texts: Basement (re)finishing insulation question

texts:
I started a job and my wife is looking to string me up if I don't start finishing it soon.

We bought our 50 y/o rancher in PA with a "finished" basement, aka, drop ceiling, paneling on 3 walls (4th is drywall) in the created family room and drywall ceiling and walls in 2 created bedrooms. There's also an unfinished laundry room.

Anywho, one day our tub drain leaked a bit and dripped water on the drop ceiling, and I am not a fan of drop ceiling or paneling, so I decided to rip it all out and put drywall up to match the rest. The issue is when I took the paneling down I found 1" rigid foam behind it. After peeling that away I found a stud wall BEHIND it and rolled insulation between the studs. Now, the foam was taped, but the paneling was nailed through it and it stops at the bottom of the joists, leaving the cavities uninsulated.

Do I just drywall over the foam (drive drywall screws through the foam to get to the studs)?
Do I toss the foam and install drywall over just the rolled?
Do I toss the rolled and install the foam between the studs instead?
Do I strip all of the insulation out and reinstall the foam over the studs without the rolled behind it?
Do I remove all and try to wiggle the foam behind the studs (barely more than 1" gap bet concrete wall and stud, so not likely)?
Do I rip it all out and start fresh (really don't want to do this).

The basement is generally dry, but I have 2 sumps that get work in heavy downpours and a dehumidifier that gets work in the summer. My mom's moving in and I have to get this done before that happens. Thanks in advance.


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Bought a new washer+dryer. Old washer+dryer are still working fine, so I figured I will keep the old dryer and just dispose of the old top load washer (the new one is a nice front load). They're both electric, so I don't have to worry about gas plumbing.

Do I need a separate vent pipe for each dryer? Or can they just "share" a single vent pipe, via a "Y-pipe?"


texts: How to scribe a circle in the ground...without access to the middle point?

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I want to mark the ground with spray paint and wooden stakes in a nice 25 ft radius circle. The simple way would be to drive a narrow stake in the ground at the center point, tie a 25 ft string to it, and drive the stakes anywhere the string is pulled out.
The problem is, I don't have access to the middle point currently...there are some big rocks there. I do have access to the areas where I will be drawing the spray paint though and quite a bit of space around.
Is there some other simple means of drawing the circle, without having access to the center?

No, center point isn't accessible...there is stuff in the way...I'm going to move that stuff later, when I can rent the equipment.
I'd prefer the circle be fairly accurate, about as accurate I could get had I used a center string...maybe within a 1/4 (?) of accuracy.


texts: How to add a gfci and surge protector to pool pump line?

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I want to add a gfci and surge protector to the 240v circuit for my pool pump. The 12 guage power wires (red and black) and ground (green) run from the corner of yard directly to the main breaker panel on the house, to a thin 20 amp double pole breaker.

I would like to add a small ‘sub panel’ in the corner and was figuring I would need a 20 amp double pole gfci breaker and a 20 amp double pole breaker for the surge protector. I would assume I hook the red wire to one feed and the black to the other, the green to the ground bus, snap in the gfci and run the red and black and ground to the 240v pump.

What do I do with the white neutrals from the gfci and surge protector? I am guessing they to the ground bus since the ground runs straight back to the main panel, but I would rather be sure than BBQ something, maybe myself.

Assuming that is good, I would also like to add another single pole 20 amp breaker to the sub-panel for a 110 outlet. Can I run the neutral wire for that circuit to the ground bus in the sub panel also?

Thank you!

Update: 6/4/16:
Thank ALL of you for your comments. I really do appreciate the great advice and am very grateful for the help. Please know that spending your time helping others makes a real difference :)

Revised plan, after your comments and reviewing Article 680 NEC:

(1) Install a 20 amp GFCI at the main breaker panel for the dedicated 240 line for the pool pump. Neutral wire from GFCI attaches to ground/neutral bus which is the same at the main.

(2) Add 240 Disconnect by pool pump.

(3) Add Intermatic PS3000 surge protector by connecting it to disconnect. Called Intermatic and they said I can just wire it at the Disconnect by connecting to the red and black 120 lines, and the surge protector neutral to the 240 ground. This seems to make sense since the 240 ground runs directly back to the main ground/neutral bus (let me if this was bad advice!)

(4) Use a separate 20 amp 110 circuit for pool light and accessories.

(5) Add a whole house surge protector at the main box (will require replacing panel since no more space).

Pool pump is about 75' from the main breaker and I have read it is better to have protection at the main panel and also at the equipment. The new pump is a Pentair variable speed which seems to high a high rate of failure due to the electronics on the pump which are apparently sensitive and the price of a new pump to replace.

(6) After doing the wiring and plumbing, I plan to have a pool professional or licensed electrician to perform the final connect and start up, which will help with warranty.

I am in Fort Lauderdale, FL if anyone has a recommendation!

Thank you!


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We've just completed our first drywall project and the outcome wasn't so great in places. There are a couple spots in particular that have 1/2-1/4" gaps.

I was wondering, is there a nifty way to close these gaps or do we have to pull the panel down and try again if it is too bad? I don't think they just slathering mud in it will work?


texts: What could be causing cold water to enter my hot water tank?

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I have cold water leaking into the hot water side of my hot water tank. In order to get hot water shower, I have to flush a toilet or turn cold water on at a different location.

With the cold water inlet side of tank closed, you can hear water coming in on the hot water side.


texts: C wire Hooked to Compressor but terminated at Thermostat

texts: I'm looking to install a thermostat that requires a "C" wire. See the picture below of the terminal inside the furnace one of the blue wires appears to go to the cable that goes outside to the compressor.   The other blue wire goes to the thermostat wire for the thermostat and is not connected to the thermostat.   Is there any issue using that C wire for a new thermostat that requires one?  Any precautions for installation and instructions other than turning the power off to the furnace would be appreciated.


texts: How do I fix bubbles under linoleum flooring?

texts: We put down a sheet 12X9 of linoleum in our kitchen and it went under the new cabinets and baseboard. The flooring depot said no glue was needed. Well now we have bubbles, a great big one and several others. What is the easiest way to fix this problem?


texts: Why is my plaster covered ceiling magnetic?

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tldr; Why do magnets stick to my ceiling?

I have an old house, built in 1905 in the Boston area. I want to install a light fixture in a room that does not currently have one. I tried using my stud finder to find the joists, but it proved futile.

I switched to trying to use some neodymium magnets to try to find nails in the ceiling. Right off the bat, the magnet stuck. Thinking I was lucky, I grabbed a second magnet and started hunting for another nail. That magnet also immediately stuck.

I started hunting around and found that the magnets stuck to my ceiling virtually everywhere that I put them.

The ceiling has a textured plaster finish on it. There are no vents running through the ceiling that I am aware of.


texts: Range hood - not powerful enough to clear smoke?

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Whenever I sear steak (or cook anything on high heat), despite having our range hood on the highest setting, the smoke alarms always go off and the entire house smells pretty bad for several hours. Aside from changing my cooking habits, I was wondering if there's anything else I can do to improve this situation. I am totally willing to replace our hood if need be, but I don't want to make an investment only to find out it doesn't actually change anything.
Our hood is currently a 36" under-cabinet rated at 400 CFM. We have a standard gas stove with 4 burners. Our kitchen is an "open space" concept though meaning it's kinda merged with the living room in the same space.
The exhaust is supposed to go outside.

Would a higher CFM hood "fix" the issue? Any other recommendations to what I could check?


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In my new apartment, I plan to very well isolate a room (phonetically).
This is for general purpose ; to play music as well as gaming, watching films, or why not, just shouting out loud. You get the idea: just a room where we can really make noise.

I searched the internet and found some hints but people are often looking for very particular use (usually battery, stuff like that) or are just looking to globally isolate their apartment a bit.
I, however, am looking for a all-purpose, very strong isolation in a limited space (room).

The room is square 3x3m and 2.5m height ( ~10x10ft and 8ft ), all walls made of concrete (vibrated I believe).

There is, I think, 4 possible exit for sound:

A window to outdoor (that will be double glazed)
A door to indoor (that, also will be fixed)
A heater whom pipe is going trough the concrete wall to another room's heater pipe, going up and down to the neighbors
And finally, the walls, floor and ceiling themselves.

Question is: How to make a powerful isolation  ?

I gathered few tips from internet:

a floor installed on silent-blocks or even tennis balls
convoluted foam for the walls
double BA13 (plasterboard) for the walls
Or both ?? (I have no idea if this make sense)
..

But I can't make anything really clear out of my mind.
I am also willing to buy a decibel meter, but I'm not really sure what to measure exactly.


texts: Will a Deck Get Damaged if it Rains Between Cleaning it and Sealing it?

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I'm looking to clean and seal my deck as per this process, basically:

Clean it
Allow a week for the deck to dry
Apply sealant

The way I am thinking of timing it, there's a chance it may rain between 1 and 3. So obviously, I'd want to wait another week after any rain for the deck to dry, but if I am trying to plan when to clean my deck, should I try to avoid any rain between 1 and 3? Will rain on a freshly cleaned (but not sealed) deck cause damage?


texts: Compensate inadequate exhaust vents for whole house fan by installing a power vent in attic?

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I would like to install a whole house fan in my 2400 sf house. However, with only three 1 ft x 2 ft gable vents, I'm looking at an NFVA of only 3 sf of exhaust vent when taking into consideration that they are screened!

I'm assuming that I would need ~10 air exchanges per hour to get a "breeze effect with the fan turned on. However, I would need an additional 4sf of exhaust vent: 3500cfm/500cfm/sf = 7sf - 3sf existing exhaust vent.

I currently have 1.17sf of soffit intake vents (84 3" holes under eaves) vs 6sf exhaust vents(3 gable vents). Since these vents should actually be same ratio, by adding 4sf of additional exhaust vents, the ratio would be even more skewed!

The Quiet Cool website suggested that an attic power vent could be run in tandem with a whole house fan and eliminate the need for additional exhaust vents to be installed on the roof. With that said, would this be the best solution for my dilemma?

Below is a picture indicating the type house ventilating fan I am considering


texts: I going to run 1/2" EMT conduit on the bottom of a joist. The standard straps I have are too wide to get both nails/screws in. I would prefer to run the conduit down the center of the joist. I wouldn't be able to do this with a single nail/screw strap. I was thinking of using a thick metal tape with holes every inch or so in it. I have some holding up my gas line. Do they still make it? If so, what is it called? Or could I used plastic zip lock ties instead?


texts: Techniques for leveling small section of subfloor

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I recently had my back door removed and replaced with a sliding patio door. When framing the new opening, some of the framing was rotten and replaced. Due to the house being 118 years old, things aren't always perfectly square and level. The new subfloor is a bit sloping right around the door. The framers installing the door said this would be no big deal for the flooring guys, and that they are used to this sort of thing.
Turns out, 2 flooring guys say they can't deal with this. The slope is about 1" over 12", then the 3/4 plywood the door is on.
What kind of options could I employ to level this area out? While I could fabricate a bunch of large shims to exactly match the profile, it would be a time-consuming hassle. Would something like a self-leveling concrete or epoxy resin type material work in a situation such as this, if the area was adequately sealed from leaking? What other options might there be?
Here's an image of the overall situation. The subfloor on the right is the 'original', while the vertically oriented plywood is the new subfloor installed by the framers for the door.

View of the overall deflection. The old subfloor is reasonably level, and this picture was taken with someone stepping on the level placed in the gap in the flooring. The difference between the ideal and the bottom is about 1".

Another view


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I seem to have an old underground gas pipe coming into my basement which seems to still have gas in the line, however it is not connected to my meter. I am currently digging out my mud room (on the other side of the wall in the attached photo) and would like to remove this old line.

Firstly, why would there be two lines? (both with gas in)

Secondly, who’s responsibility is the 2nd pipe which seems not to go to the meter, and runs under ground.

I’ve search around the web and can’t find anyone with this problem.

I hope someone out there may have advise. Thaks.


texts: Pretty basic Honeywell Wireless Thermostat Questions

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I thought I knew at least the basics of how the Honeywell Thermostat worked, but testing with a multi-meter dashed those presumptions. I have another question posted, but until I get the basics straight, I am just confused.

I have a Honeywell TH6320R1004 Wireless Thermostat with the following settings
 - Changeover valve: O/B terminal controls valve in cooling mode
 - System Type: 2 heat/1 cool heat pump

I have a Taco SR503 providing power to R which is jumped to Rc. I presumed that with no power wire to Rh, there would be no power to Rh.

However, when in cool mode, I am able to get 24v from Rh to G and Y terminals. Why is this?

I disconnected the Rc and Rh cables to test continuity between Rc and the various Equipment terminals and the same for Rh and the various Equipment terminals.

I found the only scenarios where there was continuity:

In Heat Mode

Between (Rc and G) and (Rc and Y) when there was a call for heat

In Cool Mode

Between (Rh and W) and (Rh and W2)
Between (Rc and G) and (Rc and Y)

My presumption is that it is only in cases of continuity where the thermostat can make something happen. But this test does not make a lot of sense to me.

How does this thermostat run a heat pump if the Rh does not ever have continuity to any Equipment terminals in Heat Mode.
Why does Rh have continuity with W and W2 when calling for Cool (shouldn't it be Rc powering W and W2 with the setting: O/B terminal controls valve in cooling mode?)
Why does Rc have continuity with G and Y when calling for heat?

This test has shown my complete ignorance and my presumptions are way off.

Update
I am beginning to suspect that this thermostat cannot be powered with 2 transformers in 2 heat/1 cool heat pump mode - this option is not shown in the manual.

I am wondering if I need to change it to 2H/2C System (2 transformers) and switch to "O/B terminal controls valve in cooling mode". Then I might be able to use W for heating and Y for the cooling mode.


texts: I just moved into my house and replacing switches and receptacles when I come across a 3 way circuit not working correctly. I pulled the 2 switches to find someone had replaced one with a single pole switch. Unfortunately they did a sloppy job and didnt pigtail their hot wires properly, so wondering if someone can tell me how to properly rewire this to my 3 way switch. Thanks in advance.


texts:
I just repainted my bathroom, and at the same time decided to replace the toilet paper dispenser.  I patched the holes from the previous TP holder, so I'm starting with a clean slate.

I'm at the point where I'm ready to install the new dispenser, but I'm not sure which side to hang it on.  the walls on both sides of the toilet are an equal distance away, so that is no help in making the decision.  And there are no obstructions or other factors to consider, so I'm having a difficult time trying to choose.

Is there a standard when it comes to this, or is it just personal preference?  Does handedness of the majority users play a factor?  Is there a standard height?

I know this seems like an odd question and it's possibly argumentative, but I have not been able to find any studies or research on the subject.  So I figured I'd ask for help.


texts: Should I use reflective insulation over other kinds of attic insulation?

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I just moved into a house made in 1969, it gets really hot during the sunny days and cold during the winter. I'm living close to the rocky mountains just so you have an idea how cold and hot it gets. I then got a contractor to let me know what was the problem and told me that I have about 6 inches of fiberglass insulation in my attic and that I need to have about 15 inches.

He told me the next process is to add insulation with a blower machine and then I could add the needed insulation to solve the problem. I looked online to see how easy/hard is to do that and I found out that it's not an easy job, and of course not pretty cheap. I was planning to do it myself to save some dollars but I'm pretty sure that the current insulation in the attic might have some asbestos, so I just don't want to deal with that.

Then I was looking for alternatives to insulation and I found the reflective insulation to be an effective way (it claims that it can get the temperature down to up to 10 degrees) to insulate a home with a possibility of doing it without having to hire a contractor for the job.

First question here:

If is that effective, cheap and easier to install than other methods is that great as they clam it to be? It sounds good to be true.

After watching some youtube videos on how to install this kind of insulation, I noticed that when you install it inside your attic on the ceiling of it, there will be a gap between the ceiling and the reflective layer, since it has be stapled to the studs, so I was wondering how hot could that get and if would affect the roof in any way?

Thank you!


texts:
The fan on the outside condensor of my HVAC system stopped spinning.  If I give it a push it starts up.  My understanding is that this typically is just the capacitor going bad and is a relatively simple replacement fix.

The old capacitors (there are two of them in there) read:

Packard Inc. Stock #, POC5, 5MFD +- 5%, 370VAC 50/60 HZ
First Choice, Y4606-vi, 50uF +-5%, 440VAC 50/60HZ

I can't find the exact same replacements on line, but I assume all I need to do is match the MFD and VAC numbers on the replacement capacitors?


texts: Why does the maximum deck overhang sometimes decrease with joist spacing?

texts:
The deck construction guide for my area contains this table:

Look at the "Allowable Overhang" columns. It's odd that a wider joint spacing (24") permits a longer overhang.

For example, look at the row for 2x12 fir joists. At 12" O.C. spacing, overhang can be 4'4". At 24" spacing, this decreases to 3'3".

Now look at 2x8 fir joists. At 12" spacing, overhang can be 1'8". Increasing the spacing to 24" increases the allowable overhang to 2'2"!

This doesn't make sense: I'd think closer joist spacing means more load bearing capacity, allowing for longer overhangs. Even more confusing is there's no consistency between joist sizes. What gives?


texts:
I bought a small ceiling spotlight fixture that I meant to convert into an outlet-powered desk lamp. It has three wires (brown, blue, yellow-green) coming from it, e.g. it has a grounding wire because the fixture is of a metallic material. I'm in Finland, the lamp is from Germany.

Because I plan to use it for a smart LED bulb that is commanded by software (electricity to device always on), I thought that I probably wouldn't need to get an on-off switch to the wire; Also, I found it very difficult to find desk lamp switches with three instead of two wire terminals.
So I bought a regular mains cable that has exactly the same color coded three wires in it. I connected them to the lamp's wires by fastening them to the kind of screw terminal that you usually use for ceiling fixture installations. A very simple installation, and technically not one that I hadn't done many times before.
But because I had tampered with the wire myself and I was about to switch this fixture on for the first time ever, I hesitated to do so by having to be so near; So instead of plugging the device directly to the mains outlet, between them I put a remote controlled plug adapter so I could switch it on from a remote control. I use them all the time, to switch on/off some of the hard to reach devices around the house. But when I switched it on, this new lamp blew the fuse in that part of the house! At the moment when that happened, the fixture base lied on heavy wooden material, no contact with metals. The bulb that was connected to the fixture has not been damaged, it lights up when tested with another fixture. It's a GU10.

I re-checked my connections and detached the fixture's socket to investigate. I found no visible flaws or imperfections. I got a multimeter but the instructions are of absolutely no help to someone who doesn't already know everything. But I think that I have now ruled out that the main circuit doesn't short: By setting the meter dial to Ω2000➜├  and touching each prong with the measuring pins, the meter reads "1". I have not measured ground.

As a complete amateur I can only come to think of a few things:

Should I have just skipped the remote controlled plug adapter and
plugged the device directly to the outlet? On the other hand, I
don't understand how the adapter could've been the problem: I use
them all the time, also on devices with a grounded wire, and the
adapter has metallic contacts for receiving the ground signal from
the plug.
Or is it the actual mains outlet's fault? I live in an old
house with outlets so old that they don't have the ground contacts,
outlets with ground contacts are only found in the kitchen and the
bathroom, likely a more recent addition. But then again, I'm using
devices with grounded plugs here all the time and I've heard that it
shouldn't be a problem.
Or did I just happen to have too many devices on at the same time and that was the last straw? It does seem a bit odd though, after all, we're talking about switching on a single LED bulb – hardly a heavy strain.

I haven't attempted to plug the device in since.
Did I create something dangerous, is some part of the system malfunctioning, or was this a one-off to ignore and simply retry? What should I test or attempt to do next?


texts:
I bought a Bosch SMS50E98EU a few month ago. During the second half of the washing cycle it smells like burnt cable. Initially I thought it is okay and will go away after the first few uses, but it is there after the tenth use.

What should I check? Or should I call an electrician?


texts: How to remove closet shelf clips and brackets without damaging the wall?

texts:
The previous owner of my new house installed ClosetMaid shelves in the closet. I removed the shelves, but had a really hard time with those clips and brackets (pictures attached). Seem like they were hammered into drywall anchors.

How can I remove them without damaging the wall?

UPDATE: I found the shelf clips on Lowe's website.


texts: How many of these items does the electrician put in?

texts:
Planning for a new construction. For the interior walls does the electrician:
a. put in the orange tube for running future technology wires?
b. wire for cat 6 Ethernet cabling for hard wire computer connections?
c. wire for coaxial for internet and cable?
d. wire for security camera?
e. wire for security system (creating your own, not using a security company).
f.  wire the electrical portion of the furnace?
g. wire for 2 zones  for the heating?
h. install the venting for the bath fans?
i.  install over stove microwave/vented fan and do the venting?

Or, which ones are only handled by HVAC or another sub?   THX YOU


texts: After installing new 3 position fan switch, fan doesn't turn and motor hums in forward position but doesn't turn, nothing in reverse position


texts: Wirelessly adding an intermediate switch into a conventional 2 way wiring system

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I have at home a normal conventional 2 way switching electrical wiring for a lamp

I want to have 3 switches to control the lamp, using an intermediate switch on a certain spot, though such third spot has no wiring access.

How can I wirelessly and intermediately switch that lamp? That is, I don't need any specific market product; I want to solve the problem of wirelessly adding an intermediate switch into a conventional 2 way wiring system.


texts: I recently had a farm sink installed in my kitchen. I noticed that the drain seems to sit slightly above the curve of the drain hole. A little bit of water also pools around the drain when the sink is used. Is this normal or does the drain need to be reinstalled to sit lower? I asked Kohler support and they said it looks like it was installed correctly, and they said it could appear slightly raised due to the plumbers puddy underneath. Most sinks I’ve seen, the drain sits below the curve of the drain hole though.


texts: How would I start to repair this Shurflo 2901-0213 water pump?

texts:
I've been given a sailboat which is in a significant level of disrepair. Hooray, projects!

The problem I'm currently facing is that there's no water pressure, even when I turn on the switch that gives power to the water pump.

I took a multimeter to the wires that feed into my water pump, and I seem to be getting 12 volts there. That then leaves the problem somewhere past those wires. I'm pretty clueless on how to run it down, though.

Shurflo has a parts list (PDF) so if you know what's busted you can order individual pieces.

How can I diagnose this? I have lots of time but little in the way of financial resources. I also have little background knowledge but I'm keen to learn.

Book recommendations are more than welcome if you know any. I don't really know what this kind of repair is called, tho.


texts: Why do I measure low, varying phase leg voltage which fluctuates with load?

texts: I have 123 volts on one phase and 89 or less on the other phase depending what I turn on. How do I troubleshoot this?


texts: How to lay of underlayment for a cedar shingle roof

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I am planning on re-rroofing a tool shed with cedar shingles. I always thought it would be a simple job of laying the #15 underlayment (tar paper) over the sheathing (or 1 x 3s) in overlapping layers and then simply nailing the cedar shingles in courses over the previously laid underlayment. After watching several youtube videos, it appears that a 3ft wide course of underlayment should be laid down at the roof edge and then the first course of shingles should be laid on top of that followed by a narrower course of underlayment that covers the top 4 inches, or so, of the shingles. Courses of shingle and underlayment are subsequently alternated in this manner up to the ridge of the roof.
What is the correct way to apply cedar shingles (not shakes) for a roof with respect to the use of #15 underlayment (tar paper)? Your help appreciated.
Dave,
British Columbia, Canada


texts: How do you wire the neutrals and is it safe when running a 240v home appliance (a window air conditioner in my case) from a 120v generator by wiring a 240v breaker that pulls from two of its 120v outlets and outputs to a 240v plug?


texts: I have 3 black wires - 3 green and 3 red - but when I attach to light fitting - light comes on with switch off and when I switch it on it blows any ideas ?


texts: What type of room divider should I use to convert a dining room into a bed room?

texts:
My dining room has 2 openings:
96H x 64W (do not need a door/opening)
96H x 41W (sliding door)

What are my best options to install something which is sturdy (not removable).

None of them should be glass doors as it'd be a bedroom. Noise separation would be good but not a must.


texts: Is it worth having two locks in exterior doors?

texts: I've noticed that some places have a lock in the knob and a deadbolt in the exterior doors, and some places have a knob without a lock and just a deadbolt.  Is there a benefit to having a lock in the knob I'm missing?


texts: Reducing a 3/4" Male Flare to a 1/2" Male Flare

texts:
I currently have 1/2" hose and female flare fittings that I need to connect to a larger 3/4" flare. I went to a local plumbing supply store and the set of parts they gave me seems a little excessive and over-complicated (see pics below)-- most importantly it's more prone to leaks.

Is there a better way to go about this? I feel like there has to be some kind of "3/4" to 1/2" reducing adapter".


texts: What are the small raised bumps on exterior painting?

texts:
I just had my house repainted. I hired the highest rated contractor on google in this area and paid more than regular.
Today when I had a close look at the wall, I noticed quite a few small dots.

There are less dots on most of area but it is a common problem can be seen on many places.
The wall was pressure washed. Looks like they are not dirt particles.
Is it normal on exterior painting? I need to make sure this is a failure or not before I communicate to contractor....


texts: In what order should I install roofing, gutters, and attic insulation?

texts: I have an old ranch built in the 50's.  It needs a new roof, insulation (currently no insulation) in the attic, and new gutters.  It's almost impossible to find a good contractor that does it all.  What order should I do the upgrades?  I've heard gutters must be made to work with roof.  I guess roof->gutters??  I might need to add more ventilation to the roof for the insulation. I'm guessing roof->gutters->insulation??  Thanks in advance for any help.


texts: After binding the three live (brown) wires together, remaining ceiling lights won't turn off

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I've got the three separate ceiling lights all on the same switch. The other two are simple with a single grey cable fitting. But this one is obviously the key light because it has three main grey cables.

When I wire up this one up according to the diagrams available online I find I can't switch the lights off.

I've used this diagram as a guide, though there are many similar. It fits my setup/wiring/colours almost exactly (except in my case the original installer has taped one of my blue wires (which I understand to be my "switched live") red instead of brown as in the diagram. I presume that's an entirely cosmetic difference.

So, retracing my steps I detach all the light fitting paraphernalia and just try it with the three brown/live wires bound together (as should be standard according to the diagram)  and still its sister lights (on the same switch) won't turn off. To kill the light I actually have to disentangle the three brown/live wires.

What am I doing wrong?

I guess this question looks much like this one, but the best answer has the same diagram I feel I have worked from (except different colour scheme).

Edit
Per Tester's answer, and if the diagram is wrong do I need to move one of the browns over?


texts: How do I fix gaps around my lean-to greenhouse?

texts:
Added this to gardening and was advised to post here.

I got my greenhouse and didn’t account for the sloping away of the wall it was to go against. Meaning a small gap at the bottom becomes 4” at the top.  I can’t push it into the wall as it warps the greenhouse and can’t leave the huge gap.
Is there a way of deal with this?

I was thinking of maybe
 - some type of structure around it then fill with expanding foam then remove the structure.
- some mesh then plaster it


texts: Can I add concrete from the old posts in the holes for the new posts and pour fast setting concrete on top?

texts:
I am about to install galvanized steel posts in fast setting concrete (QUickrete Fence n Post).
Someone suggested that in order to save money I could break up smaller pieces the old concrete bases (I will have to do that anyway so I can move them to the car to dispose them) and put some of these smaller pieces of concrete in the holes and pour fast setting cement in.

Would there be any problems with this move?


texts: I removed the aerator on my kitchen faucet and attached a hose for a time and cleaned the aerator.  Now I cannot get the original one to screw back into the place without it leaking (well spraying mostly).  Any suggestions on ways or tools to get an aerator firmly back in place?


texts: Installing 3 Eve Light Switches - one works, but two others just flash the lights every 6 seconds

texts:
I recently purchased three Eve Light Switches to smart-ify three sets of lights in my house.  I installed one on a dining room chandelier (with 9 LED lights) and it works just fine.  I tried installing two others in two other places (once wired to a room with 12 inset canister lights, and one to a room with 4 inset canister lights).  When I installed these, my Eve app was able to discover the smart switch, but the lights would just flash on and off (with a 6 seconds pause between flashes).

All three switches were parts of double switch plate, and so I was only switching out one of the two dumb switches with an Eve smart switch.

Each of the switches was in a wall box that had 4 white neutral wires, none of which were in use by the dumb switches and which were all just twisted together when I opened the box.  For each, I just selected one at random to use - though when debugging one of the installations that did not work, I tried 2 or 3 of them to see if that was the problem and none of them worked.

One on of the two locations that do not work, I tried installing both of the 2 Eve switches that I could not get to work, and both failed the same way.

In one of the locations that did not work (the 12 canister lights), most are incandescent bulbs, so the total might be drawing 12x65 watts or close to 750 watts.  But in the other two locations (the 9-bulb chandelier that works, and the 4 canister lights that did not work), they are all low-wattage LED bulbs.

So at this point, I can't pinpoint anything that is different between the installation that works and the two that don't work.  Anyone know what might cause a smart lightswitch to just flicker like this?


texts:
I'm working on a large sandbox for my kid and the neighbours' kids to enjoy (it's a big Millennium Falcon). I've managed to design it so it's just wood, large 12" structural screws, and some large galvanized carriage bolt plus nut and washer couplings.

I chose to make the entire thing out of spruce 2x4 planks, since pressure treated pine wouldn't make sense, and I opted not to go with cedar since some kids might be allergic to cedar oil.

What is a good stain or resource for info on stains I could use on my masterpiece? My concern is small kids getting it on their hands and putting their hands in their mouths, so it has to be completely non toxic. For wooden utensils, I've used mineral oil and walnut oil, but for something going outdoors, I need something else, and I'm not too familiar with stains and protecting outdoor furniture.

Also, should I pre-treat each spruce board after cutting to length/shape, or can I just treat the finished product, and not have to worry about the unexposed areas?

Advice?

Thanks!


texts: I am installing a new inset medicine cabinet. I need to add about another 1.5” inches in height to get the new one to fit. I would like to remove the header on this (it’s a true 2” stud) and replace it with a piece of 1x4. I’m pretty sure this is setup just to support the original cabinet. Would there be any harm in doing this (or possibly removing the header altogether)


texts:
my lease is about to come up and i have to patch up my floor if i want to see my deposit back.  the coating on the floor feels like polyurethane, or a thin lacquer, i cannot tell which.
you can see the spot in the picture.
the spot  (area B in the picture above) was caused by a wooden chair without proper footing scrapping against the boards.  the area you see is where the wood feels raw and unsanded, with the coat of finishing gradually coming on around said area.
can i doctor up this one patch?  will i need to pry up the floor? How do i accurately tell the kind of coating on the floor?  if i can fix just the patch,  how would i go about doing that?


texts: Using acoustic foam between two windows to block out noise

texts:
I'm sleeping next to a busy road with a lot of traffic noise (both low and high frequencies, although the low are the most annoying). The noise seems to be coming through the windows rather than the walls.

It's a rented apartment so I cannot make any major modifications like blocking off the window and it is also nice to be able to get the light in during the day. I've installed some somewhat heavy 6ft/2m high curtains that help a bit, but I'd like to do more.

The window consists of a 1/4" outer piece of glass, then 3" of air before another an inner 1/2" piece of glass. I'm thinking if it would help with the noise at night if I put between the glass pieces 3" of acoustic foam (e.g. this), where there's currently air?

As a side-question, would it help if the outer piece was replaced with a 1/2" thickness piece of glass?


texts: What size of ceiling joists should I use

texts:
We started remodeling the 2nd floor this last fall, starting with a spare bedroom, but between our day jobs and the holidays, we ran out of time, stopping short of dry-walling - the room is sealed and insulated but it's still "open".

After we had gutted the room, we noticed that there was a pretty decent amount of space in the attic. It's the style that's all open (no wood supports in the middle). I'd like to use this space to make a small office and provide some additional storage (clothes, toys, etc...) - the only problem is, the ceiling joists / floor of the attic is made of 2x4's.

I know this is wrong; it may be ok for storage with some plywood covering it, but I don't think I want to trust it to support a desk and me working up there.

Would anyone know the minimum floor joists we would need to install? 2x6? 2x8?

3/4 plywood - I know that - and later we could do a dormer if we feel we need it.

Also, any links to how to finish the attic? It's just rafters, plywood and the actual roof up there. Can I insulate the actual rafters and drywall over or should I use that foam channel to allow air to pass through from the soffits that I've seen.


texts: What underlayment should I use for stapled engineered floor?

texts: What underlayment should I use for 3/8" engineered flooring stapled to plywood subfloor?


texts: Removing a light switch cuts power to my entire room. Breaker not tripped. Smart Switch Install

texts:
I have installed smart switches before, but I moved into a new apartment recently. I have never had a problem before. I removed my old light switch and installed a new smart wifi light switch, and I lost power to my entire room. (All wall outlets, switches, etc)

The light switch powered up, but did not turn on the light, nor allow me to use anything else in my room. I hooked the ground to ground, hot to black on the switch, load (red wire) to the red wire on the switch, and unbunded the white neutral wired in the back and hooked it to neutral.

I also noticed that fully disconnecting the smart switch and leaving all wires 'safely' exposed, my room did not have its' power restored. I did this to test and see if the switch was bad or my wiring was somehow wrong.

It wasn't until I hooked back up the old light switch and re-bundled the neutral wire that everything started working again.

What is going on here? Is it something to do with the neutral?

Also: I noticed that when the power was on, wires were exposed, but no power was going to the rest of the room, ground-load measured 120v. ground-hot measured 120v. Why was load measuring 120v?

Measuring load-ground when the original switch was working measured 0v with switch off.


texts: Mystery Clog & Backup in Upstairs Bathtub

texts:
I've got a bathtub upstairs that won't drain (at all), and slowly fills with water apparently from fixtures in the same bath room and the adjacent bathroom.

Whatever is going on doesn't appear to be impacting any downstairs fixtures (sinks, toilet, washing machine). I tried to snake the bath but the snake stops advancing without being able to clear the clog. It brings back small clumps of hair. I called out a solid professional plumber, and he was also not able to either clear the clog or explain the backing up.

His recommendation was to begin cutting out ceiling downstairs to get into the pipe and figure out what was going on, but I wanted some other input before I embarked on something expensive.

Is it possible that a local clog at the tub could be causing the backup? I'm obviously not a plumber, but it seems like that would have to be somewhere in the pipes shared by the two bathrooms for water to come across from the other shower into this tub.


texts: Do I need teflon tape (or something else) for a plastic shower head?

texts:
I bought a plastic shower head from home depot for $1.97. It said hand tighten. When I got home I could not find my teflon tape. I installed the new shower head by hand tightening very tightly and it seemed to seal good.

Should I use teflon tape? Should I use pipe thread compound as if I was attaching metal to PVC?


texts: What can I use to hang a frameless mirror?

texts: I'm looking to hang a mirror on the wall on my bathroom. It weighs about 20 or so lbs. There are no built in hooks on the back of the mirror? What should I use to hang this thing?


texts: I have an old house that has 2 wire system black wire white wire wrapped in cloth

texts: It's aluminum wire. I have hot (black) and a white that's supplying 3 other sets of wires. Do I put all 4 black and all 4 white together?? 1 light switch,1 bedroom light , 1 light switch in bathroom that jumps to it's ceiling light and a light in ceiling that jumps to porch light.. but I have 4 sets of 1 black and white . Plz help


texts: Can you replace a shower handle without replacing the valve?

texts: My wife and I have been slowly remodeling our out with the linoleum and laminate, in with tile and granite. Part of that has been slowly replacing the fixtures with those of a different finish -- including the shower head and handle. I've found set on amazon that I believe would look nice, but it comes with it's own valve body. I'm not keen on ripping out the wall to replace a functioning existing valve body; can I just use the handle and facia off of the new handle, while keeping the body from the old handle?


texts:
I am surprised it is so hard to find a diagram or description of the proper way to rough in a bathtub spout.  In case it makes any difference, the specific spout will be a Toto TS210EV with diverter.

At the bottom of the valve there is a 1/2 inch NPT male nipple (is that the right name?) so I expect to put in a descent pipe, 90° elbow and a nipple through the backerboard and tile.

But how far past the tile surface should the pipe go?

How small should the hole through the tile and backboard be?

How does one make sure the spout ends up vertical when fully screwed on?


texts: I would like to replace the old style shut off valve with the new 1/4 turn angle valve. My question is can I just unscrew the red part and screw in a new 1/4 turn one to the blue part so I don't have to make cuts to the pex pipe?


texts: Guidance please? Rewiring the light switch in an old bathroom house that I can't figure out for the life of me!

texts:
Not sure how best to word this without getting tedious. But this old house is such a pain. Basically I am trying to figure out how to rewire a light switch in a bathroom that used to control two separate bulbs on a bathroom ceiling. These lights were part of a recessed fixture that was part of an exhaust. The exhaust was on its own power supply and the two switches controlled two bulbs.

I hope the pics I took come through and that you can see them. The black wire from the Romex in the upper left hand corner is the only one that is hot (I used a voltage tester to confirm this). The Romex on the upper right and lower right don't activate my tester.

Not sure what other details I can provide. When the wires are all disconnected but the power to the circuit is "on" the black Romex at the ceiling is also hot.

Can anyone tell me how to rewire this so that I can get the light on the ceiling working? What was previously in the ceiling were these two recessed light bulbs that were controlled individually by two light switches which I removed and is what you see on the wall now. And now all I want to do is use one light switch to turn on one light fixture that I centered in the ceiling (pic provided).

Not sure if this is necessary but there is another light switch above the exposed plate in the photo I've provided. That one I can get to work but it will be designated for the new exhaust I will be installing that won't have a light fixture.

Last bit of possible useful info. The gauge of the Romex located in the bottom right hand corner of the switch box is noticeably smaller so I wonder if that was to control the second light which I am no longer using.

Hope to get some input, thanks.


texts: Oven has power, preheat light is off, but no heat

texts:
Question

If my oven has electricity and is set to bake, but the preheat light is off and there is absolutely no heat, what is the likely cause, and how do I find out without buying new parts one by one?

Details

I have a Hotpoint Hallmark electric two-oven range, circa 1973. The model number, listed as CATALOG NO. on the inside of the bottom oven door, is R HV757002WH. The closest I have found online is RHV757 or RHV757*02. It has a small oven on top, a four-burner cooktop in the middle, and a large oven on the bottom. All together, the unit is about 5'10" tall. All the controls for both ovens and the cooktop are on the top oven, which tells me that it must have come as a single unit. My question concerns the bottom oven; the top oven has issues too, which I will describe for completeness, but this question focuses on the bottom oven.

Bottom oven

Yesterday we discovered that the bottom oven does not heat at all. It worked fine as recently as three days ago. The bake heating element looks fine.

Though there is never any heat, the preheat light only turns on for certain dial settings:

Off: light off, no heat
Halfway between Off and Bake: light on, no heat
Bake: light off, no heat
Time Bake: light on, no heat
Clean (with shield up and latch closed and time dials set appropriately): light off, no heat
Broil: light on dimly, no heat

By the way, the broiler in the bottom oven stopped working a while ago, and I have not done anything about it yet. I got this mixed up with the top oven. The broiler in the bottom oven stopped working when the bake element stopped working in the last day or two. It now produces no heat, just like the bake element, though they both worked fine three days ago.

Top oven

The top oven has started doing two undesirable things:

It is cooking about 130 degrees too hot.
The bake element is making little points of light, almost like sparks.

I don't know if this is related to the bottom oven not heating at all. I realize that the sparks mean I should probably replace the bake element, which I will when a new one arrives.

By the way, the broiler in the top oven stopped working a while ago, and I have not done anything about it yet.

Stove

All four stove burners work as expected.

What have I tried?

I attempted to remove the temperature sensor so I could test it with a multimeter. I couldn't get it out. One of the wires must be wrapped around something back in the oven. I can see and even touch the plastic socket, but I can't get it through the hole because the wire goes back into the oven instead of directly out the hole. (I should have taken photos...sorry.) So I would need to pull out the whole unit, and I'm not sure how to do it.


texts: How can I prevent flooding in my house when it rains heavily?

texts: My sidewalk slops downward from the street to the house, so when it rains heavily, water comes into the house. Not sure how to fix this situation without it costing an arm and a leg. Any suggestions?


texts: Looking for differential diagnosis for Whirlpool Duet with multiple issues

texts:
We bought this washer in 2010. It's gotten light usage 2-3 loads a week.

Whirl Pool Model WFW9150ww00. This is one without a numeric display. Have to count flashes.

Some very odd behaviour:

From when it was young, it would give a 'too much soap' error, always on the extra rinse cycle. Unplug, wait 20 minutes. Run a rinse spin cycle, restart. Fine.  I've asked and answered a question about this 2 yr ago.

Lately we've been getting fill errors -- 6 minute not enough water.

And the GFI has been tripping.

This morning the door was unlocked while it had 3 inches of water above the front lip in it. Surprise!

Ok. Cleaned that up.

Pulled it out from the wall to tilt back to take off the lower front panel. Our suds problems seemed connected with trapped in the drain filter. One time I pulled 35 bucks in bills and coins out. (Note to Self: "Self, empty your pockets before tossing clothes in the wash.) This time a few small twigs and a bunch of dog hair.

Lowered it back down. Test with a rinse cycle. Fill is INCREDIBLY slow. Fails with slow fill.

Pull it back out. Take off hoses. Yes they have reasonable flow.

Put hoses back on. Repeat rinse cycle.

GFI trips.

Reset GFI

Repeat 3 times.

Turn power off immediately after GFI reset.

Set to different cycle.

Start.

Go back to slow fill.

Ok. There is a diagnostics paper in the front panel. Instructions say hit any set of 3 buttons 1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3 in 8 seconds to get into diagnostics mode.

Doesn't happen. Tried it half a dozen times with different combinations of power on, unplugging before,  unplugging for an hour to prevent state saving....

Option 1:

I have two valve failures. Unlikely.

I have a mainboard failure.

Something else.

Advice:

Are solenoids repairable?  Everyplace I look wants about 20% of the cost of a new washing machine for the two valves?
Differential diagnosis that explains:

Slow fill
GFI trips
Unlocked door with water
Non-responsive to diagnostics start sequence.


texts: What type of bracket to use between furnace and evaporator coil unit?

texts:
I have a horizontal Goodman furnace and evaporator coil installed, and I want to know what kind of bracket I can use to connect the two.  The installer did a bad job and used tape and mastic to connect the units instead of connecting them with brackets as stated in the installation manual (even states that tape and mastic is improper installation).  There is a half inch gap on one side between the units.  I need to find brackets to attach the two units together.  The install was 8 years ago with my builder, and the brackets are long gone.  The installer only has a 2 year warranty.  Goodman won't sell me brackets unless I'm licensed.  No one seems to sell them online either.
Can I just use galvanized metal straps from the big box store to screw the furnace and evaporator coil together?  This is the evaporator coil https://www.alpinehomeair.com/viewproduct.cfm?productid=453057306. It also includes the manual for the install and a picture of the brackets is in the "View All Photos."


texts: My new (1950s) house has large -- e.g., one is 3.5 feet by 8.5 feet by 5 inches -- concrete slabs in our back yard.  I'd like to remove them but don't know which tool(s) to use.  Could this be done with a sledgehammer (in, say, an afternoon), or do I need a breaker hammer or the like?


texts: Need to allow swivelling/rotating fitting for steel wire

texts:
I have a swing-hammock that's hanging from the ceiling (through an I-beam) with some steel wire. Everything is swell except the positioning of the hammock means it should be able to swivel. This can't happen with the current arrangement, the wire would twist and be compromised eventually (think a typical park swing and how you'd twist it up and then let it untwist at high speed).

Thus, I'm looking for the proper fitting to enable this rotation and can't seem to find one. Things like this aren't meant to operate under load, whatever I get needs to be able to handle a 250lb person and the force associated with sitting down in it and pulling out of it.

Something with bearings would be excellent I imagine, as obviously supporting weight while allowing rotation is a lot of force to handle gracefully.

Any tips would be awesome!


texts: I am trying to identify the brand of this bathtub faucet

texts: I am wanting to replace this bathtub faucet without changing the plumbing behind the wall. I am assuming by identifying the brand/type of faucet already installed I could have success by getting something similar?


texts: My mailbox is very wobbly and sags deeply to the side. I tried stuffing dirt in the base where's there's a gap, but that doesn't work. What is my best course of action?


texts: Considering recessed lights in walk in shower

texts: In the process of converting tub/shower area to a walk-in shower and want to consider recessed lighting in that area, Somewhat familiar with code,,, would it simplify situation if low voltage lighting was used?


texts:
The hard-wired smoke detectors in my house all were well beyond their rated expiration. So I replaced them all. I now need to keep a broom handy whenever I use my oven or broiler -- the smoke detector nearest the kitchen area nearly always goes off and must be silenced. I intend to look into getting a more enthusiastic vent hood, but until then, do I have any options? It's not as if I have a cloud of visible smoke billowing out of the stove.

Edit:

14 feet from stove to detector
New model: first alert 9120b
Previous model: long gone in trash


texts: Can running both elements of a water heater at the same time increase pressure?

texts:
Hot water in an aptartment complex where I am the service electrician is running out because they only put 30 gallon heaters in.

Their plumber told the owners to hook up the elements so they run at the same time for quicker recovery.

I know the wire and the 30 amp breaker are not enough to handle that load but the plumber that gave the original advice did not. This leads me to not trust anything he is saying.

Will running both elements simultaneously cause too much pressure and cause the pop off valve to blow sending water all over the apt?


texts: Is there something that a T-Bevel can do that a Protractor/Angle driver can't? The protactor is able to give the angle measure which is a plus.


texts: Need help identifying shower valve brand

texts:
I’d like to replace the shower valve trim in my daughter’s condo.  The existing components aren’t labeled with a brand.  I’m guessing the existing parts are 30 or 40 years old.
Does anybody recognize this based on the photo below?
Many thanks!


texts:
I am trying to replace the switch in my space heater, but am unsure what type it is to do a search for it. It has three terminals one one side and 2 on the other.

This part is from a Duraflame heater (Model: DFH-NH-1-T).


texts:
I want to install a Ring Floodlight Camera, in place of a motion detector outside the garage. The Motion detector triggers the 4 lights above of the garage to turn on, and there is a switch inside the house that can turn the lights on and off. Additionally, I replaced the lights above the garage with LEDs of the same spec.

I took off the motion detector without taking not of the wiring, but inside the junction box outside of the garage, there is no "hot wire" thats easily identifiable.

Out of the junction box, there is a (1) White wire (2) gray wire (3) bare wire.
Out of the ring floodlight camera, there is a (1) white wire (2) black wire (3) bare wire.

Does anyone know what to do in place of no easily identifiable "hot wire", coming out of the junction box?

My initial impressions are:(JB)Bare Wire to(RFL)Bare wire(then ground to junction box);(JB)Gray Wire             to(RFL)White Wire;(JB)White Wire to (RFL)Black wire.

My reasoning for the (JB)white wire to (RFL)black wire is that the two neutral colored wires coming from the junction box, seem to be indicative of a switch loop?

Also, I'm wondering if there be a problem with (1) replacing a motion sensor that triggers the lights above the garage, with a ring floodlight and (2) could the LEDs that are currently being triggered by the motion detector, cause problems with the ring floodlight camera?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Bathroom light and fan combo safety and wiriing

texts:
I am putting a new bathroom light and fan combo in my bathroom.  I already have a light above the mirror of the bathroom that provides light for the rest of the area.
  However the fan/light combo I hope / want to be above the shower / bath area as its very dark without the bathroom light.  The bathroom is an odd shape, kinda like the number 4 flipped.
Rough sketch using Excel below, I tried to label things to get a general idea.  There is little I can do about the layout of the bathroom, though the picture is roughly to scale.

What my question is, is possibly a couple things.  Based on the layout and potential placement, is this "ok" to place a fan/light combo there?  I am not asking for building code, which varies and has some general exceptions.  My question is if people have found any issues with fan/light combos within the shower/bath area?  Should this be on a GFCI?  What additional things should I put there to make sure there is no issues with moisture and the electric (the building code mentioned something, but it didn't make sense to me and I have never heard of that)?

Some notes about the layout....

11ft ceilings (except above toilet - slope to match stairs going from 4 to 11ft)
Red Circle = Potential Fan/Light placement
S = Sink w/ mirror and lights
Cl (orange) = Built in closet / storage area
WC = Water Closet / Toilet (Green Circle)
W = Glass Block Window in the shower/bath area
The yellow highlighted area is lights in/on the wall with a mirror and the sink
Opposite of the yellow lights at the bottom is where the door is to enter, and the toilet
where the door is, is where the toilet is
The wall behind the toilet has stairs


texts:
This up and over door is working properly, but I would like to make the house more accessible.

This door is a bit heavy and you have to work against gravity to open in entirely. My idea was to cut it in two pieces, make some modifications to the frame,  keep one third hinged to the left side as it is currently, and hinge the two other thirds to the right side. The walls are made of bricks. Also it would make the door simpler and easier to service by getting rid of all those springs and rails.

My main concern is about hinging the right panel to the wall. How can I determine if the door itself will be strong enough to support its own weight and not twist ? The right panel is a 2mx2m square (6'6"). I'm not sure about the hinges either.


texts: Can I use Type-S mortar and rock to set wood fence posts?

texts: I am trying to set a fence post by the house to fix up a gate door. The usual "bag mix" for this job is a mixture of quarter inch stone and cement and lime. However, I also have a bag of type S mortar that I haven't used and would like to use or be rid of. Would it be compromised or ineffective to use some stone and type S mortar to set the fence? or is there too much sand and lime in the mix?


texts: Are metal face plates safe for metal gang boxes?

texts:
So if I understand household wiring correctly:

The ground prong is meant to safely conduct stray current (shorts, etc) to the ground.
All outlets and switches need to be grounded to the gang box.
A Metal gang box itself must be grounded.

So if I put a metal plate on a metal gang box, and that gang box is receiving current through grounding, isn't it possible for myself to become the ground? Should I replace any metal face plates with plastic?


texts:
I have a Ruud furnace that fires up and runs for about 3 mins and then shuts down, The blower never comes on.
I do not get any voltage to the motor. I have two limit control switches, one is in the cavity of the  housing and is about 16 ohms. The other had a push button reset and sits just above the burners. That one reads 0 ohms.
I don't want to just shot gun this thing.
My possibilities are the limit switches or the board.


texts: How do I patch a hole in concrete sidewalk over open tunnel?

texts:
There is a sidewalk running over an old tunnel.  It's near a grade school, and is used often by faculty and students.  The tunnel is completely open, but blocked at both ends so there is no access under the sidewalk.  A 6-inch hole has developed in the sidewalk and is now a trip hazard.  Any idea how I could patch this hole, so it will hold until next summer when I can collapse the tunnel?  The hole is next to a welded-shut manhole and is open into the tunnel, with a piece of steel (almost rusted through) spanning the hole.

Any ideas???


texts: How can I fill odd-sized spaces with fiberglass insulation batts?

texts: A good deal of the insulation batting in our crawlspace needs to be replaced. Some areas are completely bare. But the width between beams is about 44 inches, and I can't find any batting that's even close to that width. (The current insulation is that wide, but it's very old.) Any suggestions are appreciated.  Thanks


texts:
I have the cables from 9 bulbs joined into one using a screw terminal temporarily.
What is the best thing to use to do this in a way that's waterproof and suitable for outdoor use. Whatever i use needs to be small and black, and fit on the back of a branch. I know the bulbs are over rated for the dimmer, i guess you can go over the max rating somewhat without that much of a risk of fire.

and this is the decroded piece of crap i am working on in its entirity...


texts: Sound insulation for tile floor: Laticrete or NobleSeal SIS? Do I need backerboard

texts:
This will be the first time I do tiling myself. The bathroom subfloor is concrete I believe. I am on a condo top floor so will need some sound insulation.

I am leaning toward Laticrete 125, but it looks like it's hard for DIYer. The same thread also leads me to NobleSeal SIS. I haven't compared the cost. My questions are:

1/. Could you share your diy experience with working with any of these 2? Is it hard? Cost-wise? I know laticrete is 5 times more expensive than normal mortar.

2/. Have you tried to remove either of these? Was it easy to remove?

3/. Do I need backerboard for Laticrete? Their video and instruction doesn't mention anything about backerboard, just that it can go on backerboard, but can I use it below backerboard as well (i.e. subfloor - Laticrete - backerboard - laticrete - tile)

Thanks,


texts:
Hello I'm new here so not sure if this belongs here, if not please redirect me to the appropriate stack exchange.

Now for the question does anyone know what this tool (thing) is?

This has been bothering me for a long while so any help in identifying this would be greatly appreciated!


texts: Melting snow on the deck leaked into the house. Is my deck flashing incorrect or insufficient?

texts:
Last fall I had a small deck built to replace three masonry stoops that were falling apart. The sheathing behind the stoops was not flashed and was rotting.

The contractor did a good job as far as I could tell and, frankly, I don't know any better. As part of the job he replaced the rotted sheathing.

He put the tar paper membrane between the house and the ledger beam like this:

He told me this was sufficient to prevent moisture from getting in.

After he was done, a few weeks later we had some major rains. The water leaked into the basement house right under one of the patio doors. This I think was a known problem before - the gutter in the back only had one downspout and used to overflow right over that door. So I added a down spot and caulked the gaps around the door - this problem went away as far as I can tell.

Recently we had a major snow storm in NJ. I did not shovel the deck.  A few days later the weather warmed up a lot, snow began to melt, and I noticed a leak in another spot. This one seemed bad enough that it got into the house and formed a small wet spot on the floor indoors!

Since I asked the contractor to use screws on the part of the deck around the hot tub, I took a few planks out around the spot where the leak was. I found that the tar paper membrane was soaking wet on the inside of the ledger beam, the side against the house. The spot was right under the hot tub electrical conduit. The conduit was not previously caulked off by the electrician.

Going with the theory that the water found its way into the house along the conduit, I used some spray foam around it to seal it off. I put the planks back on.

Here is my question: is the flashing with a tar paper membrane sufficient? Was the contractor required to install a Z bar with a drip edge under the siding and over the ledger beam (I learned about this after the deck was done?

I do not think retrofitting the z bar would be that difficult since the planks are attached with the screws. It is something I could do myself, in theory, or with the help of a friend. The reason I am asking is to decide whether the contractor should come back and retrofit at his expense as part of labor warranty or not.


texts: How do I clean teak oil off of a paint brush?

texts:
I painted my outdoor wood table with teal oil last summer. I'd like to do it again using the same brush, but now the brush is stiff and gummed up. Last time I used it I washed it off with warm water, but apparently that didn't do the trick.

Can it be saved? If so what should I use to clean it now that it's hardened up? Paint thinner? Goof off?

What should I use to clean it right after using it in the future?


texts: Transferring water from one sump to another

texts:
My house has two underground sumps that store water. I was wondering if there was an easy way to transfer water from one of the sumps to the other. Would a small manual suction pipe (like the ones used for draining out an aquarium) work?

p.s.:
The context is this -- It's raining now (after a long time), and only one of the sumps is connected to the pipe that collects the rain water. The other sump is what's connected to the tank that feeds the solar water heater, and it's almost empty now. If I can fill the rain water into the other sump, I can use it for the hot water.


texts: How can I repair a pothole on the edge of an asphalt driveway?

texts: I have a large pothole in my asphalt driveway that extends to the edge. I'm considering repairing it with cold patch blacktop, but I'm uncertain of how to deal with the edge. Do I need to add a 2x4 form, or is there a different product I should use?


texts: How do I handle an unterminated wire behind my wall?

texts:
Was doing a reno on my bathroom and noticed there's an unterminated wire behind my wall, near the overhead vanity light fixture:

I'm unable to trace it any further since it goes behind a stud, but there is enough slack for me to pull it down and test it with a multimeter.

If it's live, how do I safely handle it?


texts: Adding Unused C-Wire for Nest Thermostat

texts:
I'm having an issue with my NEST thermostat short cycling my air handler fan while in running AC.  This is a known issue, and the fix seems to be adding a common wire to the NEST.

My thermostat is wired with 18-5, and currently the yellow wire is unused.  I want to use this for the common.  Pic of the board is attached.  Humidifier and AC compressor are wired to board.

Can I just add the Yellow wire to the C terminal without changing anything else? I should probably pigtail the 3rd wire, correct?

Sorry for the dumb questions, I just want to make sure I've got it right.

Thanks

ETA: Picture of terminal block

Left to right: R C W Y G


texts: What underlayment should I use to reduce traffic noise under a hardwood or bamboo floor?

texts: I'm in the process of renovating the 2nd story of my New England 1.5 story cape-style home.  New OSB subfloors are down with Liquid Nails and deck screws over 5 weeks ago.  I'm on to flooring now. I don't have much experience with wood flooring, so I'm not sure what my best option is for reducing traffic noise from upstairs into the rooms below. I'm not too concerned about moisture, except moisture content of OSB.  The house has forced hot air heating.  Can I use a felt cushion underlayment designed for floating floors in a nail down application of solid hardwood? Does rosin paper act in any way as a noise barrier?


texts:
I’m looking to renovate a basement bathroom. First time for all of it.

Currently there is a shower panel installed on the wall that I’d like to throw away. I’ve bought 5/8 compression caps (just the cap, no ring) and put it on the water pipes. Turning the water back on I had water sprays out of both caps.

Do I simply need a washer in the compression cap or am I using the wrong thing to try to cap the pipes?


texts:
I've read several reviews about this Simpson 12-Gauge E-Z Base that say that they began rusting after a few months.

I wanted to use them, but they'll be used at a house next to the ocean, so I'm worried that they'll just rust super fast.

Are there any alternatives to these bases that are rust-resistant or should I just rust-proof them?

Or is this something that I just shouldn't be worried about?


texts: My whirlpool oven isn't beeping at all.  It is an electric  WFE505W0HS1 model.  The timer doesn't sound and neither when I press any buttons.  I've tried everything I could find on the web.  I cut the power supply and pressed a bunch of different sequences of buttons but nothing has worked so far.


texts: Why isn't this water softener shutoff valve configuration preventing water from running in my house

texts:
I recently was wondering how good my inherited water softener was performing so I bought some strips and tested the water in my house. The water was very hard, so I wanted to figure out what's up. The drain water from the softener is quite soft, so I'm now suspicious that I've somehow bypassed the softener.

The image in the link below shows the bypass valves configuration (red handles, bottom of image) for the softener on the right. My understanding is that this configuration should not only bypass the softener but also shut off water to my house. However, I've tried every faucet and shower head, all still work fine. I've also tried just hot water and that's also running fine.

Any ideas why I might still have water after these valves are closed?


texts: Is my chimney safe if it has ash on the walls of it?

texts: I've read a bit about tarry, shiny creosote, and I don't have that. What I have is a thin coating of soot and some flaky pieces here and there. Is this something I should worry about, or just start burning in my fireplace again this season like normal?


texts: What could be causing my hot water pipe to rattle?

texts:
We have 3/4" CPVC running into our addition that when the hot water turns on it

takes a long to heat up (granted it has to travel fairly far), and
as it heats up the pipe rattles (sounds a little bit like popcorn popping - progressively gets faster)

Once it's hot the pipe stops rattling. From what I've read it seems as though this is water hammer? In which an arrestor should address this? I have easy access through one of our closets floorboards to the pipes, and I have confirmed that they are secure.

So my question is - does this sound like in fact I need a water hammer arrestor? Would something like this work?


texts: I am really tired of turning on and off the water pump (a motor that moves water to the tank and the tank is located on the top of the house ) everyday. I am looking forward for a way to automate the water pump so it turns on and off itself according to the water level in the tank. Should I buy such a device or built my own ( I am a Computer Systems engineer so its easy for me to built it.)


texts: Tile to tongue & groove paneling transition and window casings

texts:
As part of my complete master bedroom remodel I'm completely redoing the "jacuzzi room".
The current jacuzzi has a wood surround and is completely not water proof as water gets in between the tub and the surround and leaks down into the downstairs ceiling.

My plan was to cement board & RedGard the jacuzzi surround and floor and tile over it. The walls and ceiling I plan on completely covering with 1x6 knotty pine tongue & groove paneling. To complicate things further, I am also having 2 giant windows installed on both exterior walls surrounding the jacuzzi.

I'm having trouble envisioning how to properly transition between the tongue & groove and tile as well as what to do with the window casings.
In terms of the vertical transition, I imagined simply cutting off on the "boundaries" of the groove and having the remaining hanging over the tile (see here). I'm not sure what to do where the tile butts up to the T&G horizontally. Any ideas here would be appreciated.

The next layer of complication is what to do with the window casings. I would like to use basic 2.5" casing, however considering the tile and T&G would be different depths I wouldn't be able to nicely cover up the unfinished edges. Should I install the casings first and then tile and T&G around it?
Any input is highly appreciated!


texts: Need to add an outlet under a sink (for garbage disposal)

texts:
I am replacing a garbage disposal and the old one was wired right from the wall switch to the disposal. The new one has a plug, so it would be much easier to install an outlet under the sink and plug in the new disposal than to wire it the old way.

There is no existing hole for an outlet, and there seems to be cabinet or some other kind of thin plywood where I would want to mount it, so I'm looking for the best (and obviously safest) way to put an outlet there.

My question is this -- how can I surface mount an outlet there, or should I cut out the back of the cabinet and the drywall behind it and mount an outlet to the stud? The romex is there, I just need the outlet, and the circuit has a GFCI outlet on it.


texts: Cut 2'' thick bamboo butcher block for table top

texts:
I have a 2" bamboo butcher block 72" x 36".  I wanted to cut the butcher block down to 57" x 36", with inserts like that shown in the figure below.

I was thinking of using a jigsaw, however, I was practicing on just a 3/4" plywood, but the blade kept bending on me.  Can you offer some advice as to how to cut this 2" bamboo butcher block?  Thanks!


texts: Furnace entering lockout mode - air flow problem?

texts:
I have a Nordyne KG7SA, about 2009 vintage, which has begun acting strangely. We started noticing that the thermostat would drop several degrees below the set temperature before engaging. More recently I started noticing it seemed to cycle very quickly several times in a row, then just quit. Then on Christmas Eve it stopped working altogether.

I was able to get it working again by turning it off and back on again, but it would only run for ten minutes or so before starting the short-cycle routing again, and shutting down.

After doing some Googling I came opon the thought that the filter might be too dense (it was one of those 3M "allergenic" filters). So I removed it and the furnace began working normally again.

Today (12/26) I picked up a new, lighter filter and the quick recycling started happening again after a few rounds of heating. I had the presense this time to observe the status code - alternating blinking red and green - which I'm led to believe indicate a one-hour lockout mode. This seems to be consistent with the delayed cycling we'd observed in the past. (Side note - why are these status code legends so hard to find online?)  When the filter is off and the unit is operating normally the status lights are solid red and green.

So in my most uneducated estimation it seems my furnace is having some sort of air flow issue.

One other point I should add - my dehumidifier filter is in dire need of replacement. It's a GeneralAir 1099LHS and I'm having a hard time finding new filters for it. Could this be contributing to the air flow issue I'm experiencing? If I set it to summer mode and bypass it (in the short term, anyway) might this alleviate the issue until I can find a replacement?

My main questions are, do I seem to be on the right track in my diagnosis? What would be some logical next steps to troubleshoot and isolate the issue? What might be some low-cost things to try in an attempt to solve the problem?


texts: Suggestions for properly mounting 4' shop light

texts:
Suggestions for installing two 4 ft LED flush mount shop lights in unfinished basement ceiling perpendicular to floor joists (see pictures)? Specifically, what ceiling box to use and would you mount LED light directly to joists or install something over joists then LED light.

The pictures show the two areas that I will install LED lights. There used to be a hanging fluorescent shop light in first picture. In 2nd picture I am replacing the single chain light. I'll feed both LED lights from a single pole switch I'll install.


texts: What are the pros and cons on installing a typical garage floodlight kit, inside your garage?

texts:
I have a few extra kits and a dark garage... and I am like why not inside?  This thing would take 20 minutes to install and would pump out 225W.

Some other things that have come to mind.  Is there a way I could electrically use both the motion sensor of a floodlight and also have the option of having it on via switch?


texts: Can I expect any problems (sagging?) if I build my fence with 6'x8' panels like this?

texts:
the horizontal boards will be 1x6x8
the posts will be 4x4x6

I am not sure if I should install the top boards or not

Update: The top board is not a concern. Sagging for the horizontal boards is my concern. Do I need the middle vertical 2x4 ?

Update: here is the final result. No cap board I will only cap the post. The picture shows the middle vertical reinforcement uncut yet and so are the posts.
That reinformcement is needed not for sagging but to prevent the boards to bend in the horizontal direction


texts: 3 Black Wires running out of a box into a switch

texts:
So as the subject says... I've replaced a bathroom switch. The previous switch only controlled lights which is the way I want this one to operate as well.

The box has 3 wires coming to the switch all 3 are black.

After hooking the wires to the switch I end up being able to turn on my bathroom lights but when I do so it disables or turns off the closet lights.

I have tried to move the wires around in different combinations on the new switch and I still get either the same results or I get where the bathroom lights will come on and the closet lights will not operate at all.

I'm attaching pictures.

Thank you for your help..
enter image description here


texts: Harbor Breeze Fan lights go out after 20 minutes

texts:
Harbor Breeze Fan lights (3) go out after 20 minutes or so but fan keeps working on a single wall switch. I have same fan in another room works fine. I just installed this one yesterday. I can turn the wall switch off and back on lights come on for 2 seconds and then back out but fan keeps working. Seems to be the same candelera bulbs on this fan as the other ... they came with the fan.
Any help appreciated.


texts: Can I use the area above my garage for an extra room?

texts:
I want to use a 8 x 20 space above garage for an extra room (Load Bearing). It has two 2 x 10’s sister’d together spanning of 20 feet and 16 inches apart with no center support.

Can I make this set up into a room as described? What will be the path I need to take to make a (load Bearing) room. Will the set up I have meet the load requirements?


texts: What is a convenient and safe way to send some low voltage current through wire for testing and identifying purposes?  E.g. awhile ago, I wired a two speaker setup behind drywall with one input box from which two sound cables go on either side of the room, each terminating in its own box.  Assuming I didn't label wires with electrical tape, what would be an easy way for me to send some current to see on which side it ends up.  This is just hypothetical and could be any other similar tests, e.g. if current goes from one side to the other suspecting wire breakage or impedance in between etc.  I'm guessing some low voltage device would be safer and easier to hook up than real current.


texts: Gas Fireplace: How do I arrange rockwool and logs for maximum heat?

texts:
We have a 10 year old gas fireplace that has been operating flawlessly.  There is no blower/fan unit. After annual cleaning, I've always replaced the rockwool and situated the logs as before using a before-photo.

Last fall, I didn't have any new rockwool, so omitted that. And I forgot to reapply the 2 bottom spring loaded clamps of the glass panel.

Over the winter, it hasn't seemed to put out as much heat.  Finally got a hold of some more rock wool. Took off the front screen and discovered the unapplied bottom clamps.  This time, I placed the rock wool over the only the front row of orifices, and moved the front log to on top of back log, leaving the rockwool exposed to view. And have left off the front screen.

Sure looks gorgeous with all the rockwool embers glowing.  It is definitely putting more heat into the room, and might be more heat than it ever has.  But it could be due to any of the three: 1) no screen mesh, 2) properly clamped glass front, 3) rearrangment of logs.

What do you think, and for maximum heat, is there an optimal strategy for placing rockwool and/or logs?  Does rockwool aid heating?


texts: Power fluctuates enough to make bedroom fan almost turn off

texts: It's been happening a while. Lights flicker throughout house and my bedroom fan slows down a lot, kind of like when my ex used to bear down on her hair straightener. I mainly notice it when I go to bed, often times kind of late. Any thoughts? The fan is plugged into a power strip. It has fallen a few times. Haven't bought a new one yet to see of it's causing all of this.


texts:
Is there an industry standard for recommended screw lengths to fasten to pieces of material together?  For instance, if I need to fasten a piece of 3/4" plywood to a vertical brick wall, how long should the Tapcons be?  What about screwing 1 1/2" pieces of wood together vs. something like, say, a decking board?

What makes sense to me is that the screw should extend the same distance into the receiving material as the thickness of the item you are attaching.  So, for example, the screw length for a 3/4" piece of plywood should be 1 1/2".  However, everyone seems to suggest using 3" deck screws to fasten decking boards down.  I'm sure there are exceptions such as decks, since decks are exposed to weather and wear and tear but is there a "standard" or general rule of thumb to go by?  I always struggle with choosing which length of screw to use.


texts: Tips to get (close to) accurate bevel angle by handsaw?

texts:
I'm trying to get a 20° bevel the length of the board (36"). I'm working on a scrap wood project. I've been on an "unplugged" kick lately & finding the extra physical effort of "by hand" to be cathartic & sanity saving. However, I do have access to a decent miter saw but in this case it's sitting there mocking me. And, unfortunately, the table saw is currently in a zombie-apocolypse hot-spot. So I've settled on my pencil & trusty square, handsaw, lots of sand-products, & possibly pocket plane,(if I can figure that out.)

Anyway any tips, suggestions, how-to's , no matter how basic & obvious,or complex for that matter, are welcome!


texts: Should we be rewiring or pigtailing the aluminum wiring in our condo?

texts: We have purchased a condo home that was built in 1975.  The inspector brought up the hazards of aluminum wiring.  Since we have very little knowledge regarding this area we were wondering if we should rewire the entire place or if it is OK just to have an electrician pigtail? Can you please help? We just want to ensure our safety.


texts: Making low voltage prettier/weatherproof?

texts:
I've got a big hole in my exterior wall where several coax and (old) phone cables punch through. It's just... there in the stucco. All of my low voltage wires are just hanging out on the outside wall too and I'd like to clean it up/weatherproof everything a bit.
I will eventually be running ethernet through the wall there as well (the hole's already there so why not) so I didn't just want to seal it up with caulk and walk away. So I have a couple of questions:

Would putting a LB connector or exterior box over the hole in my wall and then running some PVC conduit back to the cable company box be against any kind of national code?
If I use an LB can I mount it sideways as long as I'm caulking behind it and using watertight conduit?
Do conduit straps/surface-mount box screws have to penetrate the wall to a stud or can they just go into the stucco?
I've got one coax run (exiting the cable company box midway on left side) running up to the second floor, pretty close to the electrical weatherhead. Is there a keep out zone I should be aware of if I wanted to put that cable in conduit as well?


texts: How do I add an exhaust fan to an old attic?

texts:
Our house's attic retains a great deal of heat during summer.  While we now have a good layer of insulation between the attic and the rest of the house I wonder if it would be worth it to add some kind of exhaust fan.  We live in a mid-Atlantic state so we have to contend with both 100°F summer days and 0°F winter nights.

The house still has the original slate roof so adding a typical roof-based system isn't an option.  There are three small circular windows that provide some air flow, but not much.  My thought was to install a fan in one of those windows to force a cross breeze during warm days.

Is this likely to save us any energy (given that the fan will have to draw some power)? Are there options for solar-powered small window exhaust fans out there?


texts: Easy/Cheap fix to insulating 2x4 exterior wall in Maryland

texts: I am living in an rowhouse with exterior walls built of 2x4's.  When it gets really cold in the winter - I can feel the cold coming through the wall of my bedroom when I put my hand on it.  The wall is about 12' wide by 8' tall with 2 windows.  Is there something I can do to better insulate?  The only thing I can think of is to remove the drywall and furr out the wall and re-insulate.  Are there any less destructive and DIY options?


texts: Wall plastering in Taiwan: Plaster sets VERY fast (10-15min). What can I do?

texts:
I'm trying to replaster the walls in an old house in Taiwan. Due to both the extreme humidity here and the shorter drying/curing times, I would prefer to use setting-type plaster over drying-type.

I think I've found these products and their names in Chinese (石膏 and 批土) – it's tough to be sure with the language barrier and geographic differences in industry, but they're both made of gypsum, and one comes in big sacks of powder while the other comes in pre-mixed buckets (~US$10 for 50lb and 5gal, respectively). However, everyone I've talked to here suggests either using drying-type by itself, or mixing the two for heavier repairs. Nothing I've read on any American forum suggests this mixing method, and nobody in Taiwan advocates using the gypsum powder all by itself.

I tried their way – deep patches are still wet (hard but cold) the following day. I tried using just the powder, mixed with water – it goes from pancake batter to unworkable, crumbly mess in the span of 15 minutes. From everything I've read, working times on setting-type plaster should be 70-90 minutes.

What's going on here, and what can I do to get a longer working time but keep a strong, moisture-resistant plaster job? With my total lack of experience, waiting 36+ hours between patch jobs and coats is really slowing the project down.


texts: Interrupt whole house audio with arbitrary source, post-receiver but pre-amplifier

texts:
I want to setup my home audio so that I can inject a source of audio (which could be anything from a doorbell to computer audio) more-or-less "in-between" the receiver and the amplifier, so that audio from that in-between-source would take priority over the receiver's output.  Ideally, it would fade down or mute the receiver programming momentarily, too.

In other words, I want a setup similar to how a paging/intercom system might interrupt elevator music in an office building.  Frankly, I don't even know the proper terminology for such a thing.

My long-term vision for this includes being able to assign from sources like an AirPort Express to which I would AirPlay an iPhone, and I would expect to hear the iPhone alerts (SMS texts, phone call rings, etc.) to output OVER any other base audio that might be playing from the stereo receiver.

Is there a ready-made device for something like this? Is this possible? Does this even make sense?


texts: Removing a stud (or two) under a ceiling beam

texts:
The wall in this picture is in the middle of a large, previously framed but unfinished basement.
I'm trying to figure out if there is proper support in the top beam for me to remove a stud (or two) to create a doorway. All wood is 2X6.
Can anyone help?

enter image description here


texts:
As you can see, the outdoor faucet in my backyard leaks when the water is turned on. It does not leak when the water is turned off.  (For those who are wondering: Yes, there is some water going through the hose.)

So how do I fix this thing? I found this YouTube video that shows how to tighten the packing nut, but that didn't work for me. Also, I can push/pull on the handle and it feels like the whole valve stem will come in/out about 1/4". This doesn't affect the amount of water that leaks though.


texts:
All metal appliances in my house give shock. Following is experiment I conducted: I stuck my electrical tester in each hole of my mains wall socket (one by one) and it does not glow on neutral, glows on live, glows very dimly on ground. But when I stuck it with end point of my iPhone charger, it glows (dimly). My iPhone charger has no ground connection (2-pin plug).

I also conducted many other experiments but the above experiment is equivalent to all of them. Same thing happens with lenovo charger and my also APC UPS or any other modern appliance. Even if this house does not have ground connected to actual ground, event like this should only happen if all of these appliances have live wire leakage. Is it possible that bodies of electrical appliances gain some voltage when appliance is turned on (without any fault)?

I also tried connecting the ground wire from my UPS to one of metal pipelines (that go beneath my house) and viola! No more electric shocks from my UPS/desktop. While connecting this wire, I noticed my monitor turned off momentarily. Thus, I suspect this might be a huge mistake. Could this cause higher electrical bills?

Any help on what's causing this and how to fix this? This is India, Delhi, BSES yamuna electricity, single phase (domestic).


texts: An extra long closet and the rod, mounted in concrete, keeps falling off.

texts: I have an extra long closet and the rod keeps falling off. It is in concrete and the anchors keep coming out. I guess I could put a pole up in the middle to brace it, buy any other ideas???


texts: Circuit breakers off, but meter still running

texts:
I purchased a house a few weeks ago and got the power connected about a week ago. The house has been empty and I leave all the circuit breakers off. The Meter is digital but the display doesn't seem to work. I can check online with a few days delay. I decided to check and to my surprise there's a 82 kw usage at a supposed rate of 27 kw a day. I immediately called the power company and they said that might be a deviation to ground. The outside main breaker is on.

Is this possible even when there's no power inside the house?
If so how can I test where is this deviation at?


texts: Can I attach wall studs directly to sleepers on the ceiling joists for an angled climbing wall?

texts:
I'm building a climbing wall in my basement and am currently working on the design of the angled portion.  The idea is to have an 8' x 8' section (i.e. two 4' x 8' plywood sheets) at about a 30 degree angle using 2x6s.  Since the 2x10 ceiling joists are 92" from the floor, I'll have a few inches of vertical section underneath the angled section.
Metolius has a very detailed instruction (How to Build a Home Bouldering Wall) that suggests attaching sleepers to the ceiling joists if they're parallel to the wall like mine are, adding a header joist, and then attaching the wall joists to the header with joist hangers:

Question:  Can't I just attach the wall joists to the sleepers?  Seems like the joist hangers are only needed because of the header joist, which seems redundant to me.
Similarly, I have yet to frame the wall behind the angled section, so I can space the studs such that I won't need the bottom header joist, either (and can screw in the wall joists to the studs).  Will this suffice, too?


texts:
I live in a high-rench type of house, where garage is on the lower level. The walls are concrete, and I found long crack running along the corner (see attached photo).

The house is not in a wet/damp area, I don't have any mold or such in the house.

I'm wondering how critical this might be. So far it's only single crack. Will sealing/gluing the crack help? What is the right way to seal/glue?

Thanks!


texts:
I'm working on replacing an old rotary timer switch with a new smart switch, that controls two outdoor area lights. However after getting everything wired up, the switch is not turning on the lights. Here's what I'm working with.

Old rotary timer and wiring:

There's also more info on the specifics of the old wiring in this post where I was originally asking what my options were.

Outdoor area light - there are two of these that the switch controls:

Here's the bulb that I recently put it one of these lights. The other one has a similar bulb that was working.

New smart switch, Lutron Caseta:

After wiring this up, I'm able to see the status lights on this smart switch:

When this smart switch wasn't turning on the lights, I decided to go back to the basics and installed a standard switch; however, this switch isn't turning on the lights either:

Any suggestions for what's causing the problem here and how to go about fixing it?


texts: Painting new boards installed on old front porch

texts:
Hi—I recently replaced a number of rotten boards in my old (50+ years) front porch. Here is what I need to do, and I understand timing is important:

Let PT wood from Lowe’s dry out (1 month?)
Pressure wash the old boards because they have years and years of dirt and wear
Paint the entire porch with a new and beautiful color.

I currently have a striped floor—a mix of old and new wood. Do I go ahead and pressure wash the entire floor now, then sit and wait one month for the new wood to dry out?

Trying to get the order of work just right because I want the perfect front porch—thank you for advice!!


texts: How can I frame a ceiling tray in my dining room?

texts: We have a 12x14 dining room and are looking to add a shallow 6"h x 15"w tray border around the outside. One of the longer sides will not hit any ceiling joists, so I will be using toggle bolts to keep my framing attached to the ceiling on that side. In order to keep the weight down for the framing and rock, I was thinking about using 2x2s instead of 2x4s. Being that the 1/2" sheetrock pieces will be fairly small in dimension does anyone see any safey issues with that idea? All other pieces will hit studs & joists. No issues expected with moisture, etc and not planning to run any electrical through the tray.


texts: Can I repair the warping in this laminate flooring

texts:
So, this post is going to make me look like an idiot, but I'm okay with that.

About 4 months ago, we bought 800 sq ft of laminate flooring (12mm w/backing).

I stored the flooring in my garage, stacked pretty tightly on a few 2x3s to get them off the ground.

Well, on Sunday we had a guy come to install some of it in our dining room, and he couldn't due to the warping.  (I had previously bought in 7 boxes of the laminate to acclimate to the house 3 weeks prior).

Is there anyway to fix the warping somehow, or am I out of luck?


texts:
My freezer has been making an intermittent grinding noise recently, and it seems like it is getting progressively worse. It seems that the noise gets really bad, with the grinding events occurring very close together late at night when the freezer has gone a long time without being opened.

It seems to go away for a few minutes once I open up the freezer door for a few seconds.

Here is an audio clip of the noise: Frigidaire freezer making intermittent grinding noise

Any insights here would be appreciated!


texts: Remove CO detector From wired alarm system

texts:
My house has a wired smoke alarm system, three smoke detectors and one CO detector. These are all old firex detectors, I am replacing them with three kiddie smoke alarms where one is  combo CO + smoke detector.
The problem is if I remove the old CO detector and leave it disconnected the alarms chirp every 5-10 minutes. I put it back in and the chirping reduced to rarely a couple times a day.
How can I fix this setup to remove that old detector from the system?