texts: How to wire a smart thermostat with dual Transformer system? R , Rc, W , Y , G. No C wire. No Jumper

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Is this system considered a Dual Transformer system? According to Nest since there is a R and RC cable it must be a dual transformer. But they were unsure and I don't know what that means! I don't have a C wire.  Trying to figure out which smart thermostat is best suited for such a setup and hook it up without tearing up much or pulling new wires!
Hope the picture makes sense. I currently have a Honeywell Thermostat with the following wires hooked up.
R, RC, G, Y , W. No jumpers.  I have a FirstCO Air Handler, Burnham Heat, and AC unit outside the house.

Current Thermostat: Honeywell TH6220D1002
FirstCo Air Handler: 30MBX-3HW 120V-1PH-60HZ

Google did not help me much with the installation or ideas. They said "learning system may work".
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks


texts: Sanding, staining and varnishing wood, outside

texts: I'm new to wood stuff in general and I want to build a mini closet, but my wife is pregnant, I was wondering if I can sand, stain, varnish, etc. outside and wait for the fumes to disperse and then put everything together inside, this is because I don't have a shop or empty room where I can do this kind of work, or what do you recommend?


texts:
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this question.  I have a very large eucaliptos tree.  I have recently been told by at least two tree surgeons that the tree is dying and should be taken down.

Its a beautiful tree and very large and does present a safety risk.  I can see that part of the base of the trunk is crumbling, however above the crumbling area it all looks good.  We have decided to have the tree removed leaving about 12 foot of the stump.

The question is, is there anything I can treat the crumbling area with to harden it and stop it crumbling further?  I'm not looking to save the tree, but I would like to carve the trunk into something but would need to harden it first.


texts: Do we need to re-install tiles if it was exposed to water for 20 minutes after installation?

texts: The tile installers didn't shut off the shower valve when they left after installing tile work in our shower. We turned on the main water supply and 15 minutes later, we went to the bathroom to check the tile work. The bathroom was soaked and water overflowed in our master bedroom. Do we need to re-install the tiles? Also, we're wondering if it is necessary to remove the backer board to check for water seeping behind the walls. We've placed a dehumidifier the entire night to remove all the moisture and to keep the bathroom dry.


texts:
I'm working on a custom switch plate/adapter thing to 3d print for my friend's light switches. He has several that appear to be some outdated rocker style switch, but I can't find them online to get specs for.

Here are a couple shots of them:

* The one on the left

Can you identify the model, brand, or even the proper name for this type of switch so that I might find information about it?


texts:
I bought a fixer-upper knowing little about how much of a headache I was creating for myself.

I've recently removed the hardwood flooring that was lain directly on the joists (no subfloor) of my second floor bedroom. I'm now laying a subfloor and will install hardwood flooring on top of it.

After screwed (yes - screwed) down most of my plywood, I noticed that my joists were uneven. As you go from one joist to another, they drop by as much as 1/2-3/4 of an inch. This is noticeable and I would like to correct it. Fortunately, I can easily unscrew my plywood (ha!)... but now what?

I'm leaning towards putting shims between the joists and the plywood subfloor, but I don't see much talk about doing that online. What kinds of shims should I put on the joists? Do they run along the joist or perpendicular to it?

Backtracking a little, the joists seem to be low because they were partially cut (I have no idea why) where they would otherwise rest on the bearing wall. I've put some blocking underneath them to provide some level of contact between them and the bearing wall, but I can't (and frankly don't really want to) raise them to be level. It has crossed my mind that I should replace them. Advice would be appreciated here, too.


texts: Can I run power from inside cabinets to an externally mounted fixture?

texts: I want to install wall sconce fixtures on the outside of my bathroom cabinets. I have power inside from the wall already. Would it be to code if I cut a hole in the cabinet, mounted a metal box, and ran EMT from the wall to the box? See pictures.


texts: Don't know where lever is to open top latch on steel cellar door

texts: I recently took over my recently passed Grandmother's house and she has a furnace in the cellar. Of course, the furnace went out, so I need access to the cellar in order to fix it. I moved from out of the city and have no idea about anything that has to do with cellars. Also, the area I am in is very cold and snowy, so I have to shovel through 5 feet of snow to access the door. I have cleared the snow off of the door, but there is still snow around it. There is a steel rod that I can see at the top of the door preventing me from opening it. I have no idea where the lever to release this rod is. It would take hours to clear the snow from all sides of the door, so I'm hoping someone on here might be able to help me locate the lever. I thought it would be obvious but I'm having difficulties. The cellar is steel, it is red, but other than that I have no specifications on it. Any suggestions on where to look for the lever?


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I'm planning on running some schedule 80 PVC conduit in my garage to add extra outlets.  At the same time I want to ground the 2 post rack I have in my garage.  A few related questions that appear unique enough because I couldn't find answers online.

Everything I looked up says I need #6 ground from rack to panel to be "doing it properly".  Is #6 really needed?  The run is about 15'.

I was going to just run the ground in the PVC conduit for the outlets and use it as the ground for those outlets and the rack, any issues here?

Assuming the answer to the first question is yes; since I only need the #6 sized ground for the panel can I step down the ground to #12 or #14 (depending on size of circuit) with pigtails on the outlets?  Also, for the last outlet or two past the rack?  I know stepping down the hot and neutral lines is prohibited but what about the ground wire?
And while I'm asking questions, are there any distance from the floor requirements (or good practice) for mounting PVC conduit on the wall.

Thanks in advance!


texts: Installing a dimmer only where a light and fan switches exist

texts: The left switch in the picture controls the light, while the right switch controls the fan. I'm looking to install a ge smart dimmer switch, while disconnecting the fan switch, but still leaving it the switch on the wall as a dud. Any recommendations on how to make it work based on the pic above?


texts:
How to Build a Built-in Garage Workbench

By: Danny Lipford on Today's Homeowner

I would like to build a built-in workbench in the garage, attached to the beans of the structure.

This is the only online resource I could find and is very close to what I want to do.

I will use his guide below as a template to my questions.

(Questions are in bold italic embedded within)

While the garage often doubles as a home workshop, it’s hard to get much done without a sturdy workbench. This simple built-in bench runs the entire length of the garage wall and attaches directly to the exposed studs. It’s easy to build and can be completed in just a few hours. Here’s how it’s done:

Mark the height for the bench, minus ¾” for the top, and pop a chalk line along the wall. Most workbenches are about 34” high, but you can adjust yours to whatever height is most comfortable.

The chalk line will be straight but not necessarily level, right? How do I ensure it is level?

Cut pieces of 2” x 4” lumber 20” long to serve as horizontal supports for the bench. You’ll need one for each support plus an extra one at each end of the wall. Depending on the thickness of your plywood top, the spacing of the studs, and how sturdy a bench you want, plan on a support every 16? to 32.”

*Are there different types of 2x4 lumber or just a standard one? *
Wont be going to the end of each wall...

Braces for the supports are cut from ¾” plywood and shaped like a right triangle with 16” legs on each side. Cut one for each support on the wall.
Just one, shouldn't there be support on both sides of the 2x4?

Glue and screw the supports and braces together, with the plywood brace extending 3½” past the support to allow it to be attached to the stud.
Is this just that Elmer's wood glue?
What type of screws? Can it be nails?

Attach the 2” x 4” supports at each end of the wall, checking to be sure they are level.
So I am not planning on going to the end of the wall, what modifications do I need to make?

Nail or screw the support braces to the side of the wall studs, checking for level.
The 2x4 doesn't directly attach to the wall stud? This is where I thought there should be another triangle brace one on the other side...?

Nail a 2” x 4” the length of the wall along the front of the support braces.

Cut a 2’ wide top from ¾” plywood, and nail it on top of the supports.
Can I stain and gloss it? This is the same type of wood as used with the triangle brackets?

Nail a 1” x 4” board along the back of the workbench to keep items from rolling off the bench and falling behind it.

How do I scale everything if I want the workbench to be 3 feet wide, instead of the 2 feet wide int his example (i.e. the triangle supports, etc?)

Diagram:


texts: GFCI Protected Outlet Trips with GFCI Outlet Tester, but the outlet lost power

texts: I plugged my GFCI Outlet Tester into a GFCI protected Outlet. Pressing the test button, the outlet was tripped fine. But no matter how I pressed the reset button on the GFCI receptacle. The outlet showed no power. Could someone tell me why I cannot get power anymore from the outlet? Thank you.


texts: Can I use a single cable for cable rails?

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I'm looking at redoing our stair railing and going with a more modern look with cable rails. 'Proper' cable rails, however, seem to all come from perhaps one factory. All the options I can find look exactly the same and fall into roughly the same ballpark prices.

For the 5'-ish span we're looking at, I can get a kit that includes two pivoted ends, the turnbuckle and 5' of cable. If I want 6 cables, I get six. At about $40 a kit, that's about $240. Not a crazy price, but got me thinking as to why I'd need 6 individual cables. Why couldn't I just get one cable and weave it in and out?

The idea would be to use only two eye-bolts for the entire set of rails. I'd then weave the one cable in and out of both ends and add one turnbuckle somewhere in the middle.

As you can see, this is a lot cheaper--especially when you put it into the context of say a full deck installation.

The idea would be something like this:

(Illustration just to show the 'weaving' concept. If I were to do this, I'd route the ends through curved channels so that the cable wasn't attempting to make a full 90 degree turn at any one point.)

However, I never see it done this way. I can't find any examples using just one cable--all cable railings I see use individual cables and attachments for each line.

Question: Is there a reason for this other than perhaps habit/preferred aesthetics? Is there a structural/installation aspect I'm maybe not considering?

UPDATE:

After more web surfing, I came across this blog post where they had the same idea I had--at least in terms of using off-the-shelf hardware:

Note the turnbuckles are almost closed, so even with one turnbuckle per-cable, a lot of slack needs to be taken out to make it taught. MIGHT Be doable with one cable on my short interior run, but anything bigger, I suppose it does make sense to go with one turnbuckle per cable.

That said, I personally think it looks great--but, admittedly, likely best as an outdoor solution on a large deck. It's probably a bit too 'industrial' for my interior short-run.


texts: I would like to lay patio pavers for a patio in a diagonal fashion.  I would like to know what kind of tool I should use to cut the pavers in half.  They are about 2" thick, and I'd like to not use the Hammer and Chisel approach so I can get clean edges.  Is there a particular kind of blade I can put in a circular saw to do this job?  Since this patio is going to be over 200 square feet, I would be willing to purchase a new tool if needed to save me time on this task.


texts: Why does NEC require circuit breaker locks only on hard-wired appliance circuits?

texts:
The National Electric Code (NEC) Section 422.30 requires "permanently connected appliances" to have "lockable" disconnects, so that power can be reliably cut to the appliance when it is serviced.  Here is an example of a lockable circuit breaker for a built-in oven:

This seems like a great fail-safe to prevent someone from flipping a circuit breaker on while someone else is in contact with a conductor on the circuit.  My question is: Why are lockable disconnects only required for hard-wired appliances?

The picture here shows a 240V 40A circuit, but the NEC rule applies to any appliance rated over 300VA, so such locks also appear on 120V 15A breakers for hard-wired appliances.  But anyone working on a simple wall outlet or light switch could be exposed to at least 1800VA if the circuit breaker were unexpectedly turned on.  So why does the NEC only mandate locks on some appliance circuits, and not all circuit breakers?  Do appliances pose a different and greater hazard than other hot conductors?


texts: This faucet was installed last summer, strange leak through holes in stem.. any idea what is causing this?  Can it be fixed??


texts: Can I run two sets of 10/3 30amp wire to feed one panel?

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I have a shed that I want to supply power too.  Can I run 2 sets of 10/3 30amp cable to one panel? Or does each cable have to have its own panel?
Approximate wire length will be 45 foot.  I already have the 10/3 wire on hand.  I hope to get a small welder and want to make sure I have enough power to operate it.


texts: What should I cover gap with below stair banister

texts: I am looking to install a cable rail banister when an older banister was. Unfortunately there is a gap in between the stairs and wood floor that was previously covered. Thanks in advance for your help!


texts: Are there "uncommon" 3-way switch wirings?

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We have a 3-way switch in the garage that I would like to upgrade to a Lutron Maestro 3-way occupancy sensor. I have tried (and failed) to do so twice now... and I'm pretty handy. I'm starting to think I have some sort of "uncommon" 3-way wiring.

Is there such a thing? How would I account for it in the Maestro re-wire?

Configuration:

Switch 1: Standard 3-way... to become the Lutron Maestro
Switch 2: Standard 3-way
Load: Three overhead light fixtures (two of them are 4-foot florescent fixtures, one of them is a dual-bulb incandescent fixture).

Switch 1:

White traveler
(gold screw)
Black traveler
(gold screw)
Black hot wire (VERIFIED with non-contact voltage tester)
(black screw)
Bare copper ground

Switch 2:

Red traveler
(gold screw)
White traveler
(gold screw)
Black
(black screw)
Bare copper ground

Here's what I have done so far...

Tagged the "black screw" wire on both sides
Removed the old switches
S1: Lutron with common-->black, white traveler-->blue, black traveler-->black, ground-->ground
S2: Standard with red traveler-->pole 1, (common + white traveler + yellow jumper)-->pole 2, ground-->ground
Turned the power one... S1 (Maestro) was dead but S2 was working the lights correctly
Per instructions, tried switching the travelers on S1 (Maestro) but that resulted in a dead S1 and a dead S2 with the lights stuck off
For giggles, then tried switching the travelers on S2, but that resulted in dead S1 and a dead S2 with the lights stuck on

I've tried this twice now, thinking maybe I had a bum switch the first time. At this point, I'm convinced there is some funny business going on with the overhead lights that results in a non-standard 3 way... if such a thing even exists.


texts: Framing a basement column with off-center 2x6s?

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I'm going to frame a column in my basement, but I need it to include a few outlet boxes (one for power, and one for speaker).  All the videos I've watched show 2x4s being ramset into the columns dead center. That makes sense, but I need room for the outlet boxes.
It appears as though using 2x6s off-center plus drywall will allow the perfect amount of room for the outlet boxes. I've mocked up my thoughts on this and want to double check that I'm not missing some good reason why this is a bad idea.
Is this okay?

Side note: I don't have a ramset. Are there alternatives, or do I really need to spend $40 for the hardware/tools for a single column?
Update: the answer below helped me a lot! I was able to build it without needing any special tools, and it worked wonderfully. It feels incredibly sturdy with NO wiggle, and turned out looking quite nice too, if I do say so myself :)  I ended up just using wood, and not adding drywall on top. This causes a bit of an issue with needing a shallow box, but it looks great, and saved a TON of time.


texts: Subfloors in entire house not under walls. Exposed sheetrock from under house crawlspace

texts: Help? So I bought this house earlier this year. My bedroom has always felt clammy and humid. After about a month or two I noticed mildew on the base boards. I pulled up the baseboards and a foot of the sheetrock to find a 2 inch gap in the subfloor to the wall. I could see directly to the dirt under my house. Upon further investigation I found all the walls to be like this. Sheetrock exposed under the house. I'm an at a loss to how in the world i am supposed to fix this. Any help is appreciated.


texts: Ideas for securing decorative trim to brick

texts:
I have what looks like a 10" x 3/4 board with some crown trim attached to the brick above my garage.  It is currently attached with square cut masonry nails, and part of it is loose.

I'd like to remove it to repair some rotted crown and prep and paint, and I'm looking for good ways to reattach it so it can be easily removed in the future.  Ideally without visible fasteners on the front edge.

The trim is as long as the two car garage, so its a bit awkward to work with.

The masonry nails are out, Tapcon screws are my usual goto, but don't lend themselves to repeated removal and have bright blue heads.  Exterior paint would also gum up the threads.  Some type of wooden cleat behind it would still have to be painted and maintained.

Any ideas would be appreciated.


texts: Is it possible to hang something on the wall surrounding my chimney?

texts:
My chimney runs up the center of the house from the basement. Where it passes through the kitchen, there is an obvious bulge in the wall where the wall basically wraps around the chimney. Based on the size of the chimney and the size of the bulge, I am assuming that the cinder block chimney is roughly an inch behind the wall.

I would like to hang a spice rack on that bulge. Is this possible?

If so, is it possible to do it with the hardware provided with the spice rack? It comes with 4 plastic drywall anchors and screws, but my walls are plaster. I know drywall anchors are generally not good in plaster, but that you can sometimes get away with it for light items. A spice rack however seems like it should be pretty sturdily fastened, and with the chimney right behind this wall, I'm not sure I'd be able to get a more robust type of anchor in there.

So what are my options?


texts: Will steel continue rusting if it's completely covered in concrete?

texts:
Let's say I have a 5" piece of rebar in a rooftop that's exposed to the elements (ie.sun, rain, salt air, etc). After some time it will be covered in rust and pieces of rust can be scraped off.

Let's say I cover this piece of rusted piece of rebar with regular concrete. Will this stop the corrosion?


texts: What works I can do myself in home electrics?

texts:
I googled a bit and searched some topics on this forum about what works I can carry out myself and which should be notified to building regulations or certified by a registered competent person. Based on the details provided in Building Regulations 2010 Part P
I should get an electrician to do the works and certify in the following:

new kitchen lights
new circuit in the utility room
new lights and circuit in the bathroom

But I can do myself the following:

installing downlights in non-wet rooms
replace sockets and switches

Is this correct?
Edit: Location England.


texts: Choosing a Replacement A/C Condenser Fan Motor

texts:
When my air conditioning comes on, I hear a loud buzzing and notice the condenser fan is barely spinning or not spinning at all.  I used a Fluke 88 to measure capacitance on the start/run capacitor separate from the system, and it measures within a few percent of the label.  I have the full 230v going to the fan terminals, so I assume I have a faulty motor.

My question is how do you choose a replacement motor?  I have a GE 5KCP39JFV504S currently, and I'm assuming I would find an aftermarket replacement by a different manufacturer.  I know I need a 230v 1/4HP 830RPM CW spinning motor, but other than that I don't know how to shop for one that will fit the blades and cover grate properly.


texts: Should a rough wall be smoothed with mortar before installing tile?

texts:
I’m looking to replace my kitchen backsplash.  It was previously regular tile and I’m going to replace it with glass/porcelain tile mesh backsplash.
I have removed the old tile and it appears to be drywall  with the old adhesive residue.
I have watched a video where it was recommended to apply thinset to the wall to smooth it across, let it dry completely, and then separately use adhesive and stick the tiles.
The wall is definitely not smooth/flat now.  Do you think it’s a good idea to smooth out the wall with thinset first?
Also, do you recommend I apply mastic With my trowel for installing the backsplash or is thinset ok?  I read that mastic is recommended for glass tiles as it dries faster but not sure.  This is my first time installing tile/backsplash.
This is the tile I’m looking to install.


texts: How do I rid moisture under my deck that's causing rotting of boards?

texts: I've read not to put plastic under a deck. What can I do?


texts: Could our new plumbing be to blame for our new downstairs toilet and upstairs spare bath being clogged?

texts: We need help troubleshooting our plumbing problem before we spend any more money on this house. We just spent quite a bit of money finishing our basement, where we added two bedrooms and a new full bathroom with two sinks and a shower for our children. We have never had plumbing issues before. We have a septic system. The  plumber had to jackhammer floor and change out pipes for this addition. Our upstairs has 2 full baths, but only the hall bath toilet is clogged. Sink drains fine. Then downstairs the toilet is also clogged. The sinks drain fine down there too,but the toilet gurgles when the water in sink is run and the pipe in shower drain has standing water in it! We have just our master bath toilet in working order! Any help and insight would be great. Ive looked up several things to try, but think this could be an issue caused by the new plumbing installed


texts: How do I add a door to an already existing wall?

texts:
I'm trying to figure out how to do this the right way. I'm planning to put a door in an already existing wall down stairs. I have a few questions about the details:

Do I need a header if it is not a loadbearing wall or not?
The dimensions of the door are 80"x28". Do I have to add inches to the opening that I cut?


texts: How to reroute a circuit that goes through a return air plenum

texts:
Old house, need to replace a wire where the insulation has been stripped off from when the original installer pulled it through a joist.  Normally I'd just follow the original path of the old wire, but in this case it runs through a return air duct:

I believe it's NEC 300.22 (B) that states that I could do this exact thing with MC cable, EMT, IMC, and rigid conduits, but there are supply ducts are on the other side (so no conduit) and I'd like to not mess with MC unless I need to.  I think this leaves me with the option of either:

Routing the cable around the duct (would have to take circuit to the center of the basement, and then back to get around the plenum) EDIT: Plenum runs the whole length of the basement, have to go under or through
Putting up a running board across the bottom of the joists / tack wire to running board (NEC 334.15(C))

Am I missing any other options?  I also thought about running a conduit along the joists, but I think the running board would be cheaper.


texts: Installing two outdoor receptacles using T LB pvc, How many ground wires?

texts:
I am looking to put a general use swimming pool receptacle at my fence and then the dedicated pool receptacle by the pump, each on its own gfci circuit.

The general use would come first in the raceway. I originally thought I would have to branch off to the general use receptacle, and feed the dedicated pool circuit wires up to that receptacle and back down to a seperate pvc conduit and continue back to the swimming pool pump receptacle.

Is there anything wrong with using a T pvc LB, to split off?  So at the T the tge neutral and hot for general use will go left, and the swimming pool pump circuit will run straight and head on its way to that receptacle.

If so, how would I run the ground wire? Would I need two seperate ground wires?

T LB

Running the trencher this weekend and trying to plan the dig currently.


texts: I have a pool where the light switch is very far away from the pool. Can I change the switch to a remote control?


texts: Does overspray get on the ceiling when spraying interior wall?

texts:
I have a freshly painted ceiling in a 1200 sq ft, new construction home.  I have access to a medium-quality airless paint sprayer.  I have some 4' rolls of plastic sheeting that I can tape up on the ceiling to get 4' of the ceiling perimeter masked off (don't have the roll hand gun device but just hand taping it for now).  My two concerns are: 1.) Does the spray leave a heavy overspray that can float to the ceiling? Especially when I start dark colors?  I realize this depends on the method of spraying, but in general I want to know if I am wasting my time with masking and should start rolling right now or if it is worth masking off the perimeter and that the 4' would be sufficient?  I have to mask the ceiling edge anyway with tape, but the 4' plastic takes 4 to 5 times longer to install when I account for unfolding it and taping it 4' back from the walls and when dealing with temporary 200W incandescent ceiling lights.  My windows are already masked off from spraying texture at least.

I have about 4 different colors in the whole house and it's about 1200 square feet for size.  My texture is knockdown and it's not very deep so rolling it should not be a lot of extra work in terms of heavy textures.


texts: Why does water accumulate on the hardwood floors in my 1930 home?

texts:
My home was build 1930 and nothing has been updated. In my downstairs bedroom under anything that sits on the floor from my bed, night stands, dog crate, and other things the floors will puddle with water.
I have done some research and come to the conclusion that I have a condensation problem, but everything that I have read talks about concrete foundation and basements primarily. My house does not have a concrete foundation or at least one I can see. This house sits on brick pillars in the front and ground in the back as it was built on a downhill slope.
My laundry room that was an addon has a concrete foundation, but I have no issues in any other part of the house but my bedroom which sits at the front of the house so it's off the ground which means air flow. I have drilled a couple of holes through the wall to the outside to help promote some air flow but that didn't seem to affect anything.
I have gas heater and though maybe the heat mixed with the cold floor is causing build up so I turned the heat off and no progress. This house also has no insulation and was built with small wood slabs (wrong term for what's it called but I can't recall the name but small thin 1-2 inch wide, 1/2 thick, length varies wood boards) Looks like it was made like an old doll house with popsicle sticks.
I don't know much about this issue and am seeking help for answers as to what could be the problem so I can fix it. Does anyone by chance have any clue what it could be? Thank you any help or advice is greatly appreciated.


texts: How to reveal a mural that was painted over

texts: A mural I painted years ago was recently painted over by 'accident' and the owners would like it restored.  I painted it in latex and acrylics.  Looks like they used white enamel.  Is it possible to save the mural?


texts: Do I need a separate vent stack for my kitchen sink?

texts:
The drain line from my kitchen sink drops down through the basement, into the basement floor (Concrete), and I assume under the floor to the main sewer line.  The sink tends to drain slowly.  Should I have a separate vent at the sink, or is it OK if the only vent is the main vent stack?

Should I snake out the line to see if it helps, or is this more likely a problem with not having air behind water?

EDIT:

I have already taken apart and checked all the pipe that is above the basement floor (and it was clear), if there is a clog it would be in the line that runs under the basement floor.


texts: How do I maintain air quality in a newly finished basement of a 1925 home with no ductwork?

texts: I just bought a house built in 1925 but it has just been professionally renovated, including finishing the basement as living space. The home has a boiler for radiator and baseboard heat. There is no duct work for ventilation nor AC. My question has to do with whether or not it would be advisable to install an air to air exchanger in the basement.


texts:
About 3 months ago, I was carrying one 1inch pvc pipe through my mudroom to the basement when I bumped the pvc pipe into the ceiling fan in the mudroom. We didn't notice till the end of the day that the fan and light didn't work. Didn't really think too much about it it cuz the fan is pretty old. Got up the next morning and the light and fan worked. Since then, it has stopped working then mysteriously it would work. It is tied into the hallway ceiling light, light above the kitchen sink and 2 outside lights. They all randomly go off and then come back on whenever they want. BUT....now they won't come back on at all.
We have checked all switches, connections, etc and all is good.
What are we missing?


texts: Connecting female thread to female threaded faucet

texts:
I am connecting a water filter to one of my taps. It’s driving me mad. The tap itself has an aerator that is readily unscrewed. The socket on the tap itself is female threaded. Here I am holding the aerator in my fingers and the tap is in the background.

The thread itself is inset a little bit into the tap.

My water filter connector is also female threaded.

So one of them must be converted to a male thread, and the adapter must be small enough not to cause a problem with the narrow space around the female connector that is slightly inset into the tap.

I googled a bit. I found e.g this product decribed as a female to male adapter. But look at it! It goes into the female threaded connector and gives another female one!

What do I need to do the job and get my purifier connected?!


texts: Wood floors resurfaced: discoloration only appears after water-based sealant applies

texts: Renovating a home with white oak floors. After sanding, the underlying wood appeared consistent, but after the application and drying of a water-based finish strange inconsistencies began to appear. I'm not clear if something was wrong in the application, or if some previous substance caused a change in the wood that would have resulted in the wood picking up the new color inconsistently. The image show some of the strange areas. Any ideas?


texts: What kind of appliance(s) used to be here?

texts:
I'm remodeling a room in a fairly old house (~100 yrs), and I discovered a capped-off gas pipe behind some framing+drywall that had been hastily installed whenever this room had been converted into a bedroom:

I'm trying to determine the original purpose of this room, when the house was first built. Notice the D-shaped hole next to the gas line. At first I thought this might have been a flue vent for whichever appliance had been connected to that gas line, but then I thought it wouldn't be possible to direct exhaust downward.

Did the D-shaped hole fit to some other part of the appliance, or perhaps a completely separate appliance next to whatever was connected to that gas line?

Some more clues:

The room in question is at the front of the house, facing the street
The gas line is up against an interior wall, opposite the front window
One-story house in the Midwest, cross-gable roof plan, probably built in 1920 or earlier
Tearing down some of the drywall in this room reveals old wood paneling on the walls beneath it

What appliance(s) used to be in this room, and what purpose did this room serve overall?


texts:
I can find this product online in Europe, but so far not in the US.

Is there an eave ventilation baffle that is designed to be laid across the rafters (when the installer is up on the roof before decking is installed) and nailed to the rafters' sky-facing edge, rather than inserted between the rafters from inside the attic and stapled or nailed to the side face of the roof rafter?

P.S. These baffles serve a dual purpose: 1) They provide a clear airway and 2) they are weathertight.


texts:
I went to install a Nest on my upstairs HVAC unit. After installing the Nest I thought it was functioning properly. The next afternoon I came back to the house It was still hot, so looking into this the Heat was running while the AC was running.

Looking at the image, the yellow line running from thermostat is controlling the AC, in this instance it is spliced with the line that runs out to AC condenser outside and then comes back in as the white line connected to Common 24v (C). The Green (G) line is normally connected. The only way I can get the AC to function is by disconnecting the white (W) line from the furnace.

I believe the remedy for this is removing the white line connected to the common 24v (C) coming back from the condenser and move it over to the unused (Y) connector. The Furnace unit is a carrier crusader, and I am not sure how to get the nest to function without having both the AC and heater on.

The unit functioned with the original thermostat. The yellow line runs to the backside, and when the thermostat is switched to cooling, it looks like the RH line is jumpered to RC to power the cooling circuit.

Any Advice would be helpful.

Edit
I have found a suggest wiring diagram, and It looks as though I need to have the yellow line return to the mainboard, and then the yellow line from the thermostat need to tie into the same spot on the main board. Thoughts?


texts:
I recently bought a house built in 1972. It had 4 double spotlight (standard switch controlled) at each corner of the house with the romex coming down thru a hole in the wood soffits.
Two of the fixtures didn't work and the bulbs were good.
Using a voltage tester i removed the fixtures and determined neither fixture had power at the wires.
Could the power be piggy backed off one of the working fixtures and has become detached?


texts:
How can I replace an outdoor outlet cover that has a stripped center screw?

Do I need to replace the outlet as well?
Do I need to replace the box that the outlet is housed in if it is coming out from the wall?
Do I need to caulk around where the outlet and the wall will meet?

Here is a picture of the outlet.

I have purchased a Bell outdoor In-Use Weatherproof Cover, that I would like to use to replace the existing cover.

Update:

I have finished the project, and Bryce's answer was correct. I did end up replacing the outlet with a GFCI Weather/Tamper Resitant outlet for safety sake. Below are two tips and lessons learned.

When removing wires from existing outlet, if a firm tug doesn't do it, then try twisting the outlet or wire.
Never try to keep turning a screw after the head breaks off, which led to me asking a different question.


texts: Could induced voltage cause interconnected fire alarms to activate?

texts:
After several weeks of the interconnected smoke alarms, I have had two momentary false alarms. I am yet to figure out why or what is causing this. Strangely they have both occurred at night causing me go down to the basement and cellar to investigate.
Question: If the interconnect wire is run in a conduit with a high amperage wire could a low voltage be induced into it causing the alarm to trigger?


texts:
I noticed my home gas furnace was turning on, I could hear it running, but it seemed the fan was not blowing the heat out of the heat duct vents...there was almost no air pressure.
SO I went downstairs to the furnace, and looked at the red blinking light on my American Standard Freedom 80 furnace, and it showed 4 blinking flashes then a pause, so I looked on the error chart on the front panel, and it said "Open high limit device."
I figured I would need to go and find my manual that came with the unit, to see where the "high limit" was located?
Anyways, while I was there at the furnace, I figured I would jiggle the 2 electrical connections that connect to the fan housing. I just tried to get the metal on metal connection of the electrical connectors to seat slightly differently.
I put the front panel back on, and the system fired up, and this time I could hear the fan running and blowing the hot air.
I went upstairs, and yes, the heat vents had blowing hot air.
Anyways, in the days before this I had been smelling an odd "electrical burning" smell, like a smell I had smelled before when I had a motor burn out, in some other unrelated tool.
I'm just guessing that this smell is related to the new problem with the furnace?
The filter was replaced one month ago.

Well, I was wondering if you could suggest some helpful hints and knowledge? I sure would appreciate being able to learn.

What does the HIGH LIMIT device do? Does "open high limit device" error code mean that the device is stuck open?

What do you think the "burning" smell is coming from? Which part would be affected in such a way as to cause this?

Thank you.


texts: Confusing switch wiring... Need to repurpose the switch to power/control new light strip

texts:
I have a double gang box with two single pole switches in it. My goal is to re-purpose one of the switches to control a soon-to-be-installed strip light to be mounted on the wall. One of the existing switches controls the ceiling fan/light, and I want to keep that. The other switch is a bit of a mystery, and I hope you can help me figure out what it is. I’ve drawn a crude diagram that hopefully would help, but I can't see how to upload it.

There are three Romex cables coming into the box. After turning off the circuit (and carefully noting and diagraming where they all went), I disconnected all of the wires. After turning the circuit back on, I tested every wire with a voltage tester (by contacting the wire and the ground). I found only one black wire that came in hot.

Cable No. 1 has only a black and a white. The black in cable in Cable No. 1 is the hot one. That hot black wire goes into a wire nut, with the black from Cable No. 2 (described below). From that wire nut, a jumper connects a black to a terminal on Switch No. 1. The white goes to all of the other whites under a single wire nut.

Cable No. 2 has a black, red, and white. The black goes to the wire nut mentioned above, and from that wire nut, another jumper connects a black to a terminal on Switch No. 2. The red goes to a terminal on Switch No. 2. So…the wire nut has two black going in (the hot one from Cable 1 and the “not hot” one from Cable 2). The wire nut has two jumpers coming out (one going to a terminal on Switch No. 1 and the other going to a terminal on Switch No. 2). The white goes to all of the other whites under a single nut.

Cable No. 3 has a black, red, and white. The black goes directly to the other terminal on Switch 1. The red is just capped and goes nowhere. The white goes to all the other whites.

Switch No. 1 controls the ceiling fan/light.

Switch No. 2…. Well, here’s what happens. Turning that switch on or off doesn’t seem to do anything. I’ve checked all of the outlets, and it doesn’t control any of them. HOWEVER: If there’s power going “up” the black in Cable No. 2, all outlets in the room work, and the red in Cable No. 2 comes back hot. If there’s no power going “up” the black in Cable No. 2, the red in Cable No. 2 in not hot. That suggests to me that this is creating a loop? (These are the results whether Switch No. 2 is installed or not.)

So the question is: Any idea what’s going on with Cable No. 2? Is there a way to repurpose Switch No. 2 to power and control the soon-to-be-installed light switch?

Many thanks for your input!


texts: I'm installing a bathroom above an existing one, and when running the shower drain pipe I got overzealous without thinking and cut a 3" hole in a 2x4 for the drain (red circle in photo). Only 2 3/8" is allowed by code. How do I brace this to pass inspection? I was thinking about putting 2x8 blocking above and below the cut and then running king studs (with the 4" side facing out) down to the sill plate. Previous builder did something similar (yellow circle). Is that sufficient? This is old construction with 2" actual studs, plus it's at an angle, so I can't just use a stud shoe. Thoughts?


texts:
The floor of the basement of our house is half a flat area with a concrete floor where the washing machine and so on are, and half a semi-flat, slightly sloping dirt area, with the dirt area being about 40 cm higher than the concrete area, so there is a little dirt "cliff" between the two halves.

The previous owners seem to have put down random rubbish (boards and stuff) and then covered it with layers of carpet in the dirt area. When we moved in, we sort of thought that was fine since that's how they had it, but we put stuff on the carpet and the carpet has rotted and hundreds of little moths live and die there, eating the carpet underneath the boxes and so on. A strange lifestyle.

Anyway, what can we do with the dirt floor? We aren't wanting to make the room legally or practically livable, we just want to store some stuff and maybe do crafts or woodwork. We want to be able to put stuff on the floor, and we don't want things rotting and random suspicious looking mould-stuff growing in the layers of carpet.

Both professional and DIY answers welcomed. We prefer cheap rather than expensive, but pricey ideas would still be of interest so at least we know what the options are.


texts: roller shadowing after painting long walls

texts: ok, here we go. I hate to even ask this because I know how this goes... BUT.... The painter I started working with years ago sucks and moving on to working with much more experienced painters, I realize they are also having the same results! The roller marks on the walls even after two coats! They all seem to act like it's just normal and that I am being too picky. First of all I am NOT referring to ridge lines where you push too hard on the roller, I am talking about the shades of paint where you can see the up down up down pattern. I have tried several brands of roller covers, several nap lengths, rolling right to left then back again, tried applying paint quite thick. My god I just don't get it because I have read this question from others before and actually, everything I stated above was the suggestions they gave.  Honestly I am a very popular painter and come highly recommended and have been for years but when this does happen, I just can't seem to find any rhyme or reason for it.


texts: Removal of drain extension pipe at the wall under bathroom sink

texts:
I'm replacing the drain pipes under my bathroom sink and having trouble removing the final section behind the escutcheon that connect to the wall fitting. I have a metal pipe extension pushed into a brass nipple fitting at the wall. The extension is  trapped in the brass nipple via a washer that is internal to the brass nipple so I cannot pull it out without removing the brass nipple. The nipple has a hex nut but it's inset in the wall behind the tiles. I cannot turn it without removing tiles and causing wall damage. What to do?
Photo links:
https://i.imgur.com/NmUOyOz.jpg


texts:
I replaced my shower arm with one that has a universal 1/2" male end so I could install a Culligan water filter showerhead. I did a fair amount of research beforehand and made sure to teflon tape the ends in the direction I would be screwing so as not to unravel the teflon while screwing. On the outer end of the shower arm, there is a tiny leak that, after about 10 seconds, forms a single drop that falls from the head and then repeats after another 10 seconds. I have tightened it as much as I can, and it seems harmless, but I have no idea.

Will it get worse? And is there anyway to know if I am leaking on the other end, inside the wall?


texts: I recently noticed a continuous clicking/ticking noise behind my gas stove. If you stand in front of the stove and focus, you can hear it. To hear it really well, you have to lean in towards the stove. Definitely not metal expanding/contracting.  I don't smell any gas.  However, I don't think this is normal.  Also, it is not the clock.  Any thoughts on why this is happening?


texts:
I'm looking to build a self-tipping seat such as what you'd find in a cinema or sports stadium. What kind of hinge system would it require? I can't seem to find anything online.

Thanks


texts: I live in a 3 bed det house and 4 years ago had a new Worcester boch boiler fitted and the majority of the radiators changed for new modern ones and all was fine. Recently have changed 3 of the old remaining rads upstairs for newer ones and since then the problems started. Upstairs is great however downstairs now it now takes about 90 mins before all the rads are on. When they are on there are 3 in particular where at anytime only 2 out of 3 come on and the other doesn’t. It’s not always the same one.Engineer has been back and checked the system and claims there is nothing wrong. Advice please.


texts: How can I use home automation with hot water heating radiators?

texts:
My apartment (in a condo building) is currently using stationary PTACs (using electricity and hot water), which I'm planning to replace with a split-level A/C system (for cooling) and hot water radiators (for heating).

What I would like to accomplish is making all radiators controlled via some kind of smart thermostat (e.g. Nest). The way I understand it, each radiator should either have some wireless control natively or should be furnished with a smart valve.

Question is: what could you recommend as viable options for such setup. Googling around, I've found a bunch of smart valves on the market (e.g. Danfoss, Energenie), but they seem to be primarily available in Europe, with no official representation/sales in the US.

Are there any products in this area that are offered in the US and are geared toward US market? What do people use for smart radiators? Is there a different way to approach this problem?


texts: I live in a condo, we have a shared garage but our own automatic garage door openers.  My garage door opens and closes with the button inside the garage hard wired on the wall.  But, my remote opener stopped working.  I just had a new battery put in hoping that was the issue.  It's still not opening the garage door.  Is it possible to get the circuit board inside replaced?


texts:
My hand is not that strong to hammer those concrete nails into trunking+wall.

May I know what tool should I use for this purpose?


texts:
My shower head is leaking. I have a ~15 year old Danze Glacier Bay shower valve (please see picture). I assumed it needed a new cartridge. After checking out all the help here and elsewhere I felt I could try it. Mistake.
I tried to use the screw stops to turn off the water. It didn’t work. They started off turned all the way counterclockwise (as shown). I gave clockwise turns, and the cold water started coming out pretty good from the stop. It drips from where the thread inserts. I turned it all way back counterclockwise but now it has a slow leak. So I have made things worse.
What’s best thing to do next?
Any help appreciated.


texts: How do I replace a flange installed with primer?

texts:
I had a leaky toilet and had to replace the subflooring in the bathroom. The flange is also rusty and a little warped and must be replaced. I've seen plenty of videos telling me to score the flange fitting and use a screwdriver or chisel to break the glue and remove the fitting from the pipe. However it looks like primer was used in my case and I can't get the fitting to budge. I'm afraid of breaking the pipe and ending up with a real mess.

What is the best way to remove the flange if it was installed using primer and glue?


texts:
Also, does copper kill mold and mold spores?
Does copper prevent mold such as 'black mold even.


texts: How to open this electrical junction box?

texts:
I have an electric blanket where the insulation has escaped from its clamp.

Totally easy fix, as long as you can get into the fitting.  But there are no screws or anything.   There are three recessed holes that look like some kind of melted plastic rivet or mushroom.

How can I open this fitting to re-place the power cable without damaging it ?

My plan is to drill it out a bit at a time.  When closing it I would drill a small short pilot hole and use a short self-tapping screw into the plastic, and then fill the recess with something to prevent skin/metal contact.  Does that seem sufficient?


texts: How do I get the most torque out of a spanner?

texts:
Recently I tried to get extra torque out of a spanner when unscrewing a bicycle pedal by lengthening the spanner with a piece of pipe and the spanner just broke apart.

I realize that this was something to expect - no spanner will tolerate infinite stress, but maybe I could have done it better so that I got more torque without actually breaking the spanner.

Are there any tips to how to get more torque out of a spanner without having the spanner broken?


texts: Is there any harm in turning my water heater to off or to pilot for perhaps six months?

texts:
I'm finding I use almost no hot water at home (shower at gym, launder in cold; a bit for dishes) and am wondering if I can just turn the hot water tank off, or at least to just pilot, for up to say the next six months in order to reduce natural gas heating costs (which I should have been doing already for two months, but this only recently occurred to me). If I need some hot water for greasier dishes, I will microwave a large mug of water.

The facts:

The house is a rental. I don't want to harm any equipment.
Where I live (Northeast U.S.), temperatures can and do get well below freezing from Nov--April.
The tank is located in the basement, which is heated somewhat.
I may be gone for some weeks during the winter. (A friend can check in). During this time I want to turn the thermostat down as much as I can (50F? lower?), and was going to cut the main water coming into the house to prevent pipes from freezing.
The tank is gas heated, has a "vacation" setting, as well as a button to light the pilot. I can get the make and model if necessary.

The goal is to save as much as I can on natural gas while still being safe for myself and the house (if a bit unusual in my choice). Thoughts?


texts: Someone with a Durometer please advise me regarding Shore A values?

texts:
I need to buy some silicone around 30 - 40 Shore A units of rubber softness.

It's for vibration dampers in a home engineering project.

Online it only says that an average school rubber is 40A, Except rubbers vary a lot in springiness, a professional rubber is soft, about twice as soft as a rubber from a souvenir shop.

Can someone with lots of rubbers at their house tell me what the values are for different rubbers?

Even better, can you www.youtube.com/upload record a durometer tests of various rubbers and then squeeze them and bend them so that i can see how soft they are relative to the fingers? I don't know how to find help on this topic.

A video to illustrate Shore A values would help many people in future.

Thank You


texts: Why do exterior decks not use 2x12 or 2x10 lumber?

texts:
It is time to replace the exterior decking (mostly cedar, but some planks replaced by Douglas-fir).  Alas, the finishing work 12 years ago did not endure; some planks have rotted— particularly at ends and where fasteners penetrate.  The deck uses 2x6 planks.
A few years ago I constructed raised garden boxes inspired by wonderful pricing at a lumberyard sale on 2x10 cedar; they have a similar sale every Spring.
Is there a good reason not to use 2x10s or 2x12 for decking?   Fewer planks.   Fewer fasteners per unit surface area.   More robust boards.   Seems like many advantages, but the lack of examples of actual use seems foreboding.


texts:
There's a lot of information about DIY gabion walls, but none of the applications that I've seen on YouTube and elsewhere talk about gabion walls as retaining walls. I would imagine that a gabion wall acting as a retaining wall would need to be satisfy some special requirements. For example, I can't imagine that a 4'-high X 2'-wide wall would do the job (not wide enough).

So what are some of the things to think about while constructing a retaining gabion wall? In particular:

Given the height, how wide does it need to be? (I'm aiming for a height of 3'.)
Do I have to worry about drainage?
How do I prevent dirt from infiltrating the basket?
Any implications for the minimum gauge of the wire mesh?


texts: I recently replaced cast iron drain pipes from my second story bathroom with pvc, and I've noticed the new pipes are much much louder when the bathroom is used. The pipes run down through a wall right next to my kitchen. How can I get rid of this noise?


texts: How can I fill a screw hole so it can be used again?

texts: My dishwasher attaches to the cabinets on the side via a screw.  This hole has become a little stripped, is there a way to fill it in and then screw in to it again?  I can't change the location of where the dishwasher attaches.


texts: Does manual operation of a Taco 570 series zone valve operate the boiler?

texts:
I have a home with multiple zones with the valves mentioned in the question.  The documentation (http://www.taco-hvac.com/uploads/FileLibrary/100-3.pdf) isn't clear about whether contact 3 is energized when the valve is manually operated or not, and I'd like to open one of them manually for an extended time.

I'm in an awkward spot; I have a zone valve that I suspect is faulty, and no immediate access to a meter to diagnose it.   I'm going to be away for an extended time in very cold weather, and this zone includes a bathroom that I'm nervous about freezing without heat.   I'd like to open the valve manually (using the lever made for this purpose), and have the zone receive water anytime another zone calls for heat, but not trigger the boiler itself.   So far, experimental evidence is suggesting that it does not trigger the boiler, but I'd like confirmation.
Note: this is a very small zone (a powder room and hallway) that's open to the kitchen, so I'm not concerned about wasting too much heat, as it will reduce the demand in the kitchen zone somewhat.


texts: My wife reported that our GE profile JGS968SEK1SS would not heat. I removed the igniter and it is reporting 99.1 Ohms for continuity, which seems fine to me. What other troubleshooting options do I have?


texts: Can a furnace with a variable speed blower be used in a multistory house?

texts:
I just had an HVAC guy out to give me an estimate on a new Carrier Infinity series furnace and he said the second floor rooms will always be colder because the thermostat is on the first floor and not as much air is force up there when the blower is at low speed.

Is it true that a furnace with a variable speed blower is not suited for a two story house with the unit in the basement?


texts: about strengthening wood plank end grain from splitting

texts:
I am thinking about strengthening wood plank end grain by gluing another piece of same type of wood, with perpendicular grain directions. See the picture below:

The longer plank will be about 1 inch thick. Naively thinking, the smaller piece should be of comparable thickness. I am wondering if this sort of structure is stable in long run. Will it split? If not, what is the best thickness?


texts: Can I add another cable to a box with four cables in it?

texts:
I would like to add an outlet in my home. I was going to do it the typical way and add a new neutral and load to an existing outlet.  Run the wire to a new location and add a j-box.

The issue is the closest outlet already has 4 wires coming into it.

Can I still add the outlet by taking off of the existing outlet?


texts: What happens if you don't bond neutral and ground in a main service panel?

texts: I know that we're supposed to bond neutral and ground in the main panel but can't quite understand what the actual danger/problem with this situation is. I also understand why we don't bond neutral and ground in a subpanel but don't understand the problem for keeping them separate in the main panel.


texts: With the main breaker on (which reads 120 volts) I'm only reading 98 volts at the light switch, and light will not turn on. FYI the main breaker is 150ft from the light switch. Is 98 volts enough to operate a 120 volt light?


texts: Electric Water Heaters: Tank vs Tankless (Instant On) Energy Usage?

texts:
I've been told that a tankless electric water heater is enormously more expensive than a tank water.  I have a 50 gallon water heater that I must replace.  I have a friend who is a plumber telling me that I would pay 2-3 times more for electricity with a tankless water heater, but what I've been reading doesn't seem that it would be more.

Does anyone have any experience with an electric tankless water heater that would do at least 7 GPM (2 bathroom home; don't need it for washer or dish washer)?  What kind of an electric bill differential are you seeing?


texts: Can i hook run a 110 plug off my dryer out let and still have my dryer outlet and a plug out side for things

texts: Can i run a 110 outdoor plug off my dryer plug in my laundry room.i have new wire to run and new plug


texts: Can you cut acrylic with a table saw (universal wood blade)? Or is this a very bad idea, as it will badly melt the acrylic and make a mess of everything; or dull the blade or something like that?


texts:
I am getting competing bids to replace two 16 year old builder grade air conditioning units.  (3.5 + 4 ton).

One bid is for 14 SEER Carrier units (24ACC442A003) with final price $6,320.

The other bid is for 16 SEER Lennox units (EL16XC1) with final price $8,474.

The carrier tech also quoted 16 SEER unit but said that I would not see the efficiency unless I also replaced my furnace.

Is what the Carrier tech said true: That the 16 SEER units will not achieve 16 SEER without replacing the furnace?

I posted the following tweet to ask Lennox:
https://twitter.com/pottmi/status/868529151749304322


texts:
About 25 years ago I built a solid log cabin with 200amp service. The load center is on an interior wall (and hard to get at) and there is a 200amp disconnect just below the meter outside (so the load center is really a subpanel).

I am going to add solar power and was initially going to do that through a subpanel as I don't have room on my primary load center. My original plan was to mount a 100amp subpanel outside and tie it to my main load center (i.e. 100amp subpanel off of the 200amp subpanel).

Then I had this epiphany; why not convert my disconnect to a 200amp primary panel then run both my main 200amp load center and the 100amp subpanel off of what was previously a disconnect? Then I though even more, why not just install the the solar breakers in this new, primary panel and forget adding a new subpanel just for the solar. I discussed this in general with the power company inspector who thought that was fine. So I ordered a Homeline 200amp panel and a 200amp Branch Breaker to supply my main load center.

Subsequently, I have talked with an electrician who has suggested a feed-through panel. I think his concern was that if the house was drawing 200amp (unlikely but theoretically possible) and the solar system putting out amps, that would exceed the breaker capacity? I'm just not sure I understand the concern.

I already have the new panel and 200amp Branch Breaker; I know a feed-through panel would be cheaper (and probably a little easier to wire) but I already have my head wrapped around what I have.

Any thoughts/comments?

Thanks!


texts: I am looking to build this table.  The design is simple and I like the basic style.  I do not have a Kreg Jig to drill pocket holes to attach the 2x4 rails to the legs.  How else could I secure these without going through the outside of the leg?  Its going to be outside for the summer and moved to a garage in the winter so they need to be as sturdy as possible.


texts:
A (built in 1987) house that we are under contract to buy has a 30-amp sub-panel in the attached garage. The sub-panel is currently populated by two 120V, 20amp circuits for receptacles in the garage. Upon inspection, I discovered that its electrical supply is as follows:

30 amp breaker at main panel, with 8/3 NM-B with ground run to a box with a NEMA 10-30R dryer receptacle in the basement (yes, I'm aware that 10-30R should be replaced with a 14-30R)
Another 8/3 NM-B with ground running from that box to the garage sub-panel

So it certainly seems that the dryer receptacle and sub-panel share the same 30-amp supply at the main panel. I know that this isn't best practice and will include it in my inspection objections, but can anyone point me to a code reference that would forbid this installation? For example, if they exist, what are the NEC sections requiring a dryer receptacle or subpanel to be on dedicated circuits?


texts: Should I reroute my condensate line to prevent freezing?

texts:
During the recent cold snap in the NorthEast we had the drain line from our condenser pump (High Effeciency Furnace) freeze (Just the last inch or so which plugged it) and that meant lots of water inside. There are no drains on that end of the finished basement and running it the 60+ feet to the washing machine isn't really an option.

It is currently run with the air conditioning lines and sticks out 6-8 inches from the wall (the plastic stops at the wall and then it runs into a copper line that is insulated).

Someone mentioned it should actually run next to the exhaust from the furnace that is always warm when running. It would be relatively easy to do but I am always cautious when exhaust gases are involved. The exhaust is a few feet around the corner from the air conditioning unit.

The PVC exhaust vent is probably around 3 feet about ground level.


texts: Apart from a thermostat, where else can a C-Wire go?

texts:
As part of the home work before buying a smart thermostat (yes, because of the standard C-Wire issue!), i noticed that my current old thermostat have only four wires (No C-Wire), but my furnace does have one and it is going somewhere else, which i am not able to figure out!

Furnace View 1 (Notice the White from C and Red, shared from Y - marked in Red)

Furnace View 2 (Notice that C and Y taking a different route and the rest to my thermostat)

Thermostat (Only four wires)

Any idea where that C and Y could be going? Not sure if this is related, but I do have a Gas fireplace controlled by electric switches.


texts:
Background

I have an unfinished basement. It has cement floors with stone walls. The furnace is located in the basement. There is a supply vent blowing conditioned air into my basement. As far as I can tell, there is no return vent in the basement.

It seems a waste to me to be conditioning such a huge space that I don't really live in. But, I don't really understand too much about the reasoning for why certain areas in my home is conditioned. For example, I was told by an energy auditor that the crawl space under my bathroom should be conditioned (which also seems wasteful).

Question

Why is there a supply vent in my unfinished basement?

Should the vent be opened and heating/cooling my basement?


texts: Why mate two boards instead of using one thicker board?

texts:
I need to build a footbridge across a creek and, due to soft and low land around it, will need a long span crossing the creek.  I found this tutorial by Ron Hazelton where he makes a bridge with a 12' span with two beams supporting it, with supports only at the ends.

Each beam is made up of two 2x6 boards mated together with construction adhesive and bolts every 2'.  This creates a single 4x6 beam.

Is there a reason for doing this with two 2x6x12 pieces instead of a single 4x6x12 board?  Would it be as strong (or stronger) if I did the same with a 4x6x12?


texts: What are my options for heating an energy efficient home with low heating needs?

texts:
I have a super insulated, envelope home. I have R-88 in the ceiling and R-44 in the walls. Living in Northern WI I do have heating requirements, but nowhere near the output of the 90,000 BTU furnace that was originally installed. After living in the home a few years I decreased the burner orifices to give a 50,600 BTU output. This was better and I have used it for the last 20 years. Now my furnace is 33 years old and I am looking for the "Right" furnace to install.

I have connected my furnace to my computer and have recorded every burn cycle for the last year. I have read my gas meter to calculate the amount of gas used per minute. I then calculated that my furnace requirement is about a 25000 BTU furnace. The smallest furnace I can find on the market is a 40,000 BTU furnace. I calculate the 40,000 BTU furnace about twice as much heat as I need.

I do not want to decrease the output of my current furnace (by reducing the number of gas nozzles), as I am concerned with effecting the efficiency of the furnace.

What are my options for such a small heating requirement?


texts:
The previous homeowner seems to have turned a plug in light into a hard wired one, as pictured above. There was a bare copper wire originating from the box with a cap on it pushed way up and not connected. They also had a bare copper wire from the light fixture simply attached to the ground screw. And the neutral and hot wires were as shown. This light can be turned on/off from 2 switches in the home.

My question is... is it acceptable to follow their lead and connect my light fixture the same way. I have a light fixture that has 3 wires, L, N and unlabeled. Or do I have to fix the ground wire somehow.


texts: Where can I find a simple barrister bookcase door mechanism, or how can I make one?

texts:
I have two old Sauder Barrister bookcases- they were inexpensive but are still useful. Four of the plastic catch parts from the hanging door mechanisms have broken. I would like to purchase replacement parts, but don’t know where to find them; or I would consider making them myself if I knew how. Information about this appreciated very much. Thank you

Above, this is a picture of one unbroken door catch part that I need.

The door catch parts hang and slide on this second part of the simple barrister bookcase mechanism.


texts: 2 Switches + 2 Light Fixtures = a problem that needs help!

texts: My husband and I recently decided to build a small pantry closet in our kitchen/dining room area.  We decided that the pantry needed a small light.  We changed our 1 gang box to a 2 gang box that would house a switch for our dining room light AND the new pantry light.  The dining room light has been wired the same for the 25 years we've lived here and have never had a problem with it.  This is what we do know . . . the power source FIRST goes to the dining room light and THEN to the switch.  This is a 12/2 wire.  Upon investigation, there was a junction box in this line between the light and the switch, so we thought we could run 12/2 wire from the junction box to the new pantry switch then to the new pantry light.  Well, we've got a problem and I need some help in navigating how to fix this.  The switches work independent of each other.  If I only use the dining room light, were good.  If I only use the pantry light, we are also good.  BUT, if I turn on the pantry light and then turn on the dining room light, the pantry light shuts off and the dining room light comes on.  I have created a very amateur looking picture of my set up.  Any help that anyone can offer would mean so much.  I've wired alot of stuff, but this just seems impossible for me to understand.  Thanks in advance!


texts: how do I fix hinges to sandstone (that is quite soft)

texts: I have a sandstone wall that I want to fit a gate to.  The sandstone crumbles with little effort. I am concerned any fixings will work loose quickly with any use


texts: Is it possible for me to convert my downlights to normal lights?

texts:
So just bought a house and it's one of those newer houses where every frigging room has got halogen downlights. Seriously I've probably got about 30-40 of them all over the house.

Not sure what the point of downlights are – is it just supposed to look good? Cause from my research, they seem to be incredibly wasteful and can be a fire hazard.

Anyway, so I've been considering a number of choices.

1) Convert them all to LED – this can be expensive but I don't have to do them all at once – maybe the main areas first. I've estimated at 50W – it's costing me ~$23 a year to run EACH light if I turn it on 6 hours a day (0.05kW * 6hrs * 365 days * $0.259 per kWH) compared to a fraction of that to run LED lights. So if they cost $20-30 each, I should be able to re-coup the costs of the main area lights in one year.

This seems like an ok choice but I don't have the nice GU10 types, I have MR16s and I've been told that changing those ones can be tricky and some lights may flicker and I may need to get new transformers etc. Whatever solution, I'd prefer not to have to climb up in the attic.

On top of that, I've noticed that the downlights aren't sealed and there's obviously no insulation above them. So on top of the waste of energy from the lights, I have 40 holes all over my ceiling to let out heat. And I've been told even with LED downlights, I'll still need to leave the gaps in the insulation because otherwise the heat will damage the LEDs and shorten its life.

Does anyone know how much heat actually escapes due to downlights and the lack of insulation? Is this a negligible cost? I live in a place where I would need to turn a heater on for most nights during winter.

2) Convert my downlights to just normal lights

Anyway, given these problems with downlights, is it possible to get some sort of product that I put into a downlight hole that'll seal the hole and have a light under it (basically so that it's no longer recessed). I don't care if it looks ugly – as long as I can use the same light switches to turn it on and off. Maybe I can put a light cover over it or something.


texts: wall outlet when bottom is tiled and top is drywall

texts: Our handyman may have planned poorly when tiling the bottom half of our bathroom wall.  The light outlet's bottom is within the tiled area, white the top half is within the drywall.  There is a space of about an inch behind the switch and the drywall that needs to be filled with something.  Another tile?  I would love to send you a picture and hear your suggestions for this design nightmare.


texts: I want to install a tankless water heater.  Have a 125 amp panel, with two 30 amp breakers for the current water heater.  Install manual recommends having two 40 amp breakers.  Max draw is 75 amps.  Can I just replace the two 30 amp breakers with two 40 amp breakers?


texts: Foam covering around foundation--what is it and can it be removed?

texts:
I recently moved to a new house. Portions of the foundation have some foam-like panels on top of it, in between the ground and the start of the siding.  It's worn down, with holes in some spots, and other areas where I can already see the bare concrete. It's also not all around the house--probably just about 50% of the above-ground foundation.

What exactly is this? It seems like insulation of some type, but I'm not sure. What purpose does it serve? Would it be okay for me to just remove it?


texts: What is this tube sticking out of my roof?

texts:
I'm not sure what kind of vent this is for, but I'm wondering if its supposed to have a cap to protect from rain.

Sorry for lack of description. I'm completely ignorant to whatever this is.

If it helps at all, I have two turbines on my house plus this pipe.  So I know it's not for venting the attic. My guess is its for the bathroom vents maybe?


texts: Where should I connect a second slave phone box?

texts: Hi I'm new to doing diy jobs, but I already wired up a slave phone line to the master box. I'm now looking to wire a 3rd box up, would I wire this off the slave box or the master ?


texts: Are there any penetrating sealers for concrete countertops that will darken the color?

texts:
I am in the process of grinding and polishing a pour-in-place concrete countertop.  When I am done, I want to seal with a penetrating sealer.  I don't want a surface epoxy or wax sealer.  I like the look of the exposed aggregate and it looks great when I am wet-polishing it.  but when it dries, it's all a very flat light-grey and the aggregate does not stand out well.  I would like to darken the color of the concrete to give it that damp-wet look.  Perhaps further polishing with finer-grit pads will give it more shine, but I'm curious if someone with experience here can help me decide if I need a stain or if a penetrating sealer will suffice.

The dry look I dont want (dry after 50-grit polish):

The look I am after (slightly damp after 50-grit polish):

If anyone is curious, the dark spots are portland cement I used to fill pits and low spots.  Part of my motivation to darken the color is to make them less noticeable.


texts: New Home: daily, random, multiple AFCI breakers tripping

texts:
We have a brand new home in Puget Sound which we moved into 2 months ago. We are plagued with constant, random, tripping of multiple AFCI breakers on a daily basis.
Some days, just two or three breakers will trip.  Other days, we’ve had as many as 7, 8, or 9 of the breakers trip throughout the course of the day.  Every one of those 19 breakers will trip at one time or another.
The load panel is Square D, and has 19 AFCI breakers on the left side.  The only correlation we can make, as far as what activity will trip breakers, is that it only happens when the American Standard TAM9 air handler/heat pump combination runs.  If the air handler/heat strip runs, and the heat pump is offline, there will be no tripping.
The builder has put responsibility for resolving this problem at the feet of the electrical contractor and the HVAC contractor.
The electrical contractor, so far, has replaced every AFCI circuit breaker in the panel twice.  He has run a new 240v load line from the service panel to the heat pump.  The electric utility company has placed recording meters on our outside meter, and the local service distribution point for the past month and has recorded no anomalies.
The electrical contractor has claimed his lines are all good, clean, and solid and says “It must be something with the HVAC installation.”
The HVAC contractor has replaced the entire system, piecemeal over the past month.  First it was the heat strip, then it was the heat pump, and this past week, they put in a new air handler, thermostat wire, and thermostat.
The daily, frequent, random tripping of breakers continues, and the HVAC contractor says “It must be something with the electrical installation.”
The SquareD AFCI breakers  have a test button that will report the cause of a tripped breaker by pushing in the test button and switching the breaker back to ON.  If the breaker switches off after 3 seconds, it’s an arc fault.  If it switches off immediately, it’s a ground fault.
Every time I’ve gone through this test process, the breaker responds with an immediate ground fault response.  Every time...ground fault.
Last Friday we had two tech’s from American Standard come out, accompanied by the electrical contractor, the HVAC contractor, and the builder.  They spent 3 ½ hours testing, looking, and testing some more.  At the end, they were all standing outside in a circle, scratching their heads and saying “I’ve never seen this before.”
Meanwhile, my wife and I are at our wits end.  My understanding of electrical matters can fit in a thimble, but ground fault, to me, must mean something in the electrical system.
I am told that our entire home’s concrete, rebar reinforced foundation IS the earth ground for the home’s electrical system.   The footprint the foundation is 70’ X 40’.
Is there such a thing as “too much” earth ground?  Could it be that the complexity of all that rebar is creating some kind of ground loop that feeds back to the panel.  Could it be that the ultimate path to earth ground is defective?
I don’t know, and the electrical contractor tells me that, as far as his tests can show, there is absolutely no problem with the electrical system.
I would really appreciate any knowledgeable insight on this because, all I have thus far, is watching a circular gunfight between the builder, electrical, HVAC, and American Standard.
So far, they are all shooting blanks.
Thank you, in advance, for any thoughts!


texts: My water heater and dryer are connected to the same circuit breaker. Consequently, when the washer-dryer combo is in use the water heater (tank type) is working too and consuming electricity. Can I use a 240v extension cord with an on/off switch to connect my water heater? If it is possible, could someone provide me with a wiring diagram to connect this switch? Recommendations will be appreciated..


texts: Applied stain to deck and still not dry after a week, what can I do?

texts: I decided to restain my deck last week since it was looking pretty worn after a New England winter. The deck is only 1 year old since we bought new construction. I contacted the builder and purchased a can of the same stain they used: Cabot's Mahogany Flame oil based stain. The week before had been sunny and dry. For prep I powerwashed the deck and then waited 24 hours to apply the stain. It's been a week, with warm and dry weather and parts of the deck still look wet and are tacky and sticky to the touch. How can I fix this? Also, what is the proper way to prep a deck before staining?


texts: Can primer cover up a smoke smell inside house?

texts: House was formerly owned by a smoker. Will 1 coat of primer(Kilz in my case) cover and seal in odor inside the house?


texts: Any advice or words of wisdom for toilet leaking through floor/ceiling?

texts:
Does anyone have any advice or words of wisdom for the following project? Specifically, my questions are as follows:

Is this most likely just a matter of replacing the entire upstairs commode / toilet assembly?
Is that something that is easily done DIY? Or is it more complicated than it first appears? (It seems I can just purchase a commode assembly from Home Depot and remove the bolts in the old assembly and replace? (There might also be some sealing involved too to keep everything watertight I'm assuming.)
Should I call a plumber to be on the safe side? If so, how much might they charge?
Or, do I need a contractor because there is water damage in the floor boards? Do I need to replace the floorboards or can I just patch the ceiling drywall?

Description

When the upstairs toilet is flushed, water apparently leaks thru the floorboard onto the ceiling in the room downstairs. The water damage in the floorboard suggests there is a plumbing leak above the floor.

The upstairs toilet shows evidence of leaking.

Fig. 1. Close up view of hole in downstairs ceiling caused by leak in upstairs toilet. Notice water damage to upstairs floor suggests leak begins above the visible piping.

Fig. 2. Medium angle view of Fig. 1

Fig. 3. Wide angle view of Fig. 1 showing room context for perspective.

Fig. 4. Toilet in upstairs bathroom. Blue stain on floor comes from toilet bowl water coloring tablets suggesting leak at base of the toilet.


texts: How do I test and maintain the expansion tank on my boiler?

texts:
I don’t know what maintenance or adjustments are possible on an expansion tank.  I understand from the answer to this question that it needs to be "pre charged" to accommodate the range of pressures that will be encountered during use.   However once it is connected to the system and under pressure from the water side, it seems to me it is impossible to test or perform maintenance on the air side.

Is there any way to test or make corrections to the air pressure while it is connected to the system?
My expansion tank, pictured, is meant to be floor standing with the air valve on top so the advice often seen to test its integrity by seeing if water comes out the air valve cannot be done on my tank, right?
If the system is full of water and the pressures when cold and hot are as expected and the relief valve isn't popping, can I safely conclude that the expansion tank is doing its job?
Should I, (perhaps the next time I have to empty the system), install a ball valve and pressure relief on the water side of the expansion tank so that I can remove it, test its integrity, and test its precharge pressure?   Is that something I ought to do periodically?
If I do disconnect and reconnect the expansion tank, how do I bleed air out of its water side?  It seems to me that is impossible, but also unnecessary because a little air there will take on the system water pressure and so the expansion tank will still work as it should.


texts: How can I handle this splice joint between two shorter pieces of lumber?

texts: I want to build a mostly ground level deck. I have created plans and I want it to be 16' x 20' one long side will have a notch for a circle of rocks and a firepit. my issue is along straight the 20' side. I don't have 20' lumber available. How can I handle where two 10 foot boards meet? I've kept everything well below max span. I'll be using ground contact pressure treated lumber, and I checked it's southern pine.


texts:
I recently purchased a house and have noticed the floors seem to sag in certain spots. I notice in the basement that there are several sections where the joists were cut and then extended via tecos to the sill plate. Presumably because the sill plate needed to be replaced. I attached a photo of a small section showing what I'm describing. The majority of my basement is finished and can I can peek into a little space to allow the plumbing to run and there looks like there is a long stretch of this seemingly hack. Note, there was a significant house fire hence why the joists were painted/sealed.

1) is this a legit way to repair joists/sill plates?

2) is this safe?


texts: How to get GE Lo-Water PreciseFill unstuck from rinse mode?

texts:
The washer fills. Then "rinses". Then fills. Then rinses. Over and over again, skipping all cycles, never making it to spin/finish. It spins, but the indicator light always says rinse.

It never stops. It doesn't agitate, the light never turn on for "soak" or "wash".

Is it the timer? It moves. And the modes seem to be firmware controlled.

kewords: stuck in spin mode, stuck on spin. Perpetual spin mode. stuck in rinse cycle. will only spin, will only rinse.


texts:
I recently bought a house and have no idea anything about fireplaces. I would love to use my fireplace but I want to make sure I know what I am doing. I understand this is wood type fireplace and the material is metal. This might be a silly question but once I fire this guy wouldn't it gas pipe explode or something?

Is that just a gas starter? then I turn it off or keep it on? I don't know how to be safe with that gas pipe and fire going on.
With those leftover ashes wouldn't it block the gas starter holes?
Thank you


texts: What is a condensate pump on a boiler heating system?

texts: I have searched all the online glossaries and dictionaries related to home systems and cannot find it anywhere.


texts: Why is Green Glue used so much in the USA, but hardly used at all in the UK?

texts:
I have been looking at designed for sound proofed walls, it seems that Green Glue is part of a lot of USA design, but does not seem to be used much in the UK.

Is there a reason for this?


texts: Yesterday, we ran cleaner option on the gas oven and earlier today finish cleaning it with baking soda and vinegar.  Tonight we tried to turn on the oven and it keeps tripping the breaker


texts: Additional Subfloor Layer - Glue or Red Rosin Paper

texts:
Currently my main level subfloor is joist, 1/2" plywood, then 3/4" partical board.  I am in the process of replacing the partical board with 3/4" with Oriented Strand Board Tongue and Groove.

After ripping up the partical board - Should I glue & screw the OSB board down?  Or just screw with red rosin paper in between?

Note: when the subfloor is complete I'll be laying builders felt paper down prior to installing 3/4" solid oak hardwood.


texts: What can I do to transition between concrete and drywall?

texts:
I am drywalling my unheated, partially-below grade exterior garage. A four-foot tall concrete wall runs along the parts of the garage that are below-grade.

Above the concrete walls are 2x6 wood framed walls. The wood is anchored to the concrete and separated with a sill gasket. There is a 1/2 inch ledge so the drywall will be flush with the concrete.

What can I do to transition between the drywall and the cement? I don't want a gap, and I suspect the drywall shouldn't be in direct contact with the concrete.


texts: I want to install two dimmers on tied neutrals

texts: I want to install two dimmers that require neutrals. Currently, the box has 3 neutrals tied together. Could I split them up to use for each dimmer?


texts: Plumbing Manifold Use With a Tankless Hot Water Heater

texts:
Due to the nature of a tankless hot water heater only heating water when it needs to (as opposed to having hot water on reserve), does a tankless water heater still work in a manifold system?

Specifically the PEX Manifolds that take an inlet of city water, an outlet of cold water to water heater, and a hot return from water heater.

I am not sure if water flow for hot is stopped when no outlet is requiring it in a home-run system, or if continuous heating would happen.


texts:
Fan runs continuously no heat 3 blinks error code
So I've learnt it seems a draft problem .....
Blew through little hose and clear disconnected exhaust and still nothing any ideas  thanks dave


texts: Can I run CAT5/6 cables parallel to electrical cables?

texts:
I am building a new house and am planning to hardwire network cables into each room.

Can I run CAT5/6 cables parallel to electrical wires without introducing any general safety issues or losing much in connection quality?

Wiring runs for up to 25 metres from patch panel and distribution board in garage to rooms.

My research indicates that is should be fine if they are in separate conduits or if the CAT cables are shielded.


texts: Is there a peaceful way to handle this bird slowly destroying my car?

texts:
There is a pest of a bird doing everything it can to damage my car.

Its actions are best described by watching it in a YouTube video, though I'm not certain how or if SE allows embedding, so here is a link:

https://youtu.be/3JRmFax6oZo

It appears to want something inside of the glass or reflected in the glass, as it can be seen at the 1:52 point in the video to be pecking at my sunroof, but the the only thing under it is the beige cover, so the car's interior is not visible.

It also does not peck at any of the metallic parts of the car, only the glass. It is hard to catch, even on video, but I have witnessed the bird take interest in its own reflection in the mirrors.

A car cover is not an option for me as it attracts other pests, such as mice and rats, plus car covers do not last long where I am because of the very high wind gusts.

I certainly do not wish to harm the bird, and this is the only bird in over 10 years of living here that has ever done this.

If anyone knows a way I can convince the bird to leave my car alone, I would be greatly appreciative.


texts: Do I need to attach a wire fished through a ceiling?

texts:
I have a finished basement and am mounting a flat-screen TV on the wall and I want to put an electrical box behind the TV.  The two existing outlets are both two joists over and each separated with a metal heating vent to boot - so it would be extremely difficult to tie into one of those. However, I have access to the ceiling and can run cable there and out to another outlet.

Can I just run regular electrical wire through the joists and along the ceiling without fastening it to the joists along the way?


texts: Where can I find unusual L-shaped brackets?

texts: I had windows installed in my gazebo, but had them installed with the screens on the outside and windows on the inside (for easier cleaning access).  My problem now is that strong winds blow the windows out!  I need some type of l-shaped brackets (72 of them), with a 3/16" short side and a 1" long side, in some shade of brown.  I need to have pre-drilled holes on the 1" side,  over half way toward the long end.  I've looked long and hard, with no success - can someone direct me to a resource for these, or do they not exist?


texts:
because I have a large bedroom, I’m adding another return duct which I will put on the ceiling against the wall. It's a 15’ ceiling and I want to get the trapped hot air out.
Now, I was thinking of putting either a 12x12x8 or a 10x10x8, and then realized would it matter, because ultimately no matter what size it is, since they both have an 8” flexible hose, won't that determine how much air is drawn in anyway. Seems like an excellent physics problem. I'm going nuts trying to figure this one out. Thank you in advance for the help. EdE


texts: How do I protect a coax cable junction from outside weather?

texts:
I'm planning to re-arrange some coax cable lines in my house which will effectively require me to connect them to a 4-way splitter.

The wifey would prefer these connections to take place in a discrete location outside of the house. My concern is that issues may arise later from the connections being susceptible to outside weather.

Is there a special enclosure I could put this in to protect it?  Or is the only option to just connect the junction in a dry indoor location (e.g. attic, crawlspace, etc).


texts: Why does my stud finder detect electrical wires over a large area of my wall?

texts: I wanted to install a shelving system into my closet. The stud finder seems to detect live wires over a large area (approximately 4 by 4 feet!) The closet is in the basement, with no power outlets except the light fixture. But the stud finder's signal turns on about 3 feet above ground and continues all the way to the ceiling. I checked it with two different stud finders (same result). Question: is this even possible??? That there is so much going on behind a closet wall?  I don't want to drill through any wires, but honestly, a closet like this, without shelves is quite useless...


texts:
Watching home to repo shows, I wonder what the electrical code for Flint, Michigan out of Genesee county is. Like the one show being in California stated each kitchen outlet must have its  own dedicated circuit breaker.

Asking because I know how to wire but don't know regulations or code, and wanting to redo my 100 year old house that has deteriorated 2-wire wiring.


texts: Superglues for higher heat applications?

texts:
I am currently building a specialized computer. One of the parts I ordered includes a clip to hold it to another part (there's no real tension, it's just a clip).  Since there is almost no tension on the clip, a little super glue I think should be fine to repair it.

I am trying to find out if there are any super-glues (non-epoxy) which can be used for higher heat applications? According to the loctite website, it's good to about 82 degrees celsius. The same for gorilla glue.

In a perfect world, my operating temperature will never exceed 65 degrees celsius, but that's a sunny day scenario. If some fans die, it could easily skyrocket from 80-90 degrees celsius before the system locks up from overheating. I need to make sure that the clip doesn't come apart as a result of that heat since it could damage other components if it came loose.


texts: How do I make a faucet pour instead of spray?

texts: I have dual sinks in my master bathroom.  The faucets are identical, but one pours water in a solid thick stream while the other sprays water in a bunch of small streams.  I'd like them both to pour in a solid thick stream.  Is there an easy adjustment I can make?


texts:
I tried to replace my old non-standard Kohler shower head and arm. After I removed the arm, I realized that my shower hose is non-standard as well.   I have a male threaded fitting sticking out the bathroom wall Instead of the standard female threaded fitting inside.
I cannot find any shower arm on Amazon that fits it.
Mainly I want to install a handheld shower head.
Any advice on how I can install a new shower arm and head?


texts:
I know this has been posted and answered in many ways. I wanted to add some more troubleshooting that I did with same results!

Replaced Light (LED/CFL) dimmer with simple single-pole / this is to a different circuit, fed by same power.
** Measured from white-to-gnd (58VAC) and black-to-gnd (55VAC) on dim-glowing LED (this is new info, old multi-meter broken, got new one!)
Reversed black/white dim glowing LED
Measured about 3 VAC across dim-glowing "OFF" LED (white to black)
Removed switch to dim-glowing LED completely, left open
removed black incoming wire from switch#2 from light#5

The glowing is definitely the result of a voltage, not any kind of chemical/residual

Please see diagram.

I am stumped! Thank you for any help!

*** so it looks like the 4 lights in parallel on top are causing the problem. With Sw#2 OFF, there's a decent amount of voltage to ground at the dim-lit LED, (white 58v and black 55v), enough to dimly light the LED. So now I am thinking the guy incorrectly wired the 4 parallel lights. there's NO incoming ground (old house)... ok to not tie grounds together?

Glenn


texts: What could cause low hot water pressure in the shower only?

texts:
The hot water pressure in every other faucet in the house is fine, but in the shower it's a little more than a trickle. I removed the shower head and pulled out the cartridge (it looks kind of like this).

The water was only coming out of the left hole and it was hot water. There was no cold water coming out. It's a single handle shower and if I turn it toward cold there is plenty of pressure, but then if I move it back toward hot then at a certain point it kind of jumps a little and then loses all pressure.


texts: Grounding requirements for multipanel, multiservice installation

texts:
Overview: My question ultimately boils down to figuring out how many wires I can properly stuff down an existing conduit.

There are many questions pertaining to wiring and grounding sub-panels, but I'm not sure if the addition of the metering aspect makes it trickier or not.

Backstory: I am upgrading my service to 200 amp. Down the road, I may get an Electric Vehicle, and our utility has a special pricing if you charge during certain hours of the day, and in order to be on that program, you need a separate meter for that. So, when I replace the existing meter and breaker panel, I want to make sure I've set myself for success if/when I add the new meter down the road.

I currently have a subpanel in my detached garage. If I was to do this specialized meter, that panel would become a main panel fed by the EV meter. However, I have a light on the garage, that is switched from within the house.

The following is an illustration of how I think the system should be setup. What I am uncertain about, is connections of the grounding between each meter system. From my reading, what I have drawn is legit, and that it's fine to bond the panel grounds together even when on different meters. Others online have said that each 'service', the House and EV meters, should have their own independent grounding wiring systems, meaning 2 connections to the water meter, and 4 ground rods by the house. Personally that seems nonsensical, but I want to be sure. The main area that result in a problem is filling the conduit.

When charging an EV, I'd want to pump as much juice out to the EV panel as practical. If I do indeed have to run two 8ga ground wires in the conduit, I may be only able to do 50-60 amp continuously, instead of 75 or 100 as I'd like. 1-1/4 conduit isn't huge, and with 6 current carrying conductors in there I have to derate the capacity by 80 percent. With 3 14g wires, 3 2g wires, and a 6g wire I'm getting pretty close to the 40% max fill limit.* When all the temp and fill deratings are computed I might have to downsize my EV conductors.

So what is it? Can ground be shared by everything, or do I need to have multiple grounding systems for each metered system?

*I am looking into a smaller neutral wire, then I'd be able to put two 1g wires in for 110 nominal amps, but haven't done the math yet on whether that would be up to code, but in that scenario I'd be a razor thin amount under the 40% fill rule.


texts: Is notching a flange on an I-Joist ever acceptable?

texts: My home builder said that the following notch in a flange on an I-Joist was acceptable, but I've read that you're never supposed to do so. Is that true?


texts: Adding a wire or circuit to a disconnect box

texts: I have a 40 amp 240v circuit powering a sprinkler pump. There is a disconnect box located near the pump. Can i add a 30 a 120 v circuit to this by replacing disconnect box with a 60 a subpanel or is there a better way ? Need 30 amp 120 v circuit near pump