texts: How can I repair nail and screw holes if I don't know if wall is drywall or blueboard?

texts:
So first of, sorry if this is a basic newbie question.  I have only owned my home for less than a year and am trying to get handier as I go.  I know the basic difference between drywall and blueboard and how to handle each when it comes to big jobs from when I assisted (using the term loosely as I mostly observed and stayed out of the way for the most part) in redoing our basement.

In the upstairs of our home the walls are in good shape, just looking to paint them.  In this, we would like to repair some nail and screw holes.  These are all fairly small and would not require any mesh or additional drywall or sheetrock.  The issue is I dont know whats under the paint, mudded drywall, or plastered blueboard.  Does it matter since I am just filling small holes and not adding material?  I just want to make sure I'm not making any silly mistakes.  Should I be using plaster to fill the hole (this one I am the most sure is not what I should be using), or should I be using joint compound or Spackle.  Does it even matter?  Again, I realize this may be a silly question, but I'd rather be safe then sorry.


texts: Would you expect a plumber to put up plastic to contain dust for a basement bathroom rough-in?

texts:
I've read through other posts on basement bathroom rough-ins, but haven't found anything.

Yesterday, a reputable plumber used a jack hammer to break up concrete in a basement bathroom being added to the unfinished portion of the basement. I expected dust in the laundry room, and made sure the HVAC was turned off. I left the plumbers to do their work as I'm sure they've done several times for years.

When I checked the work last night, there was a healthy coating of dust in the finished portion, and no signs that plastic was put up. I asked this morning and was told that the contractor (who did the frame-up) was responsible for hanging plastic and that people did not prefer to pay $150 hr. for the plumber to do it. Since it's a bid job, at a premium price I might add, I hoped to get a second opinion.

I am afraid the couch, other furniture, and TV may be difficult to clean. Is it common practice for a plumber to put up a couple sheets of plastic or am I overly concerned here?

I appreciate the information. The other posts have already given me ideas for some other basement bathroom issues.

Thanks in advance.


texts: Will silicone sealant not be waterproof after 14 hours?

texts:
I had to silicone seal a small gap around bottom joint of our shower screen, where it is attached to the wall. We realised that a small but steady drip was soaking the floor over time. I sealed it fully about 7pm and it seemed 'set' following morning. So I used it, but still a small drip was magically seeping through.

So, could this be because after 14 hours it had not cured properly, or more likely I simply did a bad job? If it was because it was not properly cured, have I now ruined it? EIther way, can I simply plug in some more or should I start again?

Thanks for any advice guys.


texts:
Our house is pretty old.
It had an old house smell when we bought it.
It's not a mold smell, not a sewer, not cat urine.
It's a smell of old wooden furniture or books.

The house has hardwood floors and lots of wood trims.
We renovated the place, sanded all hardwood floors, removed old carpet, varnished all wood trims and painted all walls.

The odor almost disappeared, but I can still smell it.
I'm sure it's going to go stronger over time.

Do you know what the smell might be coming from?
Maybe attic needs to be treated somehow?
Maybe stuff that penetrates walls can be used like Room Shocker?
Any other ideas?


texts: How can I prevent the clanging of my extractor fan vent cover?

texts:
I installed this exterior vent for our oven extractor fan

However, the metal plate in the vents keeps swinging open and closed when it gets windy and we can hear it in the house to the point where the constant clanging is annoying. I added some rubber washers and foam around the inside of the flap, but the annoying clanging has become an annoying thudding.

I had thought about adding some weight to the flap, but don't want to risk a flap that doesnt open as it should. Is there a way to resolve this or perhaps even another exterior wall vent that I could/should use to resolve this?


texts: Is blown-in insulation appropriate for on the foundation block in a crawlspace?

texts:
Our home has blown-in insulation on the foundation block in the crawlspace. I've never seen this before. The other homes in the area I've seen had foam board glued to the wall.  There doesn't appear to be a vapor barrier between the block and the insulation, so I'm worried about it holding moisture. Is the blown-in stuff acceptable?

I live in Middle Tennessee where we have a lot of humidity and 90-100 degree temps through summer.  In the winter we have several periods of freezing weather with a few snows.


texts: Did a pressure spike cause this valve body to crack in half?

texts:
So I'm down in the basement last night and hear water running. Turns out I've got water spraying out from a pipe located above the water heater. The water was jetting out from a valve I installed  4 years ago when I installed the thermal expansion tank. There was a significant amount of water and I had to turn off the main water to the house to stop the flow. The clean-up and drying-out is ongoing.

My question for you is about the cause. In the pictures you can see the shark-bite valve and that the failure is along one of the cast lines of the brass case. I'm not sure how this is possible unless the brass casting was defective.... or there are other contributing factors.

Since there is no water charging the thermal expansion tank, I measured the pre-charge pressure and it's only 5 psi. This suggests that the internal bladder has failed (I think), though there is no water coming from the air stem. If the bladder failed, then the plumbing system is logically getting an overpressure. Could this overpressure cause the valve to fail? (I think this is the likely scenario, but I also don't think the valve should have failed at all even with the overpressure. Just sayin.)

How reasonable is it for the thermal expansion tank to fail in just four years? That also seems rather short term. I don't want to be replacing the tank every three years to prevent this.

As an interesting side note, the main pressure reduction valve was replaced (by a plumber) just last year and the overall house pressure was running at about 60 psi.

Any guidance or ideas you might have are definitely appreciated.


texts:
I'm planning to use a pressure washer for the first time, as a "once off" task, to clean and remove caked-on and ground-in mud, dirt and debris from rebar and concrete beams,  before I pour concrete to embed them.

The pour was delayed for over a year, during which time everything was heavily soaked, walked on, ground in, and baked on, during that time, so I need to strip back to the materials themselves before pouring.

I'm aware of the seriousness of injuries that pressure washers can cause. I'm likely to be using an electric-powered washer at the higher end of domestic pressure, in the region of 130 bar/2000 psi operating - not "maximum" - pressure. I've got steel toe leather boots, leather welding gauntlets, and a cheap full-face plastic visor possibly with goggles too, lined up. I can't think of anything specific I could use for leg, torso and arm protection.

I'll be working mainly in a long 1.2m x 70cm trench, and spraying the beams and steels  from below and at the ends of the beams. The beams stick 20-25cm into the trench from one side. That means it will involve close-range work, at upward and other odd angles, with no scope for a long lance and even "full arms-length" won't be practical for much of it. On a positive note, being in a trench also means there's less scope to trip or fall over, and recoil force should be ok since I'll be almost always be within inches of a rigid vertical backstop behind me.

Obviously I'll be pointing it away from me (!) and aiming for avoidance in the first place, but if I'm accidentally caught directly by the spray, by flying debris, or by water spray "bouncing" off the target, will these be adequate, and what else might be appropriate?

Also on a similar note, is the spray bouncing back off the target still capable of causing serious injury, or has it lost enough force on impact to no longer do so?

Comment: I'm not looking for answers that just say "most people don't do that much, so it's fine" (I know that most people don't do this much). I've had serious injuries and am quite motivated to avoid another. I'm more looking for reasoned comment on the proposed safety measures, the risks, and the scope/reasonableness of anything else that could be worthwhile. Thanks :)


texts:
The psi on the main Mobile Home Park side is 3
This is before the from to 1/2" pipe leading into my homes main.
The old pipe is galvanized, 3/4 to 1/2" I believe.
In repiping all the water lines to 2 baths 2 toilets 2 kitchen sinks & washer -
What would be the the best pipe size solution to get the most water pressure?
Thank you in advance.


texts:
enter image description hereOne of my sink faucets in my bathroom is leaking and I decide to fix it. I can uninstall the handle using allen wrench but then don't know how to find the O-ring or something. I need to know the brand but I couldn't find any logo on it. I need to know the brand no matter whether I will fix it or just go buy a new one (to be the same). Can someone help to identify the brand?
enter image description here


texts: Convert 2 gang no neutral light switch into 1 gang to power a smart-switch that requires neutral. Possible? UK

texts:
This is probably not possible and instead just highlights my basic lack of understanding, but thought it was worth asking! If it is possible I would get a qualified electrician to do it.
I'd like to install a smart wifi dimmer switch which requires a neutral wire, but I don't have a neutral. (I've already got a smart dimmer that works without neutral, but want a nicer one that does require it).
The switch in question is a 2 gang switch. One switch controls my kitchen spot lights, the other controls an outside light that we've never used.
I've read that the reason for a neutral is so that the wifi switch can draw power to run itself even when the light circuit is broken. So I was wondering if in the absence of a neutral wire, the redundant wires for the outside light could be made to provide power for the wifi switch.
I'm in the UK. 100+ year old house, but wiring is this millenium.
My current switch has a L, L1 & L2. Two wires go into the L.
The new switch has a L, L1, G, N.
The box in the wall has an earth wire looped into the casing.
Photo of box:


texts: Is it Code to support Class 2 (thermostat) wires using a gas line?

texts:
Related to this question.

Our gas furnace, while quite functional, has some quirks in its installation.  One of them is that the installers cut off the old (original to the house) thermostat wires at the ceiling above the furnace and open-spliced (with wire nuts) new thermostat wires to the old.  While not all that neat and workmanlike, this is Code-legal for class 2 control wiring as far as I understand it.  There is also one point where the wires are attached to the EMT feeding power to the furnace, which is covered by 300.11(B)(2) in the 2014 NEC.

More interestingly, though, the majority of the support for the new thermostat wire is provided not by the EMT for the furnace power, but by the black iron gas line feeding the furnace.  Yes, that's right: the furnace installers neatly zip-tied the thermostat wire to the gas line at regular intervals.  Is there anything in the 2006 IRC/IMC/IFGC, 2002 NFGC, or 2014 or 2017 NEC that prohibits this?


texts: GFCI outlets - can they be repaired? Are they really needed at the end of a circuit?

texts:
My house just went through a flood and there was 7 feet of muddy water on the first floor, so all the AC outlets were underwater.  After the water receded, all the unprotected outlets continued to work just fine.  But 4 out of 5 GFCI outlets no longer work and cannot be reset.  Can GFCI outlets be taken apart and cleaned/fixed or is there something inside that fails permanently?

Also, all the GFCI outlets are at the ends of their lines.  In other words, there is only one wire connected to each LINE terminal and no wires connected to the LOAD terminals. So they only seem to be protecting themselves.  But if they failed once they got wet and all the non-GFCI outlets survived, can I just replace them with non-GFCI outlets?


texts: fixing up a 1920 row home - wood paneling everywhere - Advise before I go in?

texts:
So the previous owner must have received a tremendously great offer on wood wall paneling because it is all over except for the kitchen.  It is even in the bathroom, albeit paint a weird orange sherbet color.

I want to tear it all down but a HD guy in the paint department put a scare inside me by saying I don't know what's behind it... might be opening a whole new can of worms.

So my options are 1) tear it all down and hope for the best- which did not work out for me when I pulled up a bedroom carpeting... 2) fill the ridges with joint compound/wood filler - apply a layer of Killz and paint over it. 3) Either rip it down or not put 1/4" drywall over it.

Also, I should mentioned that on both sides of rooms there are party walls(it is a row house)will no studding - just solid(I think) party walls.

Any advise or pitfalls I should avoid on any of the three methods.


texts: removing grout from very narrow gaps between tiles?

texts:
Wanting to re-grout wall tiles in the bathroom, I realize that the gaps between tiles are very uneven from area to area, and are sometimes too narrow for either the oscillating tool's 1/8 inch blade or manual grout blade which has approximately the same thickness. Even the 1/16 blade would not cut it in all places. Trying a thin screwdriver or another pointy metal tool immediately made a chip on the tile edge.

What would be the recommended way to proceed here?


texts: Is it normal for subfloor to extend under walls? If so, how can I replace it?

texts:
I'm trying to replace some rotted subfloor in my guest bathroom. For some reason, I was expecting there to be an extra wide rim joist on the outside wall and that the floor would end right next to the bottom plate for the exterior wall.  Instead, it appears to go UNDER the bottom plate for the wall.  Here are a couple pictures (sorry that they're not more clear).

So my questions are:

1) Is this a standard practice in home architecture?

2) How can I attach a replacement subfloor without an edge?

The only thing I can think of is to "make" a new edge by adding a cross-member between the floor joists at the edge.


texts: Is it possible to be electrocuted from a properly functioning GFCI circuit?

texts:
It's my understanding the the purpose of a GFCI circuit is to prevent shock by tripping the circuit if there is an imbalance in current in vs. current out. So my question is, if you have a functioning GFCI circuit, either due to a GFCI outlet or a GFCI breaker in the service panel, is it possible to be electrocuted?

Presuming you had a properly functioning GFCI outlet it would be "safe" to stick, say, a piece of metal into the hot socket while holding the other end? Similarly, if you had a GFCI breaker in the service panel could you "safely" change a light fixture or socket on the circuit without cutting off power to the circuit first.

(I use "safely" in quotes here because I understand you would not want to do this... I'm just curious if this is indeed the case.)


texts: What is this end part called? What adapter do I need to attach a tank?


texts: Too tall cast iron toilet flange in cement

texts:
I'm adding a new toilet in my basement. There is a cast iron toilet flange coming out of floor approx 3.5”.
There isn’t a way to build up the floor that high, since it's a basement cement slab.
Any ideas how to shorten this?


texts: How can I protect my kids' toes from this evil grating in the floor?

texts:
The cold air return in this house is in the floor, in the most-trafficked part of the house. It has a heavy grating over it.

My kids' toes are small enough to fit in the gaps, which is very painful when it happens. In the summer I cover the grating with a rug, but in the winter we have to keep it clear.

This is a rental, so relocating the cold air return isn't an option.


texts: vanity separated from shower by doorway and toilet

texts:
I want to remodel a small bathroom to add a double-sink vanity. Currently the layout looks roughly like this, with a single-sink vanity:

I've looked at keeping everything on the "west" wall, but there's no great way to expand the vanity due to the space required around the toilet. The best configuration I could think of is this:

I found some larger vanities online and verified that they would fit the space with enough room for the door, trim, and so on. However, the following facts make me nervous:

The "south" wall is an exterior wall, and the sink plumbing would have to run through that.
I can't remember ever seeing a bathroom laid out like this.

Is there a reason I shouldn't lay out my bathroom like this?


texts: Toliet flapper doesn't reseat properly on flush

texts:
Toilet has a rubber flapper that after a flush doesn't always get seated properly.  Most times, if there are no solids in the bowl it does this.  Twice I've replaced the flush assembly with a new kit.  It seems to be okay for a few weeks and then reverts.
When I look in the tank the flapper is almost always off kilter, like it was pulled out too far and moved a bit.
Looking for tips on getting current kit working right before buying yet another replacement.
Edit:  Added photos.


texts: What is "sealing compound" for attaching a sink

texts: My directions simply say "Sealing compound", but an initial search on this isn't showing much.  What specifically should I use for attaching a sink top to the wood vanity it will sit on.


texts: How should I dispose of treated wood or manufactured boards?

texts:
Are off cuts of pressure treated wood for internal use or manufactured board such as loft boarding safe to dispose of in a domestic garden fire pit (not for cooking)?

I have a large amount of off cuts after boarding my loft and doing various other jobs, so its either burn it or take it to the tip and burn something else...

Info I should have added originally, so apologies - this is the UK where restrictions on what you can do on your own property are a lot loss. I can burn this stuff in my garden fire pit or chimney for example, Im wondering if its safe to do so though.


texts: What is pile foundation? Where we need of this type of foundation?

texts: I am little confused about pile foundation if anyone have knowledge about it then please give me some info.


texts: Using a 4-wire machine with a 3-wire receptacle?

texts: I've got 3 machines for my shop that are currently wired with a 12-3 4-wire NEMA 14-50 plug. Each machine uses only 15 amps at 240v, so how much power it uses is not a factor here with my question. My 3 wall outlets are NEMA 6-30 wired with 10-2 wire each on their own circuit (of course.) So my question is what do I do with the neutral wire when re-wiring these machines' plugs to 6-30? Just cap it?


texts:
I have a cape cod style home, pictured below.  The second story living space on the back side of the home is created by having a lower pitched roof.  So, the front and back sides of the roof have different pitches.  I have large eaves overhanging the exterior walls with plenty of soffit vents already installed.  I recently found that these soffit vents on the lower level were rendered useless when I discovered that the space formed between the roof sheathing and the sloped interior wall was stuffed with insulation.  I plan on placing baffles in those spaces to allow the colder air to be pulled into the attic space above the second floor living area.

I currently have 8 soffit vents; four in the lower eave which is the floor of the knee wall space, and four in the eave of the second floor, along with a ridge vent to be installed with a new roof coming in a month or so.  My calculations call for me to add 2 more soffit vents in order to balance the system, 6 if I want to go 60/40 intake/outtake.  Installing the additional soffit vents in the lower eave is obviously much more attractive to me and with that in mind this is my question:

Will the air pull from the second story eave vents more so than the lower level vents?  Do I need to take this into account when making my decision?  The last thing I want to do is to go through all this work only to short-circuit the system and have little air pulled through the knee wall at the front of the house.


texts: AFCI/GFCI Breakers Trip Intermittently/Simultaneously

texts: I have a 4 month-old house with a 200A Square D Homeline panel. There are AFCIs on some circuits, and others are AFCI/GFCI. I am having NO problem with the AFCI breakers. But here in the last several weeks, three of the AFCI/GFCI breakers in the panel have started tripping intermittently, usually with no load on them. One AFCI/GFCI serves a single dedicated 20A laundry room outlet, another is to the master bathroom, and the third one serves 2 - 20A outlets in the kitchen. Interestingly, these three breakers are connected to the same busbar in the panel at slots #12, #14, and #18.  The AFCI/GFCI breakers on the other busbar have no problem. The three breakers all trip simultaneously. I can reset them, then they can be just fine for a couple of days or a couple of hours before they trip again. This doesn't seem to be related to connected loads.  I can run tools and kitchen appliances without problems until some unknown event kicks all three breakers off. Could this be a problem on the power company's side of the electrical service?  Any and all advice appreciated!!


texts: I got Carrier board HK61EA010 and extra C-blue wire that is not connected to the board. I wanna use this wire to power WI-FI thermostat. I cannot find the manual for this board. Does anyone know where C wire supposed to be connected on this board?


texts: How do I prepare an already painted wall for new paint?

texts:
We are repainting a number of rooms in our home, do we need to put primer over the existing paint?

Are there any other gotchas that we need to prepare for before repainting the walls?


texts: What is causing the outlets and ceilings fans in my home to burn out

texts:
I've got 4 ceiling fans not working, one of them crackled and flickered for a while then all of a sudden no power in back bedroom and small bathroom. No power to lights, ceiling fans and inside wall plugs next to doors but the outside wall next to window works. The lights, exhaust fan and outlets do not work in the bathroom, both rooms are next to each other.
There are 5 wall outlets that are brown and slightly melted, I noticed them when I was sitting on the floor next to the plugs but nothing was plugged into them at that time. I placed electrical tape over them to avoid using them. My dryer 240 plug stopped working and the pump to the septic tank.
We had a bad storm come through in April and light stuck our pole but lighting is constantly popping something near. I watched a tree in neighbor's yard be reduced to a splinters one morning. I'm afraid there will be a fire one day.
What can I do to see what is happening?


texts: wiring for illuminated 3 way toggle switches

texts: i have two three way  illuminated toggle switches in my bathroom. when the bathroom light is out only one of the illuminated toggle switches glows; the other does not. how can I wire these so that both illuminated toggle switches glow when the light is out.


texts:
The attic of my house is unfinished. My son accidentally fell to the filing and caused the garage ceiling broken.

Please see the images.

Can you advise me how to repair this?


texts: Fixing the connection on ACCOR PUSHON® R-SERIES Supply Stop Valve

texts:
I'm still learning since I just bought a house not long ago. I appreciate any help here for the disconnected valve under my sink.

Filtered water is supposed to go through this valve to the fridge(I know fridge has anther filter built in but this is how it's set up when I bought the house). But one day, the tube connecting this valve popped out and water everywhere. It was terrible.

It is not as easy as it looks to re-connect the tube with the pushon valve. It does not fit in the inlet of the valve(how was it working?). I could see one end of the tube was squeezed to do that but I just cant. Even if I could, how do I make sure it's fastened and won't pop out again?


texts: How to mount floating loft stairs to the wall

texts:
I'm looking for a nice way to make a stairs for loft bed in the apartment. I definitely want to use space under stairs for storage but I don't want to use all space.

I like an idea shown here (photos below and video).

I have larger room so I'd like to have wider stairs about 500-600mm (in case if that doesn't affect strength of a construction).

Does anyone know how to mount stairs that way? Thanks :)


texts: What options are there to achieve both grounding/ground-fault and arc-fault protection on old 2-wire circuits?

texts:
The three receptacle circuits in my house are 2-wire NM, but have 3-prong receptacles. My electrician recommended and installed GFCI breakers to provide "grounding" to these circuits. I now realize that arc-fault protection on these circuits would be a good-idea for safety. The wiring for the branch circuits was not being "modified, replaced, or extended" (NEC 210.12(B)), so I don't think AFCI is technically required by code, but I am surprised the electrician didn't recommend it in addition to GFCI protection.

I can call the electrician to come back and fix, but I'd like to know what my options are in advance. I think the options are:

Replace GFCI breakers with CAFCI breakers and add GFCI receptacles to the first-outlet on each circuit. (Cost: 3x$50 + 3x$20 = $210 plus labor)
Keep GFCI breakers and add AFCI receptacles to the first-outlet on each circuit (allowed by 210.12(B)(2) and 406.4(D)(2)). (Cost: 3x$30 = $90).
Replace GFCI breakers with Dual Function AFCI/GFCI breakers. May not be available for my GE panel. GE makes them, but I don't see them available for purchase anywhere.

Option 2 sounds nice, but I haven't heard of this before and the NEC appears to be ambiguous on this specific situation. AFCISafety.org also appears to be ambiguous:

  An AFCI can be used in conjunction with GFCI protection to provide both arcing fault protection as well as 5mA ground fault (people) protection. A common way to provide both types of protection is to use an AFCI circuit breaker and a GFCI receptacle.

Am I missing anything?


texts: Need advice on removing fireplace gas starter pipe

texts:
I have purchased a gas log kit to convert our wood-burning fireplace to a ceramic-log/gas fireplace. The fireplace currently has the following gas starter pipe in place:

Using a pipe wrench, I have tried to loosen both sides of the starter pipe, to the left and right of the splitter. It isn't budging. And I'm worried about knocking something loose underneath the brickwork (crawlspace).

My original plan was to remove the starter pipe and splitter, and then connect the new gas log set to the threaded gas line. But I can't seem to get anything to budge--and am also now questioning my overall plan in general.

Open to any advice, please! Thanks!!


texts: Where can I find these textured cast concrete blocks?

texts:
I am trying to match up some old blocks but ain't having much luck.
Would anybody know the name or style of the block?


texts: can i use a sheet of 26ga aluminium instead of a 1/16" steel plate?

texts:
I'm in the process of finishing my basement (it has taken 1.5 years so far, and is still progressing). I'm working on roughing-in the electrical at the moment.

Against the 2x4 studs, I installed deep j-boxes (this product) instead of the smaller ones, primarily to give me more space when messing around with 12ga wires.

The city electrical inspector wanted me to protect the wires going into these boxes (and possibly, the boxes themselves) from stray nails, etc. The problem is that I can't seem to find 1/16" steel plates that are wide enough to span the gap between two studs. I could possibly use the 3" or so wide nail plates, with a line of these installed onto a furring strip or similar, but that would still leave small spaces for an errant nail or screw to slip into.

I bought a sheet of aluminum (this product), and am planning on cutting this into long strips, possibly doubling it over, and screwing it into the studs to protect the entire length of wire and back of each box.

Is this feasible? OK per NEC? Am I giving the inspector another reason to deny approval of my electrical rough-in?


texts:
a large piece of the stone veneer has fallen off. What is the best way to reattach it?
The brick behind the veneer is not in good shape. It flakes off when I scratch it. Should I treat or seal the brick before I try to reattach the veneer?


texts:
First of all I'm pretty sure I know the theory behind the effect. I know about the inductive and capacitive coupling, about 3-phase balance problems and about ground bounce, so this question isn't about normality of existence of voltage between ground and neutral line.
What I want to know is in general are there established levels at which the voltage is normal, at which I should start investigating the voltage and at which I should kill power and start panicking?
!!!PLEASE READ THIS FIRST BEFORE ANSWERING!!!
Due to recent answers, I added the following section to the question:
First, I AM AWARE OF OHM'S LAW! I hoped that it would be obvious from the second sentence of the question, but it isn't.
Second, the type of answer I'm looking for is something like: "The difference in a properly installed should be below XX V because it is written so in regulation YY". Bonus points for information on how number XX has been derived.
Alternatively acceptable answer would be: "There's no limit  in any regulatory documents because of ZZZ." if it's accompanied by a good description of ZZZ.
I will down-vote answers which basically say: Ohm's law.
I know that this sounds extremely rude, but unfortunately I don't see any other way to explain exactly what I'm asking. If you don't know the answer, that's fine by me.


texts: Is this hard floor mat in our closet made from asbestos?

texts:
The house was built in 1930 and this mat is in an unfinished closet, it's about 2 1/2' x 6'. It's not glued down and I could literally pick it up and take it out of the house if I wanted. But it is cracking and I just didn't want to touch it. Is this asbestos and since it could be picked right up do I really need an asbestos professional to pick it up and remove it?

Here is a couple pictures of it.


texts: Strength, weight, cost comparison for Aluminum vs. Framing Lumber floor joists

texts:
I'm considering using Aluminum (I beams or other shapes) instead of Framing Lumber as the material for the floor joists in a residential remodeling job. The finished floor I intend to support with these joists is traditional hardwood and I would be seeking residential code compliance; nothing more demanding than that.

Can anyone point me to authoritative documents that would allow me to compare the strength (pounds per linear foot), and weight of the two different materials in several shapes (I beam or other)?

I'm certain that Aluminum will have higher strength and lower weight than typical Framing Lumber, but I'd like to see specific numbers.

I'm really just looking to try and get a feeling for options (materials and shapes) and to understand the implications of each option.


texts: Can I repurpose pine tree stump grindings

texts:
I recently had some pine trees removed from my yard and had the stumps ground down.  Now I need to get rid of the stump grinds.

Can I use the stump grounds for a playground area or are there reasons I should not?

If not there, is there an issue using it under a deck (always shaded area with minimal foot traffic)?


texts: Can I fit a 16 amp fuse into a UK domestic 13 amp plug?

texts:
As title, would like to know please?
Thanks.
Peter.


texts: How to solve problem in GFCI circuit where three-prong tester shows correct wiring, but drawing power on downstream outlet causes a circuit break?

texts: The circuit has 3 outlets; the first in line is a GFCI outlet. All outlets show correct wiring with the two lights illuminated on a three prong tester. Powered device works in the GFCI outlet, but the same device causes a circuit break in the two other outlets when turned on. I've problem-solved everywhere I know including testing to verify the correct line wire connected to the line terminal.  Thank you for any help.


texts: Stabilizing a gravel driveway with massive holes and steep inclination

texts:
I have inherited a 270 feet long driveway along a steep hill. It is part gravel/stone, and part concrete.

It is in very bad condition. Every winter, rain threatens to wash away parts of it. Driving up and down is very bad for the car, and deepens the damage depending on the skill of the driver.

The previous owner has applied some concrete, but only in a few select spots.

I guess the final fix for it is to have a professional pour concrete on it. That is not in the cards at the moment, though.

Is there a DIY way to make the road more driveable, at least temporarily? I have some gravel about an inch in size, but I fear that the car wheels will simply dig it out again due to the inclination if I put it in with nothing to glue it to the ground. Might mixing concrete with gravel work?


texts:
The photographed PEX radius of curvature is approximately 2 feet.

What is a reasonable curvature for PEX piping?

What is the minimum RoC?

I ask because if I can avoid using a 90 degree shark bite, that is one less failure (leak) point.  Although I really like the idea of one less failure point, I need to be careful not to introduce a curve that will weaken the pipe and cause a burst. The PEX piping runs through the plenum of an office.


texts: Is there quick setting “gap filling” adhesive?

texts:
I have used “grab” adhesive in the past, but had problem as they take a long time to set and the object need to be hold in place until they set.

So is there a fast setting “gap filling” adhesive?   (A two part system when I put one part on each surface would be an option)


texts: Preferred solution for leak on a 90 degree pvc corner

texts:
Some context: first time home owner with no idea what I’m doing outside of google.

In January, this happened:

It turned out there is a leak occurring near the elbow.

1) the elbow itself did not show signs of leaking or cracks
2) the leak is occuring where the pipe meets the elbow

I asked my handman to cut that portion and add a new elbow, but the leak occurred again yesterday

1 area of concern:
1) the horizontal pvc pipe awkwardly touches the concrete. It may be too rigid for handling water vibrations when water passes through. Another concern is that the concrete expands in the heat (it reaches 107 F out here), potentially moving the pvc pipe.

1 question:
1) My handyman suggest flex pvc. Thoughts? This is buried under 2inches if dirt. Ive seen positive and negative, but mostly negative on the suggestion

If so, what could be a recommended solution?


texts: I have a shelf I want to hang up for my son to put up his gaming console and other expensive items. The studs in my wall don't line up with the shelves mounts. I have some drywall anchors left over from hanging pictures that are rated for 79 lbs in 1/2 inch thick drywall and the mounts require 4 screws, two sets of vertically in line. Can I safely mount the shelf with one side in studs and the other with the drywall anchors if I put the heavier items on the side in the stud? The overall weight of the shelf and all items going on it should weigh less than 79 lbs. The shelf is just over 45 inches long if this is relevant.


texts: Electrical - LED E14 size light bulbs not working in European Chandelier

texts: We have a European chandelier that takes 6 E14 size bulbs.  We currently use incandescent bulbs without issue, but we would like to switch to LEDs.  We bought some LED bulbs, but they don't work - they just don't light up at all.  We do not use a dimmer switch. The LED bulbs are definitely the correct size - E14.  Does anyone know why the LED bulbs don't work?  The light fixture is an antique, probably from the 60's with original European wiring.


texts: Refinishing options for metal sink drainplug?

texts:
The drain-plug in the sink of my bathroom vanity is made of a plastic base with a metal top (brass by the looks of it) that is chrome plated.

The chrome-plating developed some scratches which turned black over time (oxidation I presume).
My cleaning lady couldn't stand the eye-sore and got too enthusiastic with the polishing. She used Brasso copper-polish on it and managed to cut through the chrome-plating and through the underlying copper-plating as well. (You can see the yellow brass coming through just left and top of the center.)
That was last week. Now the exposed copper-plating is starting to go dark as well.
I can't easily get a replacement. This plug was made by a factory that went bankrupt 10 years ago.
It is a peculiarly shaped part of the whole faucet and drain assembly on the sink. (Faucet has a lever at the base which pushes the drain-plug up from below when the drain is closed. The plug itself is a seperate part, but the plastic base goes 3" into the drain where it sits on top of the lever. The metal top is glued or epoxied to the plastic base. I can't separate top and base without damaging the base.)
To make matters worse the plug is a non-standard size, in between the standard small and large drain-plugs. I can't just put in a standard rubber plug. This also makes replacing the whole drain-faucet assembly a problem due to non-standard sizes.
The wife is really starting to nag me about the eye-sore... Something needs to be done.
So, my best idea so far is to refinish the metal cap. I have never done anything like that so what are my options?


texts: Do I need any kind of separator / release agent when casting concrete in shuttering plywood forms?

texts:
We'll be casting my first concrete countertops soon. We already talked thickness, reinforcement and sealing with manufacturer of concrete mix we will be using (great guys!) so on that part, we feel safe.

As you can see below, plywood has really smooth finish. I'll seal and round edges with silicone. My question is - do I need to spray form with anything? Or can I just clean it and pour concrete? It looks like it is designed to not need any separating agent, but I prefer to ask before I pour.

We'll be using extra smooth mix designed for countertops and small architectural details, if that matters, and designed thickness is 3cm /(1 3/16 inch).


texts: What is this type of lead called and how do I wire to it correctly?

texts:
I'm becoming more frustrated than I'd like to admit trying to wire this button up,
  and I often find the easier method it was designed for when I'm having this much trouble.

Sorry for the poor man's macro; there is a clickthrough to the product's datasheet.

If this question is off-topic for DIY.SE and on-topic for another, by all means flag for migration.  I'm following a past suggestion from this question over at EE.SE.


texts: Protections from CO/CO2 Poisoning in Rooms?

texts: I'm aware that there is little risk of CO/CO2 poisoning in typical house rooms in the US, even after long periods (A few hours, maybe a day) in a particular room. How is this accomplished, and what safeguards, if any ensure that there isn't a buildup of CO/CO2 in a room just due to typical human breathing?


texts: How to resurface a patch of hardwood floor? Reapplying stain and poly

texts:
Resurfacing Background

So about a year ago, I resurfaced my entire upstairs by myself. In the process of doing so, I water popped the floors, went with an oil based stain, and a water based poly. I did one coat of stain and 4 coats of poly. After all was done, I was very pleased with my floors so no complaints. I am providing this backstory to aid with any possible solutions to my problem.

Problem

In working on other parts of the house, I accidentally got some paint / grout marks on the floor which would not come off with normal methods of cleaning. I mistakenly used a steam cleaner to which it took off the white marks but also the poly and the stain! :( I know now of course that was a mistake but now I am left with the problem of how to fix the spot without redoing the entire floor again.

What I have tried so far

So far I have done my research on this Stack Exchange as well as forums and such so I taped around the area affected, sanded down to the boards with a fine sand paper, re-waterpopped them (letting it dry overnight like you are supposed to), and then applied stain. I have the same exact stain that I used from when I resurfaced the floors originally so matching up shouldn't be an issue; however, I am having a really hard time matching the patch area to the rest of the room. I can not get it to be dark enough.  I have tried multiple coats at 15-20 minutes (highest time on the can says 15) before wiping away but it seems to be making very little if any improvement each cycle.

First time staining after the water popping:

Second time staining on top of previous:

(I tried my best to take the pictures at the same time of day each day so lighting in the room was roughly the same)

Question

So my question is, what else can I do to make the floors darker / match my original better? Is there a better technique than I am using to do patch jobs like this? I have purposely not done a poly coat because I tried all of this once and then applied poly and the poly made very little difference in shade. I want to of course avoid sanding many times so I don't start to create divots in this spot.


texts: How do I fix a leaky toilet that only leaks from underneath?

texts:
I am noticing some water spots on my concrete in my (unfinished) basement.  When I look up for the cause of the water I can see water dripping around the hole that is used for the sewer pipe for the toilet (upstairs).  (Note: there is a lot of duct work around that spot, but I am fairly sure that is the source.)

Close examination around the base of the toilet (and in the upstairs bathroom in general) shows no water or moisture of any kind.  It also only seems to leak when I flush it (I tried not flushing it for a few days and the wet spots started to dry out.)

So, I am not sure what to do.  Should I rip my toilet off and try and fix it?  Any ideas on how to do that?  (I have never needed to install a toilet before.)

I am reasonably "handy" around the house, but if this is going to be a big/complicated job I would like to know so I can just hire a plumber.


texts: How do I design a foundation that will be frozen and thawed yearly?

texts:
I currently have a 12x12 insulated shed on slab on grade.  I use it to store seedlings during the planting season.  I pre-chill the room by opening it in winter and using a box fan to circulate air between inside and outside.  In addition I have three quarter full barrels of water. There are 12 of these in the room taking up over 1/3 of the floor space.
This works.  This year I had ice in the barrels until mid July.
I need to build a larger room.  I'd like to go to at least 24x24.
My concern is that I am deliberately allow the foundation to freeze -- indeed, the whole point is to get the foundation to freeze.  All the conventional wisdom is that buildings need to be supported on something that stays put, and that freeze thaw cycles don't guarantee this.
This hasn't been a problem so far, but perhaps I'm just lucky.  The building footprint is small, so if the slab shifts as a whole, I may be getting away with it.
Yes:  I know that conventionally I would put in a massive chiller and insulate the floor too.  I only need cooling for 6 weeks a year.  Conventional actions seem like overkill. This would be a hundred thousand dollars, and a new electrical service. (Our farm currently is on a 7 KVA service)
My current thinking is that I need to ensure that the foundation volume is well drained.  Shifts are caused by the expansion of water into ice.  If the water content is minimal, then the foundation will stay put.  I'm leaning toward a rubble or rock filled trench for the foundation,E.g. Dig X feet, line trench with infiltration cloth, lay weeping tile with a sump, fill with rock, top with road crush, and set my foundation.
I thought of going the pole barn route:
Auger deep holes Y feet deep, and use poles as the support structure, and NOT putting down a concrete floor inside.  The poles would need to be set with a slip layer (several layers of 12 mil poly?) on the part of the pole that was in the freeze thaw zone.  Walls themselves would need to be designed with a potential sacrificial layer for the bottom to accommodate rising and falling ground levels.  (Some form of compressible insulation?) Not sure what the size of Y should be for this application where I'm trying to get the ground to freeze.
Can someone point me to resources for designing foundations that are supposed to freeze and thaw?

Problems with conventional design
All conventional designs are based on the notion that the bottom of the foundation is below the frost line, and indeed, that enough more is below that frost movements near the surface don't grip the foundation hard enough to lift it.
In using the earth as part of my reservoir of coolth, I am deliberately trying to extend the frost line deeper into the earth.  I don't understand frost resistant design well enough to figure out what changes are necessary.

Edit to answer @Freeman's comment:
I'm looking at either 20 x 30 or 24 x 36.  Might go 30x30.   Internally I want a COLD room and a not-so-cold room where I can pack.
The present system is vulnerable to early spring.  While I had ice in mid July this year, barrels don't have enough surface area, and even with a 3000 cfm fan circulating the air, I was getting temps of 3.5-4 C.  This year we had a late spring. with the creek opening up almost a month late.  The barrels also take a lot of room.  If I can put the ice under the floor, it doesn't get in the way.  If I have a backhoe come in for the foundations a pit for an ice sump is cheap.
12x12 is close to the usual 'score the concrete every 10 feet so that the cracks occur in known locations'  I suspect my present slab is of a size that if it moves, it moves as a unit.
My present building is on borrowed time.  It has OSB internal sheathing, plywood external sheathing.  I suspect this is turning into a sea of mould from constant 95% humidity.  While I have the door open and a fan running from July onward, I doubt very much that I get the interior of the walls truly dry.  Next round, I think has to be double foam layers, overlapping edges, glued and taped, with the foam interior to the building frame.


texts: The SYLVANIA CF13EL in my bathroom vent just died. I want to replace it with an LED. There is not a lot of room in the fixture. Is the bulb equivalent to an A19? If not, what size should I get?


texts: Tub re-glazed and re-caulked, drippy residue from caulking

texts: I recently had my bathtub re-glazed and re-caulked by a company that specializes in this.  The tub was re-caulked 3 days after it was re-glazed by the specialist.  Everything looked ok.  We waited about 30 hours until we used the shower after it was re-caulked (the person who did it said "24 hours").  Now I am noticing a drippy residue (which appears to be the caulking) where the caulking was applied.  What went wrong here and what can I do?


texts: What do you do if the hole in the tile is larger than the shower faucet escutcheon?

texts: Whoever built this shower stall really made a hack job of the hole for the shower faucet.  The hole is actually just a bit larger than the escutcheon on the upper right corner.  One option is to just caulk the heck out of it and hope for the best.  Is there a better approach?


texts: How to polish an old dull fiber shower+tub combo?

texts:
I have a fiberglass bathtub and shower combo in a rental that's likely more than a decade old. The finish is very dull and feels almost matte to the touch. There are no noticeable scratches or peeling however. I've also made the mistake of using some pretty abrasive cleaners on it, which helped get rid of some tough stains, but probably killed whatever polish was left.
Outside of refinishing the tub what are some things that I can do to bring back the polish?
Would something like Gel-Gloss work?
Not only that, what are some ways to get all the hard to clean buildups off before I polish? Can I use bar keepers friend or is that too rough?


texts: Our 2 gate pillars are made of blocks of concrete.  They have shifted and now I can't close the gate.  The top 2 blocks on both pillars have a big gap now.  Is there a quick fix for this?  Do the pillars have to torn down completely and build new ones?


texts: How do I go about removing a garage with asbestos wall panels?

texts:
I have a 1904 house and it has a shed that was put in some time in the 1950s. It's a wonky structure made of wooden beams and thin sheets of asbestos panels make up the walls. We want to tear it down and put a log wood cabin in.

My local authority has a dump site that allows you to dump asbestos and other hazardous materials, so disposing of it will not be a problem.

This question was more a case of how to dismantle it, are any special tools needed and most importantly, what special hazard tools will I need?


texts: How do I find out the correct pre-charge air pressure for my captive air water tank?

texts:
I have a Sears captive air water tank (model No. 390.29171) that stores water pumped from the well.  When we took possession of the house, there was no water in the tank or lines, the water pressure gauge was stuck at 95 psi (on at tank with a maximum working pressure of 75 psi), and the air pressure in the tank measures less than 10 psi.

According to the information on the tank label, the pre-charge air pressure should be the same as the cut-in pressure setting of the pump pressure switch.

My question is, how do I find the cut-in pressure setting of the pump pressure switch?  If I remove the covers from the two pressure switch boxes, is there something that will tell me what the setting is?

The photo shows the pump cut-off pressure switch.  There is an identical box without a label to the left of it which is partially visible in this photo.  I'm guessing this is the pump cut-in pressure switch?

Thanks in advance for any help.


texts: What is the correct terminology for the pipe that feeds into a P-trap

texts:
Hi I have a sink which started leaking and I managed to diagnose the cause: It seems the pipe that feeds into my p-trap is not water tight: photos below
What is the correct terminology for the slanted (should be straight) copper pipe feeding into my PVC P-trap? I intend to buy a replacement for this and install it myself.


texts: Why does the ground appear to be connected to the hot in a 240v single-phase circuit?

texts:
I don't know much about 240 V single phase power so please bear with me! I am confused about the wiring.  Here is the situation.

In my outlet there are 3 wires, black, red and blue.  I used my Fluke multimeter to check the voltages in between these lines.  To my understanding, I should have L1 and L2 which are two signals 180 degrees apart, and a neutral.

I checked around with the multi meter until I found a voltage of 240 V and figured these were the L1 and L2 lines (red and black) and the third one (blue) must be the neutral, since the voltage between the third one and any of the other 2 was only 120.

So using just these two lines, I wired up my device (which is a DIY single phase to 3 phase converter for my milling machine) and it works just fine.  But then I realized that the machine isn't grounded.  For 120 V service, I am used to having a ground wire that I can hook up to the chassis for safety.  So I go into the distribution box that the outlet is connected to and I see bare wire, which I presume is ground.  So just to be sure, I shut off all of the power and did a continuity check between this bare wire and each wire in the outlet and I got continuity with the red wire!  I don't understand this at all since the red and black were my L1 and L2 lines!

Can anyone explain why this is the case?  I am pretty sure I CANNOT use the neutral line as a chassis ground and I want this machine to be grounded.  Any help would be appreciated!

EDIT:  In regards to wire color code.  I am located in central PA.


texts:
I'm partway through installing my own outdoor TV antenna.

I've gone with a "through the roof and screwed into a beam" method rather than the "sit on top of roof and stabilise using 3-4 wires screwed into points on roof a few feet away" method.

PROBLEM: My antenna mast seems to be "shakier" than my neighbour's antennas though: it sways back and forth a little in light wind.

It's a pretty solid mast 3m (10') of 19mm (0.75") diameter, 1.6mm (0.063") thick galvanised steel, so I thought it'd be fine (looking at it now, some neighbours antennas do appear thicker, though it's hard to tell).

QUESTION: Is a little bit of movement going to affect the TV signal significantly? Do TV antenna masts need to be very rigid, or just steady enough so they're not swaying like crazy?


texts: How can I repair the metal cover on my exterior door trim?

texts: How do I fix it?!  Its a thin metal material that's nailed onto a wood frame. I live on a rental property and am hoping to be able to get my deposit back with this repair.  The guy at home depot said I need a contractor but it can't be that complicated.


texts: How to connect the wires when changing from standard to electronic ballasts?

texts: I'm changing from an old standard ballast to an electronic type. Tried match the wiring but something went wrong as the tube doesn't light? When connecting the wires to the sides that the tubes are, do you attach the wires on 1 side or on opposite sides?


texts: How should I set up a camera for monitor my baby?

texts:
I have a closet which is big , with window and in the master bedroom. So I want to set up as baby room. There are two ceiling lights only. There is no power outlet.

If I want to set up a wifi camera, I need to get the power from the ceiling lights. The light bulbs are mounted horizontal so I cannot buy a light bulb wifi cam.

Any suggestion?


texts: Electrical Insulation in Built-in Barbeque

texts:
I have a built-in barbeque (Braai if you're from South Africa!), which is basically a big steel box with brickwork all around. There is a normal electric incandescent light bulb on the inside and I was surprised to find a few weeks ago that this had started to leak current into the barbeque itself.

After removing some of the brickwork, I could see no obvious problem with the wire insulation at all. This leads me to believe that the problem is moisture getting in-between the steel casing and the brickwork, flowing down the wire and accumulating within the fitting for the light bulb. This seems rather unlikely, but I don't really see another way.

Normally, I would then simply use some form of silicone or similar insulator and cover the base of the fitting, but since this is a barbeque, it tends to get a little hot. What is the best kind of insulator to use in this case?


texts: I'm remodeling my attic in my bungalow, the way I want to do it is to leave the rafters exposed so I get a rustic loft look. What I done first was put wood strips up between the rafters then installed the flat foam insulation onto the wood strips so there was a expansion cap between the roof and the foam insulation. Then I put up the 3/4 drywall between the rafters. Now I'm doing the taping on those inside corners of the drywall between the rafters My Question Is,,, because one side of the drywall mud and tape will be on the rafter when we get our extremely cold winter weather even though the attic will be heated can those rafters freeze and cause the corners to crack.


texts: Do I need to clean out/fill in cracks in wood floor?

texts:
We have a lot of gaps between boards in our wood floor (see pic, I'm holding a penny in the crack, some are wider, most are narrower).  It looks like the cracks were originally filled with something, not sure what though (maybe just wood filler).
When I refinish the floors do I need to remove the filler and refill the gaps?  If so, how do I go about both?


texts: Can I install a new dishwasher with no ground conductor?

texts: I am installing a new Bosch dishwasher and my current wiring has no ground wire. Also it comes with a junction box and special plug to supply power to the unit. Just wondering how to properly ground it and if it will work at all without the ground


texts: How can I undo damage done to a newly tiled floor?

texts:
I feel I was (ill-)advised to clean my new beige, mat ceramic tiled floors using this recipe:

3 parts heated vinegar to 1 part water, brush solution in very vigourously with stiff floor-brush then leave for 4 hours and rinse.

As a result, I'm sure my split new tiles have become porous. When I now wash them with hot water my floor mop creates dreadful, irregular marks and scores everywhere. Even the tiniest mob hairs stick to the wet floor. Once dry these traces disappear but I'm firmly convinced I've damaged my new floors, which leaves me utterly devastated.

Please, please, can you help? Is there something I could use to restore some sort of protection?

Many thanks.


texts: Anyone know where the flow restrictor might be here? (Grohe Minta Touch)

texts: I am looking to increase the flow rate of my kitchen faucet. It is currently around 1.75GPM. The faucet is a Grohe Minta Touch (original version). Attached below is a photo of the faucet diagram, any feedback would be great, thanks!


texts:
As someone with a little touch of OCD, I find that I feel stressed when cleaning my bathroom because I worry about cross contamination.  When I finish cleaning one part of the bathroom floor, and then clean the other part, if I end up needing to touch something I've either already cleaned or a cleaning product, I tend to wash my hands before doing so.

For example, while cleaning the toilet, I feel the need to wash my hands before grabbing the spray bottle, as I'm concerned that there may be cross contamination between the spray bottle and the toilet.  Overall, I tend to take cleaning the bathroom in the same light as if I were in a Nuclear Bio Chemical attack zone.

I know it's not the same.  Unlike NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical), cross contamination isn't (and hasn't) killed me yet, but I wonder, what is the general rule of thumb for hand washing while cleaning the bathroom.

Should we hand wash after cleaning each fixture, wait until the end, or is there some other procedure?  What research is out there on this topic?  I tried googling the title of the question "How often should I wash my hands when cleaning the bathroom?" and nothing came up; hence, I ask here.


texts: What does "roll" mean in the context of hardwood flooring?

texts:
I am trying to follow these instructions for hardwood flooring installation.  I do not understand what they mean by "nail the rolls".  I cannot think of anything related to hardwood flooring that would resemble a roll.  Can anyone please explain what is mean by this terminology?

  Step 7: Hand-Nail the Rolls

  After the first few rows have been installed, drill pilot holes down into the tongue of each board and hand-nail the rolls until there is enough clearance for the pneumatic nail gun.

Source: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-install-a-hardwood-floor/index.html#step7


texts: We ended up with a hole in the wall, about the size of the palm of the hand. The wall is hollow. How could we fix it?


texts: Furnace Blower Motor fan hums but wont start until I turn it by hand, then it runs fine. What should I check?


texts: Can I use a *ground wire only* conduit for copper data cables?

texts:
Hypothetical question. I won't self-answer.  The purpose is to inform potential answers on another person's question.
Suppose I have a shed with a 200A subpanel, with 3-wire feed that was installed prior to 1999, so it was grandfathered.  I now want or need to retrofit ground to that shed.  I lay either

Rigid metal conduit, which is the ground path, so it contains no wires at all. OR
PVC conduit and I install a #2Al ground wire and nothing else.

As such there are no live conductors therein, just EGC (Equipment Ground Conductor). Can I put ethernet or other copper data cables in that pipe?  Best answers will include Code cites.


texts: Why did this gas lift assist unit fail this way?

texts: I woke up to find one of the cover lift assists on my hot tub broken, bowed outwards.  This is the second time this has happened.  When installed, both ends are fixed so if it "decided" to extend while the lid is closed it would have nowhere to go but out, but I cant figure out why it would do this to prevent it in the future.  What causes a gas lifter to fail this way?


texts: how far can i span with a double 2x12 beam with plywood in-between, glued and screwed

texts: I'm building a carport and I need to span 15 1/2 feet, the roof will be trusses 24 feet long 4/12 pitch on 24  inch centers with metal roof. will a double 2x12 beam with plywood in-between glued and screwed support the roof without sagging?


texts: Can an electric dryer be vented into a garage?

texts:
So, I have an unheated garage, but it is insulated. It maintains above freezing due to the contact with the house, but it still gets intolerably cold. I've considered routing my electric dryer out there to help keep it a bit warmer. It's not intentional heating, and would only coincide with the dryer, but I'd think that dumping some hot air into the garage would raise the temperature a bit.

Are there any major concerns with doing this? I'm still planning on getting a space heater out there for when I'm actually out there, but I'm thinking that it would be a slightly more productive use of the spent heat in my dryer than just dumping it out the side of my house.


texts: What is the right way to plumb bathroom drainage across small joists?

texts:
Finished the demo part of the bathroom remodel to find pretty significant damage to the floor joists caused by the original builder's "design" (see photos/video). Setting aside how I'm going to fix or at least mitigate the damage - what would have been the correct way to plumb in the toilet and sink drains without weakening the structure?
Given the small floor joists, I can't imagine the right way to try to drain across them this way. So what would a pro builder have done to install this bathroom correctly?

More photos
More context:
This is the 2nd floor of a 2-story, 1920s house. This bathroom and its stack are directly above the 1st-story bathroom. The stack is perfectly vertical from the basement to the attic, where it has a slight offset to exit the roof. The existing stack is cast iron and all existing drains are steel/iron.
The toilet drain pipe in the wall drains both upper and lower commodes before Y-ing into the main stack 5' above the basement floor.


texts: Why do I get water hammer after turning water supply back on?

texts:
I shut off the main water supply in the evening to replace the shower cartridge. I came back the next afternoon to finish the job. When I turned on the water main I started getting continuous water hammer. I shut things back down again.

I went and opened 2 of 3 sinks, the tub, and the outside hose all the way, but I still get this symptom.

I have valves to control the supply side (before the water meter) and after. The supply side is fully open, and I've been opening and closing the side after the meter.

What should I be doing so I don't ruin my plumbing just trying to fix a dripping tub spout?


texts: Can PVC Conduit be Used on an Unfinished Basement Wall?

texts: I'm interested in installing outlets on my basement wall, and I saw that PVC conduit is available.  Is this acceptable to use PVC conduit on unfinished basement walls?


texts:
On my list of home improvements I want to get done soon, I'm replacing my carpets with hardwood floors and also remodeling my closets. Does the order in which I do these home improvements matter? Will I regret doing the closets first if I have to change the floors later?

Thanks!


texts: How can I remove residue left from peel and stick tiles?

texts:
I have old peel and stick vinyl tiles coming up off my vinyl flooring. I want to keep the floor underneath.

What gets rid of glue residue but is safe to use in house?


texts: Is 1/2 inch plywood over 3/4 inch subfloor adequate for 12x24 ceramic tile?

texts:
We took up old ceramic tile and found no cement board or other underlayment material underneath. However, I did find that the previous installer had put another sheet of 1/2 plywood over the 3/4 inch plywood subfloor. No nails or screws in that top sheet of plywood. Guessing they just glued it to the 3/4 inch subfloor.

Is this adequate to install new 12 x 24 inch porcelain tile if I screw that top plywood onto the subfloor, ensuring the screws are every 6 to 8 inches apart and not screwed into the joist?

Or, do I need to get rid of that 1/2 plywood sheet and install cement board, or something like Ditra?

Thank you.
Kicknback1


texts: Would you replace these deck posts? How much life do they have left?

texts:
I have a small deck that needs care. The top side is in really bad shape (rails, floors, lattice, stairs) need to be replaced. The deck is above a brick patio and I think that the posts are set in concrete buried under the patio bed.

I am trying to decide if I need to replace the posts as well. I am not very charmed by the idea of having to dig out the posts, the concrete and to pour concrete footing (quicrete and quicktube like here-not sure if quckrete is OK for this)


texts: Is this main box outdated and needs upgrade?

texts:
This house is 1970's built (UK) but not sure when the electrical wiring were done. The main box looks like in the attached picture. It seems it has only fuse boxes in it... and does not have any MCB, RCD (Residual current device).

Should this be upgraded ? Is it very unsafe ?
Any idea how much would it cost ?
Can this be done only by electicity supplier or any local electrician ?


texts:
I'm about to embark on a loft conversion for my ~1960's bungalow. This will be a full width dormer.
After doing to reading and research, I'm pretty sure I'll need some steel work. The steel would need to rest on my side of a party wall.
However, my party wall is pretty thin and I'm not entirely sure if it is a single skin or double skin. Is there any easy way I can check this?


texts:
The pressure gauge on our pump (which brings in water from our well) seems to be having troubles.  The gauge is not supposed to go above 45.  Usually, when the gauge reads 40 the pump will turn off.

Now, it is not causing the pump to turn off and will keep increasing pressure, according to the gauge.  Does this seem to be a problem with the gauge, the pump, the regulation switch or the tank?  I am not sure where to start.

Thank you.


texts: Are all plastic compression fittings interchangeable?

texts: I need to rework the plumbing under my kitchen double sink. Currently, it consists of one brass drain pipe along with all ABS pipe and compression joints. Can I replace the pieces I need with their PVC counterparts or will there differences in diameters not allow this.


texts: Is it safe to connect a timer to an instant hot water dispenser?

texts:
I'd like to connect a timer to my new instant hot water dispenser.  The installation instructions mention not to use an extension cord, but I'd like to make the timer accessible under the cabinet so I can adjust it.

My plan had been to run a short heavy duty extension cord from behind the dishwasher to under the sink with a timer in between.  Is there anything wrong with this?


texts: I am trying to remove old exhaust fan in my bathroom. I took the grill and motor apart but I do not know how to remove the housing assembly. The reason I want to replace it because the higher cfm fan and motor (70 cfm) I bought is larger than the space where the fan fits. I am including the pictures of the fan housing. Let me know any suggestions on how to remove or find smaller fan blade with higher cfm.


texts:
I’m redoing a room in my house and I’m replacing a normal switch with a dimmer. I read 120V from hot to ground from the source, and 70V out from the dimmer (Leviton, LED/incandescent compatible). The wiring is pretty straightforward: it’s 2 14/2 wires, whites are connected together with a nut and black from source in the black screw and black that goes to the light on red screw.
Is the 70V after the dimmer normal or it’s faulty? I didn’t connect anything to it yet, I’ve read the reading directly at the end of the wire (about 6 feet).


texts: How do I install a portable air conditioning unit in a large sliding window?

texts:
I have a large sliding window that is 53 inches top to bottom and I want to install a portable air conditioning unit.  The kind that don't sit in the windows but vent to the window.  The window exhausting expander thing that come with these units seem to never be large enough.

Can I just use some plexi-glass or something to extend the extender or is there a better way?

Update:
I found one large sliding window vent kit, but I think its just for edgestar ac units and I'd rather not have to buy such a kit if I can get a good seal some other way.


texts: Why is TV size relevant for wall-mounting?

texts:
Looking at specifications of TV wall mounts, in addition to maximum weight they are also rated for maximum size (screen diagonal). Why is that? Assuming the mounting holes match and the TV doesn't exceed the maximum weight, what problems can arise from using a mount with a larger TV than the specs allow?

As an example, I have a tilted wall mount that is rated for up to 30 kg and 32" displays. My current TV is 32", but I'm looking to upgrade to a 50" one. Can I keep using the same wall mount? The new TV weighs 14 kg, so less than half of what the mount can support (the old one is even less, ~10 kg). Or is there something I'm overlooking?

In case it's relevant, the walls are concrete, so I don't need to worry about things like wall stud spacing.


texts: Bathroom Light Fixture with no stud or box

texts: I uninstalled my old bathroom light fixture to replace it with a nicer light but found that there is no stud and no wall box behind the sheet rock. The old light fixture is very light but the new one is not. Is it safe to attach the new light fixture without studs or wall box to attach it to? Would it be safe to just use wall anchors or do I need to hire a professional for this job?


texts: Rectangular steel tube bolted connection

texts:
Is there any way to make bolted connections (T-shape, L-Shape etc) for rectangular or square steel tubes to avoid welding but also achieve modularity of the structure?

Threaded tube inserts can help a lot but i am not sure about the rigidity of the final structure because they are plastic.

Any other techniques or recommendations?

EDIT.

I interested in joining square or rectangular hollow sections. Not cylidrical pipes or strut profiles.

-For example i have found this solution that needs only two holes - one for each tube - and two threaded pieces of metal.

-Same logic for pre-drilled profiles

Another solution is to directly weld a piece of threaded metal at the end of each tube


texts: Is there such a thing as a horizontal tension rod shelf?

texts:
I want to put up a shelf going the width of a narrow hallway, but cant do any drilling in the walls (our walls are terrible and I rent so I don't want to do any damage).

I thought about suspending a few pull up bars and then putting a plank of wood on them, but first wanted to know if there is a more elegant solution. When I google tension rod shelf they are all vertical and I want one that is horizontal.


texts: How can I get unswitched power froma switched circuit without running new cable?

texts: I want to get unswitched power into my carport attic to install unswitched electrical outlets.  Right now, power into the carport is switched, controlled by two switches, one for carport can lights and one for driveway flood lights.  There are a couple of outside junction boxes (outside wall and outside breezeway ceiling) as the carport replaced an existing screened porch.  I CANNOT run new wire from the light switch box to any of the junction boxes or from one junction box to another (it can be done if I opted to tear up wall and ceiling, which I don't want to do).  From the attached diagram, is there a way to use existing wires to make a hot wire in the attic junction box?  Maybe a pigtail, or moving the existing power into the switch to power into the can lights or flood lights?  The diagram does not show ground wires, and light gray wires represent white wires.  Yellow cable was installed by electrician during the carport construction in 2015 (I assume the white and black cables are from the original build in 1989)


texts: What paint for exterior door that bubbled

texts: I had a urethaned fir, front door that last year I sanded down past the veneer due to weather damage. Now I was stuck using paint. After completely sanding down to bare wood, I used acrylic ext primer, and two coats of Benjamin Moore MoorGlo Soft Glow (also acrylic). I waited one day between each coat. I painted in fall in the Pacific NW, keeping it in a lightly heated garage with air circulation for about 25 days for it to cure before handling. Once I hung it, it fogged and severely bubbled. It also had bad brush strokes. I added Floetrol to it but it didn't help. This is a south facing door by the way. I don't know if it was just too humid to dry properly? I had a contractor come out to bid on redoing it, but they are booked through Oct. He said I should have used an oil-based primer even though I used acrylic paint. This doesn't make sense to me, so looking for input. I also heard from another contractor who also couldn't make it out any time soon that because the paint is dark, it probably got hot and that's why it may have bubbled. I have resigned myself to doing this job again. I want to make sure I get it right this time. Thoughts?


texts: Clothes dryer exhaust duct touching PVC pipe

texts: I'm running exhaust duct for a new electric dryer. There's 10cm(4in) space between a 5cm PVC drain pipe and the wall where I wanna run the rigid duct. My concern is that the heat from the dryer might melt the PVC pipe. Is that something possible or am I way off and dryer exhaust is nowhere near that hot.


texts: Can I use a drywall anchor in a stud to hang a shower curtain rod?

texts:
I am hanging a curved shower curtain rod to replace a spring loaded/standard curtain rod. The rod came with drywall anchors (3 each side) and I started drilling the holes for the anchors.  First hole, no problem, 2nd and 3rd holes appear to have hit a stud (much more resistance and wood chips).  As you can probably tell I am very much a novice with home repairs, and my question is can I use the drywall anchors in the stud?  I was able to get one anchor to easily fit in the first hole, but I can't get them in the other two holes even though they were made with the same drill bit.  Any suggestions?  Can I use wood screws for the 2 stud holes and keep the drywall anchor for the other?  Can I make the stud holes larger to fit the drywall anchor?

The three holes are in a triangle shape: 2 at the top about an inch apart and the 3rd below about an inch in between the top holes.


texts: Can I replace two 2x4 jack studs with a steel bracket attached to side of adjacent 6x6 king stud?

texts:
As part of my kitchen remodel, I want to move my refrigerator into a closet.  In order for the refrigerator to fit width-wise, I need to remove two jack studs on one side of the closet that are supporting a double 2x12 header which is a bearing wall for the ceiling joists and second floor bedroom.
The header butts up against a 6x6 king stud that the jack studs are nailed to.
My question is:

Can I fabricate a steel bracket lag-bolted to the side of the king stud to support the header instead of the studs?

Would I need to extend such a bracket down the side of the 6x6 and attach it to a steel plate at the foot so the weight remains supported on the floor rather than hanging on the side?

How thick should steel plate be?

(Note in the pictures there is a third stud which I removed, shown in the location where I pulled it from. The bracket would replace this stud as well)
View from inside closet

View from outside closet (bracket would be on the left hand side)
Removing the studs frees up the three-inch space to the right of the 6x6 post

Bracket Idea


texts: Can I run a toilet drain on the exterior of my house?

texts:
I want to install a toilet in my upstairs bedroom.  I was told that I cannot connect to the 3" vent line for the downstairs toilets.  the main reason being that a vacuum will be created when we flush the upstairs toilet and cause the water to be removed from the downstairs toilets.  also that any home inspector will not pass the permits with that kind of configuration. He recommended that I run a drain/vent line using the exterior cleanout port, up the exterior of my home directly to the room in question.

has anyone ever done this before?  I cant seem to find any information online about this.
what should I be worried about with this "exterior" drain?  Any information would be helpful.


texts: How should I attach this sheet flooring?

texts:
I'm finishing the bathroom in my basement and doing most of it myself. I'm learning along the way, which is both fun and challenging. My current step is figuring out how to attach this flooring to the subfloor. I'm using some leftover material from when my house was built. Here's a picture of it:

And here's the back:

From my googling it sounds like you're supposed to read the instructions that came with the floor, then purchase and apply adhesive accordingly. I don't have the packaging or have any indication of what this flooring is. Any ideas?
For reference, this is going down in a basement on a slab of self-leveling cement we poured about a month ago.


texts: How can I change the bulbs in this light fixture?

texts: I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to open this light fixture up to change the bulbs.  Help, please!


texts: Help replacing fluorescent light fixture - 2 sets of black and 2 sets of white

texts:
I am replacing fluorescent light fixture. The previous owner had 2  fluorescent light fixtures connected with a single switch. Those lights stopped working. I checked its not the tubes that were just bad.  So Home Depot Associate said that probably the ballast were bad and suggested to replace the fixture with LED style fluorescent fixture.
So I took one of the fixtures off. It had 2 sets of black, 2 sets of white and 2 ground wires coming into it. In my wisdom I put caps on 1 set and connected the other set to the light. This did not work . So I was going to try the other set. But decided to search as why I have the 2nd set.
Q1: Based on the google search it seems like that the 2nd set is to connect the 2nd fluorescent light fixture. So I am thinking to connect both sets of wires to the 1st fixture. Thoughts?
Q2: I am also having some thoughts as what is the possibility that 2 sets of fixtures have gone bad at same time. May be I should do something else.
The house is build in early 1990s


texts: Ceiling / Wall mounted heaters recomendations?

texts:
My mom wants to get my step-dad a heater for his workshop in the garage, but there's very little floor space available that isn't taken up with tools, and she noticed that there's an electical plug up high on one of the walls (the ceiling's probably about 10 to 12' high).

I can find lots of wall-mounted heaters online, but I have no idea what features / etc, I should look for, or even what size I should get.

They're in southern Maryland, and they're in a bit of a valley, so it tends to be colder than normal for the area (less sunlight hits 'em); it's a two-car garage, high ceilings, and the walls are drywall, but I've never checked if they're insulated or not.  (I'm guessing not, or at least, they lose enough through the garage doors that it should be treated as if it's not)


texts:
I have been looking online on how to do this, but everything I see talks about an existing white cord for the ground. Here's where I'm at.

The wires in front is the new cord, and in the back is how the dryer (Ariston 30616) was set up with the 3 prong cord. Any help?

-edit-

Here's how I set it up:

And here's the diagram on the dryer:

Can anyone verify that this is correct?


texts: How do I wire a GFCI to provide continuous power to a dishwasher and switched power to a garbage disposal?

texts: I am replacing a regular three pronged outlet with a GFCI for my disposer and dishwasher. There is a white, black, red and ground. How do I install it so as to keep constant power to the dishwasher, and the disposer on a switch? I have tried several different configurations and I have either gotten, power and no switch, or green lite on the GFCI and the disposer won't run.


texts: What is the maximum weight loading from a drywall screw stud?

texts: what sort of weight can I hang off a drywall screw stud?


texts: Exterior mirror to bring more light to a window

texts: I have a window that doesn't get very much light.  Perpendicular to it there is a wall of the house, which gets more light.  I would like to put a mirror on this wall to get more light on that window.  Is there any specific type of mirror to buy for this?  In particular, is there something that withstands the elements well, and do I need a particular curvature for the mirror or a flat mirror?


texts: When changing ceiling light I connected the wires wrong now no light works but breaker wasn’t tripped!

texts:
I live in a condo and changed the light fixture in my den. But I connected the wrong ones together and when I turned the power back on there was a big spark from the light fixture. I then realized my wiring mistake and corrected it but the light would no longer work. I then got a new led light fixture, wired it correctly but alas it would not light up!

There are several wall outlets in the den and they are still working fine (not sure if that is relevant)

The breaker never tripped so I am confused as to what it could be and hoping I didn’t fry some wires in the ceiling creating a larger problem. Could it be that the light switch needs replacing? I clearly do not know a lot about electrical, but I appreciate ANY insight or suggestions!!

Thanks in advance


texts: 14/2 wire 2 way switch adding 14/3 wire to make it a 3 way

texts:
I want to turn a 2 way switch into 3 way with 14/3 wire. I am assuming wire nut the white wires, and put the other wires on the switches.

I bought 2 3 way switches as well.


texts: Is there any advantage to using a weather resistant GFCI in a bathroom?

texts:
I'm replacing an old GFCI in a bathroom, and for a little more money, I could buy one rated for weather resistance.

This bathroom has no fan (only a small window), so it can get pretty steamy with water condensation on all surfaces after a shower.

Would a weather rated GFCI be safer or longer lasting in such a location, or is a standard GFCI adequate? I'm assuming that it's ok to use a WR rated GFCI in an indoor location that's not exposed to outdoor weather?

Similarly, there's a downstream receptacle that I could also swap out with a WR rated one if there's any advantage to doing so.

What is the real difference between the regular and weather resistant models besides the little WR logo?


texts: Are galvanised steel pipes suitable for supplying hot water?

texts:
I am living in an old building where the old galvanized steel pipes are still in use indoors.

Rather than upgrading to copper pipes, can I reuse these galvanized steel pipes for hot water (from a gas heater for showering)?

I have the impression that galvanized steel pipes are very vulnerable to corrosion when used with hot water.  But I don't want to change to copper pipes because some of the galvanized steel pipes are conveniently available next to my gas heater hot water outlet.


texts: pigtailed aluminum replacing regular receptacle to GFI

texts: Need to replace a receptacle closest to panel that has a light and another receptacle inline. All are aluminum. They have alumiconns on them (purple) pigtailed. Need to replace sink receptacle with GFI receptacle. The non-gfi receptacle has a white wire connected to the bottom left side and a black to the bottom right side. I think black goes to (line) top right gold on gfi and white to (load) bottom left silver screw. Is this correct? I live in florida, I am using a Leviton 15amp GFTRI-RKW gfi.


texts: We had our gas company come and  or utility room for gas leaks and recommended that I have the gas regulator replaced. I matched up the numbers and ordered it and would like to replace it. Is there anything I should consider before doing it? The unit is a Maxitrol 325-3 and the replacement is a Maxitrol 325-3L


texts: Is wiring with melted insulation and exposed copper dangerous?

texts:
A plumber has melted the grey sleeve on a two core electrical cable in our kitchen whilst soldering a joint on an adjacent copper pipe. I can see exposed copper through a small hole the cable sleeve. This hole is approx 1cm in length.

The cable is at floor level, under the fridge freezer and as far as I can tell, runs to a socket. I've checked everything in the kitchen and it's all working.

Is this wire dangerous? If he tries to fix it with electrical tape will this suffice?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Does Chicago building code allow open ceiling joists in a finished basement?

texts:
I'm finishing the basement of a triplex condo in Chicago (townhouse style with a shared entry/common space with one unit). The developer didn't consider a future finished basement when it was it was converted to condos 20 years ago so there are conduit and pipes running under the joists.

Due to the low ceiling and the fact there would be soffits littered all over the ceiling, I plan on spraying the ceiling black (it actually looks surprisingly good). Before I do it, I want to make sure Chicago allows open joists in a living space.

There is fire resistant drywall on the ceiling near the water heater and furnace that will remain. Also, the new bathroom will have a finished ceiling. Joists have 16" spacing. The work is permitted so there will be a final inspection. Thanks!


texts: What is this weird knocking sound in a wooden closet?

texts:
A month ago my girlfriend and I moved into a new place, and it has a big closet in the bedroom.
Since day 1, we kept hearing knocking noises on the wooden doors, only at night, and it happens every few minutes, and it really keeps me awake at night and most of the time waking me up.
Yesterday I put my phone inside the closet (closed the doors) where I think most of the noise come from, and I found that every 10-20 minutes there is really loud knocking, and in between this 10-20 minutes window. In between these 10-20 minutes window, there is sometimes small knocking.
Audio #1 - The knocking itself:
https://soundcloud.com/mzday/333-1?in=mzday/sets/weird-sounds
Audio #2 - Weird "Bzzzz" sound, and knocking on the door after that:
https://soundcloud.com/mzday/222-1?in=mzday/sets/weird-sounds
Notes:

The phone was in the same place the entire recording (6 hours in total, there is A LOT of knocking on the door).
We live in apartment building, top floor (third).
The sound indeed comes from the closet, I checked multiple times throughout this month.
I checked for worms that eat the doors maybe, but nothing (no white powder, no holes in the doors).
I put mouse food in each door to check if maybe its a mouse (I don't believe it is, based on the recording).
All sounds was when both of us was asleep, non of us get out of bed.

Any idea what else it could be?


texts:
I would like to extend a 6/3 NM-B (Non-Metallic) ROMEX Simpull wire diagonally across my yard from basement to a wooden pole that will have the Nema 14-50 outlet. The outlet will be exposed to the elements, since it will not be in a enclosed area.

I have read many opinions around protecting the wire from physical damage, and in some cases that it is prohibited to run the wire in a conduit. Appreciate your help with code that will allow me to stretch the wire diagonally buried under the yard running some 30 ft.

It will be helpful to know the type of conduit I should use, how deep should it be buried underground and how to finally connect the wire to the outlet. the other end of this wire will be directly connected to a electrical panel with 50 AMP breaker. The panel is directly inside the front wall, therefore my plan is to make a hole and pull the wire from outside into the electrical panel.

Thanks all. I have decided to purchase the following items. Just wished to know if there are better sites who are reasonably priced. More importantly, wanted to show the items that I have selected from all your help..really appreciated]1


texts:
I am converting a small room in my house with 2 interior walls and 2 exterior walls into a sauna.

It is of paramount importance that no heat leaks through the interior walls into the adjoining rooms.  I am willing to go space-age on this one.  What is the foolproof, no-mistakes way of making sure 100% of the heat in one room stays in that one room?  For bonus points what is the proper way to control for humidity issues here?


texts: How to cover up a shelf that is too short for its brackets

texts:
I made a slight miscalculation when hanging some shelves. All three rows of shelves that I hung have brackets centered on every other stud. The wood I bought to lay on top of them is 8' long.

When I lay the shelf centered across the brackets, the edges are found to be sitting on the middle of the brackets. I am not too concerned about this structurally, there won't be anything too heavy on the edges. However, this is unsightly in my opinion. What would you recommend to hide this error?


texts: How do I change out the light bulb in this fixture?

texts: My wife picked up this light fixture at a sample sale. We had some electricians install it a while ago while we were having other work done on the apartment. The electricians threw out the box and paperwork, so I don't know the brand or model number. The glass "bowl" spins freely in the two metal side supports. You can also slide the bowl "back and forth" in the supports, but you can't slide it far enough to slide out of the supports. I can't move the supports at all. They don't just move out of the way to let the bowl fall out. I have tried turning the entire fixture, and I have also tried just pulling the fixture down. There is about one and one half inches of space between the ceiling and light fixture. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Light fitting with American coloured wiring but bought in UK

texts:
I recently bought a new light fitting off amazon.co.uk which has come with wiring as shown in the picture:

I'm surprised to see black/white cabling since I thought this to be the US colour coding. The listing on Amazon claims

  Compatible with world wide voltage - 110V or 240V and everything in
  between - please make use appropriate voltage of light bulb

However, there was nothing in the box that had the usual UK standards that I would expect when purchasing anything electrical in this country, generally one would expect to see the CE symbol but the fitting came in a plain cardboard box with nothing else inside  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking):

How do I know that this is either meets UK electrical standards and can actually work with a 240V mains circuit? The only documentation that claims this is the case is in the Amazon product description


texts: How do I convert an existing electrical panel to a subpanel?

texts:
I'm going to upgrade my existing electrical service from 100 amps to 200 amps.  Along with the service upgrade, I'll be moving the location of the service drop (part of a larger home remodel).  I want to keep the existing 100A panel (which mostly serves old K&T and original NM spec wiring) as a subpanel.  I'll add new circuits to the new 200A panel, and over time decommission the circuits fed by the 100A panel.

I'll add a 100A breaker in the new panel.  But my existing panel has a non-removable main breaker (rated at 100A).  Is this allowed?

Are there other considerations?


texts: Is this drain appropriate for outdoor ground water capture?

texts:
We're buying a new property and the back yard is half level, half slope.  The level area holds onto water after rain.

Shown from the rear of the yard, my notion is - put a drain in the area that gathers water and run an underground pipe to an expandable set of rain barrels or some other kind of cistern.  This captured ground water will be used for gardening, etc.

My questions:

1) Is a catch basin like this appropriate for the intended use?  If not, what is?

2) What do I need to do to prevent clogs?

3) (more general) is this idea sound?


texts: Is it dangerous to leave a hose spigot on with a closed nozzle at the end?

texts:
Here's the setup: I have a drip system for my plants that's run on a timer attached to my outside hose spigot. The spigot is constantly on, but for about 12 hours a day the timer is closed and no water is flowing through.

Is there a danger of pressure buildup from leaving the faucet on with nowhere for it to go? Will my water bill go up astronomically?


texts: I'd like to install a ceiling fan in a room where the ceiling electrical box has no grounding wire. Is that OK to do?  If not, why not?


texts: Can I use a 3 speed wall switch with a ceiling fan that comes with a remote?

texts:
I'm not too familiar with fan motors/configurations. I'd like to install a fan and use a Z Wave 3 speed switch to control the fan speed, and a Z Wave dimmer switch to control the lighting in the fan. The Z Wave component shouldn't matter. I'd like to use a 3 speed switch to control fan speed and a dimmer to control the light in the fan.

In my mind, there are two different types of fans: 1) controlled by a remote (comes with or works with the fan/light combo) and 2) pull strings on fan/light combo.

Questions:

Is it correct to assume that I cannot use a 3 speed wall switch with a fan that comes with its own remote?
Is it correct to assume that I can use a 3 speed wall switch with a fan that has a pull string to change the speed of the fan?

Or better yet, what type of fan can use that will be compatible with the above referenced 3 speed switch?


texts: Is this old 2x4 infested with termites, or something else?

texts:
I have this old 2x4 that we removed from somewhere in the house and which has been sitting outside in a pile with other lumber for a while. I wanted to cut a small piece from it and noticed that one end has these tubular marks filled with powdery particles resembling saw dust. The wood is relatively dry and when I removed some of that substance I didn't see any insects or anything with my naked eye.
Should I be concerned that this was sitting next to the house? Is this evidence of previous termite infestation or something else? And is it okay to use a piece from the other end of this piece that doesn't have any such marks?


texts: How do I determine if adding an air conditioner will overload a circuit?

texts:
I'm going to take advantage of some Memorial Day sales and pull the trigger on a portable AC unit for my "basement-ish" (bottom of windowsill is mid chest, rather than head height) apartment.  Before I do this, however, I've been researching online, and I want to make sure that I don't buy something that's going to overload the electric circuit it'll be connected to.

For the bedroom, the breaker indicates 15 Amps.  The circuit will additionally have a desktop computer, two LCD displays, and a couple of lights.  How can I tell if a new AC unit plus the existing items is going to cause tripped breakers or worse?


texts: How many times can you extend NM-B with splices/junction boxes?

texts:
I have a detached garage that has a single 20A, 120V circuit running to it. My breaker is on the east side of my house, while the garage is on the west side, meaning my 12-2 NM-B cable spans my entire attic.

The problem is that the NM-B currently splices into some UF and comes out the north side of my house, goes around a corner to get on the west side, then goes underground to get to the east side of my garage. I think it would be better if the UF were in PVC (LB coming out of my house, PVC buried ~18", then LB into garage) and if it came out of the west side of my house, rather than coming out the north side and then wrapping around. To do this, I may need a longer run of NM-B cable in my attic so it can reach the west wall, and if so, it'd be easiest to splice it in a junction box in the attic and run it to the west wall.

The current run looks like this:

20A, 120V breaker
-> ~50ft 12-2 NM-B
-> ~25ft 12-2 UF (exits north wall outside, wraps around to west wall, buried until garage)

I'm proposing:

20A, 120V breaker
-> ~50ft 12-2 NM-B
-> ~10ft 12-2 NM-B
-> ~25ft 12-2 UF (exits west wall into LB outside, buried in PVC, LB into garage)