texts: How do I replace a ceiling fan controlled by 2 wall switches with a standard wall plug outlet?

texts: I am ceiling mounting a projector in my home theater room and I need to mount it where there used to be a ceiling fan with light kit.  The fan and light were controlled by two wall switches.  I'm planning to replace the ceiling outlet with a surge protected wall outlet to power the projector.  My question is, how should I wire the wall outlet given there are two wall switches that currently control the power to the ceiling outlet?


texts: Order of wall tiling with baseboards in bathroom

texts: What is the order of tiling bathroom walls when installing baseboards also. Do I tile the wall first and then add the baseboard or would it make sense to install baseboard first and then add the wall tiles.


texts: Why is this apartment water heater so much more expensive than my bigger home one?

texts:
A friend living alone in a 2 bedroom condo needs a new water heater and has been quoted over $4000 from multiple plumbers to replace the one pictured.    I live in a 6 bedroom house with 7 people, I replaced my water heater with a much larger one for $1500 and we've never run out of hot water, ever.  I've never lived in an apartment, I have no idea what constraints there are or why a water heater should cost 3 times one that serves a house 3 times the size.  Two plumbers told her she has no choice, there's only one model she can use.   Why is this the case, and what should our expectations be?  Why is the pictured unit SO expensive and why is it impossible to replace it with one that is not?    Explain to someone who has only ever lived in a house with a $1000 water heater merrily doing its job for decades.  (And for clarity, I replaced my home water heater 2 years ago for $1500 including installation.  It's a 75 gal Bradford White.)
Existing condo heater pictured.

EDIT: Responding to question in comments about the red hose.  From another two of several more photos I have, it looks like  it goes from a PRV on the cold supply to the drain.  I will inspect more closely when I'm next there.


texts:
Do I need 2 coats of primer on new drywall? Homeowner is using primer/paint on finish coat. Will the primer/paint suffice, instead of 2nd coat of primer?

This is for all new surface. walls, ceilings & trim.


texts:
I'm trying to remove carpet from a small closet in our bathroom (at most 3.5 ft by 3.5 ft). I started to remove it and it looks to have been glued around the perimeter.  What's the easiest way to remove it? I recently bought a oscillating multi-tool so I'm wondering if that would work to loosen up the edges.

-M

UPDATE: I lucked out -- only part of the carpet was glued... the rest was actually nailed in and came up easy.

That being said, as a future homeowner, I'd like to hear suggestions for how to tackle this type of issue in the future.


texts: Tips needed on concreting swing posts into to lawn

texts:
We bought our kids a swing and need a little advice on how best to proceed (as we're not big diyers.

Our gardens sloping so we need to dig each posts hole at different depths to level it out. This means that we'll need to first poor concrete to stand the post on and then fill the rest of the hole with soil.

My question is.. how best should we protect the post from the soil that will surround it?


texts: I have a Porter-Cable 20 volt impact drill and circular saw... I just came across to 6 amp hour Milwaukee M18 batteries for free... I want to run my Porter-Cable impact off the M18 battery how do I connect the wires?


texts: What to use to Seal gap between Pipe and Exterior wall

texts:
I replaced a hose faucet on an exterior wall of my house. In order to do so, we removed the old faucet and had to scrape out some gray goop that was sealing the hole between the wall and the pipe. Now we have the new faucet and pipe and need to know what to put in the gap where the dark gray sealant was. It seemed kind of like caulk.

The wall is made of wood, with a vinyl siding on the outside. I live in a cold climate, the previous pipe had to be replaced because it was leaking, probably due to improper winterizing.


texts: How can I replace this unusual kitchen sink drain pipe?

texts:
I'm trying to replace a broken 1-1/2 inch L-shaped brass pipe under my kitchen sink, as in this picture:

At one end, it's connected to the sink drain, which if I'm understanding the terminology correctly means this would be called a tailpiece. At the very least, it has the same connection on the end as a tailpiece.

At the other end, it has what I believe is called a slip joint - the pipe goes an inch or two into the pipe it connects to.

When I search for "tailpiece" on any plumbing supplies site, I find pipes that have the right connector, but only straight ones. When I search for elbow pipes, I can't find any pipe with the right connections on each end: tailpipe-type connection at one end, and a slip joint connection at the other.

Even if I found one that was close, there doesn't seem to be any room to add a vertical slip joint, so does that mean I'll need to find a pipe that's exactly the right length to begin with?


texts: Is it ok to install vinyl windows from several different manufacturers?

texts: We are looking at replacing all of the windows in our home which are original aluminum from 1963. We were going to go with all Milgard retrofit (aluminum out of budget) but unfortunately they don't carry three windows/sliding glass doors that are large enough. The only window manufacturer who does retrofit that would fit the size is Jeld-Wen. Would you recommend mixing the two brands (large windows/door in Jeld-Wen and all other windows Milgard---do they look enough alike it will not look terrible?) or go with all Jeld-Wen windows/doors? I cannot tell from the Jeld-Wen website alone if they would match and there is no showroom near us. I should mention that we already have two Milgard Tuscany sliding doors and one window that will not be replaced from a previous kitchen renovation. We live in SoCal so weather not an issue. Thank you!


texts: Proper size of header to support new door in load bearing wall?

texts:
We're going to install a new linen closet off the hallway next to our recently(ish) remodeled bathroom.  The wall in question is load bearing.

I know how to properly build out the King and Jack studs, and if this weren't load bearing I'd just put in cripple studs, but since this is load bearing I figure on installing sistered 2x? over the doorway resting on doubled up jack studs.  The only question I have is - 2 by WHAT?

It's a 30" door if I recall correctly (it's reclaimed from another part of the house and I haven't measured it lately) so I'm thinking sistered 2x12's will be MORE than sufficient.


texts: Two dryers connected to the same exhaust via a "Y". Backdraft problems?

texts:
I have two dryers (one gas, one electric) and their exhaust pipes are merged with a "Y" to a common exterior exhaust.  I'd like to keep it that way to minimize cuts through the wall (and eventually I may get rid of the old electric dryer).

The new gas dryer is 15 feet away from the wall, the old one is close to it (and to the "Y").

Question: there's a bit of back draft when the gas dryer is working.  I can smell it when I'm around that old electric dryer.  Can I install some sort of backdraft preventer?  Is there such a thing?


texts:
Long story short, moved into this house 2 years ago, 2 gang switches in bedroom, one for ceiling fan and light, one supposedly for switched outlet. Finally got around to finding which outlet was switched and found out the switch wasn't even wired. Sure, no problem, lazy, but not problem. As I was putting the face plate back on, I noticed the ground wire from the house just hanging free. Odd.  Looked at the wiring going to the ceiling fan, and the neutral wire was wired to the ground going to the fan (and noticed some blackening on the non connected house ground).

I took down the fan to see the wiring and I have 2 green (grounds) wired together with the bare ground coming from the switch and a fourth wire (white, neutral?) all wired together.  My assumption is that they used the bare ground to carry current to operate the fan and light independently via the switch.  I'm just a DIYer, but this can't be safe can it? Should I just undo the entire thing, use a regular switch and wire my hot to hots (for fan and light fixture), ground to ground and neutral to neutral?

Photos below :


texts: How can I jack a steel post out of the ground?

texts:
Following on from this and this question I've got to the point where I am trying to "jack" a pole out of the ground.

I had a spare 3/4" bolt that I thought would be strong enough but unfortunately it bent (see image).

My question: What commonly available (i.e. I can buy it from one of Home Depot or Lowes) 10" x 3/4" rod can I get that will work here? Or what else would you suggest to achieve this goal?


texts: Why do I hear intermittent speaker hum that goes away when I turn lights off or on?

texts:
I'm hearing speaker hum in a stereo system that I recently hooked up. I can't pinpoint when the hum begins, but I've identified that turning certain lights off or on in the same room eliminates the hum.

I've identified two light switches that have this effect – not all switches in the room do. When turning one of these switches on or off I sometimes hear a 'pop'. The hum does go away after an indeterminate length of time if I don't touch any lights, but I haven't identified what might be coming on or off (appliances elsewhere in the house, etc.) that would cause this.


texts: Eliminating moth flies (and larvea) of unknown origin found mostly in kitchen

texts:
I've been battling some relatively slow-moving flying pests and their larvae. Based on my Internet research I'm 90% certain that these are "moth flies".
They are found mostly on the ceiling or on the walls near the ceiling. When they are in a resting state (or when they are larvae) they don't see me coming and they are easy to capture with a napkin. When flying they move a bit slower than flies so I can usually catch them with moderate effort.
The problems I'm having are:

No matter how many I capture or kill, they keep coming back within a couple of hours - I've currently killed an estimated 200 - 300 of them over the course of a week
I can't pinpoint their origin
Fly paper and an indoor UV electric solution perform poorly - I got maybe 10 that way
I can't use chemical sprays or poisons, because I have a young puppy in the house and I'm not willing to risk it

The Internet led me to believe they probably came from drain pipes, so I bought an insecticide made specifically for drains. Not only did it do nothing, when I went to clean and inspect the sink pipes I somehow created a leak. On top of that, I tried to further clean the sink pipe and make the slow drain fast by buying a high pressure air gun made for that, which somehow made the drain pipes totally clogged (I digress - the point is that this option won't work for me). I don't actually see any evidence that they came from the drains at all.
Any thoughts on how to safely eliminate them and/or where else their source might be? I suppose if I found where they keep coming from I could kill their nest or egg sacs or whatever, but they seem to appear from thin air.


texts: Grade slopes toward foundation under sloping deck

texts:
I have a two-part problem.

Problem #1: The grade under my deck has developed a slope towards the foundation of the house. I have begun to get water seeping onto the floor of my finished basement. The deck is about 3 feet above the ground at the house and about feet above ground 14 feet away from the house. I've crawled under to check it out (there's just enough room to crawl around) and sure enough, the four feet closest to the house (the old back fill) has sunk about a foot, and in places there are bigger sink holes leading right to the basement wall.

Problem #2: The deck itself now slopes back toward the house. I built the deck (14'x24") 23 years ago. Three years after the house was built. I decided NOT to attach the deck to  ledger board (BIG MISTAKE!) and build it "free standing" right up the house with access to a kitchen door. I dug (4)post holes about 2' from the basement wall, and filled them with concrete. They were inspected to be sure they were deep enough and below the frost line. The back fill has sunk, pulling the deck down with it.

Question: Should I just tear the whole thing apart, fix the grade, and build a new deck? Or is it possible to dismantle the deck, fix the grade, install a ledger board, and rebuild the deck saving as much material as possible? I need to address the water problem ASAP before I have Problem #3: Mold in my basement!

The deck boards are installed perpendicular to the house, so I cant just remove some of the boards. They must all go!


texts: How do I match this texture?  What are the exact steps needed?


texts: How much cement and sand to buy for a garden edging project

texts:
I am planning to lay down edging around the lawn in my garden - leaving about 750 mm wide flower beds along the fence.  All in all, I need to lay down about 23 meters of edging slabs - it will be these ones:

https://www.selcobw.com/flat-top-path-edging-150-x-915mm

The idea is to dig a shallow "trench", pour a base of cement mixture to level the bottom, then set the edging blocks and add a bit more cement mixture on the sides to "fix" them to the base.  Finally, add back some soil to cover all the cement.  There will be about 10 cm of the blocks visible above the ground.

My question is, given the length of 23 meters (about 75 feet) and the width of the blocks of 5 cm (about 2 inches), how much cement/sand do I need to buy?


texts: Fan is turning on air conditioner but no air movement

texts:
A few weeks ago I changed the outside unit's starting capacitor and that got the fan on that unit to rotate and the air conditioning on the enclosed back porch started working.

Today I came home and the main part of the house was hot.  I turned down the thermostat in that zone but I still didn't feel any air blowing out of the registers.  I changed all the air filters but still didn't feel any suction at the filter housing or any air coming out of the register.

I had my wife turn on the air conditioning via the thermostat while I was downstairs listening at the inside unit.  I heard a sound like a refrigerator or dehumidifier kicking in and then a few seconds later I heard the sound of a fan starting up.

I removed the cover over the fan and taped the safety switch and turned on the air conditioning and I can definitely see the squirrel cage fan running and it looks and sounds normal.

For what it's worth the fan on the outside unit for this zone seems to be spinning normally as well.

How on earth can I not feel any air coming out of the registers or feel any suction at the air return?  The only thing I can figure out is that the fan seems to be running normally, but is actually at a lower speed than normal.  It sure looks normal.  I don't see any gaping holes in the ductwork or anything.

I've changed the fan on my furnace in a previous house a few years ago, so I'm somewhat familiar with what they should sound like.  The inside unit is a York affinity 9.V series

Here's a video of the fan running.


texts: Replacing drywall on ceiling after a small flood

texts:
A laundry washer located upstairs, right above the basement room, had a leak and flooded the basement drywall ceiling. Luckily I was in the house and could stop the leak, however it did damage couple of the drywall sheets.
So my question is; Is it absolutely necessary to replace the whole basement ceiling, or it'd be fine with those damaged ones?
I read that in order to prevent mold growing they recommend fully replace ceiling sheets. But in my case it does not look that bad to worry about the rest of the drywall sheets.


texts: Anchoring shelves on hollow wall backed by brick

texts:
I'm working on hanging an Ikea Lisabo shelf. Earlier, I put one on a wall without much trouble using snap toggles, which are great. However, this second shelf, on a different wall, is giving me trouble.

The wall seems to be drywall, or possibly plaster, over plywood, followed by a small air gap, and then brick. The picture below shows a hole I drilled, illuminated by a flashlight. Unfortunately, the air gap between the plywood and then brick is insufficient to snap snap toggles into place; they require 1⅞" inch clearance in which to rotate flat after being inserted into the hole. I bought 3/16" standard spring-loaded toggle bolts, hoping they would require less clearance. I was able to get one of the two required toggles to open in the air gap, but the other won't — it appears that the distance between the plywood and the brick wall isn't uniform, and there's not enough clearance on the left hole.

Now I'm wondering what to do next. Two ideas I've considered:

Put some type of mounts into the brick behind the hollow wall. I've never mounted anything to brick or cement, so I'm not really sure whether this would work. I'm also worried that the approximately 2" of distance between the brick wall and the shelf could severely reduce the shelf's capacity, because the screw or bolt will be unsupported for that length.
Drive large-ish wood screws through the drywall/plaster and into the wood behind, making sure they're short enough that they don't strike the bricks. My two concerns here are whether two wood screws would be strong enough, and also whether the wood backing is thick enough to provide adequate support. I don't think it's simply plaster laths, as it seems too thick for that, but I'm not certain.

How should I proceed in mounting the shelves?

Regarding duplicates

I made an attempt to find duplicate questions before asking this one, but none seem quite to match my situation. Here are a few close ones, though:

Fixing TV on concrete behind drywall
This is perhaps closest. It doesn't offer a conclusive answer about how big a gap between the brick and the drywall is too big, though.
How can I fix a cabinet to plasterboard with brick wall behind?
What is up with this wall, and what is the right way to hang something on it?


texts: I'm trying to install a WeMo light switch in the place of an existing switch. I'm unsure which wire is neutral, or if I have one at all. Below is a photo of where I'm at currently. There are two switches in this one box, one of which is a fan and the other is a light. Both have only two wires coming out of them currently. There is a cap over a bundle of wires visible in the photo, but one of each of the wires from the switches is tied into this bundle. Is this the neutral wire or should I be looking for something else?


texts:
I recently replaced carpets with tiles in my apartment, and in the process generated an incredible amount of dust.

All this dust was sucked into my A/C ducting, and the filters in the return were completely blocked.

I've replaced all the filters, but am convinced that the performance is significantly lower than before.

It is a double story apartment, has only one single zone, and the controller is upstairs. The temperature on the controller is reading the correct temperature (and therefore the system shuts off), but downstairs feels notably warmer than it did before.

Could the excessive dust have blocked anything else?

Is there anything I can do myself to confirm the system is working as expected?


texts: Painitng over caulk leaves a sheen. How can I remove it?

texts: I painted walls that were touched up using paintable caulk instead of filler.  When painted it left shiny spots.  What can I do to get rid of the shine?


texts: Is this an A-series or a T-series light bulb?

texts:
The first of 3 bulbs in a new-to-us bathroom fixture has burnt out. I (my wife) would like to replace it with the same shape, but unfortunately the label had worn off -- all we can make out is "60" (watts, presumably). Anyone recognize it? I'm in the US. Have tried google image searching as well as tineye.com; the closest I've seen is an a-series-shaped tubular (t-series) bulb, but I'm striking out with local hardware stores.

Updated (based on finding the Kirby Risk site) - the width at the cylindrical part is about 2 1/8", making it an XXX-17 (or -18 if I'm mis-measuring).


texts: Can I use a 4x4 concrete post holder to install a gate?

texts:
I would like to install a 10' gate across my driveway to keep my 16 month old from running his tiny butt into traffic. The gate I intend to purchase is this one, with some PVC lattice to prevent climb-through:

Basic details from retailer's website:

6 bar economy galvanized tube gate

Made from 1-3/4" round high-tensile strength galvanized tubing with superior continuous- welded saddle joints

All material 20 gauge

Vertical galvanized "z" braces

Comes complete with hinges, hinge pins, and 22" snap chain

50" high

Can I use a 4x4 post holder that relies on concrete anchors to install the 4x4 pressure treated post I intend to hold the gate? I would think the torsional strain would pose a problem, and the driveway is rather uneven in sections so a "gate wheel" may not always be able to take the weight.


texts: Confirming the set-up and wiring of 60AMP subpanel

texts:
I am installing a 60 AMP sub-panel (GE TLM2412CCUP) and want to confirm the wiring and set-up before I set everything up. The pictures show the main panel (currently 60AMP as well but will be updated next year 100AMP or 125AMP), the sub-panel and all the planed wires (hand drawn). The wires are THHN and go through 3/4’’ EMT and FMC over about 40'. A couple of questions:

Main panel: location of neutral and ground wires for sub-panel is correct, right? They go to the same neutral/ground bar because they are connected on the main.
Sub-panel: No bounding screw, I installed a separate ground bar (GE TGK32CP), converted to main breaker panel (with GE TQMH000). All looks good? I don't like that there is not a lot of space around the ground bar. I guess, an alternative might be to use the right and left neutral bar for neutral and ground by disconnecting them but that creates problems with pigtails of afci breakers.
Ground wire: Currently, I have 8 AWG but I am thinking using 10 AWG instead. Any reason to stick with 8 AWG? The ground wire will support the 60 AMP panel plus two separate 15AMP circuits in the same conduit (or one 20AMP circuit instead).

Thanks!


texts: Wiring a new thermostat without a C wire, extra wires from furnace

texts:
I have checked other posts regarding this and don't see a solution yet.

I have purchased a new thermostat that requires a c wire.  My old thermostat's c wire didn't work so I went ahead and added a brand new 18-5 thermostat wire and wired everything up.  Unfortunately, I am getting no power.  Here is my old set up:

I stupidly did not get a before of the furnace set up, but there were two wires that were connected to it that actually don't run to the thermostat but come from somewhere else.  They are red and white:

Here is my new set up using my new wire:

And at the furnace:

So anyways I get no power at the thermostat and am wondering if those extra wires are the culprit, any help is appreciated.


texts: How can I hang my cupboard on a stud wall?

texts:
I have a storage cupboard in which I'd like to put some shelves. No problem with brick walls as normally I'd just have wooden battens on 3 sides, srewed directly into the wall with rawlplugs, then just put some shelves between the battens. But I've never done this with stud walls. The cupboard's 90cm wide and 55cm deep. It's also the fusebox cupboard with some heavy duty metal trunking along one wall and a 4cm thick black insulated mains cable coming from the ceiling. So I'll need to buy a detector to make sure I don't go into anything.

I've seen some (allegedly) heavy duty plasterboard fixings which expand and grip into the cavity when you screw the screw in but there are different depths of fixings.

How do I know the thickness of fixing I need for the plasterboard?

Is there a UK standard that might be typical in a new build?

Should I try and get one of the battens mounted to a stud in the cupboard or would I generally be ok with it being supported on 3 sides and it being quite narrow and not too deep?

Are there any scientific ways to detect where the studs will be other than knocking on the wall?


texts: GFCI outlet hot when nothing's plugged into it

texts:
Using a thermal camera (coolest thing in the world, by the way), I discovered that a GFCI outlet in my bathroom is hotter then the surrounding wall when nothing's plugged into it:

It's not boiling hot; just slightly warm to the touch. I never noticed it before I had a thermal camera. This is probably bad, but what does it mean? Should I replace it? Is my house about to burn down?

Update to answer several people's questions:

The GFCI is on an interior wall covered with cementboard.
The wiring is copper.
All other non-GFCI electrical receptacles--including those on exterior walls--are any different from the surrounding wall in terms of temperature. Here's one on an exterior wall:
I don't believe there are any downstream connections.
The heat is emanating from the right side of the unit itself:
The box is quite small; the sides of the GFCI are about 4mm away from the sides of the box. Not a lot of room for it to dissipate heat.


texts: Moving into ancient apartment, two-prong outlets

texts:
I just signed a lease on an apartment.  I didn't look carefully at all the outlets, but I noticed that each bedroom has exactly one outlet, and the overhead light fixture in the kitchen works by pulling a chain, i.e. there is no light switch in the wall.  So I think the electrical wiring must be very old-fashioned.

My question (I hope I may ask this here even though I do not want to do any DIY electrical work -- not sure where else to ask): may I safely plug in my laptop?  I suspect it would not be good to use a surge protector.  Should I make sure to unplug it if there's a chance of a thunderstorm?  Should I go to the library every day to charge it?

The electric company required an electrical inspection before I could open an account for the address.  The apartment passed the inspection.  I didn't have the opportunity to speak with the inspector.

Sorry, I forgot to say, I'm in the U.S., specifically New York State.


texts:
There's a crawl space in my basement where the gas pipe to the stove goes through a hole in the ceiling. I think it might be a big enough hole for a mouse to get through so I'd like to stuff some steel wool in there, which has worked for me against mice before.

My concern is whether having steel wool against a gas pipe is anything to worry about. First, I'm in the US and am only assuming that pipe is steel, so I would think it's OK to do that but is there a reason I shouldn't?

The area is under cover, to the ground, but not insulated. Is rust of the wool a worry?


texts: How can I add a dimmer to a bathroom switch that also turns the fan on?

texts:
I would like to add a dimmer switch to the bathroom. The switch currently turns on a extractor fan with a timer. It is connected via an isolation switch.

I understand I cannot run the fan on a dimmer switch, so wondered if it was possible to make these independent of one another.

So instead of one switch I have two switches, one for the fan and a dimmer module for the lights.

Is this possible?


texts: Will newer Siemens AFCI/GFCI circuit breakers handle washing machine loads better than older versions?

texts:
We have new LG 4500 washing machine in new townhouse w Siemens breaker panel. LG Washer keeps tripping the breakers (15A Siemens Type QAF2 - CAFCI - w ARC Fault). I hooked up the washer to a 15A Surge Suppressor - worked fine for a few times - maybe under 10 wash loads) - then started tripping again. Guess the surge suppressor got fried???
Anyway, LG Techie recommended replacing the breaker with a Siemens 15 Amp AFCI/GFCI Q115DF Dual Function Circuit Breaker. LG Techie said the design of the new Siemens breakers installed in my panel is faulty and Siemens has not fixed the faults yet. But my situation with the new townhouse, with warranty and everything, I have to get everything done thru the builders. Still have to hear back from them if they will replace the original breaker with the recommended one. Hopefully it works. Will update posting with developments.
Has anybody had any success with the recommended breaker?
Thx.


texts: My samsung washer has started  (4 time over 5 days now) turning itself ON.  Yes ON.  No lights on front panel but it sounds like it is draining water although it is empty.  When I open the door, it continues.  When I push power on the front panels lights up and it stops.  Help!


texts: How to run a flex duct branch through a unreachable trunk?

texts:
Have a trouble to cut a 5" inch of hole in the trunk.  I don't have space to make hole through the side of trunk. the only space is let between joists and, from where its hard to cut a hole of 5" <img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/rV7wu.jpg" alt="enter
is it feasible ?
image description here" />

Thanks!


texts: In general, when upgrading electrical service for a single family home from 100 to 200A, does the feeder need to be upgraded, or is it just the service panel?


texts:
Is it safe to use a soft 3 way 30/50/150 Watt incandescent bulb in a lamp that requires 23 CFL max light to prevent fire.
It is the only bulb that I could find but only the 150W setting works with this bulb in the lamp.
I want the bright light so am hoping this light will be safe to use. The volts are 120 for this light.


texts: How can I detect reverse polarity on an ungrounded receptacle?

texts:
Recently moved into a 1950s-built house and am swapping out some of the older receptacles.

On one particular ungrounded circuit there are four receptacles. The first two are as expected - the two black wires were connected to the gold screws in the existing receptacles and the two white wires to the two silver screws. However, for the last two receptacles this was reversed - the incoming black wires were hooked up to the silver screws with the black hooked up to the gold screws.

In installing the new receptacles I switched the wiring so that the black wires are connected to the gold screws and the white wires to the silver screws.

My questions:

How does one test to determine whether the black wire is really hot or if there was some mixup within the wall? I know there are receptacle testers, but I've heard that the polarity testing does not work for ungrounded receptacles.
Is there any harm in having reverse polarity on an ungrounded wire? Is there potential harm to the devices that use the receptacle? Currently, these two receptacles are not being used, but I plan on plugging in a TV, DVD player, etc. into one of them.


texts: Sealing gap between exterior door threshold and wood floor

texts: Our exterior front door sits on what was once the house's original front porch. Those old floor wood planks extend under the front door's threshold, but there is a noticeable gap between the planks and the threshold. You can see sunlight through it (photos attached). What might be best way to seal that gap to prevent drafts and critters from crawling in? Spray foam?


texts: Hairline crack below window, mostly vertical with a short horizontal segment

texts:
I read that most straight hairline cracks are pretty normal, especially around windows or doors, due to settling and stress. Mine happens below a pretty wide extruding window and is not perfectly straight. It has a short horizontal region before turning vertical. The width of the crack is less than 1mm (1/25 inch).
Is this something of concern?
Is there any downside to leaving the crack as is behind baseboard heater?
My rough plan is to repair it with tape and drywall mud for the visible portion.


texts: Are these LED panels suitable for lighting above dining area?

texts:
I want to light a dining area that is ~12'x 18', with exposed wood ceiling, supported by beams that were created with two 2"x 10" framing lumber, with a 1"x 4" bottom cap.  Wiring for the current lighting (track lights) runs in the space between the 2"x 10" members in two "beams". The beams are spaced ~26" apart.

A friend gave me four flat metal LED panels that were removed from display ceiling lights, along with two drivers.  The LED panels are 7"x 15", with 112 LEDs on each. I contacted Cooper Lighting, for specs, and their reply:

PEL2000835 = LED Panel, 7"x15", 2000 Lumen, 80CRI, 3500k.
PLE2000835 is a discontinued product that was made for us by a third party.

The drivers are Phillips Advance XITANIUM 48W 2.0A, 0-10V Dimming.

Questions:

Are the drivers usable for more than one of the panels?
Should they be mounted off of the wood, suspended to allow air circulation, or would they be OK enclosed between the 2"x10"s?  I've had one of the panels on for two hours, and the driver is warm to the touch, resting on the floor, but not "hot".
Would two of these, spaced 5' apart, be sufficient to illuminate the area, or should I go with four panels, with dimmers?

Thanks for any help.


texts: Are there screws made of materials that should not be exposed to heat, smoke or propane?

texts:
I've been assembling a propane barbeque grill that came in a box. It came with an exact variety and number of screws to be used in assembly. But it's actually missing one screw.

I found an old screw in my box of miscellaneous metal leftover things. It's the right size and shape.

But I'm concerned about using an unintended screw because it might be a different material. Could it possibly be unsafe or unreliable around smoke, heat, propane, ash etc.?

Could it have collected or developed unsafe material/compounds after many years of sitting around?


texts:
My furnace is old and only has 4 wire connections, but I require a C wire. How can I create one based on this diagram?

I do have 5 wires running between the furnace and thermostat.


texts:
I have a GFCI receptacle that is clicking. Every 5-10 minutes it clicks repeatedly for 1-2 seconds. The GFCI is turned off (the RESET button is sticking out) but it still clicks! What does this mean?

It's in an RV that is connected to shore power through a few long extension cords, total ~200 ft., plugged in to a GFCI receptacle by the meter base.

It's a bit windy right now, maybe that is triggering something.

It suspect there's a loose connection somewhere the system, maybe that is the cause.

Where should I begin diagnosing the issue?


texts: This is the drain valve for the Megaflow immersion heater tank. What key do I need for it? It is about 7mm square, which is bigger than a radiator key. Also, which is this type of valve called?


texts: Can corroded terminals cause occasional power flickering in house?

texts:
My house power sometimes flickers at same time (but not always.. like only once in two days at night). All the panels, breakers and connections were tightened to the component torque standards. Since the flickering is entire house, then it is either the POCO (Power Company) connections or the corroded service breaker outside which has been exposed to the rain and sun for nearly 20 years.

It's difficult to replace this because it's live and it will take so long process for city hall to give us permit to cut the electricity to the entire townhouse compound with 5 houses. I bought it used 10 years ago. The following are the details of the lugs and terminals from another breaker of same model I replaced inside the house:

I need to know something. The wires connected to it in the exposed breaker in first picture above was AWG 1 copper. When exposed to the elements (sun and rain). Can either the copper or aluminum rust or corrode (see the blue arrows)? Can this cause flickering? Isn't it that flickering is only caused by loose connection, and it's not loose? Perhaps only dirt covered the intact connections underneath it above (in the first picture)?

If the flickering is not caused by it. Then it's the POCO transmission lines or source that may be the problem (at least I need to know). I'm sure it's not inside because the panel and all connections are not loose and even torqued to exact specifications. Thank you.


texts: Safe to install Illumra wireless switch kit with 2-Pole wiring?

texts: I have 2-pole wiring in an old house and the switch is in a weird place. The Illumra wireless switch kit looks easy, but didn't want to overload anything and was wondering if it's safe to wire? (Think it's called 2-pole when you only have a black and white wire)


texts: In a bathroom, do baseboards need to be caulked to prevent water seepage?

texts: Adding baseboards to my bathroom. Do I need to caulk them, especially where it meets the flooring? And if so, do I need to leave a small gap to allow the caulk something to grip onto?


texts: Finding the right size of nut for a bolt

texts: I have a bolt with a thread pitch of .8mm and a diameter of 3.3mm. I am trying to find the correct size of nut for it, however the ISO thread chart says that a .8mm thread is M5, but should have a diameter of 4.2mm leaving me confused.


texts: How do I remove mortar from bricks so I can re-use them?

texts:
I have about 500 bricks to cleanup so I can reuse them, the mortar is old and the bricks are soft clay.

What is the best way to remove the mortar and how much time should I allow?


texts: Can bushes help keep driveway and patio gravel stable?

texts:
My front yard has a U-shaped driveway on a significant slope. The arrows in the diagram below indicate the downward direction of the slope. From the bottom right to the top left, the elevation drops about 3'.
According to my design, there will be a level round patio in the middle.  The patio and the driveway will be covered with two distinct species of gravel. On the low side, there will be a quarter-circle retaining wall supporting the patio. On the high side, the patio will flow into the driveway. But in-between, there will be a 2'-wide sloped strip that spans the two elevations.
My question is: if I planted bushes on that strip, can they serve as a separator between the patio and the driveway? Would they keep the patio gravel contained in the patio? Would they help keep the stope on the strip stable? And can they be planted on a slope to begin with?


texts: 2" kitchen drain goes down into crawlspace, 90s, then goes 40ft into a 3x2y 5ft away from where the 4" main comes under the foundation, in that 40ft it has 2ft of drop(way too much?), it bowes up on the 90 side of the beam and bowed down making back fall on the 3x2 wye side of the beam which cracked the top of the pipe at the wye and the straps don't work so I'll need to adjust those.  My question is, if I raise the pipe and give it 1/4 of fall will puting a 90 at the end & angle down to the 3x2 wye create an S trap? I plan to maybe just replace the wye and adjust the inlet up but I'd still have a good 1"-2" of fall when I only want 1/4 at most right?


texts: Why are some of the outlets and lights on a breaker not working?

texts:
House 15A breaker is not tripped but no power in line with 6 outlets and one ceiling light not working, EXCEPT for one light is working and it is closest to the breaker panel. I checked its wiring and it looks fine.

This circuit has no GFCI outlets in it and no grounds in line. House is 66 year old.  Nothing recently occurred in house to cause any change.  I am completely dumbfounded.


texts: Power tool for scraping paint off windows

texts:
I need to scrape paint off of a bunch of windows where the painters painted over the glass. I know I can use a razor, but that takes a long time.

Are there any power tools that I could use to make the process faster?


texts: What is the easiest way to tear out a bathroom subfloor?

texts:
We recently did some remodeling, and in the process, managed to hook up the toilet in the bathroom to the hot-water line. The trouble is, we discovered this fact after we had already put down the plywood, cement board, and then floor-leveling compound (The floor is very sturdy, let me tell you!)

What's the easiest way to tear down back to the studs? The initial floor removal was messy and lots of saw-zalling, but since we were going to replace it anyway it wasn't a big deal.

UPDATE WITH BETTER SCHEMATICY PHRASING AND A MAP.

It's a second floor bathroom. All the water lines run through the floor of the room. They actually run in a U, from the corner where the lines come up next to the main drain, along the outer wall, then to the sink where they T-off. From there, it goes to the end of tub/shower wall, where they then go up into the wall where the tub faucet/valve is. Then from there, up into the wall to the showerhead.

The ceiling on the floor below is the ancient lathe/plaster (Although it might just be lathe) with a covering of tin tiles/sheets/sheets that look like tiles.

SECOND UPDATE WITH SOLUTION

After some convincing, we've opened up the toilet-side of the shower wall (It's one whole piece), and put a T-fitting into the shower's cold line. The new line pokes out the side and into the toilet as opposed to from the floor, but at last it's cold water, haha. Thanks for all the help guys and gals and those of an unspecified gender!


texts: Shower silicone caulk keeps failing, options for never fail?

texts:
So, I have two issues. Both related to the same solution. One shower keeps breaking the silicone seal and then letting water through. The other shower has standing water against the silicone and I'm worries that if this seal breaks it will leak severely.

The tray is up as close to the tiles (3mm) I can get in one case, but pretty gappy in the other tray 3mm-10mm gap.

So, I'm looking for what is the best way to double belt and brace this seal? is there some industrial strength stuff I can use, or could (should) I use expanding foam or grout in the gap before silicone?


texts: How to wire Aprilaire 600a to older furnace

texts:
I need help wiring an Aprilaire 600a humidifier yo my older oil furnace (from 1998). I thought I had followed the wiring instructions properly, but the digital humidistat is giving me an error code (looks like it is supposed to be “E2”, but it is unclear). If it is an “E2” code it may mean the humidistat needs to be replaced. If that is the case, it supposedly may be due to faulty wiring during installation. If that is the case, then I need to see where I went wrong.

I have attached annotated images of the original wiring and, as well, of my attempt at wiring the new humidistat.

The thermostat is a Honeywell T6 Pro Programmable model.

I appreciate any help that people have to offer.

Thanks.

Chris !


texts: Will petroleum jelly applied to the rubber on the outdoor power outlet help prolong the rubber life?

texts: After just a few years say 8 to 10 the rubber has been 'eaten up' by micro-organisms. Will petroleum jelly prevent that meaning prolong the life of the rubber?


texts:
Note: I'm not building the house at the moment, just doing some research.

Say, one already has a concrete foundation ready for the main part of the house and garage (both of them share one platform). House mostly is gonna be made of logs, but the garage is concrete as so the some of the walls of the house. What is the best way to integrate logs into concrete giving the fact that wood logs would push down on itself in time?

Updated:

On the diagram below, the places where logs run into the concrete are highlighted by red rectangles.


texts: Drilling in concrete and hitting something hard - what are my options?

texts:
I drilling somewhat deep holes (inch and a half) into concrete and I'm hitting something hard in two out of my four holes. I'm fairly sure it's not metal I'm hitting and I'm wondering how to proceed. It's a new building (finished half a year ago - in October 2018) and it is in Sweden, so I'm sure modern building standards have been followed.

I'm using a proper rotary hammer and a proper concrete drill for the job and as far as I can tell the tip is not getting dull or anything. Could it be a rock or something? Or is modern concrete fairly uniform? Any suggestions on how to proceed and get past this obstruction?


texts: How much weight should a standard cabinet be able to support?

texts:
I purchased standard cabinets (no plywood box) including a 33" farmhouse sink cabinet. I found a farmhouse sink I'd like to install and it's about 150lbs. (30" sink).

There is no weight rating on the cabinet I purchased, and the store I bought the cabinet from doesn't know how much weight it can hold.  Should I reinforce the cabinet? Or should it be able to hold the weight?


texts: HVAC supply vent noise: how to eliminate the whistling wind tunnel?

texts:
Every time the heat turns on (rented house), we are getting choked with too much dry hot air in our small room. When I try to close the supply vent it produces a really loud whistling noise. I either lose sleep because of the noise, or because of the dry heat blast. When I close the vent enough to have heat levels acceptable, it is like trying to sleep in a whistling wind tunnel.

I believe there is too much air coming out of all the vents, frankly, but I am not the owner of the house, so would like a simple DIY solution involving filters, or a new vent, or something else I could install.

I could just cover the vent with foil, effectively disabling that vent (I cannot turn off the heat in the entire house, as other rooms need it). Is that safe, and more importantly, is there a better solution?


texts: Is there any reason why I should have a contractor get a permit himself instead of getting it on my own?

texts:
We're getting ready to have our breaker box upgraded and the electrician gave us two quotes: One price if we get the permit ourselves... and another price if he needs to get the permit.

The second price is definitely more than the cost of the permit (not sure why).  Is there any reason why I would want to pay more for the electrician to get the permit himself?


texts: Liftmaster garage opener keypad stops working when temp drops below 40 degrees F

texts: Lift master garage opener keypad stops working when temps drop below 40 degrees F.


texts: Refrigerator is warm but freezer stays cool

texts:
I have a Frigidaire top freezer refrigerator. The freezer is fine, however it freezes up and blocks the vent, preventing cool air from circulating into the refrigerator section: Pic attached is freezer interior:

Problems:

Ice builds up on back panel of the freezer.
Air vent into fridge gets blocked by this ice.
Fridge doesn't cool down.

A few things I have tried:

Defrost heater is reading 35 ohms.
I have noticed the fridge enter its defrost cycle throughout the day.
Manually turning the mechanical defrost timer does send the unit into defrost.
When I trigger the defrost, the heater does warm up and glows red.
Ventilation fan is working.

What could be the problem here, or what should I check for?

The thermostat should be okay, since it turns on the heater once the defrost cycle is on. There is no problem with the defrost heater. The only other thing that could be the problem is the defrost timer. However it does activate the defrost cycle throughout the day that I've noticed. Could it still be faulty?


texts:
Can anyone help me figure out what these end caps are called?  The panel sticks out past the cabinet by about a 1/4" so these end caps are hollow and fit over the excess panel.

What are these called and where can I buy new ones?


texts: Protecting the bottom of the wall while painting vinyl siding

texts: I will be painting my vinyl siding in order to change the color.  Below the bottom row of siding, there's a sort of a flexible white strip tucked into place.  I'm not sure, maybe this is called flashing.  Anyway, the strip is maybe 8 to 10 inches wide.  That would be a LOT of masking tape to cover it to protect from drips and splashes.  Is there some easier way to protect it?  I don't particularly want to paint it.  The white will coordinate with the window trim and the door and with my grayish light blue new siding color, I think it will look cheerful.  Which is the whole point of this painting project, as the house is currently a depressing drab light brown color, which looks especially bad next to a taller house that is lemon yellow.


texts: Is it worth replacing globe valve with ball valve for my main shutoff?

texts:
I live in a small two story house (row home) with water service entering through the basement.  The bathroom is on the second floor.  Whoever did the  main service line used 1/2 inch copper instead of the propper 3/4 inch, so I don't have ideal pressure. Moreover, the main shutoff valve is a globe valve, which I understand limits flow.  After the valve, the rest of the main line is 3/4 inch pipe.

I don't have a water pressure problem when only one fixture is running, but the pressure drop is noticable when a second fixture is turned on.

Would it be worth it if I replaced the globe valve with a ball valve?  How much difference should I expect in pressure just by replacing the valve?


texts: grouting or caulking? bottom of tiled wall at tub rim

texts: At the tiled wall surrounding the tub, at the bottom of the tiles where the tiles end and intersect the tub rim, should it be grouted ( epoxy grout)? or leave it open and caulk with silicone caulking? Please advise!


texts: Gutted a basement and found a window, what should I do?

texts:
I recently gutted my basement in an early 1900s home that was finished in the mid-80s, and discovered a window! This window is directly under my front door, hidden by a deck that I've never really looked under in detail, so I've never noticed the window. The window is about a foot above grade, and again, covered by a deck, so it is not exposed to snow/rain.

I'm debating what to do with this, all my other windows are upgraded to newer windows about 4 years ago, but this is still a single-pane old-style window. I'm not sure if I should remove it and try and block it in with cinder blocks (Foundation is an old poured foundation), or is it acceptable to leave it as long as it's insulated and sealed? (I'd probably also cover the exterior of the Window with XPS and pressure treated plywood or something similar) The previous basement had fiberglass insulation, vapour barrier then drywall right over it, which I know won't cut it. My plan for finishing is hanging XPS boards directly against the concrete, sealing all the seams, spray-foaming any gaps around the boards, then 2x4 studs and Roxul batts as insulation. The R7.5 from XPS, plus R14 from Batts should give me approximately R22.5, which should be plenty.

Any advice? I know the "Best" thing would be to remove it, but is it acceptable to cover up a window should anyone ever find a need for it?

I've marked the "Answer" as to leave it.  Excellent discussion for and against removing the window, but as mentioned, I think I'll leave it, insulate it and cover it from the outside.  Who knows what other problems removing it could cause.

Thanks


texts: I have a great inheritance from the previous owner who seemed to do everything super poorly, I have to skim coat over terrible texture but ran into this. It's bowing slightly away from the room above the header. Will sanding and skimming this over be enough or time to bust out the saw?


texts: How do suds cause water leakage and the machine to breakdown?

texts:
It seems like an old wives' tale, but I've got a quote here:

  Regular detergents produce much more suds and can cause water leakage.

How do suds actually cause water leakage and the machine to breakdown? Anyone got a video capture or a diagrammatic explanation?


texts: In layman's terms how much pressure is 4000 psi?

texts: 4000 psi sounds like a lot. That's what some pressure washers can go up to. Just how much pressure is that? What are some real world examples that would help explain that kind of pressure?


texts: How do I replace rotten Subfloor under a supporting post

texts:
Rotten Subfloor goes under support post of my lanai Roof.  Best recommendation so far is to cut 3/4 inch thick end off a 2x4 (post is a 4x4) hammer under one side, scrape/chisel out other side of rotten subfloor under post, add another 2/4 "shim".  then simply cut new subfloor around 4x4 post.

Can't figure out how to post pics, but I have em...


texts: Chirping in Kitchen - Always one minute apart

texts:
So we've been getting this weird chirping noise in the kitchen. It's always just one chirp, and always a minute apart between chirps when I decided to time it. It first started yesterday in the morning, and then stopped later during the day, and today has started again, continuing on.
We don't have a smoke alarm in the kitchen, I've tried turning off the boiler and fridge, but the chirping carries on, and when I listen to where it's coming from, the sound seems to move.
Any help?


texts: As a part of a larger job, I have a plumber replacing water lines. He is going to use PEX. I read that sunlight exposure causes PEX to become brittle very quickly (on the order of a couple of weeks). Based on the I-know-it-all attitude that the plumber has showed on other parts of the project, I am worried that he might have stored the pipe improperly. Is there a way for me to check the state of the pipe before the walls are closed?


texts:
We are remodeling our house and we bought an antique arched double door and I am building the arch trim (it is not a circle arch).  I have a table saw with kerf blade and am planning on kerfing the some wood to create the jamb.

My question is, how do you finish the jamb?  How do you hide the cuts?  Seems like you would have to veneer surface?  What about the sides where the reveal is?

Been searching the interwebs and all I can find is someone filling all the holes with wood filler, which seems like it would work but I didn't know if there was another way.


texts: Correct pull-switch wiring scheme for a 3-speed ceiling fan

texts:
I'm replacing the fan switch in a Hampton Bay fan + light combo. I couldn't find a wiring diagram for the specific fan (and capacitor) to confirm the correct wiring, but after examining how it was connected, I suspect the switch was wired incorrectly when installed. The switch was stuck "on" at low speed for years, so I couldn't check what speeds the fan ran at for each setting with the old switch (I'm hesitant to wire it incorrectly to test with the new switch). From what I can tell, 3-speed fans should be wired something like what's shown in the following diagram:

Whatever the capacitor and fan manufacturer, I expect "hi" speed should connect the line/power and common wires, "med" the line/power and two of the capacitor wires (lower voltage, if not all equal), and "low" the line/power and the lower capacitor (and voltage) wire. This way, high speed bypasses the capacitor, medium uses a higher capacitance and low the lowest capacitance. Is this correct for the general case? Below is what I have in particular; would someone confirm whether the wiring scheme I propose is correct?
Components

fan: Hampton Bay EF200D
CBB61 series capacitor, 4 wires:

black: common
blue: 3µF, 350V
red: 3.5µF, 200V
yellow: 6µF, 200V

3-speed, 4-wire pull-chain switch with terminals L, 1, 2, 3

The capacitor has component # E175257 and manufacturer logo:

Both the old and new switches go through the sequence of terminal connections shown in the wiring diagram above (e.g. high speed connects terminals L & 1).
Old scheme
A simplified wiring scheme, showing how the switch connects to other components (other connections for those components are left out):

Capacitor (assumed to be correctly wired):

black capacitor wire connects to a reverse switch and switch terminal 2.
blue capacitor wire (3µF, 350V) goes into motor housing
red capacitor wire (3.5µF, 200V) goes to switch terminal 3
yellow capacitor wire (6µF, 200V) goes to switch terminal 1

Switch:

L: line from motor housing
1: yellow from capacitor (6µF, 200V)
2: black from capacitor
3: red from capacitor (3.5µF, 200V)

Since this will connect the line & 6µF on high speed setting, and line, black and 3.5µF on medium speed setting, the black and yellow wires appear to be swapped. Should the correct wiring be as following?

Switch:

L: line from motor housing
1: black from capacitor
2: yellow from capacitor (6µF, 200V)
3: red from capacitor (3.5µF, 200V)


texts: What is the correct way to wire a 3 way switch where power comes into the middle switch?

texts:
I found two books and neither had the diagram. Only I found two separate diagrams that did not work.
The setup:

Box 1 with 3 wire runs to box 2.
Box 2 has 2 wire power in, 2 wire to light and 3 wire to box 1

Both diagrams show Power (Black) to 3 wire (black), connected to common black screw in box 1 switch.
Power in Neutral (white) to light neutral (white/silver screw)
Box 2 switch Common black screw to  Light (black/ brass screw)
Where they differ is in the Red and White from the 3 wire.  One shows reds on left, whites on right; both switches. The other shows Red left box 2, red right box 1; white right box 2, white left box 1.
Both configurations trip the breaker.
I have checked ground connections, lines with multimeter, 3 separate switches, Checked tension and for micro holes/pinching, and checked the light.
The issue seems to be with the 3 way wiring.
I'm at a loss.
This is the diagram of what i tried, the other diagram was the same with the red and white in the far right box swapped... that didn't work either.


texts:
I have a stove I am replacing that was direct wired.  When I went to put an outlet in, I found out it only has 3 wires, Black, Red, and White and no ground.  I have a hood right above it that is grounded.

Can I run the ground wire from the hood to the metal stove outlet box, bond it to the box with a screw in the back, and then to the ground terminal of the outlet for my stove?

I am a layman, so please keep it simple.  Thank you in advance for any help.


texts:
I have a waffle iron that trips the RCD breaker (the rightmost breaker inside the red box below) after I've made a couple of waffles.

I'm fairly sure that I don't have a problem with the kitchen wiring, because I can run a kettle that's rated at 3000W, and that doesn't trip the RCD breaker, nor the kitchen sockets breaker (inner red box below). The waffle iron claims to draw 750-1000W.

Except that the toaster started also tripping that same RCD breaker if we use the two right-hand bread slots. I'm hoping it was a coincidence.

I'm in the UK. The kitchen sockets are on a 32A breaker. The oven is on its own 40A breaker.

Note that when I say "trips" I mean it actually trips out half of the house (the 63A RCD inside the red box at the right), which I'm hoping is caused by the aggregate load on that half of the consumer unit.

Pictured: The consumer unit.

I'm talking about the left-hand half of the consumer unit: Shower/Cooker/Sockets (G)/Sockets (K)/Sockets (1st)/RCD.

Here's a close-up of the breaker and RCD:

The breaker is a British General CUMB32; the RCD is a BG CUR6330.

So: how can I figure out whether the waffle iron and the toaster are faulty? If they are, this will obviously be cheaper and more convenient to resolve than calling out an electrician.


texts: Why am I measuring decreased voltage between my dryer's neutral and hot conductors?

texts:
At the outlet:

40V - red to neutral (white)
40V - black to neutral (white)
230V - red to black
110V - red to ground
110V - black to ground

At the circuit breaker:

230V - red to black
110V - red to neutral bar
110V - black to neutral bar

Do I need to run a new neutral wire?


texts: What's the name of this tool and what is it for?

texts:
Found this in a box of tools and I have no idea what is called and its purpose, would someone let me know please.

There is a mark on it - T12399


texts: DIY Bathroom Addition Vent and Drain Questions

texts:
I am adding a bathroom addition and I need some advice on laying out the drains and vents. The new bathroom will be 8'x 15' and will be slab on grade. When the new septic system was installed a few years ago the septic contractor left me a 4" capped stub-out for connection to the future bathroom addition.

Please excuse the crude drawing, but this is what I have come up with for the layout and was hoping for a critique and advice on what may need to be adjusted. I did not attempt to draw fittings but the plan is wyes, long sweep 90s, and 45s.


texts: How do I replace an Australian light switch?

texts: I'm trying to replace my light switch with a new one. The switch has two switches on it. The replacement switch I bought has two switches but is slightly different than the old one. This as far as I can work out is because the bottom switch is a two way switch. Will I be able to use this new switch?


texts: I recently added some ceiling lights and had to tap into an existing junction box that had a 3 wire multiwire branch circuit run to it.  This is a kitchen GFCI receptacle.  The red wire is on a breaker that runs to the dishwasher/garbage disposal.  The black wire fed the GFCI (all share neutral and ground).  I pigtailed off the black to feed power to the lights.  My question is should all neutrals be pigtailed - including the one run from the GFCI to the downstream outlet (GFCI protected)?  Does the attached diagram look correct?  Should the neutral going to the GFCI protected outlet (off the GFCI) be pigtailed with the rest?  I excluded the ground wires from the diagram - they are all pigtailed together.


texts: Small red brick wall area to hold L brackets

texts:
Refer to image below, I would like to know are my wall and the custom build L brackets able to hold around 50kg includes table top.

Ps: the L brackets is flat not those angle L

Here's a picture of where I want to install the table:


texts: What type of rotary hammer bit would work well to drill large holes in granite?

texts:
I plan to fence my property with driven metal T-posts (max cross section 1.45”).
A section of it goes across a granite rock outcropping. This in the area near Stone Mountain in Georgia.
I plan to buy a Bosch SDS-MAX 15amp rotary hammer for the job.
I want to drill a 1.5” hole 24” into the rock and set the T-post with Sackrete .
I likely have 50 holes to drill.
Am I better off going with a Carbide bit (Bosch HC5092) , or a diamond one?   And I don’t have a link for one.  Suggestions welcome.


texts:
I really wanted to paint one of my walls from white to a semi-glossy black. Not being a painter at all, at the recommendation of the store clerk, I used primer. Unfortunately, it was a spray primer and I (not really knowing what I was doing) made a bunch of figure 8's on the wall.

Unfortunately, when the light hits the wall at the right angle, you can clearly see the texture difference of where the primer was laid on and where the primer was not.

It's a year later, and I still have my mistake staring at me. I'm just wondering if another coat of the same paint will hide the texture difference, or if I'd have to do something more involved. Thanks.


texts:
I had a licensed GC install 2 windows. One of them needed a new RO in the stucco wall (single story home southern CA). I agreed to close the wall and do finish work. He was contacted to install windows and frame wall for windows. Now that I'm taking a closer look I have doubts and I'm looking for standards or code references to evaluate his work.

New king studs only have 1 nail toe nailed on the thin edge into the top plate. One of them has split where he nailed.
Jack studs are not fastened to King studs at all and aren't fastened to header and neither to bottom plate.
Cripple studs (cut from original studs) have 1/2 inch gap between the header and sill plate. Nails are visible...this cannot transfer load properly I would assume.
Header nailed to cripple studs with one nail. One of them split out the header pretty bad.
Sill plate not nailed to jack stud on one side. Other spots have 1/2 inch gaps and only use 1 nail.

My concern is that he left too large gaps and loads aren't transferred properly. The window is fastened to the jack stud, but jack stud is not secured by anything but a couple nails from the shop plate.

Also, the contact was time and material. He charged 1 hr before and 1 hr after he was at site. He took excess materials with him (cutoffs, nails, unused lumber) and charged me the total material cost plus 35%. Is that normal?

Can someone tell me what's normal, and what I should do? I've yet to pay him. I feel that I should have the option to keep all materials I purchase or have it deducted. I'm doing other work on the house where I could use them. I also don't think I need to pay an extra hour after the job for his commute (I live in very centralized location).

What is correct here and what should I ask for?
Is he obligated to correct any build problems (we did not get a permit)?


texts:
I bought a home with a ceiling fan that is wired in this manner: the light is on a single switch, and the fan is wired to two switches, on either sides of the room.
It makes more sense to me to have the light on the two switches, and the fan on the single switch. Currently, up at the ceiling fan box the black wires are connected and the blue wire from the for the light is connected to the red wire from the ceiling.
Can I connect the black wire from the fan to the red wire from the ceiling, and the black wire from the ceiling to the blue wire for the light? (This would swap the power wires in order to swap which set of switches control the fan/light.) I don't see why it wouldn't be okay, and this seems easier than trying to figure out how they wired the two switches together (which currently control the fan but I want to control the light) in order to change the wiring at the switches.
Thanks for any help!


texts: Temporarily prevent a full toilet bowl from draining

texts: I want to fill the toilet bowl with water as high as I can and let the water sit without draining for up to 24 hours. Why? To let some (gentle) cleansers do their work. I've tried shutting off the water at the wall and refilling the bowl from a pitcher, but inevitably the water starts draining too soon. Ideas?


texts: Why does the breaker trip after I replaced some outlets?

texts: I am installing  new outlets  in my house  each outlet has 2 black , 2 white and 2 ground wires attached.  I did the first 4 without any problems.  I got to the fifth one and the circuit breaker keeps tripping.  I tried different outlets and no outlet at all,  wire capped all the wires.  But it keeps  tripping the breaker.  What is going on?


texts: Concerns about a pipe that keeps freezing

texts:
I recently purchased my first home, so I’m new to home ownership, please bear with me.

I live in the Chicago area and this winter has been particularly cold. When the weather dips below 0 degrees F, one of the pipes freezes. This pipe must be somewhat insulated as it doesn’t freeze until well below freezing temperature. It’s strange because the toilet, which I’d assume feeds off of the same water line keeps working, but the cold water line on the sink faucet stops (the hot water line is also fine). As soon as the weather heats up to about 10 degrees F the pipe thaws and everything goes back to normal.

I understand that I eventually need to track down the root cause of this issue, which I plan on doing when it’s a little warmer, but my immediate concern is regarding the best way to deal with the frozen pipe. I’m not particularly worried about not having cold water, I can temporarily use the other bathroom in the house, but I’m seeking advice on how to ensure the pipe doesn’t break and other miscellaneous concerns.

I have been keeping the cold water line open to drip, but it seems to freeze even when I do that.

A few general questions:

Should I keep the cold water line open to at least reduce pressure in the pipes, even if this doesn’t prevent freezing?
When I leave for work for the day, should I shut main water line off to prevent flooding if the pipe does break? Anything I should know about turning off the main water supply somewhat frequently until I get this resolved? Is this a bad thing to do? Do I need to do anything with the water heater when I shut the main line off? Any other advice here?
Regarding a more long term solution, any advice on tracking down the problematic pipe? The pipe must be in a wall that’s facing the outside of the house with little insulation. Am I going to have to rip off drywall to find the pipe?

A side note. I recently removed the sink to replace with a new one, so I currently can’t keep the cold water line open, as it has no where to drain. Any advice given this twist?

Edit: I have copper pipes. This house was built in 1978. The sink in on an interior wall but that wall backs up to an attic.

Thanks!


texts: How should I paint an exterior door to prevent sticking?

texts:
Most quality paints for doors have at least a 5-day full cure time.

So how can I paint an exterior door and keep it from sticking to the stop?

I mean I could obviously paint it first thing in the morning on a warm summer day and leave it open until I want to go to bed but that's not fully cured.

I'm considering removing the door, painting it, boarding up the opening, and going on vacation for a few days.... But there has to be a better way!


texts: Any benefit to air sealing fixture boxes in cathedral ceiling? If so, ideal method?

texts:
New house. We have a cathedral ceiling. Foam vent baffles from eave to ridge, r-38 fiberglass (unfaced), sheetrock.

Most of the lights in the ceiling are LED puck lights that have a built in gasket to seal the opening. However, we have a few regular fixture boxes such as this ceiling fan box:

Would there be much to gain from air sealing this? If so, suggested method? I was thinking of masking it off and just giving it a good spray of flex seal. Worth the effort? Any reason NOT to?


texts: Help with under the sink filter installation

texts:
I have an old Omnifilter SMF2 under the sink water filter that I am needing to connect. The people who redid my kitchen plumbing installed a dedicated 1/2" cold water supply line and I need it to connect to the filter cartridge housing. The problem is that all of the new fittings that I ordered are all quick connects for a 3/8" pvc tubing (I have this John Guest faucet connector). What part do I need to connect a 1/2" thread male cold water supply to a quick connect housing that takes 3/8" tubing (this is the part that is currently on the filter cartridge housing)
I've attached a photo of the dedicated water line that has the 1/2" threaded male part. Thank you.


texts: How do I get my hot surface ignitor to ignite?

texts:
I have a Trane TUD080C936J0 gas furnace/ac. The furnace starts up via a hot surface ignitor.

The ignitor that was in it went bad, and I bought a replacement. When I plugged it in, it worked fine - once. The next time it called for heat there was a pop and a tinkling sound and the ignitor was in pieces - it looked like thermal shock or something.

I took that back and got an exchange, but the one they gave me was pre-cracked, and as neither of us checked it out at the store they wouldn't give me an exchange.

A couple of weeks later, a new one came in from an eBay seller. This one has about 40-50 ohms resistance, but the furnace still flashes "check hot surface ignitor. I've plugged my multimeter into the plug that goes to the ignitor and when the thermostat calls for heat it spikes for a moment (I typically see 500/1500/200v flash) and then it goes back to zero. I even plugged my multimeter in series with the ignitor and got the same behavior, but still no dice. Is it possible I just got another faulty ignitor? Is there a way that I can test the ignitor, like just plugging it into a wall socket or something? Presumably not while actually holding it, of course.

The furnace did flash one of the other trouble codes at first, but that switch was apparently just a little stuck - pulling it out and warming it up let it reset, and it doesn't flash that code anymore.

Any ideas?


texts: How can I determine if it's safe to remove this beam in my garage?

texts:
I want to remove a roughly 18' beam that goes across my garage. Oddly, it's the only one at this level. The ceiling beams are all about 28 inches higher. When I touch this beam it wobbles quite a bit, though it's firmly attached at the ends, leading me to believe there isn't much if any load on it. It seems like the beams above it are doing the same job. What the heck is it doing there, and how can I figure out if it's safe to remove? I'm hoping it's just there as a byproduct of the building process or something.

One potentially interesting note: I measured where the beam would come into my house (to the right of the garage as pictured) and it looks like it would come i directly above my front door. Interesting?

Edit: the "suspicious rope" was installed by myself just prior to taking these pictures; I was about to cut the beam and didn't want it to fall. Then I thought I'd better take a moment to reconsider, and here we are :)

There was previously a garage door opener which I removed; it ran just under this beam and wasn't attached to it. There WAS an electrical ground stapled to it (can be seen in the pictures) which I moved up to the beam above. I can't imagine someone would install a 2x6 just to run a ground when the beam above serves just as well.


texts: Can I remove one side frame of the cabinets above the refrigerator?

texts:
The space for the refrigerator is more narrow than I'd like. Both sides have a wall/panel extending from the cabinets above. The space is 33"w x 72"h. The new fridge would likely by 36"w x 70"h (covering a light switch a little). Picture here:

I've basically only come up with one solution:
Saw off left side just below cabinet. In this case, what kind of support would I need for the cabinets above?

It would be great if I could preserve the cabinet/housing as is, and simply move the left wall over a little bit, but that doesn't seem trivial.

Thanks!


texts: How to attach an anchor to a corner bead?

texts:
I'm trying to hang a blind mount to my window frame.
While doing so, I've noticed that I'm hitting the corner bead.
I was wondering, if someone can please point me out to a tutorial, how to use an anchor when hitting a corner bead (it doesn't seem secure enough without an anchor).
I was trying to use both the EZ plastic/metal drywall anchors, but both didn't go through.

Any suggestion is more than appreciated.

Thanks!

2017-01-10 Edit:

I do not have lumber backing, and as you can see in the photo below, I've already tried to drill through and then screw the EZ Solver with not much luck (I've ruined the mud but I can fix that).


texts: How do I repair a small nick in motor windings?

texts:
I accidentally put a nick in a washing machine motor's windings when I was removing it. The nick is shallow, with mostly just the varnish scraped off, and isn't as big as the picture makes it look. Thankfully I only nicked one wire. I looked into buying another one, but they are pretty expensive.

Thanks


texts: What tool/method should I use to clean up this laminate edge?

texts:
I just built my first laminate countertop yesterday and finished routing all the edges. Almost halfway through routing, my bit broke so I had to borrow  a beveled trim router bit. This bit left a mess with the backer from the top sheet exposed on the top edge as shown in the picture.
What should I use to clean up this edge, since all the laminate is on the surfaces now? Can I use a certain grit of sandpaper without damaging the laminate? Or is there a file that is fine enough? I am concerned because I will be scraping that residue off of the edge with the new laminate. It has the texture of cardboard, I think it's just the laminate backer.
Thanks for any advice


texts: How close can pex tubing be to a boiler?

texts:
I am adding radiators to my 2-pipe central heating (UK). The whole piping is copper 22mm and microbore, and I'm extending it with 15mm pex barrier pipe graded for central heating.

I know that the first bit of pipes connected to the boiler must be copper, which is the case.

However, I couldn't find whether there is a minimum distance between the boiler and plastic pipes merely passing near to it, without being directly connected to it.

Is there such a thing?

Any other comment on what I'm trying to do is welcome


texts:
I already suspect that I'm not going to like the answer, but I'll ask anyway.

My home has a screen porch, and in this section, the brick facade is starting to fall away from the house.  It was caused, I believe, by continual water leaking onto the ledge-- the porch is covered by a flat roof that was not properly attached to the rest of the roofing system, and water had been getting under the connection, and that water would drip onto the ledge.  (I think this because it is not a problem around the rest of the house, and I can also see water staining on the wooden panels directly above the ledge.)  That problem (which did not happen on my watch) has been fixed.

Anyway, I can think of how to jack the facade back into place, but re-attaching it seems like a problem.  I know that when it was originally built, the facade was attached to the studs of the wall between rows of brick.  Because it has pulled away slightly, I can tell where the studs are, and it wouldn't be too hard to anchor the bricks back.  However, I'm concerned that the type of fastener that I need to hold the weight of the bricks would compromise the strength of the 2 x 6 studs.

Any direction a professional could give me  would be much appreciated.


texts: How can I reduce the humidity in my home?

texts:
Moisture inside my home fills up moisture bucket within a month, and the furniture and anything on the ground has green mildew/mold growing.

When the humidity is high the tile floors on the screened porch are completely water logged (I mean not just a little condensation, the floor looks like it is flooded).

Black mold is growing on the ceiling of the bathroom despite the window being open for ventilation.


texts: Home heating fuel comparison (wood and heat pumps)

texts:
I'm investigating the most efficient way to heat my new 2000 sq home in New Hampshire and am having some difficulty working out the math based on the numbers I have found.

I've found that wood is incredibly cheap...even if I buy it late in the season when the prices have gone up. I'm looking at $350 a cord for mixed hardwood, which I found can produce 22.1 mBTU.

I've also found an 89% efficient insert, increasing the cost savings per month to $116 for wood over oil. These savings are HUGE. If my numbers are right I'm jumping on the wood burning wagon immediately.

--Edit--

Going further down this rabbit hole, I've update the image with new specs for the heat pump, and I'm also wondering if those are correct. What I'm seeing is that a SEER 16 heat pump is 4.689 times more efficient than standard electrical heating, which means that a 48k btu 4 ton system can give me 16000 btus per kWh vs the standard 3412 btu/kWh of electric resistance heating.

Does that calculation make sense? Are heat pumps and wood inserts really that much better than oil? Can I really save 178 dollars a month by going with a 16 SEER heat pump?


texts: New Pressure Treated boards are wider than existing ones

texts:
I am adding to a deck that is framed with 2"x10" beams and joists.
I bought new Pressure Treated boards to add to it, but have found that the new boards are 9-7/16" versus the 9-1/4" on the existing ones.
Is the difference because they are new?


texts: Is my NEMA 14-30R to NEMA L6-30R adapter safe?

texts:
At our studio we have a NEMA 14-30R outlet used for our kiln. When not in use, we want to use another piece of equipment that has an L6-30P plug. I believe the equipment is rated at 8AMP 240V.

I built an adapter that has a 14-30P on one end and an L6-30R on the other, capping the neutral inside the L6-30R. In this way we can switch from one piece of equipment to the other without running a new line, guaranteeing mutually exclusive use of the circuit.

Is this configuration safe? Would I be better off pulling off the neutral pin from the 14-30P? Right now I just want to make sure no one is going to hurt themselves until we can find an appropriate solution although running a new circuit is not an option - maybe sub-panel with a switch between two outlets?


texts: Are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?

texts:
Other than looking up blue prints, which many homeowners may not have, are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?

Methods I can think of might include:

Going up in the attic to check if ceiling trusses run perpendicular to the wall
If the wall is an exterior wall

Any others?


texts:
I have a couple of fittings with 3x E14 bulbs in each. Each of the fittings is labelled with a max of 4w for LED.

Problem is, I’d like to upgrade to Philips Hue, which only offer 6w.

I didn’t spot this until I’d already replaced them all, so I switched it on briefly anyway (risk-taker that I am) and all seemed well, despite overall load being 6w more than the theoretical max.

So, what’s the risk of leaving them plugged in? Shortened life of the fixture? Issues with my electrics more generally? Circuit being tripped periodically? House burning down?

Any advice appreciated!


texts: Why do my outlets start working when something is plugged in?

texts:
I am in an apartment and have a small bar between living room and kitchen. In that bar is an outlet. It is NOT on the same breaker as the living room lights, fan, or outlets.

Recently my lights and outlets quit working in the living room area. We had 7 kids over for a birthday so since the outlet on the bar was working, I know because my phone charger was plugged into it, we moved the TV to that part of the room. When I plug the tv into the bottom outlet all the lights, ceiling fan, and outlets start working in the living room. This only happens in the bottom outlet and NOT the top outlet. How is this possible since they are on separate breakers?

I'm not sure if it's relevant but there is a roof leak in apartment. We have mold growing in closets in one bedroom, landlord says it is not mold, and water drips from air vent in ceiling in dining room when it rains. Nothing close to this plug though.

Standing under ceiling fan. Outlet is just above my jacket on bar wall.


texts: Can I enter the side of the panel *through* the stud?

texts:
I have a service panel that is the usual setup, mounted between two studs. The studs are not load bearing.  I want to bring NM (Romex) cable into the side of the panel, but that involves drilling through the studs.  How do I protect the cable?

Would this work, using a rigid conduit nipple then clamped by conduit nuts? (I might have to add washers or shim on the outside in case I can't get the threading just right).


texts: How do you remove and re-install Register Duct Boot?

texts:
Is it possible to remove and replace this register duct boot without screwing up the dry wall around it?

Large Images: https://imgur.com/a/lh9HIt2


texts: Do I need to ground my above ground pool / with saltwater system?

texts: I just bought a 21'x52" above ground pool. I am going to use a saltwater system with it. Do I need to ground this pool ?


texts:
I recently bought my first home and a few months ago when it rained heavily I noticed water leaking inside from under the bottom window molding.
I tried to recreate what was causing the leak and it happens when water is getting onto the sill and not from the master frame connection to the brick.
How do you recommend this be fixed? I've contacted a few window companies and most say the window needs to be resealed but I'm worried the problem is with the window itself.


texts: How do I connect a subpanel with neutral and ground to the same bus bar in main panel?

texts:
My main panel has the neutral and ground to the same bus bar and I am planning to connect a subpanel for a detached garage.  So I have a few questions.

When I connect the subpanel to the main panel, does it matter which bus bar I connect the ground and neutral?
Do I need to separate all of the other ground and neutral wires on the bus bar when I connect the sub panel?


texts: Besides welding, are there other ways to connect this gear to its axle?

texts:
This is washing machine's agitator axle and a gear from transmission. The weld that connected them both had failed.

Since I don't have welder at my disposal, I am wondering, if besides welding there are other ways to connect this axle and gear back together?

As one example, I have a tap and die set and was thinking that I could drill a hole in the axle and gear. Put a bolt. And then file the bolt's head smooth? Though, I am wondering what could happen in the worst case if bolt fails (e.g. stall motor, cause belt to fail)? Any other ideas?


texts: What is used to seal around glass in fireplace doors?

texts:
The glass in my fireplace doors have felt-like strips layered in between the glass and the metal framing of the doors. I recently had to have a piece of glass replaced and they lost the strips. Now when the air conditioner unit is running it pulls air in from chimney causing the house to smell like smoke.

What is the material used to seal the glass so I can correct this problem?


texts: How to attach horizontal bar to a wooden wall?

texts:
I want to set the horizontal bar on the wooden wall above the doorway.The wall thickness is 16 cm., 2 cm layer of plaster. What is the best and more reliable way to do this? Should I attach it over the plaster?

Horizontal bar and fasteners from the kit:


texts: Do metal junction boxes used solely as pull boxes need to be grounded?

texts:
I am planning to pull three sets of four conductors (3 AWG wire) through 2" EMT conduit for a 30' length that is common to all three sets of wires, and then branch off at a listed metal junction box (10"x10"x4") to three 1 1/4" EMT conduits. I am doing this because I am planning to run wiring for three 100-amp subpanels from a 200-amp main.

I was not planning to make any mechanical connections inside of the junction box and just use the junction box to pull the wire through. Do I have to strip back insulation on the ground wires to make direct connections to the junction box?


texts: How to flush all the water lines in your house

texts:
I live in a small (1-traffic-light) town in upstate NY. Some local village water officials accidentally cracked a water main (feeding water to the entire area) and so the Department of Health had to step in and issue a "Boil Water Alert" because the water could be contaminated.

The alert was in effect for almost a week (!!!!) and is now lifted. The village is recommending to everyone that they "flush out all water lines in [our houses]" to get rid of any potentially contaminated water.

Any ideas how I could do this properly? I have two young kids in the house and want to go by the book, for their sake. My wife thinks this is just as easy as running all the sinks and showers in the house for a few minutes. But...

Is it really just a few minutes? Or should we run everything for longer? We have a 98-gallon water heater.
Also, speaking of the water heater, doesn't that store hot water in some kind of separate compartment/tank than the cold water? If so, how do I flush out the hot water? Do I just run hot water?!?

I'm a software engineer, so by definition, I'm probably overthinking this. But I would feel just awful if one of my sons got really sick because of some laziness on my part.


texts:
We have 6 identical table lamps in our home that are touch lamps.  We have used them for three years. One evening recently my husband touched the lamp on his bedside table and there was a small static electricity shock. Afterwards the lamp would not turn on and off by touching it any more. Occasionally if we really beat on the side of the lamp it might turn on the lowest setting, so it's not completely dead. But it won't turn on easily or predictably. We moved that lamp to my side of the bed (since I seem to occasionally be able to get it to come on) and moved my "good" lamp to his side. Within a week, the same thing happened to him again. And the second lamp doesn't come on at all now.  So.....I can purchase a new set of lamps just like the old ones, but how do we keep this from happening again?  We have a phone charger plugged into the other half of the same outlet, and it seems to work fine, so I don't think the outlet is the problem. Also, just as another piece of information, my husband wears a fitbit-type bracelet. Could this be causing any problems? We are not in a dry climate and have not experienced any other static electricity shocks in our home at this time.

Here is a link to our lamps.  https://www.amazon.com/D%C3%A9cor-Therapy-MP1991-Control-Lampsbronze/dp/B06XC6Q5SJ/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4GX6AQWX1Z7X42T4FEQP


texts: How to I repair moulding damaged by Blue Scotch tape?

texts:
I put blue scotch tape on my laminate moulding to protect it when I was painting the trim.  I wasn't able to paint the room all in one weekend, and as things go, it took a few weekends to finish the job.  When I removed the tape it pulled off the laminate covering.

I'd rather not replace the moulding.  Is there a good way to repair this?

Click for full size image


texts: How do I cut a channel and plaster television cable work in a brick chimney?

texts:
I am buying a new TV, which I intend to mount on the wall.

The wall is a brick chimney breast, early 1900's house. I have heard mentioned on a few sites the idea of cutting a channel, and plastering the cable work in within some sort of trunking.

What I want to know is:

Is this sensible?
What is required to do the job?
Is it something an average skilled layman can do, or strictly a pro job?
I am in the UK, what is the likely cost of the pro?
Any other tips or advice?


texts: What are the pros and cons of covering a basement ceiling with drywall vs. panel board?

texts:
I'm renovating an unheated basement into a shop in a 1900's wood frame house.  The plaster has long since come down and I'm looking to cover the joists.

The goal is to insulate a bit (the floor above is pretty cold in areas), reduce noise and dust (upwards), and make the room less dark.

Any suggestions between using basic sheetrock versus using panel board like:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-Thrifty-White-32-sq-ft-Hardboard-Panel-Board-709106/202090193

The basement is a little damp, but not enough to make surface rust on iron.

thank you!
steve


texts: How do you remove the handles on this faucet

texts:
I'm trying to repair a leak in both faucets in this sink.

I think the first step is to remove the faucet but can't figure out how to do this.

I can't see a set screw. I tried gently prying with a screwdriver. I tried unscrewing the skirt by hand. I tried unscrewing the handle parts. These appear to be caulked on. There is no brand name visible.

I don't want to use too much force if doing it the wrong way.

Do I have to remove by undoing the nut on the supply line? There isn't a lot of room to access these nuts so not sure what tool to use, which is why I haven't attempted this. The whole thing looks fairly old since the supply line is a solid metal tube, not flexible.

Any ideas on how to remove these faucets?


texts: How clean does the surface of new-poured concrete footings need to be before pouring piers?

texts:
I'm moving a 8x16 shed-turned-shop onto nine 10" piers on 16" footings over a clay substrate. I'm doing a split pour. I have already dug the holes, poured the footings and set the vertical rebar a few days ago and planned to pour the piers today. Timing was based on no rain being forecast for the week. It rained 36 hours following the pour. The holes are now filled with water and the footings have a 1-2" layer of clay mud settled on them. More rain is forecast now.
When the rain clears, I'll pump the water out of the holes and pour the piers. Before I pour, how "clean" does the surface of the footings need to be of the clay that has settled on them? There 3 lengths of at least 12" of vertical rebar exposed from each footing for the piers to pour over, so there will be a good bit of mechanical bonding.


texts: 2 in. PVC Slip x Slip Union thread miss match, metric vs imperial maybe?

texts: I'm trying to join a pipe to a pvc connector, I got one from the hardware store that seemed to match in size perfectly, but when I tried to screw it on, the thread seemed to not match, are there two 'threads' for pvc connectors, here's a picture of the sort of connector I'm using.  Is it a metric / imperial thing?


texts:
I want to run an underground electric cable to a shed which is 200 feet from the house.

I was wondering what the pros and cons were of using an existing overhead line and putting in conduit.

Also what size of wire would be needed as I have a welder in the shed.


texts: How can I dry out a soggy floor in my kitchen?

texts:
some wooden floorboard in my kitchen got some water that had not been cleaned up for an hour and the timber seems to have absorbed some of the water and make a soggy sound when walked over.

how can I dry it out pls?

thanks guys for the answers, the thing is I am in London and not sure I can rent a shop vac anywhere close.

so a normal table fan is of no use ?

it is a purpose built first floor flat...with underfloor heating...I am tried turning on heating for a while but has not helped. think the wood had absorbed a lot of water..the thing is the spilled water is just a small bucket left for just 30 mins or so, so I am surprised it has become this severe.

in London it is very hot these days so door and windows are open meaning good ventilation, but things hv not helped and actually I think water is seeping along the floor board and coming into the living room. so I need to act fast.

this is the picture..if u zoom in u can see the water seeping out..and the sogginess seems to be spreading to other areas as well..so appreciate quick help.
thanks

and this is video..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfZVd6k_m6s

about 2-3 liters of water spilled in the affected area near the kitchen which was mopped out after 30 mins. But even after trying to dry out for two days it has not helped and in fact it is spreading to other areas..any advice, please ?


texts: Would insulating a door between my closet and attic help keep the closet warmer?

texts:
In our new home, in the back of our closet the previous home owner had put that flimsy thin wood paneling as a wall in between the back of the closet and where the triangular part of the roof is about 5ft tall.

So behind that is a finished storage crawlspace area with insulation, plastic vapor barrier and the OSB board.  The OSB boards do not meet flush to each other where there are corners, except the floor.  It looks nice and is well done.

However, in the winter our closet is cold, like you can feel the air coming out when you go to grab a shirt.  The summer (now) it's hot upstairs, more so in the closet.  My question is, what is the best way to go about insulating this better?

I was going to go buy some insulation sheets, just FOAMULAR sheets, and install them on the other side of the closet "wall".  I know that you shouldn't put more insulation over vapor barrier.  Would this suffice in keeping weather temp out or is there a better way to go about this?  Hopefully my description is good enough to picture.


texts: HELP! Upgrading my kitchen to ceramic tile floor

texts: So, I've decided to take on this big project.  I have a 1/2" plywood subfloor with 3/4" MDF on top.  Should I rip out my entire subfloor add a 3/4" t&g plywood then lay 1/2" plywood on top or am I able to just lay the 3/4" t&g on top of the 1/2" plywood?  If I can add the 3/4" plywood on top should I screw to the joists or glue and screw off the joists?


texts: How do I install curtain rod mounts correctly if I keep hitting metal?

texts: I am installing Double Bay Window Mounts. If I have measured the correct height, 84", and the recommended width of 3" from the window on both sides why am I hitting  metal when I drill the holes? I'm using the supplied 1 1/2" screws and anchors. What can I do?


texts: Why do both water tanks have hot inputs? Is my boiler (on-demand) feeding into my hot water heater?

texts:
I have an interesting setup that I'm trying to understand (without tearing apart sheetrock).  I have two electric tank-based water heaters, and a tankless gas water heater that is used for the boiler system.

This is the tankless heater:

And here are the two electric tank-based heaters:

There is also a water recirculation pump hooked up to the water heater on the left.  Here's a close-up shot:

I believe that the two tank-based water heaters are hooked up in series, with the right one receiving cold water and feeding the left one, which then provides hot water to the house.  This explains why both the input and output of the left one are hot.  However, on the right one, the output is always hot (expected) but the input is sometimes hot, sometimes cold.  Why?  Is it possible that the on-demand boiler is feeding into the input of the right one?  Are there any other explanations?


texts: How can I add a programmable timer to a circuit breaker so that I can force specific circuits on/off at specific times?

texts:
My father-in-law suffers from dementia.  His doctor wants him to go to bed at 11 PM, but he often refuses and stays up way later than he should watching TV.  We have him set up with a separate suite with bedroom/bath/TV room.

I want to attach a timer to the breakers that control both the lights and outlets in the TV room to force those to turn off at 11 PM and (hopefully) get him into bed for his health at the appropriate time.

Is attaching a timer to the breaker panel a feasible way to accomplish the above?  Other suggestions would be appreciated if not.


texts: how to level uneven plywood floor for tiling?

texts:
I have an old house that's built on pillars and has shifted a little over time.  We are remodeling the kitchen and just ripped up many layers of creatively installed flooring.  We are down to the bottom layer of plywood and it dips on one side of the room (8"x 15" room) and then kind of comes back up.

We aren't sure how to tell how sloped it is or how much leveling is really necessary.  We have heard that if we don't level it the tiles will eventually crack so we want to prevent that.

We are planning on putting down backer board in between the plywood and the tiles, will that be enough support or is it important to do some sort of leveling first?  If we level with something like cement will we need another layer of plywood or can we put the backer board right on top?

Any advice appreciated, thanks so much!