texts: The yard light keeps tripping the breaker.  if the breaker is off how do i test for continuity? will there be power in the wire that a wireless detector can find?  how would i test for continuity on such a long run of wire from an outlet box in the basement, to the light, a run of some 75-100 feet.


texts: Can I vent a microwave vent / range hood through wall?

texts:
I've got a Whirlpool over-the-range microwave that is currently venting back into the kitchen.  I'd like to poke a hole through the wall and vent it directly outside.  I've read the instructions and it seems pretty straight forward.

I don't know much about this, so my question(s) is: am I going to be "locked in" to this microwave?  What happens in three years when I want to replace it with another brand?  Is it likely that the exhaust duct will still line up?  What if I replace it with a hood?


texts: Water won't come back on after turning main back on

texts:
I turned off the water at the main cutoff valve in the garage to replace the gaskets in a single handle shower faucet.  I got it put back together but when I turned the water back on, I get nothing anywhere in the house.  Checked the meter and it is not moving at all. Anyone have any idea what is going on?

Further information.  It is a gate valve and I'm pretty sure it's the original that came with the house which is about 17 years old.


texts: how do I increase natural gas pressure on outdoor fireplace

texts: I just built an outdoor natural gas fireplace.  After construction I found that the flame gave off hardly any heat.  After checking the gas pressure I found that I have less that 1 pound of pressure not the required 3-7 psi which would explain the low flame.  Is there a way to increase the pressure in the gas line.  Or is there a way to disassemble the gas line under the house to remove unneeded gas pipe, thus increasing the pressure?  All of the appliances in the house are ran off the same gas line but are working optimally (including stove, double sided wall heater, on demand hot water heater)


texts:
I am a homeowner and retired RF Engineer, not an electrician.  We bought a house built in 1955 that we have been remodeling in stages over the past five years.  The first thing I had done was to remove the old three phase service and have the utility install new 200A service and have a electrician install new large Square D Homeline panel and new sub-panel for the HVAC. The original wiring is 12 -2 with no ground wire fed from an obsolete GE sub panel with no separate grounding bus. I had new Square D breakers installed in the sub panel.
We are now close to completion on a kitchen and bath remodel the went down to the studs with entirely new plumbing and electrical.  The kitchen and laundry circuits were removed from the GE panel and are now fed from the new main paned with all new 12-2 Romex.  However, although the bathroom ware rewired, the electrician used the existing feed from the GE panel, thus no ground. The light fixtures and outlets all have ground wires connected together but this ground is just floating. When I bring mu induction tester to the vanity fixture it beeps, even if the wall switch is off.  He installed standard duplex outlet just outside the bathroom connected to this floating ground.
Apparently enough coupling from ground to neutral exists to allow the ground test neon light to illuminate in a tester so the circuit read good.  A home run to the bathroom would have been easy when the walls were open, other new runs were installed within a few feet. Don’t know how they missed this because I told them at the start that I didn’t want shortcuts and wanted a real ground in the bathroom.
 My electrician is saying that this is OK, nothing to be concerned about and that I am just being obsessive. I am asking here because I am not satisfied with what my contractor and electrician are telling me.  I really don’t want to rat him out to the inspector so, if he will not correct this, I’ll try to route a ground wire to the new dryer outlet on the other side of the (concrete block) wall.
Any though from the experts here?


texts: What architectural roofing feature is this?

texts:
First off, let me say that this question will stray from the residential side of home improvement, but I'm wondering if there's anyone who may be familiar with the following architectural feature at the storefront-side of this commercial building's roof?

I'm considering re-roofing the building but am curious about the function and even the name of this big stucco-block thing just hanging off the front of the roof. Can it be easily removed or is it part of the architecture?


texts: How to install deadbolt into a thin door?

texts:
I just moved into my new house and changed all the locks except one. The house was built in 1930 and the back of the house has a "mud room". The door into the house from the mud room is normal. The door into the mud room from the outside is 1 1/8" thick. I want to install a matching dead bolt like the rest of the house.

How can i install a dead bolt into a thin door?

The best thing i can think of is to install "decorative" plates on the inside and outside of the door to make up the thickness before drilling for the lock. The only draw back being that i will have to notch out molding where the extra thickness would be.


texts: The insulated pipe coming into our house and is inside the wall going into the article is creating condensation.  Do we need to insulate the pipe inside the wall?  The wall I currently insulated but we are finding water at the base.  Will sealing the pipes coming into the house help and if so what do we use?


texts: Are shoe taps used on residential duct systems?

texts:
I've seen a variety of different style take-offs (Bell end, Conical, HETO etc) used on rectangular duct that are supposed to help transition the airflow. When it comes to round duct the closest thing I have seen that looks to be similar is a "shoe tap".
Are these used on residential systems for a similar benefit?


texts: Why do some LED bulbs stay on when my dimmer is off?

texts:
The front room of our rented house has 8 down-lighter spotlights on one of those dimmers that you use a silver disc to turn on and off and supposedly dim. Beside the switch is another separate dimmer Switch, same type, that powers two dimmable other wall lights.
Since being in, the lights seem to have their own mind, and on occasion, the main 8 will turn themselves fully on, then dim, then go off. We noticed that all the bulbs were 50w halogen. Even the TV remote with at times turn them all on.
We changed all bulbs for 5w led bulbs. Now, we can turn them on, but turning off, a different bulb will stay on. Changes bulb each time we turn on or off. The bulbs are dimmable.
Checked wiring and have attached how the two dimmers are wired. Any ideas please?
House built in 80s. Oh, and the lights in question also have a remote (for varilight?) which seems to do bugger all.


texts: Is my hot water circulation pump plumbed correctly?

texts:
Read some related questions here but none of them seemed to address my exact problem:

Bought a house this year that has the water heater in a closet near all the bathrooms.  The only long run goes to the kitchen sink/dishwasher, where it will take 2+ minutes to get hot water, much to the wife's annoyance.

Investigated and found a circulation pump (Grundfos up 15-42f) in the crawlspace with a setup very similar to the picture below.

I'll skip the stories of the pump being clogged, burning out, dealing with home warranty, etc but go right to my questions:

What improvements can we make to the system?  Right now the pump is either continuously on or off, only controlled by a switch annoyingly located in the crawlspace.  My hopeful improvements would be:

Move the switch into the closet with the water heater (luckily the pump and switch are located right under where the heater is).
Add a timer so that it turns off at night (wife works from home so uses hot water throughout the day)
Add isolation valves before and after the pump so that I can isolate it for repairs, etc.
Get a pump that has either a demand sensor or a temp sensor, or both.

When the pump is off (such as at night or right now when it's broken), will the cold water supply feed back through the pump (ignoring the shown arrows)?  I expect it does because when I went to drain the water heater and closed the cold valve right on the heater, water would still go into it - feeding from the cold street supply all the way backwards through the hot line (I think).  I had to shut off water to the whole house at the street to get it drained.

Would this partly explain why it takes so long for the kitchen to get hot water?  It's pulling water both from the water heater and from the cold supply?
Would this cause problems for the pump?
Should we install another check valve between the pump and the cold supply line?

Thanks for the help.


texts: Top Loader Kenmore HE Washer with VERY LOUD whirring sound, not present at purchase

texts: I have a Whirlpool top loading washer that sounds like an airplane engine at take off when it spins.  It was not like this when I bought it less than 3 years ago.  I can't even hold a conversation in the next room when it is spinning!


texts:
I am making a custom camera rig for the kite aerial photography and I need a ┏┓-shaped frame like this:

(depth × width × height = 40 × 200 × 100 mm, thickness ~5 mm).

I cannot use bent aluminum as it is pretty dense (2.7 g/cm³) and I do not have any bending machines.

I cannot use 3D-printing as I don't have an easy access to a 3D printer. The plastic seems to be dense too: 1 – 1.4 g/cm³.

So, my choice is old-school wood. Plywood. As a bonus, it is very lightweight: about 0.6 g/cm³!

I could probably cut tree ▌-shaped plates and glue them together at 90°. But I am afraid that the whole frame would not be rigid enough if forces applied to like this:

Just get me right: I am pretty sure that it would not break, but I am just uncomfortable with that feeling.

Moreover, as the plywood is pretty thin, I would probably need extra plinths to glue the surfaces:

So, I am thinking about CNC-cutting ~ten ┏┓-shaped parts and gluing them together:

It seems for me, that the resulting frame would be much stronger to forces applied in all the directions, compared to the three plates versions above.

Question is: am I right? Or should I just make the frame of three plywood plates? Any nuances in assembling together such a stack of parts?


texts: How is this light switch wired? Where is the ground?

texts:
This picture is from a new building. It is not a 3-way light.

there are three black wires coming out from the wall. One runs directly to the light switch. Two get connected in the blue connector, and then one runs to the switch.

I can see the white neutral at the back.

Where is the ground?
And why are there three black wires?

I would like to replace this switch with a smart switch that requires neutral and ground connections.


texts: All new Plaster needed for unmodernised Victorian Terrace?

texts:
I've seen and am tempted to put an offer on a (mostly) unmodernised Victorian terraced house in London, UK.

The interior walls are a bit of a state.. layers of paint and wallpaper, and where the paper is peeling the plaster is freely coming away.

Does this imply that all the interior walls would need all the plaster removing and re-rendering?

Im just unsure of the options really. Thanks


texts: How to install sink with overflow hole and tube?

texts:
I am installing a drain, and the old drain system has a overflow hole with a tube connecting it to the drain.
The new one has no part for the tube to connect to the drain, I think I need a part for this.


texts: 20amp circuit with 130 feet 10awg main line and 12awg from junction box to outlets

texts:
I'm new here, so I'll apologize in advance! But I successfully wired up my garage with the helpful information from electricians on job sites and LOTS of research on forums! I had to remove the 20amp breaker that fed 1 outside receptacle at the house from the main service box in order to fit the 100amp breaker feeding the sub panel in the shop. I had enough extra 10-2 direct burial to run from the new sub panel at the shop back to the receptacle at the house so I threw it in the ditch and backfilled it! It is about 150 feet one way.
My main questions/ concerns-
1- Given the distance, could I run the 10awg the first 130 or so feet and then use 12awg in a junction box closer to the receptacle to feed the receptacle for fitment issues?
2- I have an LED flood light on a switch with 12-2 direct burial that I'd like to run on the same circuit. Yay or nay?
3- I won't be using much from the receptacle at the house and the LED flood light won't use much current, so I feel like I'm good with the 20 amp circuit, or should I put it on a 15 amp breaker to be safe?
4- What is the best way to splice at a junction box, wire nuts or the screw down type connectors?
Thank you in advance for your help and sorry if I was unclear about anything (A.D.D. is working overtime today! Hahah!)


texts: Does condensate on a skylight indicate a broken seal?

texts: Couple of times in the morning I noticed that the skylight is foggy in the center (see picture below). No other windows are foggy. The temperature/humidity is outside 50F/77% inside, 70F/44%. Does this indicate a problem with the skylight?


texts: What options do I have to rotate a horizontal 2-gang switch box?

texts:
I'm working on replacing the light switches in my house, but I've got one box that I'm not sure what to do with. It's a two gang box with double switches in each slot (4 switches total). It looks like the box was installed horizontally instead of vertically (screws on the sides instead of the top and bottom). This allowed for all 4 switches to be vertical instead of horizontal as double switches normally are.

However, I'm planning to replace the 2 double switches with 1 single switch and 1 double switch as one of the switches can be eliminated, but I really don't want the single switch to run horizontally.

Are there any gadgets or tools that would allow for easy rotation of the switch box? It's conduit so I don't think physically moving the box is going to be easy.

Here's what it looks like now vs what I'd like to put in:


texts: Is 1/2" PVC conduit sized properly for three #10 THHN wires ?


texts: How to tile a "wet room" style bathroom?

texts:
I have 2 rectangular bathroom that are buing built in a wet room style (curbless open shower, drain in blue with all edges sloping towards it, see below). It was already properly sloped and now we were trying to find some small tiles (like 15x15cm or 20x20cm) so that the slope is properly mantained.

So far no luck, I could only find solid color 'pool tiles' in this size, anything "pretty" is in a large format (50x50cm upwards) which would have lots of cuts to follow the slope. Even 30x30cm with minimum cuts would look strange (see below simulation).

Is it ok to use the 'pool tiles'? I don't know if they are ok for bathroom floors and how much slippery they will be.

Simulation 30x30cm tiles on my bathroom:

What I'm trying to avoid at all costs.


texts: PEX vs PE coiled pipe for underground use

texts:
I couldn't find exactly a direct answer; what should be used for an outside, buried water line? I've seen mention of using PEX, but had the black polyethylene pipe recommended.

I'm curious because I need to put in two 60 ft runs of pipe. I'll have to either buy two 100 ft rolls of PE or a 300 ft roll of PEX for roughly the same price and then cut what I need with spare.

From what I see, they are both 160 PSI and can both be used outside, so is there any reason of one over the other?


texts: Why is my indoor A/C Blower randomly turning on and off only with Nest?

texts: I recently purchased a Nest Thermostat (3rd Generation). My old thermostat was working perfectly. I wired Nest the Same exact wiring as the old thermostat which is : Y1 W1 G RH RC. With Nest, the indoor fan blower randomly turns off for 3-10 seconds, then back on for few to several minutes. I replaced my indoor fan, thinking its a blower issue and still doing the same thing. I replaced my old thermostat, its working perfectly, but only when i use Nest, the Blower randomly shuts off then on..


texts: Ground wire is hot, drop ceiling carrying current?

texts:
I am no electrician by any means but I have ran thousands of feet of wire, hooked up receptacles, lights, hot water heaters, breakers, etc... the average things with never an issue. I ran some new recessed lighting in a old basement. 4 lights 2 switches to be exact. I first ran a wire to each switch from desired ceiling location of first can and then the same with the other switch. Each switch is running 2 lights. 1 located in back of room one in front (so they can dim lights separately). I then ran a wire from each switch to a junction box in ceiling from hallway from here I ran a home run to main box and added a new 20 amp breaker.

I went to go hook up dimming switches and the first set I hooked up no problem... walked to the other side hook up my neutral, hot and then while I hooked up my ground it popped the breaker. I sat there dumbfounded for the better of 30 minutes trying too determine what went wrong. I hooked everything up excluding the ground and it all works but the moment the ground from the 12/2 going to light touches the ground going to the junction box it fails me. I then started further testing and found that my chirper will go off anywhere on that side of the room if near the drop ceiling rail. I know this is quite scary! Its not until I touched an old junction box in the ceiling with my hammer at the same time as the drop ceiling rail did I realize it was actually live. Ive spoke with a few knowledgeable electricians and they said it was most likely an old issue sending residual current back through the ground.

If this is in fact a great possibility then how and where do I start too look and solve this grave issue? If not, what is the next plausible issue?

Note:  In new junction box I just connected black/black white/white ground/ground. In breaker there is a shared bar with both ground and neutral wires connected.
Inside the can lights there is quick connectors that I cut and used wire nuts but I have rechecked this several times and everything seems correct.


texts: How do I prevent runoff from bar soap damaging the caulk in my shower?

texts:
I recaulked part of my shower about a year ago. After a couple of months, I noticed that the caulk had worn off just below my in-wall soap dish, where the extra soap runs down the wall. I recaulked, but have once again run into the same issue. I'm using DAP Kwik Seal Plus, which is designed for bath applications. I am making sure to thoroughly clean before recaulking, so I do not believe this has to do with a poor application job.

Has anyone ever run into an issue like this before? Is there either a different product or a better way to apply this caulk that will resolve this issue?


texts: Samsung RF266 refrigerator not cooling - Fan making noise

texts:
We have a Samsung RF266 refrigerator that has started on make funny noises. More like fan noise. It has something called to twin cooling technology similar this image.

There is evidence of ice buildup inside the refrigerator particularity around vent holes indicated by the red marking in the picture.

Also recently we have observed some of the food is starting to go bad.

Anything thought on what might be the cause.


texts: I found this odd cable while cleaning out the garage of a house I recently bought. It's plugged in to a live outlet but doesn't appear to connect anywhere. It also has some wrapped junction in the middle. Super puzzling to me. Thanks!


texts: Why would I have to continually reset my hot tubs heater?

texts: Trying to determine if I have a heater issue or maybe a sensor problem. Heater works and heats up the 2000 Grandee hot tub, but every few days it stops working. If I turn if off at breakers for a few minutes, and then press the reset button, it will begin heating again. So any suggestions?


texts: Air purifier/humidifier - strange yellow substance

texts:
I have had this Sharp air purifier/humidifier for the past 6 months. After cleaning the humidifying filter today I have noticed a strange yellow slimy substance on the filter "fins".

I have cleaned the filter using water with lemon juice, as recommended in its manual.
I have tried to clean the substance with water, using my fingers, but it is quite sticky and it won't go away.
I have also noticed some yellow deposits in the humidifying tray the past few times I have refilled the water tank. I'm using tap water for it.
What is that yellow substance? Should I be worried about it?


texts: What could be causing vibration in my furnace?

texts: I have a vibraton in furnace only when flame is lit. Blower motor seems fine. Is this vibration normal? Recently replaced inducer motor. Heat exchanger has been replaced once. Does not appear to be any cracks or orange flame. Does not do this when A/C runs only when furnace runs. Any ideas?


texts: How do I identify if a caulk is water-based or solvent-based?

texts:
I have a new position in a hardware store, and I have customers asking me which caulking materials I have are water-based, and which ones are solvent-based.

This is important for cleanup and tooling, but unfortunately I am unable to provide customers with information regarding which ones are water and solvent based.

I deal primarily with caulking used for sealing and filling cracks in concrete and asphalt in outdoor settings. Is there any general rule I could apply to identify which ones are water/solvent based?


texts: Subpanel for finished basement: sizing, cable, installation advice

texts:
Thanks in advance for advice!  I just finished framing my basement and am moving on to electrical.  Hoping for advice on the subpanel.  Main 200A Eaton panel is in the garage.  I'll need to run cable up into the attic, cross about half the house, then down into the utility room in the basement.  I haven't measured this yet, but I'm guessing about 80' of cable.  The basement is about 2200 sf with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a wet bar, living room, workout room, utility closet, and large storage area.  I haven't finished my drawings yet, but I'm guessing about 15 circuits if I do separate lights and receptacles in most rooms.  Mini-fridge, small countertop microwave, and a treadmill are the only notable loads.  Everything else will be pretty standard: 2 bathroom GFCIs, bar GFCIs, and a bunch of lighting and receptacle circuits.  No heat, range, freezer, AC, etc.

My research is telling me it's much better to "go big" and overdo these things, so I was thinking of installing a 100 amp panel with 24 spaces (48 circuits) from Square D, using a 100 amp breaker at the main panel, and running 1-0/1-0/1-0/2 SER since I'll be crossing insulation in the attic.  I also understand the subpanel will need a ground bar installed.  Is this overkill for my situation?  It's a large basement, but without a fridge, range, baseboard heaters, etc., am I overdoing it?  I definitely don't want to run out of space down the road, but I also don't want to spend $2+ per foot on cable (plus wrestle that monster) if half that would do the job.

Anyone have opinions or advice for me?  Also, do I sound like I know what I'm talking about enough to attempt this on my own and live to tell about it?  :-)  Thanks!


texts: I saw a house for sale today and my realtor and I couldn't figure out what this was attached to the water heater, some kind of water piping/tubing. We'll get to the bottom of it with the inspection, just impatient to know what on earth this is. House built in 1984.


texts:
So I made the mistake of hiring a handyman to put in our beautiful butcher block counter tops the other day, and they left a 3/4 inch gap between the countertop and wall, which used to be covered by a 3/4 inch back splash that we also wanted replaced.

So on the advice of the designer, we bought some nice pine boards and had them tacked up. The idea now is to add some moulding and footing to make it blend a little better with the butcher block. Does anyone have any ideas how to get around the outlets that are going to be near the back splash? we're racking our brains and would rather not pull the pine boards down.


texts: How do I start/charge a Toro Electric-Start Lawnmower?

texts:
We just got a Toro electric-start "Recycler"-brand lawnmower.  The instructions for charging/starting it reference a strange plastic piece that I don't understand.

Here's the piece of plastic:

Here are the instructions from the "quick start" guide:

And here are the instructions on the mower itself:

Based on the quick-start instructions, it seems I need to have the plastic piece in one orientation when charging, then to run it I need to take it out, rotate it, and replace it?  But it's not clear which orientation is which.

And based on the instructions on the mower, I'm supposed to push it in to start the mower... except it doesn't push in any further than its base-position, so that can't be right.

I'm so confused right now.  How do I use this thing?


texts: Wiring the Aeotec Heavy Duty Smart Switch

texts:
I got this Z-Wave 40 A relay from Aeotec, but it’s got non-standard openings for wiring, and I’m not sure how to install it to code in my shop. This indoors in an industrial environment. I’m connecting a small electric water heater (20 circuit). Right now it’s connected with a few feet of 3/4" FMC with L,N,G 12 ga wires (it’s what I had on-hand).

You can see what I’m working with here. The plastic bridges don’t seem all that secure, and typical flex fittings don’t fit.

Any suggestions?


texts:
Here is the screenshot of leviton 3 way smart switch ( primary and secondary remote switch) wiring diagram.
For non-smart 3 way switch wiring, it is just mechanical connections in the switch which closes and opens path when we turn on and off switch manually. I understand how current flows.
But when it comes to smart 3 way switches, I am trying to understand how communication happens between both switches and how current flows through traveller wires. I am basically trying to understand where smartness comes from.
1) Do smart switches have internal logic circuit ?
2) Can 3 way smart switches be operated if wifi is down - just like manual 3 way switches ? If yes, how does current flows in 4 different states of both switches ( on/on, off/off, on/off and off/on)
3) Wire in the diagram which connects YL/RD is always hot ?
4) Red wire from main switch (on right side) is directly connected with black wire of load. How would this allow lights to be controlled by both switches ?


texts: Can I increase breaker size to prevent trips when using appliances?

texts: I have a 15A breaker that trips whenever the small space heater and the iron are used at the same time (not in the same outlet, just the same circuit). Is the solution as easy as upgrading to a 20A breaker? Thanks for any info.


texts: How do I remove a 20 X 40 gunite pool safely? I read the other answers and one mentioned being down in the 8 ft end and it could possibly fall in. It popped up out of the ground and I can't afford to pay to have it removed. It's been up for 3 years now. I'm planning on cutting it with a power saw and the proper blade. Starting in the deep end at the top and working my way down carrying up the pieces out of the shallow end. There is rebar and I'm concerned with the saw kicking when it hits that. Has anyone ever tried this? I can't hire this project done. I'm guessing a few hours every night after work and more on weekends to remove it, taking about 3 months to complete.


texts:
I have a metal roof with a 5 degree pitch in a temperate climate (snowed once in 50 years).  My living room equatorial facing Windows are largely blocked by my neighbors but I do get some sunlight coming thru clerestory Windows.

I'd like more sunlight and the roof itself receives unobstructed sunlight. I did talk to the solatube rep but he said they couldn't help me squeeze a tube between rafters etc.  And the light from those is pretty weak.

So I guess I'm looking at possibly a skylight or similar so I can get the sun in, with the aim of keeping alive some of my frost sensitive plants over winter.

But a structure in the middle of my roof is going to stop water draining unless I guess it gets diverted around the skylight without pooling.

Would it be a bad idea? Alternatives? And I'd rather not lose any heat in winter.


texts: converting single pane windows to double pane

texts:
I have wooden, single-pane (1/8" glass), double-hung windows on my house which have held up well considering they are nearly 70 years old.  But, I don't want to put a lot of money into the house and I'm also good with my hands and have tools.  I'm able to cut precise strips of wood like poplar and also paint them and have my own brad nailer etc.

I live in Central Texas where the temps can go up to 105deg F and down to 20deg F.  Sometimes within 24 hours :)

My questions are:

Overall what is the feasibility of converting these single pane windows to double-pane windows?  From a labor standpoint this is really not that hard.  Nor expensive!
If I did this what would the optimal air gap be?
What type of "glass" should I use and would more exotic glasses really make a difference?
What percentage savings might I realize?  (I guess measured in energy flow per hour given a specific temperature gradient)


texts: How do I properly place devices in an electrical enclosure?

texts:
I have to put together an electrical enclosure that includes, some terminal blocks, fuses, a power supply (110-24V,3.2A) all of which will be used to provide power for a series of sensors and controllers (low current, 24V)

I'm a new electrical technology grad (between eng. and technican) so the theory is there, but it always helps to have a reference to make sure I'm doing everything correctly.

Any suggestions or links to sites that may have some good tutorials on proper placement of items in an enclosure, or tips would be greatly appreciated!

This is for an enclosure in the USA, so NEC standards apply.


texts: How to reglue stickers that came off laptop?

texts:
Contrary to this question, the Intel sticker came off from my laptop and I want to reglue it. What is the best way or the best glue to stick it back on?
I tried already with instant superglue, but that didn't hold for long and the sticker came back off, leaving ugly glue leftovers on the laptop, impossible (or hard?) to remove.
On a sidenote, I already posted this question on superuser, but other users suggest this forum to be more appropriate.


texts: How would I go about building a movable-arm keyboard & mouse tray?

texts:
Strain injuries are the blight of the programmer.

I've just ordered an ergonomic desk chair.  However, if I am sitting back with my keyboard/mouse on my desk, I think this is going to still cause posture problems (pronation?), as my arms will be stretching forwards.

The ideal solution I guess would be to have some kind of movable arm with a keyboard/mouse tray on the end, so that I can adjust the height, position and tilt exactly.

However, it would need to lock so that I don't move it further by typing on the keyboard.

But I've never seen such a thing. How to go about constructing one?


texts: Prevent hot and cold water mixing through kitchen faucet

texts:
I have a kitchen faucet that allows water to back flow through the pipes.   The way that works is that you turn on the main faucet handle to warm water, then turn off the water at the at the faucet and don't use the sprayer.  The faucet in question is this one.

When the main faucet handle is on warm, but the faucet is off, it allows the hot and the cold water to mix.   I notice this for example when a hose is turned on outside.   I hear water flowing through the kitchen faucet.  I think that means that the hot water is getting to the hose through the kitchen faucet.

I can prevent it by turning off the main kitchen faucet.   I can also prevent it by having the water temperature set to full hot or full cold at the kitchen faucet, even with it turned on.   We'd like to be able to leave the water turned on warm at this faucet so that the sprayer is available easily.

I was thinking that the solution could be check valves.  Are there check valves I could install myself, like ones that screw onto the supply lines?

How do I solve the hot and cold water mixing problem at this faucet?


texts:
I'm trying to figure out the most cost effective way to repair my concrete patio. It survived for about 30 years but recently a portion of it has begun spalling pretty bad, so bad you cant really sit a chair on it. The slabs are 10' x 10' and around 5" thick. The slabs have settled slightly, but for the most part are pretty level. A small deck and ramp is built over part of it, and would make it difficult to pour a significant amount of concrete. I've read some bad reviews about concrete resurfacer that it won't last for more than a year, so what are my options?

i was also contemplating just covering it with deck tiles ...


texts:
Do you need special recessed LED housing for angled / sloping ceilings?
I see that they sell them, but if there are enough recessed LEDs installed for good coverage, can't I just use regular housings? At the most get inserts that pivot.

Does anyone have any good experience here?


texts:
I just bought a thermostat that needs a c wire. I ran a 18/5 wire, but where do I connect the c wire to?

Here is a picture of the back of the board.


texts: Why doesn't my air conditioner's drip pan drain properly?

texts:
My AC Unit in my attic is roughly 10 years old, still heats/cools exactly as it should, but I noticed yesterday that the drip pan is overflowing.

What do I need to do to get the drip pan to drain? And what is causing the drip pan to fill?


texts: What could cause smoke detector false alarms in different rooms, a few days apart?

texts:
We purchased a 17-year-old home in Florida (USA) a few months ago, that has seven smoke detectors (one in each of its four bedrooms, two in hallways, and one in the main living space).

A few days ago, the smoke detector in the main living space began going off in its alarm state in the middle of the night. After verifying it was a false alarm, I silenced it and we all went back to bed. The next day I checked all 7 units and found four of them were original to the home, including the one issuing a false alarm. The interconnect wires were all disconnected as well. We decided we would go ahead and replace all 7 and interconnect them.

So far, I have done two replacements: the guest bedroom and the main living space. This morning, the one in the guest room began alarming which triggered the living room alarm as well.

Is the likeliest explanation that we're just unlucky--that we had an aging alarm that went into alarm state because of its age, and a few days later had an insect or something crawl into a different alarm? How can we troubleshoot this? My wife and son have sleep issues, and anxiety that at any time the smoke detectors may begin going off is not helping. Not to mention the damage to sensitivity that repeated nuisance alarms may cause if there is ever a real fire.


texts: An unsteady flame when furnace is warming up

texts: When my furnace has warmed up the house and turns off for a bit it struggles to turn back on. While the furnace is cold I can look into the combustion chamber and notice the flame is acting like something is trying to blowing it out, causing a flame sensor fault and shutting down the system. Now I know its not a cracked heat exchanger because the fan is not running while this happens, and once it has warmed up the furnace a little bit it stops trying to go out. Furnace is an evcon DGAT070BDD. I noticed that this first only happened on a rainy days, but now is a common occurrence if the furnace has not needed to run as much. Any help would be appreciated!


texts:
I took a blind down a while back to decorate the spare room. Before moving it I noticed that one of the wall plugs was loose. I replaced it with a brown wall plug but it's going straight into the ceiling and disappearing.

My thoughts is that my landlord has drilled in the wrong area. I have put a really long screw in to test and it just keeps going all the way up.

I can't screw into the wall plug as the plug just goes too far into the wall and doesn't grip on to anything.

I don't know how to fix this :/


texts: The safety valve on boiler is really noisy

texts:
I have this safety valve installed on cold water inlet of my boiler/water heater. When I turn on hot water tap but keep it around 30%-50% open this valve produces really loud noise, which travels through the pipes and is really annoying. The noise goes away when you fully open the warm water tap.

Given how the valve looks on the inside:

I think the problem is, the spring is faulty, and is vibrating in the low pressure.

Is this a common thing or should I replace the safety valve? I'm afraid replacing it won't solve the problem.


texts: Should I replace whole system or just leaky component?

texts:
The HVAC guy who screwed me (edit: i do believe he tried to find a leak the first visit, but the second visit he didn't seem to be bothered) on a refrigerant refill (see my other posts) is recommending I switch out the whole AC system because it's 17 years old.

My wallet would rather pay $150 to find the leak, then just replace the leaky component.

Is it a bad idea to replace just the leak?


texts: What REALLY works for hanging pictures on old plaster walls--the kind with cement not too far beneath a skim coat of the white stuff (technical term).  I bent four nails "specifically designed" to hang pictures on such a structure--even after drilling pilot holes; + broke a drill bit in the process!


texts: Who can I hire to investigate a possible airflow blockage in my attic?

texts: Had a new roof replaced last year, tear off/replace.  Also had a new slider door replacing old one installed last year.  I am noticing what appears to be staining where the ceiling meets the wall. Could replaing the roof may have disturbed the insulation to stop air flow in soffit?  Who do I hire to check this out for me?


texts: Can I install thermostatic radiator valves on a hydronic heating system?

texts:
My house has three hydronic heatin loops; two are shaped like a ladder.
The baseboard radiators are plumbed with type M copper pipe.

I'm thinking about installing thermostatic radiator valves on the 'rungs' of the ladder; one loop will be left open.

Will this cause excess pressure in the system, causing pipes to leak?
Will this cause the pump to fail earlier?
Any other concerns with doing this?

I'm curious as to why this isn't done more often, as the valves seem much cheaper than zone valves.


texts: I just purchased a new Lofra gas cooker with a gas oven and internal electric grill. The oven door is squeaking on my gas cooker.


texts:
I just moved into a new apartment and the steam heating is driving me insane. There are three kinds of noise:

banging pipes when the heat comes on (seems to be coming from the floor/walls);
hissing noise from the air vent;
the radiator itself clicks/knocks when the heat is on.

The super basically told me this has been going on for years, and residents just learn to live with it. I'm trying to minimize the noise as best as I can -- according to the Internet, the valve should either be completely on or completely off. Does that mean the round knob thing at the bottom of the radiator? What about the air vent? Should I leave both of them on/off? When the vent's off, I no longer hear hissing, but I'm worried that it would exacerbate the banging because it seems like the air would be trapped. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!


texts: Polyurethane finish over stained wood - can I combine brush and rub on techniques?

texts:
I am finishing a coffee table with Polyurethane. Used it many times, but have never managed to completely eradicate those pesky brush marks on the final finish, despite sanding between coats.
So this time I am considering using the rub on method.
Obviously being a coffee table it's going to get heavy use, so would need many many coats.
Can anyone tell me if I can do the first couple of coats using a brush, sanding between coats to get it smooth, and then switch to the rub on method with thinned poly to get a perfect finish?


texts: What are these parts (for an IKEA INGOLF kitchen chair)

texts:
I want to replace these plastic widgets in my IKEA INGOLF kitchen chairs with metal ones -- but I don't know what the metal ones are called. This is the chair: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ingolf-chair-white-70103250/.
Any idea what the bent metal widgets (about 2cm) are called? I'm not sure where I got them from -- probably some other furniture.
The 1st image shows 2 of them: one being used to hold the chair together and the other loose. And the 2nd image is a screenshot from the Ingolf assembly manual.


texts: With lever-style taps, why is cold water only added to the mix the further up the tap is pushed?

texts:
I have several lever-style taps throughout my house - up/down controls the speed of the water flow, and left/right the temperature (left = hotter, right = colder). I have a hot water tank, and as a result these lever-style taps mix both hot and cold water - hot from my tank, and cold from the mains water supply.

When any of these taps are only slightly on (only lifted to the up position ever so slightly), I've noticed that the mix between hot/cold water isn't equal - only hot water flows from the tap, but the further up I push the tap the more cold enters the mix. This definitely isn't an issue with the tap; it happens to all of these lever-style taps throughout my property. Why can this behaviour be observed - is there any particular reason that these taps work in this way? Logically, my thinking would be that no matter how far up the tap is pushed, an equal amount of hot/cold water would be mixed together - but this doesn't appear to be the case!


texts: How do I determine what size Generator I need?

texts: What are the number of factors and considerations to be taken into account before sizing a prime rated generator ??


texts: Is this Termite or Carpenter Ant Damage?

texts: I'm renovating a bathroom in my home in Maryland. I found this insect activity when I removed the drywall. Was it made by termites or carpenter ants, or hopefully, some benign insect? It doesn't look like there is damage to the wood, although I don't know what is happening between/inside the studs.


texts: When I turn the water on to take a bath the water don't run it just drips and takes hours to fill the tub or I have to add pots of water is there a way for this to be fixed or do I have to call a plumber.


texts: Acclimatising engineered Australian click-system hardwood flooring prior to installation: to open or not to open the boxes?

texts:
We are about to install engineered, click-system hardwood floating throughout a house in Australia.

Our understanding was that packs of engineered timber flooring should always be delivered and opened several days in advance of installation, to ensure that the planks acclimatise to temperatures and humidity prior to being installed.

However, the manufacturer's two documents provide a somewhat different guidance.

The manufacturer's installation instructions (see link below) say:

  "Room temperature and humidity of installation area should be consistent with normal, year-round living conditions for at least one week before installation of flooring."

and then:

  "Store the flooring in the installation area for 72 hours before installation to allow flooring to adjust to room temperature."

However, the warranty document states:

  "Due to the variable climate conditions within Australia and New
  Zealand planks may display slight bow and twist once removed from the
  cartons" ... and ... "planks should not be unpacked overnight and or
  left loose prior to install."

What is the correct way to obey both sets of directions?  Should the 70+ boxes - several cubic metres in total! - simply be stacked up, unopened, in the lounge room for several days?

I can understand that this would allow the temperature of the planks to settle to the temperature of the room.  But I don't understand how the site humidity can have any impact on the moisture content of the planks inside the boxes, as the boxes would surely be well sealed (after travelling half way across the world from China to Australia).

I note in this context that the job of transporting the boxes from the driveway to the house - and then back again (to clear the floor for installation - is a massive undertaking, as the set of boxes will weigh about 1500 kg (over 3300 pounds!) and will need to moved manually, twice.

Also, isn't this 1-week-prior in-house acclimatisation irrelevant if there are:

(a) large intra-day temperature variations during the week-long installation, and

(b) huge temperature and humidity variations during the remainder of the year.

In relation to (a), for instance, on any one day during the forthcoming installation week, outdoor temperatures might drop to 5C overnight but then rise to 35C during the day (i.e. from 40F to 86F for Fahrenheit readers).

Re (b), the house is in a region where temperatures vary even more widely through the year - from around -5C on the coldest winter nights to more than 45C in summer (i.e. from around 23F to 113F).

This is the first engineered hardwood floor we installed, and we need to do it right (especially given the massive cost of the job and impossibility of fixing the problem if it's not done right).

However, the vast effort of moving 1.5 tonnes (1.6 US tons) from the driveway to the lounge room (to acclimatise) and then back again (to clear the floor for laying) seems just crazy!

Installation instructions: https://www.preferencefloors.com.au/wp-content/uploads/documents/fiddleback-installation.pdf

Warranty document: https://www.preferencefloors.com.au/wp-content/uploads/documents/fiddleback-warranty.pdf


texts: Why are ground wires required to be so large if a short results in an immediate breaker trip?

texts: The purpose of ground wire is just to carry current in milliseconds enough to trip the circuit breaker, it won't even get hot. So what is wrong with using very small ground wire? For example. You are using #4 AWG in the Hot and Neutral wires (70 ampere capacity) and you use #14 AWG as ground (15 ampere capacity). If the ground is connected to an enclosure and the Hot wire touches it. It would take very fast for the breaker to trip, not enough to heat the #14 AWG. What is the reasons this is not allowed?


texts: What Can Cause TP-LINK Smart Switch (HS200) To Light (LED) Flicker?

texts:
I have bought a TP-LINK (HS200) wall light switch to replace several switches.

The first switch I tried is controlled an outlet that I have a a lamp connected to it. The outlet is configured as follows:

Bare copper wire: Ground
Black wire: live, shows about ~120V AC multi-meter regardless of switch's position.
Red wire: load, shows few mVs when OFF, and ~120V AC when the switch is ON.
Inside the outlet box there are 3-white wires bundled all together with a wire-nut at the end (assumed to be neutral lines).

I have connected the TP-LINK HS200 to the wires as they are marked/named on the back of the switch. When I returned power to the switch the lamp flickers really fast on low light, when the switch is supposedly switched on the flickering is a little brighter and the white circle LED light on the switch is ON. The WiFi icon on the switch goes orange on and off regardless of switch's state (as I did not configure it yet).

I called TP-LINK customer support and they barely speak English. I emailed her pictures of my wiring, and she told me someone would call me back within 30 minutes. It has been a day and yet no one called. So that route of help is gone.

I have tried two HS200 switches thinking one was faulty, and got the same result. I have swapped the Live/Load wires and got the same result.

How should it be wired to work properly?


texts: Can a septic effluent filter be installed on a pumped system?

texts: I have found only 4"+ and larger septic effluent filters, and they all are not rated for pressure or the flow rates of a pumped system. This leads me to believe that there are not effluent filters available for pumped systems, which are typically 2" like mine. Is this correct? Or am I missing something else obvious?


texts: How to paint exterior wall when ladder needs to go from a roof section?

texts:
I need to paint the front of my house, but there is a section of wall that I cannot get to with a ladder on the ground.
This is the house from the side, I need to paint (C)

The problem is that if I put a ladder on the ground (A) then its slope is too 'gentle' (opposite of steep) to be safe.
I thought of a simple scaffold tower but it doesn't gain me anything because the ladder slope from the scaffold would be the same.
I either need to place the ladder from (B) or use one of those rental crane arms (prefer to not spend the $ for a small section of wall).
I've seen these, https://provisiontools.com/products/roof-boot would they work as a way to secure the bottom of the ladder?  I have a roofing harness and would secure myself to the roof anchor just to be safe...


texts: How to level concrete floor that is chipped and has left over thinset

texts:
I removed some tile from a 10' by 15' section of my basement floor.  As I was removing the tile, much of the concrete chipped away leaving low areas.  Other areas have thin set remaining in the shape of the trowel grooves.  And yet some areas are at the original level of the concrete floor.  I want to eventually lay down some type of laminate hardwood.

How do I fill the low spots and knock down the high spots so it's level?


texts:
I have a few cables running between my desk to a nearby tv screen and an electric outlet. I was thinking about tucking them in a pvc raceway stuck to the wall.
For a more tidy solution, I'm looking for some extension female port box that can be connected to the raceway. Id like to have power outlet, hdmi and rj45 ports in some sort of an exterior junction box on my desk.

Any idea on what components I might need for this project?


texts: What are the pros/cons of different wire connectors on a switch/outlet? OR How can push-in wire connections fail?

texts:
Prompted by an answer on Concerns about replacing a worn out light switch

Also related:  When to use holes instead of side terminals to wire an outlet

To my knowledge, electrical components (switches, outlets, breakers, basically all the home-voltage kinda things) will have one of the 3 connector types:

screw wrap - the wire end is wrapped around a screw, and the screw tightened to hold the wire.
screw down - The wire end is left straight, a screw is tightened to hold the wire, either directly or via a pressure plate.
push in / friction - The wire end is left straight, and pushed between an angled plate which holds the wire via pressure in the design.

There are many, many variations on these themes (plastic housings, attempts to make a release device for friction fasteners) but they all seem to boil down to these 3.  I'd like to know the pros and cons of each of them; but in particular I'd like to know what can or will happen when they fail.

For example, the push-in are fastest to wire.

Other than having to take time to twist the wire end, the two screw options seem basically identical.  Okay, it would take significantly more force to pull a wire out of a wrapped connector than a straight one, but I expect we're into impractical pulling force on the wire either way.  The straight wire ones seem to be less common though, probably as it's more complex to manufacture.

I see a lot of dislike for the push-in connectors.  Personally, I find them a huge pain to re-wire, and it's usually simplest to just cut the wire off and start again.  But if something's wired with push-in and working, how can/will it fail?  What symptoms, particularly early signs, indicate impending failure?


texts: Why is blocking never placed "sideways"?

texts: If you are blocking for structural strength (not fire protection or nailing surface), wouldn't it be better to put the 2x4s sideways, oriented the way they would be in a built-up header?


texts: How should I stop condensation on my roof that's leaking into my home?

texts: Condensation in my attic causes frost which melts on warm days and leaks through my ceilings. I plan to add more insulation this spring. I have installed a bathroom ceiling fan to help with moisture. My research tells me that other factors are #1 I have a dirt crawl space #2 propane heat #3 we have replaced doors, windows, siding etc. making it harder for the house to breath. Should I consider an exhaust fan for the attic? What other options do I have?


texts: How to treat damped internal walls before painting?

texts:
Kitchen sanitary inwall PVC tube from above floor melted for some unknown reason, and so water entered walls for around a 1.3 year and caused damping on the first 20cm of all walls, as a result, the Emulsion paint peeled off.

Its been a year since the PVC tube was replaced and walls got fairly dry (i assume it takes 5+ years to be fully dry).

Now i would like to repaint all walls with lime paint.

An expert suggested to use a breathable plaster to treat the walls (the expert wasn't aware of my will to use lime paint and assumed emulsion paint).

The manufacturer that produce the breathable plaster suggested to use their material by removing the 1 cm thick plaster (until the concrete blocks) up till 40 cm on all damped walls, then add a breathing plaster material and paint with lime paint.

Wouldn't a repaint only with lime paint act in the same sense?


texts: Help running romex and conduit for new outlet through cold air return

texts:
I have two circuits right now that both terminate in the outlet box for the range hood/microwave. The one that goes into the box from above up in the second floor joists is a currently unused circuit (no devices on it). So, I'd like to run that unused circuit over to install a new outlet over what will be a narrow countertop to the left of our range (two studs to the left from the microwave outlet box where it currently terminates). I have two problems I'm trying to navigate: 1) The location of the new outlet box will be inside a cold air return and 2) all the studs on the wall already have wires running down them, so I'm not sure if I can just bore through the 2 studs in my way.

My inspector said the only way he can approve an outlet inside a cold air return is if the outlet box is metal and the portion of the wiring inside the cold air return is housed in flexible metal conduit.

Below is a photo of my situation. I'm not sure what will be the best path to run the romex and the conduit. Any suggestions?


texts: How to avoid spinng sharkbite on moen spout?

texts: What new spout did you get to avoid the sharkbite to moen connection?


texts: Part 2 - What sort of ceiling fan support do I need where I can't find framing?

texts:
I am return and resume  to work on my ceiling fan in the dining room. Last August of 2018, I tried to put it up but the support bar is different than others. I did not know what to do until I saw a poster from a company that they took picture fan fixture boxes. I was looking at it and realized that there is something I was missing.. a bracket strap to hold the support bar.

What sort of ceiling fan support do I need where I can't find framing?

I went to Lowe's and found the ceiling box with this :

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CARLON-Ceiling-Box-with-Adjustable-Bar-Hanger/3152573

but I had a problem is that it is wobble and the nuts I drilled in is stuck.

Do you have any suggest to fix this problem ?

What options do I have ?


texts: How can I get a shock from a circuit when the breaker is off?

texts:
While I was replacing an old outlet, I received a shock from something in the box. I think it was the metal box itself.

Before I started, I performed the following to ensure the power was out:

Plugged a lamp into the outlet and turned it on
Flipped the breaker off; verified that the light went out.

I then started to disconnect the wires when I received a shock.

After I flipped the breaker for the whole house, I replaced the outlet without any further problems.

Should I be concerned that my ground isn't really grounded?


texts: How to remove concrete paving stone from mold?

texts:
I've been making decorative concrete paving stones for use in the garden recently and everything's been going fine until I tried one in a new mold I purchased and I can't for the life of me get the slab out of he mold! (Can't believe I'm actually having to ask this!)

The mold in question is slightly different from others I've used or built before and is Polyurethane and while it's got some flex (I have been able to flex the individual sides of the mold so I can tell it's not adheared to the mold's 'walls') the overall structure is much more rigid compared with the silicone or flimsier plastics I've used before and the slab is staying put against the bottom of the mold.

The catch is that I need to extract the slab without damaging or destroying the mold as it has a custom design created by an artist friend of mine using hot glue on the base of the mold (I've used this technique successfully on other molds before so I don't believe the glue is the culprit and the glue had fully cured before the pour), here's what I've tried so far:

Turning it upside-down (duh! first thing I tried and has worked with others in the past
Flexing the side(s) of the mold ) can see the sides of the mold coming away from the but that's it.
Gently shaking the mold up and down while holding it upside down (over a suitable cushioned surface to catch the slab of course)
Same but more vigourously
Same but side to side
Negotiating with it
Bribing it
Threatening it
Orbital palm sander (without sandpaper of course) against the various sides of the mold to vibrate it out
Applying firm, progressively built pressure to the under side of the mold (have tried both the center and the corners to see if one produced more flex than the other)
Light taps on the underside with a hammer (I was getting desperate)

And nothing  - when shaking vigourously in an up-down motion I thought I felt the weight of the slab shift but could see no visual indication so possibly I imagined that.

The concrete in question is is Blue Circle Master Crete mixed with sharp sand and aggregates according to the standard proportioning on the instructions (same mix I've used in every other pour), it was pulsed with the palm sander to remove air pockets and it was cured for ~96 hours in a reasonably cool but humid environment, every other casting I did in the same pour recieved the same treatment and has come out of their molds perfectly so I don't think there is an issue with the pour or the curing.

I've googled for tips and tricks but the only suggestion I've come across that I haven't already tried and that doesn't involve destroying the mold is to put it in the freezer to try and make the mold contract but I haven't been able to try this as it is too big for my freezer.

How can I remove this slab without damaging the slab or the mold?


texts: Soldering or welding stainless steel objects together

texts:
I'm working on a diy project which requires a tiny L bracket attached to a tinbox. I have tried several adhesive techniques such as super glue and metal epoxy but the smooth surface of the tin box does not permit proper adhesion. I'm thinking of either using welding or soldering to attach these two pieces together. What would you guys suggest for a cost effective yet quality outcome?

Correction: the L bracket is nickel plated steel whereas the tin box is just steel with tin plating.

Tried apply some heat but it caused massive discolouration to the tin box surface (heat stains).

Will soldering/ welding require so much heat as to result in such discolouration?

Thanks


texts: How should I ground a heat pump capacitor?

texts: Where do I attach ground wire on capacitor that has no designated ground connector?


texts: How can I modify a 4 wire thermostat to a new thermostat requiring c wire?

texts:
I attempted to replace my thermostat with a fancy new Trane z-wave enabled model.  To my dismay my home was only wired with a 4 wire setup with no 5 hidden in the bundle.   I followed Insx on the web and moved the g (fan wire) on the furnace to the c terminal.  Then I put a jumper wire to connect the g and y terminal at the furnace board.  I wired the thermostat as shown in the Trane manual while assuming the new C wire in its appropriate position and leaving the fan terminal empty. The Trane unit is internally jumpered between Rc and Rh.

The thermostat powers up fine but as soon as I go to do a heating call, or a cooling call it blows the 3A fuse on the furnace board.  I also tried wiring the R wire to Rh on the thermostat but the same result.  I have a York TG9S series gas furnace and no other hvac system (no a/c).  A Pro1 T725 was used as the previously thermostat even though it's really for a heat pump.  I've included pictures of before and after wiring as well as furnace schematics.

Click for full size image


texts: Flood safe/auto-shutoff hose triggering for no reason

texts: The hot water line to our kitchen sink has one of those flood safe/auto-shutoff hoses. It has started triggering and cutting off the water whenever we turn the hot water on more than half way. I took it off and cleaned a little debris out of one end of the hose but after reconnecting the problem continues. What could be causing it to trigger? Should I just replace it?


texts: How are electric range drip pans measured?

texts: I have an electric range and the drip pans need replaced, I've seen measurements on the new drippans but what is it that they measure?  Is it the radius, the diameter, or the circumference of the drip pan?


texts: What could be causing my generator to not work?

texts:
Can anyone please give me some advice, we purchased a generator from our local Lidl it's a Parkside brand, I have followed the instructions to the letter and also watched a youtube presentation but still I can't get it going it must be me as this is the second one I've tried as I took the first one back thinking it was faulty, but surely I can't have two dodgey ones.
I put the fuel to on switch the on switch to on put choke on the pull the flywheel and nothing.


texts: What is the best way to fix broken OLD plaster in a very old house?

texts:
I've recently bought a house which was built in the 1900s. The entire plaster walls are covered with wallpapers. First time home buyer mistake, our first project is to remove the wallpaper and paint it over. Unfortunately, by removing wallpaper, the old plaster fell off the lath. I was frightened when it feels off because I know for an old house, plaster could contain asbestos. I brought some sample and luckily enough the result came out negative. I'm wondering what would be the best option to go with in terms of quality, timing and cost-effective.

I have a few options:

compound it
cover with blue board or sheetrock
tear everything down and put the new board.


texts: Nest Door Bell Works Fine but Mechanical Doesn't

texts: We recently installed a nest door bell it is working fine but, the plunger on the mechanical door bell barely moves and doesn't ring.  We did verify the door bell transform is a 16 volt transformer.  I called the nest help line and verify the transformer voltage was with the correct line of operation.


texts: How to keep a sink and pedastal solidly together?

texts:
We have a "half bath" - a small room with a toilet and a sink on the first floor. The sink is made of two pieces, the basin and the pedestal, both of porceilian. The pedestal hides the water and drain pipes, it's of a vintage of the past decade.

The basin is simply propped atop the pedestal, it is not attached with any hardware, nor it it fixed to the wall! The pipes alone keep it in place!

I checked to see if there was any way to mount it to the wall or the studs behind the wall, but there were no holes for mounting hardware at all.

The problem is where the drain built into the sink meets the PVC pipe of the house's plumbing, just a nylon nut keeps them together.

If a guest is heavy, or has a leg injury, or is inebriated, they may place their hand upon the basin to help them get up from the toilet. When this happens, if they are sufficiently heavy, it will shift the basin off the pedestal and pop the metal drain from the PVC drain, causing a significant leak, and I have to crawl under the sink and hope the threads weren't stripped as I reposition the nut to join them again.

How can I mount the sink to either the wall or the pedestal such that it won't shift with ordinary weight applied briefly?


texts: I have 8/3 Romex wire and shop is 60 ft. From my house. Heard to many of different ways to do it, but I want it to be down safe and the right way. I need to know what size of subpanel and what breakers can I use? Wanting 3 outlets, 1 for lights and stereo, 1 for tools 15amp on tools nothing bigger than that and 1 for misc. Main panel in the house is 150amp cutler-hammer with 6 spaces still open.


texts: Hi I recently installed this wall mount ignis magnum fireplace. The wallboard gets too hot to touch behind it. I was wondering if 1) heat paint behind would help 2) putting stainless steel sheet behind would help 3) i used plastic anchors to secure, would those become an issue? 4) am I too concerned?  Thoughts? Thanks Ed


texts: How many recessed lighting do I need for my living room?

texts:
Living room size: 18 L x 16.5 W x 8 H

Using 6" cans with BR40 flood lights
around 60watt equivalent LEDs, so about 800 lumens

Based on this, it looks like I should be getting 9 lights? Assuming cans are at least 3 feet away from walls and corners, and 3 cans in each row and column evenly spaced apart.

9 holes in my living room seems like a lot. Do you think I can get away with 5, using 1 on each corner and 1 right in the middle? Make like a "X" formation. Or is that not enough in terms of lighting up the living room?


texts: Can I use a wood screen door to replace a sliding screen door on a french door

texts: There was originally a sliding screen door but I have not been able to find a replacement that fits or works properly. I would like to use a regular screen door to replace rather than a slider but not sure if this can be done properly.


texts: Storage Bench Possible with 3/4" Plywood/MDF?

texts:
Is it possible to make the storage bench below using only wood glue, screws, and 3/4-inch plywood or MDF?

The only requirement is that it must support a 80lb kid sitting on it.  4.5" floor clearance is a must.  I don't think it would be strong enough (diagram is to scale).  Any ideas to make it stronger are much appreciated.  I'm in a remote area with limited tools (saw, drill, screws, glue, and 1 trip to home center)


texts:
We were painting our ceilings and removed the register for the central heating system.

The hole is roughly cut. And I can see right through to the attic along the edges between the duct and the ceiling.

We have a 1939 house and most likely there is lead within the various layers in the ceiling exposed by the hole that was cut.

Also, our attic is really dusty and I don't want any dust to potentially be blown into the room.

I want to seal the raw edges of the ceiling AND I want to fill the gaps between the duct and the ceiling.

How would I go about doing this?

Update: repaired

I took Dan D.'s advice and sealed with joint compound and followed up with UL181 metal tape.

What I'll probably also do is to go into the attic and seal around the attic floor/rigid duct interface with caulk or expanding foam.


texts: 1/4" to 1" gaps in corners of my newly "professionally" installed drywall

texts: The drywall in my bathroom was put up yesterday, & has yet to be taped & miffed in. There are considerable uneven( up to an inch ) gaps in 2 of my inside corners. I don't want to let them start mudding, & end up with chipping or sloppy corners in my new bathroom. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Do PVC saddle tees meet code in Illinois?

texts: Can a saddle tee legally be used to tie shower drain into 4 inch main drain in the state of Illinois?  All plumbing is PVC.


texts: Finding the right adapter to connect a hose and a faucet

texts:
I am trying to connect this hose (thread size 2.0):

To this faucet (thread size 1.0):

The caliper reads 2.5 metric millimeters for the female screw of the hose, and the male faucet screw is 19mm. I live in the USA and none of the adapters I find online make any sense in their imperial measurements.
Please help! Thanks


texts: I suspect my house has asbestos since it was made in 1969 and has popcorn ceilings. This is what I have found about asbestos

texts:
As the title says, my house was built in 1969 and has popcorn ceiling, so according to many readings on my research it's very likely that the ceiling and possibly other parts of the house has asbestos.

I read in this post that if the ceiling is painted, it would be harder for me to get rid of asbestos but also it would be safer for me since it would be less likely that asbestos can get released to the air. I'm honestly not sure if the ceiling was painted and I'm not sure if I can just tell by looking at it, I mean, it looks pretty white just like the walls but I'm not sure if it was painted before I moved to this house, since it has been 1 year since I moved in. I don't have a way to contact the previous owner so I'm not sure, but in case that they weren't painted, can I apply some kind of sealant instead of paint them?

I've seen that if the part of the house that contains asbestos isn't disturbed it doesn't poses a healthy hazard. By "disturb" I'm not sure if I for example If I kill a bug with a piece of paper and slam it agains the wall or the ceiling containing asbestos would pose a risk, or only if I really scrap the ceiling really hard, do any update, construction, etc. then particles really get into the air is only when I really should worry?

Would also be dangerous if I touch the ceiling with my hand and then I touch my food with those hands would that be dangerous? I ask that because I have little kids and they might do that, so then I would know I need to do something about that.

I'm not sure if the insulation in my attic might have asbestos, but given the year the house was built I suppose that might also have asbestos, in any case, I know I need to install more insulation in my house because my inspector told me that the current one is pretty thin, so the question here is, do I then need to hire a professional to install  more insulation instead of doing it myself, which it can pose a high risk for me to breath asbestos when installing more insulation?

Also according to this answer in this post It can have a health risk if you breath it for a short period of time or for months or years. I mean some sources say that even if you breath it once, it might be super bad for you, so it's then hard to tell how bad is to breath asbestos if sources say for one second for months or years, so how bad really is? and does it depend on how much percentage of asbestos is in the ceiling?

Thank you so much in advance!


texts: Converting a Single-Bulb Light to a Dual-Bulb Light - Your Opinions Please?

texts:
There are tons of questions about installing and replacing ceiling lights already, and I was looking through them but I didn't feel like checking 106 pages of results to make sure my question isn't a duplicate of another one! So... here we go. :)

I am very illiterate when it comes to electric installations and wiring, but I have a dated flush mounted ceiling light in a hallway I'd like to replace. Today I removed all the parts I dared to, but now I'm not sure where to continue.

First of all, what is all that insulation stuff inside the base of the old fixture? I'm hoping I didn't just expose myself to asbestos...

Second, many of the new fixtures I've looked at are for two bulbs and this one is just for one bulb. Is there any way I can use the existing wiring to install a two-bulb light fixture?

Third, I've seen pictures and read about there being a ceiling bracket that the light connects to. Will that be above this round box? I don't want to go too far and remove everything from the ceiling if it's not necessary.

I haven't bought a new fixture yet, but decided to get this much done for now.

So... what are your opinions on this? Is my goal possible? Do you see anything "scary" about what's there that I should address?


texts:
I have a 1.5 HP two tank compressor that I have to drain daily.

What is the most efficient trap to capture the water oil mixture as I drain it?


texts: Why would there be a timer in the master closet?

texts:
I've been going to quite a few open houses lately, and I've noticed a strange trend.  In more than a few houses, I've noticed a timer high up on the wall in the master closet.

I've seen alarm control panels in the master closet before, but I can't fathom why a timer would be in there.  I'm thinking maybe it could be for landscape lighting, or a sprinkler system. I just can't understand why you would choose to install a control for those systems, in a second floor closet.  The first time I saw it, I didn't think anything of it (I have kids, so I understand the purpose of keeping things away from curious hands). After seeing it in more than a couple homes, I started to question the practice.

Anybody have any experience with this, that could shed some light on the purpose of it?


texts:
I'm installing a multizone ductless minisplit in my house.

Many of the items I need have already been purchased, I have not purchased:

Line Sets
Nitrogen Testing Tank
410a Refrigerant

I'm considering building my own line sets, it seems cheaper. But I cant seem to find the proper insulation for 1/4" & 3/8" lines. This look like the type of insulation I would want, but I cant find it for the sizes I need.

http://jollyesprit.com/armaflex-ipapc05812-1-2-x-1-2-x-95-continuous-coil-pipe-insulation-rubber/

Would the 1/2" ID work for my 3/8" line? I think probably not.
Can someone please provide me a resource where I can find the proper insulation?

In regard to the Refrigerant and Nitrogen... These seem a bit more expensive then I was hoping, think I can find someone in southern NH / northern MA that would rent something like this to a non-licensed person?


texts: How do I insulate around conduits and into difficult edges in my attic?

texts:
I am thinking about adding a little over a foot of insulation to my attics.

I understand that there shouldn't be gaps between fiberglass batts (I read that this can reduce efficiency by 25%, whatever that means).

However, my attics have some areas that look very tough to do:

1) It's very difficult to get to the far edges in my attics.  Can I get away with NOT going all the way to the edges?  (I understand that I shouldn't block my soffits / baffles.)

2) There are all sorts of conduits and junction boxes sticking up out of the floor.  Can I just lay the insulation over it?

3) There is a 3' x 3' area that is densely packed with pipes.  Can I skip this area or do I need to squeeze insulation around them?


texts: Cracked grout and leak in shower side wall - short and long-term fix given foundation work?

texts:
There is extensive cracking in the grout along the upper portion of our shower side-wall, both inside and outside of our shower. We've also noticed a leak in the shower wall, likely due to the fact that water pooling on the upper inside portion of the side wall enters cracks in the grout, exiting on the outside of the half wall along another crack (see images, with region where water exits the wall circled and arrows pointing to flow of water droplets onto the floor). Given that we don't know the materials used in constructing this side wall we are foreseeing water damage and potentially mold issues, and sadly assume we'll have to tear down and rebuild.

The bathroom is located in a portion of the house that has significantly settled. We are awaiting a permit for foundation work to correct the problem (across the entire house), with the project likely completed by the end of 2020. Given that we are planning on foundation work, which may affect the relative height of different portions of the house, I wanted to ask:

1) is there a viable short term solution to this problem? I was thinking of re-grouting the inside of the shower to prevent further water intrusions

2) if re-grouting is an option, what might be the best material to use? There is a range of the gap widths (1/8 to 1/4"), with some sections poorly fixed with what appears to be caulk

3) is it better to delay any remodeling work (for long-term fix) to later when the foundation work has been completed?

I've included a couple of links to posts that discuss related problems, including best practices in re-grouting showers and a discussion of water damage.

cracking shower grout - discussion 1

drywall damage - discussion 1


texts: Using FPL (18/4 ) cable for 120v Smoke detectors

texts:
Currently have 18 smoke detectors inter-connected to a Vista 20 panel with 18/4 FPL cable.  We are selling (sold) the house, but have to replace all detectors since they are more than 10 years (Massachusetts Law). Current detectors are 4 wire, and unit replacement cost is ~$35.  The 120v units from Homedepot are ~$12.

My question is whether the existing FPL cable can be re-wired to the cheaper units, since the cable is rated to 300 volts.

Thanks in advance for assistance


texts: I have an ac circuit with 3 ground wires. This circuit switches between two ac power sources, accounting for two of the ground wires. The last ground wire comes from a switch. Is it safe to pigtail these ground wires together and connect them to a ground terminal on an electric receptacle?


texts: How can I fill holes in Marlite bathroom panels

texts: We removed some shelves in the bathroom and there are holes in the Marlite . It’s the marbled looking Marlite. We are in our 70’s and don’t want the experience of tearing everything out, just repair it and blend the colors.


texts: Would increasing pipe size before a pressure reducing valve increase flow?

texts:
I've read a lot of variants of this question but I still haven't quite figured it out. I'm adding a 3rd bathroom to my house and I want to make sure I've got enough water flow to run 2-3 showers and an appliance (e.g. washer) at once, if necessary, without a problem.

Right now, my main supply looks like this:

5/8" meter -> 30' 3/4" copper -> 3/4" PRV -> Sharkbite -> 30' 3/4" PEX -> Tankless water heater

My best guess at what would provide optimum flow:

5/8" meter -> 30' 3/4" copper -> 3/4" to 1" reducer -> 1" PRV -> 30' 1" PEX -> Tankless water heater

I haven't measured it, but according to a memo my city supply (a 5/8" meter) has at least 80psi coming down the pipe (haven't measured it but maybe I should?), and I want ~50PSI coming out the PRV.

Other details, if relevant:

The heater is a Rinnai RUC98iN which can theoretically output up to 9.8GPM of hot water.
Right now, there's a noticeable, if small, pressure drop when someone fires up the 2nd shower.
There are noticeable intermittent pressure drops if I'm taking a shower and the washing machine is running, for example.
The 45-year-old gate valve in the supply is leaking, and I'd love to put a leak detection Z-Wave water valve in the "stack" there too. Can't get the PRV specs because somebody painted over it...

I have a couple of questions:

Would doing this accomplish what I want?
My gut tells me that increasing the size of the supply line to 1" before the PRV is better than after. Is this correct, or not? Why?

My basement is currently unfinished, and the 3rd bathroom would be in the finished basement. I have (pretty) easy access to replace this line right now, and it would become harder later - it's going to have to be cut up anyway to feed the new fixtures. .


texts: How do I determine where lead paint was used?

texts: I just bought a new house. The inspector told me that the entry way paint is cracking because a previous owner painted over lead paint without using the proper primer. How do I find out which walls have lead paint before I move in? I plan on painting all the walls.


texts: What would cause water to pulse from the faucet?

texts: What causes both hot and cold water from kitchen tap to pulsate as if getting a breath. This happens at all times of day and is most noticeable at half to full flow.


texts:
I live in Florida and my neighbor has a huge live oak tree. It's beautiful and healthy tree. However, one of the main branch is overextending into my backyard hovering over my sunroom and I want to have it trimmed in case of hurricane damage.
I've decided to hire a tree company to do the work. While the main guy might have proper insurance and worker's comp..I'm worried about the other guys with him. How should I proceed to make sure I'll be protected in case of something goes wrong? Should I request to review each person's insurance and worker's comp coverage? Thanks.


texts: How can I fix gaps and broken mortar in a stone path

texts: I have a stone path that is all broken up.  What's a quick and cheap way to fix it? Please see the picture. There are several areas in the path that have this issue. Would putting a strip of concrete 1" wide all along the path would help keep them in place?


texts: What to do when measuring voltage on nails in the wall?

texts:
A while ago, I hammered some nails into a wall trough which wires are running (taking care not to hit any wire).
But when I use a multimeter to measure the voltage between the nail and some other point of the wall I get a reading of 0.89 Volts. When turning the fuse off I only get a reading of 0.38.
This behavior can be observed for various nails in different locations in the wall and does not occur on other walls in the apartment.
I am not sure what to make of it. Is it an error in my measurement or normal behavior when measuring close to a wire? Or do I need to call an electrician asap?
For completeness, here's a picture of my setup and first reading.


texts: Looking for UPC advice/suggestions on wet venting

texts:
Can someone in the UPC group advice or suggest if any of the two bathroom layout plans are reasonable to use, they are wet vented?
See Plan 1 or Plan  2
Thanks


texts: I am repainting my front door. I have an unopened can of MDF primer, can I use this prior to painting?


texts:
this is probably off topic as it's not "home improvement", but still, it's DIY, so, here it goes:

I want to build a mechanical clock.
I've read technical things about how they work, this is not my problem.

What could be good materials and tools for me to build it?

I am an inexperienced DIY'er, but I am pretty comfortable with paper, cardboard, balsa wood.
I also don't have many specific tools aside from x-acto knives and scissors, but I think I can manage to not chop off a finger with more advanced tools.

I believe wood or some kind of soft metal would be better for this, but I am not sure what kinds to use, or what tools I need. Remember, the clock will have moving parts, gears, axis, etc.

In summary, for a beginner to build a mechanical clock:

Tools (Dremel? small hand saw?)
Materials (hardened balsa? tin? brass?)

Also, please take into account the cost, gold; although pretty cool, is probably off my budget.


texts: How to permanently seal a pipe filled with water and under pressure making it equal to the wall?

texts:
What I'm trying to do is something like this:

I don't want any section of the pipe out of the wall. So I can't use a common "external" cap. I need a cap that goes inside the pipe (or something else).

After sealed, the pipe will still be filled with water and under normal pressure for the kind of pipe. It will be a dead leg.

I'm trying to avoid breaking walls to change the pressure valve or cap the pipe.


texts: What should I do about an Ikea tabletop that is allegedly unfinished?

texts: A couple days ago, I purchased a "Gerton" Desktop from IKEA. On their webpage, it says nothing in terms of it being finished/unfinished, merely that you should wipe it down with oil. As I drove it back home, I noticed it had a strong smell that gave me a headache. This furthered my assumption it was finished. However, Googling it for the smell and how to get rid of it, all the posts are about finishing it, either using the IKEA recommended oil or some other type of finish. But I don't understand why the IKEA desktop would smell so strongly if it was not finished, as it should just be raw wood. IKEA doesn't have a live chat, PERIOD, and their phone merely gives a robo-message about COVID and no chat agents. Is the wood raw, or is it finished?


texts: fence post setting regular quickcrete vs.fast setting

texts:
hey so i've been building a couple fences lately and have been premixing with a concrete mixer i bought which was a couple hundred.
my question is can you mix the standard quikrete that comes in an 80lb yellow bag  $4.50 the same way you would do the fast setting quikrete that come only in the red 50 lb bag for $5.25?
im jaded by the price difference as well as the quantity difference.

do you recommend quikrete first then water or water then quikrete?


texts: How can I get my Particle-Board Cabinet re-staining project looking more professional please?

texts:
So, I am working on changing the stain on my particle-board cabinet(disassembled). I sanded, and then pre-stained the various pieces. I have also applied the first coat of stain(ebony) to the wood pieces, but I keep getting finger-prints and various marks on it as I move the pieces around. How do I get rid of those from the dried pieces? What is the best way to store the pieces away to dry?  My other question is now that the pieces are dry, I guess I need to apply the sealer, in my case, minwax quick-dry polyurethane clear gloss,is there anything else I can do to make the finished product appear as if it was professionally done? I am using MinWax Wood Finish which claims to be both a stain, and sealer, do I need sealer still?
 And please how do I get rid of the smell when I am done? Is there a trick to this I can apply here?


texts: How to reduce brightness of recessed LED?

texts:
I have recessed LED in the bathroom which is way too bright. LED is dimmable
but I can't put regular dimmer in front of it since it has small switch shared with two other switches. Neither I need changeable dimming.

So is there a way to reduce brightness? Can I stick some resistor in the switch?
How do I choose the resistor? Is there code legal components that can be used for that?


texts: How do I release a bit from a jammed keyless drill chuck?

texts:
I have a Bosch PSB 650 RE hammer drill, with a keyless chuck:

The chuck mechanism involves a button on top which, when pressed, allows the chuck to be tightened or released, rather than just rotating with the bit.
The other day I did some drilling with an 8mm masonry bit (in hammer mode); and after drilling - the chuck would not get release. I applied as much torque as my hand could stand, until it was quite sore from the friction against the plastic.
My question: How do I release the bit from the drill?
I'm hesitant to try pliers or a vise grip, worried I might just file down the plastic and make a bad situation worse.
Notes:

The chuck was not overtightened - just the usual tightness. So this related question is not quite my situation.
I'd rather save the drill bit than break it; and would also not want to damage the chuck jaws.


texts: Standard Grade and Curb Height for ADA Compliant Shower Floor

texts: I am managing replacement of a bathtub with a walk in shower for my mother in her condo. The HOA is demanding a shower grade of 1 inch per foot which seems far to steep for a person with disabilities. What is the standard grade and curb height for an ADA compliant shower?


texts: Addressing unsheathed cable: Replacing direct-wire under-cabinet lighting

texts:
I am replacing my old halogen under-cabinet lighting with LED lighting. I removed the old lights, but the access plates on the new lights are in different places. The issue is that if I run the existing, unsheathed wires to the new access plates, there would be unsheathed wiring under the cabinet between the point where the sheathing was originally removed and the new access plates. There are two separate wirings for most lights since they are chained together.

What solutions are there, short of opening up the walls and actually replacing the entire run of cable? I considered cutting most of the unsheathed portion off and adding two low-profile junction boxes, if such things exist, but I think they'd be visible and not too attractive.


texts:
I live in UK. Since I have decided to buy house, I would need a mortgage lender, conveyancing solicitors and property surveyor. However, this is not all in the long term. I also need to find reliable and competent builders for any decoration or repair work.

My friend had an experience with a builder, this builder did the job partially and then one day asked for a huge sum of money saying that he had to buy more materials. He took the money and never showed up again. My friend found this builder through some website where the builder had a lot of good reviews. This was obviously a huge problem for my friend.

Are builders generally unreliable like this?
If we can't find a reliable builder through our connections, what options do we have?
What is the best way to find a reliable builder?
Should we make deal with large organizations that take on contracts rather than a one man band to do all the work?


texts:
I just replaced my 15 amp outlet with a new decora 15 amp receptacle. I noticed even before disconnecting all of the 14 ga copper wires that when I tested each neutral wire that two neutrals were hot.

Originally they had two neutrals wired nut together with a hook to the receptacle coming from one of the conduits. The other neutral came from another location.  Even after resembling it and test it with the sperry stop shock it was green or wired correctly.

Why are these neutrals hot and if so should i separated the hot and wired nut those? I didn't use a voltage meter which maybe i should had. I did us a Klein non-contact tester. Again this was the original wiring from 40 yrs ago. Suggestions would be appreciated.  I also replaced all of the wire nuts and cut and stripped away copper wire as well as adding some new wiring.

UPDATE: I took it all apart the 14 ga wire from the receptacle. there are only two conduit s that feed into this box conduit 1 and conduit 2. (See all pictures below.)

I then took my voltage meter and check each white neutral wire with my klein clamp meter alligator ears which showed zero except for one voltage reading of white with a black mark on neutral wire which was only a small or negligible reading. The blue wire in the back was for a split connection and was never wired up. Put everything originally back with only one hot black wire i mark with red tape.

Saying all of this, i noticed that if i disconnect the one neutral with the black mark all of my receptacles/outlets that are controlled by that 15 amp are turned off. Why? Why not that one to be off while the other receptacles should just be turned on.  Why are the rest not working? Yes the sperry stop shock test works perfectly on this receptacle. Also used a breaker finder to see which two wires are truly connected to thar one 15 amp.

If that was run in a series could that be an explanation of when i disconnect that white neutral -black mark can cause 20 receptacles/outlets to shut off? Would appreciate the help. How could this happen? Yes it works and as i mentioned earlier in another question about adding another amp to split this 20 receptacles/fixtures/switches.

On second thought, i think this also happened with any outlet that i replaced with none of then working. Would have to double check that fact. Again i didnt do anything different but to replace the receptacles and switches as they had it originally wired. Thank you again.


texts: Conduit for Ethernet, can it be buried in the wall

texts:
I had electrician  run Ethernet (POE) from a garage attic down and  over, then into the basement.  They had to avoid passing it through a thick external wall with many studs  so  they ran the wires around it in 2ft of conduit against the studs as seen in the picture.
Is this compliant and can I just mud over the conduit?
I would rather this have just come out of the wall in PVC but am not sure what parts would be used and if this would be code either.  I'm not too worried about how it will look, but don't really like the idea of burying the conduit and having it not strapped to anything.
Can anyone please tell me what my best option would be?


texts: Does painting roof tile improve longevity or performance?

texts: I would like to know if painting a tile roof is a must or is it just cosmetic? Should I just repoint the roof and the ridgecaps?


texts:
I have an old 1950s bandsaw (Beaver 2300) that has been refitted, by the previous owner, with a new motor. It runs fine. But now that I am using a power bar with a built in GFCI, the GFCI trips after being on for 15 seconds. When I plug directly into the wall outlet, the 15A breaker does not trip.

Any suggestions on why this should occur, or how I should explore this problem?  I have read about ground leakage of electric motors causing nuisance tripping of GFCIs, but I would like to be sure, for safety reasons.

Thanks in advance.

Edit:
There is no GFCI on the receptacle.

A shop vac and drill press both plugged into the same GFCI power bar do not trip it. The GFCI seems to be tripping after the bandsaw is on for about 15 seconds, even without cutting. I thought it was only with a heavy load before, but I could be mistaken.

There is no measured resistance between ground and neutral on the motor (ie. open circuit). Likewise for live to ground, and live to neutral with the switch off.  When the switch is on (unplugged of course, the resistance is around 1.1 ohms.

I took apart the switch, and verified all the connections.  Everything is tight, well connected, and looks quite new.  All connections were clean.  I vacuumed it all for good measure.  Once I put it all back, there was no change.

The motor has no markings on it.  I will include a photo.  3 leads go from neutral to the motor, and another 3 go from live to the motor.  They are marked 1-6. One of the go to a momentary switch with markings CET36CA-7.

I was told the motor is 1 hp, and it runs off 110v ac. The outlet breaker is 15A and does not trip when the bandsaw is plugged directly into the outlet (ie. no GFCI).

The power bar is Woods Pro Power GFCI 4 outlet https://www.rona.ca/en/electricity-and-lighting/cords-and-timers/power-strips/2.  It is UL listed.

Motor connections:


texts: OSB3 (particle board) got wet during roofing - does it need to be replaced?

texts:
I'm putting up a large GRP flat roof. The builder has been AWOL for a while, and so the roof has been left with just OSB3 with no waterproof covering. It's been rained on for months and swelled to twice its original thickness.

Is this board still OK to use for the roof if I can let it dry? I can still walk on it with no problems.


texts: How can I remove the service cover on my refrigerator when the process stub is in the way?

texts:
I would like to replace the power cord of an Electrolux refrigerator. Besides the compressor (HTK70AA) there is a small black plastic cover that needs to be removed to access the electrical connections (see page 2 of the linked datasheet, it is simply labeled as "Cover"). The cover needs to be slid out of its place, but unfortunately the process stub (the small sealed 3rd tube protruding out of the compressor) is in the way. I think the cover cannot be removed in any other way without breaking.

How can I bend the stub out of its place? I do not want to crush or break it. It appears to be made of steel and copper welded together, and the end of the copper part clamped.

I guess if I would start bending it at the copper part, the steel part wouldn't move much because it's harder, and I would only end up breaking the weld.
Bending at the steel part could work, but then I would have to either grab it with pliers (and risk crushing it), or start hammering it from the downside to bend it upwards (which again can crush or break the tube).
Maybe I could just grab the steel part with my fingers and try bending, but again I was afraid on ruining the tube and thus the compressor.

EDIT: The refrigerator is an Electrolux ERF2404FOW. Here is a photo about the situation:


texts:
I bought Berkley Jensen Winter Ice Melt from BJs. But I do not know how to open its cap. I searched youtube and google and still did not get it. Here is the weblink of the product:
LINK

Anybody can help?


texts: How should plywood sheathing be detailed around bolts/bearing plates in seismic retrofit work?

texts:
The City of Los Angeles standard planset for seismic retrofits shows the anchor bolt's bearing plate (washer) resting on the sill plate (vs. resting on the 2x blocking of the shear wall). But there is no guidance on how to cut the plywood to clear the bearing plate and nut where it interferes.

Can I assume that this cut is not a significant detail? The planset does specify radiused cuts (minimum 1 1/16" radius) for other intrusions into the bracing plywood.

From the planset--anchor bearing plate on sill plate, and radiused cuts shown for intrusions ("DO NOT SQUARE CUT"):

Bolt clearly interferes with sheathing in side view:


texts: Why is my sink's drain pipe connection angled?

texts:
My sink piping quite often drips despite several attempts to adjust/tighten the U-bend. The drain pipe is not totally straight and the pipe attaching to it is intentionally a long way from straight. I suspect I cannot get a good deal due to this angling - but why is it like this? Is it even possible to make this straight when all the other pieces are straight?

UPDATE

Rotating the trap as discussed below allowed it to be almost straight. However, it still drips. I believe it's the top of the U section that's the problem.