texts: What additional precautions should be taken with this plumbing repair?

texts:
A plumber came over for installing a wash basin on a Saturday morning. It was expected to be an hour-long job, but it turned out to be a wasted Saturday morning. I narrate the ordeal below along with the steps taken to mitigate the problem:

The house is in India where RCC construction is done unlike the wooden construction in the US.
The plumber, while installing the wash basin, drilled a couple of holes into the wall without first locating the water pipeline and, like it always happens, the worst thing happened (Murphy's Law: If something can go wrong, it will). The drill bit went straight into the pipe. See picture 1.  This resulted in water, water everywhere!
Fortunately there was an inlet valve that we shut off.
After some thought, it was decided that we deadend the pipe so that the warm water pipe is effectively out of the water circuit. A small piece of the water pipe was then cut out with a hacksaw and two CPVC ends were glued to both the ends.  See picture 2. . This was done mainly to limit the damage. It is okay if the warm water is unavailable in the wash basin. The "Fake CPVC" piece of pipe was only inserted to signal the deadends should there be a future repair, there is no functional purpose of it.

I will now monitor the situation and will slowly release the valve and check if there are leakages. My questions to the forum:

Would you strongly suggest against such a "hack"? What are the potential dangers?
What additional care should be taken to make sure there is no leakage?
What might be the expected life of such a repair? I am expecting this to last at least 4 years.

Update after a day
It was observed that hot water pipe (drilled through, now deadended) is not leaking at all, but the other cold water pipe had a thin cut inflicted by a chisel that started leaking! You can see that in picture 2, bottom right. Because it started leaking, the plumber has decided to use a grinder to remove the concrete and siporex wall material around both the pipes, connect both the pipes with proper pipe connectors (which are, I believe, CPVC ones), and make it like how it was before (sort of) (completing both the hot and cold water circuits). Perhaps you can let me know any additional precautions to take now by editing your previous answers.


texts: Nest E Y1 cable cutting power to thermostat

texts:
I am trying to connect a Nest E thermorstat on my HVAC unit that runs heat and AC.
 i have yellow-y1, G-green,White-w, red- R. When y1 is connected i get the error No power to R, i see the C wire on the cable, i connected the blue to C and make sure is connected to C on the furnace and AC but i get no power. I have to disconnect C and Y1 for heat to turn on but no AC. temperature in Connecticut now is 60F its not to cold to get those errors. Should i just buy a 24 AC wall transformer and connect it to the R and C cables to the thermostat? Nest tech support tells me C wire is not grounded, but i see it grounded on the board.


texts: A gas burner (torch) that burns mapp gas is advertised to have a flame temperature of 2900 C. Steel melts at 1300 C. Gas burner tips are made of steel. How come they don't melt?


texts: Is there a way to measure the output of a single HVAC vent?

texts:
As inspired by this previous question, is there a method or device used to measure the output of a single HVAC vent or the output of a single room?

I'm imagining some sort of hood device that could be taped or magnetically sealed to a vent that would have a CFM (cubic feet per minute) meter on it to make sure each vent is putting out a certain amount.  Just to make up numbers, you could then verify that a 6" vent was putting out 1000CFM, and the 8" duct in the next room was putting out 1300CFM, but a 6" vent in the guest room was only putting out 500CFM.

If such a device doesn't exist, how do installers verify that each vent is working as designed?  Is it just a matter of a temperature sensor and the fact that the air coming out "feels like the right amount"?  How would the poster of the linked question "prove" that one vent wasn't putting out a sufficient volume of air for the room?


texts: If comparing the two, doesn't any oscillating multi-tool do the same or more than the Milwaukee Hackzall or similar products?


texts: Connecting 2 GFCI Breakers to 2 Hot Leads and 1 Common

texts:
So I just bought my first house and in lieu of changing loads of outlets in the kitchen for GFCI outlets I went with two 20A GFCI breakers. Upon going to install the breakers I found that the cable which feeds to my kitchen contains 2 hot conductors and 1 grounded ("neutral") conductor.

Is there any way I can connect both GFCI breakers to this cable? I tried splitting the neutral between both breakers and found that they both immediately trip.


texts: Low hot water pressure in one fixture after water heater replacement

texts:
I just had my water heater replaced (by a professional) and everything is great except the bathtub fixtures (shower head and tub faucet) in just one bathroom.  The water pressure is really low, especially when it's turned to hot. Every other fixture in the house works fine (even upstairs).

I took off the tub faucet fixture to see if sediment had accumulated in there, but when I turn on the water and watch it come straight out the piping, I see the same thing. Decent pressure if it's on cold and slows to a trickle when turned all the way to hot.

I'm getting the run-around from the installer and don't want to call a plumber if I can fix this myself. I can see almost the entire run from the heater to the tub, which is all copper piping, and I have access via a wall panel to the fixture from behind the tub.


texts: Does low voltage cables cause interference against parallel cat5/6 ethernet cables

texts:
There is a similar question where someone is
building a new house and is planning to hardwire network cables into each room.

Can somebody run CAT5/6 cables parallel to low voltage  (5v, 9v, 12v, 15v) wires without introducing any general safety issues or losing much in connection quality?


texts: T3 lamp in Harbor Breeze ceiling fan issue

texts: Ceiling fan light went out. After a struggle to remove the globe, I discovered it needs a special bulb. Geez, I cannot believe my luck! Anyway, after researching, I discovered it uses a T3 100W 120v 78mm halogen lamp. I have tried three different manufacturers and cannot get the lamp to work. I tested the continuity of the original lamp (even though I could plainly see the broken element) and the replacement lamp. I have tried searching the internet up on the side and down the other without a hint of this being an issue. I found this site and thought before I start tearing things apart, I would ask this question. I'm hoping somebody else has had a similar problem or can point out how I may have missed the obvious.


texts: Supporting this old 2x4 hip roof rafter to the beam

texts:
I'm renovating an old house which had a hip roof. One of the roof rafters (2x4) comes down on an angle and isn't supported on the beam. I thought a strong tie lssj would work but the rafter is a bit too high.
What kind of hanger / tie could I use to support the rafter on the beam?


texts: Second light in circuit won't turn on after installing new wall switch

texts:
I have 2 pendant ceiling lights, controlled by a single switch. The lights are LED and the bulb says "12V 6W 60Hz". These are the bulbs that came with the light. Things worked great. One day I decided to replace every light switch in my house with the Leviton Decora smart switch line (the exact product name is "Leviton DW15S-1BZ Decora Smart Wi-Fi 15A Universal LED/Incandescent Switch"). Some 35 or so. They all worked great, except I have a problem with the pendant lights. The first light turns on, but the second does not. I know the problem isn't the bulbs, because I swapped them and the same result happened. I know the problem isn't the wiring of the light fixture itself because I actually swapped both pendant lights just to verify there wasn't anything wrong with the fixture.

How can I determine what the issue is and how to fix it? I would guess that the problem lies with the switch, but I'm not sure as to why that would be since the first lights up (I'd think if it wasn't wired right none would light up). And every other fixture in my house is LED and works fine (although these are the only pendant lights, all the other fixtures are Philips Hue LED cans).


texts: pex manifold no cold water in showers after hot water turned off

texts:
I recently had a second leak happen in a water heater, it is currently disconnected from the house (we are on cold water only). We have a pex manifold system in the house, this is a new one because the original one developed a leak.

Rundown: original water heaters quit,
         installed tankless water heater,
         shut off water to the house,
         turned it back on to discover the manifold had a crack from the
                factory,
         new manifold and tankless water heater put in,
         tankless water heater developed leaks (in coils),
         shut off water to the house,
         waiting for parts so no hot water, turn water back on,
         but also no cold water in showers, cold runs fine everwhere else

When I shut off the water to the water heater the first time - I had full pressure on the cold side, but now with the new manifold installed I have no cold water in the showers.

What could have happened?


texts: How do I know if my subfloor is fire retardant or preservative-treated?

texts: I'm getting ready to install COREtec Pro Plus LVP over a wooden subfloor in my 1985 second floor condo.  The installation instructions state that "Resilient flooring is not recommended directly over fire-retardant treated plywood or preservative treated plywood."  How do I know whether my floor falls into one of those categories?  It appears to be 3/4 tongue-and-groove plywood, and there are spots where it just looks like bare plywood, but there's a misty light beige over most of it, which is generally heavier closer to the walls, so I suspect it may simply be primer or something that was sprayed on the walls?  Any insights are appreciated, thanks!!


texts: A/C system reports Limit Switch Stuck Open

texts:
Unit is a York GM9S080B12UP11G.

When switching thermostat to cool, the system activates the compressor fan. Also, I can hear gases moving through the pipes running to the compressor. However, the blower fan never comes on, and the system blinks an error code (4 red blinks) that corresponds to "Limit switch stuck open" on the chart attached to the inside of the unit.

I've tried temporarily closing all 3 limits that I could find: the main limit situated near the heat exchanger, the limit inside the box where the jets are, and the limit attached to the draft inducer.

I'm beginning to think that it isn't really a limit problem, especially since this is with regard to A/C, not heat. Heat, by the way, has been working just fine. This is the first time attempting to fire up the A/C this year, since it reached 85 today.

Does anyone have any ideas of what to try, or what the underlying problem could be?


texts:
Just bought a house with a pool. The pool decking is comprised of large, square concrete pads that are separated by wood furring strips. The prior owner has used pressure-treated 1x2s atop a small gravel bed for drainage. I'm looking for an alternative to the wood that won't bow and will retain its aesthetic qualities for a long time. Options I've considered are things like Trex, Extira, decorative gravel. Someone told me about a soft, permeable material that holds its shape to provide the nice, clean edge, but helps drainage, but I can't remember what it was.

Any ideas on what materials I can consider? Many thanks in advance.


texts: How much of this wood molding has to be completely replaced?

texts: I'm trying to get a sense of how much work is needed to fix this. Is there a way to fix it just cosmetically or do I need to replace only the damaged pieces? If so, where does one get these and what other materials are needed to do the job? If I hire someone, what kind of person should it be?


texts: I'm rebuilding my garage and have planned to install a footer, full brick base, and full brick wall behind a wood burning stove.  I'm planning to have the "base" be mostly standard concrete block with standard all thread anchors in all the spaces to fully tie it into the original foundation(concrete slab).  This area is the thickest slab visible on the exterior, roughly 18" thick.  There are additional all thread tie ins where the block doesn't tie into the curve I'm desiring.  The brick for the wall and then some plus the stove have sat in this location for an extended period of time with zero issues.  What I CANNOT seem to nail down information wise is if a moisture barrier is required for brick adhered to an interior drywall, exterior painted wall.  I've found information about excessive and inappropriate usage of barriers causing rot long term.  I'm ready to set the form for the base foundation, but want to ensure longevity of construction.  I'm already planning on an air gap between the brick and the drywall nearest the stove, but above that high heat zone, have the brick touching the drywall(with most likely excessive anchor ties(I have 100 drywall anchors at 50lbs each for any gap missing a stud - and plan to have 6 ties for each level of brick for the wall roughly 3'from the corner, despite the studs(overkill, I'm aware))).  I attached a picture of the current state - but is a moisture barrier excessive overkill, and in danger of moisture trapping?, or is it considering all possibilities?  I DO live in the south, have high humidity most of the year, and have great air conditioning/heating installed creating a dramatic difference in temperature between indoor and outdoor temperature regardless of season.  This area will also be further reinforced with rebar enforced concrete piers in strategic places, including 3 at this corner.  Weight is a non issue - the studs are going to be doubled as well.  My real question is - moisture barrier or not?


texts: Choosing depth of ceiling electrical boxes?

texts:
Ceiling electrical boxes come in different depths: 0.5", 1.5", 2.25", 2.75" seem to be fairly common. I'm going to be hanging some lights as well as ceiling fans. I want to have the boxes as shallow as possible in order to keep the service chase shallow.

How do I determine how deep of boxes I need? I'm looking at 1.5" deep boxes -- in what situations would I need to use boxes deeper than that?


texts: Did I ruin my griddle by overheating it?

texts:
So turns out the thermostat control on our griddle was broken. We ran it on full blast for about thirty minutes. Started to notice the adhesive bubbling on the sides then turned it off to investigate.

It's a much darker color than it was before, and seeing the adhesive worries me. Is this griddle still 100% safe to use or should we buy a new one?


texts: Pipes thawed, cold water runs, not hot water

texts: Our pipes froze recently and we heated the ones connected to the outside of the house. They thawed and the cold water is running now. However, I cannot get the hot water to run, or my tub faucet either. the heat is on in the house, and the water heater is located in the bathroom closet. We have pex piping running in the bathroom and all piping from the water heater is located inside interior walls. Is there something I can do? Or am I missing something.


texts: I hired a construction company to remodel my master bath, they just completed the job and upon first glance it looked great and I blessed the work. After they left and I looked more closely, they have left a raw edge on the tile around both shower niches that were installed. Not only does this look terrible (note the barcode showing on one edge), it won't be waterproof as that raw edge will absorb water unless sealed in some way. What do I do?? Fix it myself? Call them back to cut out and correct the problem? Call a tile expert to fix? I have not yet paid the balance on the job.


texts:
I see a 100 Amp breaker in the mains, which means my electric panel is 100 Amps.
I see may arrays of circuit breakers on it, as many as 18. When I add the total amps on them, it adds upto 375 Amps.

Although, I use 1 dishwasher, 1 microwave, 1 dryer, 1 washer, 3-4 Ac's and lights, 1 sauna, I haven't observed mains or individual breakers going down. I have 40 Amp double pole and a 30 Amp breakers among them and rest are 15 Amp and 20 Amp.

I am trying to install a Tesla charger, which has a recommended breaker of 60 AMP.

Is there any possibility to support a new breaker? I do see empty slots. e.g., if I use 60 AMP charger in the night, I will not use any other appliance, will that work? please guide. of course, last alternative is to upgrade to 200 AMP panel, which is easy response.


texts: I'm redoing my fireplace wall with stack real stone ledger panels. Can I just use 5/8" cement board on the wall with no scratch coat ?


texts:
There's a foul odor in our kids (teens) bathroom which I'm pretty sure is coming from the tub drain. We have some kind of domed cover over the drain most of the time to catch hair, but apparently it is sometimes removed. I already had one of them use this short, thorny plastic snake-like thing to reach down and pull out some hair and nastiness. But that's only about 18-24" and I wasn't there so don't know how far down she reached it. I also tried pouring some liquid plumber down it. But that was apparently very old, as it was kinda clumpy itself, although those clumps dissolved with hot water. Other notes:

The tub drains fine, it is not clogged.
The shower is used often
The smell is not a sewer smell.

There is a shower vent, but I noticed it is quite clogged with dust, so I need to clean that, so maybe it's not venting very well. I've read other notes here and I think some were suggesting possibly mold or something growing in the vent, but I'm still pretty sure the smell is coming from the drain.

Any suggestions? Should I just do more snaking and another pour of fresh liquid plumber?


texts: Garage door torsion bar support bracket not attached

texts:
The third-car garage door on my recently-built house seems to have a bracket loose.  The bracket in question is one that seems to go around the torsion spring and screws to the door frame header - it looks as though the builders just missed the bracket's position when they added 2x4s to attach the bracket.

Picture for reference:

My question is whether or not this is something I can address myself.  It is as straightforward as putting another 2x4 in there and screwing the bracket to it?  Does the bracket have some influence on the torsion spring, such that I need to have it professionally taken care of?  I know that garage door springs are dangerous if not treated with care, and I don't want to get into something I'm not qualified to tackle.


texts: Is this T&P relief valve discharge pipe installed correctly?

texts:
I had a plumber install a new water heater the other day, and he said it's up to 2018 (US) code, but I've been wondering if the T&P relief valve discharge pipe really is correct, because it seems to me like discharge pipes shouldn't flow upwards:

The hole in the wall that the discharge pipe goes out of is the one used by the original water heater's pipe, and I don't know why they made it so high - I'm guessing because there's not a lot of room in this corner of my garage and they needed the pipe to go above the water heater.


texts: Can I remove my vent covers without disconnecting the duct?

texts: I have an old house with flexible duct work in the ceiling. There is mold in at least one. Can I remove the vent covers to clean or will that disconnect the duct work in the attic from the vent cover/diffuser?


texts: The aerator for the septic system keeps tripping the breaker.  As far as I can tell that is the only thing on that circuit.  Is this an indication that the motor is going bad?


texts: How do we thaw pipes that froze after our boiler stopped working?

texts: Our boiler stopped working. We got it working again and now have hot water but no heat in two zones. Temperatures have been -25°F with the windchill and the plumber thinks frozen pipes. How do we locate where they are frozen and how do you unfreeze them if you don't know where the problem is?


texts: What tool do I use to remove this wide and flat screw-esque thing?

texts:
I need access to the wires behind my porch light and need to remove this thing to do it. It's very wide and flat

What tool do I use to remove it?

Edit: it is larger than a quarter.

Also what is it called?


texts: Can I add framing to build a room under my basement staircase?

texts:
I have space under the basement staircase that I want to make a proper room with door. On one side I have a concrete block wall, so there is no issue there and I can put a door in the front. But on the other side I cannot put drywall because existing studs are not aligned and metal post supporting the beam is outside the stud.

So can I solve this by adding additional studs on either side to the existing studs (sister stud)and the put a drywall on it? Or any other ideas?


texts:
At the bottom is the stairs is the first 3 way switch in this circuit - it doesn’t need to be messed with because it was never changed and works good.
Then go up the stairs a little where a 4 way switch needs to be wired.
The wires I have on that one to hook up are 2 white, 2 red and the blacks inside are wired nutted together.
Then in between this switch is the 1st light with power source which goes to another light, then it stops at the last final 3 way switch.
So how, do I wire my 4 way?
I could get pictures if you need. Btw we originally replaced it and must of wired it wrong because when one switch is off another won’t turn light on!


texts: How to install rubber paver around edges of synthetic grass area?

texts:
I have a 15x20 synthetic grass area and I want to put something "soft" around the edges for the kid. My plan is to use rubber paver:

Like the 16x16 from Lowe's:

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Rubberific-Brown-Square-Rubber-Paver-Common-16-in-x-16-in-Actual-16-in-x-16-in/3715056

The questions I have are:

How to secure / bolt each of the paver down so they don't move? They are quite light and people kicking around will push them. Plus, one edge is the synthetic grass which is very soft by itself.
Should I put the rubber paver on the crushed rocks minus (1/2" or 5/8" as same as what underneath synthetic grass)? Or this kind of rubber paver should be on top of hard surface like concrete or another paver (either concrete or stone)?

Thanks.

UPDATE 1

I just installed the synthetic grasses and they look like this

It is very low to the rocks. Here is the top down. I nail the edges of the grasses by 10" nails so they won't move.


texts: Can a pilot on a furnace be on but the thermocouple still be bad?

texts:
Heat just stopped working after working 3 days ago. All circuit breakers are looking good, gas is flowing, and furnace seems to be operating fine. Pilot is on and thermocouple is holding the flame, but it looks like a little rusty/busted.

Is there a chance - without getting into too much repair costs - that the thermocouple isn't doing "its job" by signaling voltage so everything looks OK and I just need to replace the TC? Is there a way to tell (I dont have a multimeter)?

Is it worth trying $15 on a new TC just in case, or would it be a waste of money?


texts:
I have just done some renovations and will have to replace some quarter round.  Attached is picture of existing.  Is there a "proper" way to finish quarter round that is against wood floor?  I have seen white (like the existing) and I have seen varnished to match the floor. The baseboard itself is to remain white.

Thank you.


texts: What type of water valve is this, and how do I turn it off?

texts: This valve doesn't have a handle, so it seems, and has a button on the inside. How do I work with this?


texts: How to unfix a pvc tube glued to another pvc tube?

texts:
I have the following drained pvc tube pipe. As you can see from the picture below, I want to detach the part that I've circled in green (the upper part).

The pvc part has been glued.
After many readings on the internet, one of the easiest solution would be to use a heat gun/thermal cleaner to unstuck it (like in this video).
Is there a simpler way to unglued the pvc tube without using a heat gun?
Thank you.


texts: How to open up a window in my shower room?

texts:
My shower room does not have a window. One of its side is out facing, i.e. one side of the shower room happens to be part of the exterior wall of the house.  I'd like to open a small window on it so air and sunlight can enter into the shower room. What should I know before starting the project?

House: regular singular-family house. There is nothing special about it.

Location: Chico, California

Exterior wall from what I can see is just regular vinyl siding wall. Interior is covered by ceramic tiles.


texts: Should water reach inside my window sash before draining out?

texts:
One of my large upstairs vinyl window frames is leaking rainwater onto the window sill. The base of the frame is filling up with water, which is then overflowing onto the sill, where the window meets it. By comparison, the bottom of the adjacent window frame (which isn't leaking) does not have any water in it.

I don't know whether water is SUPPOSED to get in, but then drain out, or whether it shouldn't enter to begin with. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.


texts: Are expansion gaps required in between pine flooring for a shed?

texts:
I'm planning to make a timber frame and flooring for a 3 x 2.3m (10 x 8ft) prefabricated garden shed. The construction method I had in mind is similar to the following image from Flickr:

For the floor I was planning to use 190 x 35mm (approx 7 x 1.5") H3 treated pine but something I'm not sure of is whether I should leave a small gap between each piece of timber to allow for expansion because of moisture / temperature? Below freezing temperatures are extremely rare here the normal temperature range is about 5 - 38C (40 - 100F).


texts: I replaced the 40W R14 bulbs in my china closet with LED 40W R14 bulbs.  The china closet lighting is touch activated and has three settings. The new LED bulbs work fine on the first and second setting but blink on the third(highest) setting. What would cause this?


texts: Supplying power to my camp with a generator

texts: I'm building a remote camp and will wire it for lights and receptacles (only). I plan to back-feed power from a generator to a small sub panel which has 6 breakers. Should I run 220v from generator to sub panel or 110v? The stove and frig are propane.


texts: If my air conditioner return line iced over and the fan stopped, is it broken?

texts:
We've lived in our house for three summers and have never had any problems with the air conditioner. Today I noticed that there was ice on the coolant return line outside the house. I didn't think anything of it.

Later in the day (now), the system had shut off. Even though the temperature in the house was much higher than the thermostat setting, neither the air blower nor the fan in the AC unit outside was running.

I've read that the ice on the lines may mean that the system is low on coolant. Will simply having the coolant recharged fix the problem? Do I just need to wait for something to thaw?


texts: I'm trying to replace a light fixture. The problem is that the beam holding the previous fixture is too low and the new fixture's wires go through the nipple. If the crossbar is screwed on to the beam, there is not enough space for the nipple to go through the crossbar while leaving room for the wires to come out. I don't know if there are any 'standard' solutions to this sort of problem, but I can't think of anything short of of sawing off part of the nipple (without hitting the wires somehow!).


texts: How to mount an odd mirror from Crate and Barrel

texts:
I have a mirror that we got from Crate and Barrel, but the backside of the mirror is not flush so it sticks out from the wall (and looks weird).

Here is a picture of the backside.  You can see the mounting holes in the corners and that the mirror sticks out 3/4" from the back.

Any ideas???


texts: Can I install a new dishwasher or are there code changes

texts:
I’m getting a new dishwasher with the intention of directly replacing my existing one from 15+ years ago. However I’m seeing conflicting descriptions of what is up to code, so I’m hoping someone can help.

My current dishwasher is hardwired and has no power shutoff anywhere near. I’m not home so can not check whether it is a dedicated line or 15A or 20A, or whether it has GFCI. The drain line has a high loop, not air gap, before draining to a disposal.  However the Home Center I bought the appliance from says it must be a plug connection, must be GFCI, must be air gapped, and of course wants to sell me more in installation than the dishwasher costs. Looking around here and other sites I see the opposite, as well as plenty saying it is my choice.

So, in Massachusetts, is it up to code:

if it’s not a dedicated circuit, am I required to upgrade?
if it’s not 20A circuit, am I required to upgrade?
to direct wire, or does it need to be plugged in?
if direct wired, does it need a visible shut off?
to GFCI or not?
use the existing high loop, or does it need an air gap?

I’ll do whatever I need to but obviously am hoping to just install the same way the current one is. Can you help clarify the requirements?


texts: How to close gaps between laminate floorboards

texts:
I have a laminate "click together" flooring and some of the board have separated.

If I kick my foot on some of the boards, I can scooch some of them together.
However, its not very effective. Is there a tool for closing floorboards. Perhaps something that has a rubber foot to stick to the board that I can tap along with a hammer?


texts: Will an in line water regulator fix my tankless water heater trade off between pressure and hot water?

texts:
I had a contractor install a Rheem electric tankless water heater in my casita. I initially wanted a much larger one but he talked me into the Rheem 13 KW 2.54 GPM. When the unit was installed the water was luke warm at best. The only way to get the water hot was to turn the ball valve down but then the pressure was too low. He then installed the 18kw Rheem3.51 GPM tankless heater and had the same problem.
I called Rheem today and they mentioned that an inline water regulator could solve the problem. The contractor did not seem to think so though. Honestly, I'm starting to question if this guy knows what he's talking about and would like some advice from someone who has experience with these types of water heaters. Do you think the water pressure is the problem and will an inline water regulator likely fix the problem?
I live in Santa Fe New Mexico so the ground water is probably in the 40's?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike


texts:
I found this gorgeous laser-cut box on Amazon for my Raspberry Pi, and wondered how I could possibly make one of these myself.

Can someone help me?


texts: How to tap into a light switch whose junction box is already full?

texts: I have a light switch I want to tap into to add another power outlet a few feet away.  I believe this switch's junction box is already too full to accommodate adding new wires.  I think I would have to re-wire things so my new outlet goes to this switch instead of an existing wire, and then have that splice with the new wire in the outlet's junction box.  The only problem is, the existing wires won't reach to the location of the new outlet.  Is there any way to splice a wire behind the wall without using an exposed junction box (with blank wall plate) or is that my only option to be within code?  Is there some other option I haven't considered?


texts: Cracked subway tile on shower cub after remodel: what's my next steps

texts:
I have a recently remodeled shower with a shower curb that has cracked tiles, separating trim, and a potential leak. I would appreciate any advice.

I had my shower remodeled (gutted and rebuilt) in Dec, 2018 after water damage in the wall related to a leaky shower valve. Six months after install, the trim separated from the shower curb and the contractor came to fix it.

Now, more trim is coming off the curb in another area (see photo). Two other larger problems: One, the subway tile on the top of the curb is cracking (see photos). Two, the curb might be leaking at the corner (see photo). I don't know why the tiles are cracking; perhaps the thin set was applied incorrectly?

I'd be grateful for any advice.

--Should I just leave this alone?

--Can these tiles be replaced? Can the shower curb be replaced? Do I need to start over dow to a new shower pan?

--Any advice for approaching the contractor?

Thank you very much for any help.


texts: Water leaking inside outdoor electrical box. What should I do?

texts:
I have some very old outdoor path lights in my front yard (see pic). Recently I found that they trip my upstream GFCI outlet when they were turned on by the timer at night. After some investigation, I found one of them is the root cause of the trip, and I realized the electric box is filled with water once opened... I closely inspected and think there are three possible places where the water could come in:

upper hole that connects to the light cover, which admittedly already has some crack on it and it is not very tight and water sealed.
the front plate itself, which has some soft cushion around the plate that I think is for sealing
the two pipes under the box, for whatever reason the water might come from the ground?

The things is, I tried to use teflon tape around 1 and clean, retighten 2, there is still water inside after some rain last night. I am wondering what I can do to fix this. Since these lights are buried in the ground, I am hoping I can fix this particular one instead of ripping them all out.
More info about the light: they are so old that I couldn't find much info. It seems all the replacement pathlights that I can find in home centers are low voltage ones (12v). However, these lights connect straight into a mechanical timer in my garage, which is using regular 110v voltage.


texts: What products are available to make coved ceilings?

texts: Due to massive cracks and drooping ceilings we need to tear off our existing plaster/lath walls and replace with sheetrock.  The 1948 house currently has coved ceilings that we want to duplicate when we do the remodel.  Are there products available to help create the coved look that would make the job easier for a novice?


texts: How can I control 2 lights, that are controlled by 1 switch, independently without having to re-route wires?

texts:
My contractor installed 2 beside lights dropping from the ceiling but only provided 1 switch to turn both ON/OFF simultaneously.  Obviously that's a poor design because one person may want to go to sleep and turn OFF their light, while the other may want it ON to read, etc.

Are there any wireless solutions out there that can fix this issue without having to rewire the lights and wire new switches in the wall?


texts:
I have this old and unused hole that I believe was for an outlet or a light switch (bought a house with this capped with plastic). I also have a few old phone Jacks. I plan on removing the phone Jacks and patching the drywall in that hole. I thought of doing the same for this outlet but I remember reading somewhere that doing so would be against code. I can't seem to find that information this time around.

https://imgur.com/gallery/faBYUZG
Thanks everyone! I'm just going to cover it up. It's not worth the effort for me to trace out the wires and try to disconnect them. Appreciate everyone's feedback
Would patching the drywall here be an option? Or is covering it with a removable plastic cover the only option?


texts: Glue for internal rubber seals on uPVC windows

texts:
I have some double glazed uPVC casement windows, the interior seal around the sash has come loose in some places.
Unlike some other windows, these seals don't clip into the uPVC profile, but are instead glued.
What kind of glue should I use to re-attach the seals?


texts:
The trip lever on my bathtub drain has broken.  The small loop on the back of the trip lever drain broke off (see picture) and thus can't connect to the rod anymore.  Now when I went to purchase a new trip lever I found that the connecting loop on the new trip lever was too small to fit into the end of the curved rod (see picture).  Also, my existing trip lever is a Gerber.

Here are my questions:

Do I need a specific kind of trip lever to fit that rod?
If the loop on the trip lever is of a standard size, then how do I connect the loop of the rod to the loop on the back of a new trip lever?

I'd also like to not have to buy a new rod mechanism, but rather just replace the trip lever if possible.

Thanks for your time!


texts: Is my electric stove receptacle wired correctly?

texts:
When I test the four prong electric stove outlet by touching one of the prongs and the ground, one prong reads 120V and the other 220V.

Is this normal or is it wired wrong?


texts: 3 switches for 2 lights split into 2 switches per light

texts:
We have a center-entry hall way with a light at each end. There are three 3-way switches. One in the middle, and one at each end. All three switches control both lights at the same time. We want to split the center switch into two so that the switches at each end and one of the center switches control ONLY the light for that end of the hallway.
Switch A----Light 1-----Switch B----Light 2---- Switch C is what we have.
Switch A----Light 1----Switch B / Switch D----Light 2----Switch C is what we want.
How do we split Switch B into B & D?


texts: Can you use a dimmer with a can (recessed) light conversion kit?

texts:
I have a can light (recessed light) that I need to convert to hanging a pendant light. The conversion kits have you plug into the socket, and I am hanging a dimmable LED fixture with a wall dimmer instead of a switch.

Is there any issue with it being dimmable since you're not directly wiring it to the switch? i.e. wiring to the socket adapter -> screwing into the original can light socket.

Here is the socket:


texts:
I will be building a shed attached to my house garage. It will have an insulated monolithic pour concrete foundation.
I want to incorporate somewhat of a small cold cellar in the foundation. How do I go about that in the best way?


texts: What are the standard dimensions for the square grips on PVC screw caps?

texts:
No matter the size of the end cap, the square grip always seems to be exactly the same size.

What is the standard size of the square grip?
(NPT?)


texts: Connecting the drain hose of a clothes washing machine to a wider drain pipe

texts:
I need to install a clothes washing machine in the bathroom and I have a problem to solve.

The drain hose of the washing machine is 25 mm in diameter on the exterior, made from a soft rubber material - see image A, while the drain is 32 mm in diameter internally made from hard plastic - see image B.

How do I connect them? Is there some piece that goes in between I can buy? Do I need to cut the head of the drain hose and replace it with something else?


texts:
I have a storm door that won't shut properly. In specific it "resists" or bounces back open if you let go when it's about 1 - 1 1/2 inches away from being shut. This means that the self closing mechanism pretty much never works.

I can't identify an obvious culprit for the cause though there are some things I find suspicious. For starters, there's a small gap between the door and the frame at the top of the door on the side without the hinge. There's also some peeling paint near the top hinge, and when you pull the door shut, it does seem like the frame flexes and shifts. But I'm not sure what would be causing the poor fit, since it looks like all the screws are properly tightened.

I tried tightening the screws on the inside of the metal frame, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference. How do I go about figuring out why this door won't shut, and then fix it?


texts: Is it possible to use the GE Link bulb without a wink hub?

texts: I am looking to automate the GE Link bulb but I do not have a Wink Hub. What I do have is a raspberry pi and an arduino. I've search but can't find any documentation about how to even get started on this. Is there anyone with a little bit of information that can point me in the right direction?


texts: How do I install can-less down lights in new construction?

texts:
Two-part question:

First, are the can-less, low-profile LED downlights (e.g. HALO HLB Lite 4" LED) suitable for new construction, or only for remodels?  I'm getting confused about the Code rules for junction box accessibility/installation.

Second, if these are suitable for new construction, how should they be installed?  Most of the online videos and even the product instructions seem to be geared towards the remodel customer.  But what will my inspector be looking for before I drywall my ceiling?  I know there are joist brackets for some of these products to which one can attach the light's j-box.  Are these necessary?  What Code(s) do I need to be aware of?

My project: this is an unfinished basement remodel in Seattle, USA.  There are no wall or ceiling coverings yet.


texts: How to restore damaged Velux window frame? (pictures)

texts:
I'm trying to restore a velux window frame that has become moldy and partially rotten. The window is 15 years old and has never had any attention. The sealant on the outside where the glass meets the metal casing had completely broken down so I have cleaned it out and applied a bead of black silicone. I'm hoping this will have solved the problem that caused the window frame to start to decay.
On the inside I have used wire wool to reduce the black parts. As I would like to get close to a factory finish I think I will need to use an electric sander to completely strip the outer coating before applying a few coats of varnish. (There are marks and what looks like fine mold specs that won't budge using the wire wool that are on the wooden frame that houses the window)

I am concerned that the window is not evenly aligned. (it's very tight at the bottom left and has a 6mm gap on the bottom right side) I am not sure if this compromises the seal to the outside.
I would appreciate any advice on how to go about restoring the window.
Such as:
What varnish should be used?
Do I need to use a product over the varnish such as polyurethane?
Is the alignment a significant issue that will require further attention?
(window currently locks fine, although it seems to push into the tight position when doing so)
Is it likely that the outside seal on the glass being broken down caused the inside decay or could it be another issue that will need to be addressed before proceeding to sand it?
Any pointers would be very helpful.


texts: What's the orrect configuration of a T connector for track lighting?

texts:
I just put up a bit of track for a system and used a mix of manufacturers (Lithonia, Satco and Hampton Bay) — all of the track is the H style. Adding a small piece of track, I put one head on and (using a Maestro dimmer) it worked. When I added a T connector, it stopped working. I connected one side of the straight end (the top stroke of the T) to a power feed and then an 8' track to the side that's a right angle to that. I'm sure I got the ground side where it should be but - nothing.  I'm wondering if the power is meant to b connected only to the middle connector and not one of the sides?
---Rob


texts:
I will built a frame for a wood gate like the one below (but mine will slide in a track instead of hang on hinges).

I was thinking on using C-channel instead of tubing for the frame, since it will make it easier to screw the planks to the frame and the screws will be semi-hidden. Also, the c-channel is thicker per weight, so easier to weld with stick eletrodes.

I never saw a gate frame using C-channel, are there any problems using it for that? Apart from the looks on the inside, will tubing provide any real advantage (considering similar weight materials)?


texts: Adding a C wire to a new Honeywell WIfi Thermostat

texts: I am trying to install a new Honeywell touchscreen WIFI thermostat and need to add a C wire to my terminal inside the furnace (using the help found at How can I add a "C" wire to my thermostat?). BUT.. I have a white wire that runs from the A/C unit outside that is connected to the C terminal on the furnace. If I run an 18/5 wire from the terminal to the thermostat, will this cause a problem or a short? I'm completely lost as to why there is a C wire running from the terminal outside to the A/C relay. I do not want to move the green wire as Honeywell suggests and lose the power to operate my blower manually.


texts: Concrete vs crushed gravel for fence posts in clay soil?

texts:
I'm prepping to build a fence in the back yard and am going back and forth between using crushed gravel and concrete. I've read lots of differing opinions on the pros and cons of each.

I'm leaning towards using crushed gravel as it's easier to repair posts if they rot. I'm just worried that with clay soil it will just fill with water and stay there for days. I'm not 100% sure the concrete would help that though as I assume water would still get in to the post and sit there.

On the other hand I'm also thinking concrete would be easier to install, as tamping 30ish holes 48" deep with crushed gravel doesn't sound very fun. I will be using pressure treated lumber if that helps

Anyone else build fence in heavy clay with any luck? Any recommendations greatly appreciated, thanks!


texts:
My 1955 home has a flat roof with 1x8 sheathing.   It's time to replace the roof, and I am considering replacing blown-in attic insulation with batts, at the same time.

The attic is only 20" between living space ceiling drywall and roof sheathing.   I'm trying to figure out two things:

1) If I should have the insulation replaced from below by creating attic access points in the drywall, or have it replaced from above by removing/replacing the 1x8 sheathing.

2) If there is any reason to replace the 1x8 boards with 4x8 osb/plywood sheets.


texts:
I recently bought a brand new house which has new AC unit. but the outdoor AC unit constantly makes the loud humming noise which also vibrates refrigerant pipe. see the attached video link. what could be the problem?? Is this humming noise is normal??
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1arvnQP6-KxBKUqhklRQq9QCtNPBq9Nyh?usp=sharing
Thank you in advance


texts: What kind of thinset should I use on porcelain?

texts: I found some porcelain tiles that look like the wood planks, they are 6x24 and I am having trouble figuring out what kind of thinset and trowel I should use.


texts: Can I repurpose existing cat5 telephone line for Ethernet networking?

texts:
We recently moved into a house where there is cat5e wiring running from a telephone jack in each room, to the rear of the house near the phone junction box and electrical box.  The wires are literally just hanging out of a sealed exit point in the siding of the house, not running into a box of any kind.

I wanted to set up a new wired network connection from an upstairs bedroom to the living room.  New wiring installation is virtually out of the question, thanks to insulation, fire blocks all over the place, and the fact that the wife and I both don't want to mess up the drywall in our new home.  So I have chosen to repurpose two of the cat5e wiring runs into one connection, by splicing the two appropriate wires together out back.  I wired up a cat5e jack using punchdown connectors both in the living room and in the upstairs office, and just hand-spliced the wires together out back and tried to weatherproof them by passing the splice into a weatherproof cable box and securing them with strong electrical tape.  They are untwisted for about 3-4 inches and are sharply angled at the splice point.  I know it's not optimal but I wanted to at least see if what I was after was even possible given the unknowns of the wiring, etc.

Upon testing, I can get a solid connection over the line, so I know I've done the wiring correctly (used T568A due to the fact that these are originally phone lines and might be again one day).  However, tests show that my download speed from my computer, connected to the router upstairs, to a laptop in the living room is only around 23 mbps, so I'm barely even getting fast ethernet speeds.  I'm hardly expecting gigabit, with run lengths and connections like this, but what can I do at this point to increase throughput?  There are factors I know I can control (how the splicing is done out back) but I don't know how much of a difference that will make.  Then there are some variables like proximity to 110V lines in the walls, and quality of cable (it's all UTP) that are either unknowns or out of my control.  I do know that the wires out back are fairly brittle, due to weathering, which is part of the reason I didn't want to poke around with those much.  Does anything stand out as a glaring issue to anyone experienced with cat5/6 networking?


texts: Compact drainage rock behind retaining wall?

texts:
I am confused by the mfg instructions and its images. It states to fill core and 12 inches back with drainage crushed rock, and to compact, "backfill"

First, what type of rick can i use for drainage and core fill? Will clean crushed limestone work? I also have about 1.5 tons of river rock. Can the two be mixed?

Second, should the drainage rock be compacted? Looking at the picture in the instructions it almost looks like
That's what is happening.

Based off my image of my current site do i need to use any special back fill and compact it behind the wall? I planned to fill with drain rock and then top off with dirt but I am confused now.

Can the base be hand tamped or is a plate compactor a must?

These are beveled denver retaining wall blocks at H:6in W:17inch and depth 12 inches.  I planned to do less than 36 inches at highest area.

Mfg instructions:

My site work in progress base dig:


texts: Void Under Stamped Concrete Patio Allowing Voles in to House

texts:
I have a stamped concrete patio where the step to the bumpout on my house and slab were poured in one piece.  They didn't pour concrete under the bumpout, just up against it, leaving a hollow area that tunneling animals make their home.

Voles have found their way under the patio and made a home under the bumpout (and sometimes in to my basement) through this bumpout area.  I have a small amount of access under the bumpout now that I have removed the wall and ceiling of a finished bathroom.

What's the best way to permanently keep the voles from getting in to my house through this area?  I have easy access to the outer perimeter of the patio, but I wonder if it would be better to seal off the void under the bump out.  If I seal under the bumpout, is concrete my best option?

The hollow area under the step has a gravel base and about 4-6 inches in height of air before it gets to 1/4 plywood nailed to the bottom of the joists that support the bumpout.  The total hollow area is probably 7 feet long by 1 foot wide by 4-6 inches tall.

I haven't attached pictures because it just looks like ceiling joists that end at a rim joist and plywood nailed to the bottom.

I've tried an exterminator and the voles take the poison, bring it in to my house, and die.  This has been going on for 18 months.


texts: What's the best tool for shoveling gravel?

texts:
I have a couple of cubic meters of gravel (3-4cm, round, no edges) in a big pile. I want to move this gravel, some of it becomes foundation for the kids' sand pit, and some should go along the outer walls of the house as rain splash guard.

I figure I can use a wheelbarrow and a shovel for this, but I am also thinking that it is going to be hard to shovel the gravel with said shovel. Is there a better tool for the job?


texts: How to best clean unsealed kitchen grout so that it can be sealed and/or regrouting later

texts:
I have a problem with unsealed kitchen grout on ceramic tile as it has never been sealed and dirt has allowed to set in. In addition it probably needs regrouted later (pictures below) but sealing it could prevent damage and allow it to be addressed in the future when there is more time.

The issues is I don't know what chemicals I can or should not use nor how to clean unsealed tile without causing more damage. I would normally use professional strength products but I'm afraid it will damage the tile and/or grout as I'm inexperienced with cleaning unsealed grout.

The picture below provides below give indication of the status of my grout. I would appreciate any advice.

Another thing I would appreciate from an expert is assurance that grout is porous and that some stains will "soak in" and not come out despite how much of cleans them thus eventually requiring more reason to regrout much later. I need this "assurance" to accept it and move one.

I'm hoping professional tile layers will answer but all opinions and advice are appreciated at this point. I want to thank anyone who takes time to respond. If possible could someone confirm if it will need regrouted later?

Pictures can be found at Imgur


texts: our goodman gas furnace fires up but when the temperature drops and it should come back on it doesn't unless we hit the reset switch.  Repairman has been out and changed the breaker and thermostat.  what else can it be?


texts: Wet spot on outside of foundation oozing

texts:
I have a wet spot on the outside of my foundation. It is a block proprietor and a slab poured inside. Pipes run under slab.

When I first noticed this I checked the water meter for 24 hrs several times to see if I was losing pressure, but there was no movement on the meter after 24 hrs. I checked it several times.

Then I was away for a week (with water turned off) and when I returned it was still oozing this white paste. Wet , white looks like tooth paste. Don't see any wet spots under carpets or other floors. About 3" round about 8 inch from top of foundation.

Could it be a spring ? It's not waste water because I put blue dye in the toilets and it remains white. White paste consistently.

Had a plumber out. He did the same meter check for two hours but it did not move. Really has me stumped. The paste can be wiped off, which I did just before this picture and the "paste" never hardens, stays pasty. The circle is not a perfect circle it is just looks like that in the picture.


texts: Can I safely hang pegboard between studs, rather than across them?

texts:
I want to hang pegboard in my shed, which has exposed wooden studs (2x4). Most instructions for hanging pegboard say to screw them to the outward facing side of the studs (the 1.5" side) to span the studs.
What I want to do is hang the pegboard inside the 'box' made by the studs, so I can inset it 2-3" (most instructions I'm seeing say you need 1/2" behind the pegboard). It's a small shed, and the 2-3" of extra space I would get by having things hang between the studs would be welcome.
I figured I would just use corner braces, bolt them to the pegboard and screw into the sides of the studs and crossbeams (was thinking 1/2" screws, so I could hang on both sides of a given stud), but I couldn't find examples of anyone doing that, so I wanted to make sure it wasn't a bad idea. Is that going to be too weak?
Here's a diagram of what I want to do - the pegboard would fill the whole 'box,' but I cut it halfway so  you can see it is offset from the back. The braces are just on there willy-nilly for illustrative, not planning, purposes.


texts: Do 90 degree shelf pins need to sit flush with wood?

texts:
We had the same kind of shelf collapse as seen here, with less drastic consequences.

I went and found some nice 90-degree pins at the store, but noticed a small problem when installing.

The pins on the new supports are slightly longer than the old ones (old pins are 5/16", new are 7/16"). So when installed the nice L-bracket doesn't sit flush with the wall. Is this a problem? I'm guessing it should sit flush so that the wall helps the pin-hole support the weight. Pics at the end.

Should I just drill the pin-holes to be slightly deeper (assuming the walls are deep enough - these holes are on built-in shelves so it's not immediately obvious if they are) If I don't do that, should I file the pins down? Look for similar supports with slightly shorter pins? Or are they fine as is?


texts: How much water needed to test sump pump?

texts:
Recently moved in to a place and am attempting to test the sump pump. Most information I can find online mentions that there will be a float switch somewhere to activate the pump but I am not seeing it any where on my unit.

Does this style of sump pump have the float switch inside of the case somewhere?

Is there some way I can manually switch this style of sump pump on? I have looked around on it and do not see any levers or other types of things that I can identify as a switch or float device.

Aside from manually switching the pump on I know I can add water to the pit to test it. I've started doing that but the pump hasn't turned on yet. I have filled in probably an inch or two to the pit. How do I know when I should expect the pump to turn on? I don't want to overfill it if it's actually broken and just not turning on for that reason.


texts:
I'm working on remodeling a basement and the plan for now is to install a subfloor (XPS rigid insulation and plywood on top of that). For the actual floor, I was thinking of using vinyl planks that click together to form a floor.

A contractor I hired to help me suggested that perhaps vinyl is not the best solution for this for the following reason: since some moisture will come up through the concrete floor, the vinyl would function as a vapor barrier and the plywood would soak it up, and rot. He suggested that I put in a wood floor in instead.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Is this the correct way to go? What other kinds of materials could I use on the floor to keep things "breathable"?

I don't get water in the basement. I just had drain tiles installed along w/ a sump pump. The basement is only half underground too (4 ft).


texts: How can I tell which wire to connect to a bayonett lamp connector?

texts:
I have a white bayonet lamp connector that has no markings to show where to connect the brown and blue wires.
Any suggestions? thanks.


texts: Hot water doesn't come out of faucet right away and makes banging noise when it does

texts: This happens on every faucet in the house. Sometimes, when you first turn on the hot water, it comes out (just the pressure in the line) and then it runs slow and stops.  Then, a banging noise happens and the water starts.  At other times, there is a banging noise at the time the hot water faucet is turned on.  More recently, there is a slight banging noise in the pipes after flushing the toilet (which is cold water).  I have tried reducing the water temp on the hot water heater.  I considered buying a water pressure gauge to see what our household water pressure is.  Is this a problem with the entire water system or perhaps the hot water tank pressure regulator?


texts: I have two dead outlets. They were originally working but went out when the hair dryer was being used in one of them.  They are connected in a series from a receptacle in the dining room which has power via a cable pulled into the receptacle box.  The receptacle was replaced, still no power.  Wires were disconnected and tested still no power.  Could I have a bad (loose) connection at the working receptacle?  I just can't seem to figure this out, should be simple.  Do I need to replace the cable between the working and nonworking receptacles?


texts: Can I use the unused blue wire as a C wire?

texts:
I'm installing a wifi-capable thermostat in my house which for obvious reasons requires a C wire. The old school mercury thermostat I'm replacing didnt have a C wire connected but I've checked the furnace schematic and connections and the C is there.

Can someone please take a look at the attachments and verify that the C wire exists / that I'm not losing my mind?

Here are some additional pics:
http://m.imgur.com/gallery/u1QJQ

It looks like I should be able to add the unused blue wire to the C terminal on the furnace. Thoughts?

I've been referencing this post: How can I add a "C" wire to my thermostat?


texts:
A few weeks back I started getting intermittent outages without breakers tripping.  It would self resolve after some time.  During one outage I was eventually able to troubleshoot and found that exactly half my panel was out.  I called the utility company and they came out next day and found a bad connection at their pole on one of the drops to my house.

As soon as they fixed that, I noticed oddities at my oven, beverage fridge and main fridge.  In the past week the beverage fridge and main fridge controls completely died.  Could this be related to the bad phase on the drop?  If so, what would be the right way to describe this to my insurer?

Edit: When the utility came out to check the connection, they found the drop with the bad connection had "low voltage".  I don't recall getting a number at that time.

Thank you!


texts: Smart dimmer: neutral, ground and copper wire capped together

texts:
I called an electrician today to help me install These smart dimmers (Amazon link)  in my home. For one of the dimmers, he tied up the neutral and ground wires from the dimmer to the copper ground wire in the wall. Is this ok (see picture)?
When he first opened the box, he noticed that there was no neutral wire and then used a voltmeter to see if he can use the copper wire to connect to the neutral. After he concluded it was fine, he connected it and then just capped the green wire off (not connected to anything). When I asked him about connecting the neutral to the copper ground, he said it was fine. He then explained something to me but there was a bit of a language barrier, plus I'm not familiar with electrical work. He then said there are incidences where it is also acceptable to wire the ground, neutral and copper together, so he did that. I also asked him if connecting the three was ok and then he said yes it is safe.
I will also note that I was having a hard time connecting the smart dimmer to my phone when just the neutral and copper were together. Once he added in the ground to the two, it connected to my phone. Not sure if this is a coincidence or not?


texts: What are the must-have features for a Hackspace/Makerspace bandsaw?

texts:
I've been tasked with looking into Band Saw models which could be useful for in a Hackspace/Makerspace.  This means the saw will be used fairly frequently, by many people, for a wide variety of tasks.

Ideally we'd like to be able to work with wood and metal.  With this in mind we were considering getting a Vertical band saw for wood and a Horizontal one for metal.

My preliminary research has shown me a few dimensions to consider.  They are

  Type

  Floor-standing cabinet model
  Bench-top

  Kerf
  Depth of cut
  Throat capacity
  Size of motor

  3/4 to 1 horsepower for most home models.

  Speed/RPM

  Professional models will have larger motors with Variable Speed.  This is convenient for switching from wood to metal work.

  Table

  should have a cast-iron, steel or aluminum alloy table
  should tilt up to 45-degrees for angled cuts.
  are typically be about 16-inches in both width and length
  best to equip it with a miter track

  Blade momentum

  Thicker blades have higher momentum, which helps prevent binding.

  Blade length

  Try to find a machine that uses common blade lengths

  Fence

  Not sure what this is.  I've heard I should aim to have one.

In terms of models the only brand I've looked at so far is Start Rite, but I have to be honest, I'm completely lost.

So, I guess my question boils down to:

Which features are must-haves for a Hackspace/Makerspace setup, and why?  Am I on the right track?

Our budget would be in the  £1,000 to £6,000 range.

UPDATE

I realise now that the scope of this question is might have been a bit too broad.  I've received some good advice for vertical band saws (thank you) and have narrowed it down to two models.  Ideally I'd spend a few weeks researching this, but unfortunately I don't have that time... so for now my picks are:

Jet JWBS-16X
Jet VBS18MW Wood & Metal Cutting (primarily for wood)

I'll probably start a new question specifically for the horizontal metal band saw.

Cheers!


texts: I have bought one of those rent to own sheds to covert into a gym.  We are looking to finish the inside with either sheet rock or wall panneling.  I am not sure of the steps.  I know I need to insulate bc I'm in Ga and to be able to handle the weather it needs insulating. My question is what is the best to use and do I need to do the vapor barior.


texts: How can I remove a deadbolt from an interior door and close the bore?

texts: We have an interior door in our new (to us) home with a Schlage deadbolt that we want to remove. Is there a commercially available metal set-up with no keying?  Both door sides & strike plate... don't want to replace door.


texts: How to tell if water pipes are grounded?

texts:
This answer indicates that the water pipes should bonded to the electrical ground even if a grounding rod is used. How would one normally tell if that is the case? Is that bonding required to be accessible, or can it be hidden behind walls or buried? Where in the water system would it normally be bonded (e.g., before the main water shutoff, after, at the hot water tank)?

I recently had my electrical panel relocated and replaced, and don't recall seeing anything running from the panel to a water pipe - in the old panel or new. The electrician put in an intersystem bonding bridge, so the new ground rod, ground from the panel, and ground from the cable service are connected to it. I suppose that's where the bond from the water pipe would go?


texts: What's going on with my RainSoft EC4 water softener float?

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The house I bought came with a RainSoft EC4 100CT water softener installed in October 2011. Recently, the water in the house was extremely salty, making me suspect the water softener. I checked the brine tank and it was nearly full of water, while the unit was not regenerating. I've heard online that that isn't normal, but I have no experience with water softeners. I've seen a few videos of people taking the floats out of their water softener, and they all have a float that travels the full height of the brine tank. If I look in the manual for my softener, Figure 6 on page 10 looks like it depicts a similar float. But when I removed my softener's float, it looks very different:

There is a float hanging off a lever at the very top. That float can only move once the water reaches near the top of the brine tank. So should I expect my brine tank to be nearly full of water all the time?
I called the support number on the softener, which went to company I presume is the installer, and the receptionist told me it should not be full of water, but I'm not sure I can trust her expertise. She might not be familiar with the variety of models they installed 10 years ago. They wanted $100 just to come take a look, so this is me looking around first.


texts: How can I cover water stains on this wall

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During sandy storm I had some water leakage in my home. The damage isn't much in the sense that the drywall is still hard. It just has water stains that I'd like to get rid of.

Here is a pic of what the damage looks like. Yesterday night I applied a coat of water based primer on the drywall however, this morning the stain is still there.

Should I instead use an oil based primer?


texts: Can water-based wood glue deep in timber joinery initiate wood rot?

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In joinery projects where PVA glue is restricted access to air (for example, with doweling) moisture is dissipated through the surrounding wood and the glue typically takes longer to dry.

Is there risk of wood rot in the surrounding timber in situations like this, or with excessive glue use?


texts:
I'm finishing a small area of drywall, using the joint compound you mix with water, 20 minute open time.

I believe my second coat was too dry, as it didn't go on smoothly.

Can I just add the next coat on top? Maybe sand a little first to get off the big bumps. Any tips for consistency to mix it too?

Thanks!


texts: Is it safe to have an additional load before a switch first circuit?

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I have a circuit going to the bathroom that is a switch first. It's only load after the switch is a simple light and bathroom fan.

Is it possible and safe to have an additional outlet before the switch that is independent of the light's on/off state?


texts: Had water running through the water source to the fridge but not anymore. disconnected shut off valve but no water coming out?


texts: Thermopride OL5-85 oil furnace no longer works

texts:
We bought this old house where the oil furnace worked for a while. Now it does not work even after adding enough oil and priming the furnace. We have already pushed the reset button..so I do not dare to do it again..Would you please tell me what I should do? Thank you very much!

P.S.: The furnace is a Thermopride OL5-85 one.

(Yes this is a duplicate of what I deleted under another name. I just want to have some privacy.)


texts:
I am trying to put a smart switch in place of a regular one and when I opened the box I see 4 wires instead of 3 and looks like one of the black wire actually feeds the remaining devices on the circuit. Whenever I am connecting the load and live with my smart which connection it is tripping the circuit breaker.
Any suggestion how handle this?


texts: What is this metal piece coming out of my sprinkler system piping?

texts:
Between my sprinkler system solenoid valve and indexing valve there is a T connector that adds some sort of metal piece on top of the pipe.

I could not find a similar part on any of the sprinkler system parts lists or guides I've looked through, and google searching for any of the writing on top didn't bring up anything. I can make out the letters CFM 13.5, which makes me think it may be some sort of regulator, but I don't see how that would work since it is attached on the side of the pipe.
The part leaks water when the system is turned on, which makes me think it may be broken and needs to be replaced. Any ideas what it is?


texts: What is the danger of reversing the polarity while connecting a dishwasher to the electrical service?

texts: What is the DANGER, if any, of connecting the white neutral line of the dishwasher, to to black hot line at the power source--- and of course similarly connecting the black hot line of the dishwasher, to the white neutral line at the power source. Now I would not do this, but a fellow at the store said it would not make any difference. In either case the copper wire would go to the green ground screw. I seem to remember from somewhere that if the wiring were to be reversed as mentioned above, that a person touching both the dishwasher and maybe a sink or ground of some sort, that they could possibly get a big jolt of electricity.


texts: How can I convert an exterior light junction box to an exterior duplex outlet?

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I have two dedicated circuits that were supposed to be set up with exterior outlets, high up on the wall to run Christmas lights.  What I got was two circuits terminated with wire nuts in junction boxes with plastic covers.

If I try to install exterior outlets they of course would NOT hang in the traditional vertical position.

Is there any way to convert these boxes short of cutting them out of the stucco and installing the correct boxes?


texts: What can I do about a spot of rotten floor where I need to put in one of my toilet bolts when replacing a wax ring?

texts: I am replacing the wax ring on my toilet. I put one of the bolts in it's slot on the floor flange and it sunk in through the floor. The rest of the floor seems to be ok. It is in an older mobile home. Is there a simple fix for this soft spot?


texts: Does it violate US wiring code to have non-standard outlets?

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Note: this is entirely theoretical. I have no (current) plans to actually do this.

Would I violate any state/national building/electrical codes if I installed BS 1363 (UK plug/socket) sockets on a 240v circuit in an ordinary residence? In addition to the existing 120V circuit with NEMA sockets.

For the sake of the question, assume that the goal is to wire the 240V sockets as closely to the way they'd be wired in a UK house as possible. (mostly with respect to safety features)

Failing that, what features of a standard BS 1363 outlet can I implement which differ from a permanently-attached NEMA-6 to BS 1363 adapter?

And most importantly;
What are the safety implications of installing/using a setup like this?

Inspired by this question about running 240v circuits and looking into the NEMA plug types available in the US.


texts: What could be causing a new 20 amp dedicated circuit supported by a GFCI breaker to trip?

texts: I installed a dedicated 20amp circuit home run to support a single duplex outlet in a bathroom. The GFCI breaker is wired correctly. However, When I plug in a load  such as a light  a  the breaker trips. Could there be an underlying problem with existing circuits in the home which could be causing this issue such as a neutral and a ground touching each other somewhere on an existing circuit or circuits throughout the house?  The panel is a G E T M 2020C  and the breaker I installed is a THQL 1120 GFP. I believe that the issue is being caused by some sort of feedback through the neutral bar causing a ground fault condition when a load is plugged into the new outlet. I would appreciate any feedback.


texts: How can I fill in a large hole in a granite kitchen countertop?

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This isn't your regular faucet-change hole or a minor cavity - it's a really large hole someone made in this granite counter top. I'm renting this flat so replacing the whole counter is not an option. On the other hand I don't care if the fix is a bit ugly.

The hole's dimensions are 3.14" x 5.11" (photo attached)

I was thinking about sealing it from the bottom and then filling it up with some kind of epoxy or molten plastic.

Any ideas for what kind of material would be appropriate ?
Thanks


texts:
I am removing paint form a wood fence door (paint was not primed it seems). The paint was peeling and I wanted to get this door done. Very painful (process of removing paint).

I thought stain is better, but here are my questions: using Behr as my example for learning

is there a difference in the maintenance if using wood-tone or semi-transparent stain?
If the product says it lasts for 5 years, what will I have to do in 5 years? just clean the surface with water and re-apply? or is the work of preparing the door will be just as painful as scraping the paint now?
this article from TOH http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20361229_20771120,00.html has few types of stain, which one is Behr "wood tone" equivalent to? wood tone is less then semi-transparent, but is it "clear" or something above it?
TOH claims that semi and transparent will not peel. great, so if it doesn't peel, it means that maintanance is as easy as just re-apply?

I don't mind re-apply something every 5 years, that is easy, I just don't want to scrap every each of the wood like I do now ever again. I understand that possibly, I got it wrong, and that if I was willing to just paint the door again, I would not have to scrap all the paint (right?) since all I need to do is just scrap the bad paint that is easy to scrap, and than prime and paint over...

opinions on the paint vs stain part ?


texts: Where can I find plans for building a chicken coop?

texts:
I was hoping to build a chicken coupe for 3-4 chickens.  Does anyone know where I can find some plans (preferably free) for building a decent chicken coop?  It doesn't have to be the Taj Mahal, but I don't want it to be an eyesore either.

Some key features I'd like are a hatch that makes it easy to get eggs and a tray that makes it easy to clean out manure.


texts: What am I missing when blowing out water from my sprinkler system?

texts:
I am trying to blow out my sprinkler lines and I put together an adapter to connect the air compressor to the faucet pictured below.  The air compressor was charged to 140PSI, and then I turned on a zone and opened the air compressor valve to 40PSI (into the faucet).  But as far as I could tell, nothing was happening as far as water getting discharged from the system.  It appeared that all of the air was flowing out of the pressure vacuum breaker.

The past couple of years I have hired someone to blow out the sprinkler lines and I know they attach to that faucet.  I also know that when they are clearing the water from the system the sprinkler heads popup and the water discharges from them.   So what am I doing wrong?

EDIT (2010-12-28):
I am not sure why I was not able to blow out the lines through the pressure vacuum breaker (I imagine it is not sealing correctly as said by @gregmac is his answer) so I ended up installing a new valve beyond the PVB which is where I attached the air compressor.


texts: Why were both circular florescent tubes not working last night but are working this morning

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We have 2 circular florescent ceiling light fixtures on a single switch. Last night neither bulb would come on. But this morning they are working fine.

I had checked the circuit breaker, that was OK (other lights attached to that circuit breaker were working).

We have noticed that we are not getting very long out of the bulbs recently, having to change them withing 12 months of replacement.

Each fixture has one bulb.

Note I am in Ireland: 230vac & 50hz

Also, I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but it seems that 'quality' of electricity in our area is poor. Occasionally a circuit-breaker in the house will trip, and exactly simultaneously one of the neighbors' intruder alarms will fire (as they do when power is interrupted) or the power in the neigbourhood will vanish for a second, resetting clocks and computers.


texts: Lost shower pressure when switching from double handle to single

texts:
We are getting ready to redo our bathroom, and we were hoping to change our tub/shower from a double-handle control to a single dial control. One of our neighbors (same condo building, different unit) recently made the same change and said that her water pressure dropped significantly when she installed the dial control. What would cause this? Is there a way to install the single-handle control that would not lose so much water pressure?

Update:

Just a quick update. We just had the contractor install the rough-in, dial, and shower head with no specific instructions, and we haven't had any pressure or flow issues! Our neighbor must have just had a bad install.


texts: Electrical shutters crash computer connected to same power line

texts:
A friend of mine has a very strange condition with the electrical system in his room. Connected to mains, there is mainly an audio system, a computer and, most importantly electrical shutters. They are on all windows in the house.

Now, here is the problem: When the shutters stop moving, there is an audible click in the speakers. This is not a fault with the speakers, as they are relatively new and not the only thing affected. But that's not the best of it: Sometimes, when the click is very loud, the PC's drivers crash (LED illumination goes dark, audio driver crashes, ...). I could not reproduce this myself, but I have seen a video of it happening.

They had an electrician over to install some new outlets in the room and asked them about it, but the electrician did not know a solution to the problem either. I am a electronics hobbyist, and my friend asked me to look at the system. What I measured was as expected, that there is a voltage spike on the power line when the shutters stop.

This affects both L/N and the ground. I don't have pro equipment, and only an ebay oscilloscope and multimeter but even then there is a measurable voltage spike both on the ground conductor relative to a metal doorframe or air, and also between the mains wires when the shutters stop moving.

For testing, I isolated the ground prong for the speakers, and the click got much much weaker but still audible (I reversed this modification afterwards of course), so the problem is mainly with the ground line.

I assume that this is due to the coils in the motor of the electric shutter firing current back into the powerlines. Unfortunately, I don't have access to this shutter's wirings as it is mounted inside the walls. But I don't think that the unit is faulty, because the same occurs (although much weaker) when you move any other electric shutter in the house.

I have measured the mains voltage (between 230-235V at stable 50 Hz), the voltage between PE and N (~0.1-1V), and tried measuring if there was voltage on the ground line with the NCV on my multimeter, but everything seemed OK. Also, the house is pretty new.

Can this still be a fault of the power system, or is this just bad design of the shutters?

Also, what can be done to prevent the computer from being affected so strongly by this? I thought about an 1:1 isolating transformer, but that doesn't isolate the ground line IIRC.

Thank you in advance


texts:
First time home-owner in south east Ohio. My home has a North facing porch with wooden floors, and screened windows. The screens face into a very wooded area, and there is a walk-out to a patio directly beneath the porch.

A few months after moving in and winter ended, I started to see an increasing amount of bugs coming in through the porch if I left the door open, so I stapled fine mesh screen to the bottom of the porch between each cross-member. This has helped nearly eliminate bugs coming in, but I still have an issue with the floor boards of the porch being extremely dusty all the time. I have used a deck brush with hose attachment, and scrubbed only to find after drying the floors still appear dusty.

I have also tried cleaning the screens as best I can, thinking that maybe during a rain storm any dust and pollen on the screens may be getting washed into the porch.

I'm not sure what type of wood the floor boards, and walls are made of, but would it be an okay idea to try a pressure washer on the floors, or would there be a better option?
After cleaning the floors, should I apply some type of treatment to them to help prevent further build-up?


texts: Recommendations for carpet tile installation

texts:
I have a high-traffic game-room that needs to be re carpeted. I've decided that carpet tile is the way to go because I want to be able to wash or replace individual carpet tiles when they are damaged and/or stained.

The game-room is upstairs and the room is currently stripped down to the bare plywood subfloor. The plywood subfloor probably needs to be caulked and primed... it's got fairly wide gaps at the seams (1/4" gaps) and it's got overspray for the paint and wall-texture when the house was constructed.

I'm debating whether to go with peel and stick or glue-down... if glue-down, what kind of glue can be easly removed/replace if I need to pull and up and replace a tile. I've heard this is "releasable" glue for glue-down carpet tiles.

One concern is how to protect against water damage if a drink is dropped on the floor... is there a good way to seal the floor be water resistant?


texts: I am trying to replace my kitchen faucet and don’t know how to unscrew the spray hose. The ring is getting caught on the spray hose nut and I can’t pull the faucet out. Which is the nut to remove In the attached picture? I also assuming I go counterclockwise on it.


texts: how do I build a 7 to 9 inch high water dam? In wet weather, water gets into my house. I need to create a berm of earth that will be grass covered, and it should also have a water barrier to keep the soil from washing away. How can I build such a dam? It will be about 40 feet long.


texts: Water turns cold after water heater circulation pump is off

texts:
I have Rheem water heater and newly installed circulation pump. I am facing a weird situation with the circulation pump which is that the circulation pump is set to run between(4PM-9PM). When I take shower in the bathroom upstairs, at 10 PM. the water is barely lukewarm. However, when I take shower when pump is on, the water is hot.
I do expect the water to be hot enough after the circulation pump is off. This is because I expect that water has been heating up for 5 hours, there may be some cold water in pipes but once that water runs out, I should be receiving the hot water from the heater directly. I was in the shower for 20 minutes and I received lukewarm water for all 20 minutes.
Am I having the wrong expectation here?


texts: I purchased and installed a Zoeller some pump approximately five weeks ago. It worked great for one month and not a drop of water the basement. It has recently stopped working in the evenings and end up with a couple inches of water in the basement. I notice the float is all the way up when it has stopped working and all I have to do is gently tap the discharge pipe or the sump pump itself, and then it would immediately kick on and pump all the water out quickly. A contact Zoeller, and he stated it was most likely an air bubble. But he gave no indication on how to fix it even after I have emailed him back to additional times. I welcome any advice, basement has flooded three times in last week.    I did drill a weep hole


texts: Central AC Tripping Circuit Breaker (sometimes)

texts: When my AC first turns on, it will typically trip the circuit breaker shortly after the compressor and fan start up. If I reset the breaker, and turn the AC back on, it will usually run just fine and cool the house to the set temperature. Of course, the problem occurs again when the temperature at the thermostat rises and triggers the AC to start up again. It sometimes takes two or three resets of the breaker to get the AC to start up. My guess is that the compressor is drawing too much current for some reason – but I don’t know why it’s inconsistent, and I don’t know how to go about troubleshooting this. Any tips before I call out the repair man? The unit is getting close to 15 years old so I’m assuming they’re just going to suggest I replace it.


texts: Upgrading garage fuse box to breaker box using existing 10/2 wire with ground

texts:
The sub-panel in my detached-garage is a 4-fuse box that is supplied by two 10/2 cables with ground.  The 10/2 feed cables are routed through underground plastic conduit.  Each 10awg feeder hot wire is connected to separate 20amp breakers in the main 150 amp service panel.  My goal is to upgrade to a larger subpanel in garage using the existing feed cables.  (As pulling larger wire through the existing conduit is not an option.) I only need to add one or two 20amp circuits.
  I believe I'll need to change the two 20amp breakers in the main to a larger two pole breaker and that I'll need to install a ground rod for the garage service, as neutrals and grounds are currently going back to the main service.

Question 1) what size breaker should I install in the main to accommodate the
         10awg wire  without over doing it?  Is 30amp the limit?

Question 2) what size subpanel is appropriate for a 10awg feed?


texts: How do I know which wire is which is this old switch?

texts:
I'm replacing the following:

With this one:

But since there's not a white, I have no idea which is neutral. I tried hooking it up as pictured, but only the red wire had any power (and the switch wouldn't work).

This is a GFCI (I think) -  its circuit powers the garage doors too.

If I put the red in "line" and what was in "line" instead into "load", I at least get the led on the switch powered but the lights don't actually work.

I can confirm at least that (from the picture of the new outlet) the red and "line" wires are in the same sheathing from the wall.

Any guidance would be appreciated!


texts: I have noticed that my water will leave a slimy pink film on certain surfaces like a sink drain, bath toys, or dog water bowl. What would cause this and how can I fix it?


texts:
AC technician replaced my condenser fan (through a home warranty service). The new fan worked for 5 min and stopped working after that. the fan motor was extremely hot (180F or more)
The old fan motor was 1.4 A 240 V and 1/4 hp. the new motor is also of the same configuration. the only thing i missed out is the RPM. i don't remember the RPM of the old motor and the new motor RPM is 1040. The AC technician took away the old motor and recycled it.

What can be the problem here?

I looked in some forums that the RPM mismatch can overheat the motor and damage it. i have no way of knowing the RPM of the original motor. I looked in manufacturer manual and there is no mention of it. is RPM matching that important?

http://www.nordyne.com/Literature/423a.pdf [ My unit is maytag DS3BD-036K ]

Very similar to question What could cause a replacement A/C condenser fan motor to only run for 3 minutes?


texts: Does anyone know what these metal tools in the bottom left of the photo are? I found them in my crawlspace and to me they look like some sort of medieval torture device.


texts: Two identical fire alarms- different pitch

texts: I recently purchased a twin pack of Kidde smoke detectors. One thing I noticed is that one sounds off at a slightly higher pitch than the other. A friend purchased two detectors of the same mode as mine, but purchased them separately, one at a time. Each of his alarms also sounds off at a different pitch. I could not find anything online or in the manual. Is this normal? Or would it be a defect in their current production batch? It's after hours so I could not reach Kidde, just something that's keeping me interested in my caffeine-induced insomnia!


texts: Is it safe to put a clothes washer outdoors?

texts:
I will be short on usable indoor space for a while, but want to be able to wash clothes on site.

Are there any issues with putting a washer (and perhaps, a dryer) outdoors?

Perhaps it needs to be protected from the rain. Would an EZ-UP style canopy be sufficient?


texts:
So I'm having some problems planning the last step of my electric run to my detached garage subpanel. I'm using 2 inch pvc buried with individual 1 gauge aluminum conductors (and a 2 gauge ground).

The garage was just built, so open walls and such. I'd kinda like to mount the subpanel between the studs and have all wiring be behind the wall. My understanding though is that since I'm using individual conductors, they have to be in an approved raceway, like PVC. 90 degree pvc bends are very large. Each one is about a foot. I'm not sure what my options are. My state uses 2014 NEC.

I was thinking:

Two LB conduit body boxes, one on each side of wall to make kind of a U? 2" ones are pretty massive so I may need to downsize to 1.5".
Two 45 degree angles may work, but the hole would be difficult for me to drill at an angle, or kinda large (i.e. out of the ground, 45 into structure, 45 on other side to straighten it out into subpanel).
I've thought about switching to a SER cable near the end, but I'm not sure how to properly join large gauge aluminum connectors. Would I be able to switch it in a conduit body piece above ground outside the structure?


texts: How should I ground two switches in a handy box that were previously ungrounded?

texts: I am replacing two light switches in my bathroom.  One controls the light above the sink and the other controls the fan in the ceiling.  When I took the old switches out, I saw that the three neutrals were connected together. The three grounds were connected together.  One black was connected to a switch, the other black was connected to the other switch, and the third was pigtailed to both switches.  My question is on the grounding wires coming from the supply that are connected together.  How should I ground the switches themselves?  The box is a plastic box.


texts: How should I retape an inside drywall corner when the wall is heavily textured?

texts:
We just bought a house built in 1992 and need to retape the ceilings in some of the rooms where the ceilings are angled and the tape is coming loose. We have already removed the popcorn ceiling to do so.
The issue I foresee is that in some areas where the ceiling meets the walls, they need to be retaped - but the wall is very heavily textured.

Do we need to do something specific to repair this so we don't have an untaped corner?

Would it be smart to just finished the molding at the top that they didn't extend in to the living room to make the job "easier"?


texts: I have 3 rooms that lose power on my main floor and 3 that still have power with no breakers being set off.  One of the rooms is the kitchen but the stove still works.  Actually when the power goes off in those 3 rooms and you turn on a stove burner the power immediately comes back on.  I have changed almost all of the sockets in the 3 rooms and it has almost stopped completely but still goes off a few times a day. I have a few more to go and then will get into the breaker box I guess.  Any other advice?


texts: What is this black device on the wall of the furnace/boiler room?

texts: I've seen these in various places in the past and I'm wondering if anyone knows what the function of it is. There appear to be large resistors along the sides of the device and an odd round knob in the middle.


texts: How many lights can be wired to one switch?

texts:
I want to put lights in plugs in my garage. How many lights can you put and connect together for one switch?

I like to use normal bulbs, what size breaker can you use?

I would like to have at least 4 lights on one switch to turn on or off at the same time.

We have two sides, I would like to put 2 lights in the back of one side and two up front, that should be a normal hook up.

I am only putting lights on the breakers, so for the one can you hook up to 4 lights on one switch to one breaker. Then the other side, where I want two lights in the back and two up front, can these 4 go to one breaker also?


texts:
I have a 2 year old dehumidifier that had been working fine until this past winter.

As humidity started to increase I noticed the that the fins on the heat exchange developed frost. I checked the air filter, I checked the refrigerant plumbing and finally cleaned the fins with compressed canned air without any improvement.
While cleaning the unit I noticed that one side of the heat exchanger is all full of rust while the other side is pristine. Is this normal?

This is the 2nd dehumidifier (in a second house) that has died within 2 years of purchase. Is this a common problem with dehumidifers these days?

What is the normal cycle of a dehumidifer that is working properly. I seem to remember that even when unable to reach the humidity setpoint this dehumidifier would stop after several minutes of running (possilby to allow for thawing of any frost?) and then resume course after ~10 minutes off. Can someone with a working consumer dehumidifer confirm this behavior?

edt: spelling


texts: Ok to hook up water filters to a regular kitchen faucet?

texts:
So we have this beautiful Grohe Minta (sort of upside down 7-shaped) kitchen faucet. We want to add a drinking water faucet next to it, but cannot find any filtered water faucet that goes with the Minta's looks.

So, I'm thinking of buying another kitchen or prep faucet, connect the cold water hose to the filters and cap the hot water connection.

Is this ok to do? Permissible?
Any issues we should be aware of? Flow, gpm? Connectors/adapters needed?
Here is a pic of the Grohe Minta:


texts: Bathroom pocket door warps as fall comes

texts:
I have a couple pocket doors I replaced a couple years ago in the summer. One door is between a powder room and full bath, the other is between the master bedroom and the same full bath. They're the Jeldwen pre-primed, 6-panel doors from Home Depot.
I hadn't painted them right away, and noticed as fall approached, the door between the bedroom and bath was binding up. I took the bow out by removing the door, lying it flat and placing some weight on it until it was straight again. I also took the time to paint both doors.
Everything was fine up until now, now that it's changing from summer to fall again. This time it will rub and eventually bind up and scrape the the pocket door frame and leave marks in the door.
Anyone have any ideas what's causing this to happen and how to prevent it? Thanks for the help.

this is the bedroom side of the door showing ample gap

this is the bathroom side of the door showing ample gap