texts:
My clothes washer drain backs up after about 10 seconds.  If I wait for 15 seconds it will accept another 10 seconds of pumped water--but, it backs up again.

My kitchen & clothes washer are both connect to the same main drain line (~20 ft apart).  I used an electric powered 3/8" drain snake to clean out that main line up to 75 ft.  The kitchen drain drains perfectly, however, the clothes washer drain still hasn't improved.

I used a 5/16" drain snake on the clothes washer drain, however it would not go very far into the piping.  I imagine it gets caught at the p-trap (which is inside the wall) and that is probably where the clog is.

I live in an older house & I don't want to use caustic drain cleaner chemicals in my old drain pipes to clear the clog.  What is the next best DIY alternative for clearing out a drain pipe that has a p-trap in the wall or in the concrete floor (my 1st floor shower drain may soon need cleaning too)?

p.s.:  There is NO clean-out access port in the plumbing for this drain.


texts: How does one transition from two layers of drywall?

texts: I am in the process of finishing my garage. Common walls with the house have two layers of drywall: ~1/2" and 5/8". Is there a cheap and aesthetically pleasing way to transition to one layer of 5/8" for the remainder of the wall or will the whole wall have to be 1-1/8" thick? I could install OSB behind the drywall which would be nice for hanging stuff; however, it's pretty expensive right now.


texts: electrical service to a shipping container workshop

texts:
I am purchasing an 8x20ft shipping container ("conex") which I will be using as a toolshed and small workshop. I want to have some electrical service out there, for a compressor, fluorescent lighting, and some outlets for power tools etc; no HVAC or anything like that.

I'm a EE and have done plenty of wiring within the house, but want to make sure I've got the nuances of a sub-panel in a detached building correct, ask if the fact the building is all-metal suggests special considerations, and solicit comments on my whole plan.    The work will not be subject to inspection.   Here's my plan:

I'll run 10/3 (plus ground) UF direct-burial cable from the main panel (in my house) to the sub-panel in the container, protected by a double-pole 30 amp breaker in the main panel.  We're talking maybe 75ft total wire run, so voltage drop will be a few volts max (10ga is about 1 ohm per 1000ft).  Trench depth 2ft, with plastic conduit where the UF comes up out of the ground.

I will configure the sub-panel to keep ground and neutral separate (with "insulated ground bar" or "neutral bar" kit, assuming there's no subpanel boxes available with separate neutral and ground bars). No main breaker in the sub-panel.  I'll have four single-pole/120vac branch circuits (probably two 20amp and two 15amp, since it's ok for the breakers in a panel to add up to more than the main breaker), wired with 12 and 14 gauge NM respectively.

I'll install an 8ft ground rod at the sub-panel, and bond the shipping container to it too.   How exactly should I interconnect the ground rod to the container shell and to the ground wiring (the ground bar in the subpanel, which in turn is connected to the ground wire in the UF cable and to the ground wires in all the branch circuit Romex) ?   Is this sufficient grounding ?

I'll probably drop 3/4" PEX in the trench too.   No immediate needs for plumbing out there, but a faucet might be nice some day, and it's maybe $50 of materials.


texts: My copper water lines burst, was that actually a good thing for the steel pipes around them?

texts:
I have an external water heater in a contained closet with two copper pipes, 1", running up from under the house to the fittings, through the water heater, then back down again.  Coming back home after the Texas cold snap they were split vertically in several places.  I am not relishing going under the house in that mud and inspecting there!
I have a question from a physics standpoint:

Would the copper pipes have been the weak link in terms of bursting?  I have never yet seen any of my metal/galvanized pipes do this, only PVC and (now) this copper.

It's an old house so the pipes are an amalgam.


texts:
What type of cable is this? I found it in the wall without any junction box just taped off at the end with electrical tape.

Thanks!


texts: How to best connect anodized aluminum and wood posts

texts:
I have added an anodized aluminum guardrail to the edge of my raised patio on one side. The other sides are surrounded by wood guardrails. The wood posts are roughly 3" x 3" pine, and the aluminum posts are approximately 2" x 2".
The metal guardrail section is not as strongly anchored as the wood sections, so I want to secure the end aluminum posts to the wood posts to ensure they do not fail. However, they are positioned roughly 6-12" away from each other at odd angles (i.e., not perpendicular). How can I best attach these posts to one another in a rigid way?
My first thought was to buy quarter-inch anodized aluminium strips and and bend them to the appropriate angles, but I don't know if I can easily do that - plus it requires drilling holes through the aluminum strip to anchor it into the metal posts and wood posts. Finally, I'd want them to also be a black finish (like the metal guardrail) so it would match. I haven't been able to find vendors that easily supply this material, so I'm wondering if my approach is misguided.
Is there any easier way to accomplish this?


texts: How can I get new sections of fencing to match the existing fencing?

texts:
I have a lot of Fencing. half of the fence has previously been Galvanized, I have also created a few new fence sections.

My problem is that when the new fence gets galvanized, it will look too clean and polished and will stick out. I know that the oxidation that happens on the fence is the protective layer that you actually dont want to clean, however in my case, I would like to make the entire fence look the same.
so the choices are to either clean the old fence in some solution (which is cheap and readily available)  or to make the new fence oxidise quicker.
From experience, I know that the new fence will take a few months to start looking like the existing fence.

Any Ideas here?


texts: Eye Lag Screws in TJI type joist for suspended ceiling

texts: So I want to install a drop ceiling in my basement, but I have these TJI/ I-beam type engineered wood floor joists and I know that you should almost never nail or screw into them on their bottom flange. So, How does someone install a suspended ceiling with these type of joists then?


texts: Is there a flush circuit breaker box cover?

texts: My breaker box is built into the wall. I can put my existing door on the outside, but that doesn't seem ideal as it leaves a gap. Is there a cover that will fit inside this? If so, what is it called? Tried many searches, but either they don't exist or I'm not using the correct term.


texts: How to identify the purpose of this switch?

texts:
I have three switches in a box.  One controls the light on the ceiling fan and one controls the ceiling fan.  I cannot figure out what the third switch is used for.

I thought it might have controlled switched receptacles.  However after testing all receptacles in the room with the mystery switch on and off, I saw no change in power being supplied to the receptacles.  I used an receptacle tester that plugs into the receptacle.  I tried both the top and bottom outlets in each receptacle.

Does anyone have thoughts as to what this switch could control?  How can I identify what the switch is used for?

A picture of the switch box:

UPDATE: As @Edwin guessed, this switch was previously used for two switched electrical receptacles.  One of the switched outlets had been replaced since the house was built and the fin use to make the top outlet switched had not been removed.  This caused the outlet to have power regardless of the switch position.  I'm guessing this was done when the ceiling fan light was installed and the homeowner no longer wanted the switched outlets.  I've replaced the receptacle and now the switch works--switching the top outlet on two receptacles.  Mystery solved!  Thanks go to everyone that had a suggestion and offered advice.


texts: Can the water supply pass through a water heater before the expansion tank?

texts:
I can't find anything on the piping placement of an expansion tank relative to the water heater.  All the pictures I find shows the intake from the wall to the expansion tank and then to the WH.  The physical layout of my WH and source piping makes that difficult.  Is it OK for the intake to go to the WH first and then keep going and terminate at the expansion tank.
.


texts: I removed my bathroom vanity and found some pipes. What might they be?

texts:
We are doing a bathroom remodel, and I removed the vanity and found some pipes I did not expect to find.  This is a second story bathroom, and the wall pictured is an exterior wall.
The pipes are nowhere near the downstairs kitchen or bathroom, nor are they near the laundry room.  Above the bathroom is the attic.  Directly below it is our living room, which does have a gas fireplace (although I believe it vents elsewhere).
The vanity has a normal looking drain connection just above the photo.  Not pictured.  Perhaps that's what one of these are for?
Anyone have any idea what the heck these are?  Or how I'd put a new vanity in on top of these?


texts:
I am adding a ceiling fan to an existing junction box in my house. There was nothing there before, just a junction box which is rated for a ceiling fan. The house was built in 2016.

There is a standard switch that has Ground, a Line (live power) and Load wire going up to the fixture.

At the light fixture is the standard Ground, White, Black. But there is also a Red wire.

When the switch is off, both the black and red show ~2V (tested with a multimeter).

When the switch is turned on, the black wire shows 120V, and the red wire shows 12V.

There is definitely no red wire connected to this switch, so I am confused on why there is a red wire, and why it is showing 12V. Since it is in close proximity to the black wire, is it just picking up residual power?


texts: Can I build storage in front of heaters?

texts:
We're in an NYC pre-war apartment building. Under every window, there's a built in radiator:

Each has a knob that supposedly shuts the radiator off but it doesn't always work. Meaning you can tighten it down and the radiator still gets hot.

I saw a nearby real estate listing where someone had built a cabinet below their windows, creating a bench and some storage. I'm interested in trying the same thing, but I'm worried that storage over and around the hot radiators would be a mistake.

Does anyone have suggestions on insulating the radiators so that we won't be melting crayons? Or for turning them off? Anyone tried this?

Note: these photos are both from real estate listings. The first isn't our actual unit, but does show how the radiators are flush against the wall.


texts: What is the first step in fitting a switch to existing wiring?

texts:
Below is an image of cables previously connected to a double light switch at a building in the UK. The occupant wanted to know why there was an additional white cable and how to go about fitting a new switch.

What would be the first step, and what should be done with the additional cable if it cannot be identified?


texts: How do you wire a current sensor to multiple fans?

texts:
I have two booster fans that I only want to run when the main HVAC blower fan is on.
Each fan will have its own speed controller.
How do I wire them both to the same current sensor switch? Should I just run two separate lines from each fan and connect them to the relay at the same place, or do I need to run a single cable from the relay with one fan online and one at the end of the run?
What part of the fan should the sensor connect to?


texts: GFCI tester doesn't trip GFCI. Bootleg ground?

texts:
My girlfriend recently moved into a new apartment which I have come to suspect might have bootleg grounds, or otherwise improperly wired outlets. After multiple surge-protectors said that they were not grounded she bought a GFCI/outlet tester. When plugged in the tester says that the outlets are wired correctly, but when the GFCI test button is pressed the GFCI doesn't trip and the tester changes to reading that hot and neutral are reversed until the GFCI test button is released again. Pressing the test button on the outlet itself works normally. None of the outlets have any special labels.

The building is old, and originally did not contain apartments, so it seems reasonable to assume that the wiring was in some way retrofitted into it. Some searching around on the internet has led me to suspect that these things might be symptomatic of the outlets having a bootleg ground. Is this the correct conclusion, or are there other possible causes of this?


texts:
Trying to isolate a leaking radiator. I've closed the locksheild valve by turning it clockwise until it tightened and set the thermostatic valve to 0.

I've just tried bleeding the radiator to check that it's isolated (and what is dripping is just the left over contents of the radiator) and water is coming out at a pace as I bleed it.

How long should water come out of a radiator whilst I bleed it, if the radiator is isolated?


texts: I have a bathroom with a single switch that simultaneously turns on the light and fan.  I wanted to put in a double stack switch to allow independent control of the light and fan.  Behind the old switch were two romex cables with three wires each (black, white and bare ground) and the two black lines were on the single switch with the white wires bonded together. Only one of black wires was hot so I attached it and the other black wire to the two black screw on the levitown stack switch and the two whites to the brass screws.  When I turned it on the gfci in the bathroom tripped and would not reset.  What do you think may be wrong?


texts:
We are remodeling our kitchen and moving the sink from against a wall to a peninsula.
You can see below what the plumber put in.  The new sink drain is lower left (in blue).  The drain eventually flows into the slab at lower right green.  The vent for the old sink is in red.

I'm new to this, but from what I've read, the only way this work as-is is to install an AAV under the sink.  However, I think AAVs are not code in San Diego (where I live).  Also it looks to me like a loop vent would not be hard to install (see the second photo where I've sketched one in):

Does that seem reasonable?  Am I right to think the plumber should not have installed it this way to begin with and should fix it?
More details:
I found this in the California Plumbing Code (https://up.codes/viewer/california/ca-plumbing-code-2016/chapter/10/traps-and-interceptors#1002.2).

It seems pretty clear that this is not code.  The full length of the drain line in the photo is ~140" which is much longer than the longest allow distance in the table above.  Am I reading/thinking about this correctly?


texts:
I am installing a plaster board ceiling for sound proofing a room.
I left a 5mm gap between the plasterboard and the wall to allow it to vibrate.

I know I have to fill it with some kind of caulk. I find many references to acoustical caulk on the Internet but none at my local construction depot.

I need to finish this so ordering from the Internet is not an option either.

What is the substance used in acoustical caulk?
What can I use as an acoustical caulk?

It needs to stay flexible, paintable and have an effective isolation.


texts: Where do I connect a C wire in an old Furnace?

texts:
I am hoping to be able to upgrade to a smart thermostat but unfortunately my furnace doesn't have the "easy" option with an obvious C terminal.

My furnace is OLD but it actually has the full 5 wires pulled to it although only 4 of them are in use/connected.  All 4 are attached to the appropriately marked terminal at the Thermostat (see picture) but then it's a bit of a rats nest at the furnace so I am trying to figure out where the C wire would go to make the smart thermostat work.

Is there another wire I can piggy back off of at the furnace to bring the necessary power to the smart thermostat?  Does anything in these pictures give you any idea where to attach the blue/C wire at the furnace?  Any help you can offer would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance and feel free to respond if you need a better look at anything from these pictures.

[![Solution?][5]][5]

[5]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/CD5si.jpg


texts: Can I run a washer hose up and over a door?

texts:
Currently my washer is on one wall next to a standing drainpipe and blocks access to an exterior door. I would like to move the washer to the exterior wall, next to the dryer, but that would require running the drain hose from one side of the room to the other.
I would like to run the hose almost completely straight up so it clears the door (the door is 7ft tall), then to turn and slowly slope down over the door, turn again (the distance between the washer and the corner of the wall is roughly 4ft), and then continue to run on a slope down the other wall (this distance is roughly 5ft) into the standing drainpipe.
I've read in a few places the water can still pump correctly as long as the hose isn't higher than 8ft, however, every video I've seen the drain is also that high and the hose doesn't then go back down. Also, would it be best to use a hose for the full length or can I use PVC pipe?
Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!


texts: How do I disconnect a garbage disposal from a junction box? What to do with loose wires?

texts:
I just removed part of our cabinet during demo and our kitchen has a hardwired garbage disposal to a junction box on the wall.

I want to disconnect my disposal during demo and save it for reuse in our remodel.

How do I disconnect the disposal from the junction box and reconnect the loose wires in junction box so that the path of electricity is still maintained for the other parts of the kitchen?

I'm pretty sure I know how to disconnect it...
(1) Turn off power at the breaker box
(2) Open junction box and disconnect wires that goes to the disposal
(3) ...what do I do next with the loose wires?  (I guess I should open the box and take a picture)


texts: Which of my water heater's thermostats is broken?

texts:
I've got a dual-element, dual-thermostat electric water heater.  One of the thermostats is stuck in the "on" position: it heats the water until the high limit switch trips and cuts off all power.  How do I figure out which thermostat is the problem, or should I just replace both?

If it matters, the heater is a Kenmore 153.329460 with the lower element converted for 5500W operation.  The power supply is 240-volt split-phase (so, no neutral wire; both incoming wires are hot).


texts: Why does my kitchen faucet cut off when turned more than halfway on?

texts:
A while back, I was running my kitchen faucet while the the dishwasher was on. While the dishwasher was filling up, there was a sudden spike in pressure in my pipes, and the faucet cut off. Ever since then, I can only turn my kitchen faucet about halfway on - it works normally up until that point, but then suddenly cuts off, and won't come back on until you completely turn off the faucet for several seconds.
I was able to disassemble the valve completely, but I can't figure out what the problem could be - everything looks ok (or at least not obviously broken) and nothing appears clogged.
How can I troubleshoot this? The faucet is a Kohler single lever faucet, if that helps.


texts: Has anyone seen a plug like this before? It is supposed to be for a portable cooler. Wondering what it plugs into?

texts: Has anyone seen a plug like this one before? I am wondering what it plugs into. It is on the power cord for a portable cooler, and may be for a car, RV or boat. I am wondering if it is for another country other than the U.S.


texts:
I'm renting a place that has some exposed, faded, old wood floors. I want to do what I can to protect it from any further and perhaps spruce it up and make it look good in the process. I know that I can't do that fully without refinishing it but in the mean time, what can I do to add some nice color and protection to these floors?

I went over to Home Depot and they suggested I rent out a buffer and some rub on floor wax. Any other options besides resorting to big machinery?


texts: How can I make the new thinset level with the old one?

texts:
I was replacing one kitchen floor tile which had been cracked. I removed the cracked title, cleaned the old thinset, applied new thinset, spreaded it with a 1/4” trowel and put a new title. Well, the problem was that the height of the new title was a lot lower than the other ones. I found out that the thinset layer of the existing tiles was thick — it was about 3/8”.

Does anyone know the best way of leveling with the thick thinset layer? Should I use a trowel with a larger notch? Or, does it make sense to put another mortar layer over the backerboard so that the gap is reduced? Then, leveling the mortar layer seems to be tricky. Any advice is appreciated.


texts: Extending power from existing three-way switch circuit

texts:
I have 2 circuits of 4 lights connected via two 14/3 cables to two sets of switches that on/off each circuit. Power comes in at Switch1/circuit 1. All works fine.

I want to extend power from second set of switches to new single pole switch just two feet from that second set. The new single pole switch will control one dining room light. How do i extend power to next switch so that it works independent of the other switches?


texts: How do I turn off the programs on my White Rodgers thermostat?

texts:
I can't find anything on the internet about this issue. Sites like this: https://www.hunker.com/12279552/how-to-program-a-white-rogers-thermostat
explain how to set up a program but they don't explain how to turn off programs.


texts:
Insulation R value only relates to conducted heat.  Foil-facing reflects heat, so it reduces heat transfer between inside and outside via another mechanism (stops radiant heat from becoming conductive heat).  Comparing foil-faced and non-foil-faced insulation of the same R value, the foil-faced will reduce total heat transfer more.

I'm in a situation where I may need to replace foil-faced insulation with another type that is not foil-faced.  I can match the R value, but would lose the foil's reduction in radiant heat transfer.  That would translate to more conductive heat, which could be offset by increasing the R value.

Is there a way to figure out what increase in R value would yield equivalent reduction in heat transfer as the foil adds (i.e., maintain the same temperature difference between inside and outside as the foil-faced insulation)?


texts:
I'm about to put a driveway down. Is it possible to cover the driveway with mulch instead of gravel?

Context:

In the woods. I want to keep the woodsy feel.
Long, mild winters. January average temperature is 38 deg F. Not much snow, and no plowing.
19" rainfall each year, in the fall/winter/spring.
Glacial till subsoil.


texts: 'Green' alternative to TSP for cleaning walls for paint preparation

texts:
Based on some of my cursory research, TSP seems to be bad for the environment and is toxic. So just to play it on the safe side I want to see what people have used that is effective for preparing walls for painting.

TSP is suppose to clean and degrease the walls. What other things do that?
Simple Green(?), vinegar, etc.

I've seen substitutes out there but I want to know what works the best and gives the same results as TSP.


texts: How do I interpret the power supply specs for an electric convection oven?

texts:
I bought an electric convection oven. The manual says the NEMA 14-30 plug should be connected to:

  120/240 Volt, 20 Amp, 60 Hz power supply or 120/208 Volt, 20 Amp, 60 Hz power supply.

I understand the amps and AC frequency, but I'm unsure about the volts. Does it mean the oven will work on either a regular 120 volt circuit or a 240 volt circuit? Or does this mean I need a tandem breaker to make a 240 volt circuit?


texts: How do I prevent doors on a media cabinet from sagging?

texts:
A friend and I have just built a floor to ceiling media shelf unit for DVDs.  It has 9 shelves and is about 3' wide.  The frame around it is made up of 2"x8" boards and the shelves (except for one in the middle) are all 1"x8" boards.  At the bottom there's a 2"x12" that provides a lip and the front is cut on an angle going toward the floor at the very front.

Click any picture for full size

I didn't know if I'd have to add doors or not, but now it's clear I will.  These doors would be from 6"-8" thick, with shelves in them, so they can hold more DVDs and blu-ray discs.  Basically, I want doors like in the last picture below.  It'd be two doors, each half the width of the shelves (so that'd be about 18").  Since this unit is about 8' high, I'm also splitting the doors vertically, to limit the total weight put on any door.

When doors are closed, they will rest on the lip.  (That's the purpose of the 2x12 at the bottom - provide support for the doors full of DVDs when the door is closed, as they usually will be.)

But this is a fair amount of weight.  I know I can use strong hinges and even extra hinges to keep the doors on, but my concern is about the doors sagging over time.  I don't want to add a lot of weight.  In my head, I'm picturing a sheet of plywood (1/8" thick) and 1x6 or 1x8 boards mounted on that, to make the frame and shelves for the door.

But I've never done a project quite like this and I want to make sure there is no sag from the side of the doors on the hinges on the edge, and the other side of the doors, in the middle.

Will plywood be enough to keep the frame from sagging or changing shape, or do I need to do more?

NOTES:

After a few comments, let me add that the door on the upper right will be shorter than the door on the upper left, due to the door arch, and we talked about adding another shelf running over the door to make up for the lost shelf space.
The shelf unit is attached to the studs in the wall with screws, so I'm not worried about the balance or tipping issue.


texts: Extending extension cord 16/3 with 12/2 cable?

texts:
I have an extension cord that is 15ft and it is a 16/3. I have a 20ft of 12/2 cable. Can I use it to extend the extension cord for about 5 more feet?

The devices connected to the extension cord will still be a max of 13 amps. I just want to use the 12/2 so that I won't buy new cable.

I am thinking about cutting my extension cord (16/3) half way so that I can still use the end outlets-plug. If I can merge them, do I connect black and red from 16/3 to black on 12/2 and then black split to red and black again (see diagram)?

                            --red----              --red 16/3---
Flat Plug -- 10ft of 16/3 --         --12/2 black--              ----extension outlet
                            --black--              --black 16/3--

neutrals and ground will be connected accordingly.


texts: Does a 100 year old home need attic ventilation added if no problems have occurred?

texts:
We purchased a 1920 brick home 2 years ago and are pricing a new roof and the roofing contractors want to put in ridge vents and soffit ventilation systems.
We currently have two large awning style windows on each end of the stand up attic and an attic fan.  The roof does have large peaks and slopes and when looking a the tongue and groove from the inside it appears perfect with no signs of mold or wood rot.

Do we really need the a ridge vent and soffit ventilation system in a 100 year old home with no roof related issues except its time to replace the shingles?
After reading quite a few articles we feel as though we should be leaving these windows cracked open or fairly wide open all year round.
Is that an accurate assessment?

Your recommendations and insights would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Why isn't the hot water in my shower hot enough?

texts:
I have two showers in my house, one seems to be noticeably cooler no matter what I try. Both are Symmons Temptrol model A. The house is mostly PEX except where copper is required.

I cannot take a shower in one because the hot water never gets hot enough. The sink to the same bathroom has nearly scalding water.

I have replaced the spindle assembly and the hot and cold seats hoping that this would help, with no joy.

I have backed out the hot-water limit stop screw to the point where the handle now spins nearly 500 degrees (way way past a full turn.)

The other shower is just bearable but I like a really hot shower. I have resorted to turning up the water heater which has helped, but I feel like I am missing something.

I am not sure if there is an obstruction in the pipes but with the single handle design of the shower I cannot tell the pressure of the hot water in the shower. The sink next to it has what appears to be a normal pressure.

Is this typical of this style of shower control?
Does the hot water never fully flow?
If I do have an obstruction in the pipe what would my next step be?


texts:
I have installed (5) recessed lights to my ceiling. I just wanted to double check two questions.

Is my wiring sequence correct?

Switch to light #1 (3 blacks, 3 whites, 3 grounds in #1),

light #1 to light #2 (3 blacks, 3 whites, 3 grounds in #2),

.... and so on until,

light #4 to light #5 (2 blacks, 2 whites, 2 grounds in light #5). The wires terminate at light #5.

I used the push connectors provided by the housing. If I cut the 12G wires' harness too long (about an inch) that when I inserted them into the push connector, some wire is still exposed at the base of the connector, can I just wrap electrical tape around the base of the connector with the wires? I know you can do this for a wire nut, but I haven't seen people do it with push connectors so I'm just making sure it's completely okay.

I know I can just remove the wire, cut it and reinsert but im afraid of loosening the push connector's grip by doing that.

Apologies for the noob questions. :)


texts: What causes burn marks on the air handler in the attic?

texts:
What caused these burn marks?

Phoenix Arizona suburb.  House was construction complete about 6 months ago.

The tape and insulating foam around the bigger tube was cut.  I assume the AC tech that came out to investigate the bad fish smell (see below) did the cutting, but I don't know for certain.

(Un?) Related Info:

Bad Fish Smell

A couple weeks/months after moving in we would noticed a strong body odor / fish smell in one area of the house, but nowhere else.  It was sporadic.  Sometimes we could smell it every night for a few days and sometimes we wouldn't smell it for a week or two.  When it was there it would smell that way for hours.  We usually only smelled it after dark.  I had a theory that it was moisture making mold a day or so after rain, but it wasn't consistent.  I replaced the air filters.  No change.  Google said it could be burning plastic and to call a pro.  I called the builder and they sent an AC tech to investigate.  The AC tech said they found nothing.  We did smell it after they investigated, but we haven't smelled it in weeks/months.  Maybe the heater was kicking on and making the smell and it hasn't kicked on since spring, so that's why we don't smell it anymore?  Except, I don't think it was cold enough to kick on the heater.

Burning Plastic Smell

Occasionally we smelled a strong burning plastic smell.  The odor was in the kitchen and every time we smelled it the gas stove was on, but we did not smell it every time the stove was on.  I looked all around the stove and saw nothing abnormal.  I couldn't pin the smell to the stove either.  My wife thinks it was a specific pot.  That pot never made the smell before we moved into this house and I was unable to replicate using that pot.  We haven't smelled this odor in weeks/months.


texts: What is the minimum safe distance between two induction hobs/Stovetops?

texts:
I am building a new kitchen in the UK and I want a 5-6 burner induction hob/stove.

However, a 5 or 6 burner induction hob is more than twice a 4 ring one. Given that I am looking at other options.

Install a 2 ring hob next to a 4 ring one
Suggestions?

Installing a 2 ring hob brings up regulation problems - as safe distance between appliances is 200mm.
Has anyone got any experience with navigating UK building regulations to figure this out?

IMO installing a hob next to another hob shouldn't require a 200mm gap.

Thanks


texts: Not seeing a toilet shut off valve for installing bidet

texts:
I live in an apartment and it seems like every toilet has a connection like this.
To install my bidet I need to shut off the valve, but I'm not seeing one here?
Is there a way to shut off the water to the toilet with this setup or will I need to find the main line.


texts:
I want to wire a new exterior front of house gfci WR outlet, from an existing garage gfci.   I would like this new exterior outlet to be on a switch, so I'm thinking the wiring will be

Source -> garage GFCI -> switch -> exterior GFCI.

My question is basically how to do the specifics, and do I need pig tails anywhere.  I'm thinking:

black/hot:  source to LINE on garage gfci, LOAD from garage gfci to switch, 2nd switch terminal to LINE on exterior gfci

white/neutral: source to LINE on garage gfci, LOAD from garage gfci to LINE on exterior gfci

All switches, boxes, and outlets will be grounded via ground wire and metal boxes.


texts: How to add a ceiling light to existing ceiling light in same room that has two wall switches?

texts: Our hallway has one small ceiling light that is controlled by either of two wall switches at opposite ends of the hallway. I want to add an additional light fixture toward the other end of the hall & have both switches control both lights. Thanks.


texts:
We've just moved house, and I've never had to deal with plasterboard before.  I'm in the UK, and the house is about 10 years old.  My understanding was that behind the plasterboard would be a gap (maybe of an inch or so) and then the concrete blocks forming the inner layer of the outside wall (this question only relates to external walls) except for the places where there are studs.
Instead, in one bathroom, there is a small gap (maybe 10mm) and then a grey, fairly smooth surface.  I have no idea what this is, but it doesn't look like a breeze block.
In the other bathroom, there is a tiny gap (maybe 5mm) and then a layer of something white in colour.  I made the mistake of drilling into this; the hand-drill (I was paranoid about hitting a pipe) went in very easily, and from shining a torch down the hole, it seems long.  It seems, roughly, like a very low density plaster-like material, which is pretty thick.  Could this be a layer of some sort of solid insulation?  In this 2nd case, the tiny gap isn't enough room to allow the expanding fixtures I was hoping to use to expand: would it be okay to drill out this second layer a little to allow some more room?
(I have tried removing the plug fixtures to gain a look at some pre-existing holes, but I can't see much of interest I'm afraid.)
Edit: After some extensive Googling, I strongly suspect that what I found was a "thermal block", see for example: http://www.plasplugs.co.uk/fixings_thermal.html
This fits with the description given by the builders (found in an information pack left by the previous owner).  What I saw in the first bathroom is, I presume, the same stuff, but maybe with a different finish?  Anyway, I ended up putting normal rawl plugs into this, which I suspect is a mistake...
Update: I took some photos from my garage, which is part of the house, but not plaster-boarded.  Firstly, this is a shot of the blocks which form an internal wall between the garage and the house:

The smoothed out surface in the middle is what, I am 90% sure, I saw behind the plasterboard in the en suite bathroom.  The rest of the block is a normal breeze-block (so hard to drill into without a hammer-drill).
However, on the other two walls in the Garage (so against the outside, and against a further internal wall with the house) are, except for the lowest layer, thermal blocks:

I can push a drill bit about a cm into these!  The texture is exactly the same as what's behind the plasterboard in the main bathroom.
Questions: Why would the internal wall in the garage have normal blocks, but the external wall have thermal blocks?  Why would one bathroom have thermals and the en suite not?  (Both are external walls).


texts: How do I remove the septic effluent pump

texts: I have an aerobic septic system. I need to remove the effluent pump that drives the sprinklers. It seems connected to the floor of the tank. After disconnecting the pipe union, I can rotate the stack of pump and vertical discharge pipe multiple turns in either direction, but can not raise it nor move it side-to-side to side.  Is there a locking system in some tanks to keep the pumps in place?   Thank you,


texts: How close can an IMC coupler be to the unsupported portion of the rise above a roof?

texts:
I'm setting up my entrance riser for my shop.  The weather head is 13' up from the top of the panel box, and the shop "roof" is 11' from that with 2' of the 2.5" IMC conduit riser extending above the roof.  The problem is, the IMC comes in 10' threaded sections so I will have the connection about 1' below the roof line.  The connections are very rigid, and I will put a single brace above the connection to the wall (see picture)  I cant find anywhere in code showing this other than an implication that there has to be a brace between the connection and the unsupported section.  The threaded connections seem as rigid as the pipe itself.
My question is: Does this attachment meet NEC intent?
The second option which I don't like and don't have the equipment for, is to cut the lower IMC piece and re-thread it at about 8' length...  For info, I am in AZ and the service will be Tucson Electric Power.

Final set up:  (i ended up threading the 5' section at a local machine shop)


texts: How can I connect two plumbing vents in a horizontal run?

texts:
I have a vertical vent coming into my basement and I need it to go to a horizontal vent on both sides.  for the life of me I am not able to find any kind of vent Tee where its straight up and down without one side having a curve.  If I use something like a sanitary tee (which has a curve) am I going to restrict air flow on one of the horizontal pipes (mainly the one not on the curve) I am able to find cleanouts and converters to change the threaded top to a glue able kind (would that be ok?) or should I just put a y on the vertical for one direction and a 90 at the bottom for the other horizontal direction?
The venting is for the drainage, not the HVAC.  Something like this
https://www.lowes.com/pd/NIBCO-1-1-2-in-dia-ABS-Vent-Tee-Fitting/1000221855


texts: How do I replace the cartridge on this tap?

texts:
I have this specific tap
https://www.screwfix.com/p/seaford-basin-mono-mixer-tap-with-pop-up-waste/853fv
On my bathroom basin. It is leaking from the cold water stem when turned on, so I believe I need to replace the cartridge on that side.

I have consulted several articles and videos and it's fairly clear what has to happen, but I cannot figure out how to remove the handle.

I have several theories, but nothing wants to budge (probably in part because of 10 years of hard water) and I don't want to apply the level of force required to turn a jammed 10 year old part unless I know I'm doing it the right way.

So does anyone know specifically how to gain access to the cartridge on the above linked tap?


texts: Water supply valve to closed radiant heat system on or off?

texts: I have a closed radiant heat system, meaning a boiler with a pump, radiators and piping.  After the intake valve, there is a pressure reducer and a backflow stopper (both bell shaped).  Yesterday, when I was reenabling the system after I had dismounted some radiators for painting, I had forgotten to tighten the elbow couplings on one radiator so when I was filling the system, I had a small flood.  Which got me thinking, if there ever was a leak while I am away, the open intake valve would cause continued flooding but if the system is full, as it is a closed system, the spillage would be limited.  So there is an advantage to having the valve shut.  But are there any reasons to keep it on?


texts: How can I temporarily fix a leaky faucet?

texts:
I have a house from the late '20's and my hot water leaks in my tub.  I've had it fixed a few times by plumbers and the last one said that to permanently fix it, I'm going to need to replace the whole shebang.

While I'm saving up for that, is there a less permanent option to address the issue?  A rubber stopper?


texts: How can I construct a lightweight privacy panel 3-4ft high by 8ft long or thereabout?

texts:
I have a two-story deck with the upper part on the roof, and I lay on top to sunbathe. The top was surrounded by a fence, but after installing solar panels close to the deck I removed a large part of the fence to avoid shading. I would like to find some lightweight portable panels three to four feet high so I can have privacy.

What I visualized is a rectangular tube frame with fabric stretched, and two flat bars attached at the bottom for feet. Three feet high would be best, but four foot max.


texts:
this week i had to go check a problem for a long term customer that she was having with her furnace.  she had had some company come in and do a furnace service, and a few days after they left, she was having water leaking from near the furnace.  i just assumed they broke something or knocked it loose.

i went and had a look and was shocked to find that a brass nipple (1/2" MIP to 1/2" pex barb) had partially dissolved.  yes, actually dissolved.  it had actually lost about half of its total mass (compared to another identical fitting) and the dissolved portions matched identically to the probable flowpath of the liquid condensate.  the fitting was acting as a connector between the furnaces condensate collection port and a 1/2" drain line to a floor drain.  it was threaded into a nylon collection tray and connected to a plastic drain line.

i have never in my life seen anything (outside of process equipment) like this.  whats even crazier is that the furnace and all its plumbing was replaced 3 years ago.  my thoughts are:

a)  dielectric dissolution (galvanic corrosion) - if there is a small current leak through the furnace condensate to ground in the drain (current flowpath is the water), its theoretically possible there could be some low level ionization in the water, and thus some corrosion.  this seems so unlikely as to be almost unmentionable.

b)  the furnace cleaners used some sort of acid to clean out the furnace and it ate through the fitting.  i know of lots of acids capable of doing this but why would they use it considering how much other damage it would do inside the furnace.  i just cant see this either.

c)  could the condensate water be acting like distilled water (i guess the interior of a furnace is really is like a distillation tower if you think about it).  over time distilled water can dissolve just about anything.

d)  could carbon dioxide from the combustion chamber be dissolving into the water, making dilute carbonic acid - causing the corrosion?

if anyone has ever seen or heard of this or knows whats going on, i would appreciate the input

thanks

PPA


texts: How do I fix a leak in this toilet cistern inlet pipe?

texts:
I successfully replaced the syphon of my toilet, but on reattaching the cistern to the base, the cistern inlet pipe started leaking where it connects to the main water source. It looks like the rubber washer inside the valve is worn away to shreds. It may be quite difficult to tell from this photo, but the red bits inside the valve are just ripped to bits:

I'd like to know how best to fix this. Of the solutions I can think of, I have questions about it:

get a new washer. In this case, I'm worried that a fixed 'lip' on the pipe would make it difficult to fit a washer. Also, how would I describe the kind of washer I'm looking for?
replace the valve with a  a service valve like this. In which case, will that be compatible with the existing pipe which looks to be fixed in place?
replace the fixed pipe with something else entirely. In which case, might be time to call in a real plumber :)

Additional info: this is a UK house, these fittings are probably around 20 years old.

How do I fix a leak in this inlet pipe?


texts:
Summary: I have this wiring situation in my home. I gather it's not up to modern code, and I experienced why it's bad (got shocked), but I don't understand why (physics/electricity) it happened.

In the diagram you can see that there are two phases which end up in the same lightswitch box, side-by-side, and the two switches happen to share a neutral.

These two switches happen to be on different circuit breakers, on different subpanels. I happened to turn off the breaker going to the outlet (was swapping out the hardware), and found that wires coming in from the 'top' of the box were still live (and in a weird way, with the white wire measuring 119V to ground, and the black wire measuring 113V to ground, and the two wires measuring 0V between them) and capable of a full-voltage shock.

How/why does electricity flow from the 'white, with tape' wire through to the neutral, and into switch 1, and then into the black wire on the outlet?

For what it's worth, I see that I can fix this by swapping the Add-On switch with Switch2, and then sending the neutral from phase 2 over the white-tape (or black) wires into the other box.


texts: What are the pros and cons of LED vs CFL vs incandescent bulbs for outdoor lighting?

texts:
I'm planning to install some light on my balcony and was just wondering what would be the best choice of lamp.
I live in a relatively cold climate, and the current temperature at night is around -10°C. I'm wondering what my best choice of (E27 fixture) lamp is; incandescent, CFL or LED?

My preference is LED, since I like the white balance of modern LED lights and their environmental advantage, but before I put down the money for a LED bulb, I'd like to know whether LED lights can withstand temperatures of up to -20°C.


texts: Hardware for measuring and source locating a vibration noise in an apartment

texts:
I have moved into an apartment, 4th floor, and I can hear a very annoying deep humming noise, I can even feel the floor vibrating sometimes. I am guessing the deep humming noise comes from the vibration resonating in the building walls. It is interfering with my sleep.
I am determined to find the source of the vibration and I am looking for advice.
First, I do not know if it comes from the same appartment or from outside. Most of the triangulating to find the source I have read are example of houses, not apartments, and they triangulate the source in an open environment, so my first doubt is how hard will it be to triangulate the source of the vibration inside the apartment? I am guessing there will be a lot of rebounds, and the vibration should come through the main columns or maybe even pipes. Is it realistic to find the origin of vibration inside the apartment, for example as coming from a column? What kind of hardware do I need? Will a couple of mics do or do I need something more specialized?
I am pretty sure I can handle the software part of analizing the signal for isolating the noise and triangulating, at least to have a good start, as I expect to have trouble triangulating the signal inside the building. But I do not know what kind of hardware it would be better to purchase to get the signal into my computer for analyzing. Someone in this same forum said he was able to locate the origin of some vibration by using two measurement Behringer microphones (annoying vibration, deep humming noise in home the answer by Whariwharangi). So I am thinking on purchasing a couple of these https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0118 and connect them to the computer using this interface https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0BJZ . I know there are better measurment microphones, but they quickly become expensive, above 1000usd a piece. I am open to suggestions for the hardware, even considering using other sensors instead of mics, from people with more experience.
Basically, I am looking for advice on how to find the source of the vibration noise. My main doubts are about using sound triangulation to locate the source inside the apartment and what hardware do I need, but also appreciate any advice on anything else that might help.


texts: Newly installed thermostatic mixer runs cold when shower head raised in height

texts:
I've installed a thermostatic mixer into my shower; unfortunately now when I raise the shower head height to above my head (or any useful height really) the water comes out cold. If I keep the shower head very (unusably) low it operates as it should.
The hot pipe feels very hot as it should so I'm not sure why it's not allowing hot water through the mixer?
I have a very old hot water cylinder in my house, the pressure is not the best but it's also not that bad considering. Its located on the same (single) floor of the house. The previous shower mixer pressure was adequate but getting a decent temp was frustrating.


texts: A light switch shows power going to it when in the off position

texts: A light switch shows power going into it when in the off position.  When switched on, the light comes on but the tester shows no power going into the switch.


texts: How to create a hidden plug for PVC pipe

texts:
I'm working on building a semi-permanent set of full-size soccer goals.  Full-size in this case means 6' x 18'.  Because of the size and spans, I'm planning on using 1.5" PVC pipe and fittings.  And in order to help keep the goals from tipping over from strong winds, I plan on adding 25-50 lbs of sand in the base support tube for each goal.

While not to size, this picture gives a good idea of the general layout for the goals.

The sand will go in the longer, horizontal pipe that is on the ground.

Normally, this would be a fairly straightforward project.  The challenge is that I want to make sure the sand remains in the bottom pipe.  Unfortunately, I can't rely upon the wonderfully consistent draw of gravity as the goals are meant to be taken apart and taken off of the field during the winter.  And I don't want the sand spilling out when the goals are disassembled.

The goals are meant to last for at least 5-10 years, and the hope is that by storing them during the winter they'll have a better chance at lasting that long.  I'll be disassembling the goals the first few years, but will eventually pass that task along to someone else.

My initial thought had been to install a concealed plug of some sort on the inside of the  pipe.  So after adding the sand to the bottom pipe, I would plug it and keep the sand from getting out.  I added a red line to this example image to give a better idea.

My problem is that I couldn't find anything at the local hardware store that would serve as an inline plug like that.  I checked a number of fittings from other pipe dimensions, but they weren't fitting.

My question(s):

Are there any general guidelines for knowing which pipes or fittings can slip inside a different dimension of pipe.  For example, is the outer diameter of a 1" fitting supposed to fit within the inside diameter of a 1.5" pipe?

If so, what type or size of fitting should I look at in order to create this interior plug?

Is there a better approach to solving this type of a problem?  Would a different type of material slip inside of the 1.5" pipe more readily / consistently?


texts: Missing front of cabinet drawer, need to sell my house

texts: One of the drawer front panels for a kitchen cabinet broke a while ago and I need to somehow get it replaced but I don't know where to look or who I should contact.  I don't have the panel anymore at all.  The main issue is that I am trying to sell my house so I need to get it repaired somehow.  The panel above it is the same, so i can take that panel off and take it somewhere to get replicated somehow, i just dont know where to take it and if its possible due to the color.  Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do for this?


texts: Creating a dam for the creek in our back yard:

texts:
I want our little stream to babble and so I need a waterfall. I have the spot picked, but each time I try to dam it up, the water pushes thru and I have to try again. I'm using only natural materials: no rubber or plastic, that's important.

Anyone with experience?  Thanks


texts: The walls in our living room transitions into the ceiling with a curved surface...what is this called?

texts:
Our living room has walls that transitions into the ceiling with a curved surface...the radius of the curve is a few inches I think.

What is this kind of construction called?


texts:
I'm looking to replace my sump pump because the last rain storm showed that my sump pump couldn't handle the amount of water. It ran continuously for about an hour or two with the water level still rising.
My basin is 13" diameter at the bottom and 22" high.
I was looking at a Wayne pump and all of them point to the same documentation: https://www.waynepumps.com/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2018/10/600002-001-D.pdf
It states that a minimum of 22" height is needed.
My question is why is the 22" height needed when the sump pump itself is 11.5" high by 9" wide?


texts: How can I power a load from two separate circuit breakers?

texts:
On one circuit breaker I have a manual switch. On the second circuit breaker I have a motion sensing switch (using a mechanical relay). I have a number of lights wired in parallel as the load. The lights should turn on as a result of motion or manually turning them on. Unfortunately I can't just wire the two switches in parallel on the same breaker because of physical constraints; I'd have to perform a major renovation to rewire.

It seems I need a sort of DPDT relay like this, which is normally open, has two magnetic coils, and keeps both circuits separate:

Does a relay like this exist? Is this the correct way to solve this problem?


texts: Lost small screw in sink, can I open tubing to retrieve?

texts:
I accidentally lost a small screw into my sink. This screw is a special screw for a toilet paper holder and cannot be replaced easily.

The sink has this L-shaped tubing with a large bottom part in it. I think it’s called a bottle trap (see picture 1). I was thinking that I could unscrew the connector nuts and get the small screw from he bottle trap. Is that feasible and if so what precautions should I take to protect the tubing and bottle trap?

The connector nuts are like this:


texts: How can it be dangerous to feed a water heater from two separate panels?

texts:
In a recent question, a user asked "Can a water heater be installed between two apartments and wired to both apartments' breaker boxes, effectively splitting the bill between the two?". One of the answers suggested that it was okay, and the poster of the answer went on to ask in a comment "How is running a hot, neutral & ground from each box to a subpanel that's circuit breakered & running a single totally code line to the water heater wrong or dangerous?".

Rather than have a discussion on comments, I thought I'd pose this question to the community.  How can supplying a 240 volt electric water heater from two separate electrical panels be dangerous?


texts: How do I get to the wall cavity above a double floor joist from below?

texts:
I am running some new romex for a couple of electrical outlets. One of the outlets is on one side of a wall in one bedroom and the other outlet is on the other side of the wall in another bedroom. When I went in my crawl space to see what was below the wall cavity, I found two floor joists running right underneath it. Based on my measurements, I'm fairly certain I have no room underneath on either side of the double floor joist to drill up into the cavity. If I were to drill right next to the joists, I'd be going up into my button board rock lath walls.

Do people drill vertically through floor joists? If so and if there are two floor joists together, does one drill the hole in one of the joists or right at the seam between the two? Or do I drill a hole diagonally through one or both? In case it would affect the hole size, I'm using 12-2.


texts:
I'm converting one of the rooms in my 1840 house into an office. The thing is I have 5 kids and need to be able to lock the door so I can have some level of quiet. I also don't want the kids tinkering around in there when I'm not there. (Sharp tools and stuff)

The kicker is I want it to a lock that can be opened on both sides given a key or code. The door is only about 1-1.25 inch thick of solid wood with only an iron latch.

I've been googling and have not found anything that fits the bill. I think I'm looking for a sliding bolt style lock that can be opened from either side. I'm open to other ideas too if they fit the need.


texts: What are my options for resurfacing or repainting my old concrete steps?

texts:
My front steps are very old.  The paint was chipping off so I used a chemical paint stripper to remove it.  I also used a pressure washer to get the rest of it off.

I would like to stain the steps but they do not have an even surface.  It looks like parts of it were patched with something because those parts are a lighter color.

Should I just prime and paint it white again?
Is there something to use to even it out and then use stain?
I've heard about epoxy but is it hard to use?  And can you stain over it?


texts: I have 1/2 electricity in my master bedroom, exterior walls have no power

texts:
I have 3 outlets on exterior walls out. The rest of bedroom has power. Checked breakers, none popped.. Have 2 GFI plugs in bathroom,reset them.. Did notice that I have a 3 way switch on the wall that controls 1 outlet on interior wall.  Turned that on,nothing..
But, it did that before I was told.. Any suggestions???


texts: Why doesn't my ceiling fan's light kit work?

texts:
I have a ceiling fan that has a remote. The fan speed control works on fan and the switch at wall works cutting fan on/off. The light on fan does not work either by remote or switch. I am using one switch to cut fan and light on/off. I believe wiring at fan is correct. In the switch box, I have all the whites wirenutted together and pigtailed to switch, a blue and black wirenutted together and pigtailed to switch, and two black wires wirenutted together. Hunter ceiling fan about 20 years old if that helps. It was moved from one room to another. What is causing light not to work?

12/14 update:
Problem has been resolved with fan. Changed to two switches at wall. There was some issues with wiring at fan that caused light not to work. Also changed wiring at wall switch to make work with two switches.


texts: Can I run a bathroom fan and a bathroom light off 14 amp twin and earth

texts: Can I run a 14 watt bathroom extractor and the bathroom light both of 14 amp twin and earth


texts: Water leaking from concrete slab porch into rooms below. How do I stop the leaks?

texts:
My front porch is concrete and is above a portion of my garage, laundry room, and a basement bathroom.  The house is in Zone 6b: -5 to 0 F.  The rooms are not finished and I am not sure of the ceilings construction (see photos).  I initially thought the same concrete slab makes the floor of the porch and ceiling of the rooms below, but there is some lighting in these rooms.  Possibly there's just conduit embedded in the concrete and this is still true.  If it helps, my house was built in 1940 and has a block foundation which this concrete slab sits on.

My concern is I have two cracks in my ceiling that run the width of this slab.  Both of these cracks leak anytime there is moisture above, despite the porch looking to be painted relatively recently (I just purchased the home).

The first crack is in the bathroom:

The second is in the laundry room:

And here's the porch, what's above:

I'm concerned about this because the bathroom crack has obvious signs of damage to the concrete/plaster.  It give when I push on it around the crack and I'm sure I could easily chip it away.  Also, I would like to finish the bathroom, maybe even the laundry room, and would like to hang drywall or something without concerns of moisture getting through.  Finally, it's worth noting, that this home has a home warranty and if I can anticipate any costly repairs that might be covered, I'd like to move now.

So my question is, is this a big concern, ad either way, how can I fix this?  Thanks.


texts:
Recently I’ve had issues with my front load washing machine GE model GFAN1000L not completing cycles and pausing multiple times throughout. After completing everything down below my machine now also is all messed up with the cycle times as compared to before and also all it does on any cycle is spin forward for 2 seconds, reverse 2 seconds then fills with minimal water and drain instantly. It stays in the draining cycle until I pause the cycle and then it stops.

Here’s what I’ve tried:

Cleaning out filter at pump on bottom front of machine
Resetting by turning off and unplugging machine for 30-60 seconds (and holding START/PAUSE button during unplugging one of those times)
Put machine in TEST mode and performed all diagnostic tests (only ones that didn’t do anything were t08/t09/t12 (cold and hot water valve tests, dispenser motor/mechanism test - it just beeped and didn’t do anything when trying to enable those tests). However on other tests I was able to fill the drum up right to the overflow switch with water so its tough to think it’s my water valves)
I’ve also cleaned out the inline filters coming from the cold and hot water into the machine. The hot water was plugged up with sediment (sandy material which we had issues with in the rest of the water line filters after our town connected to a brand new water line last year) but both filters are now unplugged of debris

I am at a loss and obviously with Christmas on Tuesday and today being Saturday I’m not likely to get anyone out anytime soon to take a look at this. My guess is that the control board has an issue but any input would be helpful until I can get a technician out.


texts:
I bought a house that has cinder block wall in the backyard. Whoever installed this wall opted to place the top blocks so that the holes are facing the side rather than the top and bottom. They then covered the holes with ceramic tiles. From what I can tell, those tiles were attached using some kind of grout or caulk. I'm not really sure, but I can the tiles were about ready to fall off anyway because most of them popped right off without much effort. I'm trying to make this look bettee, so I'm going to paint the wall with masonry paint and put new porcelain tiles up to cover the holes.

What is the best strategy for attaching the porcelain tiles to the painted wall? I'll be using 6 inch tiles (same size that were previously installed).

Here is image of what I'm working with:


texts: What is the best removable insulation material?

texts:
There is a crack in a wall that I would like to fill with some removable insulation.

It must be removable, as such it should just be a temporary solution.

I know of rockwool and glasswool, but don't know which is best, or if there exist other types.

Which should I get and stump the crack with?


texts:
Replacing house with Insteon's wifi light switches. Have gotten help on here thankfully but ran into a different issue with two switches that control a chandelier.

So far every old switch we have been replacing has had a black wire, red wire, and ground coming out of it. We removed those and in all other cases hooked up the new insteons which have ground connected to green, black connected to live(s) and red either connected to load or capped off if it's a traveller and attach the previously unused neutral.

For this chandelier it's slightly different. There are two switches that control the chandelier, but the odd part is one of the old switches we are replacing has an extra red wire. That is it has the black live, green ground, but rather than just one red coming out of the old 1000w lutron switch it has 2.

Does anyone know how we hook up the new insteon which only has one red wire coming out of it or why the old one had 2 reds? Thank you.


texts: What substances should you avoid contact with your bare hands?

texts:
I started thinking about this yesterday because I currently have a weird feeling second skin from the polyurethane adhesive I used to attach my kitchen backsplash on Sunday.  I foolishly assumed since the instructions say "cleans up with mineral spirits" that cleaning some incidental mess off my fingers wouldn't be a big deal.  Boy was I wrong!

Are there any substances you have worked with (adhesives, solvents, caulk, etc etc) that you really wish you had worn gloves (or otherwise not touched with bare skin) when you started working with them?

I'll start with my example:

Avoid getting PL Premium Polyurethane construction adhesive on your bare hands - it is harder to get off bare skin than silicone caulk!


texts:
We installed Climaloc window film according to the directions on package. It shrunk well and we were pleased. The next day there were lots of wrinkles so again used the hair dryer and the windows looked great. Same thing has happened two more times. So we have gone over them 4 times. Each time I was concerned about overshrinking so we made sure we stopped when all the wrinkles were gone. The film felt taunt. Now I notice that one of the films has two holes in it, about the size of a dime. About 5 inches of another one has pulled away from the tape on one side. the wrinkles were all out of it about an hour ago but they are coming back. Has anyone had the same experience? Is there a way of repairing these?
The room where these windows are is an unheated sunroom. Does this make a difference in the ability of the shrinkwrap being able to stay shrunk?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
D.F.


texts:
I was looking at some brick suppliers for a project and I've come across an odd trend. A whole lot of brick suppliers have some kind of finish on the brick that's frankly ugly. The fashion looks like the bricks were dropped in various kinds of sand, gravel, clay or dirt before being fired.

This one is a fairly light sand texture treatment compared to some others. You can see it has a nice red brick underneath.

This one has a smoother clay veneer, again with the basic brick color showing underneath.

I believe the manufacturer refers to these as 'extruded', but it is very difficult to get information on what exactly has been done. They have other varieties of brick that art 'Iron spot', which I gather means iron salts were used in the manufacturing or finishing process, so I take that to mean these bricks don't have iron salts. They are definitely not reclaimed brick (mfg. promises all-new), but I see the point about it intending to look that way...

My question is, what is this kind of finish/texture called in the trade? Does 'Extruded' mean anything standard or is it pure marketing speak?
Can it be cleaned off or thinned out to reveal more or all of the base brick color underneath? Would pressure washing or sand blasting be possible or would that run the risk of harming the mortar?


texts: What type of adhesive should i use for installing tile board to glazed tile?

texts: I have glazed tile around my tub and almost all of them or cracked or chiped,So without haveing to replace the tile i am putting up decrative tile board and i don't know what type of  adhesive to use the tile board is tile like on the front and a hard board on the back.Any idea of what i could use to adhere this board to my tile with??


texts: Should concrete stair landing be anchored to building?

texts:
I have a small, approximately 3x3' concrete landing in front of my basement door, from which stairs go up to the street level. I need to redo it and was wondering whether to tie the rebar from under the slab to bolt anchors I can set into the foundation footing of the house that it is attached to.  I can think of reason pro and con both.

E.g. I think anchoring it would make it firmer combined with the building and resisting breakage from ground movements (e.g. nearby drainage) to a certain degree but at the same time, if it does exceed that point it might be better not to be tied to induce breakage along the contact line where the slab meets the building and not some other point (if my line of thinking is right, please correct me if wrong).

I was thinking to drill 3-4 anchor holes in the foundation using my hammer drill, set led anchors and drive some bolts, then tie the rebar from under the slab to it using chicken wire.


texts: How do I fix drywall around wall box so switch plate covers damage?

texts:
In my house, there are maybe three or four outlet boxes and switch boxes where there was damage done to the drywall surrounding the box at some point. There are no structural or electrical issues (well, none that I haven't already fixed at least—some wires were spliced with electrical tape and broken wire nuts!), but cosmetically, I'd like to do better.

Example (see top of switchplate):

For standard one-gang switch plates and outlet covers, I typically buy a wider cover, and that takes care of the issue. However, for a plate like the one in the picture above, it's hard enough finding a plate with a decora cutout and a switch cutout in standard size—much less one in a wider size.

Is there any way of fixing the drywall around a plate like this short of cutting back the drywall to a stud and trying to mount/support new sheetrock so it's flush with the outlet box?

For small nicks, I can just fill them in with spackling compound, but for larger breaks like this, I can't make it look nice and not crumble after a year or two.


texts: Why did my dryer shut off in the middle of drying a load?

texts:
My 14-year old Kenmore Laundry Center Dryer, Model #417.98702891, shut off in mid-load the other day. Internet research led me to believe it could be the thermal fuse. I first checked the vent lines and they are clear, so I proceeded to disassemble the dryer to replace the fuse. It would appear this model does not have a thermal fuse as I can't locate it anywhere in the dryer.

What I did find is the high limit thermostat. Could this be the issue? Can they over-heat and/or go bad?

Also, it appears that 1 of the 2 legs on the heating element has broken. Will the heating element still work or could this be the source of my issues?

I'm quite handy and am really trying to avoid paying over $250 for a local repair guy when the parts are probably $75.


texts: Why are shower drains 2", but tub drains 1.5"?

texts:
In the US, code dictates that the drain (p-trap and arm) on a shower use 2" pipe, while on a tub you use 1.5" pipe.

I understand that is code, but I am curious as to why it is the way it is. Sometimes code just is what it is, but I was wondering if there is a physics answer to this question. Is there a reason why a shower is larger from a performance perspective?

And, is there any harm in using a 2" drain pipe for the tub as well?


texts:
I am installing a rooftop antenna on the end of my house, opposite the end where the ground rod is located.

I plan to install a new 8' ground rod on the ground directly under the antenna. I need to connect (bond) the new ground rod to the old ground rod. I plan to do this with 6 AWG copper wire. Because of a variety of obstacles, running the 6 AWG around my house to the existing ground rod would be difficult.

Would it be safe to run the 6 AWG bonding jumper in PVC conduit through my semi-finished basement? For example, attached to an unfinished concrete wall?

Edit: I've ended up running the 6 AWG in the ground around my house. I could not find any good information about running it inside versus outside, so Iopted for the safe route, to keep it outside.


texts: Correct me if I’m wrong but there is no bus panel here. Working on a bath remodel and running new wires to two new breakers for new GFCI receptacle and one for heated floor. As this is main panel other posts indicate ground can share neutral bus. Should I bother running two new grounding wires to each of those locations and breakers? No other grounding wires evident.


texts: Should there be cold air returns in my bathrooms?

texts:
Should a heat vent be open when no return is present in a room. I have 2 bathrooms with showers that have heat vents but no returns. Pls let me know your thoughts.

Thanks


texts: Cosmetic fix for installing decking board when not parallel to house?

texts:
I am expanding the deck that goes very far (35 x 48 feet ~ 1000 sqft). So I am pretty sure the further end will not perfectly parallel to the house. It could be 1-2 inch off from one end to the other end.

Imagine a scenario like this:

If I start to install the composite decking starting from the house, the one near the last board will end up like the red rectangle in the photo. So should I cut the last board in a weird way (one end is shorter than the other end)?

It's composite decking board so I cannot "play" with the gaps by having larger gaps or something like that. So I came up with few options:

Option 1:

I am thinking about doing the "picture frame" method around the edges by installing #1 and #2. Then at the end, I will install #3 (as photo below). But then I am wondering how many inches a composite decking board and "hangover" the edge of the trim joists?

Option 2:

Without using picture frame method, I would start installing the boards from the further end of the house. This will result in the odd looking board near the house right at the foot step. I am assuming it's "harder" to see the imperfection this way?

What would be the best cosmetic way to manage situation like this?


texts:
The Bryant condenser outside the house was making a noise like it wants the fan to spin but the fan wasn't spinning. I pushed the fan with a stick and it started spinning, but reluctantly, like 4 revolutions per second.

What is this symptomatic of? What is the potential solution? Can a DIYer do it?

My research shows that I have a "bad fan motor and/or bad start capacitor". Does that sound right?

Thanks!


texts: Hot water tank only has warm water after bath

texts:
We have a new 60 Gallon (US) gas hot water tank. After running a bath, water coming out of it is warm instead of hot. Is this normal? Precisely, here is the experiment I performed:

Temperature outside hovering above freezing (not crazy cold for these parts)
Tank satisfied
Filled bath (hot and cold) to ~120L to get 109F bathing temperature
Drained bath (~2 minutes).
Filled again with just hot to ~100L and got 100F
Checked temperature of hot water running out of faucet now: 88F

Is this normal? Is there a better experiment to determine what is normal/ok?
Note: When tank is satisfied the water that first comes out of it is very hot (close to scalding).
Addendum: It's UG60-50MF1-N2U at https://giantinc.com/wp-content/uploads/docs/GI-FT-UG60ATM-En.pdf
Thank you!


texts: How much ventilation do I need on a small roof?

texts:
This small building has a footprint of 10' x 12' with a gable roof (sideways, so the gables are 10' apart). Slope is 4:12, so the peak is only 2' above the walls. My ridge isn't vented, so I'll be using gable venting.

The building is cabin-like, so the ceiling will have drywall, a vapor barrier, and insulation. There will be plenty of water vapor to deal with, and the interior will have its own ventilation. Our climate is very mild (snow dams and summer cooling are rarely a problem), but humidity is high most of the year.

I know it's common to vent at eaves/soffits, but they're easier to construct if I skip venting there. Since my roof is only 10' long, I think the middle of the attic will still get enough airflow with only gable-end vents. Is that correct?

I've read that the basic rule for sizing screened ventilation is attic area / 150, but area / 100 if it's louvered, too. If I only do gable-end venting, then I put 1/2 of that at each end, correct?

Any other tips?


texts: What is the easiest and most cost effective way to turn a 1 bedroom apartment into 2 bedrooms?

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Obviously, I could build a full wall with insulation, etc.; however, this might not even be allowed, and even if it is, there are a variety of factors why it is not ideal like the time to build it and it is not very cost effective. Further, if I ever moved, removing an entire wall is no easy task.

What are some good ways to build a room into a 2 bedroom apartment, which has walls and doesn't bleed sound and has a door? I'm wondering if there is a better way besides framing out an entire wall.

Electrical isn't an issue because I just won't put any outlets or anything onto the dividing wall(s). No need to make things more complicated than they need to be.

I think the greatest factors when choosing how to do it, is:

sound penetration (as soundproof as possible, maybe use some green glue
wall stability (has to be sturdy enough so that falling into it won't knock it down! And so you can hang things up on it)
ease of removing/portability if I decide to move
privacy - I want my apartment mate to feel safe and secure

Where I live, a 2 bedroom BEGINS AT $2,000 (up to $20,000). So instead of spending all my paychecks on rent, I thought maybe a 1 bedroom could be a better option. I just don't want to rent "my couch" to an apartment mate. I want to be very fair and give them their own room.


texts: Can I replace a 30A breaker with a 40A breaker for a new water heater?

texts: I have a 30 amp circuit breaker installed for my tank type hot water heater.  I would like to replace the hot water heater with a tankless hot water heater that requires a 40 amp circuit breaker.  I don’t know the gauge of wiring used for the circuit breaker but is it possible to just replace the 30 amp breaker with a 40 amp breaker?


texts: Locating HVAC Breaker To Replace Thermostat

texts:
I'm looking to install a smart thermostat in a single family home built in 1997 (southern California). My issue is that I cant seem to locate the breaker for the HVAC equipment. I was only able to find a single panel for the house and there is a 50A 2-pole switch labeled 'A/C', but after shutting off that circuit I can still run the air conditioner and heater (I'm not 100% certain the air conditioner was still pumping out cold air as I didn't wait long enough, but there was a draft on the vents. When I ran the heater I could again feel the draft and smell the hot air). The only other 2-pole switches are labeled dryer and oven (30A and 20A respectively; and I'm inclined to believe them but I didn't test with those breakers switched off yet). I noticed there is a 'pullout disconnect' on the outdoor AC unit, but my understanding is that is just a manual disconnect for servicing and isn't meant to be a breaker for the circuit? (if you haven't noticed yet, I'm not all that knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff). There appears to be another panel located just under the gas meter (or as part of the gas meter) that's adjacent to the breaker panel, but it's locked (although the lock doesn't look official - I may just cut the lock to see what's behind the panel). I was hoping to avoid flipping the breakers blindly, and I'd be surprised if the HVAC equipment was running on one of the other breakers as they don't seem to have the capacity.

I'll mention that the thermostat wiring has a jumper between Rc and Rh (C, W, Y, and G all wired). I think there is a backup battery in the existing thermostat but my understanding is that all components will receive power from the transformer that's feeding Rh, which should correspond to a switch on the breaker (or is it universal that Rh is fed from the HVAC equipment running on a higher capacity circuit)? I'm guessing that's just a control circuit so it doesn't need to draw 240V@50A and so it's probably running through one of the smaller 1-pole breakers? Maybe the AC unit was disabled when I flipped the switch but the control circuit, fan and heater are running through different breakers? If this is the case, I'd only need to find the breaker responsible for Rh i.e. with Rh off, I can safely swap out the thermostat?

Any thoughts/comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


texts: Can I build an electrical pole structure to hold a power wire into my property?

texts:
The power pole to my house is at the back right corner of the property.  However, it's a little outside my property line.  I wanted to run a power line straight down along the pole and into the ground but then I would need an easement since it's actually in someone else's property.

So, can I run the line from the power pole to another pole that is within my property line, then run the line to the ground.  Then run it underground all the way to my house?  Basically, can I build a pole structure to hold the wire into my property?  Maybe even a little shed or something, if I have to.

I don't want to run the line straight from the pole to the house because I will plant some trees that will be directly under the line.

Option:  I also have a garage that is in the back left corner of the property.  I guess, I could also run the power line to the garage (50' run), have a main panel in the garage, then use the house as a sub panel?  The garage is currently powered by the house with an underground wire.  I don't know the gauge on the wire.

Back Right Corner of Property

Back Right Corner of Property

From Backyard to Front Right Corner View


texts: Should I use a carpet kicker or stretcher?

texts:
I recently retiled my master bathroom. Our bedroom has carpet and I need to stretch the lay the carpet adjacent to the marble transition. For this small space would it be best to use a kicker or carpet stretcher? Please keep in mind that this area is maybe 2x3 ft.

Generally, I'd also like to understand what the differences are and why one would be used over another.


texts: My stove/oven will not stay on.  Keeps turning on and off or erroring with a Power Failure error code.  I had an electrician here.  He put a meter and checked both the breaker and the outlet.  Stated itbis probably on the supply line and to call my Power Utility Company. I did that everything tested okay.  I still don't have a functional stove.  The stove is brand new out of the box was working this morning.


texts: What would be the best product to seal a basement floor (brand new) that would not be slippery?  How long should I wait before applying product?


texts:
This sunroom is interesting because:

The long edge attached to the house is lower below the gutter.

Then it has multiple edges with a pointed top (cathedral?).

How does the water run off? Especially the edge at the attachment to the house?


texts: Is a 20A switch needed for a bathroom fan/heat/light combo unit?

texts:
I have a dedicated 20A circuit going to my bathroom that I plan to use to hook up a fan/heater/light/night light combo unit.  I would like to use the compact combo 2 or 3 decora rocker switches.  A quick search online only shows 15A switches.  Do I need a 20A rated switch (specifically for the heater part of this unit)?  If not, why not?

This unit does recommend a dedicated 20A circuit be used.  The heater is 1500W.


texts: Flattening Concrete for Dricore Product Suggestion

texts:
I am in the process of laying DRIcore panels in my basement. The ultimate plan is to lay laminate (Pergo) floor once we reach the finish stages.

I have a few small areas where the concrete dips about an inch or so. DriCore recommends filling these areas with a Portland Cement Compound. I see Lowe's and HD have some premixed floor patch. Would that be easiest way to raise up about a 10 sq .ft. area 1 inch or do I have to buy a bag of concrete and trowel on? I don't want to use the self leveling compound as I have already laid half of the DRIcore down, and have laundry equipment there that I would hate to have it run under, if any dams didnt hold the compound.

Looking for product suggestions I can get from Lowe's or HD. Just a plain bag of concrete? Am I overthinking this?


texts: How to finish edge of tiled shower with metal outside drywall?

texts:
I have a newly tiled shower that was put in with a metal edging piece.
However you can still see the edge of the cement board underneath it where it meets the wall.
How do I finish this?


texts: Will zero pressure in a propane line cause a leak when the pressure returns

texts:
I read that the elimination of pressure in a propane line will destroy the pipe sealing compound at the treads, causing leaks. That is the reason a propane seller will require a leak test if the tank is allowed to run out.

During normal usage, a propane plumbing system is at a constant pressure. This means that as long as the tank has gas and is supplying the system with propane, a constant pressure is exerted on the piping and the pipe joint compound. The pipe joint compound will expand during normal pressurized usage and will retract if the system loses pressure. This loss of gas pressure may cause leaks to form because of the expansion and retraction of the piping compound within the propane plumbing system.
http://www.propane101.com/leaktest.htm

Will allowing the pressure to drop to zero also destroy a pipe joint seal where Teflon tape was used?  I am currently using small portable tanks connected to gas logs by a 1/2 steel line where I used Teflon tape on the joints.


texts: Cement vs. mortar for embedding stones in drive way

texts:
I will be scraping a dirt/gravel driveway down two inches and laying flat stones of various sizes and thicknesses.  Need to have the tops at the same level, so some will need to have something underneath to raise them.
All will need some thing to keep them from moving easily.  Ground is more gravel than dirt, such that I’ll have to use a skid loader to grade it.  (Shovel couldn’t penetrate and tiller took hours to get a quarter inch off!)
Which is better, mortar or cement?


texts: Why are 120 V general receptacle circuits limited to 20 A?

texts:
The NFPA-70 (National Electrical Code) prohibits the use of breakers larger than 20 A for general receptacles. But I have my doubts. A 20 A breaker on a 120 V circuit with appropriately sized wires doesn't seem like it is really any safer than a 50 A breaker with appropriately sized wires. Since many people are running a large number of independent 20 A circuits in kitchens, it seems like a worthwhile amendment to propose to the NEC to be able to up-size the wire and breaker rating to be able to run a single wire in this and other common scenarios.

Can anyone give insight into why 20 A was selected as the cutoff for general purpose receptacle circuits in the NEC? Is it really safer or is it just tradition of an arbitrary threshold carried onward? I don't see how it could affect shock risk, and anyway, we can't humanely collect data on people dying from electrocution more when they use a general receptacle on a 30 A breaker.


texts: Hanging a TV on the wall when it partially overlaps a window

texts:
I have a new 55" TV that we currently have on a stand. I have two young children and I'd much rather have it mounted on the wall. This will add security to it and keep it a bit father away from greasy finger prints.

The main problem is that the TV overlaps a window by nearly 40%. I'm afraid that finding a wall mount will be next to impossible. It would need to be able to offset itself by a good deal. I have 2X wooden studs within the first 6 inches of the window well, so I'd be good on a secure place to mount into if I could find a mount with an arm.

Bonus points! My kitchen is to the right of this photo and I'd love it if I could rotate the TV 45 degrees or so and occassionally watch it while cooking. I know this is a tall order but I was hoping the DIY community might have some solutions. I'm fairly handy and I'm open to ideas and questions.


texts: Why can the gurgling sound of water only be heard when it's disappeared down a drain, and not before?

texts: In lots of sinks that I've used, I've noticed that the water makes a gurgling sound when it has all disappeared down the drain - however, the gurgling sound can only be heard after all of the water has gone - it's not noticeable when the sink tap is still running. Why can the gurgling sound only be heard when all of the water has disappeared - and not before?


texts:
One light switch in a 3 gang box trips the breaker every single time. This switch is for 3 exterior lights. All other switches and outlets on this breaker work fine.
We moved into this house about 10 months ago and this switch has been doing this from day 1. Our neighbor said the previous owners used to turn the lights on all the time.
I have tested the breaker and it reads 120V. I have replaced the switch and tried removing the bulbs but no improvement. The only time it doesn't trip is when I leave the first fixture on and remove the other 2.
So, I disconnected fixture 2, left the wire connected. Breaker still tripped. Disconnected the wires between 2 and 3 and left 1 and 2 connected. It tripped.
Breaker does not trip if only 1 and 2 are connected. I also tested fixtures 2 and 3 by connecting them to the second spot and they both worked. So, the fixtures are good. All the bulbs work as well.
Fixtures 2 and 3 are on both sides of my garage door. It seems the wires between 2 and 3 could be faulty. What is the best way to check if the wire is faulty or damaged without breaking the wall? It seems like the wire goes above the garage door.


texts: How to cut stainless steel sheet without burning it?

texts:
I need to cut out a small section of 1.5mm Stainless steel. Before, when I've made cuts I have used an angle grinder and its resulted in thr stainless becoming scorched/burnt and I can't remove it.

What can i do to cut stainless steel and not have scorch marks?


texts: We are remodelling two large open spaces with 12' ceiling heights. The flue ducts hanging from the ceiling. The ducts will be hanging from the ceiling and the registers will be high. Will ceiling fans be able to push hot air downward? Can the reverse mechanism be remotely controlled without manually switching on a tall ladder?


texts: Controlling multiple rgb led strips in different zones with remote simultaneously

texts:
I want to be able to control two rgb led strips with one remote simultaneously as in if I change the color on one strip the other one will match it without requiring another button press. Sync is not required but preferred.

One strip will be around 13 meters long and the second one about 5 meters. They will be about 6 meters apart. Unfortunately they cannot be both connected to one controller.

I have been searching for answers but I ended up with more questions.

If I get two exact controllers and sync one remote to both of them, providing that they are both within range will one button press trigger both of the controllers?

Do controllers that speak to each other exist? As is a master controller that when activated will repeat the signal to a slave controller.

I have been seeing controller products that support multiple zones. I am sure how these would work. Do all the strips need to be connected to the one controller or can you add additional controllers? And are the zones controlled separately or simultaneously?


texts: Bleed radiator in to jug, frothy bubbles on the surface of the water

texts:
I bleed 1/2 litre from radiator into a jug, frothy bubbles on the surface of the water, does that indicate air bubbles trapped in the water or is that normal ?

Also the water is clear but slight brownish tint, is that to be expected or should the water be crystal clear since it has recently be drained and refilled ?


texts: Maytag top loading washing machine full of water at end of cycle

texts: The machine begins to agitate but I never stick around the whole time.  All I know is that at the end of the cycle it's sometimes filled with water.  But most of the time it's not.  This happened a few times in a row a month ago and then didn't happen again until today.  When this happens I typically turn the wash dial back to the middle of a wash cycle and it begins to spin.  Any idea what might cause this?


texts: Single pole light switch with live wire not terminating

texts: I'm trying to replace a regular single pole light switch with smart light switch and I find the black wire coming from source to the switch but it's not terminating, it goes up to the ceiling. I stopped here because this didn't make sense. Can I get help on what's going on here?


texts: Will I have to chuck my Drill Press Chuck?

texts:
The Drill Press in question is a Wen 4214. I had originally seated the chuck by tapping it with a hammer by way of a piece of scrap and then, for good measure, pressed it into a piece of scrap. It's been working great!

But, I had need to drill a big hole...a 4.5" hole to be exact. I attempted to drill slowly, but apparently wasn't careful enough and got the bit stuck. When I released pressure to bring it back up, the bit immediately started to wobble. I cut power and the chuck completely fell out.

I planned on cleaning up the taper and reseating but noticed some chipping on the tenon (imaged below). Because this is such a precisely machined part, is this chipping basically junking my chuck?

To summarize my main question: Is the chuck irreparably damaged?

Secondary Ask: Any advice you have on the chuck coming out using a hole saw bit is welcome.

images linked to larger versions


texts: This is probably a simple fix for someone in the know, but I'm no plumber.  Anyway, my problem is simply a backed up bathroom sink, gurgling up every time I flush the toilet.  Toilet flushes just fine.   But the bathroom sink is backed up.  Any suggestions?


texts: Ceiling fan light flickers one time when fan is turned off with switch

texts:
We recently updated our knob and tube wiring to grounded wiring. We have a ceiling fan with a light (I believe it is Merwry 52 in Integrated LED Indoor from Home Depot, but not positive - it came with the house).
Problem: When we use the switch to turn off the fan (with the light off), the light flicks once as the power switches off.
-This does not happen when the fan is turned off with the remote.
-Both the fan and light are on the same switch.
-It is not a dimmer switch.
Is this a wiring issue?
Is this an issue with the LED light?
Why does this occur with the switch and not the remote?


texts: Roofing solution for "dead valley," where one plane goes into side wall?

texts:
Problem

I am reworking my roof on the front of my house.  The previous roof had been leaking down the corner of the house where the garage and porch roofs come together.  The previous roof had a sort of false roof added to create a plane moving away from the sidewall, although this seemed to move the problem down.

1. Roof Valley Before

2. Roof Valley Before Showing Corner Damage

Question

I have seen some references to low slope roofing membranes like these: http://www.gaf.com/Roofing/Residential/Products/Low_Slope_Membrane/Liberty, is this the way to go?

I just want to make sure water flows out of this area and over the corner without leaking as shown in the pictures.

3. Roof Valley Now


texts: Is my 2-gang switch box over-full with 5 cables?

texts:
I am installing a dimmer, and I thought there were a lot of wires in this box. It looks like there are 5 cables into a 2-gang box.

I tried to draw a little diagram and attach a photo to make it clearer. Is this over-full, or normal?  Was thinking the dimmer will throw off more heat and this may be unsafe. All the neutrals are wired together,  as are the hots, but since the backside of the dimmer is so much larger, there is no room for this all to fit. Wires are 12 AWG.

My questions:

Is this normal or overloaded?
Can I remove some of the inputs and how?
Should I just make a new box next to it and install the dimmer there?

I am a little new at the electrical thing, but I've installed a bunch of lighting/switches successfully before.

Thanks for any help.


texts: Is building regulations approval needed for replacing gas fire with log burner

texts:
Currently selling my house and the buyer has come back demanding building regulations approval for some work we did replacing a gas fire with a log burner built into an existing chimney.

We did the work about 5 years ago and didn't get any approval.

Is approval required in this case? I looked at the guidelines but am unclear of how this situation fits in.


texts: Is this torchdown? Modified bitumen? Or something else?


texts: Can I use a different type of bolt for awning?

texts:
I got a light plastic awning from amazon. It only has 3.4 pounds. The size are 30"x40". Now I want to install it over the front door.

The package comes out a set of bolts(The size is marked as M10).

However I heard that this kind of bolt is permanently positioned. In other word, it can't easily removed.
If the awning is damaged or I want to sell the property in the future, I have to uninstall the awning, then it becomes a problem.
So I am wondering is that possible to replace the bolts with other types which can be easily removed?