I'd rather leave these two switches alone, as they have nothing to do with the changes I'm making (to one of the other two switches).   Is this ok ?   This work will not be inspected, but I want to do the right thing.


texts: What could cause dishwasher waste water to back up into the bathtub?

texts: A friend of mine says when they run the dishwaser at her father's house it backs up into the BATHTUB.  What could be causing that?


texts: Open front and top panels on Whirlpool Cabrio gas dryer

texts:
I have a Whirlpool Cabrio gas dryer, model WGD8200YW2, that started making some squealing noises. I bought a parts kit to do a little tune up. I can't for the life of me figure out how to remove the front panel, though. All of the videos I found on youtube are either for dryers with the lint trap on top (this model has it inside the door) or with a split front panel (this model has a single full-height front panel).

I was able to remove the back plate and replace the idler pulley, and I can see the drum support rollers, but can't access them easily to replace. I also can't thread the belt back onto the drum without getting into the front and/or top. How is the front (and top for that matter) supposed to come off on this dryer?

Edit: I've got a parts diagram. I can see the locating tab (#35) and lock (#43) at the top front, but I'm not seeing a way to release them. I can slide a putty knife in behind the lock and push one side of forward, but that leaves the front portion still. I can't seem to push the front portion back at all.


texts: How to dig a trench for a cable for a garden office

texts:
I'm trying to dig a trench for the electrical cable for a shed/office I'm building in my back garden. This is about 7 m long and should be 0.5 m deep. My soil seems to be about 5 cm of soil/turf and then soil which is full of gravel, stones and building waste like bricks, etc. What is the best way to approach this?

I tried first just making cuts into the soil using a spade to make a narrow slot. That didn't work once I got to the stones.

I also tried using an SDS drill with a 600 mm long chisel bit, but that tends to jam in between the stones and gravel, so I spent a lot of time trying to dislodge it from the ground.

The third technique was with the pressure washer and wet vac, to blast away the soil and suck up the water and smaller stones. This seems to be doing something, but it is painstakingly slow. Since the slot is quite narrow it's pretty difficult to pull up the stones and gravel.

Is there some other piece of equipment I should consider using, or some other technique?


texts: Two Breaker panels, one transfer switch?

texts:
I have two breaker "panels", one is a 200 amp panel for everything in the house, and a separate one (with a different meter) that is just for my electric cold water heater, right next to the other panel, with two 15 amp breakers on it (240v). Now obviously I want to have hot water when the power goes out, but I want to know if I can use the same transfer switch on both panels?

I am guessing no, since I am not hooked up to the same neutral and ground in that electric hot water heater breaker panel.

If I can't, does anyone know why someone would put a separate panel JUST for a water heater? We just moved in this summer, the house is only 15 or so years old too, and it looks like it was done at the time of building the house. Also the breaker panels are in the basement along with the water heater.


texts: Can't get whole-house water filter housing loose

texts:
I've got a well system, with a standard 10-inch filter housing between the pressure tank and the water softener.

The filter housing is plastic, and there are shut-off valves on either side.  I religiously change the filter once a month, but when I tried to loosen the housing recently to replace the filter, I could not get the housing loose.

I tried some Russian diplomacy but it won't budge.  I'm afraid to use too much force because I don't want to (a) rip the housing loose from the wall or (b) mess up the input/output lines attached to the housing.

Any ideas?  I guess the nuclear option is to install a whole new filter housing, but I was hoping for a trick to loosen the existing one.

Thanks!!!


texts: How to remove plastic retainer sleeve stuck in faucet handle threading?

texts: I have a plastic "retainer sleeve" that threaded into my shower faucet handle a bit off and is now stuck. Any advice on getting this piece off?


texts: Battery bank in parallel/series or series/parallel

texts:
I'm trying to help some friends who live in a remote village in Africa to get the best out of their solar installation, and I'm trying to understand whether there's an optimal way of hooking up the batteries and if there are any pitfalls.

This installation has 20 batteries, each 12V 120Ah and should be combined to give 48V 600Ah and a peak load/charge of ~50A/48V. They have three groups of solar panels each having their own charge controller.
Initially I was thinking that the arrangement was of lesser importance.
But then I found this article [http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html] explaining the importance of the details in parallel connections. This made me wonder if there is some pitfalls when you combine parallel and serial connection of batteries
In the original installation the batteries was first linked in series of 4 which then was connected in parallel. Rather than following the guidelines from the article linked above, we actually had the load and charge on opposite sides of the bank. Charge at A/B and load at C/D in this illustration, and I think this made the batteries to not charge optimally and discharge unevenly.

We got an advice of another setup which had first groups of 5 batteries in parallel and then linked, and someone rewired the setup to get this setup:

So, to my question. Is there any preferable way of connecting these batteries? Or is for instance the lengths and maybe that these should be as equal as possible?
My intuition now is to rather do it like this: parallel groups and then in series. In this setup I would try to:

Make all wires the same length
Pay attention to keeping each parallel group connected diagonally in each step

Side question; is there a optimal place of connecting the wires from the charger, load and batteries? Hook both load and charge directly to the terminals?


texts: What's wrong with my wiring of this light switch?

texts:
I am trying to replace a "regular" light switch with one that has a timer built in. The old one, as shown below, on the left, has two black wires attached, and no others.

The new switch requires attaching a hot, load, neutral, and ground. I have attempted to do so, but so far it is not working.

Before:

Before (side view)

In order to hook up the new switch, I:

assumed the bottom wire of the original switch was the line/hot wire and the top was the load and attached the wires accordingly. The new switch's red wire is labelled "LOAD" and the black one is labelled "HOT".
attached the green ground wire to a screw at the back of the electrical box
pulled a white wire out of the marret of (unused?) white wires to use as neutral, and attached it to the neutral white wire on the new switch.

I had switched my breaker back on for this circuit and the new switch does not work. I have also tried switching the black and red wires, to no avail. What am I doing wrong?

After:


texts: Water damage to wall drywall near ceiling - Should I repair or extract and replace?

texts:
A few months ago, we had a leak that caused some moderate damage to the drywall in the corner of one room. The resulting damage left peeling tape, as well as a gap between the drywall and the ceiling.
The damage to the tape is about 12 inches long, and then the more adverse damage another 12 inches, spreading out from the joint ~2in in either direction, up to the corner of the room.
Looking into this on my own, it seems like it might be possible to redo the tape and joint compound in place, but I'm not sure whether this is actually the correct procedure.
I've also seen people recommend removing a chunk of the drywall and slotting in a replacement chunk, but the details of this (how much to remove, how to ensure the replacement chunk is secure) were unclear to me.
What's the proper method of handling this type of damage?
This question is related but not necessarily the same: Repairing water damage to ceiling drywall where ceiling meets wall


texts:
My new front load washer is creating little holes in my clothes and I am trying to fix the problem but I don't know what to do.
The holes look like little circles about 2mm in diameter and they often come in pairs.
When looking inside the drum, the distance and pattern of the holes seems to match the little metal holes scattered throughout the drum.
Why is this happening and how can I stop it?
Furthermore this is not normal wear and tear as it happens in new high quality clothes as well, and started as soon as I got my new front load washer. It's also not due to buttons or zippers or overloading as it happened in small t-shirt only loads too.


texts: Drum sander attachment for drill keeps coming loose

texts:
Like in the picture. It's doing a great job (floorboards and skirting boards) but it keeps working itself out of the drill - I can see it creeping out gradually, and after about a minute of use it falls off. I've got the chuck as tight as I can get it.

It's actually worn away the spindle bit that goes in the drill, too, presumably it is constantly slipping inside the drill.

I'm using a very heavy duty sandpaper grade on it - 40 grit - for the first pass to take all the crap off. Could that be part of the problem?

Greatful for any advice.... cheers


texts: How can I check for possible damage after water leaking into loft chimney?

texts:
I had a loose tile on the roof in front of the chimney breast and noticed that in the loft the internal chimney breast was a bit damp. Since then had it repaired (i.e. the tile tapped down and the flashing secured.

I once saw a surveyor test water moisture in wall with a little machine. I would like to know if there has been damage to the chimney and wondered if I could buy one to test. Just really worried that this is a serious problem and I have been ripped off!

How can I check to make sure there is no permanent damage?


texts: Need help diagnosing if there is a leak in my shower threshold

texts:
I had my shower remodeled about 3 years ago and recently have started to notice some issues in the grout around the threshold. There appears to be some mineral deposits at the base of the threshold on the shower side as well as the other.
There are some other discolorations and cracks in the grout which are only around the threshold. If this was normal wear I would expect to see it everywhere in the shower, not just around the threshold.
Is this a sign of a bigger issue like water getting into the threshold or is this normal?


texts: When is it generally safe/acceptable to use a wire nut?

texts:
Can someone please clarify for me when exactly it's safe/acceptable to use wire nuts?

Regional building codes withstanding, I think the general rules of thumb are:

Only use wire nuts in enclosed/covered junction boxes.
Only use/combine same gauge wiring
Only use wire nuts that are rated for handling the gauge, quantity and type (Al or Cu) of wire involved.

THESE ARE MERELY MY ASSUMPTIONS AND ARE LIKELY INCORRECT

Can I get clarification?


texts: Do newer GFCI receptacles still trip due to inductive load from motors?

texts:
I am rewiring a kitchen and faced with a dilemma of having the garbage disposal on a GFCI circuit.

Will it trip when turned off like the older GFCI's?


texts: Can pressure treated wood be buried in concrete?

texts:
I was planning a relatively simple, 6x8ft "2-post" pavilion, just a small structure to provide  protection to a small bench.
This design would require to bury the wood into the concrete several feet. Is it OK to bury wood in concrete this way? How to avoid getting water in it so it does not rot? Or is there an alternative that is considered better?


texts: Do freezing temperatures damage tung oil? Age?

texts: I have some tung oil left over from the previous owner of our older home (a friend; yes, still a friend). I was thinking about using it to refinish some flooring in the house, but it's been stored outside in New England for many years. Should I be worried about using it?


texts: How can I fill a small gap in a sink drain pipe?

texts:
I'm replacing a bathroom sink. I messed up (long story, I already forgot the ugly details) by grinding out the piece that the P trap slides into, messing up the threads on the inside of the pipe coming out of the wall. I keep making trips to hardware stores thinking I'm finally getting something that will fit just right but nothing produces anything close to a tight fit, not even the soft adapter with a hose clamp (which would also require a bigger hole in the drywall for tightening the clamp).

I have something that fits loosely over the pipe coming out of the wall. My question is if there is a filler I can use in there to make it a snug fit that can hold up over time? I'm guessing regular plumber's putty would erode?

If not, I'm open to other ideas. The pipe only sticks out of the wall about 1/2".


texts: Best review sites/web resources for finding a contractor?

texts:
Many times we need to hire a contractor and try to extensively google for reviews on that contractor. Sometimes to no avail :(

Just curious what web resources you use when trying to find a contractor? Be it a review site or some other method, what have you used in the past to identify the best person for the job?


texts: What is required to recharge refrigerant in a built in ICE CAP Air conditioner that cannot be moved?

texts:
My apartment has a built in air conditioner unit. The brand is ICE CAP and it doesn't look like there is any way to remove it as its built into the cabinet frame that has an external exhaust outside. Lately the AC cooling is not cool enough and I'm thinking it just needs a refrigerant recharge. I hear a lot of horror stories when hiring an HVAC company to do recharges as they charge you extra for unrelated services.

Below is the picture of the unit. I was able to manage to get the casing off and see a piping that looks like I can unscrew. I'd imagine it is where I would recharge freon, but not exactly sure as I have never done this before. I have a zoom in view of it also.

Judging from the pics, can I recharge Freon without removing the entire unit?
Is the valve there for recharging Freon?


texts: Options for fixing leaking polybutylene water service line

texts:
The water service line going to our house is leaking.  The leak is originating from our lawn down to the street.  The plumbers who have looked at it are saying that our pipe is made of polybutylene, which is known to crack.  Our neighbors have had the same issue before.  The line is going from the city shutoff to our water meter, which is about 50ft away.  Our house is on a concrete slab and we do not have a basement.  The plumbers have given us some options:

Spot fix the line.  This is the cheapest option.  The line from the leak to the city shutoff valve would replaced with a copper pipe.  However, they are not recommending this because they say that since the pipe is fragile, moving it could upset the rest of the pipe and cause more leaks
Replace the entire line by threading the new copper line through the existing pipe.  The existing pipe would split apart.  They are saying this does not have a high chance of success
Run the copper line up to the garage.  Once inside the garage, the copper line would be run along the walls until it got to the water meter.  They will wrap track wire around the pipe and plug it into an electrical outlet; the purpose of the wire is to keep the pipe warm.  They will then insulate the pipe and wire assembly.

Is option 1 recommended?  Options 2 and 3 are more expensive, and I don't have high hopes for option 2.  For option 3, I am concerned about the maintenance required.  For example, what if there is a snow storm and our power goes out?


texts: What are some tips for deep cycle battery maintenance for an offgrid solar system?

texts:
I have an off grid solar system, with an 240AH 24v deep cycle battery, and the system (and all of the components in it) is a year and a half old.

i have several questions and i hope that some one could answer, at least some of it:

I had trouble to measure the charge with the hydrometer. is it o.k. to use this table as a reference for any 24v deep cycle battery, or do i have to find my one manufacturer table? is it o.k. to use only the voltage indicator?
In the same article the author is proposing 3 methods for measuring the battery charge: voltage, specific gravity and amp-hour metering. He also says that the amp-hour metering is the best method. is that true? why a Watt-meter isn't just the same? does the amp-hour meter knows when the battery is degrading and therefore has lost amp-hours?
The measurement with the hydrometer is not quite accurate. is there i way of measuring the specific gravity with an electronic hydrometer? if there is, where can i get one of those?
I'm starting to notice that the battery is reaching the 70% red line (Arbitrary limit that i chose to set) far too often. How can i tell what is the condition of the battery?
How can i tell if i new but untested battery is defected?
my solar system produce maximum current of 10 AMPS. someone once told me that a 10 AMPS equalization charge is not enough, and it should be higher for an effective charge. is that true?
an 240AH at 24V have a capacity of 5760 Watt/Hour. is that calculation is right?


texts:
I bought a new split AC that worked great for a week or so, but now I can hear some annoying noise coming from the outdoor unit.
The outdoor unit in installed on a flat roof so I can hear this noise even when I'm inside the room. (Noise sample), is this normal?

Another things I noticed is that the the AC pipe gets wet when it's running, is this normal ? (Video).


texts: I have a damp 28' by 60' basement with 2 concrete walls and 2 walls with paneling. What humidity level should I set my dehumidifier at?


texts: Will running out of fuel oil damage my tank?

texts: My home heating oil is very low. I have 2 questions: 1. If I run out of heating oil can my tank/ furnace become damaged? 2. Can I use diesel fuel until I am ready to fill my tank?


texts: What eats all the electrons -- or -- understanding household power consumption

texts:
In January, our electric bill shows 1685 kWh. In February, 1259 kWh.

The bill shows usage back a year, it does seem as if heating season consumes a lot more power than the rest of the year, in spite of our central AC.

Heat is oil-fired hot water, has 5 zones, one of which is just pushing water to heat the hot-water tank next to the furnace. Could there be a problem with a pump?

Almost none of the lighting is incandescent, it's a mixture of CF and LED. Ovens in kitchen are electric. I don't run a woodshop, or a printing press, or and other electric machinery of note. And I don't bake that much.

How could I go about learning something about what's consuming power? We probably used more of the heating system in January (it was cold, and we were home with an injured member of the household) -- but still, even 'usual' level seems high.


texts: Is it safe to replace Type A plug with Type C?

texts:
I'm really sorry if I'm asking a silly question or the Home Improvement is a wrong place for that but it's better safe than sorry.

I'm going to buy a couple of electronic devices from Amazon, which was made for US market only (charging station for game console accessories to be more precise). Since I live in Russia the apparent problem is what this devices' "native" plug will not fit sockets in my apartment. I'm not any experienced in such kind of situation so I tried to google to learn if this issue can be addressed at all. Many forums suggest that I can just replace original plugs or buy a plug adapter, but these devices are not cheap and I don't want to kill them and waste extra money. Both devices have Type-A plug which looks as follows:

plug one

plug two


texts: How can I paint an area without color-matching after treating mold?

texts: Is there a clear paint that I can use after I have treated an area for mold in the bathroom? I don't want to try and match the color.


texts: Is it OK to plug a computer into a shared GFCI outlet?

texts: Is it OK to have a computer on the same line as a bathroom GFCI outlet?


texts: How to prevent fridge freezer drain from freezing over?

texts:
I have a Samsung fridge freezer, with fridge on the top. The drain pipe in the fridge that lets the condensation out freezes near the bottom (near the freezer part) and blocks after just 2 days since I defrosted it. So then the drain overflows and a big pool of water at the bottom of the fridge. Has anyone else had this problem? Is there a way to fix it, or is it time for a new fridge?
EDIT:
The model is a Samsung RL26DCAS. The drain pipe that is causing the issue is pretty much inaccessible. You can access the end of the pipe from a removable panel on the back of the freezer. but the part of the pipe that is frozen is slightly higher than this, and the only way to access it would be to take a saw to the metal panel on the back. I will try and add a picture later if I can.


texts: Can an AAV be in a crawl space if the P trap is also in the crawl space?

texts:
I have a situation where the P trap to the washing machine is in the crawl space instead of in the wall. There is no vent.
I thought about adding an Air Admittance Vent in the wall (see diagram--dotted lines indicate places I'm thinking of adding an AAV) but I realized that would be before the P trap, so it may not do much there.

To put the AAV after the P trap, it would have to be down in the crawl space, several feet below where the washing machine drain starts. Would this cause problems?


texts: Does the upper part of kitchen range hood detach?

texts:
In summer my kitchen gets very hot during cooking and it becomes very sweaty. I want to install a range hood in my kitchen. But the issue is that, I have only 120 cms free above my cook top. Above that I have water tank.

I am confused which range hood should I buy which can be fit in this space of 120 cms. There are various kinds of range hoods. I am referring to this manual.

Range hood type 1
Consider this one:

If we consider 65cm free height between cook top and range hood, it will consume full 65+50=115 cm. Then how can I take out duct pipe out of it. Can I cut some part of of 50cm (500 mm in image) top part in order to take out duct pipe? Or I cannot since that part house some type of machinery?

Range hood type 2
Consider this one:

This seems to be of total height 448 mm = 45cm approx. If I consider 45cm of free space (as recommended by manual), then it will consume 45+45=90 cm. Here I dont have any part to cut so as to fit the duct pipe. Duct pipe has to strictly start from 110cm.

Range hood type 3
Consider this one:

This has small height, so that they can be fully fitted in space available. But these types of range hoods come with less suction capacity and width.

Will it work (i.e. I will be able to fit it with pipe in 120cm) if I buy any of first two types?