texts: What is this rotating pipe adapter called

texts:
This is the solenoid valve from Orbit Water Timer I have. I want to know what is the rotating adapter on the right side called. I would want to buy one for some of the threaded taps that I have in my farm.
The adapter is great to connect to threaded male pipes. If anyone has Water Timer or some such, they should be able to identify clearly what I mean.
Is this something which can be easily purchased?


texts: Why do my dimmer switches keep burning out?

texts:
I have a Lutron Maestro MACL-153MH (600W incandescent/halogen) controlling 5 x H1499ICAT (low-voltage, MR-16, 50W each) in my vacation house. So, that's a total of 250W. It burned out one day, so I replaced it. After I replaced it, I noticed that 2 of the light were out and replacing the bulbs didn't help, so I figured that the housing burned out. The remaining 3 were working though. Next time I got to the house (and I actually had some time to order and replace the housings) the dimmer was burned out again, so I replaced it to see how many lights were still working, but as soon as I reset the breaker after the new dimmer was installed I heard a click coming from the dimmer and a burning smell... So, the another dimmer is gone...

Any ideas what might be wrong and what to check? Is it possible that those 2 burned out housings cause that?


texts: Why do shared apartment homes have two sets of individual circuit breakers?

texts:
My home has two sets of circuit breakers, one in my apartment, and one in a shared area downstairs (these are switches that pop up with another one or two nearby buttons that also pop open when there is an electrical overload due to too many appliances turned on). Wikipedia states: "circuit breaker: an automatic device for stopping the flow of current in an electric circuit as a safety measure."

So, my question is, why have a circuit breaker upstairs and one downstairs instead of just one?

Thanks.

So, since I'm interested in the wiring inside as home, and voltage inside homes here is fixed (in my case 220-240 V), current equals load. The case would be different if I was considering a circuit where the voltage within the circuit would change with time. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Circuit breaker downstairs


texts: Can I use an LED bulb in a incandescent only fixture?

texts: I'm considering buying a Home Easy ceiling rose, as my light switch is in awkward place and I'm unable to move it. I have an LED bulb in the correct socket, and this manual says you can't use fluorescent bulbs, only incandescent. However it makes no mention of LED bulbs. Is it safe to use an LED bulb in such a socket?


texts: Why is my main water supply shut off valve leaking even while closed?

texts:
While prepping to install a new kitchen faucet, I went to shut off the water supply to the house since there were no valves under the sink. I mistakenly chose to turn the city-side (gate valve) supply off instead of the home-side (ball valve). When I started turning, water began leaking from the stem. Doing a quick google of this let me know that I needed to tighten the packing nut. Never having done this before, I started tightening the wrong thing, which caused THAT to start leaking as well.

This 'wrong thing' is a second opening at the bottom of the valve. It's supposed to be closed off with a cap that just screws onto the thread. Tightening it caused it to leak. At this point I called a plumber and he said I could take care of this myself and told me  the packing nut was my problem and how to tighten it. He called this other thing at the bottom a petcock. After getting off the phone, I followed his instructions and was able to get the valve stem to stop leaking and get the water turned off.

The 'petcock' is still leaking even with the valve closed all the way. If I try opening the home-side valve, water jets out of the petcock. The same thing happens if I try opening the city-side valve that I successfully got closed. I tried tightening the petcock cap more and ended up breaking it. It wasn't doing anything to stop water leaking anyway.

What the hell is going on here? It looks like I'm going to have to deal with this small leak until the morning when I can call a plumber. The city will likely have to come shut the water off as well.

Can anyone help me out with this in the meantime?


texts: So am I reading this right? I can use a 30 amp breaker and fused disconnect and thus us a 10ga wire to build this circuit?


texts: Long outside wire run - can I JUST ground at both ends?

texts:
I'm planning to run 300 ft of direct burial, 12 gauge, 3-conductors, no ground cable. Buried underground. The cable will carry 240v split phase.

The main panel at the start of the run is already grounded.

Do I absolutely need to have a grounding wire INSIDE the cable?

Or can I just properly ground the sub-panel at the end of the run?? (grounding rod, grounding wire to the ground post of the sub-panel)

EDIT: the loads will be a few lights, a 12v battery charger and 2 electric space heaters, so all resistive loads...believe it or not there's already a "ghetto" 200 ft run of 14/2 indoor romex wire going there (from previous owners) but the lights and battery charger work fine even with the massive voltage drop..

EDIT2: yes this is mostly a cost consideration, however after a bit more research I will use a cable with a grounding wire inside (didnt buy the cable yet)

Thanks everyone


texts: Ceiling Fan Installation - Nonstandard setup for Downrod Fan

texts:
The original ceiling fan in the master bedroom broke. When it was removed, what I found appears to be a nonstandard connection.

I'm assuming the absence of an electrical box means this is not the correct installation setup for a ceiling fan?


texts: How should I insulate my shed to avoid mold and mildew?

texts:
I'm having a 16 by 12' shed built on-site because of difficulties getting down my driveway. It's to be a woodworking shop to build small furniture in.

I live in Beaufort SC. It will have cement lap board siding on top of the sheathing with 2 by 4 studs. The roof will be shingles on top of the felt paper, with a ridge vent.

The question is how to insulate the inside walls to prevent mold  or mildew.


texts: Lights will not come on after taking out wall outlet

texts: OK.. I noticed smoke coming from my bedroom wall  outlet.... I went outside turned off what I thought was the breaker to that room.... Come to find out that breaker had already switched itself off... Anyway I go and take the electrical outlet out and notice that the (white wires) had almost completely burned the side that it was on... I put electrical tape on all four wires then went to the breaker box to put all the switches to (on)...not only didn't the lights come on in the bedroom I was working on...that side of the house has no power!!!!..... Please help!!!


texts: What should I do with the grounding wire when connecting an ungrounded light fixture?

texts:
I have an extension cord with a grounding wire in it.  I have cut off the female end and want to wire it to a light socket that will have an LED fixture screwed into it.  This is for a garage workshop LED light.  If the light socket doesn't have a grounding screw, what do I do with the grounding wire from the extension cord? I was going to put a wire nut on it, however I don't think it will fit inside the light socket enclosure.

Any alternatives?


texts: Is it normal for tap water to turn brown/blue when the pipes freeze?

texts:
In our old apartment, the pipes would freeze during the winter during the night, and in the morning sometimes the water that came out of the tap was blue at first.  We spoke to a plumber, and he believed it was due to "backwash" from the upstairs neighbor's toilet.  However, our old landlord assured us that this was perfectly normal, and our water would be fine if we let it run for a while every morning.

Now we have a new apartment, and it appears the pipes have frozen again - when I turn on the tap, the pipes sputter and barely any water comes out.  However, this time the water that comes out is brown.  Is this normal?  Should we demand that our landlord fix it - can it even be fixed?

I really don't like the idea someone else's poop flowing through the same pipes as our clean water (note: I don't actually know that that's what's causing it to be brown - could it be another reason?)


texts:
I'm currently renting a unit in a commercial warehouse complex. Each unit has individual MLO panels inside the unit, and then a large split meter base with individual breakers for each unit in a centralized location in a separate part of the complex.

We're trying to upgrade the that main breaker for our unit from 100A to 125A if we have to, but preferably 150A.

So the problem we're having is that the breaker in the centralized area is a Cutler Hammer QC2100, and is part of their QuickLag series, which only seems to go up to 100A. It's a cable in/cable out breaker and it connects to https://www.platt.com/platt-electric-supply/Circuit-Breakers-Cable-In-Out-Base-Mounting-Clips/Eaton/QC6BP/product.aspx?zpid=61066
instead of something like a DIN rail or a simple bolt on. The clips are attached to the enclosure, and the breakers for everyone else's units are just kinda in a row on their own separate set of clips.

Does anyone know if there's a similar style of breaker that will fit on those clips and has a higher ampacity rating? Can I remove the clips and switch to a bolt on style breaker, or install a short DIN rail and attach to that? I'm trying to avoid having to change out the entire meetering enclosure cause I'd be paying to modify 16 other tenants systems and that gets a little pricy.

my electrician and several supply houses in the area don't seem to know if there's a way to do it without upgrading the service for the entire complex, so I figured I'd ask here.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
I have a heater with a built in thermostat. I also have another in wall switch (looks exactly like a ceiling light switch) that controls if the heater is on or off. I want to replace the in wall switch with a different switch that has a timer so that I can control when the heater goes on and off. I realize this will not allow me to control the thermostat.

The wiring of the in wall switch looks like this:

The front is like this. The black wires are on the left, the red wires on the right.

I though this would be wired like this 3 way switch but it looks like the in and out wires are not at diagonally opposite ends of the switch like in that diagram. I could also be misinterpreting the diagram since I don't understand the wire colours. I assume the red taped group are hot and the white taped group are neutral but don't know which wires in the taped group are in and out.

The wires with red tape around them are at 120V, the wires with white tape around them are at 0V.
Can someone explain how this circuit is wired?


texts:
My A/C doesn't come on when I set the temperature on the Braeburn thermostat very low.  Also, the recirculation fan doesn't come on when I set the thermostats fan setting to 'on', as though the indoor unit is not receiving any signal from the thermostat for either cooling or recirculation.

The setup:

The AC worked at the end of the summer when we stopped using it.
During the cooler months last year I was crawling around the attic doing work up there (I'm fairly fastidious and careful and I didn't bump anything that I'm aware of).
I recently had new siding put on my house and the workers let the junction unit next to the outside condenser dangle while they installed the new siding
I checked everything after the siding work was done (outside lights, AC, etc) and found the AC unit didn't come on
I've measured 250V on the condenser side of the large fuse in the junction box that was left dangling.  So, I don't think the workers did anything but am mentioning it here in case I've overlooked something.
I've gone up to the attic where the indoor/fan unit is located and noted the wire connectors between like colored wires (red, yellow, green) are still there and weren't accidentally disconnected.  See pictures below.
Like colored wires between indoor fan unit and outdoor condenser are still firmly connected as well (red, yellow, brown).
I've taken pictures of the wiring diagram on the side of the fan unit in the attic which shows RD, BR, GR/BK, WH/BK, WH/BL, YL going to thermostat (optionally, WH/BK and WH/BL tied together.  So 5 or 6 wires to thermostat (this is only AC not heat if that matters).  See pictures below.
I've gone to the thermostat, disconnected the face unit from the wall and measured 27-27.5 volts White and all the other wires (Red, Yellow, Green).  The thermostat is a Braeburn.  See picture below.

While in the attic I stuck the voltmeter probes into some of the twist-on connectors but didn't measure anything.  Before proceeding to take anything apart, what voltage should be across these wires going into the unit:

Red (jumpered to another red running towards condensing unit)
Yellow (also jumpered)
Green (not jumpered)

Does anyone have any other advice on what to check?


texts: Replacing a switch where power comes thru the fan to the timer switch, with only 2-wires?

texts:
I can see an answer where it suggests a 3-wire run from the fixture but I'm hoping to use existing wiring and it only has black and white wires coming from the bathroom fan to the old timer switch.

The new modern timer switch has red, white and black wires out (and green of course).

Which wires connect to which wires please?

and thanks
Scott


texts: How do I get a dishwasher to fit with pipes in the way?

texts:
The installer showed up with the new dishwasher (KitchenAid KDTM404EWH).  Once he took the old one out, he found that these pipes are in the way:

Any ideas about what I can do? The installer said I'd need a dishwasher with a depth no greater than 19.25 inches.  That seems small to me. Do they make dishwashers like that?

Additional Details

Here's a picture of the space with measurements:

Here are the details:

    | Measurement                                                       | Value  |
    |-------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
    | Full height of opening                                            | 34.5"  |
    | Full width of opening                                             | 24.5"  |
    | Full depth of space                                               | 24.0"  |
    | Distance from front of pipes to back wall                         | 4.75"  |
    | Height of pipes                                                   | 3"     |
    | Width of pipes                                                    | 6"     |
    | Full width of opening - width of pipes                            | 18.5"  |
    | Full depth of opening - distance from front of pipes to back wall | 19.25" |
    | Full height of opening - height of pipes                          | 31.5"  |


texts:
What would be the cheapest way to reduce echo in an empty room?

I'll be having an empty room in my apartment for perhaps a few months and right now, there's nothing I could put in there, except perhaps for some empty cardboard boxes.

The room has an open entrance to other rooms, so whenever someone is doing something in most other rooms (even not so noisy activities), this creates a surprisingly loud and actually really annoying echo that can be heard everywhere.

The room is about 23 feet long and 13 feet wide, the entrance is about 6 feet wide.

I wouldn't really want to try blocking the entrance, because you need to be able to go through that room to get to the balcony. There's also a lot of daylight coming through that open entrance, blocking it would make other rooms significantly darker.

Assuming I would put some cardboard boxes in there, where exactly should I put them for most efficiency?

What other, cheap options are there and how would I do it?


texts: Quick repair for cracked wallpapered ceiling

texts:
I'm decorating a room on a non existent budget and have a ceiling that has cracked plaster with wallpaper on it which has torn. I can't afford to have it replastered and don't have time to strip it etc. Therefore I wondered if anyone has any tips for covering up the cracked parts or fixing it somehow... Polyfilla over the top doesn't appear to have worked (see picture). I did consider cutting out the cracked paper area but am unsure if this will cause the plaster to fall off completely... Maybe tape would work?

See photos to see what I'm dealing with. Lighter is for scale!!


texts: Does this gas range valve need replacing?

texts: We are getting a new gas range and we didn't know if the current gas valve should be replaced or not since it is an old valve. It looks like it is outdated and needs to be replaced. Should we get this replaced?


texts: Is it possible to get a magnetic mount to attach to my aluminum tablesaw base?

texts:
I want to use a magnetic base and precision deflection meter with my tablesaw, which has aluminum instead of cast iron table, which means it is not a magnet-friendly material.  I'm wondering if anyone has ever succeed doing something like mounting rare earth magnets to the underside of their aluminum tablesaw deck, to get a magnetic attachment to work, or if they have found an alternative to precisely measure a tiny movement of the tablesaw fence that works for them?

I want to be able to do things, which might be IMPOSSIBLE with a portable-aluminum saw:  I saw a guy on youtube using one to reduce the size of his workpiece by a small amount. I want to be able to remove a small amount of material from a workpiece that is, say a few thousandths of an inch too wide.

I suspect from the comments that using a precision magnetic deflection meter is an exercise in futility in a saw like mine (Bosch 4100-09)


texts: How can I prevent water from leaking on an outlet?

texts: I recently moved into a new house rental and am setting up my washer & dryer. I am uncomfortable with the proximity of our hot/cold water valves to our washer's power outlet and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions to prevent water leakage onto the outlet (perhaps an outlet cover or valve cover would help?). Please see the attached image. Thanks for you help. -Jared


texts: Is gluing table top planks better than using pocket hole screws?

texts:
I am learning furniture building. I started by building tables using pocket hole screws to attach the planks together and also to attach the table top to the apron/base.

I am now converting to using fasteners, such as table buttons, z clips, etc., to attach the table top to allow for the top to expand and contract.

My question is, if I am properly using fasteners to attach the table top, allowing for it to expand and contract,is gluing the planks better than pocket hole screws? If pocket hole screws are used, will the table be able to expand and contract properly?


texts: Where should I connect my C-wire on my old Goodman unit (GMP075-4 rev 13)

texts: I want see if someone help me on hooking up this new Honeywell thermostat with Wifi I just purchased. I have an old ac unit and I only have 3 connections to my circuit board which does not have an option to connect my wire. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks


texts: How do you hard wire a lamp socket to the ceiling?

texts:
I have a swag style pendant lamp that I want to hard wire into the ceiling. I cut the plug off the lamp cord and wired it directly to the neutral and hot wires in the ceiling recess. I made sure the neutral and hot wires went to the corresponding terminals in the lamp socket. There is a ground wire in the ceiling recess, I have not touched this as my wiring does not have a ground and I am not sure what to do with it.

Anyway, when I turn the light on nothing happens. I can confirm the hot wire is energized as my live wire detector beeps when it is next to it. It beeps all the way down to the lamp holder.

The lamp holder appears to be wired correctly, it has power to it and a fresh bulb but nothing happens.

I've never wired anything like this before so it's entirely possible I've messed something up or misunderstood something fundamental.

Edit: I should mention when I first wired this up I had live and neutral reversed in the lamp socket and got a short when I turned it on. I don't think the fuse is blown because I get power and I changed the bulb to make sure the bulb was not blown either.


texts: 29 volts too much for a 24 volt thermostat?

texts:
I replaced a digital non-programmable thermostat with a programmable thermostat and the new thermostat keeps the house around 60-62 no matter what temperature I set.  When I contacted the manufacturer, he had us test the voltage and indicated our 29 volts was too much for 24 volt thermostat.  Recommended getting a contractor out to resolve that - easier said than done.  Are there other programmable thermostats that have a more flexible range?  I haven't seen this range on packaging/specifications I'm looking at.  This is for a combiboiler if that makes a difference.

Picture of wiring:
https://imgur.com/a/qd9l4bF

Thermostat: Honeywell RTH2510, Boiler: Vesta VRC


texts: 2nd floor bathroom floor is sagging with some water damage

texts:
Replacing tub and surround, I removed vinyl  floor to find plywood tongue and groove decking with water damage.  Cut out the damage to learn that the construction plumbers had cut the 2x4 top of floor joist (TRUSS BUILT WITH TOP AND BOTTOM 2X4 AND CLEATED BRIDGING.) to accomodate the p-trap for the tub drain.  They did not add any supports and over the years the bathroom floor has sagged approx 1-1/4 inches between the two unaffected joists (48 inches). I installed a section of 2 inch x 3/8 inch  angle iron and fashioned a jack using a 1 inch threaded stud and nuts to work like a house jack.  Seemed like a good fix, except the cleats started to come out of the plate, and then the ceiling of the room below had drywall tape pop out along with a few sheetrock nails. I also did not get the bathroom floor level enough to properly install the tub and new ceramic floors.  That particular floor joist spans the width of the townhouse and does not have mid point support.  The adjacent joists are level and secure, thus causing a valley between two peaks.
Is there a better way to support and repair the chopped out truss.  The offending plumbers are long gone .  They probably informed the GC who did nothing about it.
Thanks for  any suggestions


texts: What are our options for a base under a raised garden bed?

texts:
In the backyard we currently have a small patio and a lot of lawn. We also have a toolshed, which seems to be sinking into the earth because there's no real foundation underneath it. We want to invest in some raised garden beds (bad knees and backs), something like this: https://eartheasy.com/deer-proof-cedar-complete-raised-garden-bed-kit-8-x-8-x-20/?sku=RB88-RB88DFO&gclid=CjwKCAiApNSABhAlEiwANuR9YHSoWLHjbkeiPow1wNVkBvU_oCism43bHMf0NSPmY8Rp3rDrWToCbxoCzTAQAvD_BwE
What should we put underneath it in order to prevent it from sinking into the earth or otherwise being damaged? Cement? Dig out some of the lawn and put in woodchips?
(Let me know if this belongs on gardening instead, I'm not sure)


texts: Is it OK to attach only the junction box ground wire, or is it necessary to also attach ground wire from lamp fixture?

texts: While installing a hanging ceiling lamp over my kitchen sink, the ground wire on the lamp broke below the mounting bracket nipple, making it impossible to attach to the junction box ground wire. Is it necessary to attach both grounding wires, or is it OK to attach only the junction box grounding wire to the grounding screw?


texts: Where to find main shut off switch for breaker

texts: Where can I find the main shut off breaker It doesn’t let upload my picture but my breaker is small but doesn’t have  main shut off and meter doesn’t have a switch either


texts: How can I tighten nut under kitchen sink

texts:
My kitchen tap has come loose from the sink and I'm having trouble tightening it back up. This is what it looks like.

I need to tighten the nut, but the problem I'm having is there is not enough space between the nut and the water hoses or the sink basin (Bottom of the pic) to turn the wrench when holding it parallel to the nut. I tried turning by putting the wrench perpendicular to the nut, but the bolt comes down to far to allow me to do this. I've also tried using pliers the same way, there is enough clearance to with the pliers to turn perpendicular to the nut, but the nut is so thin I can't get enough grip to tighten it much, I managed to tighten a bit this way, but it came loose again after a few days.

I guess I need to buy some sort of socket wrench, but not sure what kind. Or is there some other tool I should use?

Edit:

I have tried tightening using the a screwdriver in the flat slot of the bolt, that seems to secure the bolt to the tap. The problem seems to be the tap and bolt are not secured to the sink properly, which I think is what the bolt is doing.


texts: Are there any tricks for using an oscillating multitool?

texts: I recently got myself a Ridgid JobMax and I think I love it. I did spend quite a bit of time, however, trying to get through an old (100 year old home) 2x4 (dimensional). I don't know if the wood was just really hard or if I am just not good at using the tool yet. I did watch some YouTube videos and started using more of a sweeping motion with the cutting blade and that helped. I'm just wondering if anyone else has any good tips or experience using this tool that would be helpful to me.


texts: How high can I adjust water pressure in my well tank?

texts:
I have a well with a pressure tank that supplies household water. I'm replacing the pressure switch because it's old and faulty. I see that pressure switches come in 20/40, 30/50 and 40/60 psi presets. I bought the 40/60 because higher pressure is always nice to have.

My question is, why is 40/60 the highest these switches go? Can I adjust it higher without damaging the pump or tank? For example, as long as I increase the air pressure in the bladder to 48 psi, can I set the switch to 50/70?


texts: How can a steep driveway be kept safe in snowy climates?

texts:
I looked at a house today and one of its drawbacks was that it had a very long, steep driveway. In New England we get thick snow, sleet and ice and with a steep driveway I am concerned the car might have trouble getting up it, or might slide off it going down.

The driveway drops 50 feet over 300 feet which is a grade of over 9 degrees in some places.

Is there any way to make such a steep driveway safer?


texts: Are there any advantages to installing a 125A subpanel instead of a 100A panel?

texts:
I noticed that most Square D sub panels are 100 AMPS, but Siemens has one that is 125 AMPs (maybe other brands also, I haven't checked).
Is there any differences I need to know about when I suggest a 100 AMP sub panel versus a 125 AMP (or bigger) sub panel to my electrician?

In this case the more AMPS the less wire he will have to run.

I am thinking about discussing this with him as an alternative to make it easier on him when he rewires my house, since the main panel is almost 50 feet away from the part of the house that needs 80% of the rewiring.


texts: Can a 1x4 jack stud be used instead of a 2x4?

texts: I just noticed that my contractor,whom is building a shed, has cut the sole plate and replaced the jack stud with a 1 by 4 to accommodate a door he ordered.  He had framed the opening too small and this was solution. The door jamb fits snugly in the opening and can't be shimmed to fit properly.  Is the 1 by 4 jack stud safe or should I insist that he reframe the door properly using 2 by 4s instead.  this is a load bearing wall. It's really a 20ft by 20ft shop on a concrete slab. There are no present plans to live in it. A main concern is that the 1 x 4 untreated jack stud is contacting the concrete slab


texts: What extra conduit should I include in a utility trench?

texts:
I'm putting in a trench with electricity + water + phone from the street to a future house site. The trench will be around 150' long. The electricity and phone will each be in their own conduit, probably 2".

A friend suggested I install an extra 4" conduit in the trench now, for future use. If I wanted 400A electrical one day, it would be easy to pull. Or if the water line fails, I could pull a replacement in this conduit. Or I could pump sewage up to the septic system, if I use a macerator and pull a hose through the conduit. Etc.

My contractor says that 4" conduit is very difficult to work with, since it won't bend as easily as the smaller stuff. (The trench meanders through the woods.)

Would 2" conduit be enough for one of those possible future uses?

Any other advice?


texts: How to get rid of Indian spice smell in house?

texts: There is a house with strong Indian spice smell throughout. What could be the safest and most effective ways to get rid of such smell?


texts:
I am confused about small-appliance branch circuit for service load calculation.  I am trying to size my breaker for a sub-panel in my basement from my main 200A panel.

I will have a main room, wet bar area, bedroom, and bathroom.

I have calculated the following loads:

Lighting Wattage = 790sq ft x  3 = 2,370 VA
Under counter 46 Bottle Wine Cooler: 90VA
Under counter refrigerator: 240VA
HVAC Heat Pump = 4,320 VA
HVAC Air Handler = 960 VA
HVAC Heat Strips = 4,800 VA
Sump Pump = 1,200 VA

Do I need to consider any small-appliance branch circuits in my calculation?


texts: Any concerns with running a camper with a 15 amp connector

texts:
I have a camper that I need to have power to for a couple of days. It has a 30amp 25ft cord for power which I want to plug into an adapter so it can plug into a regular wall socket. The connector is from camping world and is about 18 inches long and is a 30 amp to 15 amp connector. The outlet is on a 20 amp circuit. Everything seems to work and the breaker isn't tripping, mainly because I have nothing else on the circuit and am only running the AC and lights in the camper. My concern is that the outlet does get a little warm and I'm wondering if I should be concerned?  Could it get hot enough to melt or cause a fire without tripping the breaker? Anything else I should consider or do?

Please edit my tags if I tagged improperly. Im usually only active on Stackoverflow.  Thanks!

Here is an example of the connector

http://mobilehomepartsstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=201103&Store_Code=MHPS&gdffi=5a91c85c988a43159be79f03f721bc24&gdfms=3BD1A1DCA412425BACF279B7BD4E5C34&gclid=CO-RqNCGnM4CFQKTaQod3oIFBQ


texts: How do I wire an additional recessed light to an existing switched circuit?

texts:
I am installing an additional potlight to an existing circuit in an older house. I wanted to control the potlight with an existing switch that controls other existing lights. I was able to fish a wire from the new potlight into the switch box controlling the existing lights.
The existing switch box only had one set of wires. I have determined that the existing hot wire is the white wire at the switch.  When I connected the wires I could not get the lights working properly. I connected the hot wire to the new light's black wire then connected the two neutrals to the switch poles.
Only the new light comes on when I connected it this way.  The existing lights don't work.
How do I wire this properly?


texts: 3-way switch tied to box, one switch removed, can't make sense of it

texts:
I'm starting the question over.I'm having a hard time making sense of what's going on and I found out the other switch wasn't removed.

I have a light connected to two switches. One switch isn't really used any more and I thought it was removed but after removing the boxes in front of it I saw the switch is still there. (There was a blank switch next to it that I felt when I reached behind the boxes.)

On one end there was a 3 way switch that had an outlet on the bottom that switched on and off with the switch. Next to it was an ungrounded outlet that was wired to the switch as shown and was always hot.

I want to replace the switch with a regular 3-way switch that doesn't have an outlet and I want to replace the ungrounded receptacle with a GFCI receptacle. I also want to remove that connection where the terminal with white wires is connected to the metal box. I don't mind if I have to disconnect the switch that was behind the boxes. (I thought it was already gone.)

I tried wiring it up, minus the wire to ground and it didn't work. Tried with non GFCI outlet and same thing. The light would come on but not fully bright. When I connected the wire back to ground the light comes on full.

I took some readings from the wire feeding the switch/outlet I'm replacing. The wire is very old, dirty cloth wrapped wire, I may have the colors wrong but I've been consistent in what I'm calling them.

To Ground:

Red 4.5v
Black: 110v
White: 14v

Also:

Red to Black: 112.8v
Black to White: 85.2v
White to Red: 23.7v

The other switch is still there I took some pictures of what I saw. I should have checked here first. Looks like this is where the power comes in and this is probably a better place to tap for always on power which I might have to do. (Already ran conduit and wire to other location. :( )

This is as best I can figure out what everything is. The cloth wrapped wire on the back wall switch (no outlet) looks newer. I can clearly make out the colors. The other switch the cloth is black but that might be due to other things.

I made some progress. I connected the GFCI outlet in the back wall box that had the single switch. I grounded it to the box and outlet tester showed up fine. GFCI tested fine. I ran wires up through conduit from the GFCI bottom screws up to the ceiling for a garage door opener and that tripped fine using the tester too.

I put a new 3-way switch in the front that used to have the switch/outlet and second outlet with the bootleg ground. I removed the ground and the switches are working fine. Not sure if there's a way to connect an outlet to that switch. I'd like to get some power there even if it's switched. I got power but only partial voltage. Not sure what was up with that.

This picture shows where I am now.

Garage door opener works fine. Light switches on and off properly from both locations. I got rid of the bootleg ground at the front switch. I can leave things as is but would like power at the front switch if anyone has any ideas.


texts: How to replace bottom plate on non-load bearing wall

texts:
I recently purchased a house and am trying to DIY as much as I can so that I can learn how to do things correctly.

I'm looking to replace the bottom plate in my bathroom and just want to make sure I've got the right idea.

This interior wall is not load-bearing from what I can tell. I climbed in the attic and there is no direct load holding up the roof and the joist do not split and sit on top of this wall.

The plate itself looks ok but when I hit it with a hammer, it does chip away fairly easily. I assume it's better to replace while the wall is open instead of trying to replace it later.

My plan was to saw the nails with a multi-tool, slide the plate out, and insert the new plate. Seems simple enough but since I'm still learning, I want to make sure I'm not missing something.


texts:
Here is the front of my house. As you can see it is a 2-story dwelling on the left with a garage on the right that is connected to the main house by a "sunroom" (porch/breezeway/whatever). The main house has a basement, but there is nothing underneath the sunroom or garage.

Here is that sunroom from the back (excuse the mess - still finishing off Fall cleaning):

Where our concrete patio meets the foundation under the sunroom we have a big hole that has opened up (about the size of a golf ball) that you can see in the center of the photo:

And up close:

We've lived in the house for 4 years and this is the first time this has happened. I believe water caused this hole (we live in upstate NY and the cold winters and ice have chipped away at it year after year). The concrete patio was never poured correctly so it slopes (slightly) towards the house, and in the Spring when the snow melts the water funnels towards the house.

Some questions:

Why is there a big hole there? Shouldn't it all be solid concrete?!?
If left unattended, what's the worst case scenario here (so I can justify spending money on a solution to my wife)?
What is the best DIY way to fix patch this hole so we can get through another winter?
What can I do in the long run so that this doesn't keep happening every year?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
I am laying vinyl plank flooring in the kitchen.  I know the correct way is to go perpendicular to the house entrance and the floor joists. The trouble is the doorway to the living room. The living room is laid east to west, parallel to the floor joists and main entrance.  If I do it correctly the kitchen will be perpendicular to the living room hardwood floor and that might look odd. What should I do?

This question, although properly phrased and detailed has been put on hold by members of the community for some unknown reason. It calls for expertise and informed opinion, which seems to be lacking in some of the answers, which relied primarily on opinion rather than informed expertise.

I actually got a great answer from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/correct-direction-laying-hardwood-floors-49169.html

So yes there is actually a correct way to lay a floor.  Unfortunately this community board was utterly useless.

@mmathis you should spend more time educating your self as to home improvement techniques and less time gathering your friends to vote a question on hold. Although I admit it's a great way to force new users off the stack, if they disagree with your opinion.


texts: how do I know if my wood floor is damaged?

texts: I had left damp towels on the wood floors for entire day. Underneath it the floor was slippery and slightly wet. The wooden floor itself I don't know about other than its shinny and here's a pic of the area:


texts: Exposed dirt under jetted tub smells after water leak

texts:
In my bathroom I have a jetted tub and It recently leaked about 3 gallons of water after a fitting came lose.  Under the tub is just exposed dirt.  No concrete slab.   The problem is that the exposed dirt smells horrible after the water leak.  The exposed dirt has been bone dry for weeks but still smells.   I’ve sprayed bleach and other chemicals but nothing gets rid of the earthy / moldy smell.
I’ve thought of placing plastic over the dirt and covering it with gravel.
I would appreciate any help / advice.
Chris


texts: High Water Pressure After Rebuilding the Regulator

texts:
My house is in the hills; the water coming in from the city is 170psi. I have a Wilkins 600XL regulator that was installed about 10 years ago. Over the last year or so we have been getting high-pressure surges when a faucet is opened in the house. This lasts a few seconds and then calms down. I checked the pressure in a hose bib that comes off the regulator (about 20 feet away) with a Watts Test Gauge (with the twin needles) and it showed 120psi when placed on the bib (after releasing some water first). The red needle, though, capped out overnight at 160psi.
I bought the repair kit for the 600XL and installed all the new parts (all the old parts were very deteriorated). The pressure then read as 60psi but I was still getting faucet surges. The overnight reading was back at 160psi. I cranked down the regulator and now the “regular” reading is 40psi (and the pressure coming from the faucets seems pretty low), but we are still getting faucet surges and the overnight was again in the 160psi range.
I just purchased a Watts PLT-5 thermal expansion tank (there was not one on the system) but have not installed it yet because the PLT-5 is rated for 150psi max--and is supposed to be set to match my regulator’s 60psi output). I am concerned about the tank catastrophically failing if the overnight pressure hits 160+psi (as it has been doing).
So I thought I'd verify that the water heater is actually causing the pressure build-up when the water heats. I turned off the water heater last night (and ran the hot water in the house out until is was lukewarm). The gauge says the overnight pressure was 160in again, while the regular reading is 40psi.
There is a hose bib (for the garden) near the regulator that is not regulated, and that one reads consistently at 170psi.
Any thoughts on what might be causing these issues? Is there a possibility that the unregulated pipes for irrigation might be somehow mixing into the regulated pipes? What else can I do to get the overnight pressure down? Thank you for any help!


texts:
I have recently purchased a house built in 1931. It has a chimney that would be a great place for a tv mount. I want to mount on the opposite side of the fireplace - not above it.
I read recently that bricks and mortar commonly contained asbestos. Is there any way to know whether the mortar of this chimney is safe to drill? Or should I mount the tv somewhere else?
I also know the chimney needs a new flue. I’m sure the new flue won’t have asbestos but the flue there now is of unknown age so it might. Not sure if this changes anything since I’d be drilling the outside of the chimney.
Thanks.


texts: Can I retrofit a 2-speed or variable speed blower on a Payne PG8UAA forced air furnace?

texts:
My furnace blower is rather loud and runs at one speed.   I wish to have the blower run at a slower speed to mix the air in the house when the heat is not called for.  I see some furnaces have variable speed blowers, which may also solve this issue if I run at high speed when the flame is ON and low speed when OFF.

Can I retrofit my Payne PG8UAA furnace with a two-speed or variable speed blower?

There are no other issues with the furnace, so I do not wish to replace the whole unit.

Thank you


texts: Door lining proud of new plaster, what are my options for fitting architrave? (another coat?)

texts:
I've built a new wall with a door in it, ensuring the door lining protruded a few mm beyond the plasterboard so I could skim over the plasterboard with Thistle Multifinish plaster up to the level of the door lining.  Being new to plastering I was slow, and although I managed to achieve smooth enough finish on a first coat, I didn't have time to second-coat before it went off.
Now the door lining is just under 2mm proud of the plaster.
What is my best option for fitting the architrave so it's not just floating beyond the plaster?  My thoughts are:

Can I skim over the plaster again using my ProMix Lite ready-mixed joining compound?  The stuff seems to me to be more malleable, so I might stand a greater chance of getting a smooth finish given that I'm trying to just do a single coat 2mm thick (1mm in places).

If jointing compound is a bad plan, do I use a more runny Multifinish mix?  And given that the original coat is set, do I need to wait a few days before doing this further coat? - how many?

Just fit architrave and use caulk to hide the gap between architrave and plaster?

Add thin wood trim behind the architrave to fill the gap between plaster and architrave?


texts: Fire Separation Wall - what should I use to seal small exposed openings?

texts:
From recent home inspection:
FIRE SEPARATION WALL: Recommend sealing the small exposed openings at the low voltage wire penetrations at the garage ceiling above the garage door openers to maintain the garage fire separation wall.

Can someone please recommend what I should/can use to address it?


texts: Best fix for failing built-in storage cabinet base?

texts:
So I have these built-in cabinets (particle board) that are probably 15 years old. They looked fine maybe 3 days ago. Yesterday I noticed fractures and cracks forming in the base on one side of a row of cabinets. There's a similar crack developing on another cabinet but it's not as bad. The large crack in the image has doubled in width in just 12 hours. I'm guessing that it's due to water damage from a nearby pet water bowl. Have never seen any thing more than 2 table spoons of water on the floor and that was rare. The bright splotches are because paint was added over the years. It blends to the naked eye.
I have a lot of canned food in this cabinet (not visible in images) but that's been true for years. Looks like weight is causing the fractures but I know the piece of wood on the side (with the huge crack) shouldn't even be load bearing. I had to take it out and put it back 2 years ago and there was no weight on it. There are support feet under the cabinets. The other strange thing is that I have similar cabinets in an uninsulated garage that show zero issues.
Do you think the cabinet is in danger of collapsing or is it just an optical illusion?
What's the best way to fix this? I don't want to do a fix that will quickly fail either.


texts: should 30 yr old home have some/all breakers replaced with AFCI /GFCI? If so, which ones?

texts:
My brother-in-law, licensed master electrician was just visiting us. After looking at my break panel he strongly suggested I should replace most, if not all, of my CBs with AFCI.

I have a 200A GE main panel and have two Square-D subpanels. Both fed by 2AWG and ran from 100A breakers in the main. (one in basement about 35ft from main panel and 2nd subpanel is adjacent to main--added for additional circuit breaker space).

Should I replace any of the original breakers (and those in the subpanels) with AFCI/GFCI CBs? If so, which one(s)? I have never had any electrical issues.


texts: Extending branch circuit to outdoor shed and additional exterior outlets

texts:
US, Southern CA, NEC 2017
I have a 15A* kitchen branch circuit not feeding countertop outlets that also feeds a single outlet on an exterior wall. The existing circuit consists of three indoor outlets, a ceiling fan, and one outdoor outlet, and one outdoor light fixture, connected by Romex. A switch is installed inside the house but is currently disconnected.
[* A 20A breaker is installed for this circuit but the wiring may only be rated for 15A. I have verified that it only feeds the ceiling fan and some outlets on a wall opposite the countertops]
I'm hoping to answer whether this branch circuit can also be used to power an outdoor shed office, plus some additional exterior outlets. Summing up the expected loads, the total power usage for the entire circuit is around 1000W. I have seen that you can only run a single circuit to an outbuilding, and that all wires for a circuit must be contained in the same wiring method.
The proposed additions:

conduit and junction boxes leading to the shed (J1 & J2)
a disconnect mounted on the exterior wall of the shed (S2)
a GFCI outlet and switch at the base of a nearby pillar (O5 & S3). The switch controls a remote outlet for a pond pump (O7) to be run intermittently
an overhead GFCI outlet for lights (O6) controlled by a switch inside the house (S1)

Questions

Aside from burying the conduit at the correct depth, using GFCI for exterior outlets, and having a disconnect means for the shed, are there other code requirements that would apply to extending this branch circuit?

Is there anything restricting running the 4 wires in a single conduit (hot, neutral, ground, switched hot S1 > O6) or does the shed need its own conduit (hot, neutral, ground), separate from the conduit feeding the exterior outlets (hot, neutral, ground, switched hot)?

Are there any things to watch out for with this plan?


texts:
I have very low humidity in an upstairs bedroom. For various reasons I cannot keep the door closed, so your average "single room" humidifier doesn't move the needle. It's a cold climate, so estimates for putting in a humidifier on the forced air system in the attik are very expensive.
I found a serious industrial style humidifier that I'm hoping would have plenty of output (https://www.ideal-air.com/shop/product/humidifier-commercial-grade?categoryId=humidifiers), but it is super loud. I have an adjoining bathroom (from where I am running the water to the device). Rather than run water from the bathroom to the bedroom, I was thinking about placing the humidifier in the bathroom and running a big pipe with the wet air through the wall into the bedroom.
While apparently quite unconventional (I can't find a single thing about doing something similar to this), it seems reasonable to me - the condensation would be only on the inside of the pipe so it would never touch try drywall, etc. What do you guys think? Reasonable or terrible idea?


texts: Baseboard heater powered by a switch, not thermostat

texts: Our finished basement has electric baseboard heat.  The baseboard is powered by a light switch, so I either have the heat on or off.  Can I take out the switch and use the wiring to connect a digital thermostat instead?


texts: In an AC circuit, where does hot end and neutral begin?

texts:
I understand the differences between "hot" and "neutral" and their positions in a circuit, but it's not clear to me where hot ends and neutral begins.

In principle, you could cut the wire at any point in the circuit, and one length would be hot and the other neutral.

Reading between the lines, my impression is that the  convention is that "hot" continues up to the load, after which the wire is designated "neutral", but I don't see any literal specification to that effect.


texts:
We have been working on running electric to our outdoor shed recently, and are wondering what is the preferred way of attaching the romex along the vaulted/pitched ceiling for the lights.

The light boxes are about 5 feet apart from one another, and have 2 or so joists running in between them.  From what I've read, we shouldn't drill holes, so would you just staple the romex to the underside of the joists? Or possibly run conduit between them and attach the conduit to the underside of the joists?


texts:
In 2017, I had a new 20 amp circuit (with dedicated GFCI outlet and AFCI breaker) installed by an electrician, which is right below my then two-year-old Square D electrical panel box (with aluminum bus). I run my .62 amp air purifier 24/7. But often, I also run my 1/2 amp fan and my 12 amp space heater at the same time. I have the space heater plugged directly into the outlet, while the other two appliances are plugged into a 3 in 1. The space heater runs for no longer than two hours at a time. But I would leave the fan on for hours.

Lately, this circuit has tripped twice. I don’t believe I’m overloading the circuit. And appliances with a ground fault would trip the circuit immediately upon being plugged in. So I’m wondering if it’s an arc fault trip. How can I tell the difference between a real arc fault trip and a nuisance arc fault trip? Also, could the aluminum bus circuit breaker be a factor (as opposed to a copper bus)?


texts: Is it the house wiring or problem with electric stove?

texts: Replaced daughters gas stove with Whirlpool glass cooktop with double oven. The electric outlet has not been used for 25 yrs. House was converted from fuses to circuit breakers since stove outlet was last used. The stove was delivered on a trailer lying on it's back about 1 1/2 hr drive. When turning on each cooktop burner they sparked and blew either the main fuse or something in the control panel. Both ovens work fine. Looking at the burners by lifting the cooktop. Would you suspect the problem was caused in transport or could something be wrong with the wiring at the circuit breaker box?


texts:
We've had loads of rain the past weekend, and now my garage has no power.

I've traced the issue to a GFCI outlet that protects the rest of the circuits in the garage - It keeps tripping.

The Power is run to the garage via an underground conduit, which I believe is standard metal electrical conduit.

I recently pulled new low voltage (ethernet) cable thru secondary conduit that was orignally for Alarm wiring purposes, and noticed that water had infiltrated that conduit. Im assuming the conduit had corroded underground.

Is it possible, if water had infiltrated the conduit that carries the garage power (120vac), that it would cause a continuous ground fault?

I've replaced the GFCI outlet it case it had gone bad, but am experiencing the same behavior.

Thanks for any ideas. I'd prefer to not have to dig up the yard to replace the conduit, but I'm guessing that's where I'm headed.

***UPDATE****

The garage did have power after the storm - at least for a couple hours. Storm ended around 7pm, and garage had power at least at 830-9pm.

Voltage Testing:
Across black (line) and white (neutral) - I get 125 volts, the same I get at the breaker.
Across Black and Ground (receptacle box) I get 125v

Across White and Ground, I get 0v.

I think that means I'm safe from any voltage leak.
I cannot figure out why it keeps popping though.
I've removed the other garage circuits, unplugged the opener and any other loads. I'm wondering if I maybe have another bad GFI outlet. –


texts: Feasibility of using 18V batteries to power AC tools

texts:
I have a few (working) 18V batteries (Makita, LXT) and I would like to be able to power some AC (220V) power tools with them. Many of the AC power tools have electronic control and simply applying DC to them would not achieve anything good, probably.

Is it feasible to connect these batteries (series, parallel) and use an inverter to output a decent 220V AC output? Is there some other way to use them to power existing AC power tools?


texts:
I am not really sure what to call this, so for right now I am just calling it a carpet stamp. But really it's an indentation that was made by some sturdy iron railing fixed on to my living room floor. I guess it's the same thing as if you had a piece of furniture sitting on your carpet for ages and it made a really deep indentation.

Is there any way I can fix this area of carpet? I'd like to get it elevated back to the same height as the rest of the carpet.


texts: Is this pipe in my basement floor intended for radon mitigation?

texts:
This pipe emerges from the concrete slab floor in a corner of my house's full basement. I believe it's a 4" polyethylene sewer pipe (narrow walls, black interior, white exterior). I can't tell if it's perforated or not below the surface.

As you can see from the picture it goes down 4 feet. From that point it bends and appears to penetrate horizontally through the adjacent frost wall. (I know this from fiddling with a tape measure and a flashlight.)

When I uncapped it, I noticed that air seemed to be blowing out of the pipe into the house, and I wondered if it was connected to either of the mystery pipes that emerge from the ground at opposite corners on the outside of my house.

I eventually convinced myself that the pipe is connected to the nearer of the two exterior pipes. (I did this by putting a vacuum down the pipe inside the house and noticing that the nearer exterior pipe was sucking air when I turned on the vacuum.)

This is the layout:

Various contractors at the house have speculated about the pipe's purpose. Theories include:

It functioned temporarily during construction, after the house's electricity was connected, to run electrical wires from the house to a trailer outside that needed electricity. (The people who built the house lived in a temporary trailer outside while the house was under construction.)
It's for an illegal basement sink that would drain directly into the ground instead of running out to the septic system.
It's for radon reduction. A fan needs to be added above the interior pipe to pull air from beneath the basement floor, inside the frost wall. (But if so, why does it vent outside? Also, it seems to go through the frost wall immediately. I don't believe there is any perforated pipe beneath the slab inside the frost wall.)
It's for passive radon reduction. The air from beneath the basement floor, inside the frost wall, is intended to vent outside. (But if so, why would the pipe come up through the floor into the basement at all? And again, there doesn't seem to be much perforated pipe inside the frost wall.)
The exterior corner pipes were intended for roof gutters to drain into. (But if so, why plumb one through the frost wall and up into the basement?)

I am about to finish the basement room, and I intend to wall off access to the pipe. But I would like to know what it's for before I lose access to it forever.


texts: Does this wiring for the addition of a switch to bypass the PIR look correct?

texts: Is that correct?]2]2[]2I have wired a 120v water valve with a motion sensor and it works fine (see top photo). I want to add a switch (see bottom photo) that will bypass the PIR(motion sensor)for cases where I do not want the motion sensor to operate. Sometimes I want the valve to just run off a timer. Does the wiring look correct? I already fried one motion sensor with a different wiring attempt.


texts: I have 2 4 inch PVC pipes sticking up about 3 inches above ground in my flower bed, one is capped the other isn't. I ran over the capped one with the lawn mower and every time a toilet was flushed I could hear it from that pipe, I replaced that cap as it was threaded and an easy fix. My question is what are these and should both be capped? I have city sewage.


texts: How can I modify floors, walls, ceilings and furniture in a reversible way?

texts:
I am renting an apartment starting next month and I am not satisfied by some of its floors, walls and even ceilings. Also, both kitchen and bathroom are already set-up with basic furniture, i.e. cabinets, a stove, a dishwasher, a toilet, a bath, etc. I have been living with my parents in a rental apartment so far and I have no idea what options I have. Since I am only renting the apartment, I must not make any modifications which are non-reversible. How could I modify these things in a reversible way?

These would be two pictures of my kitchen and my bathroom: http://imgur.com/a/9v0lJ#0

For example, I dislike the tiles in the kitchen since it reminds me of a grandmother's kitchen whereas I am a young student. Or the "door" in the bathroom: I'd much rather replace it by a curtain or at least by a clear glass-wall. However, I don't know if this is possible without permanently changing it.


texts: EMT all the way, or start with IMC outside and transition to EMT inside the building?

texts:
We are running a subpanel from the outside of the building to the garage.  The 2" metalic conduit will begin from the top of a 3R box's raintight hub, run up the building about 8ft, turn right, and then turn again into the attic space before running about 50ft to the garage.
We would like to avoid IMC all the way because it is more expensive.  As another option, we're considering starting with IMC and transitioning to EMT:

What should we consider when deciding whether to go EMT all the way, or to start with IMC and transition to EMT?
If we transition inside, what type of transition would you recommend to go from IMC to EMT?
When we turn into the building, can pre-bent swept 90-degree conduit segments be used so we can easily pull the wire, or do we need to use a hard-90 with a wire-pull-hatch?  If swept is possible, how would you mount it?

(We are also considering EMT the whole way using 2" compression fittings on the outdoor hub based on this and this other SE question.)
Thank you for your help!


texts: Do products like Ditra make tile removal more complicated?

texts: Products like DITRA are great to use when installing tile, but I can't help wondering what it'll be like to remove the tile later.  Is it more difficult to remove tile that's been laid on this type of product, or does it actually make tile removal easier?


texts:
A corner of my houses foundation sits on ledge rock. There's some corrosion that lets moisture in where the foundation meets the rock. The foundation is field stone and was built 100 years ago.

Why would someone build on ledge? And how can I repair the foundation? What materials do I use? Cement? I'm a new home owner and have lots of questions, sorry.

Thank you in advance.


texts:
I live in an apartment, in which the doorbell emits an unreasonably loud tone (kind of square-wave-y) continuously and at constant volume for as long as someone has the button depressed. Since people buzzing me from the complex's front door have no feedback that the bell is actually working, they tend to press it multiple times and for a long time; this gets to be very annoying.

I would like to figure out a way to dampen the bell's sound. Since I do not own the property, I cannot replace or alter the bell in any way, so I'm looking for non-invasive ways of quieting it down. I'm not really concerned about aesthetics; if I need to make the thing look like a Lovecraftian horror to quiet it down, so be it.

My first instinct is to purchase some acoustic foam (like this) and tape it over the speaker; does that seem like the kind of thing that would work?

Here is a photograph of the thing for reference:


texts:
I have left over 2x4s and OSB from a project a few months back (lean-to shed). It is just enough to make a 12'x8' deck, and I was wondering if this would be "OK" to use for decking? The main purpose is for a deck for my tent at my Colorado property I just recently bought.

Sound structure doesn't really matter to me so much as a level, off-the-ground place for my tent.


texts: Running Satellite cable from wall plate, under carpet to opposite side

texts:
I want to route my satellite cables, which are currently poking out of a media plate on one side of the room, to their destination on the other side. The challenges that I face are:

Routing the cables from their current exit point back into the wall and out closer to, or preferably under, the carpet.
Threading the cables under the carpet to their destination.
Pulling the cable either out of the carpet, or back into the wall to a box that I can terminate them at.

From searching around, I feel that I should be able to manage 2 with minimal swearing and damage, using the fish tape to navigate it around.

I'm less sure about the termination on either end, without wires dangling about. The walls on all sides are supporting walls, with plasterboard in front of breeze-block.

Am I approaching this the wrong way, and should be looking at trunking?


texts:
We bought our house new and since the house has settled a bit, the doors to our bathroom have become misaligned.  Unfortunately, we're beyond our builder walk throughs so we need to fix it ourselves

I've tried tightening up all of the hinges but nothing changed.  I thought about moving the strike plate up, but then the bottom screw hole would be over the latch cut out.

What else can I do to re-align these doors?


texts: Help identifying pieces in ambiguous wall anchor kit

texts:
I’m a newbie at installing things into the studs / drywall, and I need some help identifying how to use what is included in this wall rack mount kit.

Three yellow pieces (anchors?)
Three long screws
Two gray drywall screws
Two long thin screw
Three screw caps

Am I supposed to use the yellow pieces if installing into a stud?
I’m thinking I should forego the yellow pieces and simply use the screw into the wood. It seems like the yellow sheath wouldn’t let the screw threads hold into the wood as well.

Also, I have no idea how the drywall screws are supposed to work given the mount screw holes are much thinner. Do i screw a second screw into the gray screws if mounting in the drywall?


texts:
I recently purchased my house which was a new construction. Several of the vents are getting poor airflow but the installation company simply said it was normal but I suspect otherwise.  I recently realized there is a branch duct coming out of the end of the trunk line and I've read this can reduce airflow.

Does anyone have any suggestions or guidance on how to fix this?  I was considering extending the trunk line another 3-4 feet and moving the end duct to the side like the others.


texts:
I have three outlets in a room that are not on the same circuit as the rest of the outlets in two rooms. I have most of the circuits in the house mapped and identified on two breaker panels. The circuits for that most of that floor (the second story) are on the sub-panel.

But - two of the three outlets I'm having trouble with that are on the same wall are on a breaker on the main panel, and I was able to find the circuit and shut them off. However, the third outlet is a real problem. I used a circuit finder, that led to the wrong breaker. I tried flipping breakers with a radio on and it turned off for one of the breakers on the main and one on the sub-panels independently. But even when the outlet didn't "work" (the radio turned off), the wires still showed live.

In a fit of desperation, I put on a glove and cut the wire with a wire stripper. Little puff of smoke, some lights turned off, and one of the breakers flipped. But the wires are still live! Why? What can I do? The wire goes into a wall and I can't follow it to the breaker. Help!


texts: Is DensGlass and RedGuard a substitute for vapor barrier + backer board + membrane when tiling shower walls?

texts:
My understanding is that when tiling a shower wall, the standard preparation process includes:

Install a vapor barrier
Install cement backer board
Apply a waterproof membrane

(This comes from https://www.lowes.com/n/how-to/prep-shower-wall-tile)

Is an acceptable alternative to do the following?

Not use a vapor barrier
For the walls, use DensGlass instead of backerboard; only apply backerboard at the shower pan and about 1.5 feet up from the floor
Coat the walls with Red Guard; use a waterproof membrane at the bottom of the shower pan.


texts: How many 14/2 romex cables can I put in a 1/2 pvc conduit?

texts: How many 14/2 romex cables can I, according to NEC (or safely), put in a 1/2 pvc conduit? For background: the conduit will be buried until surfacing in a junction box; using burial-rated "romex"black but want the additional security of conduit.


texts: My door doesn't close without having to push it upwards first

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do I rehang a wooden door with worn screw holes?

I just moved into this room and the door wasn't closing properly, so I took the door off, screwed the hinges in properly and tried to screw the door on more straightly than before, so it would close nicely.

But to my horror, the door is now closing even worse. Now I have to hold the handle and push it (and the door) upwards to make it close at all.

The problem is that the door is leaning down, creating a gap at the top and no room at all at the bottom. I hope I'm explaining this properly. Also the hinges can't be screwed in very well, the screws turn on themselves after being screwed in.

Is there any way I can fix this?


texts: How should I attach heavy floating shelves to hollow plasterboard walls?

texts:
I have the following shelves, intended to be floating shelves, that we want to attach to our kitchen walls. The walls are hollow plasterboard, with no studs where we want to put these shelves.

They came with fixings like these, which are intended for solid walls or studs, 2 each for 2 pre-drilled holes in each shelf.

The measurements are as follows:

shorter shelf: 5.5kg, 75x22x6.5cm
longer shelf: 7.5kg, 105x22x6.5cm

We won't be putting anything extremely heavy on the shelves, but they will probably need to hold quite a bit more weight than just themselves, just in case (maybe double their own weight?).

I'm guessing I'll need to use a different fixing for these, one that is designed for hollow walls.

My questions are:

Is it reasonable to expect these to work as floating shelves or would it be more secure to use brackets (not totally opposed to this, but would prefer another option if possible)?
If yes, what kind of fixings should I look for to securely attach these shelves to the wall?
Would it help to drill any extra holes in each shelf so that they're attached at more than 2 points?


texts: Flipped off main breaker for repair, unrelated circuit will not come back on

texts:
Switched off main to attach ground wire to two outlets in garage (one normal, one GFCI), now separate circuit to attic (feeding one overhead switchable light, one receptacle, doorbell, and AIR HANDLER) will not power up.  Breaker is on (not tripped).  I have switched off each individual breaker in box, then main off and on, then each individual back on, still nothing.  I have tested breaker at panel, each side of 220v breaker reads 120V when breaker is on, 0v when breaker is flipped off.  Conduit run into attic (before branching to switchable light, receptacle, and air handler) is not hot, with breaker in ON position. Have not tested for continuity yet.  Suggestions?

"B" in photo is breaker/circuit in question

There seems to be some confusion as to the issue I am now having.  The initial problem was a shock coming from an ungrounded, non-GFCI outlet in the garage, to which the amp was plugged in.  THAT receptacle was downline of a GFCI receptacle, which also had no ground wire attached.  I shut off the main, attached ground wires (that were already present in the outlet boxes), and now there are no issues in the garage.  Amp/guitar no longer shocks. When I turned the main back on, that is when I had a new problem in the attic, a different location in the house (with one receptacle, one overhead light on a switch, and the HVAC air handler), which does not include the receptacles in the garage, which are currently operational. Tonight I will test every receptacle in the house, and report back.  As for the breaker/amp issue, @Harper I can just switch the main off and replace the 30a breaker with a 20a, and the light, receptacle, and air handler will function properly, assuming there are no other issues?


texts: AC minisplit (two condenser ((2x 24k) vs one condenser_48K with two branch boxes)

texts:
I am trying to install A/C minisplit system with 6 zones.
However there is no space for the indoor branch boxes unless huge home improvements is done.
I was wondering if to install two condensers in small outside deck could be an alternative option. I would like to know it will work as efficient as "48K-two branch boxes". Huge innovation also costs a lot of money.


texts: Structural cross joists and load-bearing walls (century home)

texts:
I have a friend that recently took possession of a century home. Its a 4 plex and He was told it was an old school house (at least at some point in time). We’re experienced weekend warriors but definitely not experts. We’re doing some renovations to one of the units on the main floor, mainly looking to tear out a couple of walls that cut up the living space.

Anyways we have most of the demo work completed, opening up the walls/ceilings uncovered strange cross joisting unlike anything I’ve seen in my pervious experiences. The joist are true 2x4s and crisscross with each other. Hopefully the photos help.

The walls we’re looking to remove really don’t appear to be load bearing in anyway, as the majority of the studs don’t tie into the joists above. That being said with the cross joisting construction and the appearance that almost nothing is truly load bearing leads me to believe that everything is load bearing?

Its difficult to flush out a true question here but I guess I’m just after information about this type of construction, its name or any information I can get my hands on, and thoughts on  whether these walls do provide any load bearing properties.


texts: Electrical: Wiring a dimmer switch in a circuit with fixture, outlet, another switch powering 2 other fixtures

texts:
I have a 3 gang box, and the following is all on one circuit.

Power is coming from the breaker box into a grounded outlet receptacle.

Outlet receptacle continues along to two switched devices: 1 switch controls 1 light fixture; 1 switch controls a second light fixture plus an exhaust fan.

Everything was working when I disassembled.

I replaced the light/fan switch with a new single-pole switch. I replaced the light switch with a new dimmer switch. I replaced the outlet with a new outlet.

Wired everything up the same as it was originally.

All are working, BUT: Now, the outlet and light/fan are not hot until the dimmer switch is turned on. Furthermore the outlet and fan are reduced by the dimmer.

Obviously the load wiring is not correct.

I don't believe I mixed up any of the wiring.

Dimmer switch wiring diagram shows "Wire to Light or Source" at both connection points. The dimmer switch supports single pole and three way configurations.

Does a dimmer switch not support my scenario?  Do I need a specific configuration for the dimmer not outlined in the instructions?

Did I mix up wiring somewhere? Everything originates from the outlet receptacle. The only wiring into the dimmer is from the outlet, and the only wiring out goes to the fixture.

Appreciate any help or insights.

EDIT: Here are some photos of the setup.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AigE1xgH6ghqgqBZfwJEMK7GtYoJ3A


texts: How do I connect a new Lutron sensing switch?

texts:
I'm changing a light switch to motion sensor switch. I have 2 black wires coming from power source (only 1 is hot), and 1 black wire is going to light.
The whites (neutrals) are tied in together bypassing switch.  I know to leave these alone.

How do I tie these in to a Lutron sensing switch?
The switch has 2 black wires,
1 green (ground)  I understand these
1 blue labeled as traveler.
1 extra wire that is alone and appears to be a connector if needed.

Allow me to label the black wires at the junction box.
A. is black HOT
B. is black (not hot) also coming into the box from the bottom separate from hot.
C. is black going to lights.


texts: I am building an RV campsite at the bottom of my property to live in while our house is under construction. The RV requires a 50 amp service. I want to install a 100 amp sub-panel down there to give power to my RV, and future gate opener for our driveway entrance. The run from the main panel is about 350'. I will need single phase power, a ground, and a neutral down there. What size copper wire do I need for 60 Celsius since it is under 100 amps, and that length of run?


texts: Will an expansion tank and water pressure regulator work over periods of non-use?

texts:
I have high water pressure coming into my house (~110psi) and a backflow preventer at the source. I do not currently have a pressure regulator or an expansion tank installed, though I'm considering doing this.

Currently my T&P valve is leaking via a slow drip (maybe 3-4 cups/day). I've taken a reading of the pressure and if I'm not using the hot water (i.e., overnight), the pressure gradually increases to 150psi when the T&P valve releases. My understanding is that as the water heater heats water in the house, pressure increases and has nowhere to go because of the backflow preventer. The T&P valve releases at 150psi, which is why my pressure spikes to this level overnight or when I'm not using the hot water.

I have purchased an expansion tank and a water pressure regulator, and plan to install them. My question:

  Will the water pressure regulator prevent the pressure from increasing over ~50-70psi (or whatever I set it to) during times that I'm not using water? If not, how can I prevent my hot water heater from leaking at the T&P valve during periods that I'm not home?

My fear is that because the system is closed the water heater will slowly build up pressure until the air bladder in the expansion tank reaches 150psi, and then the T&P valve will leak anyway. Perhaps it would increase the time before the leak begins, but if I leave for any period of time the leak will recur.


texts:
GV1 - ZONE 1 VALVE
GV2 - ZONE 2 VALVE
Y1 - YELLOW WIRE 1
Y2 - YELLOW WIRE 2
R1 - RED WIRE 1
R2- RED WIRE 2

TT1 - ZONE 1 THERMOSTAT
TT2 - ZONE 2 THERMOSTAT
R RED WIRE
W WHITE WIRE
B BLUE WIRE

BOILER TX TRANSFORMER
R RED WIRE
B BLUE WIRE
G GREEN WIRE
W WHITE WIRE

We recently replaced old water boiler heater with new one(williamson) and I took the opportunity to fish new thermostat cable as well(replaced 2 conductor with 5). But my plumber is saying, I still can't use new Wi-Fi thermostat with it and it won't be efficient. I assuming that we wish to finish this job and move on to next one. So can someone please help me to find C wire for Honeywell thermostat. I have attached the current wiring picture with post. If you need any additional details please let me know.

Thanks in advance!

Here are few more pictures.

In picture you can see green and blue coming to gas control. Yellow is not used and looped back, while white and red is going to outside transformer which is in other side connected to emergency switch.

Can't upload anymore pics to the post. :(

Wiring harness from right side
TSTAT
DAMPER

Update#3
Boiler make and model
http://www.williamson-thermoflo.com/sites/default/files/field-file/gwa_manual.pdf
 model GWA 175
Valve - Honeywell make


texts: How do I tell if a pipe running through a cinder block wall is leaking?

texts:
I ran a cpvc pipe through a cinder block exterior wall to put a spigot in. I don't really have access to the inside of that painted cinder block wall where the pipe enters the cinder block. It just got really cold here and I forgot to cut the supply of water to the spigot from the inside cut off. I turned on the spigot and nothing came out. The spigot is sealed around it with caulk.

Basically I think my pipe froze and thawed but I'm not seeing any signs of leaking. How can I know if it is actually leaking?


texts: I left my house unattended for a number of months.  Before leaving, I turned off the water to the house and drained the lines.  This was during the winter.  Anyway, now that I am home, I notice my downstairs (basement) shower does not get hot enough.  It gets warm but at its most hot, it is not as hot as it use to be.  The rest of the house is fine.  The other shower, sinks, etc. all heat up. I took photos of the parts as well as the pipes.  Can anyone give any suggestions on how to fix this?  I am not sure if this unit has a scald preventor on it.  I tried adjusting the inner white collar but that does not seem to help.  Or do I need to adjust the screws in the photo of the valve?  Any suggestions would be great.


texts: Repair a popped up brick in an otherwise level brick patio

texts:
My brick patio is very level. Unfortunately, a nearby tree has sent a root that is now causing a brick to pop up. Before the issue spreads I'd like to pry the brick up and remove the offending root. What are my options to get the brick in and out without damaging it or surrounding bricks?

Pictures of popped up brick


texts: Reasons for fridge light to go out other than bulb

texts:
I have a GE fridge that looks 10-15 years old.  Recently, the light went out and I thought it was the bulb so I tried to replace it but it wasn't it.  The fridge works fine other than that.

What could be some other reasons the light stopped functioning?


texts:
Living in suburbs west of Denver, we sometimes have rather windy nights. Tonight it's blowing about 25mph from the west, which means mostly parallel to my bedroom window.

The windows are about 12 years old, double pane, and still well sealed as far as I can tell. However, when the wind gets blowing it's easily loud enough to wake us. Most of the house really just seems to be air movement; not things outside going bump in the night.

I'll remove the screen on the windier nights, which helps somewhat. Any other suggestions to reduce the wind noise through the window?


texts: How is a transition between drywall and wood typically handled?

texts:
I just finished sheet rocking my living room and am stuck at a stand-still.  My ceiling is 12' feet high at the tallest point and slopes down to 8'.  That said, at the 12' wall, the sheetrock only goes up 8' and is then met by a lap and gap type wood, which then continues up to the ceiling. The wood then slopes (on the wall). At the 8' point of the ceiling, the sheetrock butts up to the ceiling.

My question is...How would I install a crown moulding or transition piece at the point where the sheetrock meets the wood?  The previous owners had a painted 1x4 where the paneling (now sheetrock) met the wood. However, I am wanting something a bit nicer than just a 1x4 transition.

Either I am the only person out there with a room like this or I am searching incorrectly on Google.  Does anyone have any ideas or pictures on this? I can definitely provide pictures if needed. I am tempted to pull the wood all the way to ceiling and continue the sheetrock all the way up. Any advice would be much appreciated!


texts:
I'm planning a project that requires corner braces, and I want to figure out what size bolts I can put through them. Unfortunately, at least on the Home Depot website, the corner brace product listings do not list the hole diameters, though they do have the length and width of the brace.

Is there a standard hole diameter for corner braces? Or is there, perhaps, a standard hole diameter for each width of corner brace? If not, other than by going to the store and measuring, is there a way to know how large the holes are?


texts: Does a power outage / unplugging damage major Appliances

texts:
I was wondering if power outages (or simply unplugging) caused any damage to major appliances like dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers while they are running ?

Let's say that the power outage lasted about 20 minutes.


texts:
I just replaced a switch with an led compatible switch (lutron). It switches on two led lights. Currently i have one philips led bulb and one cree led bulb on the switch. I also figured out that the cree 65W bulb is not compatible with teh siwtch.

Now when i turn on the led switch, only one light stays on. If i take off any of the led light - the other one stays on. If i take off the philips, cree stays on and if i take off the cree then philips stays on.

Is it a problem of compatibility or i have not connected the switch properly? I think if i would not have connected it properly then one of the bulbs would never have turned on.

Should i put both bulbs to be cree or should i replace everything with the switch compatible led bulbs ?


texts: What type of anchor is this and what is the max capacity ?

texts:
I want to mount an item that is pretty heavy on the wall but the studs don't align with where I would like to mount it.   Here is a picture I the anchor I am using (using two of them):

What type of anchor is this? And how much weight can it hold ? (Given evenly distributed weight and standard drywall)


texts: My buddy wants me to hook up his stove, but it has a 50 amp cord at the bottom. Why does a gas stove need a 50 amp cord. My stove just has a plug for a 110 volts. His stove is not electric, I'm a little confused, or should I say unlearned.


texts: How can I stop my shower doors from hitting one another and making an awful noise?

texts:
I have glass doors in the shower of my master bathroom and when I open and close the doors the screws hold the panes of glass to the runners are bumping into one another and making an awful noise.  I have the similar doors in the guest bathroom that are quiet as a mouse so I know there is a fixable problem, I'm just not sure what the problem is or how to fix it.

Please take a look at this video to see the problem in action:

Please take a look at this photo album to see the pieces involved:

Click for larger view

Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this problem?  Assuming it is the bottom piece in the photos, does anyone know what that piece is called and/or where I can purchase a replacement?


texts: Makita mitre saw ls1018l not powering up

texts:
Hi I have a makita mitre saw ls1018l which is not powering up at all I have checked to make sure power is coming through The cable which it is, I’ve changed the bushes and I’ve changed the stator As it was recommended to me as a solution but this still didn’t work , i have tried to test the armature with a multimeter which showed no bakes in the wiring and no shorts I tested the resistance on all the parts I could test and they were all the same resistance. I don’t know what it could be can anyone help
There is a soft start on the back of the saw but I don’t know how to test it.
Thanks Alex


texts: What is the typical current (in mA) carried by the 24v thermostat HVAC wire bundle in a typical low voltage application?  I'm using 18/7 wire.


texts:
I am currently remodeling a bathroom and am ready for painting after removing the old vanity and furniture. I have several questions regarding the prep work.

a) There are white thick stuffs (about 1/16") beneath the old paint (the arrows shown in the photos below). They are located over the drywall and easily sanded. What are they? Is there anyway to easily remove them without sanding which would cause a lot of dusts?

b) Should I completely scrape off the old paint before applying a primer? Or, could a primer be applied over the old paint?

Thanks


texts: How do I determine the correct tile trim depth?

texts: I'm installing some large format (406mm x 406mm) 12mm travertine tiles on some walls in a bathroom. I'd like to finish some exposed tile edges within some aluminium tile trim. However, I'm unsure which depth of trim to go for. Clearly it'll need to be at least 12mm but I have no idea how thick the adhesive will be after bedding the tile down. The adhesive is 'Vitra marble and stone select' and the recommended trowel notch size is U9 or E10. What would be an appropriate trim depth so that I can have the surface of the tile level with the trim?


texts: Why are there cracks all over my upper floor ceilings and walls?

texts:
We bought a townhome in 2012 and we moved in. The walls were OK, no cracks except an oblique one near the vent in the bedroom. In the summer of 2014 the association decided to replace the roof. After that we started having some cracks which we thought were due to the roof that was changed. We decided to fix them ourselves and started working on them in the winter of 2014. By March some of them cracked again on the same spot. We contacted the association to send someone to take a look because we wanted to make sure there is not a structural problem before we fix everything. It took all 2015 to convince them to send someone and in the spring of 2016 they finally sent an engineer who took forever to create the report and the report said we have truss uplift. At this point the whole house had cracks, in the master bedroom I could see every sheet of drywall where it separated from the others.The association just installed some baffles in the attic and sent a company to fix the walls in October 2016. Now we have new cracks and they say they talked to some contractors and is due to humidity and they won't do anything.They completely dismissed the engineer's report although they choose the engineer.  Does anyone have any idea what is going on?
I attached some pictures.
Update: The pictures are no1: wall-ceiling joint in the bathroom, no2 :wall-wall joint in the master bedroom closet and no3 is below a window in the second bedroom.
Update 2: From what I know we used to have mushroom vents and they changed them for ridge vents.


texts: Can I share "C" wire on two thermostats?

texts:
I am wiring a second thermostat right next to the original one. The new needs a C wire. Can I share it from the old one?

Old: 8 wires, used to run heat pump (w/ heating and AC) and backup oil. Now only runs AC from heat pump on occasional summer day.

New: Has 2 wires run to it. Controls instant on hot water heater for radiant system.

The new thermostat says, "WILL NOT OPERATE WITHOUT WIRE TO 'C'". Can I take the C wire from the existing thermostat and bridge it to the new thermostat? Can two thermostats share this C wire?

According to Can I piggyback a thermostat with a C Wire hookup on a furnace?  I think the answer is "Yes", but when I try it, the new thermostat does not have power.


texts: Can I use roofing nails to attach OSB/plywood to studs?

texts:
My roofing nails are for nailing asphalt shingles to roof underlay boards.

I have been using 2.5 inch nails to nail external wall OSBs to the studs. I have been contemplating using the excess roofing nails (I inherited) for nailing the external wall OSBs to the studs.

Will there be any problems? I don't see any problems, except being a waste of money, since the OSBs would be covered by Tyvek. Are roofing nails of lesser shear strength than framing nails?

I am building a house and have decided to use metal roofing, so my roofing nails that someone gave us will be useless.


texts: X-10 Home Automation LED's always on low!

texts: I have 5 puck lights under my kitchen cabinet, I replaced the very hot 20W halogen bulbs with 5 x 2 Watt LED's. They were a little bigger than the halogen bulbs and I had to remove the glass cover because of the extra clearance, I feel safe without the covers because there is no fear the LED's would explode like the halogens would if water splashed on them. Before I replaced all the halogens I had only 4 LED's installed and 1 halogen. When the power was switched off the lights would shut down completely. When all 5 LED's were installed together, they would emit light in the off position at a dim enough rate that I am not worried about waste or cost because of the cost savings with the LED's. The reason the LED lights remain on when the switch is off is because they are connected to an X-10 Home Automation module so I can dim them and turn them off remotely. Due to the very dim, (about 5% or less of the full light of these bulbs I am sure I am still saving money over the cost of the halogen bulbs which were to warm to be near and were dangerously hot. If you have an X-10 device connected to your LED's, then I would not worry if they were constantly on unless you had so many in sequence it was actually wasting your money. Five bulbs on 24/7 at 5% probably still use only 10% of what the lights would cost with the halogens. The convenience of X-10 remote controls and switches far outweighs the inconvenience of a single switch.


texts: My electric water switch using 240v broke again is there something wrong with the switch?

texts:
The electrical voltage I'm using is 240v similar to Britain's kind and the electric switch connected to it has been broken before probably a year ago. Previously, the light indicator(switch) was a half dimmer than usual and the heater wouldn't work until i smack on the switch a couple of time then the light brightens up before i could use. I changed the whole switch and it worked until recently, same thing happened to the light indicator of the switch dims again and no matter how i smack it, turn on and off, it wouldn't work.

I'm wondering if there's something wrong with the whole system inclusive of the water heater itself or could it be the electric wires behind the socket etc? Should I just get another switch and try again and what if it doesn't work?

Additionally, I wish to know if I could use a test pen on certain parts to test if electric is passing through? I worry I might get electrocuted.

Thanks in advance!


texts: We moved into a new build house with an un-finished basement. I am going to start finishing/framing the basement and 4 steel support posts that run down the center holding the beam. The main beam is 2 - 2X12. The posts that are attached to these beams have plates on the top and bottom that are 4"x6", so they would stick out past a typical 2X4 wall post. Is the standard procedure with these to take the post out and replace with wood? Or do I trim the plates down to work with a 2x4? All but 1 of these posts will be within a wall, the last one I am hoping can be wrapped in either wood or drywall. Or replaced with a 4x4.


texts:
For some reason, an unpleasant scent wafted into my room on Sunday, and coincidentally, it was a rainy day that day. As a result, the scent is now stuck to my table, and anything that I put on the wooden table 'carries'/gains the same unpleasant scent.

I've tried using water and rubbed it on the wooden table to no avail.

Can I use alcohol (From alcohol hand rub) for getting rid of this smell on the table? Is it safe to do this, and should I just let the alcohol dry or should I wipe it with water immediately and dry it with paper towels?


texts: Can a standard NEMA 5-15 outlet be installed in a round ceiling box?

texts:
In my garage, I installed a series of 4" round ceiling boxes and put plastic (later ceramic) lamp bases on them for some basic lighting. This is the type of box I'm referring to:

Image courteously supplied by Lowes. No particular endorsement implied

I've recently purchased some plug-in LED light fixtures and would like to replace some of the lamp bases with a standard NEMA 5-15 outlet so I can plug in the lights.

Will a standard 5-15 outlet fit properly in this box?
Is there an appropriate cover plate that can be used?
As an alternative, is it safe/legal to clip the plug and hard-wire these otherwise plug-in lights directly to the Romex in the boxes?

If the answer to either is "no", then I guess I'll have to pull the boxen and replace them with standard rectangular boxes, but I'd prefer not to.


texts: How should I install flooring over fresh concrete?

texts:
I have fresh concrete poured in my basement. Planing to use Metrofloor Engage Select vinyl plank for most of the floor. Contemplating ceramic tile for the bathroom if vinyl is not good enough for that.
What would be the best combination of layers under the vinyl? Would the same combination work under tile? (Assuming I will let the concrete dry to the appropriate level.)
Some choices I've researched so far:

-Seal the leftover moisture in the concrete using urethane adhesive under plywood

or

-Let the concrete dry forever, using something like DRIcore Subfloor Panel

If gluing, use plywood or OSB?

T&G is good or hard to work with? (contractors don't seem to like it)

What goes between the vinyl and the sub floor if anything?

Any other ideas?

The vinyl plank installation guide does say that it can go over concrete, but "concrete that exhibits high levels of Moisture Vapor Emissions/ Hydrostatic pressure in combination with high levels of alkalinity provides a substance that is highly corrosive. No floor covering, including ENGAGE,can withstand the long-term corrosive nature
of this chemical. If testing determines that the level of Vapor Emissions/ Hydrostatic pressure exceeds 8 pounds using the Calcium chloride test and/or a P.H. test indicates alkalinity levels in excess of 9, steps must be taken to separate ENGAGE from the source of the corrosive effect of this chemical."

Also, vinyl directly on concrete will be cold and loud when walking on it.
So I'm looking for something to separate the vinyl from the concrete and add a bit of thermo/sound insulation.
Maybe something like SnapLock base floor and QuietWalk or FloorMuffler


texts: What structural elements need for gate in place of fence?

texts:
I am going to build a gate in place of this fence panel approximately (5' x 5') in size.

Currently, there is 2x4 bolted to the house of the left side.
The right side is nailed to the perpendicular fence panel (not hanging off a post).
It's hard to see but the panel is about 6" behind the post on the right side.
At the bottom there is a basement window with a frame around it, which is why i believe they set the panel back and not hanging off the post.
It doesn't really matter to me which way the gate swings open.

My questions are?

What do i need to add to hang a gate?

Can i attach another 2x4 over the existing one on the left, to create a 4x4 post? Or do i need to remove from house and replace with 4x4? Can I reuse lag bolt holes for new 4x4?
On the right side should i set a post for the other side of the gate to attach.
I am looking for the path of least resistance but still have the structural integrity to hold the gate.


texts: How to describe the size of this garden faucet fixture?

texts:
I could use some help understanding how to measure and describe the size of a garden faucet.
I need to replace a garden faucet fixture (for the sorry details, see How to repair this leaking garden faucet - update (broken stem)).
I measured the two openings but the measurements do not agree with the stamp on the side.  The stamp says 1/2. The inner diameter of the two openings are 3/4 and 5/8. (See photos.)
What size fixture should I buy to replace the broken one?
(I am not going out to shop due to the pandemic. I seek enough information to order a replacement online.)

Thank you.


texts: What do I need to verify before taking down a wall?

texts: I want to join two adjacent closets by taking down the wall that separates them. There are no electrical outlets or light switches on the wall.  I'm working on obtaining my unit's plans to determine if it's load bearing or if there is a structural element in the wall.  Aside from that, is there anything I should check  before I start taking down the drywall?


texts: Can a multi-meter be used to test home theater receiver speaker output?

texts:
I have a Sony HT-CT150 that no longer outputs sounds.

Can I somehow use my mutli-meter to test the speaker output? Here's what it looks like

I want to make sure that the system is actually outputting sound, before I start ripping speaker wire out of my wall.


texts: Best practice to build a pergola type structure

texts:
Having patio pavers laid,
I want to build a pergola like structure for my home in the Northeast.
Something like this:

Questions about best practice:

Should I use tubular forms outside the patio?

Can I lay/secure directly on the (expensive) pavers?

4x4 treated lumber ok?

Here is how I saw a display model done:


texts: Is it possible that my GFCI receptacle is bad?

texts: I have a double wide mobile home. The outside receptacles and the one in master bath do not work. They are GFCI protected but the GFCI is NOT tripped. Is it possible that the GFCI is bad? I think the GFCI in the other bathroom controls these, but how can I know? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.


texts: There is water coming from the back side of my shower head wall and spill out from there in stead of the shower head can you tell me why this is happening