texts: What does "Temporary Hold" mean on a BG&E thermostat

texts:
We live in Baltimore, MD. As we enter Spring, today is the first day it was warm (over 80°) and humid (flash flood around 4:00 PM). We tried to run the AC for a while but the air was not cool. It was more like a fan was blowing ambient air.

I believe the digital thermostat is being operated correctly. We've had it several years and we are doing the same thing as we usually do. The unit is turned On, it set to Cool, and the temp is set below room temp by about 8° or 10°. We noticed the thermostat has a message "Temporary Hold" but we don't know what it means.

Searching BG&E's website does not list any hits for the message. Confer, "temporary hold" site:bge.com.

What does "Temporary Hold" mean on a BG&E digital thermostat? Or more to the point, does it mean BG&E disabled the AC unit?


texts:
I am not sure if I properly understand the wet vent concept so here is the question.
The current bathroom apparently has no dry venting. I am moving the sink from the point marked on the wall just behind where it says '2"(to be confirmed)' to the position shown in the picture ("new sink)"
The piping is not much longer in this layout. I can upgrade everything to 2"
Will this comply with a wet venting design ? ( I am assuming that in the past the wet venting was via the soil stack or it was not there at all and the design is not valid)

Some more info
Old layout before demo

Current situation

What I want to build


texts: What kind of bathroom shower handle should I get?

texts:
My bathroom shower handle needs replacement -- it started falling off recently.  It's damaged and needs replacement.

What kind of a handle would work?

Below is how the rest of it looks like.  Note that I don't know the brand, it's not written anywhere.  Nor do I know which year it was produced.

Edit: here are pictures of the handle itself:

Note that the outer hex bolt is stuck (sitting for hours in WD-40, no success turning it after that).  I might be wrong, but I think there are two inner bolts on either side of the inner square piece.  One is stuck, the other is missing entirely.

I tried multiple handles from the hardware store and none of them really worked.


texts: Yellowish residue from within water pipe

texts:
I was changing a valve today and used tissue to wipe water off the threads. While doing that, I also wiped the inside of the old pipe a bit through the opening, and I got yellow residue on the tissue (picture below). The old pipe seems to be brass/copper. I'm guessing it is caused by hard water and may be normal. But I am not sure. Can someone let me know whether you have seen the yellowish residue inside pipes before as well, and should I be concerned?
Btw, I get my water from the city.
Thanks!!


texts:
I live on the 3rd (top) floor of a condo building.  Our back door - which opens to the outside, is not square.  The building was built in 2006 and the drywall around the door at the corners is cracked and separating (the corner tape is clearly coming away).  There is visible light at the bottom of the door and it does not close properly (rubs in several places).  My suspicion is that the building has settled (this didn't happen overnight) and this is a structural issue.

So my question is twofold.  First, does my suspicion sound correct (I know it's hard to judge based on a brief description)?  Second, if I am right, what is the best way to deal with this?  I don't see any obvious exterior signs of cracking, but I'm guessing this can't be good.  It's likely the condo association's problem to address, but if there is anything I can do to alleviate the issue, I'd like to.


texts: How to fix broken/loose clips in the holding bracket of Conair 134 wall-mounted hair dryer

texts: I have a Conair 134 wall-mounted hair dryer, which is working perfectly but has two broken clips in the holding bracket so now the dryer is very loose when put back in the bracket. Is there a way to salvage this situation instead of getting a new unit?


texts: Ecobee3 not turning on heat, but fan is on

texts:
I have an Ecobee3 that has been successfully working (both heat, fan, and AC) for the past 6 months. Recently I was trying to get my humidifier working so I was playing around with some wires, which also involved turning on and off the heat/power many times (I think this is what caused the issue). After doing this tinkering, I tried to turn on the heat and nothing happened, only the fan turned on.

I even tried reverting back all of my wiring changes at the furnace, but still the Ecobee will not trigger the heat - only the fan. The furnace has the correct light on, meaning it is operational. I reinstalled the old thermostat and it is working as expected (heat + fan). I then re-installed the Ecobee and when I turn on the heat only the fan starts up - the heat doesn't even attempt to kick on.

When I have the heat on, the Ecobee indicates that the "running equipment" is the fan AND heat (even though the heat is not on).

I tried resetting the Ecobee completely to no avail. I double checked wiring and it is all as I left it. (Note: when doing my humidifier work, I never touched the Ecobee wiring).

Is there a "glitch" the my Ecobee to be causing this out of nowhere?


texts: Why does my heating system only blow cold air?

texts:
My heating system only blows out cold air, not hot.  I've left it on for a good 15 minutes to see if it will warm up, and I get nothing but cold air.  I've even put it on Auto and waited some more, but still all I get is cold air.

What could be the problem?


texts: What is the best way to remove hair from carpets?

texts:
We do have a vacuum cleaner, but unfortunately that does not do a good job.

I do not mind purchasing a new one, but I am going to be here only for the next 3 - 6 months and I would rather not buy one unless absolutely necessary.

I found the following while searching if someone had already answered

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/removing-hair-carpet-48919.html

It does a partially better job than the vacuum, but does not remove most of them.

Any suggestions?


texts: Plywood vs cement board for shower alcove

texts:
I'm building a tile shower, have the pan set and most of the cement board up. I've come up to the height where the shower alcove (or niche) will go. General searches have shown most people cutting backer board into the shape of the niche. I have been drawing up different plans for how to do this and I am toying with the idea of using 1/2 inch thick treated exterior plywood to frame the niche, then sealing the corners, then applying aquadefense waterproofing then mortar and tile.
To be honest the main reason is that I hate the idea of cutting cement board that many times when something else might suffice. is there any reason to not go through with the plywood?


texts:
I plan on installing a floating floor.  The current flooring is hardwood, but is quite beat up, patched and whatnot (It had been carpeted).  I thought about sanding and refinishing, but there are so many patches it would not look good.

To make sure I start with a flat surface, I was thinking I could install 1/2 plywood sub flooring over the existing hardwood.

Thoughts?


texts: edge gluing more wood onto butcher block countertops to make them wider?

texts:
Question is: can I take same width strips of the same species wood - ideally from another section of same-brand butcher block, and then glue and clamp it to the butcher block countertop to make it wider??

Background information:

We just finished installing our new kitchen cabinets, and, because the walls of the old house are so bowed, there's over an inch gap between the top backs of the cabinets and the wall even with the bottom of the cabinets pushed all the way against the wall.

This means that the countertops will need to be an inch wider than normal, which is putting a kink in our plans to use butcherblock which is sold at 25" wide. We need it to be closer to 27" wide!

We chose Baltic Birch butcher block countertops from Menards, a lot cheaper than other species from Lumber Liquidators and I think they'll be better than the ones from IKEA. I don't have a lot of experience with birch, other then plywood, but it is supposed to be just as hard/durable as oak and takes stain similarly to maple.

The sizes that Menards carries is limited: they have 4 and 8 foot lengths of 25" wide boards, and a 6' length of 36" wide. The cabinets are 24" wide, and need at least 1/2" overhang past the drawer fronts, which are 3/4" wide - so that's more then 25" wide! Why would they make the countertops only 25" wide??? And then our peninsula will need an even wider countertop because the 3/4" backer panel makes it that much wider. So the plan is to buy the 36" wide countertop for that section, rip two 3" wide strips off of that to glue to the other sections. Does that sound reasonable?

Also, feel free to share your opinion of wooden countertops in the comments :) We want wood for it's looks and I just love wood personally, but we're also looking at laminate because it can take a beating a lot better. That being said, if we stick with the butcherblock idea, I will use Rubio Monocaots because it's supposed to have the water/stain resistance of poly yet the feel, looks and repairability of penetrating oil. And you don't have to apply it once a month. Your thoughts?

Thanks! Edit: I've attached a photo of what I came up with for the dimensions of the countertops that we'll need. At the moment, there's a needed 7" section I can't quite squeeze out of the 3 pieces, so we'll probably need to buy an extra 4' long piece.


texts: Sink overflow drain not cast all the way through

texts:
I have two sinks which are part of the countertop (single unit/casting). One sink is perfect. The other has never had a working overflow. I thought it was clogged but it appears that the overflow hole was not cast properly. I can see where it stops and it looks like the ceramic the sink is cast from.

Is this a problem that I can solve without replacing the sink?

My next step is to take the drain out and see if the overflow cast underneath the sink goes through to the vicinity of the overflow inlet or not.


texts: Need help on how to remove dresser drawers!

texts: I am trying to remove my dresser drawers. There is a track on the side of the drawers with levers that go up on one side and down on the other. I have pulled the drawer all the way out and pushed the levers as far as they go, but the drawer still doesn't come out. I have tried jiggling and lifting as well, but no luck. Is there another step that I am overlooking? All the online videos show them sliding straight out!


texts: Can I repair the floor in the water heater closet with an old street sign?

texts: Can I use an old aluminum road sign as a replacement floor for my hot water heater closet? The old floor is rotten and has some give to it right where a portion of my hot water heater sits, and my dad told me to "cut a peice of plywood about the same size and shape of the existing closet floor and just lay it on top of the old floor. That should probably last a good 5 or 10 more years. That's all I've ever done." But I want to know if an old aluminum or galvinized thin sheet metal road sign would be hazardous, dangerous, and/or illegal in any way whatsoever? I already have a rough cut of the old sign/new floor and plan on finishing the whole project within a day or two so thought I might do a little research to make sure I'm not doing something stupid that I don't already know.


texts: Fitting new dimmer to old wiring but I've got four wires and an earth

texts:
I'm fitting a new dimmer to a switch that controls a single ceiling bulb. Currently the switch has two red wires attached, one top one bottom. I'm guessing that this is live from circuit box and then live to ceiling rose. The two black wires have been connected together with a small box and the green is attached to the metal fixing embedded in the wall.

The dimmer I've bought says to fit a red and a black to terminals c and l1 respectively. Do I choose any two red and black wires? The instructions mention if there are two wires then put them both into the appropriate terminal on the switch but that seems like it would result in a constant connection between the two live wires.


texts: Can I install a second layer of drywall on my bathroom ceiling to refresh the surface?

texts:
I am redoing a bathroom, converting a tub to a shower and I plan to install green-board above.  The existing 1/2" drywall has some issues (flaking paint, nail pops). I'll be replacing the walls and the obvious choice would be to tear the ceiling out and replace it too.
But because there is loose cellulose insulation above the ceiling, I'm considering just applying a second layer of drywall (using long screws) on top of the current ceiling.
I'll be adding a vent fan, and I'm prepared to cut through two layers for that.  I'm also changing overhead lighting so I'll probably use box extenders.
I've seen double drywall done for fire protection, so I know it's possible. Is it a bad idea in this situation?  What problems might I encounter?


texts: Will heat pump heat home faster than space heater?

texts:
I know that a heat pump is cheaper to operate than an electric space heater, but I'm wondering if a heat pump will heat our home faster than an electric space heater.

I'm asking because I have an open-plan two-storey home, and I've been frustrated because neither our single baseboard heater nor our two space heaters are enough to get our main (lower) floor tolerably warm - it takes hours to bring the place up from 53°F to 64°F. I've heard about the cost savings of heat pumps, but am wondering if they too will take hours to heat up 1250 sq ft.

Part of me doubts that the heat pump will be any faster, because an electric space heater is essentially a fan in front of a heat source. But isn't a heat pump also basically a fan in front of a heat source?

Or is the heat pump heat source so much hotter and the fan so much more powerful that it will heat our home faster? For example, one of the bigger heat pumps that can heat 1250 sq ft?

I've never seen/felt a heat pump in action, so I'm asking here.


texts:
My flat is an old Glasgow tenement flat built around 1900.
When I bought the place, the fireplace had been badly covered.
I now want to do the fireplace up so removed the covering.

I am planning to:

cover over the fireplace recess with a sheet of plasterboard and skim the wall
tile the fireplace hearth with victorian style mosaic tiles
install a victorian cast iron radiator on the hearth and a wooden mantlepiece

I would like a mosaic tile hearth similar to this.
The existing hearth is uneven and has cut outs in the corners. It lies approximately 1cm proud of the wooden floor, and extends back into the fireplace recess.
Should I:

remove the old hearth completely and pour a new base for the tiles
somehow fill and flatten the old hearth and cover with the tiles

Any other suggestions or comments are welcome.


texts: Can I hang a bathroom shelf with command strips or something similar?

texts:
I'm currently living in an apartment that doesn't allow me to put anything larger than a finishing nail sized hole in the wall. I have a small bathroom shelf that I would like to put up that consists of a lightweight metal frame with three tempered glass shelves as well as a towel rack on the bottom.

Initially my thoughts went to the 3M command strips. I know they have picture hanging strips that essentially consists of velcro on top of command strips. But I have a feeling that this wouldn't hold up  and the shelf would fall down. So I was thinking it might work out to buy the plain command strips and put them directly on the back of the shelf where it would contact the wall. I see that they're rated for around 5lbs each and I believe loaded the shelf wouldn't be more than 10lbs or so. I'm just curious if this would work or if it might end up causing more damage than just putting holes in the wall?

Does anyone have any experiences with hanging something of this nature without damaging the wall?


texts: How to check a Quick connect control power transformer is working?

texts:
I have a square D quick connect transformer in a control box system connect to the vacuum pump. The input supply for the primary side of the transformer is 220V. The output side is 110V. When i place the multimeter probe on the input side terminals, i get a voltage reading of 210V. When i do the same thing on the output side, i get 110V. This would suggest that the transformer is working alright. However, when i do the multimeter reading with respect to ground, the whole thing changes. I get a reading of 120V for the input terminals with respect to the ground and i get 0V for the output terminal with respect to ground. Do you think this is normal?
Then, i used a electric tester with the input supply on and the output terminals disconnected and open. In this case. i had light ON in both the input terminals. In the case of output terminals, the light was ON only on one of the terminal and not in the second one.
What do you think would be going wrong?

I have attached the picture of the circuit which consist of a relay, transformer and contactor (starter). It is a control box of a vacuum pump. There is a remote start/stop button outside which is used to start the pump. The problem is pump does not start after pressing the start button. However, if i manually push the contactor, it goes in and the pump starts. This indicates there is a problem in the control circuit  which consist of transformer and relay. Any guides on how should i troubleshoot the problem? I do not have a wiring diagram for this circuit.


texts:
How do I fasten a shelf bracket correctly? I think I'll need to drive the two upper screws in at an angle?

This is a typical bracket with three screw holes: one at the bottom and two on the top.

The two on the top are on both edges of the bracket which means that I can't drive them into the stud (they'd be on the edge of the stud). Does that means that I'll have to drive the screws in at an angle?

Does this makes the whole arrangement less sturdy?

Here's a picture:

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.8-inch-x10-inch--black-shelf-bracket.1000770044.html

Thanks

P.S. If I drive the screws into the stud, do I still need to put the screw anchors in (it's drywall).


texts:
I have a spot on my wall where a significant amount of paint has bubbled up and pealed away revealing the plaster underneath. The total area is about 10 inches wide at the widest point and a couple feet from bottom of the damaged area to the top.

There was obviously a roof leak, and we've had our roof replaced so the leak is gone. Now I want to patch this area so it all ends up nicely finished and flush.

I'm assuming the plaster has now dried out and can just be patched/filled and brought flush with the rest of the wall. It's probably no more than 1/4" deep at the lowest spots where the old plaster is showing. And then it feathers out to surface depth (hope that makes sense).

What is the best kind of material to use for this kind of wall patching job?  And what are the tricks to getting it on right so it looks like new again?


texts:
This morning I noticed that my main floor wasn't cooling. I found the condensation pump full ( little giant model VCMA-15ULS ). I disconnected the hose from the unit to the pump, drained it, dumped the pump and reconnected it.

The aprilaire 8446 display unit clicks when I turn down the temperature but the hvac unit itself ( model FA4CNF030, doesn't show manufacturer ) never comes on. I've tried turning the circuit on / off at the power panel.

I also tried swapping out pumps with another and disconnecting the switch that is in the pan at the bottom of the unit for condensation flooding. Each time I powered the unit off and even hit reset on the aprilaire control unit at the wall.

What else can I do to try and get this puppy to come alive?


texts: How should I improve the drywall under my staircase before taping?

texts:
My half bath rough in is under the staircase. The original builders put an angled side of the ceiling. I tried hanging a piece of drywall but I'm not super happy with the result. The right side sticks out too much.

Would a prefill layer of (hot?) mud run on each edge fix this? Would normal taping fix this? Or should I take it down and start over? If I need to take it down, would hanging a plywood backer first help?


texts: What size extension cord gauge would I need for a 12 amp electric mower if the cord is 250 feet long?

texts: I need to use an electric mower for my very large yard because I can't start a gas mower and my nearest neighbor is about 5 miles away.  Living on a limited budget, I can't find anyone to cut the grass for what I can afford to pay.  My yard is about an acre with about 30 trees.  It has heavy dense grass.  The extension cord would need to be at least 250 feet long to reach to the edge of the yard.  My question is what gauge wire would I need to use to make the extension cord?  The mower that I'm thinking about buying is a 12 amp mower.  The circuit breaker for the plug at the house is a 20 amp breaker.  Are there other things that I need to take into consideration?  And if you have suggestions for a mower that would work well for these conditions, I'm open to suggestions.


texts: Oven Functionality causing the main circuit to trip

texts:
I've been using my oven normally for bakeries , recently I've facing an problem with it whenever I turned it on it trips the main circuit of the apartment! This happended after switching on the grill mode, even just switching on the light of the oven causes the same.
Despite the oven not functioning I can normally use the stove without any issues!
Can you highlight what might be the possible reason for this?
Thank you!


texts: Convert recessed brick mortar to concave mortar design to decrease water intrusion due to high winds

texts:
High winds cause my 20 year old brick home to leak water through the reduced cement volume in the head joints. Water runs through head joints, down inside of brick wall, then leaks under the sill plate & out into the garage.
The previous owner poured a 33 ft side walk against the garage wall, damming up the weep holes.
I have removed Sheetrock & cut 1 ft square inspection holes in the 5/8” sheeting @ sill plates and see the water actually building up between the inside of bottom course of brick & sill plate.
Also cut several 1ft sq inspection holes, 10 ft high through wall (22 ft gable end) & you can see daylight through some of the brick head joints, also have squirted garden hose on out side of bricks & you can see the water pouring in.
We have high wind & rain storms here in the Oklahoma panhandle which causes this problem.
My question is can I point extra cement and fill in the (3/8”) recessed mortar design to a almost flush concave design which would add some volume to these poorly filed head joints without grinding the mortar and get good adhesion. So not really a re-pointing issue, but a filling in issue.


texts:
I'm working on a rebuild of my office. I have a number of low-power devices (e.g laptop, musical keyboard, monitor, internet router, etc) which are plugged into extension cords and then fixed to the wall; there are three of these, taking my six outlets (three locations, one double outlet in each) up to 12 outlets.
As part of the rebuild, I would like to get rid of the extension cords, and just have 12 wall outlets.
Is this possible/legal to have this many on a 15amp circuit? Anything I should be aware of?
Located in Utah, USA, if that becomes relevant.


texts: Just converted a wood burning fireplace to a natural gas one and there is a jet engine sound when opening the valve and lighting the burner.  We tied into my existing 2" line coming into the house with 1/2" pipe.  There is about 5' of 1/2 inch pipe from where we tied in to the burner.  It is not the whistling sound some describe as being associated with flex pipe.  There is a 12" piece of flex from the control valve to the burner.  After adding a regulator which is set at 3.5"WC we had the local gas company check and confirm pressure from the meter is 7"WC and the meter is operating as it should.  The regulator seemed to reduce the noise slightly but did not eliminate.  The only time you do not hear the noise is when the valve is open fully...anything less and you can hear it.  Removed the burner and lit just the end of the flex pipe and you still hear the noise.  Two plumbers later and a visit from the gas company and no one knows.  Any ideas of what might be causing the noise?


texts: Wiring a ceiling light to a switched receptacle

texts:
Please note that I am a diy newbie, and the only electrical experience I have is changing out switches & light fixtures.

I want to install a new ceiling light to a switched receptacle, and I have already put a 2-line+ground electric cable from the ceiling to the switches outlet location

The power source seems to be from the switch (1st & 2nd picture) from a 2-wire cable, and there is a 3-wire cable going from the switch to the switched receptacle.

The outlet also has another 2-wire cable, which I am assuming powers the receptacle that is always hot (4th picture). Or it connects this outlet to the other 3 in the room.

The 3rd picture shows the current state of the outlet area with two 2-wire cables (one from the ceiling light and one always there) and one 3-wire cable from the switch.

I’m not quite sure how to wire the outlet so that one stays switched along with the light (already removed the tab from the hot side of the outlet), and one stays always hot.

I hope I was clear. Any guidance will help immensely. Thanks in advance!


texts: Could I simply seal over this toilet leak?

texts:
The leak is on the top-most (whitest) nut, where it meets the base of the tank as shown in the below photo (with an additional photo for context).

Would I be able to just throw a ring of silicone sealant between the white nut and the tank base?


texts: OK to attach Tyvek or any breathable membrane directly to studs?

texts:
I'm building a garden room and I want to attach a breathable membrane directly to the exterior side of my studs using staples and then cover it in some sort of exterior grade plywood sheathing, which will be the finished surface (painted of course).

Are there any issues in doing this as most applications I see have the breather membrane attached to OSB and then cross battered and cladded.


texts: Ceiling Fan Junction Box Converter/Bracket 1/2 inch width difference

texts:
First time poster.   I feel like I have researched everywhere and not found the answer I am looking for.   I've called a few manufactures of ceiling fans who didn't have any answers either.   I began searching the web and came across this website.  I don't see any existing articles on this topic yet however.

My problem.  I'm in a old rental unit that had a broken ceiling fan.  The landlord is lazy but approved me replacing the ceiling fan myself.   I've done about 6 before in a new house environment.   However, what I ran into was I removed the existing ceiling fan and went to install the new one.  I found that the existing junction box mounting screw holes are 2 and 3/4s(2.75) inches apart and the bracket from the new ceiling fan(Hunter) is about 3 and 1/4(3.25) inch apart and can adjust wider but not narrower.   I did a lot of research and this does not seem to be a measurable characteristic on the data sheets.   Hunter ceiling fans say all their fans are that way these days.  The old ceiling fan does not have a make or model visible on it that i can tell.   Seeing as how this is a rental and an old one at that, I do not want to replace the junction box.

My question is does anyone know if there are brands of ceiling fans out there that have a mounting bracket that can accommodate 2 and 3/4s(2.75) inches or an adapter kit that would help?   I have attached a picture of the old bracket that fits(top) and the new bracket(bottom) that does not.  Unfortunately, the new ceiling fan does not fit in that bracket either though.   As you can see in the old one, it has a more accommodating screw sliding space for smaller junction boxes.

Thanks in advance!

Jloco


texts: How can I add a C wire with this unusual installation?

texts:
I recently got a new Honeywell WiFi thermostat, which requires a C-wire.  I have 5-wires going to my current thermostat, with only 4 being used.  So I thought adding the 5th as my C-wire was going to be easy, but when I opened the furnace panel I saw there was already a wire on C.

I have searched the net for hours, and I have not been able to find anyone with an installation like mine, so I thought I'd ask for some help.  I've done my best to trace all the wires, and have created a crude drawing (attached).  There are splices in a few places, due to the humidifier, and the outside unit is spliced in between the furnace C and the thermostat Y in between the joists above the furnace.  This is the part that is really throwing me for a loop, along with the Y terminal on my furnace being empty.  Based on what I have been learning while surfing around, I'm not understanding how it's currently working (which makes me hesitant to change anything).  And yes, it currently works!

I would appreciate any thoughts you can share.


texts: Attach New Brace to Joists for Ceiling Fan

texts:
I am installing a ceiling fan in a room over which I have attic access. There is an existing light fixture where I will be putting the fan, but the box it is mounted to is not rated for ceiling fans.

Rather than using the spreader-bar type kit often shown in tutorials, I was planning to simply use a length of 2x8 to span the ceiling joists where the new electrical box will go. I would really like to avoid having a ceiling fan fall on my head (or anyone else’s for that matter) and want to know the best way to attach the 2x8. I would like to make sure that however I end up attaching it, that it is safe and meets code .

Hardware and materials:

4” Ceiling Fan rated box
Ceiling fan (20 lbs)
2x8
GRK R4 #9 x 3-1/8” screws

My question is, what is the correct way to attach the new 2x8 to the ceiling joists? Should I:

Toenail the screws in from a 45 degree angle (see “A” on diagram)
End nail (screw?) in from the ends at a 90 degree angle (see “B” on diagram)

Either way, I was planning to use four screws on either end, for a total of eight screws between the joist and the new 2x8.


texts: How do I mount this non-standard wall plate to a completed drywall wall?

texts:
I have this

But it only has what you see in that pic. I was told I needed the box thing to go behind it to mount it to in the wall. There is no hole in the wall right now, so how do I get this to fit and stay securely? Also, it is standard width, but not as tall as a regular lightswitch faceplate.

Here's the exact one I bought, actually.


texts: Safe to put nail into drywall when stud finder finds "live voltage"?

texts:
I'm trying to hang a calendar on the drywall.
Tried 3M small Command hook, but it falls off after a few days.
Now I'm considering to use a nail or a drywall hook like this.

I used a stud finder with live voltage detection feature (like this), and I found that a pretty broad area near where I want to put calendar may have live AC voltage.

I did some Google search. Someone suggested to ignore it if a short nail or drywall hook is used, since it's very unlikely to damage the wire.

So my questions are:

Is it safe to put nail into the drywall in this case? Should I worry about the live voltage reported by the stud finder?
Any other recommendation for simply hanging a calendar? (I'll probably try a larger adhesive hook first)


texts: After taking all sheet-rock down I noticed that all walls (cement block) siting under ground are moist. Some of them even ate through footers. After farther look at the house I found out that their is no insulation on the outside of the cement blocks that are under ground. On the blueprint of my basement I marked in red most affected areas or rather corners. This is walkout basement. My question is, should I try to divert water from the house by insulation/wrap and drain on an outside or French drainage on the inside? Also the whole house is on the slope and red circles are on the side that is deeper under ground. Thank you for all help.


texts: How to remove carpet tape from flooring?

texts:
I used Scotch Carpet Tape for Vinyl, Ceramic, and Hardwood. I've since removed the rugs, but the tape is stuck to the floor now.

How can I remove it?


texts: Using stop valves to adjust water flow in a sink

texts: I've got a bathroom sink that has flow that is faster than I would like when the faucet valves are full open. I know I could go get an low-flow aerator to slow the flow but right now I have just adjusted the wall stop valves to throttle the flow to what I want. This seems to work fine. Is there any problem with this as a long term solution?


texts: Adding (small) load to existing rafters with 2x4

texts:
I am planning on installing a whole house fan (shown in the image below). The fan has a total system weight of 40 pounds and needs to be supported via metal and nylon straps to a beam as shown in the image below.

My roof does not have these cross beams. I am thinking about attaching a beam (2x4) via 10 penny nails as shown in the drawing below:

My question is is there anything wrong with this approach? Could the load cause the roof to sag or any other problems I'm not thinking of?


texts: How do I wire a switch and light so I can add a fan later?

texts: In a room with a switch that controls a receptacle I'm going to add a switch and ceiling light. I want to make this addition so a fan can be added in the future if wanted. I feel confident in how to do this project, except how to wire the 3 wire for just the light, as I'm not putting a fan in at this time. can someone help me with a diagram. thank you


texts: We just had glass penny round tile laid on the shower floor yesterday. It is approved for shower floors but we hate the look of it. Since it hasn't been grouted yet, can we pull these up before the thinset hardens? The tiler won't be back for two days and since it's Sunday, we can't ask him or our contractor. Please advise.


texts:
I'm replacing the copper pipes in my house and I'm converting the trunk and branch type to home run style using PEX A pipes.
I want to protect the pipes in the wall that I'm running them up from the basement to the two bathrooms upstairs on the second floor. I have a total of 10 pipes going upstairs.
First I thought of using metal sheet to wrap around the section of the wall that the pipes are going up. The kind that is used for the ducts, but that was too thin and a regular drywall screw went through it without a problem or me noticing that I punctured the metal.
Then my next idea was to use 3/4" electric conduit and run my 1/2" PEX pipes in those. It seems like a good idea, but I'm not sure if that would be against any kind of code and if the hot water pipes would be damaged from friction damage as they expand and contract quite a while as I noticed from the pipes that are fixed between the joists in the basement.
My plan was to use plastic rings on each end of the electrical conduit to protect the PEX pipes from getting scratched over time and there is a 90 degree bend in each conduit to allow to easily continue with the pipes in the ceiling wall once it enters that section. I was even thinking of using insulating foam sealant to push into the pipe to not to allow the PEX pipe to move around and get damaged from the friction.
Do you guys think that would work?
Thanks for the suggestions and ideas.


texts: Live in nepa, have goodman 4 ton heat pump w/propane back up. Foam insulated about 1200 square feet that I want to heat. I am at the end and ready to put up the dividing wall.I have 2 returns and 3 exhausts, I'm going to add 2 more exhausts, I get plenty of push from the system now, my question is do I open the now closed returns year round to pull the air out and if so should I add another? I ran 8 inch metal to 6 and with the air on you can feel the cold air immediately cool off the shop even with 90 degrees out.


texts: Shower pump bearings going - risk of a leak?

texts:
I have an old shower pump which is getting even noisier.  It seems like the bearings are going (nasty whining/grinding noise).  Obviously it will want replacing sooner or later.

My question is whether I can just leave it until it finally stops working, or if there is a significant risk that the final failure will involve an expensive water leak?


texts:
I recently removed wallpaper from my bathroom and painted the walls with the primer and mildew resistance included in the paint. One section in the shower area has developed bubbly spots, almost looking like alligator skin.

Can you tell me what can cause this and how to fix it.


texts: How can I find all the air leaks and insulation gaps in my finished attic?

texts:
I have a finished attic which gets hot very quickly, requiring running the central AC excessively and due to the imbalance, the downstairs tends to get too cold while the finished attic is still too warm. (Don't worry, I am addressing the HVAC imbalance separately from this post.)
I've gone through and sealed around outlets and other visible cracks and gaps but I believe I still have significant leaks somewhere. Is there a trick I can use to discover where the air or heat is passing through?


texts:
In Hawaii it's very common to have jalousie windows with a turn crank to open and close the slats. I'm looking for a device that will allow me to wirelessly turn the crank to open and close the windows. So far I've only found devices that push and pull instead of turn. My eventual plan is to connect rain sensors to automatically decide when the windows should be closed if I'm sleeping.

Has anyone else done this or something similar?


texts: Is there a commodity 3 or 4 way valve that can be electrically controlled?

texts:
I live out here in the San Francisco bay area where it doesn't rain in the summer. So I want to make an automated plant watering device.

I already have a water pump intended for solar water heating that pumps from a 2 gallon jug to 3 pots on the railing. I also split the flow from 1 tube into 3, but this isn't working well because the flow becomes uneven between the 3.

I could build 2 more independent pumps, but that would get too complicated if I wanted to water > 3 plants.

So, is there a commodity valve that can switch the flow between 3 or more destinations and can be controlled electronically?

The seal doesn't have to withstand high pressures since the pump I use can barely push water up 3 feet.


texts:
Could someone explain exactly why this discharge system works or what I need to do to fix it?  I installed a backup sump pump last month.  I noticed that the discharge pipe going through the wall was loose.  Like really loose, like it wasn't even attached to anything on the other side of the wall.  The pump was turning on once or twice an hour all month while it dealt with the spring thaw.  But yesterday, a puddle of water appeard on the floor.  I pulled apart the wall and saw water dripping behind the vapour barrier through the insulation.  When I moved the insualtion I saw the pictured setup with the pipe sitting loose inside a much bigger pipe.  I pushed the pipe in further and there hasn't been any more leaking. It looked like the bottom gap between the two pipes may have been taped at some point.

Before I seal up the wall, what should I do with this discharge pipe?  Should I seal around it with expanding foam?  How has my basement stayed dry all these years?

Edit: Adding more pictures.  You can see the large PVC pipe stuffed with insulation.


texts: How to mount TV in old drywall or plaster wall

texts: I'm trying to mount my TV in the wall but it's proving to made much more complicated than expected. My house is from 1908 and has been through multiple renovations. The drywall seems old, and the studs are not laid out using modern standards (e.g. 16" on center). I've tried hollow wall anchors but they ground through the plaster. Any ideas?


texts:
I accidentally opened the diswasher mid-cycle. Then i closed it and it went back to normal operations. But after the cycle ended, i see some standing water at bottom on tub for the 1st time.

I quickly looked at airgap and it seems all clean to me.

Please let me know
1. If i can start the dishwasher again, and this water would go away on its own
2. If i need to do something else before starting the dishwasher again


texts: Black Greasy Substance inside my Copper Tubing, is it safe

texts: I recently opened some 3/4" copper tubing before my water softener to add in a sediment filter, and was surprised to see a black greasy substance inside all of the tubing, I notice the toilet bowls get a black film inside them within a day or two after cleaning them, We sometimes have a sulpher odor coming from the hot water, my question is is it safe to use it for all but drinking water? We do have an RO system for drinking water.


texts: In Germany, should Ground and Neutral be connected at the main service panel?

texts:
It is stated in multiple places (diy.stackexchange, web searches), that "Ground and Neutral should be bonded at the main service panel".

My residence in Germany is supplied with 3-phase power, and has "modern" wiring.  Recently renovated, new wiring with ground conductor, and a subpanel.  The main panel and subpanel are joined by a 5 conductor 10 mm^2 line, i.e. there is an independent ground conductor joining.  The only ground electrode is a metal bar going into the earth next to the service entrance, i.e. at the main panel.  No idea what is buried there, but it looks roughly 20-30 years old.  Galvanization still good above ground.

This is all one structure.  Main panel first floor, subplanel second floor, 20 m joining line.

For my residence,

A) Should Ground be bound to Neutral at the main panel, and only at the main panel?

B) Should the subpanel have a Ground electrode?

Related question, for US residence.

Best explanation I've found, but is not explicit about German Code

Second residence requires a ground electrode, but does my subpanel?


texts: Bathroom faucet stem stops loosening; can't get out

texts:
I am trying to remove the stem below to fix a dripping faucet.  I use a wrench to loosen around the hex with the arrow.  With some force the stem begins to loosen (the threaded-looking part below loosens as well).  At some point however, I cannot loosen any further, nor can I pull the stem out vertically.
I am not sure of the brand of the faucet, but it's also pictured.  Any ideas?  Is this stem supposed to NOT come out?  Thanks.


texts: Making up a 1/2" difference in subfloor level

texts:
I have linoleum flooring in the kitchen that is about ~1/2 inch raised from the floor. There is 1/4 ply and two layers of linoleum.
I'll be putting down vinyl flooring and I want to extend it to the rest of the house without a reducer.
I looked for underlayment options but the largest that I found so far is 6mm. Is there another cheap material that I can use for this? The rest of the floor space is 1000 sq ft so it has to be something cost effective.


texts: Can I move a drain without moving the vent too?

texts: I want to move the kitchen sink to the other side of the kitchen (approx. 10 feet away). Can I just extend the pipe and rely on the existing vent?


texts: Can ground attached to neutral fool a receptacle tester?

texts:
I'm using a basic outlet tester like the one from picture below. Let's say someone wired the ground to the neutral in some outlet, to provide a fake ground. What would the tester report? Would it be "CORRECT" or would it be something else?

In case it reports "CORRECT" (wrongly, of course), is there some easy way to test that the ground is fake? By easy I mean not having to open the outlet...


texts: How do I remove the gluey residue left by gaffer tape on glass

texts:
Rather stupidly I taped up round the edge of some windows (eight windows both inside and out) before painting the woodwork (I'm not accurate enough to do it without taping) using gaffer tape rather than masking tape because I had run out.

A week later when I come to pull the tape off, it is very firmly stuck when I eventually get the tape off it has left a gluey residue which I'm struggling to remove using cloth, hot water and soap..

is there an easier way, clearly I dont want to scratch the glass, is there some detegent that breaks down the gluey residue ?

I did think about using my wallpaper stripper, but UI was worried the heat could crack the glass, would that work ?


texts: Which location would be better for my this type of room to install split air conditioner?

texts:
I'm from north India. I have to install a split air conditioner (see example). So I'm wondering what location in my room would be better.
My room dimensions are roughly 10 x 12 x 10 (Length x Breadth x Height in feet) and a rough diagram is below:

The window glasses are not permanent (I mean I can open the window glasses).
The space between roof and doors/windows top is about 2 feet.
Now I would like to know which wall would be better for indoor AC unit?
I read a similar answer here, but I quite didn't get it. Especially what the user meant by heat loss and gain.
Further, I've heard people that you should not put AC near Windows or Doors as it will affect cooling. And some say above windows is very good choice. I'm really confused.
Personally, I felt that the red wall would be good place, but I'd give it a little less preference (but still I would like to know your view about it) to it if there's any other better location for it in this room. Because red wall is adjacent to my neighbor's home, so the pipe can't cross that wall. Also, I'd prefer the outdoor unit at roof.
So is there any better location overall?
(Please let me know if any other details are needed)


texts: Can I Install Floating Cork Floor without baseboards?

texts: What are the pros and cons of not installing baseboards.


texts: Do I need a wooden frame for my plexiglas shelf door?

texts: I'm making a plexiglass shelf door (2 actually). Dimensions are 3500x7500x3. And I don't know if I need a frame for that. I wanted to attach it with 2 [that thing that lets you open doors] and one magnet on the other side.


texts: Should I leave the drain open on my compressor for storage?

texts:
I just got a new air compressor for occasional finish nailing and tire inflation. I understand that I need to open the bottom drain to let out any condensation (i.e., this question) after each use.

Should I also store the compressor with this valve open? Is it a bad idea to do so? If it makes a difference: I only plan to use it once or twice a month and live in a very dry climate.


texts: Problem with outdoor gfi to switch to outdoor pond pump

texts:
I usually understand how to do this but I am truly stumped.
There was a single GFI protected already in place and I wanted to run a switched 2 gang outlet from the box on my deck.
After turning power off,
I installed an outdoor GFCI receptacle to an outdoor switch in a duplex receptacle as follows....

I connected the black and white wires from the house to the line side of the GFI, and corrected connected all of the ground wires together and to the box.

I then took a black, hot, wire from the load side of the GFI and put one leg of the switch on it.

I ran the white from the load side and the black from the other terminal of the switch to the outdoor wire that is buried and ends up about 40 feet away.  I stalled a outdoor box with a waterproof receptacle to it and plugged in the pond pump.

I repowered the circuit check the circuit with a tester and got an O K reading. Turned the switch to on andthe pump ran for a while but then the circuit popped.  Now it pops as soon as I switch on.
Should I have run the switch from the line side??

Can you please help?


texts:
I've searched high and low and can't find an answer to this. Why are deck beams cut on an angle at the ends? Is it cosmetic? Is so no sharp corner sticking out? Does it have something to do with reducing rot?

See image attached below.


texts: Why do my fluorescent lights flicker and require cycling the switch to turn on?

texts:
Bathroom has a 2 T-Fluorescent bulb fixture. The bulbs went out a 2-3 years ago I believe for the first time in 10+ years (when the fixture was installed). From the moment the bulb were installed, the lighting seemed peculiar. They have this extremely quick strobing effect so the light is not a solidly emitted. Fast forward to about a month ago and the bulbs had trouble turning on and the bulbs would stay dim at the ends or flicker a bit signifying that there is at least an electrical signal. One of the bulbs also has one black end if that means anything. Would need to flip the switch several times before the bulbs would fully light up, however once on they wouldn't go out.

So I did some research and I thought maybe the fixture and ballast is old and needs replacement. My dad says I just need to change the bulbs, but seeing as though I changed them quite recently (these bulbs are supposed to last tens of thousands of hours and we use them maybe an hour a day at most?), I didn't think that was likely. I thought at first perhaps I used t12 instead of t8 but just confirmed that the ballast states t12.

So now the bulbs won't light up unless we flick the switch several times. I don't really know anything about lighting at all, but I think the key fact is that the bulbs are STILL WORKING, and they both had problems at the same time, so I have to assume the bulbs are not dead, which is the most confusing part. Do fluorescents tend to malfunction rather than straight out die at the end of their life?

Can someone with expertise give their best opinion as to what's going on? Do these low-medium end fixtures tend to wear out after 15 years?

Thanks for your answers in advance.


texts: Should I use urethane spray foam or foam rope for caulking wide gaps?

texts:
The gaps are irregular around window frame, but the widest are no than half inch (1.3cm) and the frame is flexible metal because the window is uPVC. I can use backer foam that's half inch wide and since gap is deep I can stack them on top each other for tight fit. I haven't used spray urethane foam. Which is better? I also have rope caulk, it's like putty.

Also how does one apply silicone for such big gaps? I have silicone but also the synthetic stuff like Lexel which allows you to reapply without removing old caulk


texts: What's the best way to connect transfer switch and sub panel?

texts:
I purchased a used Generac 10kva with a transfer switch and am in the final stages of getting things setup. The generator itself has a 45a breaker on it and I've got 6 ga wire running from it to the transfer switch along with the 4 control wires. The gentleman that I purchased from said on his main panel he had a 100a breaker running to the transfer switch and then the sub panel shown was off the switch. Given that he has the 100a breaker, I'm in belief that I should be running 2 ga wire from the main panel to the switch for utility and then 2 ga again from the switch to the subpanel. What just seems super odd to me, is that the breakers on the subpanels always look to well exceed the output of the generators.
To connect the panels, I was going to run 1-1/4 at the bottom of the main across to the transfer, another 1-1/4 at the top from the main to the subpanel for the moved circuits and then 1-1/4 between the two panels for the subpanel feed.
Pics of my setup

Pic of a newer 7.5kva unit with transfer 50a switch subpanel, those 8 breakers are well over 50a.


texts: AC Coolant pipe has condensation and leaks inside wall

texts:
I've got an old AC unit (probably 13+ years old) that came with the house that I bought. This summer I noticed some water damage on the drywall in the basement, so I cut the damaged drywall away, and found that the pipe coming from my AC unit to my furnace had a bunch of condensation on it that would collect and leak out onto the drywall.

It seems like the spot it's dripping from is the lowest point in the pipe (left and right of this point both bend up)

How safe is it to try and bend this pipe (which I'm assuming has freon in it?) so that it's more level?

Is there some other kind of insulation I can put on this to prevent the condensation. Right now its the standard foam tube that you wrap around.


texts: How can I paint concrete blocks without trapping moisture?

texts:
I have a shed/laundry that is a separate building from my house. It's made of concrete blocks sitting on top of a poured concrete slab. Currently the inside is bare, which is dark and drab. I want to brighten it up. I was thinking of painting it, or maybe tiling (although I don't want to spend much effort). The outside is already painted.

But, the building has a flat roof with narrow eaves, and the outside of the wall gets wet. Sometimes after a lot of rain the inside of the wall looks damp. It's possible that the gutters overflow a little bit inside, but this will be difficult to fix because the roof is shared and controlled by a poorly-funded body corporate.

I'm worried that if I paint the walls the bricks will stay damp for longer, which might smell and eventually cause structural problems. Or maybe it's not an issue because the blocks are hollow? We don't get freezing temperatures here, so I'm more concerned about things like concrete cancer and mould than cracking.

My question is: how can I brighten the inside of the shed without causing long-term maintenance problems?


texts: My dishwasher water line is frozen. Can I manually put in hot water in the dishwasher to run it?

texts:
My dishwasher freezes up during these bitter cold (-25 degree nights, -5 degree highs in the day) spells.  I have a heater in the empty space beside it where a cupboard goes but there is none.  But even after 3 days it still won't allow the water in.  Can I manually put water (if so, how many gallons???) in it & press start?  I do not want to destroy my dishwasher.

I put in only clean dishes, I use it for sanitizing them essentially (my drain is fine, I did check it to see if it needed cleaning just as a precaution).  I cannot pull out the dishwasher nor have a professional come in.  I need a cheap easy fix until the weather warms up. (Besides take them all out & wash by hand-which is what I plan to do the rest of winter. Electric heater costs too much.)  It has done this each Winter during extreme cold spells since I moved here to Wyoming so I'm certain it is a frozen water line, not the dishwasher itself.


texts: Why does our toilet keep blocking and then slowly draining?

texts: A few days ago our toilet got quite seriously blocked. We tried plunging, the mop and paper bag trick, flushing, bailing, washing up liquid, coat hanger, hot water....eventually about 12 hrs after it blocked a can of Mr. Muscle unblocked it and our toilet worked again! Until a few hours later when I flushed the chain and it blocked again. Since then whenever it flushes (even if there's no paper towel put down there), it blocks, fills up, and then about 40 minutes later has almost completely drained right down to the bottom (it also blocked the sink for about 10 minutes one time). We were baffled because it only ever blocked when I flushed the chain, but worked fine for my mum. I figured out that by holding both the little and bigger flush buttons together, the toilet won't block and will work perfectly. However this isn't too practical as if you apply even the slightest bit of pressure to one button over the other it will block again. We had the flush buttons replaced about a week ago and I've noticed it's been playing up since then. Does anyone have any ideas what to do?


texts: Safe and low-liability way to determine whether a circuit draws more current than allowed?

texts:
When I saw several electricians commenting on not knowing of a tool which tests peak current draw from an outlet in this question: "Is the Electrician trying to scam me?", it made me wonder: Is there is a safe and low-liability way to determine whether a circuit allows pulling more current than the circuit is rated for by code without inspecting all of the wires on the circuit?

Note: This question is for situations where someone may have illegally tapped off of a high-amperage circuit to power a lower-amperage circuit and you cannot tell whether the circuit was wired correctly simply by looking at the wire gauge at the breaker panel/box. E.g. If someone illegally splices a wire for a series of kitchen outlets (20A max) to the circuit for an electric range (e.g. 30A).


texts: My North Carolina garage is extremely hot, does not have a window and a room over top. In 5 years I have lost three freezers, there is no other place to put the freezer.  I have tried to find a fan w ith a damper and a thermostat that could be mounted thru the wall but no luck. What can I do?


texts: Is rodent damage considered "physical damage" under the NEC?

texts: Does the potential for rodents to access/gnaw on a cable under normal circumstances render it subject to "physical damage" in the sense the NEC intends that term to be used?


texts: PEX pipe burst: what else needs to be fixed to prevent it happening again?

texts:
I'm a renter in NYC and our 4-story building has recently-installed (within the last 8 years) baseboard hydronic heat. All of the tubing is PEX, except for from the boiler itself (as required by code) and a distribution panel with shutoffs for each floor, which is all soldered copper.

Earlier this week, our building had a piece of the PEX that runs to one of the floors split and explode, draining the system's contents into the boiler room. A plumber came, spliced in replacement pipe for the split section, and purged all the air from each floor's heating loop.

Here's the split piece of PEX:

The plumber seemed satisfied with the explanation that air in the system caused an overpressure and split this section. (I don't think the landlord has ever purged the air. The landlord did mention this has happened before at the building. He's not a quick learner.)

Anyway, working in software has left me unhealthily obsessed with root-cause analysis. I noticed another discolored bulge near the split, which looks a lot like burnt/overheated plastic to me:

It looks like there's similar brownish damage near the split itself. It's impossible to tell if the discoloration preceded the failure or not.

There are similar brown, bulging discolorations on other sections of PEX, and each discoloration is adjacent to a section of copper pipe in the same system.

Is this discoloration likely from when the copper fittings were installed and sweated, or from being directly above these fittings and slowly being exposed to heat coming off them?
Are these discolored spots likely to fail under normal circulating pressure if the system is purged of air regularly going forward?
Should these sections of PEX be replaced? Do they need to be insulated or protected from the copper pipe to meet either code, manufacturer's instructions, or just common sense?

(This is purely a learning exercise: it ain't my building, and I'm just curious in case I ever buy my own house with a boiler and PEX.)


texts:
My bathroom is mouldy and retains condensation on walls, windows etc. The room is approx 8fx7ft x 8ft high.
I’ve installed a new inline Manrose fan with timer to replace cheap old online fan, the Manrose extracts 245 cubic metres per hr.
The 100mm diameter flexi-duct run to the fan is 800mm and from the fan is 1000mm. Termination is a roof/ tile vent. Clean plastic flexi-duct which has been smoke tested and sound.
I’ve opened window to allow for replacement air but Even with 800x 200mm window open the steam builds up when using bath or shower.
What have I overlooked?
Can anybody help me with this issue?


texts: What are the differences between a thermoformed vinyl coating and melamine?

texts:
I'm about to purchase a set of kit set kitchen units, and I have a question about the difference between thermoformed vinyl coating on the cupboard doors etc, vs melamine coating.

The difference in price (in New Zealand) is substantial, around 40% cheaper for melamine and in the same colour. It seems like there must be a significant difference in quality to warrant that much of a price difference across the board of all their products... Can anyone explain the difference?

Background on our situation is we want to keep the kitchen cheap yet make it look flash and new, and probably won't own the house for more than five years at most.


texts:
I've a toilet like the photo bellow.

Do you know what is it and how to remove it?
Thank you.


texts: Risk of overtorquing wood screws with T-handle screwdrivers?

texts:
The screws in question are 4.5 x 30mm A2 stainless steel hinge screws. As far as I can tell, they are good quality, branded (TIMco), double-countersunk, manufactured by thread rolling.

Material is hardwood (oak) with 2.5-3.0 mm diameter pilot holes, so a high index of friction.

A drill clutch would constrain the max torque to an adjustable limit, but in this case it was decided to fit the screws manually given the size of the screwheads relative to the hinge screwholes.

Given that one can usually deliver several times more torque using a T-handle screwdriver than a normal screwdriver, is there risk of screws like this breaking when handled this way?


texts: How can I safely bury unused speaker wires in my wall?

texts:
Just bought a new place, and I've got a speaker wall plate with 2 binding posts sitting chest high in the room that are driving me nuts aesthetically. (two actually, one on either side of the room). They're not connected to any audio system, nor will they ever be, as we live in a Wifi world now, and I want them gone.

My current plan is to remove the plates, snip the red and black wires, wrap each separately in wire nuts (as they don't come into contact with each other as they stand), and then plaster and paint over the wall and bury them forever.

I would love to hear from people smarter than me who may see flaws in this genius plan. My concerns are mainly safety issues I may not be considering. Help?


texts: Can I attach pvc conduit to an existing chain link I am installing a storage shed and I don’t want to dig a ditch


texts: Really have no idea on what causing concrete to have air voids in it. Is it causes by evaporation of water during the hydration process?


texts: I would like to shut off water to the pool so that I can drain it--I don't want to shut off water at the main line near the curb of the house. I don't see any indication of how I might do this based on the pool's plumbing (picture attached). There are two valves (encased in black near the bottom of the image), but I don't know what those do. Would anyone like to explain to me what those two valves are and how I might shut off water to the pool? Thank you!]1


texts: Deck Staining with a little light drizzle

texts: Can I apply deck stain if there is a slight drizzle of rain?


texts: How can I patch a hole in this brick wall?

texts:
I just pulled out the washing machine the old owners "kindly" left us to find a hole where the wall meets the floor.

It's approximately 80mm x 50mm and goes down approx 100mm - below ground level - where it seems to open up again. There is a drain near it (on the right of the photo) so I assume this void is due to that. I can feel a breeze when I put my hand near it. Before I put in the new washing machine, I'd like to patch the wall to improve insulation and prevent mice getting in. What's the best way to do this? The wall is brick.

Edit: Thanks, Bib! Photo of the patch added:


texts: House has no plumbing vent — is this a solution?

texts:
I've been living in a fixer-upper for a while...  I've been fixing a lot that was previously done wrong.

I've finally gotten around to ripping out our first floor bathroom (two full bathrooms) and I'm noticing some plumbing issues. Mainly that there's what seems to be a vent pipe terminating into my wall. So yeah, there are no proper plumbing vents in this house. Surprisingly I haven't yet had any problems, but now that I've got a bathroom torn out it seems like I should fix it correctly.

I've made a diagram of the existing... situation. The large pipe is 4" PVC, and the smaller pipes are 2" PVC — I don't have wall access into the second floor bathroom at this point, but from what I can tell by the first floor, everything is draining into a single 4" pipe.

Edit: looking at the existing work some more, it just seems better to redo the entire waste line system. Here's my plan. Any red flags here?


texts: How to splice the wires once the outlet has been removed, and it's not the last item in the circuit

texts: I removed a GFCI outlet in my kitchen. Capped the black, white, and ground wires. Turned power back on, and I have an entire bathroom with no power. Need to know what to do with the wires in the removed GFCI outlet to restore power to the other outlets in the circuit?


texts: Swapping G8 Halogen Under-cabinet fixtures for LED

texts: I've got 6 under-cabinet fixtures that use G8 20V bulbs. I'd like to swap them for LEDs. I've tried putting in bulbs but there's some difference in the voltage load and there's a lot of flickering. So my next step I guess is to swap the fixtures. They're direct wired around the perimeter of the kitchen, controlled by a switch. Should I expect this to be somewhat straight forward (is anything? :-) )? Should I expect there to be more to swapping one for the other than connecting the new one up to where the old one was, moving the old fixture wire connection to the new fixture wire connection? I haven't opened one up yet but I assumed the fixture is connected to the wires in the wall via some wire nut or similar.


texts: Two switch box with 12/2 and 12/3 circuits with cojoined hot wires, is this safe?

texts:
I was investigating a non working switch and found 2 circuits coming into the box.  A 12/2 and 12/3.  The first switch is serviced by the red and the black crossed wires.  THe second switch is serviced by the crossed black wire and a black wire going to 2 lights in series.  The neutrals and grounds are pigtailed and travel to the lights also.
The first  switch controls the light the second switch does not appear to control anything.
Is this safe?  What would be the purpose of this crossing of hot wires?
How do i remedy this unusual configuration?
My intent is to be able to control the lights on the separate switches.


texts: What is the purpose of tape when finishing drywall?

texts:
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but it doesn't seem immediately obvious how a thin strip of paper tape actually helps the taping process in drywall installation except for perhaps reducing the amount of mud needed between panels.
This, from eHow:

Embedded in a layer of drywall joint compound, drywall tape creates a physical bond between adjacent sheets of drywall. Although the bond does not significantly contribute to the structural support of the drywall sheets, the bond reduces the movement and cracking of the sheets.

Wouldn't simply mudding between the joints have the same strength without the tape, albeit requiring more mud?


texts: Why do my lights turn on when I plug a device into a nearby outlet?

texts: I noticed that when i use the plugs in the wall like by plugging my laptop, it turns my dimmer lights on, what may have the cause of this problem and how can i fix it ? please help


texts: Two new circuits - both trip simultaneously on load

texts:
Adding two new 20a AFCI circuits to a basement project.  I tied the circuits to the breaker panel and all outlets test out ok with a tester.

The second I put any load on either circuit, however, BOTH breakers trip.

I ran out of time to troubleshoot so left them turned off.  My only guess is that I may have accidentally reversed the neutral wires on the AFCI breakers introducing a bridge between the two circuits.

If that's not it, what else could be causing both circuits to trip on load?

I'll be back tonight for more troubleshooting.


texts: Replacing pendant lights and have a question on all the ceiling box wires

texts:
I'm trying to change our existing 2 pendant lights over our kitchen island to new ones we purchased. House was built in 2005 (modular home). After removing 1 of the existing pendant lights I panicked about why I have (out of the ceiling box) 3 white wires and only 2 black....I capped everything off with wire nuts...and STOPPED  :)
 Inside the ceiling box there were 2 black wires and 3 white wires that were connected with brass/copper color tube thing and squeezed together and then they had a clear big cap that looked like a wire nut. The 3 ground wires just have the copper/brass tube thing attaching the ends squeezed on. (see pic 1)

The old pendant light (see pic 2) had one yellow coated wire that was pulled apart into two wires, then one silver wire that was attached to the base of the pendant and 1 copper color wire that was I assume ground? Wiring was like this on the old pendant light to the ceiling box …They attached one of the yellow coated wires to the white (3) bundled wires of the ceiling box. They attached the other yellow coated wire to the black (2) bundled wires of the ceiling box. They attached the silver wire to the green ground screw of the plate.  They attached the copper wire to the 3 copper (ground) bundled wires inside the ceiling box inside the brass/copper color tube thing as described above.

I pulled off the tube connector thingy of the white and black bundles. I cut the copper skinny wire from the old light fixture from the copper (ground) bundle in the ceiling box. (you can see the tail end in pic 1 - the other end is still inside the tube connector on the bundle of the copper (3) wires inside the ceiling box).

Here's my questions:
1) why do I have 3 white and only 2 black wires in that ceiling box? Could the white extra be coming from the recessed lights elsewhere on the ceiling? Those lights are on a dimmer switch (which does NOT control the pendant lights)
2) Do I attach (from the new pendant light) black to the (2) black wires, white to the (3) white wires, and ground wire to that little piece of left over ground wire hanging from the ceiling .Or do I put the ground from the new light onto the green screw on the plate only?
3) I have orange, yellow and red wire nuts connectors (size in that order) - which ones to use for these large bundle connections since I don't have those brass tube connectors that you squeeze on?


texts:
I have a Goodman HVAC system that is split into three zones. I wanted to upgrade to programmable thermostats, so I picked up three Honeywell RTH8580WF. Reading through the descriptions I noted they need a C wire hookup. I looked under the current thermostats, noted there wasn't a C wire, but there were several unused wires so I figured I could just hook them up at the zone board.

I opened up the zone panel, a Honeywell EMM-3, and after looking around inside I'm a little confused.

Unfortunately there wasn't a way to capture the labels on the wiring blocks, but here's a shot from the manual.

I've done enough wiring work in my life to understand the basics, but I can't figure out what the installer did with the C wire hookups for the thermostats (the blocks at the bottom). He apparently ran jumpers (the white wires) from the C terminal for thermostat 1, 2, and 3 and then connected them to the blue wire off to the left (which I think is supplying power to the HVAC board for some reason), and then is also connected to the heat relay terminal through the resistor. There's nothing in the installation manual about doing this kind of hookup.

I did some googling to see if there were other examples of EMM-3 wiring jobs out there and they all look pretty much like the wiring diagram, one wire per terminal.

Any thoughts on what's going on here? Should it be safe to just put an additional wire from the thermostat lines into the C block for each along with the white wire jumpers that are already there?


texts:
One of our old tiles suddenly feel off, the others seem ok.
What's the best to fix back.  I don't think I'll be able to get a new tile to match, and I don't think I can chisel the old mortar off without it breaking.
See pics:
enter link description here
enter link description here


texts: water hammer after whole house copper repipe

texts:
I recently had licensed contractor came replace the whole house repiped to copper and pass the city inspection. However, this also introduce the water hammer into my house.
Layout

Wash machine  - arrestor installed
Kitchen faucet - arrestor installed
backyard faucet
frontyard faucet
bathroom 1 faucet
bathroom 1 toilet
bathroom 2 faucet
bathroom 2 toilet

the furthest faucets from main valve are bathroom 1 and 2.
Problem
when kitchen faucet turn off from kitchen, I can heard the hammer sound right underneath the bathroom 1,2. however, I don't heard any hammer sound from kitchen faucet itself.
when bathroom 1,2 faucets hot/cold turned off, I heard the hammer sound.
when bathroom 1,2 toilets filled , I heard the hammer sound.
What I had tried

drain the entire house, wait for 5 - 10 mins. turn on the main water valve.  The hammer sound goes away for 5 mins, then it comes back in again.
I called my licensed plumber and they also couldn't figure out why, and started claim this is normal for a house with crawl space

Havn't tried
I am wondering if adding arrestors at 2 bathroom faucets and toilets would really help or not. Because my plumbing guy told me these will not really solve the issues and will involve additional labor and work to cut the wall to install them.
Its really annoying and would like to have some input from you. Thanks!


texts: Fridge won't cool. Freon pressure doing crazy things

texts:
Hello all  I am new to site. So if I post to the wrong spot I'm apologizing in advance. I just bought a 48" thermidor used. From all my research I've done this fridge cost about 9k new. It's about 4yrs old now. I bought it for $400 . When I got it the compressor was unplugged. The previous owner said the compressor was bad. So I assumed that a tech came in and unplugged the compressor to make a sale. I plugged it back in and put my gauges on it. Low side was -28 hi side was about 50. So paperwork says that freon pressure should be , low side 3 to 7 and hi side should be 90 +/- 25 @70degress. I can get the hi side to the correct number but the low side is really low. Like -27 or 25. So I out more freon in. To get the low side to come up we re looking at a head pressure if about 300. I'm thinking blockage. But where? I have alot of experience in residential heat and a/c and automotive. But refrigeration not so much. So what do ya think?Where should I be looking?  Because this thing is so expensive I would really like to get it going. We just bought a house and the opening for the fridge is 48". No way I can buy a new one.
Thanks a million in advance


texts: how can I access the electrical panel box

texts: Can you access the electrical panel box via the sides and/or bottom of the box rather than enter via the top where it appears congested and close to the main terminals.


texts:
I've built many retaining walls and garden beds with class 2 hardwood sleepers (2.4m x 200mm x 50mm). A few weeks after installing them in a vertical position with no gap between sleepers, a significant (over 10mm) gap develops between the sleepers.

As shown in the photo, the sleepers are screwed into the steel posts, so it doesn't seem likely that they are moving away from each other.
I assume that they are shrinking? If so, why? These aren't new sleepers - sometimes they've been lying around for months before use.


texts: How should I repair a broken exterior PVC outlet body?

texts:
We bought our new house back in June.  I was doing some mouse-proofing this weekend and found this beauty:

The wires are going out to our pool.  Any suggestions on how best to approach fixing this?  Possible ways I could do this:

Glue it back together, caulk the hell out of it
Cut the wires, install an new conduit body, wire nut everything back together.  I realize that this might be a better way to do it but there is no give in the wires so it will be a little tricky.

I'm open to suggestions here.  Thanks in advance!


texts: How can I tell if C wire is active and connected to Thermostats?

texts: We are trying to install a smart thermostat (Ecobee 3) so we are in need of a C wire from our boiler.  We see a green wire in the wall, but it's not connected to our thermostat currently since it doesn't require a C wire.  When we look in the boiler room however, it seems this green wire isn't connected to anything?  The green wire is cut from the main boiler and then there is a cut green wire going up through the ceiling to the thermostat.  It doesn't make sense to us. We're having a very hard time getting an electrician to come do this for us, they keep canceling or are a now show, I don't blame them, I think it's too small of a job for them.  I attached some pictures of the wires, any ideas of what's going on?  Is this fixable for the average DIYer or do we just need to keep waiting for an electrician? Thank you!


texts: Layering sheens: What kind of paint sheen should I use under a polyurethane semi gloss?

texts:
Back story:
I'm painting my kitchen cabinets. I am committed to putting a protective coating on them.
I recently painted my bathroom cabinets and I had an issue. I sanded to the wood!, primed, painted and still saw some cracking in the paint. When I say cracking, the paint didn't chip off, it just formed weird cracks.
My order was Behr Latex Primer > Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethan Trim Enamel SEmi Gloss(suggested for cabinets) (water based) >  Minwax Polycrilic water based.
I later found out the polycrilic from Minwax is only recommended on wood...

Anyway, I think I'll use a polyurethane moving forward, in place of the polycrilic. That way it's urethane on urethane. I'm hoping this way the paint won't have these crack features. But I'm not sure how to layer sheens? This is my big question. Should I do a Satin paint, under a semi-gloss polyurethane? I feel like doing a semi-gloss urethane on a semi-gloss paint would look too glossy. Am I thinking about this the wrong way? Anyone have some experience / suggestions on this?


texts:
I am doing renovations on the inside of my really old house, and am looking to update my interior doors. I have the old style door trim and doors (skeleton key door locks), and the really old door trim, as shown in this picture: (Stock image, not mine)

I am putting newer 6 slab prehung hollow cores in their place, and not really a fan of the older style trim. Since I can't just put 3/4" trim up now (since the baseboards would also need pulled up and replaced), do they sell trim kits that I can replace the old ones with that will match the width and height? Once I remove the top piece at least, I know there's a substantial amount of space that needs to be filled in. I'm sure I could probably find (or make my own) vertical pieces, it's more the height of the horizontal header piece that I am worried about.

If they don't make anything, since I don't want to deal with replacing the plaster to allow for smaller trim, I guess I will have to resort to using the older style trim :(

I'm looking for a kit like this or something, but that will allow me to match the height of the vertical piece of trim I currently have:


texts: Gold coloured. Model unknown.  Took the handles off to paint/update them, now the knobs just will not operate the mechanism at all. Knobs will not turn or operate thestriking mechanism. No, it has nothing to do with the painting process.  It just needs some adjustment about which I know nothing. HELP!!


texts: How can I get the pneumatic brace on my screen door to release?

texts:
I have a screen door that has a pneumatic brace that keeps the door open.  It is currently stuck open and I'm trying to press the release mechanism, but I can't get it to release.

Any ideas on how to get it to work?


texts: What could cause the freezer to work but not the fridge?

texts: My fridge (10 year old Elextrolux model PLHT219TCK0) is not cooling (60 degrees) while the freezer works fine.  I thawed the freezer for 12 hours and when I turned it back on everything worked fine for a week and then the problem re-appeared. When I opened up the back of the freezer there is a build up of frost on all components.  I am thinking that maybe the defroster is not working.  See the attached pictures.


texts: Compacting soil after removing fence posts to install new posts with vibratory ram?

texts:
I have a 6 foot wooden privacy fence I am looking to replace. Several of the posts are rotting right at ground level so their concrete footings are going to have to go.

A company sells a metal fencepost that is meant to be hidden and present the appearance of a wooden fence, which is desirable to me. I am thinking of using them as the metal should outlast any wood.

Rather than installing new concrete footings, I see a popular and cost effective method of installing fenceposts nowadays is with a vibratory driver that hammers the fenceposts right into the ground. Since I'll likely use a skid-steer to rip the old footings out, I can get an attachment that can drive in replacement posts. Put 4+ feet of post in the ground and 6' above and the fence should be solid.

The only question is how to prepare the soil. Ripping out the footings is going to leave holes that need to be filled. What steps should I take to compact or stabilize the soil, so that it can properly hold the posts? Would a plate compactor or jumping jack compactor be a good idea, or something else?

Or, should I just abandon this idea altogether and pour new footings for the new posts?

I live in Minnesota, with serious winters, and pretty loamy easily drained soil, so whatever I do it needs to withstand frost heave. Some of the current posts are not doing well at that.


texts: Doorbell transformer has two black wires and one green. How can i tell which one is hot?

texts: Doorbell transformer has two black wires and one green. Which one is hot


texts: Is Complete Ductwork Required to Start the Condensor?

texts:
I'm in the middle of rebuilding my entire AC system. I've got one 14" return and two 8" supplies hooked up to the blower (on a 2 ton system). I plan to add much more, but for now I want to start the outside unit and make sure the system is functional before I proceed.
I've had 3 different licensed HVAC professionals tell me that I needed to finish the ductwork before they could start the condensor -- otherwise the "pressures would be off"
I'm very confused. In my mind, the condensor and A-Coil are a separate closed-loop system from the air being blown across the A-Coil. So why would more/less ductwork ever affect the condensor and its "pressures"?


texts:
So I have a 2 gang box (old, metal) that has 2 new 3-way LED dimmers (the style with the paddle switch). The dimmers together are a very tight fit in the box, but they did fit mostly nicely after I worked the metal tabs of the box slightly flatter on the sides.
The weird thing is that the first time I put the plate on and turned the breaker back on, one light was off (the one that's wired as just a single pole, not a three way), I flipped the switch, it turned on, good. I turned the switch off, light stayed on, but the dimmer slide would control brightness. So I took the dimmer back out of the box to test my wiring, checked it again and it was controlling it properly.
So I put it back in the box, plate on, and now it's working like it should be.
So, it's fine, but weird. I'm guessing something inside the switch bound slightly and prevented it from breaking contact because it was too tight? Any idea what happened here and if I should double check anything or just leave it alone now that it's working?


texts:
On line it says there are both 110 and 120 degree hinges. I am trying to find information on my Blum hinge since it is faulty and I need a replacement.
I took a picture of my hinge. It says model number is 70T555 01 01 Blum Austria but online it says there are both 110 degree versions and 120 degree versions

So I understand what 70T555 and that is the model number, but what does the 01 01 stand for, and how do I find what angle is the hinge?


texts: Cutler Hammer panel and whole house Generator

texts: In 1992 Cutler Hammer panels did not have a means to separate the grounds and neutrals on the panel. My electrician says he never seen a panel like this before. We want to install a whole house generator with 200 amp circuit. Is there a modification that can be done  or do we have to install a new panel? The current panel 200 amp Cutler Hammer.


texts: How to build an additional concrete/cinder block wall in basement, where the crawl space and basement meet

texts:
The small basement in my house (built in 1932) has three concrete walls. The forth wall is comprised of vertical wood boards. Behind the boards is the crawl space for the rest of the house. The basement leaks when it rains, and we plan on adding a DIY drain system inside, all the way around the basement wall perimeter.

However, there needs to be a fourth wall constructed, since the wood slates are old, and there is just dirt behind them. A basement waterproofing company said that a "brick" wall would need to be constructed where the wood slates are so that there are four walls to our basement for a system.

Their price was quite expensive, so I'm looking to do it myself, but I know very little about building a wall in my basement. I have some limited experience building with concrete and bricks.

How should I go about building the wall? Bricks, cinder blocks? How far down should I dig to pour a footer for the wall to sit on? Any advice or resources are helpful!


texts:
I have a 3 story townhouse that was built in 2004. We recently redid the flooring in the top floor, and while we had the subfloor exposed we tried to eliminate the squeaking that we've been hearing by screwing the subfloor further into the joists. We screwed around 200 screws in a 10' x 10' bedroom, and the floor (or something) still squeaks.

Could the joists themselves be deflecting when we walk on them? There's a section in my home warranty (expires in 10 months!) covering joist deflection, but it has to be more than a certain number of inches of deflection over a certain length. How do I know if the joists are deflecting, and how do I measure the amount of deflection?

This is what my joists look like (we had the subfloor open in another area b/c mold from an improper shower installation).

I don't know if I can put an image in a comment, but this is how I'm interpreting the instructions from the answers, and there's a wall in the way. Do I just measure at the wall and hope that it's not more deflection where I can't measure?


texts: A/c makes the lights turn on and off! No Joke!

texts:
The lights on the first floor, upstairs bathroom and upstairs Laundry room won't work.
The breakers did NOT pop
The air conditioning was running this morning but is not working now.
When the thermostat turns the air off those lights turn off, but when the Tstat turns the air on, the lights come back on but they are slightly dim.
I have to let the Tstat think the air is on and let it run the furnace fan constantly. If I turn the A/c off, either at the breaker or the main line at the A/C unit, all of the lights downstairs turn off...no the breakers do not pop but some of the GFI's pop. The compressor on the A/C is not working (no real air conditioning)
I am in the USA. The The A/C is in the upper left of the panel, and most of the affected rooms are on the right side of the panel. The problem affects all but the last couple of breakers on the right side.
The dryer, in the laundry room sounds like it isnt getting enough power and wont completely start.
When I run the garbage disposal, all of the affected lights dim considerably.


texts: Re-pressurize boiler / change expansion tank

texts:
I have a question about how to pressurize system when replacing expansion tank.
I have successfully taken the old tank off, and am about to go buy a new expansion tank(hopefully already pressurized to 12psi). The boiler is currently at 0 psi, but I'm sure theres still water in there as the old tank was full of water.

I'm not sure what order to install the new tank, do I install it, open the shut off to expansion tank, fill with water, bleed from the baseboards? I also read somewhere I should increase the 12psi to 15 before installing it.. I'm not sure what exactly the psi is for the boiler, the regulator says 12-15psi.

I'm also not sure if the regulator is working properly. I had a plumber come take a look and he said it "might" not be working as well as the expansion tank.. and wanted $700 to replace both.. but I'm not sure how to test it without the expansion tank on. Can I simply turn the water in-let valve and see if it goes above 12 psi? Even without the expansion tank? If anyone knows anything about that, help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks a lot!


texts: GFCI and Refrigerator and Circuit Breaker

texts: We have a new home and a new refrigerator.  The refrigerator is plugged into a standard outlet and on the same circuit is one GFCI.  While using a hand mixer on the GFCI outlet the circuit breaker - not the GFCI - tripped twice and that, of course left us with no power to the refrigerator - until we reset the breaker.  We figured the mixer was the problem although we didn't understand why the circuit breaker tripped and not the GFCI.  We just aren't comfortable with a situation where we could leave for a few days and come back to a dead refrigerator.  Question one is, in new construction these days is the general practice of providing a refrigerator its own circuit no longer an issue?  Question two is if the mixer was the problem why wouldn't it trip the GFCI before tripping the circuit breaker?


texts: What aspects of bricklaying are most important structurally vs aesethically

texts: I've seen homes where the mortar is squeezing out between bricks.  This appears pretty sloppy must still be structurally sound.  It seems that the pointing of the joints is just an aesthetic choice.  Which aspects of brick laying are most important structurally?  Keeping the bricks level?  Keeping them evenly spaced?  I know it is important to avoid running joints where a vertical joint spans multiple courses.  What else?


texts: Few month old Stamped concrete patio crumbling in a few areas

texts:
had a stamped concrete patio poured back in may. There are areas around the stamped line that look kind of crumbly dry.. like the stamp was lifted but the area wasnt smoothed. Some areas are starting to chip away. I have been having trouble getting a hold of the guy who did it (no surprise). I did finally get a hold of him and he said he would be out today but never showed.

Below are some pictures but is there anything i can just do to be done with it? I dont feel like getting involved with a small claims court over this but if it's going to get worse then i surely will. It almost looks like it needs to be sanded smooth and then more sealer applied.

Pictures:


texts: Does paint peel and crack on drywall "furniture"?

texts:
I'm planning on making some shelves with drywall and steel studs (like the one below), but many people told me that the paint cracks and peels with time. Is that true?

Or just bad experience or a bad paint job?

How to prevent it?


texts: How can I keep a hanging cloth hydrated?

texts:
As the summers are approaching, it kinda gets hot in my room. I make it cooler by dipping a bed-sheet in water and then hanging it on the curtain rod next to the window.

This cools down the air that enters my room and it feels awesome to be in this naturally-cooled room.

However, the cloth dries up every hour. When this happens I need to drench it in water, wring it, so that it's not soaking wet, and then hang it up again.

Qs: I'm wondering if there's a way I could keep this cloth hydrated throughout the day? Is there something that I could place on top of the curtain rod, that releases water slowly to keep the cloth hydrated?


texts: Is it safe to plant shrubs or flowers in the soil above my septic tank?

texts:
I have a septic system that has a tank underneath my front lawn. This is an eye-sore as the access points are clearly visible to anyone coming down our driveway. I would like to plant some shrubs/flowers around the access points to hide them. Is it safe to do this? I don't want to plant trees or anything crazy.

NOTE: I am not going to actually cover the access points. I just want to hide them.


texts: Can regular joint compound be used on blue drywall?

texts:
I bought a house that was being remodeled.

The bathroom has blue drywall on it.

Can i use regular joint compound on the drywall ?


texts: Power outlet power goes out when plugged in device is moved

texts: Have PC connect to outlet and whenever the stove is turn on the rgb keyboard lights up when the stove sparking to turn on burner. What I notice is that when I apply torque to the divice plug to the outlet by moving the cable the outlet looses power. Only happens in bottom outlet.


texts: What is an acceptable tolerance for floor joists (subfloor not laid, yet) over a 4 ft span in an old home? How far out (in height) is acceptable?


texts: Centering new construction windows in CMU rough opening by notching rough opening and inserting nail fins in notch.... Doable?

texts: My Block man obviously could not read blueprints and I am left with upstairs cmu rough openings that barely meet egress codes.  Want window centered in block ( not attached to interior framing.  Can I "notch" around the r.o. with a grinder and then insert the nail fins in the notch and then trim using same method I used to install downstairs wood bucks?  R.O. is 48" wide X 40" high...... Window is 47.75 "wide X 36" high slider.... Will pour 4" bottom sill after install.  Comments.... Especially if idea is dangerous, please


texts: Can I use a different size post for gate than the fence?

texts: If I'm using a 6x6 post to attached a heavy garden gate can I use 4x4 post for the rest of fence?


texts: Does my three season porch ceiling outlet require a GFCI?

texts: An electrician put an electrical outlet box in our covered porch ceiling. We want to hang a light fixture (one with a cord and plug over a dining table). I will be installing the outlet myself. Do I need a GFCI outlet or just a 15 amp regular outlet? The wiring is in the attic above the ceiling. The porch has sliding glass windows, the ceiling cannot get wet from rain, but there is normal humidity when the windows are open.


texts: Is polyurethane too slippery to use as a protective layer on a deck?

texts: I am in the process of repainting my deck.  I'd like to have a protective layer (like clearcoat on a car) that will allow easier cleanup, and would help to pretect the new paint.  Is polyurethane appropriate for the job?


texts:
I have an upright freezer (Maytag) that's 2 years old. It used to work very quetly and with cool exterior for the past 2 years but in the last ~5 weeks, the sides / top are hot all the time (105 degrees F) and the freezer is running very loud. The environment is the same as it was before and the freezer is ~85% full (which is pretty constant). The freezer door is opened 2-3 times a day for a few seconds.

I had a warranty technician look at it, he didn't do anything other than telling me that this is how it's supposed to work. (I know freezers have to dump heat on the inside to freeze food but it seems unnecessary that it does this 10 hours a day every day.)

Does this sound correct or is it the case of a lazy technician? (He came without tools so he had no intention of repairing anything.)


texts: Blower Motor Heat and Cool Control Board

texts: I’m an electrician by trade but i have a friend who needed his blower motor replaced. The parts store sold him a motor but it only has one hot leg. The control board has a hot for cooling and a hot for heating. What would happen if I wired them both together to the hot for the motor? I’m afraid back feeding the control board might fry it? Any suggestions would be appreciated.


texts: I just moved into this house that needs a lot of work. I noticed that the upper gutters drain onto the roof of the lower gutters and I learned that this will ruin my roof.  I was originally thinking to just connect the upper and the lower with a downspout (option A in the photo),  but after doing some more research, I started to think maybe rerouting the downspout would be a better fix (option B in the photo). Would this look kinda bad right at the entryway, though? What are your thoughts?


texts: I stumbled off of a step ladder and crushed this ductwork. It's in a bathroom and runs along the floor on a concrete slab between joists. The house is 50 yrs old. The ductwork looks like it's galvanized. How do I repair or replace it? The end of the run continues under a wall. Is there a seam on the bottom? If so, I probably ruptured it.


texts: NEMA 1 load center, recessed in wall, open to a covered porch

texts: Is it acceptable to mount a NEMA 1 Load Center, recessed in wall, open toward covered porch?


texts: Running a 50amp 240V line 300 feet to a shed

texts:
I'm looking to run a 50 amp 240v line to a shed 300 feet from my house. I have been looking around and reading a lot. Based on this website for voltage drop I need 4awg, to have a less than 3% drop

Also I found this wire which I believe I can use.

Would this wire work for direct burial or in underground pvc conduit as well as for proper voltage drop?

EDIT*
So 2 awg aluminum it is cheaper then 4 awg copper as well as having pretty much the same voltage drop. Would this be a better cable option to run in conduit

Also I have never worked with wire this big would there be any problem bringing it into my existing box?


texts: Normal toggle switches don't fit flush in metal electrical box cover

texts:
I am trying to replace this old two toggle switch that burnt out in this 4-inch box in my basement:

However, every new switch has these ears the stick up and block it from sitting flush against the front cover. What am I missing here?