texts:
I'm trying to install a chandelier which comes with 2 black wires and a ground of course.  The box is at the end of a 3 way run with a white, a black, a red and a ground.  I know what to do with the ground.

Do I connect one black to the red and the other black to the black and cap the white? or
Do I connect both the red and black to one of the blacks and the white to the other black?


texts:
I am living in an apartment in Belgium. My bedroom radiator is basically useless; it's about 1m long but only the left 10cm ever gets warm.

I have been told to bleed the radiator by opening the valve and letting the pressurized system fill the radiator with water, pushing air out until the water starts leaking out of the valve. This, however, is not working for me. I have tried leaving the valve open for weeks and nothing ever changes. I have also tried opening and closing the main radiator valve. When I close it, I hear a hiss from the bleed valve. When I open it... I also hear a hiss from the bleed valve.

I suspect that I have somehow actually worsened the problem as when I first moved here the radiator was maybe 50% operational; now it's 10%.

Is it possible that I am allowing air INTO the radiator rather than letting it escape? Is there some magic combination of "open bleed valve, open radiator, close bleed valve, close radiator" that I need to try?

I have read other DIY sites on the net but basically they say what I've already tried, or talk about turning off the central heating system which is not possible in my apartment building.

I have tried contacting the landlord but it's a monumental task to get her to take any action. That is a separate issue I'm dealing with; right now I just want to feel comfortable.

My fingers are freezing making it hard to type, so I'll wrap this up :D

[UPDATE]

I managed to get it working, but I think it's more magic than anything. A combination of turning the radiator on / off/ leaving the valve open / closed and it started working again. For the moment I simply vow not to touch it anymore!


texts: Is it dangerous to use polyisocyanurate without covering it with drywall?

texts: I would like to glue sheets of polyisocyanurate to one basement wall which is very cold in the winter. Due to plumbing and electrical panels, I will not be able to cover the polyiso with drywall.  Are there any dangers to glue this to an open cinder block basement wall and not cover it?  Thanks in advance for your guidance.


texts: How to secure a box on my window's exterior sill?

texts:
Below is a picture of how the exterior sill of my window looks like.
I want to put some kind of a small box/container on the exterior sill and I want to ensure that it is secure and doesn't fall off the window. The window opens towards the inside.
Additionally, I also want to ask if it is possible to do it securely without damaging the exterior of the building with bolts or nails.
I have tried sometimes placing small pots on the exterior sill and they fit nicely, but only for a short time, as I'm afraid that they could fall.
I was thinking of placing some kind of a barrier?
Any ideas would be appreciated.


texts:
So, I've got some 12"x12"x1/4" tile laid over a concrete floor. I'm cleaning up between the tiles getting ready to grout and I notice I can see some concrete between and underneath (the small amount i can see) the tiles. I recorded this video showing me striking the tiles. The corners that don't look well supported by thiset have an obvious knock sound.

Is this tile doomed to crack?
Will the grout get under the tile and be supportive enough?
Should I try jumping on the tile and only replace it if it cracks?

There are at least 5 tiles like this I've found so far (not all next to each other). A third party laid the tile so I have no other knowledge than what I can see from above.

Update: These tiles are glazed ceramic (purchased on sale for $.49/sqft). I'm sure that the backs of the tiles were not moistened prior to laying. I found one tile that had about a 6"x6" notch cut out of it to fit a corner that on one of its 'legs' also has a knock but much more pronounced. I stomped on this one as best I could and it is not broken.


texts: Where could this green residue that is clogging fixture screens be coming from?

texts:
I have a big problem with green residue clogging fixture screens. There has been no recent(for the last 2 years) plumbing work in the house so it is not flux/solder residue. I have two 50 gallon tanks in series. It appears much worse on the hot water side. I am beginning to think it is a recirculation line coming of the second tank. Because that line's supply comes from the bottom of the tank I think it may be spreading settled matter from the tank.

Thoughts/Ideas?


texts: Newly painted room - paint gets "wet" then dries each day - top of wall very cold to touch

texts:
We recently moved house and are in the process of decorating.

The main bedroom had wallpaper which we stripped off back to bare plaster, which looks in good condition.

We put down a couple coats of suitable plaster paint as an undercoat, then proceeded to paint the room.

Most of the room looks absolutely fine, but as the picture shows, along the top of the wall the paint keeps going darker then returning to the correct colour throughout the day.

It is very cold to touch, so I am guessing it's moisture or damp related. It is the "external" wall of the property and the loft insulation doesn't look great.

It's a fairly consistent patch of wall and it happens every day.

We are getting someone to check the roof but thought I'd ask here for any suggestions.

Thanks for any insight.


texts: Mix a bag of 25KG self-leveling concrete with 6L of water?

texts:
I bought a 24L bucket to fit the mix of 25KG of self-leveling concrete (Thomsit DD+) and 6L of water. Now, visually inspecting the thing, I can't really tell if it's large enough to handle the amount. It seems to be but not totally sure.

Can anyone tell me if the volume fits or should I aim for a larger bucket? I'd rather not drop the bag of cement dust in the bucket and realize it's not large enough and then have to move it around.

UPDATE: This is the procedure. And their bucket size is close to mine.


texts: Difficult to start a four stroke mower when cold - how to diagnose the problem

texts:
I have a mower with a Tecumseh LV148AE / LV195EA engine that will run pretty well once it warms-up, but getting it started when cold is quite a challenge.

The way I have been able to get it started is to keep pulling on it about 20 times.  At that point, I might get it to fire once or twice.  Another 10 pulls and it'll fire again maybe five or eight times.  Finally, it'll start running.

Stopping the mower for a few minutes to empty the grass, it'll start up with one or two swift pulls.  Even if it's been off for an hour, it will startup after a few swift pulls.  But if it sits since the last time the grass was mowed, it needs that huge number of pulls to get running.

My theory is that it's not getting good compression any more.  I've ruled out fuel and spark as a problems since it runs pretty much flawlessly once it's warmed-up.

My plan is to do a bit of diagnostics the next time I need to run the mower.  I'll start by doing the 10 pulls, and I expect no firing.  Then I'll remove the spark plug, put some oil in the cylinder, and replace the spark plug.  If it immediately starts, then I'm going to presume that's because the abundant amount of oil is causing a better seal between the piston rings and the cylinder wall, giving me better compression.

Is the above diagnostic idea a valid one?

EDIT:
Squirting oil in the cylinder did not make much difference.  My next attempt is a new plug.  The existing plug looks good and is properly gapped, but I'll try the plug next (simple things first).

Another idea is if the muffler is causing too much back-pressure, so if the plug doesn't help, I'll take the muffler off for another quick test.

EDIT: Additions based on comments

The mower has a bulb to press, and I've used it as directed.
I have tried starting fluid, but it doesn't have much impact, which is why I was thinking it wasn't a fuel issue.
I can get an entire new carburetor, delivered, for $10, which I will try after I replace the plug.
Smoke is not a symptom, so that aligns with the oil in cylinder test not having improvement.
When I say "cold" I mean North Carolina spring cold, as in 50F.  The winter might have gotten down to 20F, though.
There is no manually operable choke mechanism.
I do not see a fuel filter in the parts diagram.

Last EDIT:

Replaced the carburetor (see my answer, below)


texts: Is it necessary to protect a (half full) propane tank from freezing temperatures?

texts:
The title line says it all. I know um.. empirically that it's ok, but I'd like to hear a confirmation of safety and/or a more extensive empirical experiment.

The tank in question is a BBQ tank measuring about 1 ft in diameter and about 1 1/2 ft in height.

Edit

Let me just add car gasoline tanks as a reference for comparison. The lore from folks who own a car they do not drive in winter is to fill the tank in Fall, then to park the car in the garage with the tank full. (The typical garage is not heated, but it absorbs heat from the adjacent structure, and so as an extreme the temperature can get close to freezing—32F/0C.) If the tank is left half-full, water condenses (and so Harper's description makes sense), but it condenses inside the tank. Needless to say, come Spring the engine is not too happy to be fed  gasoline contaminated with water.

Will water condense in a similar way inside a propane tank left outside in freezing temperatures (of as low as 15F/-10C, say)?


texts: uncontrollable heating in multi unit apt

texts: I have a 6 unit 2 story apt bldg which has only one basement furnace controlled by one thermostat from the first  floor apt #1. The duct work has dampers to each unit. the problem is that the temp in unit #1 dictates how hot or cold the rest of the apts are. Is there anything that can be done to even out the heating?


texts: Electrical outlet is reading “correct wiring” but doesn’t work

texts: Last night I noticed the fridge in my garage was no longer working. I unplugged the fridge and plugged a cell phone charger into the same outlet and it didn’t work either, I checked the circuit breaker and nothing was tripped and I tested and reset the GFCI outlets. I used a voltage detector pen and it indicated the outlet had power. I then used a receptacle tester and it indicated hot/ground reversed. So I checked all the outlets in the string leading to the main breaker and couldn’t find any with the hot and neutral reversed.  I installed a couple new outlets anyway and disconnected and then reconnected the neutral wires. Now the receptacle tester says correct wiring but the outlets still do not work. Help?


texts: Killing mold IN drywall using Borax solution - what now?

texts:
My family is renovating an apartment and someone thought there was mold inside some drywall that showed water stains from when there was a leak in upstairs apartment.

This person prepared a Borax water solution using 20 Mule Team Borax (supersaturated as there was still powder at the bottom after vigorous mixing), gouged some holes in the wall and sprayed the solution into the wall. Their plan was to kill the mold inside the wall and plaster over the gouges so as to save money by not hiring a mold-removal specialist and avoid replacing the drywall.

I am skeptical of this plan and turn to this community to ask:

Does this plan have any merit?
How can I tell if there really is mold in the wall?
How can I tell if the mold is all dead after the Borax solution was sprayed into the wall?
Will paint and plaster be enough to cover up any surviving mold and keep it contained in the dry wall?


texts: How to remove WD-40 from kitchen surfaces?

texts:
I placed some rusty steel pieces on a plastic or rubber kitchen cutting board and covered the pieces with several lubricants and solvents, including WD-40.

Although the combination loosened the rust successfully, my friend told me that the cutting board should leave the kitchen forever because there was no way to clean it thoroughly enough for it to be a safe food preparation surface.  It was/is my favorite cutting board.

Should I move it to the workshop now or is there a way to scrub and rinse it well enough for safe food preparation?


texts:
I could really use some professional advise here. I removed a piece of rotten trim I found while cleaning the gutters. The problem is pretty apparent in the photos with the gutter removed. Water followed the roof at the bottom of the rake and found its way in because there was really nothing stopping it.

How would a professional have avoided this???

I am not a carpenter and my best thought solution is not pretty. (continue the step flashing down to the end of the rake board, and cut a piece of trim to fit under it) this would leave about a half inch gap between the rake board and the flashing and would not be too pretty as you can imagine. That solution would carry the rain water over the end of the gutter also which I would like to avoid. You will also notice that a triangle piece of trim would just barely cover the opening at the top of the corner molding. (not good)

I don't trust myself to come up with the best solution here. Does anybody have some sound professional advise?


texts: How do i remove masonry paint from stone slabs

texts:
I painted some outside walls yesterday and overnight it rained so the paint has run all over my brand new sandstone slabs. How do I sort this? It is currently raining/wet so should I wait til it's dry and try and scrub off (which might be weeks)  or maybe use a hose pipe or jet washer to try and wash it off straight away, or soak up with some old towels. Don't know what to do for the best! Any suggestions gratefully received. Please help :(
Thank you


texts: Connecting a 4 wire 240+120 volt hot tub to a 3 wire 240 volt circuit

texts:
I am hooking up a hot tub, which is 4 wire 240+120 volt, using an old ac line which is 3 wire 240 volt and adding a GFCI breaker as required by the state.

How do I wire that together?


texts: How do I adapt my spiral ratcheting screwdriver to use with all bits?

texts:
I have a spiral ratcheting screwdriver like the one shown below. I want to adapt it to use with all kinds of bits. This basically means putting a 1/4" hex socket on the other end.

Fig.1. Yankee spiral ratcheting screwdriver and bits

Fig.2. Closeup view of bit system and adapter

It works like this. It's an amazing and fun tool to use.

My goal is to make it usable with all kinds of bits. This basically means having the outbound end of the driver shaft be able to receive a 1/4" hex shank (the standard bit fitting).

The driver comes with what's called a "step and notch" bit system. See Fig.2. lower right. Problem is, it's outdated. They actually sell adapters on ebay. Again, shown in Fig. 2. The problem is, they are "sized" and only fit a specific size driver. Plus, they cost more than the tool itself (at least from my sources) by several multiples. So I'm seeking a more creative and universal solution. I hope any solutions might be simple, effective and cheap enough to replicate or reuse (as I have several of these drivers).

Does anyone have any ideas how I can engineer a solution to essentially copy what the adapter does in Fig.2.? I currently have a Phillips head bit in the driver right now. I was thinking some combination of gripping the existing bit with a collet or chuck (or maybe even threading the bit shank) then somehow attaching that to a quarter-inch hex socket. What would be perfect would be a double-sided chuck or collet that could grip the bit with one chuck end and the socket with the other. Know where I can find one? Or do you have a better idea?

Any thoughts or ideas would be most welcome.


texts: garage door opener motor running constantly

texts:
I have a B & D controll-a-door 4 (CAD-4) opener for a tilt garage door.  The model no. is 062200 and the unit was installed about 20 years ago.  About a week ago, the motor started running constantly, even when the door was not in use.  Needless to say, the opener does not function - just the motor running non-stop. I've had to disconnect the power supply because of the noise.

I've been told it might be a worn drive gear but when a repairman visited, he said the problem was the circuit board (although he didn't actually look at it).    He said replacing the circuit board was not an option because the (long) antenna is 28 MHz which is no longer made.  Only replacement boards with (short) 433 MHz antennas are available and they are not compatible with my unit.  He said due to its age, the whole unit would have to be replaced with a brand new opener.  Does this sound plausible?  I'm a keen re-cycler and would rather repair than replace so I'd appreciate any advice.


texts:
Is this seat removable? No, vintage.
Will this seat leak?
Will a beveled washer help if it does.
Is there anything a seat dresser can do that i cant do with a grinding stone on a dremel.

Stem. Sterling 22-1081 is a close fit.

What is the exact size of this and how do you install it?

NATIONAL BRAND ALTERNATIVE 555251 COLD RENU BARREL BIBB SEAT


texts: Attach projector screen to a ceiling... but the width does not match the studs. Ideas?

texts:
The roll-out screen has holes at the ends of the metal casing, but these don't match the distance between the studs. The screen is ~80" wide.

Also, I am looking for a portable solution where I can easily detach the rolled-up screen when not in use.

I am thinking of mounting screws with hooks (or eyes) in the studs, and

option one:

possibly using equal-length metal wire to connect the screw holes on the screen to the eyes on the screws (via carabiners or something like that)

option two:

buy a 2x2 and cut to the width of the screen,
mount the screen to the bottom of the 2x2 and
add screws with hooks to its top, matching in position the screws in the ceiling studs.

Other ideas? Possible issues with what I have planned?


texts: Installing Honeywell Wifi on Ruud Furnace with G wire replacement

texts: trying to install RTH9580. My thermostat has only 4 wires so I am trying to substitute the G wire instead of C wire. On the furnace I put a jumper between Y and G wires and moved G wire to C wire location. See pictures? I still get no power. Any ideas on the wiring on the furnace side?


texts: There is a big open pipe to the attic in my AC closet?

texts: I have a pipe that lets air from the attic into my ac closet.  This closet also has the hot water heater.  However, both of these already have vent pipes that vent out through the ceiling.  Is there a reason this hole would be there?  Its not connected to anything so i wonder if its from an old unit?  House is 45 years old


texts:
Several times, I felt some tingling when using my 30 year old grounded sawzall. Brand is Milwaukee.  I thought that was odd since it has a grounded cord, plus I was wearing hiking shoes with thick rubber soles.

I investigated the non-gfci outlet (in the garage) with a multimeter.  I was able to get ~110 volts across the two blade ports, but unable to get any voltage across either blade port and the roundish ground port.  I tried the same thing on a kitchen GFCI outlet and was able to get a voltage across one of the blade ports (the small one if I recall correctly) and the roundish ground port.

I found a nearby outlet in the house with a good ground, and used it to finish the 5 minute sawzall project, but still stuck to gripping the sawall only by the red plastic handle the black rubber boot.

I haven't determined which circuit breaker controls the receptacle, or if other recptacles on the circuit have functioning grounds.

I think the multimeter results mean the ground is not working on garage receptacle.  Is that right? how do I track down the problem?  Does the tingling also mean I have an electrical problem within the sawzall?


texts: How can I increase the height of a driveway edge at the gutter?

texts:
My driveway is near the low end of our subdivision and slopes down from the gutter. Heavy rain brings water and sand on to my driveway. I have created a drain for the water, but the sand remains, lots of it.
I had a 5 ft. section the driveway concrete removed and replaced with new concrete to the gutter to increase the height by 2 inches. Unfortunately, contractor only got it to 1 1/2 inches. I need an additional inch of height, but the contractor won't help.
My thought is to find rubber coating that I can apply in several layers. The height would increase and the rubber coating would absorb some of the shock of the bump.  This problem has been brought up here before.


texts: Light fixture still live when power turned off

texts:
I'm sorry if this is an ignorant question, but it is one that I cannot seem to figure out. When I was changing a light bulb in my ceiling pot light fixture, the power switch was turned off, and I touched the base of the lighbulb (the metal part) as I was screwing it in. I got zapped. Just a short buzz, really.

I was always under the impression that no power would be supplied to a light fixture when the power switch is off. I use a multimeter, and surely enough, the base of the lightbulb is live even when the switch was off. I tried 2 other light fixtures in the house, one was similarly wired, whereas another was as I had originally expected, where there was no live portion of the socket when the wall switch was turned off.

Does this mean that the light fixtures in question are improperly wired up? Or am I not understanding the way the light switch works?

Thanks in advance for your help, and again sorry for the noob question.


texts:
I love the single unit HVACs. I hate the unit in the attic - it has leaked so many times. Now that I am ready to replace the attic unit, I was wondering if I could have the same setup as my 1st floor DualFuel Heat Pump (single unit)

Houses are so badly designed when the downstairs unit has more power than the upstairs one, which gets hotter.

I understand there will be hell with duct replacements, but isnt there an easy way, instead of replacing all ducts and registers to just have a duct going to the place where the upstairs duct starts ? I really want a single unit and one which I dont have to bother with in the stupid attic.

I came across the reverse in this post:
Should I move the furnace upstairs to help cool the 2nd story?


texts: how to install the mounting bracket for ceiling fan

texts:
I need to install a ceiling fan, but when I looked at the fan box to hang the mounting bracket, I cannot find the screw to hang it.

i have a metal mounting bracket which I like to screw to attached to fan box


texts:
I'm brainstorming for building a cabin this summer and am wondering if anyone has had luck making a sliding barn door airtight (or at least, pretty airtight).

One cabin design I've been pondering is a south facing shed style structure with a little deck on the front. I'd like to have a way to open a significant portion of the front during non-buggy seasons and am thinking making a portion of the front wall into a sliding barn door on a runner might be a way to do that. The kicker is that I am planning to insulate the place and use it once in a while in the winter, so avoiding drafts would be a plus.


texts:
This image wall-mount setup should give a good idea of the current TV set up on the wall.

I wanted to use a SmartStrip to power my TV and all the other devices (receiver, BluRay player, Wii, cable box) so when my TV goes on standby, the SmartStrip automatically turns off (fully) all the other devices plugged into it. The guy who did the mounting did not know what he was doing (and neither did I), so he used an extension cord to make the TV power cord go down behind the wall, along the basement ceiling and come back up in a hole in the floor behind the entertainment stand! Apparently this is against code and I need to make this right ASAP. But I am still very particular about using the SmartStrip.

What is the best way to do the wiring do I can continue using the SmartStrip, not make any more holes in the wooden paneled wall and leverage the accessibility behind the TV, into the basement and back up? I have heard of solutions like PowerBridge -- is this a viable option? Is there some way to install some sort of power outlet box in the holed space behind the TV and run a code-compliant wiring along the basement ceiling and somehow leverage an electrical outlet in the wall behind the entertainment stand?


texts: How can I level a concrete floor in a basement room?

texts:
I have a room in the basement with a concrete floor that slopes 2" over 11 feet.  It's finished in that it has drywall, but there is no flooring yet.  I need to raise the floor to be level.  The room has a high corner.

Plan:

Use dry pack mud to raise the floor to level.  Use thinset on the floor prior to the deck mud to help it adhere.

Issues/Questions:

It's my understanding mud shouldn't touch drywall, so should I cut out the 2" of drywall where I need to level it?
If I should cut out the drywall, should I put backer board in it's place? (2" of concrete would be over the footer 2x4.
How thin can I go with deck mud?  I've read the thinnest I can go is 3/4 of an inch.  If that's true, what should I use to finish the last 3/4 of an inch where it feathers into the high corner?

Thank you for your help, any info or links will be appreciated.


texts: Is it possible to access an internet enabled cctv camera only over wifi

texts: I want to buy some CCTV cameras and I'm wondering if I can get an internet enabled one and access it from my own computer/iPad/phone only over wifi? Is this possible? Or does it have to be connected to the internet?


texts: Running wire through ceiling, ceiling joists blocking access to the top of the frame

texts: So I was in my attic last night, about to drill some holes in the top of the wall to run CAT 6 ethernet cables down the wall. I found above the wall is two parallel ceiling joists that are completely blocking the wall that I'm trying to run cables to. I don't want to drill into the joists and risk structural integrity damage, so does anyone know of a way to workaround this without drilling into the joists?


texts: How strong are bolts compared to welding and what qualities to look for in foundations?

texts:
I'm planning on building a home climbing wall, made from a mild steel subframe. It will probably be around 10 feet tall approx.

I was thinking along the lines of using mild steel angle, cutting to size, drilling bolt holes then joining the peices together.

Like this:

Does anyone have any idea as to the strength of such joints compared to welding?

Also, the wall will be freestanding, not attached to an existing wall so I'll need to lay some foundations, for this I was hoping to get away with a concrete base with bolt holes alligned to accept the sub frame being bolted straight to it. This would allow me to remove the wall and not leave a big RSJ poking out of my garden or some other such thing.

So my other question is, would such a foundation be acceptable? Is their other longer fixings availiable that could take the place of using bolts?


texts: Cutting off electrical supply to replace consumer unit

texts:
I have a 1946-built semidetached house in the UK, which has a standard 10-way consumer unit installed. Now, after having a new extension built, I need to replace it with another CU (10-way isn't enough any more; plus the old one doesn't satisfy changed regulations).  I'm confident enough to do the job - and then have it inspected by the qualified electrician. Yet, for obvious reasons, I need to cut off power supply to the CU.

The picture below shows the entry point.  The large red/black wires at the top are the ones going to the meter - and then from there to the CU. Is there anything on this entry point that I can use to cut off power supply?  Or do I need to contact the power company?


texts: What type of insulation can I use to insulate around my furnace exhaust?

texts:
I've got a cold breeze blowing through my basement, originating from where the furnace exhaust turns vertical. What type of insulation can I stuff in around the exhaust, to stop the cold air?

This exhaust is 5" rigid metallic duct that runs horizontal (with a slope) for 6', before turning vertical via an elbow and round to rectangular transition boot.


texts:
I just bought a farm and there is an old yard light on a pole that does not work. It had no bulb in it when we moved in so we have no way to tell what to get to replace it. There is a dusk till dawn photocell, that we replaced and tried a metal halide bulb. That didn't work.
It is wired directly to live current from the house and that is controlled in the Excel Energy meter box so we can't shut it off to replace it. We would like to avoid having to call them or an electrician without first having tried everything we can.


texts: Do we need to replace wet insulation resulting from a a/c drain

texts: Licensed air conditioning company replaced a part in our air conditioning unit in our attic and while doing so left a drain hose open and leaking water that we did not know about until it dripped through our ceiling   We had a small puddle on the floor and several obvious wet spots on the ceiling including one around a light.  We called them and they came immediately today and ceiled the leaking hose; however, there is wet insulation in the attic.  What do you suggest we do.   Should we remove the wet insulation and what kind of business do you call to look at the light and the ceiling damage?


texts: Protect mini-split condenser from ocean corrosion?

texts:
I recently bought an A/C inverter and put the condenser on the roof. I live next to the ocean so if I don't do something to protect it, something in the blower will start rusting very soon.

What can I do to protect it from the salt-packed air that literally rusts everything?

The blower looks like this:


texts: Bathroom exhaust fan stopped working. Wall switch is dual --one for light and other for fan. Voltage at light switch is 125VAC but voltage at fan switch (measured bare wires) was only 16VAC! My guess is an in-the-wall electrical problem. Any other ideas?


texts: What parameters (torque, speed, impact, impact energy) are more important when drilling into reinforced concrete?

texts:
I try to pick a drill that can drill into concrete / reinforced concrete for a non professional usage, say 1-2 holes a month. It is possible to choose between a combi drill (which usually has better torque) and a hammer drill (which usually has better speed and impact, many times torque is not even specified as if it's not important).
[Side Note: I prefer a combi drill so it can be also used for screwdriving etc]

Example of Combi Drill Parameters - Bosch GSB 18-2-LI Plus:
Max speed: 1900 rpm
Max torque: (1) 63 (2) 24 nm
Impact: 28500 bpm
Impact energy: ? J
Vibration emission (concrete): 13.5 m/s²

Example of Hammer Drill Parameters - Bosch PSB 650 RE:
Max speed: 3000 rpm
Max torque: 9 nm
Impact: 48000 bpm
Impact energy: ? J
Vibration emission (concrete): 35 m/s²

Questions:

What parameters (torque, speed, impact, impact energy, vibration emissiom) are more important when drilling into reinforced concrete? Since many hammer drills come with relatively low torque I figured that it is less important for drilling into concrete but when I asked a representative of Bosch via email he told that torque and speed are more imporant here which left me confused.
Does a higher vibration emission means a higher impact energy (in other words can one infer about the impact energy value by knowing the vibration emission value)?


texts: My breaker panel is in a sump closet, should I move it?

texts: I just purchased a new home and I'm going to replace the breaker panel (it's full and I want expansion room).  The panel is located directly above the sump pump in a small closet in the corner of the basement.  I was wondering if I should have it moved when it's replaced?  The one electrician I talked to (my realtor is a former electrician and also my Uncle) said it's not hurting anything.


texts: Can I step over pink wool like insulation in the attic?

texts:
This is related to this thread
How do I get rid of this ceiling finish and what is its name?

I have Artex on the ceiling and I am thinking about removing the drywall entirely and replacing it with brand new in an attempt to minimize the air born artex which might contain azbestos.

My strategy would be to go in the attic, remove the insulation from above the area where I need to replace the drywall and then try to unscrew the drywall panels one by one after determining their size by pushing through a knife from above right between the drywall panels.

Now I guess I will need to find out how my ceiling beams are oriented and try to step on them on my way to the area in question here but here is my challenge with that: the pink insulation seems to be easily compressible and it does not come back which I guess reduces the insulation capacity big time; the other thing is that under the ping wool mentioned above there is a layer of paper with insulation in between as you can see in the picture.

An now the questions:
-can I step on that  insulation on my way to the work area,can I safely remove that insulation and put it back ?
-do you see any issues with my approach to removing the drywall ?


texts: How can I calculate the power consumption of an A/C unit?

texts:
I have an AC unit with the following specs:

Cooling Capacity: 1260 kcal/h, 1.47kW, 5000 Btu/h
Fan Motor Power: 0.034 kW
Current: 0.155 A

My question is how much power does this unit actually consume in an hour? Does it use 1.47kW constantly?

Btw it's a York unit. Is that a good brand?


texts: I have a 20A GFCI breaker that intermittently trips. In tried to isolate by disconnecting different devices to no avail. I finally disconnected the load wire from the breaker and it still tripped. I replaced the breaker and it still will intermittently trip with only the neutrals hooked up. Any ideas?


texts: Is there a way I can soundproof an exterior apartment door from outside noise?

texts:
Its made of steel but hollow (though I'm not sure if completely hollow or if it has divisions like cells) with zero sound absorption.

I already weatherproofed it with foam strips, but even then every time someone walks or talks in the hallway outside I can hear everything, can even hear noises from other apartments that escape through their doors (which are the same) and enter mine.

Any way I can soundproof my door? I don't care about aesthetics but note that I can't modify anything on the outside-side of the door because its against the building rules. So whatever I do has to be inside the actual door or on the interior-side.


texts: T&P drain line needs to be outside of the house?

texts: I called the gas company to turn on gas. But the engineer left a note saying that "T&P drain line needs to be run outside of house". I called my plumber but he didn't know such a thing. Can someone help?


texts: In Unit Laundry Room Stacking Washer/Dryer for Apartment

texts: I'm currently looking at apartments for when I move out of my parents house, and my two top picks for apartments have hook ups for a washer and dryer. One of them, the laundry area is for a stackable unit. Those are fairly expensive so I was wondering if there was some sort of stand or something that I could build or even something I could buy to put the dryer on so that a top loading washer could still be put in. I've seen some small homes and condos with a shelf so non stacking washer/dryers can be placed vertically instead of horizontally. This is all a money saving issue because I really don't want to spend an extra $300 each for a stackable washer/dryer.


texts: This is a screw on the side of an IKEA drawer. On line videos say turn it left or right to level the front of the door. Instructions are to use a Phillips screwdriver. It's not a Phillips head and the local hardware store doesn't recognize it.


texts: Paralleling 8-gauge wires in a 220 volt 66 amp circuit

texts:
I hooked up a tankless heater, which draws 66 amps.   (it is on a 70 amp breaker). The installation guide says to use 6 gauge wire.

I had a 4-wire circuit of 8 gauge that runs right past the room where heater will be (it went to a range; I have a gas range now).  So I took the white and red wires together (paralleled), and put them on one leg.  I put the ground wire (10 gauge) and the red wire (8 gauge) together, and put them on the other leg.

Am I correct that this will draw 66 amps?  How will it split the current?  Will each wire draw 33 amps or will the bigger 8 gauge wire (paralleled with the 10 gauge ground) draw more that the 10 gauge?  Either way, I should be OK, correct?

It works fine; I grounded it through the old electric water heater circuit in the room, which had 10 gauge ground (like the 6 gauge cable they said to use.)


texts: What is a ground loop in an electrical service?

texts: I can't figure out what a ground loop is in an electrical service (residential, commercial, industrial). All I can figure out is that it has something to do with different potentials in the system, but what is the exact issue and flow of electricity? Thank you.


texts:
Can a single ground wire ground 2 outlets? I don't want to run another wire through the wall, if I can run a wire to that other ground wire (and have 2 outlets being grounded by one wire).  In other words,

I also have concerns about equipment protection.  Will adding a ground wire be worse for my electronic equipment in any way?   If I am having problems with equipment taking damage, will this help?


texts: I have 35,000 BTU wall furnace with a blower motor.  When the furnace heats up, the blower starts for about 2 or 3 seconds, turns off for about 5 seconds, then back on for 5 or 6 seconds, then off for 5 or 6 and then back on as it should (stays on).  Shuts off appropriately as it is controlled with thermostat.  I am trying to figure out why it hesitates to start at the beginning.  I have oiled the motor-  it spins freely and makes no noise.


texts: Should I be worried, or is this a cosmetic issue? floor in 1935 apt building

texts:
We live on the 4th floor of a pre-war, 1935 apartment building in NYC. On one outer wall, the oak floor is separated horizontally about 1/2" from the wall/baseboard. The floor is also little sunken all over the apartment, but that's not the issue. It looks like floorboard is missing, but its technically not. The wall is flat but must be pulling away. There is even an area where an ancient paper, dry-leaf-like material even sticks out at times! (see 2nd pic) What is that????

We've lived here 7 years with this problem, but i cant tell if it's getting worse or not. I just cant live with it anymore.

The white stuff in the cracks is boric acid i poured in after we started getting a waterbug vistor every night at the same time. The boric acid stopped it, thankfully, but it draws your eye right to the area.

The heater is just to the left of this area, and the floor and wall do get warm in one part. However, the area that has the biggest separation from the wall does not get hot at all, and is always cold to the touch.

I have zero DIY skills, and I dont even know who to call to fix this. Does it need "diagnosing" first? or will any "floor specialist" be able to fix this?

I want to know:

1) What is the world is holding the floor up, because when i shine a flashlight down, there doesnt seem to be anything connecting the floor to the outer wall!

I used to fill this crack with a piece of cardboard because its a perfect color match, but once a piece started falling in ( no subfloor here??), so i pulled it out, except for a piece in the corner.

2) Is this dangerous? Or can i just get something to fill this in?

3) How would i get a filler material like wood ( or cork?) to stay in place if theres nothing beneath it? I dont want to start ripping up my floor because one thing always leads to another in this building! And i'm sure there is lead paint underneath a few layers on my baseboards.

4) Could that ancient papery material sticking out be toxic/dangerous in any way? Anyone know what it is? I think my walls are lathe.

Here are the gruesome pix.
Thank you!!


texts: Is it possible to replace the lock on this door that has been painted on?

texts:
I have a very old door with a very old lock, pictured here:

It doesn't close because the previous owner stuck some wood in the latch, and there doesn't seem to be any place for the lock. I'd like to replace this, but I'm not sure if it will be possible. The screws on the face plate are painted over, and it seems to be pretty far in there, and the strike plate is totally painted over.

Will it be possible to replace this with a more modern door handle? Any ideas? Thanks!


texts: New replacement windows: what happens when I change thickness of exterior siding?

texts:
Can I order/do they sell windows that can accommodate changing the wall thickness at a later date?

I want to replace some windows in my house, but - at some later point - I also want to re-side the exterior.  Right now, the house has vinyl over 1" rigid, and I plan to do cedar shakes over 2" rigid. Will I accommodate the windows simply by installing a deeper sill and trim on the exterior?  Or do I have to remove the window, install my rigid, install a new nailing flange on the window, and then add a deeper stool and trim on the interior?  Is there a particular type of replacement window I need to order?  If so, what's the terminology for this type(s) of window?

Yes, I'm quite aware that the easiest thing to do would be to do the siding and the windows at the same time, but that's not an option for my house right now.


texts:
I have notice that I never have any water being pump out from my first level air handler. I have one air handler on the first level and one on the second level.  The second level, which I assume is gravity drain, is working fine, but the first level has a pump to send water out.  I have never seen water come out of the first level drain hose.  The pump sits in a container and is dry as if water has never been there.

Is it normal to NEVER have water?

The air handler seems to be working fine in both hot and cold weather.  There are no signs of any water around the air handler area.

I just thought that you were always supposed to have some condensate water coming from an air handler.  To have NONE just seems wrong.

What can you advise about this matter?


texts: Herringbone flooring from regular laminate

texts:
I'm looking to do the floor in out new house, we love the herringbone design but the specific planks are quite expensive.
I'm wondering if I can achieve a herringbone style by just following the pattern with regular laminate planks?


texts: Can I add copper wire led lights to existing 12V Landscape Light Transformer

texts:
I have an existing 12V low voltage landscape lights set on a transformer.

I have a 66ft copper wire LEDs that came with a 5V adaptor. Does this have to be plugged in separately; or can i connect it to the existing 12V wiring  with some sort of an adapter?


texts: I put in a pvc linkage and plunger and it’s not stopping the water from draining slowly from tub. I tried all positions on it and same result. I bought a brass setup and cannot get plunger down far enough to put plate back on. At a loss for ideas right now.


texts:
I had a ring on my shower before removing it to paint the room.

I placed the ring in a certain area, but our house's friendly ghost aparrantly needed it more and took it.

Needless to say, I still need the ring. What is the name of the ring? I couldn't find it anywhere on Home Depot's website.

Here is a picture after the ring is missing.


texts:
To fix a bookcase built by my dad who died last year, I am looking for the nylon or plastic connector that he used. They consist of a threaded dowel 3” by1/2” and threaded inserts 1”-wide insert for the 1/2”-threaded nut.  They works really well making bookshelves with the inserts in the shelf boards and in the spindles.  However, I have been unable to find anywhere.
Any suggestions?


texts: What should I use to transition from tiles to hard wood floor?

texts:
There's currently some kind of solid filling between the tiles in my kitchen and the hard wood in my living room.  During the summer when it gets hot and humid, the hard wood expand and cracks the solid filling.  After a couple of years, there's not much left of the filling.  Here's how it looks:

That filling is also used to connect hard floor from living room to my bedroom:

What should I use to re-fill those gaps so that when summer come, the filling doesn't crack and break?  I'm fairly new to DIY, so links to the mats and tools needed are much appreciated.


texts: Does metal conduit need to be continuous to function as the ground conductor?

texts:
I'm trying to add a ground to the existing garage sub panel (240v, three conductor) while burying the elevated wires. I hope to use rigid steel conduit as the ground, but can't run it back to the main panel. Does the conduit have to be continuous to the main panel, or can it be run from a box grounded by a wire conductor?

I hope to run the existing wires (2-2-4) through a new metal junction box located inside the house - the through the rigid galvanized conduit to the detached garage. The panel is 50A. I hoped to supply ground to the junction box through a conductor from the main to the junction box lug. I can’t dig near the main due to septic/graywater systems, and the conduit I already have (1”) won’t accept more conductors.


texts: My GE washing machine has been working for 6 months and is now tripping switch at agitate and spin cycles.  It will not spin or agitate and mainly trips with lid closed?  IDEAS?


texts: What can fiberglass insulation NOT touch?

texts: I have some rolls of 15" R-13 insulation that I am planning on installing in my floor joists to help sound proof my basement ceiling. Is there anything that the insulation can't touch? I know that the lighting has to be rated to touch the insulation but what about pipes/wiring?


texts:
I purchased a home that has recessed lighting throughout. They are the LED lights that clip into a standard light bulb screw-in socket. They all point straight down and I wanted to purchase some that gimbal to highlight some artwork.

All of the existing lights are 10w 120v/60hz.

I purchased a 15w gimballed light and tested it in a bedroom and it worked fine.

However, when I installed it in the main room where the artwork is, it would not turn on. I tested two different fixtures with the same result. I then tested the new light in the kitchen and it worked fine in there.

The main room has a total of 12 lights where the other rooms I tested only have 4. This is the only difference that I could think of between the two rooms.

I ordered a 10w gimbaled light to test but it just seems strange to me that this is the problem.

Anything else I haven't though of?


texts: Why are progressively larger drywall knives used after each mudding pass?

texts:
I've been researching drywall finishing techniques and have noticed that when a first coat of mud compound is used, a smaller 6 inch taping knife is used... then on the second mud application, a larger knife is used (usually 6 - 12 inch)... then on a third coat, a 10 - 12 inch knife is used.

Is this just personal preference? Why are progressively larger drywall knives used after each pass?

-M


texts:
I am not an engineer nor an electrician but I just installed an Atmor 5.5kw water heater with a 12mm wire and a 30amp breaker at 220 voltage.

I install it separately with plastic molding outside my house from my bathroom at the attic because there is no outlet for the water heater down to my main panel.

This is a single phase only but I observe that the wire is getting warm whenever I turn on the heater.

Is this nothing to worry? Can the wire tolerate the resistance of my water heater up to it's highest point?


texts:
My wife hired a maid who applied orange-glo to our hardwood floors, but without dusting first (she's not with us anymore).  Unfortunately, there are now many areas of the floor where the multiple coatings over dust piled up and caused a gray-colored patch appearance -- it almost looks as if the wood is worn out and discolored, however, it's the dust covered with dried up orange-glo.

Is there a safe solvent (not CC4 or methyl-ethyl-ketone ;-) which will dissolve such a mess?

FYI - the current maid applies nothing to the flooring.


texts: Will three pairs of 12' 2x4 lumber provide a safe work platform for one person?

texts:
I need to build a temp. floor over my basement steps which is a 9' opening, so I can do ceiling repairs where an old chimney pipe was pulled long ago. If I fasten 6- 2x4x12 together in pairs and place them on the side with plywood on top, how much weight can it support? Would a 200 lb man be safe to work on that structure

No I am asking if 6- 12ft two by fours fastened in pairs sitting on their sides for more strength, not laying flat or stacked, under a piece of 8' long by 3'wide plywood spanning over top of a 9 foot open stairwell held at each end by over lapping the existing upper floor, would it be strong enough to hold the person without breaking and dropping them 15 extra foot down the basement steps which would then be under the newly built temp floor area. The person will be trying to reach the ceiling on the upper 2nd floor for repairs. That 2nd floor ceiling is over the top of the basement stairwell opening. I don't believe ladders coming up out of the basement on steps would be any safer then building a temp floor piece over top of the stair opening on the 2nd floor. The question was would double 2x4's hold the weight of a man reaching up over his head toward the 2nd floor ceiling to work and not drop him down two stories? How much load could be safely held up by 6 pieces of wood/plywood?  I am simply building a removable floor section. Can you picture a floor laying on top of an existing floor at each end while there is a 9 ft long opening under this 12ft floor piece?


texts: small floresent tube removal from a wooden dislay unit

texts:
I have a wooden display unit that has small florescent tubes as a back light, one of  the tubes has gone .Cannot remember how to get the tube out.
Any ideas out there.
                        Jack


texts: How can I convert a closed stringer staircase to an open stringer staircase?

texts:
Currently I have a closed stringer staircase against a wall in my home, and my plan is to convert it into an open stringer staircase. I have looked underneath the staircase and there is no central stringer, just three triangle bits against the join between the treads and risers.

How feasible is this conversion and would it be a case of simply cutting the tops of the stringer in line with the treads, or a case of adding a central stringer maybe?

Just to aid my question I have attached a pic from underneath and how it looks above


texts: GFCI protection for multiwire branch circuit in shipping container workshop

texts:
Wiring my shipping container workshop, I'm running a 30- or 40-amp feeder from main breaker panel in house, to a main lug subpanel in the workshop.   Wiring within the workshop using THHN in PVC conduit and metal boxes.

For the main row of outlets along my workbench, I'm adopting a cute plan (I may have heard here).   Run a multiwire branch circuit (MWBC), so four 12awg wires (green, white, black, red).   Each outlet box will have one outlet driven from the black ungrounded conductor and one outlet driven from the red ungrounded conductor (either two separate duplex outlets or a split duplex outlet).   Neutral will be pigtailed, and circuit will be protected by two-pole 20amp breaker.  One box will have a 240v outlet using both ungrounded conductors.   So far so good.

But I realize GFCI protection is probably a good idea, at least for the workbench outlets, given it's a big steel box sitting on the ground (though the floor is wood).  I don't have room in the main panel to have a GFCI breaker driving the feeder (need space-saver type), and I'm not using a main breaker subpanel.  One scheme might be to simply put use a GFCI breaker for the two-pole breaker protecting the outlet MWBC.  Or I could simply put two GFCI outlets at the box nearest the door, which will be where I plug in extension cords for outdoor use, and such.

I'd appreciate folks' thoughts on my best solution.


texts: Does this existing wiring with shared neutrals need to be corrected?

texts:
I've come across some existing wiring in my home and I wonder if it needs to be changed.

In my basement, there is a 4" box with a 20a GFCI receptacle. A conduit runs into this box. The conduit contains 2 #12 wires (hot & neutral) for circuit 3, which is a 20a circuit. The receptacle is connected to this circuit.

Also running in the same conduit is 1 #14 wire (hot) for circuit 4, a 15a circuit. This circuit is just passing through and exits the box through another conduit. However, this circuit's #14 neutral comes back into the box through this conduit and connects to circuit 3's 20a neutral. Specifically, circuit 4's neutral, circuit 3's neutral, and a pigtail #12 are wire nutted together, with the pigtail connecting to the GFCI.

So 15a circuit 4 is sharing 20a circuit 3's neutral. Is this a problem and should a new #14 neutral for circuit 4 be run from the panel into the box in the incoming conduit, and connected to the circuit 4 neutral which runs back into the box from the second conduit?


texts: Splitting a 240V line into two 120V lines

texts:
In my garage I have wiring for a 240V outlet. It is a four-wire setup (two hots, one neutral and one ground). It is set up on a 20 ampere double breaker in the circuit breaker box. I want to remove that outlet and install two 120V receptacles in its place. I plan to run each of the hot wires to the hot side of outlet 1 and 2 inside one electrical box.  My plan was to split the neutral inside the box, and run it to the neutral side of outlets 1 and 2, and do the same thing with the ground.
I have researched this issue, but I've come up with conflicting answers. This answer seems to suggest that this would be acceptable since it is already on a 20 ampere, double breaker:
Can two circuits share a neutral?


texts: Do big-box stores sell inferior versions of plumbing fixtures?

texts: Do big-box stores such as the Home Depot and Lowe's carry plumbing fixtures that have the same name and appearance as at other stores, but with lower quality to keep the price low?


texts: How to adjust shower drain height after replacing shower base?

texts:
I just pulled out my shower base to replace with a completely new base. Now I have no idea if the height of this will fit:

Few questions:

How do I remove or cut this top piece?

I assume (C) is the actual drain pipe and I need to remove (A) and (B), correct?
Do I lay down the new shower base first and then install (B) after that? Then finally screw in (A)?

Sorry for a newbie question.


texts: How can I remove stuck anti-vandal rings in tap head?

texts:
Most of the taps in my new house are fitted with so-called "anti-vandal" screws in the tap heads, as shown in the image. These screw into the tap head to tighten them onto the stem.

I can't remove most of them because they are stuck. I suspect they've been overtightened and haven't been removed for years. I'm looking for suggestions as to how I can remove them so I can replace the tap washers. And yes, I know which way they need to be turned to tighten or loosen them ;-)
I've already tried:

Using an anti-vandal tap head spanner (shown below), but the prongs bend/break, as the screws are quite stuck.
Using a hair-dryer to heat up the ring before using the spanner.
Adjusting the rings to tighten, then to loosen. I simply get no movement at all.
Applying WD-40 to the rings. This hasn't worked either, perhaps because of their orientation; I can't immerse them.

I also have a pair of needle-nose pliers, but they're just a bit too big for the notches in the rings to get a good grip.
Any other suggestions?
UPDATES

UNECS's suggestion (below) was certainly a good one, but
unfortunately it didn't work out.
I now have my hands on a small pair of 90° circlip pliers which I'll try later. Hopefully I don't break them (or anything else) in the process!

The anti-vandal tap head spanner:

Circlip pliers:

This finally worked:

Clear any crud out of the threads using vinegar over a few nights (see Wayfaring Stranger's answer, below)
Give the rings a good blast of Loctite Freeze & Release for a few seconds, and let the stuff do it's magic for a few minutes
I used the circlip pliers again, and the rings broke free, although not without a bit of force. I felt like I might still have bent the prongs of a tap head spanner like the one pictured above.

n.b. I'm told that any "freeze spray" like CO2 would also have done the trick instead, which works to contract the ring away from the thread of the tap head. Because the Loctite was expensive, it might be worth trying this instead as a first shot. I believe the same kind of principle is behind heating the parts up, which, when cooled rapidly, also causes the contraction which separates them, but I wasn't prepared to bust out the blowtorch for this one...
Finally, if you're going to do this, be careful you don't spray yourself if you're spraying upwards onto the ring, sheesh!


texts:
I found a junction box under my deck that has grey cable, with each individual wire wrapped in the gray sheathing.  So for example, the white wire has the white insulation around the copper wire, and grey sheathing around it... and the black wire has black insulation around the copper wire and grey sheathing around it, then the copper wire (ground) is just surrounded by the grey.  But each wire is individually wrapped.  I used a wire tester and determined the wires are hot, but what gauge wire would I need to use to tie into this existing box in order to not have major problems?

I am wanting to add an outdoor receptacle roughly 10 feet from the junction box I found.  Adding in the receptacle is no issue for me, just want to make sure I use proper gauge wire for the pigtail.


texts: Should cracks and water in the crawl space concern me when buying a house?

texts:
I am looking at a house that with a crawl space (see image). The crawl space has the full height of a basement, windows and a door leading outside in the back. It has French Drains along the downhill base of the house and plastic lining covering a rock floor. I saw water on top of the plastic in a few places. The foundation walls are footing and stem walls (I think). They appear nice but have some vertical cracks in several places upon closer inspection. The house was built in 2002.
Is the water concerning given the French drains installed? Are the wall cracks normal for the crawl space foundation... should they concern me?


texts:
Has anyone made their own height adjustable desk? I'm interested in making a computer desk that can easily be adjusted for either standing or sitting.

The lift mechanism could be electric or mechanical, as long as it is not too hard or time-consuming to adjust.

(There are commercial options around, but they start at $700 for the cheapest of the cheap. I'm sure I could make something myself for less that would better suit my needs.)

Update: Just to answer some of the questions in the comments. The desk would be supporting two 22" LCD monitors, a laptop, paper and anything I leave lying around the house long enough for her to throw on my desk. :-)

I do have access to some welding expertise.

Also, I live in Australia so importing from many of the places suggested would be impractical.


texts: Is there a way to refinish underside of a toilet seat?

texts: I have an old-ish toilet seat that has eroded a bit on the underside. Picture below. Is there a way to fix this? Is there a material I can use to paint over it or something?


texts:
A recently detected dishwasher leak (2nd floor) has been feeding water to the drywall in the bedroom underneath.  There are water stains on the ceiling and the wall's paint show traces of water seeping through them.  The walls are not soft (soaked) where you push your finger through the drywall, but discolored and the paint in affected areas will need to be removed.

Small bugs are crawling on the affected dampened areas.  I have sprayed rubbing alcohol to kill the tiny insects.  This situation was found by the termite inspector in North Florida (Jacksonville), they are not termites. He thinks they might be weevils but they are under 1 millimeter in length and do not photograph well

The leak has been remedied today.  Is it reasonable to expect the drywall to be dry in a week and the insects to die / disappear when all has dried up?  I prefer to avoid using insectisides, but will do what is necessary to exterminate

Any lessons learned or specific experience is appreciated: thank you


texts: Can I leave a garden hose under pressure for long periods of time?

texts: Is it okay to leave the water pressure on using a garden hose and turn the water off by just the sprinkle nozzle? My water faucet is difficult to get to.


texts: Patio Light Fixture To Electrical Socket

texts: So we are putting up some string lights on our covered patio and want to use those instead of our patio light fixture right outside the door. I've removed the light fixture and there is an octagonal electric box. I was hoping to put an electrical socket in there and plug the string lights in through there to control with the light switch inside the house. What can I use the fit over that octagonal box and keep the socket in use and weather proof? I'm having the hardest time finding something to work. The octagonal metal box is in brick and mortar. I'd prefer to NOT remove the box and replace with a different one if possible.  The box looks like this:


texts:
I want to build a wall with aquarium inside. This wall will divide my office from recreational room. Aquarium will be about 2 meters long and 0.7 - 0.9 m high. Width is about 50 - 60 cm.

What precautionary actions should i take before building such wall? How to make sure that this construction will be sturdy and solid, so my aquarium won't break?

Update:
My floor is concrete (basement), wall will be made of 2x4s and drywall. I am planning to have access to the tank from the back, so i can do maintenance.


texts: How can I test if my powertool is getting enough electricity?

texts: Suppose I bring a powertool over to a community center (or a relative's home) to volunteer on a project.  How can I determine if my tool is getting enough electricity (supposing other loads on the circuit are constant)?


texts: Can I install this array of circuit breakers in my sub-panel?

texts:
I have a 30 amp breaker in my main panel, with 12/3 wire ran about 100 ft. To my sub panel in my shed. I'm wondering if I can put a 20 amp breaker for my outlets and a 15 amp breaker for my light in my shed?

I'm running a air compressor about 150 psi for my airbrush and a small heater and my light in my shed at the same time. It's currently on a 15amp breaker in my sub panel.

Don't know much about electrical circuits.


texts: Kitchenette vs. kitchen electrical circuits

texts: I am living in a mother-in-law suite in the lower level of a 2003 home.   I just had a 6ft. kitchenette installed.  I will use a small fridge, a toaster oven, and a coffee pot.   The electrician installed one circuit that covers 3 wall plugs, only one of which (on top of counter, not fridge) has test/reset buttons (not sure what those are called).   Is this single circuit installation up to code?  Kitchens require 2 circuits, but what about a small kitchenette?


texts: How do I untwist a very long, very twisted Ethernet cable?

texts:
A few years ago I bought what should be a 45m flat Ethernet cable.
After a long period of disuse the cable has gotten very tangled but I need to use it again. I've unknotted the cable so it is now one long cable but the cable is incredibly twisted:

I've tried to very slowly untwist the cable starting from one end, but that just seems to make the problem worse. After a certain point it gets harder and harder to untwist and then I can't untwist it anymore, and then the rest of the cable gets even more twisted. No matter which way I twist the end of the cable just seems to get even more twisted.

Is there a clever way to untwist this cable? Or should I cut my losses and just buy a new one?


texts: Washing machined bounced from original position and stopped to work. What could be broken?

texts:
Frigidaire stackable washer stopped to work one day in the middle of cycle. It had also bounced off from it's original position making loud noise - this has never happened before. It does not even turn on anymore. Dryer on the top still works as expected. Both share the same power source.

Since washer does not even turn on anymore, then I suspect that fuses (or some other safety mechanism) have blown off. However, since washer had bounced off from its original position then I also suspect that there must be a mechanic issue that must be troubleshooted together with fuses. The first question I have is - Is this reasoning most likely correct that this can't be a simple fuse situation alone since the washer had bounced off from original position?

However, I removed the front cover and tried to spin the belt with hand and I was able to move it in one direction with ease. The other direction not so much, but still seemed to spin. The second question I have is - Is this expected behavior that belt spins with ease only in one direction because there are gears and/or clutch in the highlighted part or is the highlighted part most likely the one that is broken and needs to be replaced?

Update#1: Picture of control panel (Frigidaire/Electrolux fex831fs2)


texts: Dimmer switch on 3-way circuit only working 90% of the time, is it a bad switch or something else?

texts:
I installed a dimmer switch on a 3-way circuit that was working correctly.  The other switch is a standard on-off switch.  The fixtures they control are halogen light fixtures.

About 10% of the time, when I try to turn on the dimmer switch (at full power), nothing happens.

Is there anything special about setting up a dimmer switch in this configuration, or do I simply have a bad switch?

UPDATE

Dimmer switch is a FEIT Electric (UL E478968), Model 72200.


texts: I have a swinging garage gate that is hitting my driveway when open, how to mitigate?

texts:
When the gate is closed, there is about a 3 inch gap from the bottom corner of the gate to the driveway. When the gate opens, it comes up against a higher part of the driveway and skids on it, getting the garage gate arm stuck.

Right now, I've propped up some bricks near the fence to stop the gate from hitting the driveway fully (it only skids when it's nearly fully open), so that the arm knows to stop before.

I have an idea of putting a caster wheel on the corner that skids with the wheel as close to the bottom of the gate as I can get, so that when it hits that part of the driveway where it skids, it instead rolls and the wheel helps lift up the gate a bit.

The complicating part is that when closed, there's that gap.

My thought is to get a wheel that has 3 inches of 'give'; when the gate is open, there is no give left and the wheel is fully supporting the weight of the gate; and as it closes, the wheel falls down its 'give' until it's fully extended at the end.

Does such a thing exist? I've seen gate casters that have springs, but I believe those springs are mainly to account for shock absorption. Alternately, should I not care about the state of it being closed and just get a static caster (which is touching the ground when open, but hanging off the corner when closed)?


texts: When I opened up the old one, there are 3 cables with the normal 2 black, 2 white, and ground.  However, there are 2 whites and black capped together to a load screw and another white on the other load screw, and on the line side, there are 2 blacks attached to 1 screw, and 1 black to the other.  The GFCI won't reset.  Can I piggyback the 2 blacks that are attached to 1 screw?  I've never seen anything like that before.  Electricity is not my forte, but I have replaced outlets before.


texts: How would one plumb two bathrooms from one rough-in?

texts:
I am in the planning stage to finish my basement. There is a rough-in with drain for toilet and shower. My plan is to add at least two bedrooms with one being a master. Thankfully the rough-in is located in the middle-ish of a long wall.
Is it possible to add a half bath immediately adjacent to the master bath in such a way that the toilets share a 4" drain without tearing into the cement?
If necessary I don't mind raising the floor to create a 1/4"-per-foot downward slope. Assume that the drain and main stack are equidistant between the two toilets on either side of a common wall.
Are there any problems with this in terms of flow or venting? How would one go about it?


texts:
Outflow pipe rattles and vibrates when water is discharged.  Is something wrong with the pump?  Just started doing it.  Believe it is a 404 liberty pump.  Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.


texts: Repurposing outdoor LED security floodlights for an indoor sconce

texts: I am trying to create a very bright wall sconce using two LED security floodlights. I have disassembled the floodlights so I could remove them from the very bulky, heavy duty outdoor metal packaging. I wish to disable the photosensitive/motion switch. The light/motion sensor has two red wires coming out of it that lead into a circuit board. If I disconnect those two red wires from the motion/light sensor and then connect them to each other, will I bypass the photo sensor and enable the light to be turned on and off using a wall switch? Thank you. Charlie


texts: Different appliances for a kitchen in stainless

texts: I am redoing my kitchen and looking for the best reviews of the various appliances. If I get them all in stainless, but from different manufacturers, will they match? Or do different companies have different stainless finishes that could clash?


texts: How do I fix this HORRIBLE drywall patch?

texts: Please give me some advice on how to fix this. This is a PAINTED wall.


texts:
I opened up a wall as part of a project and discovered some obviously newer pieces of copper pipe on one of the water supply lines. The drywall shows evidence of water stains as does the drywall and doors on the floor below. There must have been a leak in the pipe that was subsequently repaired (before I bought the house).

Looking at the repaired water line, I don't see any solder - it looks as if the new pieces are just crimped on. Is this an acceptable way of repairing a leak in copper, or should I be worried about it leaking in the future?


texts: Sump Pit Bone Dry After Running Every 5 Minutes, How?

texts:
Two nights ago my pump was running every 5 minutes due to heavy rainfall. Water was pouring into the pit from the normal ground water sources (not the exit pipe).

My pump and float switch are both 6 months old, I have a bleed off hole in the recommended location. There is ample clearance around my float switch, nothing can conceivably touch it, it can't get stuck on anything.

The pit typically half-fills, then the pump takes it down to a few inches, maybe 2.

I checked on the pump today, (2 days after the on and off night) and the pit is dry. Like still damp, but no standing water in the pit.

How is this possible? Has my switch already failed? It's just been 30 hours since water was pouring in, could I possibly have gotten the pump to kick on with the last ounce of entering water, then had the damp basement air dry the or completely over the past day?

The pump and switch still work, I just tested it.

What should I be concerned with?

EDIT

As a test, I poured a bucket of water into the pump to add about an inch to the bottom of the sump pit (insert).

After 4 hours all the water was still there.

After 18 hours, the water is gone!

On closer inspection, there is a small hole in the bottom of my pit, just a small triangular cut (only about 0.5" wide by 2" long). So it looks like even though I have what appears to be a normal plastic sump insert, there is, in-fact, a hole in the bottom!


texts: Hardware (clamp and/or spacers) to mount a horizontal pipe to a roof?

texts:
Related question: What is this called (adjustable angle pipe footplate)?

After posting that previous question, I began to think that there's likely both a cheaper, and sturdier way to accomplish what I'm after.

Here's a sketch of the plan. The gray lines represent the garage. The red and blue lines represent a tarp canopy frame that will be built with 1 3/8" chain link fence pipe and steel brackets.

The blue line represents the pipe that I'd like to mount to my roof. It would run horizontally. A simple pipe clamp would likely work, but I'd like to get some space between that blue pipe and the roof to allow some air flow (and water, of course, as it needs to reach the gutter).

Is there some sort of sealable roof flange that would give me 6" or so to work with in height that would allow for a pipe clamp to be bolted to the top of it?

EDIT:

If I had to invent something, this is what I was thinking. Essentially a reinforced angle bracket with mounting holes that can be covered by a shingle and a mounting hole in the air that one could bold a pipe clamp to.


texts: LED bulb always flickers or doesn't turn on

texts:
My bathroom is fitted with six traditional 20W GU5.3 / MR16 bulbs, and I want to replace them with the smart home equivalent. The only one I could find with the same socket type is the 5W Osram Smart+ GU5.3 bulb.

I bought three of them (to start with), but when I put the bulb in, and flip the switch, the bulb either flickers erratically for a few seconds, or does not turn on at all. This doesn't look like deliberate behaviour.

All three bulbs do the same, they do it in each of the six sockets, and they do it even when all the other conventional bulbs have been removed. However, with an external power source, I was able to test the bulbs, and they all work perfectly, so they're not duds, either.

The bathroom has a regular switch, not a dimmer switch.

What could be causing this issue? How do I resolve it?


texts:
[Please forgive bad terminology - I'm new to this]

My water tank doesn't seem to take a charge at all.  I'm hoping to get some suggestions as to what is happening.  I have a bladder tank.  If just a single tap is open, the pump turns on after only 5-10 seconds.

My theory is that the air nozzle leading to the bladder is blocked.

I've tested this theory with the following:

Turn off the pump, open a tap and let the pressure drop to zero
Open up the air nozzle and try to inflate the bladder manually with a bike pump.

When I do this, it feels like no air is getting into the tank:

When I connect the air pump, there's no hiss of air escaping
The gauge on the air pump immediately spikes.  I've had it up to 50 psi, and it does not decrease over time
The water pressure from the tap does not increase with the air pressure.

I've even removed the schraeder valve and tried the above with the same results.

Does anyone know what might be happening? (or is anyone willing to tell me how stupid I am for missing an obvious cause :)


texts: RCD spur to protect a wall light fitting

texts:
I have a wall light which is connected to a 13amp domestic ring main using a 5amp fused spur.
Is it possible to replace this conventional fused spur with a 5amp RCD spur for added protection should such a thing exist - I’ve only come across 13amp RCD Spurs.
If not, which is preferable to protect a light fitting in this situation - a conventional 5amp cartridge type fuse or a 13amp RCD spur.


texts: GFCI Outlet Trips with Receptacle TEST Button, but not with GFCI Outlet Tester Tool

texts:
I recently bought a house and am testing the GFCI outlets throughout the home to confirm they are working properly.  All of the outlets work when the receptacle TEST button is pressed.  However I also tested them with the Commercial Electric GFCI outlet tester (link below), and this is where I get confused.

In summary, the outlet tester will trip some GFCI outlets, but not all of them.  For instance, I have identified that the outlets in the kitchen are on one of two circuits, and there are two GFCI outlets in the kitchen.  As mentioned above, the TEST buttons work.  One of the circuits will trip with the tester as well:  I plug the tester in, push the button, the GFCI kicks in immediately, and there is no more power at the outlet.  When I try the tester on a receptacle on the other circuit no trip occurs.

The tester instructions do say to hold the button for six seconds, which I tried to no effect.  However, the circuit that does trip, does so nearly immediately.

For what it is worth I have only used the tester on the GFCI receptacles themselves at this point.  I have not tried to use the tester on GFCI protected outlets that are downstream of the GFCI receptacle.

So I think I have a few questions based upon my experience:

If the TEST button trips the GFCI, is the GFCI working?  No exceptions?
What would cause a GFCI outlet to trip with the TEST button, but not with the outlet tester?
What does the GFCI outlet tester does to test the receptacle?  How about the TEST button on the receptacle?

Thanks everyone!

Link to the tester used:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-Tools-GFCI-Outlet-Tester-Green-MS102H/206029151


texts: I have exterior lights on a timer switch.  The lights are too bright.  Can I add a dimmer switch to adjust the brightness?  And change the timer switch to a three-way switch.  Will that work?


texts: I want to make sure the basement bathroom is plumbed correctly

texts:
Going to tap into the sewer line in the basement for a new 3/4 bathroom. Can I run a 4" branch to the toilet and have two 2" wye connections for the shower and vanity? Below shows the sewer location.

This image shows the new branch, 4" to toilet with wyes. Green is vents. I might do studors?


texts: Electric panel update, should I do wiring too?

texts: Ok the home was built in 1966 and the panel seems to be that old.  It's a 400 amp service coming in and no real issues other then the main a.c dimming lights here and their. But the panel is rusty (dropped from ceiling).  My electrician came out and I told him I'd like it off the roof and ran underground and just to replace what's their.  He said no problem gave me a rough quote of 3 to 4k.  So everything is good right? I forgot to ask about the wiring.  Just thinking back I see fabric wire amd new romex through the house just depends which room I'm looking at. Plenty of outlets in each room.  Should I replace the wiring?


texts:
I've just opened up the under stair area with a plan to convert into storage.
Can anyone tell me what parts A and E are doing in the following images? They don't appear to be load bearing to me.
I want to remove A so I can fit a door between B and C.

Doesn't look to be doing much... maybe stop the stringers from splaying in/out?

I can't see how this is doing much either...


texts: Do I have the right tools for drilling granite?

texts:
What I'm doing:  taking rounded granite stones and cutting the bottoms flat with an angle grinder and drilling 2-3" the other side for a flower, pen, etc. (3/8")

What I'm using:  Bosch multi purpose drill bit (3/8") and a Makita 6A 5/8" hammer drill

Question:  It seems like it's taking forever to drill the hole. Is the hammer drill or bit not suitable for the task?  I've been at it for about 10 minutes and I'm about 1/2" into the rock: is this normal?


texts: Do travel voltage transformers really not have grounding?

texts:
Example 220v-to-110v converter here.
It seems like it accepts a 110V plug with grounding, and yet the converter itself only has a two-pronged plug (to a 240v outlet). Does this mean that plugging a device that needs grounding to this converter is dangerous, or does it somehow use one of the two prongs for grounding?
The question is general, not about this specific transformer. I linked to one of many. They all lack visible grounding.


texts:
I purchased a new LED flushmount ceiling light.  I removed the old flushmount fixture that used two standard light bulbs.  The old light fixture required two black and two white wires at the fixture, but the new LED light only requires one of each.  This seemed like an easy fix, but then I took a closer look at the wiring.

This is a 1950s house and the wires are not quite the black/white/green I am used to.  There are white wires, purplish wire (maybe a faded brown) and blue wires (ground? maybe a faded green).

Further, the fixture had a strange wiring setup.  I attached a photo and a sketch I made to explain.  In my sketch I used black to represent the purplish/brown wires, yellow to represent white wires, and green to represent the bluish wire.

1) There are three black wires that terminate in a wire nut.
2) 2 white wires in a wire nut with another white wire pig tailed to another wire nut.
3) This is other wire nut has the white pig tail with another white wire from the ceiling.  Then there are two white wires that went to the old fixture.
4) Lastly, there is a ground wire (assuming the blue wire is ground) in a wire nut with two black wires that went to the old fixture.

My question - is this as simple as replacing the two white wires that went to the old fixture with a single white wire from the new fixture (and the same for the black wires)?

The thing that really confuses me is the blue "ground" wire with the two black wires to the old fixture.

I apologize if this post is a bit of a ramble - I am not an expert and not familiar with older wiring.

Thanks in advance for any help!


texts: Paddle switch Pass and Seymor model RCD38

texts:
I have the following model paddle switch/receptacle  Pass and Seymor  Legrand Radiant Model RCD38
Can I configure this switch paddle/receptacle  so that the switch controls the outlet only ?


texts: I am looking to build shelving, nothing fancy, for a basement wall. I want to go the easiest possible route and was thinking of nailing a couple 2x4's to the wall and attaching some shelving brackets to them with some plywood shelves. The difficult part is that the wall is a rubble stone foundation wall and because of its unevenness I'm not sure how easy it will be to level the 2x4's. Any ideas?


texts: Will water damage a spliced coaxial cable?

texts:
I have some R6 coaxial cable that runs from the alley underground and into my house to provide high speed internet and TV service. The line was cut by mistake while digging in the backyard. I've spliced it together and service is restored (yay!) but I wonder whether the splice will be OK for the long run.

The coaxial cable is inside a 1/2" black plastic pipe of some sort (looks like sprinkler line) as a sort of conduit.
There was water inside that black plastic pipe at the point where I cut into it, so the splice will definitely get wet if I leave it there.
I stripped the ends of the cut lines, added 2 Compression F Connectors (one on each side), and screwed those compression connectors onto a screw-on splice connector.

I haven't yet tried to pull on the coax to see if I could just run a new complete line all the way through.


texts:
The circuit breaker for our kitchen will always trip if we use two appliances at once. So we try to avoid doing that. But it's tripped dozens of times through the past 30 years. What happened lately is the kitchen lights would flicker and eventually all kitchen power would go out. Yet the circuit breaker didn't trip. I flipped it off and back on and that worked and everything was fine for 2 days. This morning the lights in the kitchen were flickering again and then off went the power to the kitchen. Again the circuit breaker hadn't tripped. I tried flipping it again off and back on and nothing. But when it's flipped to the on position I can hear a faint crackling noise coming from that circuit that goes away when flipped off. So I have two questions.

Do you think it's a bad breaker?
And if it turns out to be that, should we replace it with a larger capacity one? This one has a 20 on it.


texts: Would a 6" slab with mesh, rebar and fiber hold a 2 story log home made from hemlock logs that are 16" wide? The mesh will be doubled up on the outer edges and rebar will run both ways. It's 32x40.


texts: Powering a 120v Receptacle off of a 240v Circuit Breaker dedicated to an Appliance

texts:
I have a 240 volt 20 amp GFCI circuit breaker powering an outdoor appliance that has 2 electric motors and a motor control unit to synchronize them.  I would like to wire a receptacle off of 1 hot leg of the 240 volt breaker instead of having to wire it to another breaker because of ease/cost.  I have been trying to see if this would be up to code.

1 hot leg would run to a disconnect switch then to the motor control unit, the other hot leg would run to the receptacle then the disconnect switch then the control unit, then the neutral would run to the receptacle then to the control unit.

Thanks in advance for any light you can shine on this.

Edit:  It is a 4 wire feed (hot/hot/neutral/ground).  The appliance is hardwired, the feed goes into the motor control unit, then from there out to each motor (It is a 2 motor boat lift, each lift beam/motor assembly is independent).  The motors can be powered 120v instead of 240v, but it is not currently wired that way.  It is an older appliance/lift, there is no product literature for a UL listing and the company has since closed.


texts: Add expansion joints on garage floor - too late?

texts:
I just bought a house which was built in 2007 (Seattle area). The garage floor has no drain or expansion joints. As a result, there are some cracks in the concrete. They are small.

I was wondering if it is too late to add expansion joints. Ultimately, I'd like to finish the garage with epoxy coating. I wouldn't want to see new cracks showing up on the floor after I add the epoxy coating.

Thank you!


texts: Do I have to use crossbars on ceiling lights?

texts: I'm replacing the single bulb ceiling lights with double bulb lights in a 2010 double wide mobile home.  The double bulb fixtures were second hand so no instructions, so I wired them exactly like the original lights. The original light fixtures were screwed directly into the holes in the junction box. Once I got 2 of the five replaced, I noticed a bag of crossbars in the box of the double bulb lights. Is there a reason to use the crossbars?  I can see an advantage if the center threaded pipe of the light fixture screws into the center of the crossbar but the pipe doesn't go past the metal plate of the dome light.


texts: Does the thickness of insulation on the cooling pipe of an air contioner make a difference to preventing mould and condensation

texts:
We have an apartment in Port Hedland WA.( Extreme humidity and heat)   It's  relatively new( 3 years old)  but there was mold all over the ceiling and along the walls following the air con pipes to the  out door unit.
 When we got it repaired   the repairman  said it was insulated with the wrong material.. He changed it to a thicker material. The builder said it was because the air con was a bit dirty and needs cleaning more frequently in hotter conditions. .
 I have pictures of before and after and can send so you can see what was before and what is now...  but would really like some input as to what caused the mold. any ideas..  ? Thanks
 liz
 Hope you can help  Liz


texts: Should a water distribution manifold consist of a circular loop?

texts:
I'm replacing the copper in my house with PEX tubing and I'd like to set up my new utility room with hot water and cold water manifolds.  Each connection on the manifold would then lead to either hot or cold on a plumbing fixture and I'd have shutoff valves to each at the manifold.

I recalled hearing somewhere that each manifold should consist of a circular loop; that is, the manifold should not terminate directly, but should contain a connection to circulate water back to the inflow of the manifold.  I'm not sure why this should happen, or if it should happen.

Don't know whether it matters, but I'm on well water.


texts: Single pole switch still controlling multiple lights

texts:
My dining room has a box on each wall with a single pole switch (for exterior light) next to a three way switch (for dining room interior light) that I attempted to replace with new switches. After changing all four switches out, all of the lights (two exterior lamps, dining room, kitchen, hallway, and bathroom) go out when I flip the first single pole exterior light switch off. This switch has 3 black wires connected to it which I’ve identified as the exterior switch, exterior hot, and the third is carrying power to the other light sources. I’ve tried wiring it multiple ways but it’s gotten me nowhere. Does anyone have an idea as to why this one single pole switch is controlling basically all of the general lighting in my house? Not sure what I did wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
UPDATE
I did a pigtail of the supply and onward wires and attached the pigtail to the lower screw on the single pole switch, but the single pole switch is still controlling multiple lights. Very unsure what the issue could be. Would greatly appreciate any help. Thanks


texts: Why is my new home only sheathed with rigid material at some locations?

texts:
So today after a few weeks I went to go follow up on the progress of my tract home being built. Things are coming along well. One concern though I have that I found random was that there's about 60 or so feet of random non-OSB sheathed walls around the house. They just put some plastic coroplast feeling type of plastic against the framing and nailed Dupont Tyvek to it. I find this weird.
Wouldn't the whole house have the OSB? I have attached some pictures below. If this is a California code thing or something please let me now but its a little concerning. One of the areas they put the plastic was behind our heads in the master bedroom. Someone can just literally punch a hole through the house if they wanted to. I really hope they don't do this to save a couple hundred bucks on some wood. I would have paid the damn difference.
Any advice or if I should be concerned please let me know. I found this in four spots on the house listed below:

Master bedroom, directly behind my headrest of the bed 8 feet

Outside wall of entire garage - 20 or so feet

about 6 feet right behind the 3.0 ton AC connections near our rear sliding door.

about 8 feet in my spare bedroom external wall

The rest of the house seems sturdy with strong plywood or OSB on the 2x6 studs but this seems like a security issue as well as a strength issue.
Please check out the images:


texts: Tiny leak in soldered copper 1/2" pipe joint

texts:
I have recently completed a solder joint using a repair coupling (1") for 1/2" copper pipe for my washer. However, it appears that there is tiny leak - less than one bead of water / day. Is there a simple and easy way to fix this without a full cut/replace? NB the pipe is in the wall.

We are hoping we can gently reheat the joint and allow the existing solder to melt a little and reset itself. Other than that, we could try adding more on top (although usually a bad idea), or finally we could cut out say 2" and use a repair sleeve. It is not possible to disconnect both sides as there is no movement in the pipes.


texts:
I have a hot tub that I know is leaking.  The water level keeps dropping, and it always stops at the same spot.  The challenge is that there are 5 jets at the level where the water stops dropping, so I figure one of those is the problem, however after taking the sides off the tub, I see that the entire shell is encased in spray foam insulation covering almost all the plumbing.

Is there a trick to finding the source of my leak without having to rip apart all the insulation around my tub?


texts: What is involved in moving the gas line in my basement up a few inches?

texts:
I have gas lines that stick out about 1 inch below the joists in my basement.  This actually starts right where the pipes enter my basement - they go over and then down.  I need that "down" part to be a few inches shorter.

So my choice is to fur out a 3 foot section in the ceiling (which will look fine because it is against the back wall) or to get the pipe moved up.  The section that needs rerouting is 20 feet.

So my question is really about who I would hire to do this, and what would be involved in doing it?


texts: I don't even know the appropriate words, so good luck understanding this! Our formal dining room has a large window with dividers that are between two glass pieces.  There is the half moon window above it, but two white divider pieces have slipped out and fallen midway down the larger window. Is there any way to remove these myself?


texts: I am trying to fix a door that the kids broke.  Should I use use wood glue, clamps, and some small nails?


texts: How can I repair cracked stones around a drain in a wet room?

texts:
We've had two plumbers trying to fix this problem but the leakage to downstairs is still happening.  The second plumber recommended that we contact a wet room specialist to have a look at this.  He said also that we shouldn't use silicone to fix the cracks around drain.  Do you agree with him?  Even as a short-term solution to prevent any leakage?  Any other solutions - short or long - welcome.

Pictures attached:


texts: I cannot for the life of me figure out what kind of faucet this is. I need to replace the stems as they are leaking but without knowing the brand I am stumped!


texts: How do I install wood shutters on a brick house?

texts:
I've built some Board-N-Batten shutters and am ready to hang them on the house. However, I've never installed shutters before, so I want to be sure I install them properly.

Do I drill pilot holes in the wood first?
Pilot holes into wood and brick of my house?
Or do I drill the screws through the wood and into the brick all at the same time? If I do it this way, I'm just afraid the shutters will shift & not hang properly when I am drilling.

What exactly is the accepted procedure for installing shutters?
Also, what type of screws are recommended for this sort of install?


texts: Vibrating through beams from circulator pump and at strange times

texts:
I have a grundfos alpha 2 circulator pump which for the last two years (since I moved into the house) when the heating turns on makes a vibrating noise. This vibrating noise I believe is then vibrating through some of the pipes, which in turn reverberate through the wooden structure of the house. To the point where my neighbours complain about the noise.

Some useful points:

When heating is on and circulating water then the vibrating noise happens
Circulation seems to happen at weird times in the night, I can't confirm this (because I am asleep) but the neighbour thinks it comes on at 3 & 5am. 5am one may make sense due to the heating coming on.
It is installed in the correct position and orientation from what I can tell from reading through the manual
There is zero air in the system, I have attempted to drain the radiators but the moment I undo the bolt liquid comes out. I believe this is an effect of the "self venting" alpha 2.

My Question

Is there anything with regards to this I can debug, and potentially get rid of this vibrating. I'm keen not to play with anything too serious without a professional but I do not know if this is a common issue or not.


texts: How would you winterize this sprinkler system?

texts:
I typically have a local landscaping place blow out my sprinkler lines for winter, but they went out of business this year so I'm trying to figure out how to do it myself. I've done a lot of YouTube research, but every video & tutorial has a standard backflow prevention device and clear areas to connect an air compressor. I have this Hunter PGV-101-ASV and nothing resembles what I find online.

The water in the house is shut off and drained. I've also opened the manual drain plug outside and drained that as well. Here's what the rest of the system looks like:


texts: My kitchen faucet water pipes are pretty high and close to the sink. I'm not sure if it was done on purpose to have more space at the bottom of the cabinet or a miscalculation. In order to install the RO system I have I need to connect a T type water feed adapter, which according to installation manual needs to be connected directly to the valve. Then the faucet hose is reconnected at the top and another plastic hose would be connected to the side to feed the filtering system. Because I don't have the space to connect the adapter vertically I think I need some kind of a 90 degree elbow to connect to the valve first, however I'm having trouble finding anything that would work here. I think it needs to have a swivel type connection on one end and just a male thread on the other. Any suggestion on where to get something like this or perhaps another way to solve the problem? Thanks for any input.


texts: Are these studs intended to hold a drywall ceiling, or just for foam insulation?

texts:
I just bought a house and the basement looks like this:

I was wondering what those "studs" across the main floor joists are for? Are they intended to just hold acoustic foam perhaps? They're too thin to actually hold drywall panels, right? Or can I hang drywall there after all?


texts: Ceiling Fan is hot 6' down, but lights nor fan comes on

texts:
I've hooked up my hunter ceiling fan with black/blue wire connected to the black(hot) wire and my white to white(neutral) and green to ground wire.
My sniffer says that I'm hot not only at the ceiling level but also 6 feet down near the motor. However, even though I'm "hot" my lights don't come on nor does my fan. So is the brand new fan at fault here or did I do something wrong?

Jon


texts: Hi, i was just wanting some people to take a loot at this diagram i threw together to see if this system would work? and if so do i need to put each area that i tie the main 12/2 together in a box of some kind?