texts:
I often have metal gates galvanized and are required to give the final product a coat of paint.

As is known about galvanized metal, the zinc begins to oxidize with the air and creates the flaky powder which repulses the paint thereby flaking off the paint.

I have been told many things about galvanizing and how to paint / prepare for painting and was wondering if there is a generally accepted best practice here. What i have heard is the following:

you need to wait at least a month to get the galvanized layer to oxidise, then paint
you need to prepare the surface with a mild acid to remove oils (either vinegar or galvanized metal cleaner)
do not use oil based paints (either primer or paints) since the oil does not adhere to the coating
paint first with an etch primer which will etch and bond to the surface, then paint
forget primers and just apply two coats of acrylic paint which bonds well to the surface.

I guess, as with any paint application surface preparation is key, just interested to know what the professionals do here.


texts:
I need to replace this hose bib. The guy at HD said I need a 1/2 inch hose bib with a female end.

I think I need one that needs to be sweated in, not female.  I say that because the adapter it connects to, it is perfectly round.  The 3/4 -> 1/2 inch male adapters I saw were not round on the outside, they had similar wrench-grip (six sided) like the hose bib has.
Who is correct?
If I am correct, I think I'm going to remove the adapter itself and replace with a 3/4->1/2 inch male adapter, and buy a 1/2" hose bib with female end.
Does this sound right?


texts: Is it safe to soundproof a bedroom that doesn't have an air vent?

texts:
I'm looking to soundproof my apartment bedroom. The bedroom itself has a single-pane window, relative thick carpet, and a cheap hollow core door. It has no air vents, only a hot water baseboard heater.

I'm primarily concerned about sounds coming from within the unit. It seems that they transfer in primarily through the door. Long term I do want to do something about external sounds as well but I think my only option there is acoustic curtains (or whatever they're called)

I understand that I should be adding a door sweep, and acoustic tape to the door frame to form a seal. However, I'm wondering if there's any health risks associated with low oxygen because the only way for air to get in is around the door.

Are there risks? Should I form a close but not tight seal? Any other ideas?

I'm also considering add a hallway runner to the hallway, and some art there to break up the noise before it gets to my door.


texts: How can I determine what is causing a newly creaking ceiling?

texts:
There's an area of my ceiling that has rather suddenly (in the last week) started creaking when the wind blows.

It's at a juncture with a wall, right below the attic, and it is very localized (at least it sounds like it is coming from a very specific spot, above some crown molding). I'm planning to go into the attic to look at it. What should I look for, and what else might it be?  (I don't think it's the actual crown molding -- I can't reproduce the sound by pressing on the crown molding. But this crown molding is slightly cracked from some years back, presumably from some movement in this area.)


texts: Can I add insulation over the original layer in my new home's basement?

texts:
I am looking to finish the basement in my new house that has insulation wrap installed in the basement.  The insulation wrap is an R12.

After studding the basement can I add additional installation to increase the R factor in front of the existing wrap?

Is there anything I should do or consider doing to the existing installation?

I understand I should not add a 2nd vapor barrier, is that correct?


texts: Chimney work - blocking a fireplace temporarily

texts:
We live in a house which is a good 100 or so years old and the chimney has been causing us problems with leaking into our loft room for some time now.

A local builder has taken on the job of re-rendering the outside of the chimney with K-Rend. On the first day on the job when removing the old render we experienced a bit of soot falling down so we put some good quality floor protection fabric over it secured with masking tape.

I’ve come home today to a bit of a disaster in that the ‘solution’ to block the chimney didn’t really last, and after a ‘henry the hoover’s worth of soot and some brickwork fell down the chimney the solution seems to have been blown out and I’ve spent the last 3 hours cleaning my living room.

What is the best solution here to stop dust / soot entering the house whilst allowing the work on the chimney to proceed?


texts: What's the suggested standard gauge wire for a given current?

texts: I'd like to see a reference to an US or EU standard that lists in a table the suggested wire gauges for AC/DC and volts / amps.


texts: What is the generic term for kitchen counter laminate without particle board?

texts:
I'm trying to see if I can buy the laminate that kitchen counters usually have, but without the particle board underside. I'm trying to resurface a desk with something stronger, and it would be easy to simply adhere a strong laminate layer onto the top (plus more decorative options).

I couldn't figure out a way to describe this laminate without it simply being the full counter top product. Does anyone know if there is a specific name for this layer sold separately, or will I have to call around?


texts: Which lumber to use to rip my own molding?

texts: I need to rip some custom sized molding on my table saw.  Which is the best kind of lumber to use?  I imagine plain 1x Spruce-pine-fir (SPF) is not the best choice.


texts: Can you have a laundry to landscape irrigation system with no sewer line?

texts:
I’m currently purchasing a house where they renovated over where the laundry hookups used to be, so those need to be added from scratch. A plumber looked at the house and said the best location to add the hookups was an outside location for easiest access to the sewer, but it would be very expensive and I’m  not sure about the location.

There’s a carport that’s been recently enclosed, and I think that hookups would work very well there, and rather than having the drainage go to the sewer, I could do a simple irrigation system for the many plants. Is there a problem if there’s no sewer access for the laundry?


texts: Should I install tamper resistant receptacles

texts:
When changing out receptacles should I be installing tamper resistant receptacles?

It seems that the 2008 NEC requires these devices to be installed for any new install, should I be installing them when I change out old or damaged receptacles as well?


texts: How do I get rid of water streaks on my bathroom wall?

texts: So the walls in my bathroom have streaks all over them. They've been building up over time and is getting worse. The wall over the shower in particular looks pretty bad. Does anyone know how I can get rid of them? I tried spraying Clorox Bleach spray but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. Anyways, I'm open to suggestions.


texts: How tight should vinyl siding be against each other?

texts:
We are having vinyl siding installed, replacing very dented and mangled aluminum siding.

We are concerned, after the builders have finished one section of the driveway, about the shadows of the siding laps. I understand that vinyl siding should be able to move from side to side in order to permit expansion/contraction, but should we be able to stick fingers in between the laps and pull apart the seams from each other (this is double dutch lap siding)?

There are a few laps that we feel are correctly tight together, and others that extend further out and cast small shadows. Should we be concerned about these seams?


texts: Can I use two ladders to create a makeshift scaffold?

texts:
I have a really high stairwell to do walls around (cca 18 ft).  Scaffolding is impractical.  I had rigged a temporary platform that I used to hang drywall and it worked well but I had to remove it because it was anchored into the structural framing and I needed to hang drywall where it was anchored.  So I was thinking to put a 20' ladder at the landing of the stairs or the first stair leaning onto the wall that faces the stairs.  Then I want to take another, shorter ladder (one piece 10') and rest one side on or near the top of the stairs and the other somehow suspend on the big ladder to act as a bridge between the stairs and the big ladder.  From there, most areas will be able to be reached for drywall taping and mudding and later on painting.

My question is, since both ladders are the same width, are there contraptions (hangers) to mount on the big ladder to which I can suspend the small horizontal one?  I googled "ladder accessories" but didn't find anything like.  What is an accessory like that called?  Because I can't just insert the small one into the big one securely.  I was thinking some secure buckle/hook should exist for this type of rigging precisely.

See illustration.


texts: How do I power fluorescent lights hanging from a drop ceiling?

texts:
Our basement has a high ceiling, and somebody fancied it up with a drop ceiling.

The lighting is the common 4' 2-lamp fluorescent shop lights that are cord-and-plug connected, and hung from the drop ceiling stringers.  The cords go up into a corner of a drop ceiling panel and disappear... above the drop ceiling they plug into receptacles along the joists.  I believe cords above drop ceilings are not allowed.

What's the most expedient way to fix that?  How do I properly connect cord-and-plug connected lights in a drop ceiling?

If the voltage of the fixtures was much lower (say 24V) would that make the wiring scheme OK?


texts:
In my cellar there’s a thin layer of crumbling paint directly on brick.

I am concerned that it might be lead based, and I need a better mask than a cheap dust mask. The house is old, Victorian (early 1900s by my estimate). The paint is slightly grey/green in some places, and whiter in others.


texts:
I saw this recently and wondered:
Why are there two lock cylinders?
How does this work?
Is this how this thing was originally designed?

...and thought someone on this site might have some insights.
The lock was on a closet in a room and building that are generally accessible by the public, which is owned by a civic institution.


texts: Our home had a wall with stuck on tiled 12 inch mirrors. In removing the mirrors almost all of the underlying drywall surfaces were torn to some degree. I have very little experience with drywall and wondered if those types of surface problems are repairable with compound or do I just need to go ahead and replace all the drywall.


texts: Should the main circuit breaker be AFCI, CAFCI or just standard?

texts:
Let's say all the other breakers in the panel are standard (i.e. not ACFI). Would it help to have the main breaker AFCI or CAFCI?

Conversely, let's say the other breakers are all CAFCI. Can I use a standard main breaker?

My concern is to have the best security+convenience mix. In special, I don't want a water flood in the basement bathroom to trip the main and loose my refrigerated food or become unable to open the garage.

What does the code says about that?


texts: Grohe LadyLux3 faucet flowing at 40% expected rate, even after replacing cartridge

texts:
My Grohe LadyLux3 kitchen faucet's flow rate has gradually slowed in the 4 years since we installed it, so that now it's flowing at 0.7 gallons per minute, which is less than half its rated flow rate of 1.75 gallons per minute. The flow isn't even strong enough to keep the "spray" setting active without holding the button on the faucet head.  When we first installed the faucet, the flow rate was close to the rated level.

I assumed that the problem was sediment buildup in the aerator so I replaced the cartridge in the faucet head. Surprisingly, this didn't fix the flow rate at all. I then tested the flow with the head removed completely, and the flow rate only slightly increased to 0.77 gpm-- still less than half of the faucet's rating.

The flow is the same regardless of hot, cold, or mixed-temp water. It's the same when just turning it on vs. leaving it flowing for a few minutes.

No other faucets in the house have shown a similar decline, so it seems unlikely to be a house-wide change in water pressure.

The change has been gradual-- it's not like one day suddenly the flow was cut in half.

The valves to both the hot and cold water under the sink are fully open.

We haven't made any plumbing-related changes since the faucet was installed.

Any ideas for how to get the flow rate back to normal?


texts:
I have a 2700 sq ft rambler home with cathedral ceilings over a large portion of it - over the hallway, 2 living rooms and kitchen. We replaced the furnace that was installed when the home was built in 1982. This original furnace was a 115000 btu furnace. Unfortunately, we changed the furnce before we moved into this house a few months ago.

When the HVAC guys did a heat loss calculation they determined that the house needs about 80000 btu and installed a 80 % efficient 90000 btu Lennox (2 stage, variable speed).

The furnace runs constantly even when the temperature outside is 50 degrees and the thermostat is set to 62 degrees. Our utility bills are over 270 dollars for this setting.

The HVAC people have suggested adding more vents in the areas with the cathedral ceilings, changing the duct work to have a 2 zone system. In short they have asked us to modify the house so the furnace operated more efficiently.

I am wondering if the decrease in BTUs is causing the furnace to run constantly, even for low thermostat settings.


texts: I'm building a structure and putting a roof on it.  The roof is single slope 3x12 pitch.  Basically it's rectangle platform except where in the middle of the lower edge the roof extends 2 more feet so I have two inside corners.  The drip edge flashing goes under the felt paper and the side flashing goes over the felt paper but how to I flash these inside corners?


texts: Will a thermostatic shower mixer work with two hot supplies?

texts:
I won't go into the specifics here because it'd be far too long, but in a system I'm building I have two hot supplies - one between 25C and 35C, and one between 45C and 70C.
I want an output temperature of 40C, and to mix no additional cold into the system. Will a thermostatic shower mixer do this? The engineer in me says 'yes, the wax will still expand and contract according to the overall temperature', and the plumber in me says 'bUt ThAt'S NoT WhAt It'S DEsiGnEd FoR!!?'
If it won't, has anyone got any smart ideas on how to do this?


texts:
I have a bunch of ceiling lights that don't work when I replace the bulbs.

Electricians are too expensive but although I don't have experience in this area I'm willing to learn and do it myself if possible.

How can I figure out what's wrong with them and fix them myself?


texts: Framers installed shear walls, seismic hardware, and the entire roof with the wrong nails. What now?

texts:
I hired a framing crew to frame a new home in Anchorage, Alaska. When they were done I found that most of the nailing on the shear panels and seismic hardware was done incorrectly.

Many of the shear panels have nailing that is too narrow and too short. I verified with my designer and the nail manufacturer that the nails are wrong and do not have the shear strength of those specified in the plans.

Moreover, almost all of the Simpson seismic hardware on the outside of the building (twist straps and coil straps) was installed with nails that are also far too short. Simpson requires a minimum 2.5" nail when nailing through sheathing. My framers used a 1.5" nail.

In other places, the nailing on the sheathing, and the sheathing install generally, is just plain terrible:

I'm in a pretty serious seismic zone here. The 1964 earthquake was the second-largest ever recorded in history and killed over 100 people, and in 2018 we had a 7.1 just a a few miles north of the city. My home location is also exposed to a lot of wind.

How should I go about fixing the sheathing? The nailing is already extremely tight due to our seismic requirements--but the nails are all wrong. Could I pull the nails and replace them with slightly larger screws (something rated for the appropriate shear?) or do the panels need to be pulled and rebuilt?


texts: What's the name for this very thin metal sanding disk for use in a drill?

texts:
I have a sanding disc that attaches to my drill, and i'm struggling to find a replacement.
Does anyone know what it's officially called?

I reckon it's about 180 grit.
It's about 127mm external diameter (but i'm not bothered as long as its approx the same size)
Its 14 mm internal diameter, which is more critical.


texts: How should I attach a chin-up bar to floor joists?

texts:
I want to mount a chin up bar to engineered I-beam floor joists.  Am I safe to mount it directly up into it with lag bolts?  If the spacing isn't correct and I span some joists with 2x4s, should I run it in between the joists parallel to the bottom of them (with screws going through the 1x2 bottom of the joist)?  Or should I sit the 2x4s on top of the bottom I part and screw through the vertical joist piece?

The max load is around 200 lbs.

Here's a quick diagram based on @bib's response.  On the left is how I believe he is telling me to go, on the right was my plan based on his response.  The bar itself mounts up.  The I is the joist(s), red is 2x4, blue is screws/bolts and green is the chin-up bar...

Photograph of the completed installation:


texts: Can I use cement instead of paint for interior walls?

texts:
I live in Mumbai (India) where clay brick walls are reinforced with concrete. On the interior part of these walls (inside the house), some layers of plaster followed by a layer of oil paint or any other paint is applied. Having read somewhere that these paints are toxic, I wonder whether I can use cement/concrete as a coating for the interior part of the wall. Maybe I will apply a thick layer of white cement with some color pigment.

Generally, people paint walls with oil paint after applying 2-3 layers of plaster (Plaster of Paris) and Distemper.

If yes then, some of my concerns are:

Durability: will it scrape off in few years like plaster due to water erosion etc?
Health and safety: is it toxic?
Time needed for the cement to settle.

Feel free to add more to this list, if you have any.


texts: How can I fit a door in a frame that is too small?

texts:
I bought some used French doors to replace a sliding door.  The sliding door measured 96" X 60".  The French doors measure 96" X 60¼".  I made the mistake of not measuring both doors.  I just measured that the first door was < 30" and assumed I was ok.  The other door was an inch bigger.  The frame for the French doors is also thicker than the sliding door, mistake number two.  My question is, what should I do?  The biggest challenge I have is that I need about ½ inch on at least one side and about ½ inch on the top.  Mistake number three was not considering that the doors need to clear the tile when they open inward.  That's why I need about another ½ inch on the top.

Do I need to throw in the towel on the doors or try to re-frame it?  There are two studs on each side.  I don't see any studs above the 2X4 going across the top (I have 10' ceilings). I was considering moving that 2X4 up about an inch and then sawing/prying one of the side studs.  That doesn't seem natural.  I suppose the "right" way to do it would be to remove both studs from one side and then move both of them.  I'm just not certain I can easily do that.

In case you can't tell, I'm not a professional.  Any advice is appreciated.  I'm willing to get new doors, but that's not my preference.


texts: Is this masonry roofline intersection problematic? Should it be called out by our home inspector?

texts:
Our new house (brick and stone veneer) came with a significant exterior wall leak at a roofline/masonry intersection, so I've been learning more about how these are supposed to be waterproofed, and am concerned similar intersections may have problems in the future.

Here's an example of an area of concern:

Researching online, there are different techniques that can be used here, but they all seem to involve flashing that covers the bottom of the masonry. It's what I see on most houses in my neighborhood. But not on mine. :-/

Are there techniques for waterproofing that are legitimate where all of the flashing is behind the brick veneer? Or is what is shown here suspect?


texts: How do I fix drywall damaged by peeling paint tearing off the outer paper?

texts: I wanted to paint over my bathroom. The paint was peeling and coming off in large plastic-like strips. I assumed that I could not paint over it, so I ripped off all the peeling paint. It seems some drywall came with because afterwards half the wall was brown paper. I tried putting primer over it but that made it worse and now the wall is really uneven. What do I do?


texts: I have taken on the task of replacing a well tank for my grandmother. Well I didn’t realize there was this much to the well tanks. I believe she has a air-over water tank. It has an inlet about middle of the tank and the outlet towards the bottom. My question is can I just get a tank for local Lowe’s and just add the tank tee and redirect the plumbing. I’m going add pictures of current setup and then what I was going to buy to replace it with.


texts: I've got these three pipes in my basement slab.  Cast iron, 4 inches in diameter.  One on the left is 15 inches from the wall, the middle is 2 and the rift one is 12.   So what are these?  Drain pipes for a future bathroom?


texts: Why does my power keep going out to most of my house?

texts:
My power frequently goes out, mostly at night or early morning. Sometimes it goes off multiple times in a row, sometimes just once. Most of the time, I can get it to come right back on by flipping the main breaker. Other times I have to wait until it wants to come back on. My husband is not particularly worried about it, but I am, because for all I know about electricity, it could catch my house on fire or something.

Why is this happening and how do I stop it?


texts: What causes an open ground on a wall outlet when I turn on the light switch to the ceiling lights?

texts:
We just moved into this 1960s era home.  In the living room, when the light switch is "off", the wall outlets test ok (both amber lights are lit) using a 3 prong outlet tester.  However, when I flip the switch to turn on the ceiling light, the 3-prong outlet tester indicates open ground (the middle amber light stays lit, the amber light on the right goes off).  I actually see the amber light on the right edge of the outlet tester go off when I flip the switch to turn on the ceiling light.

What could be causing this?  Could the neutral wire and the ground wire be reversed on the light switch? Is this a dangerous condition?


texts: Can NCV tester show presence of Knob & Tube wiring?

texts:
I live in a century house whose electrical was last worked on in the 1960s at the latest. Without opening a wall, I’d like to make some deductions about the odds of having in-service knob and tube wiring.

My multimeter has a NCV detection feature that alerts + / - 4 inches or so from lightswitches and receptacles, and also detects voltage in the wall along a logical line (e.g. up the stud bay from the lightswitch but not the next bay over).

Is it fair to say that if I follow the NCV detector beeps from a lightswitch or receptacle, and find two parallel tracks a foot or two apart, I probably have Knob & Tube?

Is the inverse true? If the NCV only alerts along one 6-8 inch wide line, is that a pretty reliable indicator that both conductors are closer together than K+T would be and so I likely have some later style sheathed wiring?


texts:
So I bough 6 LED recessed lights from a flea market today.  $30 so why not.  Each one has the log socket adapter so I tried all six on a socket and only one works.

Sooooooooo. With the other five, what is next?  Should I take the connector off each light and wire each from some source to see if they light up?


texts: Exhaust fan in Toilet room off the master bath

texts:
I understand it is code for exhaust fan in the Toilet room (Small 4x5 room with door) this room is off the main master bathroom. Do I need another exhaust for the main bathroom for code?  Can I put a T on the exhaust 4" duct and add a second fan above shower?
Lastly, best way to just turn on the toilet room fan automatically when the can light above the shower is used? One light switch for the light over the shower and the fan has a separate fan and builtin light switch in the toilet room.
Looking for suggestions on how to proceed? Separate exhaust or continue to automate fan to turn on when shower is used? House has been like this for 20 years and just now getting mold on the ceiling of shower. I could use existing Smartthings Hub Automation and add smart switches to work out details but would rather hard wire to automate exahust.


texts: How do I replace electrical outlets that have two wires under same screw?

texts:
I was trying to replace a few electrical outlets around the house with new tamper-resistant ones. When I pulled one of the outlets out of the box, I noticed that 1) there was no ground wire anywhere, 2) two white wires were under the same screw and one single black wire on the other side. This was a non-GFCI outlet in the kitchen.

I tried another outlet in the living room and in this case there were two hot wires under the same screw and two white wires under another screw on the other side of the outlet. Before I turned off the power, I had tested both outlets with a receptacle tester that showed they were correctly wired.

Is there a reason why these wires were connected to the same terminal?
Should I replicate the same arrangement when installing the new outlets? Or should I put these wires under different screws?


texts: How proud can a toilet flange sit above the floor?

texts:
Related to How do I replace this cast iron toilet flange?

I've removed the cast iron and am dry fitting the replacement parts.  I used a 4" - 3" reducing coupling, 3" pvc and a 3" 90 to line up where the flange needs to go.

Problem:  With the 90 in place, the flange is going to sit about 3/4" proud of the subfloor.  (The final floor will be a fiberglass material that compresses so I'm not really counting it)

Can I create a reinforcing support for the flange to sit on to get solid support, and if it sits that proud, will it affect the toilet?  Or do I need to figure some way to lower the flange?  The latter would be very difficult given the very tight space I'm in.

Update 5 Nov 2012

I found a 3" flange with a 45 degree bend and coupled it to another 45 bend to get what will be a perfect fit once the 1/4" ply (underlayment) and the fiberglass sheet flooring are installed.

The flange is actually above the subfloor by 1/4 inch, sitting on waterproof shims on all sides.


texts: What is the proper way to perform work in an attic? (UPDATED)

texts:
For an attic with rolled fiberglass insulation, what is the proper way to perform work in the attic?

Is it okay to just walk on top of the insulation, stepping where there are beams underneath it?  Or is the proper way to roll up the insulation so that you are not walking on it?

Or is there a different method?

The goal is to not reduce the insulating properties of the fiberglass insulation.

UPDATE: I attempted to write this question in a generic way to help as many people as possible, but I can now see that by doing so, I've missed the mark.  My apologies.  I am not the one who will be performing the work in the attic.  It will be contractors who work for a third party (warranty).  They claim they can just walk on top of the fiberglass insulation along the beams (and sit on it), and that it won't harm the insulation at all.  I have no idea, hence this question.

So although I truly appreciate the answer suggesting cutting up wood to make walking planks, I know the contractors will never be willing to do anything like that.  Basically, I'm interesting in knowing if it's fine for them to walk on top of the rolled fiberglass insulation and sit on it while they perform work, or if doing so will reduce the effectiveness of the insulation.  This attic gets very extreme temperatures within it.

I don't want to make unrealistic demands of the contractors, but I also don't want the effectiveness of the insulation to be reduced.


texts: We bought our house and there is a shed in the yard that was 2 sheds right next to each other. It was recently torn down (not by me) and rebuilt. It's nice to have one single space the only problem is that the slabs were poured differently. One slab slopes from down from right (0") to left (1.5"). I've looked at various self leveling concretes but they say that they are not a wear surface. I believe that this would be too thin to pour with regular concrete on top of this. I've looked at some products such as this but would appreciate everyone's input. Also if I could do it cheaper but in a lasting way that would be great too.


texts: Should I replace a stove wall outlet that became loose but we bent back the prongs?

texts: The stove suddenly quit working, with only the broiler still working. Upon investigation, the 3 prong stove outlet prongs inside of the outlet appeared to have been spread apart too far so the 3 prong stove plug-in was no longer making a good connection. He pushed the prongs inside the outlet closer together, now there is good contact again with the stove plug. But should I replace the outlet for safety? And What would cause the outlet prongs to spread apart inside of the wall? My feeling is the stove must have been unplugged by someone and then not plugged in correctly or jammed in or maybe when it was pulled out from the wall for cleaning, it was yanked.


texts:
Recently, my carport started to collect condensation when it's warm after a cold night.  This never happened before.  Carport is attached to the sun-room.  The change that was made to it is enclosing the screened in porch and making a sun-room out of it.
I was wondering if there is anything that could be the cause this condensation and how it could be fixed?  I appreciate any advice!


texts: Trying to identify this box on the outside of my house

texts: This was under a small panel. Don't know what it is, or what it's used for.


texts: Is it OK that the frame of my house doesn't line up with the slab?

texts:
My new house is being framed. I saw that the frame extends 1-2" from the foundation:

Click photograph for full size

The builder told me it happens often and the city inspector will catch it if this is a problem.

Is this OK? Should I ask a 3rd party inspector to check on this right now?


texts: How do you frame a wall around existing pipes and ducting?

texts:
Adding ducting or conduit or pipes to a wall is easy, you just drill or cut a hole. Adding a wall where there is already conduit and pipes poses more of a dilemma, especially if those things are adjacent to an existing wall or structure that the new wall is supposed to abut. I'm used to framing a new wall with it laying flat, then lifting it into place. That obviously isn't the right approach here. If I try to frame the wall in-place then I can't get to the bottom of the bottom plate or top of the top plate (if it touches the ceiling) to put screws through into the studs. If I frame the wall laying down, then I have to leave openings all the way to the nearest edge from each obstruction, which is not ideal.

What simple method am I missing here?

Edit: This is the space I am adding walls to. The walls will each be 9-14 feet wide, and about 16 feet tall. With few exceptions, they will each be adjacent to the concrete columns on both sides.


texts: How to change the cylinder on this Esety barlock?

texts:
My main door has a vertical reinforcement bar that locks into the ground and above the door. Unfortunately, it does not share the same key as the main door lock on the left.
I would like to replace both cylinders in order to use the same key for both, and ideally use a more secure key mechanism.
How should I proceed to replace the cylinder on the barlock? I do not see any way to open it or remove it. The brand is Esety but it seems it was acquired by Mul-T-Lock in 2007, and their original website does not exist anymore (I could only find an archive of their old catalogue, which mentions vertical bars, but I don't find mine). I am located in Belgium, if that matters.

Close-up of the barlock cylinder, its brand is Iseo:

(I damaged the paintig a bit more when trying to remove the cover between the two pictures)
I was able to pry the cover of the bar itself at the top and the bottom of the door, but not at the level of the lock. Instead, it is the lock that is coming out of the door (which actually seems like a flaw since you can push it from the outside!). See these side views of the top and the lock:

(note that the door is glossy, hence the reflection)
I can remove the cylinder of the door's main lock without problem, it is 6cm long and symmetrical:

Both keys have the same profile, so I could re-key the main lock, but I would like also to use more secure locks if possible.


texts:
In my main panel I have a circuit where the hot wire is split within the panel.

I was investigating this circuit because I am getting a hum from any speaker plugged into an outlet on the circuit. I saw this and I thought it looked odd. I'm wondering two things:

Is the circuit, as shown, safe/recommended
Could this be causing interference for devices on the circuit

The circuit is 9 receptacles and one single switched light, and the breaker is a twin (two 15amp in a horizontal configuration).


texts:
Our house has several sliding windows that have a strip of rubber weatherstripping where the movable part of the window meets the frame when closed.   The most recent paint (a semi-gloss latex) is over two years old, and it still sticks like it was painted yesterday.    I've tried Amour All, which seemed to help briefly, but I'd like to find something that might last an entire season, hopefully without a buildup of gunk.

The window slides on an aluminum rail, and works reasonably well once there is the slightest gap.

Clarification:  The window slides without problem, except that the vinyl weatherstip sticks to the paint (so much that it sometimes pulls some of the weatherstrip out of its groove, and some paint is now on the vinyl instead of the frame).


texts: How can I repair this punctured pipe in my garden?

texts:
So I did a silly thing this weekend while digging out a tree root/stump... I managed to partially (1/3) cut through the buried pipe that runs down our garden to feed an outside tap. (Fortunately it is easy to isolate just this pipe!

How can I fix the pipe?

Is there something I can put over it or do I need to cut it completely and put some sort of joint in? If I need to put a joint in, what should I use? Is there any special considerations given its buried?


texts: What is the white, crusty, crumbly stuff I find in my kitcken sink drain pipes?

texts:
From time to time my kitchen sink needs to be unplugged, and each time I invariably find accumulations of a crusty, crumbly white material in the pipes. It looks a lot like old cheese, has no particular odor of note, is often in ring shapes (so I assume it is accumulating against the pipe walls), and can be quite hard at times requiring a fair bit of manual force to snap out of place.

These accumulations don't occur at our bathroom sink and bathtub drain, both of which have corrugated plastic hosing, so I suspect it is biological (feeding off sink detritus) rather than mineralogical?

Just curious!


texts: PVC vent pipes or concentric vent pipes for tankless gas water heater?

texts:
I am trying to select a natural gas water heater to install into my house.  It has to service two bathrooms with showers and two kitchen sinks, a dishwasher, and a washing machine.

I've narrowed my selection down to three:

Rinnai RUC98i (max 199k BTU, 9.8GPM)
Noritz NRC1111 (max 199k BTU, 11.1GPM
Takagi T-H3 (max 199k BTU, 10GPM

My application is indoor, and my plumber told me to look for a "direct vent" model because we want to vent horizontally to the exterior of the house (distance < 3') instead of going up through a second floor and a metal roof. This leads to the question: how do I evaluate the venting options?  It seems that at least two of these models support multiple venting types, and I have no idea how to evaluate them.  For example, the T-H3 overview has a bullet that states:

  Venting with Schedule 40 PVC, CPVC, PP, Category III stainless steel

I like having options, but there are 4 different things there and I don't know how to evaluate them.

Is there a particular advantage of concentric stainless steel over PVC or vice versa?  Is concentric PVC even a thing?


texts:
My house has a daylight basement along with some areas that is finished crawl space. Basically instead of dirt there is slab in the crawl space. I bought the house a few months ago and the crawl space looked super clean. The inspector did call out was one small area about 2-3 feet where there was some moisture and efflorescence. See below

Last year my area had the highest rains in years and hence, the seller believed that there was moisture. He mentioned that it had never happened earlier and there were no other indications in the crawl space. The seller put hydraulic cement in that area (in the internal part of crawl space). I bought the house thinking that it may not be a problem again. However i have been concerned and hence have been keeping an eye on the area especially after the recent heavy rains. Lo and behold one day i see the hydraulic cememt darker in a couple of very small areas. I did not see water but the dark areas indicates moisture. Now that those areas are becoming dryer i think i see efflorescence.
It seems like the hydraulic cement is not helping. Also seems like i may have to get a professional but I am not sure i can afford any work now.
My questions are:

If the problem remains contained in that small area or repeats at a much lower frequency (1-2 times a year), do i need to resolve this problem immediately? I understand that if this spreads or keeps on happening than i need to get it solved. How worried should i be if it remains in that small area or happens very infrequently?

Can I do anything from inside. like applying another material to prevent water from seeping? The hydraulic cement is not 100% as can be seen above.

It seems like the proper way to fix this is to get a contractor, who will dig from outside and build a solution to keep the water away from the foundation? What is the approximate cost I am looking at here. Talking to a friend at work, he said it could be easily 5K.

Any other thoughts or help ideas?
EDIT:
I posted the inspectors picture in the my post above. Here is the latest picture after the hydraulic cement and efflorescence i saw few days ago. Is this minimal. This is about a 2.5-3 ft


texts: How to attach PEX pipe to plaster walls in laundry room?

texts:
I replaced the iron pipes serving my clothes washer with PEX. PEX was chosen to allow flexibility in the placement of the pipes during demolition of cabinets, etc. I had been thinking I'd build new cabinets and attach the PEX to their structure, but decided to go with standalone metal shelving instead, leaving me with a dilemma about how to secure the PEX pipes. Here's what it looks like now:

I think my options are:

Replace PEX with copper pipe, which, being rigid, would require less support.
Frame out an interior soffit with 2x4s and drywall to secure and hide the PEX.
Surface-mount PEX to plaster walls using a plastic bracket like the one on the right:

I expect I'd have to use screws and plaster anchors instead of nails. I'd like the hot side to be offset from the wall to leave room for insulation. I found copper "bells" (shown in photo above, on left) that do this for copper pipe but haven't found anything similar for PEX. I could use small pieces of wood to offset I guess.
Another option would be to install 1 or 2 horizontal 1x2 lumber on the wall and attach the PEX to that.

I'd like to avoid the effort of Options 1 and 2 since this is a utility room that will be filled with shelving, so it doesn't have to look perfect. Is there anything I'm not thinking of?


texts: How much can venting cool the top floors?

texts:
I recently bought a house -- big, beautiful sucker built in 1900, with two full stories and a third that's essentially a very nicely finished attic.

I had a contractor give me an estimate for replacing some shingles that got blown off the roof. While he was up there, he told me that it looked like the venting was screwed-up, so in addition to the estimate for the shingle replacement, he also gave me an estimate for installing a ridge vent.

However, I just spoke with the inspector from my insurance company. Her guy was mostly there to estimate the repair work, but he knew about the ridge vent estimate, and he commented that he didn't think it was necessary; the roof wasn't boiling hot, and there are box vents in place.

Now, the topmost floor DOES get quite hot. It's our first summer in this house, but that top floor can easily get a good 20 degrees hotter than the floors underneath. And given that a lot of the work done to the house was a bit haphazard, it's plausible that the box vents are screwed-up in some way.

Nevertheless, I'm worried I'm being ripped-off.

What do people with more experience with roof vents think? Are there red flags here that I'm being taken advantage of? Or does the heat differential on the top floor suggest that perhaps some work does need to be done?


texts: How can I remove the wires from this lamp holder?

texts:
The wire on my lamp is too short, so I'm trying to replace it. The fitting/fixture (what's the correct term?) however doesn't play nice: I can't see the correct way to remove the old wire (and still be able to insert the new one).

I'm not seeing any screws at all, so it must be some sort of clip thing. I'm not too comfortable applying too much pressure to the plastic, as it might bend/break, before I know I have the correct point to insert my screwdriver.

Some shots (I can provide more obviously):


texts: Installing long 20ft metal poles in concrete around a football pitch

texts: I work at a football club and I need to install some long 20 ft metal poles into the ground set in concrete. My question is how deep must the holes be and what diameter hole needs digging. The poles are ex scaffold poles and are 3 inches in diameter. The poles are being installed to hold up netting behind the goals to stop the ball from going into adjoining fields and roads etc. Thanks for any help


texts: Kitchen drain causes basement laundry drain pipe to overflow

texts: We have a setup where our washer is in the basement directly below our kitchen sink. From the looks of it they both drain directly into the same sewer/drain line. To the right of the washer is a floor drain. We have had some issues with the water backing up the washer's drain pipe when the washer is either draining or when the kitchen sink is draining (but only when a large amount of water is dumped in down the sink and then the garbage disposal is run to drain it more quickly. A plumber has been out twice to auger the line, but it doesn't seem to alleviate the problem completely. Could it be something other than the drain line?


texts: GFI's have no power in both my bathrooms

texts: I have two GFI's that have no power. I have check all outlets and all switches, and they are wired correct.  I just don't know where to go from here. I was hoping to not need an electrician. Everything in my home has power and is working but the two GFI's in both the main and master bathrooms.


texts: Wiring double-insulated (class II) pendant into earthed circuit

texts:
I have two pendant-style lights above my kitchen countertop, which are operated from a single light-switch, which I would like to replace with fancier fittings.

I live in the UK in a house built in 1960, and as such the lighting circuit is not earthed. A friend of my father's, who is a very experienced electrician, advised me that this is no problem, just buy double-insulated light fittings as we renovate each room.

My new, fancier pendant lights are therefore double insulated. When I have gone to remove the existing pendants, however, I discovered that they are seemingly earthed (they were installed when we had our kitchen renovated last summer).

Furthermore, these fancier lights come with their own ceiling fittings, and being double-insulated have a terminal box for live and neutral incorporated into these fittings, meaning that I cannot simply wire them into those currently in-place.

In the attached photo of  my understanding is that I would simply wire the brown and blue cables from the three-core into the live and neutral points respectively on the new fittings. I do not know what I should do with the earth wire.

In attached photo of  I am more uncertain, as there are multiple wires connected to a bank of terminals in the existing ceiling fitting, which is not present on the new double-insulated fittings.

If it's a matter of simply replicating the existing wiring configuration, then my understanding would be that for each of the three terminal blocks, I should disconnect the wires from the existing fitting, re-connect them to a 'choc block' terminal block, which should then be inserted into the ceiling cavity (after being wrapped in insulated tape?), wiring-in a connection to the L/N terminals in the double-insulated fittings where appropriate. I still do not know what to do with the earth wires.

My questions are:

Are my understandings of how to wire my double-insulated fittings to pendants one and two correct?
What is the correct way of dealing with an earth wire when connecting double-insulated light fittings?

It's quite likely that I will try to find an electrician to do this regardless of whether my present understanding is correct or not; definitely so if the solution is not as straight-forward as what I've described above.

However, I'd still really appreciate any answers, firstly to learn, and secondly, in particular in regards to question 2, so that I can be confident that an electrician has done the job properly. It's my experience that electricians in my area of the UK, especially younger ones, are somewhat mystified by double-insulated fittings, and so I'm concerned about getting a bodge-up.


texts: Wiring c wire to current valve controller

texts: I am looking to hook up a wifi smart thermostat and realized while I have 3 wires hooked up to my old thermostat, the common wire is not hooked up to anything in the basement. I'm wondering if I can hook it up to the current valve controller I have or do I need to install a different valve controller?


texts: Ceiling fan fixture's lights flicker then the whole unit fails completely

texts:
I have two remote controlled ceiling fan fixtures in my living room. The individual units are the same, three speed fans with three lights on each. One day, one of them began flickering after I flipped the wall switch on then the lights on that fixture went out. Neither the fan nor the lights have worked since. A few days later the same thing happened to the other fixture in the room. I tried flipping the circuit breaker and nothing happens, the breaker was not tripped when either fixture failed. I tried removing and tightening the bulbs, but it didn't work. I removed the casing to one of the fixtures and nothing looks burnt out or obviously damaged. Any information about the problem would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!


texts: Can I share the dishwasher or other appliance lines from adjacent room lines?

texts:
I've read the posts by Tim and Mitch posted in Sept. I'm remodeling the kitchen with all new wiring. I've never had a dishwasher, but will at some point. I only have enough space for a 24"er, so probably not a huge draw. There's a sink to the right. To the left is a 6" space with a hinged door. I had planned on placing the dishwasher appliance receptacle in there for quick access. Being that it's within 6ft of water I had planned on a GFCI. I am short on available lines in my 100 Amp box, so I was wondering if I could tap into a new line from the adjacent living room? That line is already GFCI, 20A/120V, 12-GA with four outlets in the lvg room, one receptacle on the front porch, and one in the attic only to plug in a short length of of roof de-icer cable. These outlets are rarely used.
  I was also wondering about using that same living room line, or another nearby low usage line (furnace), to share with the kitchen gas stove and overhead exhaust filter?


texts: Safe to install a resistor (of sorts) on a wall switch to force a light to dim?

texts:
I have a tiny inner courtyard that needs a very dim antique light, but not too bright that it shines into the bedrooms.

Finding low-wattage replacement bulbs is a hassle, and I can't imagine ever needing anything bright for this circuit.

Is there any way I can add a resistor to the light switch (or to the light socket itself) to lower the brightness?


texts: Should I use a roll or spray method to paint my textured ceiling?

texts: I have fresh knockdown textured ceiling. I plan to give it a coat of primer and a coat of white ceiling paint. The whole house is undergoing complete remodeling. There is no furniture, and no flooring. There is no need to cover anything and/or tape stuff up. I have access to commercial grade sprayer. The area to be painted is rather large. That's why I am trying to find more effective way to accomplish the project. What is more effective way to paint ceilings? What is spray and roll method?


texts: How can I remove an inner wall of a gambrel house?

texts: We own a Gambrel house built in 1978. I want to remove a six foot wall section that includes a doorway. This wall runs parallel to the floor joists in the basement. The main center beam is about three feet away. Is it structurally sound to remove this short wall?


texts: How do I repair a large area at side & bottom of external door

texts: My dog chewed completed through the bottom and opening side of our back door.  It is like she has created a pet door for a very small pet.  It is approx. 15cm x 15cm.  As a temporary measure to stop rodents & the like getting in I screwed a thin piece of timber on the inside.  The door is a filled door not hollow (except where the dog chewed??)


texts: How do I seal and paint over an indoor brick/cement wall?

texts:
I am decorating a small room where a small section near the floor used to be covered by tile and just above it the paint and plaster were chipping. I removed the damaged paint and plaster as well as the tile and I am left by this exposed brick/cement area that is cold to the touch and ever so slightly moist. The brick/cement work appears to be slightly flush with the drywall around it and the previous tiles were not flush with the rest of the wall.
How do I seal this area correctly so I can paint over it?
Thanks!


texts:
When plugging in a device in the dark, or behind furniture, it's hard to get the contacts aligned. It's tempting to put a finger on the end of a contact, use that finger to find the slot in the recep, and guide the plug in. However, that seems like a pretty reliable way to get a shock.

However, for 3-prong grounded plugs, I think I can do the same thing with the ground contact.

Is it safe to plug something in with my finger touching the ground contact?

If the recep is miswired, then the answer is probably "no, it's not safe", but I'm really asking about correctly wired receps.

(If the USA changes plugs in my lifetime, I hope they pick a design that's easy to plug in the dark.)


texts: How to fix wall with paint and wallpaper?

texts:
I recently bought a house and was removing the TV mount from a wall. The wall shows signs that it's paint over wallpaper and the mount was stuck to the wall so I had to use a scrapper to get the mount out. In the process it peeled down beneath the paint. Now I'm trying to figure out how best to fix the wall so I can paint it.

I'm trying to figure out if it's best to cut away anything loose and repair this small piece or try to scrap the wall down and repair the rest of the wall. Thoughts? Any other suggestions?


texts: What could be wrong with this receptacle?

texts:
the power outlet where my tv was plugged in lost power all of a sudden. However, when I plug in a receptacle tester, the power goes back on but when I remove the receptacle tester, power goes off again. What seems to be the problem.

I already checked the duplex receptacle and the wires are secured firmly with screws and not poked into the hole. I also tried plugging an extension into the outlet and plugged the receptacle tester into the extension and it also worked. But nothing works without the tester.


texts: I'm a renter. My landlord doesn't fix things all the time. They have fixed things but this house is such a project that many things get ignored and some things don't get fixed at all or fixed right.   I had rodents and had to repair several holes but one place that is eroding is under the claw foot tub around the pipes. The floor is a crumbling mess. It's no time at all until it is a hole to the outside. I can't hammer under it because the tub is too close. Also the floor is warped and uneven so laying a board on top leaves gaps all around it. I can't afford someone to repair it but I need it fixed. I can't move the tub or remove the pipes. I thought about filling it with spray foam but that seems flimsy and not really a solution. Could I use cement and if so, any tips? Any other suggestions would be so appreciated and helpful. I'm just a disabled woman so I need something easy please. Thank you.


texts: An idea to mix deflection rated I Joists?

texts:
I'm making some hypothetical blueprint ideas and started thinking about the various floor joist options.  In our neck of the woods, I-Joists are by far most common with floor truss systems becoming more common on only higher end ($$$) homes.  I do like them, but they are typically 2.5x the cost of a traditional I-Joist (after delivery fees).  I can typically pour a 9' basement cheaper and use regular I-Joists than I can go with an 8' basement and use floor truss systems to make up for the missing height and keep everything above the bottom chord of the floor truss.  So it doesn't seem like an economical option.

I was thinking about how people are now tiling directly over their OSB subfloor, or sometimes they will tile over 1/4" underlayment, or something like 1/4" densshield type material.  I can only assume this is possible with an L/600 rated floor joist.

One thing I don't like about tiling is trying to meet the deflection ratings with plywood or thicker tileboard.  Would it be possible to simply order two different types of I-Joists and mix them, or would you notice the moment you step onto the lesser quality floor joist part of the home?

Example: L/600 I-Joist under the kitchen and dining area that has tile, and then L/360 I-Joists under the rest of the home that is laminate or carpet.


texts: Best way to affix downspout to vinyl sided house?

texts:
I am seriously thinking of getting a 1000 gallon tank to divert rain water for use in the garden in the dry summer months when water is most expensive where I live. I order to place the tank somewhere near a downspout and out of the way, I will have to reroute a downspout from its current straight down location to add in two elbows to divert it about 10 feet left to go where the tank needs to be.

So my question is what is the best way to affix the downspout to a vinyl sided house while keeping the siding from buckling and moisture out from where the screw will penetrate the siding and moisture membrane into the sheathing.


texts: Does polybutylene plumbing require lower pressure?

texts:
I've just purchased a new home (new to me; the house was built in 1994), and I've noticed that the water pressure is pretty low. Not low enough to be a serious impediment (it passed inspection), but it's significantly lower than the house I lived in previously, which is less than a mile away from the new one.

One thing that concerns me is that the inspector noted that I have polybutylene plumbing (but with copper fittings, which evidently makes it less of an issue), and so I'm wondering if a pressure reducing valve (PRV) has been installed in order to protect the plumbing. Is this something that would have been done specifically because of polybutylene plumbing, and am I playing with fire if I do find a PRV and adjust it higher?


texts:
I'm thinking of building a mailbox like in this picture

Problem is that I need to bolt it down onto concrete. Any suggestions on the best way to support 2 pieces of 2x10 at around 4 feet high?


texts: Should we turn our oil hot water heater off every night?

texts: My husband and I are considering shutting off our hot water heater from 8pm to 8am every night to save on energy.  Is such a time frame long enough to create a noticeable difference in our oil bill?  We already know it is effective to shut it off if going on vacation but are more interested in shorter periods of time. Could turning it on and off like this cause any other problems?


texts: Is there a way to build interior walls that are easy to change?

texts:
As my family grows (birth) and shrinks (adulthood), and as kids' needs change (puberty) I'd like to be able to change the floor plan to match.

Conventional 2x4 studs + drywall is a bit messy to move.

Is there an alternate way to build walls that are easier to move?

(One idea was 2x4 studs + 1/4" plywood held with screws. Maybe a urethane   finish.)


texts: Estimate ROI of installing battery pack like the Powerwall

texts:
The power company charges more for power during peak hours than at night. In theory, a wall-mounted battery like the Powerwall or several competitors could help mitigate this by drawing power when it is cheap and then emitting it - either back to the grid or to the home - as necessary when power is more expensive.

It is my understanding that batteries also increase the resilience and reliability of the power grid.

Are there any resources that will help me estimate the useful life and estimated return on a battery, based on state and power utility? I don't have solar panels which doesn't help.


texts: How do I remove concrete that has splattered on my brick pavers?

texts:
We installed a brick patio, and splatter from wet-cutting the bricks ended up on the installed bricks.

How do I clean it?


texts: Why would one of the zones of my Slant Fin gas fired hot water baseboard heating system not be heating?

texts:
Thus far I have:

replaced with new batteries.
turned down temp and switched the breakers
turned heat back up, no response

Can a pilot be out for one zone?  The other two are warm and cozy.
Did the pipes freeze? Or they use same pipes.  I answered my own question!
I lowered heat in zone 2 and 3 so more would go to zone 1.

Yesterday the power did go out in part of the kitchen. Did that affect zone 1 because the temperature was left at 65 the night before.


texts: Kitchen dimmer dims lights in adjacent room, but not always

texts:
I have a weird wiring fault.

The kitchen and the dining room each have dimmer switches that work fine individually. However, if the dining room dimmer is on and within a certain range of positions (about halfway), the kitchen dimmer dims both sets of lights (not fully, but to some extent).

I can't imagine this being by design. What type of miswiring could explain these symptoms?

edit: Both lights are on the same circuit.

Looking inside, the kitchen dimmer looks uninteresting:

The back box in the dining room is, frankly, a mess:

Suspiciously, the dining room dimmer has two wires connected to the L1 terminal:

I've not yet attempted to trace what goes where, but would love to hear your thoughts on what might be going on here.

P.S. The dining room has a single LED bulb which is well below the 60W minimum the dimmer is rated for. I doubt that's relevant, but am mentioning for completeness.


texts: How can I get a coat hanger out of a drain pipe?

texts:
I have a horizontal drain pipe running from my kitchen/laundry area, which I had been unclogging with a metal coat hanger.

The end was screw fittings I could remove myself, but the part that the hanger is stuck in seems to be cemented together.

I can pull it out so far, but the hook I fashioned on the end seems to be sticking on one of the joins.

Any suggestions on how I could remove it without taking the pipe off or calling a plumber?


texts: What besides smoke might trigger a hardwired smoke detector?

texts:
Sometimes my hardwired smoke alarm goes off for a few seconds for no apparent reason.  For example I am not cooking or burning any substance.  It is 3 years old and has a new battery.

Other than smoke, are there unusual gases or particles that will activate it?

The ionization type detector in question is a BRK First Alert Model No. 9120B


texts: How can I replace a NEMA 6-30 cord & plug with a NEMA 14-30 cord & plug?

texts:
I recently purchased a used SA-6E compressor from a dive shop I work with. I had to switch out the NEMA 6-30 plug to a NEMA 14-30. This was done with a complete new plug and cable.

I connected the NEMA 14-30 plug exactly as the old plug was wired. However upon starting the compressor the compressor now stutters. I think it is not drawing enough power, did I wire the plug wrong? I have it plugged into a dryer outlet with a 30 amp fuse.

How many volts/amps does the Nema 14-30 normally put out through the black/red terminals? Does the red terminal/wire put more out?


texts: Can I have a separate thermostat for a wood boiler?

texts:
I want to wire a separate thermostat for my outdoor wood boiler so that just the furnace fan will come on without the propane kicking on. This is a Coleman furnace.

Is this possible and if so, how would I go about doing it?


texts: Help me find a way to get mold off my bathtub mat

texts: How do I get the mold off my bathtub mat? I have used vinager and bleach please help! Any ideas I don't want my kids sitting on mold.


texts: Adjustable angle climbing wall with electric hoist and pulleys - how to lock the pulleys?

texts:
When I first set up the electric hoist wires, I had a snatch block pulley not just there at the wall near the hoist - but I had two on the climbing wall at each anchor point, and I hooked in the wire line at the other middle wall anchor point. The up and down with the hoist worked great!... but unlike when I have separate lines (or chains), if you pull on, for example, the top right side of the climbing wall then the pulleys roll and the climbing wall bends/torques. I kind of had the feeling this would happen. I'm not finding anything on the internet about rigging or setting something up like this that is stable (I'm not sure what to look for). I have an idea I think might work...

I think if I ran the line from the first pulley down to a pulley on the right side, but then came straight back to the anchor near the hoist to another pulley that then went over to the middle wall anchor with a pulley, and the line then went to the top left climbing wall anchor and hooked in. This would work just like before, hoist up and down would angle the wall (but it would probably still flex since the pulleys and wires are free.

If there were pulleys that could lock (do those exist) then I wouldn't have to set it up this way, but if I set it up this way then once I choose may angle using the hoist maybe I could fix the two wires together (that come down to the climbing wall from the hoist pulley and then go right back up to a pulley on the same anchor). Is there something I could use to lock those together/bind those up? I think that might work as if the wires couldn't move then they would become like to separate fixed lines (like the simpler chains)... maybe.

Any thoughts on this or some better way to do this?

better yet, if in the original I could just lock the pulleys when (after I get to an angle I want), then there would be no travel in the wire...


texts: Will a thin or thick cutoff angle grinder wheel last longer?

texts:
If size of cut didn’t matter (not in a confined area), wouldn’t a thicker cutoff wheel last longer? I was comparing mainly between a 1/16 and 1/8 width wheel. I was trying to compare between cutoff wheels that you can get at Harbour Freight vs what you would buy at big box home improvement stores.
Also, do the diamond cutoff wheels work that much better than masonary wheels?


texts: Is installing an outlet inside a cabinet with LPG tank a good idea?

texts:
I am installing a new gas stove on my counter top, it is a gas stove that uses LPG but has an electric igniter that must be connected to the wall. The cabinet housing the LPG tank is directly below the gas stove. All I need now is to run an outlet inside the cabinet to connect to the stove, but the idea of an exposed outlet going to an enclosed spaced with a highly flammable source does not sit well with me.
How is this properly done? Because given how short the wire on the stove is and the included hose for the LPG tank it really does look like they want it to be in the same location, and I don't think a known brand (Whirlpool) would be that incompetent if that is a no no.


texts: How do I get 150F water to the dishwasher?

texts:
I  have read in a maintenance manual that the ideal temperature for incoming water to a dishwasher is 150F.

In my house, the hot water heater is currently set to 135F and it cools on traveling around the house, so the typical faucet temperature is around 120F.

I have considered up the temperature of the water heater to 150F, but in that case it is recommended to have a thermostatic valve reduce the temperature to 120F, which would be no better than what is happening now as far as the dishwasher is concerned.

I could boost the water heater temperature to 155F which would result in 150F water reaching the dishwasher, however, then all the faucets would also have 150F hot water, which is pretty hot.

The only way I see around this is to create a special hot water line that goes to the dishwasher and clothes washer that comes directly from the water heater and put the water heater at 155F, then put a valve on the water supplies to all the rest of the house. Is this is the "proper" solution, or is there another way to get the right temperature to the appliances?


texts: How can I make these semi-gloss paint patches blend with the wall?

texts:
I recently tried to fix a number of small holes in a wall that is painted with brown semi-gloss paint.  Unfortunately, the paint patches are still very obvious, even after several days of drying:

Notice that the color itself matches quite well - what doesn't match is the glossy-ness of the patches, particularly around the edges.  The center of each painted patch actually matches the wall quite well.

I painted these patches using the wall's original paint (although the paint is several years old, I think) using a small brush.

How can I paint over these patches so that the end result blends in with the existing wall?  Or is there some other way to blend these patches in with the wall?


texts: Replace Track Lighting To Recessed Lights Utilizing 3-Way Switch

texts:
I had a Switch on one end of the kitchen and a Switch on the other end of the kitchen that would turn on/off the Track Light I had (3-Way Switch).

I want to add 6 Recessed Lights, so I removed the Track Light.

In the attic one wire went from one Switch to the Track Light, another wire came out of the Track Light and continued on to the other Switch.  This wire contains: Black, White, Red and Copper.

I reconnected the above mentioned wire making one long wire from Switch to Switch.
While doing that I also connected a wire matching up Black, White and Copper and took that to a recessed light (3 Black together, 3 White together, 3 Copper together and 2 Red together).
I flip the circuit breaker and one switch turns on and off the light.  The next switch either pops the breaker or only turns it on (doesn't turn off, flashes off but flipping up turns it on, flipping down turns it on).

I need some advice on what to do and how to wire them.  I believe I found the answer how to wire them, but I am confused because I have two different wires (one with red, the other without).

EDIT

Here is a wiring diagram I made of how I have it currently.  The wire running down the middle was existing (has the red wire in it) and was working correctly with just a single Track Light:

EDIT 2:  First 2 images are of the Top Switch in diagram, where power comes in.


texts: Outlets & light switches show voltage but do not work ...with a weird CAVEAT!

texts:
I have an older mobile home that I recently purchased. I had the electrical service started yesterday and I turned on all the breakers in the home. Nothing seemed to be working. I then plugged in the refrigerator and the compressor turned on then made a type of clunking sound and shut itself off.

Here’s the weird part. Even though the refrigerator does not come on now when it’s plugged in it’s appropriate outlet, it affects the light switches and receptacles throughout the house depending on whether it’s plugged in or unplugged. When the refrigerator is plugged in ( even though the appliance itself is not working ) all of the light switches and wall sockets in the bedrooms and living room function properly ( but not the kitchen area ).

When I unplug the refrigerator all of the light switches and wall sockets in the kitchen begin working but the rest of the house is no longer functioning. I plugged in a generator to the refrigerator and it still works.

Why In the world would the function of light switches and sockets throughout the house vary depending on whether my refrigerator was plugged into its wall socket or not ?


texts: What techniques are used to change the color of a particle board's veneer & edge banding?

texts:
I found a piece of particle board that seems to be strong enough to hold an Apple 17 inch monitor, since it has the size and thickness requirements.

I'm toying with the idea of changing the color of this wood, but since it's particle board, with a veneer and edge banding (all of these are terms I learned today) I don't know how hard this is to do.

What are the general steps I need to follow to change this wood to another color, assuming I live in NYC and have no tools but can buy them?
Is there any advice you would like to give for getting the table legs and attaching them to the board?
Is it more economical to start from scratch and just buy a ready made particle board of this size with the right color?   Home Depot has nothing that will help me here.

Monitor stand that will hold one or two 27 inch monitors  on a Sanus monitor stand

Penny included for relative thickness.


texts: How do I connect TV cables to this signal booster unit?

texts:
I am trying to connect some coaxial cables to a antenna amplifier unit. I have 3 cables going to various TV plugs, and a single cable connected to an antenna. All cables are terminated with the connector shown below.

The booster unit is the one below. It doesn't allow me to simply screw the connector in place, so what connectors would I need to buy (and what tools - I've seen mention of crimpers and compression tools) to connect up the 4 cables?

The antenna input also has a different socket type than the TV outputs, even though all my connectors are the same, so I presume this would need another connection type?

Thanks for any details you may be able to provide.


texts:
Our house is a bungalow with full basement and is currently heated via electrical baseboard heaters in every room.

I'm converting this to a central air system heated by a gas furnace, and possibly A/C.

Since I don't have any existing ductwork in my home, I'm wondering what the best resources, online or print, are for designing and running new duct work (Sizing, Zoning, register placements, etc).


texts: How to permenantly close and seal wood fireplace

texts:
We don't use our fireplace and would like the wall space back.   Is there a right way to seal everything up?   My approach would be to cap the chimney top and plywood + drywall the front opening.

It's an external chimney, the firebox is brick, and I assume the flue is ceramic.  There is no damper.


texts: Clear Marine Vinyl Sheet On Bathtub Surround To Temporarily Waterproof Walls?

texts:
I have a bathroom upstairs with a bathtub/shower, and a bathroom downstairs directly below. I keep getting a significant leak from the upstairs bathroom down through the ceiling into the bathroom below. I finally determined for certain that the leak happens when the shower water is spraying onto the wall, it goes through the tile grout.
I know there's mold and water damage behind the walls and I plan on redoing the entire bathroom next year, but as a temporary solution for the leak, I'm considering gluing clear marine vinyl sheets (I'm talking about this kind of thing)  directly onto the tiles, using a clear construction adhesive (like Gorilla Glue that comes in a caulk tube).
I'd glue one sheet on each wall and use caulk to seal the sides. To me this sounds foolproof at least as a temporary way to prevent water from getting through the walls. Are there any issues with this I'm not considering?


texts:
I had an economizer added to my HVAC system last fall, which is fantastic for cooling my second floor down in the evenings during the shoulder seasons where the weather is cool in the late afternoon through the night and I don't want to pay to run the AC.

However, this is my first spring with it and I have discovered that the MERV 13 filter that is in my HVAC system seems unable to filter out enough pollen to prevent me from having major allergy attacks all night.

Is there a filter system I could install that would be able to handle 800 CFM of outdoor air and filter out the pollen enough that I can breathe?


texts: Shou sugi ban treatment of external timber cladding

texts: I'm considering a shou sugi ban (Japanese burned wood) cladding on the building I'm currently working on.  I've done a quick test with a few small pieces of the board I'm thinking of using and the result looks quite good, but it transfers black marks to anything it touches, even after quite extensive cleaning.  Does this problem go away by itself, or do I need to apply some kind of treatment to prevent it transferring, and if so what would be appropriate?  I've seen suggestions of tung oil, but that seems prohibitively expensive for covering a large area -- would linseed oil be appropriate?


texts:
Like all british windows, mine also open to the outside making fitting insect nets quite difficult.

Has anyone managed to find a way to fit nets on these kind of windows?

The only way that I can see is fitting the net on the inside, but then I wont be able to open/close the window.


texts: Can I use an outlet splitter with my air conditioner?

texts:
I live in an old apartment building, and there is only a single outlet anywhere near the only window in my living room.  My Air Conditioner works great with it, but now I can't use the desk lamp and digital piano that were plugged into that outlet (with a splitter) while the A/C is running without running an extension cord across the floor.

I realize that you're never supposed to use power strips or extension cords with air conditioners, but there are ones that are apparently meant for this.  However, I can't find any that are splitters (i.e. they all are just one male to one female).

I don't need an extension cord per se - just a splitter, like this.  This is rated for 15 amps, and the A/C says it's only 6.3 amps, so I'm assuming it's ok (not sure what the piano is, but it uses a thin cord without a ground so I assume it's not much).

Would that be ok?

Side question - even the cheapest power strips I can find are rated for 15 amps - and from what I can tell, the household outlets are usually 15 amps.  So why can't I just use any power strip or extension cord, if the A/C only pulls 6.3 amps?


texts: Removing old linoleum and replacing with tiles

texts: When replacing linoleum and you pull up the old flooring some of the wood will come up. Do you replace the wood that has come up with sheet wood or wood filler then lay the tile down or should you solve it another way? I have not tried anything yet. How should I handle this?


texts: How should I protect wood gates in a damp climate?

texts:
I would like to make a set of external timber yard gates, i.e. both sides of the gates will be exposed to the elements. Since I live in the North of England, it tends to rain. In order to avoid the gates swelling during our damp winter, what sort of things should I aim to do?

The sort of things I'm thinking of are:

Should I specially treat the wood before construction
Should I paint along the bottom of the gates


texts: How do we repair vapour barrier after a flood?

texts: We recently had a flood in our basement which was completely finished.  We have two bedrooms down there which is why I want to make sure it is fixed properly.  When the restoration company came in to dry everything, they cut 2 feet up the drywall, taking along with it the insulation and plastic sheet (vapour barrier).  The plastic is cut the same height as the drywall, leaving no room for us to Tuck Tape it or fold it together and staple it.  I am just wondering if anybody knows the best way to replace the plastic so that we can reseal the vapour barrier.


texts: Can Romex (NM-B) cable be run through conduit?

texts:
A few days ago I asked an electrician if I could run cable through conduit - he gave me a funny look and said "No, Romex is not allowed in conduit."
When I searched online, there seems to be a wide belief that Romex cannot be run through conduit, but no one can find the code which states this.  See for example here, here, or here.   However, in many other places it's stated that you can, for example here or here.  And here, someone claims that the NEC says it's only allowed if explicitly stated in local code!
So, which is it?  Can I run Romex through conduit!?


texts: How to stop light fittings on chain stop rotating

texts:
I have light fittings mounted on a single chain. I want them to stay at a certain angle but they keep rotating and I can't  get them to sit how I want.

How can I go about stopping them rotate? Thanks


texts: How to fix leak coming from pressure gauge on water tank?

texts: The pressure gauge that is located outside of my water tank is dripping about twice a minute. It seems like this is something I could simply replace but I wanted to get some advice as this is something I have not run into before. It is definitely not being caused by high water pressure because the pressure is at about 30 psi. Here is a picture of what is going on.


texts:
I'm confused about the power available to me by looking in this breaker box. I'm thinking of leasing this space, which is an office/retail shop.
Wall outlets have both 120 and 240 volt outlets. Owner does not know if 240 wrks but assumes it does. Breaker box has 2 breakers that say "30" on them, and below that two areas that say 10 kA 120/240V.
I've been reading about "double pole", and I don't think this is since it would have one bar going across both breakers.  Does this look like 2 separate 30 amp circuits at 120v (totaling 60 amps @ 120v), but if you use a 240v outlet, it would be the equivalent of 30 amps because the two combine? (Or 15 amps each circuit?)  What is the yellow bar at the bottom?
When it reads 30 amps per circuit, I've read that really means maybe 24 amps are available. Does this mean I can't plug in something that says it requires 30 amps?
I have a piece of equipment (forced air tunnel dryer) I may want to purchase in the future, and the requirements are single phase 1750 Watt 30 amp  240 volt. Would this work on this system? And if so, would that mean I can't plug anything else in?
Currently I have two heat presses, each need 1750 watts 15-20 amps 120 volt. Can I plug both of these in the system?  I would assume yes, and I might have a small amount left over for other things.
The owner unfortunately is no help, and I'm trying to figure out this all myself. Thanks for your help in advance!
SEE PHOTO HERE:


texts: Portable Air Filter Possibly Creating Black Dirt Everywhere

texts:
UPDATED:
Hopefully this is a good place to put this. I figured someone might have an issue similar from project prep or HVAC issues. I have a Honeywell AirGenius 5 portable tower air filter. It has a washable filter and optional odor-reducing pre-filter (HRF-K2, installed). Apparently this is activated charcoal but never says on the product site or box.

My issue is there is this hardly visible layer of charcoal dust everywhere. But it is weird. It doesn't show up usually until I touch it. For example, pictured is my white dresser. It looked fine until I saw the very light and even tint of the dust on it. I took a wet paper towel and wiped it and results are pictured. If I were to rub my hand across it, it will leave black marks as if my hands were dirty but I assure they're clean. Is this charcoal lumping with skin oil? If I move furniture or items, there are outlines of black where items weren't.

Now I've had this since May. I never noticed any issue. I've washed the filter sets twice which just includes running it under water. Here's one thing I can think of. The pre-filter, I was under the assumption that it is also washable (my mistake) under water but instructions don't mention that at all. It does not mention not-washing it. The thing is, the dirt feels like it's pretty much stuck on there. I've tried household cleaners, dish soap, harder chemicals, and it's not moving. It ruined my one wall so I have to repaint it. This dresser is something i just got and now I might have to do major work on it. Even if it were say, charcoal dust, I feel like it shouldn't be acting like this. I've contacted Honeywell for assistance to no avail.

Does it make sense that this air filter may be doing it? I'm pretty sure it is it because I had it in one room and the dust was all over a nearby wall and furniture. And then moved it to the current room, and now this dirt has appeared there where it wasn't before. This is a recent problem. The first time I wash the filters was probably back in July and I didn't noticed the dirt until a week ago, when I moved it to the other room and the dirt appeared 5 days later. My next step would be contacting my apartment management to have my air filters checked. Could it be something else? I burn candles but they burn cleanly. I also burn incense but I haven't burned any for a while. Any advice on what to possibly try to remove this stubborn residue would be helpful too.

So my questions are:

Would washing an alleged charcoal filter cause the filter to deteriorate, dispersing charcoal particles everywhere?
Why would this charcoal be so hard to clean off? (I imagine dry dust wiping away easily)

I understand it may be bonding with skin oils but that still seems ridiculous
I will try a degreaser however

Anyone have a suggestion for cleaning the residue?

I am going to dispose of the current pre-filter and either use the replacement or not use it as it's optional.

Edit: I tried using a block eraser on the dirt and seems to have kind of worked, although not it's not ideal. I'll try more tomorrow. This dresser is made of wood with some sort of gloss finish like polyurethane. It's an Ikea Hemmes if I remember correctly. The drywall however, doesn't seem to have any luck so I'll repaint that. I have a Rubbermaid trash can that got the dirt on it and a simple paper towel and water took it right off.


texts: Which wood fence boards will last longer, pressure-treated-lumber or non-treated lumber that has a treatment applied after the fence is built?

texts:
I just heard of the capability to build a fence with untreated lumber and to apply a disodium octaborate tetrahydrate solution after installation.

The alternatives I have been considering are AWPA UC3A pressure treated lumber (PTL) or cedar.  My understanding is that both the PTL and the cedar require the application on an initial and periodic (every 3 years) wood preservative (not a stain).

I am looking for the best long-term wood fence solution and prefer to pay higher up-front costs to avoid maintenance and repair in the future.

(The decisions to use wood for the panels and metal for the posts have already been made. The wood panels will be 2 inches above grade and have no ground contact.  The wood panels will have a cap on the top so that the grain ends of the boards are not exposed to the weather.)


texts: Why does my shower have low water pressure?

texts: The water pressure from my shower is low, we've been using it for several years but it's only in the last couple of weeks that we've had the problem. I've cleaned the showers head and hose, don't know what else I can do before getting a plumber. We've had the shower nearly nine years but didn't want to buy a new one and have the same problem. It is an electric shower if you hadn't already guessed.


texts:
Looking from my upstairs window i can see almost my entire streets back gardens.
Almost all of them have greyish wooden fencing panels, but i'm sure this asn' by choice.

what caused this so i can avoid it in the future?


texts: 13-Amp lawn mower + 10-Amp cord tripping 15-Amp breaker?

texts:
To illustrate, I have the following setup:

15-Amp breaker
100ft 16-gauge extension cord rated at 10-Amp
13-Amp corded electric Lawnmower

When I make the mower work extra hard by trying to mow some thick group of weeds, the breaker in the electrical main trips.

Is my 13-Amp lawn mower simply drawing more than 15-Amp? Or is the thin extension cord the culprit? How? Won't the wire just melt/burn on excessive current?


texts: Anyone heard of painting asbestos insulation tubes?

texts:
We recently had an old furnace inspected and the heating specialist mentioned that he suspected that the heating ducts had asbestos.  He suggested painting them as an alternative to expensive removal costs.  I'm skeptical.

Has anyone heard of this before?  If so, what paint would be useful for this type of application?

-M


texts: This is something I have never done changing from a jet pump to a submersible, I thought I would ask here prior to calling a friend that is a well tester. I was thinking about replacing my jet pump with a submersible but have never done this. Other than the controller for the submersible are there any other issues I should be aware of? I have pulled a bunch of submersible's in the past and repaired / replaced the surface side of jets in the past. I was thinking about changing it for efficiency reasons. Any thoughts or experience would be helpful. Added some background: my farm was once much larger and we have water rights and a 30hp surface water pump that has its own transformer/service. The power company has increased the cost for this pump 4x each month and I don't really need this much water (I can flood 2 fields out of 5 in 4 hours) I just need enough to keep the fields green so that's why I am thinking about a change to a submersible the power savings will pay for a new pump in less than 1 year.


texts: Adapting Halo H71CT for 12" joist centers

texts:
I bought 24 6" recessed can lights for a new rec room. They're going between joists 12" on center.  I love the quick installation features of this assembly (got at Lowe's) but I snapped the guide arms according to this video.

Now I can't pull the guide arms apart. Anyone have experience with this before I ruin any more fixtures experimenting?


texts: How to get squirrels out of inaccessible attic before plugging their entry hole?

texts:
I have a low pitch roof that has an attic between it and the ceiling which is low enough to be useless for storage and access.  I have had a problem with squirrels entering for a while and I finally found the hole they are using to enter.  I would like to plug the hole but would not like to leave any squirrels inside to either try to dig another way out or go crazy while waiting for inevitable and slow, awful death.

Is there any way to lure them out before I plug the hole?  They can be heard moving in the ceiling sometimes but an absence of the noise does not guarantee they are not inside.


texts: How to prevent washing machine drain overflow

texts:
I have a washing machine upstairs.  The discharge hose is placed in the top of some 2" ABS pipe.  That pipe then drops about 14' to my basement floor, then runs along the floor for 5', ending in a hole in the floor. (The house is from 1955, so that hole in the floor is almost certainly intended to be used as a washing machine drain).

When the washing machine empties, the water properly flows through all the pipe and into the drain. Eventually though, the water starts to back up onto the floor.  The floor is sloped towards the drain, so this isn't catastrophic, but I'm wondering if there is any way to reduce the flow rate of water entering the floor drain?

I've considered:

increasing the pipe to a 4" or 5" pipe, then reducing the pipe at the drain end down to 1/2" or so - using the pipe as a sort of basin.
Emptying the pipe into an actual basin that can hold the water, then having a smaller hose/pipe drain from that basin into the floor drain.  Pretty much the same as option #1.

Any other suggestions?  Is there any way to change the rate at which the washing machine pumps out water?  I think if I could cut that in half, the problem would be solved.


texts: Sanding vs power washing vs chemical cleaning wooden deck for restoration

texts:
There seems to be various methods for cleaning and preparing a wooden deck for restoration.  Some how-to's that I have read strongly advise against power washing.  Some sources suggest a combination of the three methods.

There seems to be pros and cons to each method.
Can someone provide a guide to help me determine the best method for my deck?

I realize that the best method may be specific to the type of wood, current condition of the deck and perhaps other factors.  I'm not necessarily looking for an answer specific for my case but would appreciate a more generic answer, possibly in the form of

  [This method] is best for [this type of wood], in [these conditions]
  and should be avoided for [these conditions]...

The ideal answer would be comprehensive guide that can help DIYers determine which method is best suited for their specific decks.


texts:
I would like to build the A-frame swing structure. One end of the beam attaches to the playhouse. The other end is the A-frame and I plan to use 4x8x12 treated lumber as the beam since I already bought one extra from previous project.

I have been researching for the mounting bracket but most would say to support 4x6 beam only like this

Source: http://www.swingworks.com/product-p/11-5010.htm

I rather not use multiple lumber pieces to build the horizontal support like this because we think it's somewhat "ugly":

OR this (using 4x8 instead):

My questions are:

Is there some kind of bracket from home improvement store that I could use? I am thinking of using "4 in. x 8 in. Concealed Face Mount Joist Hanger" like below

..and then install it as in the "red" box in this picture:

Could I use the 4x6 bracket for 4x8 lumber?
Or best, is there one bracket purposely built for 4x8 lumber?

I could buy a new 4x6 for this but would rather use the existing 4x8 that already laying around in my backyard.


texts: Is it possible to use a router to cut a slot in aluminum?

texts:
I need to cut a 1/4 inch slot in 1/4 inch inch thick aluminum.  I currently have

A drill press
A router in a router table
Carbide bits for the router

My current plant is to drill the beginning and ending holes of the slot in the aluminum with the drill press.  Once the holes are drilled I intend to use the router with a 1/4 straight bit to connect the starting and ending holes to form the slot.

My question - has anyone ever done anything like this before, and if so, did it work?  Is it dangerous to health and tools?


texts:
I have Trane XV90 that was blowing cold air while it was on heat. I have recently changed the ignitor (which seems to work just fine) and the flame sensor (which seems to be failing already). I just caught the furnace in a cycle of trying to turn on but going out repeatedly. So I turned off the power and turned it back on, and the ignition cycle was successful on the first try. Could this mean that there is something wrong with the board? This is my 3rd flame sensor in a couple of months so I think that the flame sensor itself should be fine. I would really appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks!


texts: Electric outlet only has 2 wires and no power, how to replace?

texts:
I am wondering how I am going to replace this outlet.

It is dead as I've tested for power and got nothing.

It has 2 wires only. Please help, TY.


texts: Low voltage on 120V receptacle after too much load

texts:
We accidentally ran our microwave and an electric tea kettle on the same outlet at the same time.  Suddenly neither would turn on.  I brought out my volt meter and it reads a curious 13 volts vs the nearest outlet that reports 122 volts.

I checked the breakers and reset each one and even took off the outlet cover and hooked the volt meter up to the wires and it still reports 13 volts.

The outlet appears to have 3 wires, I'm guessing the neutral, the ground and the hot wire.

I haven't removed the outlet and tested the wires without the outlet in the circuit... But does this sound like a busted outlet?

I can't seem to find any other outlets reporting low voltage so I'm guessing there's nothing wrong with the breaker or the wires.


texts: Workaround for outputting HDMI audio from PC to Onkyo TX-SR506 receiver

texts:
I bought a used Onkyo TX-SR506 receiver after the seller told me it supports HDMI input. I connected it in the following setup:

PC HDMI out ➡ receiver HDMI in
receiver HDMI out ➡ TV HDMI in

Doing so I got both audio and video outputted to the TV, and I couldn't get the audio outputted via the receiver. 90 pages later in the instruction manual I come across this devastating paragraph -

Is there a workaround to this limitation? I really hoped to use only HDMI connections and avoid optical / analog audio inputs. I find it puzzling that a receiver would have a big "HDMI" logo on it (and 4 HDMI connections) - but will act as a "pass thru" device.

Thanks!!


texts: When removing dome light fixture, very tight. I did loosen it, but now it is stripped.(just keeps turning) , Short of taking a hammer to break the dome, how do you remove It is loose enough to pry open a little , but I cannot get anything to hold the loose adapter.


texts: Best way to fix improperly fitted skirting board?

texts:
My Mum’s had the cowboys in and they’ve made a complete mess of fitting the skirting boards. On one wall about a third of it isn’t even attached to the wall. I had a hard time finding the stud in the wall but eventually got it using a magnet, marked the spots on the wall where the magnet stuck and followed the line down to the skirting board but when I hammered a nail into the plasterboard just above it and an inch either side it went straight through each time. Seems like there’s nothing to nail it into.

I don’t want to take the whole thing off and risk ruining the plaster and I can’t really spread any adhesive very evenly while it’s against the wall. Do I just squirt and hope? Would expanding foam be good enough to hold it? Here’s a clip to show what I’m dealing with.


texts: How would I convert a wood burning fireplace to gas?

texts: I have an insert that we use as a wood burning fireplace.  It would be fairly easy to run a natural gas line under the house to the location of the fireplace.  I would like to convert the wood burning to a gas fireplace.


texts:
I read this article (link) but I'm having trouble seeing how a tiny impeller like this (link) can actually move water up my seven-story building. I understand it's connected to an electric motor, which spins it.

But does the spin on that impeller (at a high velocity) really create enough momentum to move water up seven or eight stories?

Are there other impellers or pumps along the way that help it? Or is it just that one pump attached to the boiler? (I live in an apartment complex with around 100 units.)


texts:
I have a Nest Learning thermostat. Recently, it has caused a clicking sound to emanate from the furnace area whenever the system is powered off. I've determined this is due to the thermostat drawing insufficient power through the W1/Rc wires that it uses (2 wire heating-only system). Nest technical support recommends connecting a C wire, although I am also investigating if this is a possible battery issue. We are running our system for 1-2 hours a day, and our electrical parameters on the Nest device are all within the ranges recommended here: https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9241211?hl=en#zippy=%2Cpower
As I'm seeing a lot of recommendations to connect a C wire regardless for smart thermostats, I'd like to see if that is possible in my system. I do have 5 wires pulled through. I have taken pictures of the thermostat wires, along with the control board setup: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6zJfUfQsRQ2cDoTq6
Can anybody tell me if there is some way I could connect the loose blue or yellow wires to the board so that either one could function as a C wire?