texts: Replace 3-way toggle with Lutron Caseta Smart Toggle

texts:
I'm trying to replace a toggle switch in a 3-way setup with a Lutron Caseta smart toggle switch.  I'm not able to figure out the correct wiring configuration to get everything to work correctly.

There are 3 wires in the box.

1 Red wire
1 Yellow wire
1 Blue wire

The red wire is a loop and stripped in the middle.  It was connected to a screw on the old toggle switch.  The blue and yellow wires were plugged into the back of the toggle switch.  (see picture 1)

Picture 2 shows the wires in the wall.

The new smart toggle switch has 5 wires (see picture 3 and 4)

I tried connecting the following :

Yellow (wall) to White (switch)
Red (wall) to Red (switch)
Blue (wall) to Black (switch)

When configured in this manner the lights are off when the other switch in the 3-way configuration (identical model to the "old" switch).  When I flip the other switch to on the lights blink a a very repeatable interval (about 1 blink per second).

I've tried other wiring configurations but the lights do not go on at all.

Below are pictures of the wires entering and exiting the box.  This includes a white wire that runs from the top left to the bottom right of the box.

Update

This was the configuration of switch 2 before I modified it per the instructions.

This is the configuration now.  Now the blue and the yellow wire are connected together with the jumper wire.

Likewise, I was able to cut the white wire in the back of the box with the smart switch and just barely get them together with the white wire from the switch into a wire nut.

The LED on the smart switch is now on but it does not turn the lights on and off.

Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong would be greatly appreciated.


texts: 3 wired old light switch to a new light switch

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i don't know much about light switches, but this is the first time i've encountered a 3 wired switch. All i know is 1 of them is a common. The problem is i don't know how to convert or wire the 3 wired switch to a new switch nowadays. See pics below

Old Switch

New Switch

I really don't have an idea how to wire them. The switch has 2 bulbs connected to it.


texts: Can I mount a workbench on triangular shelf brackets over drywall?

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Building a work bench to a finished drywall using triangle brackets. Bench will be approximately 22' in length and 24" deep. My shop is finished - insulated, drywalled and taped. I like the idea of using the triangle braces but am unsure how to mount them without the exposed studs. This is primarily for a miter saw station, but one end will be used to house other bench top tools i.e. drill press, band saw and sander.

I am just a beginner in woodworking and putting this shop together from scratch is my first order of business. I can use all the direction I can get. Thanks!


texts: How do you varnish a laminate kitchen worktop?

texts: The laminate workshop is looking a bit dull, would like to use Danish oil or similar, will it work on laminate surfaces?


texts: Why is my remote control not opening my garage door?

texts:
I'm having garage door issues. My opener model is a Genie H6000A, the following symptoms are happening:

Garage door opens/closes fine when the wall button is pressed and hold.
Garage door closes fine when remote control is pressed.
PROBLEM: Garage door will only open about ~10 inches when remote control button is pressed.

I will appreciate any ideas or suggestions.

TIA, Angel.


texts: How do you position a gas valve correctly when connecting it to pipe?

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Say you have a valve where the control is on the side of the pipe, (perpendicular to flow).

The goal is to have the control facing you AND tightened to standard.

What is the way to achieve this without loosening it too much or tightening it too much?


texts: How to install recessed lights without bar hangers?

texts: I'm sure I can figure out a way to mount the recessed I reclaimed, which are missing the bar hangers; however, does anyone have any previous experience in doing so?


texts: Electricity tripping off after installing Nest

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I just replaced my old thermostat and timer for a Google Nest, but every time I turn the electricy back on, it goes off shortly after. I have an oil boiler for heating.

Before I call an electrician, what could be the problem? How can I troubleshoot it?

I'm looking for guidance more than for a straight answer if that's possible.

Thanks!


texts:
I am wiring my home with Cat6 and I have my 1st floor wired thanks to tips used from users on this forum!  Well now, I need to go between floors!  I have found a location that is a straight shot up, but since I will not be able to see between the floors, is there EVER electrical wiring run between floors (or plumbing) that I could hit?  And if so, how do I make sure to avoid this?

Also, I was going to add some Blue Carlon Conduit for ease of replacement in the future, however I am not sure how to handle this...The issue I see is that the inside of the tubing is 3/4 inch, and the whole tubing in itself is roughly 1 inch.  Which would mean I would need to cut a 1 inch whole from the crawlspace to the 1st floor, then from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor, then the 2nd floor to the attic.  Again, I have found a straight shot, but how do I ensure there is nothing electrical/plumbing or any other obstacle that would be disastrous to hit in the path?

EDIT
Sorry that my ? is not clear.  I am fine with cutting the drywall from floor to cieling to ensure there is nothing behind it.  My question is, how do I ensure that between 1st floor and 2nd floor where I drill up, there is no electrical wiring or water pipe(s) or anything else that could be hazardous to drill through? .g


texts: I'd like to raise the ceiling height on my second floor but the roof is flat. How do I do this?

texts: I have 7ft ceilings in one room on my second floor.  The room was an addition and the previous owners decided to make the original stone porch below into a family room.  In this room, they kept the original stone columns that were 9ft tall and didn't leave enough room above for standard ceiling height.  I'd like to make a cathedral style ceiling out of the current 7ft ceilings.  I know that the joists above run the same direction as the rest of the house until about half way across the room and then run the other way (I don't know if this matters).  Can the ceiling height be raised without taking the whole room down and starting over?  Can a kneel wall be added to the existing wall? HELP!!! HOW EXPENSIVE WILL THIS BE?


texts: Manual methods to compact base for concrete?

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I'm planning to pour a reinforced concrete pad and am looking for advice for how to compact the material underneath.

A plate compactor would work - but can I get by without one? For instance, if I tamp down the soil and later gravel with a 12' sledgehammer head, 4x4 post, or concrete block (etc.) would the results be acceptable?

Notes:

We have rocky clay soil, over which will be a base layer of gravel, and then the reinforced concrete.
The soil is quite dry since this has been within the interior of the house for ~45 years.
The pad will be about 4x6 feet - not very large.

(I don't mind renting a compactor if that really is the best option but for a small project it seems worth considering alternates.)

EDIT: Clearly I was assuming that a plate compactor was like the gold standard and other choices might be acceptable but inferior. But one answer has questioned that and it may be an erroneous assumption.


texts: Drilling hole in Aluminum i-Beam - weakening

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This is one of those things that my gut says "how could it be an issue" but am hoping someone has a more engineered answer.

I have a 13k Boat Lift from Boat Lift US. Each side has two 3/8" Aluminum beams, 3.5x7" on a 10' span. Each of these beams are made of two u-Channels on the side, so it is like an iBeam with air in the middle portion (this leaves room for the pipe that rolls the cable up). They have numerous attachments already (about 5 holes) in various places from the factory.

I want to put two 3/8-1/2" bolts through each, one about mid-way and one about 1/4 across the span, which will have a few hundred pound load occasionally on them, pulled at a diagonal. The reason for the largish size for small load is the bolt has to span about 3" in air between the beams where a cable will be attached (the bolt is thus supported on each end but has a bending load in the center).

My concern is not the load on this hole itself or the bolt, the load is small, but am wondering if drilling additional holes through the iBeam significantly weakens it?  At present we are not putting anywhere near its capacity on the lift -- but one day we might.

Is there any guidance how large a hole you can drill (well away from other holes)  and still have a de minimis impact on strength?

Thanks in advance,

Linwood

Note: Edited to clarify these are not true ibeams


texts: How do I adhere vinyl sheeting to carpet?

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We foster puppies on a regular basis and in order to protect the carpet I am looking to cover a section of their room with vinyl sheet flooring where their pen is located.  I thought about vinyl because it is inexpensive and waterproof.

I need to know how to adhere it to the carpet for an extended period of time (6 months) without damaging the carpet when it is removed.  It needs to be fairly secure and I want to prevent the edges from curling up.

Any ideas on how best to adhere the vinyl?  I am also open to other floor covering solutions.


texts: What are these devices outside my patio door?

texts: I have these two devices outside my patio door and I have no idea what they are or what they are used for.


texts: Is there a cost efficient way to add windows to a brick house?

texts: We bought this house built in the 60s and it has these small windows that don’t provide much light . The house is brick but I’m wondering how difficult it would be to put in larger windows instead of replacing these old ones and paying for them to be custom made since they don’t have them anymore. What’s the process of cutting into brick and putting in windows?


texts: metal looking ball dust in attic, dangerous?

texts: I was installing insulation in our attic. On the beams, there was this metal looking ball dust. Any clue what it is? Was exposed to by breathing it breifly, then skin contact for a few hours. I have not been able to sleep all night so Im hoping i didnt poision myself


texts:
I have the following kitchen setup. The red line is the duct of width of cca 6 inches (15 cm).

The kitchen is part of a living room which has volume of 90 m3 but is also connected to a hall of cca 26 m3. Right near the stove is a window.

Does it makes in this case to have ducted kitchen hood or in the given setup ductless one might have similar effect?

Will concealing the hood in the top cabinet have effect on its noise and effectiveness?

What are other things to consider in this case?


texts: Light switch wiring - one switch controls another light and makes original switch redundant

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We have a downstairs room with a single light and switch.

This is Lamp A and Switch A.

Switch A only has a single brown and blue wire into the switch.

We recently had some work done upstairs and the builder added a light switch and lamp. Lamp B and Switch B. He spured this off of the lighting wire in the eves of the house, and the wire goes behind the plasterboard, and into switch B, then onto lamp B with just the brown wire switched.

Now, lamp B works, and switch B works, however if it is on, then Lamp A downstairs is always on, and switch A does nothing.

If switch B is off, then switch A works as per normal.

Obviously, I'll get them back to sort but I really cannot figure out what has happened and how this is wired, in such that as soon as there's a circuit on switch B, Lamp A comes on and stays on and switch A does nothing!

How does this setup work?


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I am trying to find a device that I can plug into the wall, then plug another device into that will offer overcurrent protection. Basically, a circuit breaker that will trip before the actual circuit breaker will trip.
My reasoning for this is that I am staying in a cabin that has 14 outlets wired into it (think of a shed with outlets), a ceiling fan, and lights all on one circuit breaker. I do not have access to the breaker box and do not want to trip the breaker if I plug in a window AC unit. If I tripped the breaker it would disrupt my cabinmates, and we would have to get maintenance to come to unlock and reset the breaker (1-2 days for that). The device I have in mind would basically stop my AC unit from tripping the breaker and would tell me that it is too much.


texts: Device to switch between two light with a single wall switch

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first of all, sorry about to be asking that silly and newby question, I know, it is really lame.

Is there a simple device, that I can build simply, or bought, that can switch between two lights ?

I had a lamp, that has two many lamps, (7, six in a circle, and one central), all parallel, all 220v. Too much light often unused. So I thought to split in two circuits, one with the central lamp, another with the six ones.

I know I could put a commutator after the wall switch, but I do not have place, neither wires, neither looks good.

So I would like that when I turn on (on the wall), either one or six lamps goes ON,  as I turn off, all goes OFF, and as I turn ON again, the opposite lamps go ON.

I can imagine, with a small circuit to remember the state, a relay, a battery, a power supply 220V to 5V, etc...

But maybe there is some short of magic relay that each time it gets 220V, it switch output ?

Again, sorry if this is a lame question ;-)


texts: How can I get 30 Amps @120V using several 12AWG and/or 14AWG cables?

texts:
I'm trying to power a 30 Amp x 120 Volt RV plug near the perimeter of a five-acre property (200' from the breaker panel).  I do not want to buy, dig and bury a new 10-gauge UF cable. However, the location is currently served by only 3 UF cables:

12 gauge 12/3 to the RV site.  At this point, the four wires of the 12/3 UF cable are unterminated at both ends (unused) but it is available and already buried from a 100 amp 240-volt subpanel, itself 120’ from the Main Breaker Panel for the property.
12 gauge 12/2, which is currently providing power to a dozen (mostly unused) 20 amp outlets along the property perimeter.  It terminates in the main breaker panel on the property.
14 gauge 14/2, which is planned to power lights along the perimeter, but so far it too is unused.   It terminates in the main breaker panel on the property

Let me describe my "Plan A" so far, and my Plan A-revised".

Plan A: With the 12/3, I want to parallel both the hots (the black and the red wire) to make a single hot.  Then I want to parallel the neutral and ground wires to make a single neutral;  able to carry the 30 amps (circuit 1 at 30 amps).  I’d then connect both grounds from the nearby 12/2 UF cable (circuit 2 at 20 amps) and the 14/2 UF cable (circuit 3 at 15 amps) to provide a common ground for all cables on all three separate circuits.

Plan A-revised: Add a sub-panel at the RV site.  The black wire from the 12/3 feeds into a 20A breaker in the sub-panel on pole A.  The black wire from the 12/2 also feeds into a 20A breaker into the sub-panel, also on pole A.  The neutrals from 12/3 and 12/2 go to the neutral bar in the subpanel, and for good measure, the neutral from the 14/2 also goes to the neutral bar, giving a total of 55A of neutral return. All grounds to the ground bar.  Thus, all the hots are breakered at both ends of their run. Then, a single-pole 30A breaker goes to the TT30 receptacle.

My goal is to understand the best way to provide 30A @ 120V.


texts: I have used a 1mm² wire to power my refrigerator and my ro water purifier? My electrician had set that up and he told me that he is using a 1.5mm² wire! so is 1mm² wire ok to power up my refrigerator and water purifier?  Any harm? please advice. Many thanks in advance


texts: Aprilaire 700 install no outlet for 120vac hookup?

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I purchased an Aprilaire 700 to install soon. I have been looking over the documents and it has an automatic setting with a sensor that goes outside and a digital control, so it will need continuous power.  It has a plug to plug into a wall outlet, but I don't have an outlet convenient to plug into. They would require an extension cord which id rather not do. Can i some how tap into the power from the furnace?

I have a brand new construction home that I moved in this past April, it has a Lennox furnace, which gets its power from the box that the overhead ceiling light is connected to. There is also a switch connected to the box to cut the power to the furnace, but a separate switch to turn on and off the basement lights. There is also a transformer connected to it that either the doorbell connects to or the thermostat wire connects to.

Any information would be appreciated.

Pictures:

I will be putting on the right side here in the picture, as that's really the only place with room to do it on the supply. I don't want to do it on the return:

light box with current transformer:

Model:

Electrical supply to furnace:

Front of unit:

Inside unit:

https://imageshack.com/i/pnB6Dbdwj

https://imageshack.com/i/pndefoeFj

https://imageshack.com/i/poNj8Q1ej

Edit, inside light box:
http://imageshack.com/a/img921/4453/p7sCdk.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img921/1553/06sSY7.jpg

second update inside light box:
http://imageshack.com/a/img921/6752/T8RPYD.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/5521/5hKYYU.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/5690/hC5ABS.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/1246/TxVeJD.jpg


texts: Would solar panels save money with electric baseboard heat?

texts:
My house has electric heat, built in 1969. How can I save $. Are solar panels the way to go, or is there something better out there? I'm not sure which way to go . My electric bill is nuts. I have a fireplace and it helps, but it only heats one room. Are there any good solar panels on the market?

I thought about geothermal but I would have to remove my electric registers to put in hot water registers and the cost I think would be too much. I also thought about an outside wood furnace but I have no duct work, more money? So I guess solar panels is the only way, right?  Is there anything out there that would help?


texts: Composite Deck Surface Mount Post Bracket

texts:
I noticed that for wood decks, there are surface mount deck brackets for the 4 x 4 posts.  I just resurfaced my wood deck with composite.  I have been unable to find those brackets for composite deck material.  Are there surface deck mount posts for composite?

link to the wood version


texts: Electrical - fuse blowing temporarily after replacing light switch

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I recently replaced a light switch. I had a very hard time getting this switch to work because when I would put the switch in the wall, it would no longer work. I later traced this down to the wire moving slightly off the screw holding it in the switch. I made a circle out of the wire and screwed the wire onto the switch. Since the wire is now in a circle, it can’t move around off of the screw. When I put the switch in the wall and went to go turn the breaker back on, it tripped about 10 times in a row. Finally the breaker stayed put and the light switch seems to be working.

What would cause the breaker to trip so many times in a row and then finally stop ‘breaking’?  Should I be worried?


texts: Can I vent my bathroom with Air Return Grilles?

texts:
My apartment’s small full bathroom is about 50 sq ft, and there was an old Non-Vented Air Recirculating Fan in the ceiling. It died but there was still moisture/mold/mildew issues when it worked.
I need something better but The Non-Venting Fans always seem like such a waste, and cutting a hole in the side of the building isn’t an option at the moment. I know that code says I can only exhaust my bathroom to the  outside.
However, can I cut a hole through the wall, make a mini-duct channel, and put a couple return grilles on either side?
I’d seal the interior of the holes so the air wouldn’t go into the walls and only back and forth. I’ve seen this passive air exchange setup done for bedrooms and closets, but I wanted to know if it could be done from the bathroom to the kitchen, which is 10’ away from the HVAC Air Handler/Return.
Also, I live in FL, as for Local Code Guidelines if that matters. I’ve read a lot but haven’t found a good answer so thanks for any advice.


texts: White wire when changing from 4 prong to 3 on dryer

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I recently moved into a home with a 3 prong outlet for my 4 prong Kenmore dryer. I went to Home Depot to replace the 4 prong plug with a 3 to match the outlet. I was ready to install the new plug when I noticed this white wire (2nd picture) and I'm not sure where it should be connected to. Originally on the 4 prong plug this white wire was connected to the middle screw (1st picture) but from the videos I've been able to see this seems to go to the ground (green screw). So my question is where should this white wire be connected to, the green screw or should I connect it once again to the middle bracket?

Original 4-wire cord

New 3-wire cord


texts:
To move a piano from a first floor to another first floor, using a pickup truck, it seems like a ramp, a strong rope and some pulleys, and a furniture dolly would suffice. Plus a basketball and pump (as seen on youtube) and a few boards.

Place the deflated basketball under the end of the piano (an upright) and pump it up till the end is higher than the dolly. Slide a log or stack of board underneath and deflate the ball. Raise the other end and slide the dolly underneath. Remove ball and log and strap piano to dolly.

Roll piano to door of house and use a 12' ramp to go down porch steps. (Only if a few feet, not intended for long stairway. ) First Rig a rope through 3 pulleys: one attached to the dolly, two attached by a rope to a board spanning the doorway. The free end of the rope is held while walking alongside the piano.  Start the piano down the ramp and slowly let out the rope. The ramp will cut the force to 1/3 or 1/4 the weight of the piano while the 3:1 mechanical advantage of the block and tackle arrangement will cut it by 1/9 again. A 500 lb. upright requires only  55 lbs. of force. If the rope length runs out partway down the ramp, chock the wheels of the dolly and adjust the position of the pulleys.

Roll piano to truck, set up ramp and block & tackle again and pull piano up onto truck bed. Strap down piano securely. At new location ramp up front steps and roll to desired room. Remove dolly using basketball again as before.

Seems like this could be a one man job, am I forgetting something?


texts:
Halftone and op-art caught my eye, and a local opportunity could provide a good source for a tile project. It would comprise two different colors of tiles, with identical size and dimensions.

The halftone pattern would be made by cutting corresponding tiles to make a new whole, i.e. 20/80, 30/70, 50/50, 70/30, 80/20. For example, pretend that each [bracketed] group below represents a compound tile, made from fractions of cut tiles.

[00000+] [0000++] [000+++] [00++++] [0+++++]

these examples show related effects

https://www.123rf.com/photo_45319621_stock-vector-vector-tiles-pattern-abstract-gradient-op-art-seamless-monochrome-background-with-rhombus.html

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/550987335644152321/

The cuts can be made horizontally or diagonally at varied angles, as long as the bisecting line passes across the entire width of each tile. This will leave a uniform space for grout in every possible ratio of tile fractions, and provide a uniform size of each compound tile.

The floor would be installed in a bathroom of a house where I live. However, I might rent the space some day, and don't want to install anything that would spoil a deal for a potential tenant. DAE know an example of halftoning done tastefully, without looking garish or odd? Selecting two tile colors that don’t substantially differ from one another might tone down the effect, and make a subtle transition from one color to the other.

This project demands many cuts, careful attention and much time, so I don’t want to begin unless I have a better idea of how well it might go.

Tl; dr – how can I properly do a halftone tile project, so I can avoid a noisy eyesore that will repel tenants and require expensive rework?


texts: Install ceiling fan w/o installing receiver for remote

texts: Installed new remote control ceiling fan with light in a room with a separate fan switch and light switch and it doesn't work.


texts:
I have to replace a 50 year old backyard bib and I don't know if it screws out or if the faucet was originally soldered on the the 1/2 " tube.

What is the best way to approach this?

Below is a picture of the exterior view. The inside view is just the tube going into a wood sill board.

I haven't done any soldering in 20 years and I'm wondering if there's now an easier way of doing this project.

Should I just cut a 12" length of the existing copper supply tube and solder a new 12" assembly (faucet & soldered 12" replacement) and sliding it through the existing exterior hole and then soldering them with a copper union?

Or is there an easier way to join copper these days (ferruled compression fittings, etc.)?


texts: Can I use a Directv 4 way splitter to connect to an over the air TV antenna?

texts:
I am replacing my Directv dish with an antenna for over-the-air TV.  I'm optimistic that I will not need to replace the splitter, but I'm uncertain.  The spects listed on the 4-way splitter are:

"DC Power Pass", 2 - 2150 MHz, Splitter SWM 4 Way, MSPLIT4R1-03

There is no external power plugged into it.  Here is a picture of the splitter:

The antenna that I will ideally be connecting directly to it lists the frequencies at 40~300MHz for VHF and 470~890 for UHF.  I assume those numbers are standard for those signals.

Will I have any issues connecting 4 TVs to the terminating ends of the split cables?


texts: Descaling a top loading washing machine without a built in heater

texts:
I have an 8 year old top loading washing machine thats never been descaled. It is used with hard water (TDS: about 500 mg/L).

The machine does not have a built in heater. Most descaling solutions seem to require running a wash cycle with max heat and use of the descaler instead of the detergent.

Is it OK to run a descaling cycle in my machine by using a bucket to fill hot water during the wash cycle? Will I need to use hot water for the rinse cycle as well (after using the descaler)?v


texts: What can cause a blockage in an otherwise decent main sewer pipe?

texts:
I purchased my first house (on city water and sewage system) about 6 months ago and the main sewer drain clogged and backed up through the basement drain within the first week being there. We're talking a couple of showers and some typical toilet use. Plumber used a rooter to clean it and I haven't had a problem since. He showed me using the camera a small dip in the cast iron pipe where he believes the clog was, but other than the pipes being old (house 1963) he says they still have life left. No roots found, and I believe he checked all the way to the end of the pipe (to the street).

My question is: why did they clog for me and not for the previous owners of 30 years (assuming they are being truthful and also based on the rusted shut clean-out access point). Not knowing if/when the pipe is going to back up again still keeps me up at night.

Possible reasons I could come up with:

The house was sitting unused (how long I am not sure, 1 week if I had to guess) which gave time for gunk to solidify in the slight dip
Something crawled up the sewer and died in the slight dip
I introduced something large enough to block the sewer, but I am very aware of what I would put down the drain

The blockage was in a section of the pipe still under the house, maybe 20ft from the clean out access point.

Any thoughts whatsoever appreciated.


texts:
I have a sewer opening in my basement for a toilet. The flange looks just fine, but that sewer line has probably not been used in 50 years.

Is there anything I should do before starting to use it? Or just pour some water down it and see what happens?


texts:
The bathroom fan/light went out and I replaced it.  Apparently I did not hook wires up right.
There is a black encased wire with hot, neutral, and ground. There is a white encased wire with hot neutral,  and ground.  I hooked black to black on fan, blue to black, white to white and grounds to grounds.
When I turned power back on, the fan runs without light switch up.  I swapped black and blue wires and the light stays on without switch  on.
Help!


texts: Is it feasible/worth it to recover an alarm system keypad that is unreliable?

texts:
Our home has a Paradox brand security system with a keypad:

Over the years the keypad had become more and more unreliable to the point where the 0 key was very difficult to press successfully, and the 4-digit access code used a 0.  A service person who was replacing the battery added an access code which was the old one but with the 0 changed to a 1.

A year or so on, and the same problem has developed with another key, so I looked into adding an access code myself.  Turns out, the procedure for changing/adding access codes requires a master access code to be entered.  The default access code according to the manual is 123456 or 000000, but the first one doesn't work, and the second one involves pressing the 0 key, one of which I don't have.  I believe these keypads usually work by pressing a conductive polymer against contacts on a printed circuit board.  I would like to try cleaning this contact interface.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  In particular:

is there a magic trick to getting the front fascia off?
is the keypad likely to have an anti-tamper switch which will trigger the alarm, even is it isn't armed?
can anyone offer advice as to what it is best to use to clean the contacts, assuming I can access them?


texts: Insulation basement (Rigid Foam). What to do in the unfinished area

texts:
I'm planning to finish my basement. Most of it will be finished but there will be some areas that are unfinished for storage. I'm planning to use rigid foam insulation and seal it up.

What should I do in unfinished spaces?  If I run the rigid foam into those areas, it needs a fire block --> so I have to put drywall in front of it.

What are people doing for the unfinished space?  Can imagine putting up additional walls just to cover the foam?

Should I stop the foam and seal it off vertically?  Do I then insulate the interior wall that will border the unfinished space?  Since it's an open area should the moisture have air movement to dry up?


texts: I am wanting to install a 100 amp breaker in my panel box outside  my house to wire a shop about 250’ away from my house. What gauge wire do I need to use?


texts: Creating a concrete mix with smooth texture

texts:
I would like to create a small concrete table(~.5m diameter). To do so, I would like to create a concrete mix with smooth texture, similar to Quikrete. Since this product is not available where I live, I was wondering what is the mixture I should use to create the concrete. It's properties should be smoothness (no coarse aggregate), and durability.
I can reinforce it with still /GF if needed.
Any advice where to start?


texts:
My Toro walk-behind lawnmower is around 3years old, and I'm guilty of not having done any sort of maintenance to it. Never an oil change, never anything other than fill it and mow. I do drain fuel at the end of mowing season, so that's one good thing, I suppose.

Last week, I had the lawnmower running fine for around a minute, and mowing grass reasonably well, when it suddenly slowed down (as if the engine was under extreme stress) and stopped. Slowing down and stopping must have taken around 15seconds or so, as far as I can tell.

I tipped it over to the side, and tried cleaning under the deck. Three years' worth of packed grass was removed (nothing really interfered with the blade, though), and I righted the machine back up.

From that point on, the pull cord is stuck. It pulls out maybe 4" or so, and then there's extreme resistance to any sort of further movement. There's no hard stop; just no movement at all. This happens regardless of whether the spark plug is installed or not.

I reviewed the engine oil situation; there's enough, but it's a sick gray-black color, and certainly smells like burnt oil. I'm assuming that's not good.

It looks like the engine is seized, though I hope that's not the case. I can turn the mower over and manually turn the blade, but that takes a whole lot of effort, and there's some sort of swishing (grinding?) noise behind the spark plug opening when I do this.

Is my engine beyond redemption? Is this something that I can fix myself (or get somebody to fix), or should I just go out and buy another (and maintain it better going forward)?


texts: Peel & stick tiles for temporary floor covering over chip board?

texts:
We recently had a toilet tank crack.  I caught it within two hours. stripped the carpet and foam underlay from the affected hallway, vacuumed up the water, and had a fan on the chip board all within an hour.  I have a slight amount of swelling on one seam -- about a mm.

Next winter we are planning to redo all the floors -- carpet to laminate -- in this  part of the house.

I have a couple of boxes of peel and stick tile from another project.  Directions are very specific that 'porridge board' is not a suitable underlay.

I don't expect it to last for years.  Just for a few months.

Is this a bad idea?  Should I just give the chip board a couple coats of paint?


texts: joining two 190x35mm to make one 190x70mm

texts:
Intended use - rafter.
Would be two joined boards be as strong as one of a larger size?
Minimum requirement is 140x45mm, maximum 190x70mm. I have timber 190x35mm. If I use two boards side by side, giving me 190x70mm, is this combination as strong as a single board 190x70mm or at least as one 140x45?

What are good ways to join such boards? Glue, nails, bolts, straps? Is there a technical term for this? I had difficulty searching for information, as most material found is for joining on a wrong side, ex making longer or wider boards, while I want thicker.

Size in mm is the actual size of dry finished timber.


texts: What is the minimum roof slope to accommodate rainwater drainage?

texts:
I have a patio with a 13ft(4m) by 26ft (8m) Roof, the slope runs vertically down the short (13ft) side.. and the height difference from the high point to the low point is only about 10in (25cm).

What is considered an acceptable angle for a roof to ensure that there will be sufficient run-off during rain conditions?


texts: What kind of joints are best used for a loft bed?

texts:
I'm specifically referring to the design seen here.

It's quite hard to view how the corners are joined together. I found a couple of other designs that are similar, it kind of looks like a butt joint and then some lag bolts to hold the horizontal boards but I cant be sure, any ideas?


texts: Can I safely drill a four inch hole in a brick load bearing wall?

texts:
I need to drill a four inch hole in a brick load bearing external wall for a kitchen fan. Is there much risk of affecting the structural integrity of the building?
It is a two storey building and the bathroom is on the floor above. Not sure of the wall thickness yet.


texts: We are replacing the flooring on the first floor and my question is in the kitchen.  Is there a way to do this without removing the cabinets on the lower level?  Or is it best practice to pull them out, lay the new floor down, then put the cabinets back on top of the new floor.  I have been looking and don't see many options to butt the new floor up to the base of the cabinet.


texts: Is there anything I can pack into my reproduction bathroom sink hot water faucet handle to stop it from slipping/spinning? The teeth are stripped and I'd really prefer to not have to replace it.


texts: are those mold? and are these dangerous?

texts: Me and my wife are having headaches and fatigue lately, and we are not sure what's causing it. We did some research and found https://www.whatsupfagans.com/black-mold-in-showers/ and realize it could be caused by mold in our condo. I did a quick search around my condo and saw those black spots in the bathroom (second picture is the backside of the bathroom door). Not sure if they are mold, and want to get some second opinions in the forum. And those black spots have been there for a while already.


texts: Water heater in close with wall ajoining breaker panel?

texts:
I have an electric breaker panel in the bedroom closet.

On the other side of this wall is a hall closet.

I want to move my hot water heater into this closet however the contractor says that it's not good to have a water heater share a wall with a breaker box in case something happens.  He recommends demo ing the closet drywall and re building it out with hardi backer to protect the breaker box.

I can find nothing in code that says this is necessary and can't really see any likely circumstance the water heater might damage the breaker box.

Question is this against code and/or is it a bad idea?

I live in California in a single family home.

Thanks!


texts: How can I build a bed frame out of palettes?

texts:
I'm moving to a new house, and on a broke budget. I found this bed design online.

I'd like to do this from scratch and perhaps use wooden palettes for the main structure (adding supplemental wood for the legs, seams, etc.). Any ideas on how to really do that? Sorry for the vagueness, this is completely out of my territory.


texts: Is it wise to cut a long trench in concrete slab foundation?

texts:
I've got a two-car garage (4-inch concrete slab on grade) that I'm turning into living space. I want to put a bathroom out there but I need to get plumbing through the floor. I didn't think it was possible. I had a contractor come over and take a look. He said no problem. We could just cut a 6-inch trench in the concrete halfway-across the garage. This did not sound like a good idea to me. Is this generally a safe thing to do while keeping the integrity of the slab intact?

The garage is on a slab, but the rest of the home is on a crawlspace. So we'd just need to cut the trench from the middle of the garage to the wall of the crawlspace to tie it in with the plumbing.


texts: Powering bookcase spotlights from existing outlet

texts: Installing a cabinet and upper bookcase on wall where outlet exists (but is never used).  Wanted to fish a line from top of bookcase (thru wall) down to new wall switch and on to outlet box to use that to power a couple of small decorative lights being mounted on headboard of new bookshelves.  It sounds straight forward but wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting into any code issues.  Thanks!


texts: I want to put a cedar wood board in my shower in order to mount soap dispensers.  Of course I'd like it to look pretty and not construction-project-y.  How do I prep the board for this purpose?  How do I keep the wood from rotting from all the water? I have a cedar hot tub and all the inside is not stained at all.  Why doesn't this rot?


texts: How can I level this concrete floor so I can install laminate?

texts:
I did a rough sketch up of what I'm working with in Google Sketchup. I'm laying laminate flooring in my basement living room and have all of the necessary preparations (Plastic layer and padding) My question is on the leveling of the flooring. The small circle in the image below is about a 4sqft diameter circle that is not level with the rest of the floor. Images below of the level doing a cross section from middle of the circle to the outside The images are somewhat hard to see, 1st the bubble is all the way to the right and the second all the way to the left. Now seeing that this section is raised, a self leveling product would have to be applied to the whole floor to level this out. My thoughts were to smash the raised area down with a sledge hammer and then use a patching product to level it out. DIY What is the best method for me to level this out

Thanks to @HerrBag solution I was able to level the spot.


texts: Fix puppy chewing damage on corner of veneer cabinets

texts:
Our puppy chewed on each corner of our IKEA veneer cabinets.  She chewed past to veneer to pressboard.
I would say it is light to medium damage.  The corners are still there.  She basically scraped the veneer off.
Is there a way to repair them without replacing them?


texts: How do I fix bathroom fan which is not working?

texts:
I recently moved into a new home and found out one of the bathroom fans don't work but the lights are fine. I thought at first it was the motor but the motor run if i connect it directly to a power socket. I also tested the wires on the exhust fan and they have no current. I tried to understand the wire but I have not accomplished much. Usually there are only two sets of wires but in mine there are four. I have checked other switchs and there not the same there simpler. I have taken a picture so it will be easier to help, i have included a picture what i know or think i know.

Basically the first wire form the left is the form the light.(Black/White)
The second wire is the power line. (Black/White)
Not sure what the third wire is. (Black/White/Red)
Not sure what last one is either. (Black/White)

If anyone has seen this before please let me know.

Labels in the picture.

M-Line : Main power
T-Wire : Transferring Wire, this wire provides current to both switch.

Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Is my plan for embedding a mirror in a tile wall ok?

texts:
Doing a bath remodel, and found this photo of a backsplash that appeals to me. I like the built-in tile-framed mirror.

Seems easy to achieve. I would appreciate some input on my plans:

Install 1/2" cement board on studs above vanity. Install 1/4" cement
board exact size of mirror on top of 1/2" cement board. E.g., cut a
18" by 24" piece of 1/4" cement board.
Attach mirror to cement board
using adhesive.
Frame around mirror with something like pencil
molding.
Tile the wall.


texts: My washing machine plug is burnt due to overheat socket. The plastic shield has melted and I am wondering whether this plug can still be used (on a different socket).


texts: Gas furnace control board issues: main burners never start; sparks never stop w/o flame sensor

texts:
I have a gas furnace that uses an intermittent pilot/ignition to light the pilot. The furnace itself is having problems starting the main burners, so I took a look. I found the following:

When I turn on the furnace, the igniter lights the pilot flame, and the igniter eventually stops after 5-10 seconds, i.e., the flame rectification system appears to be working fine. However, the main burners never start. Measuring the (AC) voltage between the main burner output (MV) and MV/PV as well as ground on the ignition control module, it appears to be nearly 0 V. Does this sound like my ignition control went bad, even if it is able to detect the pilot flame and shut off the igniter?
As a test, I unplugged the flame sensor at some point and turned on the system. I wasn’t surprised to see the igniter sparking even after the pilot flame was lit. I was, however, surprised to see the igniter never stop sparking (at least for 5 minutes), while the pilot flame continued to burn. Is this normal? It seems like the igniter and gas should have been shut off by the ignition control after at most a minute or two.

If it helps, the ignition control module’s make/model is Robertshaw SP715A. The furnace is a Williams Forsaire Counterflow Furnace model #8508332.

Thanks!


texts: Is my kitchen cabinet door beyond repair?

texts:
My cabinet door became damaged as my sister put all her weight on it to pull herself up :-)

Repairing the door is very tricky as these cabinet doors are on the kitchen island and the particle board panels they attach to are very thin (only 6/8 of an inch thick) and in addition, any repair on the outside part will ruin the look of the island. The hinges on the door side are in good order, and the paneling that needs repair is the one on the island piece.

Our handy man attempted a repair putting epoxy glue or something like that and this lasted only a year and has fallen apart once more (pictures show the white glue-like substance attached to the paneling and the hinges).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Would the technique of toothpicks and carpenter glue work on cabinetry that isn't real wood but particle board?


texts:
I purchased 6’ 4x4’s to put up a 4’ fence. I learned about digging below the frost line after. So now the non returnable 4x4’s I have are too short.
Is it possible to join two 4x4’s together to make my six foot posts into eight foot posts? If so can the joint be below ground?


texts: I found this in a closet behind something that a previous owner had nailed into a wall.  It's inside a closet, so it doesn't have to look pretty, I just don't want it to keep crumbling.  I was going to get some plaster adhesive and just fill it in.  Any other tips or ideas?


texts: Can I use #8 copper to replace a #6 ground wire?

texts: I need to replace the ground wire that runs from the panel to the rod embedded in earth. it looks like the existing wire is 6 g. i'm having trouble finding that gauge and wonder if I can use 8 gauge instead.


texts:
We have a nice old staircase with iron balustrades.

But at the bottom of each is some horrible fixing, we are unsure what it is for - maybe a build of paint as the stairs were painted at one point in the past from previous owners.

Does anyone know what it is and if it can be safely scraped away?


texts:
How do you bend a sheet a drywall into a curve? I tried wetting the back surface with a paint roller, letting it soak for 30 minutes, then scoring the back paper in parallel lines about an inch apart where I wanted the curve. When I screwed it to the studs, though, one of the scores turned into a break and the sheet became angled rather than curved.

In this specific situation the curve was probably about 10 degrees over the span of 6 inches. Is this too tight a bend for standard drywall?


texts:
Existing thermostat is a Honeywell and has a separate  connections  for Aux (white  wire) and E (Emergency black wire)
The proposed Honeywell T'stat only has  a single terminal labeled  "Aux E".

How do I connect  this?

Choices are  several:

Secure  the Black wire  and  connect  the  white  wire only?
Secure the white wire  and  connect  the black wire only?
connect both  wires parallel at the Aux E terminal?


texts: What should the input pressure be for a hydronic system?

texts: I have a boiler that's operating range is 12 to 30psi.The documentation says that it loses "efficiency" at the low end of of the operational pressure range. When looking at pressure reducing valves typical preset valves are 50 or 15 psi. My thoughts are if you reached an over pressure situation and the system vented back down to 30, it would have to cool off and drop back down to the inlet pressure to start to refill the system. In that case 15 seems like it could take a while for the system to adjust for the venting. On the other hand a 50psi valve can be adjusted down to 25, but operating 5 psi below max by default seems like a mistake. What should be considered when selecting the correct valve?


texts: Light flickers when turned off and power disconnected

texts: Last night I started smelling what seemed to be burning plastic.  Simultaneously I noticed that an overhead light was flickering sporadically even with the power turned off.  I went to the switch and found two simple switches.  the hot wire comes into a other  light switch and is then chained to the light switch in question. After unhooking the hot wire completely from the switch the light was still found to be flickering intermittently.  Of note the light was only turning on some of the time when the connection was made at the switch.  I currently have the power turned off at the breaker and awaiting guidance!


texts: Method for setting 6' wood fence posts in clay soil

texts:
Background

Currently in the process if planning/designing a privacy fence after recently removing the old posts from the ground. I'm now at a point that you might call analysis paralysis involving determining the "best" method for setting my wood fence posts into the ground using a method that will, at least, not unnecessarily speed the deterioration of the wood posts.

Other posts

I of course have looked at this post and actually bought the recommended book, yet I'm still on the fence about what method to use. The fact this post is almost 10 years old also adds to my hesitation.

This post brings up a good point about water more or less osmoting, or trickling to the area of least resistance when using crushed gravel in a area of high clay content.

My plans

I'm in Columbus, OH, with fairly clay like soil. It will be a 6' privacy fence, generally half board on board pattern with the other half consisting of custom made 1x2's to form a lattice. It could potentially be a little on the heavier side as the lattice will be framed using PT 2x4 lumber.

here is an image of my design so far.

Posts will be buried at least 32" below grade (frost line), potentially deeper, using PT 4x4x10' posts, likely 6x6 posts when supporting gates.

My options

Concrete was the original plan until searches brought up the many disadvantages or anecdotes ranging from premature rot due to the porous concrete attracting water, wood shrinking and thereby letting water enter between the wood/concrete intersection, etc.

Some say that the 6" or so of gravel you throw at the bottom of the posthole is there to allow for the concrete to drain. Others say it will simply act as a low resistance refuge for water to collect.

Crushed gravel/paver base became the next plan as I saw many posts vouch for the strength of using this stuff over concrete, even comparing its holding strength to concrete. This would also allow for easy post removal/replacement also quite a bit cheaper. On the other hand, the gravel will be coarser than the clay/dirt around it and potentially also suffer from unnecessarily collecting water.

Dirt simply backfilling with the original dirt seems to simply be the easiest solution at this point and is what I'm now leaning towards doing. The original posts seemed not to suffer from unnecessarily fast rotting, and they were simply backfilled with dirt. Surveying the neighborhood fences (all quite old) shows they are all back filled with dirt.

Summary

I'm hoping for some new insights to point me in the right direction! Seems to be a simple topic that perhaps I'm overthinking. Maybe there are better methods I also have not mentioned? Perhaps the best method is simply concreting the very bottom 10" of the post hole and then backfilling with dirt?


texts: Want to add sub-panel in my barn - 115v, 60amp?

texts:
I'm looking to extend the dedicated electrical in my barn to a new sub-panel near where I will be placing hobbyist wood working power tools - miter saw, route, jointer, small lathe, table saw, etc and a half dozen fluorescent light fixtures...
The lathe says it is 15 amp, but none of the others specify that much power.
I want to have the breakers close to the machines just in case because the main panel is in a different part of the barn.
The lighting for this floor will be via multiple switches I plan to serve from a single breaker in this sub-panel.
I'm guessing I will need to run two 15 amp circuits, each feeding two outlets and never expect to be using two power tools on the same circuit at the same time.
There is a room on the same floor that is wired as a single circuit with a couple of light fixtures, four outlets and an exhaust fan. I plan to tie this into the main panel on a dedicate breaker. I plan to run a dedicated breaker and circuit to this room for an AC unit.
My expectation is 4 or 6 15 amp breakers fed from a 60 amp breaker at the main panel.
It's sounds like I need either 4 or 6 AWG line for the feed, I assume I should conduit it between the panels, I was thinking 12/2 AWG grounded line to feed the outlets and the lighting is all currently wired with 12/2 grounded...
I don't want to burn my barn down, my chickens live there and tools are expensive.
Please advise.


texts:
I would like to insert some short lengths of 3" copper into a DWV main line that is made of PVC. I will be wrapping soft copper around these short lengths and running the cold water feed for the shower through the soft copper to capture heat from the drain water.

My question is for you plumbers, what procedure would you use to insert a fitting or Tee into an existing run?

After I cut it, I can probably move the line an inch or so fairly easily but any more will be more complicated but can be accomplished.

Edit: I should add that the shower drain is too tight to the main line to put the heat exchanger in the 2" shower line.

If I wanted to add a Y into the main line and move the shower drain I would still have to cut the DWV and insert the Y. How do you guys cut in to an existing line to add a fitting? Do you use rubber couplings?

Would something like this be reliable for decades to come?

http://www.zoro.com/fernco-flexible-coupling-4-in-l-3-x-3-in-1059-33/i/G2880026/?gclid=CNXrp8jcn8kCFYRDaQodd-AM-Q&gclsrc=aw.ds


texts: Will 1x4 or 1x6 boards span 3 feet between beams for a walking bridge?

texts: I have a foot bridge I wish to plank with 1x4 or 1x6 material. The bridge is 3' wide.  The planks will be simply supported at each end by 4" beams. Will a 1x4 or a 1x6 3' long support a 200 pound load?


texts: Deck or Patio - Landscape Design Opinions

texts:
My house has a nice backyard and I want to put on a deck or patio.  Currently I have a covered side porch that is about 2-3 feet off of ground level in the back.  My debate is whether to ask for a deck or to level the ground and get a patio.

Whatever I build has to:

Big enough for a table that seats 4-6, a grill, and possibly a few chairs
Immediate privacy on one side from my neighbors pool.  I'm thinking a fence so I don't have to wait for landscape to grow

The land slopes up gently as it follows where the deck/patio would be built.

I'd like to be around $7,000 for the project.  I'm OK using cheaper material (cement pad, basic lumber) if I can get functionality.  I'm also open to renovating some of the side porch with that money.

I'm looking for any opinions here.  I don't know anything about landscape design or cost of materials.  Is leveling the ground and using pavers going to be cheaper than building a deck?  Would concrete be a lot cheaper than pavers?  Can I combine both a patio and a deck into one design?

Any and all opinions are welcome.  I'm afraid when I talk to the professionals that each company will try to sell me what they're best at or make the most money on.


texts: What size wire for a 100 amp sub panel in a barn?

texts:
I am installing a 100 A sub panel in my barn which is 170 feet from the main panel. 100 feet will be underground and 70 feet will be through the crawlspace underneath the house. My main panel is 200 A.  I want to use aluminum wire.

The barn measures 28' x 50'. Within that, there is a 12' x 20' workshop. I'm planning on running lighting, and power tools. I will have gas heat so I don't need to heat the place electrically.


texts: Is there anyway I can mount a built in microwave oven like an over the range microwave?

texts: I am trying to mount a built in microwave/oven like an over the range microwave/oven. It won’t be over our range as we have a hood but I screwed up ordering cabinets and didn’t order the right ones for a built in. I order upper ones to mount a microwave underneath.


texts: 15 amp load trips 20 amp breaker instantanously

texts: New construction wired by professional electrician, Montana USA. Dedicated circuit for a 14" chop saw with 10 ga. wire and a 20 amp breaker. Saw was used previously on a 15 amp circuit with no problems. The saw is rated to draw 15 amps. The saw is a 14" Milwaukee abrasive wheel cut off saw with cord and plug, it is plugged into a 20 amp duplex GFI outlet.  It trips the breaker immediately upon energizing. The electrician says he can not install a 25 amp breaker as it would be out of code. Any suggestions? In the comments section of this question mention was made to slow blow circuit breakers, I have been unable to find any information on these. Does someone know where info. can be found? I tried Square-D's site.


texts:
I have a light switch that makes a loud high-pitched squeak when turned on or off. I'd like to apply some sort of lubricant to it so that it's not so loud, but I'm not certain as to what risks are involved given that it's electrical wiring.

Is there a safe lubricant that can be used on a light switch, or am I better off to just replace the switch altogether?


texts:
After recently replacing a broken fan element, my oven still doesn't heat up. I'm trying to establish whether the other elements are at fault or whether the faulty part is the thermolimiter.

The oven temperature light comes on (and never goes off). I have read in multiple places that this indicates a faulty element.

Testing the upper and lower heating elements I get about 55Ω, which I understand to be OK. But testing the part shown below I get no conductivity at all.

I think this part is the thermal cut-out. It's attached to the upper heating element.

Can anyone confirm based on my readings that this part is the faulty one, and also that the temperature light would be expected to be on regardless?


texts: Which to replace - the water heater or the 3-way switched plug adapter or something else

texts:
The situation: There is a 5 year old electrical tank-less water heater. The water heater is connected to a 3-way switched plug adapter, which is shared with another two electrical devices, before connecting to the main switch. The water heater switch off itself even though the switch (3-way switched plug adapter) is on. The water heater plug feel hot (not warm) on touch. This has happen on multiple occasions for the past 2 days. The water heater is used not more than 10 times per day (not more than 25 minutes each time).

Should I replace the water heater or the 3-way switched plug adapter or something else?


texts: Why would a blower motor work with A/C, but burn out with furnace?

texts: I've gone through 2 blower motors since I purchased the home 3 yrs ago. I never have an issue with the blower when the AC runs; but it keeps dying in the winter with the furnace.  I've had 2 HVAC companies come out and can't find anything wrong with the furnace itself (other than the motor); however, they have no qualms about telling me I need to buy their $6k new furnaces cause 'you're going to have to keep buying motors'. What could possibly be wrong? I think the furnace is from 2000. Possibly a Goodman. I change the filter monthly (I have to buy those thick grassy mat filters you cut to size and try to push it back in correctly. It's a ridiculous setup.) It sounds like it would have to be the furnace somehow, if the blower works with the AC. I do have lot of dust and debris on my vents-not sure what that means. Help!


texts: Why is there 4 inches of metal at on each side of this column?

texts:
I have a column in my kitchen. As far as I can tell this is a decorative column, and doesn't contain anything structural -- I live in a high rise, it really cannot contain anything structural.

Yet, according to my fancy stud detector, it has metal 4 inches from either side, as shown here:

This doesn't seem to be a corner bead -- it seems to be an entirely different beast.

If you want to see the stud finder in action:

Can I drill through this? How thick is it? What is it? Can I still drill through this, and use a plastic toggle anchor?

UPDATE
So, there's a couple things in here. I bought a Depstech Boroscope (I do not recommend buying one of these, they suck, but then again, there's not really any decent competition for them). First, to answer people what the metal was -- it was just boring studs.

Inside, it gets a lot more interesting, as you can see in the metal studs picture, there's some insulation. That's the hot water pipe. There's also a cold water pipe in there, and some electrical conduit. The column itself is pretty idiot-proofed, but there's no armor on the pipework, instead


texts: Are there any things to consider when putting thick rubber underlayment down?

texts:
I am finishing my attic and have just completed laying the OSB subfloor. I plan to use this space as a yoga studio for my wife / guest room for family / playroom for my child. It is directly over my bedroom so I want to make it as quiet as possible so I am planning to put a thick rubber underlayment before I put down a laminate floor. Are there any things to consider when putting the underlayment down? For example, a vapor barrier, an extra underlayment for the laminate flooring, whether it needs to be secured down?

UPDATE:
I ended up going with a much thinner underlayment which I installed first. I also purchased the laminate with an underlayment backing adhered to the underside of the laminate which seemed to be equal thickness of the extra underlayment I purchased. The result has been great. There is very very little sound transfer from the floor of the attic to rooms below. I have no practical experience to back this but I would be a little worried the thicker underlayment might make the floor too squishy.


texts: Why Does the faucetts in my house sputter a bit ( like air in the lines, at times) when I turn them on, Hot, & Cold?

texts: I have my own well, & sometimes when I open any faucett, Hot, or Cold, I hear a little hissing sound, for a second or two then it works OK


texts: Is graphite lubricant safe for metal parts?

texts:
I've heard an opinion that using graphite lubricant on door hinges can lead to metal abrasion and damaging the hinges. The idea is that graphite has abrasive properties and thus can damage metal.

Is this true? Should I use graphite lubricant on door hinges and similar metal parts around the house?


texts: Should I pull triplex 4/0 though conduit before laying it in the trench?

texts: I am going to be pulling some Triplex 4/0 4/0 2/0 though 2 1/2" conduit. Do you think I should pull it before putting it in the trench to make it easier? The trench is pretty much straight, with slight curve in beginning and end.


texts:
This is more like asking opinion whether it is worth converting from a gas logs fireplace to a fireplace insert. It is gonna cost me 5k here in seattle.

I have a gas logs fireplace (gas fireplace with open vent in front and chimney to the top). I am thinking to replace it with a modern fireplace insert. The room is around 400 sq ft. My question is it worth putting in 5k to put a fireplace insert instead.

Basically, if the gas logs fireplace can heat up the 400 sq ft, then I won't need a fireplace insert. Its just that I am not sure whether it would be able to heat the 400 sq ft.


texts:
We are trying to replace a lamp but the switch won’t turn it off. The old lamp had 3 cables but the new just has 2. The old lamp had a blue connected to the red. We tried different combinations (addind the red with the black and the red with the white) but nothing seems to work. Any ideas? (See photos below)

Thanks!


texts: Does a thermostat need to be connected to the fuse box? My builder says no?

texts:
I just purchased a home, and was in the process of replacing the thermostats with Nests. I flipped off all the circuits in the fuse box, and the thermostat on the first floor powered off. However, the thermostat on the second floor still had power.

After talking to the builder, the electrician is claiming because it is low voltage, it does not need to go through the fuse box.

Anyone know if that is actually the case? And if so, how should I install the nest if the wires remain live with no way of turning them off?

Thanks!


texts: What is long-term impact of decorative boulders near a house foundation wall?

texts:
I live in 1500 sq ft house with unfinished basement. I'm planning to put some stones outside house near walls (in garden). And have a plan to put some plants around it (for decoration).

My concern is the stones are heavy with roughly 2 to 3 tons each. I'm planning to put 4 stones. Does it have any long term impact on the structure of walls of basement? Does it put any kind pressure from outside?


texts: What advantages do ridge cap shingles have over modified 3-tab shingles?

texts:
I'm preparing to re shingle my roof. I'm not sure if I should use ridge cap shingles,

or simply cut up 3-tab shingles for the ridge cap.

Do ridge cap shingles have any advantages over modified 3-tab shingles?


texts: I just had a plumber out to take a look at a pipe hammering issue I'm having.  He isolated the problem to the shower valve.  He turned off the water to the valve to demonstrate how the noise will stop when there is no water entering the value; he was right the noise stopped. He wants to replace the entire shower value.  Is there anything I could try before replacing the shower valve?


texts: How should I connect these beams to the posts?

texts: I am making a freestanding 13' x 13' covered patio. the posts in the 4 corners will be  6" x 6" x 8 to 9 feet tall. I am looking for connection ideas on the beams that connect on top of the  6" x 6" posts. I will be using either  6" x 10" or 4" x 10" beams. I know Simpson strong ties has a ECCLQ-SDS bracket that will connect two beams at the top of each post, but I am just looking for other ideas that might be nicer, as strong as, cheaper and different than Simpson Strong tie.


texts: Help with untangling an ancient wiring mess

texts:
So, let me preface this by saying I live in a 100 year old apartment building, and I can't tear out all the wiring and start over again. (As much as I'd like to.)

In my living room, there existed a ceiling fan with a light. The fan had become noisy and eventually just stopped working. I removed the fan blades a while ago, and it's been basically just a ceiling light for a long while now. I decided to replace the fan with a new, quiet model. I'm a fairly handy guy and I'd already done the kitchen ceiling light quite easily, so I figured, no big deal. Then I took the old fan off...

There are 8 or 10 wires up there, all twisted together in 2 bundles. I figure one bundle is hot, the other is neutral. But the wiring is the old-style cloth-covered kind, and at this point, it all looks black. It's old.

At this point, I've got all the fuses to my apartment shut off, so there shouldn't be any power flowing through any of them. Just to be sure, I test the bundles with my voltage meter.

And I find that there's still 120V running through the wires...

I can assure you that all of the breakers were flipped off for my apartment. So I went back to the basement and flipped off all the breakers for the common areas, too. Tested again, and there's still 120V.

This is troubling, to say the least...

I recognize this as a fire hazard. Serious, full stop, bad mojo.

I carefully go through the painstaking process of separating the different wires and capping them individually. All circuits are broken, and it should be safe to keep them that way while I figure out what's going on.

Except, when I turn the power back on to test the wires, I find that 3 out of the 4 rooms of my apartment no longer have power. It appears that all of the wiring for each room of my apartment (except the kitchen) went through this ceiling pancake.

I waited a few days while my landlord and I went back and forth via text, basically with no power in most of my unit. I happened to run into my neighbor in the hallway and he mentioned that he was having electrical problems in his bedroom (which shares a wall with my bedroom). His power had been out for a few days.

So, this clues me into the fact that the live wire is probably a circuit on his fuse box. This weekend, we plan to test his breakers as well to see if we can isolate the live wire and get it turned off.

My electrical knowledge doesn't stretch so far as to where to go from there. What I'd like to know is, once I identify the correct pairings of HOT to NEUTRAL wires for each breaker, can I safely twist them together and allow power to flow to the other rooms, independent of each other, and on their own circuits?

Rather than have 4 rooms (and 2 apartments!) worth of electrical wiring twisted into 2 bundles in my ceiling creating one big ol' circuit, can I safely twist together the HOT and NEUTRAL wires in their appropriate pairs and allow the power to flow?

Thanks in advance for your help.

P.S.
You may ask why I don't just call an electrician to do it. Well, the landlord refuses to authorize the expenditure. I can live without power for a few days. But I don't want to be on the hook for unauthorized electrical repair work.


texts:
I have a 1929 craftsman house with dimensional 2x4 rafters on 24" centers. They're about 13.5 ft long, spanning 11.5 ft each (measured horizontally, wall to ridge beam) at a 7:12 pitch.  About 25% of them have diagonal  2x4 bracing tying them to either the center interior wall or ceiling joists (also 2x4) over interior walls.  The top of the rafters were angle cut to sit flat against the 1x6 ridge beam, then nailed through the ridge into the end of the rafters.  (I know, definitely not up to current standards.)  Over the years, 3 consecutive rafters split at the top end (maybe a tree branch fell on the roof?). I've sistered the top 6 feet on 2 of them with additional 2x4's, screws, and plates and plan to do the 3rd one soon. The roof decking is 1x6's and 1x8's nailed on top of the rafters. Besides a few knots and a couple split decking boards, the are no apparent soft spots or sags in the roof. It currently has 2 layers of 3-tab shingles.

I need to re-shingle the roof. I want to strip the existing shingles, add deck and ridge vents, and go back with an impact resistant dimensional shingle with a long warranty but I'm concerned about the weight. I've read that some can weigh over 400lb per square (100 square feet). A couple roofers I asked out for bids also said I would have to add 15/32" plywood or osb decking to ensure the nails have something to hold to, not empty knot holes or gaps between the current decking boards.

I'm in the central United States, Kansas City. We normally get 6-8" of snow on the ground, but occasionally up to 24-30" of heavy wet snow. We also routinely get 60-80 mph wind gusts with thunderstorms, sometimes higher.

Will the 2x4 rafters support the weight of the dimensional shingles, possible additional decking, and snow?  Since not all the roofers recommended the additional decking, would that increase the roof strength, or is it an unnecessary added load?


texts: Do I need to remove all carpet adhesive residue before using a floor leveler?

texts:
We have a slab foundation on our place. The previous owners put down carpet with pad and there's a fair amount of glue and pad residue on the concrete, as well as some paint overspray. We'll need to level the floor and roll on a liquid moisture barrier before putting down flooring. Two questions:
Do I need to grind off every bit of glue and stuff before putting on concrete leveler primer?
Thanks!


texts:
I have a GE dryer (MODEL #DSXH43EF0WW) and it stopped working this morning.  The light still comes on when I open the door and the dryer will make a humming sound when I press the start button, but it will not actually begin to tumble.  I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what the problem might be.

Searching online, I found that it is likely the thermal fuse that is at fault, but I wanted to know if there is something simpler that may be wrong (or if there is anything else that could be at fault).


texts: What are the wires in this old switch box?

texts:
Summary
I'm trying to replace a broken adjustable switch fixture in my house. I'd like to replace the switch myself. However, I am a total novice, so I am reluctant to proceed without understanding what I'm seeing. Unfortunately, the wiring in this (old?) switch box does not seem to match any diagrams I can find. So, I'd greatly appreciate any explanations as to what the different wires are in this switch box.
Details
The house is old, built in 1939. Some of the old cables are metallic sheath. The box for the switch is metal. This adjustable switch was functional, but the mechanical parts of the switch broke. That's why it is being replaced.
The current (broken) switch fixture has two wires connected to it. As Image 1 shows below, there are three wires on the top right, and two wires on the top left.
There are two wires connected to the old adjustable light fixture. A reddish wire connects directly from the top right of the box to the right of the old fixture. (Image 1.) My guess is that this is the live line in. (Q1 - does this seem right?)
On the left of the old switch fixture, a whitish wire seems to connect via a cap to BOTH a wire from the top right and top left of the box. (Image 1.) The white wire seems like it must be the load out, but I'm confused why it connects to two wires, which seem to go in both directions out of the box. All the diagrams I have seen just show the load out as one wire. (Q2 - what are these two wires connected to the white wire on the old light fixture?)

Image 2 shows three additional wires that are capped together, and do not appear connected to the old light fixture. One of these wires comes from the top right of the box. Another comes from the top left. The last appears to connect somehow to the bottom of the box. I assume these are neutral wires, or maybe ground wires. However, I haven't seen any diagrams that have three wires for either purpose. (Q3 - what are these wires?)

Bonus Question: I want to connect a new single-pole fixture to this box. It has connections for live, load, and ground. Where would I connect each? My current guess is that I would just replace the connections to what I assume are the current live and load. For the ground, could I connect to the screw in the back of the box?
Thanks for your help with this novice's question.


texts:
First post here... I made a mistake and would like some suggestion on how to properly fix it.
I wanted to mount window curtain rods with toggle anchors. I drilled 3/8th inch hole through drywall, wall stud and hit concrete. To make it worse, it’s two holes on either side.
How can fix these holes in wall stud? I am worried it will affect something structurally.


texts: What is the best way to adjust pocket doors stuck on carpet?

texts: We had new carpet installed with a thicker pad.  Now the pocket doors stick on the carpet.  What is the best way to get at them to adjust them?  The best options I have come up with is to remove the trim (which I do not want to do) or cut a hole in the drywall and repair it (which I may do).


texts:
Summary

GFCI outlet is 'dead' (no power, won't test or reset), when the wire feeding it is live. Outlet was working yesterday. Swapped outlet with another GFCI (that had previously been working) and it behaves the same.

Details

I had to rebuild a piece of my house that had a (working) GFCI outlet on it. I purchased a new GFCI outlet, as the old one had a piece of broken plastic. I wired it up, being sure to put the white wire on the silver screw, black wire on brass, and avoiding the terminals with the sticker over them used to feed other receptacles. The outlet worked fine for a day. In case it matters, it's almost exactly this model:

Workers waterproofed near the outlet all the next day. (EPDM sealing a planter box.) It happened to be quite cold in the house for 6 hours, windows and doors open to 40° weather for ventilation. Presumably this paragraph is irrelevant.

Today, the outlet does not work. No power to items, no indicator light, pressing either RESET or TEST does nothing. The circuit breaker has not been tripped. An AC tester indicates power on the line.

I swapped the outlet with the previous GFCI outlet (which was working fine when last used). Same behavior (though the previous 10-year-old outlet never had an indicator light).

I removed the outlet, made the circuit breaker live, and used a multimeter on the bare wires. Measurements are:

Hot-to-neutral: 121.4V (Black-to-white)
Hot-to-ground: 121.4V (Black-to-bare)
Neutral-to-ground: 0.0V (White-to-bare)

When I attached the GFCI outlet and measured the line terminals:

Nothing plugged in: 121.4V
Known-working lamp plugged in: 119.5V

What is going on with my power? Are both outlets coincidentally dead? Am I miswiring them? Most importantly: how do I fix this?

Edits:

I've already discarded the box for the the new GFCI outlet, but it says on it:

Leviton
INSP.1J460
17456-037 ZR 2

…and on the other end is a nicely printed UL sticker:

UL LISTED
GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER
CLASS A
2 POLE UNIT
20A 125V 60HZ
ISSUE NO. 0045578
LEVITON MGF.CO.INC
O

It may be a "Leviton X7599-E SmartlockPro Slim GFCI Tamper-Resistant Receptacle with LED Indicator, 15-Amp, Black", based on searching for features and images, but I'm not certain of this.
I forgot to mention, in case relevant, that I'm using a metal waterproof outdoor box for the outlet (this one), which has a grounding screw in it that I've attached to the ground wire. (Ground wire is clamped in the middle to this screw in the box, and then continues to be attached to the outlet.)


texts: How to unclog cast iron T drain for three sinks

texts:
I have a common drain for three sinks the clogs 1-2x per year. All three sinks back up at the same time and slowly drain. Total distance between sinks is about 25ft. I suspect that the sinks share a common lateral drain pipe and a T comes off that (hidden in walls) to a visible diagonal drain (several bends) and then down. All interior piping. If I snake down a sink, it just goes across to the other sink.

I have cleared the clog by snaking up the diagonal drain pipe (~5ft from a removable coupling). But as stated in other posts, this is probably only creating a hole in the clog. The suspect T is not visibly accessible. The T is probably ~10ft from the closest sink. There's a roof vent somewhere along the lateral pipe.

I have tried running hot water down sinks on both sides of the drain, but that does not seem to help.

I don't want to damage the cast iron pipes or replace them at this time.

Any suggestions for clearing the bigger clog? Anything safe to pour down the sinks that would dissolve hair, scum, etc? I can poor from both sides with or without water in the pipes (~10ft to the T). It will sit there for a while and slowly drain.


texts: How do I get my recessed light fixture flush?

texts:
I installed two new recessed LED light fixtures using 4" new construction IC housings. The problem is that both fixtures are not flush against the ceiling after installation, they are dipping down on one side 1/4" or so.

Am I doing something wrong? Is my 1990's(Minnesota, USA) ceiling drywall too thick or something? Do I need a different fixture? I'll rig something up with tape/glue/etc. if necessary but I like the fixtures so don't want to return them. How can I get these fixtures flush with the ceiling?

I've tried removing the fixtures and reinstalling with the same results. The housings are as close to the drywall as possible and secured under and to the sides of the ceiling joists. The housing itself does slide into the hole in the drywall about 1/4" I would guess but does not completely go into the room; I'm not sure if this is typical or not.

The mechanism to secure the fixtures into the housing seems somewhat unique to me. It has clips that use friction to install, but will collapse if you turn the fixture clockwise to uninstall. It is best explained via an image:

Notes

Fixture: Commercial Electric 4 in. Recessed Soft White LED Can Disk Light Link 1 Link 2
Box: Halo T24 New Construction 4 in. LED Recessed Housing Link 1


texts: Do I want a common trip or independent trip quad breaker?

texts:
I had a quad breaker that went bad.  It had 30A outer pair for the dryer and 20A inner pair for my well pump.  Both pairs were tied together so you could turn them on or off together - the mechanism tying them together was identical to the ones used on these Eaton's  BQ220230 and BQC220230

After doing a ton of reading online I still have 3 specific questions:

1) I've read that these handles are for convenience (so you can turn them both on or off at the same time), and that they do NOT make the breaker in to a common trip breaker (i.e. even with the handles you can still have one side of a pair trip without causing the other to trip).  I did see a thread here though, indicating that someone should add these handles to create a common trip.  Is this correct?  The handles tying each pair together do, or do not create a common trip?

2)  The breaker I'm replacing was labeled independent trip, and I see common trip models are available (the BQC varient mentioned above).  Why wouldn't I want common trip?  The failure I had was only one of the dryer breakers tripping (this was sort of ok because the dryer would work, it just wouldn't get hot).  If this happened to my pump circuit though, wouldn't running it at 120v damage it?  Is there any reason I don't understand that would make me want to use independent trip instead of common trip?

3) Last, I just wanted to confirm that for the BQC common trip mentioned above. The 'common' only applies to the other side of the same pair, and not to the other pair.  I.e. if the top trips (dryer) it will also trip the bottom (dryer), but not trip the two centers (pump).


texts: What causes popping in new wood floor when furnace turns on?

texts: I just had new solid wood floors installed and i hear popping where the floor meets my kitchen wall each time the furnace turns on (lasts for about 3 minutes). what causes the popping and how do I stop it?


texts: Is it possible to run a water-heater on a undersized breaker for years?

texts:
We have an Whirlpool 50 gal 240v water heater (4500watt elements) that was installed by a plumbing company in 2016. We had zero problems with it until last week when it started tripping the breaker.
After flushing and inspecting the tank (it looks good) I replaced both heating elements and thermostats.
The breaker still continued to trip.
I tested the wire for continuity and visually inspected what I could reach including in the attic, it seems fine.
But the breaker for the water heater is only 15amps, which I thought seemed low for a water heater this size. So, not wanting to change anything I replaced the breaker with an identical new 15amp breaker.
The breaker still continued to trip.
Not random, not immediately, but after the heater had been operating to reheat water, like after a shower.
Some online research leads me to think the correct breaker should be 25amps (stated in manf install guide for 240v 4500w).
So for a test I swapped the 15amp breaker with a 20amp I had on hand (this is in a 100amp sub panel that can support this increase) and ran a temporary 10ga wire (in wall wire is 12ga) to the heater.
The breaker has not tripped since. It does not get warm, nor does the wire. The water heater is working  fine.
After investigating all possibilities it seems the most likely issue is an undersized breaker. So my question is:
Is there another possibility at this point?
Could it be we were somehow skating by all this time on an undersized breaker?
Is it possible the old elements somehow stayed under 15amp but then failed causing the breaker issue and the new elements pulled just enough more to continue tripping the undersized breaker?


texts:
i want to install a 4800 watt construction heater in my garage that is already wired with a 60 amp subpanel.  It has lots of room for extra breakers in the sub panel so i plan to install a 30 amp breaker (the heater specs say it is 21 amps, so the 30 amp breaker appears correct)..

The heater will be plugged in 42 feet from the subpanel so i estimate it will take about 50 feet of wire.

WHAT TYPE OF ELECTRICAL WIRE DO I NEED FOR THIS?


texts: Mounting exterior shutters on deeply recessed windows

texts: I want to mount shutters on my 1930's house, but since we've had it insulated with polystyrene, the recess is 7 inches. That would need a huge offset hinge!! The windows are metal-cased woodframed double glazing. I would like the shutters to look authentic, and don't want to mount them outside the window. We would use Fischer Thermax wal plugs for the outside mount, but my concern is the window frame, and getting hold of such long shutter hinges.


texts:
I'm installing a small minisplit for my garage. The garage is part of the house (front right corner of the house) and I have to put the minisplit condenser in the back of the house.
My breaker panel is outside at the front right corner of the house. If I go straight through the back of the panel, I'm in the garage. I need to get power to the rear right corner of the house.
What I've come up with for options is the following..run pipe from the bottom of the panel down to the area where the slab and stucco meet.  It varies between 6 and 8" off the ground. Then follow that down the side of the house to the back, make the turn to the back and run up to a disconnect where I need it.  I would pull individual wires.  Is there any issues running pipe like that?
The other option is to go into the garage, pipe it to where the lineset will be going up into the space between the first and second floor and follow the lineset out the back of the house.  but this means the wire would partially be in pipe and partially be in a rafter space. That means I can't use individual wires. I'd have even more pipe in my finished garage.  I'm also unclear the proper way to exit the building. When I exit I have to pipe it to the disconnect correct?
I'm in Phoenix, so no issues with snow. Thanks.


texts: I am trying to replace my kitchen faucet but the nut holding it onto the sink is corroded and the nut won't budge! I have tried a basin wrench (as someone suggested here), wd40, hammering at those notches with a screwdriver and am not getting any movement. How can I get rid of this faucet? I don’t mind destroying it as I have a replacement already in hand.


texts: Staircase or two way switch wiring doubts

texts: This is wiring for house. Will the old model wiring work? My electrician told me it's not a problem if both ends are of positive side in light bulb or fan, I know it won't turn on. But will it cause harm to fan or bulb?


texts: What are the pros and cons of a vented vs unvented crawl space?

texts:
I find it very confusing to read and hear conflicting advice on crawl space: vent vs air seal, different ways to do insulation, vapor barriers vs not, etc.

Mine currently has some moisture and has a 6" square hole in the exterior wall and 2 large 3' square openings to the basement next to it.  What should I do?

BuildingScience.com recommends conditioning the crawl space: http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-0401-conditioned-crawl-space-construction-performance-and-codes

One concern I have with laying plastic on top of the dirt is creating conditions for mold.

I'd like to hear independent opinions from DIYers rather from websites and people in the industry since those usually have an agenda.

How did you do your crawl space?

Edit:

Sounds like the vapor barrier and insulation at the wall would be the better approach.

According to this: http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11810 my zone (anything north of North Carolina) is OK for the vapor barrier.

Further questions:

Should I have the 2 inch rigid foam at the walls and vapor barrier on top or underneath or...?  I cannot find this detail on the Internet.
"Conditioning" the crawl space means I have to ensure air intake and outtake for it, doesn't it?  I currently don't have AC, BTW, only window units.
AskTheBuilder is talking about using high performance vapor barriers here: http://www.askthebuilder.com/B403_High_Performance_Vapor_Barriers.shtml Does anyone have experience with those?  Where do I buy that stuff?  I only found this: http://www.insulationsolutions.com/products/viper_CS/information.html


texts: Heating issues with slab foundation 50 year old home

texts: I put a new furnace in (97% efficiency) because this home is so cold on the floors that my feet are cold anywhere I walk.  Now have heat vents in ceiling but not helping any.  Always cold, especially around baseboards (can feel the cold come in).  Can't afford any major project.  On SS and in debt for the furnace so hoping for a quick and cheap fix.


texts: Leaving the extra wire from a 12-3 run un-connected

texts:
I'm embarking on a re-wiring of my Garage/Workshop. I've identified 3 new circuits I'm adding. I have a large roll of new 12-3 wire, which I'm looking to use up in this project. After completing the wiring I'll be insulating and covering the stud-bays.

I am thinking of running two pulls of 12-3 while I've got easy access, and leaving one of the extra hot wires unconnected (capped), in the box, for when I get around to re-doing my pantry (shares a wall) and want to add a grounded outlet. Running an extra 12-2 would mean putting another hole in each stud along the wall, and I've already got 2 holes in each (50's house with many partial-remodels), I don't really want to turn the structure into swiss cheese.

I have not been able to find anything in the code about leaving one of the wires of 12-3 unused. Do you think an inspector would balk at this? My city uses the most recent version of the NEC code.

I know a 12-3 run needs a double-pole breaker because of the shared-neutral, but what about my theoretical extra wire (with one live circuit, but will eventually require a shared neutral)? Do I just need to run the circuit and wire a dummy outlet? I'd rather not unless necessary.


texts: How should I insulate a bedroom in the attic?

texts:
After doing lots of research and reading lots of different opinions I would like to know what is the best way to insulate and vent a 1 1/2 story house that has a bedroom upstairs in the roof/attic area. I live in Minnesota and want to know the proper way to do this so the upstairs bedroom stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer without having to worry about ice dams or lost heating/cooling air.
Here is an image i found that diagrams two different methods

(source: dspinspections.com)


texts: Want to build and hang a "bed/sofa" 64Lx32W on PT deck w/PT 7x2x10' rafters 16"oc.  Spacing of rafters wrong for hanging.  I can cut down size of the seating, but it defeats objective.  QUESTION:  can I place 4 "bridge supports" (for hanging bed @ corners) between the rafters using PT 2x4? 2x6? 2x8? along w/the appropriate hangers nailed into the rafters and ends of each 16" bridge (rafters are blocked)?  Thanks for help


texts: GFCI breaker trips after 5 or 6 minutes with nothing plugged in

texts: The problem circuit has 4 bathroom sockets, a front porch socket, and a back porch socket. Nothing is plugged into any of the sockets. A month ago, when I first became aware of the problem, the GFCI breaker would trip after 60 to 90 minutes. I looked into all of the sockets and replaced the front porch socket which was cracked. Lately, the circuit is tripping after 5 or 6 minutes, again with nothing plugged into any of the sockets. This problem has appeared suddenly after 21 years in the house. There has been no construction done, no humidity issues, no issues with weather or rain, or water leakage, and no new appliances. I am stumped.  Any suggestions appreciated.


texts: Is there any difference in the protection from a GFCI outlet vs. a secondary outlet connected to it?

texts:
My house is 20 years old. All the proper locations are GFCI protected, but most do not have a GFCI outlet. They are connected downstream [I think that is the proper term], meaning if there is a short on the downstream outlet, the upstream GFCI trips to shut it down.

I was told by one inspector that you need GFCI outlets at every risky location because they trip ''faster'' than an outlet that is connected to it. Is this true?


texts: PEX: Is it worth replacing crimps with push connections?

texts:
I happened upon a question about PEX tubing last week here and in it there was some discussion about how push connections are superior.  (If someone can point me to that question, I'd appreciate it.) I just tossed a contractor out of my house for various reasons and had a master plumber take a look at what was done so.  He pointed to some issues with the drains that needs to be redone but didn't mention anything with the PEX supply lines.

After reading that last week, I took a closer look at the supply lines and see that they are all crimped.

Question: while things are open should I go through the trouble of replacing these the crimps with push connections?  If so, should I replace the lines or can I use them?  In other words, are the ends going to be compromised after the crimps are removed?

As to the other question "Can you re-crimp the end of a PEX tube?", it doesn't address whether I should change an existing setup and my question is not related to 're-crimping' at all.


texts: Raised patio sitting on 215mm brickwall sitting on block and beam floor

texts:
We have built a raised patio. We built a 215mm brick wall 3 meters away from the extension and sat block and beam floor on this 150mm lower than the block and beam floor for the extension.
We then raised the wall by 800mm with brick piers and stone balustrade panels, a separate contractor laid the patio on screed on DPM . There is an Akco drain in front of the wall at patio level linked to a soak away but this recent cold/wet weather has caused the wall to move/slip towards the garden but only from underside of beam up.
The pipe work going to the soak away is not leaking , is it water freezing on the DPM and expanding causing this??


texts: How to setup a shower timer to actually turn off the water?

texts:
My kids take very long showers and I can't always be there to rush them out.
Is there a way to have a timer start once the shower starts and actively stop the water after 10-15 minutes?

I've looked around and not been able to find anything that really does this.
At my local HD, the sales person just said "tell your kids to get out of the shower.", thanks a lot!


texts: What's the purpose of a cold water expansion vessel?

texts:
My rented flat (in the UK) has 2 expansion tanks behind the boiler, one red, one blue.

From googling around I can find lots of references to hot water expansion vessels; the purpose seems to be to allow for expansion of the water in the closed system of the heating circuits as it gets hotter.

What's the purpose of the cold water vessel? Is it just to prevent water hammer?

Update: here's a description of the lines and where they go, as requested in a comment. Please correct my terminology, I don't know what it should be but I'm keen to learn:

cold water seems to arrive from outside - there's a stopcock.
When I close the stopcock, I have no cold water anywhere in the flat.
Immediately after the stopcock, is what I think is a pressure reducing valve (Caleffi - 3.5 bar is printed on it).
After that, there are a few branches off this pipe:

one leads to the blue expansion tank.
one leads to a cylindrical tank below ('Keston Spa'). Where it joins, it's marked "MAINS CWS" (Cold Water Supply?)
one leads to a hose with closed valves that I believe can be temporarily opened to 'top up' the closed heating system: beyond the closed valves, I can see that it connects to the return port on the boiler (according to the manual), as well as the red expansion tank.

finally it seems to go off around the flat.


texts: I am going to tile a bathroom. I have removed the linoleum and all adhesive. There is a 1/4" plywood layer over the original subfloor. The floor is dry and clean. Do I need to remove the plywood subfloor before installing the backer board and tile?


texts: Water Expansion Tank precharged at 25psi. House pressure at 70

texts:
I have a water expansion tank (5 gallons) installed on a new water heater (40 gallons) and my houses PSI is at 70-80.

The tank came precharged at 25psi.

I know that I am supposed to match my home water pressure and that of the tanks but I wonder if this does not have to happen immediately.

If I had to do it immediately, do I have to shut down the main and can I pump using an electric pump or do I have to disconnect the plumbing and remove the tank altogether before I can pump it?