texts: fix broken water pipe in garage (burst in winter)

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Last winter, the water pipe in my garage was apparently not emptied entirely and burst when the water froze. At least that is what I assume, because when I turned on water in spring, it sprayed out of the wall.

Aside from hiring a professional to fix it, what options do I have? I'll probably not be able to fix the pipe myself, but it would be good if I could at least figure out where it burst and if it is only in one place or several, so that I can understand what the damage is and get an estimate of the costs I'm facing.

If I can combine this with preventing the same problem from happening again, I'll be happy.

(if it matters, the pipe runs from the house, is apparently dug deep enough in the yard, but of course has to come up into the wall inside the garage. The water spray was in the corner where I strongly assume the pipe coming up, because it's right next to the sink and toilet.)


texts: Why is my new garage door going through lights so fast?

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A little while ago our 14 year old garage door opener broke and we had the choice of retrofitting it with modern safety gear (required by code before they could even try to fix it) and then a "moderately simple fix" or replacing it with a new opener that came with all the safety gear, and would work, and would be significantly quieter, and would cost less all said and done than just the retrofit parts for the old unit. Needless to say, we picked the new one.

When they put the new opener in, we just moved the light bulb from the old one. it had been in there for a year or two and was still fine. 2 weeks later it flashed and died when opening the door one day. It was an old bulb, so I thought nothing of it and replaced it later that day with another 40w incandescent bulb. That bulb lasted 2 months at the most before it did the same thing... flash and die when turning on (switch on, opener wasn't activated, so no vibrations at all). Another new bulb, this time a 60w "fan light" supposedly vibration resistant long life bulbs intended for ceiling fans and similar environments, one of the ones pictured is a garage door opener. That one lasted a bit over 2 weeks, maybe 3 weeks. Assuming it had to be a bad bulb, I swapped in another from the package... same thing in about a month. So I took one out of our ceiling fan that has been in there for months running just fine. That one flashed and died yesterday, after about a month.

It's a Raynor Corporal 1/2 hp residential opener which says it's rated for 100w max bulb, I've been putting 40 or 60w bulbs in, that seems fine. The unit doesn't have a lot of vibraion, in fact it's far less than our old opener (a 1/3 hp Raynor as well). Anyone have any other ideas what's killing light bulbs in here?


texts: What, if anything, can I do to fix this treadmill?

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A 10s video of my loud, squeaky treadmill operating is shown here.

As the video shows, it squeaks and makes a grinding sound, and it is much louder when a person is running on it. I have to wear earplugs to use it.

I bought it new only a year ago, the model is 'Sole F63 Treadmill'.

Any ideas on what I might try to fix it? It was a huge pain to put together but I would be willing to take it apart and try to fix since these things are expensive and I cannot buy another. Do you think a manageable fix might be possible, e.g. by oiling something in there or maybe replacing some bearing?


texts: Renovating Crawlspace with Poured Concrete Floor

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My newly-purchased 1950s home has a below-grade crawlspace with a poorly-poured concrete floor. Specifically, it is very coarse and looks like it was poured and spread with a garden rake. In some places, there are large holes that seem to go down to the dirt. Not good. Also on the list of "not good": we have slightly elevated levels of radon in the home.

Ultimately, we want to use the crawlspace as a clean, dry, conditioned space that is an extension of the basement used for storage.

My plan is to remove the door that separates the crawlspace from the basement, then have my HVAC guy run a supply line or two to the crawl. The supplies supply conditioned air, and the open entry to the crawl will serve as a return. I am also going to seal the outside walls of the space with insulation - but I will save the insulation details for another post.

In order to make the space clean and usable for storage, I obtained a quote for a poured concrete floor. The contractor's intent is to pour a couple of inches of concrete right over the existing "concrete" floor without chipping the old floor out, and then trowel/level it nicely.

My questions are:

Any concerns with pouring concrete right over the existing "concrete" floor?
Assuming that I am OK to proceed with pouring over the existing floor, do I need to stipulate that the contractor lay down a continuous sheet of polyethylene as a vapor barrier? To be clear, if I have the contractor do this, this poly sheet will sit between the old "concrete" and the newly-poured floor. Or is the vapor barrier a lost-cause (or, worse, going to cause a problem) if I do not remove the old floor?
I haven't lived in the house very long, but it looks dry (contractors have agreed).  Also, for the record, I do have some water supplies and drains that run through the crawl to the upper floor. That said, how important would it be to install a floor drain? If I were to have a plumber install a drain, would this drain flow into the sewer? To do this, I think that I would have to have the plumber bore a hole through the foundation wall, which sounds like a huge job. So unless it's highly recommended or a code issue, I would rather skip it.

Regarding the radon, I am going to have the concrete contractor install a vent pipe into the floor (both the new floor and even down through the old floor) for sub-slab suction. My radon mitigation contractor will connect this vent pipe to the radon mitigation system.

I would love to hear any comments from the experts. Thanks in advance!

-Frank


texts: Wire connection between ballast and lamp socket

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I want to connect wires from ballast WH43-UNV-L to socket 2g11 (1100-VS VERTICAL SNAP-IN OR TWO HOLE MOUNT).

Here is the fulham connection diagram for my type of ballast and my type of lamp:

My ballast have 4 red and 1 yellow wires.

Would it be OK if I connect wires according to the following picture?

UPD1:

If I understand right about "siamesed" holes, connection should look like below.
Red wires should be joined before inserting into the last available hole.

Appreciate any help! Thank you.


texts: My toilet starting leaking down the PVC sewer pipe underneath into my unfinished basement last week and also causing a loud banging and resonance through my pipes when it would fill. I thought that minerals had locked up the toilet fill valve so it could no longer close when full all the way and the water was just banging trying to get through the reduced aperture. I replaced the fill and flush valves and all seemed well. I just noticed today in the basement water slowly running down the outside of the PVC coming and dripping into the trash bin I had left there from before. This was happening while the toilet was filling back up after being used. The water looks clean and its stops leaking when the tank is done filling. The floor around my toilet is dry but it looks as if the installer caulked around the toilet. The toilet doesn't move when jiggled. What could be the cause of the leak? It appears the leak is running down the pvc from the floor line not just from a leaky elbow underneath.


texts: Running conduit through soffit into attic

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I am looking to run a new circuit from one side of my house where the breaker panel is over to the other side of the house. My preference would be to run the conduit out of my garage, over approximately 30 feet, and then up to the first floor attic space. I am comfortable with all of this but I have what may be a dumb question. I would be running the conduit into the soffit in order to then pull into the attic. The attic is sealed tight with spray foam insulation. How do I carefully remove part of the soffit in order to access and drill any holes necessary to pull the conduit (and wiring) into the attic?  I took a picture of another conduit that is already running.  Unfortunately, this isn't large enough to add the additional wiring.
Also, if I were do this by running conduit along the outside of the house, is there a conduit that does not need to be buried?


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I need a chassis for a box trailer. For now I'm focusing on the chassis itself, as once that's built I can use it to haul the rest of the things needed for the box. I'm no steel-worker though, and thanks to where I'm located getting a mobile welder out here won't be cheap. I've designed a simple ladder chassis in 50x50x3mm box section steel, and want to know the viability of simply bolting these parts together like so:

I am aware that my bolt-holes will need to be very accurate, and to prevent slippage I intend to use nylon-lined nuts, shake-proof washers, and locking fluid on bolt threads. Where the tongue meets the draw-bar two 5mm steel plates sandwich the join to prevent twisting.

The axle, 550kg suspension units, and hubs are being purchased as a single unit from a fabricator. Each part will be individually painted after machining, and the interiors treated with rust preventative. If you want to have a look at the model it's here.

I'm aware that welded joints are generally stronger.
My question is will this design be strong enough without welding?


texts: How can I install standard outlets on a 30A #10 multi-wire branch circuit?

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I was looking for hopefully a quick answer. I have a multi wire circuit coming out of main breaker box. It is a 30 amp  double breaker with 10 gauge wire that divides into the double breaker . I concluded it is indeed a multi wire branch circuit. My question is how do I transition the 10 gauge wire to smaller wire and add outlets. The 10 gauge wire runs about 40 feet or so to a garage that is attached. Do you use wire nut in a junction box or...?
Here is a decent pic of the junction


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I have a question about sprinkler wiring. The sprinkler timer is located on the front wall of my house (this was done by the previous owner) and I should run a wire from there to a sprinkler valve located in the backyard. I was thinking of running the wire along the exterior wall, stapling it right below the roof. Then, when I read the articles of sprinkler wiring, most suggest to bury them under the ground. I am curious if it is ok to have over-ground wiring. The total distance is about 70 ft.

Thanks,


texts: i am looking for a wall outlet the will alow me to plug in to it form out side and to plug into it on the inside of the house. need one side to be female and the other male.  anyone seen one of these or heard of them? looking to be able to get one from a big box or even a small box store. only one i have found online so far is from a site that i have never heard of and seams quite over priced at 90.00 bucks


texts: I am replacing my bathroom sink faucet.  The supply line is 1/2" and the instructions for the new faucet states that a 1/4" supply line is needed.  The current supply line is a grey solid tube and seems to be in good condition. Can I use the same supply line for the new faucet?  If so, how do I make this work?


texts: How accurate is a TDR (Time Domain Reflectometer) in determining the distance to the location of a cut low voltage cable?

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The builders cut an ethernet wire during construction.  They put in the Foam Insulation and the dry wall up without testing the wires.  Upon terminating and testing them, I found that the wire to my AV room has been cut.  I've re-terminated and re-set the keystone twice.  I can't run a new wire.  I have to splice the old one.
I need to tone out the course of the wire (if a toner can even sense behind the drywall that far with UTP ethernet).
A TDR was suggested to determine the distance before the cut.  I'd like to minimize the amount of drywall and foam that I cut into.  Do you think that this will work?  I can hire an electrician and his tool to do the work.  I just don't want to waste their time and $$ only to find that a toner can't sense the wire that far or that a TDR isn't that accurate.
Thanks.


texts: How can I replace a single switch with two switches?

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I have a single pole switch on a wall that turned on a ceiling light. I want to replace this ceiling lamp with a fan/light combo. I also want to replace the single switch to double switches (so I can control the fan and the light separately)

Here is what I see when I open up the switch box with the single pole switch:

Essentially, all the blacks are connected together, and the whites are connected together.

I'd like to use this switch

How I do wire the above switch?


texts: How to add GFCI-protected switches and lights to a 2-wire garage circuit

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In my garage, I have an outlet on the ceiling powering the garage door opener. It has black and white wires coming to the socket, and no ground that I can see.

I've run some conduit along the ceiling over to a workbench area, where I want to install a few outlets at bench-level and some ceiling lights controlled by a switch. I know I need to use a GFCI for the outlets, at least. I have two questions about how to run the wiring:

Should the outlets be wired in series or parallel?
Should the lights be before or after the GFCI?

I've made some diagrams to work through the choices! Is there anything I'm missing?

All on GFCI

The power comes in the lower left side. In this option, everything is on the load side of the GFCI, and the outlets are wired in parallel.

Lights before GFCI, Outlets in series

This is much simpler. This should prevent the lights from going dark if the GFCI trips, correct? Are there any drawbacks?


texts: Replacing trim set in horse hair plaster

texts: There are a few places in my house where I would like to replace the door trim, but the walls are horse hair plaster.  Is there anyway to do this without having the plaster totally fall apart?


texts: Is there a way to thaw a frozen pipe, if you can't access the pipe?

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Big freeze, new house.  Just found out the add-on bathroom was plumbed by amateurs, and the cold water supply froze.  I don't have access to the frozen section of pipe (without major demo), so I can't heat the pipe directly.
If I open the hot and cold tap on the sink faucet at the same time, while also opening the cold tap on the tub in an adjacent bathroom (which is also affected by the frozen pipe). The hot water backflows through the diverter of the faucet, and comes out in the tub.  I'm using this backflow technique to try and heat the pipe enough to hopefully, break up the ice in the pipe.
All this got me wondering. If I have a plumber come out, is there anything they can do?  Do they have a special tool or technique to deal with this situation?  Would the plumber simply want to start cutting holes in the walls/ceiling to gain access to the pipe?

More info:
The water supply for the second bathroom seems to be tapped off the tub supply lines of the original bathroom. In the original bathroom the sink and toilet work, but the cold supply for the tub does not.  This means that the frozen section of pipe is after the sink in the original bathroom, but before the tub in the same bathroom.

Rough sketch of cold water plumbing

Rough sketch of cold water plumbing highlighting suspected frozen section

Rough sketch of cold water plumbing showing hot water backflow path


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I had a cast iron claw foot tub moved out of a bathroom to remove the carpet floor.  The new subfloor and flooring has now been installed.  I've moved the tub back into bathroom but in the process of tightening the bolts for the claw feet one of them snapped and I've managed to loose one of the square nuts.
The legs look like the following picture except that the leg retainer highlighted is still attached to the tub.  The square nut shown is the one I am missing.  Since the square nut is sized to fit the slot it keeps the nut hole centered and allows blind installation of the bolt through the leg to the nut (that is sitting in the retainer).  If I have to do this with a standard nut I am in for a world of hurt.
I was thinking that I could glue a washer larger than the slot to a standard nut and angle grind the washer to fit the slot such that the hole is aligned.
The tub currently has two legs installed but the bathroom is small so it is difficult for multiple people to work in the bathroom.  The tub is also quite heavy.  I was thinking maybe make some cribbing 9" tall (slightly taller than the legs) so the tub is supported while I work on attaching the legs maybe use a car jack to lift it up to install the cribbing.  I can as an individual lift the tub up and push something under it.
Anyone do this before?
Any better ideas?


texts: First summer in this 2 story house and looks like air flow on the second floor is significantly weaker then on the bottom floor. Looked at the HVAC to find the dampener handle and found 1 but it is screwed in place. Not sure if this is the duct going to the second floor or first.... Is it done to prevent the dampener from being manipulated for some reasons or its ok to just unscrew it and play with the level of open/close?


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Sorry for the basic question, I am not especially electrically minded.

I have a system that requires 16A and 240V power, however we only have 10A wall outlet power available.

I did consider connecting two transformers in series across two 240V 10A wall outlets to produce 240V 20A, however I'm not confident that this is the best/cheapest/most convenient solution.

Aside from having an electrician come out to install a 20A wall outlet, are there any convenient or more versatile solutions to this issue?


texts: Cannot determine why breaker is tripping

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I have 2 bedrooms on a single breaker, and just yesterday, the breaker tripped.  No devices are plugged into any outlets.  Both rooms have ceiling fans (with lights).  Both rooms have 3 wall switches.  1 for the ceil fan's fan, 1 for the ceiling fan's light, and 1 controls the bottom-half of one of the wall outlets.  If all 3 switches in both rooms are off, I'm able to reset the breaker.  In one bedroom (bedroom A), all of the outlets work fine (testing with a night-light).  In the other bedroom (bedroom B), one of the outlets works, but if I plug the night-light into any of the other outlets (there are 3 others), the breaker trips.  I have replaced these 3 outlets, but no change.  I have also tested all outlets in both bedrooms with an outlet tester tool, and I get "correct" on all of them.  In bedroom B, 2 of the 3 "suspect" outlets have 5 wires going into them (2 hot, 2 neutral and 1 ground); the 3rd "suspect" outlet just has 1 hot and 1 neutral (and 1 ground).  If I completely remove/disconnect the 2 outlets in bedroom B that have the 5-wires, and just leave the wires dangling in open air, then Bedroom A is completely fine (ceiling fan and light included).  In Bedroom B, the 3rd "suspect" outlet is off, and the other outlet (the one that always works) still works.  The ceiling fan and light in bedroom B do not work; switching on bedroom B's switches does nothing; the breaker does not trip.  With those 2 outlets in bedroom B completely removed, there's nothing I can do to cause the breaker to trip.

Another data point: with all the outlets connected/installed, in either room, attempting to turn on the ceiling fan or ceiling fan light cause a trip (so, plugging something into bedroom B's 3 "suspect" outlets is not the only way to cause the trip).

I've visually inspected the wires in bedroom B's 3 "suspect" outlets, and they all look okay; I don't see any rips/tears in the wire's insulation, so I don't think there's a short or ground fault.

So I'm completely baffled, and I want to make sure I've tried as much as I can before I commit to calling an electrician.  What's strange is that nothing has "changed" in the past couple of days; I haven't nailed anything into any walls, and I have plugged anything out-of-the-ordinary into the outlets.  The house was built in 2008, so "old" wiring shouldn't be an issue.

Thank you very much for your time.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


texts: I have an outlet on one side of the wall, then on the other side I was planning on putting another outlet. Problem seems to be the the room for the new outlet was an addition... For some reason there's a layer of plywood and then a layer of sheet rock, I've drilled a hole through both and have the wire in the new room. Question is how do I now go about routing it to my new outlet location? I can't go over the drywall, I don't really want to remove all the drywall AND plywood in order to be able to run it through the studs.... Thoughts?


texts: 3 Switch Wall plate to 1 Wall Plate Ceiling Fan

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This is for U.S. based electrical in a house built in 2001.

Current State

I have a ceiling fan with a light that I am going to replace. With this new fan I want to change the 3 switch configuration down to just one.

I no longer will need two switches (Switch 1 and 2 in image below) as the one switch from the fan's manufacturer will handle all necessary functions.

I also no longer need Switch 3 as I do not want a light switch controlling power to these outlets (but the outlets still need to have power).

Future State

How am I to hook up the wiring so that I get a black and white wire connected to my new fan (it does not have a connection for the red wire), while still having constant power from Cable A (source) to Cable B (outlet), and allowing for Switch 2 to control the power to Cable C/D?

My Assumption

Leave all Whites connected (A, B, and C)
Cable C Red to Cable B Red
Cable A Black and Cable B Black to Switch 2 Port B
Cable C Black to Switch 2 Port A
Cable D Black and Cable D Red to Fan Black
Cable D White to Fan White


texts: How do I route plumbing vent line around a corner?

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I am installing a floating vanity and need to move a 1 1/2 vent line behind the wall. I am in a row townhouse.
How do I run the 1 1/2 pipe around the corner? Do I cut a hole in the studs or notch them?
One side has a 2x6 the other side has a 2x4.
The side with the 2x6 is an exterior wall and side with 2x4 is adjoining with another townhouse.
In the picture I included the new routing of the pipe.
Thank you!


texts: How can I clean these small, enclosed gutters on a mobile home patio?

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My friend owns a mobile home that has a patio over the front porch. There is a thin gutter system running along the length of the house & porch, terminating over the porch area. The gutter system appears to be almost completely enclosed and is so backed up with dirt & debris that no water makes it through the spout.

Is there a good way of cleaning out this gutter system?


texts: What is this pipe thread compound on my LP regulator fitting?

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I'm replacing a faulty regulator on my gas grill. When removing the old regulator, I noticed there appears to be some sort of compound on the threads.

Here is a picture of the threads with the old regulator still partially attached:

And here is a picture of the threads without the old regulator attached:

Questions:

What is that substance, and where can I get it?
Is it required in order to protect against LP leaks?
Are there any tricks or gotchas to know about when applying it?


texts:
I pulled on a cord for the light switch hanging from the ceiling in my bathroom and some plastic and metal casing fell off. This is the result. I know nothing about electronics - these look like exposed wires? Are these immediately dangerous? Should I be taking precautions?

This is in the UK.


texts: White thinset on a light marble tile - tile turned dark - will it lighten?

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I tiled my shower niche last night, this is my first step tiling the bathroom, today I'll move on to walls etc. I used white thinset, and some portions of the tile turned dark after installation. I believe they soaked up moisture from the thinset, and theoretically will dry out and lighten up again.

Can anyone confirm? I finished about 8 hours ago and it's still dark so I'm starting to wonder.


texts:
I have a (UK) telephone socket in the same corner of each of the three floors in my house. My broadband router is connected to the socket on the bottom floor.
The wiring looks like the following:

Top floor:

Middle floor:

Bottom floor:

What type of cable is it? Can I use it for ethernet? If not, would it be pretty straightforward to run an ethernet cable alongside it?


texts: What are the proper materials and method to hang heavy-duty shelves in a garage for storage?

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I am hoping this isn't too wide of a topic since garage storage can vary greatly from person to person depending on what's being stored.  In my case, I will be storing power tools like my circular saw, reciprocating saw, heavy toolbox full of misc hand tools, boxes of screws, paint cans, cases of water, 50-lb bags of kitty litter, etc.

Update 12/21/2012

After much consideration, I decided against the wall-mounted 16x18 shelf brackets that I had already hung per Amanda's suggestion and went with free-standing shelves as recommended by alx9r.  He provided a logical argument against supporting large amounts of weight on a residential wall frame and it honestly made sense.  Plus, the cross bar on those brackets just takes away from your available storage space.  I will say, though, that these Everbilt brackets were super sturdy when fastened with heavy duty #10 screws.  I could jump up and down on those shelves and they'd stay put.  Here's a pic of the shelves I installed using the brackets:

And here are the adjustable shelves by Sandusky that I bought from Sam's Club:

The only think I don't like about these is that the shelves need more support.  Being that they're 6' wide, they bow pretty badly if you set a heavy load right in the center.  However, I am sure that there's a way to reinforce them, but I will worry about that later down the road.  For now, each shelf supports 600 lbs, more than adequate for my needs.  The vertical rods also support caster wheels, although I will need heavy duty threaded stem casters not available at any of the big box stores around here for a reasonable price.

Anyway, I hope this update helped.

Edit 12/3/2012

I bought a bunch of the brackets suggested in Amanda's answer and have since installed one shelf.  It is very sturdy.  The downside to these brackets, though, is how the diagonal support bar takes up a large amount of space.  If you've mounted the brackets every 16", this keeps you from storing large objects wider/longer than 16" on the shelf below.  The solution to that is to skip every other stud and mount the brackets every 32", but then you have the issue of sagging.  Originally, I bought 18"x96"x0.75" lengths of MDF, but this will not work for 36" support spacing, so I will need to get stronger wood like plywood.  However, there will still be some sagging involved at 32", so it appears that BrianK's suggestion to put a 1x2 along the edge will give it more support.  Is there a technical term for such a strip?  The term "shelf edging strip" seems to come up in Google searches, but I don't see a lot of products designed for this.  I'd like to see some sort of c-shaped metal strip on the market that fits snug along the edge of a board rather than having to glue/screw a 1x2 onto the edge of the shelf.

The other option is to use use vertical shelf tracks and then mount adjustable shelf brackets onto them.  This would allow 16" bracket spacing with no cumbersome support bar to get in the way.  The problem is that I cannot find any heavy duty, adjustable brackets that work with plywood that support in the neighborhood of 300 lbs per bracket.

So, in summary, what I like about Amanda's brackets are their 650-lb weight capacity and ability to support a 16"-deep shelf.  The downside is that support bar.  The adjustable shelves, on the other hand, don't have such a support bar.  Unfortunately, they can only hold around 100 lbs per bracket.  Is there a way to get the best of both worlds here or am I going to have to build shelving from scratch?  I definitely do not want to do that.


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Every 2 weeks my main RCD trips and it wont reset. After an hour it will allow me to reset it and its fine for 2 weeks.

The main RCD has a short spur to another mini RCD board that was installed 10 years ago to power the extension. The Main breaker on this mini board trips but the individual lights/ring main RCDs on this mini board don't trip. This next circuit powers my kitchen which has integral fridge, freezer, cooker and dishwasher so I am unable to find the plugs to disconnect them but I'm thinking perhaps its not a faulty appliance as the individual ring main and lighting RCDs never trip just the main breaker to the extension.

Is my RCD faulty? I can't afford an electrician so I only want to get an electrician if its something I can't fix myself and most of the time there is no fault for them to assess.


texts: Light fixture with 3 white, 3 black, 1 red wire

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I'm trying to replace an old fixture for cosmetic reasons. Unfortunately I've pulled apart the wiring to the old fixture and don't remember how it all connected. The wiring in the ceiling has the above setup. The fixture itself has the standard 1 white, 1 black, and 1 ground wire. I followed this advice...now the light operates from a different switch from before.

I don't understand the underlying wiring so I'm baffled by what's going on.

Edit: here's a photo of the box:

The marked black wire is hot - it lights up my tester when I connect it to any other wire when the breaker is on and the switch is off.


texts: Choosing a material to cover wood and paint with emulsion

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We're using a floor to ceiling stained pine bookcase to subdivide a room.

On the front side it looks great. However, the back of the bookcase is quite ugly.

I'd like to cover the back with something that I can paint with emulsion so, from that side, it looks like part of the dry wall rather than a piece of furniture.

I considered using plywood but I imagine the woodgrain texture could show through.

I've also wondered about either a sheet of MDF or sticking plasterboard to the back (although would this require skimming?)

Could anyone suggest what the best material to make wood, not look like wood.

I would imagine that a similar problem would occur when picking a material for boxing in pipes or vents.


texts: Refrigerator and wall socket next to it went out at same time

texts: Last night I made coffee in a coffee maker plugged into a wall socket next to the refrigerator (the fridge has it's own circuit). The coffee was made but later that evening I found both appliances off. I checked the circuit breaker box and no circuits were off but I did an off/on for the fridge circuit and the wall circuit but no change. The fridge is 20+ years old but was doing fine. None of the nearby GFCI circuits have tripped. Does both going out at the same time indicate any particular problem?


texts: Can I use sheathed cable in a surface raceway, and do I need to derate?

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Because running cable inside a finished wall is impractical in this situation (there is no attic and access to the floor below is difficult), I'm planning on installing a surface mounted raceway.  Inside this raceway, I would like to put

2 X 20A dedicated circuit for window/portable air conditioners
1 X 15A circuit for outlets.

Two questions:

Do I use THHN wire for this or can I run sheathed cable inside the raceway?  From what I've read, THHN is better because of heat dissipation but I'm not sure.
Do I have to derate?  It seems that I have more than three conductors (3 hots + 3 neutrals).

For code purposes: Quebec, Canada


texts:
installed 2 speakers in kitchen, dining room, padio, total of 6 speakers, 3 pair.

have an Onkyo TX-8050 receiver that has stereo SpeakerA and SpeakerB terminals with a total of 4 channels, 2 pair.

If I buy a speaker selector that also has volume controls for each speaker pair, do I wire SpeakerA, or SpeakerB terminals to the speaker selector input? Here's the speaker selector:
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10903&cs_id=1090307&p_id=8232&seq=1&format=2

Would I only wire 1 of the 4 Speaker Channels of the receiver to speaker selector?

thanks.


texts: How can I remove a coffee stain from carpet?

texts:
Recently a cup of coffee was spilled on the carpeting of our home. We tried to get the stain out with a chemical solvent to no avail, and called in the experts. Unfortunately due to our preprocessing, the professional carpet cleaners made little headway in removing the stain.

The carpet is off-white, and now we have a light-brown spot about 1ft x 2ft at the base of a staircase. The whole house is carpeted with the same material and we'd really like to avoid replacing all of it.

What options are out there in terms of minimizing the stain?


texts: Lightswitch: does the arrow over tilde represent "common" and how should it be wired

texts:
This question relates to wiring a dimmer switch.

What does the symbol next to L2 represent? I assume from looking at other switches that this is the "common" connection.

Should i wire the switch as follows:


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This afternoon, our Ruud furnace suddenly stopped working. After poking around a bit, I realized that the 3A fuse on the control board had blown. I ran to the hardware store and replaced it, but no luck... still not working.

I looked around a bit online and found a lot of references to the thermostat wiring as a possible culprit, and a few minutes with the multimeter later thought I'd found a couple wires that might've been shorting together. Luckily enough, the installer has used a cable with a few extra, unused wires, so I tried connecting the thermostat with those instead. NOPE.

At this point, I've followed some other advice I found and disconnected ALL the wires from the thermostat and condenser from the furnace control board, but the 3A fuse STILL blows the moment I press the blower door switch. I'm pretty much at a loss now... Any ideas?

I'm not certain of the specific model, but it's a Ruud furnace/AC... this is the manual I have for it (ours is an upflow model).

http://site.mypointnow.com/documents/65-110102.pdf


texts: Who do you call when there is actually carbon monoxide in your home?

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The CO detector goes off. Probably bad batteries, but let's get everyone outside just to be safe. Then you put brand new batteries in, and it still goes off. You have a carbon monoxide leak.

Again, you make sure everyone is out of the house, pets too (if you have the time).

Now, who do you call, and how do they normally proceed? 911 seems obvious, but in this scenario, no one was injured and so 911 might be overkill. Local fire department seems like a next-best alternative, but I live in a small town and I'm not sure if they would know what to do next.

Obviously, you need to find the source of the leak, and then call in the right contractor (furnace/heating system technician, etc.). But you can't call the right contractor until you know the cause of the leak. And if you can't even go inside your home, then how do you find the source of the leak?!?

So, who ya gonna call?


texts: Can I install skylight in living room to bring sunshine in the basement?

texts: Is there away to install sun tube/ skylight. In living room to shin down the basement?


texts: Old Wiring to New Light Fixture With Switch

texts: I bought a new light fixture to replace an old outdated light-bar the bathroom of my apartment. The building was constructed in 1926 so everything is super old. When I took the old fixture down, I noticed it didn't have a ground wire. Just black wires and one white wire. The white wire was grouped together with other black wires and there was one single copper black wire on its own. The two clumps of wires were connected to the old fixture but I can't remember where the single black wire was... I have a photo but I'm not sure how to attach it.


texts: Best way to open cuts in thin steel without hitting the borders

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I need to cut thin metal plates/shells:

< 1mm
and 1mm ~ 3mm

These shells are originally curved in a dome-like surface. Basically they're bowls.

I must start from the middle of the plate and make something like a drawing, as if the cut were a pencil. Basically, it's drawing on the plate with a thin cut, removing the least material possible (1 or 2mm wide cut is good).

And I need it to be clean: no sharp edges at the end, so people can handle it with their bare hands without worrying about anything at all.

Starting from the edge of the plate is not an option (this eliminates tools such as nibblers and hacksaws for instance).

And I cannot deform the plates.

I've seen this answer. There, the multipurpose tools seem to be an option.

The rotary tool I tried (a Dremel 3000 with disc 406) wears off so quickly I'll need tons of discs to get the job done. Are there proper discs for this that are truly meant for cutting steel?

So, what are the best cutting tools for that work?? Will thickness from 1 to 3mm change the tools needed? Are there torches that won't melt everything down?

What about the sanding tools for such thin line openings?

Thanks a lot :)


texts: Potbelly stove standing on hardwood floor directly

texts: I am about to acquire a potbelly stove and was wondering if I should make a tiled platform for it to stand on or is it OK to have it stand on hardwood floor directly.  The legs provide quite a bit of clearance from the floor, seems like.  Will it be bad for the hardwood to have the stove standing on it or should I make a tiled area?


texts: How is a waste drain vent pipe vertical clearance measured?

texts: In my jurisdiction, a waste drain vent pipe must terminate 6" above the roof (or another vertical surface if it's not sloped). Is this typically measured on the ridge side or the eave side? For a 4" vent (like mine), it would mean a difference of about 2.5" on my 7/12 roof.


texts: I have about 16 school chalkboards 4 ft. by 8 ft. made of sheet metal laminated to 1/2" K3 board with a green paint for chalk. Want to use them to line my new workshop on the inside. Looking for a method to cut the chalkboards to length and width cheaply as possible. Would like to made one cut metal and K3 AT THE SAME TIME. thank you.


texts: Just bought a 2nd hand welder. Boc smootharc 185 tig. After stick welding for a while (haven't got argon to tig yet) I go to shut off the unit and the display flashes a few times before it dies off. Is this a normal thing or is something on its way out?


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One breaker started making a noise every time after i put it on, sometimes its immediately after switching it to on and sometimes it starts after a few seconds, and after a while the noise gets lower but consists til switched off.
Is the breaker broken? Do I have to change it?


texts: I have a GFCI outlet that has green light when the bathroom light is on and a red light when the bathroom light is turned off. The GFCI works perfectly and does not trip when the light is on. When the bathroom light is off no power flows and the red LED comes on.


texts: Do I need to sand my entire deck before staining?

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I recently cleaned my deck using Behr deck cleaner and want to re-stain it before the winter.  Do you recommend sanding the entire deck, or just the affected areas where the stain has come off?

I was thinking of renting a belt sander for the day just to get the rough spots and re-stain with the same stain.  There's a tub of it left over from the previous owner.


texts: Cedar fence posts - advantages over pressure treated?

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Looking to have a 6' privacy fence built around my yard in central Ohio.  Yard drains reasonably well but can get pretty mushy in spots, especially when we get a bunch of rain and the ground is still frozen (like right now.)

I have had a few contractors out to quote me a privacy fence.  Most of them won't use cedar posts because they say they rot quickly, and pressure treated is better.  One contractor is using 5" x 5" center cut cedar posts, as he only works in cedar.  I like the look of the cedar posts, but the price is significantly higher than using PT posts and cedar planks.  I'd hate to spend the extra and then have the posts rot out at / under ground level.

I'm not sure how the cedar posts would be set (concrete, gravel, or a collar) but I'll ask.

Does anyone have any knowledge (or strong opinions) either way on life expectancy of cedar vs PT?

Thanks in advance!  If anyone has been through this and has any "Make sure you ask about..." advice please let me know!


texts: How can I convert a crawlspace to a basement?

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I have walk in crawl space. The celing hight is any where from 5ft to 9 ft. It is all dirt and NO concrete. The plumbing and HVAC lines running all over the places. All and all I have about 700 to 900 soft which can be converted to basement. I have a closet on the first floor which could be the access to the basement.
I need some direction where should I start. I will not be doing all the work by my self. I live in Charlotte NC area.


texts: Dimmer switches & LED lights: Lights keep turning up to max and won't stay dim

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I'm a tenant in an apartment and we're having strange lighting issues. We have a dimmable light switch panel in our lounge with 2 controls, controlling 4 LED spotlights each.

The dimmers make a buzzing sound when you turn it and hit either the minimum or maximum bounds, which is normal. If we turn it on and set it to the dimmest setting, after a while (could be a couple of minutes, could be 15 minutes), the lights automatically start getting brighter and brighter, and the light switch starts buzzing every 10/20 seconds. I assume the buzzing is because it's hit it's max range and something is trying to keep increasing it.

If we then turn it down again to the dimmest setting, it will eventually (could be a few minutes, could be 30 mins later) do the same thing. So we're basically unable to have our lights on dim!

We've had the light dimmer switch completely replaced the other day but it's just started happening again.

The electrician seems stumped. Any ideas?


texts: New garage; the garage door lights go on every time you cross the beam, the outlets that power up the garage door lights are GFCI protected. Can I use the test button as a disconnect during the daytime hours on a daily basis?


texts:
what are the features to look for when buying a refrigerator?
Such as what capacity is of the compressor? how do I use this information to measure against my usage?
Are copper tubing better? What is the next best thing if copper tubing is not available?
How many units of electricity does it use in a 24 hr period?
what is the best efficiency in refrigerated as far as electricity is concerned?

What are the other things I should consider in choosing a refrigerator for domestic use for a family of five?
Thank you.


texts: Is a 4" double wye on a toilet drain legit?

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I'm moving a basement bathtub drain and would like to tap into existing lines to accommodate a 2" upstairs laundry drain and prepare for another potential drain to accommodate an outside entrance scheduled for install once the frost is gone.

Wondering if the proposed double wye placement in picture is legit.

Thank you.


texts: Sticky black liquid coming from Furnace / AC Unit

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I have this sticky black liquid slowly leaking from my gas furnace / ac unit. I called an HVAC repairman and he wasn’t sure what it was. He said he thinks it’s an old drip pan made of tar (not sure that makes sense.) He said he cleaned it up a bit and to call if it started leaking again.

It’s one week later and it’s started again. I’m not sure what it is or if it’s a fire risk. He said the AC unit sits above the furnace and that it’s coming from the AC. It’s winter here so the AC unit is never running, just the furnace below it.  I included a picture, does anyone have any idea what this is and what’s causing it?


texts: What's the proper way to attach an exterior door threshold?

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I'm adding a hardwood threshold to bridge the gap between interior hardwood flooring and an exterior threshold leading out to our flat roof deck. My question(s):

I've got the piece fitted and plan on using galvanized screws to
attach, is that the correct way?
Do I need to use some sort of glue or sealant underneath?
Should I caulk the edges once I have it attached?
Finally, there is tiny gap on the interior side due to the
irregularity of the hardwood floor, is it fine to keep as is?

After attaching the threshold, I plan on staining and sealing it, just want to make sure I'm actually doing the attaching correctly. Thanks!


texts: How should I connect a new outlet cable to a box with two existing cables?

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I have a outlet that supplies a garage door opener. It has two black wires and two white wires. One black is hot. I want to use this outlet as a power source to install outdoor spotlight. I ran new wire to outlet but not sure how to connect wires.

Also when I unplug opener and plug it into another working outlet opener would not come on. It only will work on outlet I want to use as a power source.


texts: Can I install a dishwasher in the former oven location?

texts: Would I be able to replace my oven with a dishwasher in the same space without anything going wrong. The space is not to far from the sink.


texts: I have a small ditch that I dug to route some water. It turns out that it does not work, so I was wanting to fill it back in. The ditch is about a foot deep in some places. Can I compact new topsoil with a large block of wood and a sledge hammer?


texts: Do I have to run new wire when replacing my electric oven?

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I bought a new single electric wall oven to replace an old one in an old house. It says it requires 20 amp and 240 volts. The old one was running on a 10 amp breaker. The wire from the breaker to oven is 10/3. Can I swap out a 20 amp breaker, and will I need to run new wire?

The old oven is so old I can't find any info on it to see if the wiring was even adequate for that. Previous owner was very "handy", so I'm not sure what has been done properly or not.


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My intention is to build a hollow concrete cylinder for a fire pit like this:

There are a few people who have done this by using steel sheets bent in to shape with supports between, but I would prefer to use just pure concrete.

The only trace I can find of this having been done is that picture from Pinterest, but there's no link to the build, so I'm reaching out to you guys. My idea is:

2 Concrete column formers (I think they're called sonotube in the US), 1 approx 600mm diameter x 500mm length and 1 approx 400mm x 500mm length
Place smaller one in bigger one
Pour concrete
Peel off the column formers
Cook food, drink beer, hi five.

A few questions that the UK suppliers can't answer:

Is 200mm thickness enough to support its own weight and contain a fire?
Can I actually use column formers in reverse (i.e. the inside one)? I'm not as concerned about the finish on the inside, but do want a perfectly round shape
Is there a simpler way to achieve this shape?


texts: How does the hone angle of a glass cutter affect glass being cut?

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I need a glass cutter that can cut up to 1/2" inch plate glass. I heard the cutter's hone angle is very important, but I'm not sure what does that mean. Does 120 degrees better than 140 or the other way around.

I search through Amazon and eBay for this cutter but couldn't find any reputable ones. Can anyone recommend one from real word experience? I won't be doing a lot of projects with it but I definitely want to get a good one and use it for long long time.

My first use for this cutter will be to cut off 3 inches on a 70" x 42" x 1/2" table top along the short side.


texts: Would I need to refinish floors after removing walls and patching the flooring?

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I am planning on making a bid for a property but it needs renovations done. Two of those are the floors and taking down some walls to open up the house more.
Ideally we would be able to do both at the same time but due to costs we may only be able to do the flooring first and then take down the walls a year or two later. If we were to install timber floors first and then take the walls down later, would that require a redo of the floors? I am assuming yes and the advice is probably to wait to do them together but would like to hear from the experts as I am quite clueless on this.


texts: How can I stop suds from backing up in the drain line?

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I have a 10 year old house with (probably) 2" vertical waste line inside the wall (plastic at top).  Lately we've noticed suds foaming out of the drain at the end of the rinse/spin cycle.  It does NOT leak when the machine is pumped out, only at the end of the cycle.  We have a 10 year old Amana top-loading washer, and are using the recommended amount of Purex liquid detergent.  The washer has a corrugated flexible drain hose, with 1 1/8" diameter end that fits 5" into the waste pipe.

I tried to snake the waste line but the snake will not make the bend at the bottom of the wall (about 3-3.5').  I also tried a clean-out that is about 1' from the drain line (the snake went in a good 15' and came out clean).  I suppose the cleanout is in the vent line, upstream of the drain line.

It seems the drain takes the water (both wash & rinse) but then fills up with suds at the end of the spin cycle.  Other than reducing the amount of detergent, is there anything we can do?


texts: How to deal with Densheild to drywall transition disparity

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I'm in the process of tiling now (porcelain tile).
I noticed that the seam between the Densheild and the drywall is  slightly not even.
Do I need to use the all purpose compound (used for dry wall) to try making them even.
Or shall I use the thinset mortar that I will use for tiling?
Or shall I leave it like this?
These seams will be covered by the tile at the end.
I'm going to use this thinset
(Custom Building Products  Natural Stone and Large Tile 50 lbs. White Premium Mortar)


texts:
My roof seems to be growing moss and I'd like to remove it.  I did some research and it looks like the solution is to mix water and bleach, spray the mix on the moss and then scrub the moss off about 30 min later.  My concern about this is wont the bleach run off the roof and kill my grass?  Or worse get into my septic tank or well water?

Is the bleach mix safe or is there another method?


texts: I have a motion sensor in the ceiling to turn the lights on, it turns them on ok but won't turn them off until you turn the power off. Only just started


texts: I currently have a 4 wire system and want to add a WIFI Stat which as we know needs a C wire. The current wire was an 8 strand cable so I already have the wire to hook up. I think I know where, but hoping someone is more knowledgeable on it. In the photo, where the blue and red wire are hooked, I think is the C terminal I need. Thanks in advance for your help.


texts: What are the steps to raising an interior wall header?

texts:
First of all, thanks to Dale Cox. I copied and modified his diagrams on https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/.

1st diagram shows partial section of wall between my kitchen and dining room.
There is a serving window where yellow section is.

My goal is to create pass through opening where serving window is. Opening will be of same width as serving window. I don't want to install door, I just want to create pass through. 2nd diagram shows my goal.

I have already removed bottom cripples (red color) and Sill plate (green color).

Next thing I need to do is raise the height of header.
To do that,  I will have to cut top cripples halfway (depends on measurements) and replace existing jack studs with longer jack studs to
support header.

Distance between left side king stud and right side king stud is around 3 feet 6 inches. I am in 2nd storey condominium, I asked few contractors about whether it is load bearing wall or not. They said that it is partially load bearing, I should be good as long as I only create door opening of same width as serving window and not remove any king studs.

Here are my questions. It may sound stupid questions but I am new to this and need some expert advice.

What is the first thing I should be cutting/removing to release header ? Cripple studs or existing jack studs ?
What tool should i use to make sure all 4 cripple studs are cut in level and straight so that it can be flush against top of header when i install it.
After I cut cripple studs and remove existing jack studs, What should I do first ?
Nail header to cripple studs first and then  install longer jack studs below header ?
 (If I do this, How can I measure length required for new jack studs so that it is not too long
 that it can't fit and not too short that it cannot support weight of header.)
 OR
 First put new jack studs in place, then rest header on top and then nail headers with cripple studs.
When should i cut my soleplate ? Should it be flush with new jack studs ? I guess yes.
I know that actual width of 2x4 is 3 1/2" but my existing jack studs width is 3 3/8" (1/8" shorter). Where can I get that size ?
Building is around 25 years old.


texts: Can I use a 1/8 thimble with 1/16 wire rope?

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I'm hanging some items from a ceiling.

The hardware stores around me all have plenty of 1/8 wire rope and 1/8 fittings, but when it comes to 1/16 size, aside from the wire rope itself, the only 1/16 fittings they have are the sleeves (aka ferrules).

I just need to make some loop ends using thimbles, which will attach to generic carabiners and/or screw hooks.

Just want to confirm whether using 1/6 wire rope in a 1/8 thimble is okay. I think if the wire fits within the thimble, then it does the job.


texts: What does the word "Post" mean written on this electrical box cover?

texts:
I want to add an electrical outlet to my basement. There is already an electrical box attached to one of the floor/ceiling joists with a wire going in. No wire coming out.

Inside is one set of wires (1 white, 1 black, 1 ground/bare). I have not tested to see if this is live yet. It has the word "post" written on the cover. What does this mean, and is it safe to add an electrical outlet to this box?


texts: Why doesn't my Makita cordless circular saw start?

texts: I just bought a brand new never used Makita cordless circular saw. I have attached the blade put on a brand new fully charged battery. It doesn't start. Any help would be appreciated.


texts:
About 6 months ago a contractor poured a concrete slab to serve as a porch. The slab rests directly on the ground and measures 25' by 4' and is 4" thick.

The slab has remesh under it, no gravel, but the area was poorly prepared as evidenced by the edges of the pad where dirt was piled up and it sounds hollow under one corner when you stomp on it. Additionally, the contractor didn't saw any expansion joints.

A 4' hairline crack has appeared that bisects the pad roughly in the middle.
Additionally this crack is right in the area of the entrance to the business.

I'm concerned that the crack will continue to grow as it freezes and thaws and that the pad will continue to degrade.

Should I be concerned about this crack?


texts: How to I “set out” the holes for hinges?

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I am thinking of building some cupboards with inset doors and solid sides (e.g not a face frame).

Are there any “trick” to how I measure the location of the holes for the hinge screws and bore?

I am assuming I will use this type of hinge, but by choose anther type if it is easyer.


texts: Best way to test light switch and socket?

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I want to test the switch and light socket for an outside light which stopped working. The switch and light socket (bayonet style) are similar to the ones in the photos below.
What's the best way to test them? I assume I would need to test the switch for continuity and then measure voltage across the light socket?
I have a non-contact voltage tester so would it be better (and safer) to use that instead for the light socket?
I also have a question regarding the voltage tester which has high and low sensitivity settings: before turning off power at the switchboard, with the voltage tester set to high, I get a voltage warning as expected. After turning off the power, the voltage tester is not activated but if I actually touch the tip of the voltage tester to one of the switch terminals I get a warning. The same thing happens when the voltage tester is set to low sensitivity mode and I make contact with one of the terminals.


texts: How can I stop a desk from vibrating when I type?

texts:
Yesterday I finished building a corner desk for my home office. I have no previous experience with woodworking, but I thought it would be a fun project. The end result is actually pretty good, the desk looks nice and is very close to what I was expecting. Here are a couple pics for reference:

The wood is 15mm MDP, and the base is made of five 25mm x 25mm steel bars. It is pretty solid, with no noticeable movement when I try to shake the desk.

The problem is that when I type, there's a slight vibration that transfers to the bigger LCD screen, making the screen shake a bit. It's not a huge deal, but it is bothering me. My previous desk did not have this problem - it was made entirely of wood and feels more solid than the one I built.

Is there a way I can stop this vibration? Maybe changing something on my design to make the desk more solid... I'm open to suggestions.


texts: Delta faucet cannot turn off water after shower

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I have a new installed Delta one handle faucet in my bath.

It worked well. But after just about 2 weeks, it cannot turn off water after shower.

I opened it and it seems spring and seat item are in good situation. I put it back and it worked well.

Unfortunately, it could not turn off again after a related long shower even the handle is turned to close position.

I tested it several time. If I run hot water for a shot time, it can turn off correctly. If I run hot water for a long time, it cannot turn off. I guess somehow the seat item/spring for hot water does not work well.

Should I replace the spring and seat item (it just 2 weeks)? Or, is there a possible install mistake I have made?

Thanks


texts:
I'd like to put upright brackets above my sewing table, but I can't seem to locate the studs. The wall is shared with my neighbor in an apartment building. My stud finder was giving me some inconclusive/uneven reads, so I used rare earth magnets to try to locate the studs. The dots indicate where there are nail/screw heads. They are anywhere from 8-12 inches apart horizontally and about 24" apart vertically.

Does this mean there are no studs? Can I drill into what appears to be horizontal studs?


texts: How should I go about covering an entire room in black material?

texts:
I have a birthday party coming up where I need to cover an entire room in black material of some kind (theme is "1970s in Space" and we're sticking glow in the dark stars on this material). The walls are quite short, maybe 8 - 10 feet

What is the best/cheapest material to do this, and how would I go about sticking it up? (I was thinking of Blu-Tack.)


texts:
Why did our fridge stop working?  It built up with ice (not the freezer, but the fridge) then started beeping, then just conked out.  We defrosted it - took 24 hours to do, even though it's a self-defrosting model, and then it started to work again…but why?  What's wrong with it?

PS…yes, we DID turn the temperature down to a mid-range.


texts: Old electrical panel, what torques do I use?

texts:
Ok, so NEC 2017 makes it mandatory to torque all termination screws to spec.

But my panel is so old the original electrician's labels are in Latin.

It doesn't explicitly state torque values anywhere.  What values should I use?


texts: How do I determine what max 3 way bulb will be safe in my lamp?

texts: I bought a lamp that has a metal shade. The sticker says max 60 watt but it clicks 3 times like a 3-way with the light coming on on the second click. How do I determine what max 3 way bulb will be safe?


texts: Broken push to close latch, drawer closed

texts:
How can I open a push to open latch drawer stuck closed by a faulty latch?
Can anybody please provide me with some tips/tricks and advice as to how I may go about opening the drawer? It is full, I have no access to the mechanism from back, below or either side, drawer fully encased by cabinetry. The rails are on the side of the drawer, not able to push it anywhere to open. I have not been able to find any solutions online. Very frustrating!!
Thank you all.


texts: Bathroom faucet set screw not Allen or Phillips

texts:
This is a 2-handle bathroom faucet.  I need to remove the handles and replace the cartridges because the faucet is leaky.  My homeowners manuel says it is a Moen faucet.
When I remove the cap, I see a set screw, but it is not Allen or Philips (or standard).  So I have no way of removing the handle.  By the way, I did try simply pulling the handle off, but it did not come off after applying quite a bit of force.

Many thanks in advance.


texts: How to find areas where heat/coolness are lost?

texts:
I live in a 2-story rental townhome (basically an apartment with 2 stories). Our central air/heat system isn't really the best at keeping the upstairs and downstairs the same temperature whether in winter or summer.

I think this is partially because the thermostat is downstairs but also due to a not well insulated upstairs.

Winter is not as big of problem because space heaters are cheap to buy and operate. Summer is harder because portable AC units are more complicated in rental units.

We have tried closing vents downstairs but generally speaking this has not worked well.

Now that it is becoming warmer again I am hoping to find ways to determine where our unit loses its coolness upstairs to target them more directly, but am not sure how to best do this.


texts: How to clean these white stains from my grout?

texts:
I've tried a lot of products, non seems to work, these are the pictures of what I see:

http://imgur.com/a/AUZNx

The normal color is grey, however some white stains appeared in some of them, they seem to be very hard, like mineral deposits of sorts.

Any ideas what product I could use to remove them?.

Thanks.


texts: What is the best way to drain under an outdoor faucet in heavy clay soil? Faucet use and rain cause a puddle to form. I could grade the soil away from the house, but I think that would only be temporary.


texts: Is there a way to change the location of HVAC air filter?

texts: We bought the house recently. Heating system was recently installed by the previous home owner. I cannot believe they did not think of this but the place for filter is inside the furnace. The problem is that there is a pvc pipe in the way. PVC is for condensation. I have to bend the filter from under the pvc pipe and then try and slide it. Also it does not slide easy at all. there are still some open areas which I can above the filter. Sometimes filter tears. It is such a pain every 3 months!! I did find that outside the furnace there is a flex duct its some sort of heavy fabric which is tapped to the duct system. I assume they use this in case duct system doesn't line up. Is there anyway I could have a filter location installed there? Or cut the duct system and install it somewhere in between?


texts: Roof eave missing knee brace - how to mitigate problems as snow season approaches?

texts:
Photos at the end of the post.

On an old house (new to me and my partner) there are ~2' eaves extending all around the house, supported by knee braces made of 6"x6" beams and a few 2"x4"s. Inspecting the house, it was noted that on one edge of the house a knee brace had fallen off (appears to be a while ago and painted over, and the fallen knee brace is stored in the house). An inspector saw that the roof was in good condition, but because of the missing knee brace, one part of the eave along the flat edge of the roof was a little higher (as if the roof was swollen), explained as a result of the adjacent eave sinking slightly where the knee brace was missing. They explained reinstalling a knee brace where one was, and potentially adding more braces, should stabilize the eave in that area.

For a variety of reasons behind us now this hasn't been fixed yet, and snow season is upon us in northeast USA. Is there a DIY solution or at least patch for this, to avoid further eave sinking and potential roof damage this season? Or going with a pro, what price range should we expect? Getting a few estimates is always a good call but we're not sure how many carpenters we'll get out here to check it out, to get a proper fix before heavy snow falls. It seems difficult to reinstall the old knee brace, because a) the spot to install it is 2 stories high; b) the knee brace is heavy enough where it requires two hands just to place it carefully; and c) it isn't (yet) known exactly where and how far behind the siding there's a beam to bolt the knee brace on to, though other knee braces around the house give clues.

Photos:

West facing wall, highlighting eave with braces and where one fell off on the norhtwestern wall edge.

Fallen brace. Paint isn't in good shape but the wood there is solid. The piece of wood separate from the knee brace was stored in the same place, painted same color, and has a tare (inch of wood mising) along the grain in the back.

North side of roof, looking toward the northwest corner with missing eave. Note the swollen appearance under the satellite dish.

Another view of north-northwest side of roof.

Zoom in of north-northwest roof.

North side of roof looking northeast, to show more of roof line which should be (and is mostly) flat. Where there is a slight swelling to the east, there had been water damage in the past, but it was inspected and is dry on the inside and reinforced with sistered joists in that area). Rest of the house seems nice and dry too.

Northwest edge from the ground.

West facing wall, highlighting existing and missing braces.

Hard to notice any of the differences in the eave's height from the ground. As you can see from above there is some up-and-down a few inches around that area of the roof where the brace is missing.


texts: we are renovating a 1905 Victorian. I stripped and stained the downstairs woodwork/trim (oak) and headed up stairs to work on the trim/woodwork (baseboards, window/door trim/doors) only to find that it is pine (was told possibly southern yellow pine). Well my husband hoped for a medium/dark brown stain but it looks uneven/not uniform in color. I have tried wiping stain, wiping stain with wood conditioner first, and gel stain) I don’t like it. The woodwork had shellac on it (I stripped the baseboards and three windows already). I am thinking maybe I should have just cleaned up the shellac and made it nice again. What are my options to remedy this? Can I shellac what I have stripped and clean up/add shellac to the remaining trim/doors?


texts: How can I relocate hookups for washer and electric dryer?

texts:
EDIT: added info and added alternate locations.

Our washer and dryer hookups are located out of reach, 40" behind the appliances. They are mounted on what, in the 1940's, was the exterior side of an exterior wall of a one story house.  What is now the den and laundry room became a carport eventually, then a garage, then a den and laundry room with an attached garage continuing the expansion. At some point, a dormer was built, and the stairs added. I've been here 4 years.

I will be moving them, probably to the left side wall, but possibly under the stairs (adding an 8 or 10" sofit of sorts) or to the wall behind the dryer.   One 110V, one 220V, hot/cold water lines, and drain.  Looking for tips and possible trip-ups.

The washer and dryer and water heater will remain as in the photos.

Here are a couple more pics of what I'm dealing with. The first shows the existing hook ups underneath the stairs.  The second pic shows the (interior) left wall. On the other side of it is our den.


texts: How do I clean backsplash tiles to reuse them?

texts: I'm repairing a damaged bathroom due to a flood and I want to reuse the backsplash tile. I have the grout removed from the tile, but how do I get the old mastic off or is that necessary?


texts: Hit wire on concrete wall while drilling a hole - problem?

texts:
Hit a wire while drilling a hole on a concrete wall. Didn't feel like hitting anything, except there was a short, spark, and tripped the breaker.

With the breaker back on, haven't noticed any problems. If the wires stay apart, can any issues arise from this? Other than the breaker tripping again, in case the wires touch, what else can happen?


texts: What is the best way to solve my unusual lighting and wiring challenge?

texts:
I moved into a home where the wiring is fairly modern (from the 1980s) but some unusual choices were made in the wiring. At some point, someone put in a lot of single pole switches that didn't work right because the boxes were wired for 3-way lighting.

In the bedroom, I noticed pigtailed hot wires and neutral wires in a 2-gang box. Both switches were wired for 3 way lighting. Thinking the pigtail was a mistake, I decoupled the sets and attempted to wire two switches in separately.  Once I did this, I noticed there was no longer power to the entire bedroom. So I repigtailed everything and closed up the circuit and switch. I confirmed that the 2nd hot was not hot so it needed to be pigtailed to the first one.  That pigtail also provided power to the entire bedroom.

Separately, there is a single gang switch that powers light to the room but is less conveniently located.

Should I try to fix the strange wiring situation? Is it dangerous? How hard is it to run an extra wire to set up the overhead lighting in a 3-way? Is it better to do a wireless solution?


texts: My dining room light will not turn on or off by the wall switch

texts: I replaced an old chandelier (worked fine before removed) with a new chandelier.  Also, I replaced the toggle wall switch with a Luton 1000 Watt Dimmer Switch because my light has 18 rods extended from the ball of the light that requires 18 40 watt bulbs. In the ceiling I have 2 neutral white wires, 2 black hot wires and 2 grounds.  The light switch has 1 neutral/1 black/1 ground wire. The lights will not turn on or off by the switch. My home was built in 1957 but has some updated wiring. I've tried capping off white/white, black/black and the ground but with no success. Please help!


texts:
I have 100 Amp service. I can't determine the wire size but it appears to be 6/3 feeder's.
My furnace is 14000 watts 240V at 60Amp.  I have a 980sq ft home with a electric dryer, a refrigerator 20 Amp, 2 20amp receptacles in the kitchen2bathrooms, 1 20amp outside receptacle, a electric flat top oven and range,
a 30amp water heater, all the receptacles  and lights are 15amp,1 220v 30amp window a c.
The furnace has 2 60amp breakers  installed on it
and is controlled by a 40 amp 240 V breaker in my panel.
I noticed the breaker gets quite warm but does not blow when furnace is on in Ohio.
Are my wires good for this load
The feeders are short by 10 feet of making it into the panel box, it had a 50Amp temporary cord the rest of the way
The cord was 50amp with A 50amp receptacle in a metal box with no connectors and no conduit it burned up on one side of the cord  after a sewer back up last year it is burned up on one side and  very corroded.
What would be the best way to repair the feeder's and get them into my main panel box directly?
The feeder's run 30ft in conduit from the outside disconnect
come up 3 feet out of the ground in no conduit they are are 3 single insulated wires under the mobile home.
How would I connect 3 feeder wires to them  put it in a weatherproof box and run it 10feet into the main panel witch has a 100amp disconnect at the meter
and main panel.
No ground,  how should I add a ground rod and ground the system.
Are the grounds and neutrals supposed to be bonded and mixed and bonded to the service panel. I am trying to get the mobile home park owner to repair this as I rent the lot.
It was this way when I bought the home it started with a flood under my home last year
Finally the cord shorted out, the cord is 6/4 but the green wire goes no where and is not connected in the receptacle box.
The home is a 1978 single wide.I don't know when it was installed on this lot, I have been here 8 Years
What would be the best way to proceed
Am I right that the park owner should do the repairs
as the whole park sewer backed up under my home  where do I as the
Owner become responsible for electric hook up that was damaged
Thank you for any advice


texts: When I bought my house, the cover and door on the breaker box was missing. I've searched everywhere, what can I do?


texts: Does wire run in conduit in a crawl space need to be rated for moisture?

texts:
Quick question for all the electricians out there. I'm in the states and looking to make a couple new electrical runs for the outside of my house.

The runs will be done inside my crawl space inside schedule 80 pvc. Once I reach the exit point I will drill a hole through the block wall and hook it to an electrical box on the outside of the house.

Here is my question.

Does the wire need to be rated for moisture seeing as how it's
    under the house, or will the fact that its in the pvc negate that
    requirement?


texts: Off-Grid Garden Irrigation Pump/Plumbing Question

texts:
I am trying to design a system for irrigation of a garden area that has no access to grid electricity, but does have a 24V solar system.  There is a spring/seep with a tank at relative elevation 0.  There is a tank at the top of the garden at +70' elevation (500+ linear feet away from lower tank).  The 24V solar system is at the bottom end of the garden, so in order to minimize the length/cost of cabling runs (and trenching) I was thinking of having a 24V DC water pump near there which is about 3/4 of the way between the lower spring/seep tank and the upper tank (+45' elevation from the lower tank, 350 linear feet).  I am trying to assess the feasibility of having the tanks/plumbing/pumping configured such that I can use it in a number of different ways:

1) The simplest scenario is that I want to be able to run a gas or potentially 120VAC pump at the lower tank in order to pump all the way up to the upper tank (see bold black lines below):

2) The next priority is to be able to use gravity-feed irrigation from the top tank down to one or more yard hydrants:

3) At any yard hydrants near the top end of the garden (where the elevation differential is lowest) the pressure is going to be pretty horrible, so at best I'd just be opening a valve and letting water slowly run out.  Farther down in the garden I might get 15-20 PSI, but probably not enough to be spraying using any sort of nozzle/sprinkler.  So I'd like to have the option of using a 24V DC water pump in order to boost the pressure:

4) And then my final thought is that I could potentially even use the 24V DC water pump to handle pumping water all the way up from the lower tank to the upper tank.  I don't want to get so large of a pump that it drains my batteries excessively, and I know that there are limits in terms of how far down an un-primed pump can pull from.  So I'm thinking I might use a pump at the bottom to get things primed, and then maybe from there the 24V DC pump can take over.

Does all of this seem feasible?  Any of this?  :)

Once I've used the lower pump to fill all of the pipes up with water, and assuming I put some check valves in the right places (not pictured in diagrams) then in theory that water should "stay" in those pipes.  Does that then obviate the need to re-"prime" things every time the DC pump goes to run?  It would be really great if I could wire the 24V DC water pump to a float valve in the top tank (170' away) and have it kick-in to keep the top tank topped-off.  But I'm still not sure whether my 360w/24V/135Ah solar system would be able to support a beefy enough pump to get water up 70+ vertical feet and 500+ linear feet.  I've looked at a few that seem like they can do that with only a couple amps draw, but I'm looking for some confirmation on the overall feasibility of this.

Thanks!

Update:

After my original post I noticed that I had an extra/unnecessary valve/path between the 24V DC pump and the lawn hydrant, so I removed that one.  I also moved things around a bit to reflect how all of the piping/valves might be laid-out within a below-grade valve box.  I added in check valves in two places that would have unions on either side so that they could be reversed for winterization.  Let me know if you have any comments/suggestions related to this updated diagram:


texts:
I want to mount my 120cm long blinds into the face of the wall above my 110(ish) cm PVC window recess, but I don't feel like standard plugs would be sufficient. There are three brackets, each held with two screws, left and right and another centre. My idea was to glue a piece of timber about 18mm thick (due to availability at the local B&Q) to the wall and wood screw the brackets into that, with 18-20mm wood screws.

First of all, am I right in assuming regular plugs wouldn't hold the weight? And is my proposed solution sensible? I'm not particularly confident drilling into the mantel, but if this would be the best solution, can you provide a good tutorial on what to do?


texts: Re-wiring a router into the main control panel

texts: This is my first time asking so please excuse me for not being in the right place. Our home Internet was just upgraded to higher speed and so we got a new router that handles 5G and 2.4G.  I want to take our old router and wire it directly into my control panel to use the 2.4G system on an older laptop I use for online D&D.  I have no clue on where to wire it in to piggyback it and start to use it in a room in the basement with poor signal quality.  We have phone lines running throughout the house but only one room with an ethernet port. Any ideas?  Thanks all!


texts: Drought-Resistant Lawn/Turf Recommendation For Area Above Septic

texts:
We recently had a new septic system installed in the front yard.  The installation went fine but the front-yard is quite bare now (almost all dirt).  I want to have a nice lawn in front but am paranoid of having to water it too much and creating a problem later (as mentioned in this prior post).

I'd like to know if there is a specific type of grass that would be ideal for this type of scenario; something that wouldn't require much water. Any suggestions?

Our house is located in Aptos, CA. Here's a brief weather summary:

Weather is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and cool during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 40's/50's.

The warmest month of the year is September with an average maximum temperature of 75.60 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is December with an average minimum temperature of 39.60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 22 degrees Fahrenheit, and moderate during winter with an average difference of 21 degrees Fahrenheit.

The annual average precipitation at Aptos is 30.67 Inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is January with an average rainfall of 6.49 Inches.


texts:
I just bought a new dual fuel stove.  My 1993 house only has the two hot wires and the ground behind the stove, no common.  Question:  because the common is only for the 110v functions of the stove, can I run a 12 or 14 gauge common wire?  This would be much easier as I can tap into the microwave outlet above the stove and fish romex down easily.   The house is mainly wired with 14 gauge.
Thank you!


texts: How do I plug my three prong dryer plug up when I have a four prong outlet?

texts:
I have a new outlet (in an older house) with 4 hole socket and an older (4 years old) dryer. The dryer currently has a three pin plug.

What are my options for connecting the dryer to the newer outlet?

I did see New dryer, old outlet and How do I connect a dryer with a four prong plug to a three prong socket?, and I guess my question is just the reversed.

Is there a type of adapter that would work for this?

EDIT: With the accepted answer, I think I figure it out. The before picture:

The after picture with the 4 prong cord:

Does that look right? (The colors of the wires in the cord match the colors of the wires inside the dryer.)


texts: Does this foundation wall crack justify immediate corrective action?

texts:
I just inspected the interior foundation walls in my 1920s house and found this horizontal crack behind a closet. At the widest part, the crack is about 1.5 cm. There is what seems to be an intentional bevel in the wall right above where the crack is (above that, the wall is masonry blocks, a little thinner than below, hence the bevel). Also, the lower part of the wall is out of plumb. The gas main runs vertically along it. At the bottom, there is 6 cm between the gas main. At the middle where the crack is, there is old parge coat that dried while contacting both the gas main and the wall, which makes it seem it has been this way for some time.

I am not sure if the crack has grown or shifted. I bought the house a couple of years ago. I marked and dated the ends of the crack and drew perpendicular lines across it so that I can check it for any changes in the future.

Is this serious enough to take some kind of action now, or should I just keep monitoring it?

Update 5/31/17
Here's a piece that easily chipped off, showing the layers in more detail.

I'm not sure if that chip is just part of the parge coat or if it contains part of the foundation itself. I started to remove the parge coat, but I wasn't sure if I should keep going.

Update 6/4/17

I chiseled away at the parge coat. I started in the wide horizontal crack and chiseled up to where the masonry blocks were (below that, the foundation wall is concrete). I revealed a section that exposed the masonry block.

I chiseled down again from there. I used a small pry bar and wedged one end of it down underneath the parge coat, with the tip flush with the masonry block. When I pried it out, it pulled off two large sections of parge coat that were bonded with what seemed to be the concrete. It pulled off some large stones and revealed some gaps in the concrete that went farther toward the outside of the house than the masonry block.

Here are some profile shots showing the depth of the gaps in the concrete that resulted.

.

Also, I carefully chiseled the parge coat behind the gas main, which had been bonding the gas main to the foundation wall, and I found that when I created a gap between the gas main and the foundation wall, the gas main sprung back toward the wall about .5 - 1 centimeter, indicating that the gas main had been pushed in a bit from the wall.


texts: Where to get the semi gloss black paper that is used to cover particle board furniture

texts:
So, I have a cheepo corner computer desk that has served me well over the years. To accommodate a gaming keypad, I widened the keyboard tray. I made the new tray out of particle board and it's shape isn't bad, unfortunately it's uncovered and could look better. If possible, I'd like to use the same type of paper they used for the desk, or something similar if I could find it. Problem is, I have no idea of where to find it, or even what the technical term for it is.

The stuff on the furniture doesn't even try to look like wood, it's just a semi glossy black material. It's very thin, and tends to peel of when wet.

If anyone knows what this is called, or where I could get some, i'd greatly appreciate it.


texts: whirlpool tub faucet mixer **spraying** in the ceiling of first floor

texts:
I have a Kohler whirlpool tub on second floor, not used for months, and when I switch on either the hot or cold faucet, it leaks all over in the ceiling of first floor room, but no water comes in the tub
It appears to me that the mixer valve is leaking as it leaks when either the hot or cold water is turned on
Which tiles (numbered) to break to best access it (picture attached). The access panel is pretty far I think..Would be much obliged for your advise!!  Cheers.


texts:
My mom's furnace has ductwork until right next to the furnace, where the return air instead goes into an obsolete electronic air cleaner that is basically as big as the furnace itself.

The issue is the furnace filter, which sits inside this big empty box. We're not looking to remove or rework everything. Since my dad recently passed away and I'm use to regular ducts and filters I don't know what to tell her with these. Do we buy new ones? Are these the kind that just get washed and reused?

Thanks!


texts: What is the life expectancy of a ratchet strap?

texts:
During my house move I used ratchet straps to secure a book-shelf on a roof of my car. That was well secured and worked out perfect. But the second time I have tried using the same straps, they did not want to release. After examination it turned out that the release mechanism got very tight and I could not rotate the drum backwards with hands. (I could on the new ones).

Also I spoke to my friend who works in Oil and Gas industry, offshore. He said that they discard the tie-downs after one use.

Surely I should not throw away ratchet strap tested for 800kg-load after securing with it a 20kg-book shelf for 10-minute journey on a car.

So the question is: should I just apply some WD-40 to the strap mechanism, try taking it apart and fix it. Or these things are really intended to be used once?


texts: How do I install fire blocking while finishing a basement?

texts: In Colorado, the building code asks for a fire block when finishing a basement. I know this goes against the out walls (foundation). I've seen 2x4 and OSB used: which is better? And how does the OSB get installed?


texts: This may be an obvious answer to some but I know next to nothing about molds / fungus etc. Is this mold, or black mold? I've been finding it throughout my house, usually by window sills, and am hoping to find out what it is, and how to treat it. Any info would be appreciated, thanks


texts: Our shower has been draining very, very slowly.  We have a hair catcher that seems to be working well (it catches a good amount of hair).  I tried running a snake (two different sizes) down the overflow but it doesn't catch anything before I can't go any further.  It appears we have a system like the first diagram in this answer, except there is no Trip Lever or stopper (I've tried removing it, but I haven't been able).  So I think that the snake is too big to fit through the spring.  I've tried using a plunger (with a wash cloth over the overflow) and various Drain-o like products.  But nothing seems to help.  Anything else I can try?  Or is it time for a plumber?


texts: How to add a drain pipe to a concrete block wall covered in insulation?

texts: I want to run a 1.5" drain pipe along the wall about 2 feet from the floor to a microbrewery setup in the corner of my basement.  I have sheets of fiberglass insulation against the walls though, and I don't want to remove them.  What kind of hanger/ mount can I use to run it along the wall, but about 4-6 inches off the wall?


texts: Are five conductor wire runs (two neutrals) for two circuits still considered a "multi-wire circuit" for code purposes?

texts:
Typically, a multi-wire circuit run has two hots on separate legs, a shared neutral and a shared ground. There are very specific rules (NEC 210.4) about these types of circuits to ensure that the neutral does not become overloaded (if the hots are accidentally place on the same phase) among other considerations.

Given that many locations now require arc-fault circuit breakers, which require dedicated neutrals anyway, running two circuits in one piece of Romex would take five conductors, and only the ground would be shared.

In this case, is the run still considered a multi-wire circuit for NEC purposes?

For example:

Do both hots have to be on separate legs since there are dedicated neutrals? Do they need to be on a two-pole breaker with a single pull so both hots are powered on at the same time?

If they are not considered multi-wire, are there any other specific rules that apply to these?

(NEC 2014 is relevant in my jurisdiction).


texts: How can I adjust my dimmers to work the way I want?

texts:
I have SmartLabs dimmers #2476d in my house and some will turn on all the way on a single tap while other turn half way and then when tap second time they go all the way.

Any idea how I can configure those that go all the way to turn on half way on first tap? Am I making sense?


texts: I'm trying to determine this type of common floor tile covering. Can anyone help me identify?


texts: Could joist bridging prevent movement and noise in my tile floor?

texts:
Brand new tiles installed by contractor 4 years ago in kitchen, bathroom and also in a new house extension on pillars.  Tiles started clicking in the extension during first winter.  Now the grout is clearly starting to deteriorate.  Obviously the extension will need to be redone completely.
Since then a few tiles started clicking in the bathroom and in the kitchen but also only winter.
Subfloor information :

The house extension on pillars is brand new so I hope everything is repecting modern standards... which is weird because the problem is worst there!
In the house I have 2x8 joists with plank flooring and plywood on top of it. Don't know plywood thickness.

Since the problem is happening on two different types of subflooring I think the tiler somewhat messed up with the glue!
Questions :

Why it clicks only in winter?  Humidity, temperature?  There is a
big difference between winter and summer temperature here.
If possible I would like to fix the kitchen and the bathroom before it
gets worse.  Since the tiles click only in winter I am wondering if
bridging the joist could help.  If so, should I do it in summer when
it is not clicking?


texts: Is a crack in my home's floor slab a concern?

texts: Hose outlet pipe burst because we failed to winterize. This is our first floor/ground floor.Tore out carpeting to dry. Found this big crack in our concrete slab. Question: is this an issue? And if so, what should I do?


texts: Neutrals and Grounds tied together in the panel?

texts:
I’ve only ever worked on my own panel. In my panel, there is a seperate ground bar on one side, and all the ground wires go there.

On the other side is a seperate neutral bar, and all neutral wires run to it.

And of course in the middle is the hot.

So that’s what I’m used to.

Well, I went over to my parents today to help my dad install an outlet. While there, I noticed that in his panel, their electrician  twisted each neutral and ground wire together and then plugged the twisted wire into the same bar?

Is this normal? Ground and neutral twisted together and then loaded onto one bar?


texts: Should I replace my main water valve with a SharkBite shut off valve?

texts:
Currently my main water shut off valve is soldered using a 3/4 globe valve. However the stem is leaky and I am thinking of replacing it.

Is it a good idea to cut it out and replace it using a SharkBite ball valve? Are SharkBite valves good to use for a main shut off valve replacement in a house or will the pressure deteriorate its O-ring much too quickly? I do not want to solder a joint on as I am a newbie.


texts: Is the transformer bad on my Central Air Conditioner?

texts:
Need some help diagnosing a problem. My very old central AC unit isn't working. It's just AC and about a year ago I connected a C-Wire to the air handler when swapping the thermostat for a wifi thermostat. I posted pictures in a question I asked at the time here Where do I attach C-Wire in this old Rheem Air Handler

Everything was going fine until a few months ago. The thermostat display cut out. I put an older thermostat that doesn't need a c-wire on and that didn't work either.

I had reason to believe that the wire might have been cut and was going to run a new wire once it's cool enough in the attic to work up there with a mask on but in the meantime I checked the voltages on the thermostat wires and now I'm not so sure it's cut.

These are the voltages I read:

RC to G 6.63 V
RC to C 9.8V
RC to Y 9.8V
Y to G 2.1V
Y to C negligible
C to G 2.8V

Anybody have any insight into where to go next?


texts: How should I apply silicone sealing to shower screen glass?

texts: What's the best and easiest way to apply good quality silicone, which I'm told are never the water-based types, to freestanding glass and ceramic tiles in showers? Can I remove it with a razor blade if I've already overspread it?


texts: How can I effectively replace sections of 7/8" plaster with drywall?

texts: We had to take down several large sections, about 6x4ft sections, in order to run updated electric. The problem is that the 3 layer plaster is 7/8in thick. What is my best solution to put up new even thickness drywall? Most of it will be hidden under our new kitchen cabinets.


texts: What is the relation between these two measures?

texts:
Imagine you enjoy automation, and have a friend who makes beer.

tl;dr: How would you mathematically correlate a scale of 7.2 to 2.5 (starts from 7.2 and goes down) to a scale of 1.060 to 1.000?
Bonus points for a relation that projects further, i.e. if the start is more than 7.2 it would reflect a respectively larger starting number on the other scale

While working your automation magic, you come across the following issue:

There is a hydrometer floating in water at a certain depth. At this depth, 2.5 cm of it is sticking out of the water. Put it in some dense wort ("almost-beer" juice, the stuff you ferment to make beer), and it will stick out 7.2 cm above water level.

As the beer ferments and the alcohol percentage increase, the hydrometer will slowly sink. You measure this sinking motion with a distance sensor.
How would you correlate this sink, i.e. increasing distance of the hydrometer from the sensor, to the scale of 1.060 down to 1.000 which the hydrometer describes?

Known parameters:

Minimum height of hydrometer in liquid (in water) = 2.5 cm above liquid level. The densor the liquid, the higher the hydrometer will sit in the liquid.

Distance between sensor and liquid: 18 cm. Meaning that in water, the hydrometer is 15.5 cm away from the sensor.

If there are any parameters you think would be useful, just ask for them in the comments


texts: How to insulate sloped top of concrete block foundation?

texts:
I am planning to insulate the inside of my basement.
I have a concrete block foundation.
I am planning on going XPS board route, applied directly to wall with foam/tape on all the seams to make it nice and tight.

One complication is at the top of the top block of the wall, it slopes outwards, up to the sill / bottom plate. If I end the XPS foam board at the top of the wall where it begins to taper towards the sill, how should I insulate the remaining top 6-10" of the block wall?

Two ideas...

Spray foam the inside of the rim joist all the way down to the top of the vertical portion of the wall.
Cut small pieces of foam board, with mitred edges, to attach at the top of the wall, taping all of the seams. Could also spray foam the rim joist areas, but would not be as much area to cover with this method.

Are there other options to consider to insulate the top of the block? What are the pros and cons?

Edit:
Picture...


texts: Removing Yellow Bleach stain from laminate counter

texts:
I had a blue stain on my white laminate vanity.
picked up some bleach based bathroom cleaning liquid, for a few things.

Thought I would give it a try on the stain on the counter.
I left it for a few hours.
It took the blue stain right off.
However left a much larger yellow one.

Obviously I won't make that mistake again.
However now I am left with the problem of the yellow stain.

So far I have been removing it with repeated application of vinegar and baking soda.
It is working, but very slowly (as in I expect to be doing this for many days).

I have read that Silver Jewlery Cleaner works to solve it, does anyone have any experience with using this?

My other option I have been considering is wet-and-dry sand paper.
I have some very fine stuff, but even so I'm not to happy with the idea.


texts: The back of plywood is damaged after cut or drill. How to prevent it?

texts:
When I cut a piece plywood that I have, the front looks perfect, but the back is becomes completely damage and unpresentable.  The same problem happens when I drill it.

I use a table saw and drill press.

How to prevent such damage?


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I am remodeling my bathroom in a home built around 1995. I have a fan/light/heater unit in the ceiling that is operated by three wall switches. There is a separate switch next to the 3-switch box that operates the vanity light. I am attaching a drawing showing the wiring that goes to the fan in the attic, and the wiring that goes to the switches on the wall in the bathroom.

What I would like to do is replace the existing combo fan with a fan-only fan, plus add two areas of led recessed lights (ceiling and shower niche)with dimmer switches. Obviously, I would like to use existing switch wiring, and make modifications in attic to accomplish this, but I am at a loss. Is there any hope for this frustrated "electrician"?


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I have a small workshop room in my apartment which shares a breaker with an adjacent room. By small I mean closet sized; I work mostly on small models so the most "heavy duty" tool I'm using is a small shop vac or a hotdog-style air compressor.

That said, I'd like to avoid tripping the breaker on accident (this hasn't happened yet, but someone is about to be living in the room which shares this breaker, so I'm trying to be prepared to be a little more courteous) and I'm wondering how hard it would be to just install an ammeter in a handy box so I can see how much current I'm using. If I use one of those analog panel mount ones, is it safe to wire it in series with the two workshop outlets and mount it in a blank handy box on the wall?

Something like this (only 0-20A instead of 50):

Obviously there's inherent danger working with electricity, but if I am careful I see no reason this shouldn't work, and it should make it easy for me to avoid tripping the breaker and cutting the power from my roommate's room.