texts: USA outlet states not grounded from surge protector for all outlets in only 1 room in my house

texts: I have 1 room that will be my theater room in my house, and for all the outlets in this room, the grounded light on multiple surge protectors doesn't light up. If i move those surge protectors to any other room in my house the grounded light is on. I took off the wall plate (after turning off the breaker for this room) and checked and there is a copper ground wire coming out of the cable run to the receptacle box along with the black and red wires and that copper wire is secured to the ground screw on the plastic box for the outlet . Why would all the outlets in this room act this way when they appear to be grounded? Is there any way to fix this or do I just need to replace it with a GFCI outlet from what I have been reading?


texts: Vegetable Garden Fence Design with 2x2 Posts

texts:
Let's start with the tl;dr: I'm starting a new vegetable garden and need to put up a fence around it. 16'x12', constructed of wood and metal poultry netting. My goals are to ensure that:

Squirrels, groundhogs, rabbits, raccoons, and neighbourhood cats stay out. No deer here.
The fence will hold up fairly well to small impacts (like a soccer ball kicked by a 5-year-old, or an out-of-control 5-year-old).
The fence can be expanded repeatedly in subsequent years, and completely disassembled/removed/reassembled with relative ease (hence no 4x4 posts set in concrete).

Here's how I was thinking of approaching this, I would appreciate your feedback or suggestions:

Use 2x2's for the vertical posts. I found 42" 2x2 stakes and will drive them a foot deep, so the finished height will be 32" above ground.
Use 2x2's for rails running along the bottoms and the tops of the posts. Most posts will be spaced 4' apart.
Use standard 2x4 concealed fence rail brackets to make both installation and removal of the rails easier and cleaner. (Do you suggest something else??). I will line up all the posts, measure, mark, pre-drill, and screw in all the brackets before the posts ever go into the ground.
Staple mesh fencing to the outside of the posts and along the frame. Extend the mesh a few inches above the top of the fence frame (to deter wood-climbing animals) and bury it a few inches into the ground (to deter some diggers).
Build a simple door about 3' wide with using 2x2's for the frame (or possibly 1x2's with mesh fencing sandwiched between them).

A couple things I'm also wondering:

My yard slopes, about 1/2" per foot. Do I slope my fence or do I make sure every post top is level with every other? 1/2" isn't much, my rails should still fit neatly in the rail brackets. Do I offset the brackets on either side of each post? (I prefer the "standardization" since I can move the fence to any other near-level surface in the future, but I might just be acting dumb).
Should I put some boards around the bottom of the fence for additional structural support, to withstand some extra impacts, etc.? 1x6x8 SPF are $4 apiece (I'm in Canada) = $28 total.

Your suggestions are welcome! Diagrams, images, more info can be provided. I hope this wasn't too long. Thanks in advance!


texts: How to add a light to an existing 3-way circuit

texts: Trying to add a light to an existing 3 way circuit. I have access from one light switch to my first junction box. The rest is Asbestos walls so I can't touch. Drawing below. Much obliged.


texts: Will the shiny and scratched appearance after sanding between coats go away after applying another coat of polyurethane?

texts:
I have a table that has a veneer inlay that my grandkids put huge scratches in.  I decided to sand it and coat it with polyurethane. Long story short, I even ended up adding stain.  The sanding block made it look horrible (scratches) but when I put the first coat of poly it looked fine.

I sanded with 220 to put another coat of poly on, however 2 things happened.
1.  The can said 4 hours between coats and to sand but it seemed like it was still a little tacky and I sanded anyway.
2.  Now that I have sanded it looks horrible (worse than before the first coat of Poly) it looks like a huge scratch mess.

My Questions:
1.  Will the scratched look go away again after I spray it with poly again? or should I sand it with a finer sanding block before I recoat it?  I guess the worst thing that can happen is that I will have to start all over...If it does look okay after I apply poly again, what should I do after the last coat for any bumps?


texts: Baseboard meeting at top of corner but not bottom

texts:
Removed 3" and installing 4" baseboard. The inner corners meet at the top but gap at the bottom ( sheet rock taper is at the bottom and wondering if that's the problem) (have checked the saw and can't think of anything else).  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Debbie


texts: How to wire GFCI outlet to aluminum wiring?

texts: How to wire gfci to aluminum wiring. Have not tried to yet, i want to be sure as to how first. I've been told of using no-ox and 6" copper pig tails.


texts: Where can I install a C-Wire for Weil-McLain gas boiler? (EGH 115, 4 Series, Natural gas)

texts:
I want to install a C-wire so that I can use a WiFi Thermostat.

Behind my current thermostat there are only 2 wires (red and white)

There are 2 wires tucked and unused, (green and blue)

I had tried using a Nest before and it eventually errored out because I don't have a C wire.

My boiler is a Weil-McLain EGH-115-4 series. My building is nearly
100 years old.

I don't see any pictures of a wiring schematic anywhere on or in the
boiler

I don't see the control board that has letters like in
a general thermostat (C, G, Y, W1, W2, etc)

Where/Can I install a C-wire? Is it even possible here? I am kind of a newbie when it comes to this.
I've attached some pictures of my boiler. Thanks
This is behind the boiler panel

This is behind the previous images Honeywell box (Aquastat?)

this is the transformer?

this is behind the panel

I assume the shredded wire is the thermostat wire, the red, blue, green, etc wires are coming from there. It's really a rats nest of spliced wires.


texts: Would an old bad main meter panel wear out a newer panel and breakers in house?

texts:
lights flickering,temporary power loss last few weeks. Scheduled main meter panel upgrade in a few days. This am half of house lost power w/o breakers tripping? Can the old meter panel wear out the newer breakers and disable the tripping? Getting nervous..
Again scheduled main meter panel upgrade this Friday but very nervous til then..thanks!


texts: Following a YouTube video, I tried to minimize some scratches in a hardwood floor (installed by previous owner) with Weiman Wood Floor Polish and Restorer, and instead made them look worse. See photo. How can I undo this? Thanks!


texts: Is snow piled against the outer wall likely to cause damp?

texts: My question is basically that recently we have had a lot of snow, some of it is high enough to be over the damp-proof course (DPC).  Should I be worried about this, or would damp penetration take longer than the snow takes to clear?


texts: Is it possible to use a dryer vent as a heat source in the winter?

texts: Is it possible to attach a diverter to an electric clothes dryer vent so it can help heat my house in the winter? Seems like such a waste to blow it all outside. I imagine you'd need some sort of filter or maybe a radiant heating option.


texts: How do I repair/prevent woodpecker holes in cedar siding?

texts:
What is the best way to patch woodpecker holes and deter the woodpeckers from returning?

I was thinking of filling the holes with Great Stuff, having the house sprayed inside/outside for insects and buying some fake owls. Thoughts?


texts: How to exterminate/identify these insects?

texts:
A week ago, insect bite marks started showing up on my arms, and I couldn't sleep in my bed. I tried to find the culprit but was unsuccessful. Today I opened up my lamp cover and found these:

I think I still have a these insects in my room but my body has adjusted, so I'm not irritated as much now.

Can someone please help me identify these things and help me get rid of them ? I can post higher resolution pictures if you need.

More pictures :


texts: new plumbing, new HE washer, now wash over flows

texts:
After noticing a leak in my sewer drain pipe in my basement, I've decided to replace all plumbing, since a plumber pointed out to me last year when I bought my house (1950) that the drains were all clogged very badly.

I figured this was the time since I now have a leak. Problem is I have a drain pipe that runs approx 4 feet off of floor in my basement.

I purchased a new HE washer when I bought my home and the installers  used the old set up which was attached directly to a 2" drain pipe with a coupling.

After research, I came to find that there should be a stand pipe with this machine ( whirlpool cambrio). I ran 2" pipe all around that leads to a 10" stand pipe that then leads to a  4" sewer drain pipe that leads out of the house. I ran a small load of wash to test pipes and all was good. I then ran a larger load and it all over flowed out of the stand pipe and flooded my basement.

The pipe after the stand pipe is about 10 " as well and I later noticed that the pipe has a slight increase in it's slope leading to the 4" pipe.

I plan on re-doing stand pipe and pipe that follows, but

do I need to raise the washer to accommodate a longer stand pipe since the main drain runs 4' off the floor?
Will the increase in that 10 " pipe cause the overflow?
Should I even use a stand pipe or connect the washer drain hose directly to the 2" drain pipe.

Now toilet gurgles.


texts:
This is a follow-up question to this post:
How would you grade this patio?
What if instead of running a 1/32" per foot along the red lines (East to West) for the full run, I leveled off after 10 feet or so? The pitch along the blue lines (North to South) would stay as suggested for the full patio (1/8" per foot).
I've included a picture where the purple section would have "two directional" pitch (net pitch of NE to SW), and a cyan section where the pitch would only follow the Blue lines (North to South).
Are there any potential issues with this approach?  Thanks in advance.


texts:
I am purchasing a home in Southern California.  During the inspection, we discovered that the home is built on both a raised and slab foundation.

The house was originally built in the late 1940s with a square footage of about 1,400 square feet but was remodeled and doubled in size in 1990. I assumed the slab foundation was the addition which doubled the size of the home but after examining the crawlspace, it appears the raised foundation is too small to have been just the original house. The raised foundation area is only about 1,000 square feet.

Why would the builder have built it this way when they increased the square footage of the home? Are there any issues with having both a raised and slab foundation?


texts:
We have a new house, and we were going through our "stuff to do each year" list in the house manual.
We have what we colloquially refer to as a "box of rocks" that's part of the landscape draining system, it's a filter of some kind.
According to our book, we need to have this inspected, but also need to fill out some kind of form and that it's due on Sept. 15th.
Now, we did not do this last year, and never received any notice about it.
This seems to be related to something called "BMP", "Best Management Practices" regarding waste water. Everything I've seen seems to be either at the county or city level, but I'm not finding very much about residential responsibilities regarding this. It all seems very high level, or deep policy and compliance things.
But, I don't know what I need to do here for this. I can't seem to find any "form" either at the city or county level. It does not seem to be just a state (I'm in California) thing, but national standard.
I'm just wondering if anyone is familiar with this area and could give some general advice about what may need to be done and how to go about doing it.


texts: Removing old rusty single hole faucet - please help!

texts:
We are trying to remove our old Kohler faucet.  We are running into issues on how to remove the stem on the underside.  I have a picture attached.
We are not sure which piece to take out?  There are three parts that we see: the rusty top part, the middle brass part, then the smaller ring.  Do we need to remove all 3?
Any advice appreciated! Thank you.


texts: what size of beam should I use to replace 3 2x8 that is 16 feet?

texts:
What is the equivalent of a 3 2x8, 16 feet? I would like to use one beam (for decorative effect) instead of the 2x8s since the beam will be exposed.  This will go up in my dining room ceiling.

If the cost of one beam is costly, I may just have the 2x8s tucked up in the ceiling joist using hangers.


texts: I have a 20 amp GFCI outlet in my basement bathroom finish. I will have a 2nd outlet downstream in the same junction box. Do I need to use 12/2 for this or will 14/2 work?


texts: How should I address water seeping into basement?

texts:
I just bought a house that was built in the early fifties, with an unfinished basement. Recently, after a heavy rainfall, some water leaked into certain parts of the basement (see photos).

This is a new issue for me, so I have questions:

This post, which describes a situation similar to mine, mentions the possibility of a French drain. How do I determine whether I have one?
How, if at all, can I prevent this from happening again?
If occasional seepage is unavoidable, how can I mitigate or minimize it?


texts: Masonry protruding entrance water protection

texts:
My rear entrance is wood frame set in masonry (brick + terracotta brick) wall. It has aluminum flashing but it's old (way before I got the house) and the top edge isn't protected anymore (since I tore down the vinyl siding to stucco over, which hasn't yet been done), water naturally found its way between the masonry and wood/flashing so I need to devise a solution how this entry can be wateeproofed.

My initial thoughts were to take a 2-1/2 to 3" lintel plate (each side of the L measuring that much) and anchor it horozontally along the top to the brick that can be seen in the first photo using lead anchors in the masonry. That would create that deep a cover over the head piece of PT 2x4 (which will of course also be replaced, along with its flashing) so that the joint between the wood/flashing and brick isn't directly exposed, i.e. has something over it.

Q1: What do you think of the above plan?

Q2: If favorable, should the lintel be installed so the the mating surface is above the horizontal plate (_|) or below (7, with upright bottom line). I'm inclined to go with above and then stucco over the mating side and caulk the joint because I'd like to have clear access to the brick to anchor the 2x4.

Q3: Should I go with an aluminum ($$), stainless steel ($$$), or regular steel ($) lintel, the last option assuming paint?


texts: How do I replace a damaged valve on a water heater?

texts:
Near the bottom of my hot water tank there is a plastic valve that looks like it is used for draining the water out of it. It has developed a hairline fracture along the length of it and small jets of hot water were shooting out of it.

I've shut off the cold water supply valve and turned off the gas running to the hot water tank. My plan is to drain the hot water tank and replace the valve. However I do not know if this is some sort of special valve and if there is anything extra I would need to do with it's replacement besides just screwing it in.

What kind of valve should I be asking for at my local hardware store and how do I replace this valve?


texts:
This is NOT a request for a recommendation for any product.

I need a stand for my 10" table saw.

The company that made mine no longer sells parts for it.

I am willing to make a stand and having casters on the legs would be a bonus.

I thought of using 2x4s but that would add a lot of weight.

Any other materials that would be lighter?


texts: Framing basement bathroom: original builder didn't account for wall wrap when laying bathroom drains?

texts:
Context: I am looking to finish my basement, mostly DIY.

The original builder installed what I understand to be a "wall wrap" on all exterior cement walls. This looks like ~1.5" of fiberglass insulation covered by a clear plastic sheet.
The builder laid three drain pipes where the bathroom would be. I'm looking to use these drains as-is without modification.
From what I understand, when framing a basement that has a wall wrap, you want to preserve the insulating value of the wall wrap by not compressing it. Start the 2x4 wall 1.5-2.5" away from the cement.

Problem: It appears like when the original builder laid the drain pipes, they did so without taking into account the width of the wall wrap. This means that all drain locations are off by whatever width I allow for the wall wrap to go uncompressed (or even exist). This is problematic for two of the three drains: the toilet and the shower, both of which need to be in specific locations.
Toilet:
This is a problem that I believe I've solved, but would like to confirm. Standard toilet drains are 12" off the finished wall, from the drain's center. In my case, the center of the toilet drain was placed 16" off the cement wall. When measured coming off the cement wall this means: 2" wall wrap + 3-1/2" stud + 1/2" drywall = 6 inches. This leaves 10" of space where I can install a slightly non-standard toilet that has a 10" rough-in size. Any issue you see here?
Shower:
This is where I don't yet have a solution. In my case, the center of the shower drain is 8-3/4"  off of a preexisting load bearing stud wall, and 17-1/2" off the cement wall. In looking around for basic showers, I have found a few similar to this Home Depot shower. When looking at dimensions guide from the manufacturer, I see this shower expects to be mounted directly to the studs, with the center of the drain being 8-1/2" off one wall and 13-7/8" off the second.
Herein lies the problem of the wall wrap. 13-7/8" + 3-1/2" stud = 17-3/8", which leaves no space for the wall wrap to exist, even compressed. And that is the confusing part; the builder appears to have perfectly laid out the shower drain as to fit some standard shower dimensions, except they forgot about the wall warp? The toilet is a simpler problem to solve, as 10" rough-in toilets exist. But I don't see the same for showers.
Potential Solutions:
As I see it, the following are options, but I may be missing something obvious.

Remove the wall wrap from the cement walls along the basement. Frame flush against the cement wall.
Find a pre-made shower with a drain closer to the side wall.
Spend more money and build a custom tile shower. Can't even use a standard pre-made shower pan.
Bust up the cement, and move the drain 2".

What would you do in this situation? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


texts: screw identification:: 8-18 X 2.5 TR SC AB

texts:
Our new used stove is missing a couple of fairly important screws.  They are apparently a Whirlpool custom design (p/n W10379120), but are described as "8-18 X 2.5 TR SC AB".  I haven't found any pictures.  They're kind of pricey (~$15+ net ea, depending); so, if I can use a (modified?) regular screw, I would.  I'd also like to be sure there's not something else broken before I buy these.

So, does anyone know what the '8-18 ..' means?  Obviously, a #8, and 2.5" long.  But, does the 18-pitch imply it's self-tapping or something?  And, I have no clue about the "TR SC AB".

Thanks


texts:
I'm in the process of moving my laundry area. For the plumbing we decided to use PEX. Unfortunately I have been unable to properly seal the PEX tubing to the fittings on the final fixtures- they continue to leak with a slow drip. What do I need to do to get these to seal.

We tried two different crimpers, thinking that maybe the first one was out of adjustment, but that didn't fix anything. We removed the first set of rings (using a dremel) and crimped on a new set, but the drip continued. We wrapped the hot water fitting with some silicone tape, but the water keeps seeping through.

Maybe I should replace the brass fittings on the faucets. Other than that I'm out of ideas. What should I try next


texts:
I am trying to secure the top of my staircase from my crawling baby. I want a gate with no threshold (i.e the whole thing swings freely) so no one will trip over it and fall down the stairs. I also want a gate that self-closes so I don't have to worry about my older children forgetting to close it.

I can't seem to find any commercial baby gate that has both of these features. If I buy a threshold-free gate, what can I add to make it self-close? Would it make a difference if it's wood or metal? We bought a spring self-closer gizmo that works for a light door, but I don't think it would work for a gate.


texts: No hot water from the hot side of the faucet for entire home

texts:
I am having hot water issue with my home. I can feel the hot water outflow pipe from the hot water heater being hot. But when I turn on the hot tap, the water turns from enventually cold.

In addition, when i completely turn off the the how water valve coming out from water heater, there is still some cold water coming out from the hot side of the faucet after leaving it on for 5 minutes. I am not sure if there is a crossover of cold water to hot water side. Please advise.


texts: Installing thermostat but can't disconnect power

texts:
I just bought a house, and I'm trying to save some money by doing simple projects, on my own.  I just purchased a smart thermostat and I am trying to follow the directions, for installation.  The problem I am encountering, though, is that I can't seem to shut the power to the thermostat.

I removed the batteries from the current thermostat, turned off all the breakers in my breaker panel, but power is still getting to my thermostat.  I went to look at my central air unit, and saw that it appears that the wiring from the thermostats is wired directly into the unit.  Is this correct?  Here are some images:

I also see that there is a small box, on the side.  I am not sure what it is, and therefore I'm reluctant to polk around.  I took the lid off, and there was another cover.

Anyway, my questions are:  First, is it normal to just have the wiring directly into the central air unit, or should there be a breaker somewhere between?  Second, if all this is fine, how do I turn off the power to the thermostat?

thanks


texts: How to choose a valve to use when plumbing a huge valve handle to my hose station

texts:
I am building a hose station in my backyard. For fun, I would like to use a huge vintage valve handle to operate the water coming out of a normal 3/4" hose.

Obviously I can't connect anything like this to my normal hose bib. I have been researching larger valves which I could use to control the flow, (2-3" for instance) but I'm guessing a valve that large will be terrible at modulating the flow of my 3/4" hose.

Can anyone suggest suggest how I would choose a valve that is:

Strong enough to support a giant valve handle such as the one pictured? I presume a wheel this size will put a lot of stress on the valve internals and body. Kids will be using the hose and I would like it to be a durable setup.
Provides the ability to effectively modulate flow of a normal garden hose
Provides 1-2 full revolutions to transition from fully on, to fully off


texts: Why would a 240v line voltage thermostat have a blank display?

texts:
In a bathroom I have a single 500w 240v electric baseboard heater, and AUBE/Honeywell TH305 digital line voltage single pole thermostat.

I noticed yesterday, that the display had gone blank. A quick check showed there was still power to the stat. I tried switching it with another one from another room with no luck.

I checked for power at the heater (which there was), and then tried switching the heater in case a faulty thermo sensor was the problem. Still no luck.

So now I have power at both the stat, and heater, but still a blank display...

All the other heaters in other rooms on the same circuit work fine.

So now what?? Could it be a voltage problem? If so, how was it working before? How would the voltage change??

Any help or input would be much appreciated!!


texts: What type and rating of insulation should be used in a basement bathroom?

texts:
I need to replace the insulation on the back and side of the bathtub.  The walls face the
exterior of the house (poured foundation).  What type and rating should I use?  I can't tell what the existing insulation rating is or if it is a vapor type.


texts: Do AFCI breakers interfere with any shop equipment?

texts:
I'm setting up a workshop and have several tools planed which I've heard don't get along with Arc Fault Interrupters.  I don't know if this is true or just something people tell themselves to get out of using the new AFCI breakers... Specifically my 120V circuits will include serval devices with motor speed controllers, PWM heaters, stepping motors, etc.  All will cause expensive material rework if breaker/circuits are erroneously tripped.  Specific equipment include: a Small CNC MIll, Laser Cutter/Etcher, Industrial Sewing Machine, 3 D plastic extrusion printer, and vacuum pumps.
Does anyone have experience with AFCI breakers and these types of equipment?  Also, the 2017 NEC requires AFCIs for Home 120V loads, but what is the reading for a dedicated workshop?  (I understand that 2020 code will bring them to 240V circuits as well)


texts: Hi i want to move a junction box that's behind my back splash into a cabinet but so i should be able to access it as needed according to the code but the wires from the top and bottom are exact so i cant move it up or down does anyone have any ideas?


texts:
I have contracted someone to build a pergola. The posts are 6x6 and placed oddly due to the back yard dimensions.
The issue I have is that the post were set on Sunday and the braces were removed on Wednesday. My contractor is saying because the braces were removed that the far post has moved four inches. I am not sure if this could be correct.
I think that the post was put in not square. Any assistance would be nice.
I have new concrete poured around all posts, they are saying they might have to cut out the post and reposition it.
My question is: can a post move four inches, after the braces were removed three days after construction, or were they put in incorrectly from the beginning?


texts: What is the water noise coming from the apartment above?

texts:
I live in an apartment where we are experiencing noise from the above apartment that I can best describe as a toilet refilling. It occurs approximately every 2 to 2.5 hours everyday starting at around 6am and running through the day and evening and is coming from a room that has a toilet, shower and water tank. The duration of the noise is around 45 seconds to 1min 30secs. The problem is that a plumber has investigated and can't replicate the noise by flushing the toilet. I describe the noise as like a toilet refilling but it could be something else. Less regularly we also get a loud water squirting / hissing through the pipes noise as well. There are only two apartments per floor and its definitely coming from above, not next door.

So I'm keen for any ideas ... could it be that the toilet has a delayed refill and it happens some time after the actual flush? Could it be a leak, although if thats possible why would a refill from a leak make a noise but not a normal flush? Could it be something else like a hot water system? Do hot water systems refill that regularly but for short periods of time? Could it be from a higher apartment (we are on level 12 of 15 floors) and just happens to be causing an issue out our level, although strange that those above us wouldn't hear that?

Getting pretty desperate for an answer as the owners above don't really care so I need to come up with potential solutions to keep testing.

Appreciate any help.


texts:
Is it possible to use a dimmable LED GU10 bulb on a non-dimmable circuit?

I know you cannot use the opposite.


texts: How to measure the ratio of a sand cement water mix for countertops

texts:
I want to cast a concrete Countertop and I created several test batches.
I am confused by what I read and need some double checking.

I use a mixture of
1 Part Cement
2 Part Sand and
0.4 Part Water (weight ratio related to the Cement)
and 1.3% plasticizer (ADVA CAST 555)

Here is in detail what I mixed:

8 Liter Sand   ->  13 kg

4 Liter Cement ->  5.448 kg

Plasticizer 1.3% of 5.448 kg = 72 gr approx 72 ml (max)

So far all is ok the confusion starts with the water.

What I read the water is measured as a weight ratio
related to the cement only, that should not exceed 0.5
(better 0.4).

That would mean in my case 0.4 * 5.448 kg = 2.18 kg = 2.18 Liter

Can somebody confirm that this is all correct? Thx...


texts: How do I know what LED bulbs are safe to use in fixtures that are part of construction?

texts:
In a recent question, I asked about different power ratings for LED and traditional incandescent light bulbs. In the accepted answer, the author explained that the different ratings are due to heat dissipation characteristics, and that it is not safe to run an LED bulb in a fixture that is not rated for that size LED bulb, even if it is rated for a much higher power incandescent bulb (ie. A 11W led / 60W incandescent fixture can't be used with a 20W led bulb.). While this works well enough for fixtures with labeling, the lighting that forms part of a building often does not have any labeling whatsoever. In the past, I have always replaced incandescent bulbs with a new incandescent bulb of the same rating, but that is not possible when replacing an LED with an incandescent bulb. What is the correct way to handle this?

The particular kind of fixture that makes up most of my house is this:

The house came with bulbs like this:


texts: How to work out which wire goes where when replacing light fixture

texts:
There are 2 neutral wires and 3 black ones and a ground. The ceiling light is on and hard wired in and I can't turn it off. The adjacent bedrooms are without power.

I know I scrambled the wires so how do I determine which goes where?


texts: How can I best divide a connected two room into separate bedrooms?

texts: Renting an incredible apartment with two other friends, catch is that it is 2-3 bedrooms 'depending on disposition'. The room/s in question are shown in the photo. What's nice is that each would have a door to the hallway in the event that they are closed off. I'm just looking for recommendation on things to put in between for privacy and sound insulation (if possible)


texts: What’s the best type of durable caulk to use for stairs?

texts:
I just finished installing the treads and risers and need to caulk. I’m looking for the most durable caulk type - something that wont peel in a few years.
I’ve been trying to research the best for this application, but having a hard time deciding. This list made it even more confusing.
Price is not an issue, looking for one with the longest life.
My stairs are a combination of laminate and painted board


texts: Is water from the bathroom sink any dirtier than water from the kitchen sink?

texts: If it is, could it easily be cleaned through a water filter?


texts:
I am trying to assemble a kitchen drain that will have two dishwasher (DW) hookups, one on the garbage disposal (GD) side and one on the second drain side. I have obtained quite hard to find slip joint that has a DW inlet. Problem is, if mounted directly to the sink, it sits too high in relation to GD drain. The gap I need to create is about 1.25”. I know I can add a very short slip joint extension, however bottom end of that extension would just be a regular 1.25” pipe, which I won’t be able to connect to the slip joint with retaining nut and washer.
Easiest way to me would be to use a small extension tailpiece pipe between the sink drain and the drain pipe but I am not sure what is the proper way to do it. Can you help me figure out what is the correct connection type at both sink and the slip joint pictured?
On the photo, I am just holding up the slip joint a little offset to the right, in relation to the drains for illustration. I am also attaching another photo of the part that I think may be a proper way to make this connection but I am not quite sure it is. The thought is that the threaded end will go on the slip joint, and the other end, I will cement the short tailpiece extension. With just 1.25” gap, I’m nit even sure this will work but it’s one possibility I can think of. There has got to be an easier way though.
I already know how I will be connecting it to the GD drain. I will be cutting the slip joint arm and will be using a short pipe with flat end.
I am not well versed with drain part terminology but don’t both ends of this connection require a pipe with flat/flash end? Thanks.


texts: Tuscany shower faucet single lever turned to hot, water stops coming out of shower head

texts: When the faucet is turned up to hot water max position, the pipes vibrate and the water stops coming from the shower head.  I have adjusted the red plastic knob for the maximum position and even tried without the red knob and still the same.  There is a green knob behind the red one but I am unsure if he is suppose to be adjusted or how to remove.  I have turned up my hot water heater and all other faucets are receiving plenty of very hot water.


texts: How to correctly wire two lamps to 2 way switch

texts:
I messed up! I was replacing two light fittings that are both controlled from 2  two way switches.
I did not make a note of the existing connections before I removed the old fittings (noob mistake I know).
Anyway I connected the 2 browns(live) together and the two blues(neutral) together and the 2 yellows(earth) together. When I switched back on the lights worked but now are linked to another light. (Switching that light on switches these two on and switching these two on switches the other light on)
I realise I need a "loop" for the switch - but not sure what needs to go to the fixture and what needs to be joined together.
B

There are two 3 core cables going to each fitting.  Here is a picture of what I currently have for both fittings - can anyone tell me what what I need to change?


texts: I am wanting to finish out my garage into a living space. The garage is a converted carport and the ground is still blacktop, despite there being walls up around it. What's the best way to handle the floor? Should I be framing something on top of the blacktop? Thanks!


texts: Strange noise coming from my bathroon outlet

texts: I turned on my bathroom light a couple nights ago & it sounded like morse code coming from the outlet.  I haven't heard it since that night.  My light switch is part of the double outlet.  Do you think this is indicating a problem with my wiring?  Thank you.


texts: Making sense of wire colors and connections

texts:
I am having trouble identifying which wires are in my box despite all the colors being quite clear.

The voltage drop between:
White-Ground= 123.5
Red-Ground= .3
Black-Ground= .3
Black-Red= 0
Black-White= 123.3
White-Red= 123.5

I would think if the white is actually the neutral wire, but then the voltage between the white and ground should be very small.  Is the white here the Load?

Related to this question, using this this picture:


texts: Using pressure-treated wood to make a sandbox

texts: I'd like to build an sandbox for my toddler children. I'd like it to be inexpensive and low-maintenance (no repeated annual sealing of wood, etc.), and it seems that pressure-treated (as opposed to naturally rot-resistant) wood will have these qualities. But my research online is turning up conflicting opinions about safety issues - some say pressure treated wood contains harmful chemicals and others say it no longer does. Can someone help me decide, perhaps with references to authoritative sources?


texts: Adding a fan to a 3 way switch but not quite

texts:
I recently redid all if the paint, doors and trim in a spare  bedroom, and I am having trouble putting the ceiling fan back in the room.  The problem is not the fan itself but the wiring. The previous owner put the fan up using raceways to get the wiring to the fan.  I don't have the resources at the moment to bury the wiring in the wall, so I am stuck with the raceways for now.  It looks like the original intent was to wire the fan into a 3 way circuit, but they botched it and now the lights in the room won't turn on without both switches in the on position.  Both switches are 3 way switches, so that seems kind of odd but that's the least confusing "improvement" the previous owner did.

So my question is this: is it possible to wire the fan so that it is powered independently of the 3 way circuit?  If so, how?  If not, what would cause the switches to behave the way they do?  I can provide pics of the wiring in a little bit.


texts: Why is exterior paint cracking just a month after application?

texts:
Sunny wall was recently painted by a professional with primer and two coats of exterior paint.

Areas with cracks were sanded but primer was applied over old paint where in seemingly good shape.

Just a month later cracks are appearing.

Is this due to some poor application or something wrong with the siding?


texts: What is the cubic feet of my washing machine?

texts:
I will be purchasing a new washer in the near future and want to know the cubic feet of the one I will be replacing.  I have an old Whirlpool stock no. LXR7144E, model no. LXR7144EQ0, serial no. CF1603879.  I have tried looking it up online and I can find parts, manuals, etc. for it but nothing list the cubic feet.  Thanks for the help!

Jennifer


texts: What type of regular maintenance should I be doing on my central air conditioning unit?

texts: I have not done any maintenance on my central air conditioning system since I bought my house five years ago.  Everything seems to be running fine but is there some sort of maintenance I should be doing regularly?


texts: Why is the white wire hot in an bath exhaust fan switch circuit?

texts:
Tried to figure this out from previous posts but am still confused, and afraid.
Our 30 year old exhaust fan had a light, fan and heater. We're replacing it with a fan/light combo, no heater.
The switches independently operated the light, fan and heater. I had an electrician remove the heater switch and turn the 3 gang switch into a 2 gang.
I removed the old fan/light and there were only 2 supply Romex cables- the light was supplied by a Romex with a hot black wire, normal.
The fan wire has a hot white wire. Why is that?
Do I just connect the white wire to the black wire of the fan motor?![enter image description here] These photos show the 2 romex cables- one is switched to the light, and one is switched to the fan. The one to the fan shows a voltage tester on the white wire. The new light /fan wiring is shown. Does the black wire in the Romex go to blue, and the white wire of the Romex go to black of the fan?


texts: Is a ten guage solid copper wire safe to use for a range?

texts: The old house I bought has 10 gauge wiring to the range receptacle. Without fishing wires through the walls or attic, can I use that wire for my range? The old range receptacle has an L shaped ground slot and the range is a straight slot.


texts: Are there skilled professionals who will supervise unskilled DIY labor?

texts:
As somebody who is interested in improving my home, learning things and acquiring tools, I would like to know if there is an existing market for professionals advising and supervising DIY projects.

In my naive opinion, it seems like it should be a good way for customers to save money and a good way for skilled professionals to make money as they won't need to manage a labor force on the site, and ideally they could take on more of these kinds of jobs in tandem.

I'm imagining a process consisting of consulting & education sessions, and clearly decided stop-point inspections for critical matters like electrical work, demolition, framing, etc.

I would also love to see this sort of business model play out for workers & supervisors in under-served neighborhoods.


texts:
Basically I have an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) which has a 20amp plug and I know that the load on the UPS will NEVER exceed 15 amp (Bought it mainly because it can attach more battery units to it for extended runtime).

Anyway since I am moving to an apartment that does not have any 20amp outlet, and since I know that the load will NEVER exceed 15amp, I want to enforce this via a fuse/breaker inline or in the outlet so that it WILL trip before too much power is drawn from the outlet.

So I am wondering if such thing exist or if there is any recommendations here?


texts: How to get agitator off for this Frigidaire washer?

texts:
I have seen plenty of youtube videos on how to release the agitator from rest of washing machine. Seems easy.

However, for my FEX831FS4 washer the bolt is kinda surrounded by the agitator's plastic housing and the only way I may be able to unscrew that nut would be with a very deep, thin walled socket. Wrench does not bite the nut enough and regular socket can't get on top of nut because the protruding thread is very high. See this picture to understand what I mean

This has made me wondering If I am doing things the right way to fix the broken agitator? Wanted to hear from someone who has worked on washers before whether

I need to start disassembly from bottom for this washer and not top to release the agitator?
When the agitator got broken perhaps it was pushed upwards (or downwards) over bolt and I now simply need to use some force?
I simply need a special, deep socket with thin walls to unscrew that nut?

Any thoughts? Here is parts schematics. If I understand correctly then last picture of transmission shows that bolt. But then it seems that the plastic agitator should simply come after unscrewing the plastic cap without having me to unscrew this bolt. Which does not seem to be the case.


texts: Finished Basement - Framing Exterior Walls

texts:
EDIT: Adding photos, changing tags

Complete newbie here, so I apologize if this question is lacking in detail.
I am starting to do some research on finishing my basement - I've never framed anything previously.  My house was newly built and we moved in in Dec 2017.  My foundation is poured concrete.  All of the exterior walls are framed, insulated and then wall wrapped.

My question is - would I need to frame walls inside this existing framing / insulation / wall wrap OR could I just hang sheetrock along the framing already in place?

Thanks
Steve


texts: Why does my furnace need frequent power resets?

texts:
I have a NOMA Programmable thermostat attached to my furnace.

The set point is usually around 21 degrees, and the room temperature is reading around 17 degrees. The furnace is not coming on.

However, If I go down to the basement, and flip the power switch off and on, the furnace starts, and runs for about 10 minutes.

Is the problem in the thermostat or the furnace?  Where should I start troubleshooting?

It's a gas Furnace with AC unit.  Manufactured in 1998, no idea when it was installed.

It when it's running, it pumps out a fair amount of heat, so I doubt it's gas line pressure.


texts: I messed up and got G8 T3 LED Bulbs to replace G8 T4 Halogens.  The bulbs work just fine in the sockets except the pins are smaller than the socket was designed for (T4) and don't stay well.  They were in the socket and on for about 24 hours straight working fine until they fell out.  Is it safe to modify these, say cut the larger pins off the T4s and solder them on the T3s or something else to make them fit better?  Just trying to be frugal and not buy more things if it's safe to do so.


texts: How can I remove the condensate pump from a Miele dryer?

texts:
I can't figure out how to remove the condensate pump of a Miele tumbler dryer.
The pump is locate at the center bottom at the back of the dryer. I can shift it back and forth a bit, but don't see any obvious way to detach it.

It looks like this:

Left corner behind the pump

Right corner behind the pump

From below

In 3 corners the pump is held down in plastic brackets, which would seem to indicate that it sould be removed by a rotating movement.
But i can find anything holding it stuck in the fourth corner:


texts:
I need to run a pool pump outdoors with an all weather extension cord. I also have string lights and lamps and other outdoor items I can plug into outdoor type receptacle with enclosures that hinge at each outlet. These are likely not designed to safely use them while its raining or continuously.

How can one cover the receptacles in a manner that allows things such as (all weather) lights and motors to be plugged in while the cover stays closed?  I'm in Charleston, SC btw.


texts: How to tell if carpet is destroyed after a flood?

texts: The other day ago a water line going to an exterior faucet exploded in the wall and flooded my finished basement.  The water level was around 1"-2" high and we imagine the water was running for at-least 16 hours.  We do live on a hill and the basement only has one wall exposed to the outside and the remaining three walls are underground.  That said, since this is a basement and the room stays at a cool temp should we replace the carpet?  We already pulled up the padding and vacuumed up the water.  Is there any pre-treating we can do?


texts: Hot water to bathroom sink slows to a trickle after shutting off valve for a moment

texts:
Here's the setup:  Bathroom sink faucet with two handles.  All working great to start.
I had to shut off the hot water valve for a moment.  I did that.  When I turned it back on, the hot water came back on, but at about 50% of the previous flow.  That's weird.  Not sure what happened, and thought maybe the valve closure kicked loose something that got caught in the aerator.  But cold water pressure was perfect going through the same aerator.  (Checked the aerator anyway, and it was fine.)
Then I thought maybe the way I had turned the hot water back on had messed something up - maybe with the way the hot and cold joined together.  So I tried turning the hot valve off/on with the hot water faucet opened up full.  Now hot water is barely present: a trickle -- maybe 5% of original flow.  Tried going off/on with the cold water flow opened up full.  Same result.  Cold water is 100%. Hot water is 5%.
Where should I look next?  The hot water heater is fine (flow to all other sinks and showers is fine).  It's definitely at the faucet level.
Air in the line? (I don't know how to figure that out or what to do).
The cartridge inside the hot water handle? And what would I do there?  I've seen references to backflushing the faucet, but I'm not sure how to do that.  But I'm game to learn.
Thanks in advance for the help.


texts: Weather Resistant or GFCI outlet outside?

texts:
I am putting an outlet under the eaves in my front yard to use for seasonal lighting.  I am connecting it to a breaker that is only powering 2 outside wall mounted lights.  The eaves are about 10 ft tall.  I also will install a weatherproof flip lid outlet cover.

My question is can I install a (Weather Resistant)WR outlet or does it have to be GFCI?

Reason I ask is because there is no outlet cover with 2 flip lids for GFCI because of the design, but there is one for the WR outlet.


texts: When building drywalls with suspended ceiling do I need wall height to actual ceiling?

texts:
I'm building classrooms in the large basement of our home; we're in Spain and have an English school we're expanding.

Room to room sound insulation and resonance are the major concerns I have to consider, as well as costs. The actual ceiling is over three metres high and I plan on using acoustic ceiling tiles to help with echo, which currently is a major issue.

Does it make sense to build dry wall, say, two and a half metres tall with suspended ceiling lowered inside and insulated above with glass wool or similar? That would mean there would be a large open space above the classrooms which would be sound insulated from below. This would save (insulated) dry wall costs and glass wool is pretty cheap.


texts: Use cat5e 2-pair RJ11 cabes for network connection

texts:
I've thought cat5(e) means always RJ45 lan cable.
But my house has "cat5e 2-pair rj11 green (data) cables" from the living room to each room. My internet router is in my living room in the 1st floor (XFinity).
What I want to do is to connect the Internet line from my router through the green cat5e rj11 cable to two upstairs rooms.
My problem is how to connect from my router(RJ45) to the port RJ11 on the wall of living room and from the port RJ11 in the room to my other Internet devices (RJ45).

Is there any easy adaptor available?


texts: Is it acceptable to frame and drywall just one exterior wall in a basement?

texts:
Unique question here...am going to put the epoxy pebble stone floor in eventually.  Want to use the inside wall for a flat screen and entertainment center.  Basement is dry, with cinders.

Is it common to put dry wall up on the inside (left) wall but not on the remaining walls   See picture


texts: How do I wire my bathroom fan with a new switch?

texts:
I'm trying to install a bathroom fan on it's own switch.
There is a hot cable with a black, white, and green from a previous light fixture in the spot that I want to install a fan. This hot cable is separate from the existing light fixture and switch combination. I understand that is somewhat concerning but that is a project for another day.
I have also ran a 12 AWG Romex cable (Black/White/Copper) to the existing single gang box for a switch for this new bathroom fan.
Two questions:

How do I marry the new bathroom fan, existing hot cable and new romex cable + switch?

What is the usage of the bare copper wire connected to the metal gang box of the existing switch? My house was built in the 1950s and none of the outlets are grounded. Is this a fake ground?

Diagram of my current situation below.


texts:
Might sound as a simple question, but I am still confused. As a new learning DIYer, I want to know in more detail on which application how much a screw should be tighten.

For example, if I want to put wall anchors in hollow brick (those vertically perforated with a few walls inside), I will put in a plastic anchor, so how much should I tighten a screw into the anchor?

How much should I tighten a screw in a brick wall anchor?

How much should I tighten a screw in plain wood?

How tight in a drywall?

How much should I tighten a screw in a metal object?

And etc., also I do know that some screws, like a Philips one, is actually meant to be stripped under high torque, and Torx are more intended for higher torque, but I want to focus more on how much is it recommended for a screw to be screwed in the material without damaging that material or making it less strong, for example if I am screwing a hinge in a wooden door, I do not want my door to be more prone to breaking because the screw is more tight than it should be, I want a good balance.

So let me know from your experience what are the general guidelines for tightening screws in different materials and some tips and indicators for that. Also what are recommended tools, like comparing manual driver to using a electric drill/Impact driver.


texts: How To Neatly Cover an Indoor Sewer Cleanout?

texts: I am currently renovating my room and realized that there is a wall popping out. It was bothering me because it would be an obstruction when placing new furnitures. I removed it and planned to make the cover as small as possible so any ideas on covering a Sewer Cleanout?


texts: Suspended grid ceiling with T-channel on the perimeter?

texts: Is it possible to install a suspended grid ceiling without using L-channels? Two of the walls are structural masonry, and I would like to avoid risking structural integrity by drilling into them. I'm assuming that by using only T-channel, there may be a gap along the edges that fluctuates around an eighth of an inch or so, depending upon the straightness of the wall -- that is something I'm willing to tolerate in exchange for not drilling into the masonry walls.


texts: Is it a good idea to add oxidizer to my septic tank?

texts:
I recently had my 1500 gallon septic tank fill up/back up.

When the contractor removed the lid, it was obvious that the tank was completely full and needed to be pumped.  The contractor then said that the distribution box was also full and that I should add "Oxidizer Plus" in order to clean out my distribution box and drain field.

He stated that without this chemical, the drain field would be in jeopardy.

We caught the problem before it backed up into the house and caused damage, so it was truly just a tank pumping..etc.

Is the contractor's advice consistent with current practices re: septic systems?

I was in a bind, and feel that the entire service was rather expensive.


texts: Plywood underlayment over plywood subfloor - how to secure

texts: I am taking up carpet & particle board and putting a new layer of 1/2" plywood underlayment over the plywood subfloor prior to installing 3/4" hardwood (nailed down). I know I should orient the underlayment opposite of the subfloor's direction and that I should glue the underlayment to the subfloor (believe me, I will never reverse this install as long as I am in this house, so I am not worried about gluing it down). That said, I have also read that I should not screw the underlayment into the joists, but this seems mostly to come into play when folks are talking about installing tile. I am planning on using 1-3/4" subfloor screws to attach the underlayment to the subfloor. Do I really need to be careful about not hitting the joists with the screws? I am planning on 6" spacing on the edges and 8" spacing in the field. Also, should there be a gap between the underlayment plywood butt joints? Thanks.


texts:
My question is... How do I install Christmas lights (C7 or C9) in a nice uniform row atop all of my vinyl fence ? I don't want to glue, screw or tape
them on.


texts: Large Cracks & Depressions in Asphalt Driveway?

texts:
We have a driveway (Pictures below) that hasn't been maintained for a while and has developed large cracks and several depressions in the surface layer.

I'm aware of DIY videos (Similar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n6G5QQL-tk) that essentially say to pressure wash the drive way to eliminate surface materials that may interfere with fillers.

I haven't seen anything regarding the large region that is depressed in the center of the driveway though. The video linked suggests to use the crack filler that he had, but this seems rather large to use that.


texts:
I just bought a house, and my new washer/dryer is being delivered tomorrow. I have the older style 3-prong 220 outlet, which I know I'm allowed to still use. I also have a 2-prong 110 outlet next to it for the washer, which I don't think I can use. Since I have to upgrade the 110 outlet, I was going to just do both at the same time.

The outlets are located at the exact opposite diagonal corner of my house as the main panel. I had planned to just pull out the old ungrounded 10/3 and 12/3 and replace it foot by foot back to the breaker, ground it, and call it a day - but then I noticed that my breakers main ground runs all the way back to the laundry room, and connects to my main water line which just happens to be next to the washer.

My question, would it be safe, and code, to just run a #10 ground wire over to the same ground clamp on the water line? Or maybe secure a secondary ground bus near the water line, to tie into?

I know the codes need to cover every possible application, but it just seems silly to run $200 worth of new grounded cable back to my breaker, to tie into a ground that literally runs all the way back to where I started.

Thoughts? Thank you!!


texts:
My contractor just completed replacing the tub surround. the walls are tiled from the tub to the ceiling.

A few things I'm not too sure about, and would like to get some opinions.

The contractor did not silicon caulk the edge between the upper tile wall and ceiling. Just grout it. Granted, due to some shifting walls, the ceiling needs to be repainted in spring and you can't paint on silicon caulking. Just wondering if the lack of caulking would cause issues.
The silicone caulking was applied to the tub edges while the grout was not fully dry (he did it about an hour or so after he finished grouting). It has been about 8 hours now, While all the other grouts have dried and lightened, the ones under the clear caulking is still dark. Would the calking interfere with the grout curing process?

Thanks.


texts: What would happen if I used a 3 speed fan control with a 4 speed fan?

texts: I have a 4-speed Hampton Bay ceiling fan. I want to use a wireless remote control.  I can only find wireless remote control kits that offer 3-speed settings.  If I use a 3-speed wireless remote control kit, will I lose one of the speed settings? Which setting would I lose?  Can I make any adjustments?


texts: Can I remove kitchen bulkhead/soffit without removing cabinets?

texts:
I want to begin a kitchen remodel project. Step 1 will be to fix all the walls. I want to DIY demolish the existing 12" soffit above the cabinets, then hire a plumber/electrician to adjust the wiring/pipes, then hire a contractor to reframe/drywall a new 6" soffit. This will allow me to install 36" cabinets versus the dated 30" cabinets I currently have. Hopefully keeping a soffit (a smaller one) will make moving the pipes/electric easier than removing the soffit altogether.
Question: can I demo the existing soffit without removing the current wall cabinets? They are not fastened to the soffit at all, and if I'm careful I think I can work around them. We are throwing away the old cabinets eventually, so scratching them up is not a concern.


texts: Can I fish electrical down to the basement to add a new outlet?

texts:
I want to add an outlet behind my TV, and another in a nearby coat closet for the cable box. I don't have an outlet in a stud cavity below the TV so I need to fish one from ~6 feet over.

I'd like to keep the outlet on the same circuit (for my sanity when shutting things off later). Is it acceptable to run electrical down from the existing outlet into the basement and then back up into the wall cavity behind the TV? Or should I cut an extra hole in the drywall below the TV and drill holes horizontally, and fish it up from there?


texts: can i change out (2) 30-amp breakers with (2)40 amp breakers

texts: replacing water heater with a tankless one, breakers have to be (2) 40 amp I have (2)30 amp breakers now the electric wire is 10-2


texts: Garage door opener won't open/close or start light when called for

texts:
I have about a 12-13 year old Overhead Door opener. I was a dummy and left it open over night in the Arctic cold and snow we've been having. Now the contact closure for the motor won't engage the motor.

Pressing the light switch on our wall panel toggles the contact closure for the light. The light works fine.
The sensor beams seem to be fine. One is green and one is red and flashes when I break the beam.
Pressing the motor switch on the wall or on the remotes does not engage the contact closure for the motor or the light. The wall switch does flash as its opening the LED's circuit.

Would there be a fuse or something worse wrong? Would it be time to replace the opener entirely?


texts: What is this nut clamp called and how do you remove it?

texts:
I would like to remove the wheel that is being held in by this contraption:

I tried to use a standard socket wrench, but couldn't get just the right size: 1/2" or 13mm seems too small; 5/8" or 14mm seems too big.
Also, I'm not sure if there's a trick involving the black part.  What's that called? Is there a special technique?
The other end of the rod looks the same.


texts: Is it unsafe to remove one stud from a load bearing wall?

texts: I need to cut a hole for a recessed medicine cabinet. This wall is at the end of the house.  I only need to cut one stud to make a frame for the cabinet. Will this damage the integrity of the bearing wall?


texts: How do I increase the capacity of a small humidifier?

texts:
I'm trying to increase the humidity in our house, as it gets extremely dry in the winter. I have a small second hand humidifier that I have modified to suit my interests, however there is one thing that still bothers me about it. The capacity is quite small and as such I have to refill it at least twice a day. It would be very nice not to have to do this, so I've been thinking about how I could attach an external water tank to it.

The current water holder has a clear plastic top, so I could easily make a hole in it. I thought I could use one of the huge spring water jugs that you see in office water dispensers for the external tank. I would place the external tank above the built-in one, so there would be a constant flow as the humidifier used water. So all I would need, after making holes in each tank, would be to have a specific part that I can imagine, but that I've never seen or heard of.

This part basically attaches itself to any hole securely and without leaks. It's a bit hard to explain, but I'll try to show you what I'm thinking of with ASCII art. This is a side view of it.

  |       |     <- pipe continues to the external tank
  |       |
__|_______|___  <- rubber and metal ring with hole in the middle
  |       |
  |       |     <- pipe that fits the hole in the plastic (threaded)
  |       |        this piece goes into the hole in the humidifier

______________  <- a rubber and metal piece that you screw on from the other side
                   to secure the connection

And then, when installed, it sandwiches the plastic of the humidifier's top between the two rubber pieces and lets water flow from the pipe into it.

This strikes me as an extremely useful item for DIY, being able to securely connect any hole to a hose or pipe, so I would be surprised if it didn't exist. If it does, what is it called? And would they have one at a hardware store? A specialty plumbing store?

If this doesn't exist, how else can I connect an external tank to my humidifier?

Thanks!


texts: Why do the flames in my ventless fireplace go out when I turn on the blower?

texts: I have a ventless gas fireplace. It starts fine but when I turn on the blower motor on Manual the flames go out after a few minutes (but not the pilot light). If I put the blower motor on auto the flames will go out after a few minutes but then eventually come back on (again the pilot light does not go out). This obviously doesn't sound normal to me


texts: Why might a double-pole breaker have the same phase on each wire lug?

texts:
I recently encountered a strange situation in which a double-pole breaker had failed in a spectacularly unusual way. I can say this confidently because replacing the breaker solved the problem. What I want to know is what could have possibly caused this mode of failure.

In short: Both legs of the double-pole breaker appeared to be on the same phase. I have no idea how this could have happened because a straight breaker swap rectified (figuratively, not literally) the issue.

In long: Referring to the letters in the picture below, I measured the following voltages using my multimeter:

0V A-H
120V A-B
120V A-C
240V B-C
120V A-D
120V A-E
120V A-F
240V E-F
120V A-G
5V F-G

Of course,

A is the Neutral
B is the Hot (Leg 1)
C is the Hot (Leg 2)
D is a blade on Leg 1
E is a blade on leg 2
F is a screw-down terminal on the double-pole breaker (nominally Leg 1)
G is a screw-down terminal on the double-pole breaker (nominally Leg 2)
H is the Earth Ground

I tested points D and E as extra validation to make sure the contact springs on the double-pole breaker were in fact receiving power from separate legs. In retrospect, I should have also checked D-F, D-G, E-F, E-G, but I didn't do that at the time.

What could possibly cause the 5V F-G reading?


texts: Can an expansion tank described as for a water heater be used for a boiler system?

texts: There is only one expansion tank we can find which states it is also a thermal expansion tank but it says it protects hot water heaters


texts: While replacing a breaker I found 2 #10 wires coming off the line side of the main breaker besides the main feeder wires. What would this be for and is it safe?


texts:
Periodically, the speaker on my intercom system in my apartment emits a sound similar to a 1 kHz tone like so
The Intercom unit is a “Jeron” pictured here (front)

And back
It seems another savvy user reverse engineered the circuit here: https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/185619/134029
I’ve tried adding about 40 ohms of resistance on either side of the speaker to try and reduce the sound, but it did not help. I understand In adding any resistance to the circuit I would be permanently lowering the ring volume. I don’t care, I just want to stop hearing that noise.
I do not know what causes the noise, as its intermittent. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.


texts: How to implement a zoned low-voltage lighting?

texts:
I have about 80ft of exterior stairs with two landings to which I want to add three zones of low-voltage lights. I would like a 3-way switch controlling each zone at the top and the bottom of the zone.
I believe I could use one transformer and run low-voltage wire to all my switches however, I am having a hard time finding appropriate exterior switches and the equivalent of 3-wire wet-location low voltage wire.
My 120V brain says to just use UF-B 120V wiring and wet location switches/boxes that then feed three separate GFCI outlets into which I plug three separate transformers. The expensive part of the project are the lights so paying more for UF-B 14/3 or 12/3, for instance, appears nominal.
I'm using 12guage and a 20amp GFCI breaker wire in the example in case I need to use the outlet for electrical tools in the future. Other than having to buy three transformers instead of one, what are the benefits of a all low-voltage system over what I am proposing?
This is the only DC wall switch I can find: Leviton 12021-2I (SPST)


texts: Grohe single handle kitchen faucet leak. Do I need to replace entire facet?

texts:
My Grohe single handle kitchen faucet is leaking. Water is coming to underneath.

Is there anyway to fix this by myself?

Can I fix this by replacing cartridge?
Or should I replace entire facet?

Could you give me your advice?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Isn't range hood with filter top fan better?

texts:
My Toronto, CA condo has Sakura R727II range hood (Installation Guide).

I saw this an other Sakura range hood on Google Pictures. Please answer questions 1 and 2 in picture.

Isn't range hood with filters or slats better?

Fans and fan blades on my 727II are sooo greasy! Why 727II not have filters or slats? If it did, then fans and fan blades not so greasy?


texts: Installing drywall in unfinished basement

texts: I have an unfinished basement with concrete walls and soft insulation bolted to it. I’d like to install some drywall to


texts:
I am the new owner of an old, WWII-era home. The previous owner rented the property out for many years, and upkeep seems to have always gone to the lowest bidder. Among other things this means we have encountered many "interesting" examples of electrical maintenance work. For example, since the house is old and does not have grounded wiring, every three-pronged outlet in the house was wired up with what I eventually learned is called a "bootleg ground". (I removed those.)

Currently I am trying to fix a non-functioning three-way switch in the kitchen. I have looked at what feels like every diagram of three-way switch wiring on the entire internet and still cannot make heads or tails of how ours ought to be wired up. The basic situation is two wall switches on either side of a track light. There is standard 12/3 Romex running from one switch to the other. I have verified using a the continuity tester on my multimeter that each wire in the Romex is connected to the other outlet as expected.

The continuity tester indicates that the older, braided wire shown in the photo with the white arrow connects to the hot rail on the track light. Continuity tester doesn't give any more beeps if I check any of the Romex wires against the ground, neutral or hot rails of the track light. If I connect the black wire to source, the white wire becomes hot relative to ground. If I then connect the white wire and braided wires, the lights turn on.

I'm confused for several reasons. If white becomes hot when I connect black to source, shouldn't there be continuity between white and black? If so I'm not able to measure it. Also what is the role of the braided cable here? This wiring set up seems unlike anything I have found online.

Other outlet. The bottom four wires are the Romex coming from the first outlet. The two wire nutted bundles are a separate circuit (there is an outlet on the other side of the wall for the dining room). I have no idea what the black wire in the upper left is for. Seems to be part of the other circuit as well but I have verified that it is dead.


texts: Sealing gap(s) around cabinet pipe penetrations

texts: I own a slab house. Under the kitchen sink there are gaps around the pipes on the base of the cabinet, a good 1/2 inch gap. I'm wondering if I can seal those gaps and what the best method would be. I am smelling an odd odor that I can't put my finger on and suspect it might be coming from the gaps.


texts:
Does anybody know where I could find, reasonable priced, french windows that I can use in an interior wall for my finished basement? (Toronto area). That means both sides would look the same. No insulation needed and whether or not you could open them is optional.

See attached screenshot to get an idea what I'm looking for.

Thanks for any suggestion!

Matt


texts:
I just moved to a new house, and noticed those white marks on my garage. Does anyone know what's behind them?

I would like to install a ceiling rack in my garage. Should I install it on the white marks?

Edit: I'm in North America(Canada) and the house was built in 1994


texts: How do I wire a new ceiling light from an existing fixture?

texts: How do I extend electrical service to a new basement ceiling light fixture? I want to extend from a standard ceiling light that is wired as follows: two 14/3 gauge wires enter the box. Both black wires are spliced together. Each red wire is attached to the brass lamp holder screws and each white wires are attached to the silver lamp holder screws. How do I connect my new 14/2 gauge wire from this lamp holder to the new ceiling lamp holder?


texts: Why does my smoke detector chirp when my bathroom lights are turned on?

texts:
We have an wired smoke detector that is right outside a bathroom.  Often, when we turn on the lights in the bathroom, the smoke alarm will chirp.  The bathroom used to have a fixture with 4 40-watt incandescent bulbs, now it has one with 3 13-watt CFL bulbs.  It chirped with the old fixture and the new one as well.

What causes the chirp?  Can it it be fixed?

The smoke detector is not on a switched circuit. It also has no battery (at least no user replaceable one)

It is probably close to 10 years old.


texts: How can I build a shelf to support a 15 gallon aquarium?

texts: My next project is building an in the wall 3 shelf bookcase to accommodate my printer, my modem and router, and hopefully an aquarium. I want to use 3/4" birch veneer plywood with dados for the unit including the shelves. The aquarium will weigh 175-180lbs when loaded.  The shelves will be 27.5 " wide because the unit is going in an area that was built around a stove pipe and the studs are 27.5 " apart.  Will this shelf support the weight ?  If I added a stud inside each of the existing studs to bring the width down to 24.5", would this support the weight if the 27.5" span will not work?


texts: I have a 3/4HP well for my lawn sprinkler system.  I recently changed the pressure gauge, the pressure switch (set to 20/40) and a new pressure tank (18PSI from the factory).  When I turn on the power, the pressure goes to just above 20 and then shuts off. When I run the sprinklers, it drops below 20, then turns on to above 20, and then just short cycles above and below 20.  I let this continue and blew out the first new pressure switch.  I then installed a second brand new pressure switch and the same thing is happening.  What's going on?


texts:
Looking at one of my circuits (the one that had neutral and hot reversed), I found that the connection between the old cloth-insulated wiring and the newer plastic-insulated run had been made with some kind of crimped connector which included a washer that a wirenut-like plastic cover snapped over.

It looked like someone might have soldered that joint as well, though I couldn't be sure.

Alas, I don't have a photo.

Does anyone recognize this beast from the description, and is it just something that went into and out if fashion, or was there an actual reason for making the connection this way?


texts: CFL Fixtures: one lamp stays constant, the other cycles on an off

texts: My daughter just had extensive remodeling in her house. Both children's bedrooms now have cfl two bulb ceiling fixtures.  Both fixtures, when switched on, start out with one bulb lit.  After a few seconds the second bulb comes one for a few seconds and then goes off.  This pattern continues while the fixture is on - one bulb constant, the other rhythmically cycling on.  What might be causing this?


texts: How should I prepare to plaster my brick fireplace?

texts:
I have a kind of ugly (okay, eye of the beholder) brick fireplace that takes up half my living room. I’d like to plaster over it. Or skim coat it, or stucco ... something. I just want a better finish than simply painting it. A plaster/stucco looking finish.

I’ve cleaned it pretty well though there’s definitely some soot stain still.

We don’t use the fireplace, but I’m assuming one day someone else will want to so I don’t want to ruin it or render it unusable.

Here’s what it looks like now:

My thinking is to cover just the red brick, not the interior.

I’m reasonably competent with home improvement in general, but I have no idea what I’m getting into here. What should I know before I had to the hardware store? (Or  call them and ask them to assemble a  box for curbside pickup, since we’re on COVID-19 lock down in CA)


texts:
i have a patio cover, i want to wiring 2 light and a fan with light (one light on each side of ceiling fan, so the fan will be in the center). i want two 3 ways switch to control all the lights, one switch inside the house and the second one inside the house and one switch to control the fan motor outside the house.

i have an existing power source box inside the house i want to add one 3 ways switch to that box and run a wire 14/3 to the second power box (outside the house) and connect the second 3 ways switch to turn on/off the lights and i want to connect another switch to control the ceiling fan in the same power box (outside the house).

can you give me an idea how to wire this circuit. if you can draw a diagram i will appreciate. thanks


texts: Mounting pull up bar to clay hollow concrete wall

texts:
I've recently decided to mount a pull up bar (indoor) but I came across a series of issues, I've already read other articles on this site but none of them helped.
So it's everything pretty much complicated, because the whole project is a diy:
For many reasons I decided to design a removable (mount-when-to-use) pull up bar, the idea it's basic, just a solid structure to slide on the supports and removable at the end of the workout.
Context:
I'm lucky enough to have a clay hollow bricks made wall the one in question is about 10 cm (4 in) thick, I have access to the other side, I could just drill through the wall and secure the supports from the other side, but I'd prefer not if possible.
As other solutions I thought to install it on the ceiling, but my walls are a bit more then 3 meters high (10 ft) and I don't really like the idea, and because this project is all about being removable I can't use wood planks as additional supports.
I read about a way to reinforce the singles cells of the bricks, so i'd like your thoughts on that.
The whole structure would be hold by just two supports (the only things that actually stay when it's not used) and the pull up bar It's a basic one, just two triangles and a couple of bars (nothing fancy).
So how am I suppose to anchor safely the supports?
I'd like to hear your advises, I thank everybody for the support.


texts: Can I strip a neutral wire and use it to pigtail ground wires?

texts: I need to ground outlets in my house and need to pigtail the ground wires. Just wondering if I can salvage the old neutral wires, strip them, and use them to pigtail to the outlet instead of cutting off extra ground wire.


texts: Hiring a contractor to inspect / survey / analyse my home as a whole

texts:
Last summer I hired a general contractor to do some painting, trim, and cabinetry work. During that time he told us a bit about our home, and that in the next 20 - 25 years we may need to do some more serious renovations to things like our insulation, electrical, and plumbing.

What I'm interested in doing at this point is hiring a contractor to come in, inspect our home, and do some analysis on what type of work we may need done, how soon we'll need it done, what we should prioritize, and how we should do it. Basically someone to lay down a framework to fix up our home over the next 20 - 30 years.

My question is, what type of contractor or builder would I be looking at to get something like this done? And how would I go about getting this type of quote / estimate?


texts: Building Steps Up to Code? First Time Attempting Steps

texts:
I recently built a paver patio and the existing porchsteps that were removed during the process no longer fit. I am attempting to research building a new set of steps and my head is spinning with how to build these things in line with code.
I am located in Western New York. I know my rise from the ground to the house threshold is 26 inches. I don't care how long the run is as the steps are running out to a patio.
My initial thought was to buy a 3 step pre-cut stringer from Lowe's as I have never attempted to cut my own before. The stringers are 6.5 inches, which would be perfect as 6.5 * 4 is 26, with the house acting as the fourth step. Then I got to thinking that the additional inch added from the decking board would throw off this math. A 7.5 inch total height step would mean that my last step, into the house, is three inches less than the other steps (factoring in the additional thread inch for each of the three steps on the stringer).
When code references step height, is it referring to the total height between the stringer and the stair thread, or just the height that the stringer is cut to? Would it be acceptable to use the 6.5 inch stringer with the standard 1 inch decking board, for a total of 7.5 inches, meaning that the last "step" into the house would be three inches less than the steps on the stringer?
Thanks,
Justin


texts: Why do my fluorescent lights turn on slowly or not at all in the summer?

texts:
We live in Florida, and the fluorescent lights in the kitchen turn on very slowly (if at all) in the summer.  Other clues are:

They work fine in the early morning
Later in the day (hot day) they will not turn on immediately
These are ceiling light fixtures, above the ceiling is the (hot) attic
If you flick the switch back and forth rapidly, you may get lucky and the light comes on
This house was built in 1992, therefore probably an electronic ballast
Our Air Conditioning went out for all of last week, it stayed 85 degrees F in the house as a minimum and they never came on.

Is it the ballast?


texts: Lifetime of, and repairing, an aluminium AC condenser?

texts:
I have an LG 1.5 ton AC. It stopped cooling. The Service eng. checked it and identified a coolant leak at the joint of the aluminum condenser and the copper tubing.

He explained that welding it is not possible between the aluminum condenser and the copper tubing. He wants me to replace it with a copper condenser.

I just want to confirm if it is correct that you cannot weld this leak?

What is the expected life of an aluminum condenser in an AC?


texts: Disconnecting pull chain from ceiling fan to install Lutron 'Maestro' fan/light switch

texts:
I installed a Lutron 'Maestro' fan/light wall switch (adjustable/dimmer) for a Hudson Bay fan with light.  The instructions recommend 'disconnect pull chains' ... The fan operates currently at just one speed (high) ...

There is a capacitor attached to the pull chain switch, do I disconnect that too?

Do I need to by-pass or splice wires?


texts: Use Zapier Webhooks with Doorbird D202 http(s) Calls Function

texts:
Inside the Doorbird Administration Settings there is a section called "https(s) Calls". Is this where you should enter a Zapier Webhook URL to listen for events such as Doorbell?

Here is the config inside the Doorbird Admin Section:


texts: some baseboard heaters not working while others are in same zone

texts:
I have three heating zones (forced hot water in baseboards) in my house. On the top floor, one zone controls all the baseboard heaters on that floor.
None of the baseboards on one side of the house in that zone work, while the baseboards on the other three walls does work.
None of the baseboards on the non-working side have bleeder-valves that I can find. I have tried bleeding the entire system from the boiler, but still those baseboards do not throw any heat.
Any ideas on the cause and possible solutions?
Thanks!


texts: Installing acrylic tub closer to wooden subfloor vs. on old concrete in 1970s condo

texts:
I am renovating a 1970s upstairs condo, it's a wooden construction with a layer of concrete throughout above the subfloor, apparently to "float" the floor.

In the bathroom, in the 60x30 alcove, we will be installing a new bathtub (acrylic, built-in 3 side flange, no built-in apron lip). At level installation of this bathtub leads to an about 19 inch step over height, which is admittedly a bit high.

I'd like to break down the concrete in the area where the bathtub will be, this way setting the tub closer to the wooden subfloor. Seems like an easy way to lower the step over distance by an inch or so. Since it's an acrylic tub, a mortar bed will be made in any case.

Would you see any reason to not do this as long as things are waterproofed properly? Is there any required reason to preserve the old concrete layer there? Thanks


texts: How do I replace a broken bathtub drain?

texts:
I am trying to replace my bathtub drain however the cross bars have broken off so I am unable to unscrew it from the tub.

How can I unscrew it?

EDIT:

This is approximately the product I am trying to install: drain

On the packaging it says to use pliers to grab the cross bars of the old train in order to unscrew it.  The drain is supposed to look like this:

But the cross bars have broken off.


texts: Rats - dealing with what appears to be a colony of them

texts:
Appears that we have a a large amount of rats that have taken to forming a complex tunnel system in a small patch of ground between the alley and our garage. There is an old stump, whose submerged root structure probably has formed a great little cavern for them.

We have had both the city and a private pest control service come and try to resolve, but so far smoke and poison has not been effective, and closing their access has only created really pissed off rodents that blast bigger holes.

We have not gotten to the point of removing any of the dirt for further investigation, so its unclear how much of a system they have created under the garage.

Assuming we can get rid of this set of rats, any recommendations for making that area less permeable for the next wave would be appreciated.

In addition, we have gone about to ensure the shared alley is as clean as possible, and for the most part there doesnt appear to be blatant rat/rodent attractions (debry, animal waste, etc) -- but there is only so much you can change in a city alley.

Thank you for helping fight the good fight!


texts: 100 Amp Shed Workshop from 200 Amp House Panel 120' Direct Bury Cable

texts: I am interested in some advice/support on installing a 100 Amp Main Breaker Sub Panel approximately 120' from my 200Amp Main Panel in my basement.  I have a background and experience in electrical wiring but this is only my second garage/shed wiring experience.  My plan is to install a 100 AMP breaker in the Main Panel (Basement) using 2-2-4 Aluminum Direct bury cable from mail to Sub Panel.  Trenching the yard to a depth of 24" per NEC Code for direct bury cable.  I will only be using Electrical PVC Conduit (grey)conduit for all above ground wire and building entry points.  I welcome your input and recommendation on my plan to help keep me 100% in compliance with NEC Codes.  Thank You.


texts:
I'm contemplating building a dresser and am looking at designs and such to get my creative juices flowing. Today I noticed that some dressers/chests have concave or outwardly curving drawers on the front face. Usually I can figure out how to do most woodworking feats, but I'm not sure about this one. Some ideas I have:

By hand with a planer/sander
Some sort of CNC planer that makes curves
Steam the wood and bend to shape

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about:

Can anyone shed some light on this?


texts: Why have an off position for the heating dial on electric showers?

texts:
So - some background. I'm fairly new to the concept of electric showers - showers that heat cold water themselves with internal heating elements. With my shower, I have two dials - one for temperature, and another for adjusting the "Eco" setting. This eco dial has three positions - I'm totally blind, so not sure how these are physically labeled. During testing, it appears that if I have my temperature setting on the highest value and do the same for the eco dial, the water is at its hottest. If I then keep the temperature at the same setting but turn the eco dial down, it appears that the shower will wait until the water cools down before it will then heat some more - and on its lowest setting (which I assume is off or similar), the water doesn't appear to get heated at all.

So - my question. If no heating is performed on water when the heating/eco dial is at its lowest value despite the temperature dial being on the highest setting, why have an "off" value for this dial? Is this effectively the same as simply turning the temperature dial down to its lowest value?


texts: Can I surface mount a retro wall mount sink in any way?

texts: I just bought a vintage 1950's tub, toilet and sink. (the toilet and sink are "new" in the box.. never installed! ) This is the square wall mount type that has legs in the front for support. I Don't have the legs, and the bathroom I am putting it in is very small. The vanity is recessed into the wall. The left side is against the outer wall by the bathroom door, and the right side butts up against the closet. And this is the only space for a vanity/cabinet. I don't want to lose the storage or surface space that I have now. I was thinking it might could be mounted similar to a vessel sink some sort of way. I can have a custom vanity/cabinet built but would prefer to modify what is there or buy something premade that I can modify. I will of course be adding a new countertop but could really use some ideas/ suggestions as to how to pull this off and make it look good.  I can tile, sheetrock, put together and hung my own kitchen cabinets, etc. but this is a little different and need some guidance. The attached picture is not my sink but it's just like this. Thanks!


texts: House shakes violently at least once a day

texts:
Summary:
Our house shakes and sways for an instant almost every day (it feels like a car just ran into it) and we're worried it may one day collapse.  Any suggestions as to what it could be? How to get it to stop? or how to find out what it is?
Details:
Our house shakes/trembles quite drastically almost every day accompanied by rattling windows, and what sounds like a loud thud on the walls.  On the second floor, you can feel a brief (and notable) sway.  It honestly feels like a car just hit the house; and then nothing.
It is an instantaneous, one-time thud/shift/tremor that is the closest thing I've felt to the minor earthquakes we used to get in Texas (but we live in Northern Maryland and don't get them here).
We live in a somewhat rural neighborhood on 1 acre with neighbors reporting similar (but possibly less extreme) shaking.  There are no mines nearby (probably not blasting) or fracking and you cannot hear it from outside the home as far as we know.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what this might be and how to stop it? We've lived here for 5 years and it has always occurred.  We are worried our house may one day collapse.  There are lots of new paint cracks on adjacent wood pieces from the original remodel 5 years ago, likely from the shifting.
House info:
We have a finished basement and the foundation (I believe) is poured concrete.  The house is a 2 story + attic 1996.


texts: Why do several of my outlets not have power after replacing a GFCI?

texts: When using the microwave and a electric grill, I lost all power along two walls. I put a new GFCI outlet in, but it was not the problem. I checked the power and it shows real low voltage and the little light on the GFCI is on but normal appliances won't work. I took and tested another outlet and when I touch the tester to the wires the light on the GFCI would go off and on when I touch the wires. I shut off breaker and put tester on turn breaker on and seem to have plenty off power there.  Just lost now


texts: Attaching a fabric/ribbon border to a bamboo shade

texts:
I would like to attach a ribbon or fabric border to my bamboo shade at the bottom of the valence piece. Since the shade material isn’t fabric, I’m thinking the best method would be to use a hot glue gun. Any other suggestions other than a glue gun method? Thanks!

I tried uploading a picture but I’m not sure if it worked.


texts: How to wire a C-wire from a humidifier to a Carrier furnace?

texts: I need guidance on a wire. One wire connects the humidistat to HUM. Another wire should go from the humidifier to COM24Vac. My COM is taken as you see in the picture. Is it an issue to wire the second wire to Y instead of COM?


texts: External TV antenna grounded inside attic?

texts:
I want to install an OTA external antenna to an existing satellite dish mast, I have removed the dish and plan on just attaching the antenna.  The existing dish mast was never grounded, there are also coax grounding blocks on the outside of the house, but they are not grounded either.

The location of the mast is within a valley about mid way up the roof, between the main roof and the garage, its below the ridge of the house.  Its not in a very good location to run a ground wire, the wire would have to run across the top of the roof then down to the side of the house grounding stake.

My question I'm wondering is if its ok to ground the external antenna somewhere within the attic?  I could run 2 sheathed ground wires, one from the mast grounding block, the other from the coax grounding block into the attic where the coax goes into the house, then into the house ground, either to a cold water line or possibly into an electrical ground (that I'm not sure how to do).  Is this an ok solution, or would it be better to run a ground wire across the roof ?  I really don't want to re-locate the mast or the antenna.  Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

I'm probably a little less then 20 miles from the towers, so a mohu leaf might be an option.  I already have the antenna so was wanting to just try that and see, but if it worked, I wanted to make sure I got it grounded properly.


texts: painting fence during exceptionally rainy summer

texts: I have powerwashed and scraped wooden fence on both sides.  It is pretty bare.  We have not had 3 days without rain since I did this.  How dry does the fence have to be before I prime and paint it.  Should I paint only one side or will dampness from the other side cause the paint to fail?


texts: Can I connect a heater and air conditioner to the same circuit even if the combined loads would be over the breaker rating?

texts: I have a generator with a 100amp panel. The A/C only system is on the emergency panel. I want to add a frost protection heater to a crawl space. Can I connect the heater to the A/C circuit even though the connected load will exceed the breaking rating as these devices will not operate simultaneously.


texts: Kitchen double sink drain pipe reverse slope

texts: The plumber just finished my kitchen sink installation, and I noticed that the horizontal pipe connecting the two sink bowl drains has a slight up-slope (maybe 1/8") over its length toward the point it "T"s into the trap. As I see it, there will always be a small amount of water puddled in the pipe because of this. To do it right, it should be sloped toward the trap. My question is: is this really a problem waiting to happen? Do I need to call him back to re-do the drain? Or am I just overly fussy?


texts: Is a replacement fluorescent-tube light not working because it draws too much current?

texts: My daughter had 2 incandescent fixtures on one switch in the garage. She changed one of them for a two tube fluorescent fixture, but the fluorescent fixture won't work - it's wired correctly. Is the incandescent drawing too much current?


texts: Half my power out, but firing up an appliance turns it back on

texts:
Hoping for some much needed help.
The other day my lights flickered and half the power and outlets went out in my home. They have gone and off periodically since then, spontaneously shutting off at times with nothing “triggering” it. My electrician couldn’t find anything, but not sure how well he looked. I called my power company and they said all is well outside and at the meter. The areas I am losing power to are not on the same leg, the weird thing is, is that I can get the power to go back on by turning on a few faucets to hot water and getting my well pump to fire up. It seems like once the well kicks on, its restarts the power to everything.


texts: Pilot in gas water heater still goes out after replacing thermocouple

texts:
The pilot in my gas water heater (Aquamax 205) has been going out sporadically over the last 2 weeks. Yesterday, I replaced the thermocouple with a universal thermocouple and cleaned out the dust and soot from the burner area.

After installation, I also did the detergent test to make sure the gas connections are secure and not leaking.

I lighted the pilot and it appeared to work fine. A few hours later, I checked the pilot and it was out, so I relighted it. I got up this morning and checked it again and the pilot was out again.

The water heater was working really well with no issues before this happened.

What could be causing this?

Edit:
I relighted the pilot on Sunday morning and monitored it throughout the day. The last time the hot water was used was at around 8PM on Sunday and it was still working properly.

This morning (Monday) the pilot was out again and I relighted it.

Edit 2:
Tonight, I checked the pilot and it was still lit. However, after 2 people took showers at the same time (which probably cause the burner to kick in), the pilot went out. I am not sure whether it went out when the burner was trying to light up or when the burner turned off. After relighting the pilot again, the burner started up.


texts: Will spray paint bleed through paint on new plaster walls?

texts:
I had kids come on the construction site and spray paint my bare plaster walls with graffiti!!!

If I paint the walls now will it bleed through the paint? Do I have to take off the plaster and start all over again? What paint can cover it and not bleed through? any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

Ann


texts: Can modern surge protector strips still catch fire?

texts:
I bought a 120 volts Leviton 5100-PS Surge Protector Strip. I'd like to know if all surge protector strips contain thermal disconnector inside already (like Belkin, APC, Eaton, Leviton)?

What would happen if you plug one of those 120 volt unit into 240 volts ac outlet (say accidentally of course).. would the thermal disconnector activates preventing the burn up of the MOV element or would the MOV and plastic casing catch fire. What do you think?

And how does the behavior compares to when the MOV suffers maximum surge of its surge current rating.. would it also catch fire?


texts: Changing out my ceiling fan i got four white and four black wiresand cant tell which should be tied together

texts:
After taking down my old ceiling fan I have four white and four black. 3 white was together as well as black. One white and one black was connected, but I sepererated all and don't know which black and white go together.
I know a black is hot but which white do I connect it with (hot)?


texts: Can a foundation be reused after fire damage?

texts:
This might be slightly off topic here, but I thought I'd ask.
I had a friend of a friend lose his home during these devastating  fires in Oregon and California.  I am trying to help out and was wondering if the foundation is reusable or not.
Did the fire damage it and weaken it to the point of needing to be redone?
Or can it be re-used?  How to tell?


texts: What is the bedroom section of a master bedroom with foyer called?

texts:
Is there a particular term used for the section of a master bedroom that has the bed, if there is an adjoining foyer that is also part of the master bedroom?

 (Master bedroom)
+---------------+
|     *****     |
|     *BED*     |
|     *   *     |
|     *****     |
|               |
|     (???)     |
|               |
+-----     -----+
|               |
|     (Foyer)   |
|               |
|               |
+------===------+

I was thinking "sleeping area", "bed area", but I was wondering if there is a more standard way of referring to it?