texts: Replacing oven broil element. Will this replacement work?

texts:
My broil element has never worked in my oven. I moved into this house 11 years ago, and the oven is probably the original one with the house (it's an olive green tappan electric!).  I finally decided to look at why the broiler didn't work and the element was clearly toasted.  A multimeter showed no continuity.
I looked around online and found a replacement element, and it looks identical to the one I removed (minus the burned out part) and checked it with a multimeter also (29 ohms) so I thought I was good to go, except they have different connectors.  Here is the original:

And here is the replacement:

I am okay soldering and putting new ends on wires.  Would I be okay changing the connector on the wires?  Would they need any kind of ceramic coating for being in an oven?
Also the wires connecting to the element look tired.  I don't necessarily want to replace the oven right now as we are saving to redo the whole kitchen and don't know what kind we want to go with.  Are these okay?  Should I take the oven out and replace the wires from the back?  Thanks for anyone and everyone's help.


texts: Any alternative to tar paper for roof damage from hurricane?

texts:
As a result of Hurricane Matthew, a roughly 12'x4' area on my roof had the shingles blown off. I found the matching shingles today and bought (2) bundles which should be plenty to cover the area.

In the damaged area, 98% is still covered in the original tar paper and intact. However a small about 6"x8" section ripped up and is exposing the wood. It appears at the big box hardware stores, the only way to get tar paper is in massive rolls (most likely for doing an entire roof). I was wondering if there is any alternative I could use for that very small exposed area like a heavy plastic sheet or something else I can get in a smaller quantity. If tar paper is the only thing I can use than that's fine I'll figure it out, but I figure I'd ask the experts here on the best way to cover the exposed wood and repair these shingles. I work on computers for a living, so extra details in this area as I'm just a weekend handyman for my house is much appreciated.


texts: Adding 48" planks to widen a 36" bridge with no support at ends

texts: How much load can a 48" (wood) board support if it is supported in middle, but unsupported for 6 inches at ends? It is for  a 600 lb mower that must go over a wooden bridge we will are adding width to. The tires of the mower are 45" wide. Could we use 1 x 6" pressure treated decking? The weight is more on the back 2 tires. The 600 lbs includes the person on the mower. Can we get away with 1" X 6"?


texts: Would a second layer of housewrap cause problems?

texts:
The siding company is having to redo the installation of my siding. I know the wrap underneath the siding that will be removed will end up having lots of holes after the planks are removed. The installer is planning to put up HardieWrap. I originally had paid extra (5 years ago) to have them install Dow Weathermate Plus house wrap. The installer is paying for all of the materials this time.

Would it cause a breathability problem to double wrap a house?
How does HardieWrap compare to other products on the market?

They said they can put the new wrap over the Weather mate Plus or tear it off. I am concerned about a breathability problem if I let them install it over the top of the other wrap, but I don't have confidence in the new product because it is fairly new on the market and I cannot find much information on it comparing it to other products like DuPont Tyvek. I was just told that the company has already ordered the materials and is coming this Tues.

What is the recommendation on HardieWrap? I know their siding has a great reputation, but is their wrap adequately tested?


texts: Cost effective insulation for a 100 year old home?

texts:
My home is in central Indiana -- climate zone 5. It has lasted 100 years with no insulation at all. I've removed all of the super thick and heavy 3/4" cement sheet rock on the exterior walls and found that the exterior cladding is all 1" pine boards, with a few patches and holes.
The house doesn't have any exterior wrap -- and right now it has vinyl siding over that 1" pine. I'm planning on leaving the vinyl siding on until I save enough $$ for hardi-plank, and at that time I'll add the house wrap and do a bunch of exterior sealing.
I've tallied up the exterior walls square footage and I've got ~1300 SQFT to insulate. I'm DIY.
I'm considering -

Spray 2" thick closed cell foam i.e froth-Paks, I would require about 2600 board feet of coverage. This would cost about $3000 for 4 froth pak 620s. This would give me ~R13, and 3.2 water vapor permeance.

Spray 1" thick closed cell insulation, then pack 3.5" fiberglass batts into the leftover 2.5". 1" spray foam is R6. The bats are  3.5" R11 packed to 2.5" is R9, which gives me total of R15. R11 is .22 a foot, which brings my cost down to $1700. This would give me 6.4 water vapor permeance.

glue 1" thick R4 EPS foam board insulation, leaving a 1/4" margin around edges, seal those edges with spray foam to create a vapor barrier. then pack R15.  the EPS, R15 batts and several cans of spray foam would cost around $1500, total R Value would be 15.

My question is this -- I'm leaning towards option #2, but are there other options that might be more cost effective and still eliminate condensation on cold exterior wall, provide a comparable R value and water vapor permeance? I'm currently investigating using a sprayed or rolled on liquid waterproofing material, which would let me use full thickness R15 bats, but the products I've found so far would be more expensive than froth-paks. I'm also considering 6-10 mil plastic sheeting glued or taped to back of stud-bay, but I haven't figured out how to air seal the plastic to the sides of the stud bays.


texts: How to add tiny 0.5A 120V load to very remote split phase 240v 3 wire well house

texts:
Given that I don't have neutral, sounds like, even for just running a simple irrigation controller, that I don't want to use the ground wire for my neutral and simply pull 120v off the split phase 240V since a potential short would energize the ground wire.

It seems like running a small transformer is the way to go.  However often recommendations I have found mention adding a sub panel breaker after the transformer, which seems like overkill for my need.  Would adding a 5A fuse to new transformed 120V be fine instead of a whole breaker box?

I'm surprised how much transformers are, and most of them are for transforming single phase Euro 220v to US 110v, anyone have a good source?

As an aside, if this existing ground to the 240V did connect directly to ground at the main panel instead of neutral (haven't looked yet, in the neighbor's panel) then to me it would be ok to just pull L1 and ground off the 240V and skip the transformer right?  These are very large wires running a 20A load to a well pump, might 1000' away, so I think this is the only load on that breaker.


texts: How can I prepare my home to be vacant for a month?

texts:
I'm planning a trip for the month of December. I live in Ottawa, Canada where daily low temperatures range from -12°C to -6°C, falling below -21°C or exceeding 1°C only one day in ten.

What are the absolute musts that I should address before shipping off?


texts:
I was riding my troy bilt 42" lawn mower when it started surging, so I changed the gas filter and blew out the ports on the carb, reinstalled everything and it still did it.
So I changed the carburator with a new one, changed the head gasket because it was leaking and put all new seals on the carb, as well as a new filter.
Also the gas is new and the hoses are good, When I started it... IT still surges, but now it makes a loud "POP" in the engine compartment and dies, or just surges real bad at high and low idle
I'm about one idea from rolling this thing off a cliff if I cant find what it might be... The gas gap seal was checked and it seems alright


texts: What type of beam should be used over a split arch doorway?

texts:
I am building a building in Indonesia. It's using RC-frame construction. My builders don't have much expertise, nor do I.

The basis for my building is three reinforced concrete pillars, 30cm * 30cm, 3.5 metres tall, with 4.75m between the pillars.

There is some seismic activity in the area.

What I want, basically is an arched doorway somewhat similar to this:

but split into two by the central pillar, so that left and right of the pillar are mirror images.

I then want two windows of similar design (i.e. rectangular with an arch on top) further towards the corner of the building (so not bisected by the pillar).

So the shape of the beam could be a straight line above the top of the arcs, or it could follow the arcs, so it would then be basically - straight line, semi-circle, straight line, quadrant.

Which design for the beam makes more sense?


texts: Do only certain WiFi dimmer switches with with older wiring

texts:
Hi I have a WiFi dimmer switch that I want to replace an existing dimmer switch.
Based on the picture the existing wiring doesn’t have a neutral, only line and load.
But the WiFi dimmer has line load and neutral.
I set it up and the app saw the switch and said it was working but the lights didn’t turn on.
Any advice?


texts: Is it possible to drive led strips using a halogen driver?

texts: I have a 12v halogen setup in my kitchen which I'm looking to replace with 12v led strips. I have everything working and the light strips work, until I unplug the halogen lamps at which point the leds start turning on and off very slowly. Is it something like there isn't enough load?


texts:
I'm in Ohio, USA for reference. I have some old chain link fence that I would like to remove and replace with a free standing planter fence. I'm curious what sort of problems I might encounter with the following design.

The base:
I would remove the current fence, dig up a foot of dirt the entire width and run and replace the dirt with crushed/compacted gravel.

The structure:
The structure would be 20" wide and be 9' by 12.75' in an L shape (corner of my lot). The structure would be 4"x4" PT pine on the entire perimeter on top of the gravel. The 4"x4" framework would extend up 5' with some vertical supports and a horizontal member (2"x4") for fence board attachment. From the exterior, it would look like a privacy fence.

The planter:
On the inside, box planters would be built with cedar (will be used for herbs and veg) into the structure at a 4' height and be 12" in depth the full width (minus framing) and filled with dirt; I would drill holes in to allow sufficient drainage. Below the boxes would be "finished" to look like fence, but would be able to be opened for storage. If I do a good enough job, it would look like a raised planter box with a fence underneath it and behind it (since the exterior fencing would be 6').

I think the strength and weight would be sufficient that anything less than a tornado are not going to affect it and since it is not using shallow posts sunk into the ground, I wouldn't expect heaving to be an issue. Obviously, deep posts would secure it into place better, but I was thinking it would last much longer built on top of a substrate that didn't allow water/earth to sit against the wood.

Am I overthinking this? Are there any considerations I have completely glossed over?


texts: Box fill calculation for isolated ground receptacles

texts:
After too much reading on what I thought would be straightforward, I'm a bit turned around on calculating box fill, and hoping I could get some help in doing so. Here is a diagram of the circuit:

A few notes:
Yellow lines are home runs for isolated grounds. Orange triangles are twist-caps, and I just grabbed a stock, non-IG outlet for the picture. All wire is 12awg stranded THWN run in LFMC or FMC, all boxes are metal, ideally for surface mount. Wiring in boxes B, C and D are the same as A, with one difference between each box - there is one less unbroken IG wire passing through the box compared to the one before it, so of course box D will have a smaller fill than A.

Thanks in advance!


texts: what could be the cause of this? The output power i get from my calculation after measuring AC current with a clamp meter and multiplying by 220v is not always close to the amount of load plugged


texts: Head is similar to a round, slotted head, except where the arrows point is like it was cut out. It is on an old double cylinder deadbolt. Wondering if I’m going to have to drill it out.


texts: Remove old light box with a stud and nut anchor

texts: I read a post asking this question, but there is no answer for actually removing the box.  I do want to remove the box to install a retrofit recessed LED light.  My bungalow was built in 1952.  All ceiling light box has this stud and nut anchor.  There is also one on a vertical wall, so the stud is not necessarily for load bearing.  Please advise me on the construction of this box, and how to remove it.


texts: How to remove 3M Scotch Super 77 from finished hardwood surface

texts:
I decided to upholster my wooden dining chairs. These chairs were 100% hardwood and finished in glossy polyurethane (i.e. had no padding)
I just finished working on one chair and realized that I had over-sprayed the glue on chair legs, in areas I didn't plan to cover.
The glue I used is 3M Scotch Super 77 spray can.
Is there a way I could remove the glue from the surface of wood without damaging wood surface or surface finish?
There are some fibers stuck to the glue on wood surface. glue is not visible in picture, but it can be felt when touching wood surface.


texts: How to mitre a long edge with home tools

texts:
I am trying to work out how to mitre a long edge of wood for example the edge of a panel around 1m. I need to cut various non standard angles on different edges to make a cabinet not just 45 degree cuts. How could I achieve this at home?  I know you can do that sort of thing with an industrial circular table saw but that is out of my budget. Is there a way I can do this with home tooling?

Update:  Sorry I guess I mean bevel the edge for a panel of wood at different angles.  I've got a mitre saw but it can only do lengths of up to about 20cm.  By home tooling I mean what the average guy has in his garage and not using specialist industrial factory grade equipment.


texts: Inbound calls to one line cause other line to ring

texts:
Scenario:

Residential
Two VOIP telephone lines served by two Cisco SPA-122
boxes
Each SPA-122 connects to separate Line 1 and Line 2 junctions
in the house basement
A single, 2-wire cable connects a wireless
telephone to Line 1
A single, 4-wire cable connects a 2-line desk
telephone to Line 1 and Line 2

The problem:

Inbound calls on Line 2 will ring Line 1 once and display the CID on the wireless telephone during the CID cycle.

In other words, BOTH Line 1 and Line 2 ring and display CID on inbound calls to Line 2.

The Line 1 wireless telephone only rings once, even as the line continues to ring Line 2 on the desktop phone.

Tried:

Completely disconnecting the Line 1 SPA-122 from the circuit. Problem happens.

Completely disconnecting the desk telephone, down to disconnecting the wires from the wall jack. Problem happens.

Completely disconnecting the 4 wire cable that supplies the desk phone from the basement junction box. Problem does not happen.

Connected a new length of 4 wire cable to the junction box and tested with it still wound on the spool, leading no where. PROBLEM HAPPENS.

It's as if inbound calls on Line 2 are jumping / inducting cross-copper to Line 1 and ringing the wireless phone! Is this possible? How can it be fixed?


texts: Why are some electrical systems only two phases of a three phase system?

texts:
I setup a kiln at our building, and I realized that the electrical system is setup with a three-wire feed - two hots and a neutral.  This is fed from a three phase system, though, so the voltage over the two hots is 208v instead of 240v.

Why would something be setup in this way?  Doesn't three phase wiring require all phases to be used in order for it to be balanced?


texts: Why is my toilet flushing slowly and not emptying the waste from the bowl?

texts: When I flush my toilet it fills up to the rim with water. It will then drain slowly but not even a piece of toilet paper will go down the drain. I've tried plunging it and nothing is coming up like it had a clog. I plunged and flushed about 30 times. I then did the soap and hot water method. Sometimes when I pour the water in it would flush like normal just from adding the water but when I try and flush again it is doin the same thing. So I tried the soap and hot water method again and poured it slowly to not cause it to flush. I let it sit 20 min add more water and repeat about 3 times. Then when I flush it will flush normal one time and then when I try to flush it a second time and it does the same thing again. I've tried plunging with the soapy hot water in there but I cannot get it to flush normally more then once. My other toilet works fine and so do all the drains in my house. Any suggestions would be helpful


texts: Well pump ends up overwhelmed. How can I solve this?

texts:
I have moved into a house with a well. Occasionally if too many water uses occur the pressure tank is expended and it trips the switch to off and it stops running. If I go down and reprime the pressure tank it kicks back up and works.

The pressure tank pressure is set to 30 at the moment and the bladder on my last measurement is 28 psi. I'm not entirely sure what this indicates. I haven't lived in a house with a well since I was a child and clearly it wasn't something as a kid I would think about. I know what to do when it happens but my wife definitely doesn't as she is a city girl and we now live way out in the country. I have to travel sometimes so I want to do what I can to mitigate this.


texts: What should I do if my house is leaning up off the foundation?

texts:
Bought my first home, and after removing some of the siding I found that a corner of the house is "lifted" above the foundation.  What causes this, how bad is it, and how would I go about fixing it?

This is a 3D representation viewing the crawlspace entry, the left side being the corner in question.

Edit: here is a picture of the foundation


texts: Pavement Stencils - 1/16" (63 mil) or 1/8" (128 mil)?

texts:
We plan to ask a painter to paint parking space numbers in the parking lot (12" x 9").
There is on Amazon a kit for pavement stencils that has good reviews - is there a reason to prefer the 1/4" size (which is more expensive)?
Thank you.


texts: Which way should the water separator be fitted to an air compressor?

texts:
I bought a water separation filter for my new compressor. The water separator didn't come with any good documentation. Here's what came in the pack:

A diagram on the packaging:

The device:

The device as seen from the top (note the markings):

The side with the square marking:

The side with the triangle marking:

Which end should be connected to the compressor and which end should be connected to the hose?


texts: Which cement or mortar will give best result when creating low water diversion barriers?

texts:
I want to build up a short dam of maybe half an inch in height, to control where water is flowing.  The water flows as a small, steady trickle.  Right now it fans across a large-ish area.  I'd like to concentrate its flow to a specific area.

What kind of cement or mortar should I use to direct the flow?  I was thinking of hydraulic cement, but I wanted to check first.  The area is wet.  I want to make sure the new cement sticks to the existing thin cement floor in the cellar.

I also have some quick set mortar powder on hand, as well as some resurfacing cement.  If none of the products I have on hand is the right thing, I can buy something new.

I don't care about the aesthetics in this case.


texts: What height gateposts are needed for a 5ft wooden gate? Is 4ft enough?

texts:
We currently have a 9ft wide, 4ft high double wooden picket gate using 4ft 4x4 (100x100) gateposts. We are considering replacing these with Buxton style wooden gates (solid wood up to a certain height then an open header).

If the height of the gate is increased to either 4ft 6in or 5ft, could the existing 4ft gateposts be used or would we need to dig them out and replace them with taller ones?

The gates are under a 9ft high hedge which arches across the drive, so there is no requirement for the posts to match the height of a wall or fence, hence they don't need to reach the top of the gates.

I don't recall the depth of the existing posts, but, in over 10 years, they have shown no sign of movement so assume they are solidly embedded; I'd guess at least 2ft deep.

Since I don't have suitable pictures, I've modelled the existng gate and one of the designs we've been looking at in Fusion 360 to illustrate the current gates and proposed 5ft gates on 4ft gateposts. To save time in design, I have omitted the hinges and lock.

Existing 4ft picket gates on 4ft posts

Suggested 5ft Buxton gates on 4ft posts


texts: If you use mulching blades on a ZTR mower without a deflector that mounts underneath the deck, what would happen? I had thought about getting mulching blades, but the deflector piece made of plastic cost three times the cost of all the blades combined.


texts: Reference a question I asked about a French Drain, and it was mentioned the "Water Table" height.  How do I know what my water table is?


texts: Can I use self leveling compound to level old thin set over plywood subfloor?

texts: The previous owner of my  house tiled all the bedrooms on the second floor. I would like to remove all the tile and lay down hardwood flooring. So far I have removed the tile and now have all the thin set underneath. My question is whether it needs to be completely removed with a grinder or if we can use a very thin layer of self leveling cement to fill in all the grooves and make a level surface on which to lay the hardwood flooring? On the first floor there is a concrete slab and I used an industrial concrete grinder to remove all the thinnest. That worked great but I am concerned that this type of machine will just rip through the subfloor. And the idea of grinding off all the thinnest with a hand grinder seems like it will take forever. Any suggestions on the self leveling compound and if so which product would be recommended? Thank you


texts: 3-Way Light Switch, two blacks and a red?

texts:
Usual story of remodeling etc. Replaced all the other 4 ways and 3 ways near it just fine, then I run into this guy. It's a 3-way, and I could have sworn I put all the wires exactly where they were on the one I replaced (which worked fine before.) So as it sits replaced, it's not working/switching, but the other end of the 3-way switch I replaced does just fine.

Now I'm at a point where beyond just color matching the normal red/white/black (since in this case I have two blacks and one red) I'm not sure what causing this. I have the red & black you see in the picture from the top wire group, and the additional black wire heading out the other way (see pictures.)

My question would be; Do I just have a bad switch and need to run and get another to make it happy again? Do I swap the two black wires? If I swap them is there possibility of damage?

We just moved in a couple days ago and my meter is in a box god knows where so I can't even test for lives, but I only do one switch at a time and test in between because I'm anal about this sort of thing. Any advice?


texts: How can I avoid hitting wood when cutting through drywall?

texts: I was working on concealing some TV wires, and when I cut through the drywall I noticed this wood behind. I did not have this problem in the bedroom.


texts:
New addition to house is 576 square feet total - master bedroom, bathroom, walk in closet, house entry foyer, and porch.
Here's my plan.

15amp dedicated circuit for fire alarm
20amp dedicated circuit for bathroom receptacles
20amp circuit for rest of outlets in addition
20amp circuit for 2 outdoor outlets on porch.  I will be plugging my
camper into these sometimes
15amp circuit for all lights.  will include: 2 recessed lights on porch,
ceiling fan on porch, 2 wall sconces on porch, ceiling fan in
bedroom, 5 recessed lights in bedroom, 2 light fixtures in closet,
light fixture in foyer, exhuast fan in bath, 6 horizontal lights in
bath over mirrors, 1 main light fixture in bath.


texts: Where to add a c-wire on my Goodman furnace?

texts: I'm looking to upgrade my old thermostat and need to run a c-wire. Where would be the best place to tap into?


texts:
Just picked up a new generator after 23 years using the same one.  Had to change over the three prong 220v plug in with a 220v twist plug.  Been over a year since using backup power.  Plugged in the 220 to generator then to GenTran.  Went to basement to manually switch from line to gen - but the switch appears to be totally dead.  Ignores off position - all power just stays on.  Checked the generator to be sure it was outputting power and it was.  Wouldn't really matter since off should be off(?).

All breakers are okay - none popped.  Not sure where to look for troubleshooting this.  Occurs to me that when I looked at old connector, I wrote down what wire the electrician attached where....I thought I was mistaken on my notes, but he had the white/green backwards (?) on the twist lock side (?) or am I wrong.  I did check the receptacle attached to the house to be sure the white (neutral) was where it should be and green (ground) was where it should be and all was okay,figured I just wrote it down wrong. Weird too, that he also cut the white wire on the 220 plug and used the green as common.  Am I not understanding something?  I have a feeling I fried the switch....or popped some internal breaker or ?

Thinking about why this worked now after correctly hooking up connections, I wonder how it ever worked to begin with since it looks like 240V was over 2-wires all the way to the switch where I guess, it was somehow stripped down to 120V?  Not sure how.  Now I am using two 120 circuits over 3 wires then only combined to 240 for well pump.  I have no idea how this could have worked with previous wiring......though it has been working for 23 years.  All seems to be good now with the exception of voltage meters on the switch. That might have something to do with old vs new wiring scheme.

O


texts: I have tried a few electric heaters but they are not strong enough. My electric stove emanates more heat that those portable electric heaters. So Perhaps I am not looking for the right thing. What is the right heat measure for indoor radiant infrared/ceramic heaters (without fans)? (regardless of energy efficiency) and can they be used on normal outlets.


texts:
I'm replacing a old tankless with a new one. The old one is wired with 240 on two 60 amp breakers. It had two lug connects along with a ground. The new heater is 4 lugs and requires two 60 amp breakers, so i'm good there. How do i make it for 4 lugs? Do i just put 2 pigtails in junction box and then to heater?

Thanks for any help,
quinn


texts: Should additional bed slats fit over or around the existing spacer blocks?

texts:
There are 10 slats (~108cm length, ~9cm width, ~3.5cm thickness) on my bed right now spaced at ~11.2cm. Unfortunately, these slats are spaced too far apart and will void my hybrid (pocket spring with foam comfort layers) mattress warranty and it is generally advisable to have slats spaced closer together to provide better support for the pocket springs and reduce sagging risk.
I am planning on adding extra slats of width 6cm to the bed: 1 in between each existing slat, so there will be 9 extra slats in total. However, there are wooden spacers between each slat, as demonstrated in in the image below. The wooden spacers have a width and thickness of ~1.6cm. Two options come to mind and I am not sure which would provide better strength:

Adding extra slats of thickness 3.5cm like the existing slats but adding a notch at the ends so that they can fit in at the side rails.
Adding extra slats of thickness 1.9cm without a notch and resting them on top of the wooden spacers

Which would you recommend? Are there any alternative options that are relatively simple?


texts: Can I cover up a wall outlet and water line to an old icemaker with a drawer base cabinet? Or do I need to cut out the back of the cabinet to allow access?


texts: How do I get a low voltage thermostat to control a 240v heater?

texts:
Can someone help me understand how this contactor works?

A1 (Yellow) Always has 120v and is connected to a high limit switch.
A2 (black) Always has 120V and is connected to a line voltage built-in thermostat.

Both sides of the thermostat also read 120v at all times and doesnt change with the contactor closes and the space heater is running.

The root problem I'm trying to solve is how do i get a low voltage thermostat to control this 31a 240v heater?


texts:
I have recently relocated to the US and brought European 220V appliances with me. I planed to use power transformers from 110 to 220, but learned that I have NEMA 10-30 outlet in my home, which, from what I understood, is 220V (but with 110V volts on the ground pin?!).

Anyhow, is there (or can I assemble) and adapter from NEMA 10-30 to European 220V and will it work?


texts: What type wire to use for 240V, 30amp, 6-30R, with 60' run?

texts:
I'm installing a glass kiln with specs of 240V, 30amp, 6-30R, with 60' run for wire.
I need to run from the breaker box-in the garage-to the basement where the kiln will sit.

What type of wire to use? What is the name for this? Does this size allow for run?
Can I use conduit from the breaker to the basement-to look clean-and then leave the wire without conduit to the outlet box?
Thanks for your help,
V


texts: Why does my HVAC begin vibrating and stop cooling at night?

texts:
I am calling a HVAC technician since this is probably too complex a problem for me, but wanted to hear some possible diagnosis.

The symptoms are as follows:

The A/C is working well during the day (or so it seems).
For the past three nights however I wake up and it feels hot.
The thermostat reads 75°F and it is set at 72°F.
Most importantly a loud vibrating noise is coming from the basement and it is the HVAC unit. This has never happened during the day.
I shut off the AC and turn on the fan only and I still get the loud noise and vibration.
After an hour or so, I can hear liquid dripping inside the unit.

Anyone knows what might be the problem? What other information could be useful?


texts: How can I secure vinyl plank flooring that has lifted?

texts:
I have a warped vinyl tile that does not lay flat on the floor underneath. There is not water damage, there is no other apparent problem. What solutions can you suggest?

Maybe I can use a glue to glue this back to the floor underneath?

This is a more close up view

Thanks

P.S. There is no water damage. The solution should be simple. I don't think I'm the only person for whom this has happened.


texts: Sharing a receptacle box 220v with a 3 wire and 4 wire appliance

texts:
I have a 60amp 220v run from a sub-panel. The run is a four wire run (2 hots, 1 neutral, 1 ground). The appliances are an air compressor and a welder. The compressor only requires a 3 wire setup because of it’s magnetic motor. The welder will use 4 wires. I’d like to setup the wiring on both appliances with a plug on each so that I can connect one at a time to a receptacle as needed.

For the compressor, I’d get a 3 wire plug and for the welder, I’d get a 4 wire plug. With that said, how do I setup a receptacle that has a 4 wire run to accommodate both a 3 wire plug and a 4 wire plug at a time?

Any thoughts on what I can do here without running a separate run for each appliance?


texts: I am doing preliminary design of the wiring for a shop to be built next year. The floor will have  a concrete slab. I want to use the Leviton FBBOX system to put some outlets in the center of the shop to power a Table Saw and possibly other tools. My question : the FBBOX has a divider in the center. Per code, can I have 2 different circuits in the single FBBOX? I want to have a 120V 20A receptacle controlled by a 20A GFCI breaker in one half and a 240V 20A receptacle controlled by a 20A 2 pole breaker on the other half. This is all in conduit and will be connected by separate 12 ga THHN wires. Thanks!


texts:
I am interested in installing a whole house residential surge protector. I don't have enough room in my main panel inside my house. I am thinking of buying one of these uints and installing somewhere near the main 125 amp breaker next to the electrical meter, since it is about 30 feet from the main panel inside and I hear it is best to install closest from the mains.

What items would I need to install (Example: weatherproof breaker box, additional breakers, wire guage, etc..)?

How would I wire to the mains?

Whole House Surge Protector

Main breaker (Outside next to electrical meter)

Service Panel


texts: How do I appropriately/safely connect multiple power tools to a 20-amp outlet?

texts:
I've got a collection of power tools in my garage, most of which are connected to a 15-amp circuit, that is also shared with all the exterior power outlets.  So, if I'm using the mitre saw, tablesaw, bandsaw, dust collector, etc. etc. while my wife is pressure washing the deck out back, it trips the breaker, and leads to much cursing.

Fortunately, there is another outlet in the garage, which I guess is intended for a freezer?  It has a single NEMA 5-20R(?) receptacle.  And, at Lowes I was able to find a nice long 20-amp extension cord (very thick and yellow, with one of the flat pins vertical and the other one horizontal):

Using that, I've been hot swapping that between machines and that has essentially solved the original problem.

But the hot swapping is rather annoying.  What I would love is to connect a power bar or splitter to the extension cord, so I can connect several machines to the same circuit.  But so far I've not been able to find 20-amp power bars or splitters.  Do such things even exist?

Assuming no, the next most obvious option would be to just use a standard 15-amp power strip.  But is that safe?


texts: If you reduce a 8" duct to 6" just before a register boot, does it produce more force through the opening?

texts: I figure this is probably true if there was nowhere else for the pressure to go, at least in terms of water.  Is this true for air pressure even considering there are other paths for the air to move closer to the blower?


texts: what type of insulation for un conditioned attic

texts: i have a cold attic space that has an interior wall into my living space. What should i have for insulation? I can only access the attic/cold side of the wall. Also, would i use a vapor barrier?


texts: Ceiling fan light will not turn off using pull cord

texts: The pull cord for my ceiling fan light was broken (“stripped” so to speak) and the only way to turn off the light but still use the fan was to archanely unscrew light bulbs a bit. A new pull cord was put in. But the light still will not turn off with the new cord. All wire connections are correct. Help!


texts: Gas fireplace is connected to the thermostat. Is there a way to disconnect?

texts:
New home has a gas fireplace that that we believe is connected to our thermostat. The fire will turn on/off continuously. Is there a way to disconnect it so we can just have the fireplace ON continuously when we want to use it?

Thanks in advance!


texts: Replacing drop-in stove with free-standing stove. How do I modify the kitchen cabinets?

texts:
I'm replacing my 42-year-old drop-in stove but can't afford to replace it with a drop-in, so I'm replacing it with a free-standing stove.

I know I need to cut out the cabinet baseboard and a strip of the countertop at the rear of the existing stove.  Unfortunately, I can't cut a straight line with a hand saw to save my life.  I suppose I could hire someone, but that would defeat the purpose of saving money on the stove, and I'd like to learn to do it myself anyway.

What's the most foolproof way to cut out the cabinets and countertop correctly so they don't look terrible?  Specifically, what tools, guides, etc., should I use?  Also, what, if anything, will be needed afterward to make the modification look good after the job is done?


texts: What is the best way to connect a farm fence to a vinyl fence?

texts:
I'm fencing our 11 acre property.  For most of the fence we will use wooden posts and woven field fence, but in the front we plan to go with vinyl split rail.

What's the best way to handle the corner where these two different types of fence will meet?  Can I attach the woven fence to a vinyl post?


texts: How do I cover/repair this piece of my bath tub?

texts: See the attached pictures. I'm short on ideas how to cover or replace this piece. I can't afford a full tub replacement right now so that is out of the question. Thanks


texts:
My circuit box door says that Dryer and outside outlets are connected on breaker 13 and 14, uppon opening the box and retracing wires I found that Dryer wires are just dangling inside the box not connected. I would connect them to the breaker where it says it's supposed to be, but the wire for outside outlets is just so thick that I don't believe it's for those outlets (7 outlets and wire is 8 or 6 gauge, while dryer is 10 or 12). The two breakers are 50amp (red on one, black on other).
Would I be safe connecting Dryer wire to those breakers also?
Or am I better off replacing the two NA 20 amp breakers (they are for laundry plug and furnace black wire each) with two 50 amp breakers and connecting red wire for dryer on one and black on other?

Or should I replace those NA 20amp breakers with one 20amp tandem and one 30amp tandem?


texts:
I have the ground floor apartment in a 100 year old triplex on the plateau in Montreal.  It's an 800 sq foot apartment with baseboard electric heaters and I'm currently using over 110kwH per day to heat the house.  Having compared the bills from the previous 2 years which I got from the last owner I can see this is not just down to how the heating is being used.  The 2 apartments above me have significantly cheaper heating bills.

In the 18 inch crawl space under my floor I can see there are 3 baseboard heaters.  I have turned the thermostats on them down but having researched online it seems the recommendation is that the crawl space should be insulated.

The ground is rough and unfinished and last year we had a new moisture barrier installed.  There are water pipes in the crawl space but no machinery.  I have looked at options for insulating and it seems people are saying it's better to insulate the crawl space rather than just the floor.

To insulate the crawl space I am thinking I need to use rigid foam insulation on the walls, and on the floor above the membrane.  Does that sound right?  Is it ok to use rigid foam over the membrane/vapour-moisture barrier?  Is it reasonable to crawl on the rigid foam without it compressing too much?

I can't find much information about insulating the ground but as it will always be below room temperature it seems like it is necessary.  Interested to hear any thoughts about how to go about this and what thickness of rigid foam I should be looking for.

Thanks


texts: is there a safety problem using a 50 amp cord (labeled for range or dryer) for my dryer?  The circuit breaker for my dryer is a 30 amp.  My wall plug needs the configuration for the 50 amp, and my old dryer had the cord that fit into it.  My new dryer has the wrong configuration for the wall plug.  If I just go get a new cord that says "range or dryer) what would be the problem using it?


texts: Why does a breaker buzz when you turn it on?

texts:
I've had an issue recently where turning on the light in one room occasionally turns off the power in that breaker. The breaker doesn't actually appear to be tripped, but resetting the breaker will restore power.

However, when I do so, there is an audible buzzing and crackling noise for 1-2 seconds when the breaker is first powered back on. Why is that and, more importantly, how do I fix that?

My first thoughts, from a non-electrician stand-point, is that the breaker is damaged and needs to be replaced. This could also explain why it stops working occasionally. Maybe it's no longer using the voltage that it's rated for.

Any ideas?


texts: Wiring for Light switch in sump pump room

texts:
The builder of my townhome allocated a "room" underneath my stairs to the basement and dug out the sump pump pit. There is a small door leading into the room and they drywalled all the wall and ceiling.

I have wired a dedicated 20AMP circuit (single outlet) for the pump with a 20AMP GFCI breaker.

My questions are:

Is a light required for this "room" / space? My understanding is YES as it is a space which may require service (pump).
Can the light be run off the circuit for the pump? Or does the pump need to be on its own circuit and I need to find another source for the light?
And if I need to provide another source for the light I assume as long as I do not put the light over the sump pit, the source providing power to the light does not need to be GFCI?

Thank you.


texts: Why does my generator throws 220 volts to one leg when put under load

texts:
My generator when running showed proper voltage on both the 220 and the 110 outlets, and when wired to a house panel during a power outage it reads the proper voltage at the panel. However, when I start throwing breakers on, and putting a load on it, the full 220 volts jumps to one of the 110 legs, and when the breakers are off it is back to normal.

I have lost many appliances. I took it to what I thought was a reliable repair shop, and they said they fixed it. Well, needless to say, one more power outage and the same thing, lost my entire kitchen again.

I have built many houses with this generator using the 110 outlets, saws, compressors, and all at the same time, and it has kept up with the whole crew, and it always starts on the fist pull. I hate to get rid of it, I have not seen any one online with this problem. Please help.


texts: How to remove countertop from cabinets while sacrificing it to maximize the chance to reuse cabinets

texts:
I have a row of "base" cabinets in the living room that I'd like to remove, but I would like to use several of them elsewhere.

I don't care about the top (which is some kind of stone and already crumbling pretty badly both here and in the kitchen), but I'm not sure how to remove it without destroying the tops of the cabinet boxes.

I can tell that there is some sort of shiny white material that was used to "glue" the top to the cabinets in several places, here's a picture:

I can slide a blade in there, but haven't had any success either chipping any of it away, nor "scoring" it in order to be able to lift it off.  I was able to separate the back of the countertop from the wall pretty easily, so this white goo is all that "stands" between being able to use cabinets elsewhere.  Is there anything I can try short of cutting countertop into pieces a little at a time?  And if that's the way to go any suggestions for tools to use?

Here is a picture of the countertop near a seam where it's crumbling the most:


texts: OK to cut double top plate to clear exhaust duct?

texts:
I am installing a exhaust fan duct in my 1st floor kitchen. I had planned to go under 2nd story joists/above kitchen cabinet, thru the wall. Unfortunately, the desired location on the wall would split--half above and half below the soffitt line.

I can either try to go up 3" or down 3". To go up 3" will require cutting the double top plate. I should mention the wall is 2x6 construction and the exhaust is at the corner of the exterior wall (load bearing). To go down 3", will require cutting 6" holes in the kitchen cabinet top/shelves and installing 2 elbows--one down into the cabinet, then one to return to a horizontal path and then thru the wall. Hate the idea of hacking cabinets and losing that storage space, but cutting the double top plate scares me--structurally speaking.

Advice?


texts: Can an SPST switch be used instead of a thermostat for a gas stove?

texts:
We have a gas stove that can be either on or off. It has two wires going to a thermostat that has more capability than the stove, such as control of non-existent air conditioning and fan. The wires from the stove connect to the thermostat's W and R terminals, with the R jumpered to RC.
The stove is not our main source of heat. It is mostly used to supplement our heat-pump system and for ambience. So we would prefer to turn it on or off at will. The ultimate goal is to control the stove with Alexa. Smart thermostats seem to offer too much capability at too high a cost. We want a simple solution. One thought I had was to use a smart plug to operate a relay if a simple switch is all the stove needs.


texts: How can I trim around flexible tubing coming through drywall?

texts:
I have what I believe is referred to as ENT conduit (smurf tube?). How does one terminate this type of conduit where the tube meets the drywall? I was looking for some sort of grommet, but I can't find anything that fits the bill.

There are 10 cat5 cables that need to go out of the conduit, through a hole in the drywall and to my patch panel. I just don't want an ugly hole in the drywall.


texts: Does tung oil odor last as long as linseed oil odor?

texts:
One week after two applications of linseed oil on a desk tabletop, followed by rubbing and wiping, the odor still fills the room, despite reasonable ventilation.

It's not particularly unpleasant, but it's strong and the bottle (Ikea's Behandla brand) lists some additional ingredients that I am concerned would qualify as VOCs, and hence I'd rather not breathe it.

Tung oil is an option for the amateur woodworker. (Boiled) linseed oil turned out to require much more patience than I have: The bottle lists applying daily, weekly, then monthly for a year for proper curing.

This answer suggests that I can indeed seal the wood with tung oil after having applied linseed oil. My two applications were on the generous side (with a brush), but the wood still feels dry to the touch.

Does the odor of tung oil disappear a week or two after application? Would it seal in the odor of linseed oil?


texts: i have a hot tub installed on a gfci receptacle but when I plug something in that receptacle it doesn't work?

texts: My hot tub is connected to a gfci receptacle but when I plug something in that receptacle it doesn't work?   Is this normal?


texts: Did I install my sleeve anchor correctly?

texts:
I installed a M8 x 40mm anchor bolt, but I was not able to tighten it any more beyond the point in the photo.

My worry was the thread was damage when I tighten the nut. Basically now the nut still can turn but can't go in further.

May I know If I did it correctly?

This is for a ceiling fan, any hints will be appreciated.

I'm worried because I see the before and after in this utube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-EdSiYTIBU


texts: Do common surge protectors prevent outgoing spikes?

texts:
I have a air humidifier connected to a timer, and every time it turns off there is a huge spike going through the lines; lamps and computer monitors flicker.

I'm thinking about buying a surge protector to put in front of the perpetrator, will this prevent it from sending out spikes? Or do they only protect again incoming spikes?


texts: Control thermostat capillary failure reason why?

texts:
The problem I have is the temperature goes way too high on the electric oven - this is a new oven that failed on the first day that I am now stuck with.

I diagnosed it to the control thermostat.

As an attempt to trying to figure out the exact reason for this fault, I dissembled most of it.

There doesn't seem to be anything I can point to as the problem.

It doesn't seem adjustable. The capillary tube/sensor goes from inside the oven to the control thermostat and winds underneath. I assume under normal conditions when this tube heats up it expands on the other end which pushes internal switch/contact to the open position, thereby switching off the connection to the heat element.

Could this issue really be the capillary tube and I have no choice but to purchase an expensive replacement thermostat? I don't see anything else within the thermostat control that could be causing the issue.

Thanks


texts: How to wire a single toggle switch/outlet in a GFCI circuit

texts:
I have installed a single toggle switch/outlet on a GFCI circuit and the outlet is fine, however, the toggle switch for 3 recessed led lights trips the GFCI.

It a Remodel. I have run 12/3 w/grd from source to a gfci outlet. In the circuit is a switch/outlet. The red wire is being used for switch


texts: Why isn't my Fluidmaster installation working correctly?

texts: I have tried two brand new fluidmaster toilet valves.  It is very inconsistent.  Sometimes it doesn't allow the tank to fill, sometimes the floater does not engage causing perpetual flowing of water, sometimes it works fine, but never more than 2 flushes in a row.  Any suggestions?


texts:
I have a problem similar to this:

How can I vent a portable air conditioner when there's no window?

I do have windows but I cannot modify them. Cutting holes in walls or any similar modifications are not allowed.

I was thinking about using a stove hood to release the hot air. Will it be a good solution?


texts: Why does the kitchen faucet lose pressure and sputter?

texts: Only the kitchen faucet, all other in trailer work fine, will start with full pressure, lose the pressure, and if I turn the water off then back on, it sputters so hard that it can be felt on the counter. This only happens with hot water, cold runs fine. There is no leak under the trailer, and the aerator is not removable. What could be the problem and how can I fix it?


texts: Do I need steel beams (rebar) for a very short block wall (on top of

texts:
Do I need steel beams for a very short block wall (there is an existing poured cement wall and we wish to raise it by about a foot or two) to raise the height of the wall around the stairs. On top of this will be a wooden handrail.

The reason I ask is because I see the contractor has done the bricks together with cement but no steel beams (rebar).  Is this secure or will it eventually topple over?

TIA


texts: building a new house, I beams and floor joists different height

texts:
I have one section of the first floor with I beam engineered lumber 11-7/8" joists to span 20 foot area of a 20x20 room, so we have some open space in the basement. The other part of the house has 2x10 floor joists, so this is making the floor height different and it needs to be the same height on the first floor so the hardwood flooring can be installed.
Can I use joist hangers nailed to sill plates for the I beams and drop the joists down inside the foundation wall to give them the same height as the 2x10s?

The framer is supposed to start on Friday, by the way.


texts: Should hot water heater pipes in the basement be insulated?

texts: I have a Gambrel style home with gas fired baseboard hotwater system.  The hotwater pipes in the basement are located to the outside wall. These pipes are not wrapped in insulation.  Would wrapping the pipes be advised?


texts:
I've replaced two faulty parts in my oven after a small explosion stopped it heating up, but I still have a problem.

I replaced the fan element at the back.
I replaced the thermal cut-out attached to the upper element.

Both were obviously dead. The element had a huge hole in it and the cut-out had no conductivity.

Here's the current situation:

The oven still won't heat up.
The grill does work (always did).
The temperature light comes ON, and never goes off.
The cooling fan runs constantly, even when the oven is OFF.
All heating elements show conductivity (26Ω-55Ω)

Worth mentioning that the thermostat seems to work, because the temperature light does turn off when using the grill to reach temperature.

Why does the cooling fan stay on and the elements stay cold?

What other parts can I check for faults?

Additional notes:

I'm confident new parts are wired correctly and securely
Mains input gives 233Ω between live/neutral when off. 111Ω when oven switched on.
New new cut-out is marked 16A, whereas the old part was 10A. Supplier assures me it's compatible with my oven.

Update:

I may have bought the wrong fan element by matching it to the product number on the part itself. I've opened a separate question about this.

Update 2:

The selector switch is fried. Copper melted between two connectors. Will fix or replace and post back if still not heating.


texts: What are these two Sewer Pipes Coming up Out the Ground?

texts:
We recently had the old terracotta sewer line replaced that comes out of our house to the main sewer line

There are now two pipes in addition to the sewer clean along where the guys dug up

I planned to use a roto tiller on dug up area and plant grass. This first pipe presents a small problem though.

The second pipe is where I want the garden to be, I'm really unsure how this pipe affects that plan. Is it safe to plant anything around the pipe? Will the plants grow into the pipe and ruin it? I'm unsure...

The Question

What are these pipes? What purpose do they serve?

Bonus Questions

Is there anyway I can hide these pipes? I wouldn't think I could bury them, but if I can that would make hiding them very easy. If I can bury them and they're too tall to be buried, can I cut them down in any way?
Does the pipe affect my garden in anyway? Or can I plant around it

If you guys need more info or if my question(s) needs changed, let me know and I'll do it ASAP.
Thanks.

Note

I don't believe that these pipes are the sewer clean. The sewer clean is closer to the house in this picture, if I'm not mistaken


texts: No water and ice in refrigerator, how to fix it when filter is not the issue?

texts:
My question is very similar to this but I have bypass filter, meaning I don't have a filter.

I know filter is the most common reason when there is no water in refrigerator and hence no ice as well. What should I look for now since my refrigerator was setup to bypass filter?


texts:
I am replacing a bathroom fan.  The switch on the wall has three switches that were in use (one for the fan, one for the light, and one for the night light).  I already took out the old fan and now when I go to install the new one, I'm confused as to how the old one was wired.

My new fan has 3 wires, one black, one green and one white.  My home was built around 1970.  The old fan had two conduits mapping to it.  From one there is a red and a white wire.  From the other there is a set of 5 white wires and 1 red.  How do I wire this new fan?

Here's the non-contact test, this video is with only top switch on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VesH7Ium504

for just middle switch it's opposite, and just the bottom switch both those same wires have the slow beep.

I should note that on this particular non-contact tester the slow beep is 12-48 volts and the fast beep is 48-1000 volts.

here's the switch wiring (top is light, middle is night light bottom is fan):


texts:
When I look at pretty much every building, bricks are laid "flat" or horizontally - this is where the longest part is typically adjacent to the ground.  I am aware, this is not a 100% rule, such as arches etc but for foundation, it seems to be the norm.
This is what I mean by "flat" or horizontal

I'm trying to predict if I can lay bricks vertically (so the longest part is at right angle to the ground) and if it will be stable. By right, angle, I mean

My project uses dense blocks, and they are:
Height: 215 mm
Length: 440 mm
Width: 100 mm
Weight: 18.20 kg
The goal would be to stack only 1 brick on top of another, meaning, only 2 bricks tall. Given each brick will actually be 440mm high (as I'm stacking them 'vertically'), it means a total height of 880mm. On top of this, I'm laying 320mm concrete slabs on top to create a worktop
In total, this will create a 2m squared shape (with the max of 880mm all the round around)
I'm unsure if such a thing is likely to be stable, given it will cemented onto a flat concrete slab
Is there any way to tell other than trying it and seeing if it falls down? The fact that I always see bricks being laid flat makes me think I'm doing the wrong thing but, I'm building a 'table', not a house.


texts: How can I stop heat loss due to an uninsulated porch?

texts:
I have an enclosed porch with very little insulation, it is typically very cold in the winter.  However, there is a radiator in the enclosed porch.  I have a gas boiler heating system in the house.

I'm assuming that attempting to heat the cold porch is wasting energy and cooling the water in the radiator and dropping the temperature of the water which is circulated to the other radiators in the house.  I doubt I want to turn off the radiator loop for fear of freezing the pipes due to low winter temperatures.  What is the best way to avoid excessive heat loss in my boiler system?

I considered building a sleeve out of foil bubble insulation to enclose this radiator, which would keep the pipes hot so they don't freeze, but reduce the cooling effect. Additionally, I would probably put foam pipe insulation on the input pipes that run under the floor to the radiator.


texts: Mounting a small mirror on frosted glass?

texts:
I have a small IKEA mirror with a battery powered lamp I'd like to mount above my washbasin. My washbasin is in front of a textured glass window facing the street. I tried the suction cup and sticky pads that came with the mirror, but the suction cup won't suck and the sticky pads last 1-2 minutes before it drops.

What's the best way to solve this? Would taping/painting over the glass work? superglue? a bigger suction cup?


texts:
I bought an Old porcelain round rotary switch which I thought was single pole i.e. every time I turned the knob on top, the light would go either ON or OFF.

There are 4 terminals. When I connect 2 terminals (opposite each other) the switch behaves like single-pole as described above.

But this switch has 4 terminal, so I connected a second circuit to the other 2 terminals (double pole?). The results are when I turn the knob, one circuit goes ON and the other goes OFF. And each time I turn the knob the circuit that was ON goes OFF and the circuit that was OFF goes ON. There is no position when both circuits are ON or OFF together.

So, is this DPDT or DPST? also, does anyone know what a switch like this would be used for?


texts: How to Convert an Undersink Filter System to an Above Sink System

texts:
I recently moved to an apartment that has a single hole granite top sink and I'm not allowed to drill any additional holes. Is there any way for me to convert my undersink filter system into something that is above sink? The filter is similar to this:

The way I see it, I have 2 issues...

Getting a cold water line from under the sink to above the sink. I was wondering if there was some adapter ring that I could buy that would allow me to run a cold water line out of the single hole.
Getting the filter water dispenser mounted somewhere that would be stable enough to not flop around everywhere.

The faucet is also one with a hose, so I would not be able to attach anything to the output end of the faucet.

The faucet and setup looks similar to this:


texts: Can I add a second disconnect main breaker load panel from the meter trough?

texts: I am wanting to run power to my new shed and I am thinking of running 10-3 with no ground at a distance of 82 feet so that if in the future I  maybe be using 220 volts. My new load center would have its own main breaker rated at 100amps would be at the inside of the shed. I currently have a 200amp load center in my basement which is not using all of the circuits in the 200amp panel. I will be installing a ground rod at the shed and the cable will be inside of schedule 40 1" conduit buried from the house to the shed. The local power company here has never checked my meter seal in the 12 years I have lived here, I know this for certain as it has been broken since I moved into the home 12 years ago and we had a tree that took out our power for 1 week and tore the weatherhead and meter socket off of the home and nothing was ever done about the seal being broken. I have on several occasions removed the meter to power the home with a very large generator for weeks when a storm has come through downing trees and power lines. I am wondering if this is a good practice for adding power to my shed or do I need to go another route? Thank you for any comments or advice to what I am proposing to do!


texts:
I just installed a new compressor fan on my outdoor A/C unit.  Before the fan went bad, it was working fine and had just had its annual service check (the service guy said the freon was fine, everything checked out, it was just really dirty).  Now I get warm air in the house and the cold pipe is not cold, warm pipe is not warm.  No clog in the drain, but also no condensation out of it at all.  Just replaced the capacitor about 6 weeks ago as well, when that went bad.

My dad (not a pro, but a DIYer) says it is either low freon or bad compressor.  Neither of us believes that all of that could have gone bad at once, however.  Any suggestions on what to check?  After $1600 in repair bills on our HVAC system over the last year, I have no money left to call an actual repairman out to fix this.


texts: Can someone tell me what/how there are 4 wires on one switch and if they're necessary?

texts: So I'm swapping out this old switch for a new decorative paddle one and found that it has four wires attached. Two black attached to the bottom right, one black to top right, and one red on the top left? Is this safe? What would the purpose behind this be? And is it possible to buy this switches still? Thanks


texts: Split System Air Con icing up at night only..?

texts: My Mitsubishi Split System works great all summer but now I find that it heats wonderfully all day but then ices up outside during the night when the temp falls below 0. At -2 it stops altogether and the fins are nothing but a block of ice....it's too cold and damp from heavy dew for it to defrost. Only in the morning when the sun hits it does the ice begin to melt...  How do I stop this from happening? Can I put a protective covering over it of some kind ?


texts:
I have not been able to get the glass dish removed from this ceiling light fixture. There are no holes, visible clips or any other clues at how to free the glass.

I have tried to turn the dish but there is not budge. It also does not have any give when trying to pry with fingers.

Also no paint lock on either the glass dish or the metal upper piece.


texts:
Is there such a ceiling junction box that will allow me to attach it to the side of a joist from inside the box?

NB: I have a finished ceiling.

I know I can install a support bar and attach a box to it, but in a finished ceiling this can be a bit of a hassle.

I'm looking for a box that will allow me to put it into place and run the fasteners through the wall of the box and into the joist.  Maybe something that uses one of the side knockouts?


texts: splitting 3 phase from phase converter to three machines

texts: I have a metal lathe, mill and grinder, all run on three phase. I have a three phase converter and want to know the best way to split the three phase from the converter to each machine. I looked for a three phase Junction box, but cant seem to find any information on this.


texts:
The issue:

We bought a house, built around 1985, but it has this extremely poorly built walkout from the basement.

It looks like the builder's "solution" for drainage was a bent piece of tin fastened to the parging.

The tin was under about 4 inches of soil. I dug it out, and lifted it up to see what was underneath. Makes for a fantastic mouse house apparently.

Now, none of this is inherently a problem by itself, but the issue becomes apparent when one looks inside:

The wall has already collapsed in about a foot and a half, and I'm not confident it has stopped.

Besides the mice and the soil, it's obvious the wood by itself is not keeping the water out:

There appears to be a drain in the middle of the floor - I have no idea if it works or where it goes. As the basement isn't underwater, I presume it's draining somewhere.

The questions:

How do we stop the wall from caving in and making all of this a lot worse? Is making sure no water is draining into that corner the only thing we can do easily?
This is conceptually a neat feature, is there any fixing it? It seems like the only real option is to excavate all around it, gut the whole thing, and start again. Anyone have any insights?


texts: When would you want/have/need to put in a post filter in an electrostatic air filter system?

texts:
The HVAC system has an Electrostatic air cleaning system and it uses a prefilter and has a slot for a post filter.  I've been reading online that only the prefilter is good enough to get the job done at the rated efficiency.
In this Covid times, I'd like to make sure the air inside our house is healthy as possible.
My question then is: Would putting a post filter help with making the air cleaner? or would it just put an unnecessary strain on the system?


texts: Breaker trips when light is switched on in one room

texts:
I have and older home built in the early 60s. All rooms were wired with switch operated outlets. I installed a ceiling fan in a room yesterday and the following is now happening. When the switch is turned on the breaker trips.  Thinking that the breaker was now overloaded ( there is one other room on this breaker and 2 hall lights) I reversed my connections back to the original switch operated outlet. I then tried the switch again and the breaker tripped again.

I really have no idea what could be causing this as the room has never had an issue with breakers tripping before I disconnected the outlet and attempted to hook the fan to it.

The outlet has the following connections:

a group of black wires with a pigtail going to the outlet
A group of white wires with a pigtail going to the outlet
And one red wire going to the bottom of the outlet

Any suggestions on what to do next would be greatly appreciated.

Update-
Upon looking at the outlet again it was wired incorrectly when I reverted back to the original setup. I have corrected that issue but am still getting a breaker trip when the light switch is switched to the on position. I have inspected the wire in the outlet box and all look to be intact with no nicks to the wire shielding that I could see.


texts: Is there a motion sensor light switch that does not need ground?

texts:
My house was built in early 1950's and all electrical switches do not have a ground.
This was found out with an electrician when I asked them to install Lutron Maestro, but it would not power on since there was no ground to connect it to.

His suggestion was to find a motion sensing light switch that did not need ground, but he could not make a recommendation off-hand.

Do motion sensing light switches that do not require ground exist? Or do I have to build/rig them somehow. Unfortunately, due to cost, I cannot afford to add ground wires to the areas of the house that I need these at.

EDIT
The electrician connected the Meastro unit then attempted to turn it on. Pressing the button or moving in front of the sensor did not turn it on. He also attempted to connect the unit's ground to either neutral or hot, but did not work either (I can't recall which). Guess I have to spend the loot and run ground wire :(


texts:
I replaced my cold and hot water valves a while back and now it seems like it's time to replace the diverter. When running the water to the tub, some water comes out of the shower head. I've tried to disassemble the diverter valve as much as I can but I can't get the stem out. I've tried spraying some penetrating oil in but nothing seems to budge.

So I guess my question is: what next? Does the stem just pull out at this point or is this large nut (~1 1/8") supposed to be removed first? I can't make either budge.

Here are some pictures.

Before:

With cover removed:

Retaining piece:

Stem with retaining piece removed:

Click for full size image


texts:
I have pulled up 99% of the cement board and tile from my bathroom, and am fighting with the edge that is up against the tub. Some of the board broke off a half inch under the tub, some broke off a half inch out from where the side of the tub meets the floor.

How much do I have to clear out under the tub to slide in new cement board, or am I just wasting time and should run a new straight line with the board and back fill with grout or mortar and some water proofing on top?

Thanks for any advice.


texts: How can I test the integrity of my neutral wire?

texts:
I wired up a set of ELV lights and installed a Lutron dimmer switch specifically designed for ELV lights. They have a problem with flicker. The manufacturer of the lights has advised me that having a good neutral connection is key.

Here is a brief description on the Lutron site about how Electronic Low Voltage (ELV) dimmers differ from standard dimmers and Magnetic Low Voltage (MLV) Dimmers.

I did wirenut a pigtail from the neutral terminal on the switch to neutral wires in the box.

How can I test the integrity of the connection? Some things I've thought of that might be causing a problem:

The neutral wire does not make a continuous circuit to the breaker downstairs.
There is noise on the neutral wire.
Somewhere in the circuit neutral is tied to ground prematurely.

How can I test for these situations? And what other things might be the cause of a less than optimal neutral connection?


texts: how to "float" a large desk (3000mm x 720mm x 40mm) between walls

texts:
I am setting up a home office at the moment in a 3m wide room and like the idea of having a desk "float" from one side of the room to the other. I am basing on this guide.

For my desk I'm going to buy a 3000mm x 720mm x 40mm beech kitchen worktop (so all one piece). I'll be using 2x4 to make a solid frame attached to the studs like this. But I really don't like the L-brackets.

I am hoping there is some way to support such a long, heavy piece of wood without using brackets. I was thinking of mounting a couple of metal support beams to the sides and running them all the way along, but I can't seem to find a sturdy thin bit of metal that would work. I've also seen the brackets that can be mounted along the studs inside the wall so the support would be the only thing visible, but I'd rather not cut holes in my wall for a weekend project!

Thanks!


texts: Should I replace old wooden siding with brick?

texts:
I'll say first, that this isn't a question about DIY, but more about the idea and whether we should go through with it.

We bought our first house last year, and in the Spring this year, we are planning some exterior work.  The front (first-floor) of the house is wooden (T1-11 or something like that), the second-story is wooden (more similar to vinyl in the horizontal plank-approach) and the rest of the house is stucco.

Our idea, right now, is to have the second-story, sides, and back of the house done in vinyl, but do the front of the first-story in brick (real brick, I should add).

The house is going on 40 years old, is it worth it to go this route?  The other houses in the neighborhood are very similar to what we want, not what we have, so we wouldn't be going above-and-beyond the neighborhood.  Will it actually add value to the house to go with brick?  We're pretty set on the vinyl around the rest of the house, but is the brick worth it?  I'm not concerned (too much) about the extra cost of the brick, as long as it adds some value to the house in the end.


texts: If leading-edge is not suitable for LED dimming, why do so many switches have it?

texts:
I have been battling LED dimming in my house for a few weeks now and I have come across some inconsistent information.
According to my research trailing-edge dimmer switches are the correct technology for dimming LED bulbs - in that case, why are there so many supposedly LED compatible switches with leading edge instead? (https://blog.lightbulbs-direct.com/led-dimmer-switch-compatibility/)
Example
https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-nexus-metal-1-gang-2-way-led-dimmer-switch-brushed-steel/53506
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-2-gang-2-way-led-dimmer-switch-black-nickel/33350
Similarly on this switch it clearly states it's LED compatible however it says it only supports inductive and resistive load - https://download.schneider-electric.com/files?p_enDocType=Product+Data+Sheet&p_File_Name=GGBL6012LSBS_DATASHEET_WW_en-GB.pdf&p_Doc_Ref=GGBL6012LSBS_DATASHEET - neither of which seems to be used for LED (https://www.lyco.co.uk/advice/dimmers-trailing-vs-leading-edge/)


texts: How do I make two wall switches work in coordination, wirelessly?

texts:
I remodeled my kitchen and added under cabinet lighting.  The under the cabinet lights are controlled by a wall switch on one side of the kitchen.  The overhead recessed can lights have a switch on the other side of the kitchen.

1) I’d like the overhead light switch to not only turn on the overhead lights but also the under the cabinet lights.  2) I’d like the under the cabinet light switch to only turn on and off the under the under cabinet lights.

How might I do this?  Ideally without having to pull wire (so using wireless switches)?  While I don't want say an additional switch on one wall or the other, I am happy to replace the kind of switch that is in the current switch locations.

I already have a Wink hub, but don't need any kind of timer or even remote on/off from my phone.  These lights are all LED, and I don’t want or need to dim them either.


texts: I have a wood stove in my finished basement.   I am looking for a way to turn on the blower fan of my furnace once the temperature in the basement reaches a certain setting like 75 degrees, that is warmer than the rest of the house, and use the fan to circulate the heat to the rest of the house since a main intake is down there.   My current setup is that I have heat and no AC.   My current thermostat is a Nest Gen 1 and it is upstairs.   It is only wired to control the heat and not the fan.   The fan is controlled by a toggle switch on the side of the unit.  I can do this now but it is manual.  Is there a setup that will allow me to control the fan, triggered by a downstairs temperature setting, while still allowing the upstairs thermostat to kick in when needed?   The downstairs would essentially function in the same way as AC, kicking on when it got too hot.   Would it be possible to have a second thermostat control the AC portion of the furnace?  In the picture the green and red wire are coming from the fan toggle switch and the white and red are coming from the thermostat.  The model of the furnace is a Trane G40UH-36B-090-15


texts: How to finish the wiring of a shared GFCI receptacle

texts:
My neighbor who is an electrician helped me start an electrical project in my garage but has been MIA for 3 weeks and I'm not sure how to finish the wiring of the receptacles.  He didn't seem to start it in a very straighforward way.  In the garage i now have (4) new receptacles and (3) new breakers.  The breakers are labeled "drill press", "vac", and "saw".  I asked for the vac to be on it's own 20amp breaker and the saw and drill press could share a breaker as they're never on at the same time but the vac is on at the same time as everything else.  (2) of the breakers share a single romex coming out with (2) hots, (1) neutral, and (1) ground.  The 3rd breaker has it's own set of (1) ea hot/neutral, ground.  They all meet in a junction box.  From that junction box they go to another junction box where they split directions.  In one direction toward the drill press i'm sending 1 ea hot, neutral and ground.  To the other set of three receptacles i'm sending (2) hots, (1) neutral, and (1) ground. These are tied to the red/black hots from the shared romex. They then meet in a box that is a gfci receptacle for the saw.  in the gfci box i've wired one of the hots and the only neutral into the gfci.  on the load side of the gfci saw receptacle i'm sending a hot to the other saw receptacle.  i have a pigtail coming out of the neutral/load side of the gfci that is tying together the neutrals from both the vac receptacle which has it's own hot and the other saw receptacle.

Did i screw this up?  It doesn't seem right that the vac and saw can share a neutral if they're running at the same time.  i also asked for everything to be on gfci but not sure this is the case either.  let me know if pictures would help.
Thank you for any advice you can offer.


texts: I woke up to over 20 black flies flying by the window in my kitchen and about 5 in my bedroom. I killed most of them and then cleaned quite a bit. I found about 7 dead maggot rolly pollie looking fetus(?) around the perimeter between the kitchen and the bedroom. At first I assumed the flies were breeding in the dead plant (i threw it away) but now I'm wondering why these maggots are along the perimeter. Im guessing they were dead bc of an extermination that happened about a month ago and they didn't survive? There is a vacuum cleaner and dust buster leaning between the window and bedroom as well as a heat vent. This leaves me too many options to wonder so Im asking. It has been 24 hours and I have killed 7 more flies. Some of them are flying in my bedroom. Where are they coming from and how do i get rid of them? Ive been hunting my apartment for any clues and thrown away anything that I can think of including the dust buster!


texts:
As I know some systems and terminology are different worldwide, I will start off the post by saying I live in the UK.

There are a number of fused switches in my flat.  Some of them I know what they do - washing machine, oven etc, but others I have no idea. I've tried switching them off and on, but nothing happens. How do I go about figuring what they're for, if anything??


texts: Kohler Push Button Diverter Leaking from Shower

texts:
My plumber just installed the fixtures in my shower/tub and the shower stays running when the tub spout is running. I can tell he didn't even test it because when I turned on the water, I could hear the air getting flushed out. Even with the tub spout running at a low flow, the shower still leaks. All parts are brand new and I highly doubt the diverter is defective. Any feedback or tips would be appreciated. I called the plumber but he hasn't gotten back to me yet.

Here's a photo before tiling. Any ideas here? I'm fearful that we'll have to cut the drywall on the other side to fix this...


texts: Outlet looks like a NEMA 10-50 but is only stamped at 30

texts:
There is an electric stove plugged into this outlet. I can't tell what plug it is to make an adapter for car charging.

This is in the U.S.


texts: Swapping out Onan generator on a motor home

texts:
I have a non-functioning 120V Onan generator on a motorhome.  To replace it with another Onan that is 240V, do I need to change any wiring to the vehicle or can I rewire it in-place the same way?
The new generator is compatible with the previous one in terms of space/framing.


texts: How do I repair a canned light that's falling down?

texts:
I apologize if the term is not "can light", but I don't know what these types of lights are called.

Anyhow, the "can" of one of our lights has fallen out from the drywall ceiling (just a bit), and pushing it back in doesn't help because the hole in the drywall is too big. How do I get the can to stay up?


texts: Removing the surface layer from ceramic tile

texts: I have green tile in my bathroom with pink accents.  Is it possible to remove the pink using muriatic acid (concentrated HCL)?  I have a background in clinical and chemistry laboratory sciences and am more than aware of the safety gear and precautions required.  Has anyone used this approach?


texts: Why does one of my LED flood lights randomly turn on and off?

texts: One of my outdoor floodlights stays on for approximately an hour then goes out.The other led floodlight on the same fixture randomly goes on and off also, but not as much. Are the bulbs going bad, or is it something else.


texts: Removing aluminum foil barrier/insulation backer in new hot roof

texts:
My single-story ranch house was built in the 1950s, and the roof used to have insulation along the joists. In a fit of new homebuyer fever I switched to a hot roof with closed cell foam insulation all along the rafters.  The company removed most of the former insulation, but I still have a foil barrier, exactly like tin foil, stapled to the sides of the joists.

The foil isn't in the greatest of shape, as its soiled with 70 years of wear and tear: mouse leavings in some areas, spattered spray foam in others, and has holes, rips, and tears in various other places from fans, ducts, lights, and trips over the years.

There's even a part over a staircase where it hides a booby trap pitfall almost straight to the basement (!)

What was the purpose of this foil, and is it still doing its job now that the main insulation is in the rafters?  Can I remove it to further clean up after those pesky rodents?  Is it something that should be replaced and kept in good shape?


texts:
I would like to install a double wall light where I'm told there used to be one previously. However, the wires in the wall and the wires of the light are both confusing me, and I'm not sure the best way to connect everything up. I have wired lights to a wall before, but it was a simple live to live, neutral to neutral etc., and this has a lot more going on. This question is in two parts.
Firstly, the double wall light arrived with the wires arranged like so:

There is a live and a neutral wire running along the arm of each light, and a single earth wire. The wires have already come twisted together like this:

Is this correct? Should the live and neutral for each light be twisted together? Or should both the lives be twisted together and both the neutrals be twisted together?
Secondly, this is the state of the wires coming out of the wall:

It looks as though a cable has been cut, and then both lives twisted together, both neutrals twisted together, and both earths twisted together, to allow the wires of a light to be attached. My second question is, do I leave these twisted together when I install the wall light? Do these need altering at all for installing a double wall light?
Since the wall is in a bit of a state from the previous owner I am considering hiring a professional for this one, but wanted to have a go myself first. If someone could tell me just how the wires should be for this installation I'd be very grateful, I can't really find any diagrams of how to do it online through Googling. I can provide any extra info if requested.


texts: Tighting taps under kitchen sink doesn't cut off water supply

texts:
I have a set of taps similar to these under the kitchen sink that lead to a single mixer tap.

My issue is when I try to turn off the water supply via these (trying both directions) it still flows strong, not a leak/drip but as if the taps don't actually have a full closed state.

  Can this be possible would the taps only be for adjusting pressure?

  (If not) Should I try to force the taps further, or is there a risk of doing more damage?

Or should I use the main water shut off (which is harder to get to in my appartment building)?


texts: How can I fix the guard on my mitre saw?

texts:
I've owned an Evolution Rage-3 mitre saw (http://www.evolutionpowertools.com/uk/build/rage3.php) for about fifteen months. About a week ago the guard that covers the blade started to stick, and now it won't move at all.

The mechanism for the guard seems to be straightforward (it should move out of the way as I push the blade down to make a cut), but I'm not much of a mechanic so I'm struggling to work out what's wrong. What can I try to free up the guard?


texts: Does a GFCI-protected bath light/fan unit need separate neutrals?

texts:
I hope there is an electrician on this forum who would know the answer to this. I am in the US and must have permits in my area and install per NEC.

This is new construction. Installing a fan/light unit over a shower. I ran 12-3 Romex to them. They are being fed from a load side of a GFCI circuit. They will be sharing the white neutral wire.

Are there any issues with shared neutral when you have a GFI? or must they have separate neutrals?

Any issues with the GFCI not functioning as designed doing it this way?

Any issues with the NEC codes?

Anything else I should know?

see picture of how I have it wired.....


texts: How many power cables can a coaxial cable cross?

texts:
I am running coax RG6Q to my FiOS box. I know to cross electrical cables perpendicular, but is there a limit to how many wires I can cross in a short area? See my picture: the coax is the black line going horizontally to the vertical power wires. Is this a disaster waiting to happen? Can I test the interference before I commit to this line?

Edit: I have been running this configuration for over two years now. I can say that I have experienced no noticeable degradation of signal during this time. Thanks!


texts:
I have a BBQ that's currently sitting on a not so level grassy area. I'd like to create a very small base for the grill with two 2ft by 2ft concrete pavers so I have a level base, but I don't know how to prep the area for the pavers.

Do I need to dig down, how far, and what do I put under the pavers? I live in the Northern US, if that's important.


texts: What breakers to do I need to connect an outbuilding to main power pole?

texts:
I need to hook up the outbuilding to the main power pole. It was hooked up before and we moved, moving the outbuilding. I have 10/2 WG UFB wire. the photo shows main power pole.

What size amp do I need to put in it? then run the wire to outbuilding where second photo shows the subpanel inside. there are 4 15 amps and one 30. Not all are being used. When I hooked it up only the top two 15 amp seem to work, the bottom 15 amps do not. My son said it might be because the breaker in the main pole is only a 20 amp breaker. Is he correct?  Or do I need better wire? it runs about 90 feet.


texts: Do I have to worry about an empty external light socket shorting out?

texts:
Our house has some directional external lights (the mount allows us to pivot the fixture).

I just tested out one of them today by putting in a bulb. The bulb flickered (it's a good bulb) when I turned it on and it did not stay on.

I'm not going to fix it right now.

Do I need to worry about rain shorting out the fixture if I don't put a bulb in the socket?

It would only short out if the switch is in the ON position right?

Do outdoor rated light fixtures mitigate against this?


texts: Will connecting a 1/2" natural gas line to 3/4" line for a fire pit cause issues?

texts:
I have a 3/4" natural gas line coming in to the house.  Before the manifold there is a 3/4" line directly to my furnace.

Also there is a manifold that splits into 4 1/2" lines that go to appliances throughout the house.

My Question -  Can i run a 1/2" pipe from the manifold about 15' in the crawl space and connect into a 3/4" flex line that I have buried in the ground to run to a fire pit?  This buried flex line is about 20' long.

I guess it all depends on the BTU's required at the pit burner, but wondering if it would make much of a difference in pressure our output of the final gas going to the pit.

Thanks


texts: What is this item? Unknown device in old laundry closet in newer construction house

texts:
I am planning on turning the space where an old laundry closet used to be into a shower area as part of a more extensive renovation (house was built in 2006). As part of the planning and design part of this process I came upon this black thing sticking out of the wall, which I have no idea what it is? My best guess is it is an old sealed off vent pipe? I figured I would ask here (pic included) to see what it might be before I start tearing up the place. Additionally, if there are any tips on how it could be removed or hidden behind the wall (if possible/permitted by code) that would be appreciated.

For context, the water tray for the old washer is on the bottom. Cold and hot water connections (not seen in pic) are further up on the wall to the right of the unknown device.

Thanks!


texts: I have a gallery series fridgedaire gas stove with several scratches on the stovetop. What kind of paint should I use?


texts: What are the safety concerns in running low voltage wire to LEDs behind a wall?

texts:
I've been using some fairly cheap 22AWG wire for running between flexible LED strips and their transformers. Some 24V some 12V, but all well below the amperage rating for this gauge.
The wire says it's rated for 300V / 80ºC. I don't remember what it was sold as. It may even have been sold as speaker wire. It's the type with 2x separate insulated stranded cores.
So far this has all been over the surface and over fairly short distances. (2m or so) but I am now looking at doing a slightly longer run behind a wall. It would run for about 6m and partly would be between brick and skirting board, and in other parts behind plasterboard.
What do I need to consider (mainly with regards to safety and legality) when choosing wire for this job?
Are their specific standards, heat/voltage ratings or particular insulation materials that I should look out for / avoid?


texts:
I have owned the house I’m living in for 20 years. There’s a subpanel in the back yard where a spa used to sit. It is fed by a 50-amp breaker in the main service. I got rid of the spa and I built a water feature. Also I ran a 4 wire to the house at around 55 feet in a conduit to power a 30-amp oven. The sub panel has one 50-amp breaker and two 20-amp breakers. On one 20 –amp breaker I have a short run to a GFI receptacle to power the pump. The other 20 amp used to feed a switch for flood lights but I switched it out and added another GFI receptacle for a sub pump and a filter.
Up until a few weeks ago it ran like a champ. My oven is pretty old and was having issues before I added the additional GFI for the filter. I believe that my oven is in need of repair. It runs and then goes dead and when it does it trips one of the GFI receptacles but not both and not the 50-amp breaker. Its Always the same one. Today I started swapping out wire connectors and tightening ground wires. I changed the 20-amp breaker and reset the works from the main service. It worked for 10 minutes or so and I was back to square one. I think the oven is the problem, I can’t see any other reason other than I might be using more power than I have to run the new sub-pump and filter. Any ideas why only that 20-amp breaker is tripping? Thanks, I hope this is understandable.


texts:
Garage has 100A service sub-panel from main home. The panel contains a 40A 240V breaker. This connects through a heavy-gauge wire (looks to be same wire as feeding the 100A panel itself) to what I think is only a 15A outlet. That is, based on the physical dimensions and prong arrangement compared to info I found online, I believe this is a NEMA #6-15R receptacle. Am I right?

If the rest of the circuit is 40A but the outlet 15A, then I think this would be undersized and dangerous? Would it be appropriate to replace this #6-15R with a #6-30R? Do I also need to put in a 30A breaker?

The reason this came up is that I would like to use a 20A 240V heater in the garage. The heater uses a #6-30P plug, which can be seen dangling in one of the photos below. Basically, I am looking for a safe way to clean up the electricals, in a way that will make the end result compatible with this NEMA #6-30P heater.


texts:
On Wednesday we had new appliances delivered to the house.  The installation was included in the purchase price so I let the retailer (not a big box but a well known and regarded local appliance shop) install everything.  We have a double wall oven (JennAir) that was replacing a 14 year old Maytag double wall oven.  The old oven and the new oven require 240v.

I chatted with the guys doing the installation on Weds morning and then headed to work.  When I got home everything looked great, as directed by the installer, I was to turn the oven to bake at 350 for one hour to burn off some of the coatings put on the oven out of the factory.  All works fine - oven has power, lights, etc.  But no heat.  Zilch - no bake, no broil.

Fast forward to today and I've since pulled the oven out of the wall and I'm not registering 240v, I'm getting 125v.  My guess is that the oven is fine but that it's not getting enough power to heat.  My hope is that this isn't an issue with the wiring but I'm really struggling with another reason - everything was fine with the old oven which arguably drew more power.  Could it be the junction box connection?  (I wasn't able to get the oven out far enough to check the connections)  Perhaps a bad breaker?


texts:
I apologize in advance for this long post. This is the first summer in this home that I bought. I'm a first time homeowner. One day I realized a big stain in my ceiling right under the attic and found out that the drain pan was overflowing. Called the AC guy and he came and blew air into the clean out of the drain line as well as from the other end outside of the house. He also attached a sensor on the side of the drain pan.
We thought that had solved the issue. A few days later I go into the attic to check the roof since we are going to get the roof done soon. I noticed that the pan was pretty full but the sensor did nothing to tell me this. Decided to do some YouTubing and used a wet/dry vac to clean up the water in the pan as well as suck it out of the drain line. Basically every time we leave the AC on for a day or so the drain line fills back up all the way to the top where the clean out is. Then the AC unit starts to drip underneath. I'm not sure if it ever drips out from the clean out at all but it could be very likely. Every few days we have to vacuum this drain line. We even did the whole vinegar thing for 30min and then flushed it with warm water which came out clean.
Did some more research and learned about P-Traps and realized that I do not have one of these connected to my AC unit. The area in my attic is basically just a crawl space and very tight. From what I can see, there is just one pipe that goes underneath the whole unit then takes a 90 degree turn to the left wall.
I've attached some pics of my unit and hoping someone can explain to me what could be wrong and what I should do. Wondering if I should cut the tape and open up the panel?


texts: Pilot won't stay lit after replacing thermocouple

texts:
The pilot won't stay lit on my furnace, when I release the button it just goes out.  This started occurring after I did some gas plumbing and had to relight the pilot.  I suspected the thermocouple and replaced it, but this didn't fix the problem.  I've used this furnace for over 15 years without replacing the thermocouple.  Can someone recommend the next best course of action to keep my pilot lit?

Some things to note:

The new thermocouple is a cheap "universal" thermocouple that I purchased from Amazon and it doesn't seem to sit in place tight but I don't think it's moving.
There seems to be a secondary thermocouple-type wire running alongside the thermocouple and pilot gas line, though I ensured the thermocouple is not in contact with anything else.
While holding the pilot light button down I get a blue flame with a yellow tip that's over an inch in length. I've held the button down for over the recommended 60 seconds.
The thermocouple is below the pilot light, but the flame is definitely touching it.
The furnace is definitely over 30 years old and was likely installed in the 60's.


texts: How can I remove this screw from a ps4 system?

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I have a countertop 15 amp GFCI receptacle in my kitchen and I would like to replace the fuse for it.

It's currently on a time-delay 30 amp fuse (it's a cartridge/capsule style fuse), which is too much, since the wire going to the receptacle is 12 gauge aluminum (which as far as I know is rated for max 15 amps).

My question is, should I use a time-delay fuse or a fast acting fuse for this receptacle?

I've read that time-delay fuses are for appliances which may have large electric motors, but I'm not sure what's considered large in this context. The outlet will connect things like a toaster, kettle, blender, slow cooker, microwave, etc. This receptacle is the only one on this circuit.


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My furnace is a Carrier 58GS075. It seems to cycle correctly:

Igniter sparks and ignites*
20-30 second pause.
Main burners are opened and ignite.
30-60 seconds and blower turns on.
Remains on until heat is satisfied.
Main burners shutoff.
Blower turns off 45 seconds later.

However, during the whole process (steps 1-5) the igniter is rapidly sparking, but the flame is already established after 1-2 sparks.

I bought a whole new igniter off eBay a few months ago to try to fix this issue, however it is still occurring.

I also bought a whole new circuit board about 2 months ago for a different issue. The igniter issue persisted between circuit boards.

I would imagine the cycle would be irregular if the furnace did not think the igniter was lit? (shutting down main burners, etc) But it cycles correctly so maybe it is something else?

Edit: Added videos
Initial igniter sparking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbkZZnSz4-Q
Sparking during main burners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGxUm6lNw-w