texts: What would cause my taps to start with low pressure and then climb?

texts:
Some of the taps in our home have similar behaviour: When you open them, the water takes a while to come out, and then if you open them a bit more water suddenly comes out very fast.

This bugs me because you always have to open them till they frantically spew water, and then close them a bit to get the flow you want.

Another way to describe it is this: If I know the flow rate I want is achieved by doing half a turn, I can't just open the tap half way, because then the water just trickles. I have to turn the tap one full rotation, till the water gushes, and then close it by half a turn to get the right flow.

What could be causing this?


texts: Does an existing unprotected conductor need to be immediately rewired?

texts:
While cleaning up under the sink, I noticed that an existing owner wired the disposal outlet as shown:

It has a red conductor traveling into the crawlspace without a plastic or metallic sheath.

I will use a tester to determine if this wire is the red load from the breaker as its supposed to indicate, or whether the retrofit added this as a grounding wire.

Regardless my suspicion is that this should be redone as soon as possible to prevent fire?


texts: mounting fan/light in very tight enclosed space over shower

texts:
I am installing a combo shower fan/light over a walk-in shower; it is meant to be installed in the typical fashion (for recessed fixtures) of two adjustable-length brackets meant to span the gap between two ceiling joists.

Unfortunately, as you can see from this image, access is very poor indeed. By way of scale, the opening into the above-shower space is only 7" high.  It will be impossible to improve access.  I had to cut away some sheetrock (on the wall that separates shower from remainder of bathroom) in order to even get here.

I can probably manage to fasten the bracket that runs along the near side of the fan, but for the one on the far side, I think it'll be impossible to fasten the left-hand end, perhaps the right-hand end as well.

So I'm considering alternative mounting options, and seek opinions on these, as well as suggestions of other approaches.

I could simply use a bunch of RTV silicon to glue it to the top of the backing board.  Since the ceiling of the shower is a bit stronger than drywall - 1/2" backing board on 16" joists, plus 1/4"-thick ceramic tile - I'm thinking it can support the unit.   The unit weighs 7-1/2lb.

Maybe I could somehow fasten the far-side bracket higher up on the side of the fan. Then it'd be relatively easy to fasten that bracket to the top of the 2x4 joists, since I also have VERY awkward access from above. I can't do this with the near-side bracket, since the 4" outlet is in the way, but it shouldn't be too hard to attach to the joists as intended.   I hate to screw stuff into the side of the fan box, but I don't see how else, and I can actually access the inside of the unit there and nothing is in the way, so it actually feels pretty safe.

P.S. The unit is rated for "wet" locations, if protected by GFCI (which I will of course do).   And I will vent it properly to the out-of-doors, using the limited access from above.


texts:
I've recently become aware of the existence of 'hybrid water heaters' which use a heat pump to heat the water in the tank.  The thing that is appealing to me about this is that the water heater also works as a dehumidifier.  That should, at the very least reduce the need to run a dedicated humidifier and are supposedly even cheaper to run than gas heaters (this probably depends on the cost of electricity and gas)

The examples I've seen all use an electric resistance heater as a backup which is really expensive to run.  Are there hybrid water heaters that have gas backup?  I've seen some discussions about using a tankless heater to augment the hybrid heater but even if that works, it's a lot of up front cost.

Do such units exist?  If not, is there a something about this idea that wouldn't work or is it just that there's no demand or perceived demand?

For context, I've been watching the usage on my dehumidifier for the last 65 days and it's used about 170KWH.  This is probably the highest demand period for that, though.


texts: What to use to seal large gaps in corners where brick ends?

texts:
I have a few weird areas in my (new to me) house where brick and mortar are basically meeting corners or endings, and leaving huge gaps. The first one is a gap between the back of the brick and the board that goes behind siding, and the second one is meeting external garage framing.

I was thinking about using brick mortar as a caulk, but these are large gaps. I don't think caulk or mortar can do the job here without the gaps being taken care of (And besides, can mortar be wood on one side, and brick on the other? If not, what can be? I have a few areas that need seams filled with wood on one side and brick on the other)

The first one is where my brick wall basically ends at the rear door. Behind it is what siding goes into (OSB?) and above it is wood siding.

Picture:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/phzd8ij2l01grkf/20150624_190657.jpg?dl=0

The second area is a bit different. Behind the brick is literally nothing, and it's meeting the right external corner of the Garage:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kgmln7a88r4zpu1/20150610_182033.jpg?dl=0

I did read about 'backer rod' foam in this thread, but I don't know if that's appropriate here or not.

What is the best product for repairing expanding gaps in a brick wall?

Any thoughts are appreciated.


texts: Is it ok to run CAT-6, Coaxal, and HDMI near hot water pipes

texts: I am running CAT6, HDMI and Coax in my basement. I have pipes that contain hot water from my heater, and to supply my radiators. Can I just use foam insulation on the pipes at the intersection points or do I need to take other precautions?


texts:
Hi I'm pulling down wallpaper in front room as I want to paint it but I've found that the old plastering is coming off with the wallpaper, and on last wall I've found they painted under it as well! Lucky I've spoken to my housing association and they are responsible for structure but not decorating so they said there sending a plasterer to do the walls. My question is do I need to get all the paint off in preparation for them to do the walls? The woodchip wallpaper was a breeze compared to this paint! Any advice would be much appreciated.

Oh yeah I did ask my housing association but the have no clue they use contractors I guess.


texts: About to attach a bike pulley to my porch ceiling and advice re where the joists may be located ? I’m going to batten a piece onto it first then affix


texts: What type of bolt should I use to maintain a movable joint?

texts:
I'm making a collapsible frame for a moses basket. The design is something like a deckchair, where two lengths of timber cross each other and are fastened with a bolt but can still move in relation to each other.

My question is what type of bolt to use? I'd like this to be as solid as possible while still collapsing smoothly when required. Is there a special type of bolt or am I looking at a certain nut - washer - bolt combo?


texts: Are these corner brackets that hard-to-find?

texts:
I was searching for this a particular corner brace/bracket, but it seems that they are impossible to find.

I couldn't them at home depot or at amazon. I'm not sure if they just don't exist or if I'm looking for them incorrectly.

This is it:

I posted a similar question, and it helped because it showed me an alternative, but in this case I want to find this specific bracket that will hold three walls together.


texts: Why is my freshly applied paint coming off on the roller?

texts:
I used Dulux™ undercoat and primer today for the first time. I cut in a small area and as soon as I started rolling, it was removing the paint! I had committed so I carried on. I let it dry and did a second coat, which was better. My questions are:

Why did the paint peel off? I never have this problem with any other paint. (Walls were filled, sanded and washed prior to applying primer)
Also if I very lightly sand will it make the job good again and will the sanding take away any effectiveness of the primer?

I am reluctant to use primer again and I have another room to do. Is a mist coat as effective as a primer paint. My goal is for the touch up jobs not to come through and to cover a darker wall with a lighter paint.


texts: How do I drill through a shaped tube with a handheld drill?

texts:
I'm assembling a corrugated sheet metal fence and I have installed the posts and attached the pieces of shaped tube (rectangular cross section) horizontally and now I need to attach the metal sheets to the shaped tube. I'm now using a handheld drill with a regular drill bit for metal to drill the through holes in the tubes (I'll use screws with nuts later).

Drilling is a huge pain. First, the tube is only attached to the posts and so it bends when I press the drill onto it. Second, the drill bit will not dive into the metal unless I use a punch which is not a convenient option because I need to first put the sheet onto the tube and once I do that I'll have to punch through the sheet. Finally, even if I drill one wall of the tube the drill bit will then not dive into the other wall - it will be "running" for a while and the side surface of the drill bit will route the hole in the first wall. The result is really ugly and drilling takes a lot of time.

How do I drill through the shaped tube conveniently?


texts: Why do I hear water running in my bedroom wall when faucets are on or when toilets are flushed?

texts: I've lived in my house for almost 9 years. I recently had my septic tank emptied.  I've noticed that about a few weeks after emptying the tank that whenever I flush or when the water is running in the bathrooms, I can hear the water running in my bedroom wall.


texts: I have found a box that as three duplex electric cables connecting.  The neutral (white) from wire 1 and wire 3 are connected.  The hot (black) from wire 1 is connected to wire 2, and the hot from wire 3 is also connected to wire 2 - this I don't understand - two hots feeding one cable. What would be the purpose?  Was there a reason why this would have been set up this way.  All the wiring only connects to lights and outlets, as far as we know, and is circa 1960s, but professionally done.


texts: How do I install a bathroom fan with its own switch?

texts:
There is an existing light fixture and switch for the light fixture. I want to add a bath fan with its own switch.

What is the easiest way?


texts:
so I am renovating my garage and noticed something in 2 spots along the frame when ripping down the drywall.

Here is a photo:

The walls of the garage have stood for many many years without major issue, but I am just not sure what I should do here. It looks like when they dropped the anchor bolts for the wall frames, they put a couple to far out so they just slapped a piece of 2x4 on the others side of the bolt.

I am not even sure it is actually supporting the wall.

I am mainly curious if I should be concerned and what to do when I go about putting up the new drywall, having this piece of wood stick out is an eyesore.


texts:
I bought my house 3 years ago. The deck surface and decorative fence around the edge are painted with a latex-based paint.  After shoveling snow each winter, the deck surface is chipped with raw wood exposed.  I have painted it twice but this seems like a poor approach going forward.  I would like to remove the paint from the surface (3 layers) and stain/seal the deck -- eliminating the need to take care of its surface each spring.

What do you recommend?


texts: Two Lutron occupancy dimmers for one light

texts:
My setup is as follows.

Hot -> occupancy dimmer 1 -> traveler 1 -> light load
Hot -> traveler 2 -> occupancy dimmer 2 -> light load

It works ok, if they are both triggered at %50 dim the light turns on 100%. My question, is this safe/ok wiring. While one dimmer is activated the other will be hot on both line/load. Is that ok?

Using maestro MSCL

Note: can we all agree that Lutron documentation is atrocious?


texts: What type of adapter do I need to connect my water supply lines?

texts:
My last faucet started to leak, so I just bought a new Moen one.  I just about got it installed, but when I tried to hook up the water lines, I have two female connectors that don't seem to like each other.

The faucet I was replacing (also a Moen), had a metal pipe with a male connector.  However, the new one has a supply line hose with a female connector at the end.  The water line is a pex plastic tube with a female connector at the end.

Do I need some sort of adapter?


texts:
Someone must have kicked in the door of the house I just bought. The door faces the sun all day long. It is really unsightly and doesn't seat well. I think this is a bit out of my hands to repair. My questions are:

How much work will need to be done where the strike plates are?
Is the door itself done for and should I buy a new door?
Does the door need to be adjusted to make it so light doesn't come through? I have put new weather stripping in place but the light is still coming through where the door connects to the wall.


texts:
I have a finished attic with bathroom where there is currently no exhaust. I am thinking of installing an exhaust fan in this space. I have following questions.

1) Can I install a fan that directly vents thought the roof?

2) What kind of exhaust fan do I need? I imagine space is tight between the finished drywall and roof boards.

3) Can this type of installation cause any moisture or ice-dam issues as the part of the insulation will have to be removed to accommodate fan? I live in the northeast.

Thanks!


texts: Why does the hot water run cold at less than 'full throttle'?

texts:
I'm as environmentally conscious as the next American (probably not very) but here's an example: I like to rinse dishes that I've just washed in a stream of hot water as this works best for drying.  I would like to run the faucet at a trickle, as that's all I need to rinse off soap and put onto the drying rack.  But if I run the hot water at a trickle, it is COLD, like 65 degrees F.  Opening up the valve fully results in hot water.

Conversely, the cold water tap gives lukewarm water (85-90 degrees F) unless it is opened fully.  Both these behaviors persist over time, so it does not seem like it's just room temperature water in the lines.  This particular dwelling is also equipped with hot water baseboard heat and recirculating pumps for the hot water lines, which I thought was to avoid this sort of thing.

Is there something wrong with the recirculation pump, where it's forcing backward flow when not overcome by a higher volume due to a fully opened tap?  That's the only thing I can think of, I'm stumped.  I should also note that this place is a rental, so I will need to get the landlord to fix this, but he's not very, er, mechanically inclined...so if I present the problem in a nutshell with proposed solution, hopefully it will get fixed.  Also the fact that we actually have hot water and plenty of it mitigates against action.  I just would like to stop wasting so much hot water!


texts: 20 Amp single receptacle on two 15 amp breakers?

texts:
I bought a new Master Blaster that draws 18 amps when using both of its motors that I intend to use to when washing/detailing my car.
In my garage, I currently don’t have a 20 amp outlet. I have two 15 amp outlets and then I found a single large round dryer outlet that was rated for 30 amps and 250 volts. When I pulled it out of the electrical box, I found one black wire, one white wire, and one ground wire.
The part that’s confusing is that to shut off electricity to the black wire I had to flip one 15 amp breaker and to shut off electricity to the white wire, I had to flip another 15 amp breaker (see pictures). I’m guessing they added the two to get the 30 amps for the dryer plug.
I purchased a single (only one outlet) 20 amp receptacle that has a brass screw, a stainless screw, and a ground screw. Can I swap the 30 amp for the 20 amp without running into any problems? The single 20 amp info on the box says that the wires should by up to 10 AWG for this receptacle. I’m not sure if that’s what I have running through the wall.
I’ll likely use the 18 amp Master Blaster for maximum 10 minutes at a time with a 25 foot 12 AWG extension cord.
Is this wire setup in the wall up to code?
If not up to code, is this still safe?
Any issues with this setup (two 15 amp breakers for two different wires, the 20 amp single outlet, the 25ft extension cord, and the master blaster)?
Most important is, what do I need to do to set up the 20 amp single receptacle where the dryer plug used to be and not burn the place down?


texts:
There is this wall heater in my new apartment.

This is the inside the panel. There is a hole in the middle. The bottom has a knob that only has "off"  "high" and "low" modes.

I cannot find anything that says pilot light, or anywhere to light a pilot light flame.

Help. It's 40F inside and bloody cold here. Thanks.


texts: attempting to paint over a darker colour of paint

texts: trying to paint a bedroom, that has been papered and previously painted , but the paint won't stick to the wall , its all patchy I let it dry for a few days, tried again but the roller is just removing paint, or its just not taking any paint


texts: What are those metal discs at the base of some walls?

texts:
Here's an example from a shower stall at work.

I've seen them in other types of walls, including exterior ones.


texts: How do I clean up white dust and spots "blooming" on rubber?

texts:
I have a number of designer rubber hooks (Ikea) of varying colors hanging from the wall.

The black and red hooks have white spots (not pictured) all over them.

I have read that this whiteness appearing on the rubber over time is called "blooming" and is due to excess vulcanization powder coming to the surface.

I've wiped them down with olive oil, which seems to have solved it, but I don't know if this is a good solution, or a permanent solution.

How do I clean this white bloom off the rubber and can I prevent it from happening further?


texts: What options do I have for quick disconnects for copper/plumbing?

texts:
(Related to this question) but I think that may be too specific in that I already had an idea of how to solve the problem - perhaps the better way is to pose the problem and ask for the best solutions:

PROBLEM:
I have a tank of fluid that has to get connected to a movable set of copper pipes/tubes.  I will be connecting and disconnecting a few times per year to clean, etc.

The fluid going through the system will be for food use (maple sap turned into maple syrup)

What is the best way to allow connections to be taken on and off and keep food quality integrity and connect copper pipes together?

The temperature of the fluid will reach (potentially) 180F and I want no leaching of plastic or vinyl, etc.


texts:
We moved into a new house and I see these cables in our garage. They come from the ceiling and are right near our water heater and breaker panel. There are 2 cables. One cable is labeled “System to House” and the other is labeled “Back to Main”. One of the cable jackets says that it’s CAT-5e cable, but this doesn’t look like any Ethernet cable that I’ve ever seen, especially with those weird things on the end (LEDs, sensors?)

Any idea what these are?


texts: How to resolve subfloor squeaking when screwing does not fix the problem?

texts:
I just bought a new house, and the subfloor is very squeaky. The subfloor is 3/4" tongue-and-groove OSB which has been nailed down on 19" spaced joists. Luckily, I am changing the carpet to wood flooring so I am free to fix the subfloor prior to installing the wood flooring.

I complained to the builder about the squeaking, so they screwed down the OSB using deck screws everywhere at 6" intervals. It definitely helped the squeaking, but unfortunately many small squeaks remain. The superintendent tells me that wood structures will always squeak and that this is normal. I don't believe that; there has to be a way to fix those squeaks. Besides, the squeaks are quite noisy and I think it's unacceptable.

I really hope the problem isn't in the joists themselves as this would seem a difficult problem to fix. Is it possible that the squeaks come from the tongue-and-groove joints between the joists? I've read somewhere that it's possible that the T&G joints have not been glued properly and that this can cause squeaks. If that is the problem, is it possible to simply push glue down the joint over the subfloor, or do I really have to remove and replace the subfloor?

What else could cause these squeaks?

Thank you!


texts: How can I remove rust stains from enamel sink?

texts: Is there a sure-fire way to get rust stains off of an enamel sink?


texts: Why do Contractor Levels have two vials with the same orientation?

texts: It seems to me that having multiple vials in the same orientation is redundant, but many levels seems to include this feature.  What am I missing?  There has to be some reason.


texts: Are the door closers absolutely needed for storm door?

texts:
My storm door closer cracked my door jamb and the storm door still opens fine.

And I wonder whether I need replace my door closer? If I don't , is there any bad effect?


texts: I screwed up with my Kwikset lock during rekeying

texts:
I bought a Kwikset rekey kit to rekey the locks at home. However, at the beginning I did not turn the lock to "lock" position; instead, it was in unlocked position. I then followed the instructions given with the kit.

In the end, it turned out that I could not open the lock with either my current and new keys. Any solution to this?


texts: Unable to turn off cold water flow in airconditioner, possibly due to solenoid valve

texts:
We had an accident with air conditioner yesterday where controller mounted to the wall shortcut and broke. I had to turn off electricity switch for airconditioner, but woke up this morning realising that cold water is flowing through its pipes and radiator despite it being off, its a Fan coil unit air condition.

This is manual for the air conditioning unit in question: http://estervil.com/img/OBIAVI/Basic_Geko_53.pdf

My first instinct was that there is something wrong with valve thats supposed to cut of cold water flow, I tried twisting it around, but don't think it is helping. I am also unable to to find anything online about it, but it has these red switches at the bottom, maybe thats how I can manually turn it off? I'm not sure about how they are used.

Valve in question is below (there are wires going into it behind):


texts: why river stones needed close to foundation

texts:
I often observe that some houses have a strip of lawn adjacent to the foundation removed, and replaced with pebbles, river stone or alike.

I understand this does not serve only decorative purpose. What is this for and how this is called?

Below is example I found on Internet:


texts:
I bought this adapter to easier fill my car tires with air:

(https://ebay.us/vtTY9x)

However, the outer diameter of the left side is 1/4" and it has no inner thread.

I wanted the left side to be a schrader valve so I can connect it to electric bike pump.

How do I convert the left side to a schrader valve?


texts:
In attempts to open up the light fixture and figure out how to re-attach a chain to the pull chain attachment, the black wire connecting to the pull string fell out of the fixture. I’m not sure if it goes (as you would assume) into the area where the black goes on the fixture, and just want to check for sure. I know the white wire coming from the lamp holder goes into the white spot, so I assume the black on the pull string attachment goes into black. See photos for clarification on my explanation to where I think they should be going.

The second question - do I have to find a part that has both the lamp holder + pull chain mechanism already connected or is it possible to buy just the pull chain? Seems like it may be soldered but wanted to double check.. (see photo 2 of where pull chain mechanism is connected to lamp holder

Thanks in advance!!


texts: If I leave my fan switch on "on" instead of "auto" and the temperature in the house reaches the desired temperature will the fan stay on and continue to push cool air out even though the thermostat turns the compressor off.


texts: What are these very heavy blocks found on my family's property?

texts: I need help identifying these blocks found on my family's property, which was a 17th century farm house in Virginia. The blocks are 8.75" long, 4.5" wide, and 5" high and weigh 58 lbs.


texts: outdoor heater wiring wire and circuit breaker

texts:
I am installing an outdoor heater that is 3000 watt, 12.5 amp, 240 v.  What size breaker and wire
should be used?


texts: Was this basement window installed properly?

texts:
Here's a few photos of a window that I installed last year. I used the mixed knowledge of a few different online articles and did it to my best ability, but I'm kinda worried that it may have been done wrong. If so, and I was wrong in a significant way, I'll probably have to fix it. Any words of wisdom are welcome.

Click images for full size


texts: We are looking to place window bench over a floor register and relocate the register to the front of the bench. Currently the floor vent is a 4"x10" opening. We are considering using flexible ducting to attach to front of bench and use a 2"x12" wall vent cover to be integrated with the bench trim. Are there significant issues with reducing the ventilation area from 4"x10" to 2"x12"?


texts: When is the reverse function on dedicated drywall screwdrivers useful?

texts:
Is there any reason why the reverse function on a drywall screwdriver would be useful in certain situations?

On my Milwaukee drywall screwdriver, you have to apply downward pressure to disengage the clutch even when using the "reverse" function--which is pushing the opposite direction the screw wants to travel in order to unscrew itself. Basically, when I've tried using the reverse functionality, it's such a fine balance between high enough pressure to disengage the clutch and low enough pressure for the screw to actually come out and the end result is usually just burnt wood and a stripped hole from the screw spinning in place.


texts: My chandelier has a dimmer switch and my lights suddenly are very dim. It does have a off and on switch also so I thought it was bad dimmer. I changed it and the same results. I did try to hook the hot straight to the chandelier wire and the lights were bright but it just won't work through the dimmer switch. It doesn't make sense but I know I'm missing something. Does anyone have any suggestions please?


texts: What is the best way to level an existing playset with only one person?

texts: I purchased a used playset from a neighbor who was gracious enough to help me get it into my backyard. I was able to fix it up reinforce the corners with hurricane straps, re-stain it and put it at the most level portion of my yard. However it’s off by about two or 3 inches causing some slight rocking. I’m worried about the effect this will have on the joints after years of use. I am pretty much on my own so what is the best way to get this as level as possible? Should I just shovel underneath the portion that’s too high on a rainy day to try to get it more level? Should I try to place bricks or 2x4s under it? Any advice is appreciated.


texts: What kind of pipe nipple to use on my well pitless adapter

texts: I am working on the water pipe that connects to the pitless adapter on my well casing.  There is a 1 in black pipe nipple that is screwed into the brass female thread of the pitless adapter.  I have a threaded pvc coupling screwed on to the other end of the nipple.  The pipe nipple developed a hole in it and started leaking.  So, now it needs to be replaced.  I guess I could just extend the pvc and screw a plastic fitting directly in to the pitless adapter, but I am of the opinion that I still want a metal to metal connection at the pitless adapter.  I am considering a 1 in x 3 in or 1 in x 6 in brass nipple.  Those are not impossible to find but not easy either.  Any thoughts?  Thanks


texts: Is a tilted drywall joint at an angled roof intersection to be expected?

texts:
We have an older house and looking to sell it. We have a contractor in to add a small closet to my son’s room since we didn’t have one in there.

The problem is that the joint between the wall and slanted wall is crooked. When I asked the contractor about this he replied the following:

  I tried to put the closet in as square, plumb and level as I could. I had to shorten the right inside of the closet to compensate for the out of level roof and reduce that angle as much as I could to keep the new walls plumb and doors operating correctly. I don’t think we can adjust any further without negatively affecting more crucial lines and door operation.

Is this a valid point? I’m out of my element here.


texts: My stovetop is very hot - should I disable the pilot light?

texts:
I've just moved into a new place, and the pilot light on my oven seems to be on overdrive.

The stovetop is very hot to the touch, enough to burn if you hold your hand on it. Besides that danger, it makes the kitchen quite a bit hotter than the other rooms, and I imagine it must be wasting a good deal of gas.

What can I do about this? Is it possible to disable the pilot light in a safe manner?


texts:
I'd like to install an ecobee3 thermostat, but I'm not entirely sure about my wiring. The current thermostat seems to only have a W and RC wire coming into it.

There is also what appears to be a blue wire buried in the wall, but I haven't tested to see if it's a live C wire. I've had an HVAC person out here before, and he told me we didn't have a C wire, so presumably this is something else.

On my furnace, I have two Honeywell R845A boxes, and also an RA832A box. Not sure if this is standard or not, or what exactly it means. I'm hoping it means running a C wire from the furnace, if I need to run it, will be easy.

I also have a weird bundle of wires above one of the two R845As, as follows:

There seems to also be a green wire merged here, about which I'm not sure at all what it does since it doesn't seem to come out of wall upstairs.

My question is: can anyone estimate how difficult/expensive it would be to convert this to a unit that could support a thermostat like the ecobee3 or Nest that need a C wire? (I know some of these power steal and don't need a C wire per se, but I'd rather go the most reliable route here.)

Many thanks in advance for any insights.

EDIT: Opened up the transformer box, and the blue wire is indeed there. But it is snipped off/not connected. Is it just a matter of stripping the wire, connecting an extension, and hooking it up? What do I connect it to? And what sort of wire should I use for the connection? (Picture below.)


texts: attach crossbar for ceiling suspended shelves using strong Simpson ties

texts:
While constructing a ceiling suspended shelves in garage I was facing problems with attaching crossbar to ceiling joist I just couldn't get lag through 2x4 into middle of joist it was always off and I wasn't sure of how well is the connection.

So I looked into this strong tie which kind of seemed like good solution to my problem and also since it connects 2x4 on edge it will give more surface area to connect vertical members.
My question are

Will it provide strong connection with crossbar and joist for shelves to hold say 300-400 pounds?
Does it matters where the vertical members are attached on crossbar or do they must be on where crossbar is fastened to the joist?
Should I use nails or screws to mount the brackets?

If it helps I have  room with full bath over the garage
Hopefully this rough sketch can give some idea how I am thinking to attach crossbar to joist using strong ties


texts: Low Power when Running Multiple Kitchen Appliances, No Breakers Tripped

texts:
We're having an issue in our home where, when running multiple appliances in our kitchen, each of them gets low power. For instance, when running both the oven, the stove, and the microwave, each will take a very long time to heat anything. When running individually, they work as they should. Everything in our house runs on electric.

We had an electrician out and mentioned this problem, but they didn't see anything unusual. I'm at a loss, as it seems to me like the breaker should trip if it's overloaded. Any suggestions for troubleshooting or tracing down this issue?


texts: What is this wire attached to a manufactured home water line?

texts:
We are working on moving a manufactured home off of our property, and in the process exposed water line that was underneath a four season porch. The line is plastic, has insulation wrapped around it, and it seems there is this wire that follows along the water line.

It is blue, has shielding on the outside (never seen that before), and has two conductors inside, which are not twisted like a phone wire would be. The end I found was not connected to anything, it was capped with a weathershield cover.

I've never seen something like this. It doesn't seem to be a tracer wire (shielding wouldn't make sense). This line is not underground, but is exposed to elements underneath the home in a crawl space. What is this wire for?


texts: I am also having trouble with water still coming out the spout when the shower is on. When I replace the spout should I use Teflon tape (it has a set screw) and plumbers putty between the spout and shower wall?


texts: how to tell if a remote lot ever floods?

texts:
Any way to tell if some remote lots I have ever floods?  It's 3 hours away and i've been there a few times and even after rains seems not, but I'd like to be sure.  would  driving some white wood stakes in a bunch of places and coming back in a few months show a water mark?

Anything distinctive in the grass or soil indicate flooding?

Do any of these images indicate rain run off flooding? Right now being winter in Central Florida and everything looks dry and brown like this.

UPDATE 4/20/2020:  Something like this?


texts: what size of sub panel do I need for a small in law unit

texts:
Im converting my garage into a small inlaw unit for my daughter I have a 125 amp service to my house. she will have a burner plate, fridge and an mini split ac unit for air and heat. it has a gas water tank. large tv and computer. the Main panel is out side our house about 30 feet from garage.
there is not going to be laundry, unless you count the convienent laundry services provided by my wife in the main house!


texts: What is a 'Yoke' in NEC / electrician parlance?

texts:
NEC rules sometimes refer to "the yoke".

For example: 1999 NEC § 210-4(b):

  Dwelling Units. In dwelling units, a multiwire branch circuit
  supplying more than one device or equipment on the same yoke shall be
  provided with a means to disconnect simultaneously all ungrounded
  conductors at the panelboard where the branch circuit originated.

What is meant by the term 'Yoke' as used in the NEC?


texts: Why is my booster fan pulling cold air from outside?

texts: This is my first winter in a house with an oil-heated, forced air system. I noticed my wall vents were pushing out warm air, but the floor cold air return vents were pushing out cool air. I followed all the ducts and found a booster fan pulling cold air from the outside, and pumping it into the ducts. I covered the outside hole with a piece of rigid insulation, and that has stopped the fan from turning on, and the cool air from coming up my vents. (they do suck cool air into the furnace) Did the previous owners make a mistake, or am I missing something?


texts: I have a dedicated outdoor 20 amp circuit (GFCI breaker) in my yard that was for a pool we got rid of.  2-gang box w/weatherproof cover.  I want to install a GFCI outlet that is controlled by a switch.  I plan on adding an underground extension of the circuit to my barn and I want the switch to control everything downstream as well.  What is the proper way to wire this?   Thanks very much.


texts:
I have a less then 3 year old chair,  just discovered that it is made from PU, and the PU (on the seat of the chair) is peeling off into lots of shreds and messing up the carpet.  (The chair is less then 3 years old)

The replacement chair I purchased is also PU (not many options open to me).   I don't want it to suffer the same fate, and I'm wondering what I can do to protect it.

I note that the room is sometimes exposed to fairly high temperatures as it is in an attic (up to 45c I imagine).  As I work from home the chair gets a lot of use.  I'm wondering if the temperature cause the PU to degrade, and if so, what I can do (other then leave the air-con on all the time) to protect the chair.


texts: Wet basement: is the gas pipe the culprit?

texts:
My basement gets water in it when it rains heavily, seemingly originating in one corner in particular. The plot it sits on can get swampy in a heavy rain. I've tried a couple of the easy solutions (extending the gutters, adding a couple yards of dirt to grade the lawn away from the house), which didn't change much.

My home is older (1950's construction) and has a block foundation. I repainted the basement last year to, with the knowledge that the paint might peel where the water was coming in. The only major peeling spot is immediately below where the natural gas line comes in. This is also the corner that gets water. I feel like if the pipe wasn't sealed correctly on the outside, water could be flowing through the hollow blocks and into my basement. Is the water coming in by the pipe, or is this a red herring?


texts: Does this look like a crack in my heat exchanger?

texts:
I had someone come in to inspect my furnace and was told my heat exchanger has a crack and the whole system should be replaced ASAP due to carbon monoxide risks. It's 16 years old but I haven't had any issues with it. So I'm wondering if it's a scare tactic. I already have CO alarms around the house.

In your opinion, does the first picture below (left side of exchanger) look like a crack? The second picture is the right side, which still looks really good.


texts:
The initial response to the proposition of doing 100-inch straight cuts with a cordless oscillating saw will be "are you mad?", but I still wonder.

I'm just starting out in DIY and decided to get a jigsaw for versatility. It can do flexible, it can do long straight cuts if you clamp on a guide (although it will be slow), etc.

And then a friend suggested I consider an oscillating multi-tool. It's far from ideal for the job, he said, but it adds a whole bunch of other features that a jigsaw can't do. And so it might be a much more versatile initial purchase. Even with 2x 100-inch MDF cuts needed in an upcoming project. Although he guesses it would be painful to do those long cuts, I would be left with a much more versatile tool he thinks I will end up using more than a jigsaw. And given the fact that I don't know how serious my DIY-ing will be in the future, it might be a better purchase.

I'm wondering what you guys think about this proposition. Does his rationale make sense?


texts:
Please tell me how to open it up to change the light bulb.

This is my friends room and I am a million miles away to help her.

She said, she try to twist the plastic rim but to no avail.

I think there is clip or the white dome can be twisted out.

Please provide some instructions on how to remove it.

Click here to see original uncropped image


texts: I am installing an over the range microwave.  I am adding a new dedicated circuit to plug it into.  My problem is this. The old range hood was direct wired. There is a three wire romex cable coming thru the wall. This is connected to all the other ceiling lights in the house. There is no junction box.  How do I deal with it?  Can in install a box where the wires come through, and just leave the live wires, capped inside?  It would be behind the new oven. There is no way to access the wire other than to open the wall completely which is not an option since there are already cabinets installed.


texts: How can I prevent cracking in concrete (or earthen) walls from the freeze/thaw cycle?

texts:
I'm interested in building a garden wall from either concrete or rammed earth, or a mixture of the two, but I'm concerned about Michigan winters and the havoc they wreak on everything solid.  It seems that all concrete steps I've ever seen around here are either quite new or in the process of disintegration.  I would consider anything that can't last 100 years to be a failure.

I've been unable to find any good information online about this, and even asking a friend who is a builder didn't turn up any good info.  (It seems that all residential buildings around here are built from wood, primarily.)  It's easy to find info about the frost line, but not about the actual longevity of the concrete (or rammed earth) structure.   How would I go about getting information on how to build/pour a wall so that it can last a century or more?

Also, could I expect rammed earth to be more or less resilient to cracking? (Would the clay involved make it a bit more flexible than straight concrete?)


texts: Choosing the Right Outlet When Re-running Electric

texts:
I am in the middle of a basement finishing project and plan on upgrading two 15amp breakers to 20amp and re-running with correct wiring to support 20amp load. Do all my outlets need to be GFCI given that the basement is more than 50% below grade? Or does the bathroom I'm putting in need GFCI only?

Additionally, are tamper resistant plugs mandatory per US residential code? I read somewhere they are but my house doesn't have them?

Thanks!


texts: My sister bought a house, in the bathroom a mirror was hanging and it fell down, revealing a big hole where a cabinet used to be. She found exposed wiring in the wall, would it be safe to assume that it's through out the house like that?


texts: This started happening last week.  My Shark vacuum kept tripping my breaker.  My wife smelled smoke coming from the vacuum so we assumed it had reached its end.  I bought a new vacuum (same brand), thinking the problem would be fixed, but to no avail.  I've plugged it in everywhere in the house and it trips the different breakers.  I plugged in other appliances, but they do not trip the breakers.  I even plugged in an old Oreck vacuum, and it did not trip the breakers.  Any thoughts?


texts: Run wiring across hardwood flooring to a mid-room aquarium

texts:
A client wants to set up an aquarium in the middle of a living area in a rented apartment. The flooring is hardwood parquet on a concrete base.

How can I run electricity across the flooring in a way that:

allows people to walk across it without tripping,
won't allow damage to the wiring, and
minimizes damage to the hardwood flooring?

My first idea is to use the flat-bottomed/rounded top plastic channel often used in office spaces to run wires between computers & printers. Relatively solid and a low profile. But how can I attach it solidly to the wood flooring in a way that allows for a later removal of the installation with the least visible damage?


texts: Re-purpose old water heater vent for bathroom exhaust fans

texts:
We just had our old gas water heater replaced with a tankless unit, so the vent for the old tank is now unused. I'd like to install exhaust fans in our 2 small bathrooms, and ideally use the old vent instead of cutting a new hole.

My plan is to use 4" insulated flexible duct to run from the first fan, have the second fan wye into that same duct (with a back draft damper if needed), and then run the rest of the way to the 4" exhaust from the old water heater. Like so:

Will this setup work, or will I need different/bigger ducts? An alternative could be to use the 8" vent that used to connect to the furnace (which is now in the crawlspace) that's in between Fan 1 and Fan 2, but that seems like it may require more powerful fans.


texts:
I am attempting to run coax for cable to the upstairs room, and CAT6 into what will be designated a networking closet.  I feel as the only option is to make multiple holes throughout the drywall to go through every stud and any potential blockers.

I have never ran cable through the ceiling, and I doubt I will be able to match that texture.  I also am pretty sure one coax cable and three CAT6 cables will be noticeable if I attempt to run them under the carpet.

This floor of the house in a slab, so running underneath isn't an option.  The wall pictured runs 19 feet up to the second floor ceiling, so I am considering running the coax into the attic above the second floor room.  The exterior is brick, and I am trying to avoid breaking the vapor barrier just to have an ugly cable running up the side of the house.

What would be the best way to run this cable, as every option I can think of will have considerable difficulty?

Here's what I am attempting:


texts: 1.5 inch male thread drain coming out of the wall. How do I connect a plastic p trap on it?

texts: I have the following pipe coming out of the wall. It seems to me that I would need a p trap that screws onto the existing thread but all drain plumbing I have seen so far (e.g.,  https://www.lowes.com/pd/Keeney-1-1-2-in-Plastic-P-Trap/1076241) appears to have the plastic connecting downward (it has its own thread and you use the top part to secure it to the drain). Am I missing something?


texts: Is glue failure on garage door critical?

texts:
The frame of my metal garage door has pulled away from the door. I can see in other images on the web that this frame is not always present. Is the frame for structural integrity or for adding and holding insulation?

Each vertical piece of the frame has a L-shaped piece screwed to it and then glued to the door. This glue had failed at each and every location yet the door operates fine and relatively quietly. Do I need to be concerned about this and/or re-glue?


texts: Water Holding-Tank Apparatus Converting warm water to cool water coming from the main water line that dispenses warm water to a water tank

texts: I live in Tucson Arizona (in the Sonoran Desert) almost all year round where the temperature high ranges are 98°F up to 108°F from May to August. Our PVC pipe water mainline is buried 2ft underground from the main street to the house water-meter (the main water line is approximately 75 feet in length). During the high noon, the sun heats the underground water line pipe. Therefore the problem is that the tap water temperature comes out of the showerhead and bathroom faucet at a 105°F to a warm-cool 90°F! The question to the plumber or the engineer: Are there any devices that have been developed or marketed to convert warm water of 105°F to a warm-cool water temperature between 89°F - 77°F from an electric water-holding cooling tank that can produce approximately 22 gallons of warm-cool water. Which can be connected to a water demand line. So I can take approximately a 10-minute cool shower?


texts: Second toilet runs after first one flushed?

texts: When our one toilet is flushed, the other toilet will run for a short time? II have drained the tank and cleaned around the flap.


texts: Could a gas pipe obstruction could be causing a reduction in gas pressure to my furnace?

texts:
I  have a problem with my gas furnace. It is a 3 year old Bryant.

Last Sunday I smelled natural gas and found the smell coming from the PVC furnace exhaust pipe on the side of my house.
The gas company responded and said the furnace had to be tweaked.  My HVAC contractor came the next day and diagnosed the problem as an abrupt drop of pressure from the gas pipe when the furnace went into its second stage of ignition.

When the furnace comes on it initially produces a steady flame but the pressure drops from a  7.5 at 1st stage start up and dropped below .5 a short time later when the furnace burner goes into its second stage.

A  gas company rep came back and tested the meter reporting that the gas meter was delivering a steady 7 pressure reading and that the problem likely lies in the gas pipe from the meter to the furnace in my basement.

Has anybody familiar with gas piping ever heard of a gas pipe obstruction that could cause such a pressure loss.

I am concerned because the furnace will be needed soon and am uncertain as to how to proceed with my HVAC contractor and the gas company blaming each other.

Any suggestions on what is causing this problem or any testing or work needed would be greatly appreciated


texts:
After a house rewire I have about 40 holes. Some are smooth surface, many are textured ceiling. Should I be using the green lid joint compound and taping it or Plus3 and no tape?

For the textured ceiling start with the piece cut out with texture or a new flat piece?

I've read a lot online with some conflicting information.


texts: How to fix holes in linoleum so that I can lay down sticky tiles over it

texts: My kitchen floor has old linoleum. I want to put down sticky tiles over the old linoleum. The linoleum has a few holes. Is there something that I can use to caulk the holes before putting down the sticky tiles?


texts: Box to handle electrical wiring coming out of drywall?

texts:
My breaker box is installed flush with the drywall, however I need to run some 6/3 romex out of it to a charging box for a Tesla.
My thought was to come out the bottom of the breaker box, then a few inches down, come out of the drywall and run the wiring from there to my charging box.
Is there any sort of box to make the wiring coming out of the drywall not look like...a wire coming out of the drywall?


texts: I have a light in the bed room controlled by its own switch and one in the closet with its own switch. when turning lights on each switch controls only the light it was intended to control. However when i shut off the closet light it also shuts off my bedroom light and the only way i can turn the bedroom light back on is to shut it of and turn back on. Both switches are single switches. I haven't tried anything because i don't know where to start.


texts:
I'm about to move into a new apartment in Germany, which in most cases you need to put in your own kitchen!

One confusing thing about the apartment I've rented is that the water supply (outlet?) is above where the kitchen counter would be. Any ideas why this would be and solutions for dealing with it?


texts: Converting to open stringer stairs with starting newel location contrained

texts:
We just recently purchased a new house that we are doing major renovation work to. One of the big changes we are making is converting the staircase from a closed drywall rail to an open tread style rail. I am working through a lot of issues with getting the stairs laid out to current codes, but one of the bigger issues I am not sure how to get around is the "starting newel" on the stair. It is really a column supporting an overhanging slab above. I do plan to move the column plan north to align with the corner of the overhang (to the left in the picture below) but I am constrained in the plan X direction since it is already flush with the overhang.

The edge of drywall wall to edge of drywall column is currently ~40". I planned to pull off the drywall and wrap the 2x4s with decorative wood to simulate a newel post running to the overhang support. The drywall below the stairs in locked in place as well because it is the shared wall for the basement steps, because I don't want to/can't make them narrower than 36".
Adding a 3/4" stringer on the drywall puts me at 40-3/4" inches. Everything I have read for open tread stairs say that handrails should be aligned to 1/2 baluster diameter from the skirt (Ironically it is also how I have done it on previous builds without even knowing just because it looked good to me!). Assuming that newel posts should be centered with the handrail, with a 1-1/4" baluster, that puts the center line at 40-1/8". The center line of the column is 3' 1-5/8", so 2-1/2" INSIDE the normal center line. Kind of the opposite of every starting newel I have seen.
I was really hoping to have the newels sit proud of the skirt board, or at least the landing newels like the image below. Without moving the walls and trying to align to this column, I don't see an option to do this. Am I missing something?

Other than having a large amount of tread outside the balusters, my only thought was to mimic a 5-1/5" starting newel and continue with 3" landing newels and align the outside edges and center the railing on that. I haven't been able to find any images on that though. Obviously structurally the column has to stay there, but is there a way to aesthetically pull that column out a couple inches without making it look silly?
I drafted up the locations of everything and took a couple snapshots of what I am working with. Hopefully the images below are helpful. I am not really sure what my options are here. Any thoughts or ideas are welcome!


texts: Replacing a 1963 GE 125 Amp, 240V service panel

texts:
In a recent question I asked about finding parts for my old 1960s electrical panel. I've given up on finding parts, and this new question is about replacing it with a new, modern panel:

One of the lugs burned up in my house's service panel. It was installed when the house was built in 1963. The lug is integral to the panel, and the panel is no longer available. I've looked for used panels of that model -- a GE TRX2012F -- but did not find any. So I'm told I need a new service panel.

I want to do the replacement myself. I've done minor DYI electrical work but nothing this involved. I'm reading and watching what I can find on replacing electrical panels. Can anyone offer answers to any of my questions below?

1) First, any suggestions on what panel to choose? The current one is installed flush in an unfinished stud wall. But surface-mount on top of the studs sounds fine to me too. There is about 14.5" between the studs, and they are about 3.5" deep. There is no real limit on height except that some bolts for the meter pipe extend into the wall about 6 - 7 inches above where the feeder wires come out of the wall from the meter.

2) Next, should I expect to reuse the breakers, or do I need new ones? If new ones, can you suggest what I need?

3) Regarding the fat black wires running from the breaker at the upper left down to between breakers below -- would I be duplicating that, or is that done differently in today's panels?

4) I'll need to know how to shut off the power to the panel box. If I understand correctly that would be done at the meter. And since the meter is locked by the power company, I believe that would mean calling them and asking them to turn it off, then asking them to come out and turn it back on when I'm done. Is that correct?

5) Are there any other components, or any special tools, I'll need?

Thanks! Pictures below:

More pictures:
https://imgur.com/6nSQQBu
https://imgur.com/zgjKBqA
https://imgur.com/Bpi4sRE
https://imgur.com/8vhZfW9
https://imgur.com/AZeDAKM


texts: Most reasonable way to raise desk by 4 inches

texts:
I have this desk, and I love it so far. It's a big desk and pretty sturdy for being extremely cheap and made of particle board. The sides are at least 3/4" thick, and might be as much as 1".
My problem with it is it being 4" shorter than my last desk, which I thought I could get used to but that is proving impossible. I get strain in my lower back and shoulders when I am at my desk for more than 2 hours, which previously I could work for 8 hours straight and not even notice.
I want to raise my desk by 4 inches, hopefully in a more elegant way than shoving some books under it or wood gluing some 2x4s.
Thanks,
Lelentos


texts:
I would like to attach a projector arm to my drywall, but the mounting plate of the arm is a bit wider than a wall stud.

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PRJWM8-Universal-Telescoping-Adjustment/dp/B00LP3E4JO

Thus, I would like to create an intermediate plywood mounting plate that I can screw into the wall at a stud, and then mount the projector arm to that intermediate plate.

I am looking for advice about what hardware to use for each step of the process: what kind of screws or bolts should I use to attach the plywood plate to my wall? How long should they be? Should I pre-drill holes?

And then how should I screw the actual  projector arm mounting plate  into that plywood plate? Should I pre-drill holes? Should I use the drywall anchors that came with the projector mounting kit?


texts: Why will my fluorescent light not come on when it is warm in the room?

texts: My fluorescent light will not come on when the temperature in room is above 70 °F.  When it is below 70 °F it works fine and comes on every time.  When it is above 70 °F, it will not come on at first, but it will come on if I rotate one of the bulbs in its socket a little. What is wrong?


texts: How to attach a deck ledger board to house joists

texts:
I am replacing an existing deck that uses joists cantilevered from the homes second floor. I'm cutting off the part coming out of the house and plan to attach a ledger board. Code requires some kind of bracket that anchors the deck to those joist ends in the house. It seems like the bracket needs to attach inside the house, but that part of the house isn't easily accessible. Is there a better way to attach the ledger board ?

Note: the cut joists are now flush, and that inch and a half of two by four is removed.


texts: How do I plumb radiators in an off grid cottage?

texts:
I have a cottage that is off grid. I want to plumb radiators on it that wont use a pump, or minimise usage of a pump if at all possible. What is the best way to do this?

Hot water tank is raised to roomceiling level, expansion and water tank are in very small attic, boiler is at floor level, and there is three loops, two with one rad a piece, one with five.


texts: New GFI receptacle will not reset after connecting load wires

texts:
I am replacing an old receptacle with a new GFI unit. There are a total of three outlets and a light fixture on this circuit. Everything was working beforehand, but I am putting a small refridgerator in the garage and since this outlet is pretty old, I thought I would replace it; with a GFI outlet.

When I connect the line wires to the outlet it has power. I reset the outlet from the package and it works fine. I pressed the test button and it shuts off the power. I then pressed the reset and it restored power. Everything ok.

I then connected the load wires to the outlet to feed the rest of the circuit.  Everything gets power. Ok

To test again, I pressed the test button and power was cut off. Ok.

Now I pressed the reset button to restore the circuit but the reset button will not reset.  If I disconnect the load wires, the outlet works fine.

I pulled the other two outlets and they seemn to be wired correctly. All was working before I pulled this receptacle. The new GFI seems to be functioning correctly.

What else could be causing this GFI to refuse to reset when connected inline with the other outlets?


texts:
I have a problem with water flowing out in several places slowly, so that in the sinks affected it flows out slowly (slow enough that the running water fills up the sink more and more).

I checked a few of the siphons/traps and they are not clogged. I've also put a snake down down the kitchen pipe to check for problems around the next corners, but it came back clean (length about 5m).

The problem occurs in all of the sinks (bathroom, toilet and kitchen) downstairs, but the toilets themselves as well as the showers seem unaffected, as are the upstairs sinks, which baffles me.

What could the problem be and how can I figure out what is going on?

additional information to questions asked:

House is about 5 years old.
Has a basement where I unfortunately couldn't find anything (a big pipe coming down, continuing horizontally and outwards, this is most likely the main outgoing, no valves or vents or cleanout that I could find).
No trees at the house or nearby where the water main runs.
Building is in continental Europe, cold climate in winter (Austria).

This might be related to my previous issue:
Water going out badly from sinks and shower - how to locate the issue?

However, since different items are affected this time (the showers not, but some sinks that were fine before now are backing up) I'm asking a new question as the issues may or may not be related.-


texts:
I have some questions/concerns about my load bearing studs/wall in my basement stairs.
My house is just 3 years old house and no modification done yet to any load bearing wall yet.
You can see the pic in Basement stair Front ( 1st picture), how joists ( just above the stair's landing) are running. Both the Stairs Left/Right side walls are load bearing wall.
And, I found a weird thing with the load bearing studs ( see pic "Stair Right Side - Load bearing Double Studs" or 2nd picture)). The double studs (has cut from top)  are not actually holding the foyer (in main living)  load, rather its just the stud next to it or other studs in the same wall.
How ? please see there is a gap between double plate and double studs in  the picture.
If you look at left side of stair ( see pic 4th picture). the double studs are correctly installed and actually supporting the load from upstairs.
Actually, I have to make door through the Stair right side load bearing wall and I know I have to install a strong header made of 2 2X10 header and 1/2 plywood between 2X10s.
But I have to fix the existing structural issue.
Also I am not sure why electrician ran wire through 3 studs to install a switch box, why not just straight down from double plate hole. I am not seeing any reason why switchbox can't be on other side of the double studs. There is nothing blocking the switch box there.
Any suggestion and advise will be highly appreciated,
Thanks

[![enter image description here][6]][6]
[![enter image description here][6]][6]


texts:
We are trying to convert some garage space into a gym, and one the we’re concerned about is all the gap space between the drywall and the ducting. We want to seal that off as much as possible for air quality. How could we close off these gaps or loose fits?

A couple of examples:


texts: Sound deadening in a small (~5x6) room with a glass wall

texts:
I have a small phone room at the back of the office. It's around 5x6, has a ~10' ceiling, a large window, and a full-height glass wall and door on one side. The walls are brick on two of the other walls (exterior) and dry wall on one.

Now to get to the point: The room is extremely echo-y, understandably with the glass wall and hard surfaces. I'm looking for an aesthetically pleasing and relatively affordable way to deaden echoing.

I've considered wall-mountable foam like this, but I'm not sure that's the right solution or how I would most effectively mount them (where on the walls, how much to use, etc).

Pictures below. The boxes you can see are not normally there. The shelving is just to the left of the window.

Any suggestions are appreciated!


texts: Can a Dishwasher be installed underneath a Fuse Box? I have a cabinet in my Kitchen that I want to remove and put a dishwasher in place, but is this against code? I live in New Jersey, USA.


texts: How do I remove toggle bolt from under the sink?

texts:
I am in the process of replacing my powder room faucet and I noticed that its not attached the normal way with a mounting nut.
I have what I assume is a toggle bolt holding the faucet in place, but I can't figure out how to remove it.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.


texts: Can I run PEX water lines/PVC drain pipe in "warm" side of insulated exterior wall?

texts:
I want to re-plumb the PEX water lines + drain supply line in my laundry room. The back wall of the laundry is an exterior wall with standard fiberglass insulation. Currently, the water lines to the utility sink and washer come up through the floor, out sideways through an interior wall. The washer drains into my utility sink. The utility sink drains into a PVC drain pipe that is vented.
Question, is the following plan good/bad/horrible?

Install an outlet box into the back exterior wall, affixed to a wall stud, allowing at least 30" of height for the drain pipe.
Run PVC drain pipe behind the wall, then out the wall, and tie into P trap underneath the utility sink.
Run PEX plumbing up from basement, behind the wall, and connect to the outlet box.
Turn off water main, cut existing washer water supply lines in basement, connect to new PEX plumbing with Sharkbite push-in connectors.
Patch the holes.


texts: Wire two 14-50 outlets to 50 amp breaker

texts:
Was wondering can I add two 14-50 outlets to one 50 amp breaker using 6/3 wire and connecting with wire nuts?  Also, recommend PVC or liquid tight flex conduit?  Will be in the garage.

I want to add two electric car chargers.  Wire will come out of panel and to a junction box. From here, one 6/3 wire to one 14-50 outlet and another 6/3 wire to another 14-50 outlet.  Is this ok to do?  Only one charger will be in use at a time.  I have seen some wire nuts that can accept two 6 gauge wires but not three, which is what I will need.  Any ideas where I can find those?

Also, my HVAC guy gave me some leftover liquid tight so was thinking of using that but can also use PVC.  Any recommendations?


texts: problems hooking up propane tank to grill

texts:
I bought a used grill recently but when i went to hook up the propane i had an issue.

There are threads on the inside of the propane tank nozzle but its too big for the hose.

I asked the guy i bought it from an he said

  I connected the brass fitting to a lead pipe union.  That was screwed
  onto a propane valve sticking out of the side of the house. Suggest
  you take your picture to Home Depot or Lowes and have them give you
  what you need.

I have a feeling he was wrong and that he had it hooked up to natural gas, but i could be wrong.

Is there a converter i need to hook up my propane tank?

UPDATE 1

one other followup question.

This is the end of the hose that hooks to the grill.  Is there a name for this fitting?  so i know what to order in terms of a new hose (for propane)

UPDATE 2

Found the manual and it says LP, which I think means propane?


texts: On a new main 3 wire panel where do I connect green from MC lite(BX) wires?

texts:
I had electrician upgrade my service to 200amp and installed a new murray breaker box. Within this box 2 wires feed the breakers and 1 wire is attached to the neutral bus bar on the lower left side of panel(There is also a neutral bar on rt side that is connected to the left side via flat piece of steel(There is also a heavy screw that makes contact to the panels metal shell). The ground rod wire also is connected to this neutral bar.
On top right of panel there is a separate bus bar that is screwed directly to the shell of the panel. What is this for? (For green wires)
My question-  I am adding a few circuits using MC Lite wire. This wire has 1 black, 1 white, and 1 green. Do I connect the green wire to the same neutral bus bar as all other circuits or do I connect green wire to the separate bar on top right?
Thank you.


texts: Is it safe to put a window a/c unit over kitchen sink window?

texts: Pretty self explanatory. I have a small window unit that would fit right over my kitchen sink window. About 2.25' of clearance above the counter top. Just thinking being near a water source may be hazardous, but not really sure if that's over cautious given its clearance.


texts: Help with a new bathroom light/fan fixture

texts: So I first I had a dual switch that stopped working a while back. The old switch was different than the new one, I honestly can't remember now the difference. However, when I wired it the fan would run constantly so I disconnected the fan plug. I finally realized I had put one of the hots on the wrong side. Never checked to see if fan worked right now as I already took the old one down. Fast forward to today and with a black going to the blue in the new light and black going to black for the fan with all whites tied together, I only get either the fan working or just the light when I switch them. No idea what I'm doing wrong. It did originally work right when I bought the house. Any help would be great, thanks in advance. Here's some pics.


texts: How to repair loose nails in a carpet threshold?

texts:
Apparently the carpet in my house has been replaced a few too many times. Most of the nails are loose so the threshold is basically being held in place by hopes and wishes.
I was hoping to improve the situation. Do any of the following ideas sound reasonable? If not, is there another suggestion?

Could a longer nail be used? Do they make long nails for this application?
Could a screw be used? Do they make screws for this application?
Could I fill the hole with some sort of epoxy or filler and re-nail?


texts: Painted walls weeks ago with latex and still a noticiable smell

texts: I painted 2 rooms with very old latex paint and now I have an odor after 6 weeks that is not what I am used to smelling with a fresh coat of paint. It did not smell unusual while painting and the consistency was normal. This paint never froze and was stored the whole time in a controlled environment. Not sure what to do about this. Would appreciate any help and advice.


texts:
I have a (Simpson Mercury) electric stove - and 2 of the 4 elements do not work properly. They heat up, but it is not possible to set the appropriate temperature for them - they are either on or off.

Does anyone know if I need to simply replace the elements or if there is a thermostat which needs to be replaced ?


texts: 4 rocker light switch makes a popping noise, and I've noticed it a few times when the Air conditioning clicks on? Thank you. Kind of worried

texts: My master bathroom 4 rocker light switch makes a "Pop" noise several times a day. Tonight, I think it popped when the air conditioning went on(yes air conditioning :) Could have been a coincidence though. The air handler is in the attic in another room. Is this a matter of changing the light switch out, or ? My biggest fear of course is a fire,especially when not home because of my animals. I appreciate any help,advice etc. Thank you


texts: Can I use a wider sill plate than what was originally used?

texts:
I have a rotten sill plate. I believe it is a 2x4.
It sits on a  6 inch cinder block and only uses the the outside 2 inches of the block.
             __________
            |          |
 ___________|__________| <-- existing 2x4 sill plate
|                 |
|                 | <-- 6" concrete block wall
|                 |

I have access to the other 4 inches through my crawl space. Is there a reason I can't use the inside 4 inches for a wider sill plate?
  _____________________
 |                     |
 |_____________________| <-- new wider sill plate
|                 |
|                 | <-- 6" concrete block wall
|                 |


texts: Will this type of welding be strong enough to withstand Southern California winds?

texts: I've recently had a frame installed by one of the local Ironworks companies (see attached pictures). This frame is made out of 1/4" steel is intended to hold horizontal 6" IPE wood boards with 1/4" spacing in between. My concern is the 10 feet section of the assembly shown in the picture. It's suspended about 1" from the tile and currently held in place by a few weld fillets against the railing in the back as shown in the picture. Occasionally, we get 100mph+ wind gusts in the area and I am worried whether this type and amount of welding is strong enough to resist such winds. Should I maybe ask the company to come back and weld more fillets? Thank you in advance.


texts: Ceiling Fan Not Spinning Normally, Replaced Capacitor Already

texts:
We've had this house since late June, and the house was renovated. I am not sure if the ceiling fan in question was brand new or simply recently new. It is a Harbor Breeze, Model RLG52NWZ5C3L.

Regardless, we came into our master bedroom one night to see it slowly spinning down to a crawl. Based off of Google searched articles, Reddit posts, and DIY Stackexchange, my first step was to try and replace the capacitor... After waiting a week for the part, it did not fix it.

Yes, it hums, but I've heard louder humming from older (working) ceiling fans. I am not sure if newer ceiling fans simply are not as loud hummers as they used to be.
You can kind of see it start to snail-crawl when you first turn it on.
No, it does not stay spinning if I give it a spin, but
Yes, it does seemingly freely spin with no obstructions when off.
Yes, the light works. It has a separate light switch.
Update 1: Voltage from black wire in ceiling measures 118 VAC

I have also tried checking/resecuring all the connected wires that comes downward into the light assembly to ensure they were all actually connected, so I didn't check the wires in the ceiling. I have not voltmeter tested anything. Neither spin direction as expected.

So, at this point, I am at a loss. I don't know if this ceiling fan has a flywheel or not, or how to tell if it does. I don't know what the 2nd black box is, that is around the same size as the capacitor.. but it has 3 wires, one of which being for the light I believe. I am open to suggestions, but I understand if it is not worth fixing anymore past the capacitor.

Update 2: This is the "other box" similar in size to the capacitor. While the manual doesn't mention it, it was stuck to the top of the switch housing area.

Update 3: In the pic, I noticed it said E313648, which IS a wattage limiter. From what I understand, that is to regulate the wattage that goes to the light sockets. Can this affect the fan motor too?

Update 4(Final Update): The motor is shot.


texts: How one is supposed to "plug" a conduit running from basement to attic?

texts:
I'm going to install a 2" conduit from my unfinished basement into the attic, through the first and second floor. It will be used primarily for getting Cat6 cables into upstairs bedrooms. 2" diameter is just for future-proofing it.

I know I need to use a fireblocking caulk around the conduit in each penetration through the bottom or top wall plate, but what about the conduit itself? I'm essentially creating a 2" chimney from basement into attic, and the conduit will be only 25% filled initially. How can I create removable "plugs" for that conduit so I can add more cables later?


texts: What are these copper pipes and do I need to do anything to them before covering them with a wall?

texts:
Home was built in the 1950s, and this is where there was originally a shop in the back of a basement garage. We just tore out the wall that had been put up here (sometime in the 80s?) and were surprised by all of the loose ends that hadn't been properly closed/sealed by whoever remodeled.
There is a fireplace on the floor above this and the pink insulation on the left is where the ash/soot clean-out door was for that. We recently installed a gas insert (you can just barely see the hole for the gas line at the very top of the picture), so we don't really need to collect ashes anymore.
The cereal box taped over the bricks is covering a flue that I just removed some black stove pipe from (you can see through the large round hole on the right the terra cotta flue that the stove pipe went up into from the bottom; I don't understand why that round hole is there since there is no way to get into the terra cotta flue, which I assume is original). I do not know what the stove pipe was originally for, but it might be related to the copper pipes.
The concrete wall is about a foot behind the cinder block wall. I tried to stick my phone in the hole and get an image of the pipes from inside, but there are some old soda cans and mortar in the bottom, so I couldn't get an image of the copper pipes from inside the wall. I tried sticking my shop-vac hose back there, but couldn't loosen it enough.
The bigger copper pipe is connected to the smaller copper pipe on the left. I put compressed air in the smaller one, and got about 2 quarts of water out the big one. The water seemed to have lots of tiny metals shavings. Putting compressed air in the smaller pipe on the right didn't do anything, but when I released it, I could hear water sloshing as the air rushed back out to equalize.
From what I can tell, all three pipes gradually bend downward, but I'm not sure. I tried pushing a straightened wire hanger into the bigger pipe, and could only get it about 3 feet in. This was before using compressed air, and the wire hanger came out completely dry.
What were these pipes for, and what should I do before covering them with a stud wall and drywall, etc.?


texts: How can I protect the wall behind a closet from developing a mold problem?

texts:
I'm moving soon to a new two-story house, built from concrete and AAC blocks (Autoclaved aerated concrete). The walls have an acrylic paint over them. I'm planning on installing a wall closet in the master bedroom (on the second floor) that will sit in a niche 60 cm deep and accommodate the entire closet. This will cause the closet to be flush with the walls, from floor to ceiling.

The wall behind the closet is an indoor wall, with the stairs on the other side. The ceiling is below the roof, which has a terracotta tiles covering with a crawlspace.

I'm worried about mold developing between the closet and the walls/ceiling behind it. The two solutions I've read about are:

Mildewcide paint - it seems that the mildewcide will eventually "run out", leaving the wall open for mold.
BioRid by Kefa - it looks like the only alternative, claiming to provide a permanent solution.

Does anyone have any long-term experience on either solution? Will Mildewcide paint be enough for a years long protection? Is this BioRid living up to the promises? Are there any other options available for preventing mold to grow behind the closet?

Edit: Currently there is no mold problem - this is a new house. But after tearing off a 15 years old closet in our current (30 years old) apartment and seeing the walls black with mold got me concerned. In addition, the weather here is very moist all year round, so it might be a problem in the future, and preventing a problem from occurring is better to handle it once started, no? Or am I being too paranoid?


texts: Light switch arcing. Is this a fire hazard?

texts: H, I am new here. I have a few questions about some electrical stuff. I live in a late 80s mobile home (87-89). It is a 2 bed one bath. The light switch in the bathroom is pretty worn out and gets a little hard to switch on/off. The switch is self contained, like the one in the picture. It just has one set of copper wires (meaning just one single set of copper going to it). I think it may be arcing. This switch is fed by a bd-1515 breaker. This breaker is like 2 breakers in one. The breaker has lights wired to one side and receptacles on the other. Can arcing in the switch make the breaker get hot, burn something up, or damage something on the receptacle side of it? The switch is right next to an exhaust fan switch, which looks exactly same. The exhaust fan switch has 2 sets of wires going to it. One set at the bottom and one set at the top. The bathroom is right next to the back bed room where breaker box is.


texts: What is causing a two brand new fluorescent light to pulse?

texts:
My old light bulbs stopped working, so I bought 2 fluorescent U shape light bulbs as a replacement:

The recommended power in the light fixture is 34W per unit but they only have 32W in stock.  After installing the new lights, everything looks good and is brighter than before.  However, I notice some pulsing coming from the lights, almost like a tremor.  The light is solid white but somehow it's pulsing.

The lights have been on for at least 8 hours by now. Does anyone know what could be the cause of this issue?  The old lights work fine no problem until they burnt out.


texts: Are standard UK wall sockets a 16A power supply

texts:
Hi I have bought a IPL hair remover from a British company and in the manual that the unit is configured for a 16A power supply. So it should be plugged into a 16A wall socket or a 20A kitchen appliance socket. Are these the sockets that we use as standard in the uk.
It’s telling me that it can be reset to 10A sockets if necessary but I don’t know what amp the uk standard power socks are.
Asking in fear of blowing the machine up by just plugging it into the wall. Thanks


texts:
I have a baseboard heater in an older cabin and i want to replace the thermostat. Its a two wire thermostat and inside the box there are two insulated wires (one black and one white) along with a bare ground. Testing the voltages across these wires I have 220 volts from white to black, which I expected. But when I check black to ground I get 220 volts, while white to ground has zero volts. This surprised me because I thought the two power legs should each have 110 to ground.

There are two heaters connected to the circuit, each with its own thermostat. Both have the same condition of 220 volts to ground on one leg and zero volts on the other. They both worked well until last winter then this one wouldn't turn off, even with the thermostat right down as far as it would go. That's why I looked into replacing the thermostat.

Any thoughts or advice would be most welcome.

Update...

I just went underneath into the crawl space and unhooked the wires coming up to the thermostat. I guess I didn't explain it very well before because that was a switch loop from the heater that was causing the problem. I haven't turned the power back on but just checking the resistance it seems to have fixed the problem because now the two conductors and the bare wire at all boxes are isolated, where before the white and the ground were connected. Haven't checked the run to the heater yet.

I can't get back to it for a day or two because I'm going to change it to a 4 wire thermostat and have to wait to get it. I'll make sure to check as I go along in case its a burned wire or? somewhere in the system.

Thanks very much for all of your thoughts. I knew something wasn't right. and also that it was dangerous.

I'll post back once I have the new thermostat and have it hooked up.

Thanks


texts: How do I lay asphalt shingles on a roof, and what should be under them?  Are they self-adhesive?  Can I stick them directly onto plywood?


texts:
What size of screw do I need to fix a 26" TV to a brick wall? The mounting kit included four 65mm screws which does seem excessive since the TV weighs 9kg.

Can I use a smaller size?


texts: What is a sane height for a prow in a prow front home?

texts:
I'm working on designing plans for my new house, and would like to have a prow front that faces the mountain to capitalize on the view.

I only need about 21' inside for the second story, but because there is a second story and the prow needs to stick up much higher at a sharp angle in order for the house to not look stupid from the outside, I'm getting prow heights in the 40' - 50' range. While it has the right visual proportions, I'm concerned that that is way too high. I've been unable to find any plans for pro front homes online that have dimensions.

Does anyone know what a practical range of heights is for the prow part of the wall?


texts:
I'm planning on building a copper pipe based lamp along the lines of this: https://www.instructables.com/id/Copper-Pipe-Table-Lamp/

I currently have a lamp holder terminal of this brand: https://s-lilley.co.uk/?q=node/147 which has an external earth (like what you can see in this picture). It's wired to a standard 3 pin UK plug (all 3 wires are connected).

My question is whether I need additional earthing, or if I need to be particularly careful how I set up and connect the copper piping?

Thanks!


texts: I need to install an attic floor in my workshop - currently the rafters are exposed.  I plan to use 3/4 plywood, then run faced insulation, then install a ceiling at a later date as time permits.  As I will tackle this project alone and the insulation will be exposed for an undetermined period of time, I was wondering if faced insulation can be glued to the underside of the attic floor as well as stapling to the 2x4 beams to keep insulation in place. (Roof trusses are engineered to accommodate attic floor, but had to eliminate that piece of the project for cost reasons.   Need to tackle it now as climate control in the winter is problematic).   Advice is welcome, eye rolls not so much.  :-)


texts: Will my floating shelf hold a fish tank weighing approx 33kg?

texts:
I have a 60cm X 23cm floating shelf with 6 X 4mm x 50mm screws with rawl plugs. The shelf is rated at holding 25kg. I also installed 4 L-shaped brackets underneath, each with 3 X 4mm X 50mm screws and rawl plugs. Each of these brackets are rated at holding 20kg.

The shelf is on a brick wall, with a 20kg fish tank on it now, but I'm thinking of upgrading the fish tank to a tank that would probably be weighing double this. Would this be strong enough or would it be best to strengthen some more?


texts: WaterProofing (and WeatherProofing) gaps in roof

texts:
Our house roof consists is made up of roofing metal and cement sheets.
Out of the total area of the roof 50% is covered with metal sheets. This part of the roof also has good slopes for the rain water to drain off (This is because this part has a small tent shaped attic). The other 50% roof comprises of cement sheets. This part of the roof is more like flat surface with minimal slope for the rain water to drain off.
There is a gap between where the metal and cement sheets meet. As they both have uneven surface and they do not match, hence even in the slightest rains there is leakage from this part of the roof. This is further aggravated by the difference in slope between these 2 surfaces.

How do I fill this gap with water proof material ? As this is exposed to the sun it would also need to be heat/sun resistant and crack resistant due to change in the metal length due to heat.

Note: Completely redoing the roof is not possible as the building itself is more than 80+ years old and other financial constraints.


texts: Why is cold water coming out of my HW OUT-TAKE pipe?

texts:
I'm replacing our water heater.

I disconnected the cold intake and hot out-take. I'm replacing the valve on the cold intake.

I got to the point where I had both the cold in and hot out disconnected, and a new valve on the cold intake (so I can turn it off and restore at least cold water to the house).

Here's my huge problem:

If I leave the cold water intake valve open and turn on the water to the house again, cold water comes pouring out of the cold intake pipe as you'd expect.

If I then close the cold water intake, water then starts coming out of my hot water out take!?

Normal?

If not, what could be going on here?

UPDATE:

I'm trying to run this through in my head and I can't think of any situation where the hot water lines would be connected to the cold water lines...except possibly at a mixing valve somewhere? One of the showers, perhaps?

If that's the case, is there any harm in letting it be? Or am I looking at some major plumbing tear-outs to figure out why this is happening?


texts: What is the proper 'per code' method for running nonmetallic sheathed cable above a ceiling in the attic?

texts:
Can the wiring be run over the top of the ceiling joist, or must it be run through bored holes when running perpendicular to the joists?

This is a non-habitable space, will have an attic entrance only for the purpose of blown-in insulation and is not tall enough to stand in. There will be no junction boxes, lights or any other reason to enter this space.


texts: Household Wire Insulation (Asbestos Risk?)

texts:
So I am redoing light fixtures in my 1946 house located in the USA. I guess I'm overly scared of asbestos, and just wondering on your opinion if this household branch wire is asbestos containing.

It is hard to find images on the internet showing examples of what is and what is not. I could get this tested, but at the same time, My exposure would be very limited I think.

Would it be worth while to mist the wires with water (electricity off) to reduce dust? How do you all deal with things like this?


texts:
In our garage we have a switch that controlled a light in the ceiling for a small laundry room.  I have torn out that room and, in doing so, removed two lines coming down from the garage attic.  When I went up into the attic to pull up those two lines I found a junction box that included the line coming from the switch that was connected to the ceiling light and also to two other lines powering another ceiling light and two other switches on the other side of the garage.

I pulled the wiring from the box and disconnected it all (and didn't take a pic before doing so) so I could remove the new unneeded lines and intended to simply re-wire as found to return everything to working order.

However, after connecting all the blacks, all the neutrals, and all the ground, the switch that controlled the light in the laundry area no longer controls the light.  When the switch is in the off position, the ceiling light is on and stays on until I flip off the breaker.  The switches and ceiling light on the other side of the garage work properly.

I have tried multiple ways to re-wire the switch and the lines in the attic but to no avail, including installing a new single-pole switch.

I think the problem, in part, is related to the panel hot line and the hot wire on the line going into the ceiling/attic are pigtailed, which I think means that the line going into the ceiling is always powered on.

Appreciate any help you can provide...


texts: My septic system requires 3 circuits.  A 10Amp & 2 20Amps. Using schedule 40 conduit in a 80ft run underground to the 3 pole  emergency service disconnect. Can these three circuits share a ground? And if so what size does it need to be?


texts: I used pex to plumb my bathroom and now have water coming out the shower head when filling the tub

texts:
If the pressure is to high at the faucet creating back pressure and I turn down the water at the main water shut off, would that reduce the the pressure enough to stop the water from coming out the shower. I thought that would be the case but I was wrong and water still came out the shower head when filling the tub.
Question: If reducing the pressure there doesn't help then how much help would replacing the Pex line for copper be?
Can anyone she'd some light on my situation. I might add that there is a considerable amount of water coming from the shower head. The shower head mixer and faucet are  Moen products


texts:
I was swapping a standard outlet in my kitchen out for one with USB ports in it.  When I cracked it open, I noticed the existing outlet had 4 hot wires on it (2 black connected to the upper hot terminal and 2 red conncect to the lower hot terminal), with one white and a ground (See Photo) I opened the other outlets around my kitchen and it appeared they were all wired this way in series.

The new USB outlet only has one hot terminal. Initially I pigtailed all four of the hot wires together and attached to the new hot terminal. I flipped the breaker on and it overloaded.

Next I removed the two red wires from the pigtail and twisted them off together without connecting them to the new outlet. Then I connected only the two black in pigtail to the hot and everything seems to work fine now.

Does this seem OK? Any advice? Thanks for the help]1


texts: Connect new gas dryer to an old 15/16” gas pipe

texts:
I bought a new gas dryer and am trying to connect it to an existing gas supply point in my laundry room. The gas supply pipe ends with this 15/16” brass MIP piece:

I already bought a BrassCraft flexible gas hose that has 1/2” MIP pieces on both ends before discovering that I can’t connect that to my gas pipe.

I did some online search for adaptors that I could use in this situation, but couldn’t find any suitable ones.

Can you please advise what kind of adaptors / hoses I can use in this situation?

P. S. My dryer has standard 1/2” MIP gas inlet.


texts: wiring a 3 way dimmer switch into a multiway circuit located at 3 locations

texts: I want to put a 3 way dimmer switch into multiway light circuit to control the dimness of 3 light fixtures in that circuit.  I connected the dimmer up properly but the lights just barely dimmed.  I don't know if I had the proper dimmer for the situation, but I did notice that a white wire was used on the load side 3 way switch instead of the red wire.  Could that be my problem?  Can someone give me some direction and information about the proper dimmer to use?


texts: How to seal an OSB shed floor against pest, weather, and temperature?

texts:
This question follows from my previous question about leveling my OSB shed floor. I didn't realize until I received several comments and suggestions that said question actually has two focuses:

How do I level my OSB shed floor?
How do I seal my OSB shed floor against critters, weather, and temperature?

Thus I'm copying my proposed "leveling" fix because it seems that was actually more appropriately a weatherization fix.
KNOWS AND UNKNOWNS:

Pretty sure this OSB is not weatherized or pressure-treated already (it is golden tan, not dark green)
I don't think the floor is inusulated, or if it is, not very well.
I've spent time in the shed overnight sleeping in the loft. It gets cold relatively quickly in the winter, but takes until about 1 PM to get nicely warmed up.
The doors have a tight seal for just 2x4 framing (barn style double doors)
The windows are closed tightly and are vinyl, I believe
The roof is metal
There is no insulation between the rafters

In summary, I know the roof and walls are not insulated and I'm thinking If I can seal the floor and close up all the cracks that will help the situation tremendously. But, maybe I'm wrong. Imagine the whole shed is insulated, but the floor still has these gaps:
Q: Will I have problems with weather and temperature regulation because of those gaps?
Q: If I caulk the seams will I then find out those gaps were on-purpose and necessary for expansion and contraction??
When I was assisting the foreman on a vinyl siding job, he told me something that was NOT INTUITIVE. He said you have to cut the siding about 1/2" shorter than you need so that there is room for expansion. I wouldn't have known that if I was going about doing it in a DIY fashion and I'm concerned there may be some non-intuitive knowledge that I'm missing that is detrimental to me not messing things up in my attempt to fix things.
WRAP UP:
So, to recap here are my concerns:

I believe that cold air (in Winter) and heat and humidity could find an easy way into my shed while I'm in there through gaps in my floor seams.
I also want to reduce the free access cockroaches, wasps, fire ants, and other tiny pests have to get inside my shed. I believe that caulking the floor with silicone will solve my concerns about the floor and make it airtight.
BUT, I am concerned that I have a knowledge gap and what I don't know about what I plan to do could cause other problems and make things worse. I certainly don't want a buckled floor!

I'm really looking for guidance from those who've "been-there-done-that".


texts: How can I safely remove one baseboard heater out of a set of two?

texts:
I have two baseboard heaters on either side of my living room. They are both on the same breaker and connected to the same thermostat. The breaker looks like it takes up two spots and has a 20 on the handle (I'm in the USA.)

I'm sick of being unable to push my couch against the wall and would like to remove one of them. Can I simply shut off the breaker, cut the wires, cap them, and use the remaining heater? Will this cause any electrical stress on the 2nd heater that needs to be accounted for?


texts: Just bought first impact driver, do I still need to pre-drill holes?

texts:
I just bought my first impact driver and I was wondering am I suppose to still pre-drill holes with a bit with my regular drill before using the impact driver when going through woods?

I use to always pre-drill the hole then put the screw in with my drill, so now that I have an impact driver can I just drill the screw directly into the wood or am I suppose to still pre-drill and the impact driver will just make it easier going into the pre-drilled hole?

Thanks


texts: Used circle cutter in wrong place in drywall, best repair method?

texts:
I'm mounting a TV and used a circle cutter attachment on my drill in the wrong location.

I cut through 2 1/2" sheets of drywall and still have the discs of drywall.

What is the best method to repair the hole? The bracket will be covering the hole anyways so I am not sure it is necessary to repair but it maybe nicer if I ever move out etc.


texts: Removing rusted screws from a gate-post attached to a wall

texts:
I am changing my old rusted garden gate with a new one. However, because of a couple of rusted screws, I could not remove the gate-post attached to the walls on either end of the old gate.

I tried applying WD-40 lubricant to loosen the screw so I could unscrew them using a screwdriver, but I hadn’t had very much luck with that. Later I tried lightly striking the gate-post with a hammer, hoping to loosen it from the wall, but that didn’t work either.

Is there another approach I can take to remove a rusted screw from the wall?


texts: How can I install a new lighting circuit in my kitchen?

texts: I would like to install 2 new light fixtures and a switch in my kitchen. Currently the kitchen has three lights each controlled by their own switch. I want the new lights to have their own switch located next to one of the other switches. I am trying to figure out the best and easiest way to to get power to the lights? A diagram of the required wiring would be helpful.


texts: How to remove glass from old door and replace it with wood?

texts:
I have an old door that has glass panels and is covered with an ugly coating of white film. I would like to replace it with a wooden door. the problem is the door is a custom size and I can't just buy a new standard sized door. My plan is to remove the glass panels and replace them with wood, then paint the whole door to a nice brown wooden color.
What is the best way to remove the glass? After that, how should i replace the holes with wood? (having the old wood in the door and the new wooden inserts line up with the same width is not important)
Door with the glass panels:

Close up picture of the glass panel and the plastic film covering the door