texts: Do I need to upgrade my branch circuits to CAFCI/GFCI if I move my electrical panel?

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I'm moving my main panelboard as part of a service upgrade.  The panelboard is brand new (i.e. I'm not reusing the old board).

Do I need to add CAFCI/GFCI breakers on the old branch circuits (as would be required for new construction/new branch circuits)?  For example, there's no GFCI on my washing machine branch circuit, but Code requires this circuit be GFCI protected for new construction.  Other examples: there's no AFCI anywhere in the house.  I could go on.

The house is located in Seattle, USA, was built in 1927, and contains a mix of knob and tube, NM (original), and NM-B wiring as well as a bit of armored cable here and there.  Eventually, we'll completely rewire the house, but the previous homeowner just added outlets wherever he saw a "convenient" place to tap into an existing circuit.  That's probably good reason for adding CAFCI/GFCI protection, but I'm concerned I'm going to be fighting nuisance trips until I can do a proper re-wiring job.

Answers that cite the relevant Code are appreciated!


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What is the purpose of the hot water tank and boiler when it comes to a) heating and b) drinking water.

When I switch on my boiler (not combi) for both heating and drinking water, I see a flame lit heating something. Does this heat water that goes into the hot water tank (cylinder)?

Is this tank then used for both drinking water and heating the central heating system? Or just one of them?


texts: Cold Water Line frozen, should I leave cold water faucet open?

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It has been really cold in DC lately. My thermostat is broken, so it goes to 77 degrees no matter what I set it to. I tried to get it fixed, but it ended up being a waste of $50 because they just cleaned the boiler, although I told them over the phone what the problem is. So I decided to just ignore it because winter is almost over anyway. I turn the heat off at night since I'm under my blankets, so it was 46 degrees in the house when I woke up yesterday morning.

I noticed that the cold water to the entire upstairs bathroom wasn't working. I left the heat on all day, and the faucet and toilet cold water line thawed out. But the tub cold water line is still not working, now a full day later.

I've tried the hair dryer thing, and next I'm thinking about using the wet vac on the faucet to see if an air pocket is the problem. My Dad thinks this is a bad idea. Is it?

Anyway, in the mean time I've been leaving the faucet open so pressure doesn't build up and also so I can hear it when it hopefully comes back on. But after reading some more stuff on line I'm worried that leaving the faucet open means there is still water trying to come through the pipe and that will burst it.

So long story short, if a cold water line is frozen do I leave the faucet open or closed?

Thank you!


texts: Where does the ground wire go in a 3-prong dryer cord configuration?

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We moved to a new place where the dryer connection is 3-prong instead of 4-prong. The dryer was originally 4-prong, so we bought a 3-prong cord and installed it. It works fine, except I am not entirely sure if I installed the ground wire correctly.

Originally, there was a green wire on the cord itself, and that was connected to the screw on the top of the first picture. This is, I assume, used to ground the case and prevent shocks when touching the exterior of the dryer.

Now with the 3-pronged plug, there is no ground wire on the cord. So where does the existing green wire in the case go? Do I leave it where it originally was like in the first picture or do I connect it to the central terminal like in the second picture?

There's no bonding strap running from the case to any terminal. I can't tell where the green wire is connected to.


texts: Is this so-called "asbestos black mastic"?

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Originally, I just want to find what was the manufacture of old 8x8 tiles to exact match, then use same tile to fill a 10 sqft empty space which cabinets removed in the floor.
My bad is that I used Dremel to cut grout then used chisel to pull out 4-5 tiles, also grinding a few small oarts of black mastic parts to try to find some marks which may show manufacture info. Meanwhile, I used dry/wet vacuum to absorb dust.
Then I realize there is black mastic underneath the tile, which may be related to asbestos since house was built in 1968.Tiles seem like ceramic not asbestos. Just concerned about black mastic, is there any luck mastic is black but not asbestos? The previous owner disclosed there are asbestos tiles in some closets but didn't mention kitchen flooring.
I thought normally asbestos tile and black mastic should come together, does this mean previous owners have disturbed them and replaced them with ceramic but not removed adhesive?
If there are asbestos black mastic after lab test. Does this mean I disturbed them already? Do I need an airborne test?
(click to enlarge images)

Results were back. they are not asbestos. Alarm released.Thank you for your help


texts: Knee brace alternative to support 12' 2x4 span for single tree treehouse

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I see most treehouse's have knee braces to support the frame of their treehouse. I'm trying to find an alternative, if any, and also ask if my 2x4x12 frame will be strong enough.

Here are pictures of where I am in my current treehouse build.

I have 2 2x10x12's for my main lower support held into tree with 3/4" x 10" Lag bolts. I have 2 more 2x10x12's on top of those for my base support. they are also fastened to tree with 3/4" x 10" Lag bolts. Them frame and joist are made up of 2x4x12's and held secured with joist hangers and rafter ties.

I offset the platform to get more room on the left side. The only weight that will be on this platform will be the 1x4 flooring and railing. There will not be any structure built on it or heavy furniture.

My original plan was to set 2 4x4's in concrete and support the longest stretch of 2x10's. Here is a mockup i did to illustrate.

However, after walking on the corners I am realizing that is not going to be enough support. My first idea was to place 2 more 4x4's in those corners to left and right of the ladder. But I wanted this platform to be as independent from the ground as possible. But i am quickly realizing that might not be possible.

So here are my questions:
1) Would the 2 4x4's for the ladder and 2 4x4's in corner to left/right of ladder be sufficient?

2) Is there another way to do support those corners without using the ground?

3) Are the 2x4x12's I used in the frame good enough to support the platform? should I have used 2x6's?

Here is a mockup of what the deck will look like once completed


texts: Burning smell from AC vents after installing new thermostat

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I was installing a new thermostat (ecobee3 lite Smart Thermostat, 2nd gen) to my AC unit (ARUF61D14AA). I opened my current thermostat and noticed that I don't have a C-wire (which is required for the ecobee3):

This wasn't much of an issue because the ecobee3 came with a power extended kit, though it required a little bit more setup. So the next thing I did was open up my AC unit and look at the wiring:

and the cables from the thermostat:

So to install the new thermostat, I disconnected the cables from the wire thermostat that went into the board and plugged them into the PEK (power extension kit). Then, I used the five wires coming out of the PEK and connected them to its corresponding terminals on the board.
The only wire was kind of tricky was the C-wire, since the outside AC unit needed a connection to the C-wire as well. So I used a wire nut for the PEK and outside AC unit wire to share a connection to the C-wire. This was my final setup:

I then wired the Ecobee thermostat exactly like the instructions indicated for the PEK.

Then, I turned the A/C breaker on and went through the Ecobee initial setup (setting up wifi, preferences, etc..). I set the system to 'Cool' and lowered the temperature. I heard the AC turn on and after a few seconds we started smelling a burning smell from the vents. It could be smelled from both upstairs and downstairs (two-floor house). I immediately turned the A/C off from the breaker afraid that I would fry my A/C. My question is what did I do wrong and what was the burning smell? I checked all the wiring and board and nothing seemed burnt, also I double checked my wiring and nothing seems out of place. Did I miss something in my setup or wiring?
Some additional notes that might/might not be relevant:

I then took out the new thermostat and put everything just like it was before (with the old thermostat), and everything seems to be working perfectly again. The A/C didn't have a burning smell or anything and is currently cooling perfectly.
I had a suspicion that maybe when I turned the new thermostat to 'Cool' and lowered the temperature it tried to run the heating, which would explain the burning smell since I never run the heating (maybe only once a year). I don't know if this is the case since I shut off the A/C right after the smell, not sure if it was the heating. This turbine was spinning when I shut off the A/C:

I have lots of pictures of before and after so I can provide more if needed.


texts: Electrical Outlet in Wall Covered by Mirror - Risks

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I have a relatively new house (5 years old) and am thinking of hanging a large mirror over an electrical outlet. I don't have a need for the electrical outlet in that area, so I'm fine from a usage perspective, but want to know about risks. I've looked into it, and the outlet will continue to be accessible (mirror will come off easily but very rarely), so I want to know if I should:

Leave the outlet fully covered with mirror (unless there are any safety issues), or
Should I cap the outlet instead?

Please advise.


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I was measuring and checking continuity using my cheap meter at the main 125 amp breaker of my home while it was shut off. I noticed that when I set to 2M Ohms, I got a reading at about .3 on one of the main lines. The other main line measured 1 Ohm. I put my other lead on the neutral bar.

Should I be concerned?


texts: Where should the floor transition from tile to carpet go?

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I have 2 rooms planned, one will be tiled and the other will be carpeted with a door opening between them.  Where should the tile stop and the carpet begin?  In the figure below I have 3 different locations, I think the middle of the door opening, but not sure.  The door opening is standard 2x4 wall between the rooms.

Figure 1 - Sample visual with possible locations.


texts: How shallow can a basement be for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU)

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I'm looking to build an ADU with a habitable basement and keep it classified as single story. Single story maximum height is 18' where I live (San Jose, CA). Additionally, basements must have an emergency exit in every room, which can be an emergency exit window, provided that the sill height of the window doesn't exceed 44" above finished floor and the window meets certain height and width and area requirements.

If the finished basement floor is 36" (3') below grade, and the sill height of the emergency windows are 44" above the finished basement floor (to meet emergency exit requirements), they will end up 8" above grade. With an 8' ceiling in the basement, this means the 1st floor finished height above grade will be 5' plus the thickness of the floor/ceiling separating the basement from the first floor. Depending on construction technique, I could imaging this being as little as 5" (post tension concrete slab) to as much as 14.125" (2"x12" floor joists, 5/8" rock below, 3/4" plywood above, 3/4" flooring above plywood). This would put the finished first floor level anywhere from 5' 5" to 6' 2.125" above grade. With a 8' ceiling and a flat roof, I think I can stay below the 18' overall height requirement, but I'm not sure about whether this finished first floor level height is too high or not. Obviously it would necessitate an entrance with some sort of exterior landing and stairs, but that seems solvable (a portion of my current home has a floor at 40" above grade with a landing and set of stairs), if a bit higher than your typical ground level with crawl space home.

So, how high is too high for the finished first floor level? Said another way, if you took a 2 story ADU structure with the first floor slightly above grade, how far do you have to transition it below grade before the first floor now is called a basement and the entire structure can be considered a "single story"?


texts: Honeywell TH6110D1005 Thermostat keeps resetting itself

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I have a Honeywell TH6110D1005 thermostat. I do not use the program mode, I keep my temp set to 71° at all times when it is on the Cool setting.

Sometimes, it resets itself to 65° for no reason whatsoever. I have replaced the batteries with new red Duracells but it happened again.

It is intermittent and it can go weeks without doing this.

I can't figure out why it is happening.


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The two copper wires inside our furnace, that are supposed to ignite the gas, get too dirty to do the job about twice a year... We then have to go there -- always at inopportune times -- remove two screws, pull the thing out and apply sandpaper.

Can anything be done to solve this problem once and for good (or, at least, for some years)?

Should I, for example, try to gold-plate the copper after cleaning it again with something like this? Or will the deposits simply settle on the gold just as they currently settle on the copper?

The device is a Peerless PureFire, about 9 years old. This is a "high efficiency" unit -- there is no "pilot light". Instead, the fuel (natural gas) is ignited by electrical spark.


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Newbie here. I do a bit of home electrical work at the most basic level. (Replacing outlets and switches. Running a new line off an existing outlet. Nothing that would even elevate me to an amateur status.) I am smart enough to know to always turn off the breaker and to always double-check to make sure it is off. The rest, I know, is enough to make me dangerous.

So, I'm trying to figure out what is going on here. I am in US. I have a 240V 30A breaker that powers two 240V heaters in two different rooms. Both heaters draw less than 8A and both have their own dedicated thermostat. The heaters do not have built-in thermostats. I am replacing the thermostats with 'smart' thermostats. (The Mysa thermostat.) Picture of the existing thermostats below.

I did some research. I watched YouTube videos on 240V. I read the heater wiring diagrams. I read (twice) the Mysa install documentation. I pulled off the first thermostat on that circuit and it was exactly what I expected. 2 wires coming in from the breaker (red and black) and 2 wires going to the heater. I followed the instructions, triple-checked my work, put the new thermostat on the wall, and threw the breaker back on. Ta da! Smart thermostat bliss!

Breaker back off. Removed the other thermostat. WTF???!!!  There were only 2 wires in the box. One was connected to a red. The other was connected to a corresponding black. The other red and black were not connected and had wire nuts capping them off.

The heater works, but based on my (VERY LIMITED) understanding of 240V, I have no clue what is going on here. Or even how this is supposed to be working. The heater is definitely a 240V heater. Is there something sneaky / sketchy going on inside the wall that I can't see?

I'd appreciate it if anyone has suggestions.


texts: Sub panel and ground rod installation: "high differential potential between the ground locations"

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We have a dock (fixed-pier) that is about 40 feet from the house, and +100 feet from the main panel. 4-wire (2 hots, 1 grounded neutral, and 1 ground) run to a large junction box at the start of the dock. I was thinking about replacing this with a sub-panel as I don't feel like this current implementation (done by someone prior) is to code (Generally speaking, when is it necessary to install a sub-panel for providing electricity to an outside shed/office?) and I feel like due to the distance it would be nice to have a disconnect at the dock.

My main question is sort of based on some conflicting information. I was under the impression that I would have to install 2 grounding rods 6ft apart near the dock and connect that with the ground coming from the feeder (main panel) and have the neutral from the feeder in the sub panel un-bonded from the ground. Thus, the sub panel would follow the diagram presented in the accepted answer here: How to properly ground a subpanel in detached building?

However, I was watching a YouTube video and read the following comment:

  Greg Elkins: "There is one thing that bothers me, all grounds should
  be single point bonded, here have a separate ground run to the remote
  panel and yet installed a separate ground, this is bad. grounds should
  only be tied back to a single point bond to ground, have a separate
  ground run to the new panel, no additional ground rod should be
  located there. this allows for a dangerous situation that can have a
  high differential potential between the ground locations."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDor0hNmfL8&t=1554s

Is this user correct? Doesn't his comment go against: https://www.ecmweb.com/qampa/code-qa-grounding-and-bonding-remote-building


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I live in a building that has 2 floors, a friend living on the ground floor has a broadband connection which he uses by connecting the broadband cable to a WiFi router. New he has agreed to share his broadband with me but I live on the First Floor. I want to know how do I extend the network from the ground floor to the first floor.
I have an idea so far: I'll buy a new WiFi router and connect my router with the one on the ground floor using a RJ45 Ethernet cable and install the new router in my living room on the first floor thereby creating my own Wifi with a different SSID and password. I want to know if this is going to work or not, if not then please suggest me the best and the cheapest way possible.
Additional Details:
WiFi routers used by both of us :- TP Link TL-WR845N.
Broadband Speed :- 25Mbps (25 Megabits per second)


texts: Can I change from a mortise lock without buying new doors?

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I have two external mortise lock doors that will only open with skeleton key.  After several years I'm ready to upgrade.  Will I have to get a new door or can I upgrade these to modern locks.  I've searched the internet over and I'm either not using the correct terminology.  All I can find it swapping out for new mortise locks.  Not interested in that at all.

Any help is appreciated.


texts: How to connect multiple light fixtures to one switch?

texts: I am remodeling my basement, currently I have 5 light fixtures and each one has its own switch.  I would like to make it so when I turn on the switch at the bottom of the stairs all the lights turn on.  I would also like to add several more light fixtures.  I am new to electrical work.  I have a solid background with framing and drywall.  The basement is not finished so I have great access to all ceiling joints and current fixtures.  I have been reading online about 2 wire nm.  I am curious though how you run wire to one fixture, hook it up, and then run the wire to the next fixture.


texts: Run electric from breaker box in house 150 feet to garage, only need 110, 10 receptacles and 6 lights

texts: What gauge wire is needed, and what size breaker


texts: Now I realize I used too many GFCI outlets. How can I reclaim them?

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Yeah, so the building inspector redflagged a bunch of outlets for not being GFCI.  Before I understood how the LOAD terminals work, I just replaced every single one with a GFCI outlet.  Most  had a second cable for onward power, so I just attached them to the LOAD wires (didn't read the warning tape).  Big problem, though.
It's super hard to reset GFCIs, because when one trips, all the upstream GFCIs also trip, and you have to reset them in the right sequence.  I also have other circuits with no GFCI protection at all and I'd like to put these redundant GFCI devices to good use.
So how do I identify which GFCIs are useless so I can reclaim them?  Let's assume I am now perfectly competent at replacing receptacles.


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I been trying to install an exterior water spigot for the past few hours. I bought a new 1/2 inch frost proof lawn faucet from arrowhead brass and plumbing llc and the salesperson recommended that I get a shark bite 1/2" x 1/2" FNPT female adapter to slide over my existing copper piping inside the basement of my house. The shark bite slide over my copper tubing no problem at all. The problem I am having with my spigot is that it is consistently leaking at the threads when I connect it to the shark bite no matter how much or little teflon tape I put on it. When the tap is turned all the way on and I turn on the water supply second, it does not leak from the threads of the spigot, however as soon as I turn the spigot off, it starts to drip rather quickly.

I saw that the threads on the on the spigot seem to be quite pronounced and they are fairly sharp too. I also noticed that when I take the spigot out from the shark bite, almost without fail the teflon tape is shredded. I made sure to put the teflon tape on clockwise so that it would not unravel when I screw it on to the shark bite and it still does not seem to work.

I was wondering is there anything I am doing wrong? Is there anything else I could try before attempting to bring these items back if possible? Thank you all so much.


texts: Can I build a car-port on the side of my garage?

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I have a 2-car attached garage but three cars in the household. While I'm obviously aware I can just leave the third car in the driveway, it inconveniently blocks the cars in the garage and in the winter it gets covered in snow.

I'd like to make a parking space on the side of my garage (most likely with pavers or concrete) but I'd also like to be able to put a roof over this space to keep the snow off.

If I do get a concrete slab poured, I could have them place some 4x4 post bases (like this or this, I'd imagine) to use on the one side, and then I think I'd have to install some kind of ledger board on the side of the garage and then of course build a simple slanted roof between the ledger board on the garage and the board running across the 4x4s on the other side.

Here's a picture of the side of the garage, and a terrible sketch of my 4x4 posts and my ledger boards (I'd probably use 3 posts, not 2, but the drawing was bad enough already...)

I'm not sure exactly what that would entail or if it's a bad idea to try to put a ledger board on the side of my garage- would I need to remove some of the vinyl siding, is that wall structurally supporting enough to handle the ledger board, etc.

If I couldn't put the ledger board directly on the garage itself, could I just put 4x4s on each side, slightly taller on the side near the garage?

Obviously this would all need to be approved by my town with a building permit, but I wanted to start planning this out and seeing what problems I might run into and how I should design this thing.


texts: What can I do about a severed grounding wire?

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After doing some yard cleanup, I realized that my panel ground wire was severed.

I went to Home Depot and was told that they only carried a temporary solution (see attached photo) and that I should seek a code compliant connector. I also talked to an electrician and I was told that to be up to code that I cannot use a connector and that I must re-run a new ground.

Unfortunately our setup would require us to run the new ground with new ground rods in a new location because the current path of the ground is no longer accessible (it's under concrete).

Can I use a "compliant connector" or do I need to run a whole new ground wire?


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We're getting ready to replace/expand the decks on our house.  I'm having plans done and have seen a draft but wanted to educate myself a little while I wait.  The draft didn't yet contain sufficient details for the connections I'm asking about here.
Our deck is two stories, where the 2nd story is about half the size of the 1st. There will also be a roof over the upper level.  My question is specific to the support posts/columns between the ground and roof (Circled in red and blue in the image).  The draft plans showed a 6x6 on concrete base to lower deck, triple 2x10 beam supporting lower deck, 6x6 post to upper deck, triple 2x10 beam supporting upper deck, post to roof, triple 2x8 beam supporting roof.  The connections at the roof (in blue on the image) are different in that there's another triple 2x8 connecting there that goes back to the house roof, so perpendicular to the beam visible in the image.  How should these post/beam/post connections be made?
Another possibility might be to use continuous columns and beam hangers, something like Simpson HUC. The columns would be nearly 20' long though and so not exactly easy to work with.


texts: Is it safe to splice these cords with tape instead of a terminal?

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In the image below, you can see that I have two cords spliced together with a terminal block, all covered in a black piece of plastic. As the cover is not very attractive, and too bulky to easily hide, I'd like to just get rid of it, tape the individual cords together, and hide them in a small cable tray.

On the right side, there's a 60W lamp, on the left side is a three-way splice with the power source and another lamp.

I'm a complete beginner in this area, so my question is simple: is this safe to do?


texts: Pipe from wall too low to go into vanity

texts: As you can see by the photo my pipe from the wall is too low to enter the back of the vanity. How can I fix this without cutting the drywall?


texts: What is the proper why to add an outlet to island side panel?

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I'm replacing the cabinets on my existing island and preparing it for a waterfall countertop.
I need to move two small appliances outlets to the side where the dishwasher is located.
NOTE: these are for small appliances and not to power the dishwasher.
There is not a lot of space between the panel and the dishwasher so I may need a shallow box in there.
The idea is to keep it safe and comply with NEC.
I considered these two boxes:

1-Gang 17 cu. in. Shallow Old Work PVC Electrical Outlet Box
1-Gang Switch Electrical Box

Question: I was wondering if there are specific requirement for these boxes (such as they have to be metal instead of pvc?) and if the wire can be visible (secured with staples) or if I need some sort of conduit to protect it?
Here is a view of the island and my plan:


texts: AC switch with two mutualy exclusive power lines

texts:
I have deconstructed my bathroom fan and found three wires coming from the wall:

N -- neutral
A -- has 230V only when light switch is on
B -- has 230V only when light switch is off

I wonder how such a "device" can be constructed when powered only by standard household 230V wiring (line, neutral, ground). Does it have a name? What is the schematic of such device?


texts: How to fill a 20lb BBQ Propane tank with LPG?

texts:
LPG filling stations fit forklift tank filler valve threads (1-3/4 ACME) not standard 20lb BBQ tanks threads. The 20lb BBQ threads are male 1-5/16″ ACME (OPD) threads, however most adaptors fit on the inside like this device designed to refill 1lb tanks from a standard 20lb:

Where can an adapter be found to simulate a forklift tank filler valve?


texts: Water Softener using 150 gallons of water a day to regenerate?

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We have an Ultimate II water softener that is aprox 12 yrs old.  I've been told it's on it's last legs but I don't know much about them.  I have a few questions.  We noticed our water bill has skyrocketed from 150 gallons a day to 300 gallons a day in consumption (9000gallons a month!).  We are a 3 person household. Thinking there was a leak we shutoff the water valve to the house and the meter stops (it's not an outside leak then?)...so checked each toilet (put food coloring in with no color bleeding down).  Our water comes in and up (not down via slab) and thru attic therefore I'm thinking 5000+ excessive gallons in a month we'd see it in ceiling, right?  So, we decided to shutoff our water softener (which BTW regenerates every single night-why I do not know but guy set it up that way) and now we are using 150 gallons each day instead.  So, my thought is it's the water softener regenerating huge amounts of water.  I just need some insight as I'm not familiar with water softeners at all.  We had it serviced about a year ago and at that time we were told it was not going to last much longer (but maybe he just told us that-I don't know).

Anybody have any ideas on what is causing this massive loss of water via our water softener?  I can't find anything when I google this either.  Thanks a bunch!


texts: Should I close the gable vent on my garage in the winter?

texts:
My garage has a vent grill similar to this one. The vent is near the roof on the outside wall where I have my garage doors. I do have 1/2 of the walls insulated and I was planning to start finishing the insulation on the garage.

Do I need to do anything on the winter to prevent cold air to the garage? Or is it ok to leave as is?


texts:
I want to set up two strips of led lights in a room with each having their own power supply. However, the problem arises of keeping them in sync in lighting modes other than static.

Info: 5050 RGB, 4 wires, one 12V 10A power supply, one 12V 6A power supply, already have controller and an amplifier.

Would connecting the strips as shown below work, and will they stay in sync?


texts: Replacing floor boards, then sanding and varnishing etc

texts:
We've recently bought our first house (yay!) and are looking to have exposed floorboards throughout. However I realise it's a big job and due to work etc I'll probably have to tackle this one room at a time.

I'm going to start in the upstairs spare room (3m x 3m) and I was initially just going to replace the floorboards that needed replacing - i.e. the broken/cracked ones but I've rang 3 local timber merchants to discuss replacement boards and each one has told me that the existing 18mm boards are too thin to be exposed and I should look to getting at least 20mm. One also said that the ones at the moment will be 18mm softwood(?) which is rubbish quality, never designed to be exposed and therefore won't come up that great if I do sand & varnish them?

So basically I have a few questions....

If I'm going down the route of replacing all floorboards is it worth treating both sides of the boards with something before I actually fix them? They come untreated from the timber merchants and while I realise I won't need to varnish both sides is it worth putting some sort of treatment on the underside too?
Do you think I'll still need an industrial sander if all the boards are new and therefore not paint-stained or anything else? Or will I get away with just giving them a quick going over with an electric hand sander?
How do you know how tight to clamp the boards together? It's summer here at the moment so the boards will obviously be at their largest - Because of this I was thinking I should probably do them quite tight because they'll shrink over the winter which then means gaps could start to show. Or am I just overthinking the expansion/shrinking situation (I have no idea how much to expect see!)
Is it worth/can I put some sort of underlay between the joists? It's a first floor room and so I'm thinking of noise below it might be worth putting something inbetween the floorboards and the ceiling below? Or am I just talking rubbish here?!
Any other hints / tips before I start would be massively appreciated.


texts: Is my water meter or prv causing whine, and how do I fix it?

texts:
I'm getting really loud whine whenever I turn on a faucet at full blast. I've narrowed it down to one of the two pictured components but I can't tell which of them is causing it.
The whine doesn't start up right away but instead takes a few seconds to spin up (and increase in pitch and volume). The same goes for when we turn off the faucet; it takes about 10-15 seconds to finally die down. There is also a whole house water filter right after the PRV.
Which component is more likely to be whining given the above description, and is there anything I can do to fix it?
Update:
It was the prv. Finally got a plumber out to replace it (along with some other work) and the whine was eliminated


texts: What kind of sub-contractor do I use for cutting out a window in a wall that the kitchen and living room share?

texts: I'm sorry for this very basic question but I know that plumbers deal with pipes, electricians deal with wiring, etc. but what is the name of the kind of sub-contractor that can cut a make a pass through window in a wall that the kitchen and living share?  A carpenter?


texts: How can I join two lengths of flexible 1/4" copper pipe?

texts:
I have found a leak coming from under my refrigerator, after pulling it out to get behind it I found the 1/4" copper pipe that supplies the water for the ice maker and water in the door was severed badly. The pipe was attached to the wall behind the refrigerator with a piece of metal bent around it and then screwed into the wall. It possible that this metal severed the pipe when I had the refrigerator pulled out to paint over the weekend which caused the small leak, then pulling out the refrigerator again to check for the leak caused the cut to get bigger.

Anyway, I now have a 1/4" copper water line that is about 75-80% severed. I feel like the best way to fix this would be to make a clean cut on either side of the break and rejoin the pipe, but how would I go about doing that?


texts:
I dropped something on my Kohler white acrylic tub while installing CBU and it took off a small chip from the corner. What is the best option for fixing this?

Here's a picture of the chip:


texts:
I have an old ceiling rose configuration and tried connecting a new chandelier 5 bulb style light but it keeps tripping the mains when I try to turn it on.
The electrician I first had out said there was a fault with the new light so I got a new one.  Same thing.
I've put the ceiling rose configuration back and it works fine with a single bulb but not with the new light.


texts: How to pull splintered sheathing into an electrical box?

texts:
I am installing a new plastic box in a slightly different position in a bath in TX. I might be a bit short of wire and or space.  The wire appears to be guage 12, and a bit hard to work with. It also does not seem to backstab into my new switches, I have to wind them around the screws, and so use even a bit more wire than was used before.
Is it ok to cut back the white exterior sheathing/sleeve back, so that individual wires will be easier to slide into the box and bend.
If not, then what is a practical way of pulling the sheathed wire back into the box? Can the holes on the box made larger than the cut out? or Can the wire be re-sheathed? or?
Here is what it will looks like.


texts: I need to run a 1/2" black pipe for gas and about 4 electrical cables, on average 12/2 AWG through a 12" thick brick wall. Can I do it in a single tube of conduit and what should I use? Is just DWV PVC pipe okay or should I get something like 2" electrical conduit?


texts: How should I build a low profile stud wall in a basement?

texts:
I'm considering several options for building out a wall in a basement. Unfortunately, due to the way that the stairs leading to the basement are positioned in my house and the spacing I have to build a 30" door (there's going to be another 36" door elsewhere), I don't have much room to put up the typical 2 x 4 stud wall. At most, I have just under 4" to work with and 2 of those inches are already taken up by XPS foam board insulation. To add to the complexity, this wall would likely have to support a large TV (65" or greater).

I've looked at two options and both are worrisome. The first is using metal studs. Unless I misunderstood the measurements, I believe they can come in a 1 5/8" square size. They also provide holes to run wiring through. My concern with this approach is that I'm uncertain of how much weight such studs can hold. I've seen people use 3/4" plywood fasted to the studs with the TV mount fastened to the plywood but I would venture to guess they were much thicker.

Alternatively, I though of using 2x4s but with the wider side facing the wall and running a 1.5" pressure treated beam across the floor. I haven't found much information on such a design, being atypical that it is, and it doesn't provide an easy means of running wire. I'd have to cut out some foam board behind the stud and in some spray foam once the wires are run. I'm also concerned that such an approach would cause the studs to bow out when significant weight has been added to them. Maybe fasten them through the foam board and to the concrete (though I'd hate making unnecessary holes in my foundation)?

Finally, there is the option to cut out slots in the foam board and go with the typical 2x4 framing but with pressure treated wood. My concern with this is that the foam board provides a good vapor barrier and I'd risk not sealing things properly when I go back and spray foam all the holes.

EDIT: I've added a picture for reference purposes:


texts: What lamps available in the UK are compatible with BS 546 plugs?

texts:
We have lots of spare BS546 plug sockets in our rented house (we are located it London, UK). In the bedroom, these are linked to the lighting circuit but we only have one lamp so the room is very dark. The plug on the lamp is type BS 546 5A 240v.

What type of lamps can we buy / what should we check for when buying a lamp? The one lamp we do have says "Input 230-240v 50Hz with max 40W bulb".

Can we just buy a lamp and fit a BS546 plug without blowing ourselves up?


texts: How do I seperate the part in the middle in a clock mechanism?

texts: This is a torn down clock mechanism. How do I seperate the brass looking part in the middle from the black casing? It isn't push fit, so I'm assuming that it's threaded or something like that. Any ideas?


texts: In CLAY soil, looking for best method to set wood fence posts?

texts: I am getting ready to install a wood fence.  My problem is I have soil that is mostly clay.  What is the best method to install posts in poor draining clay, giving me the best longevity?


texts:
Is it okay for the 6 AWG copper bonding to come in contact with the CSST?
Notes:

Distances are not drawn to scale; CSST is about 60 feet with bends and turns
Assume the black iron is properly grounded to the electric panel, etc...


texts:
A question to those who use Mastercraft 10" Table saw, Model 055-6755-8. I just got the used one (but in good shape) from someone, and the riving knife wasn't installed (I do have it though), moreover release lever wasn't installed either (please see attached photo).

I googled, but could not find how to correctly install the lever to the inner side board under the table insert.

Could someone please send a photo of the lever attached in their table saw, so that I know what to do :) Thanks!


texts: Should I insulate my roof on the inside or outside?

texts:
I am renovating my house and am completely redoing my flat roof: ceilings, insulation and roof covering (I am planning to use EPDM rubber). In case it is relevant, I am living in the Netherlands.

My plan was to use rockwool on the inside as insulation, but now my builder is suggesting insulation on the outside. He wants to use 50mm (2 inches) PIR insulation.

Does anyone have ideas on the following:

Is there a good argument to go with insulation on the outside of the roof instead of on the inside?
Is PIR insulation better than rockwool?
Or ... should I insulate both the inside and the outside?


texts: Installing a horizontal fence over the existing vertical fence

texts: I am interested in sprucing up my backyard fence without completely putting in a new fence.  I would like to use horizontal wood planks and attach them to my existing vertical fencing?  Is this possible and what materials should I use to best achieve this goal?


texts: Unexpected voltage with switch turned off

texts:
I am doing some work on a ceiling light and I notice that, even though the light-switch is off, my voltage tester shows voltage present.

Answers to other questions (below) explain about phantom voltages but how exactly do I test for these and know what voltages are real and what are phantom so that I can work safely?

Phantom voltage questions

Why do I only have 30V going to my light fixture
24v from a double circuit outlet
Why am I measuring 16 volts on a wire that should be at 0 volts?
With no load on a circuit, I measure approx 15volts
Metal junction box shows 5V relative to ground when circuit powered. Why?
What is the cause for low voltage when the breaker is off?
Why is my outlet voltage abnormal?
Why does voltage still exists when a circuit is broken by a 3-way switch?
Voltage detected on ceiling light no matter the switch is on or off
Yard Light has Volts but no light
Should the tester start flickering when I touch my chandelier's top wiring cover?


texts: Amperage on Main Neutral cause a High Electric Bill

texts:
My neighbours power bill was high from the electric company. They called an electrician and they noticed that the main panels, main neutral was carrying a couple of amps on it (verified with clamp on ammeter). Upon further inspection they noticed that the main ground wire was cut. After replacing the main ground with a new wire and ground plate apparently the power bill came down a bit.

Does that make sense? Or would it be random that the power bill came down? I understand now that the ground wire just provides a reference for voltage so to me this coincidence...

Either way there electric bill is still a few hundred dollars too high every two months. Are there any reasons you can think that a electric bill might be too high? Its a newer house with energy efficient everything. (Well insulated, heat pump etc). No large loads.

We are thinking it could be a hydro thing but I cannot think what on there end would cause it.

Any ideas? Thanks


texts: Is it safe/compliant for one circuit to supply grounded wall outlets in both a kitchen and a living room?

texts: On one side of my wall (in kitchen, not the refrigerator or stove plug) is a three prong grounded outlet. Would it work without overloading a circuit to put a new outlet on the other side of the wall (the living room)? Any special precautions I should take? The house is small and short on plugs, so I could use a few more. Is this OK or not OK?


texts: Possible damaged fridge, low/high voltage throughout the house

texts:
I'm not sure what is happening but it seems that maybe there was a short-circuit, and now when my fridge is plugged in, the voltage levels in the whole house change.

The two phases in the main circuit breaker panel normally show about 122v / 122v (balanced).  When I plug in the fridge or turn on its breaker, the two phases show 106v and 133v.  There is a visible change in lighting and audible change in fans.  The fridge doesn't seem to start either.

Now this morning (after going all night with the fridge unplugged) I'm noticing the same problem resulting from the coffee maker.  As the heating element cycles in/out, the voltage throughout the house is changing.

What would be happening that causes the voltage issue throughout the house?  What could have been damaged to cause a problem that affects circuits throughout the house?


texts: Calculating rafter size with purlin bracing

texts:
How do I calculate rafter size with purlin bracing?  The total span is ~23' and the purlin bracing is ~9' from one side and ~14' from the other.  Is it calculated on total or clear span?

Edit for clarification: It is purlin bracing with a strongback, aka "under-purlin"

I'm trying to obtain a permit to extend my roof line over a room addition and porch.  The room already has a roof, but it's a 1/12 slope and prone to leaks.  This would bring it up to the ~4/12 pitch of an adjacent addition.  I live in the southern part of Zone 2.  The only frozen water we see is covered in syrup or in our drinks.  The permit office here will accept my sketchup, or even hand drawn, diagrams for a permit.  I just have to tell them what size rafter and spacing I plan to use and they will either approve or deny it.

Rough drawing. New rafters in red:


texts: How to get fresh air to flat without letting noise in

texts:
My flat is at 4th floor just next to very noisy street (cars/trams); above my flat there's only roof (no other floors or attic). I have problems with fresh air inside because I try to keep my windows as closed as I can - not to let the noise in.

How can I let fresh air to come in not letting noise to come in?


texts: Trip switch goes off 50% of the time when turning off an appliance

texts:
I have my computer attached to a six plug board that has its own on/off switch. It also has a power light and an 'earth' light which both are on.
When I click off the board using its own switch about 50% of the time it trips the switch to the whole house.
I thought trip switches only trip when turning something on not off.

Not sure if it is dangerous but any advice would be good.


texts: Home climbing wall - does this design look structurally sound?

texts:
I'm building a freestanding climbing wall that will sit in my garage. My design is two triangle frames built from 2x6 (green) with plywood panels (red) attached to the frame with 2x4 studs on the back (blue). The climbing wall is 40 degrees overhanging.

My main concern with the design is that all of the weight of the panels (~300lb) and climber (up to 200lb) goes onto the triangle frames, so they must be built absolutely solid. The small vertical panel at the bottom is not directly supporting any of the weight. Basically it is a giant table with an angled top which will have a dynamic weight hanging from it.
Questions:

Does this design look structurally sound, or are there any obvious things you would change?
The support legs will be mitered on the top, to attach to the angled frame. What is the best way to join the legs to the frame? Would pocket screws be sufficient?


texts: I have two toilets on my second floor. One will run occasionally after it is flushed until the second toilet is flushed. When the second toilet is flushed, the first stops running as soon as the valve is opened.


texts: I have a gas boiler that seems to have way too much water in it and has pushed the excess water out the vents on my radiators. I have shut it off. It has flooded my main floor. How do I stop this?


texts: How can I add a relay to the manual control for my HVAC unit?

texts:
I have a self standing HVAC unit that has a control panel with manual buttons. There is no thermostat.  Eventually my goal is to create a relay that can be controlled via IR/RF so I can install a Nest and control my HVAC units remotely.  But this question is simply about trying to debug the manual interface and figure out how to add the relay to the system so I can turn on the heat.

For simplicity, assume I have one button on this control panel:

And here is the backside of the control panel:

And here is the wiring diagram on the unit:

How can I install a relay to control one of those buttons?

The wiring diagram is a bit strange, for example, I see that High Heat = 1->1A 3->3A 4->4A 7->7A and 8->8A closed, but there are no leads on some of those terminals (1A, 4A, and 8A have no leads?)


texts: When does one get a new extinguisher or recharge?

texts:
Do you have to recharge a fire extinguisher every year even if if still shows some charge?  Is the year the standard or does it depend on whether the extinguisher is showing no charge?  What if it still shows a charge but it is not fully charged?

In other words does one go by what the extinguisher shows or by the arbitrary year?


texts: My 2 year old whirlpool dryer has a 3 prong cord. My new house has a 4 prong. The dryer doesn't have a spot for 4 wires. The ground wire coming from the dryer is attached to the dryer itself. A new 4 pronged dryer cord has white, red, black, and green wires. Maybe the green wire hooks to the ground screw with the one coming from the dryer?


texts: Humidity spot in neighbour (below) flat from an empty appartement during confinement?

texts:
My neighbour (below) is complaining of water infiltrating his ceiling and state it's from my flat's shower but :

The shower is about 3-4 meters away from this leakage ( more like an
humidity spot as it's not pouring)

The flat wasn't in use since beginning of lockdown (16th of May here,
in Paris)

The plumber didn't find any reason for this besides the shower curtain being a bit short ...

Any idea as to what I should look for ?


texts: What type of subflooring should I use for a basement?

texts:
My  basement has wall-to-wall carpet in the two bedrooms and living area.  The carpet was probably from the 70's when the house was built and we decided to remove it.  After removing the carpet from both of the bedrooms, we noticed some water spots on the drywall and the tack strips for the carpet.  It's not currently wet, but I am concerned that dampness will be an issue.  We were originally going to put down an organic compound sub-laminate and then have 12" laminate put down on top of that.  After noticing the water spots, I did some research and it says if there is potential for moisture, not to put down any material that might be susceptible to mold growth.  This included plywood.  I was thinking about putting down something like DriCore, but it contains plywood which could rot or mold (if excessive water damage occurs).

So I was hoping to find something that was waterproof.  So far I've only come up with a few options, but most of them are not offered locally or for diy's:

ThermalDry Basement Floor Matting (rigid plastic)
ThermalDry Basement Floor Tiles (rigid plastic with tile)
Delta Flooring (Plastic membrane)
Superseal (Plastic dimpled Membrane)
Tyroc (Rubber and inorganic surface board)

Does anyone have any recommendations for a breathable subflooring that is waterproof for a below grade basement?  Right now I'm leaning toward using Delta Flooring because its a cheap option that I can install myself.  Any other advice or experience would be helpful as well.


texts: How can I disasseble this kitchen cabinet?

texts:
I'm trying to disassemble this cabinet so I can get underneath the  bottom panel and clean it - has a nasty fishy smell underneath and will require a comprehensive clean.

From the pics you can see there are no screw or anything on the outside.  From the inside you only see screw at the top left and right panels.  I want to know since the bottom panel doesnt seem to be screw in or anything, how can I take it off.

Is it the case that the hole bottom assembly is done with adhesive.  Therefore I need to unscrew the top, then pry the bottom panel out from the sides?  Can you explain to me exactly how I should do it.  I was pushing the bottom panel up yesterday but I thought it might snap.

Also the bottom panel had to holes which I thought maybe screw but on closer inspection it doesn't look like anything.

Thanks


texts: How is lead soundproofing installed in walls being renovated?

texts:
I am doing a renovation that will involve taking down walls--replacing drywall in some cases with new drywall and in others with tile (in the bathroom). As long as I am taking apart the walls, I would like to install sound proofing.

Soundproofing generally consists of 3 layers, a layer of lead about 0.25" thick sandwiched between two porous sheets which are usually either plywood or gypsum board/drywall. It is also possible to have a 2-ply soundproofing where the lead sheet is affixed to a single porous layer.

So, in terms of installing this, the normal recommendation I see is that the sound proofing be used as the wall itself, so you just screw the soundproofing into the studs, just like normal drywall. The only problem with this is that if a 3-layer solution is being used, then the wall will be much thicker than normal, so that might affect the way electrical cutouts are made.

The other option would be to make 16" panels that would fit between the studs. In this case, the question would be how the panels are attached to the studs. Also, since the electrical will use EMT conduit, there is the problem of trying to install the sound proofing panels in a way that will not conflict with the EMT and water pipes, which might require extra wide walls.

Does anybody have experience with this kind of installation and can comment on best practices?


texts: What is the best way to fix bleach stains?

texts: A large amount of bleach was spilled on our carpet, and I'm wondering how we can try to restore the color.  The carpet is a light tan color.


texts: Caulking/Sealant for Conduit Pipe on Roof?

texts:
I had a contractor come by my house recently to do AC maintenance for the unit located on my roof. While up there, he mentioned that the conduit pipes that carry the electrical wires were not rated for exterior use and could create problems at the joints. A solution he proposed was to take some silicone caulking and just cover the joints to help prevent water from getting into the pipe.

Does it matter what type of caulking I get, should I just look for a product that is 100% silicon and call it a day, or is there another type of sealant that I should look for?

I would prefer not to have to replace the conduit piping since there is a lot up there (there are 5 other units in my building) and prefer a DIY solution that will help mitigate any problems until ALL of the conduit on the roof can be replaced.

Here are pictures of the joints I am talking about: http://imgur.com/a/xYhhR


texts: I recently installed a new sink in the kitchen. Previously it was a dual drain and now is a single drain in the center of the new sink. I now have an issue where the water doesn't drain all the time. It isn't backed up down the line because I can stick a knife or spoon into the water and air will then bubble up and it will all drain. I can also turn on the disposal and not have the water drain. I never need to plunge to get the water to drain just "pop" the air bubble. Because of this it seems like it is an air pocket that is holding back the water from draining. I do not have an air valve installed previous to or after the new sink install. Is this the issue? If so, why wasn't an air valve necessary before the new sink?


texts: CCTV camera / PIR security light intereferance

texts:
I have recently installed a CCTV system at home which is working perfectly. The system consists of a KARE® 8CH Digital Video Recorder CCTV Camera System (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KF55Y42/ref=pe_385721_145294501_TE_3p_dp_1) and two Lorex IP Wireless Camera (http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/lorex-ip-wireless-camera-a75wc). The two wireless cameras are installed either side of my garage door to cover both sides of my motor-home parked on the driveway. The garage is detached from the house with a separate electrical supply including breakers and RCD.

Since the installation of the wireless cameras though the two PIR LED security lights i have covering the driveway have not been working as effectively as they did so before, they are Blooma Bythos 10W Mains Powered PIR Floodlights from B&Q sometimes they come on and stay on, sometimes they don't activate when they should.

The wireless cameras are installed directly above each of the security lights and aimed in the same direction as the lights. Could the cameras be affecting the lights operation, if so how and can this issue be rectified while keeping both lights and cameras in place.


texts: Should I put a vapor barrier under metal framing in a basement?

texts:
I will be framing out my basement with steel so the bottom track will be on the concrete slab.
Is it required to put some sort of vapor barrier between the slab and the track? I couldn't find anything in the code that indicated it was required but want to make sure I pass inspection.
If it isn't required by code, is it recommended? My gut says it's unnecessary since the metal is galvanized, but I've seen arguments for and against it.
If some sort of barrier is required or recommended, what would you use and how would you install that?


texts: What to do with cinder block holes made for electrical boxes?

texts: The previous owners (flippers) left a surprise behind the drywall in my basement, and it was not just the absence of insulation.  What is the best way to work with these holes?  I want to replace the electric boxes themselves with newer low-profile versions that will not need such creative arranging.


texts: How to apply varnish of a different color on a varnished wood shed?

texts:
We have a wood shed that's only 1 year old or so. After the wood shed was assembled, we applied a varnish called mahogany. That day, I was at work. When I came home, the varnish has already been applied all over.

Over the past year, I have realized the varnish color is NOT what I would have liked. The color is orange.

How easy is it to apply a varnish of a different color?

My ideal color would be walnut (after visiting my hardware supply store). If I apply this walnut on top of mahogany, would it be a mixed color of the two? Or would it replace (cover up) the mahogany?

If it would be a mixed color, then how do I get rid of the mahogany?

I do also wonder if over time the orange mahogany will become more pale due
to exposure to the sun and rain.

Does the shed need a varnish a few years down the road? If so, I can deal with this problem then.

Thank you!


texts: Condensate pipe touching basement floor ok?

texts:
I recently replaced my leaking condensate pipe that was crusty and rusted. I've replaced it with a 1" copper pipe in the same position the old galvanized pipe was. Please see the picture I've attached.

My question and concern that I have is that, the previous pipe that was on the floor of the basement was extrememly rusted. Much more than the vertical standing pipes made from the same material. Since I put the pipe in the same place, near the ground of the basement, would the pipe corrode faster from being so close to the basement floor?


texts: Do cracks in my home's stucco indicate foundation issues?

texts:
My hubby and I purchased the home in 2015. We are currently noticing cracks both inside and outside of the home. Moreover, we noticed the area had been fixed and covered up before.

As I'm not a professional, I am pretty concerned about it. Please help and diagnose if I should be concerned. Thank you ahead of time! It is much appreciated.

More pictures


texts: Attic access in closet- reconfigure options (Canada)

texts:
I have a narrow bathroom and this is because the builtin closet of the adjacent room takes space from the bathroom.

I am planning to remove the walls that separate the bathroom from the closet in order to make the bathroom bigger.

My problem is that the access to the attic is done via a hole that was cut in the ceiling within the closet at its top side. Any access to the attic requires me to remove the content and the shelves of the closet. The attic is not used for any purpose, just insulation up there.

Are there any code restrictions or practical reasons that would stop me from doing the above?  (The attic access would end up in the bathroom).

I live in Ontario, Canada, so I am asking about that code


texts: Is it possible to convert 3 handle shower to single handle higher on wall without trim plate?

texts:
The only access to the plumbing is through the tiled shower wall. The back side of the plumbing is not accessible.

I've seen conversions where they break out the area around the old valves and then install a large remodel plate over the resulting hole. This doesn't look great and you also wind up with the shower valve much lower on the wall than would normally be installed.

Has anyone ever done a conversion where they mounted the single valve higher on the wall without access from behind? Can you make the hole for the single valve big enough to sweat the new connections but still keep it small enough to be covered by the standard trim? Wondering if using PEX might simplify things. Interested in a Moentrol valve if that makes a difference.

A hole will still need to be made at the old valves but I'm hoping it can be kept about 1 tile high. Old mud bed needs to be repaired and new tiles installed.


texts: rusty stains showing through a newly dried spackle

texts:
I noticed the wall by my balcony door was soft and sticking out, figured somehow there was moisture and possibly mold growing underneath the drywall lining. So I ripped that part out, scraped a little, cleaned with bleach and let dry. Then applied a thin first layer of spackle compound.

After it dried, there are a few reddish, rusty looking spots shining through. There are no nails anywhere around.

Anyone knows whats going on here? Why did the inside of the drywall get moist in the first place and what are the spots?

Thank you!


texts: How can I temporarily finish a basement without actually finishing it?

texts:
I just bought a brand new townhouse and had plans to immediately finish the basement. I would like to turn it into the media and tv area, as the living room on the main floor is not big enough for the whole family.

The problem is, the builder has stated in the warranty that we can't finish the basement for the first two years. We have to wait until the foundation settles. Otherwise, we void the structural damage warranty.

Doe anyone have some ideas on what we could do?


texts: Will a doubled P-trap cause problems if it has a vent between the traps?

texts:
Our plumber discovered that the drain pipe under our bathroom sink (which is done properly with a P-trap and vent) has a second P-trap down in the crawl space, which is incorrect.
I've been researching this and understand that having two in-line P-traps can cause drainage problems because air gets trapped between the two traps and water can't push it out.
However, in this case, there is a vent between the two traps, so I think that particular problem may be ameliorated. It's still done incorrectly though, and I'm trying to assess the risks.
What other problems could this second P-trap cause?


texts: Best way to take wood glue off of tools?

texts: I try to clean my tools after working with wood glue but i always miss a spot here or there. My square is covered  with wood glue because i didn't clean it fast enough. Whats the best way to take the glue off? I don't want to damage the plastic or metal on this precise part.


texts: What would cause my filtered water to have a thin transparent film suspended in it?

texts:
I have a filtered water dispenser in my Whirlpool refrigerator door.  Lately I've noticed when dispensing water into a clean glass, that there are patches of a thin transparent film suspended in the water.  The filter cartridge is about 3-4 months old.

I suspect that I'm seeing a thin layer of mold, slime, or other growth peeling off from somewhere within the refrigerator's water line.

I'm looking for guidance on what this film is, and how to deal with it.  The filters are rather expensive and I'd rather not drop a new one into the refrigerator if that's not likely to eliminate the problem.


texts:
Plumbing: Can the drain go down into the floor after the p-trap inside the vanity, or must it go in a wall?  Are

The drain exits to right side of the vanity, not the back wall of the vanity.


texts: Combination boiler pressure zero after heating

texts:
I generally don't notice a performance problem with the boiler, but after I run the heat to the radiators and turn the boiler off, after cooling down the the pressure gauge shows zero. I can easily top it up to the "green zone", and all is well. I don't always remember to do this, and it doesn't seem to be a problem. Next time turn the heat on, the gauge is back up to a normal level while heating. In other words, I've never seen the gauge read zero when the boiler has been running.

I don't see any signs of a leak anywhere near the radiators, and it doesn't seem to happen when using hot water -- though this may because the boiler is not running long enough.

Any ideas of what to check?


texts: Why don't the textures of drywall patches match the room?

texts:
I recently remodeled a bedroom and installed new drywall.  We painted the walls and ceiling with flat paint (since this is in the master bedroom and it is supposed to "hide" imprefections better than glossy finishes). But then we had a few "screw pops" in the ceiling where the drywall screws starting coming out (either due to the wood supporting the drywall drying or poor installation on my part to begin with).  I decided to fix the screws by adding new screws to hold the drywall up against the joists and either removed the old screws or screwed them deeper into the drywall.  Then I patched the holes and repainted.

I figured since I was using the same paint and we had put the initial coat on a month earlier the pathes would be invisible. The color is a perfect match (it is the same paint after all) but the "finish" is all wrong.  In artificial light or when looking at it on an angle you can still clearly see the patches.  Is there anything I can do to get this finish to match?  Is this all happening because my paint is the try "flat enamel" and not an eggshell or semi-gloss?

The initial coat on the walls (before the repair) was done with a roller while the paint over the patches was done with a brush.  However I don't think that made a difference because there are not brush strokes visible and the difference is not where the new paint is (a larger area than the patches) but it just the patched/sanded area.


texts: What kind of Ethernet cabling would I need for through the attic - And what cat?

texts:
I'm putting in an ethernet cable in my attic to reach from my modem in my library to my room, where I have my computer and an extra router (for better WiFi). Currently, I get internet in there from Powerline extenders.

I plan to run 2 cables, one for my PC and one for the router aforementioned.

My main question, is what type of cables and connectors should I use?
Is there any type of special cord I'd need since I'll be running cables through a wall and an attic? (If it matters, it won't be going through any exterior walls) And what type of plug should I use? (If there are types)

One more, what would be the best cat type to use? I was thinking about Cat 5e but my friends are telling me to run Cat 6 because it'll last longer and with improved speeds.

Thanks for any help.


texts: I notice deep cracks on hardwood floor all over like below. We really like the house and buy it. Is this a major problem or a common one


texts: Can I use silicone lubricant on oven door hinges?

texts: After using my self-cleaning cycle on my oven, the door hinges squeak. What is safe to use to stop the squeak? I have used olive oil, but it does not last.


texts: 2 wires with same neutral in a tandem circuit breaker on the same leg

texts:
For reasons not relevant, I have spent the whole day reading about circuit breakers and I think I found an issue in the current configuration (changed after a contractor remodeled our kitchen).

I have a Bryant panel. I've included the diagram from the panel and a picture of the breaker below.

My worry is that there are two wires - a red and a black that go through the same conduit up to the kitchen, and the red and black are connected together in a tandem circuit breaker which would both be on the same leg. My understanding is that the neutral might not be able to handle the load if both pull full amps at the same time.

An image is included with the black and red wire together on the 3rd tandem on the right from the top.

I believe I also understand some of what happened. Originally the 3rd and 4th down on the right had 2 blacks and then 2 reds so that the same leg would not travel through both wires with 1 neutral. I had a contractor do work here, and I believe due to some requirement (which I can't figure out) he had to switch the bottom of the 2 with an AFCI. And he put the dishwasher and disposal on that one together. But then he ended up taking the other 2 and putting them together. This is what now seems dangerous.

Anyhow, can someone confirm that this is an issue? Would it make sense to swap out the 4th down with a tandem again and have 2 black followed by 2 red?

Edited 03/03/2019

Thanks for the answers - I have switched #3 to use a single 20Amp, but I'm pretty sure this will trip as it has all my kitchen counter appliances. What I'm wondering is if I can combine the black and red from #1 and #2 (not the same MWBC and controls only lights) and combine the other black and red from #1 and #2 into two different legs using a triplex (replacing #1 and #2), leaving me with two breakers that are free. I could then move one set of kitchen appliances to one of the free breakers of the triplex.

Edited 03/03/2019:

Top 2 left breakers are for an electric oven. I don’t use an electric oven. I removed those 2, capped off the wires, and moved the #3 wires to 2 adjacent 20amp breakers in place of the 220v oven breakers (different legs). And the 6th down on the right is not MWBC. One is for the washing machine and doesn’t go the same place as the other wire.


texts: Why should I replace the starter every time I replace a fluorescent tube?

texts:
Many fluorescent tube guides recommend replacing the bimetallic strip starter every time the tube is replaced; however, no one seems to provide a specific reason why it needs replacing. Presumably you could keep using the starter and only replace it when it no longer lights the tube – but perhaps there's a good reason why you shouldn't use an old starter with a new tube?

I'm specifically asking about home use where I can immediately stop using the light when it fails. In locations like shops and warehouses where a failed light may not be immediately noticed or fixed, a short-circuited starter would deteriorate the tube filaments and could even be a fire hazard, so preventive replacement may be warranted.


texts: What items in a house can potentially be damaged by shutting them off at the circuit breaker?

texts:
Are there certain items in a house (anything from a computer to a furnace) that can be damaged by shutting off its circuit at the electrical panel?

If so, must one avoid turning off that circuit at all times, or should one simply take certain precautions (for example, unplugging the device) before shutting off that breaker?

A Chicago Tribune article touches on the issue, but does not go into detail.

I ask because I've seen people (who didn't have a wire tracer handy) shut off entire legs of an unlabeled panel at once, in order to quickly identify the desired breaker. Using this method, one can isolate the correct breaker in about five tries. But, I worry that it's bad for certain hardwired appliances or plugged-in devices, to often have their power cut at the breaker.


texts: How does National Electrical Code section 300.4 (D) apply in this situation?

texts:
Saw a picture of an example of code NEC 300.4 (D) where a furring strip was used and a wire was run parallel to the furring strip. Per the code, the wire was 1 1/4" away from the nearest edge of the furring strip.

This doesn't make sense since the wire has the same chance of getting hit with a nail if the wire was only 1/2" from the furring strip. I realize that this originated from the fact that a hole in a stud has to be 1 1/4" away from the top facing edge of a stud to keep drywall screws from hitting the wire.
But according to this code a wire can be just under the sheetrock as long as it is 1 1/4 " away from the furring strip. I don't understand the logic. Can you please clear up my confusion?

National Electrical Code 2011
ARTICLE 300 Wiring Methods
300.4 Protection Against Physical Damage. Where subject to physical damage, conductors, raceways, and cables shall be protected.
(D) Cables and Raceways Parallel to Framing Members and Furring Strips. In both exposed and concealed locations, where a cable- or raceway-type wiring method is installed parallel to framing members, such as joists, rafters, or studs, or is installed parallel to furring strips, the cable or raceway shall be installed and supported so that the nearest outside surface of the cable or raceway is not less than 32 mm (11⁄4 in.) from the nearest edge of the framing member or furring strips where nails or screws are likely to penetrate. Where this distance cannot be maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration by nails or screws by a steel plate, sleeve, or equivalent at least 1.6 mm (1⁄16 in.) thick.


texts: What is common practice when doing electrical rough-in for recessed lights in a drop ceiling and walls are not yet finished?

texts:
I am installing a drop ceiling with pot lights as part of remodeling a portion of my basement. Since I am refinishing the entire room (newly framed walls), it seems like I have a catch 22:

I need to get the electrical rough-in done before I put up drywall (including the wiring to the pot lighting fixtures in the drop-ceiling)
However, I have always seen drop ceilings installed after the drywall is up, which means I cannot mount the pot lights in the ceiling/wire for them unless I mount the grid (or some portion of it) for the drop ceiling first.

Can I wire up a portion of the grid for the suspended ceiling before drywalling and leave gaps around the edges slightly bigger (~1/8" - e.g. 3/4" gap for 5/8" cement board) than required to insert drywall, or is this a ludicrous suggestion?

Or, is the wiring for pot lights in this situation typically addressed as part of the final inspection? I was not planning on having any additional junction boxes between the panel and the pot lights (all splices to supply multiple lights are supposed to just be inside of the boxes on the pot lights per my submitted plans). Since a portion of the wire run from the breaker panel to the pot lights will be concealed by dry wall for another room (I am finishing the other room at the same time under the same permit) which means the cable would be run from the panel and dangling near where the pot light will eventually be mounted for the rough-in inspection in this case.

I plan on calling my inspector to see what is acceptable, but what is typical practice in this situation?


texts: Need ceiling fan remote that also uses controls at existing wall switch

texts:
I'm looking for a ceiling fan remote that will allow me to continue to use the wall switches. I am certain that the current wall switches will need to be replaced with the remote kit switches.  My current configuration is a toggle switch for the light and an off-low-med-hi-off rotary switch for the fan speed.  In other words, I have two hot wires going from the switch to the fan and do not ever use the pull-string switches on the fan.  To further complicate the situation, the light switch is a 3-way switch.

My story is (and I'm sticking to it) that I may be warm when I go to bed and would like to begin the night with the fan on and turn it off when I've cooled down.  Therefore I would keep the remote on the headboard to turn the fan off, but need to be able to turn the fan/light on/off at the door.


texts:
We’re about to paint our skirting board with black gloss paint but some of the filler is chipping off in places.
Should we remove the areas of filling that are chipping off and refill those only or should we try to remove all of the filling and completely redo from scratch? What is the best product to fill with?
And do we need to sand down the original gloss paint before painting over with new black gloss?


texts: What could cause high power usage in HVAC system after lightning strike?

texts:
My house was recently struck by lightning. It fried several components of the HVAC system. Technician was able to restore operation, however the system does not cool anywhere near as crisp as it did before.   And immediately after the strike, the energy usage has spiked and held consistent way above normal/average.

I have the thermostat set to 79 F to restrict cooling run time and have turned off or turned down practically everything else non-essential in the house. Daily power usage continues to be way above normal even with far less things running.

A separate air conditioning technician advised me that regardless of the system actually functioning, the compressor may be grounded resulting in weak cooling and high energy draw. I need serious help on this confounding situation as my electric bill has suddenly quadrupled over pre-strike usage. What are your professional opinions on this matter please?


texts: New roof, ridge vent and whole house fan ?? Help!

texts:
I am in the process (day1 of 2) of getting a new roof.  I have a whole house fan - Louvered ceiling type.  House was built in 1968 so I have no spec on that fan.  It has (or had after they ripped it out) a roof ventilator with fan.  The roofers removed the “mushroom” bowl shaped thing on roof and disconnected the fan from electricity.
They are telling me I don’t need it anymore because they are putting on a ridge vent.  Currently I had this ventilator and 5 turtle type vents.
Are they correct not to put the mushroom ventilator back and hook it back up?
Please help.


texts: Occasionally floor around toilet is very very wet. Why?

texts: A couple of times per week the bathroom floor will be flooded from the toilet. Not sure why since I'm not there when it happens. Can flush the toilet over and over again and everything seems fine. Help.


texts: Multiple motion sensor lights on one switch

texts:
I have a switch inside my house which feeds power to two fixtures on opposite corners outside. I installed LED motion sensor fixtures which have their own sensors and lights but they have never worked properly. They have the feature where if you turn them off and on with X seconds they should remain on but this never works. Looking at the troubleshooting in the manual it actually says that multiple fixtures can't be on the same circuit. Why is this and how can I work around this problem? Are there fixtures available that support this arrangement? Rewiring the circuit isn't really an option as the switch is on the bottom floor and the fixtures are at the roofline.

Thanks in advance for any answers.


texts: Why do blinds have two different close options?

texts:
This hopefully works on this site. It certainly should be DIY, though a rather paltry task.

Why do blinds have two close options? There are two different angles that they can be closed and this seems almost universal on commercial blinds. Is there some sort of ventilation or insulation benefit to closing them with the individual slats angled up vs. down?


texts: What size pool jets am I supposed to purchase for 1.5 inch pipes?

texts:
In my pool, I have two white PVC pipes that push water out, where jets are supposed to fit to increase flow rate.

The diameter of these pipes is 1.5 inches.

I purchased a 5-pack of "Pool and Spa Eyeball Jet 1.5" Threaded to 3/4" Open" jets from an online retailer.

I was sent a pack of 5 jets where the diameter of the threaded portion measured 1.75 inches, too big to fit in the 1.5" wall pipes.

I returned the pack, and requested the correct size.

Again, I was sent the same 1.75 inch pack back.  The product is a Pooline item number 11211C.  I found an independent description which measures the threaded portion as 1-1/2" MIPT.

Below is a photo from the website referenced above showing the MIPT, and photos of the items I received with a tape showing measurement.

Before I return these items for a third time, I want to make sure I am purchasing for the correct width.  Am I simply being sent the wrong item, or am I asking for the wrong item?  If so, what should I be asking for?


texts: How do I connect 1/4" plastic tube to 3/8" plastic tube?

texts:
I am installing a R/O filter under my sink. The drain for the waste water attached to my dish-washer drain hose provides a 3/8" connection (Watts Premier 164020 DLA-D Drain Line Plumbing Adapter). But, the drain with my unit is a 1/4" hard plastic tube. I am not sure what to do, but maybe I can connect the 1/4" tube to the 3/8" tube somehow.

Any ideas?


texts: Why is there a continuous dripping sound coming from my toilet?

texts:
There is a dripping sound coming from my toilet. It happens about once a minute constantly. I've eliminated every possibility I could think of:

I put food coloring into the tank and waited 20 minutes. The water in the bowl did not change color. Furthermore it does not exhibit the other sign of a leaking flapper, the tank occasionally refilling.
I observed the refill tube and did not see anything dripping from it.
I turned off the water and the sound continued. After leaving the water off overnight, the sound stopped.
Unlike How to fix dripping sound coming from toilets? this happens pretty much constantly, not just when material is added to the bowl.

Any other ideas? Or problems with my beliefs above?

UPDATE:
As per a comment on the accepted answer, I replaced the fill valve, and the sound went away. That was only three years ago. Now, the sound is back. Fill valves should last longer than three years, right? The new fill valve wasn't even the same brand or style as the old one.


texts: Can I use domestic hot water from a gas combination boiler temporarily, while the pressure in the central heating circuit is low?

texts:
Due to work on the heating pipes, the central heating water pressure is low.
Is there a safe way to use the gas combination boiler (Ferroli Modena 80 E, domestic hot water + central heating) for domestic hot water production (until the end of the work on the heating pipes)?

Currently the low central heating pressure light is blinking (as it should) and the fire does not turn on when hot water taps are opened.


texts: How can I stick bathroom tiles back down?

texts: Some water got under the tiles and now they move around as you stand on them. How can I fix this, is there a way to stick them back down?


texts: Installing of Honeywell Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat

texts: I need to install new wifi thermostat but I don't have the C wire. There are G, W, Y and R wires attached to my old thermostat. There is also one blue wire not connected on the wall.


texts: What areas of a shower are the most prone to moisture & mold?

texts:
This may sound like an obvious question but I am thinking of a specific diagram which I have seen in the past which I cannot locate.

It showed a sort of diagonal division between the wettest areas near the shower head and other areas which tended to stay dry or drier. (I might have seen it in some video, not on its own, which might be why I can't find it again!)

The specific reason I'm looking for this is to help evaluate whether and where to use epoxy grout. I'm building a 3x5 ft. shower and given that the epoxy is harder to work with and more expensive, am trying to decide if I can economize money & effort by using regular grout in secondary areas where there is little benefit to the epoxy.

Thanks


texts: What kind of window is this (and how do I fix it)?

texts:
I have a single hung (vinyl?) window in one room that is different from all the rest of the windows.  The balance mechanism just failed and I'd like to repair it.  Can someone tell me a name for this window (or even better, a guide for repairing one)?

Instead of a spiral balance or a counterweight, it appears to have a mechanism that is entirely contained within the stile of the window and moves up and down with it (I'd never noticed it before).  One of the sides has failed and the window now sags down on that side when raised.  The balance mechanism has dropped down from the window itself so it can be seen.  It has a metal track and a cord (that I assume is broken).

If possible, I'd like to find a guide on how to attack this thing.  I'm not sure how to properly remove/replace it.  Right now, I can still close the window.  I'd rather not just fiddle and make that part not work.

My internet searching hasn't worked well, so I suspect there's a term for this window that I don't know.  Any pointers appreciated.


texts: Extending the wires of soil moisture sensor without voltage drop

texts:
How can I extend the wires of my soil moisture sensor without dropping voltage?

My control box is 15 meters from the plants. I also have my 5v power supply for my sensor. I have 2 sensors.

Specification for control box:

  Power supply: 3.3v or 5v
  Output voltage signal: 0~4.2v
  Current: 35mA

  Pin definition:
  Analog output (Blue wire)
  GND (Black wire)
  Power (Red wire)


texts:
I've lived in the USA for a little over 4 years now and aside from the obvious differences in residential electrical systems compared to where I'm from (120V vs 240V, 60Hz vs 50Hz, etc.) one thing in particular still puzzles me.
Why are GFCI's so finicky - to the point where some appliance manufacturers recommend not plugging their products into GFCI outlets and users trying to avoid installing and sometimes remove existing GFCI outlets?
The situation I'm used to is for every single outlet (and optionally even lighting circuits) to be protected by a single central 'Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker' (aka GFCI) in the main electrical panel.
There are no 'nuisance trips' - if the ELCB trips it's either for a good reason (the appliance is broken to the point of being unsafe to use), or the ELCB itself is broken and needs to be replaced.


texts: Dog stepped on finish before it was dry. How should I go about fixing this?

texts:
My dog stepped on my new floor.   Left paw prints in the finish. What are your suggestions for fixing it?

I plan to sand it down and was going to use a high grit sand paper.

Then reapply a new finish.  The issue is I don't know what finish the company used and I wont be able to get ahold of them again.  Any suggestions?  What happens if I apply a different finish?  Will it mess up the floor more?

Thanks.


texts: How to build a door shared by two jamb openings

texts:
To save space in a small apartment, I want to build a door into the bathroom that when closed, will (obviously) shut off the full bathroom, but when the door is open (opens inwards) will close off the toilet area. I have seen this in a hotel in the UK before.

How can I build a door like this?


texts: Ground Wire (or Wires) after PEX Installation

texts:
I recently had my galvanized pipes professionally replaced and now think I have an issue.  Previously, The ground wire that ran from my electrical panel used the galvanized pipe as the "conduit" to the main water line that sinks into my basement floor.  Now PEX has replace the galvanized pipe, and unless grounding wire can use plastic as a "jump", I think I need to fix this.

My house has two metal rods (with wires attached) on the exterior of the home.  One (on the back of the house) runs into the electrical panel.  The other (on the side of the house) runs nowhere.  A previous homeowner appears to have clipped the thin plastic coated wire that came into the house from the rod.  So it is effectively useless.

The distance from the electrical panel and the water main is significant, approx. 30+ feet.

How should I fix this?  Run copper wire to what's left of the copper after the PEX installation? Using the water main as the ground seems to be the logical option.  Also, what should be done (if anything) to the second metal rod?  Is it needed?  The home was built in 1948.

Thanks for any ideas.


texts: Can I safely leave male/female plugs exposed on a rooftop balcony?

texts: I have just purchased a set of lightbulbs that I would like to suspend on my rooftop balcony. Unfortunately, they do not come with a remote, so to turn them on/off I will need to plug-in/disconnect the plug to an extension cord. Do I need to worry about rain damaging either the male or female parts of the plug/extension if they are left disconnected on the ground and then it rains? Will that damage either part? If so, how is this thing usually handled to mitigate damage?


texts: How does one determine the current draw on a single circuit?

texts:
Is it possible to be able to measure a single 15A circuit at any point along the circuit to determine if there is a current draw on that circuit and how much it is?

I'd like to figure out how to put a sensor on my home's circuits to be able to integrate the results into my home automation system, and thus, be able to create limits that would trigger specific scripts or routines, etc.


texts:
We have Bruce engineered hardwood flooring installed by a previous homeowner. At some point double-sided tape was used to hold down an area rug. I have tried to remove the tape by carefully pulling it up. The tape came up but the adhesive remains. I have a sample of the flooring and can see that it has a thin veneer (1/16") with a thin protective clearcoat over it.
I'm concerned about using anything harsh such as Goof Off or nail polish remover that might remove the clearcoat and damage the veneer.
What's the best way to approach this in removing the adhesive?


texts: What's causing my washer to stop running during the wash cycle?

texts: I have an Frigidaire Affinity washer that runs perfectly fine, (all the way through wash & rinse cycles), when empty, but as soon as you put even a small load of clothes in it, it stops working halfway through the wash cycle, leaving a tub half full of water and very wet clothes. I noticed that when this happens the timer resets to the start of the wash cycle, and then will shut off after about 15 minutes.  What could be causing this sort of behavior?  The machine is only 4 years old and is all digital.


texts: I had built a new metal pole barn. I've had 200 amp service installed and an electrician connected the circuit box and earth ground. I'm doing the inside wiring myself. This is a party barn with a stage and large sound system. I also installed a wood burning stove with an electrical blower motor installed. The problem: When I am using the sound system and turn the blower on the stove off, I get a loud snap/pop noise thru the speaker system. I installed 20 amp breakers and 20 amp outlets and connected at the outlet the ground to ground, neutral to neutral and hot to hot. Also both are on separate circuits. What can I do to fix this? Thanks.


texts: How many LED lights on this 15 amp breaker?

texts:
How many LED recessed lights per 15 amp breaker with 14 gauge 12/3 12/2 wire with 8 3 way dimmer switches and 1 single pole dimmer attached picture of 6” recessed led lights

Also not sure what the maximum of (4)  no 12 awg or (6)  No 14 awg means... thanks guys


texts: Should I use 1-inch pipe for water main?

texts:
My 2.5 bathroom home was built in 2016. The water main coming in from the city is 1-inch PEX pipe. City pressure is assumed to be very adequate. Before the pressure regulator, the pipe reduces to 3/4 inch. So all of the pipes in the house are 3/4 or 1/2 inch. The house has a basement, and the basement is unfinished. So access to the pipes is not at all an issue. Should I increase the pipe size by swapping out the current pipe with a 1 inch pipe to the utility room (a 50-60 ft run to where the hot water branches off from the cold)? I am going to add a water softener (the water softener was built for 1-inch pipe), and so now is a good time to address this if it's a good idea to address it.

Here is what I currently have:

3 toilets
1 washing machine
1 dishwasher
1 fridge with ice maker
5 bathroom sinks (2 of the bathrooms have 2 sinks each)
1 kitchen sink
2 hose bibs for gardening outside (rarely used since we have secondary water for watering the lawn with)
1 shower (without tub)
1 large tub (without shower) -- same bathroom as above shower
1 tub/shower combo (a normal United States tub)

and in the immediate future I'm adding a water softener.
In the long-term (when the basement is finished) I will definitely add these additional fixtures:

1 tub/shower combo
1 toilet
1 bathroom sink

and desire to put a basement kitchen in as well (not sure on whether I will add a dishwasher).

We have two adults and 6 children currently living here. They aren't teens yet but that's not too far away. My water needs will be greater in the future. We may have additional adults living in the basement when it has been completed.

I talked with a plumber over the phone about it, he said not to worry about it, if it was his house he wouldn't worry about it. However I'm unclear on whether he was considering the future bathroom and kitchen which will be in the basement. He also did not know how many children I have :).

I worry because others in my neighborhood (same floor plan as my house) have the 1-inch pipe into the utility room. But my house does not.


texts: What type of lighting is used in this picture?

texts: I just came across this picture . Would you guys know what LED's or lights have been used in this ?


texts: C wire for Ecobee3 thermostat in 2 zone heating and A/C

texts:
My previous post was deleted by the Community. I'm incorporating very helpful comments from Stack users here in this updated entry.

I have hydronic baseboard heating that uses a Weil McClain oil boiler. Two zones, one for the first floor and one for the second. I have central A/C with the air handler in the attic and the condenser outside. The A/C also has two zones, one for each floor.

I have two thermostats, one on each floor, with OFF, HEAT, COOL, FAN ON, FAN AUTO options. Each thermostat controls both heating and cooling. My first floor thermostat is currently a Honeywell T8775X (digital round, non-programmable). My second floor thermostat is a Honeywell CT87 (classic round, non-programmable).

Images of thermostat wiring, boiler, and A/C

Please see included images of A/C, boiler, and thermostat wiring in link above.

I plan on installing two Ecobee3, one for each zone. What would be the best way to connect the Ecobee3 - to the A/C or to the furnace? Is it ok to connect both thermostats to one system (i.e., both to the A/C or both to the furnace)?

Thanks!


texts: Wiring a fan and recessed lighting to a double switch

texts: I currently have a single switch operating a ceiling fan. I'd like to add some recessed lighting to the room. Can I replace the single switch with a double switch to operate the ceiling fan and (4) recessed lights? Or, do I need to install a second switch and run all the wiring?


texts: What is this fixture on my external water faucet and how can I remove it?

texts:
I have this device on my outdoor water faucet. It is leaking water in all directions and by leaking, I mean pouring water everywhere.

What is the purpose of this device and how can I remove it so I can replace it if it is needed ? I don't have an in-house winter valve, so I'm guessing that it has some usage for winter.

I tried to remove it using a vise-grip but to no good.


texts: I hired an electrician to install a GFCI outlet outdoors. I need this to power some pumps in an aquaponics system, so I need to guarantee it works, so kids don't get hurt while playing in the water. How can I verify the electrician installed it correctly and the system is safe?


texts:
]My mother live in an older house and has two regular light switches in bathroom.   one for light and other for exhaust for the exhaust fan

I would like to add an GFCI outlet in place of one of the switches and move both switches to one side.

The parts Im thiking of using are:
15 Amp, 120/277 Volt, Decora Single-Pole / Single-Pole AC Combination Switch, Commercial Grade, Grounding, Side Wired - Brown

15 Amp, 125 Volt Dual Function AFCI/GFCI Receptacle, 20 Amp Feed-Through, Tamper-Resistant, Monochromatic, back and side wired, nylon wallplate/faceplate, screws and self-grounding clip included – Brown

I would like the light switch to be independent of the outlet and fan switch

Im thinking of connecting the Fan switch to the load of the outlet.

Using my diagram, can someone please tell me how to correctly wire all this together? ex Light switch= LH>7 and LL>5  etc.

any help is appreciated.

P.S. As this is an older house, Im pretty sure there is no ground wire and the gangbox is metal.

P.S.S here requested pictures of inside of box


texts: Can I hold a Hammock up with Star Pickets?

texts:
I would like to hang, my Hammock.
Unfortunately the new property doesn't have any handy trees etc.

So I thought I could perhaps secure it to some star-pickets.
The ground is quiet sandy, and I don't have the option to sink a bag of cement on to the end of each picket.

I thought I would get 2x 8ft pickets, and beat them 2 foot into the ground -- leaving ~6 foot above the ground to secure the hammock to.
Then add 3 more smaller "outrigger", pickets around each main picket to brace against side ways force.

To draw rough sketch of a overhead view.
With the pickets in Red, the guy-wires in blue and the Hammock in the middle:

Will this work?
If so:
How tall should the outriggers be?

I was thinking 5ft, but maybe I would be better off with little 2ft ones and driving them basically the whole way into the ground?


texts: How do I stop my recliner from scratching wood floor

texts:
I have hardwood floors and recently purchased a recliner.  The recliner slides around on the hardwood floor.  Is there a product that will stop the recliner from sliding and more importantly stop it from scratching the floor?

Also, the bottom of the recliner is a big disc approximately 24" in diameter.


texts: Why did my house lights flicker when I was using kitchen appliances?

texts:
I was cooking in the kitchen using bake function of an air fryer for 30 minutes. Turned on the microwave for 30. Power went off on other circuits, but stayed on in the bedrooms and bathrooms.
No breakers were tripped. I manually reset the affected circuits where the power went out. Instead of normal lights, I got orange color on the bulbs that lit up. If I overloaded the kitchen circuit, why did it affect some of the other, but not all, circuits?
What will the fix entail? Thanks.


texts: How can I fix floor cracks in bathtub (enamel?) coating?

texts: We just moved into our new home (not a new build) and noticed flaking of the material in the bottom of one of the bathtubs.  It appears as though the coating (enamel?) has flaked away in some places.  We haven't noticed any leaking, but we're not sure how much of a problem something like this could be and we'd like to fix it before it becomes something bigger.  Is there an easy way to repair this?