texts: How can I secure a workout rack to a wooden platform?

texts:
I want to secure a "power rack" for weighlifting  -- a square cage that supports a barbell so you don't need a spotter for squat and bench press.  I'd like to fasten it to a wooden platform.  My first thought was to bolt it to the platform,  but the rack comes with no pre-drilled holes.
The frame is 2" x 2" 16-gauge steel and looks like this:
I haven't built the platform so I have some flexibility.  Current plans: an 8' by 8' platform made of two layers of 5/8" OSB.   That platform would rest directly on an old beat up concrete slab in my garage.
How would you connect/tie/bolt/whatever the frame to the floor?


texts: How can I install a fence on top of this wall?

texts:
I'd like to install a fence (180cm x 90cm) above a small wall (shown in photos below). Initially I wanted to screw C-shaped metal clips like 20cm below the top edge of the wall then vertically along my house'wall (see last picture with squares). The purpose is to prevent neighbours to see, so the top edge of the fence doesn't need to be that high.

Downside: the right edge of the fence won't be maintained by anything and wind will likely make it move quite a lot.

But then, what to do in order to avoid this? Is there a better solution altogether?


texts:
My driveway (see picture) has developed potholes that are so deep that the high parts can hit the bottom of the car!

My driveway is a dirt driveway with crushed blacktop on top. Also, it is very steep in the section that has potholes. So I think that if I were to just fill the potholes with dirt, the next rain would wash them right out.

Any suggestions on the right approach to fix this problem?

My question is similar to this one, but my driveway is already shaped correctly to guide the rain water. I would like to figure out how to fill the potholes with dirt and at the same time get the dirt to adhere to the bottom of the pothole.

Thank you in advance!


texts: I have a concrete patio thats been tiled over. Part of the patio is lower than the rest so it collects water. How do I level it off? I guess pull up the tiles and add another layer of cement to the lower part. Is there another way?


texts: This doorknob when locked spins either direction without opening. When unlocked, it used to work like a normal doorknob but now will only turn counterclockwise. Is there an easy way to fix this so it can again be turned either way to open the door?


texts: linseed oil over wood that was treated with water seal

texts:
I had new wooden gates added on to my house.
Put Thompson Water seal on the  new wood gate.
Can I now use linseed oil over top to help protect it from the sun and heat of Phoenix AZ???


texts: How to set Nest Thermostat to control blower without heat

texts:
I have a Lennox G14Q3 propane furnace (forced air). I used the Nest/furnace setup last winter without any problems with just the W and R terminals.
But, these summer days I would like to push air through the house with the blower (without heat) and remove it with my HRV system.

I’ve tried hooking up the terminal G to the G terminal on the Nest (for the fan). But the Nest can’t seem to turn it on.

Note: When I test the heat with the Nest, my furnace goes through it’s standard cycle of heating up then turning on the blower.

Also, I can’t seem to get the blower going down at the furnace by shorting R and G, shouldn’t that work?

Thanks,
Josh

Edit, added model and diagram pictures:

EDIT 2:
I realized that ACC isn't actually connected to anything. It gets 120VAC when I switch the relay, but there is still no path to the blower to be energized.
Could I just take one of the speed wires from the blower motor and connect it to ACC so that it acts as an indoor blower?


texts: Outlets are half voltage and/or don't work

texts:
I have a old house with knob and tube wiring and today my breaker keeps tripping.

I have a couple of 240v outlets (dryer and range) that are on different breakers. I get 115v readings from each of the plugs.
I noticed a copper ground wire coming out from a box that is not attached to anything, that's another issue.

My reason for writing this post is the fact that I'm only getting 115v from the plug and some other 115v outlets through out the house don't work either.
I think they may be wired to the two 240v wires from a junction box somewhere in the house. I'm afraid they shorted out and could cause a fire.

I did turn them off but. Now I have no power to about 8 different outlets from different rooms. Can someone give me some advice, I'm afraid of fire and getting zapped.


texts: How to prepare for 1 3/4" to 4" concrete overlay: rebar vs wire mesh vs fiberglass

texts:
My house currently has a 3rd car garage that I would like to convert and extend my family room. The biggest question is how to raise and level the garage floor with cement (preferably). I spoke with the city and the fact that there is no vapor barrier is not an issue. However, the thin 1 3/4 inch pour at the shallow-end seems to be an issue. It sounds like my options are:

1) Place rebar in the stem walls (and adjacent foundation) at 16" on center and use standard concrete. From what I read the pour is too shallow already and adding rebar to the shallow part could risk cracking.

2) Use wire mesh instead of rebar to reinforce the concrete (I am not sure if this is acceptable in the CA building code or if the strength is all the matters?)

3) Use some sort of cement/fiberglass mixture. This was a contractor suggestion but I don't have any details.

4) Use a polymer concrete that is designed for this depth. The only problem with this is it will be more expensive and I can't find any mixtures specific to my depth.


texts: Is it possible to replace my phone wires t network wires in the walls?

texts:
In my house I have telephone access point in each room. Is it possible to replace them with network cables?

I have tried every option I know to get WIFI signal in my top floor but always getting poor signal or none.

Do I need professional to do so? Or can I do it alone.

I don't know if this is the right place for this question but I trust this site!


texts: Is a long shower the main cause of this leak? Would clear silicone on all grout lines help?

texts:
We are in a brand new house for the past 1 year.  From the first month onward, we have noticed water coming out from under the door jamb pictured here.
When we put a plastic sheet all over the shower, there was no leak.  This is how we determined that the grout was the cause.  The builder has been good about coming back to re-grout the tiles, and re-silicone the shower base.  The leak still occurred.
They came back to put a colorant/sealant on the grout.  Better, but still leaking.  Again, putting up the plastic sheet stopped all leaking.  Am I taking too long a shower? (20 minutes once/week, all other days 10min).   Does grout have a limit?
These are good builders and stand by their work.  Definitely not a plumbing problem.  <img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/hayfe.jpg" alt="picture of the door jamb after 1 year of slow leaking
" />


texts: How can I make seamless upholstered chair pads?

texts:
I want to make a chair pad that is smooth wood on the bottom and seamless padded upholstery on top. How do I handle the cloth/wood interface?

The simplest option is to wrap the cloth around the bottom of the wood and staple it, but that's ugly on the bottom.

My next idea is to do the same but add another layer of wood afterwards. I can't figure out how to get that layer to sit flat with the upholstery edge being pleated in some places. Or how to secure it to the first piece of wood without having screw holes in the clean wood surface on the bottom.


texts: Connecting detached shop to home network via fiber

texts:
i'm looking to connect my detached shop to the network in the house. goal is to have a fast (1 Gb+) and reliable connection in the shop, that can be connected to in the shop by wifi and ethernet.
existing network is what centurylink fiber setup:

mystery box on the outside of the house, i think the excess optical cable is simply spooled in here
i think this is an ONT - fiber in, ethernet and phone ports out
router they provided, apparently a c3000z

my plan is to dig a ~150' trench and run direct burial fiber from the house to shop, and connect it to the ONT. my assumption is that i need a media converter in the house, something similar to a TP-LINK MC220L and an SFP e.g. something like TL-SM311LM. what type of interface do i need on the other end in the shop, e.g. simply another SFP that can plug directly into another router/computer? what type of fiber cable should i get (single, dual etc)? does the type of equipment outlined here seem correct?
appreciate any feedback! i don't have much networking experience outside of plugging in a router.


texts:
The person who installed my frameless shower glass mounted two brackets directly into the shower curb. There is some silicone visible around the brackets... I'm not sure if silicone was used in the screw holes.

The curb is made of quartz composite and the waterproofing underneath is hot mop.

The glass was over a year ago, and I haven't seen signs of moisture damage yet, but it does concern me. Is this a big problem?

Thanks.

Edit: Here is a photo of one of the brackets


texts: How can I repair water-damaged hardwood countertops?

texts:
Me and my housemate are complete novices when it comes to home improvement/DIY/etc. so when we moved into a recently renovated house with solid wood worktops, we were oblivious to what care they might need and the thought never crossed our minds. We treated them just like any other worktop, and they have since become damaged. I am concerned about our deposit, so I want to know if there is anything I can do to 'fix' it.

There are a few things:

The worktops have become sticky because we just cleaned them with ordinary household surface cleaners (not bleach, but chemically stuff) and I think that has caused the 'treated surface' to 'melt' or something.
We left pots and pans etc. with water in them to soak on the counter top, making the area next to the sink totally water damaged - the wood is warped, and has gone black.
There are a few ringmarks where I've left mugs etc. on the surface

What could possibly be done to remedy these? We have not done ANYTHING to maintain these surfaces because we have no idea how to care for them properly, and were not instructed by the landlord to do so. We have no tools or equipment barring screwdrivers, so if you could advise exactly what I'd need to ask for at a hardware store to fix anything that would be great.


texts: Powering a Window Air Conditioner -- 10' 12/3 SJTW extension cord vs new outlet?

texts:
TL;DR: Is it fine to use 10' 12/3 extension cord or should I really have an electrician come out & install a new outlet?

I recently installed 8,000 BTU window air conditioner (the LG LW8016ER). Unfortunately, there isn't an outlet near the window.

I've heard lots of disclaimers that you should have an electrician come out to install a new outlet, and not use an extension cord.  Is that really necessary if I get an extension cord of sufficient gauge?  Specifically a 10' 12/3 SJTW (the Thonapa TH-123Y10).

Reading around, most of the wiring used to connect the outlet is 12 gauge as well, so it didn't seem like it would that different from just running the extension cable.


texts: ge washing machine sticks at rinse cycle

texts: Was having issues with GE washing machine not draining or spinning so I replaced timer and lid switch now after the wash cycle the timer sticks and won't advance to the rinse cycle. If you turn the knob slightly after this happens it fills with water and finishes the cycle. It doesn't seem to matter what wash cycle you choose it does the same thing. Any ideas?


texts: Inground Conduit Box for Driveway Snow Melting

texts:
I'm installing snow melting cables into a concrete and stone paver driveway.  It requires 5 mats rated at 25 Amps and 6000 watts. I also need a 6th small run of heating wire to cover the full area. The cold leads (non-resistive conductor cable) are 10/3 and 20 feet long.

So to get it to my basement I need an in-ground conduit box to run the 6 cables into then splice them with 10/3 NMWU in the box and run those through one or 2 conduits to the house panel.

So my first questions are about the conduit sizes and pulling the wires.
For the cold leads to the conduit box ...

Will 1/2" PVC conduit be to hard to pull through (3 to 15 feet, 2x 90 elbows)?

Is 3/4" overkill?

Can I get 6x - 10/3 wires easily through one 2" conduit?  (3x 90 elbows @ 15-20 feet).

Fill table says 63 max for 10/3 conductors and I will have 6x3 =18 plus ground and sheathing.

Ontario, Canada


texts: No bracket included for wall-mounted bathroom sink

texts: Dealer does not have a wall-mount bracket with this sink.  I'm told to just use lag bolts.  I don't believe them.  This thing is heavy!  Is there a bracket I can find.  Is it an almost universal thing?


texts: Is my design for this drain-waste-vent system acceptable?

texts:
I'm designing a drain-waste-vent system to handle two baths and laundry.  I'll be tying into 4" ABS sewage line, that has a 2 inch vent (See figure 1).  It's a Single story house with crawl space, in Southern California with very moderate temperature.  All venting will go straight up through roof.

Questions:

Are there enough vents (i.e. does the washing machine need its own vent)?
Is the location of the vents correct?
Is the plumbing sized correctly?
Any problems with this design?

[![Existing Plumbing][1]][1]
Figure 1

Figure 2

The floorplan for Bathroom B has changed and now I have a new design.  Many thanks to forum participants for all their tips.  Please let me know if I am on the right path to a good and UPC code worthy design.  Is the venting correct?


texts: How to install crown molding to ceiling only

texts:
I live near a bog. Our house heaves in the winter - BAD. We get large horizontal cracks along ceiling. We thought of ceiling molding to cover it but continue to read "nail to wall studs". Well that will only pull the molding away from the ceiling during the heaving.

I would like to nail to just the ceiling and have the molding "float" along the wall (this worked in a tiny bathroom but we used 1 3/4 poly trim - really lightweight and it has worked beautifully). I do not want this thin molding in the rest of the house. We love the 3 1/4. BUT nervous to spend that kind of money on something that won't hold up.

Any suggestions to fastening to just the ceiling that will give a durable hold???


texts:
I have a 4 by 3 m room which I painted yellow. However it's only the first layer of paint, but when I'm in the room (in the daylight) my skin and my clothes reflects that yellow like there's a yellow lightbulb and if I stay a little bit in there I feel dizzy because it's too strong and sharp for the eyes.

So I have some really bugging questions now:

Is this because there's no furniture and all the color falls directly on the eyes? Will it be milder and less noticeable in the context with the furniture and stuff? Will everything have the color "on it's own" after I fill the room? This happens with every plain color or it's only the yellow?

I can't afford to change it now, the decision is already made. I can however, fade it out with white. Would this help?


texts:
Here is my set-up.

Switch Box 1 - I only have a 3 wire line hooking into this box. There is no two wire line.  But the black wire is hot. The red and the white wires appear to be travelers. There does not appear to be a neutral wire.

Switch Box 2 - There is a two wire line that runs to the lights.  The black wire is not hot and the white wire is bundled up with a bunch of other white wires in the box (Two other switches in the box).  There is a 3 wire line from the first switch. The black line is bundled up with a bunch of other black wires. There are then the red and white traveler wires from the other switch.

What I can't figure out is where the power is coming from.  The Black wire in Switch Box 1 is hot. But I'm guessing it is getting power from Switch Box 2 because it is connected to a bunch of Black wires in that box.

What I'm trying to do is put a 3 way switch in each box. Both are smart switches. None of them are dimmers.  But I can't get it to work no matter how I wire it.

Any recommendations?  Do I need to add a wire to the bundle of black wires in Switch Box 2 and pull in power directly to that switch?

I'm missing a neutral in Switch Box 1, which I think is causing all of this not to work.


texts:
Here's a self-explanatory video of my squeaky electrical dryer that's driving everyone in household crazy.

The squeaking is clearly in sync with the rotation frequency, but that's all the insight I have at this point. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

The model of the dryer is FSE447GHSO.


texts:
Which professional should I call to correct a plumbing venting drip issue that is in the attic?

I have an older home, where the newer plumbing vent is coupled the older after entering through the roof. The coupling is made with the old roof's vent pipe flashing and not too surprisingly leaks.


texts: Vent to outside in gas hot water heater closet, can I seal it?

texts: In my laundry room I have a closet with a gas hot water heater and on the wall to the outside in this closet are two vents going outside.  This obviously presents a heat leak as you can feel the cold air coming into the laundry room.  I would like to close this up but I am not sure if that would present an issue due to the hot water heater being gas.  Is there a reason those vents are there and is there anything I can do about it?


texts:
I have a cheap Harbor Freight brad nailer and it does a great job of fastening my window trim and baseboard molding/etc. The only thing I don't like about it is that the point of contact is metal.

On multiple home improvement shows I see them attaching baseboard with a nailer that has a nice rubber boot (not just one of those crappy cover things that fall off). Awesome. However, these nailers are also mysteriously gigantic - I have no idea what they are - they appear to be larger than a framing nailer. I have also never seen one at HD/Lowes. What are these things?

And, regardless of whether or not the mystery humongous nailer is the answer - what's the best way to obtain a nicely-protected contact surface for trim work?


texts: What are these capped, metal pipes in our yard?

texts:
We've owned this home for 5+ years now, and these pipes have been bugging me. Even moreso now that I'm looking to do some landscaping right over one of them.
The house was built in the 60's in a Philadelphia PA suburb. We have city lines for natural gas, water, and sewer. The pipes wiggle a bit with a touch, but don't pull out. They're very firmly capped. 811 hasn't ever marked them when we've had them out before, and I intend to have them out before I do anything, but I want to know if anyone can ID them ahead of time so I can call a specific utility.
One of the pipes is in the front side yard, near the driveway but far away from the street. The other is in the backyard next to our patio.


texts: Wiring a UK plug without coloured wires - help!

texts: I am trying to put a UK plug on an old record player and the wires (please see picture) are not colour coded! How do i wire it up?!


texts: What to do to sink cabinet so that water won't leak under it

texts:
I recently had water leak from the pipe connector that connects the faucet and the dishwasher under the kitchen sink. There was a cabinet under the sink, and there was a big hole in the cabinet's bottom (for pipes to go through):

Thus, the water got through the hole to the floor and damaged it. It was kind of hard to detect the leak because it was small and the leaked water got hidden under the cabinet.
My question is that Is there any thing I could do so that if there is water leak, the water will go out of the cabinet and be visible, instead of going underneath it? The goal is just to detect the leak as soon as possible.


texts: Should a bathroom sink drain outlet flow away from the trap, or back toward it?

texts:
My bathroom sink drain routinely (~5 months) becomes so ridiculously clogged with build-up that I have to remove the trap and outlet arm in order to clear it out. The build up even extends beyond the removable arm and into the drain outlet in the wall.

With the parts removed, it's easy enough to clear out the pipes. I try to clear out the wall drain outlet as much as I can reach with my tools.

However, when I spray water into that pipe, rather than flowing away, it flows back toward me (or the trap, if it was hooked up). Is this a normal design?

I'm guessing that it is exacerbating the build-up issue, since it makes it harder for the stuff to flow away. The stuff that never makes it all the way to the final drop ends up flowing backwards toward the trap. It settles and hardens.

My thought is that if the pitch was adjusted, it would reduce the amount of build-up. But the current pitch could be the intended design, and there might be consequences with changing it that I'm not aware of.

I appreciate any thoughts and help.


texts: I had ceramic installed in my kitchen about a year ago. In 75% of the kitchen the grout is not level with the rest do I have to remove all the grout and start over or can it be floated to fill in the low places


texts: Water leaking out the back of a Honeywell Evaporative cooler

texts:
I have a portable Honeywell Evaporative Cooler that I tried to take apart and clean today. I unscrewed the backing piece that covers the cardboard media where the water soaks, and took the whole thing out to clean inside the cooler.

However, after putting it all back together and running the cooler, water drips out the back of the cooling media, onto the backing, and drips down the back of the cooler.

I feel like I installed the media backwards or the wrong way somehow but have been unable to figure it out. Does anyone have any recommendations on identifying what I did wrong or how to reinstall these things? Thanks in advance.


texts: Am I removing too much paint from exterior when scraping?

texts:
I am scraping old peeling paint from wood paneling on the exterior of the house. Should I be using a scraper only on the peeling areas while trying not to remove any paint that is not peeling?

I noticed that once I got all the peeling removed from an area, I could still easily get under the edges of the remaining paint with a putty knife and it comes off in huge chunks.

Should all this old paint be removed since it comes off so easily? Or should I only use the scraper on peeling paint and not try to get under the remaining edges with the putty knife?


texts: I have a 30amp 240 breaker going to a 240v water pump. I want to protect each leg with a GFI

texts: I have a 30amp, 240v circuit running to a 240v water pump. Can I add a 20amp GFI to each leg?


texts:
I recently patched a few anchor holes in the wall that were about 9mm in diameter with wall putty.

It seems natural that some of the moisture goes into the wall interior when it dries. Could something like increase the humidity inside the wall space or would it likely be negligible?


texts:
I have a small closet under my stairs that doesn't have a light switch. I've been wanting to tie into a circuit from somewhere to wire up a light. While crawling around under there I found a (junction?) box with a single 14 ga cable running into it. The box is not protruding on the other side of the wall so it's not an outlet or a switch. when I wiggled the wire does not feel like it is connected to anything inside. Appears to be 14/2 Romex.
 Before I open it up and waste any time, is this something I could tie a light switch to? I I wouldn't imagine that someone would just leave an open-ended circuit in a box under a staircase, the house was built in 1992.
Having an issue posting a picture right now, will try again shortly.  Any insight would be great.


texts:
When my HVAC system is heating the house, the basement gets super warm and everything in the picture gets warm/hot to touch.
I feel like the system is wasting a chunk of energy. Am I right? Should these pieces be insulated? Or is this part of the design?

FWIW, this is right by the system:

If I haven't missed my guess, this is a temperature sensor. Seems weird to have it so close to a system dumping heat into the room... Maybe not?
Should I insulate or leave it alone?


texts: How to reduce a garden rocker's squeaking?

texts:
Last night I finished mounting a garden rocker (it's something like this).
It looks and feels nice but unfortunately it's very, very squeaky when used, especially when I'm barely moving it.

Is there anything I can do to attenuate the squeaking?
I was thinking about changing the springs or adding some sort of rubber to the current springs.

The current rocker's spring looks like this:


texts: Laying pavers over existing concrete patio and extending to compacted gravel base

texts:
I have an approximately 1000sqft area I want to put pavers on. I am doing it myself so I was wanting to run my idea by others just to make sure I’m on the right track. About half of the area (~500sqft) is an existing concrete patio.

Phoenix, AZ area... little rain and no freezing
Tearing up the concrete I think is excessive, especially without a freeze cycle.
I need to minimize height since the ground is already level with the concrete slab and I would prefer not to bring in tons of soil to regrade the lawn edge to be even with the pavers. There is also the issue of where this new patio will intercept the garage and I would prefer to minimize the step up. Because of this I was hoping to use thinner pavers.
Pedestrian traffic only

This is what I was planning on doing:

4" compacted ABC on non-concrete area, final height will be level with concrete slab. Geotexture fabric under compacted ABC.
On the edges where the sand could escape and underneath is the concrete slab, I was going to first mortar the paver down with ~1/2" of mortar to bring it up level with the pavers that will have sand under them. On the edges with the compacted ABC, I was going to put them on top of the screeded sand base and retain them with standard staked paver edging.
3/4" screeded concrete sand over entire concrete and compacted gravel base. After the pavers are compacted, I was hoping this would go down to ~1/2" so they are level with the mortared pavers.
Thin pavers... maybe either something ~2" (http://www.belgard.com/products/pavers/lafitt_grana_slab) or 1.25" (http://www.belgard.com/products/pavers/cambridge_paver_tile).

Any obvious glaring errors or bad ideas? Thanks for your time.


texts: How can I repair my wall where the paint around screw holes has torn away?

texts:
My wife and I moved recently to a new flat and immediately started adapting it to our liking.
This process involved removing some shelves left there from the previous tenant on our living room wall.
However, as we did that, unfortunately, part of our wall was removed too, as you can see in this photo:

Now, I must admit that I am a total noob when it comes to house repairs and DIY, but my first instinct was to use spackle, which I’ve used before to close some holes in the wall.
However, in this case, I am dealing with a bigger surface and not just a hole.
Therefore, I wanted to ask what is the best way to fix this and bring it as close as possible to its previous state?
Bonus points if you also know how I can find the necessary products in the German-speaking world :)
Thanks!


texts: Which way does the air flow through my furnace?

texts: Below is my furnace and I need to change the filter however I am unsure which way is the airflow direction. Red or Blue?


texts: Ceiling fiberglass getting yellow because of bad primer?

texts:
We started to prepare an old reinforced concrete ceiling of a panel building for painting. We cleaned off several layers of very old soviet wallpapers, glue, paint, putty and other stuff. Then we applied primer, then putty, primer again and then glued fiberglass(with Seinaliim glue). The next day fiberglass got yellow stains all over the place, everywhere. It seems like places where we applied more primer became more yellowish. And it's quite possible that I bought a wrong kind of primer. I was told to buy "Ceresit CT 17" but I bought "Ceresit CT 17 Pro" instead.
We were given advice that if we apply a new layer of another primer then we could fix it and then put some finisher putty and paint. And it won't be yellow.
The question is: Why it could happen and will extra layer of good primer help protect the paint from this yellowing?
Here is an image of the kind of fiberglass we used:

I don't think it's insulation, it's rather thin. The painter said we need it for the paint to look good.
I didn't make a photo of the result because the yellow spots are not vivid enough and won't be visible on my camera.


texts:
So in my basement I want to add lights to 4 rooms.  A total of 18 LED lights on 5 switches from one power feed.   This would be a 15 A feed all 14-2 wire.  Switches 2 & 3 would be a 3 way switch for Room #2 - this would have an additional  14-3 wire between.

First question: for Room #2 from Box #2 to Box #3  - Am I correct in saying it needs 3 cables?

1st cable - Power/neutral in 14-2
2nd cable - Power/neutral out to box #3 for switch #4 and then to switch #5
3rd cable - Traveler wires (2 travelers/1 neutral) 14-3 between boxes for 3 way between switches #2 & #3

Second question: At each box would you just pigtail the power in / power out and power to the switch?

Third question: Is 14 the correct gauge wire since the whole load is less than 3 amps?


texts: What is the best way to stop tiny ants from entering my home?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How can I prevent insects from entering my house? How can I find their entry point?

I've got tiny ants coming in from the window above the sink in the kitchen.  We are taking care to make sure the area is more clean since the ants started coming in.  I've tried a few products, and I seem to have the best luck with the Terro liquid poison (I don't remember the exact name at the moment).  When they come in, they don't go too far beyond the poison.  However, they don't seem to be going away.  It seems that I have to keep that stuff out there constantly since they started coming this summer.  I feel like I'm just giving them a nice meal.  I'm interested in product recommendations, or any other ideas.  I'm not afraid to poison the heck out of those suckers!


texts: Can I run 3 feet of water pipe in the attic for a rain shower?

texts:
I have a shower that I totally gutted out.
I plan to implement a regular shower head and another rain shower head. I already have the majority of the work done and have only one thing left: to run a piece of pipe to the attic, then stick it out back to the shower (around 3-4 feet through the attic).

I have a couple ideas, but not sure which to pursue:

To build a box in the attic (ceiling drywall, plus add a piece of plywood on top of the joists in the attic to create an air tight space for the pipe) and cover with insulation
add some heating element round the pipe
just leave it as is but make sure that the pipe is sloped. This will allow the water to get out of the pipe when there is no pressure (my distribution valve will leak it through the on-the-wall shower).

What is the best way of doing this?


texts: In my 2 car garage, a box was moved close to door #1. The sensors for that door remained normal (solid sensor lights). However, the red sensor for door #2 started blinking and that door (#2) would not operate. It seems strange that a blockage on one door would cause the other door to malfunction. What could be causing this?


texts: Is there anything I can do to make it easier to remove plugs from receptacles?

texts: Is there anything I can do to make it easier to pull plug ins out of the wall sockets?  All of the wall sockets in the kitchen make it very difficult to pull the plug in out of the wall receptacle.  The toaster, the coffee maker, the can opener, the microwave, etc., are all difficult to pull out of the wall sockets in the kitchen.


texts: Corrosion of ceiling fan bodies & fan blades

texts:
How can I prevent corrosion of fan bodies & fan blades in Mumbai weather?
Someone suggested we can apply coat of varnish but I fear heat generated due high speed rotation of fans can melt the varnish and subsequently it can fly staining the walls.


texts: How do I remove water marks / stains from a marble countertop?

texts:
Our marble bathroom countertop has a few problem areas - most are water stains, but a few are marks on the surface, and it's hard to determine the source.

Looking for best tips/tricks to treat & clean the surface.  I'm not certain that it was ever 'sealed' properly as we weren't the initial owners.  Is it recommended to regularly seal or treat marble counters?


texts: Swap out 20amp breaker with a 15amp for kitchen circuit

texts: I currently have 14 gauge wire going into a 20 amp breaker that is used for the kitchen. I want to just swap out the 20 amp breaker for a 15 amp instead of replacing the wiring. Can I do that? I read somewhere that the kitchen can't have a 15 amp breaker. Need advice. Thanks.


texts: I removed a interior wall with a heat/A/C duct in it. I need to lower into floor. I currently stands about 8 inches from floor. What do I need to do in order to make flush with flooring?


texts:
Hey guys so this might be a stupid question but I am just a beginner, but can't I cut wood veneer on a band saw.

I glued 5 sheets of wood veneer together to make it thicker and stronger, but it' alternates in wood grain direction and in veneer type. I used paperback veneer and 2 ply veneer together. After I used a vacuum compressed to kee them flat while they dry. Now I need to cut them into smaller pieces, I'm fairly sure it would be fine to use a band saw, right?

Also I've made 3 large pieces of veneers but one of them came out a bit warped for some reason, is there a way to flatten it even after it's been glued up and thick?


texts:
Trying to wire up a new lamp socket, seems to be rated for 250V, 250W. There are four conductors, white, black, and two other wires in this clear insulation. Please see pictures. There is 120V between the two clear wires twisted together and no voltage between any other wires. I wired it like it was wired on the old socket and I guess I drew way too much current as it blew a hole in the power cord and started smoking. I was assuming black is hot, white is neutral, but the other two cords I have no idea why there is voltage between them. I feel pretty stupid, can anyone help?

UPDATE - There are two actual lamps, one has no switch and is on with power, the other has the switch. Looks like the black and white wires are hooked up to the lamp that is always on. So I guess the black wire is screwed on the same terminal as one of the clear wires and the white with the other? Theres still three terminals on the socket which is confusing.


texts: Only cold water in new shower installation

texts:
Converted a separate tub and shower into one large shower. Intake lines were moved from the center wall which separated the tub and shower to a back wall. Put in new mixing valve and am only getting cold. Switched out for another new mixing valve but still getting only cold. The sink and other upstairs all have hot. Most of the work has been done by myself, except for I had a plumber cap off the original intake lines to the tub which was back to back with the original shower, and also move the vent from that location to the back wall.

Is it possible that he mistakenly left us with 2 cold supply lines?
Or is there another explanation? (please i hope so...)
And is there a way to trace the pex lines to the source in the basement? Shower is now all enclosed with tiling...

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.


texts:
I have a chandelier with 12 led lamps lit by 1 way switch altogether.1 week ago I rewired it to split it into 2 circuits and also to be switched on and off from 2 sides {2 way circuit}.finally put the same led lamps. I noticed that when switch them off they remain little bit on very dim permanently.what causes this effect and how can I remove it?this effect was not shown before re wired it 2 way circuit,with the same lamps.

`


texts: Should I level my basement floor if installing a subfloor?

texts:
I'd like to install a subfloor in my basement including that dimple stuff to allow moisture to dissipate. Currently, it has sheetrock walls and trim with painted concrete flooring, but that's it.

A month after we moved in, our sump pump failed, and I got to see where 1-2" puddles of water collected in the basement.

This told me the basement flooring is not completely level. As far as I know, most basements are supposed to have a slight slant toward the main drain, but mine had a few puddles in different spots and one larger area notably dry. These weren't all aimed at the main drain so I don't know what to do.

Should I level the concrete or just install the subfloor and not worry about it? Are there any issues I could run into by installing the subfloor without leveling?


texts: I recently started a project to do new floors throughout a house I just bought. We are gonna do about 1600 sq ft in total including the kitchen 2 living rooms, dinning room, and hall. Previously the floors were linoleum that I ripped up and part of the house was the slab concrete and a area in the kitchen, the dinning room and front door entry way are old tile that the original owners probably installed. I tried to get the tiles up using a hammer and chisel but only succeeded in breaking the edges and was unable to get underneath the tile to break it up. At this point I was thinking of floating the living room up to where the tile is to level it to install a wood vinyl hybrid. The other side I may be able to use leveling compound to gradually increase the height to where the tile is. The old linoleum was just put on top and you could tell the areas that were not level in one side of the dinning room and the other side they installed carpet to deal with this issue. I am searching for options in either raising the subfloor or ways to get up old tile which may be porcelain, I am not fully sure but I know it is difficult to get up.


texts: How do I correctly wire a new light/switch from an outlet?

texts: I’m installing an LED strip and would like to run a switch from the existing outlet.  I’ve made a diagram that I believe is correct.  Anything I’m missing?


texts: What's the best house wrap to use underneath hardiplank (fiber cement) sidings?

texts: We live on a busy street near Midtown Atlanta and are currently having our home renovated. We're going to replace the wood sidings with HardiPlanks (fiber cement) sidings. What house wrap would be best to use underneath hardiplank sidings? We're looking to use it for the front of the house, and since the busy street can be quite noisy, we're hoping to use a house wrap that has soundproofing capabilities as well, if possible. Below is a photo of what's currently installed on the front of the house.


texts: How to properly ventilate a Mansard Roof?

texts:
I recently purchased a home with a Mansard roof, I had some roofers come to give quotes to replace the top (it is finished) and they all recommend adding ventilation (known issue with Mansard's).

The problem is that they are offering two different solutions and I don't know which is best... hoping for some professional recommendations from the community.

1- Maximum Mansard Air-Intake drip edge

This is what 95% of the mansard homes on my street have and is the more expensive option

2- Ventilation Maximum (VMAXAT1 or VMAXAT2) uniformly positioned at the eaves

There is 1 house on my street that has it and it is less expensive

Any advice, first-hand experience, or help for me to decide which would be the right solution would be very much appreciated.
Thanks,


texts: How to repair leak between P-trap arm and drain pipe

texts:
I recently replaced my bathroom faucet including the water supply lines and I now have a slow leak from the drain pipe/P-trap connection. I'm thinking I must have accidentally bumped the P-trap or drain pipe when I was under the sink replacing the faucet. The leak is coming from between a 1 1/2" to 1 1/4" reducer and black ABS 1 1/2" pipe (see photos).
Question 1): To repair, do I simply need to replace the 1 1/2" to 1 1/4" ABS to P-trap reducer? If so, will this product work?
Question 2): As I've never cemented ABS pipe before, my understanding is that I use ABS cement to weld the two pieces of pipe together. If so, will this product work?
Thank you very much!


texts: yellow zinc plated screw to subfloor and stud

texts:
Home is built in California late 1990s.
I recently removed some nails and screwed subfloor on 2nd floor to joint/stud below using yellow zinc plated screws from HomeDepot.
Now I realized it has notes this screw is only for non-structural and should not be used on treated lumbers (what woods are considered to be treated?)

Is it a problem to screw yellow zinc plated screw to stud and subfloor? (will it corrode? what does it mean by corrode? will it cause damages to structure over a long time?)

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Grip-Rite-2-1-2-in-Construction-Screw-10-lb-Box-212GCS10BK/207200509

Appreciate your answers!


texts: How can I figure out the surround sound system left behind by the previous owners?

texts:
I have a basement with what appears to be surround-sound infrastructure. At 4 points in the ceiling (let's call them locations C0...C3), there are a pair of speaker wires. At one location near the floor (call it point F), there are two pairs of speaker wires (probably where the audio controller was located). Nearby there is also a coax cable exiting the wall.

I used a multimeter to test the resistance between the wires at point F and points C0...C3 and each time it reads infinite, suggesting that the wires are not actually connected. However, before I moved in, I definitely noticed that the previous owners had speakers in their ceiling.

I don't know anything about home theatre systems, so what are the possible explanations? Is there some kind of variable-resistance component hiding somewhere in the walls (perhaps some kind of junction that only conducts in the presence of a signal? There are 4 pairs of output wires for only 2 pairs of input wires, after all)? Could they have somehow disconnected the wires upon moving out and, if so, how and why?


texts: Can a home rest permanently on two steel beams?

texts:
My home has settling due to sitting on clay soils.

I've seen homes that get new foundations rebuilt sitting in one or two large steel beams and wondered, if those are themselves underpinned to bedrock, can a home safely sit on these indefinitely? Mostly I'm curious but also wonder if that would result in less underpinning and a more even floor throughout the home.


texts: Are pipe unions made to a standard size / threading?

texts:
Are two different pipe unions in a given trade size (1/2, 3/4, etc.) generally compatible with each other?

e.g. if you get a new 'half union' would its physical characteristics generally mate up with a pre-existing opposite-side half union from another manufacturer?

Note - I'm not asking about how the union mates with the pipe itself, be it threaded, sweat, etc. Just how the union halves attach to each other.


texts: What kind of spider web is this - and how do I get rid of it?

texts:
This web is in the corner of our house.

I see that there is funnel-web spider that lives in Arizona, but not any in Kentucky that look like this.

Is this the harmless North American version, or one done by the venomous Australian variety? How can I tell (short of finding the spider)?


texts: I've seen cases where it has harmed certain metals. Will plastic dissolve in prolonged exposure to WD-40?


texts: Damp on the ceiling of the flat downstairs looks like a leak - what should I do?

texts:
A couple of days ago the downstairs neighbour knocked to say he was seeing some damp on the ceiling of his bathroom that might indicate a leak coming from my flat, so I went down to look and it does look suspiciously like leak damage (one corner of the room has black mould in it, about an inch diameter, with brown tide marks radiating out from there). His bathroom is directly below my bathroom (I live in a relatively modern building, about 8 years old, so his flat is an identical clone of mine in terms of layout).

There is absolutely no sign of a leak in my bathroom (no damp or puddles on the floor or up the walls) so my question is where do I start? I have read that water often travels a fair distance before pooling at the lowest point, and my bathroom is an integrated unit which has drywall on one wall but the rest of it is basically floor to ceiling tiles - if possible I would like to avoid ripping out and breaking all my tiles on a wild goose chase.

Questions:

does it make sense to cut a peep hole in the drywall ceiling of the flat below, before trying to rip out tiles from my bathroom?
what is the most likely culprit? I have read in several places that the wax seal on the toilet is a suspect - is it possible for this to be leaking only into the downstairs ceiling, and not outwards into my bathroom as well?
any suggestions for troubleshooting and figuring out where the leak is, without pulling out the entire bathroom?

Thanks!


texts: Light bulb suddenly only turns on for a moment, tried multiple bulbs

texts:
So when it happened, I tried to turn on the light (that worked fine before) and it lit up only to go off shortly after. subsequent tries were met with failure. So I changed the bulb for a new one.

No luck. What is especially weird, is that after leaving the light off for a short while, it will do it again: being on for a moment and turning off. If one tries to Turn it on after such a "burst", the time it is on gets even shorter and weaker until it can't be noticed that it is on.

It's an LED light bulb and the apartments electrical system is kinda old.

This is my last attempt before calling an electrician.


texts: Can I reasonably build a pergola on top of an 8'x12' deck?

texts:
I've been having trouble coming to a conclusion on whether I can reasonably build/mount a pergola to my existing 8'x12' deck. The main issue is I can't attach it to my house because of the roof overhang and clearance. Its also unreasonable to dig to add external posts outside the deck area. e.g. build a posted pergola bigger and around my deck. The below pics don't show it great, but there is good room for a 8'x8' free standing roof/pergola at the end of the deck. I was inspecting the deck construction and I can notch 4"x4" posts to mount outside against the joints, flush with the railing. e.g. the 4x4s would side outside on the left and right of the deck, and be leg bolted to the deck joints, ideally as close to the deck posts at possible.

An umbrella is not reasonable either. It's only a 8x12 deck and sticking a table big enough to support an umbrella would make the deck too tight. I could go lighter on the material so I don't have 400lbs of wood overhead. I was considering the possibility of boxing the posts on all 4 sides with 45 degree top corner bracers using 2x6 lumber, then running only 2x4 joints. I was also trying to look into retractable canopy kits that you bolt into a wood frame, similar to what I'm thinking of. Only they're hard to come by where I live. (Canada) Everyone (Lowes, HD, Rona) sells gazebos, pre-made pergolas, awnings and umbrellas only.

Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance!


texts: Rain Bird ESP-6 Sprinkler controller buttons no longer functioning—do I need a new controller?

texts:
I am trying to manually cycle through my sprinkler zones with my Rain Bird ESP-6 controller (from 1996), but the membrane button to manually cycle the zones does not work. In fact, none of the 4 membrane buttons work. But the dial works fine and the system still runs when it is supposed to for how it is currently programmed.

I have tried taking out the backup battery, unplugging the power to the controller, and re-plugging the controller without the battery, but it did not work. I also completely dismantled it, cleaned it out and inspected it. There were some insect carcasses inside the controller and a bit on the circuit board, but nothing that appears to have caused any damage or short-circuiting. I don't see any indication of burn marks or overheating nor do I see capacitors that look (visibly) blown.

I do remember that the last time I was cycling through my zones, about 3 months ago (just to inspect them and adjust the nozzles) I had some minor issues with the manual cycling button. It worked, but I had to press a bit harder, and sometimes it didn't register. I don't know if the other 3 buttons had identical issues at the time, I had no need to press them.

Is it safe to say that I need a new controller, or, in the least, need a replacement circuit board? Now that I have reset the controller, I currently cannot program it for the hot weather coming. I'll just have to manually open bleed valves until I can remedy the situation.


texts: Why do they put an A/C vent in the utility room?

texts:
A related question is here about a year ago:
Is there any reason to not tape this vent over?

My question is, why do they put the vent there in the first place. Like the previous poster, I just bought a house and the A/C duct has a vent right above the A/C unit, cooling down a utility room that contains a sump pump and nothing else at this point. The rest of the basement is finished, but the utility room is closed off by a door.

It seems like there is no problem in taping that up but I am curious what was the logic of having it in there in the first place.


texts:
I have a squeaking door hinge and a some things that may possibly fix it, but which one should I prefer for the use case?

Fine Oil
"Grease" (other languages say sth. like "Oil lubricating and adhesive")
Graphite

(This set of 3)

There is no list of ingredients on either bottle.


texts: Can I use alternative materials to insulate my roof?

texts: We bought a mobile home to use for my office/studio workshop. It's 24 by 60, gutted out with no inside walls, and live in a desert area. The roof leaked and the insulation got wet and ruined. We cannot afford 1000+ to buy new insulation. Have been looking into shredded newspaper, pillow or mattress stuffing, polyfiber fill for quilts as I can get stuff like that cheap enough. Anyone ever do anything like that?


texts: Basement cinder block looks damp after rain storms

texts:
We built a new house last year and it was completed in June. Ever since we’ve lived here I notice the basement block walls seem to look damp in areas, especially after a rain storm. I’m certain there is a tar barrier on the outside and footer drains as well as french drains tied to a sump crock. The sump pump runs maybe 2-3 times per hour for about 15 seconds on a regular day. We’ve never had any standing water even after days of the worse rain storms I’ve ever seen earlier this year.

My question is if his is normal or if I need to be contacting the builder about this issue? The block isn’t sealed inside and I plan to paint/seal it soon to begin finishing the basement but I want to make sure everything is correct before I proceed.


texts: I'd like to add an AFCI to the middle circuit here. But that circuit shares a tandem breaker with the circuit above it, so I don't know if there are any subtleties of this setup that I don't understand. They don't appear to be a multi-wire branch circuit--they have separate neutrals going to the neutral bar. Can I just move the middle circuit to a new slot?


texts: How can I prevent clogs in a section of pipe with reverse slope due to soil settling?

texts: A plumber stopped my basement from flooding by clearing the outdoor drain, but he said that the outdoor trap was tilted, presumably because the ground settled. This means the water has to flow uphill, and solid waste gets stuck and clogs the drain. How long until it clogs again? Also, is there anything I can do to avoid clogs while I arrange to have the trap leveled? Is it feasible to follow WikiHow's suggestion of using a drain rod?


texts: Do I need a vapor barrier in an exterior basement wall if I use purple drywall?

texts: I purchased some purple drywall (mold and moisture resistant)for installing in a finished basement bedroom. One wall is an exterior wall. Do I need to install a vapor barrier between the drywall and the studs?


texts: Splitting a circuit breaker into multiple lines

texts:
I recently found out that several rooms in my house are apparently connected to one circuit breaker.

Setup:
My wife was in the bathroom drying her hair and I decided it was time to nuke lunch in the microwave. Took only a few seconds and a good portion of the upper floor went dark. After fumbling with a few breakers I discovered that the entire kitchen, bathroom and most of my living room are all on one circuit. This concerned me since several devices (microwave, oven, fridge, dishwasher, TV, hairdryer, curling iron, a few light fixtures and other misc items) are all on one circuit.

Question:
So my question is ... how difficult is it to trace back and split the circuit into two breakers. Is this something that typically requires an electrician? and how do I go about identifying the main trunk from the upper floor that leads down to the breaker box. I'm familiar enough with electrical work to install new outlets, devices, wire up switches and lighting fixtures. Is this type of fix out of the "average DIY" league?


texts: Wire 2 separate lights from a dedicated outlet plug

texts:
I have a dedicated 20amp plug for microwave. It’s the only one not on GFCI or on 4 way in kitchen. Should be fine as using all leds.
I spliced off the hot/neutral/ground and ran it to a new 4 gang i installed after tediously getting the 2 gang out. Has cans on a 4 way and breakfast on a 3 way already done. I got that hooked back up no prb and working.
Now I’m second guessing my hours of research...
Setup:
Spliced dedicated source wire with 3 port connectors so have new 6” black/white/ground run to plug and 1 new 12/2 yellow Romex runs to new 4 gang.  Have (2) 12/2 romex cables running to the 1st light location for under cabinets and one to the pendant lights.
My goal is 2 switches. One to control 2 pendants and one to control 3 location of under cabinet lights for total of 9 lights.
What I’m unclear on is how to wire the 2 new switches in the 4 gang (one for pendants and one for under cabinets) both to be single pole with no other switches.
Once I get the dedicated ones it’s simple to daisy chain them to each light..
Here is my plan.  It correct?
12/2 coming from the spliced plug would be my source should it go:
Combine all the neutral white wires with big red nut to just pass through so 3 romex all together.
Source hot Black split it to each switch with 6” new cable with red nut then wire 2 other 12/2 blacks to switch going to each light chain.
Splice the ground from source and 2 lights 12/2 into large red nut with 2 new 6” wires to each switch as well as to the 12/2 light. So 5 grounds (what color nut for 5x 12/2 ground?)
Does this sound right. My brain is fried.
Can submit picks or something if anyone would help greatly appreciated!!
Any diagrams would be super helpful!!
Another note. I’m adding 9 under cabinet lights in 3 locations.(6) 12” lights and (3) 9”  For a total of 66 watts. The 2 pendants will have LED with 2.5 but using 4 it’s a title of 82w. They should be .68 amps right.
If microwave is 1700 watt ther would 14.1 amps.
I should be fine right?


texts: Installing Smart Switch to Gas Fireplace Switch

texts: I'm trying to add a smart switch to replace our gas fireplace on off switch. The fireplace switch is nonpowered, but there is power for a light in same switch box. The smart switch requires power in order to power itself, which I assume it would normally draw from the circuit it's switching. But since it's a non powered circuit it can't. I believe I'd need to install a relay and tap off the light switch power to run the smart switch, and then hook the original wires from the switch to the relay, that the smart switch would then control. Can you let me know if my assumption is correct and what relay I'd need, preferably a link.


texts: Replacing old ceiling fan with new light fixture: light always on?

texts:
After turning off my breaker, I recently removed an old ceiling fan only to discover a junction box with two white wires and two black wires and a bare copper wired (GND). Upon removing the fan, I noticed that the four halogen lights in the room didn't work anymore...

I installed a brand new light fixture, no fan, (the two whites from the box with the white from the fixture, and the two blacks from the box with the black from the fixture), grounded it and voila, the four halogens now turn on and the light fixture as well... but noticed that the switch only turns off the four halogens and not the light fixture light. In fact, no matter what I do, that light fixture's light always remains remains on.

I checked with my volt meter and found that one of the black wires in the junction box is always hot while the other is regulated by the switch. I looked in the switch box, and to my surprise, I found:

A white and black wire tied together with a wire nut, and another white, black and red attached to the switch itself. So the black and white wire are not attached to the switch itself, but a freely hanging beside it.

I want to be able to at least turn on the four halogens and the light fixture with the switch. Ideally, however, I would like for the light fixture and the ceiling lights to turn on and off independently with a double switch...

To be honest, I've fooled around with this a little too much and I'm planning on hiring an electrician to finish the job, though I would like to get an input on how this could be done regardless. Any input is greatly appreciated!

The left switch is for the outside porch light. The right one is for the ceiling lights.


texts: How can I wire my WIFI thermostat to control my millivolt fireplace?

texts:
I have a gas fireplace that has an millivolt on/off switch on my wall (and a remote that includes flame on/off, a countdown timer and a thermostatic flame control).

I want to be able to program this fireplace to automatically turn on and off based on different temperature thresholds during different times in the day.  Just like I do with my forced hot air furnace using its programmable wall mounted thermostat.  Then I started thinking programmable and I see the WIFI thermostats.  Why not use a WIFI thermostat?    Okay great!

With a WIFI thermostat I can make the wall thermostat a weather station too, showing the indoor and outdoor temperature.  I can also cause the space to be heated from a remote location.  For better or worse let’s assume I want a nice programmable WIFI thermostat.

Let’s assume too that the fireplace remote is useless.   You can set the remote to a desired temperate, but then later you go to bed, having forgotten that it is set and it runs all night because my programmable forced hot air furnace thermostat lets a the house cool down to 60.  All night the little fireplace, based on the remote setting, tries to heat up its space to 72.   An annoying waste of gas and money.

The problem is the wiring for the WIFI thermostat.  All I have is a milivolt circuit and no C wire.  The fireplace on-off switch is millivolt.  Also, the 24vac output from a standard WIFI thermostat, I assume, would fry the fireplace millivolt flame on/off controller.

How can I power and use this new WIFI thermostat when my fireplace wall switch is a millivolt circuit?  There is house current to the switch box, where the fireplace fire on/off switch is currently located too.

I am thinking that I will mount the new programmable WIFI thermostat above the wall switch, as that is a good location for sensing the current temperate in the space.

It seems like the problems here are:
A) How do I convert the house current to 24vac, so that it can power the new thermostat?
B) How do I turn the 24vac thermostat on/off output from the new WIFI thermostat into a switch for the millivolt circuit?
C) Is there anything else I need to figure out?

How do I do this?


texts: What are these nail pops that keep popping up in my house?

texts:
I've only lived in this house for six months and there are these weird dimples that keep raising. It started with one and has now gotten to be around 7-8. All but one are on the upstairs ceiling. The one that isn't is on the lower part of the wall on the front of the house.

I've looked online and it doesn't look like termite or carpenter ant damage. They're all small little raises that appear to get worse. Not sure what I'm even looking at so I don't know what to do. Should I call a professional?


texts: I have a home from the 1850s. Mixed knob and tube with parts that are updated romex. I lost power to 1/3 of the rooms. Power is coming in from the outside to box, from box to breakers, and out from each breaker. Have tested each outlet and fixture in the house and those that work are obviously hot and those that are not are receiving any electric. Didn't finish my electrical map when we moved in so not sure how many breakers the trouble lies on. Have check all GFCIs and that is not the issue. Any advice? Guidance?


texts: I have a steak knife stuck in a open wire tray.  I can open the drawer about 4", but cannot release the knife that is lodged at the back of the tray.  Any suggestions?


texts: The new AC doesn't cool the house down like old unit, what can be the problem?

texts:
I had to replace my old HVAC because it was old and had a freon leak. The new unit doesn't cool down the house like the old system. The ac runs all day and it takes hours to get down to 72 degrees and sometimes it goes up from 74 to 75 with ac running. Outside temps are usually 85 to 95 The old unit within 2 hours house would be cold. Even though new ac running all day I get a similar electricity bill. Is this normal my new ac takes forever to cool the house down?

Thank you


texts: How can I insert a receptacle into this junction box?

texts:
I want to install a receptacle into an existing junction box (photo below). Within the box, there are three neutrals (white) and five hot (two black, two blue, and a red). All of the wires have wire nuts (two wires per nut) with one end going down to the basement and one end continuing through the box up to the next floor. I plan to pick on of the blacks to tie into (probably via pig tail) but I don't know which white to connect to. Does it matter since the are all going to the same place (neutral bus bar)? Seems like it might since it seems like you don't want a single circuit coming back to the panel through two different neutrals.

The home is in the State of Illinois


texts: How do I adjust for a door jamb that's thicker than the wall?

texts:
I have a wall that is measured at 4-1/4" thick (standard 2x4 with 3/8" drywall on both sides).  The door jamb is standard 4-11/16" wide, which leaves an extra 7/16" or nearly 1/2 an inch to play with.  What's the best way to compensate for this difference?

I'm thinking of the following options:

not worry about it.  The slope in the window casing from the extra 1/4" on either side won't be that noticeable.
back the window casing with extra 1/4"-thick material, bringing it to the level of the door jamb
route a 1/4"-deep channel the width of the jamb in the window casing trim

Any other options?

The question is similar to this question but might warrant a different answer:

Door jamb on a 2.5" thick wall


texts: Could a chipped tiling flange on acrylic tub cause problems in the future?

texts:
I just had my plumber install an acrylic alcove tub with double tiling flange and noticed afterwards that he must have chipped the corner of the tiling flange acrylic during the process. From what I can see:

The fiberglass underneath looks to be intact and undamaged
The chip is small enough that I'm sure it'll be covered by the tile wall surround being installed later
There does not seem to be any cracks radiating out from the chip right now

Should I be concerned about this chip causing problems (e.g. cracks to spread in the acrylic) down the road, or is that risk unlikely? If I should be concerned, would repairing the acrylic do the trick or should I have a new tub installed?


texts:
12/2 Line coming to box where SW will be installed. I want one SW for vanity and fan lights, the other for just the fan. SW is a Legrand RCD11 paddle switch with two SP SW going to a 14/3 to the fan/light.

Fan has black wire to black, white to white, ground to ground connected to 14/3. Light black wire is connected to 14/3 red wire.

I have the black 12/2 line going to COM A. Load A has red wire from fan light and jumper back to white. Load B has black wire to fan. white lines are tied together.

I vanity light and fan working separately but fan will shut off when light is turned on. The light on the fan is inop.

Help!!!


texts:
I have frozen water pipes and I poured boiling water down the bathtub drain and now have a small amount of hot water coming out cold water tap.
What could cause this?


texts: 4 neutral wires bundled, two smart switches, how to pair neutrals

texts:
I have 4 neutral wires bundled together, and two switches requiring neutral. Each switch allows an in and an out for neutral, as pictured.  My question is, does it matter how I pair the neutral wires with each switch? If it does, how do I tell the proper wires to use?

Edit: I can't get the images to upload, hopefully there description is clear enough.


texts: How do I add a switch/closet light to the existing end line light switch?

texts: I have a wall switch to control a bedroom ceiling fixture at the end of its run (2-wire power source). I would like to install an additional switch/closet light connected to the end of the run. I understand that I need 3-way switches and 3-wire cable and that the ceiling fixture needs to be energized for the closet light to function but I am unsure of the wiring configuration for such a setup.


texts:
The bathtub faucet on the cold water side is doing something strange. When I turn the handle, nothing happens until I turn it a little more than half of the way around, then the water comes rushing out all at once. It's not happening on the hot side. This started a few days ago and seems to be getting worse.

I replaced both hot and cold stems and handles several months ago. Not sure if it's related to that but they seemed to be working fine up until now. I took the handles off and don't see any leaks or other strange behavior.

Any ideas?

Update:
I took a shower today and the cold water side started out working fine. About 5 minutes into the shower, all the cold water went away, and I had to turn the handle really far again to get any cold water. And it was really hard to get just a little cold water. It was either a lot or none at all.

Here's a pic the faucet:


texts: The appliance outlet circuit breaker atop the range back blew some time ago when a hand mixer that was plugged into it died in a 'flash'. I have been unable to reset the little breaker associated with it, and therefore cannot use the outlet. Suggestions appreciated. Whirlpool glasstop range about 2-3 years old.


texts: What is the function of this electric part on my unvented water heater cold water inlet?

texts:
Does anyone know what this electric part does? In the photo it's the black plastic block device attached to the pipe on the right hand side (which is the mains inlet to the heater; the left is the hot outlet). It looks to me like a solenoid valve, but neither the instruction manual for the heater nor for the washing machine mention it.

The heater is a ZIP Aquapoint III 30L unvented electric water heater that used to supply a Maytag stacked washer/dryer unit. On that machine, the part was electrically connected to a terminal on the washing machine itself. Somebody else since replaced the washing machine and left that part attached to the inlet pipe, and there's no obvious terminal on the new washing machine to connect the part to. The bottom part of the device with the wire sticking out is a removable power plug with three terminals.


texts: When I moved into my house I noticed an electrical box with two switches on it that connected to thermal safety switch for my hot water heater and heater for the house (forced hot water). I have posted a picture below. My question is what exactly is this? Is this a type of manual transfer switch that I can attach a portable generator to? Thanks in advance for your responses.


texts: Can I set bricks with mortar on a new concrete stoop before it cures?

texts:
I'm pouring a new stoop, and I'd like to finish the corners with a brick that's used elsewhere on the house, so everything ties in.

I'm planning on pouring the stoop with a channel for the brick, so it looks like

      _______
 ____|       |____
|                 |

Instead of

 _________________
|                 |

I was wondering if I can strip the form after a couple hours and set the brick with mortar while the concrete is still curing or if I need to wait a few days for the concrete to cure.

Again, nothing structural here, just wanting to adhere the brick to the stoop.


texts: Running wire into a shed some distance away

texts:
I'm wanting to run wires underground to my shed from the house.

Run is 85 feet
I have a 30amp breaker in the house for the shed.
I'll have need for one 240v outlet and several others for 120.

I've dug the trench which is 3 ft deep. Will be putting in 1 1/4 inch conduit, will this be big enough?  I'm looking at using 10 gauge wire, but should I go to 8 gauge?  Will I need a breaker box for the shed?


texts: Is there a good reason NOT to reuse the power cord when replacing my electric range/oven?

texts: I'm going to replace my house's original 1970's electric stove (oven+range).  I'm pretty sure the store is going to try to sell me a power cord for an extra $20, which isn't a big deal but I'd rather spend the money on something else if there's no safety concern.  Assuming the old cord is still working fine and the insulation appears to be intact, is there a good reason why I should buy a new cord, vs. reusing the old stove's power cord?


texts: How can I protect my foundation when removing old retaining walls and regrading?

texts:
I have this old and crumbling tiered stone wall in the back of my property. My deck sits on top the wall. There is a covered porch next to the deck, that’s built on top of block walls (not part of the foundation or basement walls of house.
I want to tear down the stone wall, remove the dirt under the deck so I have space under there for my lawn equipment (and reclaim space in the garage).
Is there any potential issues with stability to the foundation of the house if I do this? My yard slopes away from the house, and I will ensure proper grade under the deck so rainwater continues to flow downhill.
Also I’m assuming the deck footings will need to be replaced once the dirt is gone, any tips for temporary supports for the deck while the dirt is being removed?
I plan to also remove the concrete blocking under the porch and replace with footings similar  to the deck. Any recommendation on safely removing the blocks and supporting the porch in the process?


texts: Refinish stucco on exterior with new texture?

texts:
I have zero experience with stucco, but would like to learn what it would take to refinish the stucco on my house with a new texture.

The stucco is peeling off in a lot of areas on my exterior walls. What would the process look like to remove the existing popcorn finish, and replace it with a smooth stucco finish?


texts: Sauna heater conduit from heater to sauna wall

texts:
I am installing a Sauna-core 6Kw vaporizer model SV manual PDF

A UL listed LFMC with a temperature rating of 105C is requested for the wiring from the heater to the box.
Where can I find a few feet of this?
Should the box to transition to the NM in the wall be mounted in the wall, or inside the sauna?

Thank you for your help!

Steve


texts: Circuit breaker trips when ANY light switch on the circuit is turned on

texts:
The circuit breaker for our kitchen lights trips instantly when I turn on ANY light switch on that circuit. It is 6-month-old new construction and everything worked just fine until a week ago. And then this behavior suddenly started without us changing anything.

It is a 15A circuit with five switches:

Switch #1: Lutron Caseta wireless dimmer with 6 LED recessed lights (7.6W each)
Switch #2: Lutron Caseta wireless dimmer with 8 LED recessed lights (7.6W each)
Switch #3: Lutron Caseta wireless switch with 4 LED exterior lights (10W each)
Switch #4: regular toggle switch with exterior motion detecting flood light (36W)
Switch $5: regular toggle switch for pendant lights but no lights installed yet.

The circuit breaker looks like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Square-D-Homeline-15-Amp-Single-Pole-Combination-Arc-Fault-Circuit-Breaker-HOM115CAFIC/202353305?irgwc=1&cm_mmc=afl-ir-27795-483420-&clickid=VB9TeuUQPxyOWTXwUx0Mo34GUki2SIXtR1fETE0

With no switches on, the breaker remains on.
If I turn on any of the switches 1-3, the breaker instantly trips.
If I turn on the switch 4, the breaker trips in about 2 seconds.
If I turn on the switch 5 (no lights), the breaker doesn't trip.

The breaker has a white "test" button. The test button trips the breaker ok.

Given the fact that breaker trips when turning on ANY switches with lights installed, can this be  due to a faulty breaker? But again, it's brand new and I don't know how likely it is.

Or can it be a faulty switch? But the breaker doesn't trip when no switches are on. Can a faulty switch cause other switches to trip the breaker?

Also, I don't know why the breaker trips after 2 seconds with the motion detect light, while it trips immediately with other lights.

What are some possible explanations for this behavior? Is there anything I could try before hiring an electrician?

UPDATE 1: Per @ThreePhaseEel's suggestion, I tried the Square D breaker's built-in diagnostics (holding down the white test button and turing on the breaker), and it tripped immediately. According to the instruction, it means "Fault to ground (arcing to ground, grounded neutral, shared neutral, ground fault)". What can cause this after 6 month of use?

UPDATE 2: I checked the switch wiring. AFAIK, the wiring looked ok. However, switch #5 seemed faulty because my pen-type voltage detector detected voltage from both black wires even when then switch was off. I changed it to a different switch. Switch #4 was backwired but no wire's exposed.

I tried to untangle wires so that no wires/switches are touching anything, but sadly the breaker continued tripping even after that with turning on any of switches #1-#4 (instantly for #1-#3 and in 2 seconds for #4).

Guess it is time to call an electrician, but I'm attaching the pictures of the switch boxes in case anyone can find anything suspicious.

One thing I forgot to mention above was that both switches #1 and #2 are originally wired as 3-way (switch boxes 1 and 2 below), but they are wired as instructed in pages 3-6 in https://www.casetawireless.com/documents/0301710a_caseta%20advanced%20inst.pdf with remotes.


texts: How to repair cracks in concrete overhang over entrance

texts:
I have a slab of concrete over the front entrance of my house with some serious cracks in it. I don't actually know what the proper name for it is, which makes this difficult to Google - so I've uploaded two photos to illustrate:

How do I repair those cracks? Firstly, what's the best thing to fill them in with? Secondly, how do I get that filler to not fall out while it sets?


texts: Wiring a single pole switch next to a 3-way switch

texts:
I am doing a kitchen remodel and I would like to wire a new single pole switch to an additional light.  See the attached diagram (the new single pole switch is labelled 2 way).  This is exactly what is going on in my kitchen.  I would like to know if I can get supply power from the 3-way switch at the end of the current circuit.

Thank You!


texts: Foam board off gassing and vapor trapping

texts:
Will be using this in ceiling radiant system in my home. Will the off gassing from the foam board be trapped by the drywall from coming into my home?  What can I do to stop it from coming into my home?  It will also be in the ceiling of my basement.

Thanks


texts: I have a light switch that has the black wire attached to the bottom terminal and the white wire attached to the top terminal. Is there any way I can add another light switch for recessed lights to this circuit?


texts: Light fixture wiring - black to black, or white to black?

texts:
USA - I’m installing a new ceiling light fixture in a bathroom. The instructions (and every how-to video I watched) said to connect white to white (neutral) and black to black (hot). However, when I detached the old fixture, I found the opposite: the white wire was connected to black and vice versa. It’s been like that for years. Should I connect the new fixture the way it was previously, or follow the instructions? And what could potentially happen if I do it the wrong way? In case it matters: there is also another light fixture in the same room that is controlled by the same switch. First picture provided is the existing configuration. I stopped and left it the way it was because I wasn’t sure how to proceed.
EDIT: I have now added a second picture of the existing wiring at the switch. There are two switches at this box. The switch on the left controls a fan in the ceiling. The switch on the right controls the light fixture in question along with another light fixture. There are 4 sheaths coming into/out of the switch box, each of which has one black wire, one white, and one ground. I’m not sure which of these delivers power from the house, and which go out to the lights and fan.


texts:
I have a switch that controls a plug in the wall in the living room.( turns a lamp on and off) I want to put in a light fixture in the ceiling in the center of the room. I could run a wire from the plug to the new light fixture and it would be an easy fix. But without putting lots of holes in the wire getting to the plug is impossible (outside wall insulation and three cross studs in the way). i can get at the wire from the switch to the plug in the attic space. Now my question

Can i junction the wire in the attic and connect to the white and red wire and ultimately do the same thing as ( pigtailing at plug) to the wire to control the ceiling light?

Any help would be appreciated


texts: How can I "seal up" cracks in my wooden shed between wooden slats/floorboards?

texts:
I've got a new shed being put up this weekend, I want to try to seal it up to keep some of the bugs from taking over. After looking around Focus DIY (large DIY chain in the UK) I found some "wood sealer", which comes in a tube and slots into a gun for squeezing out.

Each tube costs £6 and I think I'd need about 20 or so in order to seal a 6' by 8' shed, is there a cheaper or more effective method?


texts:
I found a suspicious looking insect in my kitchen counter top, and I'm wondering if it was a termite. Can anyone who are familiar with termite confirm whether or not the insect in the picture below is a termite? I recall that the length of the insect was about quarter inch (~ 6mm.)

I also noticed small white, almost transparent wings floating on top of the pool in my backyard after a couple of rainy days. I guess probably there were a swarm of those insects in my backyard a couple of days ago. Should I worry about any potential termite infestation?

By the way, for anyone who are curious, I live in northern California (Bay area) where termites are common problems.


texts: Is it safe to wire a plug-in sconce directly to the junction box?

texts:
There is a wall sconce that I would like to buy, but it is a plug-in variety and there is no power outlet nearby (only an existing light fixture).  Is it safe to cut off the plug and wire it directly to the junction box where the existing fixture is? How would I ground it?

If it's not safe / advisable, why not?

FWIW I live in a high-rise apartment in New York City.


texts: Leaking sprinkler system area top of valve?

texts:
I noticed a small leak of water when I turned on the sprinkler system this year. The leak seems to be coming from the top of the pressure vacuum breaker. Note this is not the exact picture of what I am dealing with, its the closest I could find online:

There are two screws at the top of this thing, should I be turning off the water and unscrewing these two screws...what could possibly be broken causing this leak? I really respect plumbers because boy do I hate leaks...


texts: How can I fill wall screw holes so I can reposition the screws?

texts:
I live in an old 1920's apartment building with thick solid walls and installed an ikea dignitet curtain wire. One side I've realized I've put in wrong and need to redrill two holes in a different position as it's coming loose in one position but I want to ensure that the wall around is solid in case the holes might overlap?

For reference this is what the fitting looks like. This is not mine and what I have put mine into is a solid wall.


texts: Need help making an exact size marble "ingot"

texts: I'm making a marble Monopoly board. Each space on the board will be a 3" x 1.5" piece of marble, purchased as small tiles from Home Depot, then cut to size using a budget tile wet saw. I will etch the ingots on a laser cutter. (Tests have been great.) The saw cuts the tile ok but the cut dimensions aren't exact enough for my needs. I want to be able to sand/grind the edges of the ingots, both to correct any erratic size variances or angles, as well as smooth out the edges. Suggestions?


texts: How can I get a direct stream of water out of my kitchen sprayer hose?

texts:
I fill up my humidifier tanks several times a day. The tanks don't fit under my kitchen sink, so I have to fill them partially in the sink and then the last 10% with the sprayer. The sink has a flow restrictor, and of course the sprayer is inhibited by turning the water into a spray. Additionally, it's a cheap faucet where the water does not get cut off to the sink when the sprayer is engaged, so there is a half flow that goes to each.

What I would like to do is:

Replace the sprayer head with some other apparatus which will allow me to completely turn the flow on and off.
Replace the sink aerator with some other apparatus which will allow me to completely turn the flow on and off. There are some aerators on the market with this feature, but my initial research showed that at least some of them don't completely turn off the flow, and I'm not sure about the others.

update: Apparently there is a value that shuts off the sink water, it recently started working. So issue #2 has gone away.


texts: How much water for mixing with concrete?

texts:
I bought a bag of quikrete mason mix for creating some planters from molds. The wood panel molds look something like this, but the spacing is a bit narrower and they're smaller:

Since I'll be pouring the mixture into a mold, I would prefer the mixture to be as "liquid" as possible without it affecting the integrity of the mold.

Question: how much water should I mix the concrete with so it pours without issue? The more "watery" the mixture, the easier it would be for me.

Also, the pots are square at about 14" per side, so it's not like they need to be super strong.


texts: 3-1/4" Pancake Box? - Want to Update Old Ceiling Fixture

texts:
Previously, I asked another question regarding this ceiling fixture. I wanted some advice on how to go about attaching a fixture with more than one bulb and whether or not the insulation in the old one was possibly asbestos.

Those questions were answered satisfactorily, but Harper commented: "This looks like a common 4” (trade size) pancake box but might be the dreaded 3-1/2". In reality, mine seems to be closer to 3-1/4". Not even 3-1/2"...

Why is the 3-1/2" size pancake box "dreaded"? And if mine is even smaller should I dread it more? Will it affect my ability to find a new fixture?

For reference, the screw holes that the old fixture screwed into are 2-3/4" apart which seems a little more standard.

In my photos, the box looks like it's 3", but it's just the angle. It's really about 3-1/4".


texts:
I am installing composite decking stair and I found there are two ways to do it:

One inch overhang:

Flush and show fascia edges:

What are the pros and cons of each method? I tend to go with the second one for the fact that I have a bunch of groove decking boards. I don't want to show the groove at the edges so having fascia boards to cover is nice. Of course, I could buy the non-groove ones but that's taking more time to order / delivery and shipping cost.

Thanks.

UPDATE

I just measured the height of the step (with the decking board below) and it varies. Since the length is like 20 feet, I see it's ranging from 6.25" to 6.75". That means I have to cut the fascia board regardless of which method anyways. For the overhand method (Option 1), it might be better looking to hide larger gap below the overhang I guess.


texts: How to join a vertical and horizontal pole?

texts:
2 years ago I built a desk with 1/2" galvanized steel pipe legs. Silly me did not think of the stability of the table during planning and I built it with 4 free standing legs, the legs are not connected together. This resulted in a table that is not completely stable and sways with a good push.
The legs are the perfect height and I'd like to avoid making additional cuts to fit tee couplings to connect them.
So my question: How do I connect the middle of a vertical pole to the end of a horizontal pole?
I can't think of the words for this type of connector but I'm thinking of something like this clamp I saw. Any other ideas are also appreciated

Image is from an electronic drum set assembly instructions. I remember the clamp from when I was a kid. Not sure the exact site.


texts: Imperfectly cut tile (4mm short) within acceptable range of error?

texts:
Recently we had a tiler who tiled the backsplash in our kitchen.

He had to cut a tile to fit right below the extractor fan (hood).
And he grouted the space between the top of this tile and the bottom
edge of the extractor fan.

The day he finished the work, the left side of the grout popped open
and exposed a 2mm-gap. (I have no photo to show this unfortunately).

After this happened, I measured this tile he cut, and discovered
that the tile has the width (or height if you face the tile in the photo) of

103mm (left edge)
107mm (center)
107mm (right edge)

In order to fix the gap, my father suggested pressing down the left-rear
corner of the hood so it meets the tile (this was also the tiler's solution,
but the grout he used had not been strong enough, so the hood popped
up). My father was able to make the hood meet the tile
by putting a lump of grout to the left of the hood (to give it more hold).
Both my father and the tiler had to put a screw into the wall to force
down the hood overnight until the grout dried.

The photo was taken after this fix. Note: we have not regrouted the edge on
the left.

Now the left-rear corner of the hood is 2mm lower than the right-rear corner
of the hood, although it's unlikely that any casual visitor would actually spot this error.

But because I spent a lot of money on this kitchen (we bought top-of-the-line
everything), and this tile (top center in the kitchen, above the burners, below the hood)
is in a prominent visible position, I feel this inaccuracy is not acceptable.

I feel my father's "solution" of pressing down the hood on one end is also
a hack solution. It distorts the hood for one, and also, the lump of grout
he used to hold down the hood is ugly (though it's white so less glaring).

Do you think errors of this magnitude is acceptable for a good tiler?

What options do I have? Technically speaking, is it worthwhile,
possible, without-risk for the tiler to cut another tile to replace this one?

Other than pressing down the hood, what other solution is there?

I suppose you can make the grout line thicker to conceal the uneven height
without pressing down the hood.

What's the best solution here, if any?

Thank you.


texts: Connecting polypropylene to straight pipe (without inside bevel)

texts:
I have a couple of connections that seem like they could work but due to lack of the inside bevel I'm questioning whether or not this will be a good idea.
In both cases the threads match and the rubber gasket/washer snugs up nicely creating what feels like a good fit. However, the inside of the straight pipe does not have any inside bevel, whereas normally that gasket joins with pipe that has a angle inside so that it really connects.
Are either of these things acceptable?
Polypropylene to copper drain with male thread:

Polypropylene to Oatey Sure-Vent:


texts: How do I remove this marker mark on painted drywall?

texts:
I have a 4-year-old boy, who loves to draw on the wall from time to time. He does it with his Washable Markers, which should be easy to clean with water. He left his marks for a while on the wall until we forgot about them.

Recently, we repainted our kitchen. The contractor painted the primer and paint over the mark. It looked OK at first. However, when the paint dried, the marks showed through. What should I do with minimal effort to remove these marks?

Updated: The paint that the contractor uses in this project is Valspar Signature Semi-Gloss Latex Interior Paint and Primer in One (Actual Net Contents: 124-fl oz)


texts: refractometer instead of hydrometer for battery testing?

texts:
some one pointed out to me that there is a better and more accurate way, as he says, to measure the specific gravity of my lead-acid battery then the simple hydrometer. he suggested some thing like this.

is this actually better? has someone tried it and can give some insight about this tool?


texts: What are my options for running feeder cable into an exterior main panel?

texts:
I'm trying to connect a 4/3 nm feeder cable into to my exterior mounted service entry / main panel.

There is already what looks like a 1 1/2" rigid conduit from the crawlspace through the rim joist up into the bottom of the panel that all of the houses wiring currently uses:

There are only 9 single pole circuits (so 18 conductors?) going through the conduit already so I believe im way under the fill capacity for a 1 1/2" conduit. However, it still is pretty tight to physically run my 4/3 cable through it:

I'm worried if I run the 4/3 through the existing conduit I will be over capacity or the inspector will complain im jamming too many wires through it. Should I be worried or just put the cable through it anyways?

My next thought was to just run another conduit turn next to the existing one to put the feeder through. The first problem I ran into was that my box only has 1" knockouts left on the bottom. I tried to bend the 4/3 cable through a 1" LB fitting and, although the fitting itself said it could handle 4 #4 conductors, it felt like cramming it in there was not going to work.
If I upsize to 1 1/4" it seems like it will fit, but then how do I connect the 1 1/4" conduit to the 1" hole in the box? Do they make "reducing" hubs? What kind of fitting(s) would let me do this?


texts: AO Smith Electric Water Heater that keeps needing to be reset

texts: Recently replaced the thermostat but I keep needing to reset the water heater due to cold water and then it becomes scalding water for a short time before it goes cold again. It's an 80-gallon unit


texts:
Legal? Safe?

I don't see a problem with this as long as neutral uses a gauge high enough to support both branches. Am I missing something here?

EDIT:

Here's an illustration:


texts:
How do I repair a moisture damaged drywall in my shower?

This is a painted wall, and the paint is gone in some areas and the spots that have no paint get soaked when I use the shower. In these areas the wall is not flat, there are cavities where there is no paint.

I have found a few similar questions on this site, the answers recommend tiles, etc, I would prefer to leave it painted, and not reinstall this section of the wall. So I do not want to cut out this section and install cement board. I just want to waterproof it, fill in the cavities, and paint.

I have no idea what materials to use, how to waterproof it, etc. I have never done it. Please help.

EDIT: this is around the plastic shower stall, you can see the side of the tub in the left part of the photo.


texts: Why are there sewer odors coming from my shower drain?

texts: I have random sewer odors coming from my tub and shower drains. They are separate in my bathroom. I have had plumbers come and clean the drain, but that is not fixing the problem.


texts: Do you connect light stability wires to ground nut?

texts: I'm installing island lighting, and the instructions don't say where to connect the stability wire. We just screwed in with the green nut, along with the ground copper wire from the ceiling. Is this ok? Should we just wrap it around the mounting bracket instead?


texts: Why my bedroom lights are on when a light in another room is turned on

texts:
During night, when all the lights are off and it is very dark in the room, I noticed that my bedroom lights turn on barely when a light is turned on in another room.
The light is very barely visible and I would not notice them if it was during the day, only when it is very dark. I am using Philips Hue in my bedroom.


texts: Can a receptacle before a light or light switch use a pigtail?

texts: Can a receptacle before a light or light switch use a pigtail or does it have to have the black and white wires on each side of the receptacle?


texts:
Our TV antenna turns by itself.  The inside controller is unplugged and the antenna still turns.
Not just a bit but a full quarter turn and back.  Sometimes it will point west and sometimes south or east. It will stop for a short time and start up again. Any solutions?
Thanks for all of your comments.   Ed, do you mean to touch the wires on the inside controller together?  Won't that ruin the antenna motor???


texts:
I am purchasing a home and on the home inspection it says that the dryer is on a 40amp breaker.  It states that we need to change that to a 30 amp breaker to prevent over heating of dryer conductors.

Is that something that needs to be changed right away or is a 40 amp breaker fine?


texts: Name of tool to insert ROMEX in friction connection

texts:
What is the name of this tool?
Is it on Amazon?


texts: Honeywell Humidifier Leaking Near Overflow Tube

texts:
My humidifier is leaking.  It is leaking at the drain assembly.  The assembly itself has some designed openings that don't make much sense to me.  The water is collecting there and dripping out slowly.

Is there a fix for this?  Perhaps a replacement assembly?  Can I fill the holes?


texts: Cracking noises as wood expands near heating pipes

texts:
I live in an old apartment building, as is typical in Berlin. The pipes that drive the hot water to the heaters are exposed. They're also too close to the wooden floors.

As the pipes heat up, I suppose they force the wood to heat up as well. So it expands. The floorboards don't have much space to expand, so I guess they bump into one another. The noise that stems from that is hideous. A constant cracking, once per second, sometimes building up to a major noise followed by a minute or two of silence.

(It's impossible to sleep with this.)

My question: should I cut extra space around the wood? Would that be enough? Or, as the building is old, will it be a more structural problem?

If you think having a carpenter take a look at it would help, let me know.


texts: Using Terminal Bars to Splice Service Entry Wires

texts:
Based on the second diagram in this question on feeding two subpanels from a single main breaker panel, I would like to know the best way to split the single feeder cable to two feeder cables for each subpanel.

Because the wires are all 2GA Cu, they appear to be too large for wire nuts and pigtails. Can a terminal bar (like those used for ground/neutral bars) be used for this purpose, to split a single 2GA wire into two 2GA wires?


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I'm getting ready to texture ceilings for the first time using an air-compressor / hopper.  I plan to practice first on some old sample sheets of drywall I have laying around but was also hoping to get some tips from the pros =)

Specifically, I'd like to know:

What type of consistency should the topping mud be? Runny? Thick?
What techniques should be used for actual spraying? Top-to-bottom? Left-to-right?
What preparation needs to be done beforehand? Taping off outlets? Placing plastic over windows?
How full should the hopper be filled?
What can we do if there are mistakes?


texts: How to keep water away from house from new concrete pad?

texts: I am planning to build a concrete pad under my deck (8-10' clearance). I am concerned about water dripping down through my deck and collecting against my house. What tips/steps should I take to prevent this when I build/pour the pad?


texts: What can I do if my water cannot be turned off?

texts: I don't know what to do. While trying to install a new kitchen faucet, we found that the water shut off valve in the basement was frozen & wouldn't budge. The city said it would have to be shut off at the main, which was under the street. They went in & said it was so old & rusted that it could not budge. So, what can I do? The house is over 100 years old, & I bought it about 10 yrs. ago. My shower has stopped working correctly, & I can't have it fixed if I can't shut off the water!  I really need help. Thank you!