texts: Can I use WD40 to remove rust from my electric hob plate?

texts:
I used WD40 to remove some rust from my bicycle u-lock recently (locking mechanism). It worked very well (I put some bike lube on it afterwards). Now, I have plenty of rust on my electric hob plate. My hob looks similar to this: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81CQ1Jot2CL.SL1500.jpg

I tried to use vinegar first, but the effect was minimal. So I was wondering if I could use the same oil for my hob?

I have the following concerns:

Hygiene: Is it bad to use it next to food appliances?
Heat: Will oil leftover start to burn after switching on the hob?


texts: Is it safe or normal to close/cover junction boxes but use existing line to power new boxes just a few (6-12) inches away from the old ones?

texts: We have 2 pendant lights hanging over a breakfast bar in the kitchen. The boxes are easily accessible in the attic. We'd like to move them back a few inches and then add additional wiring for a 3rd box/light. Electrician wants to close/cover the 2 existing boxes, add 3 new ones in a row and use existing line to power the new. Keeping in mind the 2 existing ones could be moved back - creating slack in the line - before adding a few feet for the 3rd/new light,  why not just do that? Thanks much.


texts: Funny "thump" sounds sometimes at night, what could be the cause?

texts:
I live in a 4-story townhouse that has a wood frame (no concrete except in basement) and was built in late 1980's.

Once in a blue moon, whilst laying on the bed at night, I have heard a rather loud thump sound come from somewhere in the house. Sometimes there is 2-3 sounds, with perhaps a 5-10 second interval.

The bedroom is on the second highest floor and the sounds were loud enough to make me think someone had broken into the basement. So I checked the house but did not see any evidence of anyone breaking in.

Anyway this house has air ducts embedded into wooden floors, so I wanted to ask if these sounds could be caused by e.g. warm air in the heating system expanding the floors? Or could it be something in the plumbing system that can cause this? We live in Massachusetts and the temperature has been in low 40's for some weeks now, maybe it is related to that somehow?


texts: How should I patch a large hole in brick?

texts:
I have an old vent, about 6-8 inches in diameter, in my ranch style brick home that used to be for my stove.  We have done away with the stove and no longer need the vent.  The hole and vent is outside and leading into our unfinished basement so it would be easy to run an electrical outlet (GFI) where the hole is to where we are going to put a fountain with some landscape design.

Can I place the electrical outlet in the hole and cement around the outlet with the electrical wire into the basement?  Do I put CCA treated wood or an aluminum piece of metal inside behind the cemented hole to support the concrete inside the house?


texts: How should I decide between an HRV and ERV for a northern climate home?

texts:
I have a 33 years old house in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada. The existing air exchanger is out of order and need to replace with something newer. Question is should I get a HRV or ERV system.
As I understand:

HRV only recovers heat
ERV recovers both heat and humidity (C$200 more)

That kind of easily makese sense to go for an ERV system so that in winter it doesnt get too dry and in summer it doesnt get too humid inside the house.
But at the same time it may not make significant difference depending on the weather in my location. Thats where I need an expert opinion or someone already have a previous experience on this.
Question is:
Which one would be a good choice to go with HRV or ERV? How can I make the decision?
Thanks


texts: How do I plug a leak in my refrigerator's water fountain casing?

texts:
We seem to have developed a slow water leak at the bottom right edge of the casing for the water dispenser in the left door of our GE refrigerator. This is causing water to drip slowly along the front face of the door all the way down to the floor. The dripping water is stagnating on the wooden floor causing the wood to slowly warp. Here are some pictures showing this.

How can I stop this leak?

-- update --

The leak seems to be because of water under the drip tray, but this water is not overflowing -- there has always been a small amount of water stagnating under the tray for the last 4 years without this leakage.

Including picture of model number.


texts: How to ground private 2/0 aerial triplex from meter to garage

texts: Where to ground aerial 2/0 triplex bare neutral at the meter/pole. Can I connect directly to power company strand/neutral? Or connect to mast (customer equipment)?


texts: Is it normal for a drain look like this?

texts: Drain looks like it has tree roots in it. What is the best way to get this cover off? And get rid of what appears to be tree roots in the drain?


texts: Modify dishwasher water inlet valve or harness

texts:
Original water inlet valve electrical harness hookup

Replacement water inlet valve electrical harness hookup

Male connector/harness

Inlet valve with female connector

Dishwasher model number etc.

My dishwasher has a slow leak coming from the water inlet valve (water constantly drips into the dishwasher).  I ordered a replacement water inlet valve (W10158389).  The replacement is identical to the original in all ways except three.  The female end on the inlet valve is reversed (rotated 180 degrees), is gray instead of green and worst of all has a slight different shaped and so the harness wont snap in.

Photo one is of the female connector on the original valve - note it looks like a “T”.

Photo two is the female connector on the replacement valve - note it looks like a “l”.

I imagine that I can fix this problem by simply breaking off the tab on the replacement valve or on the male end of the harness.

Breaking the tab will allow the electrical harness to snap in but I am worried that the polarity might be switched.

I have contacted the parts manufacturer (repair clinic - the official parts supply house for kitchen aid dishwashers) who confirmed it was the correct part and who mentioned that parts can change slightly over time (this dishwasher is from ~2008).  I have also contacted a seller of whirlpool parts (whirlpool makes this part) on Amazon who also confirmed this is the correct part and that all the modern replacement parts of model #W10158389 will be identical.

Any advice on how to modify this part would be most welcome.


texts: How to tidily integrate power into an island

texts:
I'm currently running the ducts for wiring into my gutted kitchen and was wondering how best to integrate power into my island.

I've seen pop-up products like this and this that fit nicely into the island, but am not sure of whether they're actually practical.

Also, I'm unsure of how to wire the island. Do I wire a plug directly into the cabinet?


texts: Looking to replace light switches - 2x blue, 2x black wires

texts:
I'm looking to replace a light switch. Upon opening up the switch, I'm greeted with this:

I would like to replace with this:

For context, this is a commercial in-conduit wiring. I want to replace my HPS lights with dimming LEDs, hence the additional purple and gray wires on the new switch.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Edit: I opened up the junction boxes in line and here's the wiring:

This junction box is directly in line with the switch:

This is the junction box the first light is hanging from:

And this is the junction box furthest from the switch:

And as requested, a picture of the breaker:

There are four HPS lights that this switch controls.


texts: Why does hot water come from the faucet when only the cold water tap is on?

texts:
On occasion, when I open the cold water tap on the kitchen sink, the flow from the faucet briefly becomes warm: it starts cool, becomes warm for about 30 seconds, and then returns to the desired cold temperature.

I have only observed this to happen early in the morning, when the plumbing has not been in use all night.  It seems to happen no more than once in a day.  What could be the reason for this?


texts: Feed-through vs. non-feed-through GFCI for kitchen backsplash?

texts:
I'm planning to replace a decades-old receptacle / switch combo (switch is used for garbage disposal) and switch (used for wall-mounted light above kitchen sink). Here's the current setup:

For the receptacle/disposal (left) half of the problem, I'm looking at two Leviton switch + GFCI receptacle combos: GFSW1-KW (a 15A non-feed-through model) OR GFSW1-W (a 20A feed-through model). Any concerns with these units?

I'm assuming that I want the feed-through version, right? Or is there some reason why I'd want a non-feed-through model, e.g. easier to install? It's not cheaper.

Also, is it a good idea to also feed the right-side switch through the GFCI?  As you can see from the picture it's very close to the sink so I'm always a little nervous about water getting back there.  The light fed by the switch on the right isn't the only light in the kitchen, so there's no worry about hunting around in the dark if the GFCI is tripped. But is there any other downside to feeding the switch through the GFCI?

Also, dumb question: is the switch in the GFCI/switch combo protected by the GFCI?

Finally, any other gotchas I should watch out for with this setup, beyond the advice in this answer?  I've installed GFCI receptacles before but never when combined with switches.


texts: How to properly seal water supply line in block foundation

texts:
There was an old rag and some very old concrete around this water supply line entering the house.  I would like to reseal it, but I am not sure what to use.

Should I use hydraulic cement or something more flexible?


texts: I am painting my deck with metacrylics paint do I need to clean between coats of paint

texts:
I am painting my deck it is a sealed metacrylics walking deck. I cleaned with tsp and put down the primer coat. I applied the first color coat. Do I need to clean again with tsp before I put on the second coat. The first coat needs to cure for 72 hrs.
Thank You


texts:
Planning to run 6 lights from a sub panel around my pool. 20 Amp GFI breaker in-place. Planning to run THWN 12 gauge wire in plastic conduit for the lights (pole lights) with at least 2 switches. Want to add an outlet at base of each pole for added electrical options (low amp/watt) decorative rope lights or Christmas lights.
Unsure of how to add the receptacles. Also, may want to have a separate switch for the receptacles. Any suggestions are appreciated.


texts: Would a "Quiet Check Valve" help when check valve is only on backup sump pump pipe?

texts:
Whenever it rains our sump pump sounds like a jack hammer when it shuts off. I had always assumed it was just the sump pump itself that was noisy, but as I did some searching this morning I came across a mention of replacing a regular check valve with a "Quiet Check Valve", and watched a couple videos where the pump initially sounded like mine, but after replacing with the quiet check valve the hammering noise was gone. I was about to order one, when I realized my configuration was different, and I'm not really sure how my configuration works or if the new valve would help.

My understanding of the image below is that "A" is the pipe from the primary sump pump. "B" is a Zoeller Water Powered Emergency Backup Sump Pump. The check valve "C" is above the emergency sump pump, so I think that check valve would always be closed.

My questions are:

1) If I replaced the check valve "C" with a new "quiet check valve", would that make any difference to quiet the hammering when the primary pump shuts off?

2) When the primary pump shuts off, does the water above run straight down the y connector (part "D" in the picture) to stop at the check valve "C"?

3) If so, would that water fill up above the check valve "C", and then run down the y connector "D" to go down the primary sump pump's pipe "A", and back into the pit?

4) Does the connector "E" serve any special purpose?

5) Would adding a quiet check valve in the primary pump's pipe "A" be of any value?

Thank you for any insight!


texts: How to Stop GFCI tripping when current drops too quickly?

texts:
I have my entire aquarium running off one GFCI.  My lights are plugged into the top outlet and all of my pumps/etc are plugged into the other.  If everything is running and I cut the switch (on the power strip) off, it occasionally trips the GFCI.  If I do the same thing with the lights off, this never happens.  This is especially annoying since the lights are metal halides and take forever to come back up.

The breaker hasn't tripped since I hooked everything up (a year ago)
The lights pull about 6 amps
The pumps/etc pull about 2 amps

If I put a second GFCI to split the load up, would that fix my problem (I realize that I can't feed the second GFCI from the first)?

I'm up for alternative suggestions short of running another circuit.


texts: how to know if the water valve connection is metal or plastic?

texts: I am buying a new dishwasher. The installation requires a metal connection to the existing water valve. How do i know if i have a metal or plastic connection?


texts: How deep should I embed a 30-foot light post?

texts:
I am installing a 30 Foot Round Straight Steel Light Pole, 5 Inch Diameter that I am purchasing from LightMart.
I live in the outside of Las Vegas, NV near the mountains where sometimes its very windy, gusts around 50mph.
I am installing just one light on top of the pole. I was researching what dept do I have to go and how wide. I've read that for width I would have to go 3 times the pole size 5" so 15" inches wide and for dept about 4ft to 5ft. To use a lot of rebar and a good strength concrete. What do you guys recommend?


texts:
We are moving house next Friday and our 2 boys are moving from a room each in to sharing. To give them as much space as possible we're going to attempt to modify 2 Ikea Kura beds that we've purchased to make this:

(we're not sure as of yet how they managed to mod it that way, so if anyone else wants to look at the instructions and attempt to see how they've done it, feel free to point me in the right direction!!)

The beds are perfect in that they'll give the boys their own space, they each have wall mounted TV's that will be in their own "section" and we plan on having the curtains on the side so they can have a bit of privacy if they want it.

As space is limited I'm toying with the idea of purchasing these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140930933432?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

To go around the top of the frames on each bunk so they have their own lighting. I'm guessing 5m is about the most you can power from a single 12v adapter in series, but what about in parallel?

I was toying with the idea of getting the strips from Ikea, but if I can make something much more custom, ideally this is how it would work...

Single plug socket in the wall splits off to 2 separate parallel circuits one on the top bunk, one on the lower bunk. Each bunk has a switch that controls the light on that switch...

I think that sounds like it should be ok, is it safe?

Next question... is it possible to use a switch such as this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-Car-Black-Aluminum-Metal-Switch-LED-Push-Button-Latching-Push-On-Start-16mm-/301218788582?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&var=&hash=item462209f4e6

That I could put in to the wooden frame so they have a switch that is always glowing dimly, so they can see it if it's dark, that controls the led's on their circuit?


texts:
I've got a sinkhole in my back yard of a tear down home (torn down from an old duplex from 1950 and rebuilt). The hole is about 5 feet wide and 4 feet deep. The corner of the deck has sunk in the hole and is temporarily hanging in the hole.

I've had a contractor offer to fill it with concrete for $700. They mentioned the possibility of a drainage issue but my drains are newly and correctly installed. A similar post (without an answer) stated that if this issue persisted into something larger we would have a huge boulder that would need to be removed on top of whatever else may be causing the problem.

I also spoke with a few architectural landscapers and they gave me large price points to JUST examine and determine the cause of the issue. One of them said it may be an old septic tank from the original property. I am located in the Atlanta area and have not heard of this possibility. I've heard of debris pits but not sure that's the issue.

My question is what should I do? Has anyone done this type of work before? Is there a good idea of what causes sinkholes in this part of the country (Atlanta area)? I'd appreciate any help. (I currently have it lifted off the ground with some cinder blocks.

UPDATE: I had a landscape architect come out this afternoon and he is adamant that it is an old well. One from before 1950 most likely. He cited his 20 yrs of experience but in the last 2-3 years he has done about 3-4 of them a year as houses in my area (Atlanta, GA) are getting torn down and rebuilt. His plan would be to dig down deeper, about twelve feet or until water is found, and then cap the well with concrete. After that he would fill with dirt to the top of the sinkhole.


texts:
So I bought a new remote ceiling fan. I can't get the fan to turn on while connected to the receiver. I have a black, green, red and white wire coming out of my ceiling. I have all 3 greens connected together, the ground. I have the black from ceiling connected to the black from receiver labeled "AC in L". White from ceiling connected to white on received labeled "AC in N". I have my red capped. Then on the other side of the receiver I have black,blue and white connected the same colors on the fan. Doing this I can't figure out why my fan won't turn on.

But when I take off the receiver I connect black from ceiling to black on fan, white on ceiling to white on fan and the red to blue on fan. The fan will work and my room switch turns the light on and off. I'm assuming the red from ceiling controls the switch on my wall.


texts:
My gas oven, Frigidare model FPGF3081KFM, does not always hold the correct temperature.  It will always ignite correctly initially and come up to the correct temperature, but for long cooking sessions (half an hour or more) it will occasionally stop heating entirely.  The interior will be cool to the touch despite being set to normal cooking temperatures.

I have already replaced the temperature sensor and the main (bottom) igniter element with brand new parts.

The gas burners on the stove top work correctly.  I have not smelled unburnt gas at any point.

This may be a duplicate of these previous questions, but neither had a satisfactory answer:

Gas oven won't maintain temperature it is set on

Gas oven sometimes stops heating


texts:
After getting my furnace blower motor replaced, it now runs only in the following scenarios:
1. Mode "Cool" Fan "Auto"
2. Mode "Cool" Fan "On"
3. Mode "Heat" Fan "On"

In other words it will not run when in "Heat" mode with Fan "Auto". I believe it could have something to do with the way the motor is wired.

Please see the images and link below for information on how it is currently wired. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as we are moving into winter quickly here!

Thank you!

-Zach

Click here for Furnace and Blower Motor Information

Wires Coming from Original Furnace

Wires Coming from new Blower Motor

How the wires are connected currently


texts:
We have a lead lined, concave roof on a bay window. The roof itself has a small drain.

Inside the house, below the bay window we have a small leak that occasionaly appears when it rains.  I have attempted to seal up the roof using bitumen tape and most recently painted with elastomer based roof seal paint (really thick rubbery paint).

The leak is much reduced. However there is still a small one, sometimes.

Any tips on finding the source of the leak in such a situation ?  My current plan is to go up with bucket of water and assess possible holes by pouring water in them and waiting for any leak (there was nothing particularly obvious last time I was up).


texts: Could sound insulation around copper pipes cause condensation?

texts:
A leak in the bathroom, above the kitchen, started as a small water stain on the ceiling. I opened the ceiling and determined insulation (2 insulation pieces), that was placed to absorb the sewer pipe, was soaked.  After two weeks of investigation, the toilet, sewer pipe, vent piping and copper cold water pipe appear not to be the issue. The vent pipe goes to the roof, and after rain storms, that too appears to be a non-issue.  I had sound insulation covering the sewer plumbing, which also covered the cold copper line that feeds the toilet.

Could this sound insulation around cold copper pipe create enough condensation over time (13 years since the house was built) that it finally came through the drywall.  I realize now I should have used the black foam copper pipe insulation.

Any insight would be appreciated before I close up the ceiling.


texts: Can I run wireless alarm sensor in same conduit as power?

texts:
I need to connect a water flow valve

to my wireless alarm.
I plan on connecting the water flow switch to a wireless alarm sensor

Currently there is a junction box that has power running to it that goes through a conduit to the flow valve switch #1 for the fire bell. I need to get a second wire to the 2nd switch for the alarm monitoring.  I have an 18/4 FPLR fire wire that I will run about ten feet to connect to the wireless sensor.  Can I run this through the same box and flex conduit as the wire to the switch for the bell, or do I need to run a second conduit to the valve.


texts:
I'm trying to replace a basic on/off switch for the fan in my powder room with a timer switch (which requires a neutral). The timer switch comes with red, white & black wires, the same as what the old fan switch was connected to.

In the same box there's also a light switch which is also connected to another on/off switch in the next room. In speaking to the timer mfg they told me it won't work with a 3 way switch. Instead of returning it I'm assuming there must be a way to separate the fan from the 3 way switch so it'll work.

The old on/off switch had a red & white wire coming from a romex and it had a black wire (power I'm assuming) that connected to a number of other black wires.

Can I get this timer to work??  Thx!

Here's a pic. The 3 wires with the orange caps are what the old on/off fan switch were attached to (which had 1 black & 2 brass screws). The light (motion sensor switch pictured) works independent of the fan. The mfg said the timer switch I bought won't work in a 3 way after he saw this pic. So I'm trying to figure out how to get around the 3 way. A light switch in the next room can also turn this light on and off (and I don't need it if that helps).

Timer Switch This is the timer switch I bought and yes I'm open to buying another digital timer if its easier to hook up.

Here's a better pic, hope it helps (again, the orange screw caps are on the wires that were connected to the old fan switch).

Here's a wiring diagram. There's a 5th romex at the bottom of the box. There is only 1 switch which controls the fan & I think the white wire went to the black screw on the old switch.

My wiring diagram is correct. It's an optical illusion in the photo. The white & red with the orange caps come from the same romex.

Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks everyone!

Thanks Phase 3 & Harper for your answers!

Harper I had a question. You said "OK, since you say only one switch operates it, I assume the 3-way switch at the other end has been disabled. Okay, all three wires in cable 3 get disconnected and capped off (2 of them already are)." The switch in the next room still controls the light (only) and nothing has been disabled. Does that affect your answer?

Harper - I tried your answer and the timer works! Problem now is that the light doesn't work. :-)  Since you assumed the 3-way switch at the other end was disabled, I disconnected the wires on that switch (in the other room) and capped them off. Would this have caused the light not to work or do we have another issue? Thanks.

I put the wires back on the switch in the other room and everything works!! Thanks!


texts: Looking for a replacement spline for my cabinets

texts:
We are having our kitchen cabinets painted white and need to replace the spline that holds in the glass on 4 of the cabinet doors. Unfortunately we don't have a physical sample anymore but I have these pictures.
Any idea on where we can buy these? There are a lot of options and most of them say they are for aluminum windows, but this goes into a groove in a wooden cabinet door.


texts:
I need to run a 50 amp circuit (120/240V) from a shed to a travel trailer that is permanently in place.

The previous trailer had 30 amp 120V service running underground to a mounted/covered outlet under the trailer and then the standard trailer cable/plug into that.

The run is ~50 ft.  Running the 30 amp 120V service was fairly straightforward (big box hardware stores have the right wired for burying).  But when I start looking at 50 amp things get less straightforward (to me).

I'm assuming from a brief googling of big box stores have not resulted in any results for #6 non-conduit buriable wire.  So this leads me to believe that I need to run it in conduit, but then I get concerned about heat (this may be an incorrect understanding).

We only occupy the travel trailer 2 - 3 days a week for May/Jun/Jul/Aug/Sept.  Most of the days are spent outside and the AC & oven will rarely be used. (I understand that you should plan for the largest load not smallest).

Can I run 50 amp (120/240V) underground?  Do I need to ground the chassis of the trailer to a 8ft grounding rod?  Should I use #4 instead of #6 to reduce the heat concern?


texts:
I recently moved to a 30ish year old building.

The master bedroom's carpeted floor creaks horribly when anyone walks across it - loud enough to wake my wife and daughter in the next room at night!

Not all of it creaks.  Just a roughly 5ft x 10ft area.  Of course, that area is the path between the bed and the door.

What is the easiest way to eliminate or at least reduce the creaking?  Preferably without pulling out or damaging the carpet.


texts:
I am building a light-gauge steel frame workshop that is made from 0.55mm cold-formed 90mm x 45mm (2"x4") light-gauge steel studs.  The structure is wrapped in 25mm (1") of extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation and then 12mm (1/2") plywood cladding (siding).  The cladding requires stainless screws due to the CCA preservative and the proximity to the ocean also requires stainless screws to meet New Zealand building regulations.
What methods could be used to allow using stainless screws in the galvanized steel studs?  I would think there would be something similar to plastic wall anchors that could be used but I haven't found any references for it.
I would like to have a few options to consider before discussing with the architect and building inspector so a final decision can be made on the spot.
Update 1
I did find a B8 coating from Bremick that is an electroplated zinc and nickel blend that is compatible with galvanized steel and may have enough corrosion resistance to be substituted for stainless 304 or 316.

I also found some bi-metal wing screws that have a hardened steel tip and a few threads welded onto a stainless head and shank, but it doesn't look like the hardened steel tip is intended to be load bearing and is just there to drill through the steel stud quickly.
Update 2
After a bit of back-and-forth between the inspector, architect, and engineer, the conclusion is that:

The B8 screws are acceptable since they are AS3566 Class 4+  corrosion level (ISO 9223 Category 5)
Stainless steel grade 304 or 316 will also both work since the metal framing is formed from galvanized sheet and the stainless-to-steel connection will be inside the thermal envelope of the building.  This metal combination is not permitted for the corrosion zone of the structure for timber framing standard NZS3604 (which assumes there is contact with moisture), but it is allowed for by the National Association of Steel Framed Housing (NASH) for metal framing formed from galvanized sheet (which assumes no permanent moisture contact).

Update 3
After researching the perfect screws and managing to get my hands on them, I did some tests.  The results were a bit surprising, I'll get some photos in the next few days and post the results since it will likely be useful for others that are in the same situation.


texts:
Got an old drafting table and there's wood stain and adhesive stuck on the edge: http://imgur.com/a/zyaJ0

How can I remove the layer of gunk and clean it up a bit?

Obviously removing the edge would make cleaning easier, but I'm not quite sure that I could replicate the way it's attached now when re-attaching.


texts: How can I support a heavy sink in a homemade bench table?

texts:
We have a cool old soapstone utility sink in our laundry room that has developed a crack and needs to be replaced. We can't find/afford to replace it  with the same thing, but I found a deep iron sink that would fit the space nicely and I'd like to build a stand like this for it:

This would suit the space much better than adding cabinets. It would be much narrower as we only have ~25" to work with, but the basic concept of dropping the sink into a workbench is what I'd really like to replicate. The sink is pretty heavy and I am not sure how to select a material for the countertop that can support the weight of an iron sink. I could get a steel sink but I like the iron sink.

Not sure what the sink weighs but I found it difficult to lift so I'd guess close to 100lbs. And we need to be able to fill it with water so there's another 80lbs or so. Assuming I accurately calculate the weight of the full sink, how do I know that the countertop material I'm using can support it?

Can I use plywood for this? What should I be looking for in selecting wood?


texts: Dropped Ceiling Configuration and Main Runner Splicing

texts:
I'm planning on installing a dropped ceiling and have a couple questions. For reference, the room in question is 12' 5" x 14' 10" and I'm going to use 2'x2' tiles.

Question 1

I've plugged these dimensions into Armstrong's calculator and it suggests only using 3 main beams:

When I was planning it out, I came out with 4 main beams:

What considerations should I be aware of between the two (besides the counts)?

------------------------------------
|   Type        | Armstrong | Self |
------------------------------------
| Main 12'      | 4         | 5    |
| 4' Cross Tees | 24        | 18   |
| 2' Cross Tees | 28        | 33   |
------------------------------------

Question 2

I have not been able to find a good guide or video which demonstrates how to splice together main runners. For the 5" that I am short, are there any other creative/simple options? Here are the ends of the main runner I've purchased:


texts: Can I turn the water off at the street to work on my plumbing?

texts:
My angle valves under sink are hard to reach with garbage disposal in the way.

Can I turn the water off at the street to change parts in faucet, or will this drain my gas hot water tank?


texts: Can I cut a 4x4 stud to frame a pet door without carrying load?

texts:
I want to frame in a pet door in an exterior wall, next to the man door in my garage. Cut a small section to see what I was up against and found a 4x4. Can I safely cut this to install a header/jack studs without carrying the load? Id rather not tear out the dry wall all the way up.

Thanks!


texts: How to determine the polarity of a lamp?

texts:
I have a lamp that has a damaged plug.  I have a replacement plug, but I'm not sure which wire on the cord should be connected to hot plug and which wire to the neutral plug.  I know that the plug had a polarity (it had one large blade and one small blade), but I don't know which wire was the "hot" wire.  The cord doesn't have a ground wire.

Is there a way to know which wire should be connected to "hot" or neutral?

This is in the United States.


texts: Easiest way to replace mortar around door?

texts: I have a stone house and some of the mortar around one of my door frames has completely eroded away, there are big gaps and I can now see the screws that once screwed into the mortar too hold the door frame in place. What is the easiest way to replace this vertical cement? (Gaps are about 4 inches high, 2 inches wide and 4 inches deep)


texts:
I’m trying to build a deck gate at top of stairs.  Problem is I have to offset 6x6 posts.
What should I do, Should I just add another 6x6 post in the nearest post to make it even?


texts: How to remove yellow blotch from MINWAX Stainable Wood Filler on pine wood

texts:
Before staining the pine wood siding of my balcony, I used MINWAX stainable wood filler to cover nail holes and knot cracks.

The holes are filled alright, but there is a yellow blotch where the excess product was. Sanding (120 grit) does not make it go away, the wood is stained.

Unfortunately, thinking this product was like plastic wood (which does very well on pine, after sanding, only the hole shows with the filler), the job is done and now I have patches of yellow blotches everywhere.

What should I do to get rid of this?

You can be sure I won't be using this product on pine again.


texts: Leveling basement floor while keeping it sloping to the drain?

texts:
I am having similar problem with the basement slope being exceptionally steep around the floor drain (similar to this: How do I level a basement floor but not the slab underneath?). The discussion there seems to lead to a specific solution:

Extend the drain to the new level
Pour self-leveling cement to raise the floor
Create channels in the freshly poured cement for the water to drain

So the questions are:

Is that a practical solution to this problem?
If so, which method would be most effective in crating these water channels?

Using a wide screwdriver (how do you maintain consistent slope without displacing surrounding concrete)?
Laying down a pattern of 1/2" dowls/PVC pipes (how do you construct this pattern? what pattern would work best?)
What about cutting them in with a circular saw after the concrete sets (seems messy, time consuming, producing narrow channels with no slope?)

Well, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So, ideally, I would like to see this method in action or in its finished state.

PS:
I am also considering laying down Delta FL over the entire area to act as a vapor barrier/subfloor; laminate on top...


texts: How to tighten a door handle with no visible screws or holes

texts:
I'm trying to figure out how to tighten the handle on the front door of a new condo unit. I've done a bunch of googling and watched some YouTube videos, but they all either have 1) visible screws, 2) a hole that you can press a pin or hex key into, or 3) are Kwikset handles that you twist and pull. It appears that my handle doesn't fit into any of these groups, as it has no visible screws, no holes that I can see, and is not a Kwikset handle. Some photos are below. In the 3rd photo, I took off a plate, which is why the screws are missing.

Inside (Left):

Inside (Right):

Between inside and outside:

Outside closeup:

Inside closeup:

Outside handle closeup:


texts:
I need to replace this fan motor, I believe it's Broan, but could also be NuTone. I have tried looking up the number stamped on the side, but nothing comes up for either of those manufacturers. Does anyone recognize this or have any luck finding an actual replacement?

Thank you for your help.


texts: How to know if neutralizer is needed after chemical paint stripping?

texts:
I just used Klean Strip paint stripper to remove some old paint from an exposed piece of wood near my stairs. The wood is pretty clean (grain visible and almost no traces of paint left) but I do plan to sand it. However, I know that some stripping products (like PeelAway) require (or recommend) neutralization as they themselves are not pH neutral.
What is the test to determine whether my surface needs neutralizing after chemical paint removal? I know there are pH (litmus) strips but I don't know which pH I should be targeting for and what neutralizing agent to use in different cases.


texts: What could be causing a rumbling noise in our house?

texts: We bought our home in Dec. 2014, ten year old house. It started making a rumbling noises, as though it was thundering outside, and it seems to happen in the evening. However, sometimes during the day. We had the entire heating and air system checked out. We also just had a new 80 gallon water heater installed in February 2015. We just can't seem to figure out what is causing this noise?


texts:
We have a magnetic lock on the front door of our apartment building. From time to time it stops working - it just doesn't lock the door. It seems as it doesn't have power or is somehow turned off because the little light on the button for unlocking it from the inside is not lit. The box with the power suppply inside is locked and I think nobody from the building has a key for it (only the company which installed the door has a key). However, yesterday I found the door propped up with a small rock in order not to close. This was done by a dentist in the building so she doesn't have to click the button from her consulting room everytime a patient comes in.

Is there a possibiliy that she did something and turned the system off? Could it have broken because it had stayed open for hours?

The box with the power supply inside which can't be opened (I hope).

The magnetic part of the lock. The green thing on the magnets is something sticky. I think it wasn't cleaned good enough when unboxing the lock.

The back part of the lock. Everything seems connected.


texts: I want to add a dedicated circuit for a wall heater in the bathroom. Attached is a picture of my power panel. How do I tell if I have enough room to add to my existing panel? Housing is currently knob and tube.


texts: Why does my microwave keep throwing the circuit breaker?

texts:
I have a circuit that powers several things in my house:

Kitchen microwave
Basement lights
Basement sockets
Sump pump

Recently, this circuit has been thrown with alarming frequency when I use the microwave. No other combination of uses has thrown it. It seems especially likely to throw if the microwave is used after a big rain (when the sump pump is active).

This is not something I encountered in the first 2 years of owning the house, however it has happened a couple dozen times in the last six months.

Any ideas on what it could be and how to fix it? Will it cause permanent damage to not fix? If it's relevant, I plan to sell the house in about a year.


texts: My tankless hot water heater went out & is on, I believe, a double 60 amp breaker. My plumber says the new one needs a 50 amp breaker. Can I just swap out the 60 amp with a new double 50 amp breaker?


texts: What wall material can be installed behind a standing stove?

texts:
There used to be wood paneling behind the standing stove but the old owners at some point removed it in lieu of the distaster you see in the picture. Is there something that I can put that will blend with the rest of the wood paneling well? We are painting the wood white so if there is a fire rated drywall or something like this that would be great.

Further strange discovery, the cement backerboard (painted white for some reason) had an artificial gap between it and the drywall behind it using two large nuts.

As far as I understand, if a noncombustible material is used on the wall (even screwed directly in the studs) and the stove is 10'' away from the wall then it is according to code. Is this correct?


texts:
This may the dumbest question ever, but I'm trying to replace the AC plug on a small appliance (it's European but voltage-switchable and I'm using it in the US), and I don't know what to call those replacement plugs (i.e. I can't find one on Amazon). I just need a two-prong US male AC plug that has e.g. screw terminals I can wire to inside the shell. I know I've seen such things, so my search terms must be wrong. Can anyone help?

(N.B. Not looking for a plug adapter. Want to actually replace the one on the cord.)


texts:
I have a very old Viking Professional range in my house. The former owner told us that the front right burner wouldn't shut off one day and he was forced to adjust a screw within the knob post in order to get it off. I haven't personally played with it as I don't want to risk a gas leak.

Questions:

Does anyone know if there is normally some kind of a "set screw" on gas burner assemblies?
Does this seem like a calibration issue or something deeper?
Does Viking build their burners differently than most stove manufacturers?

I've not worked extensively with stoves, but I'm curious if concepts from other stoves could be applied.

Notes

The oven is a Viking Professional VGRC485-4GQDPL
It is a natural gas oven.
Here is a link to the full parts list for my model
I believe this is the part in question - PA010024 VALVE AND BOLT KIT

Apparently 003515-000 replaces 003519-000 - 003515-000 depicted above.
The protruding piece from the part (at the top) is the post that the knob attaches to.

Hoping that someone can help keep me from blowing myself up! :D


texts: What are code restrictions on turning sink tailpiece?

texts:
I have drain that is a bit too low so I may have to cut lower drawer on my vanity (see my other question).I want to avoid that. There is 4" clearance behind the drawer.  After some  research it appears that the only legal way to install trap is to keep its arm on the same level as drain entry. So I can't raise the entire trap. So I am thinking of making 90 or 45 degree elbow to route tailpiece to the trap behind the drawer. I can see some ADA tailpieces done that way but I may need to customize some more. Apparently the height of the entire construction can't be over 24", which is ok.

Is there anything else in code that can prevent doing it legally? Will this construction pass inspection? Note that it's California plumbing code which is UPC based.


texts: I am in the process of gutting two houses. One has an electric water heater, and the other has a propane one. As I am taking the systems offline, how can I best prepare the units for storage? I think I should flush them to avoid sediment compaction. What about bacteria or other growth? Are there other considerations?


texts: What is the silver on the end of copper wire?

texts:
I am connecting a power cable to my dishwasher and I noticed the end of the copper wire looks like it has been dipped in solder. It is silver and very stiff. Should I be putting the wire nut on over this or cutting it off?

Both the power cable and the wires on the dishwasher have this material on the end of them.


texts: Why do my pipes creak 10 minutes after using them?

texts:
Our recently installed bathroom uses existing pipes that were previously plumbed into cut out sections of joists, with no cladding.

Approximately 10 minutes after use there is a quite loud creaking.

We were advised this was because of the absence of cladding, and that quick solution is to use expanding foam in between the pipe and timber joist, to act as cladding.  this avoids the much bigger job of completely refitting pipes and pulling up floor/re cutting joists.

The pipes are easily accessible at the moment as we are renovating (we have the ceiling off in the room below bathroom, but the bathroom itself is all tiled up).

Will this work, any other ideas?


texts: 3 wire cooktop (réduit black & grounds) to a 4 wire ourlet (red black wite & ground)

texts: How can Connect a 3 wire cooktop (red black & ground) to a 4 wire ourlet (red black wite & ground)


texts: Can I cut the back off a china cabinet to convert it into a bookcase?

texts:
I would like to change this china cabinet into a built in bookcase.  It is currently 16" deep, but I want it only 12" deep.  Is it possible to cut the entire back off, and would it need to be put back on before it is attached to the wall?
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/5638057861.html


texts:
My studs are much closer together than I would like (maybe 9 inches) so would it be better to Surface Mount or get a small panel that can fit in the wall.  Below is the only panel I can find that would fit.  unfortunately I do not have another spot in the house to put a sub.

I guess i'm asking if it ok to mount the flush panel in this area?  (seems like it only need 8.88 inches which I should have.)

Im only going to need 2 30-amp 240 connections so I figured 6 slots was plenty.  I could also go with the QO series if needed.

Item # 536993 Model # HOM612L100FCP

Square D 12-Circuit 100-Amp Main Lug Convertible Load Center


texts: Basement door threshold minimum elevation

texts:
I have a basement that is only about an inch or less above the rear patio leading to it. The patio is below grade and its only water escape is a storm sewage drain in the center.

How can I reasonably waterproof my basement? I would like to avoid a step-sized threshold because it would involve stepping over when entering the basement and be an obstacle. If I just put an Azek board 3/4" thick under the door when installing it, will it effectively protect from water getting in? I understand the higher the threshold, the more water is needed in the patio 'pool' for it to flood inside, which becomes a hazard if the drain outside gets clogged. Essentially, any threshold height will start letting water in given enough flooding outside so nothing is 100% safe but I'm wondering if there is a conventional clearance or code requirement for how high above ground outside a (basement) threshold should be.


texts: Nest 3rd Gen 24VAC two transformer issue

texts:
Hopefully this will finally solve the issue with my Nest.  I bought a Nest 3rd Gen Learning Thermostat and followed the instructions to the tee.  I have a two transformer system (Forced Air A/C and Forced Air Gas Furnace) configured as follows:

From my furnace

  Power wire (black, connected to Rh)
  Heating wire (white, connected to W1)

From my A/C AHU

  Power wire (red, connected to Rc)
  Fan wire (green, connected to G)
  Cooling wire (yellow, connected to Y1)
  24V common wire (blue, connected to C)

I started up the thermostat and tested the furnace and this would happen every single time:

Furnace starts up
Burner flame ignites
Burner flame kicks off right as the fan is supposed to turn on
Fan turns on (blowing cool air)

I began (with Nest's support) unplugging wires from the A/C until I only had the furnace wires connected.  Only then did the furnace run properly.  Nest tried telling me it's because I have a two transformer system and I would need isolation relays so everything can run properly.  I thought that the Nest 3rd Gen works with two transformer systems, so this seems wrong.

Has anyone else run into this problem? Will relays for the fan, cooling, and heating solve this problem? Is there a less costly solution?

Thanks!

Mike


texts: Are service loops allowed by US electrical code in residential wiring?

texts:
I'm about to rough-in my electrical wiring for a remodel of our bedroom and have seen several videos where people leave an extra 6-8 inches of wire looped outside of an outlet box which will allow for a margin of error when stripping wires or if something happens to the wires when the drywall is put up.

My question is, Is this allowed within US Electrical code for residential wiring?

I think this is a good idea and would like to implement it, but also don't want to be doing something that's dangerous.


texts:
I am looking to buy a gas based indoor heater that I can use in emergency. I have an existing gas log fireplace but it is not modern and I am worried that in an emergency it will lead to a loss of heat overall (since the warm air when it goes up will pull air from inside the house).

Has anyone come across any safe to use indoor heating solution? I have seen propane heaters but they are only recommended to use in indoor construction environments.


texts: Are this subpanel's neutral and ground connected?

texts:
I'm in BC, Canada. I recently moved into a place that has a subpanel for a suite. The subpanel is connected to a 60A breaker in the main service panel. There are 4 wires running in from the main panel.

My question is: The ground and neutral from the main panel are both connected to the bus that's being used for neutrals; is this incorrect in a subpanel?
The branch circuit grounds appear to all be connected to small bars at the back/side of the panel. I also don't understand how those bars are grounded but that's probably just my lack of knowledge.
I've posted some additional pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/FC3poMj.
(I've read of the poor reputation of Federal Pioneer Stab-lok so I plan to get this replaced anyway. I'm mostly just wondering if this is very wrong, or just "not great".)


texts:
I would like to mount a floodlight on my chimney. I'm not keen on cutting into the roof there to make an entrance for the wire. Every hole in the roof is an opportunity for water intrusion and it's also above a vaulted ceiling - access is difficult and there is nothing to tie into there.

Would it be ok to let the power cord lay on the roof and run around the eaves, perhaps to a high mounted in-use box? It doesn't seem great - don't anyone tripping or slipping on the cord.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.


texts:
I'm building in Thailand with limited local resouces and even less knowledge. 220v here.
I want to run a min. 30m of rgb 5050 using a dimmer for the run and one power source if possible.

(I could change to a single color (warm white) if the soulition is simplier.)

Online answers from Chinese suppliers vary from a big list of supplies to one that said I only needed  30a transformer.

One answer on this site suggested using a computer power source (say 450w) to get the 12v and supply the whole run, but I'm concerned about frying the first strips.

Anyone that point me in the right direction with required products or schematics would be appreciated.

Thanks


texts: I am doing a DIY project and looking for a folding square bracket. I've searched online and only can find folding brackets for shelves or tables and it is not exactly how I want it. Here is a crude image of how I need it to work. Can someone point in the right direction of to what something like this is called?


texts:
I'm a first time homeowner, and when we moved in we were told we'd need to regrade our house.  I am deciding whether doing it myself or hiring someone is a better decision, and the following list summarizes my considerations.

How often do I need to regrade the ground around my house?
If it's every year (yikes!) or even every few years, then I want to do it myself so I can save the money on contractors that I'll need to hire year after year.
If it's less frequently (every ~10 years) then I think it's in my budget to hire someone to do it.

Any guidance or considerations that you can give me would be very helpful.

EDIT: here are some requested pictures.


texts: Two ovens on one breaker: NEC says OK, but installation manual wants dedicated circuit

texts:
I have a situation very similar to using two oven in one outlet. I'd like to install a 30 amp GE Advantium 220v oven and a 20 amp GE thermal oven on an existing circuit with a 50 amp breaker. However, both installation manuals ask for dedicated circuits. Quoting the Advantium manual here: "Power should be supplied from a separate, dedicated 30-ampere branch circuit."

Ordinarily I'm a follow-the-instructions kind of guy, but I did notice that the manual used the word "should" in this sentence rather than the "must"s which were liberally sprinkled elsewhere. Pulling a new circuit is possible but a lot of work. I'd appreciate feedback from experienced DIYers or electricians. If I follow my instincts and install both ovens to the existing junction box with the existing 50 amp circuit, what risks am I taking?


texts: Hi all. Pulled appliances out of a property and seeing several areas where the wall isn't flush with the floor. Any suggestions on how I should fill these? The one with the copper pipe is behind the stove so doesn't need to be beautiful. The hole in the doorway will be more visible.


texts: Reduce risk of harm from electric storm in hot tub in covered area

texts:
TL;DR we have a hot tub in a covered area outside and want to take measures to mitigate against harm to us or the electrics if a storm strikes us unawares. (We’d get straight out of course.)
What measures can I take to reduce the risk of harm?
More context / background:
We have built a pergola which is a simple wooden structure at the end of a high-walled garden. The wooden roof with corrugated plastic on top spans between the end garden wall and four posts, and clears the side walls by a couple of inches. It is mostly dry except for the side walls (driving rain comes in but is managed by drains under decking floor). We have run some cables under the roof and around the outside for mains lighting and data (external grade lighting, wireless, some automation sensors) terminated in suitably protected IP rated boxes.
Inside the pergola is a jacuzzi style hot tub made from acrylic. It is powered from a consumer unit and 32A mains isolator located in a brick-built cupboard within the pergola, of course this was carefully designed to be dry at all times. 240V mains is fed from the house, the underground wire is suitably protected SWA. We have other appliances (fridge etc) in the covered area.
In London we have fair weather: rainy sometimes but very rarely do we have electric storms. My point is that if there is an electric storm we won’t be expecting it, it may happen once every two years. I understand the hot tub must not be used in an electric storm, but we use it regularly during rainy periods under the dry pergola.
There is a small chance that we may be in the hot tub when a storm strikes, likewise it could be in the night time and I would therefore not be able to turn off the feed to the pergola to protect equipment.
I have also run 4x CAT6 external cable to the area and installed wireless. I mention this in case these incoming cables can be protected.
What measures can I take to protect the wiring, the equipment, and us, from an unexpected electric storm?


texts:
I want to make a LEDstrip(RGB, 300 LED, 3528, 5 meter) At the back of my 40 inch television.
But I have some struggles finding out what I need for that.

I have found this strip:
LED Strip

And I Found these connectors: Ebay.com

I can't seem to find any: 3825/8mm RGB plugs or anything like that.... But is it Universal? Some Ebay sellers say that it is for both, but I've also seen posts which say it doesn't match.

I hope someone can tell me if I can use the: 5050/10mm RGB connectors also for the 3528/8mm strip!


texts: How to safely add power switch to power strip?

texts:
I have two powered monitor speakers on my desk. Each speaker has a power rocker switch on the back and it's a nuisance I would like to circumvent. I would like to add an extended power switch to a 3-plug power strip that I can be secured to an accessible area of my desk. I don't want to worry about it causing an electrical fire when I'm away from my desk.

I'm thinking I could install an shallow electrical box with a light switch to control the power. How dangerous is something like this? Is there a better way of doing it? I have plenty of experience doing electrical work.


texts: need feedback on radiator heating systems and carbon monoxide

texts: I live in an old apartment with radiators for heat, The gas boiler is down two levels in the basement. oddly enough there are no cold air returns...is this correct? Our carbon monoxide alarm continuously goes off when the heat is turned up, we cook on our ELECTRIC STOVE. If we forget to turn the heat down at night, we all wake up with headaches and nausea. What is your guess as to what is wrong.


texts:
I am connecting a 200 amp meter/distribution panel to a 100 amp RV panel (both mounted on the same post outside). Can I connect the two with metal, pvc, or the flexible non metal or metal conduit to run my wires? They will only be about 6 inches apart, back to back. So, it would work best to come out side knockouts, because the RV panel is only 9inches wide and i would not be able to access the back knockout. Please advise.
Thanks
Dean


texts: Live wire running through entire apartment wall?

texts:
I'm currently renting an apartment and my spouse and I want to hang a metal fixture above the wall where our bed is (in lieu of a headboard...for now at least). Where I want to hang it is 4 feet above the only electrical socket on that wall and I drew a line 5 feet width.

The stud detector is detecting live wires all throughout the line I drew, which seems a bit crazy to me. The socket does however control the light switch on the adjacent wall and the light fixture on the ceiling so maybe there is just a huge square of electrical wiring on the wall.

Should I be trusting the detector? I get mixed results depending on where I start the detector and if I start it in a certain position once it picks up the live wire it seems to keep the light on for feet, until I'm about a foot away from the line I drew, which would be about 4 feet from where the hole I marked is. Since the piece is metal it's a bit heavy (like 10 lbs at most) so I was going to use some heavy duty metal drywall anchors (just in case) that are also quite sharp, so I'm very leary on this.

Thanks for any responses.


texts: Is this mold growing on my shower ceiling?

texts: Is this dark stuff above my shower mold?  If so, how should I go about removing it?  I live in an apartment, so I doubt I could go on with scraping it off and the like without upsetting maintenance, not to mention upsetting the people living above me with the noise of scraping the ceiling.


texts:
My parents recently purchased a mid-1920s house and are doing some work on it as a retirement home. We had an electrician out to the house the other day; upon peering behind one of the outlets, he made an offhand comment about the outlet (and thus, probably all the outlets) using knob-and-tube.

This had not come up on either inspection report (my parents' or the seller's), so we were surprised. We plan on having a few more electricians out to get additional opinions, but we were wondering if there are any telltale signs of knob-and-tube, particularly when looking at an outlet?

Everything in the unfinished basement looks fine based on criteria we found online (e.g., breaker box looks like it has armored cable); we have yet to check the attic. There was a major addition added on the house ~30 years ago, so it's possible something was done to remove it then (if the house ever had it in the first place). We would like to be a bit more knowledgeable on this when talking with other electricians.


texts: What kind of caulk to use in order to caulk the toilet to the floor?

texts: My toilet was replaced and it has no caulk around the bottom of it.  A little water does seep around it from time to time.  What kind of caulk should I use to do the job?  It sits on ceramic tile, and the tile is on a cement slab.


texts:
My house has a block foundation and water issues, I have a company coming soon to install a perimeter drainage system w/ sump pump and he said he's going to install a mill sheet vapor barrier about 4" high from the step stone and drill weep holes.

I'm looking to put up foam board insulation afterwords and my question is if I drill holes into the blocks to attach the boards will water start coming out of the holes?  Would I be better off using an adhesive to attach the insulation? But will it adhere properly what with my foundation being cinder blocks?


texts: How does one typically do "Old Work" with metal junction boxes?

texts:
I am trying to add a light fixture to a room.  I have access to the studs in the wall (new wall being added to the room), but the ceiling is drywalled.  There is no attic access.  Unfortunately, the ceiling is hung from sound isolation bars, which means there are drywall screws poking up into the cavity between the floor joists.  Since I am fishing a wire in this space, it was recommended that I use MC-type wiring to protect the wire from snagging on a screw.

This leads to my problem- I need to install an "old work" style ceiling box, but due to the MC wiring and need to bond the metallic sheath, I need to use a metal ceiling box.  How is this typically done?  I have been unable to find anything in metal similar to those plastic old work boxes with the tabs that flip out.


texts: Adding Ground Conductor from Service to Upgraded Sub-Panel

texts: Upgrading electrical system with new 200 amp (main disconnect) service panel then underground 110 feet to house and a new 200 amp sub-panel. There is a 3 wire feed of 4/0 Au in 2" PVC conduit (with two 45 degree turns in the run) servicing the house now. To provide for a 4 wire feed and code, I need to run a 4th wire as a ground condutor (4 ga Cu) between the service and the sub-panel to meet code in El Dorado County, California. Unfortunately, I have been unable to get a fish tape through the conduit, past the first turn in the run. The upgrade and the county requires a 4 wire feed. The question is, can I run the ground conductor in a separate conduit pararell in the same trench (yes, I'll dig it) between the main service and the sub-panel? Thanks.


texts: I recently bought some bulb holders and now I'm wondering how I am supposed to attach them to the wire. I don't want the whole lamp to hang only on the small, exposed power connections inside. In the picture below you can see a black plastic nut holding the cable to the bulb holder. It didn't come with the holder, and I assumed they're easy to find, but now I have no idea what to search for. Is there a name for these parts?


texts: Why are Two Electric Range Burners Not Working?

texts:
My LG electric double oven range (LDE3037ST)

which is 3 years old made a popping sound accompanied by the smell of burnt electrical parts?/insulation?, and now the 2 right burners don't work. Is it the burner control board? Would a bad relay create a burnt insulation smell? What could the cause be?

UPDATE: Followed wallyk's advice. I traced the wires from the burners back to the PCB and found the fried relay. You can see the faint smoke mark on the black box in the lower right of the pic below. So, I'll have to replace the board. The insulation on the red wire on the right melted and split. If I cut the wire back to where the insulation is intact, can I re-use the wire? Or does that wire need to be replaced as well? Would it be unsafe to re-use the wire?


texts: Separating 12-3 wire from panel to feed a bathroom fan and light

texts: I am replacing an existing heater, light, night light, exhaust fan unit with a new unit that only contains a light and exhaust fan.  The existing wiring has a 12-3 coming straight from the panel with red and black on separate circuit breakers. The existing 12-3 is too short for me to pull it down to the switch box.  My plan is to install a metal junction box in the attic and the run a 12-3 wire to the switch box. In the switch box I plan to install 2 switches.  The first switch will be fed by the black power source to control the light and the red power source will control the fan.  I will run another 12-3 wire to the fan/light unit and tie together the neutral wires.  I know this is over kill but I don’t want to leave a unused hot wire in the switch box if I don’t have to.  I will install a handle tie to the existing 2 breakers.  I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.


texts: Does a fridge thermostat need a ground connection?

texts:
I've recently replaced the thermostat in my fridge with a new unit with a much higher temperature range (this unit specifically).

The unit I took out had a ground connector & the original wiring had it connected.  The new unit does not have a place for a ground connection, so I've not connected it.

Everything is running fine, but should I run the ground wire from the fridge somewhere?  What could possibly go wrong?


texts: What are these electrical boxes in the closet that have no breakers in a house with buttons for the light switches?

texts: My mother's home has these metal panels in the closet on the second floor, directly under them on the 1st floor is the breaker box. The house has push buttons for the lights instead of switches. There is no breakers under these panels and everytime a light is turned on or off there is a click. I am writing a paper and I need to know what these boxes are called.


texts: How can I restore the color of my Trex deck after sanding?

texts: We have Trex Deck on a screened in porch. I resorted to sanding a couple of spots to get rid of stains, left when the cat upchucked his food. Now those spots are darker than the rest of the flooring and I can't find anything to bring it back to normal color. Stain and color pens just tend to darken it more.


texts: What is the best way to patch 3" holes in plaster

texts:
I have a number of ~3" holes in my plaster from where my walls were filled with insulation. (Why did they drill a 3" hole? I have no idea).

Obviously I would like to fill these holes in, but they have no lathing behind them, and I'm not sure what is the best way to fill them in is.

Here is what the holes look like:


texts: I need to replace a ceiling fan and add a round 1/2" deep pancake box. However, the clearance with the drywall is slightly off and leaves a gap in the ceiling when the ceiling fan is installed. Is it acceptable to notch the joist 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch? If not what are other techniques to solve this?


texts: Installing a Honeywell HZ432 for four zone wireless heating

texts:
need help with wiring setup.
Current setup

Gas furnace (heating, no cooling): standard four zone gas furnace setup with hot water circulator
4 zones (3 wired, 1 wireless)
Setup: Honeywell THM5320R (single wireless) with Taco SR502 2 zone switching relay for hot water priority
THM5320 wiring was R(red)/C(blue) cables in power and white cable in Equipment (W O/B)
Switching relay connected to R/C
Installed
HZ432 with Redlink adapter
connected zone 1 wireless to existing wireless thermostat
Connected switching relay to power R/C of HZ 432
Connected Zone wire R(red)/C(blue) and W1/E (white)

When thermostat is turned out, the zone comes on the panel, but the relay does not kick in and heat does not come on. Appreciate any heklp. Also, HZ 432 ask Purge override. Any way to turn that off?
Using the HZ432 panel to convert all 4 zones to wireless. This was the previous setup With a THM5320 panel(Pic). This was single zone wireless rest wired. The two wires one is coming from taco board and second a/blue is from the heating zone. Right now trying to get the previously wireless zone to work again with the HZ 432 panel
The link has pictures of current setup https://www.doityourself.com/forum/gas-oil-home-heating-furnaces/619036-installing-multi-zone-wireless-thermostats-hz432.html#post2850331


texts:
I know there are a lot of questions on here questioning the weight bearing capabilities of dimensional lumber but this seems like such a specific scenario since the load is static and completely even.

This is a stand made entirely of 2x6 SPF lumber to support two 55 gallon aquariums right next to each other. The span from leg to leg is 10ft. There is are 4 through bolts connecting the horizontal beams to the legs. The spans are connected in the middle by short sections of 2x6 which are also there to support the short edge of the tank.

Each tank when fully loaded is 500lbs or more. From what I have been seeing this shelf is not strong enough but nothing quite matches the scenario. Here are 2 photos of the shelf:

Will this be able to support another 55g across the ten foot beam? Of not, would adding a middle support to cut the beam length in half help?
If there are 2 beams and the aquarium sits on both, does that mean each beam takes half the weight of the aquarium. For example in this case there are 2 beams supporting the bottom of the tank, does that mean, if the tank were 500lbs, that each beam is supporting 250lbs?


texts: How can I flatten a hardwood floor in preparation for new flooring over it?

texts: I have a second floor with T/G hardwood flooring that is in very bad shape. I have decided the easiest solution for me is to float new engineered hardwood over top of the old hardwood. There is no existing subfloor under the hardwood, so removal of the old flooring is not really an option for me. My other problem is that the floor is very uneven, over an inch out of flat over a 5 foot span in some areas. This is far outside the recommended flatness for installing a floating floor, but I am also not sure how I can remedy this given that I assume pouring leveler over hardwood is a very bad idea. The only solution I came up with was to cut out pieces of cork underlayment and glue them down to the low spots in the floor while trying to keep the surface as in-plane as possible with the rest of the existing floor. Is there a better solution for this problem? I have also seen some guys that just ignore the recommended flatness criteria and install right over a wavy floor, but I'm a little worried about doing this given how bad my floors are.


texts: Capping light fixture box with two white and two black wires

texts: I’m trying to cap a ceiling light fixture box since we have no need to put a fixture on it. The electrician put a porcelain light fixture on it as a temp solution. The ceiling box has two black and two white wires in it and the switch the light is on feeds 3 other lights used for a bookcase. How do I wire these to make sure the bookcase lights still work?


texts: Can 1/4" bead board be used horizontally without sagging?

texts:
I'm looking at using 1/4" bead board plywood on the ceiling of my front porch. However, I'm concerned that it will sag too much if it's attached to 16" OC rafters.
I've got a good stock of 1-by material. If I use that as strapping on 12" centers, would that be sufficient to keep it from sagging?


texts: Does conduit terminated in backless gang boxes defeat the purpose of fireblocking?

texts:
My understanding for an ENT conduit (other than for future flexibility) was that it was fire-rated, to reduce the spread of fire/air-flow between floors. If the conduit went through fire-blocks or floors, holes would have to be sealed with fire-retardant sealant/caulking.

But I always come across images like this:

or this:

Note the low-voltage backless gang boxes.
Doesn't the backless gang box defeat the purpose of fire blocking? If a fire starts in that section, it has no obstruction to enter the ENT conduit (through the backless gang box) and go all the way wherever the conduit leads to? What was the point of sealing off the floor/fire-block hole then?


texts:
I'm having trouble unclogging a kitchen sink pipe. I've taken apart everything outside the wall and cleaned it, but inspection showed that despite a bit of dirt, none of those parts are blocked. I have also snaked the pipe going into the wall and found no blockage. So whatever blocks it must be deep in the pipe, but I'm reasonably sure it is in that pipe because other sinks and the toilet on the same floor have no issues.

And yet, water goes out at a speed you barely notice when watching. Basically, drips. A half-filled sink drains in maybe half an hour, maybe even more. Sometimes it stops completely.

I've also used chemicals to no effect.

Then I've used the plunger, quite extensively. After working for quite a while, a white powdery substance started to come out of the pipe, with a consistency like flour or dough. Mostly very fine, but also some bigger parts (up to 1cm across) which was just the stuff clung together. It clings to everything and washes very badly from hands, etc. maybe some oil got mixed in.

Despite throwing out maybe a large cup full of it, the blockage remains. Continuing to use the plunger, the stuff keeps coming, but at low quantity. I believe this might be the blockage, but I have no idea how much remains and stopped after applying the plunger for maybe an hour.

I should mention that the dishwasher also empties into this pipe (it is connected just below the sink).

Is there anything else I can do or I am missing? Keeping on with the plunger might work, but who knows how many hours are needed. My current plan is to call a plumber and request they come with whatever special equipment they have. But maybe I'm just missing something else I didn't try yet?

additional information:

This is a detached house in Europe, with basement. So no crawlspace under the floor etc.


texts: Lennox G40UH takes a long time for the heat to come on

texts: The digital thermostat lights up with "HEAT ON" but it takes the furnace up to an hour to kick start. Once it does, it puts out heat. We set it to 69 here in Michigan with the outside temp at Zero. When it reaches 66, sometimes it just quits and doesn't come back on for a long time.


texts: Quick fix for a toilet that flushes water past the waste material?

texts:
I've recently moved into a rented property with a dual-flush toilet. When flushing the new water seems to be sent directly under any paper/waste that's in the bowl, causing it to "roll" over the top and not evacuate down the pipe. This happens whether one or both of the buttons are pressed/held to flush, and it's starting to get a little embarrassing when we have guests round.

Since it's a rented property there isn't an option to replace anything, but I wondered if there were any quick fixes I could apply?

EDIT

A littie further information; the toilet seems reasonably new, there doesn't seem to be any blockages around the rim and and we've cleaned everything. The pressure is good; the water reaches right round to the front of the bowl where it creates a good jet, but it's this jet that seems to run directly under the waster causing it to roll.

More edits

I doubt it's a problem with the water pressure - the jet is powerful, maybe a little too powerful, which could be why it's flushing directly under the waste rather than over it, pushing it down. We've cleaned it thoroughly, though it wasn't necessary as there were no deposits or blockages. I've a feeling that it may simply be a design fault of the bowl. :(


texts:
I live in an area where temperatures often reach 95°F (35°C). I have attic fans and soffet vents and radiant barrier. Is it worth adding a roof sprinkler? I have read about it working wonders for attic temperatures. I have a well, so plenty of water...

I have also heard that high temperatures reduce the lifespan of shingles--but water probably does too. I don't know which is worse for shingles: water or heat.


texts:
I had the closer for my storm door strip out and re-installed it a few inches away to bite into new material but it happened again (please see photo).  I'd love some advise on how to fix this so it doesn't happen again and because, at this point, I need to repair the existing holes to create a place for the holder to attach to the door (I don't have room with the closer to move further up or down the door away from the problem area)

Thanks!


texts: How to frame up to basement exterior door

texts:
We have a basement exterior door flush with concrete foundation. The front of our bottom plate is about 9 inches away from foundation due to plumbing pipes. We do not want to move the door. We are trying to figure out how to do this. How do we create a "return" wall and attach to concrete? How do we add drywall without it touching the concrete? Attached are pics of our door and also an example of what we are thinking about. We are DIY so details would be really helpful.

What we want.......

Our door...

Another pic of our door...

Idea...how do we drywall this??


texts: How can I fix a shower faucet valve where hot and cold suddenly reversed?

texts:
We have one of those faucets with one handle which first goes to cold and then progresses to hot as you go further from off. Or, at least, it used to be that way. We went on vacation, had someone staying in the house, and, weirdly, when we came back, the situation was reversed: it goes to hot right when opened up, and then to cold past that. What's more, hot is about 5% of the range right at the beginning, with most of the rest of the dial just being cold, cold, cold.

Our housesitter says she has no idea that anything happened, and that seems reasonable... but, for whatever reason, something must of have twisted inside, although I'm not sure what or how.

We've finally gotten tired of this and wanted to fix it. I contacted a plumber, and he said that they'd come, take a look, and then drive to the neighboring town to see if the plumbing supply has the right part — all on the clock. I don't want to argue about the business model there, but, really, we just can't afford the risk of an open-ended trip like that.

So....

Any idea what's going on?
Is this something I can fix?
If not, is there some way I can identify the part that might be needed, so that the plumber (or I!) could preorder and just bring the right part in the first place?

Here's a picture of the valve / cartridge:

There are no obvious model or serial numbers or any identifying parts.

Is it possible that the little plastic toothed parts are just slipped in some way? I didn't want to mess too much for fear of making things worse.


texts: New install: What's causing a tripping arc fault breaker?

texts:
We remodeled our home and had all new electrical put it in to plan.

For rough-in, the electrician put in regular breakers instead of arc fault breakers. Arc fault breakers are required by code now in Houston, TX, so near the end of the project, the electrician removed the regulars and put in AF breakers.

(Note: GFCI breakers were of course also used, but they're not part of this question.)

Several AF breakers tripped immediately. The electrician fixed the issues on most of them, but the final two he just took the AFs out and put regular breakers back in. Our General Contractor gave the OK, and the city inspector passed it. But I don't buy that this is non-issue and plan to fix it myself.

(Full disclosure: I'm an electrical engineer and have done home wiring before, but I am not a licensed electrician and have no experience with arc fault breakers and how they work.)

Question:

What's the typical workflow to troubleshoot a tripping arc fault breaker for a newly wired home?


texts: Lights goes completely out and back on again and flashes for more than 20 seconds

texts:
This happens randomly. We are in Vancouver, Canada,
It happens with all the lights with the same circuit, but lights are in different rooms (living room, kitchen, den and bathroom).
Sometimes those lights go dim, very dim for no reason.
And rarely they all blinking blank and bright like disco lights (see this video. https://youtu.be/OUrnFzoIUNw)

Most of the time they are stable. Some lights on the same circuit go very dim (50%), other lights stay stable, or flicker a bit. The lightbulbs are incandescent and LED, no dimmer in the house.
This happens with just the fridge running. We weren't using microwave, or stove, or dryer, or vacuuming or running anything big.

What we have done:

Power company came and checked the wire to the poles, they said all look good to them. If still flickers, call electrician.

We did precisely just that. He checked the main panel, tighten all the breakers. Nothing replaced because all look fine.

The breakers rarely trips, although we might be running a lot in the house. it's 100Amps, we have three fridges, three stoves and two microwaves. But electrician confirmed it's not over loading, since main breaker never tripped.

He recommended opening all the outlets and switches looking for loose connection.

So we had electrician came, I have spent over $1000 and so far nothing conclusive. We are 60% through replacing outlets and switches, flicking continues and even worst.

So I am looking for some advice on line.

Update :

Because I don’t live in the house I had to go back and stay around and observe the issue. Now it’s clear to me that not just the lights on the same circuit but rather multiply circuits. So I suspect when all the lights are on in the house they might all flicker at the same time. I am asking people here to turn on all the lights and observe. If this were the case does it make sense to proceed to replace outlets and switches looking for loose connection? Or a bigger underlying issue? Thanks again


texts: Does mould growth definitely indicate a leak?

texts:
I've moved into a new place that had some mould growth on the ceiling in one of the bedrooms. I found a leak in the roof that corresponded and patched that up and cleaned up the mould. A few weeks later, it's back. I couldn't see any additional moisture up in the roof though. Can mould subsist on paint? Or the latent moisture in the room? Or does this indicate there is moisture getting through still, possibly just a small amount that wasn't visible when I checked it.
Thanks


texts: Using construction adhesive to connect 2 wooden panels

texts:
I’m putting a sheet of 2-sided melamine particle board (which matches my desk) to a sheet of plywood (for strength) to build an electronics workbench. To do this, I’ve bought a construction adhesive which promises a bond strength of 20 lbs / sf.

To clamp the two sheets together, I will be using screws in an 8-inch matrix. The screws won’t be removed after, I will just leave them. I’ve pre-drilled the holes and placed screws in for speed. I plan to tighten the screws in from center outward, so that any excess adhesive has somewhere to exit.

But I’ve never used construction adhesive. I have absolutely no idea how much to use. The container says “coverage: approx 30ft using a 1/4” bead”, which I’m sure I’m misinterpreting.

I think waves make the most sense, but how far apart should they be?


texts: Leak above window during rain, is this caused by a masonry drainage problem?

texts:
I've lived in the same brick rowhouse for about 2 years. It's been raining for 36 of the last 48 hours, heavily at times, and I am seeing some rain leaking to the inside: above one of the larger windows on the first floor of the house. This has never happened before. I believe this is a masonry problem and there are two reasons water is coming into the house, I'm hoping someone can tell me I'm right or wrong so I can hire the right specialist to fix it.

The problems I think I have:

There is no drip edge/flashing/weep holes above the window opening
that I can see.
The steel lintel has a layer of mortar above it,
which is damming moisture to the inside.

I'm basing this on my own limited understanding of how masonry walls (all the house's exterior walls are brick) and drainage work: basically, they aren't waterproof and water is going to get in sometimes, so you have to give the water a way out of the house. I also came across this article, with this passage which describes my problem perfectly:

  I regularly get calls from people who recently had their house or
  building re-pointed (tuck pointed) and now have water coming in above
  their windows.  The masons saw a space and filled it with mortar.
  This causes the water to backup and finally drain inside.

I didn't get the bricks re-pointed, but it was obviously done on this house in the recent past. Also, it looks like there were awnings or some other drainage control installed above the windows at one point, there are remnants of caulk above this window (and other windows on the house).

Water is coming through the drywall above the window and dripping onto the windowsill. I haven't yet torn the drywall down to see what's going on behind it. The heaviest moisture is in the center of the top of window opening, where the paint was drooping (I pulled it off to stop water from building up behind it). There is some moisture on either side of the top of the window opening, but the drywall on the sides of the opening is solid and dry. There is some moisture in the corners at the edge of the windowsill, I'm pretty sure that was caused by the pooled water on the sill and not by water running down the sides of the opening (because the sides seem solid and dry). When it stops raining, the leak stops soon after.

I can fix the drywall, my main concern is fixing the source of the leak.

Some photos:

Looking up at the top of the window opening, inside the house:

The top of this window opening, from outside of the house:

Closeup of the lintel, mortar, and recent pointing:

Side of the house, looking up (it's still raining!)


texts: (How) Can I use existing stapled electrical wire to fish new wire?

texts:
I nicked an electrical cable while doing a plumbing repair and so need to fix it. I previously asked about repairing the damage in place, but there are receptacles 6-10 feet away on either side of the damaged wire, so it may not be too difficult to just pull new wire. Most of the wire is run horizontally through the studs, which is great, but it will at least be stapled at both boxes (and possibly more). The horizontal run is ~18" up from the floor, while the receptacles are ~6". There is also an inside corner the wire is run through. Wire is 12/2.

Is it possible to use the existing wire to fish the new wire, even though the existing wire is stapled? Would I need to open up the wall to remove the staples?

I found a related question, but that pertains to telephone wires which sometimes use different staples than electrical wires.


texts: Were my pipes frozen or was my pilot out?

texts: If the pilot goes out on a gas water heater and i turn on "hot water" only at a sink will cold water come out or will no water come out?  I already fixed the hot water problem and got it running again but i was assured it was frozen pipes and i do not think this was the problem.


texts: How can I ensure an angle valve points in the direction I want it to?

texts:
This may sound silly but after a few home improvement projects involving minor plumbing tasks (like changing faucets) this has always bothered me.

I'm going to talk about the specific example of an angle valve since it's the one I've faced more often, but this could apply to any kind of plumbing accessory that you twist on until its tight.

I've included an image below of the kind of thing I'm talking about in case the translation I googled is off.

In Europe at least, usually you have a shut-off valve like the one in the picture on every water point in the house. In my case, in the house I moved in, I had some very crappy ones with plastic handles that broke with time and didn't serve their purpose anymore (you couldn't use them to shut the water without using pliers)

When installing the replacement it bothered me that I could not get it tight and pointing to the direction more convenient to then connect it to the appliance/faucet.

Logic seems to dictate that it's however the ridges/groves align between the female point on the wall and the valve's male connection but it's weird for an amateur to see that such a detail would be left to luck or expecting that the female point on the wall was mounted with any intention regarding ridges or what will connect to it.

When I faced this, first I tried starting to twist at different points but found that they only engage at very specific points which makes sense and shows the same result (or same 2 results in some cases) no matter where you start. Then I thought just to tighten it to the maximum then go back enough until it's in the position I want it to be, but even when properly using Teflon tape around the grooves I've found that it needs to be absolutely tight to not have any sort of leaks.

Is there any trick to it?


texts: IC housing and non-IC trim compatibility

texts:
I have installed two IC-rated, airtight housings in a soffit in my basement. There is no insulation in this space, I just chose the IC-rated housings because they were available at the time.

I will be boiling liquid below these lights, so I planned to put a wet-rated trim on them even though they will not have any direct contact with liquid. I found a wet-rated trim I like, but it says it's non-IC.

I guess I'm not understanding why I can't or shouldn't use this non-IC trim the IC housing? What makes a trim IC or non-IC?


texts: I have a broken Rainbird APAS-100 valve, how can I fix it?

texts:
I have a Rainbird APAS-100 which has stopped consistently opening when powered.

I've isolated the problem to something in the "AVA-1 Actuator & Piston Assembly" - Rainbird part 145235.  However, trying to locate the replacement part (or an entire replacement valve to harvest parts from) has been fruitless; the APAS-100 and APAS-075 have been long-since discontinued and I cannot find any source of parts.

What can I do to get a working valve in place without the headache replacing the entire valve assembly?


texts: AFCI receptacles vs GFCI receptacles for non-grounded outlets

texts:
I'm replacing a few 2-prong receptacles in an old house, and all these outlets do not have ground wires. Cost for rewiring is too much and I'm thinking about using GFCI / AFCI receptacles instead.
My understanding is that normal 3-prong receptacles are not safe to use without ground wires, but how about GFCI ones? Also are there cases that I should use AFCI receptacles instead of GFCI ones?


texts: Should my porcelain toilet sit directly on the porcelain tile I am installing?  Or should I use a cushion of some sort?


texts: How to isolate street noise from the garden?

texts:
I am helping a friend rebuilding an house he recently bought.

One of the issues with it is that he only has a front garden and its in a very busy street, with cars. It would be nice to reduce that noise.

Are there any "hard" solutions, preferably with good aesthetics, that may help to break the noise?

Are bushes a good solution or should he use something else?


texts: Why is this light fixture with 3 bulbs giving me so much trouble?

texts:
I have a light bulb fixture on the ceiling in one room of my house that holds 3 bulbs.

The previous owner installed it to make the room extra bright, for certain work and tasks to be done here, that simply require a bright environment.

I used to put in 75 - 100 watt incandescent bulbs in the fixture.

Most of the time though one of the three bulbs would burn out super fast (like within months if not weeks... I got tired of changing them all the time, especially because its such an ordeal with the big, heavy, decorative screw-on glass cover mounted to the fixture). Burned out bulbs would leave the room unevenly lit, and generally not bright enough.

At the same time though 3 100W bulbs were kind of making you squint a bit, because it was SO bright...

I wanna say 2 years ago, maybe 1.5 years ago I saw some 60W-equivalent CFL bulbs on sale and bought a package. I used 3 of those in this fixture, and TADA! No more burned out bulbs since then, and generally perfect lighting conditions (except for the first minute when you turn them on, but oh well...)

It's been going good for probably a year or longer.

About 3 months ago I noticed that one of the CFL bulbs was making a buzzing noise.

I changed it with a newer bulb and that fixed the problem, I figured the bulb might have had a factory defect, as they are supposed to last 10 years.

This morning I noticed that the light is making a buzzing noise again!

Haven't been able to check which bulb it is, but come on!

What am I doing wrong, what can I do to prevent this from happening to the bulbs?

I find the noise not only annoying but I am also concerned about safety: I had installed one of the bulbs in a fixture in the basement once, and while I was down there I noticed that the light started buzzing, then flickering. When I looked I saw it was practically burning on the base/ballast. I turned the switch off immediately and the flames stopped... Hasn't happened with any of the other bulbs since then (I bought 2 packages of 8, one of which I didn't need to open yet). Again I assumed at the time it was a defect with one of the bulbs.

Is there anything I need to be aware of regarding lighting? I figured each fixture has 120V on it, so it shouldn't matter what bulb you put in, should it?

Oh, and these are no dimmable lights.

EDIT:
It took me forever, but here is finally a picture of my setup

I don't see why there would be any heat issues arising, especially since the fluorescent bulbs don't get hot...


texts: Cannot remove ceiling recessed canned light trim/can

texts:
I'm trying to replace my kitchen ceiling recessed canned light/trim. I turned the breaker off.
I cannot see or feel any springs on the exterior or interior of the can. I've tried twisting the trim counter-clockwise but that doesn't do anything. I've also tried gently pulling down on the trim and can but cannot get it to budge.
Any ideas how to remove this trim or can?

Please note this is a ceiling light (not a wall light as the last photo would lead you to believe, it’s just rotated incorrectly)


texts: half bath plumbing layout in triplex - fittings

texts:
I am adding a first floor half bath to 3 units in my triplex.  I want to be sure I am UPC compliant with this plan.

1A is my preferred option, but 1B is an alternative, depending upon the easiest route to get the vent to the attic.

The main question is about the fittings to use (red circles).  I want to be sure I need to use Ys and 45s (or combos) rather than sanitary Ts in each case, and in case 1B, if the LAV to drain connection should be horizontal or turned up 45 degrees.

The 3” main drain is a new drain that will only service the 3 half baths, as the existing drain is only 3”.  I will tie the two 3” drains into a 4” Y before going into the 4” sewer line. The WC is less than 4 ft from  the LAV and less than 6 ft from the main drain.


texts: Geo thermal air conditioning by natural air circulation

texts: I live in the Caribbean and during the hottest evenings the temperature is around 86 degrees. We use conventional air con in the bedroom set at 80 degrees. The air temperature in the ceiling is much higher than ground level. If we created a natural air flow by having an air vent in the ceiling to allow the hot air to escape and we replaced that air via an air grid buried underground, then cooler air would replace the hot air. There would be no need for a fan to assist this and it could circulate 24/7. We would keep all windows closed. Has anyone built such a system? It would need perhaps 200 ft of buried pipe with an air intake from a shaded cool area


texts:
The side wall of the cabinet is slightly warped after I used the high temperature self-clean feature on the oven. This cabinet has three large drawers in it and now they won't close.  The wall of the cabinet is warping in slightly (a few millimeters) and is squeezing the drawers enough that they scrape against the side of the cabinet.

How should I repair this cabinet?


texts:
I just bought a stacking washer/dryer machine and I need to relocate my floor dryer vent by  3ft above the floor so that I can push my machine all the way against the wall.  This will give me about 7in of extra space in my laundry room.   My floor vent is behind the wall and vent through the roof.  It is 10x3.25 size rectangular tube and it's pretty much stuck to a stud.
One option is to cut the rectangular vent tube at a 3ft location and add a stack boot.  But I am not sure how to seal it since the stud is right next to the tube and no space for me to wrap the tape around to seal it.
I think the easiest way is to punch a hole at 3ft location and add a 4" opening for the dryer. And seal off the floor vent.  This will be much less cutting and easier to seal. However, this setup creates T or Y like connection. Dryer air will flow in two directions, up and down.   Air flows downward by 3ft but it's blocked at the floor.  And also flows upward to the roof (25ft) and exit. Is this an OK setup or will create issues?
Thank you so much in advance for any advice.


texts: Can I use a water based undercoat between solvent-based primer and top coat?

texts:
I've primed some new wood with Dulux aluminium wood primer which is solvent based. Probably overkill, but I wanted a very good seal. I plan to finish with two coats of Dulux eggshell, which is also solvent based.
My question is firstly whether I need an undercoat at all, and secondly whether this also needs to be solvent based.
I have some Dulux water based undercoat which needs using up. Can I use this between two solvent based layers?


texts:
I'm pulling 2 hots, 1 neutral and 1 ground through conduit to a subpanel and I was wondering if it's possible to use the same color wire and just relabel the endings. I was thinking of using 6 AWG white.

My understanding is that the ground needs to be either bare or green, so no relabeling on that. Also neutral needs to be white, which is the color I'm using anyways.

So can I just relabel the 2 hots with black & red tape at the endings? Any NEC reference would be greatly appreciated, thanks!


texts: How can I install a dishwasher under a 23 inch deep counter space?

texts: We want to install a dishwasher in our kitchen, however the cabinet box is only 23" deep and dishwashers are usually 24 inches deep (as I understand).  This would pose a problem when opening a bank of drawers that are perpendicular to the dishwasher.  The cabinets were built on-site/in-place and cannot be removed.  We were considering "chipping away" part of the wall studs behind where the dishwasher would go in order to gain an additional inch.  However, this method is a bit awkward.  Does anyone have a clever idea on how to solve this problem?