texts: Sloped ceiling - remove hot air with exhaust fan

texts:
I have what I think is an unusual setup of a sloped ceiling that may offer an easy fix to my problem, but wanted to get some opinions from you guys.

Our master bedroom, on the 2nd floor (top floor), has a sloped ceiling (roof above it) and also a wall that is 2 stories high. So it's a square room except 1 wall is 2x the normal height, and therefore the ceiling is sloped. The master bedroom faces west, has a large window on the short wall, and gets pounded with sun all afternoon. It gets up to about 80-82º. It's nearly impossible to get it cooled back down with the existing single duct. The upper part of the tall wall has an unconditioned attic on the other side of (behind) it.

The 2 other bedrooms on the 2nd floor have normal flat ceilings, with the attic above it. Those 2 other bedrooms are facing east. They stay nice and cool in the summer.

About 5 years ago, we had new insulation put in the house: loose fill in the attic, and dense pack in the master sloped ceiling. They did not install air ducts (baffles?), so I think the insulation is just really packed in. Works well for keeping it warm in winter. But now it's hot in summer.

I've tried adding an in-vent fan that constantly pushed air in the room. That helped a tiny bit. I installed a blackout shaded, which keep the light out well, but has not helped the heat build up.

I'm having some HVAC people come to give their opinions on what can be done, but I wanted to get your thoughts.

One idea: add another duct from the basement blower unit up to the master. This will be costly I'm sure. Will this help solve the issue?

Second idea (maybe a bad idea, I don't know, please tell me): The upper part of the tall wall in the master has the attic on the other side of it. So, would it make sense to install a simple bathroom exhaust fan high on that wall, that sucks the hot air from the top of the room and dumps it into the attic (or out to the side of the house)? With the attic setup, looks like it would be easy to install and hook it into a light switch in the master bedroom.

That unusual setup of the high wall that has the attic on the other side of it - seems like a good opportunity for a simple, inexpensive fix to the problem (exhaust fan). What do you guys think?

Any other thoughts about options that would be most effective in getting rid of that trapped hot air?

Thank you!!


texts: How to clean an induction hob from scorching?

texts:
After all water boiled, an empty teapot was left on the surface with turned on hob. You can see the spot on the photo. Is there some ways to fix or clean this?

Induction hob BOSCH PIB673F17E.


texts:
So I'll come clean, I'm a first year electrical student at a tech school and I have a question regarding a diagram I'm supposed to draw.

The line diagram is presente:

《-- light -- switch -- light -- dimmer

So essentially home run through the first light, continuing to first 3 way, then to the light and then to the dimmer.  The first 3 way is noted as controlling both lights, while only the second light is controlled by both switches.  Sorry if that's confusing.

So my thoughts are that I have to run my hot all the way through to the common on the dimmer and then backtrack.  The part that confuses me is I don't understand how to feed the second light.

There's also a challenge for extra points for not using any 4 wire cable.  I've been thinking about this for days, scouring the web, drawing failed diagram after failed diagram.  Please help


texts: The staple or brad that connects the control bar to several of the shutters have come off.  Some of them are completely lost.  How do I repair this?


texts: Wiring a receptacle from a ceiling box in a basement

texts:
I have an electrical box in my basement that I want to wire an outlet into. There are three sets of wires (2 each) -- the usual black and white, and red (and ground). I've tried to wire the outlet with black and white (ignoring red), but I don't get any power from it (receptacle tester indicates "open hot").
I've also tried using the red wires instead of the black. Then I get power (but no ground even though it is connected), but the kitchen light (on the same circuit) flickers when switched off.
My understanding is that the red wire is a hot wire for a switched outlet. But in that case I should be fine just ignoring it, which doesn't work.
What I've tried and checked:

Verified that all the wires are attached correctly to the outlet.
Different outlet. Same result.
Checked that the wires are hot with a non-contact AC tester. Not connecting the two black or two red wires causes other stuff on the same circuit not to work, so they're clearly carrying current.
Tried all switches on the same circuit to see if any of them would switch on power with the black connected. None did.

Any ideas on how to solve this? Should this work, but something else is broken somewhere?
Edit 1:

The cables are in a round ceiling box, with one set of wires coming in in a metal sheathing and the other one NM sheathing.
Pairs of cables were originally pigtailed together (white - white, black - black, red - red) with a twist-on cap. Ground was just loose in the box.
The installer(?) labeled the box "3-way Sw".

Edit 2:
Here's a picture of the box:

The circuit has a 15A breaker.
On the same circuit are 4 lights and one receptacle which is switched with one of the lights.
Solid Copper wires.

Edit 3:

Voltage between black and white is negligible, about 2.5V.
Voltage between red and white and red and black is 117V.
Voltage between ground and everything else is 47V.


texts: Help figuring out a water pressure problem in new shower faucet installation

texts: When installing a Price Pfister Shower head we water hammering. So we got a new cartridge sent to us. Now there is a tiny trickle when we turn the hot water valve on. We switched the cartridges back to the original one and we get zero cold water. Any suggestions on what else it could be? By the way there is zero hammering now with the original cartridge.


texts: can I run 6/3 from a 60amp breaker on my meter loop to my shop 50ft to supply 120v/220v

texts: my old sub panel has 3 single strand 4awg which is ran to my meter loop on a 50amp breaker. Someone had cut a leg on both ends so now I can only get 120. Its only a 4 space sub. When I tried to add a third breaker for some reason it wouldn't work. also how do I wire in the new wires in the new sub box from the main?


texts: Ceiling Fan update with Metal Sheathed Cables and Romex

texts:
I have a few questions here. I was checking out my ceiling fan to see if I could install a separate switch for the fan and the light. When I got into the attic, this is what I found. Questions..

I assume this box is suitable for a fan?
I think the three wires coming in are metallic sheathed cable and if so, shouldn't they be used with a metal box?
The one cable looks like it has some damage on the cable, should these be replaced with Romex and be updated?
Lastly, can both types of cable be used together like this?

Thanks for the advice.


texts: What can be done about a vanity top that doesn't sit tight to cabinet base?

texts: We purchased a new vanity top to replace our 12 year old builder grade piece, however, it does not appear to sit tight on the base. It doesn't really sit "in" the cabinet, and only the back sides seem to make contact. It's a standard vanity top size (49 x 22"), and my cabinets are standard also. What can I do about this? It appears to be fine from the top, but when she open the doors or look under the vanity top from inside the cabinet, you can see the issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Is it necessary to keep tools lubricated?

texts: I've noticed that some of my tools, especially the more expensive ones (e.g., a wire cutter), come lubed. So, is it necessary to keep them lubricated? If so, what kind of oil should I use?


texts:
My house is built into a slope, with the bottom floor partially underground. See photo 1 - grey wall is a common wall with my neighbor, the white back wall is entirely underground, and the left wall is partially underground, as marked by the red line I drew. To give an idea of dimensions, the wall height is 14', room width left to right is 16'. It's an old house so I would assume no waterproofing was originally applied. Walls are allegedly reinforced concrete, they should never be brick, sandstone, cinder block or anything else where I am. Side wall is about 8", so I'm assuming all walls are. It's in a tropical climate in Asia so we're coming into wet season.

The marks on the white wall, shown in the main photo are patches where water is damaging the paint, so I've removed debonded sections back to the concrete wall. In photos 2 and 3 you can see a bit better. The bubbling around the sides is a result of the rain the last few days.

I can't get to the external wall, excavate, waterproof and backfill properly because the road is built so close to the house, and the house is built right to the border of our plot so I wouldn't get permission anyway. I'm looking at ways to manage it instead. The air-conditioner you see is set to dehumidify 24/7 and seems to keep the wall dry and prevent mold growth on furniture down there so I'm happy to continue doing this, but I want a better looking wall.

My basic approach for a false wall, as I understand it:

scrape off as much plaster and membrane as possible, exposing bare concrete wall to help it breathe/dry
stainless steel bolts and framework, but using suspended framework not flush with the wall (similar to a false ceiling in a commercial building) so it is one large cavity behind there
3-4" cavity
vents at the bottom and top
water resistent plasterboard sheets
no plans to hang anything heavier than a mirror, so standard thickness plasterboard sheets ought to be strong enough

I want to prevent mold growth in the wall cavity as much as possible, which is why I mention the vents. Would the dehumidifier being on 24/7 in combination with the ventilation holes be enough to keep the wall as dry as it currently is, or do I need forced ventilation? Forced, as in, 2 low-rpm fans in the top of the cavity drawing air up from the bottom and out into the room?

For the left wall I'm considering a stepped false wall roughly along the dashed line I drew also with a vent hole, and continue the same cavity as the back wall. This would hopefully prevent any water ingress coming around the side of the false wall, if it was inclined to do so.

I don't know my neighbours that well but I do know they suffer the same problem, but just let it deteriorate.

I'm aware of things like epoxies, which at best only move the problem elsewhere, as well as the option of digging a hole for a sump and pump but I don't want to go that direction if possible. It seems so far I don't have the volume of water to justify that (compared to others on the internet). That, combined with local contractors having zero skill in this area because basements are rare would mean I'd likely get a poorly executed installation.

Appreciate any guidance or opinions.

Update for clarity: essentially what I'm investigating is if a solution like sub-floor ventilation can be adapted to my situation. They share similarities - one side is an ever present source of moisture, the other side we want to keep dry. If my wall were to actually weep or drip then it's a different story but it so far it's only ever just deteriorated the paint and plaster, and no more. If forced ventilation (or even passive) can prevent mold and moisture problems for raised floors, can't I, in theory achieve the same with a false wall and fans? Apologies for not articulating this clearly in my original post.

I've also been careful not to use the word 'fix' because that can't be achieved from the inside, which is why I chose the word 'management' instead.


texts: Preparing cedar board & batten siding for new solid color acrylic stain ... what makes sense for time

texts:
I own a circa 1986 ranch style home in the often cold & snowy northwest (Buffalo, NY) area.  It is cedar board & batten as you see below. Size is approx 40' x 65'.

I believe the color is original, it may have an additional coat or two (hard to tell but the stain peels off thick). I may opt to vinyl side it, but asking for tips here as I'm leaning towards keeping the look and my main question is what methods of "expedient" preparation make the most sense for this condition cedar?

Some of it is in very good shape, but I'd say 85% easily looks like below.

I've considered using chemicals. Is it worth the additional investment or is pressure washing or scraping or planing outright - more sensible? Must it be sanded anyways?

I've pressure washed it with 45 degree in some areas and find that a pre-wetting and follow up blasting does loosen up some of the stain but I'm finding it is far easier and quicker to have the wet stain "peeled" off by hand like a banana. When it is dry, it adheres pretty well, but again, if I grab a flake, I can peel off 2-3 even 6' of it, and it is definitely taking wood with it. Basically, there doesn't seem to be any way to get the stain off without taking wood with it. Sanding is SLOW. Can I use a power wheel (since it appears it needs to be sanded anyways)?

I've never owned a cedar sided house, and I know cedar is soft, in fact some of it is split apart or rotted and must be replaced. Is what I've pictured below worth salvaging? I believe it is, but would like to hear from some pros.

Here was a test with the new color applied over the top of the old to check for bleeding. It was scraped and sanded in some spots as well, and the coverage looks good. When it dried, it adhered well, and didn't rub off:

Here is one of the existing stain seen where the wood is already significantly pitted, While I did pressure wash the surface, the removal of stain was done by hand. It is seen how much wood and wood grain is damaged and this is not from the washer:

Area that was washed/peeled, and the batten sanded with 80 grit, looks like it will turn out fine after quite a bit of work:


texts: We bought a new house 25 years ago. The wall plug receptacles never from day one would hold a plug. Are they defective or are there springs missing that would keep them in place? Can they be adjusted or do I need to replace them all? All my receptacles have the third prong opening for ground.


texts: How to fix an electrical outlet where the threaded mounting hole is stripped?

texts:
The threaded mounting hole in my metal (based on OPs comment) electrical outlet is stripped; please refer to where the top flat-head screw is in the photo.

As a result, the electrical outlet is not physically stable. How should I fix the problem without hiring an electrician?  Thanks in advance.


texts:
I'd like to turn off the water supply to the washlet for cleaning, possibly without closing it for the entire house.
I thought it would be easy.
But apparently i'm not able to close this water valve. I managed to spin the central screw, but tightening it apparently does nothing.

Same for the bottom one, either way doesn't seem to close the water. What I'm doing wrong?

Thank you.


texts: Is it a problem that I have two of each color wires on my Honeywell thermostat?

texts:
I am thinking about upgrading my Honeywell thermostat. Every thing I have seen describes / shows a single wire for each color. My current thermostat has two wires connected to each terminal (two green wires, two yellow wires, two black wires, and two red wires).

The new thermostat I want to install (a Nest) says to only insert one wire per connector. Is this a problem? Do I need to get my furnace rewired? Or, should I just keep the wires twisted together?


texts: What are the pros and cons of medium-density fibreboard (MDF)?

texts:
I heard mixed opinions about making cupboards and beds from MDF. Some said it doesn't matter, MDF is as durable as whole tree or sandwich boards. Some said that MDF is weak, and will not last for years if you move the MDF-beds often.

I'll be glad to hear your experiences about the durability of the MDF.


texts:
I have a rather large nook ( 13 feet wide ) in my basement which will have cabinets and countertop. ( see attached picture ).

My two problems are :

Since largest stock countertop is 10 feet wide, I will be left with about 3 feet space. Assuming I split this into two 1.5 wide space; what can I put on both sides ? Countertop cabinets ? Shelves ?
There is a recessed light in center of nook. I want to install track lighting. Are there any sort of adapters or connector available which can simply be hooked into recessed light holder.

Nook


texts: Why does my GCFI plug trip when I connect the ground?

texts: I installed a GCFI plug at the beginning of a series in my basement.  As soon as I turn the power back on, my GCFI circuit trips.   I discoverd reverse polarity in several plugs.  Could that be the problem?


texts: How to tighten a wooden bannister (newel post)

texts: How to tighten a wobbly stair bannister?  I tried going in from the basement ceiling, the floor boards are in the way.  I tried drilling in a screw at an angle at the base to anchor to the bottom stair, and lets just say I now need to figure out how to extract a broken screw and patch a hole to lessen the carnage.  I imagined there is a nut/screw job under the wood that needs to be tightened, but darned if I can figure out how to get to it without ripping up the wood. I could try some glue, I suppose, there is a tiny gap around the bottom, but that doesn't seem like it would last past a few pulls.


texts: Is there a limit to length of notch cut in "rear" stud in staggered stud wall?

texts:
I am trying to flush-mount a structured wiring cabinet in a non-load-bearing closet wall (nothing above it but a truss attic). The wall is a staggered stud wall, with each row of studs 16" o.c. and the rows offset 8" o.c. from one another. The plates are 2x6. I don't know if the fact that it is a staggered stud wall impacts the answer or not, but including that info for completeness.

The cabinet will fit nicely between the 16" o.c. studs, but the staggered studs in the middle of each stud bay do not give me the depth needed for it to sit flush with the drywall. I need to notch the rear stud by 1 3/8". Since this is not a load-bearing wall, I believe this is code compliant (less than 40% of the actual width of the stud).

My question: Is there a limit to the length of the notch (which would be ~42" in this case), or does length not matter because the effective width of the stud has been reduced by making the notch, regardless of its length?

Update: After removing more of the insulation I discovered a single electrical cable going through a hole in the rear stud (but behind the front studs). I can't notch it in the same cross section as the hole, right? Or does that not apply here due to it beyond a staggered stud wall with two un-notched 16" o.c. studs on either side of it? Can I fill the hole with a dowel before notching?


texts: Can’t figure out how to remove cartridge of single handle tub faucet

texts: We have a leaking bathtub faucet and need to replace the cartridge but we cant’t figure out how to remove the casing (estachian?) around it. I don’t know the brand or model number. Everything is stuck from the hard water. We’ve already replaced the faucet but that didn’t fix it. Any help is much appreciated!!


texts: Temporarily have no gutters, what do I need to worry about?

texts:
My gutter contractor has been interrupted by the rain. I will be without gutters for a few days and there is a total of 1.5" of rain predicted over those few days.

I am monitoring my basement for water. It has a known minor leak that pops up during major rainstorms and it has appeared now. Nothing to worry about.

What else should I monitor while my house is without gutters? Leaks? Drainage issues? Protect plants?


texts: We have one room whose laminate flooring we need to protect. Grandpa is in there most of the time, it's his bedroom, and he often leaves the floor wet. We need protective covering that we can remove after a couple of years without damaging the underlying surface. Will peel and stick take the finish off the laminate if we remove it after a couple of years? If so, what's a better alternative?


texts: Electric panel radiator won't turn on but it is warm where the gauge is

texts: I have bought this house from 78 and it has nobö electric panel radiators 400V. I tried to turn them on for the first time but they won't turn on. The interesting thing is they are a bit warm where the temperature gauge is. What could be wrong with them?


texts: Is it common for a contractor to ask a 50% deposit prior to starting the job?

texts:
It's the first time i'm dealing with this kind of thing, so it's probably a basic question, but I would still like to double check.

I found a contractor for a job in the house, but he's booked for the next few weeks. It's fine with me, but he's asking for a 50% deposit right now. Is that common?

Also, he didn't provide any contract to sign apart from a one page document stating a very generic description of what he was going to do. There's his license number (which I checked) and contact information, but that's pretty much it.

I used some legal software to generate a basic agreement, which he was ok with signing, but it was clear that it was unusual for him to do business in this way.

Is that something common -- to ask for a deposit without virtually any agreement in place and without a set date when the job is going to start?


texts: Installing Spigot Upside Down and Close to Ground

texts:
I live in a trailer and am debating attempting to put a hose outside/on the side.

A few considerations:

I have no plumbing experience
It gets -40 where I live in the Winter

I have read great things about PEX & "Push Connectors" which made me think I can tackle the project, but my main concern is the spigot near ground.

I plan on shutting off the water each winter just FYI.

Question:

Is it safe to put the drain-cock spigot connector near ground? I'm talking within 6"
I was concerned with "akwardness" as well and wondered about installing the spigot upside down so the connector is facing upwards. Does anybody see any issues with that?

Drain Cock w/ Spigot

Similar DIY Post:

options-for-replacing-an-at-grade-hose-bibb

Here is my shopping list so far if you see any issues:

Ball Vavle w/ Drain
House Mount
Hose
PEX Connectors (Not even sure I'll need this, but I'll get them in case)
PEX Pipe
PEX Cutter
Is there anything I'm missing? I hate starting a project and missing a tool, seems to happen every time!

The only thing left is for me to look at the setup downstairs and figure out how I can "T" off of it.

[Update]

This is in a mobile home park.


texts: What is a good PWM driver for LED lighting?

texts:
I am looking at lighting options for my new flat. I'm looking for any recommendations and suggestions for the components to power and control the LEDs.

If we consider the main room (i.e. the open plan living/dining room/kitchen), my idea is to have a number of sets of lights, e.g. the dining area, the area around the TV, the kitchen, and another set of "ambient" lights.

I would like to have just one set of switches/dimmers in a single location along with a transformer and a multichannel driver (or a set of drivers), with the 12/24v line from the driver going to each set of lights (instead of the 240v mains going to all the lights).

I've googled about quite a bit, but ended up with more questions than answers. I've seen DALI and DMX512 based controllers, as well as some "raw circuitboards" if you like, but considering they don't have reviews like most consumer products, I don't really know what is good and what is not. So do you guys have any experience with or suggestions on which drivers might be a good idea?

Also, I would like to know if it is a good idea to run 12/24v wiring instead of 240v.

I would prefer to keep to drivers that use non-proprietary standards so I have the option of controlling the driver over zigbee or green phy.


texts: Should I proactively replace old GFCI outlets?

texts:
The way I understand this page about GFCI outlets: (a) GFCI outlets can fail after about 10 years, making them unable to detect faults, (b) when outlets made after 2006 fail, they shut off power automatically, and (c) pre-2006 outlets fail silently: they can't detect faults but they continue to provide power. That seems like a big safety hazard, and a good reason to replace my old GFCI outlets before they fail.

However, I haven't found anyone recommending proactive replacement, and if this was a legitimate safety concern I'd expect people to shout it from the rooftops. So are the old outlets worth replacing? Or am I just getting worried over nothing?

The GFCI outlets in my house were installed in the mid-90s (in the USA). And they're passing the tests with a GFCI outlet tester.


texts: What factors need to be considered to get the most powerful shower possible?

texts:
I'm getting a new shower installed in my house, to replace the existing mixer shower.  I am going to stick with a mixer shower, not least because I don't have a water tank.  So, this means I have a high pressure system.

There are 2 pieces of terminology commonly used with showers - pressure, and flow rate.  As I understand it, the flow rate determines how much water can pass out of the shower per minute, and pressure determines how much you can restrict the water's egress while maintaining the flow rate.

Now, I want to get the most powerful shower possible with my current setup.  I understand that I am limited to the pressure and flow rate coming in from the mains because I have a high pressure system.  In my experience, though, what makes a shower feel "powerful" is a third factor - the water velocity.  The velocity of the water coming out of the shower head makes a major difference - if it's really fast, that's what I call powerful, as it can give a really nice massaging feel.  That, combined with a good flow rate, is what I'd like to get.  So, what should I do to get the best water velocity from my shower?  Additional queries:

Is it the shower head that would be best at giving a good water velocity?  Presumably a shower head with fewer, smaller holes will restrict the water egress and force the water velocity to be faster in order to maintain the flow rate, assuming there is enough pressure?  If so, what kind of shower heads would give this effect?
Can anyone recommend any particular showers that are good at feeling powerful (basically, having a high water velocity to give a good massaging jet of water)?  Conversely, can anyone give examples of showers that are designed to have a low water velocity?
Is it possible that increasing my boiler size will allow a higher flow rate of hot water to pass through my shower?  How can I measure what the maximum flow rate of hot water would be, and what the maximum flow rate of hot water is for my boiler?
Why do different showers have different flow rates (sometimes quite significantly different)?  It seems to me that the flow rate is basically dictated by what goes in to the shower - does this mean that showers with lower flow rates are artificially reducing the flow, and if so, why?
In the UK, every store says it's "not possible" to use a pump (like you would with a low-pressure power shower system) with a high pressure system.  Is there any technical reason for this, or is it purely a legality (it's illegal to pump from the mains because it would reduce everyone else's pressure/flow rate)?

The more detailed the answer, the better.  I'd really like to get a good knowledge base built up of how to maximize the power of your mixer shower.


texts: How do I convert my fireplace switch into a thermostat switch?

texts:
I have a fireplace that's controlled by a regular on/off switch. How can I convert it into a thermostat switch so that the fireplace shuts off automatically whenever the room gets warm enough?
If it matters, I live in the US and it's a typical gas fireplace that I've seen in other condos.


texts: GFCI Breaker - not tripped = outlets work, turn light switch on breaker trips, lights work but outlets do not

texts:
I had a kitchen remodel that went a bit bad with a contractor and his minions.  The house was build in 1934 so has a two wire system with a 100A panel.  As we remodel we are replacing 2 wire system with 3 wire.

New lights and switches were installed during the remodel of the kitchen and it appears the contractors electrician tied the kitchen lights to a 20A GFCI breaker than also has the living room outlets tied to it.  With the breaker not tripped, the outlets in the living room work, turn on any of the lights in the kitchen and the breaker trips, the lights continue working but the outlets are dead.

I purchased a replacement breaker thinking it was bad, installed, and the same thing happens.  When installing the breaker I noticed that when the white neutral is connected to the neutral busbar the neutral arches when it is connected to the breakers WITHOUT the breaker being connected to the positive busbar.

There is a lawsuit with the contractor at the moment and the electrician refuses to answer his phone.  Anyone have an idea what may be going on here?


texts: Toilet with brown sediment in the toilet bowl

texts: 10 days ago I moved into a newly built house, with all new fixtures and fittings.  In the past few days overnight in the downstairs toilet, brown sediment settles at the bottom of the pan.  The water in the cistern is absolutely clear.  This is not happening in any of the other toilets upstairs in the house.  We have cleaned the cistern and toilet out, tried to clean around the u-bend and there is no obvious damage anywhere.  There are no rusty pipes anywhere.  Any ideas ?


texts: URD 1/0 wire for 100amp subpanel 60' away from main box

texts:
Can I use URD aluminum 1/0, 1/0, 1/0, 4 wire to run a 100 amp subpanel approx. 60' away from my main box?  I plan I running it through my attic which in Arizona can get very hot in summer time if there are temperature concerns with this type of wire.
Thanks!

Here's the wire:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748B57B3/?coliid=I1882CE450GCTE&colid=1CFF7GENXIV3T&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it


texts: Do you remove an AC Capacitor from the circuit before or after you short it out for safety?

texts: Is it safe to short (discharge) an AC capacitor before you remove it from the circuit. Or do you have to wait until after you remove it from the unit?


texts:
I went to Home Depot to find some 3/4" tongue and groove plywood for a flooring project and what I saw was this:

RATED STURD-I-FLOOR
24oc
T&G NET WIDTH 47-1/2"
EXPOSURE 1
--282--
RS1-07 UNDERLAYMENT
SANDED FACE
PRP-108
23/32 CATEGORY

The "sanded face" bit makes me think this is an "A" grade face but it doesn't make any mention of the rear face. How can I make heads or tails of the grades on this plywood?


texts: Splitting Service Equipment Across Two Enclosures

texts:
My house has a 200 amp service with a (circa mid 1980s) GE TM2020R Mod1 panel where all 20 spaces are occupied with THQP breakers. In order to provide room for expansion and to allow for GFCI and AFCI breakers, I was planning on adding an additional outdoor 200A loadcenter, fed by subfeed lugs, adjacent to the existing loadcenter. The general idea is outlined by ThreePhaseEel in "The Streamlined Way" section of this post, although both of my panels will be located within (much) less than 24 inches conduit run of each other outdoors. The conduit running between the panels will be sized for the largest side knockout on the panels, which I believe is 2.5 inches.

Several circuits will need to be moved to the new panel that currently enter the existing panel through knockouts on the back of that panel. It would be considerably easier to leave these circuits entering where there currently do, and then run the conductors through the conduit connecting the panels, than to move them entirely to the new panel. Given that derating is not an issue due to the short distance between the panels and 60 percent conduit fill is observed, is there any prohibition in the 2017 NEC that would prevent doing this?

Also, given that the cost difference for such short wires is small and conduit fill is not an issue, is there any reason to prefer CU 3/0 or Al 250mcm conductors for the feeders between the panels?

Thanks!


texts: Voltage between neutral and ground in receptacle

texts: I have 10 outlets on the circuit. The first two check out fine. The rest show 120V between hot an d neutral and hot and ground. But they show 57V between neutral and ground. I unhooked the hot to a receptacle and still got 57V between neutral and ground? Any answers?


texts:
I have an old metal framed house number that looks like it is embedded in the stucco (see image).

Looking for a way to remove it without damaging the wall too much.
I'm planning to put a new ceramic number tile which is about the same size. So I hope not to damage the paint around it too much.


texts: Should I use a centrifugal or axial fan for server room ventilation?

texts:
First of all I know this is a strange one.

We have a server room which is small and a few servers in there. We have an AIR CON in there but we also have a ventilation duct which is a follows:

9 Meter Length x 600mm x 200mm

I would like to know which fan would be best for ducting. I have been told that a centrifugal blower would be good but I am not sure.

Please note this is a DIY job the idea is just to get rid of the hot air from the servers to outs side.


texts: Ceramic tile on concrete with shrinkage cracks

texts:
I am interested in the opinions of any experienced tile-setters here as to ceramic tile or stone laid on concrete regarding crack isolation.

I am building a new house with lightweight concrete poured on the main floor. The mix has fiber mesh and polymers added to limit cracking. I purposely added some plastic corner bead to the floor before the concrete was poured to create control cracks in specific locations. Mostly across the doorways. I have attached some pictures here.

I have filled most of the cracks with polyurethane caulk and will fill the other before setting tile.

This summer will be 2 years the concrete has been down and I believe it has cracked as much as it is going to. The house is heated with PEX tubing in the concrete slab and the slab will be brought up to room temperature and kept there for 72 hours before laying tile.

I am also planning to paint one coat of Red Guard 6 to 8 inches either side of these cracks before laying tile. I am thinking a membrane laid in just one spot will raise the tile too much. I am going to try to align grout joints with the cracks and fill those joints with sanded caulk instead of grout.

My question is this:

What would be the best practice for laying tile directly over these shrinkage cracks?

Thanks for your help and happy day!


texts: What could be tripping multiple GFCI breakers?

texts:
I have 14 ground fault circuits split 7 on each side of my panel. I have recently had 5 or six trip on the left side and 1 or 2 on the right. It happens at all hours. It appears I have some kind of problem mainly on the left.
 It is a Square D box with all square D breakers and a single ground stake.
I have had all trip in bad storms before. Thinking maybe I need to add more ground stakes.

Any ideas of what could be tripping the breakers like this?


texts: Opening up a kitchen wall without a permit

texts: I have purchased a townhome in Mahopac NY and absolutely hate the kitchen! I would like to remove a wall to create an open concept from kitchen to living space. I do believe its a load bearing wall. Ive been told that If it is, I will need a permit to have it removed. I am new to the area and do not know where I can go to apply for a permit. Can someone advise me? Also, if it is a load bearing wall, can I just open it up to create a semi open concept and create like a breakfast bar instead of removing the entire wall WITHOUT getting a permit? I am a new home owner as well as knew to the area, please if anyone can advise me, I would truly appreciate it.


texts: Radiators no longer heating up after cold weather

texts:
I have a Worcestor Danesmoor boiler that lives in a stone outhouse and heats the water and radiators in my house.

The heating is set to come on at certain times of day, but during some recent cold weather it stopped coming on. I tried pressing the manual reset button a few times, but assume there was something frozen in the system somewhere as it would just turn off again. Once the weather warmed up to above zero, the boiler started coming on again as usual.

However, since this happened, three radiators in different parts of my house have stopped heating up. The rest of the radiators in the house are working fine. I know the radiators were all working properly before the cold weather as I had recently bled them all and checked. One of the radiators that doesn't work will sometimes come on if I leave the heating on long enough, but then starts to cool again. All of the radiators have thermostat valves.

I noticed that the boiler pressure had dropped a bit, so increased it back to the recommended level, but this made no difference.

I can't find a plumber to come out for at least a week, and was wondering if there was some quick solution I could try to get the radiators working again?

Any advice much appreciated.


texts:
I have a few small areas in my attic that don't have sufficient insulation. The insulation already in place is blown-in. How practical is it to fluff up blow-in insulation and deposit it by hand in the areas of interest?

A thermal/infrared camera reveals that I have cold areas in the corners where the exterior wall meets the ceiling. So, I'm thinking I could use a garden rake to push the insulation just a bit closer to the soffit to cover that area, but, of course, leave room for air flow.


texts: Painted glaze with water based primer by mistake

texts: I grabbed the wrong can of primer and primed new window glazing with water-based not oil-based. I didn't realize the mistake until we were cleaning up. The glaze had been curing for 2 weeks and was still pretty soft. Do we just wait until it's fully hardened and sand the primer off? Other solutions?


texts: What are good Relative Humidity and Temperature settings on an MHRV and are the settings related?

texts:
I need to configure the threshold Relative Humidity and Temperature settings on an whole house MHRV system.

The way the system works is that if the RH threshold is exceeded the system increases the fan speed to supply outside air into the house and extract more old air out of the house.

If the temperature threshold is exceeded and the air outside is colder than the inside temperature then it bypasses the heat exchanger to supply the air into the house without pre-warming. It also bypasses the heat exchanger if the inside temperature is lower than the threshold and the external temperature is higher than the internal temperature.

Are the two settings related, does my choice of target temperature affect what I should choose for RH?

Does the climate I am in (southern UK if it helps) and time of year affect what I should choose, how does it affect it?

Is there anything else I should consider when selecting the settings?


texts: What is a good plan for building cube bookcases with basic tools?

texts: I don't have a table saw or a router or anything like that.  I do have a circular saw, and a drill.  I could probably justify buying a tool like a Kreg Jig or something like that for this project.


texts: I only Have Cold water from kitchen faucet. No hot water

texts: I just moved into a house that I normally have rented out. No hot water comes out of the kitchen faucet. When I turn it to either Hot setting or cold setting, regardless the water comes out cold. There is plenty of water, it is all cold. The hot water works in the rest of the house so that is not a problem. I have hot water heater turned all the way up. I tried turning off/on valves under the sink and this did nothing. A few years ago a friend of mine hooked up a garbage disposal under the sink and perhaps that created the problem? Not sure as tenant never complained about the only cold water


texts: What's the best way to add a neutral wire for smart switch?

texts:
I know this has come up before and I have done a quite a bit of reading around stealing a neutral from another circuit, and I understand why this is bad.

So, here is my situation:

I want to add a zwave switch to my front driveway lights.  The house was built in 2005 and the electricians have a 3 gang unit for the entry, garage and foyer lights.  On another circuit in a single gang is the switch for the driveway lights.  I have a neutral into the 3 gang, but it looks like they tried to save money or take the easy route as the single gang for the driveway is switch loop with no earth or neutral.

So, how do I get a neutral there?  The driveway lights are about 300ft away and the circuit box is about 25 feet away.  What would an electrician typically do in this case to add the neutral?  Run it from the circuit, or from the fixtures 300ft away.  Either one seems like it would be expensive.

Thoughts?


texts: How to wire 4 way switch, Hot at 4 way and light fed from 3 way on end. I have found similar picture by searching however it also fed light from 4 way.


texts: Why does the exhaust in my basement bathroom drip condensation in warm weather?

texts:
The exhaust in my basement bathroom drips condensation in warm weather, and the drop ceiling tile gets mildewed. I did not use insulated ducting to the outside.

Should I wrap insulation around it or replace it with special ducting?  And will this solve the dripping?


texts:
Something is wrong with the wiring in my shed, I think. I'm pretty sure that it's been wrong since the previous occupants lived here, and maybe even earlier than that.

When I moved in there was clear evidence of scorching in the shed - apparently something had melted and caught fire. I'm sure it was a rather exciting time. I replaced the damaged wiring and the receptacles, but when we were trying to wire things up correctly we could not figure out the correct order of the wires. It doesn't help that they're all gray wires. We spend a lot of time scratching our heads and puzzling, and then I realized that at most we had 6 different combinations, so we tried each paring and finally figured out that at least one of them was ground, but we still couldn't figure out which was hot and which was neutral. So we just wired things up and the only thing I plugged in was an incandescent lightbulb.

Recently I've thought to revisit the shed wiring and have discovered something that seems rather strange. Between ground and one side, I'm reading ~240v, and ground and the other side I'm getting ~120v.

I'm not sure what they're supposed to read, but on another outlet between ground and neutral I don't get any reading, and ground and hot I get 120v.

120v Between Hot and Ground

240v Between Neutral and Ground

My Dummy Light is Confused, Too

You may not be able to see the label clear enough, but my dummy light has all three lights on - but that doesn't correspond to any of the options on the label.

So I'm terribly confused as to what's going on here. How would I find and fix the issue here? I'm assuming it's probably in my circuit box - I took it off once before, so I know where it is and a little about it. I don't have the option to shut off the mains electricity to the house, so if I were to undertake such a fix, what safety precautions should I take? (If the outlets don't make it clear enough, I'm in the United States)

Inside My Breaker Box

On the right side you can see three wires coming in through the back of the box: they go up to the 20A circuit breaker on the right side and to the ground rail - those are the wires that go out to the shed.


texts: Is white vinegar as effective against black mold as rice or apple vinegar?

texts: Does anyone know if you can use white vinegar to irradiate black mold from inside window panes? I see they mention rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar; is there a difference on how those react with mold spores versus white vinegar? I'm trying to stick with a more natural approach since I have a chemical sensitivity.


texts: How can I isolate grounded (neutral) conductors in a panel?

texts: This is in reference to my question yesterday about sub panel grounding. So if my sub panel came with a ground bar on either side of the breaker mounts, are one or both of them isolated from the case and are all the neutrals supposed to be on the isolated bar and the bare wires all attached to the case grounded bar? If this is the case and all off the neutrals and grounds are presently attached together, then how do I fix the problem if there is not enough wire to swap sides with the neutrals and grounds?


texts: Wiring receptacle(s) controlled by a switch

texts:
OK, here is a problem that I need solved: To connect indoor (double) receptacle and a switch to an outdoor (porch)
single receptacle so that the switch will control when the outdoor receptacle is on or off (and possibly not have
any effect to the indoor receptacle). In other words I want the line feed of the indoor receptacle to also feed the
porch receptacle, but I want (an indoor) switch to control the outdoor receptacle. I did it wrong -- see the approximate
photo and diagram (at least I think that is how I did it). When switch is down (off) it does not affect either indoor or outdoor
receptacles -- they all work with no problem. When I put the switch up (to on) the breaker intervenes and shuts down
that box. So clearly, turning the switch in the "on" position connects the neutral and the hot, which I did not expect
since I thought the (s)witch comes "after" the original receptacle...
So somebody help here with a neat solution: Given are: 1) a feeder line coming to the indoor receptacle (not too much
extra wire to play with); all casing is metal which serves as the grounding (so the extra hair pig tails I add in the box
are not necessary). 2) Porch (outside) receptacle with its wires. It is set in its
position and I do not want to go through the trouble of (re)moving it. The (metal) box is also in place and I do
not want to remove it. So how do I connect these wires so as to get everything to work: indoor receptacle (preferably
without interference by the switch) and outside receptacle to work when the indoor switch is in the "on" position. Uups, I have the diagram in the wiring diagram in the pdf format but I do not see an option of adding pdf file picture.
Here comes the diagram


texts: Temporarily Unmounting Garage Door Opener for Repair

texts:
The plastic gear in my CRAFTSMAN 139.53973SRT garage door opener needs to be replaced.

I can buy the replacement part without any problem.

But since this is the first time I am doing this, my questions are:

Is it possible to replace this gear
without unmounting the garage door opener?
If this isn't possible, how do I unmount the garage door opener with minimum effort and time investment?


texts: Replacing 2 old light switches - what kind of switches do I need?

texts:
I'm desperately looking for a bit of advice.
I want to replace 2 old switches, and I don't know what kind of modern switches I have to use and how to properly wire them? Could you please help?
There are 6 wires in the box, 2 red, 2 black, 2 white. The black wires are joined together, red wires are connected to two opposite sides of the switches (please see the pics)


texts: Is the hole cut in the wall for externally vented, over stove microwaves, standard?

texts:
I have a Goldstar MV-1515W microwave installed over the stove vented externally. I want to replace it. Goldstar became LG. I contacted LG and they were unable to tell me whether a new model will have the hole in the wall, in the same place. I am unable to find the template used many years ago to cut the hole and hang the microwave. If I had the template I could compare that to new models.

Is there any standardization with regard to the hole for externally vented microwaves?


texts: Pressure Tank Size for a Variable Speed Submersible Pump

texts:
Information seems vague or non-existent from pump manufacturers. I need to know what size pressure tank is required for my setup, and all I'm getting is "doesn't need much" or "x gallons" and nothing about draw down.
My Setup
I have a 38ft deep well and the submersible will sit at about 35ft deep. I will be pumping 30-40gpm at max demand (when irrigation is on etc.). We are going with a 230v, 3 phase, 2 Horse Power Pump. PVC drop pipe (2") and 200ft of 1 & 1/2", 200lb poly pipe to the house where the controller and pressure tank(s) will live.
A local supplier says a single 7 gallon tank is fine. Another says get 2x7 and the a 3rd supplier says 2x5. No one seems to know why they hold those opinions.
I'm lost!
Shouldn't I have enough draw down for my pump to spin up (assuming it takes it a second or two?) and keep a constant 35gpm and 40-50psi? How do I know how much time it will take the pump to catch up to demand? Now, I don't even care about not enough flow to instantly run the entire irrigation system. It's more, do I have enough to:
a. Not damage my pump or pipes or appliances (this is #1 consideration!)
b. Not be annoying if I turn the shower on (not having enough pressure for a minute)
NOTE: I do NOT need advise static water level, water rights/local laws etc. I can legally pump 35gpm and my well could handle 100gpm or more all year round.


texts: What kind of glue is best for a black plastic kitchen appliance (ABS plastic)?

texts:
I have a built in microwave oven with a broken door open button (the hinge plastic was too thin by design).  The plastic is somewhat pliable, waxy.  There is no chasing arrow showing the plastic type, but it is marked ">ABS<".  In the past I've tried "works on plastic" household glue, PVA glue, super glue and/or plastic epoxy with mixed or worse results.  Is there anything that really works on ABS?

See also: How to identify the type of plastic and How do I fix a broken microwave door hook latch?


texts:
I'm in the middle of a bathroom renovation, which will be tiled with large format porcelain tiles on both the floor and walls.

I put 1/4" HardiBacker on the floor, laid on top of a bed of thinset as per the installation instructions. I used the "BackerOn" coated screws that home depot sells with the HardiBacker sheets. I was not happy with how the screws tend to split or fracture the hardi, mostly around the edge even when holding back 3/4" from the sheet edge.

When I started putting 1/2" backer on the walls I switched to hot-dipped galvanized ring shank nails, 2" long, using a framing nailgun to set them. I dialed back the drive depth to leave almost all nails either flush or slightly proud of the surface, and then I tapped them flush with a hammer. I had some that broke the surface of the board though.

After completing almost the entire bathroom I then was told that I should have used roofing nails, not framing nails, due to the size of the head. What I'm concerned about is that the backer board might pull through the nail heads of the smaller diameter framing nails. They are full-round head. not clipped head, but still much smaller than a roofing nail.

Am I justified in my worry? Should I go back over and augment the nailed boards with some screws?


texts: What is causing my kitchen drain to back up into my dishwasher?

texts: I have tried vinegar and baking soda and a commercial cleaner.  When I use the plunger the water in time will go down. What should I do first? Should I take my dishwasher apart or the attempt to clean the trap?  Thank you for your help!


texts: Hot water tank cold water is always flowing

texts:
My hot water tank cold water is always flowing and it's losing water out of the temperature valve relief tube on the cold water intake side (see attached photos). I just noticed this, but it could have been going on for weeks. The tank natural gas and is 10 years old and I've never tested the TP valve until recently. I've never pulled the TP valve out to check it. I've tested the thermostat and the burner is firing fine. We have no problems with the hot water in the house. The house water pressure is sitting at around 60psi

Home Depot guy said that the pressure in the city has gone up due to check valves being installed, however I'm not so sure. He said to install an expansion tank on the cold water intake side, however, I'd like to understand what the problem is better before doing this. Another potential clue is that there was a broken water main at a house down the street, however, I don't think that this is contributing to the problem as our house pressure is 60 psi.

Is this pressure, temperature, tank related, or perhaps a failed temperature control valve problem (on the cold water intake)?

What should I do to better diagnose this problem? Should I replace the temperature control valve on the cold water intake? Install a expansion tank? If so where would I install the expansion tank on my cold water side?

edit: That "temperature control valve" is actually a thermal expansion valve.

From the website: https://www.mmcontrol.com/apollovalves/plumbing.php

  Apollo® 78RV Series Combination Water Heater Isolation Valve/ IAPMO
  approved Thermal Expansion Relief Device. This combination water
  heater shutoff and thermal expansion relief valve is an ideal
  alternative to expansion tanks in residential plumbing systems.

Update 2:  I have run the cold and hot water tests for both at 5 minutes each and neither have stopped the flow of water out of the thermal relief valve. When I closed the valve completely, the water still flowed, however it turned to hot water after around 3-4 minutes. Does this mean I have too much pressure inside the tank? Replace valve? Install expansion tank? Replace water heater? Call in the pros? :) Many thanks again all.

Please see attached photos for details.

Thanks
E


texts: Not sure how to reattach two bathroom objects

texts:
About a year ago we had a contractor switch out a cabinet for a pedestal style sink. I didn't notice until recently that behind the sink there was a loose ring object on the outflow pipe and the molding (did I get that right?) is loose
The top red circle has a loose ring around it, what is that called? If I push it against the wall it doesn't fit in the hole. It does not look like it was glued on initially. How should I fix it so it covers the hole?
The other red circle at the bottom. Do I need to hammer a nail into that molding to get it to stay against the wall and spackle/paint over the nail?


texts: 40W Circline fluorescent would periodically light for less than a second, but stay on when tried an hour or so later. Replaced bulb; same problem. Replaced ballast; now it lights for only about a second every time. Connections and ground seem good.


texts: Why do my bathroom outlets only work if I plug in a particular device?

texts:
I just bought a newer home with three bathroom. There are four outlet combine in all bathrooms and none of the works correctly.  If I plug in any corded appliances it will not work but if I plug in my rechargeable toothbrush it works.I checked for voltage, I get 120v I checked the wiring it is correct. I replace one outlet still the same. Could it be the breakers is going bad? Any suggestions?
Thanks Eric


texts: Can I drain a dehumidifier in my basement with these?

texts:
I'd like to put a dehumidifier in my unfinished basement. I see these pipes down there, which I think are there in case we want to add a bathroom or sink.

Could a plumber easily use these to set up a dehumidifier to drain?


texts: Finishing old pine floors in a bathroom?

texts:
So my dad and I have this house built in 1880. Floors are 1" pine tongue and groove with no subfloor. My dad really wants to finish the pine floor in the bathroom, and while I'm not convinced this is the best idea I think it will be hard to talk him out of it.

So I'm wondering, what will give the hardest and most waterproof finish for pine floors in a bathroom? Of course we'll need to sand the floors which is going to be its own battle, along with sealing them. After some research it seems like the options are:

wax/oil
lacquer
catalyzed finish

It seems like the catalyzed option will be the hardest/most waterproof, but I am honestly a bit out of my expertise here.

As a bonus, the floors are original so they should be pretty high quality cuts of pine from old growth forest rather than new, softer growth.


texts: Hanging a 32 inch TV without snap toggle on plaster

texts: I'm looking to hang my tv on a bedroom wall however there is only one stud on that wall. I tried using a snap toggle but behind the plaster, there's concrete that won't allow the snap toggle to fit. The tv is pretty light it's around 15-20 pounds. Is there any other way to go about this?


texts: How to identify faucet handle brand/model?

texts:
My kids somehow broke the bathroom sink faucet handle.  I'd like to replace it but I can't identify the brand/model based on the markings.  There's a part number 93903 on the bottom that I've been trying to google (and amazon), but no luck so far.
If it's not possible to find this same part, how do I find a proper replacement?  The guy at ACE hardware picked out a handle for me, but it didn't fit.


texts: What to look for in central air installation?

texts:
I'm having an HVAC company install a York central air unit in my house today, and I'm wondering what things I should be looking for in the quality of the installation?

Existing York central heating system throughout house, so ducting is
already installed
1,300 sq. ft. home


texts: How can I determine if CAT5 cable is wired for data or phone?

texts: We just moved into a home that has a renovated basement and all of the receptacles have two CAT5 wires pulled to them (one for telephone and one for data) but none of the wires are labeled or terminated in RJ45 or RJ11 jacks.  How do I test the wires to tell if they have data or phone signals?


texts: Is it normal for caulk to let go around my new home's tub and kitchen sink?

texts: Master bathtub caulking is already separating after 1 year after we bought this house brand new. It's also happening in the kitchen but nowhere else. Is this normal?


texts: Got Red Tag warning from gas company for hot water tank (Canada)

texts: Gas company technician asked me to take a look at hot water tank and there he issued me Warning B Red tag and gave me 5 weeks to fix the issue. Issue in related to clearance from combustibles (TSSA code 8.18.t1 t.86) (something about 6 inch clearance from combustibles). Area should in red rectangle is what technician was concerned about. My water heater is old (2010) and was here when I bought the house in 2014. A few contractors I asked to want to sell me new water heater. Is it an easy DIY or should I ask for a contractor to fix it ?


texts: Unsure about my structural engineer, can you check his drawing?

texts:
I recently asked my structural engineer to provide some calculations and drawings to remove the arch and further open up the opening between the double fronted sitting room of my 2.5 storey (2 at the front and 3 at the back) semi-detached Victorian house.

I am only opening up the left wall 60cm and squaring off the top of the opening (removing the arch) so feel his suggestion is drastic.

Here is the drawing he has provided:

Click for full size image

which includes the following things I was hoping to avoid:

Building a brick pier when a wall already exists
Digging up the floor and laying a concrete footing on the left
Inserting a concrete lintel on the right.

What do you think?
Is this over the top?
I want to use him for other work but this has put me off.


texts:
We are trying to add bookshelves onto our apartment wall; specifically, elfa system shelves (site is in Swedish, but I'm sure you can get the gist based on the photos). However, we are somewhat concerned as to whether or not the wall can support the shelves.
Our concern, however, is that the wall itself may not be ideal to mount into. It is built over the brick exterior of the building with approximately 5cm of empty space between the plaster wall and the brick. The drywall itself, unfortunately, does not run all the way to the ground: due to a water pipe that runs along the floor to a radiator, the plaster doesn't sit directly on the ground, nor on anything, really.

We have used a stud finder, but what it has found is... inconclusive. We could not really consistently find any indication of what the plaster is mounted on that we could use to also mount our shelves into, and so our only hope would be to mount the shelves directly into the drywall.
We are aiming to mount the rails with these kind of drywall anchors, but the concern of course is that I assume any description of how much weight they can support is predicated under the assumption that the drywall itself is well-supported. Unfortunately, we can't really tell if that is the case or not.
Our questions are the following:

Is possible and safe to mount bookshelves directly into the drywall?
If not directly, is there something we can do the help support the shelves?
More generally, how can we get a sense of how much weight can be safely supported?

We should not that this shelf would be above our living room couch, so since we don't relish the idea of always wearing safety gear while relaxing, we want to ensure that our shelves will be stable enough.


texts: Is it common for faucet handles to turn in opposite directions?

texts: I just had my bathroom renovated and I noticed that cold and hot sink handles turn in opposite direction. The hot is the standard lefty lucy and righty tighty-- but the cold is the opposite (closes left and opens right). Is this something that is determined by the brand of faucet or is it just the way the contractor decided to configure it?


texts:
I live in an area where we have municipal composting, so it's quite common that every house has two composting bins: a tall green one (about a meter tall), and a smaller, pail-like one. They pick up compost bins every week. (It becomes landfill material.)

I understand that it's possible to purchase compost liners; but I'm not looking to spend more money, since composting is such a regular activity. What are some free, natural materials I can use to line my compost bins with?

I would also like to minimize the need of washing the compost bins. So for now, I'm trying to line them with newspaper; but this still necessitates putting compostable material inside a plastic bag, and transferring it the night before pickup. Is there a better approach?


texts: Concern with whirlpool tub pump drainage

texts:
I am having a whirlpool tub installed by a plumber. This is the tub. We purchased it with an upgraded pump, specifically this one. It came from the factory looking like this:

The pump is mounted at one end of the tub, with the pump's intake located higher than the tub's suction inlet (this is so that inlet can be a drain for the pump after the bath).
Our installation box was very tight, and the pump needed to be moved to one of the long sides of the tub. The mfr said this is ok, but noted the height difference requirement that I allude to above. The plumber first installed it with the intake lower than the tub's suction inlet, which I took issue with, because I did not want old bathwater stagnating in the lines (between the pump and the tub's suction inlet) and unable to drain. After much arguing I eventually convinced the plumber to reinstall the pump a few inches higher, and now I am content that its intake is higher than the tub's suction inlet (barely... like 0.5"). But now I realize a new potential issue. The plumber did not install a straight route of pipe between those two points. Specifically, the pipe goes straight up for several inches just out of pump's intake. From there, it continues downhill all the way to the tub's suction inlet. The vertical section:

and a more simplistic system diagram:

So, now I am still concerned that there will be stagnant water in the system after a bath (specifically in the vertical section of the blue pipe in the image above, and in the pump itself). About the only way I can imagine this will still be ok is if a siphoning effect helps to empty the vertical pipe and the pump. The rest of the drain pipe (downstream from the vertical section) is much longer than that section, so hopefully this bodes well for any hypothetical siphoning effect? If not, I'm going to have to ask this plumber to reseat the tub a third time, and he is not going to be happy.


texts:
A water tap located in the basement is leaking when tap is opened. I inspected the tap, hoping that tightening nut would help, but it seems that the nut is sort of "soldered", i.e. it won't move:

Then I unscrewed the blue handle, and found a small plastic cap under it, that covers a shaft. I thought I'd be able to get in, if take out the shaft, and change gasket. However it seems that there's no way to loosen shaft either.

Is there a way to resolve this or I'll have to replace the whole tap?


texts: What are the most common newbie pitfalls of changing a refrigerator seals?

texts:
I would like to replace the seals on a subzero refrigerator. The videos on youTube make it look easy and I have bought the replacement seal form the subzero.  I am interested in being informed so as to avoid making newbie errors and improving the chances of installing it correctly the first time.  This is will be my first attempt at replacing a seal.

What are the common pitfalls to avoid regarding this task?  Google did not return a good answer.

Any 'lessons-learned' are appreciated.


texts: I am planning to take the 1" EPS + plywood sandwich approach to my basement subfloor (pergo on top). I've read conflicting things around the plywood -- is 1/2" ply sufficient? Do I need to do two layers of 1/2" to get to a full 1"?


texts: Is This Wood Still Good? (Water Stained or Rotten)

texts: I have an attachment on the side of my house, basically an enclosed porch but could also be a mudroom. One of the doors leads to a deck where the prior owners let the gutter downspout fall out of place, which let water collect on the deck and get into this small room. I'm wondering if the floor is still good (just stained) or rotting. I was planning on finishing the room which includes tiling the floor. Do I need to replace the wood prior to doing this?


texts: How does the decibel rating vary with the BTU capacity of an air conditioning unit?

texts:
Across similar models from the same manufacturer, differing only in BTU, which are quietest when operating at the lowest setting to cool the same room?

In order words, are larger (and more expensive) units quieter (as is the case with computer fans for example), so it's worth paying a bit extra for an over-sized A/C unit, in order to get lower noise levels?

I'm interested particularly in window A/C units.


texts: Is it ever safe to have 14 gauge wire anywhere on a circuit protected by a 30 amp breaker?

texts: I was doing some work in an old house I recently moved into, and found that my dishwasher and garbage disposal (and some outlets near them) are on a 30 amp breaker.  However, some of the electrical wiring going between the disposal and the wall switch is yellow, which implies 12-gauge, 20 amp-rated wire (right?).  How dangerous is this situation?  What should be done, if anything?


texts: Should I use glue or powder-actuated nails when framing over gypcrete?

texts:
I have a current gypcrete-over-radiant-over-foamboard-over-slab floor in my unfinished basement. I'm about to frame it out to finish it.
I've already located all the tubing, and I do have spots where I can nail or screw most of the walls down. Three questions for the experts:

If I want to use powder-actuated-nails into the gypcrete, I can't buy nails long enough to go through the gyp and insulation all the way into the concrete slab. Since these are non-load-bearing walls, seems ok if I just get the nail into 1.5" of gypcrete to hold them in place?

Would you apply an anti-fracture membrane (redguard or similar) under the sill plates in order to minimize spalling where the nail goes through?

On the couple walls I need to glue down, I've read that an anti-fracture-membrane first and then construction adhesive will work. Does anyone have products they recommend that work together? (the AFM with the adhesive, like would loctite PL stick to redguard?)

My other option is 5" or maybe even 6" screws which I think will get all the way to the concrete slab, but that seems like a lot of effort for 1300 sqft of walls. If I have to use screws, what screws do you recommend?
I did send email and a phone call to Maxxon, and they never replied, and my heating contractor doesn't have any info either.
Thanks,
--Carey


texts: How can I insulate a finished 1 1/2 story space

texts:
I have a 1 1/2 story portion on my house that has a finished office space and closet on one side.  The room has no insulation as I've done a little work and had to take some drywall off the outer wall and the unfinished crawl space had none either.  Because of this, it's hot in the summer and freezing in the winter.

I've created a simple diagram so you can see the profile of the space:

My question is if it is possible to insulate the room without having to tear down all the drywall? And if so, what would be the ideal way to do so?

EDIT:

My plan so far is to poke a hole in the ceiling of the finished space so I can hopefully crawl up there and use blown insulation to shoot it down between each rafter to fill up the ceilings and then fill up the walls by poking holes in between the studs.  In the end, the insulation would look like this:

Do I need to be concerned about moisture or will I create ice dams on the roof?  I don't have any vapor barriers or vents it seems.


texts: Will a fan cause pendant lights to move?

texts: I know this may be a silly question, but didn't know if anyone else has run into this.  I have an 11 x 11 kitchen and existing fan and some track lighting.  I want to use track pendant lights and was wondering how bad they would move around if I had the fan on to.  Any thoughts?


texts: Can I put roof sheathing on vertically instead of horizontally?

texts: I would like to put my roof sheathing on vertical instead of horizontal. It will be an 18 by 12 patio. Rafters are 2 x 6; 16 in on center. It will be 1/2" in plywood which will be visible from below


texts: Kitchen Installation new build: How long after heat goes on?

texts:
In Short

Our kitchen suppliers have told us that the kitchen should only go in 6-8 weeks after the heat has been turned on in our new build. Their concern is how dry the house is, I assume the issue they're talking about (in technical terms) is relative humidity? Would I be right in saying as long as we are achieving a reading of 50% or less humidity-wise, there should be no issue?

The reason I ask is we're working off a deadline which will only allow us 5 1/2 weeks of lead time with the heating on otherwise the whole thing gets pushed back 1-2 months.

TL;DR - A bit more background below

House Area: 250m2
Construction Type: Concrete Block

Our floors have been poured 4 weeks ago:

Upstairs: 50mm liquid screed
Downstairs: 100mm sand and cement

The plastering was completed 5 weeks ago (gypsum all around and skim on ceilings)

I have been opening all the windows during the day and removing all condensation with a window vacuum before I close them up again at night.

For the past week the house has been receiving heat at night via 2 x 2.5kw heaters running for 8 hours.

The heating is to be provided by a heat pump (air to water) and distributed via underfloor heating, we also have a heat recovery system which should take some moisture out.

Recommendations

We've be told not to install dehumidifiers as it will crack the plaster, so is there anything else we should be trying or anything that we are doing and should stop?

Another suggestion was to isolate the heat to the kitchen by taping up openings to other rooms? My thinking was the moisture would be drawn from other rooms once these temp barriers were removed?


texts: Can I safely use a #12 extension cord on a 15A circuit temporarily for extended periods?

texts:
Is it okay to use an outdoor 25 foot 12 gauge extension cord for an outlet to appliance (temporarily) to make sure there will be no overheating of any wires, which will be running on a 15 Amp Circuit (which probably has 14 gauge wire inside the outlet within the walls)?

In other words, would this be dangerous, being the circuit breaker might not detect overheating (if any) during an extended period of continual usage?

As I mentioned, that the wall outlet leads to a 15 amp circuit, all my 20 and 30 amp circuits are used to the max).

I have used several 6ft 14/3 gauge extensions listed for 15A with a max of 1875 watts, of course this is bad, at each end they heat up and is very dangerous, because of the resistance. I was think a heavier wire - directly from wall outlet to appliance might be better (for now). Thanks in advance


texts:
So I had a few questions as far as stucco vents go. Here is an image of what we are talking about:

What would be the best way to repair this hole? Just some wire mesh over it?
Some follow on questions

How did they mount this wire mesh to the stucco? My best guess is that they stapled it before the applied the 3 coats of stucco and it is semi embedded.
Is it recommended to paint over the mesh? Why was this done?

From this second picture on the bottom the mesh has started to come up. I'm semi confused at how this can be. Is the mesh attached to some type of aluminum frame that was originally embedded into the stucco and then the mesh started to come out from the frame?


texts: We want to replace the sliding door that leads from our family room to our sunroom with French double doors.  Can we replace it with indoor doors? Or do we need outdoor doors?  The sun room has other doors that lead to out to the yard that won’t be replaced.


texts: two circuits on a single pole GFCI breaker?

texts:
I think I may have found an instance of "hill-billy" wiring in my circuit box.

I have a 15A GFCI breaker.  Strangely, it is hooked up to the up stairs bathroom AND the outdoor outlets.  Recently it has started to perform poorly.  It either trips easily or doesn't work after reseting the breaker.

I opened up the panel and was surprised to see what looks like two circuits wired into the breaker.  That is, you have a two pairs of black/white (hot & neutral I presume).  The hot lines are going into the breaker together (on the top) and the same with the neutrals (on the bottom).

Is there any valid reason for this? It seems like the installer was lazy and because there isn't much room left on the panel they wired these two circuits into one breaker.

UPDATE:
This is a Bryant circuit breaker box from the late 80's.  The GFCI breaker was a 15 amp Sylvania which raised a bunch of eye brows when I brought it into the electrical supply place. Now it sounds like everyone makes "BR" compatible breakers including Eaton.

I ended up getting an Eaton breaker from Home Depot and only wiring in one pair of wires (the wiring to the outside sockets).  Seems to work fine.  I am going to buy another breaker and put it in one of the open spots in the box.

My guess is that whomever was last in this box didn't want to spring $40 for a second GFCI breaker.

UPDATE 2:

Thanks for the comments!  Giving that the house was built in 1986 it seems like it was standard to use one GFCI for multiple outlets.  In my case - this certainly caused problems over time and I am replacing with multiple GFCI breakers.


texts: Installed Ceiling Fan, Now Light Switch Not Working Properly

texts:
Last night I switched a ceiling light fixture with a Ceiling Fan. Before it was just a light fixture and it was controlled from a switch on the wall; one of two switches on the same switch plate/panel (so a double switch). The two switches controlled two different ceiling light fixtures.

Now that the Ceiling Fan is in, one of the switches does nothing and the other controls both the Ceiling Fan and Light Fixture. I've tried researching the issue however my search terms always resulted in tutorials on how to have a Ceiling Fan with Lighting controlled by two separate Switches.

There were only three wires in the ceiling box; red, green, and white. The green is the ground ostensibly (given how it was connected). There is a remote control kit installed for the fan. The red and white cables are connected to corresponding red and white cables on the kit box; which in turn has three wires which connect to the actual Ceiling Fans wiring.

Any and all help appreciated. The unit is a Harbor Breeze (0152426). I strongly suspect the problem lies with the wiring for the wall switch unit. Some pics for clarity:

Here is a picture of the switch with the panel off (original wiring); it is the switch on the left that does nothing and the one on the right which now turns on and off a ceiling light and a then the Ceiling Fan which itself was a ceiling light prior:

Here is the wiring for the Ceiling Fan:


texts:
I’m trying to wire a 110 receptacle to my electrical panel outside and I see no neutral terminal bar. I know the black goes to the breaker for power and the ground goes to the ground terminal but this box has a terminal on each side and both of them have grounds hooked into them. Where do I put my white neutral??

Edit: Here’s a picture of the inside:


texts:
My shower drain is regularly filling up and overflowing, subsequently leaking water outside of the screened shower area. When not in the shower I removed the tile and waste plate and can see the water level sits at approx 2 inches from the top of the floor level tiles, so when I have shower on full pressure, the water is not escaping quick enough.
I know the waste should not be dry, but could there be a blockage further down the pipe? My shower is on the second floor of my house, so the pipes bend and then go down downstairs, there is a waste cap, then the pipe goes outside.
A few sinks follow this route and they are not blocking, only the shower waste. Please offer advice as to what the problem could be, or if I should poke a hose down to try and unblock? Thanks.


texts: Is it bad to close furnace dampers in order to balance temperatures seasonally?

texts:
I have a two story home. As such, it's always hotter on the second floor than the first floor.
As advised by many articles and how-to videos out there, I usually close the dampers in the ducts leading to the first floor in the summer, so that the cold air from the air conditioner is forced to the upstairs vents and then sinks down to the lower level, and vice versa in the winter so the warm air rises.
I'm trying to get a straight answer on whether this is ok or bad. I've now seen many other articles that suggest you should always leave all dampers and vents open all the time because you could cause damage to your furnace by creating unexpected blockages.
But most of those articles seem to be focused around the idea of closing off airflow to a room in order to save on energy costs. That is not my goal. I'm not closing off any rooms by shutting doors or anything. I just want the air to start in one spot and naturally move up or down in order to maintain an even temperature throughout the house.
So should I be able to adjust those dampers and registers? Or should I be concerned that it will damage my furnace?
FYI, the house was a new build in 2012, with a high efficiency furnace and AC unit.
UPDATE:
Even with the air filter out, it was still shutting off. Had a friend in the HVAC industry take a look. I wasn't there at the time, but according to my wife, he suggested that the furnace is too big for my house and that my duct work is smaller than it should be. So it was having trouble carrying the heated air away from the burners fast enough (which
She said that he turned down the gas valve a bit and increased the air flow (not sure how). Been a couple days and it hasn't shut off yet.


texts:
I've just moved into a newly build house a few months ago and every time it rains, it smells like sewer in a bathroom and the living room.

I'm using the municipal sewer and I checked in my own yard to make sure it's not clogged and everything is fine.

I don't know what to do and I've had one plumber come to check it out, but he couldn't find any reason.

What else should I look for? I can give you more details, but I need to know what exactly.


texts:
I was going to replace my bathroom sink but realized that the water supply line shut-off valve was stuck and could not be closed. I am concerned that turning it off forcefully might break the pipes.

Is there any tip for loosening it up? As the last resort, I could shut off the main valve and replace the whole water supply line but before doing that, I am wondering if there is any easy solution.


texts: Minimum non-combustable mantel height then TV over fireplace

texts:
What is the minimum non-combustable mantel height over a flush mount linear fireplace. Then what is the minimum aditional height to the bottom of an off the wall momounted  TV?

I have a family room with vaulted 12' ceiling and framed fire box with venting 3' deep and 6' high. I'd like to think I could mount a 1" thick granite mantel 3" above the top of the glass viewing height. Perhaps a mantel protruding enough to cover the bottom of the TV. Then I'd like to mount the bottom of the TV another 3" above the mantel. Does this work?


texts: Can I stain wood in sub-optimal temperatures?

texts:
I intend to stain a piece of smooth timber to use indoors as a mounting board for some coat hooks; something I've never done before. The instructions for the stain I purchased suggest not to use below 10°C, and it's currently 7°C here during the day. I have a garage I can use to sand the wood, apply and dry the stain out of the rain, but it is unheated.
Will I run into problems if I use the stain in sub-optimal temperatures? Advice websites advise against it, but don't go into the specifics. An answer to another question suggests leaving an exterior fence stain until warmer weather in spring:

Didn't stain my new fence this summer: do it while its cold or wait until next year?
Definitely wait. The temperature will be dropping low enough during the stain's curing process that many problems could present themselves.

but I'd like to do this while I have the time and inclination! This answer doesn't elaborate on what these many problems are (stain taking 10% longer to dry? stain not staining at all? wood spontaneously combusting?!) and how problematic they would be.


texts:
I have a dumb waiter in my apartment with a metal door approximately 2ft x 1.5ft, 1" thick but hollow, it appears to be made of 1/16" steel. The door is sligtly beat up, minor dents but nothing major. I want to replace the lock and hinges, but also want to restore the door and remove/cover the dents. The door is painted, so I plan to strip it first; it has no rust on it.

Once the door is stripped, cleaned, and sanded, what should I use to fill in dents and level the surface? bondo, fiberglass, etc?


texts: Construct 3-Sheave Pulleys for Hanging Objects from Rafters

texts:
I am trying to create a system of 2 3-sheave pulleys (along with terminal pulleys) that can hoist my hanging plants up to my rafters, such as here:

I am happy with my general design but what I am uncertain about is the design of the pulleys along the wall, the ones that redirect the forces right and then down.

I have designed a system with a 5/16" shoulder screw, 4 washers and 3 plastic sheaves 11/32" wide and 3/4" in diameter - I'll be using 1/4" jute as rope. (While the diagram shows that the sheaves are recessed near the centers in actuality they are flush across and will likely not rub with the washers in place.

My question is is my pulley design good, or will the transverse forces likely warp, or snap, the screws (I have both stainless steel (40,000 PSI sheer strength) and alloy steel (86,000 PSI) available to me; which is best for pine and the forces here?)? These 5/16" shoulder screws have a 7/16" thread length and 1/4" thread width. The depth the screw penetrates the wood is also a factor I need to figure out - what is the deepest it needs go? The wood is pine. Each plant will weigh no more than 20 lbs; I figure not more than 100 N lift on each.

If this system does not work could there be a work around such as putting a cage around the pulleys?


texts: I'm having a leaking hole in the cast iron boiler tube so does it mean that its time for a new  boiler or is there any way it could be permanently fixed?


texts: How to safely clean rust and prep on a section of HVAC ductwork before insulating

texts:
So I have a small section (about 1.5 ft) of non-insulated ductwork with some rust right above my HVAC blower/furnace in the basement.

The rust seems to be caused by the water that sweats on that section when I'm running the AC.

I bought some hvac insulation that I could put over it, but I wanted to clean off the rust with a wire brush before I do so. My question is: do I also need to use some sort of rust stop or rust cleaner before I do so? And, if so, what kind of chemical/product would be safe for the ductwork? I don't want caustic or strong chemicals to make it into the ventilation system spreading fumes around the house or damaging equipment.

Do you think using loctite rust neutralizer would be safe?
https://dm.henkel-dam.com/is/content/henkel/TDS-1381192-US-Loctite-Extend-Rust-Neutralizer-Bottle-8-fl-oz-2018-04-11pdf

Additional Update: Henkel corporation returned my email and said:

  We would not recommend that the Loctite rust neutralizer be used in an
  enclosed system, such as, HVAC duct work.


texts: Please let me know how this round sink is mounted. There's no lip and I don't know how the brackets would go on it. Thanks.


texts: In my kitchen I have 2 countertop plugs, each is on its own circuit wired with 12/3 and top and bottom receptacles are split. Red going to top black to bottom and shared neutral. How would I replace them with GFCI's?


texts: Running Cable Underground in PVC Conduit - Do I bond the PVC segments before pulling the wire through?

texts:
I have the PVC segments with the flanges at one end, and a relatively short (under 50ft) run, but its very bendy at the ends.

My initial thought was to pull the cable through the pieces one by one, get them in positions, mark a 45deg twist, uncouple them, put on the binding material and put them back on and twist them into position.

But I have read conflicting information on this method being up to code.

Is there a simple, definitive answer to this?


texts: Salt deposits in health faucets and shower

texts: Due to the quality of water (with lots of dissolved salts) the health faucet and the shower gets clogged. I have to either poke with a pin or open it and brush. This happens very frequently (at least once a month). Is there a solution to avoid the problem or an easier remedy....


texts: Standing up extension ladder in narrow space

texts:
I am painting a tall house using a 40-foot extension ladder that is composed of two 20-foot sections. So, in its shortest, unextended form, the ladder is 20 feet high.

The problem I'm running into is standing the ladder up. There are other houses on both sides of the house I'm working on, and only about 10 feet of clearance between the houses. As a result, I can't stand up the ladder using the only method I know, which is to lay it on the ground at the base of an exterior wall, then push the base against the bottom of the wall and raise the ladder up rung-by-rung with my arms until it's vertical. I can do this in the back and front of the house, where there is enough clearance to lay the ladder flat on the ground, but not the sides.

Because the ladder is so big, it's also not really possible to stand it up in one location and walk it to where I need, at least not by myself. (And even with two guys, it would be tough, I think; it's a relatively heavy ladder, and you just don't have much leverage at the base of something 20 feet tall.)

Are there any techniques I could use to stand the ladder up on the sides of the house without being able to lay it flat?


texts: Troubleshooting electric pump that triggers GFCI

texts: I have a submersible pool cover pump that keeps triggering the GFCI outlet.  I know the pump is the problem because I have another, identical pump that does not trigger the outlet.  I'd like to try to repair the pump. I assume there's a short in it somewhere but how do I find it? Can anyone make suggestions for troubleshooting steps?


texts: We are replacing a kitchen ceiling light with a fan.  We have removed the globe, but we can't remove the fixture pan.  There are no screws.  The fixture appears to be attached to the ceiling.  Any suggestions?


texts: How to fill hole in slab after installing new closet flange

texts:
The plumber broke up some of the slab, removed an old cast iron Y and put in a new elbow and closet flange. He left back filling and patching the slab to me (my choice). The edge of the hole is irregular and chiseled at an angle.

My question is what material do I back fill with? Sand, pea stones, cracked gravel? My first thought is tamped sand to support the new piping. How deep do I then want to pour concrete? 4 inches? 6 inches?

The hole is about 2' x 3'. The slab is below grade - there is just dirt below there. The house is 100 years old.


texts: How should I protect trimmed wires in a push-in connector?

texts:
I need to reroute the wires to a set of recessed lights. The lights have push-in connectors inside of their junction box.

The wires were cut at the connectors but there are enough extra terminals.

The old wires are trimmed too short to cap or pigtail and I don't want to replace the cans. I'm thinking maybe I paint on liquid electrical tape. Is there a more appropriate way?


texts: How should I wall mount a TV with one metal stud and a gap between the drywall and exterior block?

texts:
I am mounting a TV on a wall (see photos).  There is a 7/8 inch gap between the drywall and the exterior, and a single metal vertical stud (Florida) as indicated.  I want to center the TV, which is also indicated.  I generally use toggle bolts for mounting on interior walls, but I do not think the gap is deep enough for them to open.

How should I mount here?
Should I take advantage of the concrete (cinder block?) exterior wall?


texts:
I installed these shelves:
http://pin.it/1gqQDHD

But they are not in studs simply screwed into the dry wall with the plastic expanders (my building is old and the studs don't match the length everything has to be for the shelves to rest flush).

There isn't a lot of weight on them now, just some photos, my desktop, and a plant. However I want to know if I can put books on the shelves without a risk of them falling. I want to say the longer shelves could potentially hold more weight as they are distributed over more space but I am not a physics expert and could be totally wrong. Does anyone know how to calculate how much weight something like this could hold?


texts: How to clean wood stain drippings from rough spackle wall

texts:
I just finished painting an outdoor wooden fence with Tambout Varnit. Despite my best efforts, there were some drippings onto the wall underneath, which seems to be covered with some sort of very hard rough spackle and painted off-white. This happened in a few places on the wall (here is one of them):

I am looking for the best way to clean these up. Here is what I have come up from so far:

Paint: Try to match the current paint exactly. But this will be very difficult to do, and even if I can match it in one place, as the paint has been on the wall for over 10 years and has weathered and gotten small stains differently in different places. Nervous that this will change a small touch-up project into a very large "paint the entire wall" (30-40 meters long, 1.5 tall) project.
Sand it: Get a coarse grit sandpaper, and try to just touch up the spots with the paint droppings. Nervous that this will either be very ineffective, or will leave spots that are too visible and obvious.
Scrape it: Get some coarse attachment for a multi-tool or angle grinder, and try to lightly grind away on the spots. Nervous that this will leave some very obvious marks (wounds?) in the wall.

Thoughts on the best way to clean this up?


texts: How can I rebuild creaking plywood-based stairs?

texts:
I have a carpeted  creaky 13 tread 40 year old staircase that I've tried to repair several times with the breakaway screw systems found in the squeak elimination kits using breakaway screws that screw into joists through carpeting.  The method  has not worked for me, and I am considering ripping the carpet off the staircase and rebuilding the stairs.

I have not been able to locate any middle of tread stringers under the plywood treads to secure the the loose treads. I have also had no luck screwing the   screws into the risers.
Has anyone had this problem and resorted to removing the carpeting and fixing the creaks by rebuilding the staircase.  Would appreciate any experiences fixing creaky stairs


texts: Why do the evaporator and suction lines freeze when there is low refrigerant?

texts: In an AC, why does a low refrigerant condition cause the evaporator, and/or suction line, to freeze up?


texts: How do I seal my bedroom door for soundproofing/reduction?

texts:
I have a hollow bedroom door in my apartment. I can’t make any modifications to the door that are permanent—nor can I replace it.

Anyone outside the room can hear an interior conversation with crystal clarity.

There are gaps (especially a massive one at the bottom)—I’m wondering the best way to completely and utterly seal this room for sound purposes (while also allowing it to be a usable door).

Most advice I’ve seen advocated for foam weatherproofing—but foam apparently sucks at blocking sound. I’m also wondering if there’s something I can hang or put on my door to stop sound from going out.

What would y’all recommend?


texts: Shared ground on bathroom light, fan, heater combo

texts:
I plan on replacing the exhaust fan in my bathroom and want to replace it with a light/heater/fan combo. In doing so, I want to be able to power both the vanity light and the fan light with a single switch, while leaving the heater and fan independent.

The image below (orange squares are connections made with wire nuts) is my proposed wiring plan. I will have two separate 20A circuits entering the switch box supplying power. One of those will supply power to a single pole switch to control the vanity light and the light in the fan unit. The other circuit entering the switch box will supply a dual single pole switch which powers the heater and fan via 12-3 from the switch box to the fan.

Inside the switch box I'll have all my grounds tied together, neutrals for each respective circuit tied together (but separate from one another), and the switches wired normally with black conductor supplying power on the line side of the switches, and black and red are switched hot to the fan and heater.

Ultimately, my questions concern grounding and code compliance. Because the fan fixture is grounded as a single unit, do I ground the fixture via one circuit or both? Additionally, since the fixture has two circuits running into it, can I share the ground in this case and ground via either cable entering the fixture? According to my interpretation of Article 250 of NEC 2014 this is permitted. Is this correct, and does 250.130(C) apply here?

Any other concerns with this plan?


texts: Should I store my staple gun with the handle up or down?

texts:
How should I store my staple gun long term? Lever up like this:

Or lever down, like this:

I'm worried about the strength of the spring over time.


texts: Using 14/3 to wire a fan and lights separately

texts:
I currently have 14/3 from my panel to a switch box.  The switch box has 2 switches, set up such that one switch would turn on the lights of fan/light combos, and the other switch turns on the fans.  From the switch box, I have run 14/3 to the location where I was going to hook up the light/fan combos.  Since running the wires, I have changed my mind, and would instead like to wire up a fan (no lights) and lights.  I have the 14/3 wire still sitting out, ready for use, but my question is: can I use the existing set up (the two separate switches and the 14/3) to wire a fan and string of lights separately such that one switch would turn on the lights and the other would turn on the fan?
I hope I explained that correctly.


texts: How do I wire a modern 240V 3 prong range to a 250V 50A 3 prong outlet?

texts:
This is for wiring in the United States.
My wife ordered a new GE electric range top, and it came with a 3 wire flex conduit permanently attached.  I cannot change it.  It has a black wire, a red wire and a ground wire.  It looks like this:

We plan to use it in an old cabin that was built in the 1940's.  There is an existing 240V 3 prong 50A outlet in the kitchen.  Upon opening the outlet, I found a red wire, white wire and black wire in what looks to be 6 gauge?  It's very thick, and hard to bend.  There is no ground wire present.

My understanding was that I could just wire in the black and red on the range top, and not use the neutral wire in the outlet box.  But the fact that there is no ground in the outlet box means I can't ground the range top.
What is the proper way to wire this up without having to run an entirely new outlet from the breaker panel?
UPDATE:
Added picture of breaker panel wiring, and it appears the metal box is indeed grounded?
@ThreePhaseEel, yes I plan to hard wire it. I'm away at the moment, but can take a photo later. There is a 3/4 inch metal conduit entering the top of the outlet box. You can see it in the 3rd photo.
Update 2:
Okay, you guys are going to freak, but here is a photo of what I'm dealing with here.  This is all the panels for the cabin:

Now, I consider myself to be very handy.  I do all my own mechanical and electrical work on my cars, I run my own outdoor gas lines, run my own electrical for my landscaping, etc.  Add outlets within the house... But I'm obviously not an electrician.  It seems like it would be easy enough to replace that sub-panel myself, but in light of all the other panels on that wall, is this looking like something that I should have an electrician handle?
Update 3
My original question has been answered, but it opened another can of worms.  And so I've created a new question to address the panel replacement/rewiring: Proper way to modernize 1940's cabin sub-panels
Thank you all so much for your very generous help!  It is greatly appreciated.