texts: Is there a way to open this kind of ratchet with no visible screws and no visible retainer rings?

texts:
I'd like to know if this kind of ratchet with no visible screws is serviceable in anyway, i.e. if it can be at least opened to clean it. (The ring on the rear serves as selector). It tried prying up the ring with a flat screwdriver (with and without the release button depressed) but it doesn't seem to budge (up). I have to wonder how they even assemble the thing...

Here are some hi-res photos (well, as hi-res as SE would allow) of the actual head:

Contrary to the answer/suggestion below there are no visible retainer rings on either side. There is room for a 0.05 mm feeler to go all way around, and for the 0.1mm feeler in one spot (where the handle curves) under the rear selector. But even there a 0.15mm would not go in all the way that the 0.1mm one does. The gap space might look bigger, but that's only an illusion because the spinning parts are rounded on both sides. There's no retainer ring that I can feel anywhere.

Here's photo of the rear with the eject button depressed (and held that way with pliers grabbing the inner pin tip). As you can see the real ring is also one solid piece of [painted] metal, with nothing obvious to remove there...

(By the way, I managed to clear enough of it with the feelers, so it doesn't make a rock-dust-grinding noise anymore, but the question how to open this still remains unsolved.)


texts: What is this attachment that is connected to my home's main water line?

texts:
I woke up yesterday morning to water spraying out of the bottom of this attachment. After having a mini panic attack I shut the main off. I waited about 30 mins before turning the main back on and the water stopped spraying out and everything appears to be fine now. Is this some kind of back-flow preventer or pressure regulator? Can someone explain to me what the purpose of this attachment is?

Edit Here are some more photos of the setup.


texts: Hardwood floor to french door transition

texts: I am installing solid 3/4 inch hardwood flooring. How do I transition it to a french door. The height of the wood flooring and door threshold are the same, but there is no clearance for the door opening for any molding that would be above floor height.


texts: How many man hours to build a small house, 2500 sq ft?

texts:
I'm looking for a general estimate of "man hours" needed to build a small house. I'm sure it will vary widely. The purpose is curiosity, and to enable one to take it as reference and compare with time spent in another context.

Please consider a house built in a typical, simple process, not a modular house, 3d printed or other optimized process. We could consider a small house to be 100m². The typical crew seems to be 3-5 people.

So far I've found estimates like: 4480 hours (unknown size), 1280+ hours (2000ft²), 3 months (# of people and size unknown), 900 hours (1200ft²), 600 hours (2 story house shell) and 8000 (200+m²)

The answer could be a range or could be a list of estimates for specific conditions, for instance.


texts: PCM air test results, fiber count different from f/cc, why?

texts:
We recently have removed old vinyl flooring and the people that performed the abatement did a pre, during and post clearance air tests using the PCM method.

The pre and post tests resulted in 0.016 f/cc and 0.007 f/cc.  The test ran for 1200 liters of air as volume and in the pre-removal test the fiber count was 40 whereas the fiber count for the clearance was 15.

What I cannot understand is that the two numbers when converted are not compatible. For example 40/1200 results in 0.03 f per liter of air. However the result provided (0.016 f/cc) if converted to liters is 0.016*1000 (a liter contains 1000 cubic centimeters) = 16 fibers per liter.

Is there something that I am missing? Is it reasonable to expect that my space has thousands as opposed to hundreds of fibers?

PS: I am aware that PCM does not distinguish between asbestos and non-asbestos fibers so the actual counts may be 10% or 50% or some percentage of the original fiber count.


texts: How can I eliminate home shaking caused by vibration from heavy traffic/poor road condition?

texts:
I need your help!  I own a house near a state road (trucks, buses are allowed) near Philadelphia.  With the bad snow years the past few years, our road condition deteriorated but not so badly (little bumps), but badly enough to shake/vibrate my home when big trucks/buses go by (about 45 miles per hour).  I'm trying to find a way to perhaps dig the backyard about 6ft (1-2ft wide), and pour in concrete or something that can dampen the vibration (person from Lowe's said this).  Is there anything I can do?  FYI: distance to my home from the street is about 100 - 150ft (our backyard).  I'm willing to spend the money as long as I can eliminate this vibration coming from the state road through the ground.

Things I have done already:

I spoke to the local police station if they can lower the speed limit.  They said "No."
I put 2 tons of rocks against the fence (to the state road) to push down the ground to dampen the vibration coming from the traffic through the ground.  It didn't do much (slight improvement).

Your advice will be appreciated!  FYI: My home is shown here in blue dot next to the state road (Lancaster Ave).

I posted this to one person, but thought it can benefit more folks.

What I did (digging 6ft x 90ft inground trench, and pouring sand to fill it) didn't work. I ended up wasting $15K...My home still shakes, and I'm out of ideas... If it worked, I was going to put up some photos of all the work, but what a bummer (so if you are having a similar issue - don't dig!). I followed the research work by someone in Canada who I liked the idea of, but oh well. Asked the township to resurface the road and stuff. They'll do it over this summer, and I'm hoping that can do the trick. Below is the picture right before sand was poured in.


texts: There is a fairly large gap between the door and the frame. How do i fix this?


texts:
We've just had a french drain installed around our basement. In a couple of places, it was necessary to open a hole in a (non-load-bearing) wall, leaving both a hole in the drywall and a cut stud:

I think we know how to handle the drywall repair ourselves, but first we need to repair the stud so that we have something to which to attach the drywall.  What's the correct way to do that for such a small area?

Would we do something like this?

And if that's the right approach, can we use something like construction adhesive to attach the replacement baseplate to the concrete floor?


texts: Should I use a float "piggy-back" sump pump switch?

texts:
I have a Zoeller M-53 sump pump and I'm considering using a float switch to stop the pump from cycling too frequently. Here's the situation...

The water level is pretty high where I live. The sump pit is really an old, rather shallow brick-lined pit. The pump is working fine, but there are many times of the year that the pump just goes off too much. I'm afraid that the pump's life will be limited by this constant cycling. There are times that I know the water level won't climb out of the pit, but the pump's built-in switch triggers the pump anyway. I don't need the water to be that low.

Note: I cannot raise the pump higher than it is because of how shallow the pit is already. Plus, I have a battery backup pump that is on top of this that just sits at the absolute top of the pit.

Is it ok to do this to my pump, or would the pump being covered in water cause more damage?


texts: Changed washer in shower and now it squeaks at low volume

texts:
I changed a standard rubber washer on the cold water in my 50 year old shower and now the cold water makes a steady, high pitch, squeaking noise at low volume.  The squeak changes pitch as I turn the water on more (but I do not need that much cold water.).  What might I have done wrong and how do I fix the noise?

Update: It is now several weeks later and the cold water no longer squeaks. (It healed itself.). Why?


texts: What should be done about water under bathroom floor tiles?

texts:
There is water getting under our bathroom floor tiles. The landlord believes that due to a recent remodel of whole bathroom, water is not draining from the window ledge but is instead going into the wall and then under the floor.

I can agree with that but he swears that even though the tile has separated and continues to be wet, that because of the floor type there will not be any mold.   He claims that the black I see is the glue, not mold.

He is debating whether to remove the shower etc. and wall up the bottom of the window or grout the ledge and put in a couple of holes so that water drains outside.

I'm not sure if I agree with his assessment.

What do you think?


texts: What gauge wire should I use to run 8 feet from a 13 amp pump to the control box . The wire it came with is 14 ga. But only 4 feet. Could I splice it?


texts: Stuck building craftsman style coffee table

texts:
I'm attempting to build (and learn at the same time) a craftsman / arts and crafts style coffee table. It's a smaller project to learn on, before I start taking on more complex projects. I've made some good progress so far, building everything out of oak. The legs are built out of quarter sawn oak planks, using a lock-miter router bit to get them to all have the correct face looking outwards.

I've hit a couple of major snags, and the project has stalled for quite a while, but I'd like to get back into it. The snags are with the hole in the cross rail through which the shelf on the bottom of the table passes through (see second image), and the holes in the legs into which the cross rail passes through. I've attached my sketchup drawings for reference, the first is the picture of the whole table, and the second is of the specific areas where I'm stalled.

The specific issue that I'm having is how to make the holes in the wood, and have them come out square. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a dedicated mortising machine (and I'm not sure that would be the answer anyway). I do have a drill press with a mortising attachment, which worked really well for some of the other (smaller) holes that I had to make.

I started the hole on one cross rail with the drill press and the mortising bit, but it didn't come out square (if you can imaging drilling a small square hole, moving the piece down a bit, drilling the next hole, and repeating until the dimensions of the hole are complete, that's what I did). The edges are all very jagged, and I'm having a very difficult time getting them smooth.

How does one usually make these sorts of holes? I'm hesitant to keep going and screw up more parts of the table.


texts:
I have a single hung vinyl window that I can't get to close all the way.  The the building was built in 2007 and I assume the window is that old. Nothing appears to be blocking the track. Can this be fixed or should I look into replacing the window.
picture of the small gap at the bottom of the window


texts: How do I connect several led strips to build a single light panel?

texts:
I want to build a very bright rectangular light panel (ca. 1mx0.7m). The idea is to put 8 rows of led-strips behind acrylic glass. I'm using an optonica 5050 led strip that wants 14.4W per meter.

I could connect 8 1-meter-long strips in parallel to a single power supply (360W 12V 30A).
I also want to control it via a dimmer. The dimmer only supports 96W.
I also have an RGB amplifier (12A). It supports 192W.

Is it a good idea to use 8 strips in parallel, or should I try to connect some of the strips in series and use the amplifier?
And what is the best way to connect several led strips to one single amplifier or to the power supply? Can anyone recommend some kind of screw terminal with multiple inputs and one single output (Is "distribution block" the correct term)?


texts:
Hi I have a question and I was hoping to get some insite. First I am getting a certified electrician to come check it out on Thursday but figured let me do my homework.

So I noticed the other day my garage lost power. Looking into it none of the breakers tripped and the feed coming from the house was fine too.

I checked the panel in the garage and noticed off the bat the previous owner didn’t use the correct cable to run to 240v in. He just used a 120volt cable and used the black and white cable as hots and the ground as a neutral. I know that was stupid of them. I also noticed one of the legs doesn’t get power so I know that there is a break along the way?

I removed that cable from the house to isolate it away. And only used the other leg since I was getting 120 on it.

However anything I plug in that has a load causes it to blink. Ex a light bulb just blinks nonstop. Almost like a short (before the garage on the boot legged cable) but none of the breakers trip

I’m curious what could be causing the other leg to have issues only under load. I’m thinking the cables are grounding to themselves but if so I would expect the 240v circuit breaker in the house to trip.

For now I killed the breaker in the house just in case.

Any insight would be appreciated.


texts:
Old house. Some wiring is knob-and-tube. All connections to circuit box is Romex.  Here is what I can't figure out. I'd like advice on what it might be and how to fix it.

I shut off the breaker to Circuit 8.  Voltage tester tests off. Plug in a light, it won't light at any outlet. HOWEVER, if I take a non-contact voltage tester (chirper) and hold it right up to light switch, whether switched on or off, it tests for current right next to the box. Additionally, I get a positive for current next to an uncapped neutral on the same circuit.   If I shut off Circuit 18, which in no way looks to be tied to Circuit 8, then I get no current on 8.

Also, in another part of house, ceiling lights constantly burn out.

Thanks for any help and ideas.


texts: My toilet won't flush, and just adds water

texts: my toilet won't flush. All it does is fill up with water and sit there. It's not even draining the water. I have let it sit all night and still is the same water level in the morning. I've been plunging it and nothing happens. What can I do?


texts: Unknown wiring schematic deduction for outlet

texts:
Ultimately  I would like to know is the only scenario the white wire is hot is due to a switch loop or a reason white might be hot or black is neutral.
I had three wires nm romex (14/2)  going into a single outlet. I’m an idiot and did not take a mental picture of what was what before taking two wires off the terminal screws and four wires out the backstabs before replacing with gfci outlet. Rookie mistake I’m sure.
I Temporarily wire nutted the blacks together and the whites together and the grounds.
After some time I realized I’m so dumb for not checking the outlet before hand like I usually do and copy it. The breaker has not tripped and the whites are not hot. But I recently had a question on stack for why a white wire would be wire nutted to black and learned about the switch loop. So I’m paranoid I maybe just created a fire hazard considering there could be other scenarios where white should hot in which case my wiring could be wrong or the black should be white (I would think that’s bad practice but I’m still learning so can’t say for sure).
Thinking through this I can’t think of any reason an outlet might have a white and a black mixed where white is hot or black is switched or some combination for these three wires. The outlet is not controlled by a switch that I am aware of for the five years I’ve lived here but you never know.
I’m sure there has to be some electrician or experienced DIYer that has done this  and there is some method to deduce what is what without tracing the wires through the wall.


texts: How to rule-out certain causes of 15 amp breaker that keeps tripping

texts:
One of the breakers in my apartment keeps tripping even after resetting. It’s a 15 amp circuit that feeds a bedroom, being used as a home office/recording studio with a laptop, 2nd monitor, a mixer, stereo amplifier, synthesizer, modem, wifi router, printer etc.

It's been running trouble-free for five years, but after a big electrical storm a few days ago, which may or may not be related, that’s when the breaker started to trip once I began plugging back in all the things I had unplugged during the electrical storm.

I tested all devices one by one and found that the amplifier will trip when powered on every single time without fail. I also managed to trip it a few times turning on 2 computers, monitor, the mixer, etc., but this test was hard to repeat.

Just when I thought the amplifier was to blame, I took it around and tested it on different circuits throughout the whole apartment and it NEVER trips any other breakers—whether solo or with other appliances running.

The maintenance guy from the apartment came by, looked at the breaker briefly, reset it, tested the lights in the room and said, "it’s fine" and he still believes it’s my amplifier, not the breaker.

I am not so sure, but I need help ruling things out so I can have some ammo to go back to them and suggest what I believe could be causing it to trip.

Any suggestions on what it could be, what else to look for, or what else to test?


texts: Is it ok to unsolder an outdoor spigot and to solder back a new one without cutting the copper pipe?

texts:
I am trying to replace an old outdoor spigot that is soldered to a copper pipe.
I will put in place a fitting that will give me a thread so I can attach (screw in) a ball valve.

All the instructions that I see show either how to remove or how to install a new one (by cutting the old pipe)
I can not find any indication about not having to cut the pipe. Is that mandatory?

Edit: Thanks guys! I got the job done this evening, after some small troubles.. The original spigot came off quite easy. This was my first soldering ever. I cleaned the pipe and the fitting properly, I added flux and I proceeded with the soldering. What nobody tells you is that if you use a threaded fitting you need to anticipate the position of the ball valve and olny after that you need to proceed with the soldering. That is way I soldered it wrong and I had to remove the fitting and to do it again. The first attempt was leaky and I added too much solder. The next one went better and no leakss this time!!


texts:
A local plumbing company installed my tub/shower.  In my uneducated opinion, this faucet doesn't look right and seems to be sticking too far out.  Should it look like this?  I don't want to be overly picky, but I did pay a decent chunk of change and want it done right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGmyRhQ1eto  (video of the sleeve sliding back and forth - if it helps to see what's going on.


texts: How to isolate a baseboard heater circuit, drain, purge?

texts:
I am renovating a kitchen and in the process have a need to remove a baseboard heater from a wall that will now occupy cabinets. The removal is straightforward and will take 10 minutes tops. However I of course will need to drain the line of water prior to doing so. Being from Texas, baseboard heating is new to me. I believe I have the overall concept but want to be sure so that I do not damage my system or cause future problems or hazards.

The first image is a part of the overall system. I have circled what I believe are the main components I need to worry about. Correct me if I am wrong at any point.

In pink is the power shut of for the furnace. I would need to shut this off prior to starting any work?

In green is the supply lines to the heating system (details below).

Yellow are control valves that send the water to each circuit (details below).

Blue are the return lines of each circuit (details below).

I believe that circuits 1 & 2 are fed from the supply line on the left and are controlled by the valve. The spigot allows to drain/purge the circuits.
Same with circuits 3 & 4 being fed by the supply line in the middle which are also controlled with the vale and spigot.

In theory, if the unit I need to remove is on circuit 3, I'd close the valve for 3 & 4 to stop the water flow. I'd also attach a hose and bucket to that spigot to drain those lines correct? (See pink highlight).

The two main lines marked 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 in the previous image split off to individual circuits that I believe are controlled by these valves which are controlled by thermostats in the house, correct? And each of these lines go wherever they go throughout the home hitting their respective units along the way. In my example, #3 is the line my unit I need to remove is on.

After winding their way through the home all four circuits join back up and return to the boiler for reheating. Shortly after all 4 merge there is a valve that seals off water from flowing backwards into the circuits (if that's even possible?). I'm assuming that closing this valve in conjunction with the 3 & 4 valve previously mention would allow me to drain the circuit enough to do the plumbing needed. (see valve in pink below.)

Is there anything I am missing or am I completely off base here?

I am also assuming that doing this procedure introduces air into the system that would need purging.

The steps for purging would be similar I believe except I would have to have the power to the boiler on and have each thermostat running as I purge the air from each circuit?

All advise is greatly appreciated!


texts: Why does my heater have a weak flame after restarting?

texts:
I have a Intertherm M1M It runs great one time then gives a weak flame (after the flame goes out) after reaching temp. I changed the igniter/temp sensor (one unit). I replaced the main board also. Still the same problem.

Could it be the thermostat?

Thanks.


texts: Pilot light on switch comes on when light is off

texts:
First off I know the switch the works I plugged it into a different circuit where I have another one and the pilot light turned on when the switch was on. However when I have it installed in the problem circuit the indicator light is switched and is illuminated when the light is off instead of it being illuminated when the light is on.

The circuit is for the downstairs lights in an older building so I am thinking it has to be something with how the lights are wired. The switch works the lights just fine so I am figuring it is something to do with the neutral side. I am unfamiliar with this light switch and how it works internally.

What would make the light come on one way in one circuit and opposite in another? I am unsure the exact brand I am an amateur electrician just helping a friend, but it is similar to the Leviton 15 Amp Combination Switch with 25-Watt Neon Pilot Light found on the home depot website. any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated


texts:
I recently moved into a new house, and as part of trying to understand (at a basic level) how everything is wired and plumbed together I've come across a metal box, on the wall of my kitchen. What is likely to be in it, and how can I get in to check? None of my tools seem to be able to open the 'screws'.

My kitchen has been converted from the garage. It's not clear how long the box has been there. It might be from when it was a garage.

I've been searching for the control unit of the house alarm, but not found it yet. Could it be in the box, and is that why it's metal and hard to get into?

Thanks,
Andrew


texts: Will a horizontal 2x4 support my body weight?

texts:
I want to use a framed doorway to do chinups but I'd hate to come crashing down to the floor on my tail bone. This doorway is framed but not drywalled.

I realize there are a lot of factors but not sure how to calculate this.  The stamp on the 2x4 says "A. F. P. A. 134 S-P-F xxxx KD-HT 2" where xxxx is illegible.  I don't know what any of that means but maybe it's useful.

I weigh about 210 lbs.


texts: Is it wrong to connect multiple J-bends (traps) together?

texts:
My tenants recently told me that they have constant clogging problems with their bathroom sink and had me come take a look at it. I found the following 3-trap configuration:

This was done because the sink is too far to the right for it to mate with the drain in the wall via a standard p-trap configuration. This seems like the wrong solution to me (it was done by a (non-plumber) contractor when I was living out of state). A guy in the plumbing section at Home Depot didn't like it either and suspected that it would lead to clogs.

I replaced two of the traps with one of those flexible pipes and was able to make the connection with the remaining trap being rotated slightly - not ideal, but I'd suppose that two (roughly) 45˚ bends are better than what was there previously. There seemed to be no alternative way to connect the sink to the drain given the 1-1/4" pipes and fittings available at HD.

My Questions:

Is it fair to say what was there before was incorrect and was contributing to the frequent clogging problem?
What is the "right" way to solve this plumbing problem?


texts:
Can someone tell me what sort of hinge this is?

All the cabinet hinges I can find are 180deg+ when open, whereas this is only 90deg.

They are on a set of built-in wardrobes that were here when we moved into our house. Unfortunately, one of the doors had a dirty great mirror stuck on it which is slowly killing the hinges. That door currently has only three out of five hinges actually connected - the others have broken and need replacing before the door drops off on my wife's foot.

Looking for somewhere I can source these in the UK.


texts:
I was given a couch recently, and it has electric components to recline and perform other functions. We moved this 200+ pound couch down a flight of stairs, across a city, and up 2 more flights of stairs. Afterwards I found out that the electric cable had been damaged! This is a standard American 2-prong connection, and I live in Oregon.

I am a novice at DIY stuff, but I am learning fast. I do have experience working with lower-voltage electronics, and I can repair lower-voltage wires with ease. A friend of mine tells me that a licensed electrician would be needed to repair the electric cord, but I cannot find any information online about this. Would I legally be able to repair this without breaking any sort of code?

My plans would be to buy a new cord (not sure where, suggestions would be useful). Then I will cut the old one just behind the last damaged part, and expose the wires. I'll solder the two wires together and use heatshrink tubing to protect them. Would this be the way to do it?


texts: What do I need to install LED strip lighting?

texts:
I've been looking to install LED strips, either RGB or white for lighting and ambiance. It wouldn't be the main lighting of the room, so no necessity for high power LEDs.

The perimeter of the room is a little less than 25 meters. Looking around in online stores, I saw that the reels come in maximum lengths of 5 meters, so I would need five of those.

What I'm not sure is how to connect the strips together.

I was looking at these white strips, or this RGB kit with these extra strips.

If I choose the white LEDs, what power supply, controller, and connector would you recommend to be able to daisy chain the strips?

If I choose the RGB LEDs, what kind of data repeaters would work to be able to control all the strips at once?


texts:
There's a wall in my house that I'd like to open to widen a room. The beam (a single 6x10 of hard wood) above is sitting on the concrete foundation at each extremity of the house (10in wide concrete) and there's 3 steel columns that supports it. In between the steel columns, there's a wall made of 2x3s every 16 inches (some are doubled in the center).

|-----------------------------------|< 10in concrete
|                                   |
|                                   |
========O=========O=========O======== <- support beam (sits on concrete)
|                                   |
|                                   |
|-----------------------------------|< 10in concrete
^                                   ^
10in concrete                       10in concrete

O = position of the steel columns

I won't touch the 3 steel columns, they will remain where they are.

Can I remove those 2x3s?

EDIT:
Photo of the top of the steel

Top of another column:


texts: Receptacle spacing when one is mounted tv

texts: The contractor is putting in the cable and electrical for the TV at 5' high.  There is not other receptacle along this wall,  The 5' high one will be just under 12' from the other wall receptacle...Problem is- we wanted a desk on that wall- under the TV-- in the bedroom-- with a lamp and it will look strange to have the cord hanging down from the wall mounted TV-- mounted - to avoid the wires hanging from the tv..... any recourse.?. other than asking please..which I have done-- they will only do it if I can find a code covering this-- so i may be stuck with an extension cord from another wall- about 12' long.. or have it hang down from the TV-- ??


texts: Is it ok to have mixed grounds and neutrals on bars in a breaker box?

texts:
So to continue my line of electrical questioning (and perhaps narrow down my flickering light problem), I took a look through the two panels in this house.  There is a 200amp main service in the basement, which then feeds up to a 100amp sub-panel for the main floor.  This 100amp sub feeds a kitchen (fridge, microwave, dishwasher, gas range), a bathroom, 3 bedrooms, and a living room.  The 200amp main feeds the 100amp sub, 2 bedrooms, a living room, a washer/dryer (gas dryer), a utility room (well pump, pressure tank, gas water heater, gas furnace), and an A/C.

My first concern is that the main service panel has the bare ground and neutral wires mixed on the two bus bars.  Reading around, some say this is OK, other's say it is bad.  Any thoughts?  The sub-panel is wired with grounds and neutrals on separate bars.

My second concern- is a 100amp sub sufficient for the main floor?


texts: Water leaking from one bathroom through the other. When the shower or the sink is used in the main bathroom, there is a water leak in both bathrooms. Any ideas or comments are welcome.


texts: replaced recessed light w/ceiling fan, it seems I have to turn on at least one light to complete circuit

texts: I replaced recessed can light w/ceiling fan, works great, if I want a recessed light on while ceiling fan is on. I do not. I need at least one working bulb in a socket it appears to complete circuit. Is there an easy way to complete circuit w/out having to use a bulb?  there are 6 recessed lights on the circuit, I replaced one w/ceiling fan. All work off of one switch, w/a dimmer.


texts: Floorheating: which material for the floor saves warmth at best?

texts: Is it some sort of wood? Or maybe tereacotta?


texts:
Hey guys! I'm trying to install a drainage line and I came across this Oxbox drainage line cover. I couldn't figure out how to remove it and have been attacking it with pliers to no success.

Does anyone know exactly what's supposed to happen here? Does the whole bottom disk come out or just that little nub?

Thanks!


texts: painting a cork floor (previously coated with polyurethane varnish)

texts:
Our cork kitchen floor has a white stain and coated with 3 coats of polyurethane varnish two years ago. But the varnish has begun to wear through and the cork colour is visible.

We were never happy with the way the stained cork looked and now would like to paint over the floor with a solid colour.

What kind of paint should we use?

Should we be concerned that the cork is ever so slightly "squishy" and has a bit of "give", will a hard brittle paint crack under these conditions?

will there be any problems with painting over the previous varnish coating?


texts: Mini Split Condenser in Garage? With ventilation?

texts:
I live in a fairly warm and dry environment and due to HOA restrictions am unable to place a window A/C unit, outdoor unit, or a system on the roof. I understand that A/C shouldn't go in attics due to the heat.

However, I was wondering if an A/C unit could go into a garage that had an exhaust / intake fan cut into the side of the wall. This air flow could even be directed into a self contained box which the condenser portion is in.

Is such an installation feasible? If so, how do I calculate what amount of CFMs the fans will need to push to sufficiently cool the a/c unit?

Is it correct that a 1 ton A/C system passes about 400CFM per minute? If my garage is 5000 Cubic feet (25x25x8), then it would take about 12minutes to cycle through all the air. Thus I would need exhaust and intake fans that can push 400CFM?

Thanks.


texts: What is the purpose of vent holes in stovepipe?

texts:
The stovepipe on my free-standing gas fireplace has a ring of quarter-sized vent holes at the base of the pipe, right where the fireplace meets the stovepipe. I've always wondered about the purpose of these holes.

I understand that it is important air is drafted through the fireplace and the fire to feed the combustion, but why would one want to allow room air to mix with the flue exhaust?


texts: When to use different fire suppression systems?

texts:
I know a fire suppression systems is a good thing to have in one's home if you have anything that heats up, ie... a kiln.

Question is thus, what type of suppression system is best for each type of fire source. I know about water sprinklers and foam dispensers, but are there any others? And if so what are they used for.
This is related to another previous question here


texts: What is this brown sticky stuff on my soffits?

texts: I recently had my roof replaced and some brown patches started appearing under some of the new plywood. It appears to be dry to the touch, although there are some beads of similarly colored goo on the fascia board nearby that I was able to wipe away. Does anyone know what it could be coming from?


texts: When pouring cement next to a home, how far below the mud line on a stucco home do you need to be to avoid water issues?

texts: how far below the Mud line on a stucco home do you need to be to avoid water issues 1", 2", 3" or more


texts: How to address the issue of a vertical window that was installed horizontally

texts:
I assigned a contractor to install a new window at basement.
I bought the window 33x40 and material with the contractor in Home Depot. The contractor cut the wall and installed well.

Two days later I showed it to friends and found a lot water when i opened it and it was difficult to close. When e checked the window label i found "install vertically only".

In advance of starting, I said to position it horizontal since the Home Depot window associate said that the window can be horizontal or vertical.

Now, the contractor said that this is my responsibility, and he could come back to drill holes for drainage.

I am wondering if it's enough as a repair, and if it's a problem when to sell the house.


texts: Filling hollow blocks one level at a time

texts:
I live in an area where basic building materials are available but expensive - there are not many places to rent tools and things are done slowly by hand. It is also an earthquake zone.

I am thinking of building a basement/foundation out of hollow blocks, filled with cement and using rebar inside. Is it a bad idea to allow the builders to fill the cores of the hollow blocks with cement one layer at a time? I've seen back home that they wait till the entire wall is built then pour down each cavity and fill, but it's not possible to get a cement truck at the location, and I have just 2 guys to do the work.

Any advice appreciated.


texts: Do I really need a small fan inside my fridge?

texts:
I have a three years old fridge without "no-frost" or anything similar to avoid ice build up. Yet there's a fan in the main compartment - about 90 millimeters in diameter and running simultaneously with the fridge compressor. The salesperson couldn't explain why it is needed.

Now that fan started to produce knocking noise which made my almost silent fridge rather noisy. I detached the fan cover, found a neat connector and unplugged the fan and the noise went away.

Now I have two options - either I fix/replace the fan or just leave it disconnected (or maybe remove it).

Do I really need that fan for the fridge operation or is it just useless and can be left out?


texts:
I have a plumbing leak under the slab in between my bathrooms.  Both the hallway bathroom and master bathrooms back each other. Both have tile all the way around the wall up to about 4 feet. I would need to break up some tile to get inside the wall to run new piping for my lav, toilet and shower for both sides.

What's the best way to take out the tile so there is minimal damage and where I can repair the spots I opened up.  I'm actually more interested in how I can get drywall back in the spots where I made a hole so I can put tile on top. Any ideas?


texts:
Why would a geyser timer malfunction after only 14 months.? We had our entire DB board replaced and all new components fitted about  14 months ago. One evening about 5 days ago, I smelt burning wires and when I opened the DB Board, found that the geyser timer live wire on top was burnt and the timer did not switch off at the supposed time. The top of the timer was also melted. The entire DB Board was checked about one month ago for any loose wires and none were found. This %$#$# geyser timer could have been the cause of our house burning down. Emails to the supplier of the timer, Hellermann Tyton has not been replied to and I would sincerely like to find out what this happened.
THX   ***
JDN


texts: Care and maintenance of deck in the garden

texts:
I recently bought a house. There is a deck in the garden. It is about two or three years old. It does not seem to be in a great condition, but I have no experience with decks and find it hard to tell how bad it is and what I need to do in terms of care and maintenance.
Here is a photo of the deck:

You can see that there is a slightly darker shaded area right of the middle. When it rains, the water occasionally stands on it. Question 1: Is there anything I can do about that in terms of prevention or care?
Here is a close-up photo of the deck. Question 2: What care instructions will I need to follow? Is there some treatment or paint I need to apply to make it more waterproof or prevent further tearing and somehow make it more durable?

Here is another close-up photo. You can see both some chipping and some tearing, especially where knots occur in the wood. Question 3: Is this normal, what can I do to prevent it, and what did the previous owners do wrong for it to happen?

Question 4: How many summers will I be able to use it before I need to replace it? Thanks.


texts: HVAC Gas furnace with added heat pump. Thermostat loses power while heating with gas

texts: I have a medium efficiency gas furnace with an add-on Trane air to air heat pump.  The heat pump kit is TAYPLUS103A.  I noticed that in cold weather when the gas furnace runs, the gas ignites, and after warming up the fan comes on.  Then the gas and fan run together for about 2 minutes.  Then the gas flame stops, and at the same time the thermostat loses power and stays off for about 2 minutes while the fan continues to run to extract the heat from the plenum.  I have checked the limit switch and it is staying closed so the furnace is not overheating. Because the gas only runs for a few minutes and then the thermostat has to reset every time it loses power, it is hard for the furnace to warm up the house when it is really cold outside. Why does the thermostat lose power?


texts: I have some shower taps and shower head I am trying to remove so I can replace the back splash wall, how do you remove this sort of tap and head? I tried just turning it, but had no luck , not wanting to damage things, so thought I should ask before preceding


texts: How do you remove this Schlage double cylinder deadbolt? (M8209)

texts:
I've dealt with a lot of deadbolts, but unsure about this one. I don't want to damage it either. It's an old Schlage that I am trying to replace. After removing the cover on the inner side of the deadbolt, I was stumped. On the inside of the cover, it reads M8209 which is the only clue I have about it, but Google and YouTube weren't too helpful.

I'm thinking there are screws under the two metal circles, or "caps", but they don't budge at all. It looks like someone has previously tried to removed the two "caps" from the deep gouges.


texts:
We have three rooms that have linoleum, which we'd like to tile.  They all transition flush to 3/4" thick hardwood flooring at the same height, so I have to assume there is some kind of additional substrate under the linoleum???

Can this layer be removed, and does anyone have suggestions on how to remove it?  I just need to know how much of a job I'm in for and that I have all the tools I'll need.


texts: Should I replace my house wrap when re-siding?

texts:
My house was built in the 60s and doesn't have normal plywood sheathing. It has that old sheet-rock-like sheathing (it's black, I think it is exterior gypsum). Basically the walls (right now) go, exterior gypsum > tar paper like stuff > foam board > vinyl siding.

I am not re-sheathing the house, so I am unsure if a house wrap is needed when re-siding. I'm hiring a company to do the siding and the owner said it wasn't necessary to install a house wrap, I was hoping to verify that with someone who knows siding.


texts: I just bought a house that had had a water issue around the sill plate. I am going to replace the sill soon but the water has caused a few of the joists to sink about 1/4". How long do the boards i sister onto the joists need to be?


texts: Why are my smoke detectors going off when I cook?

texts: Seems like every time we cook anything in the oven the fire alarms (in-home system, all connected) go berzerk. is there any way to make them "less sensitive"? We do blow/vaccuum them out gently here and there but it doesn't seem to help.


texts:
I am completely redoing my basement bathroom and am wondering if this way of venting the plumbing is ok. From what I've seen, wet venting is the most money and time efficient way to do it, so I would like to go that route if I can. I found this picture online of how to do a wet vent (http://www.jaytechplumbing.com/2013/01/wet-venting/), and option 2 seems to match my situation the most.
I drew up a quick picture of my idea of how to map this idea to my bathroom, see the picture, and am hoping that it will work the same as the picture that I found.
Could anyone confirm this solution for wet venting? Thank you.


texts: Heat an outdoor water tank to 10°C? (with an electric heater)

texts:
I have a stock tank full of water in a unheated greenhouse.

The greenhouse is located east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where the temperatures occasionally go down to -25degC in winter.

I would like to continuously heat the water in the tank to around 10°C.

It would be acceptable if the temperature of the water occasionally dipped to approx. 5°C.
It would also be acceptable if the temperature of the water rose occasionally (or continually) up to approx. 30°C.

I would prefer to use electricity to heat the water for these reasons:

I assume maintaining a constant-ish temperature would be easiest with an electric heater.
Low risk of fire.
No risk of carbon monoxide or gas leak.
Generally easy. Plug it in, and go to the pub.

How can I heat the stock tank of water electrically?


texts: I need to install a Radon in water mitigation system. Is there a Do It Yourself way to do this with a simple aeration or filter system. I already have a pH adjustment system in my basement ( Calcium Carbonate). Can I piggy back a filter or Aerator on it?


texts: How to clean and maintain a rusted charcoal grill?

texts:
I have a charcoal grill that's basically a 16 gauge metal box that used to be painted with high heat black paint.  Over the years, the paint has come off and the metal has started to rust.  I would like to take it apart, clean the rust, and then treat it so as to prevent (or at least slow down) it rusting again.  I have already done this once.  I took it apart, cleaned it a little, and painted it with Corroseal Water-Based Rust Converter Metal Primer, and then spray painted it with Rust-oleum High Heat paint.  The grill was rusted worse than before within a year.

Is there anything else I could do better on my next attempt?
Should I bother with rust conversion or just try to get it really clean?
Any suggestions on how to clean the grill better? It's fairly large but also has areas that are hard to reach.
How should I treat it once it's clean?
What can I do during day-to-day use to extend the time it takes for the grill to rust again?

Thank you


texts: Is soldering copper to aluminum wire allowed under NEC?

texts: Another question made me curious, does the NEC allow copper wire to be joined to aluminum wire by soldering?


texts: Is too much of my home connected to one circuit breaker?

texts:
I recently purchased my house and I have a few questions.

The breaker trips each time the vacuum is used. It looks like the previous owner has most of the house wired on to a 15 amp breaker (AC/ Furnace, living room, bathroom, and half the basement). Is that correct?
Should I put any of those on a dedicated circuit?

I included a few pictures for reference.  I tried to label as much as I could figure out but there are a few mystery breakers.

Thanks
Updated with another picture

After looking at it more carefully:

So it looks like the 30 amp breaker with the 14 gauge wire is to the garbage disposal.
The AC is wired the a double pole 20 amp with 14 gauge wire.
The two single pole 15 amp on the bottom right (red and black) are spliced together (wire nuts) to two wires coming from the same metal conduit.
Ground and neutral wires are connected to the same bus bar in the same slot.

These things seem odd to me...


texts:
New to the forum. This I am thinking is a fairly straight forward job, but I don't have any plumbing experience so a little ify on how to go about it. Essentially I have a leaky sink drain. Little droplets coaliest as water drains. Maybe it's the gasket? or caulking? not sure. I hope the pictures are clear to show the potential issues.

Any and all help are greatly appreciated.

Thank you


texts: Can I use a 30A backfeed breaker when I'm not using the generator?

texts: I have a panel in my garage with a "Generator" 30A breaker. I know I shouldn't be backfeeding the generator (I inherited this setup and am scheduling an electrician to put in a transfer switch). Having said that, can I turn that 30A breaker on and use the 220v outlet that it goes to?


texts: Where would my cable modem go based on this structured media enclosure's components?

texts:
I was at a model home the other day and checked out its structured media enclosure. Inside, it had a "Standard 4 x 10 Voice Distribution Module" and what appeared to be a "1 x 6 3GHz Video Splitter Module" - both made by Suttle.

I was a bit surprised to find it did not have a "Cat5e or Cat6 8-port Voice/Data Patch Module".

Might the notion be that, once cable is activated, I would just plug my cable modem into any coaxial port in the house? I ask since most rooms in the house do have ethernet ports in the wall - perhaps the model just isn't finished yet?

P.S. - Here's a picture. Perhaps the white and blue wires going to the voice distribution module have different purposes?


texts:
I am buying a home and one part of the home is actually visibly sagging.
While looking at the crawlspace, I've noticed that some work was done to support the home.
It seems like there is no new settling cracks and it looks like the home has settled, but I want to fix it permanently and level-up the sag.
After looking at the foundation wall, it seems to be in perfect shape and the sag was cased by the woodwork.

Yes, I can improve upon what was done before and add proper footing/ support beam/jacks.
But I am wondering if there is a way for me to attach some sort of a "shelf" directly to the foundation wall, and put jacks on that "shelf".


texts: Ceiling drywall - options for dealing with joists slightly higher than beam?

texts:
I'm planning to drywall a garage in my house.  The garage has floor joists above that are 12" OC.  The joists connect to beams but are not even with the bottom of the beam (the offset varies between about 1/4" to 1/2") - see picture.
This will be my first time doing drywall.  What's the best way to get an even ceiling?  should I put furring strips perpendicular to the joists?  Along the joists?
Alternatively, what are other (maybe easier) options for dealing with the beams?  Wrap them in drywall?  Leave them exposed somehow?
Thanks in advance for any tips!


texts: How can I convert a ventless propane fireplace to natural gas?

texts:
I just bought a property and it has a passthrough, ventless fireplace that runs on propane.

I've not hooked up propane to the house, and the natural gas company says they'll hook me up for free. However, the fireplace is currently configured to run off of propane.

I tired to call the manufacturer, but they wont talk to me and told me to call a dealership, which I did. They say it's impossible, and I'll have to buy a new log set, and since it's a double sided log set, they start at a price that's way above my budget.

However, all the log sets they sell can come configured as either propane or natural gas, and my research indicates that all I have to do to convert it is to replace the regulator and the orifices with ones designed for natural gas.

Is my research correct, or is the dealer correct?

This log set has been discontinued recently (it's less than six years old), where can I find the parts I need, and which parts do I need?


texts: How can I prevent water coming out of the shower head

texts: I have a dual valve manifold and a plunger bath tub spigot. When I turn the water on and the plunger is down, the water pressure will build up and come out of the shower head. I took the spigot off and it stopped. But I’ve bought 3 different spigots and all of them cause the water pressure to build up and come out of the shower head. Any suggestions!?!!


texts:
I have a 2013 goodman 3T gas pack. It is being intermittent and telling me there is a limit switch problem (4 blinks). I try to catch it when it goes off which is about every other day, but by the time I get the panel off it starts up again. It is not the RS because I jumped it out and it still quit. That only leaves the ALS and LS. It is acting like a loose/broken connection because it appears to restart as soon as something is touched but I can't nail it down. I reseated the connectors and moved around others to verify connections.

Otherwise the unit runs fine. If I catch it when it is off, I will have the answer, but between the ALS, LS, transformer, or a broken connection (maybe on the PCB) which is most likely to fail?


texts: I rip cut few pine boards today with my circular saw and noticed that only a third part of a blade is clogged up. Should I be worried about unbalanced blade or some arbor problems?


texts: Repair/replace foundation vents in wooden siding?

texts:
The vents into my crawlspace are cut into the wooden siding and I'm not what the correct way to repair/replace them is.  All of the examples and products I've seen show the vents in the concrete wall of the foundation, but mine are not.  My vents are also smaller than what seems to be normal.

Here's an example of what the vents look like.  You can see the wooden frame is rotted.

After removing the vent, you can see a sheet of cardboard that has insulation above it and the crawlspace below.  The wooden beam along the bottom is a 2x4 sitting on top of the concrete foundation wall.

You can see from this photo that the siding is wood.

All of the replacement vents I found were for sizes like 16" x 8" or 18" x 10".  The portion that's cut from the siding is 16 1/14" x 7 1/8" and the inside is 14" x 5 3/4".  I didn't feel like cutting a bigger hole, so I tried making my own frame from a 1.5" x 1.5".  I'm not a big fan of the result; I can see into the crawlspace pretty easy which makes me wonder if water can get in easily too.  The old vents had the horizontal boards slanting downward; I'm wondering if I need those too.

I guess I'm wondering what the best way to tackle this would be.  Should I just make new frames similar to originals?  Should I cut bigger holes and find fancy automatic vents that will fit; if so, how would that work with the siding?  Are the horizontal boards slanting downward functional or are they purely cosmetic?  I'm in the Seattle area, if that makes a difference.


texts: Options for plumbing/drainage in an outbuilding? (Ontario, Canada)

texts:
What are some of the options available for having plumbing in an outbuilding in Ontario, Canada?
My house is attached to city water/sewer. I am planning a build for an Accessory Dwelling Unit in the backyard and I'm trying to figure out how to get running water and drainage to the building but my searches aren't coming up with much as I don't know what kind of parts/pumps/etc to search for.
The house is higher than the backyard by 2-4m and the ADU will be anywhere from 10m to 30m from the house.


texts: How do I re-point an outside wall? What tools and techniques should be employed?


texts:
I have a Ceiling Fan and Light stop working yesterday. I used a klein to test the voltage, the switch is OK, and when the I turn on, I can detect the voltage around the bulb. What could be the issue?

Thanks.


texts: Fixing streaky pickling (whitewash) stain

texts:
I'm making butcher-block style counter tops from reclaimed hardwood flooring (oak, I think). I plan to finish it with Waterlox sealer, but my wife is concerned that the sealer will color the wood too orange, and following some advice from pinterest, wanted me to stain it white with a pickling stain to counteract the color from the sealer.

I have had a horrible time with this stain. I applied it once and it was pretty blotchy, so I re-sanded the surface and used a wood conditioner, but when the second attempt was only slightly better, it's still pretty blotchy. I've never had so many problems with a stain, I'm guessing it's because the stain has to be partially opaque to give such a white color.

I'm running out of time on this project, it needs to be finished soon. My wife hopes that the sealer will even out some of the streaks, but I kind of doubt it will do much. Is there something I could do to fix the stain?

Further information: both the stain and the conditioner I used were water-based, Minwax brand.


texts: 4 pair of cables lead to Ceiling fan box

texts:
I've got two power switches that go to this ceiling fan. Both switches would cut power to the fan and to the light.

It's been so long since I took it down I don't remember how it goes. I've got 4 pairs of cables leading into the box. 1 hot, 3 hot/1 neutral together, and 3 neutral together.

I read this: Why are there four electrical lines (12 wires) in this ceiling fan box?

But I don't understand if I use the standalone black cable for power and just tie in my fan's neutral to the 3 neutral cable or just tie into the black and neutral bundle.


texts: Can I lay tile over drywall that has torn paper?

texts: Can I lay tile over drywall that has had the paper torn from removing tile that was installed wrong when doing new home construction?


texts: Stuck drilling wood frame between floors

texts:
Wiring 10 y.o. house with Ethernet.  Read this; picked a spot; drilling 1st hole through the floor:

This illustrates exactly what I'm trying to do, so only flex-bit (no spade or auger) would work:

Started with cordless drill, but soon after changed to corded one.  @ ~1.5" depth the flex-bit got stuck and the shank stripped.  I thought of filing off 3 flats to allow for tighter grip, validating that idea found this question.  Confirmed: it worked!
I clean sawdust inside the wall with vacuum (via a tube) and monitor progress with a borescope:

This looks like a subfloor OSB panel:

Notice the difference with previous photo - now I'm in solid wood:

I got ~3" down, but suddenly now the bit doesn't seem to bite anymore - just burns the wood, I don't understand why.  Tried long enough, varying pressure - but no go;  the bit comes out with charred gunk.  Cleaned it several times:

Friction creates smoke:

The bottom of the hole now looks burned:

@Harper says "Hitting something super-hard means don't drill there" answering this question.
There are no noises of any kind.  I'd expect some screeching or squealing if the bit was hitting a metal plate..
Picked spot lines up with between-the-studs cavity downstairs, which already houses TV cable (and thus has an outlet!) - I want to build up on that.  Any advice?
UPDATE 2021-Mar-25
The flex-bit is new, I'd be very surprised if it goes dull after drilling only 3 inches :o).
As suggested, I tried it on a piece of wood, looks good to me:

Will try drilling a new hole to the right of the first one - through the same drywall opening.  Would like to avoid messing with drywall:  never done that before, and even if easy it involves painting => color matching..


texts: Are there 3-way water pipe junctions which allow any variant of flow?

texts:
Suppose you have 3 pipes arriving at a junction: A, B & C
There are many possible water flows:
A => B+C
B => A+C
C => A+B
A+B => C
A+C => B
B+C => A
A => B (C not flowing)
A => C (B not flowing)
B => C (A not flowing)
B => A (C not flowing)
C => A (B not flowing)
C => B (A not flowing)

Obviously, given a fixed mains pressure and static valves around this junction, only one of these options can be happening at a time.
But by changing what valves are open around the joint, I could switch between these various options.
In particular, I have a design where A, B, and C are all sometimes an in-flow and sometimes an out-flow.
Question: Do I need to get a "special" kind of 3 way joint for this?
If I just get "any old T-fitting" then will it handle any of these flow options, or are fittings "directional" in some way?


texts: Why was one of the light switches wired differently from other location?

texts:
Last night I installed a master dimmer and a companion dimmer in the dining room.  Upon removing the wall plate to one of the two switches, I discovered that a black wire was attached to the black screw of the switch and a second black wire attached to the brass screw, while the red wire was attached to the top screw on the other side of the switch, ie the same side as ground wire.  The wiring to the second switch had the red wire attached to the brass screw while the black wire was attached to other side of switch. Although I was confounded, I went ahead and wired the new master dimmer similar to the original switch.  After both dimmers were installed, the lights failed to work upon turning on the breaker, so I rewired with the red wire to the brass screw and the black wire to the blue screw.
Although both dimmers are now working properly, I was hoping someone could tell me why the original switches were both operable despite weird wiring on one of the switches.


texts: How can I stop my handheld shower head from leaking?

texts:
I have a Waterpik hand held shower head (that looks like this) that leaks a significant amount of water down the hose when I first direct the water up to the shower head. It's not leaking from where the pivot ball connects to the pipe. It's leaking from the end of the hose that connects to the pivot-ball bracket.

It seems to be related to water pressure. Our water pressure fluctuates some (due to the pressure tank below the house refilling from the well pump when the pressure drops too low). When I first divert water from the tub faucet to the shower head, water comes running down the shower head's hose for several seconds, some of it often making it out to the bathroom floor. Eventually, something reaches some threshold, and suddenly the water switches to all coming out the shower head. I believe this happens when the water pressure gets high enough, because when the pressure drops (such as when a toilet flushes), it can start coming down the hose again.

I have checked/wiped-off the seal between the hose and the bracket, and I don't think that's what's leaking. My guess is that the vacuum breaker in that end of the shower head hose has enough debris/silt in it that it takes more water pressure than it's supposed to in order for the seal to close and the water to therefore be directed out the shower head. (Our water is somewhat silty, despite having a house filter between the well and the pressure tank).

If that is the cause, is there a way to clean/fix the hose, or am I out of luck and will need to simply buy a replacement?


texts:
Is this a thing? Kinda goes with my first question on here. Again i am not an electrician nor will i be doing the work. I am the builder and owner. In the designing stages of a tiny house on wheels and im trying to figure out if we will be able to have two feeds coming in. one 20amp and one 30. on separate circuits but in the same box?

So are split sub panels with dual feeds a thing? thats my question

Running solely off a 30 amp service would be really really tight given what we need to run. Mostly propane for the larger pulls but no need for a 50amp 240 nor do we have that set up like we already do with an existing 30amp rv hookup on site. So it got me thinking the 30 amp taking some of the load off of that and putting it on a separate 20 amp feed and having both the 20 and 30 in the house at the same time yet separately...? if this makes any sense.


texts: Original wiring is Romex 12/2 no ground.New heaters have chassis ground.Do I pull new Romex 12/2 with ground or can ground be added back to main panel?Wiring is 240 volt


texts: I was planning on making a 2 post swing set. Posts 6x6 inches (5.5x5.5) by 12 feet. 4 feet into ground with cement. Cross beam of 6x6 inches (5.5x5.5) by 10 feet with 2 swings. Will this be strong enough for the forces? I realize an "A"-shaped structure is stronger but I was wanting to do a 2 post swing. Thank you.


texts: What size beam do I need to span 20' on a 25' roof?

texts:
I had a 10' addition added after a fire and the beam the (worthless) contractor installed is sagging.  The city inspector said it needs to be replaced with something suitable.

From photos I have it looks like single 4x6 (not LVL) that angles with the roof.

I live in the midwest so it need to support snow load too.

The distance, inside the house, from peak to outside wall is 25' (7.6m) and the beam spans 19.5' (6m) wall-to-wall.

Thank you.


texts: How should I finish basement walls with half-height blanket insulation in place?

texts: I have a newly constructed home In the Northern Part of Ohio and am planning on working to finish my basement.  The summers a warm and humid and the winters are quite cold and dry.  I have a walkout basement and the grade is sloped significantly away from my foundation.  I have not had any water issues, and my sump pump never runs.  I know this question has been somewhat addressed before, but I can't find anything that specifically addresses my situation.  I have that wall blanket installed on my foundation walls, but on parts of them, the blanket is only covering half of the wall.  What should I do about finishing the bottom half?  Here is a picture for reference.


texts:
We have a couple of old fluorescent fixtures in our basement, each holding four 4-ft long T12 bulbs. After several weeks of slow starts, the lights finally stopped coming on in one of them so while we eventually will replace the fixtures with LED ones, I went ahead in the interim and purchased four new bulbs. I put two of the new bulbs in the two adjacent slots on one side of the fixture, thinking that it needed both bulbs to be in at the same time. When I turned the fixture on, one of the bulbs looked like it was trying to light up, the other did nothing. So I concluded it was the fixture and removed the new bulbs.
Now I am wondering if I was too hasty in that decision: Is it possible that all four bulbs have to be in place for them to light up or maybe the two inner ones or the two outer ones have to be in place, instead of the two on one side as I tried. Is there some standard in what these fixtures expect?


texts: Meaning of the applicance wattage range 2000-2400W that is written on a tally

texts:
Checking power consumption of a kettle with a wattmeter it shows constantly about 1970W (close to the lowest value of the wattage range on the ketler that is 2000W).

What does mean upper up to 2400W wattage range provided on the kettle's tally?
In which circumstances 2400W consumption can happen when boiling water?

Update to answers:

In dockerhab, when kettle is in use, I can see constantly ~2000W power consumption until the end when kettle powers off / water is boiled (values arrives via mqtt broker)

2020-05-28 07:44:30.618 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1973 to 1970
2020-05-28 07:44:30.621 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1970 to 1973
2020-05-28 07:44:31.617 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1973 to 1987
2020-05-28 07:44:33.625 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1987 to 1973
2020-05-28 07:44:34.622 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1973 to 1983
2020-05-28 07:44:35.624 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1983 to 1973
2020-05-28 07:44:38.629 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1973 to 1984
2020-05-28 07:44:39.630 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1984 to 1973
2020-05-28 07:44:41.635 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1973 to 1987
2020-05-28 07:44:42.635 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1987 to 1973
2020-05-28 07:44:42.937 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - RaspberryOpenhabTemperature changed from 48.3 to 47.8
2020-05-28 07:44:44.640 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1973 to 1970
2020-05-28 07:44:45.640 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1970 to 1982
2020-05-28 07:44:46.640 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1982 to 1970
2020-05-28 07:44:47.643 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1970 to 1973
2020-05-28 07:44:49.943 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - RaspberryOpenhabTemperature changed from 47.8 to 48.3
2020-05-28 07:44:50.646 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1973 to 1970
2020-05-28 07:44:51.647 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1970 to 1973
2020-05-28 07:44:53.658 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1973 to 1970
2020-05-28 07:44:53.667 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1970 to 1973
2020-05-28 07:44:54.653 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 1973 to 39
2020-05-28 07:45:02.661 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 39 to 3
2020-05-28 07:45:04.663 [vent.ItemStateChangedEvent] - GosundSP111-7 changed from 3 to 0


texts: How can I fish cable through a 90 degree turn?

texts:
I am looking to fish some Cat 6 network cables from the basement to the attic.

Initially, I was going to attempt using my bedroom's cold air return vent, but it appears that it's not a straight shot to the basement. There is a 90 degree turn somewhere, and I don't know how to use my 100ft. fish tool (or any other type of tool, for that matter) through it.

That is what I'm referring to the cold air return vent:

How can I achieve this before I find another solution?


texts:
The drain pipe under my sink is made of copper and has a couple of small holes just before it goes into the wall (and eventually leads out to a greywater tank).  The picture below is taken from beneath the pipe showing it entering the wall which I had slightly broken into during my investigation.

The copper feels thin.

Since the water isn't under much pressure, is there an easy way to repair the holes?  It's a pain working under the sink, and I'd rather not break any further into the wall if I can avoid it.


texts: Tools or Techniques for Removing Grass and Moss from Brick Patio

texts: This is what I'm dealing with - rudimentary efforts have not paid off and I feel like I must be missing something.


texts: Waterproofing a concrete basement wall with a staircase in the way?

texts:
I've been in my 1926 house for just over a year, and earlier this week I noticed water seeping in through the concrete wall behind my basement staircase after some intense rain. It was a small but steady trickle. The basement walls have been treated with what I assume is a water proof sealant although I do not know the exact details as it was done before I bought the house, but clearly it was done recently and they could not cover behind the staircase.

What are my options for sealing this up? So far I've only thought up:

Rip the staircase out, use something like Drylok, rebuild the stairs
Use closed cell spray foam and spray in the gaps (see 3rd photo)

There is no sump pump, and no additional water proofing that I know of. Outside is my driveway and the grading is relatively flat. (See last photo.)

The water came in just to the right of the window, behind the stringer, towards the back of the 5th step.

The missing riser was broken, so I just pulled it off. (Several of the others are also warped.)

There's gaps all along the edges of the stairs, and the stringer does not appear to be attached to the wall directly.

Blue arrow indicates where the water is coming in, roughly. The gutters deposit water far away from there though.


texts: Need a quick fix for leaking door frame. During flood

texts:
We are in the middle of tropical storm and there is flooding on one side of house.
The side door seems to be leaking from under the frame (not the actual door) its too wet to duct tape.
Any suggestions until the storm passes and we can fix it properly?


texts: Is 16x20 feet big enough for a 2 car garage?

texts:
I have an existing structure that is currently a single car that i'd like to convert to a two car garage; it measures 16x20 feet. The two garage doors would be mounted on the longest side (20 feet).

Would 16 feet be sufficient to back into and be ok? Has anyone ever seen or attempted a 16x20 two car garage?


texts: Cannot get to the screw behind disconnect switch

texts: I'm trying to unscrew what "seems" to be (I'm not an expert) a heat pump disconnect switch. I don't know the function of this box. It's also connected to the furnace (see pictures). Box is screwed on the 2x4. Problem I have is I cannot get to the screw in the box to remove it. Do you know what can be done to get access to the screw? It seems that I have to remove in some way the black plastic cover in the box but I don't know how.


texts: How do I fix scratches from sanding drywall?

texts:
I've never sanded drywall/spackle before so I don't know what is acceptable or not. I'm remodeling my bathroom and have put down a few layers of spackle. Everything looks good and I just wanted to touch it up with some sanding.

I'm using a 220-grit screen and it's leaving small scratches behind. It looks worse than it did before I  touched it! I'm not pressing particularly hard.

Is this normal? Does primer fill these small gaps? Or should I go get a finer grit? I checked the big box stores online and it seems 220 is the finest they carry, so I'm guessing these scratches are normal.

I was going to sand all the spackle, now I'm thinking I'll just search around for ridges and sand them down, and leave everything else alone.

Click for full size image


texts: toilet doesn't flush even after 2 plumber visits, to snake the sewer and also use a toilet auger

texts: plumber said that stuff builds up in the actual toilet that blocks it. He used the auger and it flushed. Two uses later, it did the same thing- fill up and very very slowly drain, rather than the usual flush. He said we need a new toilet, but I am not seeing that kind of comment anywhere.


texts:
I have a lot of water coming into my basement from a line that is next to where my water pump feeds into. It has been raining a lot lately. I found a pipe in the basement that looks like it could be a drain.
I ran a hose from the line and put it into the pipe in the basement. I am thinking that it is a drain of some sort but just worried that it is something else and I should not be running water into it.
Any thoughts?
EDIT: Thank you both for responding. The water is coming from a pipe in the wall in the basement. There was a bucket under it when we bought the house a couple years ago but never knew why. Yes, that pit is in my basement floor with a pipe. So far the water going in is draining to somewhere. House was built in 50's.


texts: I don't get my electricity wiring - 3 black wires 1 red wire 2 white 1 gray

texts:
I am having issues with my light switches.

First of all there are 3 rooms.

Room 1 has 3 black wires 1 red wire 2 white 1 gray

Room 2 has 2 black and 1 Red

Room 3 has 2 black and 1 Red

I just bought a house recently and the switches for upstairs never worked for the rooms. They always had power. So I began doing research to figure out how to wire everything. Here is the weird part I was able to send power from room 1 to room 2 - and It was give power to that room. Room 2 would send power to Room 3 but when room 2 switch on it would not control the light in that room at all. Room 3 when connected switched on, the lights would both light up in both rooms but when turning Room 2 or Room 3 switch on they would both turn off. I've tried so much. I genuinely need some help.

P.S. apparently they also control the light in the hallway - but that one has the ability to turn off using a switch in the hallway but doesn't get power unless both room 3 and room 2 are switched on.

Please help

Thank you.


texts: No Load Bearing Walls & Home was Drywalled Prior to Walls Constructed

texts:
I've taken on a large project on a 700 sqft home.  I'm gutting it down to the studs because of mold issues and I continue to find unusual things.

It is basically a three room house.  Each room has had two layers of drywall on walls and ceilings.  The home was empty of interior walls and then the four walls and ceiling was drywalled, painted and even wallpapered at some point.  At some later time walls were constructed over the drywall.  Now that I've removed all the drywall the walls are basically attached to the floor with the space of the drywall on the sides and on the top (along with left over nails).  Neither of these two walls are load bearing, clearly.

My question....Does a 700 sqft house not need load bearing walls because of how small it is?  And how do I correct the issue where the drywall used to be on the side/top of the stud walls?

The age of the house is a bit of a mystery.  I found one place that said 1908 but I'm not certain that is accurate.  If I had to guess I'd say 1930's???


texts: Simple rustic DIY bunk bed, but is the plan safe?

texts:
I plan to build a bunk bed for a tiny cabin, used on occasional remote outings. I've slept in ones like this so I know what I am getting into, but I want to make sure my plan is not too rickety. I would like the top bunk to be able to reliably support 250-300lbs in case two small adults sleep up there (unlikely, but good to over-engineer for safety).
What I'm planning is bunk beds made of plywood platforms 78" long and 42" wide, with the uprights extending 72" tall to accommodate top bunk and a safety rail. There are two approaches I am considering, based on sturdy wood shelving designs and bunks like this I've used.
Plan A - Length-wise rails

Plan B - Width-wise rails, more standard for garage shelving

Here is a screenshot from a video showing the plan B approach but on a shelf with less depth and more platforms. This shows how the platforms are supported with 2x4"s sistered to the full-height posts.

In both plans, there are upright posts at the corners of the frame, then there is a continuous line of wood connected (like sistered studs) to those posts, made up of small sections of vertical 2x4"s, width-wise 2x4"s, and length-wise 2x4"s. My thinking is the weight of people or objects on the platforms will press down into the 2x4"s, so it is wood itself holding things up, rather than screws. The screws just hold it all in place and help weight transfer to the right spots.
Is plan A, using length-wise rails, sturdy enough to support around 300lbs (a person or two small people sleeping on it)? If length-wise rails are not the way to go, why not? I see a lot of garage shelves use the approach in plan B with width-wise rails under the platforms - is my plan B sturdy enough, or what needs to be added to help it support ~300lbs?


texts: How much does cement weigh after it has set?

texts:
I'm looking to make some weight plates for a home gym and so I am planning on using cement to make the plates. But I know that some water will be absorbed and not evaporated when making the cement so it will be hard for me to get the weight that I want.

How much heavier is cement after it has set? Do different conditions change this?

If I add more or less water will it affect this or will it only take a certain amount of water and then the rest will evaporate?


texts:
I'm currently in the process of designing a watch tower and was wondering if i can replace my cross braces in my current design with simple knee braces.

Cross brace:

Knee brace:

This saves some space and looks a bit better imho. But would it give the same strength as cross braces?

Note that both braces have mortise and tenon connections.

The overal structure is about 4 meters high and 2 by 2 meter width.

Thanks for the idea's!


texts:
We're part of a real-time pricing program with our electric utility company, and a good strategy for offsetting electricity use during peak demand times is to pre-cool the house.  The more thermal mass that our house has, the more effective the pre-cooling will be.

I've read about phase-change materials and the promise of Thermal Core PCM drywall, but it seems like the development into a commercial product isn't going to happen any time soon.  I've seen various vessels filled with room-temperature PCMs for sale, but I have no idea how much I would have to buy in order to make a noticeable difference in thermal mass of a house.

Is there a practical way to add thermal mass to my house?  I've heard of people suggesting adding large drums of water, though I'd be leery about doing so due to the possibility of structural damage and/or leakage.  I also considered loading up our side crawl with bricks, but I'm not sure how much I could safely add without again running into structural concerns.


texts: Help wiring replacement Honeywell to Nest 3rd gen

texts:
Need help with identifying wires on Honeywell TH9320WF5003, using Nest compatibility checker to replace with Nest gen 3

One of wires look like "W- O/B, not sure which wire it really is nest doesn't have this wire option?

On Honeywell I have wires going into C, RC, R, W- O/B, Y, G

Home has 5 zones baseboard heating and 2 zones a/c, replacing one of thermostats that controls both a/c and heat

picture of thermostat connectors, top right connector has me confused, looks like "W- O/B"


texts: how do you turn the overfow drain in tub upside down

texts: my house was built in 1946, love the old tub but how do I turn the overflow drain upside down where I may take a bath? As of right now, there's not enough water to cover my feet! Here are the images, sorry about the mess! I plan on replacing the knobs, etc..[overflow The tub itself will be re-caulked also


texts: Hanging 73 lb frameless glass panels on drywall

texts:
I have to hang a bunch of glass panels on drywall. they have no frames.  Each glass piece is 70"x33.5" and weighs 73lb. the thickness is about 1/4", 5/16". most need to get hung on drywall, a few of them to concrete wall.
does anyone have any ideas of what kind of clips or supports to use?
thanks


texts: How to seal seams between wooden deck rails?

texts:
A contractor apparently did not a good job on rebuilding my deck and after a couple of months caulking in between wooden moving deck railings doesn't provide any sealing from water dripping into the half-wall underneath.

What's a good way to seal those corners? Assuming those wooden railings continue shrinking and expanding.


texts: On a final project of residential automation, where should I put my Arduino?

texts:
In a final project, where should I put my Arduino board and it's relay modules cases?
Maybe should I do an electric panel only for this purpose, or have other most simple solution?
Thanks in advanced.


texts: About how much would replacing a septic tank cost me?

texts:
We recently had our septic system inspected and were informed that the tanks themselves were shot and would need to be replaced.  I'm in the process of getting estimates but in the meantime, I was wondering if someone could describe the procedure and ballpark costs.  I assume we're talking about several thousands of dollars.

Additional Information:

House is located in Aptos, CA
House is located on a mostly flat lot (9000 sq ft) and is elevated up from street.  Front-yard is small and that's where the current septic tank is located.
House is 48 years old
Existing septic tank is concrete and 2250 gallons (according to inspections).
Still waiting to complete details in report.


texts: can we use UPS as stabilizer for 1.5 ton AC?

texts:
I bought split A.C 1.5 ton Samsung AR18FC5efbh model. Can I use an 800VA Microtek UPS as stabilizer for this 1.5 ton A.C?

AC Specs http://shopping.indiatimes.com/electronics/split-ac/samsung-1-5-tonsplit-ac-ar18fc5efbh/10291/p_B1619918

Model: 800 VA Microtek ups with below specs:

Technical Specifications

Model
MDP800

Input Range
135~300V AC

Frequency
(50Hz+5%)

Output
Voltage
230V ± 9% AC

Transfer Time <6ms

Regulator on Mains
Automatic Voltage Regulation

Regulator on Battery
Pulse Width Modulation

Unit Input Protection
Fuse Protection

Noise Protection
Noise Filter

Short Circuit (Line)
Fuse Protection

Short Circuit (Inverter)
Pulse to Pulse Electronic active Protection

Battery Type
SMF

Recharge Time
2~8 Hrs. (depending on the status of Battery)

Backup Time
25-50 Min.

Batery Rating
(Load 1PC) / 12V, 7.2AH x 2

Alarm Battery Backup (Sound beeping)
Per 20 sec. (Approx.)
Battery Low
Sound beeping long

LED Display
Green
Mains mode operation / AVR Working

LED Display Red
Inverter output from battery

Physical
Size (L x W x H)
(300x125x170)mm

Weight (Approx.):
11Kg.

Environment

Operating Temperature
0ºC ~ 48ºC ; 32ºF ~ 120ºF

Rel. Humidity
0 to 90% non-condensing

Noise Audible Noise level
<35dB, distance 1 meter from UPS


texts: Concerned about 3 circuits interconnected in 1 box

texts:
My home was built in 1941. The wiring is a mix of original and some added updates. I recently went to wire in a bath exhaust fan and timer switch on the same circuit as the light-switch (they share a box now) I traced the circuit (14) to a nearby box with a ceramic light also on circuit 14.

This small octagonal box had 8 cables coming out of it. Using a voltage tester I determined circuits 10 and 12 also ran through this box. With all 3 circuits turned off I proceeded to separate circuits 10 and 12 into different junction boxes to free up room to tap off 14 for power - and I prefer not to have multiple circuits in the same box for reasons I am about to come to.

The voltage tester indicated voltage was not present, but when I disconnected a group of white wires I saw sparking and lights I know to be on circuit 8 went flickered and went out. I turned off circuit 8 (that's now four breakers off to cut power to this one junction box with light).

After separating all the wires for 8, 10, and 12 (14 was wired to itself and not interconnected like the other 3) I turned the circuits back on and found that both the black and white wires from circuit 8 were 'hot'. There are 3 sets of 3 and 4-way controlled lights on 8, but no switch position checked had any effect on either black or white, they always stayed hot.

Tracing 8 I found that there is a cable going from one junction box back to the panel with the black removed completely (white and neutral only) and another that goes to another junction box down-line on circuit 12 (again white and neutral only with black removed completely from the sheathing).

This wiring has been this way for at minimum 22 years (my father may have added some of these wires between 1985 when they purchased the home, and 1997 when he passed, or the previous owners may have done this) Either way, in 22+ years it has been working, but I haven't a clue as to why it would have been done this way, nor if it's to code.

10 come from the panel to the box (what i thought was down-line circuit 10 is actually fed from a junction box on 8), 12 also comes from the panel, but has two cables feeding down-line.

Attached is a diagram showing the connections that concern me black of 10 to black of 8, white of 10 to white of 12 (not from panel), all 3 blacks of 12 are connected together, and the 'Hot' white from 8 is connected to the white on 12 coming from the panel as well as the white on the other 12 that runs down-line.


texts: Why did my Faucet's Metal Braided Hose Fail / Explode?

texts:
Two years ago we installed an expensive high end branded (Lifetime warranty) single holed faucet in our laundry room.

Last week the metal braided hose on the cold side burst. The way our faucet is designed is that the hose is attached to the faucet itself, so it was not a 3rd party or cheaply made metal braided hose. Luckily we quickly noticed the leak, and the damage was not that severe, but it could have been much worse! But the  idea that these hoses can fail only after 2 year is very very very troubling to say the least.

After doing little bit more research. According to this  MIT paper written in March 2016, it discusses the failures of metal braided hoses.

Few points in the conclusion is the quality of the steel. But as I've said before, ours is attached to the high end faucet, so i'm assuming it's of the highest quality.

Storing cleaning agents under the sink which can contain chlorides or other corrosive compounds. But we don't store anything in this particular cabinet. So that's ruled out.

I've read on other sources: suggesting to make sure not to over tighten or under tighten the hose. Okay???

That you should replace the metal braided hose every 5 years. That's not possible in my situation because they are attached to the faucet.

And that you should have a licensed plumber install the faucets. Why? What is a Licensed Plumber going to do differently than a person with a wrench and a common understanding of how to install things. This shouldn't exactly be rocket science.

The faucet company has already sent me a brand new replacement of the unit, but now i'm skeptical in installing it again. If we didn't catch this leak, it could have costed us thousands of dollars in repairs.

Any suggestion would be appreciated.

Here are a few images.

This is not my faucet, but an exmaple of how the hose looks. I've faded out the 3rd hose because my faucet only has two hoses, not three.

Edit:
isherwood suggested the discoloration could be rust. It's possible, but I think it may be rust dust? Here are couple pictures of the surrounding area.

As you can see the bottom of the sink is rusted out, and if you wipe it, "rust dust" comes off and could fall down toward the hoses. I'm not super knowledgeable about rust dust, or rust itself.

Any thoughts?

High Resolution Images: https://imgur.com/a/6H8ocfw


texts: How can I strip & Refinish this window frame?

texts:
Take a look at the following close-up of one of my window frames. I'd like to strip all the white paint off of it, possibly stain the wood, and finish it with a varnish. I have the following questions:

Is there anything special I need to consider in regards to the heat gun I purchase (i.e. capable of multiple temperatures)?
Will a heat gun be sufficient for getting off all the paint on the curved parts of the molding, as well as the damaged, dented parts? Or should paint thinner be used at all?


texts: What type and size conduit should I use for my service entrance cable?

texts: I am running my aluminum service entrance cable from the main panel to a sub panel in my garage. It runs from the garage under the house then out the wall, makes a 90 degree turn to go into my side of the main box. I cannot find the code that says what kind of conduit it should be in when making the transition to outside and into the box. Any suggestions?


texts: How to confirm coaxial wall plate is connected correctly?

texts:
I connected coaxial cable to a wall plate plug that connects a wire directly (does not use a terminator).

After doing that, I did some connectivity testing from the back to the front, and I found that there is no connectivity between the outside middle pin connection and the internal pin.  The braided sheath has conductivity to the ring on the wall plate connector

I figured there is some type of signal processing involved so it may not be conductive... there are also capacitors on the wall plate plug so it's probably taking all the power.

How do I test to make sure that I installed this correctly?


texts: Why does my kitchen faucet's handle get hot while not in use?

texts: My kitchen faucet is hot after it sits for a few minutes. The valve is off. How do I handle the problem, which just started?


texts:
I have a need for a point-of-use style mini-tank (4-10 gallons) which runs on natural gas. I see a lot of electric mini-tanks of this kind but none that run on NG or even LP. Do they exist? I cannot find anything, anywhere.

I don't have the breaker box capacity for one of these electric mini-tanks nor the room for a full size 40-50 gallon tank so it has to be NG and small. Tankless is also not an option.


texts: I have a small areas that I want to do wallpaper on. However there are a few spots on this wall that needed patchwork and are spackled. My question is, can I wall paper right over the spackle or does it need some kind of primer on it?


texts: What are my compact CNC milling machine options for stone carving?

texts:
I am looking for suggestions about a small and compact CNC milling machine to sculpt decorative figures in metal and stone plates. I have no experience with such machines (I once saw an industrial one using high pressure water to cut through marble, but it's beyond my needs, budget and expertise), but I would not need a professional level machine, just a hobby level one with basic functionalities

I would like to know the following information:

suggestions for resellers and products
expected price
expected maintenance
tips for usage and precautions


texts: How do I improve specific gravity in a 4 year old battery

texts: The specific gravity indicates almost nonexistent acid level.   Barely above water.   What is the best way to bring this battery back to life.  It is a 6 volt solar battery.


texts: How can I restore the shine to a quartz countertop?

texts: My kitchen counter top is made of QUARTZ, and I have a small area that the shine is dull. Can the surface be restored to make the shine uniform as it was?


texts: How can I support a joist length of 9 meters without steel?

texts: I want to convert my loft and need to span 9 meters unsupported. Can it be achieved without steel beams?


texts: Unusual sized freestanding bathtub drain flexhose

texts: I bought a freestanding tub online and it came with a 1 3/4 flexhose which doesn't fit my standard plumbing which is 1 1/2. Is there a way to make it fit? (It's made in China)


texts: Testing a furnace transfer switch, watt meter shows extremely low usage

texts:
I just installed a Reliance furnace transfer switch model TF151W to my main circuit panel.  I tried to test it by running an extension cord from another outlet to the transfer switch.  I put the P3 International P4460 Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor in the line to test the watt consumption of my hot air furnace.

After switching from Line to Generator and cranking up the heat, I noted the wattage was only 3.7 watts?  Is this because the common neutral is not switched?  If I was to connect the Honda EU2000I 2000 Watt inverter generator would I have any problems?


texts: Meter shows hot but my outlets in my living room not working

texts: Everything on the breaker works but my living room outlets, and my meter shows 110 volts. Everything else on the same breaker works fine.


texts: Can I replace this broken pipe under my kitchen sink?

texts:
This pipe under my kitchen sink has a big crack in the area circled in yellow. (It's on the back side so it isn't visible in the photo.) Can I simply unscrew the nut at the top that I circled in red to replace the pipe? I'm afraid to just go ahead and try in the fear that I will put my kitchen sink out of commission. I'm already ok with disconnecting the hand-tightened nut at the bottom.

Update:

Success! I replaced the tailpiece with no problem. Thanks to all for the help.


texts: How to properly insulate a bathroom with 2 walls been concrete blocks?

texts:
We are remodeling our bathroom and are in the process of framing/insulating.

We need to insulate 2 concrete block walls but don't want to eat the already small space we have. Which solution could work?

Currently, the wall has 1x3 furring strips and we were thinking about using them to hold 2 inches insulation board—leaving some air pockets—then installing the thinner 1/4 inch Hardiebacker board and then Redgard the hell out of it for waterproofing.

My concern is the furring strips won't hold the backer board and the ceramic. Other option we thought of was using the Schluter Kerdi board and forget about insulation altogether, so Kerdi board attached to 1x3 furring and then titling.

Is there any other option that you can think of? Will any of the above ideas make sense? Thanks for asking. We are in DC (U.S.) area so summers are really hot but winters are mild.


texts: Restore small section of OSB behind inner wall

texts:
Repairing Oriented strand board (OSB)
finishing joinery wood-repair
I cut out a small 4" x 5" piece of Oriented strand board out of a wall. I saved this cut out piece so I can re-attach it.
When I put the piece back in the hole I cut, what do I use to re-attach it so it stays stable? (so it won't fall back or forward out of the hole.)
If this can be done, what do I use to fill in the crack of air that will be around this piece that was cut out, after, it is re-attached?


texts: Best treatment for dishwasher rollers that use metal screws

texts:
My dishwasher roller wheels are plastic and have started to fail.  I bought replacements, but another of the original plastic ones has started to fail.  When I went to look I saw that the replacements used metal parts to hold the wheels in place (see pictures) rather than purely plastic.  Now those metal parts have rusted badly.

Before I put more of these metal-based replacements into the dishwasher, can I treat the parts with rustoleum or some kind of plastic covering to make them last longer?  Is the rustoleum dishwasher safe?

The previous replacement rollers haven't been in there for even 1 year, probably about 9 months.


texts:
How do I get my fluorescent 4-tube under-cabinet lights to come on reliably?

When they have been on a while and just been turned off they will reliably come on again immediately with no flicker.  When they have been off for a while, they will not come on reliably.  I plug and unplug repeatedly and will sometimes get a flash of light, sometimes not.  Finally one of the times I replug, the lights will all suddenly come on with no flicker. Once on they stay on fine.

This has gradually gotten worse so that now often I cannot get them to come on at all. These were working fine and have not been disturbed except that the power went off when they were on.  They never come on when I leave them plugged in -- only when just plugged in. Other things work fine in that outlet and the same problem occurs if I plug the lights into other outlets.  I have replaced the plug, cutting off the last bit of wire coming into the plug. These are at room temperature (70-71 degrees.) This is an expensive unit with wood ends that match the cabinets so I would prefer not to replace the unit.

This is urgent as it is the sole lighting for indoor bonsai trees which are starting to lose leaves from lack of this light.  (I've tried moving them elsewhere temporarily but they are valuable and very sensitive and need their watering recalibrated for the temporary location's conditions and meanwhile they are declining.  I want to put them back in their permanent location as soon as I can.)


texts: How to wire a 4 prong outlet in my generator to 3 prong dryer?

texts:
I have a generator that I want to be able to run most of the house on in the event of a hurricane, I live in SE Texas.
I also have a couple of welders that I plug into my dryer outlet via 8/2 Romex.
So I have an extension cord for my welders, 25 feet, 3 prong to 3 prong.
My generator has a female 4 prong outlet. My question is how do I use a three wire cable, one is bare ground to the 4 prong plug that I just bought?
I would rather not have to buy another cable and change the dryer outlet if I don’t have to.
Thanks.


texts: Dirty Dishwasher water flows back into dishwasher

texts:
Attached a video demonstrating the symptom, and pictures of the setup.  Video starts just before the Drain Cycle ends.  Once it ends, air slowly enters from the disposal-end, pushing all the water from the top of the high loop back down into the dishwasher.  It rests near the bottom, where the water level ends up inside the dishwasher.  Shouldn't this not happen?

Video example


texts:
Hopefully someone can help with this issue. Everything I have researched seems to be related to a type of light I do not own. I have a kitchen LED light that has been working fine up until just recently when all of a sudden it will start to flash when turning it on. Sometimes it comes on and stays within a few seconds and sometimes it will take 10-15 minutes or more.

I attempted to take the cover off and check and see if any wiring was loose and could not locate anything causing it. None of the wires when touching or adjusting will cause it to start working again. It is not on any dimmer switch but has two different standard light switches that operate it.

http://imgur.com/cqOcIr8 (Image of unit without the cover)
https://youtu.be/K_YH0blbOqY (Video of the flashing)

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am stumped on how to fix this.