texts: Is there a technique to make a shower mirror fog-free?

texts:
We want to install a permanent mirror in a new shower, but hope to find a permanent way to prevent it from fogging up.

I have seen gooseneck mirrors that hook up to the showerhead itself so as to run hot water behind the mirror, which supposedly prevents fogging, but I'm wondering if there's a way to do a permanent installation. I'm imagining maybe building in a mirror to the wall of the shower and somehow running the hot water pipes behind it. Would that work? Have you ever seen anything like this? Or is there a better way to get a fog-free mirror experience in the shower?


texts: How should I insulate a wall I opened up?

texts:
I am remodeling a bathroom and adjacent room and walls that are on the exterior side of the house are now open. I am trying to figure out what I should do to help insulate the walls better. The house was built in 1951, located in the temperate CA Bay Area and has a stucco exterior. It looks like the walls are made up of a dark fiberboard for the exterior sheathing. The studs are a little strange in the rooms. It looks like they are 2x4 with additional strips to get it to something like 2x6 and then some more strips that were used to attach the wood panel wall to and were probably necessary to clear the footing on the foundation slab at the bottom of the wall. These additional strips are often thicker than the underlying 2x4, so the cavities are not a uniform thickness. Is there a simple guide to what retrofits can be done to insulate the wall? I am thinking of using Roxul insulation. Does it need to fill the entire cavity depth-wise? I would also probably go with drywall for the interior sheathing.

The room is on the first floor and in the summer it generally stays cool. I am guessing in the winter it will get a bit cold since it stays so cool in the summer.

On the bedroom and bathroom walls there are windows. These windows are original steel casement windows. I have done some research on windows and am not sure if replacing them would really be worth it, especially since I like the fact that the steel frames are really thin. I was wondering if maybe I retrofit them with laminated glass with low-e glass I could get some efficiency boost and sound/security benefit without tearing them out.


texts: What is considered Greener/Greenest laminate flooring option available?

texts:
After doing extensive research on hardwood flooring, I have resigned myself to laminate due to an aging dog who has increasingly suspect bladder control.

Given that laminate is completely artificial I am concerned about the binding agents used. I want to get a VOC & Urea Formaldehyde flooring but it seems this information is hard to locate when compared to the woods.

Can someone throw out some greener options? I want a green product and fake the look of wood until we are pet free and can invest in a nicer floor. This would be an above grade installation over concrete and I am looking for click lock products.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
I was doing a crack repair on my grandparents' house. The crack was in stucco located in an outside soffit on the 1st floor.

I removed the stucco and to my surprise there was no membrane, just what appeared to be gypsum or drywall over some form of paper that resembled the back of drywall boards (the 2nd floor soffits use cement board). I was expecting to see: stucco, mesh, black membrane material. Whats strange though is that I've seen black membrane behind mesh on the vertical walls. That's why I felt in these areas they might have cut corners. The area in question doesn't see much direct water, but still.

I repaired the crack already, but I was rather concerned that it would have been done this way

Is this common practice? My grandparents live in a development where all the houses are very similar so I suspect this was used in every house here. The house was built in the late 1990s.


texts: Can anyone identify this type of shutoff valve?

texts: What type of shut off valve is this, and can I replace it with a quarter turn ball compression valve?


texts: What should I check for before turning on an OLD dish washer for the first time?

texts:
We recently purchased a house with a REALLY old dishwasher.  The inspection report says that it "appears to be in working condition" but I'm paranoid of having a plumbing mess if we start using it. What should I check for before turning it on? Water line condition? Subfloor condition?

-M


texts: What could be causing my water heater inlet pipe to corrode?

texts:
There is corrosion forming on the inlet and TP valve connections to my water heater; the outlet seems to be fine.  More specifically, the nipples are what is corroding.  I have read the copper pipe and galvanized steel will cause this, and I assumed this was the issue.  Upon further investigation, "Dielectric" is clearly readable on the nipple labels so they are not steel I guess.

I thought that these nipples were produced to avoid this exact problem.  Why are they still corroding?  The inlet nipple has corroded to the point that there is now a tiny drip present.

Edited for adding pics below.  I am suspecting that maybe the nipple is corroding from the outside?

Click any image for full size (8Mpixels)


texts: 400 Amp service to 225 amp and 150 amp panels

texts:
I want to upgrade my 200 amp service to 400 amp, to service multiple buildings (I'm told this is cheaper than two 200 Amp services). This is in Washington State.
I know I can do 200 and 200, but that may be underkill for the main house and overkill for the rest.
For the main house, I'm concerned 200 Amps may not be enough, as I'd like to add an electric tankless water heater.
For the other buildings (a bunkhouse, garage, and boathouse), I think 150 amps is enough. I'd start with a 150 amp box in the adjacent building (the bunkhouse) which will provide power to a 100 amp subpanel in the garage across the street, and 50 amps for the circuits in the bunkhouse and boathouse. I want 100 amps in the garage so I can have a 50 amp circuit for an electric car charger, 20 amp circuit for a well pump, and a couple other circuits for lights and power in the garage.
If I have the 400 amp service come into something like the Milbank R3548-X (320-Amp 1 Gang Ring Overhead Only Meter Socket) mounted outside the main house wall, can I then feed through the wall into something like the Square D HOM3060L225PGCVP (225 Amp, 30 space, 60 circuit load center) with a 225 amp breaker in that box, and also feed from the meter box to something like the Siemens W0202MB1150CU 150 Amp Outdoor Circuit Breaker Enclosure mounted next to the meter box, which then enters a conduit to go the 20 feet or so to the bunkhouse, where it would enter a 150 amp main lug center, containing all the circuits for the remaining buildings? I don't know if I can go straight from the meter box to the bunkhouse without first having a breaker. If I did, I'm worried I'd have to have wire sized for 400 amp. Or if I have a 150 amp breaker in the bunkhouse, can I go straight there from the 400 Amp meter box using wire appropriately sized for 150 amps?
Assuming this all make sense, I have questions about wire size/type, conduit size, and how to make the connections from the meter box to the two panels, but I'll hold off on them until I first know what I've described is reasonable.


texts: High water level in toilet bowl after flushing

texts: How can I lower the water level in the bowl of a comfort height Kohler 1.6l flush with canister valve?


texts: Can I extend #12 wire with #14 wire for landscape lighting?

texts: I am doing outdoor landscape lighting. I used the 12 gauge  wire but have run short.  can I extend it with 14 gauge wire? Need about 20 feet more for the led lights.


texts: Outdoor gas appliance quick disconnect incompatible

texts:
We're having an issue with a quick disconnect coupling for an outdoor gas grill. The owner downsized and moved to a smaller home in the same subdivision. It is a natural gas grill that was connected to the house gas in the old house, but cannot connect at the new house.

Their grill hose has male connector marked ANSI Z21.54 CSA 8.4. Female connector on the old house is marked ANSI Z21.41 CSA 6.9, and has three ball latches. Female connector on the new house is marked ANSI Z21.41 C, and has six ball latches. The hose goes in and bottoms out close, but not enough, for the balls to latch. There's no apparent damage to or blockage of either of the couplings.

In my research I couldn't find a comprehensive table or comparison of different types of connectors, or if there are, indeed, differences. I've seen some city mechanical/building codes specify particular edition of the standard (e.g. ANSI Z21.41-2014), but no descriptions. CSA bit appears to be a reference to Canadian Standards Association, so it's not necessarily helpful.

How do we ensure that we get proper connector, or diagnose the problem with the existing one?


texts: Retrofitting a remote opener into a garage-gate motor

texts:
Our garage door is already powered, but to initiate the opening (and closing) of the gate, one must get inside the garage and push one of the three buttons:

Open
Close
Stop

How hard would it be to retrofit a remote there -- to either replace the existing three-button "console" or complement it? Ideally, the addition will be usable with one of the three remote buttons in our cars...

Are there ready-products or kits, that someone reasonably comfortable with wiring in general can install in a matter of hours?

Illustrations

The buttons panel:

With cover on:

With cover removed:

The actual motor (by Westinghouse):

The controlling unit next to the motor

With cover on (you can see the motor's side on the picture). The circular seal on the front claims membership in DORCMA, which, apparently, is now part of DASMA.

With cover removed -- no schematics inside, unfortunately:

The voltages between the photographed wires are thus:

Yellow and Red: 27.63V (AC) with the gate closed, 4.88V with the gate open
Yellow and White: 3.85V (AC) with the gate closed, 27.93V with the gate open
Yellow and Blue: 0 regardless of the gate's position


texts: I am a home owner & have just replaced the sloped ramp to our storage shed with 1/2" PT 2 weeks ago.  We live in the Atlanta, GA area so temps have been 90s for highs, with showers frequently.  1)  How long do I wait to paint ramp?  & 2)  do I prime before painting?


texts: What gauge wire is this, and how can I tell?

texts: Can someone tell me how to determine the gauge of this wire (circled in red), or just what gauge it is?


texts: What outdoor materials can be damaged by by ice?

texts:
I'm relatively new to this snow thing. I also have a new vinyl deck and paver stone walkway I'd like to take care of. I have a basic understanding of how water can get into things, freeze, and break them apart. I'd like to prevent this from happening.

For what materials should I worry about preventing ice damage?


texts: Why are USA/Canada using individual GFCI circuit breakers?

texts:
Where I come from, there are no GFCI sockets. Instead there is one circuit breaker on the main board that shuts down the entire house electricity in case the electric current returning to the main board is different than the electric current coming from the main.
In the house where I currently live in, there are GFCI sockets near water sources (kitchen, washroom) but not in the entire house and that doesn't make sense, any device can malfunction anywhere in the house and put people in danger. Why protect only some of the sockets?
Initially I thought maybe this is a redundancy system where you have both a main gfci for the whole house, plus extra protection at some more prone to risk areas. However, I used a gfci tester (essentially it connects the hot to the ground through some resistor) and it only trips the gfci sockets, and not other sockets in the house.


texts: What material should I use to insulate floor over a bumpout?

texts: My dining room has part of it bumped out about 2 feet overhanging from the foundation.  The floor over this overhanging part gets cold in winter and I'm thinking about insulating below it.  I've done a lot of work installing kraft-faced batts in the attic inside, but would the same material be practical in an area exposed to the elements?  What are my other options?


texts: How do I access the light in this recessed can?

texts:
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills...I can't for the life of me figure out how to access (and ultimately change out) the bulb inside this recessed can.

I've tried twisting, pushing, prying, twisting, bopping...everything short of kicking these things.

Someone please save me from insanity.


texts: Furnace shutting off, requires frequent resetting

texts:
A couple of months ago I asked this question regarding my natural gas furnace that is used to heat my house via baseboard/water heating.

It seemed to have quit working, but I called the repairman. The repairman spent less than 5 minutes in my home and just pointed out that there is an upside down button I can press to reset it. This consultation cost me $300.

Pressing the button works fine, except that I have to press it 5+ times per day, now that it is getting cold and snowing. I need to find a somewhat better fix, but I definitely do not have the $ for the repairman to come back.

I forget exactly how he explained it, but basically I think he said there's some cut-off in the hood that is getting mistakenly tripped. I think he suggested that the next step would be to clean, repair, or replace some part of that to prevent it from cutting off.

Given that it's cold and I don't have the money for professional repairs, is there some sort of temporary way to keep the furnace from mistakenly shutting off?

Stack Exchange is rotating that 2nd photo on me, it seems. For more photos please see the link above.


texts: Do I need to install another Bonding bus bar in the disconnect?

texts: In Texas (CenterPoint Energy) from the meter can to the disconnect, I have three wires, HOT, HOT and Neutral.   In the disconnect I need to connect the Neutral to the ground however the Neutral bus bar only has an opening for one 4 ought wire. Do I need to purchase another ground bar and install it in the disconnect and Bond them together?  I know they need to be bonded there, how do I physically do it?


texts: Should I replace my 36 year old copper house wiring with UF-B?

texts:
I want to replace all of the wire in my house and in the light fixtures because my house is 36 years old and I think It's time the wire gets updated and upgraded

I currently have 14/2 wire throughout all of the outlets and lighting in the house ( unknown type ), and 18 Gauge running into the fixtures, I'm wanting to upgrade to 12/2 wire so i don't have to worry about high resistance causing high heat with newer technology but I'm lost on what type of wire to use. NM-B, UF-B, THHN, PLTC, THWN I do not want to go cheap, I've heard aluminum wire is bad and it's better to go with copper... I want it to with stand heat, or If any leaks occur throughout the years in an outlet by the window or the wiring in the ceiling

Would UF-B be appropriate for walls and ceilings even though it's rated for underground or outside use?

United States


texts: Putting multiple outdoor lights on one timer switch?

texts:
I have a light switch panel, which controls three lights (picture to follow). Two switches on the left each control one outdoor light. I would like to put those switches on a timer.

I don't think that panel has room for two timer switches, plus the third that controls an indoor light. Is it possible to merge the two outdoor lights and connect it to one timer? I don't really care if I can't control the two outdoor lights independently anymore, it's fine if they're always controlled together.

Is there anything I need to be aware of if I try merging the two when looking for compatible timers? Here's a picture of the setup:

Thanks


texts: Are most contractors capable of building any home?

texts:
I know very little about building homes.  However, I have a vision of what I want my next home to be like.  But when I look at the websites of local builders and contractors, it looks like they only have preset designs and plans for the homes that they build.

Are there contractors that are flexible enough that I could just give them a home plan that I purchased online? Would they do a quality job?  Are most contractors capable of doing this kind of a thing? Or would I need to find someone who is more specialized for the job?


texts:
The power recently went out in my garage. When I went to the garage and flipped on the light, there was a small spark from within the switch box (where the wires enter the garage) and then no power. Note that my garage was built in 1950, and the wiring is a bit scabby. The garage breaker is a 15A that is in a sub-panel in my basement.

I opened up the wall, and the wiring is brought in and split in two branches: one to the outside receptacle, and one to the lights + a receptacle.

The hot is connected to 3 other wires (via wire nut), one to the light switch, one in parallel to the lighting (or receptacle...I'm not too sure), and one to the out door receptacle.

The Neutral is connected to 2 other wires (via a wire nut), one to the lighting and one to the out door receptacle.

The ground is grounded directly to the light switch body.

I have found that there is correct voltage between the hot and the Neutral only when:
1) There is no load on the out door receptacle
2) The lighting Neutral is not in contact with the garage service neutral

Basically, the voltage is only correct if the entrance Neutral has no load on it from either branch. When there is a load, the voltage goes to zero.

Does anybody know what's going on?


texts: Can I run PEX directly into my clothes washer?

texts:
Aside from the difficulty of finding the right fitting, is there a specific reason I need to connect my clothes washer to the taps via a hose instead of directly via PEX?

I ask because hoses are regarded as a poinit of with a high likely hood of failure.  Given PEX and PEX fittings tolerance to bending, freezing, and their ease of rotation around a joint, it seems like PEXing directly into my washer would be preferred vs spending $100+ on fittings, valves and hoses to do it the traditional way.

My thought was to T off a supply line and use two elbows to ensure flexibility in all directions.  After the 'T', I'd have 2.5 feet of PEX that I won't strap down to allow flex in the 'y' and 'z' directions, and then an elbow and another 2.5 feet before the shutoff valve to allow flex in the 'x' and 'z':

Fittings

If it is okay to connect directly, is it okay to use a plastic elbow? (the male connection on my clothes washer is plastic) such as the sea tech one pictured below, or should I use brass only?


texts: What are these black bugs and how do I get rid of them?

texts:
These bugs keep appearing from under my baseboard. The ones laying out are never moving but when I vacuumed them up, I sucked whatever would come out from under the baseboard which made some lives ones come out but they never get too far from the wall before they stop moving and seem to die. I sprayed some general indoor/outdoor insecticide but that did not seem to help because they re-appeared a couple days later. They are extremely small, similar in size to gnats and black.

How do I get rid of these?


texts: What is the best way to condition and protect a hardwood floor under heavy use?

texts:
We rent an old house with hardwood floors and the area under one of our office chairs is now brittle and dull. What are our options for conditioning and/or protecting the wood (especially to prevent splinters)?

We would prefer to do this cheap and without having to apply the solution to the entire floor, if possible. However, we would prefer to use the hardwood (as opposed to purchasing a special mat or something).


texts:
I have an office with a significant amount of computer equipment in it that generates quite a bit of heat and is regularly 3-12 degrees warmer than the rest of the house when I'm working in there with the doors closed. (My house is a pretty large 5-bedroom house, so I'm not too worried about this affecting any large-scale balance.) Unfortunately, this room has no air intake vent. It does have a register from the HVAC. The room regulates its temperature fairly well with the doors open and I can feel a draft blowing out through the cracks in the doors when they're closed, so I think an air return is needed.

It's a squarish room with the HVAC register (4" x 10") under the window on the floor and the doors are on the opposite side of the room next to an air retrun vent in the hallway (it's quite close to the furnace and seems like a rather large cavity, not a long run so minimal friction). I've added a (bad) drawing of my office and what's on the outside walls. There is a basement below and a bedroom above this office, so neither the ceiling nor floor are really accessible.

Office Layout (the office is surrounded by black lines, the grey lines just show the outside rooms/areas, red show existing HVAC things):

Other than right around the door area, most of the walls are fairly off-limits due to what's on the other side (obviously not punching a hole into the garage, the bathroom is already too small, not making it smaller, and don't want to add anything to the foyer area for aesthetic reasons). I think the two areas that provide the most opportunity for adding an air return vent are either tapping directly into the air return cavity (shared with the hallway) or just opening up a new return pseudo-duct over the doors from the office to the hallway.

My concerns (I'm an engineer but no HVAC guy):

Because I largely want to remove heat year-round, I think the return vent should be on the wall near the ceiling (this is fortunate if I go over the door into the hall).
I'm concerned about noise transfer from the hall to the office or office to hall (I have a 3yr old, nuff said)
I'm not sure what HVAC codes & permits might be needed in this area of Indiana (Carmel). I think I might need a permit of some sort if I do HVAC duct work.
Something in my gut tells me I shouldn't tap into that air return cavity directly with the hallway having a large vent right there at the same spot on the other side of the cavity.
I understand this might not be 100% perfect with the heat generation in the office, but I'd like a large improvement and I think this will do it. Adding additional air conditioning into this room is likely too costly of a solution.

My questions:

Is there an obvious answer here? Is it bad to just vent the hot air into the hallway next to that air return vent out there?
If I go above the door, should I punch one hole in my office as high as possible with the second hole in the hallway as low as possible to maximize hot air going out while minimizing noise transfer?
How large should the holes be? If I go above the doors, should just 1 work or should I put 2 in, one over each door?
Should I use a "register booster" or other powered device to help push air through the return vent that I'm adding?
If I cut a hole into the existing cavity, how do I keep all of that drywall dust from going into my furnace (filter)? Or do I just do that and swap the filter out when I'm all done?
Is there something else I should be asking? I can definitely cut some holes into drywall but this is all new to me.


texts: What is this type of pin and tumbler lock, and is it more difficult to pick than a Yale lock?

texts:
I am changing the locks at my house and considering this one, whose craters seem more difficult to pick than a standard yale lock.

I include only half the key on purpose.

What is the name of the type of key, and is it more difficult to pick?


texts: What is causing my Craftsman push mower to run erratically and quit after a few minutes?

texts:
I purchased a craftsman push mower 2 years ago. It's be stored inside and been used on our personal lawn for 2 summers.

A week ago it ran wonderfully, then it started running poorly. Eventually getting to where I couldn't even cut the grass. I'm not mechanic by any means, but have tried the following:

Cleaned air filter
Dumped out old gas and replaced with new.
Took the Carburetor apart and clean the entire thing.Sprayed parts with brake cleaner, as that's what i had as opposed to Carb cleaner.
removed spark plug and screwed back in.

It starts every time on the first pull, however it just runs weak and chugs a long. I noticed that when I tip it back - meaning front wheels in the air, it runs significantly better. When I put the mower deck back level, it sputters along. The oil level appears to be low if anything. Not significantly, just lower than suggested.

any help would be appreciated.


texts: What is the purpose of this joint in my wall stud?

texts:
I am getting ready to install a new bathtub and shower.
After ripping everything out I noticed all the studs behind the original bathtub wall have cuts. See photo.
If anyone can explain why the studs are pieced together this way I would appreciate it very much.
[


texts: A gentler way to chase electrical sockets

texts:
I'm in the process of first-fixing a British 1930's house, and although the vast majority of the electrical chasing is done I'm still having trouble finding a safe method to cut out the brickwork for flush fit sockets. Chasing out runs for the cables is reasonably okay (Using an Angle Grinder and then removing the middle), but on a number of occasions I've had to replace whole bricks because they've either broken catastrophically or the mortar has simply failed.

This isn't such an issue when the wall is easily accessible from the other side, but I have a number to do in the kitchen and they're close together (I.e., increased risk!) and the other side of the wall is covered.

So, frankly, I'm concerned and surely there has to be a better way. The biggest issue is that no matter how I approach it, I always end up chipping away HUGE chunks of brick, sometimes up to whole quarters. And, combined with the old mortar - once that integrity is gone the whole thing just falls to pieces!

I'm pretty new to this, so please assume no knowledge on my part whatsoever - perhaps I'm doing something fundamentally wrong.

Up to know I've been chasing with a combination of the following:

Hammer and Chisel
SDS+ Drill with Chisel
Stich Drilling
SDS+ Drill with Scutch Comb

I'd appreciate any hints, tips or guides on how to do this in a safer and more gentle manner!


texts: How to check whether demolition brick is safe to use?

texts: I would like to reuse demolition brick from building that was part of chemical factory. Factory was closed about 10 years ago, I know that sulphides and acids were heavily used there. I wonder if it's safe to use such brick or is there any way to verify? I plan to use it as root cellar elevation.


texts: Does a central A/C with copper lines that are too small cause compressor and diaphragm failure?

texts:
I have a 3 ton R410A A/C unit that is 8 years old and is using copper lines that are too small. Does this cause leaks, diaphragm failure, and compressor failure?

The air was not blowing cold, so I had the refrigerant refilled. It works better but only blows about 12 degrees fahrenheit cololer than the intake.

I had a reputable company come out to diagnose. When the new A/C was put in 8 years ago, they used the existing lines in the wall and just attached the new lines (in the attic at the condenser unit and outside at the compressor unit) to the exiting lines. The existing lines were smaller than the lines that go into the machine.

New line on left, existing line on right.

The tech told me that this causes the pressure to rise above what the machine can handle, which is causing several problems: creating leaks in the evaporator, blowing out the diaphragm, and over working the compressor. He said my compressor is working too hard and can die any moment.

He suggests getting a new unit as soon as possible (and is estimating 7,500 - 10,000 for install in my 1600 sq ft 1 story house). He said they would not repair this because of he condition. He tested my compressor, said it is over worked. He leaked some refrigerant and said it smells contaminated. He listened to the compressor and said he can tell it is working too hard. And they supposedly did an electronic test to confirm it was leaking inside the evaporator coil box.

Does this diagnosis sound correct? How long can I milk this A/C unit machine? Am I destroying the compressor by running it with the smaller copper lines?


texts:
Is it a bad idea to put a fence post "through" patio stones? We're building a patio and then enclosing 2 sides of it with a privacy wall. I want to make the patio larger than the enclosed area so there is extra space for storage behind the wall.

After researching the right way to install a 4x4 post this is the design I came up with.

The idea is that I'll cut the patio stones to fit snug around each post. Then I'll caulk the edges. Below the patio stone is the sand and gravel. Halfway through the gravel the concrete of the post starts; it's dome shaped to divert water away from the post.

Things to note

No dirt is touching the post; only sand and gravel
12' pressure treated posts
A little less than 4 bags (80#) each post
Posts are 6' apart


texts:
About 18 months ago I had some plumbing work done and a ton of sediment was loosened in my pipes. Clogged the bathroom sink faucet fully and it had to be removed and cleaned out.

Since then, the American Standard 4019 toilet also hasn't worked well. Initially, the bowl wouldn't fill well, that has gotten better over time. However, it generally requires holding the handle and pouring about 16 ounces of extra water poured down the bowl to get a successful flush.

I've tried cleaning the jets with an allen wrench, no sediment was detectable there. I poured some food coloring/water into the overflow valve and it only came out of the bottom of the toilet, none seeped from the jets, though during a flush, water does come from them.

I've tried using a cheap manual auger, it didn't have any impact on the problem.


texts: Are adapters unsafe? Plug G to plug F (UK to Sweden)

texts:
I'm thinking of buying an instant pot ( https://www.instantpot.co.uk/product/instant-pot-duo-8-litre-electric-pressure-cooker-220v/ ).

It's a UK version and I live in Sweden. The voltage and frequency seems to be the same (around 220-230V and 50Hz).

I know I need to buy an adapter to make it fit in the socket.

My question: is it dangerous to use adapters like this (not to convert the voltage or anything), simply to make it fit.


texts: Trying to switch 2 prong socket to 3 prong socket

texts:
I am trying switch an outlet (in Guatemala) from 2 prong to 3 prong. I am not an electrician by trade, but I have read a few books, and have done it a few times at my house in the 'states. But this is a whole 'nother beast.

Coming out of the wall I have two white wires, a black wire, and a bare copper wire. All four go into the 2-prong outlet, I have white and black at the tip, and white and the bare wire on bottom. There are  two wires that run in between them.

I am used to the grounding wire being the bare wire. I am also used to just having one positive and negative wire, or live and neutral as is the case with this new outlet (3-prong).  I only have one black wire... so I put that in the neutral, the two whites in the live, and the bare in the grounding spot. It tripped the breaker as soon as I turned power back on!  I switched the white and black wires, same result. What I am missing here?

If I just can't put in a 3-prong, that is fine.

Not sure if it matters, but both sockets are made by a company called Bticino. I don't know the model of the 2-prong, but the 3-prong is a Domino Avant p1228.


texts: Can I remove HVAC pipes after exposing the ceiling?

texts:
I recently removed the drywall ceiling from my basement and have two related questions about removing the HVAC ducts/pipes.  Pictures attached here: http://imgur.com/a/qep4w

1.
Is it OK to remove the insulation from the ducts? I believe that this was put in place so air con/heat didn't escape into the ceiling when the drywall was in place. Now that the ceiling space is part of the room, it doesn't seem to be a problem.

2.
Is it alright to remove the vents and take the ducts all the way up to the main area? (Removing red X area, taking back to square red area). Same rationale - when the ceiling was in place, it couldn't vent into the ceiling space, but now there is no need to have it vent into the middle. Seems sound - just need to understand if there are air flow considerations/calculations that are needed.

Alternatively, removing the ducts all the way up until the edge of the room - I don't need it to vent into the center, from the side of the room would be fine now that the ceiling is open.


texts:
My heating system is power cycling because the heat exhaust temperature sensor is tripping. When I turn the intake gas valve closed a bit, the system will stay on for longer but it's still does some cycling. Is it possible somebody installed an incorrect sensor in the exhaust area of my heating system?

The exhaust fan is on, I can see it's spinning.


texts: Running 40ft of wire to garage, buriable

texts:
I'm running the wire to my garage. Wanting to run a 220 air compressor
And couple 110 outlets and lights.  Is it possible to run 10/3 or do I need
Like 10/4. For that extra hot. I'm running from breaker box to junction them off to 12/2 for my 110s.  Imma framer not an electrician. Thanks


texts: How do you connect one generator to two separate boxes?

texts: I have two separate 200 amp breaker boxes side by side and want to back feed a generator through the panel . Is there a way to feed both panels at once ? I would be using an interlock .


texts: 20 year old "Spongy" Roof - It was solid 5 years ago - Do I need new plywood?

texts:
My Question(s) - :
Is spongy plywood on a 20 year old roof OK or does it need to be replaced? This plywood was solid 5 years ago.

More background (edited based on comments):

I was walking on my roof last week and it is spongy all over (like walking on carpet with a reallllly good pad). 5 years ago it was solid (far more solid - definitely had some flex). There are no leaks to speak of (that I know) except a gasket that was worn around the sewer air intake drain that I corrected as soon as I found it 3 weeks ago, but not sure how long it was happening. It's a split level and the other half (that is dry) is equally spongy). I got a quote and the guy walked the entire roof and acknowledged that it was spongy, but said 3 pieces of plywood would need to be replaced. Can a 20 year old roof that was solid 5 years ago and is spongy now only need 3 sheets of plywood. Another estimator told me the golden beads along my joists in the attic were sap from the plywood. My guess is that I need to replace most if not all of the plywood.


texts: How can I remove paint from this window's aluminum track?

texts:
I recently purchased a house that has several layers of paint on the windows' aluminum tracks. (Wow! One bad paint job).

What's the best way to remove the paint, so that the windows will open and close easily?


texts: Running Airwave/Fan schedule with Nest (With Fresh air intake HVAC)

texts:
I am trying to make sure I am understanding the research/studies behind using just the fan to help reduce energy to cool/heat home.

Nest has the option to set a schedule to run the fan in home to circulate the air, or for A/C it has an, "Airwave" option to get the room the thermostat is located to temperature, and then run the fan after to balance out the home temperature. I try to compensate this with balancing the registers in the summer using the dampers.

My HVAC system has an intake inlet on the exterior that almost looks like a bathroom exhaust fan exterior outlet, so it's a good size. My home is a new construction home, built 1.5 yrs ago. The house is sealed up pretty well, so I guess this is to make sure enough fresh air is coming in the home.

Now, will this type of HVAC system have the opposite effect of running just the fan trying to balance the air in the home? I imagine while trying to balance the air and bringing in outside air at the same time, it may just do the opposite and make the temperature go the opposite way even more, respective of what system is running (Furnace/AC).

I have a whole house humidifier that kicks on just the fan when more humidity is needed, but it's hooked up to the hot water line, so maybe that helps balance the temperature difference.

Is the outside air coming in enough to cause the heating/cooling system to kick on more? Or is that air usually minimal? Trying to understand the effects of just running the fan with this type of system has on temperature in the home.

Thanks!


texts: Affixing a plastic A4 foil to a (textured) wall

texts:
I have an A4 sheet of paper inside of a standard (plastic) protective foil/lamination. I would like to affix this sheet onto an external wall, as a public sign/notice. The surface of the wall is not smooth but rather a bit uneven/textured.

I am wondering what kind of substance to use to make the foil stick to the wall. I guess some type of playdough should do the trick, either the type for children, or maybe some special type used in constructions. But I am not sure which type to buy.

I would like this to adhere well between the plastic foil and the wall, but also be undoable, for when I will want to later remove the notice; but for it to withstand weather elements (rain etc).

Any recommendations?


texts: Why is the water pressure low in my shower?

texts: I have low water pressure in shower.  I removed shower head but still very little water coming from pipe. Could it be the shower cartridge?  I have 1/2" pipe running from the water heater to the shower valve approximately 50'


texts: How do I join my horizontal slat fence with my neighbor's fence (vertical fence)

texts:
I am thinking about building a horizontal fence to close the open space left by the previous owner to the left of my garage.
How do I join my fence with the exiting fence of my neighbor. Do I have to build my own post next to the one behind the blue garbage bin?

Edit: I am not worried about the legal implications and it does not matter on whose property is the fence. I am just looking for a technical solution

The picture below shows the intended functionality

Update: I looked at that post and it was set in concrete and it is rotten as it is the on to the left side on my neighbor's property. There is another one rotten just behind the small tree at the end of the area that I am trying to cover There is no way that I am going to attach my gate to that post unless I decide to replace it and to split the costs with my neighbor. However doing that will complicate the solution. I am planning on using one of these:

for the removable central post. I would like to use the same for all the posts but I am not sure if this is advisable. This will be a horizontal fence, made of cedar boards cut of 1x(2" or 3" or 4" or 6")x 8" to match my needs and to build the design that I am planning to use


texts: Trimming wood floor boards for running wires under base molding

texts:
Renovating my apartment; started with walls, removed all base molding to run RG6/Cat5e throughout rooms under new base molding.

Here's a photo looking straight down from the wall (with molding removed). There's about 1" open space (on average) between the wall and edges of wood floor boards; this is perfect for running cable/ethernet wire. Problem is around 30-40 random boards extend to the wall, blocking my wire track, and I need to trim at least 1/2 inch of those boards to hide all wires.

I tried using my jigsaw at 90 degrees, but the base plate is too wide, cutting just over 1" of wood, not to mention cutting the subfloor too. Technically, I don't need to cut off entire pieces from each board; a wedge is sufficient provided it's deep enough to accommodate both wires, so I tried numerous jig saw angles but failed to get something working. I switched to hammer and chisel, but after 5 minutes (and minimal progress), I felt like I was escaping from prison :-)

I've got one more idea to try: if I can find a thinner base plate for my jig saw (B&D BDEJS600C), I should be able to manage the cut since I'd be closer to the wall. I'm open to any other ideas too. Just 1/2 inch track is all I need.


texts: Before I take them to the dump, is there anything I can do to restore them? Are there any chemicals to clean them? I was going to repaint them using spray paint but it was taking too long and almost a full can of paint and the chair (not pictured) still looks like it will need a second hand.


texts: What is the correct height of a toilet flange relative to the finished floor?

texts:
What are the best practices or other rules such as building code regarding how to set the height of a toilet flange relative to the finished floor height?

Example of the type of flange I am referring to:

I have read conflicting information - some statements that the top of the flange should be flush with the finished floor, others that the bottom of the flange should rest on the finished surface.

Possibly these are not really contradictory but depend on the circumstance.

A related detail is that if you are unsure of the finished height is it better to err too high or too low?

Note: I am referring to US-style toilets; likely this is relevant for other regions also, but I'm not sure which. I know some places typically use other systems however, such as rear-discharge toilets in the UK.

Note: although there are several related questions here about this issue I haven't found one yet which seems to give a general purpose answer. The others are all for specific situations. I think we need a 'canonical' question for this topic.

Related:

What can I do about a toilet flange that is 1/4" below the finished floor?
Is my toilet flange too high off the ground?
How proud can a toilet flange sit above the floor?
What do I do about a toilet flange that is too high?
Is there a problem with this toilet flange or flange installation?


texts: What happens when you accidently connect a neutral wire with a hot wire with a screw?

texts: So i am worried about a fire hazard.  My hot and neutral wire are packed together into a metal conduit.  If there was a screw that accidentally gets screwed into the conduit and connects the hot and neutral wires together, what would happen?


texts: How should I install a new water heater?

texts:
I have recently shifted to San Diego. I am planning to install my own water heater. Can anyone guide me on below questions:

Should I place my water heater next to furnace?
Should I have a common vent?
What should be vent material?
Should I place the water heater within the premises or outside?


texts: Should I install the vanity, or the split faced stone first?

texts:
We're going to do the entire vanity wall in this tile.

Here is the vanity.

Originally we picked out a vanity that had open legs and probably could have been left freestanding in front of the wall.  But with this one I'm not so sure.

Do I install the vanity first, or the stone first (vanity over the stone)?

The advantage to doing the stone first is that my cuts become very minimal (just the wall edges), but then I'm thinking that the vanity will still need to be sealed to the wall.  Is that possible with the uneven surface of the tile?  With grout?

The other option is installing the vanity first, and then the stone around it.


texts: Lawn mower's power line cut off caused partial power outage

texts:
I happen to cut off lawn mower's power line with the lawn mower cross over it to cause partial power outage. Everything seems to be OK except the outlets on the exterior of the house. I checked my fuse box, and nothing is on off side.

How can I turn it on again? If I need professional services, to whom do I ask help?


texts: Should I build new interior wall over ceramic tile flooring?

texts: I'm making a new bathroom out of an empty space. So I'm erecting interior walls, by laying bricks. The apartment is all concrete. Does one need to cut the tiles or just lay it over them? And if so how do I make sure I'm doing it right?


texts: What tools do I need to make a straight cut in laminated chipboard?

texts:
It's 38mm thick.

Next week I will need to cut it along a straight line, and I would like the cut to be as straight and clean as possible.

What tools do I need to do this ?


texts: Capped wires in old switch box--mains power or switch loop?

texts:
I have an old switch box that has a single cable coming into it with a black wire and a white wire. I've confirmed with a voltage tester that the black wire is hot. Before installing an electronic remote switch, I want to make sure that the white wire is a neutral.

My doubt comes because my house has a number of switches that are set up as a switch loop, where a single cable comes into the box, and one of the conductors is always hot (usually fed by power coming into the fixture) and the other conductor is used as a switched hot. In this old switch box, I'm wondering whether the cable is an abandoned switch loop where the always hot conductor is still connected but the switched hot doesn't connect to a load.

Is there a way to test this?  I believe that measuring hot to neutral on a multimeter should give 120V, correct?  What would measuring hot to switched hot give?  I'm just looking for a way to safely and definitively confirm that the non-hot wire is a neutral on the same circuit as the hot wire.


texts: How to restore faded furniture color and sheen

texts: I have a cabinet which is white in color however the white area looks a bit creamy and in some places dirty white. How do I restore the color to what it was when new? Is it possible without necessarily re-finishing it?


texts:
There is a surging sound coming from the plumbing between the water main and hot water tank in my house. It has a beat, with a period of about 1 second. It sounds sort of like the lines are "breathing." It sounds as if there's a bad toilet valve, but we've narrowed it down to the hot water system and nothing in the house which uses water is making any sound. We're not sure what causes it to start, but it lasts around ten minutes once it does. The sound stops once we turn off the water main, and when we turn off the valve leading into the water heater, but resumes when we turn it back on. There are no leaks that we can find (it's been happening for a couple weeks and there's no water damage in the ceiling) and the water heater doesn't make any sounds and doesn't vibrate. We can feel the beat in the pipe after the water main, and just coming into the water heater.

What could be causing this problem? We're fairly certain it's not the PRV, and it's not water hammer (no pipes are banging together, and there's no sharp crests in the sound).


texts: How can I drill conduit hole through plywood firestop I can't reach?

texts:
I'm trying to run a 3/4" conduit (1" OD) from unfinished basement utility room A to unfinished utility room B, through the ceiling of finished room C.

There are several floor trusses which are easy to bypass, but about 6 feet from the edge of the wall is a plywood firestop (red) that already has holes for Pex plumbing, black iron gas piping, and ventilation duct. From room A, I can get within about 4 feet of the firestop but I can't reach it to drill a hole.

I spoke with a contractor who said the easy method would be to cut a big piece out of the ceiling of room C, right next to the firestop (green) and then replace it when done - but I don't want to do this if I can avoid it since I won't be able to match the ceiling texture and paint afterward.

Will a flex drill bit extension (50" or so) allow me to drill the 1" hole I need? Is there another easy solution I'm missing that doesn't involve cutting a hole in the ceiling?


texts: Problem with Honeywell HE360 Humidifier on Bryant Furnace

texts: My Honeywell humidifier is not coming on when needed.  It is directly connected and controlled by the furnace and thermostat vs having its own control. My HVAC guy tested the relay on the furnace, and it seems to be working, but there is no power on the humidifier side.  I even tried connecting the wires coming out of the humidifier (that should complete the connection and turn on the unit - right?) Nothing.  So, my next guess is to check the humidifier's circuit board.  I can replace that (cheaper than a new unit, but this one only lasted a few years (and probably wasn't even working the whole time, anyway - is it worth replacing the board or just scrapping and installing a steam unit.


texts:
The plumber I hired to install a new washer box drilled a bunch of chunks off one of the studs in my wall. The chunks taken off are from the left side of the stud when looking straight at the wall.
From reading the International Residential Code, I assume this is not up to code.
But what can be done to fix it? I'm more worried about the structural integrity of things.
edit:
Here is some more information. I studied how the walls connected. I think the perpendicular stud is actually connecting to an exterior wall.


texts: Fixing metal siding that is loose on garage

texts:
The metal siding on my garage (built in 2012) is coming off, leaving exposed wood.

The only thing that was holding the metal down was the caulk which came off pretty easily within a few years.

I don't think re-caulking as-is would be enough as it won't hold so I was thinking of buying screws like these to hold the siding in place and then re-caulking. Thoughts?

Thanks for the help!

EDIT Oct 4th: I starting cleaning it up to re-caulk and found this in the top right corner:

Here is the likely cause (this view is from above the top right corner):

So I have two additional questions:

1) What should I do about the rotting wood/fungus?

2) What should I do to fix source of problem? It looks like I can caulk the cracks easily.


texts: How can I dispose of large glass mirrors?

texts:
I recently remodeled my bathrooms and removed the old flat glass mirrors that were hung on the walls. I kept them thinking that I could cut and frame them, but I wound up just purchasing new ones.

These mirrors are large (the largest being 4'x3' and I'm not sure how to dispose of them.


texts: Why are my fluorescent lights not working sometimes?

texts:
I have a fluorescent light fixture in my kitchen, which uses u-shaped tubes.

A few weeks ago they just stopped working. I could turn the switch on and there'd just be no light. Not flickering which I've read indicates a bad bulb. No buzzing sound, which I read means the ballast is bad either.

To make things weirder, a couple days ago I absent mindedly flicked the switch and the lights came right on! Today they worked fine when I got home from work, but after cooking I turned the lights off... when I tried to turn them on again an hour or so later they wouldn't come back on.

So what could be causing this?

EDIT: I should note that I installed new bulbs and they didn't work until the other day... and now they've stopped again.


texts: Replace electrical panel without a main disconnect

texts: I have a 100 amp (says on the panel) federal pacific but has no main disconnect. I would like to replace it with a combination panel.  Is this possible as it is located behind the back door on a landing.  It is a Federal Pacific 12 circuit spaces.  I live  in Alberta Canada.  I know I have to get a permit and have it inspected.  I am a 4th year electrician.  Wondering if it could be done myself it main power coming in from Atco was shut off?


texts: I am wiring a workshop in my backyard. I ran 4 gauge wire from the main panel to a pull out fused panel then wire goes inside to a subpanel. The sub panel has 2 - 20 amp circuit breakers for the shop equipment. 1 breaker for each side of the shop. Then I have 1 - 15 amp breaker used for lighting. The wire under ground is 4 gauge - hot/hot/neutral/ground and runs 105 feet. I want to use a GFCI in the main panel and want to know if I should use 40 amp double pole or 60 amp double pole? Thanks for any help.


texts: Does it matter whether surge protectors share an outlet?

texts:
I live in an apartment building without overhead lighting. My bedroom is wired so that the light switch in the room controls power to an outlet behind my bed. Right now I have two power strip surge protectors, one for each side of the bed (e.g., for my phone charger and my girlfriend's, a reading lamp on each side, etc.). There are two outlets behind the bed, and each outlet has one surge protector.

I'd like to change things around so that a floor lamp is plugged into the top outlet (which the light switch controls), so that I can use the light switch to...well...turn on a light. This would involve splitting the bottom outlet and plugging both surge protectors into it. Is this a problem, or will it be the exact same as before?


texts: What is a "solar ready" electrical panel and how does it save money in a solar installation?

texts: I see these listed as a seperate category "Meter Mains - Solar Ready" at my supply house. Eaton MBE2040PV200BTS is an example.


texts: shower water either hot or cold; not mixing; valve/ cartridge/ plumbing?

texts: In my rental unit, the shower [no tub, just shower] faucet is completely goofed up.  It's a 1 handle faucet. The hot and cold water don't mix.  If it was a clock, 'off' is 12:00. Turn counter clockwise to 11, 10, 9:00, the water is cold. The handle won't go past, say, 9 or 8:00.  Turn clockwise back to 12:00, it's off.  Turn it clockwise to 1:00 2:00, 3:00; it's HOT. I't won't turn past about 4:00 or so.  There's no way to get warm water. Hot and cold are opposite each other; you can get only 1 or the other.  My last tenant never complained about it, but my new tenant can't get it a comfortable temperature, and I can't figure it out either.  Anybody??  Thanks in advance!


texts: Do I need to shut off gas water heater if I turn off water?

texts:
I'm renting a house in Washington DC but the house is going to be empty all of December since I am going home for Christmas. I'm very concerned about the pipes bursting. I would just leave the house at 55 degrees, but the thermostat doesn't work. I can turn on the heat, but it won't go to any specific temperature, it just keeps getting hotter and hotter. So obviously I don't want to be paying a ridiculous gas bill when no one is going to be here anyway.

So I think my best option is to just shut off the water to the house. I recently had a new water heater installed and I had the repairman show me where the main water valve is. The only thing I'm worried about now is whether or not I need to turn off the water heater? I'd rather not, since I'm not sure I would be able to get pilot light re-lit. I'm just not super handy. I was planning on setting it to lowest heat setting. Will this cause any problems if the water is shut off for a whole month? No one is going to be using the water. It is a natural gas water heater if that's important.

Thanks in advance for any advice!


texts:
I need some guidance on the repainting of the metal railing that I have in my front yard. This is how it looks like as of today:

The black paint on the railing is chipping off and I am not sure why. I am not sure what kind of paint the previous owner used or whether he used the primer or not.
What is best to get this repainted and how to make sure the paint does not chip off again and is long-lasting? I went to the Home Depot and associate their recommended me this. He suggested that I do not need to prime the surface and this product will do the job.
I would love to get some feedback/opinions from the folks here before taking any further steps.
Thanks.


texts:
In my basement apartment, I had concrete underlayment and I decided to not install tile under the cabinets even though some people advised me to do. It turned out well especially because I ended up installing 2x4 near on the other side of the front base of the cabinets to screw the front into for extra firmness, which would have been more difficult with tiles. Overall, it worked well, saved me tile and labor to have the cabinets sit directly on the concrete underlayment.
Now I'm doing my upstairs kitchen, which of course is not on a concrete underlayment but on a subfloor stack consisting of 3/4" OSB, 1/2" ply (for extra firmness), 1/4" cementboard, then tile. I intend to again repeat the no tile under cabinet methodology but my question is, since the underlayment is different, should I also skip the 1/4" cementboard under the cabinets? I can see pros and cons both ways. If I did, the countertops would be 1/4" higher, if not, I could save some cementboard.


texts:
I am experiencing an issue on the north-west side of my 2-story house: in the morning 2 hours after sunrise we get infested with gnats. There are hundreds of them inside the house at the main level by the sliding doors and on the windows seals. We vacuum them up and it is up again within minutes. After a couple of hours we manage to clear up all of them until the next morning...
It is frustrating. Even a window that does not open seem to be impacted.
Yesterday I had a glass company send a tech to my house to take a look. He offered to replace the windows but stated he had no clues whether this would help. He said I should talk to a windows company to replace my windows.
I noticed that the weather strip on the sliding doors is not in the best shape so I will replace it this weekend.
My current solution is to apply painters tape everywhere I feel there is a light draft or visible gaps on the frames.
Do I need to replace the windows? The brand is quanex and the glass thermatru.
The house is 5 yo and in Southern California.


texts: This is a picture of a Gree 8000 btu unit.  Can I put insulation around the vent duct since it is getting a little warm to the touch?


texts: Honeywell programmable switch: lights always on...?

texts: I have a Honeywell programmable switch for outdoor lights. Recently, I realized that even when the switch is supposed to be off (during the day), the lightbulbs are not completely turned off. They are much less bright than during the night but there is still a noticeable light... Thus, I am assuming something is wrong with my switch... Has anyone encountered this issue ? Is there any way to reset the switch ?


texts: How to remove sink faucet pipe from shutoff?

texts:
I am currently attempting to replace the faucet in my kitchen. I successfully removed the hot water pipe that goes from the old faucet to the hot water shutoff. I am now trying to remove the cold water pipe from the cold water shutoff and I ran into a problem. I thought that when I removed the nut pictured in my thumb the pipe would just come right out from the shutoff, however only the nut came loose and it looks like the pipe from the old faucet is still inside the water shutoff valve. I have tried to pull the faucet pipe out from the shutoff but it appears to be stuck pretty bad. Every time I pull the faucet pipe, it pulls the whole water shutoff and I am afraid that if I pull too hard I'll break the sink pipe or the water shutoff pipe. Does anyone have any tips to help me remove the sink pipe from the water shutoff?

Thank you,
Justin


texts: What is the right way to strip power wires?

texts:
I've been working with electrical circuits as a DIYer for years, including electronics and powerline work.  But one thing I always feel like I do a terrible job at is stripping wires: both the outside jacket and the insulators from the conductors...

Perhaps I'm being over paranoid, but if I nick the insulators when I'm cutting the jacket, or if I nick or scrape the insulator I will cut back past this injury and start over.  I want something that an inspector would give the thumbs up, because I might as well do it right while I'm doing it.  But, this always tends to take a while to cut just through the insulator and not any further.  I've tried tools from knives to sharp wire cutters to duller wire cutters to specific wire strippers.

My current mechanism is to just use a knife and be extremely careful while cutting the insulation or jacket, but it is fairly time-consuming and error-prone.  Some jackets I get lucky on and there is a ground or nylon string in it that I can pull on to tear the jacket up to where I need it, then just clip it off.  But some appliance cords that I work on have quite beefy 20A cables and those can be a bear.

Any hints or words of wisdom on what an inspector would red-flag me on?


texts: What do I need to do to prepare for a storage shed?

texts:
I'm thinking of putting a small shed (something like this -- a Montana 8' x 10' mini-barn) and wondering what I need to do to prepare.

I was thinking of getting a load of gravel, and having a bed of 4-6" of gravel, with deck blocks on top of that.  The area under consideration isn't quite level, and gets a bit damp in the spring.

Or would just putting down the deck blocks (digging them in a bit to ensure they're all level) be sufficient?


texts: Does the head of a pump depend on pipe diameter?

texts: I understand that the head of a pump is the distance water can be moved upwards. This page mentions a few things the head depends on, but does not mention pipe diameter. So since it seems logical to me, does head also depend on the pipe diameter, ignoring changes in friction?


texts: How do I remove a stair tread under linoleum without damaging the linoleum?

texts:
I'm replacing some old 1970s railing in between my kitchen and family room (there's a step down into my family room.)  I ripped that out and exposed what looks like a stair tread that was ripped down and used for the step-down edge.  I pulled that out because it was beat up and we are changing stain colors.  In the pic you can see the "anatomy" of what I'm working with:

So the edge sits on the joist and the fascia board.  (It was glued/nailed to the joist.)

Now my problem is that I need to get the other section out.  It looks like the linoleum is sitting on top of it...so how can I get that out and not damage the linoleum?  Undercut it with my multitool saw?  Or is that a fool's mission and should I attempt something else?


texts: Why do all the window companies have terrible reviews?

texts:
This question isn't actually about the reviews per se (so don't close it), but I didn't know what else to call it.

I need to get some basic windows (new construction) and am getting very frustrated because every time I find a brand of windows that I can get, when I look up the company, there's pages and pages of one star reviews with "won't honor warranty", "leaks", "rude terrible service", "got all foggy after a year", etc.

And this seems to be true of every brand of window that I've come across, high priced or low. Now I've never had problems with windows that came with a house that I've lived in, but from the reviews it would seem that there's a bad window epidemic in America. I'm not convinced that's the case. Some cases may be bad contractors that installed the windows incorrectly. But how much is bad product vs bad installation, is impossible to gauge.

So here's the real question: Since reviews seem to be useless at determining what brand of windows are good, what factors should I be using instead to judge the quality of a window or window company?

Clarification: I'm looking for new construction rather than replacement windows.


texts: I have a new range hood located in close proximity to the through the roof vent for the furnace and hot water tank; can I tap into that vent pipe for the range hood?


texts: Is the big steel beam running perpendicular to the joists a load bearing beam?


texts:
I'm not experienced in DIY beyond being able to paint stuff.  However, recently I've been let down by a number of carpenters and I've decided to build myself some box shelves and want to get an idea to a way I can do this.

I've got a room with two built in wardrobes with a recessed area between them where I intend to make these shelves - so I have three edges I can attach the shelves to (two wood and one is a wall which I think has a blocked up chimney but seems quite solid when I tap it), but no idea really of how to do it.  I'm looking at storing books on these shelves, so need them to be able to take some weight.

I've search online and found this site describing how to do it but I fear I don't have the correct tools to be able to make an accurate rabbets.  I have a jigsaw and a saw station for it, an impact drill, and screw drivers etc.  I'm pretty sure I can do it, but need some guidance.


texts:
I was swapping out a receptacle for a USB receptacle and I was using the "stabs" in the back of the receptacle to connect the wiring (not under the screw).  In the process of straightening the neutral wire so it would fit into the "stab" I used the wire straightener, and lightly pulled the neutral wire.  In this process, about 3 inches into the box the neutral wire broke off (I didn't even touch that part of the wire!).

Needless to say the neutral wire is now to far into the box for me to be able to connect to the receptacle.  What options do I have to connect this USB receptacle, or at this point I'd settle for any receptacle, since the neutral wire is so short?

I've tried to get the wire straightener and pull the neutral wire, but no excess wiring is coming.  I see the wall above the receptacle starting to bulge which is making me nervous and making me think there's nothing to give.

sorry for my poor terminology, I can do light electrical no issue, but when something off the normal happens I always ask for assistance, and if too big I'll call in the experts.


texts: Will supported 2x8s or unsupported 2x12s added to existing joists result in higher rigidity?

texts:
Background: I have a kitchen supported with 2x8s 16" o/c over a 13' 3" span. I want to install a 12x24 tile floor, so that much deflection is just not going to work.

Question: I have 2 options I am considering. The first is to sister the 2x8s with another 2x8 so that both would be supported at both ends. The second is to sister the 2x8s with 2x12s but the 2x12 would not be supported on either end as they can't fit between the beam and the floor.

Which one will add more rigidity to the floor?

Side question: Which is more rigid one 2x12 or two 2x8s sistered?


texts:
I'm in a condo with neighbors on both sides. utility closet is in the basement.

It smells like old stale cigarette smoke in my utility closet, like somebody has been smoking cigarettes in there for years almost.

I'm not a smoker, and I noticed a faint smell of cigarettes in the past but thought it came from neighbors outside. I've been working from home during the pandemic and realized the smell is definitely coming from the utility closet after following my nose (sniffing all around the house lol) to the source.
I don't smell it anywhere else in the house or from any of the ducts. It's just inside of the utility closet really. There's a hot water heater, the air handling fan/heater/evaporator unit, and circuit box in the utility closet.

Also, when I first moved in 2 years ago I never noticed the smell in the utility closet.

I'm not 100% sure, but it almost seems like the smell comes when the heat turns on. Is this possible?

Could the smell come from one of those? or could it be from the neighbors through a hole in the wall somewhere? If it's from a neighbor, how can I find and plug the holes?


texts: Can a cooking oil spill-over cause a burnt-out outlet?

texts:
A cooking stove with electricity and natural gas has been in place for 20 years. Last month I did deep frying, some of the oil went overboard, touched the electric plate, and some of it instantly vaporized into smoke. The oil also left a definite stain on the electric plate. Note that I didn't smell anything burned, and that the electric plate and cooktop was 1 meter from the power plug.

I didn't use the cooktop for a month and yesterday, when I turned on an oven daisy-chained to the same outlet, the house circuit breaker went off and I smelled something burned, which I then identified as burnt plastic. The outlet was burnt-out along with the electric plug of the cooktop:

(I found it hard to take a good picture because the burnt area is the blackest of the black.)

I did not find any residue of oil near the outlet. The cooktop has been in place for many years in an area by the seaside with much salt, humidity (up to 80%), so metal often corrodes and rusts.

Could cooking oil cause the outlet to arc and burn out? If not, what is the most likely cause?

Update

Here is a photo of the house's electric panel. The tripped switch was third from the top left:


texts:
Garbage disposal stopped today after I tossed some coffee grounds into it.  It makes a nice hum when you turn the power on of the motor trying to run, but nothing spins.  I've tried the reset button at the bottom to no luck.  I've fished around in there and there doesn't appear to be anything (like a spoon or whatnot) blocking it.

Any way to get it going?


texts: Can I add a thermostat C wire to my furnace's control board if there's already a wire under the screw?

texts:
I bought a new WiFi thermostat and it requires 5 wires and I only have 4 currently.
I will run a new set of wires from the thermostat to board, however on the board it shows that I have a C wire but that wire does not go to thermostat, I believe it goes to unit outside as that wire is attached to another set of 2 thin cables and it does not to go thermostat.
My question is: when I run the new set of wires, can I just attach the C cable into that splice?


texts:
Need a bit of guidance here,
I have tough yard and my contractors are going to pour concrete over some large boulders and filled in the remaining area with parts of other boulders (6in to 1 foot). They are planning on using rebar but not much else. I have read this is not optimal but they are pretty deep into the project now - thoughts? Should I ask them to use extra rebar? Adjust the concrete mix so it is more liquid? Wet the rocks jut in advance of the pour so the concrete binds better. Any help you can provide is genuinely appreciated, a bit outside my comfort zone here.


texts: We got candle pot for scent which was dropped by a guest and the hot candle separated into the carpet. How can I take it off? It is like the candle it isfrozen onto carpet .


texts: I am connecting a new oven with 4 wires, black, white, red & copper to an existing junction box with 3 wires, white, black & copper.  What goes where??  Any help is appreciated


texts:
I like the flooring here in this picture but wonder what it is

Is it some paint / stain on top of concrete? Because I can see the crack.

Or is it some laminate plastic thing?


texts: Can I lay stepping stones over a french drain?

texts: I am planning to install a french drain around my garage and make a walkway on top of it. I know the overall procedure for the french drain installation but am not sure how to make a walkway over it. I am thinking of putting stepping stones (e.g., flagstones) over the gravels which would surround the drainage pipes. But, I am concerned as to whether the stepping stones could be firmly stabilized on the gravels. I could not find any article over the web on this issue.


texts: Why does my ceiling fan light turn off by itself?

texts: I have a remote-controlled ceiling fan and light.  I don't run the fan, but when I turn the light on sometimes it will stay on for a long time then just go off by itself.  I have tried both kinds of bulbs, but neither works.  What causes this problem.  Do I have to replace the ceiling fan and light, or can it be fixed?


texts: I am just about finished installing Hardiebacker in my 30"x60" shower alcove. The front and back walls have Hardiebacker an additional 6" past the shower door where the tile will end. I also have installed two tile-redi niches. I kind of know how to waterproof, just wondering the exact order. I know I need go silicone the 1/4" gap between the acrylic pan and the hardiebacker. I will also apply thinset & alkali tape over all seams and seams where Hardiebacker walls meet drywall ceiling. The Niche instructions say I should fill in the gap between the niches and Hardiebacker with silicone too. I would assume I would eventually use thinset over these as well with tape? I will finish with Redguard - basically coating all walls up to the ceiling using a brush and roller. Thoughs? TIA


texts: Can these be support columns with these brackets

texts:
Is there any way these columns with the top and bottom brackets can be supporting columns. If I can't tell by the brackets, I will need to break into their drywall at places to see if it or another beam is supporting.  I want to remove them.[Images

Image2


texts: Is it reasonable to create a 30amp branch circuit for the purpose of feeding the panel from a generator?

texts:
I recently purchased an 8kW generator (Briggs and Stratton). It has a 4-wire twist lock outlet that can handle 30 amps.

Suppose I were to:

Run a 10/3 NM cable from the panel in the basement out to the garage. Not actually connecting anything, just running the wire along the basement ceiling, where there are other visible NM cables (so I assume it's within code), out to the garage. The length of the cable run is about 50ft
Hire an electrician to terminate the cable with a 4-prong outlet in the garage, and connect it to the panel with a 30-amp breaker. The purpose of the outlet (and the entire circuit) would be to connect to the generator to power the panel during power outages.

First and foremost -- yes, I know that the main breaker MUST be turned off when backfeeding the panel from the generator. This is the most important consideration. The instructions for using the generator would be as follows (clearly outlined on a placard next to the panel, with pictures, and appropriate breakers labelled clearly):

Switch off the main breaker
Switch off all non-essential circuits, which will be labelled. Most important are the sump pump, well pump, HVAC blower, and refrigerator
Switch on the generator breaker (the 30-amp circuit mentioned above)
Power on the generator and connect it to the outlet in the garage

My questions are:

Is that a reasonable plan? Has anyone tried anything similar?
Should I use 6-gauge or 8-gauge cable instead of 10-gauge? 10 is rated for 30amps, but would voltage drop be a concern?
Is it correct to assume that it's OK to run NM cable along the (unfinished) basement ceiling? I see other NM cables from the other branch circuits there so I assume it's within code
What are the considerations for transitioning the cable from the basement ceiling out to the adjacent garage floor? There is ductwork that makes the transition from basement-to-garage through this wall currently, so I think I can "follow" the duct out through to the garage. I assume I should install some PVC conduit to run the wire through this transition?
Is this just a bad idea and I should just get a transfer panel installed?


texts: How to remove broken hinge which is stuck inside

texts:
There is a broken hinge which is stuck:

To compare, a good hinge is removed easily like this:

I tried to remove broken hinge with a hammer, however it is stuck very firmly. Is there any method to remove the broken hinge? The rust makes removal harder.


texts: Water backing into dishwasher WITH new check valve and loop in place?

texts: So this is really baffling... Our GE Profile dishwasher is having an issue with dirty water backing into it while it's off. We've had the dishwasher for years with no issues, it just recently started doing this. And the water is really gross. High drain loop is correct (and always has been with no issues). We figured a check valve somewhere in the pump must have gone bad, and the water is somehow siphoning or backing up from the kitchen sink? (We have no disposal FYI). So we added a secondary check valve in the drain line, thinking that would surely solve the problem (as opposed to trying to replace or fix an interior one in the pump?). This worked for a day or so, but alas the problem has returned. Totally baffled how drain water can be backing into the dishwasher with the new check valve in place. And high loop in drain line. Driving us crazy. Any ideas???


texts:
So, I accidentally left the electric stove on for... a night. Luckily, no fire, but there's a significant heatmark on the wooden cabinet next to it. I was not able to scrub it off, and it rather seems like it burned from the inside out or something because there is a nearly circular brown-ish mark visible.

Is there anything that can be done at this point?

Reposted from Seasoned Advice


texts: How do I clean thinset from Quartizte Wall Tile?

texts:
Our contractor didn't do a good job installing the Quartizte wall tile, and left a white thinset film on all the tiles.

[1]: https://imgur.com/a/fwHJ5 Wall Tiles

What we have tried:

Vinegar: It seems to help a little but no real progress
Nylon Brush bits for Drills: brushing away the thinset. Has helped a bit but again no real progress.

Are there any suggestions how we can remove this?


texts: Control a light turning on from multiple switches, but not off

texts: I want to do something that seems a bit more complex to myself. I want to have 4 switches in my garage that I can use to turn on the garage lights I'll be installing. (Switch on workbench, by the door, etc). Here's where I'm stumped. I want the lights to come on when ANY switch is on but only turn off if all of the switches are off. How would I accomplish this?


texts:
As someone who is very busy, and not very handy, I like the idea of getting a warranty so that I know that all I have to do is call someone when something breaks, and I know in advance how much it will cost.

But, I'm skeptical.  The sites have very little information. Is it generally the kind of thing where there are so many exclusions that you end up paying for a lot of repairs anyway? Or does it end up being a lot of hassle with paperwork and scheduling preferred service providers and such?

Does anyone have any experience with this or recommendations?


texts: Best method for painting textured walls?

texts:
How do pros paint textured walls, specifically knockdown texture?

I'm using a Sherwin Williams emerald paint, an acrylic latex paint and a roller with a 3/4" nap. However, I'm still left with large areas where the paint can't reach all the little troughs and valleys in the texture. I'm having to go back over almost the entire wall with a paint brush and use a stipple technique to get good coverage.

Can I thin the paint out and do two coats? Should I invest in a sprayer? Thanks so much for any tips.


texts: what would cause a bathroom sink connector hose to pop off

texts:
Around 7 am this morning I woke up to my bathroom sink spewing water from underneath. The hot water feed was disconnected including the water shut off valve and spewing burning hot water into my bathroom. I am curious to know what would cause this to happen, and what I can do to prevent it from happening again? We live in a rental townhome built about 3 years ago, although since it is a college construction I wouldn't doubt that they cut corners with things like plumbing. Never had any problems really with the water, other than the pressure from that sink being fairly low. help? I know I don't know many plumbing technical terms so I am including a (poor) picture of the plumbing.
** update! I remembered that yesterday our power went off for like two minutes. This happens every now and then, and we usually have to go and flip the breaker. Could this ahve somehting ot do with it?


texts: Exhaust fan hook up. I only have black and white from source. Please help

texts: I am trying to hook up a ceiling exhaust fan. I am going to run 2 switches, light and fan separate. The line in power from box is just 14 ga blk and white. My house was built in 60s. I don't know how to do this since I have no red wire. Electrical is not my strong suite in construction so I need a little guidance.


texts: Hardwood Flush Door or Pinewood (softwood) flush door, which is better?

texts:
We are renovating our home and replacing all old-broken doors.. We are too confused between getting hardwood or pinewood(softwood) for flush door.

Apart from Hardness\Softness and difference in their weight (hardwood is heavier), what else key differences are there for choosing them for Flush doors.

Cost wise, here in India, Pinewood is costlier than Hardwood due to its light weight property.

Are there more points to consider?


texts:
I was bleeding the air out of hydronic heating zones and I notice some mineralization on bleed valve attached to my air scoop. I took the Schrader valve cap off and tapped the valve I noticed it was crusted stuck. When I tapped it it came free and quite a bit of air came out (which would explain why I had to bleed my zones).

Can I put a couple drops of CLR on the valve to try and clean it out and prevent the mineralization? We have a softener but still the water is hard. The valve was just replaced last year (was a few years old and had been neglected). I know they are cheap and easy to replace but just trying avoid it if I don't have to.


texts: Part 2 Another Question Regarding the Correct Wiring Involving a Light Switch and an Outlet

texts:
Last week I started a thread that really confused me about some wiring in a bathroom. Here is that thread:

My previous thread on rewiring a light in the bathroom.
Thanks to the help Jim Stewart, I was able to get the light in the ceiling to work. But now here is the thing. I finally figured out what the wiring in the lower right hand of the switch box is for. It is for an outlet on the opposite side of the wall that is in the hallway. I had no idea until I later learned that the hallway lamp wasn't working any longer. So my question is:

How do I connect the lower right hand Romex wiring in the junction box to the wiring that is described in the link above (per Jim Stewart's instructions) and connect it to the Romex that supplies power to the outlet in the hallway on the opposite side of the wall?

To recap in case you don't want to go to that other thread:

The upper left hand Romex in the switch box had a hot black wire. The other wire on the upper right hand was the wire that connected to the lamp I affixed into the ceiling. So to get it to turn the light on I connected the black hot wire of the Romex on the upper left to the black wire of the Romex on the upper right to a basic light switch. I then wired the white wire of the Romex on the upper left to the white wire of the Romex on the upper right. So now I need to figure out how to connect the Romex wire (that is located on the lower right hand side of the switch box that powers an electrical socket on the opposite wall to the upper left and/or right wiring in the same box. Here is the photo from the other thread:

Hope to get some help. Thanks!


texts: Can I use a Leviton MS302-DS switch as a 3-way switch?

texts: I have a harbor freight dust collector and want to have 2 switches in different locations of my garage to be able to turn it on from either location. I have 2 Leviton MS302-DS switches that are motor rated. Is there a way to use these switches as 3-way switches? I have included the wiring diagram below. The website for the switch is https://www.leviton.com/en/products/ms302-ds


texts: Switch with 2 black, 2 white, 2 ground and 1 red wire connected to ceiling light and a receptacle?

texts:
I am living in a condo and the owner has asked me to replace a switch from a dimmer to single pole to operate a ceiling fan.  Upon inspection the ceiling fan has one 14/2 cable coming in with a black and white.  The light switch as one 14/2 and one 14/3 coming in.  There is a plug on the circuit that has one 14/2 wire coming into it.  I am unable to determine where the 14/3 red wire goes.  Its not in the ceiling box or the receptacle box.  The light wasn't working when I took possession so I am totally stumped.

The 2 white wires were coupled and the black wire when connected to the switch work the receptacle but the light (now a ceiling fan) doesn't work.

I'm completely stumped.  Any help would be appreciated.  enter image description here


texts:
My problem:

I have replaced a toggle switch with a rocker switch and wall outlet with a new one.

I changed the toggle wall switch with a rocker switch that has two pigtails coming out the back: one black, one red. It was very easy to tie them in like the toggle switch was connected because it also had a red wire and a black wire. There is no ground. Clearly red to red and black to black
I believe that this was correctly because the rocker switch turned the piano light on and off like the toggle switch did before I made the change
I replaced the old outlet. Originally it had a red and black wire on the load side and a white wire on the neutral side and a bare ground wire connected
The wires in the wall were red wire, black wire, white wire and bare copper wire
Again very simple I connected the red and black wire and white wire and bare ground wire to the new outlet
PROBLEM: the switch now does not turn the light off

I checked the outlet plugs for resistance across the screws and it is zero ohms. I checked the old outlet it did not have break out tabs. Note that another outlet I swapped out had no break out tabs on the load side. I'm not sure which one was on the outlet that the rocker switch turned off and on.

There is only one circuit that the lights, outlets, and switches on. The two load wires red and black BOTH HAVE POWER ON THEM WHEN MEASURED AGAINST THE natural  WHITE WIRE AND THE BARE GROUND WIRE. I know that this is impossible but hopefully  you have an idea of what I can do besides calling an electrician.

Thank you for any help


texts: Why does a Keyless chuck sometimes stick?

texts:
I noticed that Keyless chucks in cheap drills tend to become stuck often, but I've always wonder why does this happen.
Is it due to overtightening the chuck?
Are low quality drill bits a factor to consider?
Is it going on some heat issue (spot-welding like) between its metal components?
I am aware that this issue is also related to drilling on concrete with a low power electric drill but, again, I'm unable to find a valid reason for it.
So, any ideas?


texts:
When water freezes in a pipe and the faucet is closed the water between the faucet and the frozen part cannot escape. This leads to increase in pressure as more water freezes. Because as long as there is still unfrozen water in the pipe the ice expands along the pipe. The increase in pressure is what causes a part of the pipe between the frozen part and the faucet to burst.
Now if we let the faucet trickle and assume the ice freezes in the same spot as when we do not let the faucet trickle the ice expanding from the frozen part will not be able to lead to a build up of pressure.
So apart from the fact that water freezes less likely when it is moving letting the faucet trickle should mainly be done to release the pressure between the faucet and the frozen part of the pipe. Note that ice can always expand in the other direction (to the water supply side) by displacing water.
Is this mechanism correct?
EDIT: Found this interesting video regarding pressure buildup
EDIT2 : After further reading, I came across the term latent heat. Because the evaporation of water cools the surrounding environment letting a faucet drip can actually accelerate freezing. But the freezing will then probably occurs first at the faucet itself. Given the above considerations, this could actually be beneficial in as such that there is no water trapped because the freezing starts at the faucet and gradually moves upstreams.


texts: Can insects get into a house through the ducting?

texts:
I have a study that normally has the door closed and all the windows are very tight, modern windows, yet I keep finding insects, especially flying insects like lady bugs and wasps in the room.

Can insects get into ducting from the outside? Is there some kind of external vent in an HVAC ducting system?


texts:
Is this a type I cannot find, or is this just a normal flat rubber type that has been shoved into the kerf cut, folded over, and stapled?

If the latter is the case, any idea why someone would do it this way, or is this common?


texts: Multiple switched circuits in single exposed raceway with T-style conduit body to branch them

texts:
I’m looking to add a new fixture to a masonry ceiling of the living room an open floor plan home.

Current Setup

The existing electrical raceways to all ceiling fixtures are done with exposed 1/2” conduit mounted directly to the masonry ceiling. The dining area, which is open to the living area, already has a track lighting fixture with a raceway running to it. This raceway originates in a standard 4” square junction box in a hallway wall and emerges from the wall at ceiling level where it then extends 10-15’ to the fixture. The junction box contains a switch for the track lighting fixture, a switch for a wall outlet and some other spliced connections for non-switched outlets. All of these circuits (switched light, switched outlet, non-stitched outlets) are on the same 15 amp breaker.

Planned Addition

The new fixture would be added to this same 15 amp branch circuit and would be wired to the existing switch in the junction box that’s now used for an outlet (the outlet would just be moved to the common hot and become non-switched). I would prefer not to run new conduit through any finished walls and am instead hoping to leverage the existing raceway of the dining area’s track lighting to get the new fixture’s wiring from the junction box up to the ceiling. I would then use a simple T-style conduit body to split-off a new section of raceway toward the new fixture. This T-style conduit body would be necessary as the existing track lighting does not have its own junction box to branch from (the conduit just connects directly to the track).

This seems perfectly logical, but I don’t think I’ve seen it done like this anywhere else. All the other raceways in the home appear to be dedicated to a single switched circuit, even if it means running lots of conduit from the same branch circuit physically in parallel over large distances. Because of this I’d like to know if there is a NEC-based reason not “share” and “branch” a raceway like this, specifically with a conduit body as opposed to a new junction box. Maybe I don’t see it anywhere else because it just doesn’t “look” as nice when the raceways are exposed?

I’ve confirmed that:

Adding the new fixture will not mean exceeding the recommended 1440W limit for the 15 amp branch circuit.
Sharing part of the raceway (4x14 AWG conductors — 2 hot and 2 neutrals) would come nowhere near the 1/2” conduit fill capacity. Derating is also not a factor AFAIK.
There would be no splices in the T-style conduit body (I would pull separate neutrals for each fixture), so its fill capacity would be the same as the raceway, and therefore well within limits.
The bend radius allowance for a standard off-the-shelf 1/2” T-style conduit body with 14 AWG wire appears to be well within limits.
The box fill for the existing junction box would still be within allowed limits, even with these minor changes.

Are there any factors that I’m missing, or is this actually a very common setup?


texts: Google Nest Thermostat tripping Double Pole 25A breaker

texts:
The Google Nest was recently installed by the Pro technician that is sent out for installation. The first day everything was working normal, heating was on and warming our house to 70/71F. Around the third day the breaker kept tripping for the thermostat.
I have a Honeywell Furnace that asks for double pole breakers. L1/L2 is 60A and L3/L4 is 25A. Currently L2 is on a 60 and L3 is on a 25.
With the knowledge that I have now, I noticed the Nest is asking for 20-30V, could that be the reason the 25A breaker is tripping?
I can turn the breaker on and the thermostat will turn on, kick the furnace on and blow heat but after 5-10mins it will trip again and the furnace will start to die down.
I was able to find a unusual fix by just removing the nest base off the wall and that seemed to do the trick. I will plug it back in to set the temp and turn it on and then disconnect the nest from the wall and the breaker will not trip unless I leave it connected to the wall for more than 20mins. Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.


texts: Wall on subfloor is load bearing or not?

texts:
So I want to remove a wall dividing my kitchen and dining room.  It is full height, so it could be load bearing.  The floor joists under it run in parallel to the wall, which leads me to think it is not load bearing.  The joists above it (i.e. the 2nd floor) run parallel to it as well.  This makes me think it is not load bearing.

Additionally, the footer of the wall is resting on the subfloor which is between two floor joists.  What I mean to say is, the wall is not sitting on any sort of support beneath it other than 5/8" ply.  It isn't directly over on of the parallel floor joists.

This really makes me think it is not load bearing.  Thoughts?


texts: UK Building Regulations: which document is regulation 3 in?

texts:
From the list of Approved Documents, I downloaded Approved Document F (Ventilation).  It has a reference to "regulation 3":

  7.21 If any of the work being carried out in the kitchen or bathroom of an existing building is ‘building work’, as defined in regulation 3 of the Building Regulations...

But I can't find regulation 3.  Which Approved Document is it in, or is there a separate list of Regulations?


texts: Smart Switch Wiring Question: What is the Need for a Neutral Wire? How to Provide One?

texts:
I plan to install a Smart Switch to control an outside outlet.

The existing electrical box is in my detached garage and it does not have a neutral wire. The box currently only controls a single GFCI outlet and a few other outlets in the garage.

I want to pigtail the Smart Switch to it but all the Smart Switches claim to need a neutral wire so it can have continuous power. I don’t understand why it needs a neutral wire when the available wiring would provide continuous power to the smart switch.

Why does a Smart Switch need a neutral?

How do I provide one?


texts: Part name identification help - WinkHaus side locks?

texts: I have a WinkHaus doors that can tilt and turn, and when you luck them there are pins bon the door that slide into these "pegs" that are mounted inside rhe door frame. Anyone knows their name? Do they have a generic name?


texts: A GFCI installed near a sink has this sticker on it. From what I gather online, this means the outlet was installed on place of an old 2 wire outlet, and it's safe anyway, and up to code. But it's not shutting off when I press the test button. Is that normal for an ungrounded GFCI? Is it supposed to test with the button even when no equipment is grounded?


texts: What type and gauge ground wire do I need when using 1/0 hot and neutral wires

texts: I have a 260 ft run from my main 225A panel to a 100A subpanel in a steel shop out in my yard. I have a #4 bare copper wire grounded to the rebar in the foundation of the shop. Not knowing what I needed I was advised that I would need three strands of 1/0 THHN stranded copper wire and that that would fit in 1 1/4 pvc conduit. I bought the wire, buried the conduit, and then learned that that size wire was overkill even for the power drop for that distance. I also learned that in addition to grounding the subpanel to the rebar I need to run a 4th wire between the main panel to the subpanel. So at this point (if it's even possible to fit it in the conduit) what is the smallest size wire I can use for this ground wire and can it be bare wire? In either case does it have to run through the same conduit or would it be acceptable to run outside the conduit or in a separate conduit parallel to the original conduit. Just looking to reduce the damage caused by me trusting the advice of someone evidently unfamiliar with code and common sense. I could probably cram a #6 or #4 bare wire in there but if it has to be 1/0 or even #2 I will probably have to just dig up the conduit and bury new 2 in. conduit and deal with the added 250 bucks of conduit and trencher rental. Any advice would be greatly appreciated...I am a homeowner trying to minimize costs and ending up spending an unnecessary amount on wire and extra work because of it. You get what you pay for


texts: 60 amp breaker feeding a subpanel with breakers totaling 100 amps

texts:
Can I run a 40 amp central ac unit and a 30 amp ac unit on a subpanel protected by a 60 amp breaker? There are also lower level outlets and an outside gfci outlet with two 15 amp breakers in the subpanel.

This is Name plate informaton on the Goodman  central ac unit. ![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R3hUv.jpg

The last picture is the setup of the breakers that will work in this sub panel. Thank you to all who have replied to my question. You have been a great help to this project.


texts: I installed a Siemens QT (2) two pole quadbreaker into my panel board. All 4 circuits go to the same location.  The inner two breakers and outer two breakers are common trip.  However due to my setup I would like all 4 breakers to trip if any single circuit breaks.  I know they have tie down bars but cannot find one for a quadbreaker.  Not to mention I will have to cut the existing common trip bars off.  Is this safe and is there a correct way to do this.  People on reddit told me to use a nail stuck through them all.  However I don't think nails are UL listed ;)  Below is an image of the exact breaker I used.  Any input?


texts: How to repair an electric outlet which died while running a carpet cleaner?

texts:
I ran a carpet cleaner in my condo for the first time in a bedroom and the outlet and lights died. Then I went to the living room and ran the cleaner and the outlet died too. But I was able to use two other outlets in the room with no problems.

I went to the breaker box and all the switches are in the same position. None looked like it was tripped (see photo below). I turned off a breaker switch which said bedrooms. None of the bedrooms went dark. That's weird.

How to fix the dead outlets? I understand that a breaker switch controls the power to a section of the condo. So what does it mean when only an outlet is dead in a room where the rest of the outlets and lights in the room are OK? These are regular outlets which don't have a reset button. Do some type of outlets have fuses in them?

I am guessing the carpet cleaner uses a lot of power and it did something.