texts: What caused my paint to alligator and how to fix it?

texts:
I did a drywall patch over my shower, using quick dry joint compound, a few coats with sanding in between. Walls were washed with dish soap and dried prior. A few days later I primed with zissner BIN shellac. Few days after that, I could see a crack around the drywall patch, so I did more joint compound, sanded, primed again with the BIN, then painted with a latex paint. Now the paint is alligatoring everywhere on walls and ceiling all the way down to the original paint, which is latex. I only used one coat of paint and waited 2 days to shower, but it is pretty humid in there typically. I did the exact same thing on the other side of the room with no issues, so I’m wondering if the humidity is to blame?
How did this happen?
How do I fix it and prevent it from happening again?


texts: Why won't my ceiling light turn off with the wall switch disconnected?

texts:
I want to install a ceiling light where previously only a box cover existed, no fixture. I connected the black wire to the black fixture wire, white to white, ground to ground. No other wires are present.  I turned the breaker on and the light only stays on. I disconnected the wall switch completely but left the wall wires unconnected (black, white, ground). I think it could be a possible faulty switch. I turned the breaker on and the ceiling light remained on with no switch connection.

What is going on?


texts: How much does a pallet of durock 1/4" cement board weigh?

texts:
I am trying to figure out if I will need to make separate trips for my thinset mortar and cement board to keep within the safe operating limits of my vehicle's maximum load weight.

I plan on buying an entire pallet of Durock 1/4" x 3' x 5' cement board for easy loading. I suspect I will be using the majority of the pallet and returning the remainder.

How much does a pallet (60 I believe) of 1/4" Durock cement board weigh?


texts: When is it necessary to do two coats of paint over a primer?

texts:
The existing walls are various colors in different rooms. They range from light brown, to yellow to pink!

We are using a white primer on our walls.

The consultant at the paint store recommends priming and then painting two coats.
The skeptic in me thinks that want us to buy more paint by suggesting two coats.

Realistically, when would I need two coats?  If the walls look good after one coat  do I need another coat?


texts: Installing propane tank to gas range with strange copper pipe

texts:
I am replacing a gas range and the gas line that was connected to the previous range doesn't fit into any of the fittings that came with the installation kit or directly into the range (which is how it was setup on the old range).

Here are some images I took of the pipe in question and of it next to the tube that, according to the instructions, I am supposed to connect it to.

Note: I believe that pipe is connected directly to the propane tank on the outside of the kitchen wall.

Why is this like this?
Seeing as though I can't find a setup like this anywhere online, is it safe to say that this isn't up to code?
What do I need to do to connect this pipe to the range properly?

Thanks


texts: Can I install an under-mount sink in an existing Formica counter?

texts: I am slightly remodeling my kitchen (on a slim budget).  Because I cannot afford granite countertops, I've decided to use the countertop makeover kits on the Formica that are available and make it LOOK like granite.  The kitchen sink that I have can be mounted either under or over, and is currently over.  I'd like to have it mounted under.  Is that a huge undertaking or even possible?  The faucet fixtures are part of the sink itself.  I've held off on doing the counter top transformation until I can discern whether the sink can be undermounted.


texts: Covering sprayed attic insulation with plywood rather than drywall

texts:
I have new spray foam insulation between 2x6" rafters, and I would like to cover it directly with plywood (for aesthetic reasons) rather than drywall.

Is that an issue with fire barrier code?


texts: I have to rip out a rotted section of sub-floor in a handicapped bathroom. It's 3/4 in. osb with 1/4 in. plywood on top. The contractors that had built this apartment just 4 years ago put no cement board down and needless to say it's in bad shape. Now comes the interesting part, everything I've been researching says says I need at least 5/8 in sub, then some kind of backer board. Now that's all fine and dandy, but the problem is the company wants it tiled. I only have an inch to play with when it comes to the lip of the shower stall, and tile is 3/8 in. thick ... how am I supposed do this?


texts:
I moved into my home in May 2013 and had the Oak Flooring sanded and re-treated as it was a bit stained from previous owners (the flat is only 5 years also thought so the floor isn't very old at all).

Since the summer, these black marks have started appearing all over it, the worst appear to have cracks/holes in them. At first I thought it might me the knots in the wood but having kept an eye on them coming its not as they are appearing in places where there are no knots in the wood.

I do have underfloor heating (water) and am starting to get concerned there may some moisture underneath causing these? What do you think?

Have attached


texts: How do I best take up carpet & remove glue from concrete floor

texts: Would someone give a good list of the equipment, tools, supplies, etc., I would need to take up carpet and padding that is glued to the concrete floor.  Thank you.


texts: Which way to unscrew the behind part of the v pipe?

texts:
I am trying to remove the pipe bellow my bathroom sink to clean it (clogged).
I made loose the facing screw but I can't the behind one. The one in the red square.
I am not sure which way is the correct way to turn so I am not trying too much in order to avoid any damage.
How can I unloose it in an easy and safe way?


texts: How can I replace a load-bearing header and jack studs without disturbing siding?

texts:
My broad question is what tools/technique to use to remove (in order to replace) load-bearing studs and headers on an existing wall with lap siding nailed into said studs. Any videos or tips are appreciated!

My specifics:

I'm remodeling my bathroom and have a 40"x36" rough window that appears to have insufficient support after removing the interior walls.

I believe I'm supposed to replace this with 2-2x6 top plate, plus new continuous jack studs, keeping the existing king studs and installing a slightly narrower sill plate. This seems fine, but I'm not sure on the mechanics of how to remove the existing structure? The sheathing (around 1x7 wood lap siding) is nailed into each of the studs, which are nailed to one another. Given the continuous top plate and temporary nature of the fix, I think I don't need to build a temporary support wall.

If my framing plan is bad, please let me know, but mine is mostly a question of technique. My plan is roughly:

Remove the window to expose to rough opening.
Use a pry bar and chisel to pull any accessible nail heads.
Use a pry bar to try to tease apart the quasi-jack studs from the king stud and use a reciprocating saw to break the nails.
Try to pull the stud away from the siding, bracing my pry bar with some plywood to avoid putting a hole through my house. As soon as siding nails are accessible, if the stud doesn't pull easily, cut with a multitool.
Use a reciprocating saw to cut the headers and sill plate in half and pry them loose from the studs that I assume are face-nailed in to them.
Use a multitool and plyers/hammer to round/break off broken nails.
Use a hand saw/reciprocating saw to cut the remaining studs to length.

Any tips/tricks I missed, or things I should pay attention to?

I'd like to maintain the existing rough width since I have the replacement window on hand fitting the rough width.


texts: What is the difference between equivalent watts and lumens?

texts:
I have two lamps

6W LED(OSRAM 50R): equiv 40W or 170 lm

15W WW827 Tornado Philips, equiv 85W or 950 lumen

Why the 2x power difference and 6x luminosity difference?


texts: My home, built in the late 1950s, has these cute little additional locks on top of the main doorknobs to many of the interior rooms.  I can't seem to find the correct term for these locks, which would allow me to find parts for them, etc., as several are broken.  Photo attached.  Any ideas?


texts: How to check if my house is properly grounded?

texts:
I live in an very very old house, recently I purchase a surge protector (APC P5B-GR) and it came with "grounded" light indicator, when I plug the surge protector into my house wall outlet, the grounded light indicator does not turn on.

Does that mean my house is not properly grounded? How do I check? Is there any risk if your house is not properly grounded?

The surge protector says "This product must be connected to earth ground" in the back. So is it safe to use even if my house is not properly grounded?

Here's a pictures of my house main electrical outlet.

Here's a picture of my wall outlet.

Here's a pictures of my surge protector


texts: I have GFCIs on their own breakers that will trip when lights on a separate breaker are turned on. To reiterate, the lights that trip the GFCIs are not fed from the tripping GFCIs. What could cause that?


texts:
I have a FPB panel in my home. I'm losing power in different areas of home but no breakers have tripped. Now I have a tracing nightmare.

Also what is the function of the adjusting screw?


texts: How to fix a wooden screw hole that is stripped?

texts:
I have an Ikea chest of drawers with metal rollers that allow me to slide the drawers in and out.

One of the drawer’s metal roller screws has popped off due the weight of the contents of a shelf and when I tried to rescew it back in, the screw just spins around. What is the best way to re-thread this hole? Would wood filler be strong enough?


texts: How to replace UFFI insulation in walls with no access from basement or attic?

texts: I recently bought a house, and had an energy assessment done which determined that my exterior walls have old UFFI insulation that is rotting away, leaving substantial gaps and allowing heat transfer to/from outside. There does not appear to be any way to access the insulation by going up from the basement or going down from the attic to remove and replace it. Obviously, I could take down the drywall inside to get at the insulation, but I'd rather not do that if I don't have to. Are there ways of removing and replacing insulation in walls that are minimally invasive?


texts: Can an electronic ballast be used for a G23 lamp?

texts:
I have a Rayton R3 UVB lamp for phototherapy. It consists of a this PL-S 9W/01/2P bulb with a G23 base, and the ballast is magnetic 120v/60hz.

I would like to swap the ballast for a 240v/50hz ballast, and all I've found is a universal electronic ballast (here) but Wikipedia and others say that two pin lamps are designed for conventional (magnetic) ballasts. Does that mean that an electronic ballast should not be used? Can you tell me if the linked ballast is compatible?


texts: Securing plywood underlayment to timber sub-floor

texts:
I am laying 12mm plywood on existing timber flooring (before laying Hardiebacker board & ceramic tiles). Apart from screwing the ply to the sub-floor, should I also use grab adhesive or thinset mortar?

The reasoning for thinset (I'm told) is that it helps to fill & support the plywood over any low spots in the old timber floor (18mm tongue and groove on 400mm c/c joists).


texts: Should you let PVC primer (purple) dry before applying cement?

texts: Should you let PVC primer (purple) dry before applying cement or is it okay to apply cement over wet primer?


texts: Safety differences between the various types of outlet (two-/three-prong, grounded/ungrounded, with/without GFCI)

texts:
I am an ordinary person with absolutely no knowledge regarding electricity and how it works (things like circuits and such) and I never really cared before until now when I sense potential safety issues in the place I just moved in. I really hope you can explain things in a way that's easy for me to understand. I did some research about "ground" and "neutral" concepts and now I have a bunch of questions about safety. I'm in California, US. My apologies for the super-long post ahead.

Basically I recently moved in to a relative's house. This relative had done some DIY electrical improvements or whatever and I'm not sure if I can trust his "improvements" so I'm asking questions here. From what I know, this house's electrical situation is as follows:

There's no wire/system for ground

All receptacles (outlets) are three-pronged (each has two three-hole smiling face to plug stuff in) (pretty sure this is the standard outlet used everywhere)

Some of the outlets when plugged in, my surge protector says "Protected" but not "Grounded" (meaning light is on for Protected but light is off for Grounded) while the rest all have both lights on

The relative told me that he knows it's better to have a ground system but upgrading this house's system to have that would not be possible due to the wiring in the walls or something like that so he connected the ground and neutral together in the outlets because he saw that these two are connected together at the main panel (I'm not even sure what "connected together" means - again I have no knowledge regarding circuits/electricity). I looked things up and this is supposed to be a dangerous bootleg ground

The reason we have 3 prong receptacles for all outlets instead of 2 prong is because our devices use 3 prong plugs

I looked things up even further and found a bunch of terms like GFCI, etc and then I got confused so my question is:

How and in what situations are the following outlet setups safe or dangerous?
(For each of the 3-prong setup, does the plug of the device (3 or 2 prong) matter? if so how?)

I'm willing to learn a physics lesson to be able to solve this myself but if it's too hard I'd like to just have the answers with explanations. I'm trying to not get electrocuted


texts: How much room does a fridge coil need to dissipate heat?

texts:
I want to put a small bar fridge in the (rather large) kitchen cupboard under my sink to ultimately be used as a kegerator.

The fridge will be a custom free-standing insulated box (similar to this one) which uses the thermostat, compressor, cooling element, and rear coils from a standard 4ft3 bar fridge.  I measured the cupboard to be 28ft3.  The cupboard is not ventilated, but isn't sealed either.  It's opened pretty often, and the two big sinks might help conduct heat out of there.

What do you think? Will heat dissipation be a problem?


texts: Does a toilet have to be level front to back if the toilet doesn't rock and the flange tilts too?

texts: I am swapping out a toilet.  The old toilet, a round bowl with a squared front, was shimmed like crazy to get it perfectly level.  I dry fit the new elongated bowl toilet to the flange to see what I was up against with getting it level.  The toilet sits perfectly flat on the tile.  It does not rock.  It is level from side to side, but is un-level front to back.  To get the toilet level front to back I would have to raise the front approximately almost 3/8".  The flange itself also is level side to side but tilts slightly forward front to back.  If the toilet sits flat, do I really have to make it level front to back?  I also am going to use an extra thick wax ring with the plastic collar to help ensure a good fit.  Does this sound appropriate?


texts: Capping a Side Spray Opening on a Moen Faucet

texts:
I am setting up a portable dishwasher (an 18-inch GE portable dishwasher). Similar to this question from last year, I am planning to connect the dishwasher to a kitchen faucet with a side spray.
According to GE, "A sink spray attachment hose can burst if it is installed on the same faucet as your dishwasher. We suggest that you disconnect the sink spray attachment, if your sink has one, and place a cap over the opening."
So I've been trying to figure out how to cap the opening. I have a Moen Adler one-handle kitchen faucet.

I spoke with a representative from Moen and they claim that they don't create a cap/plug for this model. (They have a side spray plug service kit for other faucets.)
Does anyone know if there are any other options to cap the opening? I am looking for some way to remove the spray hose and block the flow of water that would normally go to the spray hose. As you can see in the diagrams below, the opening doesn’t appear to be a standard shape with a set diameter.
Here is a diagram of the spray:

Here are diagrams illustrating how to connect the spray to the faucet:

For your reference, the specifications for the faucet can be found here, the parts list here, and the installation guide here.
I would greatly appreciate any guidance that you could share.
Thank you.


texts: Does the inter-floor insulation in my 1911 home contain asbestos?

texts: I have a house that was built in 1911.  I am renovating the 1st floor bathroom (removing drywall, plaster, then lath boards.  While removing the plaster in the ceiling I noticed that there is some insulation between the floors.  It resembles blown in insulation but I do not see any port holes so I am assuming its original.  It appears to have a cotton like texture but I have not touched it yet.  Does anyone know if I should be concerned about asbestos exposure?  Anyone have any theories why they would insulate between floors?


texts: Other than aesthetics, is there any practical reason to add a soffit to an existing shower as we retile? There is a single recessed light above the shower and there is a combination light/vent fan in the center of the bathroom. It's a pretty small bathroom. I had a contractor suggest that the venting would be better by adding the soffit as it would allow the vent to better pull the steam up from the lower section of the shower. Is there any truth to that?


texts: How can I get an older version of the NEC (National Electrical Code) online for free? Specifically, I need a copy of the “1975 NEC”. I could get it on Amazon for $29, but I’d rather not pay that much for it if I don’t have to. Or I could get the “Guide to the 1975 Electrical Code” for $9 (which I probably will get). I already checked to see if I could check out the physical book at my library. But it is not available. I also tried to find where it is published online so that I can just simply print out the pages that I need. But no luck.


texts: I am borrowing a friends wet saw.  I tried a few cuts last night and it was leaving small chips in the tile so I am assuming that it needs a new blade.  This is my first rodeo with wet saws.  In researching this I noticed there are a few styles of blades on the market, what are the pros/cons of each of the following types: continuous, turbo, and segmented?  I am cutting 12 ceramic glazed tile if that matters.


texts: Filling gaps between staircase and plaster wall

texts: I purchased a home that was a two family converted to single. Brick veneer on the outside and block inside. I have been assured by two structural engineers that I have no foundational issues. I have a gap developing between the staircase and the wall. The previous owner just lazily sealed the gap with caulking which as shrunk and pulled apart. So I went through with a flat blade and started peeling the caulking off between the staircase and the wall. In some places, there's almost an inch gap. The block can be seen underneath the plaster. What is the best thing to use to help close the gap?


texts: Can I use metal J-channel and drip caps intended for roofing as my window casing beads?

texts:
I'm going to be installing nailing fin vinyl windows using a new construction application in a stucco wall. I'd like to install them properly with gasketed and caulked casing bead around the edges to account for the different coefficients of expansion for the stucco and vinyl windows and prevent cracking.

I can get plastic casing bead, but noticed that for a negligibly greater amount of money, I could get painted galvalume metal J-channel and drip caps intended for roofing. Examples:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Metal-Sales-Drip-Cap-in-White-4204430/204256751
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Metal-Sales-J-Channel-Flashing-in-White-4227430/204256712

I quite like this option since the metal is bound to hold up better than plastic. I can also get them in non-white colors which could create a nice contrast between the white window and the white stucco.

Is there any reason why this wouldn't work?


texts: What could be causing an A/C blower motor to turn off randomly?

texts:
The Blower motor on my AC unit turns off at random times while the outside unit continues to run which is causing the coil to freeze up. The blower won't come on for 30-45 minutes after the AC has been turned off, but after that it seems to turn back on fine. I have been trying to track the problem down for the last couple months, but it literally only happens every 2 or 3 weeks.

Last night it stopped again and I tried to just turn the fan (from the thermostat) on without luck. I took a look at the blower and it seemed to turn just fine. I put my hand on the back of the fan motor and it wasn't hot to the touch.

About 45 minutes after it turned off the blower came back and it was working normally. What could be causing this problem?


texts: Can I convert door slab from LH inswing to RH inswing

texts:
I like my current wooden front door a great deal, but it's hinged to swing inward to the right, and traffic flow (getting a bike into the mud room, for example) would be a lot easier if it swung in to the left.

Problem is, the latch edge of the door is beveled the standard 15 degrees to permit closing with a smaller gap, whereas the hinge edge is square. And I can't flip the door top-to-bottom/left-to-right to move that bevel; its design has a clear "up"... if I rotate it only on the other axis the latch edge will be bevelled the wrong way, definitely not an improvement.

Best solutions I've come up with so far involve keeping the door in its current orientation, swapping hardware (requires disguising the old lock borings; I have an idea for that), bevelling what used to be the hinge side... and maybe, if I can't get away with just letting the hinge absorb the angle difference, applying a wedge or wedges to re-square it.

How insane am I? Should I try without changing the bevels first? Or should I not try at all, get a new front door, and try to find a good home for this one?


texts:
I have looked at this How can I insulate the floor of a room above a porch?, but I think my situation is a bit different.
We are insulating the bedroom floor over an open porch (verandah). In Portland OR, so mixed climate. We have complete access to the rafters/joists. There is no wiring or plumbing in this area. The ceiling of the porch has 8" rafters. Then then is a 4" space, then 10" joists for the bedroom floor. A bit like this:
floor (currently removed)====================

joists  |.............     |....................      |......
space
rafters |...................| ...................|
wood ceiling ===================

We have put house wrap (Tvek) across the tops of the rafters and lapped it up the sides a bit and taped it. This is part of the air barrier. This has created a paper floor for the insulation.
We have kraft-paper-faced fibreglass batts that we plan onto this floor and squeeze into the joist bays (which are very irregular - between 14" and 16" OC). I bought faced batts and don't have the strength to take 'em back and get unfaced. We will cut channels in the batts to get them around the joists.

So two questions:
1. Should the batts go face down, so the paper is against the house wrap? I think they should, otherwise we will create a moisture trap.
2. Are there any major problems with this perhaps unorthodox approach?

Thanks
Catherine


texts: Replace Furnace or Stick with Dual Zone Setup?

texts:
I recently moved in to a new home that is setup with a single stage Goodman furnace that is divided in to two zones (upper/main). When we first moved in to the home, the upstairs was always cold. I have since had the furnace serviced, and installed new thermostats and upstairs now gets to temperature. I am currently working out of an unfinished basement and I have been noticing the furnace is running a lot (and the NESTs are now telling me the furnace is running ~16 hours a day).
After some digging, I am seeing that the furnace is regularly erroring with a "primary limit circuit open" LED error code. I switched out to a low resistance (almost no resistance) air filter to confirm the filter was not restricting air flow too much. I recently had the wiring reviewed as well since I needed to add a common wire for the NEST thermostats. After talking with the technician again, they have indicated that single stage furnaces do not work well with multi-zone and I should disable the zone control and second thermostat and run everything as a "regular setup". The internet seems to confirm that single stage furnace + multiple zones is indeed "bad design".
I am the type of person who likes to fix problems rather than work around them. I plan on adding AC to the setup in the spring and I was planning on getting a two stage AC. Would I be crazy to replace the furnace in order to have a two stage furnace and keep the zone control? or should I really just disable the zone control as suggested?

Edit
The zone control is handled by an Aprilaire temperature zone controller connected to 4 electronic dampers. Image below showing one side of the setup.


texts:
I'm installing an alarm system and I'd like some help figuring out the best way to provide power to the keypad.  The keypad uses a micro USB cable for power.

I want to mount the keypad on one side of an archway, and the nearest outlet is several feet away on the other side of the archway.  The question at this point is how to run the cable so that it's safe and looks nice.  Here are the ideas I'm considering:

Option 1: Get a 12 foot USB cable and use cable tie mounts every few feet to hold it to the wall.

Pros: It's cheap and easy.
Cons: It doesn't look very nice.  The vertical run would be in a high traffic area and the cable could be snagged.

Option 2: Run the cable down inside the archway, bring it out near the floor on the other side, and run it along the baseboard to the outlet.

Pros: Looks okay, and protects the section of cable that's most likely to be damaged by people passing by.
Cons: I'm having trouble finding a USB cable rated for in-wall use.  Do those even exist?  Also, there are AC power wires in the same wall cavity, and I think I read once that they're not allowed to share the cavity with low voltage wires.

Option 3: Install a recessed outlet box in the wall (e.g. http://a.co/d/abG4fO3) with an outlet that provides USB power (e.g. http://a.co/d/fjQMVR3).  Then install the keypad over the top of the outlet, connecting it with a very short cable.

Pros: It completely hides the wiring.
Cons: It's kind of a pain to install compared to the other options, and it's more expensive.

Option 4: Buy some plastic conduit that sticks to the outside of the wall, and run the cable through that.

Pros: Looks better than option 1 and helps to protect the cable.
Cons: One of the more expensive options, and doesn't look as nice as hiding the cable in the wall.

What would you recommend?  Are there better options I haven't listed?


texts: Least complex solution connecting 20lb propane tank to 1/2" male NPT through a twin-stage regulator

texts:
I have a furnace equipped with 1/2" pipe for gas supply. The protruding pipe is male npt. The 10KBtu wall furnace expects 11-13" w.c. Are there solutions out there that go from a 20lb propane tank on one end to the 1/2" npt on the other? I'll just use a 3/8" adaptor to 1/2" if needed, since it seems like everything out there is 3/8".

I want to have 10' of hose or so and a twin-stage regulator to 11" w.c.


texts: Can I use green wire in a residential wall box?

texts:
This is a 1985 home wired with typical NM-B wire and plastic wall boxes.
I have a few light switches around the house that have no ground connection. There are ground wires in the box, but the switches themselves don't have a ground screw. I guess this was a valid thing to do at the time, but these switches need updating.
To ground the new switches, often times I need to run a ground pigtail from an existing wire nut to the replacement switch. And I'm running out of 14-gauge copper wire scraps to do that with. I've searched all the local big-box stores looking for 14 (or even 12!) gauge bare copper rolls, and I can't find any. I can get insulated THHN or NM-B with no problem, but stripping eight inches of insulation off of that seems like a real chore unless I'm missing a trick.
One thing I did see -- they sell rolls of green-insulated THHN in appropriate gauges and lengths. Since green universally means ground, can I use that for my application?
Separately from the question of whether it's code-compliant to do, if a seasoned pro came by later and saw something like that in the box, would they think the previous work was done by a knucklehead? I ask because I've never seen green wire used in residential wiring, either in this house or anywhere else I've ever lived.


texts: Best solution to fix this siding gap with the trim

texts:
We recently replace some bad trims and changed some windows. But we ran into this issue now where the siding is not touching the new trims.

Some part is is just 1/4" but this photo shows the largest gap is 1"

What is the best way to deal with this?

I am thinking of some options:

Option 1: Cut another piece of trim 1". Set the depth of the skilsaw and cut siding back evenly. Then insert new trim to fill the gap.

Option 2: Fill with caulk and paint.

Option 3: Fill with foam and paint.

Option 4: Nothing we can do. Just paint and leave it alone.

Option 5: Replace all sidings and make them 1/4" to 1" longer. This is a very expensive solution.


texts: Provisioning for a hypothetical electric car

texts:
I'm doing a remodel on my house which involves building a new garage.  I have no plans to get a new car soon but presumably will in 1-5 years.  How should I wire for an undetermined electric vehicle (Leaf? Tesla?).  What current should I wire for?  What gauge?  Should it be an independent circuit?  What receptacle?  Any other advice?

Follow up question:
I realized I have a 50A 240V run to behind my stove which I capped and put a blank on when I remodeled the kitchen and switched to a gas range.   This appears to be 6/3 (+ ground) and has a 50A breaker-pair.   So if I splice to a new 6/3 cable and run that to an empty box at the front of the garage, does that seem like a good (and up-to-code) plan?


texts: Is there a term for this carriage door stay?

texts:
My 1929 garage has several side-hung carriage doors that are held open by a neat stay system where a metal bar slides through a bracket and then a notch in the bar rests on the bracket. Pulling the chain lifts the bar slightly to release the notch and allow the door to close. This hardware is great for holding the doors open at 90° even if the wind is blowing hard and they are easy to operate.

My shed also has a big heavy door and I'd like to add similar hardware to it, but much searching hasn't turned up a source for this type of hardware in the USA.

I was able to find a similar piece of hardware (operated by a cord and toggle instead of a chain) in the UK, but international shipping is crazy expensive.

Is there an American term for this type of hardware that might turn up more results? Or are these even available anywhere in the US?


texts:
Original wiring

To wire to this new switch

Hi all, I'm trying to convert an existing switch back to a normal switch but it keeps tripping. Can some one give me some suggestion. I used the black (3 bunched together ) wires in terminal 1 and the red 2 wires in the common terminal. It keeps tripping doesn't matter what combination I tried.

Sorry photo didn't show earth  wires  and 3 black wires in the background. which are not connected to the dimmer switch.

Thanks in advance....

Regs,


texts: water hammer after a regulator is added to system

texts: my local water dept changed my meter from a star meter to a setup that has an s bar with a regulator.lived here over 30 years and never had a regulator and never checked pressure.have hammer very bad when flushing toilets with regulaor set at 55 psi.remove regulator and add a jumper hammer stops but my psi is 95. what is causing hammer? thanks for any input.


texts:
I have a built-in wardrobe without internal panels. I am planning to add some panels in it.

I bought 18 mm furniture panels with melamine coated.

How can I attach a horizontal panel to a vertical panel  (T-Joint) ?

Should I used some wood plugs ?


texts: Premium for heatpump inverter technology

texts:
My understanding is that a variable speed compressor permits greater efficiency and reduce wear & tear.  Assume application is in Florida, not NYC.

Is there a range for the cost premium for such systems?
What is the typical efficiency saving associated with systems?
Do variable speed compressors have higher failure rates than their fixed counterparts?
Is there any other factors that should be considered when choosing whether or not to select inverter technology?

Any lessons learned are always appreciated.


texts: Why is there moisture under some new wall plates in the basement?

texts:
I'm doing a basement finishing project. When I nailed down bottom plate(treated lumber) for framing, I see some moisture appears after a while, no visible water, right under some of the bottom plates. Before nailing, the basement was dry - no seepage through walls or floor. So I do not know if the moisture is captured temporarily so it will be gone soon or it is coming through floor with nailing.

Can anyone have similar experience and know why?
If the moisture comes from the nailing, is there a way to seal it (all framing is already done)?

Any help/advice will be appreciated.
Added information:

I don't have a sump pit
The moisture only appears on two sides - north and west side
I think it started appearing after 3 to 5 hours of the installation
Along with the same side where moisture appeared, I put test frame with 2 ETA shots about 8 hours ago, but no moisture is detected yet.
My house is on a higher ground than street (with retaining walls around the perimeter). So even though basement is still underground, basement floor is almost same level as street. I can tell it because my main sewer pipe is buried under the basement floor.


texts: Can I bond gas plumbing via gas water heater's electrical connection ground?

texts:
Locale: WA State, U.S.
Inspector approved gas plumbing and followed up later, saying:
"Please note that we will be verifying the bonding of the new gas piping at the next inspection, please contact L&I for any questions regarding electrical. "
Gas plumbing will be connected to tankless water heater via flex hose. I'm assuming the flex hose doesn't count as proper bonding for the gas plumbing. So can I run a ground wire from the electrical outlet where the gas water heater will be plugged in or even bond to the water heater directly (since it is grounded via outlet plug)?


texts: Basement concrete leveling issue for click lock hardwood flooring installation

texts:
I am prepping my basement concrete flooring to install click lock hardwood. The problem I saw is that there is a spot in the corner with this:

I am not sure what it is as it looks like a cap to cover something. BUT the problem is that area is a bit higher (like 0.5" difference with the cap).

What should I do to prep the surface for click lock floating floor installation?

Do I need to put down any underlayment?

Or should I just ignore this and it will be OK?

Thanks.


texts: Tilt and turn door brushes against the reveal

texts:
My door is getting a little old, 10 years, and the side of the door began to brush against the reveal (around the upper half). Searching a bit a came to the conclusion that I have to adjust the screw on the picture:

I tried clockwise (not sure whether this is the way turn in order to bring the door towards the hinge), initially it moved hard, but after it became easy. Now I can easily twist the screw in both direction. But I can twist in both direction 5-10 turns, nothing happens, the brushing problem remains.

So I do not know, whether I am twisting the proper screw, and why is it moving so easy. Maybe it got broken?

Please help me how can I adjust the door.


texts:
We recently replaced an existing fireplace mantel and my wife would like me to re-purpose the old mantle as a high mounted shelf in our soon to be occupied nursery.

The original install was a 1x1 tonailed into the drywall and occasionally a stud.  Very flimsy.

The mantel is 5' long and is a frame with a hollow space that appears to accommodate a 2x3 ( 2" high, 3" deep).  In order to use that I would have to drill through the long side of the 2x3 and run lag bolts into the studs.  This would seem to create a pretty long lever that could snap a bolt.  I'll only be able to attach to 3 studs.

Is this a standard method of hanging mantels?

Would I be better off just attaching a 2x2 to the studs, then cut and mount some 1x2 angle pieces to the 2x2?  That would seem to spread the load out more evenly and not put as much cantilever force on the bolts


texts: Difference between blue and grey blue coaxial ports

texts: I have blue coaxial ports in almost every room in my house. What the heck are they for? Are these regular cable jacks? Maybe I am confused since cat5e jacks are also blue colored? To add to the confusion, some of the cable jacks in my house are grey, not blue.


texts: Not sure what colors go to my new thermostat

texts: Not sure what colors go where from my old one to my new one the old is on top and new is on bottom


texts: How to estimate if an old AC is worth replacing?

texts:
Have a window AC unit that's from 2001, here are the specs:

Manufacturer: Kenmore
VOLTS: 115
Cooling BTU/HR: 12500
Cooling AMPS: 11.6
Cooling WATTS: 1275
Cooling EER: 9.8

The average electricity rate is 11.04¢/kWh.

As for the hours of use per day, currently varies anywhere from 12 to 24 hours of use per day, so I'm not sure how to deal with that; maybe the easiest way is to just do two estimates, one for 12 hours of use, and another for 24 hours of use.

User Manual is here.

Very possible that I've left out some information, but even with the above information, I still haven't been able to figure out how to even do a rough comparison.


texts: How to fill cracks in concrete slab inside house

texts:
My house had some foundation issues and the slab inside the house has separated from the foundation wall mostly all around inside the house. Some cracks are about 1/2" and I'm thinking in filling those in before installing laminate flooring. Just to be clear, I'm not talking about the expansion gap between the drywall and the floor, I'm talking about actual cracks in all around the walls in the concrete slab and the foundation. In some parts I can even see the fiber insulation used under the slab.. :(

Any ideas?

Thank you

EDIT: After more research, I found that they call this floating slab and it's done to allow the slab to move because of the expanding soil underneath it, so it doesn't push directly against the foundation and cracks it. My only complaint is that bugs get through it. I wanted to prevent that by rather want to prevent cracks in the walls by the slab pushing against it.


texts: Is it safe to ground a pump house using the water line?

texts: I have a 2- 3/0 alum wires (overhead) from panel box to my pump house.  Both are hot there are only 2 wires no neutral nor ground wire. At the pump house they put a ground wire from the small fuse box and hooked it to the waterline heading back to main building where power originates.  How can this be safe?


texts: What are some tips for soldering brass fittings to a copper pipe?

texts: Over the years I've soldered several remodels worth of copper pipe (water and hydronic heat).  I'm not great, but I get the job done, until I have to add a brass fitting.  For some reason, I can't get the solder to suck into the joint.  Does soldering a brass fittings to copper pipe require a special technique?


texts:
After 3 years the Faucet just started cutting out when trying to get to a higher pressure. I can only go to about 1/3 of max.
I thought it might be the 3 way valve as most are plastic now. When to HD and got a new one put it back together and BAM, same thing. I saw a  thread here that suggested it was a plugged aerator. So I took the nozzle apart and it was clean, except for the out side (you know).
I know out here in Calif they have all kinds of dumb regulations on faucet and shower flow. But those are usually easy to remove.
So what causes a brand new valve to cut out? Is there some other kind of stupid stuff in the faucet?


texts: What kind of air conditioner system do I have?

texts:
I know this site says 'DIY', but if this question belongs somewhere else, let me know which site is appropriate for this question. Thank you.

At the beginning of this month, I had a Coleman air conditioner installed and connected to the bottom of the furnace through some foam-covered pipe or coil. Also, I am totally blind. So, although I can feel some of the things that are obvious, some of the stuff, like the boxes on the side of the wall, I am not familiar with. What are these boxes used for? Can you open or lift the cover on each of them?
Also, is my air conditioner considered a package system, where the compressor, condenser, and evaporator are all stationed outside, or is it a split system, where only the compressor and condenser are outside, and the evaporator is inside the furnace?
Here's a video I took. Let me know if it is clear enough. If not, I'll take another one, and I'll try to include another one of the furnace.


texts:
I've found a number of videos and how-to guides online, but they're all lacking an answer to this basic question: how much time should I budget to do it?  The repair work (filling cracks and holes) I'm not so worried about, as that time can be spread over a few days, but for the actual application I get the impression that it's best to do that all at once.

I found an estimate of "1 or 2 hours for an average size driveway", but "average" is a pretty ambiguous term.  My driveway is approx. 2500 ft^2, an average driveway might be 400 ft^2 (???), so should I plan on 6-8 hours with 2 people working on it?


texts:
I have a top-loading Maytag washing machine that is making a brief "rubber on plastic" whining noise during the agitation phase of a laundry load and when the wash cycle completes. Just in case it would be useful, the model is a Maytag Performa PAV3360AWW.

When I run the washing machine with no laundry (just water in the drum):

No sound at all, everything sounds good during all cycles: agitation, rinse, spin
No "screeching" brake sound at the end of the spin cycle

With laundry:

During the agitation phase, the washer drum seems to be moving counter-clockwise by about a half-inch or less (but visibly moving!) when the sound is being made. Sometimes it goes for seconds without making the sound, and the drum seems to stay in place the entire time.  However, when the sound does occur, the drum is moving counterclockwise by a small amount. My guess is that the drum is slipping when it should be in place???
At the end of the final spin cycle, it sounds like "screeching" car brakes when the drum finally comes to a stop

Any suggestions for troubleshooting and diagnosing the issue? Is there a specific part I should look at?


texts: Should I add a vapor retarder to an interior cinderblock wall as part of my basement remodel?

texts:
I am currently in the process of finishing my basement and I want to know whether, in general, anything should be done to an interior cinderblock wall related to moisture protection.

To show what I mean by interior cinderblock wall: In red, I have highlighted  an interior cinderblock wall which bisects my basement. The wall has a footer that is in direct contact with the earth.

Should I do something to account for potential moisture seeping in from the footer or exterior walls for this interior wall prior to finishing it? I have a sump pump and no signs of moisture trouble. I definitely want to do as much to control moisture as necessary without going overboard financially.

Additional Notes:

I will be using 2" spray foam to insulate and provide a class III vapor retarder on all exterior foundation walls
I will be using steel framing
I will be using unfaced cement backer board instead of drywall
I have a humidifier set to 45%
I had a sump pump installed last spring. I had very minimal signs of water leakage prior to that time (only once did I have a trickle of water come into the basement when snow was melting and heavy spring rains at the same time). I have had no signs of moisture trouble since the sump pump was installed.


texts: Does a long deck beam need a post at staggered joints?

texts: I am designing a deck that requires 40' beams.  In that design I plan to fabricate the beams with 2-2x12 pressure treated lumber.  I have tentatively planned to arrange the plies in this fashion: 1st ply 8'+16'+16' and 2nd ply 16'+16'+8' thus creating intermediate joints (a joint in only 1 ply) every 8 feet.  My question is do I need bearing support at intermediate joints?


texts: Installing recessed lighting using a switch that used to power on/off a duplex outlet

texts:
So I have a duplex outlet that is powered on/off (both receptables) by the living room switch. The outlet is only connected to one white and one black wire, so I'm assuming the electricity ends there. I want to install recessed lightning in my living room and have questions regarding the wiring of the switch.

Basically from what I read on google and watching youtube videos are...

Run romex cable from lightings to the switch box.
Disconnect the black cold wire in the switch box that used to power the outlet and connect it to the newly black wire in the romex from the lights.
Wire nut all 3 ground cables together (one from box, one from romex, and one connected to the green screw of the switch)
Wirenut the 2 neutral white cables (one from box, one from romex)
Nut of the ends of wires (individually) in the receptable box as it's no longer going to be used

My question is, is it okay to still have the neutral white and ground copper wire from the OLD receptable nutted with the new stuff? Would that do anything in the circuit?  All except the black wire of course.


texts: Can I unseal a non-working fireplace that shares the same chimney but not the same flu as my working buck stove?

texts:
I recently moved into my home built in 1967.  I have 2 non-working fireplaces, one which is gas and not connected and one which is sealed, and one "working" buck stove. All are very clean!
I want to unseal my living room fireplace, and have it working again as a wood burning fireplace. By unsealing the living fireplace can this fireplace use the same flu as the buck stove currently uses?  If this is not possible, what must be done to get this living room fireplace working again? Also, if my options are to remove the buck stove to get the living room fireplace working then that will be done as well.
Can you advise me?


texts: Refurbishing badly painted, rusty radiator

texts:
I'm trying to refurbish a radiator which is in pretty poor shape. The paint was all cracked and yellowing, and having sanded it, there's rust patches underneath.

It's been painted badly in the past as well, so thick layers of paint have pooled at the bottom and are proving very hard to remove with sandpaper. I've already used several applications of paint stripping gel, which also no longer appears to be having much of an effect.

1) How can I tidy this up to get a nice smooth finish?
As I say, sandpaper is proving hard. Is there some way I can more easily remove or smooth off the remaining paint, especially in the awkward fiddly areas?

2) I have some anti-rust primer - will that be OK to use over existing rust?
Here's what I have:

Can I just use 1 coat of the primer, followed by 1 coat of the Hammerite on existing rust as in the pictures?

Thanks!


texts: Need help identifying function of odd looking switch/connection/??? mounted to 2nd story Fascia

texts: This photo is zoomed in on a gang box that is mounted to the 2nd story exterior Fascia of my buddy's log cabin.  We are trying to figure out what this is for as neither of us have seen this before.  Its not an easy spot to get to so I am hopeful someone recognizes this thing and can provide a clue as to what it might be for.


texts:
I Recently started seeing condensation on my skylight. Skylight is installed in the bathroom. Sometime on windy day I feel air coming through skylight. If I raise my hand up towards it I can feel little air.

My questionS are
 1. Can I Caulk the skylight from inside or I have to get on to roof to caulk?
 2. Will caulking solve condensation and air coming into to bathroom?


texts:
I have a 19 gallon pressure tank that appears to be waterlogged. When tapping the tank it sounds like it is completely full of water and when running the water in the house the pump cycles constantly. I've purchased a 44 gallon tank to replace the 19 gallon tank. There's 15 faucets in the house (counting sinks, toilets, outdoor faucets, washer, dishwasher...), 19 gallons seemed undersized for our usage. The existing tank doesn't have a cross assembly, the pressure switch is mounted on the side of pump. There doesn't appear to be any relief valve or check valve. The whole thing seems to be wrong.

This is the existing tank--it sits to the right of the pump. The softener is to the left of the pump. The pressure switch connects to that green line. Does this warrant replumbing so that there is a line from the pump to a cross assembly off the bottom of the tank? One that has a check valve, a relief valve, a drain, and a cut-off valve. Something like this

Also, is PVC appropriate in this application?

It may be useful to know that I'm in southeastern North Carolina. This is all housed in a small pump house that stays above freezing in the winter.


texts: Is voltage drop calculated from the meter or the service panel?

texts:
In sizing underground feeder wire to a detached garage/shop do I calculate voltage drop based on distance from the main service panel on back of house to the shop(175feet)? Or do I include the distance from the meter to the house main service panel(160feet) and the distance to the shop(175) to come up with a total distance of (335feet)?

I want to run power to a new building(24X32). I've trenched approx. 165ft from my main service panel(200amp) on back of the house to the shop. I am thinking of installing 100amp sub-panel in a one-person shop and run; air compressor, small heater, lights, table saw, welder. Thinking of running 2/0 Al MFH cable to sub-panel. The small house was built on sub-divided property, so the meter is actually 160 feet behind the house(main service panel) and the cable coming into the house I believe is 4/0. I am trying to determine cable size to run in my trench, in conduit, with these variables.


texts: What kind of exterior paint has a fine sand paper-like backing, is it a primer?

texts:
I need to repair peeling flaking exterior paint on my stone window sill, so looking to find a suitable matching paint but I'm puzzled on what this stuff is.
Looking at the back of the paint, it looks like what feels like some sort of substrate is attached... feels like construction paper but if you look closely it is actually made of sand-like masonry.   Does that mean there is some sort of masonry primer I should use when I'm painting this sill?
Or should I just scrape all the old paint and substrate off and just paint with a regular exterior paint?

What's the best way to remove this kind of stuff, I can scrape the flat surface with a putty knife to remove, but the vertical side has an irregular rough stone pattern - should I just sand it off there?
Wide-angle shot of the outdoor sills when they were just renovated in 2015


texts: can I install cement backer board over plank subfloor

texts:
I have old plank subfloor installed at a 45 degree angle to the floor joists.
How should I install cbu(cement backer board) on top of this for a tile installation?
The entire area is approximately four feet by four feet.
the joist are 2 inches by 9 inches by 11 feet


texts: Shower starts v hot and powerful but gets colder quickly even though lots of hot water available

texts: We have an amazing power shower in our new house in New Zealand. Only problem is the hot water is very hot for approx. 30 seconds and then gets colder and colder. Start with the mixer handle in the mid hot position and it's very hot but then gets colder, moving the mixer handle toward hot gradually, keeps the water hot but still can only keep a very hot shower for about 1.5 minutes. Can turn off the mixer, leave for a minute or 2 and it seems to reset itself, but for shorter periods of time. I think the mixer might be at fault - shall I get a new one or do I need to investigate pipes? Thanks in advance for anyone's ideas or help. Liz


texts: Gas furnace only lighting two of four burners

texts:
Good morning all,
Long story short I have had an issue with my furnace (a Payne PG8MA) that no one has been able to resolve for a few years. I can't remember exactly how long it has been happening, but I think our first year in the house was issue free. If so then we have been dealing with it for about five years or so now.
We have called in professionals at least 3 or 4 different times to help, but they only ever leave me with a bill and some advice to use some mesh wire to scrape this little hex screw thing that can get dirty/corroded from build up.
For some reason the igniter lights up, but when it tries to light only two of the four burners go.
Previously the only way to get the furnace to kick on was by restarting the furnace. To do this I would have to lower the temperature, turn off the furnace, wait a bit, turn it back on, wait a bit, and then turn up the temp to trigger it to start up again. This process could work right away or take an hour of attempts before it would finally go.
Yesterday I somehow discovered if I blow on it and give the flames more oxygen that it will kick up the flame and help it jump to the last two burners...
Am I going to blow up my furnace doing this?
I also found online during this morning's "searching for my own resolution sessions" something about it possibly being a gas pressure problem that it is not reaching all the burners as well as something about using a long neck lighter to get the last two to light...
I realize that is more than one question, but I am hoping they are related enough to not need to separate them. (If not please just let me know if I am going to blow up my home blowing on the burners!)
Thank you for any assistance!
And here is a picture of the furnace information that hopefully would be helpful:


texts:
I want to renew the caulk, surrounding the flange, the one that is adjacent to the wall. Is there a way to loosen the flange, or it comes along with the taps? I'm not sure how to do it, and I'm afraid to break the things.

UPDATE

So I've removed the handle, but then I don't know how to remove the stem. I can actually rotate the flange around, meaning that stem and flange is one "component". Am I supposed to pull out the stem, or rotate? I tried carefully    rotate it clock-unwise, it didn't help, neither did pulling out.

OK, now I unscrewed the large white nut behind the stem, but the stem still doesn't badge, and it doesn't seem I can unscrew it either :


texts: Fried dimmer turns lights on/off but new dimmer won't

texts:
I had two black wires, one red wire and two white wires coming from the ceiling (I suspect there used to be a fan with a light).
In the switch box, there was a black and a white wire (with a green ground wire).

I wanted to install a light fixture so I tied the red wire (which I discovered was the constant feed) and one of the black wires (which I figured extended to the switch) together in the ceiling with a nut, the two white wires and the blue wire from the light fixture together and the remaining black wire with the brown wire from the fixture.
With a regular switch, everything works fine: lights turn on and off.
With a fried dimmer (the switch part works but not the dimming part), everything works fine (except the dimming of course): lights turn on and off
With a new dimmer, nothing works: lights don't turn on. I know the dimmer works because it works in another location just fine.

How come? Does a fried dimmer act as a regular switch?
Can I even use a dimmer with that configuration? Did I wire it wrong?

Thanks for taking an interest in my question. Here are pics of the ceiling box and of the switch box. I did some testing and:
- The red and black wires that are in the same cable as a white one have voltage (left side of the pic)
- The remaining white in that cable and the white and black wires in the other cable (right side of the pic) do not have voltage
- All wires in the switch box have voltage (including the green one)

If I attach my light fixture to the black and white wires which are in the same cable as the red one (leaving the red one with a nut by itself), the light works with a normal switch. It does not with a dimmer.
Any other configuration of white and black wires tied to the fixture won't work.
Initially I had tied the red and one of the black wires together but that does not seem necessary to turn on the lights with a normal switch. However, the problem remains the same.

I don't understand why a normal switch would turn on the light and not a dimmer...


texts: The cooling fan only runs when the freezer door is open. When it is closed it stops running. Therefore the bottom of the freezer is frozen but the top is luke warm. The same with the refrigerator.  Any help?


texts: How can I repair a poor drywall taping job?

texts:
For my first-ever drywall taping attempt, I (predictably) messed up. Taped the walls (three coats), then added primer (two coats) and semi-gloss Behr paint (two coats). Reinstalled my lighting and decided everything looks terrible.

I've been told I should either sand the paint/drywall down or put more mud over the whole thing. I don't know what I'm doing, but I do want this to look good. Are there good techniques/approaches to get me out of my mess?

More pictures here


texts: Do I need to use an outdoor or wet electrical box for garage sink area?

texts:
I'm installing some metal surface-mounted boxes for receptacles in my garage utility sink area, with emt between them.

I will use a GFCI receptacle, but do I need to use water-tight conduit and boxes because this will be surface mount near a garage utility sink?

I'm in California.


texts: Thermostats with or without variable temperature differential (swing)

texts:
I am looking at replacing my thermostat, and don't really need or want one with geosync.  I am thinking of the honeywell RTH9585wf.  Currently I have a lux that is not wifi but programmable.  It offers temperature  swing between .5 and 3 degrees.  It is currently set at 1.25.

The honeywell does not have a variable swing feature, and is set at 1 degree. Or for my setup with forced air and high efficiency gas it would cycle 3 -5 times per hour.  I contacted honeywell and asked them this and that is what the rep stated.  He mentioned that the honeywell could come on before the 1 degree difference is met, in order to maintain a 1 degree difference.  I am not sure how the Lux works with that.  He also mentioned that if you set the thermostat for water steam equipment (something like that), then it is set at 1 CPH.

I use if for both heat and cold in ohio so we get cold weather and hot weather. Am I losing to much of a feature with no temperature swing on the honeywell?  Is 3 - 5 CPH to much, or is this normal operation.  Or if anyone else has thermostat recommendations I am open to that also. Again I don't really need the nest or those types but would like to have wifi to control it when away for long periods of time.  Thanks


texts: What should I do about mold in the corner of a bedroom?

texts:
I have what I think is a cold corner in a bedroom. Before we moved in, there was wall paper up for a number of years (as per the house selling photos and when we moved in, house was for sale for 2 years), and when I removed the paper there was no marks or issues with the wall. Now since then there is a very moldy corner next to the ceiling. I have had previous work done to my roof and the water streaming down the walls has since ceased, however there is now no water but just mold. I have washed this continually but can't get rid of it. Do I paper over it? I have found thermal like wall paper that states it is damp and mold proof. Or do I paint with anti mold paint? Or should I pay to have someone out to look at this?

Any help of advice would be appreciated.


texts: How to install crown molding or valance board around a cabinet?

texts:
I am replacing the cabinets in my kitchen and am going to be installing some crown molding (actually a valance board and then crown molding) around the top of the cabinets, as in this picture.

The front part of the wall cabinet sticks out a fraction of an inch (about 1/4) from the side of the cabinet. It appears in this picture they just left a gap and installed the crown molding at an angle across the side of the cabinet. Is this the 'standard' way to handle the fact that the cabinet is not perfectly square/rectangle, or is there a better way to handle the fact that the front sticks out a little further then the sides?


texts:
I've purchased a 4ft tubular thermostatic heater for my garage to hopefully keep the frost/moisture at bay.

I have two options to install it either at the top or the wall near the roof, or near the floor.

Where would be the best place to install it to get the best use out of it?

(My garage roof is insulated but the walls are not, if that makes any difference)


texts: So I have a York diamond 80 furnace and the motherboard burned out so Lowe’s came and replaced it. I’ve been using the heater because it’s winter right now but the other day I accidentally hit the cool button on my thermostat and it sounded like something popped so I checked it out the wiring and realized the 3A fuse blew out. But I noticed that the thermostat wiring is different from before Lowe’s installed the new motherboard. the thermostat has (W with W) (G with G) (Y with Y) (R with RC) as it should because they never touched the thermostat but on the mother board of the furnace which is the part that Lowe’s switched out they have (W and G) jumped  together and the rest of the colors match with the thermostat before they installed that motherboard I knew that W was by itself and G was by itself I don’t know why they would jump W with G together but can that cause my unit to be faulty


texts: White wire connected to two black wires and ceiling fan?

texts:
I'm installing a brand-new ceiling fan in our living room. I don't know what was installed there before, but there's one black wire, and two black wires connected to a white wire (*this SE link describes the exact same issue*):

I decided to install the ceiling fan. The ceiling fan comes with an electric box that has a black wire and a white wire that looks like this:

I connected the black wire from the ceiling to the black wire of the box, and the black/black/white combination from the ceiling to the white wire in box.
I checked the black cable on the other side of the box (the one that will be connected to the actual fan) and it's hot.
Once I installed everything, I try to turn on the fan with the remote. The fan doesn't do anything. I then connected the lights, and the lights don't do anything. The remote is working fine, so that's not the issue.
I was thinking that the fan is possibly defective (even if it's new) or that I wired something incorrectly.
What can the issue be?
Any help is appreciated.


texts: Refrigerator temperature fluctuates wildly

texts:
I have an Electrolux Icon french door refrigerator left to us by the previous apartment owners. It has no model/serial sticker on it and they told us it was a gift from a relative.

After two years of use the temperature in both, cooler and freezer compartments started to fluctuate, ice began melting and 'High Temp' alarm would go off. But then the temps would suddenly go back to normal i.e. -20C and +1C cooler and freezer respectively, as if nothing happened before.

I used a portable temperature logger to record the temperature and got a constant seesaw every 2 hrs temperature goes up to almost +10C then briefly drops to normal (-20C freezer / +1C cooler) and immediately starts creeping up again. Once every a 24 hrs there is one longer 4 hrs cycle.

I tried adjusting the temperature setting, but to no avail. What can be causing this and what can I do to fix it?

Cooler temperature graph:
Freezer temperature graph: (for a different day)

UPDATE

The refrigerator stopped cooling at all. But I can still hear the compressor running. Virtually all the time.

Could it be that the refrigerant was leaking and now it has completely run out?


texts: Latex paint peeling off oil based paint. How do I apply a new layer of paint?

texts:
As I understand it, a few years ago, latex paint was applied on top of oil based paint.

The top layer of paint is now peeling off. Would like to apply a new coat of latex paint, but I'm unsure how to proceed.

Do I need to sand?
Should I apply a primer?
Some other process?

Thanks!


texts: How can I clean the condenser coils on my Maytag freezer

texts:
The freezer part of the refrigerator in my kitchen is warm and I've come to realize the coils are quite dusty. But Maytag (and, I guess, Whirlpool) freezers don't have flat coils that I can easily brush or vacuum off.  They are sort of W shaped with the trough going across the width of the fridge so I can only really see the leading edge of the first "fold."

I found one suggestion of using a compressor to blow off the coils then clean up the dust behind but that seems to have only really affected the first section.  Another suggestion was to empty the fridge and tip it or lay it back and clean from underneath. I hate to think about that but I'm out of ideas.  Anyone here smarter than me? :-)


texts: Is there a way to snake a wire through a pitched ceiling with only 2 holes?

texts:
I'm in the middle of a second floor bathroom remodel (down to the studs) and I have been using this opportunity to install outlets, ethernet, phone (from a VoIP modem), and coax (for an attic antenna). While I was working, one of the smoke detector's batteries started dying and I realized I should also take this opportunity to install wired smoke detectors too. It seems like one needs its batteries replaced every month or 2.
I have a plan/access to wire the ones in the basement, first, and second floors, but I have no idea how to snake a line through the pitched ceiling of the partially finished attic (which my wife uses as an artist studio).
The attic has no interior walls. The ceiling is about a 45 degree pitch starting from 2 or 3 feet from the floor. There are 3 dormers. There is a single ceiling light. Walls and ceiling are plaster/lath. The house was built in 1920. It's an American Foursquare.
Ideally the detector would go in the center of the room (where the battery one is currently), but I could put it elsewhere.
I could possibly tap into the power from the ceiling light near the current detector, but that wire is likely a 14/2 and the smoke detectors use a 14/3 (to talk to one another). Maybe there exist wired smoke detectors that talk to one another via RF?
If there is no way around opening up the ceiling in multiple places, I may just install a box under the attic floor (going to the second floor detector) so I can tap into that and open up the ceiling to do a full install at a later date. I'm just hoping someone knows a trick.


texts: Will running cable near metal stair railing cause interference?

texts: I want to increase the range of my router on the upper floor, for gaming in another room. For this, the cable will have to run alongside metal stair railing. Will this cause interference? Will the use of STP/Coax cable reduce this interference? Secondly, the cables are gonna run outside the wall below electric sockets(about 24 cm away), will there be any problems due to this?


texts: Working on my basement and this part of the HVAC covers the corner of that window. Can it be re-routed or reconfigured to fit around the window better? It connects to the kitchen upstairs.


texts:
I recently went shopping to replace a cheap electric bench grinder that came with my property gave up the ghost.   I noticed that all the bench grinders I looked at have 2 sharpening wheels.
I have also watched a video where the person replaced the a sharpening wheel with a polishing wheel.
Is there a particular reason I should know of as to why grinders have 2 grinding wheels rather then 1 grinding wheel and one polishing wheel?    Is it a bad idea to [permanently] replace one of the grinding wheels?


texts:
A few days ago, the bathrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floor of my townhouse stopped getting any hot water. Nothing comes out of the faucets when they are turned all the way to the hot side. The cold water works fine. The kitchen on the main floor and bathroom in the basement still receive hot and cold water.

On the day this happened, we checked our smart thermostat and it shows that the basement was under 10 degrees Celsius, and main floor was around 14 degrees. The weather outside in Toronto was around high -10s and low -20s. We suspect this has caused a section of the hot water pipe to freeze and have been keeping all areas of the house around 23 degrees for 3-4 days now, but a couple things don't seem to make sense if this suspicious is true:

How does/did the hot water pipe freeze before the cold water pipe?
How has running heaters near the walls and increasing internal temperatures not melted or thawed the problem sections yet?
We have been keeping a couple of the faucets on the 2nd and 3rd floors slightly open to relieve any pressure buildup. With only the hot water tap turned on, sometimes nothing comes out and at other times, a slow stream of cold water comes out.

Townhouse was built in 2012. Water boiler/heater is in garage. Heating works fine. Water pressure in working areas (basement and main floor) seem fine. I have no idea what is going on. The weather is not going to warm up anytime soon and I want to prevent any further damage or complications.

Photos of faucets: https://imgur.com/a/lIjIK

Any suggestions/advice/tips are welcome! Thanks!


texts: Is there a cheaper alternative to plexiglass?

texts:
I want to cover a small area to be  usable in the winter / rain.
I am thinking of using some transparent or semi/transparent material to allow light to pass and to be discreet.
I found Plexiglas, but I still think it's a bit expensive per square/mt for the work I want to do. I am not even really sure that will work the way I want to. Is there a cheaper alternative?


texts:
I have a new 100W Towel Warmer to be installed in the bathroom. The towel warmer is a plug-in type but can apparently be converted to a hard wired model.

I want to install it within reach of the shower, and control it with an electronic timer near the bathroom door (6' from the shower). Power would come from the GFCI outlet next to the sink to the switch then to the towel warmer.

Questions:

I think the location of the towel warmer being within reach of the shower is code compliant as it is outside the footprint of the shower/tub. Am I correct in thinking that this is code compliant?
Any issues with pulling power from the bathroom GFCI to the electronic timer then to the towel warmer?


texts: How to configure my modern Tv to pick up broadcast channels?

texts:
I have a Samsung T260HD TV that in the past I've used only with cable/xbox/computer. I have gotten rid of cable for all the obvious reasons but would still like to get the broadcast channels. Here I am running into issues as every time I invoke the automatic "channel scan" it turns up empty.

I am in an urban area not surrounded by any large buildings (downtown New Orleans) so I suspect I am doing something wrong.

Question 1: It seems like I should be able to get a strong signal here at least from some channel. Is that false? Is there somewhere that I can test coverage?

One thing that I find odd that I cannot understand the use of is that when I go to Channel -> Auto Program -> Auto I see 2 different selectors which I have to choose before starting.

Analog

STD
HRC
IRC

Digital

STD
HRC
IRC

Question 2: What are these options? How do I find the correct combination?

Finally, I do not have anything connected to the TV sans the power. Do I need to get some sort of antenna? I suspect that is not the issue as I can't even get a weak signal - I get no signal at all.

Question 3: If I get an antenna to help catch a broadcast signal, I'm not sure where it would plug in? This thing has every connection in the world (one of the main reasons I bought it) but how do antennas connect to modern TVs? Old timey ones had exposed cables that you manually twisted to an antenna to extend their reach but what about new ones? Do they plug into the cable jack?


texts: how much clearance does a US Stove Company model 1269E need to have from cement board walls and floor

texts: I am installing a Model 1269E United States Stove Company wood burning stove in my worksho


texts: What controls the min/max brightness of a dimmer switch light

texts:
I have a room with the main light on a dimmer switch.

If I turn the switch all the way down, then the light doesn't go off. And indeed, it doesn't even go all that far down.

I'd like the minimum to be lower (ideally off). What controls that?

Is it solely a function of the bulb? solely the dimmer switch? A combination of the two?

If it's determined by the dimmer switch, then is that something I can modify on the switch? If not, then what property should I be looking at when I buy the replacement switch? What value determines the intensity of the light at the lowest bound?

I assume that for the maximum brightness, I don't care about anythign except the bulb ... I just need to get a higher Wattage bulb, just as I would do for a regular, non-Dimmable switch.

Is that right?


texts: How do I easily tell if vent below microwave is vented to the exterior?

texts:
We had a house built recently and there's a vent on the wall where the microwave is on the exterior of the house, but it doesn't seem like anything is coming out of this vent when we turn it on while cooking food on our stove top (which is directly below the microwave). We leave the fan on for twenty minutes and it makes a loud noise and doesn't really do anything. And in the winter, I don't feel any cold air coming from the bottom of the microwave.

While the house was still being built, we noticed that there was no hole cut out in the wall for the vent (they said they would do that when the microwave is installed). Is there an easy way to know if that was done or could there be another issue at play here?


texts: How can I fix my leaky bathtub faucet with minimal damage to the wall?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How to fix a bathtub faucet that leaks only when the shower runs?

Our bathtub faucet leaks a steady stream of water.  Sometimes this will temporarily slow to a drip if I am a little more firm in tightening the valves or switch the water flow from faucet to shower head but it eventually comes back.

Here are some pictures to illustrate the setup:

I saw a wonderful response here: How to fix a bathtub faucet that leaks only when the shower runs? It's not quite the same but I can see the similarities. I'm still confused though.

Do the symptoms I'm experiencing suggest a faulty valve? If not, how should I troubleshoot?
Is it possible to replace the valve with minimal damage to the wall?  I'm wary of having to tear down the tile/wall to get access to area.
Since this is likely a very old setup (40-50 years old) are there any "gotchas" I need to be careful for? Are parts going to be harder to find? Will I need special tools (in addition to the Shower Valve Socket Wrench)?


texts: Yes, I'm dumb - I drilled into wall backing my electrical panel

texts: so... I was drilling into a wall and the drill was having a hard time. I figured I just needed to keep going and I did and it finally went through. Afterwards I realized my electrical panel was directly behind that wall and then noticed metal shavings around. What are the chances I have a huge problem??!!!


texts: I've got an Olimpia Splendid Ellisse HP portable heat pump with strange/incorrect thermostat readings. According to another thermometer the room temperature is currently 16.9C, the heat pump thermostat reads 22C, that is a significant 5C difference. That means to warm the room to 21-22C the heat pump must be set to 27-28C. When I set the heat pump to 27C (max) it will only run for a few minutes before it thinks it has heated the room to 27C. What's wrong with this thing? It is a brand new unit.


texts: For a 26ft outside load bearing wall i am opening up with 2 26ft lvl, Will I need a support column in the middle or can i just do the support columns on both ends. I  have enlarged my kitchen. Now I need to remove the existing outside load bearing wall for the open floor plan.


texts:
I have a Generac Guardian 22kw hardwired in via an RTS switch. When the power goes out (and it does so fairly often) the generator kicks on automatically and there is barely a flicker in the lights.
However I am all about redundancy. I also have a 15kw "portable" generations that I would like to be able to use as a backup to my backup should the 22kw go down during a blizzard or something. I have several 50amp welding and RV plugs. Could I wire up an inlet box and provide power that way? As long as the RTS switch is flipped and keeping it shut off from the main power line that should be fine right? Am I missing anything? Thanks!


texts: Putting 2cm granite on top of plywood and adhensive

texts:
I posted a question here about my idea for outdoor granite countertop:

Granite countertop installation on top of 4x4 outdoor

I found a 2 cm countertop piece (without the thick L-shape edges) as it's just flat on all 4 sides. You could say it's unfinished but since the sides are all shiny, I like it the way it is.

If I put it on outdoor plywood and glue using granite adhesive, is that enough? I am afraid the piece still moves because the 4 sides don't have the thick edges.


texts: Losing ceiling fans after the lightest thunderstorms. How to ascertain the cause?

texts:
At my home after the lightest thunderstorms we end up losing ceiling fans - they fail to rotate. The fans' winding gets damaged despite power cuts enforced by the power supply company (they cut power during thunderstorms) and we turning off the mains. As a result, during every rainy season, we end up repairing all our fans multiple times.

We are often told by electricians that -

This is common in RCC ceilings as the surge often travels through the reinforcement's iron rods and ends up making a contact with the hook that hangs the ceiling fans
There could be some wiring issue

How can I troubleshoot this and ascertain the root cause?


texts: Polymeric sand or replace original paver sand?

texts:
My back patio is made from closely placed paver bricks.  Weeds and moss grow up from between the cracks.  I've pressure washed the whole area off, removed all of the moss, and pulled out all of the weeds.
Should I replace the original paver sand that was between the bricks or try to use polymeric sand?  I'm worried that, with closely placed bricks, I won't be able to get the polymeric sand down into the cracks.
It rains a lot here, BTW.
Thanks!


texts: How do I connect original to new wiring when repairing an electrical fault in an AC unit?

texts:
The AC failed at a neighbor's house and the problem was quickly diagnosed as electrical.

I saw that a few of the wires had corroded and one had actually burnt through.  The unit is only 5-6 years old.  I had some connectors and 14ga Romex wire on me and I was able to repair the unit so that it will keep her cool for the day.  But I saw that the wiring was 18ga and thickly insulated.

I am assuming I need to pick up the appropriate wiring and do I need to do anything special on the connection from AC wiring to replacement beyond applying a nut and tape?


texts: Fastest way to apply light colour on a wallpaper

texts:
I rent a house in which the living room has the most awful wallpaper ever. At the same time I don't want to put too much effort in fixing that because I intend to move in a year or two at most.

I need a quick and dirty way to put some light colour in place of that wallpaper. I was thinking I could just paint on it, but because I want it to be super easy (and I don't mind the result is low quality) I don't want to have to put several layers.

Is there a light colour paint for which a single layer is enough on a wallpaper with intricate patterns on it? It must not have a strong and toxic smell to it because we need the living room all the time and there's a small kid in the family.

It also has to be relatively cheap. Am I dreaming or can such a paint be found?

If not, what other options would I have?


texts:
I have two heat pumps, in an all electric house. Unfortunately they both seemed to have stopped working at nearly exactly the same time. I have called for qualified repairman, but they won't be out to my house for 3 days.

In the interim, the emergency heat mode works just fine. I have not however, been able to find the wattage of the heat coils in the air handlers for the emergency mode.

Is there a general answer as to whether or not the emergency heat or electric space heaters will be more efficient for short-term heating of my house while I'm waiting for the heat pumps to be fixed? If it makes any difference, I'm setting the temperature at the thermostat to 16 C.

Is there a place on the air handlers, where the wattage for the heat coils can normally be found?


texts:
After many pitfalls, I have gotten my new dryer working.  It's a Kenmore 81182 electric dryer. (Manual from sears; Sears website).  Very long story short, the neutral wire at the breaker box wasn't tight, at all, not in the least (how my previous dryer ran 10 years is a mystery).

Got that squared away, but I am wondering if the 30amp dryer should be on a dedicated 50amp breaker.  I had it off for two days and noticed all other appliances working in the house (fridge, washer, dishwasher, oven, stove, central heat/air).  The panel at the box is not labelled, but a nice little piece of cardboard inside the box labels the slot "dryer".

Shouldn't this appliance be a 30amp breaker? Or am I misreading "minimum circuit rating = 30amp"?  Hope this question falls to DIY.SE.


texts: Is my existing electrical feed to my detached garage safe?

texts:
Recently bought a house with a suspicious electrical setup running to a detached garage. Garage is about 70 feet from the main panel. Feeding the garage is 10/3 Romex with no ground wire on a 30amp breaker. The romex is fed to the garage from the roof of the house overhead. Inside the junction box in the garage is a mess - 10 gauge pigtailed with 10,12 and 14 garage wire feeding several outlets, lights and switches (see second picture).
Would love some advice on whether or not this is a safe enough setup. We have no need for 30amp power so I’m wondering if I can just change the breaker from 30a to 20a.
Also, concerned that there is no ground wire and how to remedy without installing a sub panel.
Thank in advance for any advice!
[1


texts: I plugged in a Space Heater to my outlet, now my outlet doesn't work. Power still on

texts:
I'm a college kid living in my first house (not dorm) who knows absolutely nothing about electrical systems. I found the breaker box(?) in the back yard but have no idea what I would have to flip to even troubleshoot. Any help would be appreciated. The problem is summarized in the title.
In addition to my specific outlet not working, an outlet in an adjacent room also doesn't work. I still have power and just moved my PC to another outlet.


texts: What should I use to seal the hole where my central air enters the house?

texts:
Wood foundation house with vinyl siding. The hole that was made to allow the lines for my central air conditioner to enter the house is basically wide open - the silicone/caulking that was around the hole has eroded or something, and when I look at the hole from inside the house (in my furnace room) I can see clear through to the outside - I can see daylight. I was thinking of spraying some expanding foam into the hole, then using caulk to seal around the hole, but I'm wondering if that's the correct approach. Has anyone on here ever done this before?

thanks!


texts:
I live in a 3 bedroom shared house and want to reduce the noise that the bathroom door makes when it closes.

I tried to find a photo of the door.  It's basically a old mansion block of apartments in London.  The door has a brass knob and stained glass is about an inch thick wooden.  I don't know if you can picture the old type of door I am describing?  It's very badly sealed.  When the door is closed it makes a loud sound when the door touches the door frame, then you twist the knob and then it springs back slightly - all the doors inside the apartment are the same and this one wakes me up at night.

Any ideas?


texts: What is this strange plumbing on my sump pump drain?

texts:
From documentation left with our house we know that our sump pump used to empty into the sanitary sewer. In the early 90’s the home owners took advantage of a city grant that paid for moving the drain to the storm sewer. We assume that the pictured drain pipes were installed at that time. We have a receipt that indicates the work was done by a professional plumber and we suspect that it was probably inspected by the city at the time.
In the lower right of the picture, the drain leaves the front of the house toward the storm sewer.  Our front yard slopes downhill, so this level should be comfortably above the level of the storm sewer itself.  From the upper left corner of the picture the pipe continues through the ceiling to the back of the house where it drops fairly directly into the pump.
Question 1 - What is the purpose of the upside-down U bend and the split into two separate pipes which then rejoin halfway down the wall?
Question 2 - If I were to simplify this pipe, is there something that might go wrong?
I've asked two different professional plumbers who were in the house for other reasons and neither had any ideas.


texts: Will showering with the fan on and bathroom door open prevent mold?

texts:
I have a room mate who loves to just sit in the shower tub with the shower raining over him. He sits in the shower for 2 hours or longer easily (not over exaggerated), just watching youtube videos. He's also taking steam showers. He showers very very hot, producing a lot of steam and causing water to literally drip down the drywall.
The fan in the bathroom simply cant work that hard and suck up all the moisture fast enough. I have told him many many times to take a bath instead because we're guaranteed getting mold development, but he gives me an excuse that he prefers the rain showers.
If the bathroom fan is on AND the bathroom door is open, keeping the temperature in the bathroom cooler, does that resolve the moisture/mold problem? Or are you guaranteed getting mold no matter what if you steam shower and shower that long?
I am also not sure if leaving the bathroom door open would be a good idea, potentially having the moist air going outside of the bathroom as well.
We constantly argue over this and we're both adults so I can't really do much to him in terms of treating him like a child and shutting off the main water supply or something like that so I'm really looking for a second opinion that I can show him.
A compromise would also work,  such as a fan on AND bathroom door open. If that's the golden solution to prevent mold with long steam showers then that's acceptable for me as well. He is paying for the extra heat and water charges anyway. I just don't want mold in this still brand new house.


texts: Right way to disassemble radiator piping?

texts:
I have an old house with a radiator system, and am needing to take a radiator out. While some of the radiators in my house have nuts on both ends of the radiator, making it easy to remove, this one only has a nut on one end. On the other end is a straight pipe coming out of the radiator, which threads into a 90-degree elbow, and so on.

There's so much paint on the pipe that I can't tell whether the end connecting to the radiator is threaded or whether it's a part of the radiator itself. Thinking it was likely threaded, I tried holding the elbow still while cranking on the pipe, but it wouldn't budge. Before I get out the sawzall or crank more on the pipe, I thought I'd get others' thoughts on what the right way of going about this is.

Is there a way to disconnect the pipe from the radiator? If I used a sawzall, am I ruining a part of the radiator itself? Or could I sawzall it and somehow get the ends of the cut pipe out of the radiator and the elbow, and then replace the pipe w/a better solution that has a nut? I need to be able to re-install the radiator later in the same location.


texts:
I have a regular 2 socket, 15 amp outlet in my garage. I need to run my miter saw and shopvac at the same time, the saw draws 15A and the shopvac 8.5A.

I've currently been running them off one outlet through a 50 foot 14AWG extension cord with a 3 way splitter at the end. The other socket is running to a power strip by an extension cord that is powering by workbench light.

It hasn't tripped the breaker so far.

I know very little about electricity and it's boundaries, how bad is my current set up? What risks are there with this?

UPDATE:
I found an old kill-a-watt meter and tried it out on the setup, here are the results.

Miter saw only
Startup (Peak): 18A
Saw running: 7.5A
Saw cutting: 10A

Shop vac only
Startup (Peak): 12A
Running: 8.4A

Saw and Shop vac:
Shopvac running and then starting saw (peak): 21.6A
Both running: 16A
Both running and saw cutting: 18A

I notice the saw bogs down a bit while cutting and both are running, seems perhaps the motor isn't getting the juice it needs?

I think the answer is clear, I need to get one on another circuit. I thought these were interesting and wanted to share.


texts: How to bond both ends of raceway containing grounding electrode conductors?

texts:
At my home I have a detached garage which has sorely needed to have its single branch circuit upgraded to a proper underground feeder, subpanel, the whole works. I didn't want the grounding electrode conductors out flapping in the breeze and thought it would look nice and be better protected too if I run them through EMT down to the soil. That's where I ran afoul of NEC 250.64(E)(1). I need some help figuring out how to do it right.
The code states "Ferrous metal raceways and enclosures for grounding electrode conductors shall be electrically continuous from the point of attachment to cabinets or equipment to the grounding electrode and shall be securely fastened to the ground clamp or fitting. Ferrous metal raceways and enclosures shall be bonded at each end of the raceway or enclosure to the grounding electrode or grounding electrode conductor to create an electrically parallel path." Now, I could just use PVC instead of ferrous and avoid all this, but that wouldn't look nice next to the shiny new RMC risers!

Here at the main panel I had enclosed the GECs in EMT conduit but had to remove it and leave the GECs exposed to partly-pass inspection and get utility power re-connected. There are two GEC because I installed two ground rods with a separate wire to each. At point A there's a 3/4" knockout so I believe I can use a set-screw connector and a lock nut to bond an EMT to the panel. Is that sufficient? The other end of the conduit, where GECs would exit at point B, must also be bonded to the GEC. Can I bond to just one of the GECs, or must bond to both? (Maybe I should eliminate one of them.) What is the name of the bonding connector I'd use at B?

The other end is much more complicated. Conduit comes out of the ground, LB and a conduit stub to get through the wall to a 10x10x4 box, then 2" EMT rising up to the subpanel. At point C in the subpanel I need an insulated grounding bushing because there's an eccentric knockout which impairs the conduit bond to the panel. Does the GEC have to be connected to the bushing, or can I just install a #6 jumper wire from bushing to ground bar in the panel?
At D the EMT connector goes into a (slightly oversized) hole cut in the box; does that qualify as bonded? At E there's a set screw connector in a right-size hole. Is that sufficient? Then there's F, the LB fitting. How does the LB get bonded? (Actually.. it is probably be non-ferrous, so maybe it is exempt). Finally at G I'll need the same connector as at B.
Switching to PVC would be so much easier, but.. if there's a reasonable way of getting it done to meet code with metal raceway I'd like to attempt it. That LB is in full sun and a PVC LB would start looking awful real quick.


texts: Why do our windows collect condensation?

texts:
All of our windows vapour. They have been replaced about ~10 years ago.

From outside the house got ~10 cm dryvit. The house was built out of "grey silicon" bricks.

We have heating with Co-firing, with buffer tank.

We always heat up every room, every time.

Question: what could the cause of the vapouring be?

UPDATE: maybe the windows are out of argon? or never had any? how do I know?

UPDATE#2: The water is inside the house, I can touch it with my finger.


texts: What is this cable in my yard, why is it exposed, and what can I do about it?

texts:
UPDATE 5/25 - The electric company spliced and re-buried the cables. It's a 120V line and should have been buried at least a foot below ground. They'll come by again to locate the rest of the line leading up to our electrical box and trench it deeper if it's too shallow. I added a photo of the progress so far.
Usually I'm pretty careful when I mow, but last time I got careless and accidentally hit this exposed cable with the mower.
I'm not sure what this is for or why it's exposed in the first place, but it's pretty close to the green electrical pillar outside our house. The outside sheathing is rubber and and the inside looks like a twisted steel cable with a bit of PVC pipe.
Any idea what this is or what I can do to bury it? Do I need to get our utilities/electric company involved?

UPDATE - Spliced and buried.


texts: Repair drywall and protect wires on back of electrical panel

texts:
My electrician had to cut drywall on the back side of a wall that has a new electrical panel mounted. The back side is the kitchen (the panel is facing into the living room). The feeder and a bunch of existing circuits came from above. The electrician wanted to notch it out of a structural beam, but I didn't want that much damage to the beam.

See pictures below for what it looks like right now. I don't want to just put some drywall over here, because somebody in the future could screw into it and hit the 100A feeder or any of the other circuits. I'm thinking of putting a wood cover over the vertical wall piece, and some drywall to cover the ceiling. I figured if I leave the screws exposed it might be clear that this is an access panel with something behind it, and they shouldn't screw into it. I also thought about putting some sheet metal behind it, but I'm not sure how thick it would have to be to prevent nails and screws from penetrating it and hitting the wires.

Two questions:
- what should I do for the vertical part of the wall
- How can I make a good transition from the drywall in the ceiling to the vertical access door.


texts: When wiring a switch loop, which wire is which?

texts:
If you're wiring up a lighting circuit, where the power enters at the lighting outlet. According to the National Electrical Code, which wire should be "hot" and which should be "switched hot"?
Question in graphical form:

Bonus points if you can reference relevant code section(s).


texts: What do the neutral and ground connectors in outlets connect to?

texts:
I have reviewed the answers and explanations about switching from 4 prong to 3 prong connections on a clothes dryer and grounds and neutral wires and the old way and the safer new way and the 240 volt phase shift that makes it possible to use the old (3 prong) neutral connection as a ground or substitute ground for the green wire when changing from 4 prong to 3 prong. I have a two part question which if I know the answer I think it will help me get the full grasp of this.

A) On the older 3 prong dryer outlet (NEMA 10-30), what is the neutral or ground connected to under the house (water pipe? nothing?)

B) On the newer 4 prong dryer outlet (NEMA 14-30), what are the 2 neutral/ground connectors connected to? (same water pipe? different water pipe?)


texts:
I know that every electric motor produces some ozone, it's unavoidable. Most of the time I don't notice it. We had a Honeywell HEPA room air purifier (basically a fan which pulls in room air through a carbon prefilter and a nested HEPA filter, traps most dust and pollen) in the kids' room for years with no problem, changing filters as necessary, but last year the room started smelling more and more like ozone whenever the purifier was on. Finally it got to the point where I'd start coughing as soon as I stepped into the room.

Hoping that it was just a motor going bad, we bought two more air purifiers, from different stores -- and both of them started producing an ozone smell after a day also.

Fortunately my kids aren't suffering from allergies currently so we've just turned it off.

Any ideas what's going on?