texts: Floor Load Guidelines For Second Floor Bookcases

texts:
I am considering moving a large number of books in bookcases to a second floor room, and I am confused by the application of live load to this situation.

Each case has a 2.3 square foot footprint, and I believe a reasonable estimate of their filled mass would be 350 lbs each, for a load of about 150 lb/square foot.  Six such cases would be placed in a line next to, but not attached to, a load bearing wall (the separating wall of a townhouse construction.)

I do not have access to the original plan of my home, however I am aware that in Illinois the minimum live load would be a mere 40 lb/square foot.  The home was built in the mid 1980s.

My related questions are:

1) Am I applying the live load formula correctly?  I can multiply and divide and get the pressure of the footprint trivially, but is that all there is to it?  A full bookcase exceeds load guidelines by nearly a factor of four?  This contradicts my intuition-- how does anyone in the United States put bookshelves in a second floor apartment?

2) What are reasonable guidelines for second or more story book storage?

UPDATE

I neglected to mention, the room is a balcony/loft
Dimensions:  Roughly 15' x 15' plus attached utility closet; see scale drawing
Note the wall on the east is the one I sincerely hope to be load-bearing, as it is the separator between my neighbor and I.
Note the dotted line indicating the edge of the loft, and Note there are no support columns or walls under the edge of that loft.  This is what has me somewhat twitchy.
Total estimated weight would be roughly:  3000 lbs bookcases, 300 lbs washer/dryer set in utility closet, 300 lbs two easy chairs and coffee table, 200 lbs one adult = 3800 lbs.  That is a very conservative estimate assuming a planned upgrade to sturdier bookcases, some fairly heavy chairs, and includes the load of the washer/dryer for good measure.
The unit itself is a two story townhome with additional units to the east and west, circa 1985 construction.


texts: How can I remove these screws from a brick wall?

texts:
We replaced a fire escape ladder on our patio. The old ladder was fixed using screws which I don’t know how to remove. They are kind of loose, I can turn them left or right as much as I want but they don’t go in or out. There’s nothing on the other side of the brick wall either.
Any idea how to make them come out?


texts: Bottom of dishwasher leaking when not running

texts:
I just moved into a house and was trying to adjust the dishwasher height when I noticed the bottom of the dishwasher is leaking when I'm not even using it. Here is the leaking part circled in red:
https://imgur.com/a/Wb4vmKT

I've noticed that if I turn the shut off the water supply it does stop leaking so I assume it's not some buildup of water from a previous run that's leaking.
Because of this I'm assuming this is the water inlet hose and it's leaking but it's unclear to me what I can do about this. Specifically, is it because the dishwasher isn't level and water leaks as a result for some reason? Or is it just the connection is loose or broken? Do I need a new dishwasher?


texts:
I'm installing a 1/3 hp 5.6 amp 115 v. Liberty sump pump w/ float switch in a basin in my very cramped dirt-floor crawlspace, to remove seasonal high water-table flooding. I pulled 12 ga. Romex from the panel about 75' to a single-gang receptacle box in my laundry room wall. I then spliced and pulled a short length to another single gang box at the c.s. ceiling and installed a duplex receptacle to plug the pump into.

Circuit is dedicated, and will operate off a 15 amp GFCI breaker. Acknowledged that the manual calls for the pump to be plugged into a receptacle 4' above the finished floor above, which is problematic for a number of reasons- tile floor; no room to install another receptacle next to the stackable washer/ dryer above the pump, if it needs servicing, would need to pull the power cord, etc. I feel confident that were a 100-year flood to occur that flooded the full height of the c.s., the breaker would trip, and that would be that until water subsided. I'm not an electrician, just an ignorant homeowner, and could be wrong.

I have a couple of other questions:

I would like an indicator (preferably green and red neon or led lights) mounted in the laundry room box that will do 2 things: tell me when the circuit is energized, so I know the breaker hasn't tripped, and also to tell me when the pump is drawing current, so I know when / how often it's operating. Is this possible with the current wiring setup? I could install another receptacle there for an indicator and wattage meter, but would prefer to tell at a glance what's happening.
I got a 20 amp GFCI breaker before I settled on the current pump, which now specifies a 15 amp breaker. From what I'm reading, I should probably go ahead with plans to install a 15 amp instead of 20 amp, correct? Is there a risk of fire by using the 20? Thanks.


texts: Why is my furnace causing my electric bill to skyrocket?

texts:
I know it's the heat causing my electric bill to jump from $200ish to over $600 monthly. It runs almost constantly. It produces heat(astounding amounts) and blows it adequately. I don't think it's hooked up to the return.
Ive got a sneaking suspicion it's the limit switch.
Any thoughts? I can't afford to keep paying such exorbitant electric bills.


texts: We have a 40/60 pump currently, but we feel like the pressure is extremely low inside the house. I have not had a chance to check the air pressure in the tank yet, but that will be done this weekend. The pump works as expected, cuts in at 40 and out at 60, but the pump will only hold the pressure at 40 as long as water is being used, it will not build it back up until all water has been turned off in the house. Is there anything else I can check or adjust so we can have higher pressure inside? The tank is a 100psi tank. The whole system is less than a year old.


texts:
I have moderate plumbing skills.

What is the procedure for replacing a leaking Jacuzzi bathtub faucet?

Mine is similar to the picture. I DO NOT want to break through the tile to get to the bottom components.

Can this be replaced from above?    Is breaking tile the only option?


texts: How can I bore a hole through a framing member, without causing a lot of damage to the wall covering?

texts:
I am putting in a new thermostat. I cut a 1" hole in the wall at about eye level. I have an endoscopic camera and i see that at about 3 feet off the floor there is a wooden board that runs parallel to the floor.

What do professionals do in such a situation?
I was thinking of cutting another 1 inch hole right above the board, and then trying to drill through it at an angle, and hope that it is not too thick.

I should mention that i also have access from the basement, but there is a beam directly under the wall that i am working on, so i cant just drill a hole from under there - more over i would need a very long bore, which i do not own.

Its an old 1930s house - if that makes a difference


texts: Can you install slip nuts for the bath tub drain under the house?

texts: I'm not sure why it would matter, but I'm wondering if it is ok code wise to install the bath tub drain system at the Tee for the drain and overflow valve with slip nuts under the house. Just wondering if there is some code that says you can't do that. Any issue with a slip nut connection failing during the DWV pressure test?


texts: Should I replace a single powered roof vent with ridge vent according to my roofer's advice?

texts:
I am new to home improvement, and I'd like to ask your advice. I am the owner of a house in Maryland. Within a few weeks, we will install a new roof.
Currently, my roof doesn't have a ridge vent, and an attic fan only runs.
My contractor told me he can add a ridge vent.
Do you think I'd better keep the attic fan running in addition to a new ridge vent? Both can be working together?
or
do you think I'd better remove the attic fan, and have the new ridge vent only? It should be a good idea?
or
do you think I'd better keep the attic fan without installing a new ridge vent if Howard county doesn't require it.
I thought that in the long run, if the attic fan could cause any rain/snow/leaves-related leaking issues, it could be safer to remove it. The chance is extremely low? or my thought is a good idea? Usually, how often (in years) do I need to replace an attic fan with a new one?
I appreciate your advice in advance.

(Added)
Yes. we have soffit venting (under the eaves), and each vent on two sides.
However, I found that some portions of the soffit venting are closed somehow, maybe (see the picture). I am not sure how though. Should I clean them up ASAP?


texts: How to build a brick wall on the front of a CMU retaining wall?

texts:
My retaining wall is made of two parallel "walls".  One is made of 16x8x12 Concrete Masonry Units and the other will be 8x4x2 bricks.  The CMUs are to have mass to hold the hill, while 8x4x2 are to be pretty.  There is no nice foundation, so both are sitting on ground and things will eventually move.  Here is a visual:

I want to make sure that when 16x8x12 start moving, they will not make 8x4x2 bricks fall off.

The 8x4x2 is not built yet, the foundation is not made because I am doing it myself and it is very rocky.  The walls are retaining a hill.  The 16x8x12 bricks are not mortared.  The same bricks (16x8x12) held up the hill for >= 10 years, but ended up leaning and turning, resulting in non flat wall.  The wall itself is 2 walls meeting at a corner, each side being 288" (18 of 16x8x12).

The options thus far are:

Do nothing, and hope for best
Cement 8x4x2 bricks together
Cement 8x4x2 bricks together, and to the 16x8x12 wall
Put steel rods into 8x4x2 and 16x8x12 walls and bind the rods together
Other?

References:

16x8x12 CMUs - Ugly
8x4x2 Bricks - Nicer


texts: What kind of board is this, and where can I get some?

texts:
I have some tongue and groove floorboards from a bathroom.

They measure 0.83" thick and are probably about 90 years old.

Where can I get some boards that are equally thick? Tongue and groove is a bonus, but mainly I care about the thickness. They will be covered so I don't care about look. I'd even be willing to layer two boards together.

A plumber who worked on it replaced them with 0.75" boards but that left a noticeable sagging area.

I don't really know how to ask for it - is there a nominal name/trade name for 0.83" boards?


texts: What is the best tool to rip laminate flooring planks to width?

texts:
Can you please tell me what tools work best to cut a laminate flooring plank to a narrower size and so that the cut is perfectly straight?

Kind regards.


texts: How can I trace the exhaust duct of my bathroom fan?

texts: I have a suspicion that my bathroom isn't venting correctly.  I'm thinking smoke would be an easy way to test this, but I don't know of a safe and cheap way to make it.  Any ideas?


texts: Do I use mud or spackle after removing a popcorn ceiling?

texts:
After removing popcorn ceiling, I need to cover some torn drywall paper and cover some taped areas. Should I use mud or spackle? Can someone recommend a product?

The ceiling now looks like unpainted drywall with mud in areas. I had to peel off small areas of tape, but there's more tape underneath so the seams are all still covered.

Do I have to apply spackle or mud  3 times, or can I just spackle the damaged drywall areas (pre-treated with Gardz) with a very thin skim coat, coat with Gardz again, and then apply primer followed by paint?


texts: Where to buy glass to replace the broken glass part of my door?

texts:
My entrance door has glasses. I'm in need of replacing the glass part of the door.
I need to know where to buy glasses?


texts: How to anchor through .5 inch drywall/.75 inch wood/concrete block

texts:
Installing a TV wall mount.  The issue is that the wall is 1/2" dry over 1x2 wood spaced 24 inch on center and then concrete block.  What is the best fastener to to use considering the first 1 1/4" would not hold a TV mount for a 70 lb TV.  Would like to secure into the concrete block.
Most of the sleeve anchors I have seen online looked like they would rely more on the wood than concrete since they are only 2.25 inches long..
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
The drain plug I had broke and I decided to change it. The problem is that no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't remove the broken one. You can even see that I managed to break one part of it using too much force. I tried applying WD-40 and used cobra pliers.
NOTE: The inside part of plug is missing (that part was broken so I took it off and threw it).

Since the piston is stuck, and no way to remove it, I am thinking about buying the new drain as well (If that's the correct name of it - maybe it's called basin waste).
Here are more photos of it:

Does anyone know how that specific model of a drain is called? Also should I apply plumbers putty to it? I found this white thing on photos, so I am not sure if it had plumbers putty applied.


texts: Does this look like asbestos to you? It is located in my wash room in the apartment that I am currently living in.


texts: Possible water leak under hardwood floor

texts:
I recently moved in a used house, built in 2013. After moving in I discovered some minor damage on one of the floors next to a heating radiator. The damage with a first look seems minor and it's hard to notice. The floor is a bit swollen upwards and the wood has a different - worn out texture than the rest of the floor. Pushing it downwards appears to move slightly. I can't see anything out of order on the ceiling in the room right beneath.
My main question is if this seems to be an old damage or it is something that is ongoing and I need to address.
Attaching a few images:

And an overview of the damaged area:


texts: Windowless room Air Conditioning, Sky light only

texts: I have a dilemma. I have a windowless room in Brooklyn. Only a sky light 10 feet up. Right next to my room however is the washer/dryer. Not sure if that would help at all, but my landlord isn't open to a big hole going up out the roof. I don't know what to do anymore. Possibly a portable or ductless with a drain box? Can I connect it to the washer/dryer pipes? I have no idea please help, I don't care if its cute I just need to feel cool in this heat.


texts: Grounding a subpanel box in the same dwelling

texts: Do I have to run a seperate ground to the ground rod from the subpanel


texts: Should I use 1/2" or 3/4" fixtures for a new shower?

texts:
I am having a new shower built along with a new bathroom altogether...

I selected Grohe hardware and wanted to know if I should go with the 1/2" or 3/4" since I will have a rain shower, hand held unit, and 4 jets.

Will I be able to have the plumber hook everything up with the existing 1/2" pipe or do I need to upgrade to 3/4"?


texts: Type of Plasterboard to use in a bathroom?

texts:
I'm installing a few framed/stud walls in a bathroom which will be covered in plasterboard and will eventually be tiled.

The walls are not going into a shower, bath or other area where they are likely to be in prolonged contact with water, so will I need to use moisture resistant plasterboard and stainless steel screws or will standard plasterboard/screws do the job?


texts: How many coats of spray paint do I need?

texts:
I am working on finish my basement. The idea is that the ceiling is going to remain unfinished but spray painted pitch black to hide all the wires and plumbing.

Last weekend I did one coat of spray paint and used up 9 gallons of pre-mixed black paint.  I was originally planning on spraying two coats.

It looks great, and by the looks of it a nice thick coat was applied with a few spots that were missed. I could, in theory, touch up the spots with a can of black spray paint rather than do a full second coat.

Am I going to do myself a disservice by skipping the second coat ?


texts: What does this asbestos remediation report mean?

texts:
What does this asbestos testing result mean?

Background: My wife and I are looking to buy a house built in the 1950s. The seller disclosed that they have had an asbestos abatement done and health certifications issued. This is the documentation they gave on the asbestos testing. I'm still waiting for the health certification.


texts: Problem installing outlet off pull chain light fixture

texts:
Today I ran wiring from a pull chain light fixture to a new receptacle for my sister.  It works great except the receptacle goes on and off with the pull chain light fixture.
It is currently wired black to black (incoming power, pigtail to light, and wire to outlet) and white to white (same way). Only the pull chain light fixture does not have a ground. The pull chain light fixture has one each hot terminal and neutral terminal.
There is nothing else that we can find that is on the same circuit that is affected the same way.  FYI this house was built in 1957 and the wiring has not been upgraded.
I'd really appreciate any insight on this that anyone has.  Thanks.


texts: Will painted wood that has been buffed to a polished finish remain so with daily use, i.e. a desk?

texts:
I'm looking to repaint & resurface a wooden desk in our house that is currently untreated. My desire is to bring the desk surface to a polished/reflective gloss white finish using a combination of acrylic high-gloss paint, and buffing/wet-sanding up to 3000 with a random orbital sander to bring out a shine.

My expectation—from the research I've done—is that this should bring out a reflective and clean finish on the surface.

My one cause for concern is that this desk is also in a fairly high use area, and gets used multiple times per day. For example, it's not uncommon for this desk to be used as a workspace, so you can imagine keyboard/elbows/arms/hot drinks are all sitting on its surface.

What sort of expectations should I be setting with respect to this finish lasting over time? Will the reflectivity dull over time? If so, what precautions and steps can I take to ensure this is either mitigated or doesn't occur?


texts:
I put up some shelves at the weekend, and had a tough time driving the screws into the wall plugs (drilled a 6 mm hole in the masonry, then used brown wall plugs and #8 screws). I got there in the end, but not without lots of effort and blisters on my screwdriver hand.

Is there a way of getting more torque for jobs like this? I have an electric screwdriver, but it wouldn’t get any purchase on the screws. Seems like some sort of ratchet arm would be perfect, as long as I could still put enough pressure on it in the direction of the screw to keep the bit engaged. I’ve also seen T-handle screwdrivers, and drivers with a hex addition to the shaft so you can get extra torque with a spanner. What’s best?

(It might be that I was using wall plugs that were too big, but the screws went in eventually, and I’m pleased with how secure they seem.)


texts:
I just bought a house in August, moved in during the month of September and within the last month or two have noticed a buzzing.  At first, I couldn't figure out where it was coming from, and finally realized it was coming from the Honeywell dial-style wall thermostat which controls the two Cadet Heaters in the room and one in the kitchen.  When it is buzzing and we touch it, the buzzing stops.  There doesn't seem to be much of a correlation between the buzzing and when the heaters turn on or off, and the buzzing seems to last for a minute or two and then stops.  I'm not sure if there's an interval to when it buzzes or not (such as every two hours).

Any idea what would be causing this, or how to make it stop?

The white writing I believe says CT410A1019 it could be CT4|0A1019

There is some other information in the black area at the end of the white text,

I believe this is what it says:

The first line: 50/60 Hz
The second line: V 120/240 [spaces] 277
The third line: ??  22 [sapces] 19
The fourth line: KW 255 [spaces] 5

Update 1:
I have turned off the power, and unscrewed the thermostat from the wall. Added those pictures to that post.  After taking the pictures, I screwed it back into the wall, and turned the power back on.  Waiting to hear the buzzing, to see if it happens again, or if doing what I did happened to jostle whatever back in place.  Will report back if I hear it again.

Update 2:
After thinking I had fixed it with the above update (on 12/12), the thermostat started buzzing again after about a week (on or just after 12/19).


texts: How do I hard wire a T8 fluorescent light fixture with grounded plug to a motion sensor?

texts: I purchased a T8 fluorescent fixture with electronic ballast, which came with a wired three-prong plug.  I also, purchased a infrared motion sensor.  I want to hardwire the fixture into the motion sensor but as you can see from the diagram, the sensor instruction shows only one wire going to the light fixture.  How do I hard wire/splice the two together?  I don't mind either removing the plug on the fixture, or using a female plug extension wire connected to the male fixture plug.


texts: New ceiling fan socket with copper wiring

texts: I am trying to replace the lightbulb socket in a ceiling fan fixture.  The wires coming from the fan are aluminum (I assume bec the wires are silver colored) the wires that came with the new socket are copper.  The wires on the old socket were aluminum.  I couldn't find a new socket with aluminum wiring.  Is it safe to connect the copper to the aluminum wires or do I need to replace the whole ceiling fan?


texts:
I have an A/C line (left) which has been chewed through by mice.

They are now enjoying the comfort of my attic. I've temporarily put steel wool in the hole, but they have evolved and pulled it out. The hole itself is about 2". The temperatures right now are around 25℉ high, so I worry that mortar will freeze. How else can I seal this hole off?


texts:
Please help. I made a swing for my kids and now am wondering how safe it is. The swing beam is pressure treated yellow pine 4x6 and 16 feet long. The swing hangers are attached to the 4 inch side of the wood. At one end it sits in a deck bracket on top of a 4x4 attached to a fort. The other end sits on a horizontal beam of an A frame attached with brackets and lag screws.This A frame is placed 12 feet from the fort portion so that the other 4 ft of beam extends past the A frame. There are 3 swing stations and then a trapeze on the far end past the A frame.

My concern is that when my 60lb kid uses the swings I notice "bounce" of the beam. The center of the beam visibly moves though the attached points at fort and a frame do not seem to move at all. Is this safe? Thanks so much.


texts: Can I vent a 3 inch ABS sewer line with a 2 inch pipe?

texts: I will be attaching 1-1/2" vent line from 4 different fixtures (shower, tub, 2 sinks) in the unfinished ceiling above bathroom and also if I can still use it as my main soil stack (2 inch) to protrude through the roof.


texts: How should I apply brick to interior wall?

texts:
I came across this question and I was wondering what ended up happening,real brick or brick veneer?

I want to lay the brick over drywall on one of the walls(13x10feet)in the basement. I just wanted to see if you have done yours without any complications

How should I apply brick to an interior wall?


texts: Why would I lose water pressure in my house for several months after running the outside faucets?

texts:
After using the water outside, the water pressure in my house goes way down. When we flush the toilet you can hear whistling in the pipes and sometimes bubbling like you would after the water has been turned off. We do not have a water pump so I know it is not that. The only thing I can think is that when we use the water outside it pulls some of the water from the pipes in the house and puts bubbles in them. But I don't know exactly how to fix it. Most of the time it just fixes itself after about a month or two, but I really don't want to wait that long to get my water pressure back.

I am on city/county water. There is no well. I am not sure what my pipes are made of but I think they are pvc. I live in a trailer and I know that the pipes under my trailer are pvc. The pipes coming to the house are about 13 years old.  Please let me know if this helps.

Where would I check to see if it is a bad pressure regulator? Would that be on the water meter?


texts:
What is the best way to clean internal wood that has black marks/patches on it?

I have tried scrubbing it with hot water and sugar soap, it has made some difference but not a lot.

Is there something better that can be done?


texts: Should I use foam spray insulation in my crawl space?

texts:
My crawl space has no insulation.  The dirt is wet near one of the walls.  There have been termites in the past.

I'm thinking of insulating the ceiling (between the joists) and the walls with foam spray.  Am I on the right track with this idea?  I hear that fiberglass is not a good idea because it can get affected by the moisture.

There are these products, such as Sealection500, Icynene, etc.  Have people here used them?  What's a good DIY product?  There's foamitgreen.com and they offer the product and kit directly.  I like that they are straight forward about it.  Is that a good product though?  Is the price good?

Edit:

According to http://basementsolutions.blogspot.com/2009/11/do-not-spray-foam-your-crawlspace.html the walls should not be sprayed.  Guess I can use rigid foam for the walls.  Comments on that?  How far down do you put the insulation on the walls?  Down to the footing?


texts: I just purchased 30 sheets of new 1/2 inch spruce plywood for use as subflooring. As I worked, 2 of the first 8 sheets spontaneously delaminated as I was cutting them. Not just a little at the edges, but in sheets of several square feet. The adhesive that is supposed to bond the plies is visible (dark colour) but it appears to have come unstuck. Has anyone encountered this behaviour before?


texts:
How do I frame this corner?  There are already two walls up (the one on the left that will become a closet), but that the corner where they meet is a steel post.  Obviously I can't move that, and I can't move the walls as they support the stairs.

For what it's worth, the distance from the pole to the edge on the right side is 15/16" (and that's being generous) and about 1 1/4" to the bottom.


texts: How to square plywood using the 3-4-5 method?

texts:
I know about the square triangle 3-4-5, and I know how to use it get a 90° angle.

But I can't think or understand how people use it (accurately) to get 90° on a big plywood sheet.

The most "proper" way that I can think of it mark my reference edge two points 4 units apart, and using a compass or very static (non strechable) line trace two arcs (3 and 5 units) to get the intersection. But I don't have any line that I would trust for that, not any compass large enough (and precise enought to reference from an edge instead of a point in a plane) to do that.

I could have measuring sticks 3 and 5 units in lenght and just join everything to get the needed point, but how to accurately mark this point if you have the sticks on the way?

So, how do you do it properly?


texts: is there a way to use a gas stove to supply hot water needs?

texts: We've  a 8kw gas stove which heats huge hallway very well. Wondering is there a way to use it to also heat our water needs (hot water tank very nearby). I'm not a diy type but jus trying to avoid buying a gas boiler just for water? Thanks


texts: What is this tool called and what is it used for?

texts:
Can anyone tell me what these are used for?  I have a full set that was handed down.

There is NO edge on these at all for cutting and they are too light of a gauge to be snips.


texts: Can I restore the shine on laminate flooring?

texts: I've had laminate flooring (Pergo) for several years and is now so dull, it looks like my floor is dirty all the time.  Can I put shine on it like Clean and Gleam from Melaleuca?  I know it has to replaced at some point, but I'm not ready to do that yet.


texts: I purchased a home with an existing VERY old aggregate patio. A few years ago I dumped a boatload of money into it to try and fix it, and it lasted about two years. Now I just want to get rid of it. There is a concrete patio underneath the aggregate layer but I want to save that so how do I remove the aggregate layer without destroying the concrete underneath it? Thoughts....


texts: How to wire a ceiling fan to a switch that controls outlet

texts: Switch has only 3 wires.  1 black, 1 white, 1 neutral.  They are coming from outlet.  No other incoming power source.  Outlet has a source to the bottom half.  Top half is controlled by the switch.  Can I pull the wires for ceiling fan from the switch though there is no direct power source to the switch - other than it acts as a toggle for the outlet power.


texts: Why is my sump pump still beeping after I replaced the battery?

texts: My sump pump battery monitor was beeping.  I changed the battery because the message said that the battery was not working.  Not 24 hours later the battery was beeping again!  Do I need to do anything special since I just bought a new  marine battery from an auto parts store?  Any help would be greatly appreciated. The beeping is driving my crazy!!!


texts: How to remove the tap head from this kind of tap?

texts:
I couldn't find any screws at all on this tap.

How can I remove the head to replace the washer?


texts: Our Jacuzzi tub just stopped draining. What could be causing this? We’ve tried it all

texts: We’ve just moved into an older home which happens to have a Jacuzzi tub.  I’m sure it hasn’t been used in years, but it fired up just fine and we’ve used it 4 times.  However, all of a sudden it just wouldn’t drain.  We tore apart the handle and pop drain mechanism, but this seems to be working just fine.  We’ve put Drayno down the drain, but nothing seems to be happening... not even a trickle of water sound to suggest it’s clogged with some organic material.  Any other ideas?


texts: Duct Cleaning: Is Duct Sealer Necessary, Non-Toxic?

texts:
A professional contractor is cleaning AC Ducts, and after he scrubs the ducts, he wants to apply an acrylic duct sealer and de-odorizer. The container of the duct sealer has minimal lableing and does not even display any active ingredients. All it says is Acrylic Duct Sealer in an otherwise non-descript container.

Is an acrylic duct sealer necessary at all and if so, will it contaminate the air flowing through the ducts?


texts: Should I install my split AC outdoor unit further away so it's in the shade?

texts:
So i just got a 1.5TR split AC (LG LS-H18VNXD) and i have two options.

Install the otudoor unit (ODU) just behind the indoor unit (IDU) on the outer wall, so piping distance would be minimum possible,
But the ODU faces the sun directly.
OR
Install the ODU 12 feet away from IDU (pipe will have two 45 degree curves), but ODU will be cool and shady place.

Which one will be more efficient and by how much ? Please advice.

Optional questions:
If the answer is shade one, do i need additional gas recharge (the ac comes with 1kg r32 prefilled).
Also I am planning to make a air filter for the ODU as it comes with naked fins and there are lot of bugs around, will it be fine ?

Don't know the installation guy will be honest so asking it here. Thanks :)


texts:
Just come across a fuse box that I've never seen before. The box looks like this:

They are like light-bulb-type things that host a fuse inside of them. The fuse looks like this:

They work similarly to light bulbs too, with caps that screw in.

Any idea what these fuses are?


texts: Flex shield moist protection against fungus?

texts:
Contractors are currently replacing a wooden floor which had been bowing, and repainting a wall. Both were damaged as a result of a leaking air conditioning pipe in the wall.

I’ve expressed a concern that if they just paint over it, or fix the wooden floor, within a matter of days, that there is a serious chance of fungi developing. I was told that they are going to put a layer of “flex shield moist protection”, which should do away with my concern.

My gut feel says this protection layer is to keep moisture out of concrete, not prevent fungi from developing. My gut feel says they should open up the wood, sand the wall down to bare concrete, and let both surfaces dry for a while. And then put it back in place.

Would appreciate comments.


texts: 200 amp service wire jumping from house, to barn to pool house. Somewhere the Neutral is broken

texts:
My question is a bit more technical then most as I have narrowed the problem down to a bad neutral somewhere in the system. There is a service wire from the house overhead to a barn, then another line from the Barn panel to a pool house. (The Main service feed goes to the house) In the pool house, the homeowner was running a compressor that started idling dumb and not running properly. After investigating, I found that everything seamed normal until it was put under load and then the voltage between the two lines in the panel went crazy. I think it was like 50 and 170 instead of your normal 110/120.
After this I was pretty sure it was a bad neutral and it was backfeeding trying to run the compressor. I went back to the barn and checked the voltage there and it was the same as in the pool house. When I went into the house, the voltage at the breaker in the house to the barn was fine. I am trying to confirm that the issue is then between the house and the barn. The line had fallen and we raised it back up after a storm and it worked fine for a few months but maybe something broke in it and we can't see it?
The main thing I am wondering is if the wire is bad underground from the Barn to the pool house, can it still change the voltages at the barn panel even if the wire to the barn is ok? I don't want to focus on the wire between the house and the barn and the problem is between the barn and the pool house. I'm just trying to confirm my findings.


texts: How do I remove this connector from a solid electrical wire?

texts:
I'm trying to replace the light above my kitchen table. The junction box seems to have a solid electrical wire. It was connected to the light's stranded wire with this connector here and also wrapped in what looked like sticky black rubber. I peeled off as much of the rubber as possible and then I cut the stranded electrical wire to remove the old light. I tried to pry the connector open by the stranded wires and it looks like it could be gold inside? How do I remove the solid junction box electrical wire from this connector now?
I need to connect the solid wire to my new light fixture which also has a stranded electrical wire. My new light fixture includes the simple plastic wire twist connectors which I know how to use.


texts: How to make room for a taller electrical panel with a vent pipe underneath

texts:
In Seattle in the US, I currently have a 24" tall split bus 200A electrical panel and I'd like to upgrade to a 36" panel for more capacity and to get main breaker. Unfortunately the laundry sink (you can see the lip of the sink in my photo) vent pipe runs below the panel and can't be lowered much since it's barely 6" above the flood line. What's my best option here?

Edit: removed the table

Edit 2: here's the current panel

Things I've considered:

Let the electrician take off the existing panel and frame a one stud-wide wall in front of the panel. Not sure if I need to insulate or add a moisture barrier behind it.
Let the electrician take off the existing panel and nail some 2x5s or 2x6s to the sill and a sheet of plywood on top of that to mount the panel, which just hangs in front of the vent pipe.
Move the service to another location. This sounds expensive and requires exterior work too.
Move the laundry sink/washer/dryer elsewhere. This also is expensive and requires exterior work to move the dryer duct.
Some other creative solution.

Thanks for the advice!


texts: Respirator for spray varnish on oil paints!

texts:
I am a beginner artist, and I have just painted an artwork using Winsor & Newton water Mixable oil color paintings with a brush. Yet I didn’t wear a respirator since I didn’t know about it.

However, for next time do I need to wear a respirator for oil paints, acrylic paint or water paints!? And what type of respirator and filters should I use!?

Other question, is that I want to finish my artwork with a Pebeo spray varnish ( Pebeo satin finish picture varnish) for oil colors. As it mentioned on the label it has a harmful ingredients!

Will the respirator protect me 100% from harmful ingredients! If so,
What respirator and filter should I use while using spray varnish on my oil artwork which will protect me from those harmful chemicals and protect my eyes as well if possible!

Please help me to choose the right respirator and filter!
And please may I know how often to change the filter and the respirator and how to store it!?
Does the respirator or filter has any health risks!

Note: I have used water mixable oil paint to avoid harmful mediums.

If you have any recommendations of less harmful varnish (spray or with a brush) Or if there is other natural mediums products which more safer, I would love to know about and I appreciate your help!

Sorry for the long writing, I know I have mentioned many questions but am a bit scared of harmful chemicals and really make my health in the first priority, I would really appreciate the help of the other artists knowledge and experience in any questions I just asked!

Thank you,,,


texts: How to remove two-component adhesive from a stainless steel surface?

texts:
My dad used a two-component adhesive when trying to glue a door stopper to our stainless steel radiator. However he read the manual wrong and now there is dried out glue on the radiator and the door stopper.

While mechanical removal of the glue from the stopper is no problem, as the side wont be visible after attaching it to the radiator, I see problems scratching the glue off the radiator itself as any visible scratches would look unpleasant.

Are there any other ways to remove the glue from a steel surface without damaging the steel itself?


texts:
Exploring the possibility of turning the attic of our 100-year-old house into a living space. I knew the joists were only 2x6 and would need to be strengthened through interlacing. But when I pulled up some floor boards at the edge, I found that the joists are not sitting on a top plate, but are instead face nailed to the wall studs about 18" below the plate:

The lathe-and-plaster walls are attached to the studs and the underside of these joists. There is one wall in the house below that is a bit off center on the span that I've never considered to be load-bearing.

Now I can't imagine any code-compliant way to add the necessary support for live loads without putting the new joists on top of the plate and losing 18" of height (which would make the room too small). Any bright ideas out there?


texts: Can I safely use a 9w LED bulb in place of a 40w incandescent?

texts:
I bought a reading lamp that on the box says: Max 1x40W
The shop also sold me an LED light bulb that says: 9W=75W
So my question is, can I use light bulb or not? I am confused between the 75W and the max of 40W mentioned for the lamp


texts: Status of solar-powered landscaping lights

texts:
As of now (9/2018), are solar-powered landscaping lights a sensible option?

In 5-year intervals, for the past 15 years, I've been suckered into buying solar-powered landscaping lights and every time it has been a complete waste of money. The lights are dim, last for about two hours after dark, and the battery loses its ability to charge in about 4-6 months.

Before I repeat the same mistake, I figured I'd ask: Have solar-powered lights improved significantly over the past 5 years to the point that one should consider buying them again? Perhaps this question could be answered for path-lighting lights as well as lights designed to be pointed at trees and house walls.


texts: is there an outlet box mounted overcurrent protection device?

texts:
I am adding some additional outlets and outside lights to my garage.  The existing outlets are on 12 gauge wiring, so presumably a 20 amp circuit (I did not check this - did not have my reading glasses with me when I was at the breaker box 8-).  The lighting fixtures are LED type, so very low power needs compared to incandescent lighting.  I was considering running 12 gauge to the new outlets, and 14 gauge from the new outlets to the outside lights (the lights are the terminal equipment in all cases), but I believe I would need 15 amp protection for that portion of the circuit.  After a large number of not-very-useful searches, I finally came across this stackexchange question, which nixed my idea of using a 15 amp GFCI. I could not find so straightforward an answer for AFCI outlets, but I assume the same is true.

So, my question is, is there an outlet-mounted device (preferably with actual outlets) that can provide 15 amp overcurrent protection to the next device in the branch?

As an aside, is there, by any chance, a provision in the U.S NEC for connecting a low demand device at the end of a circuit this way without addition overcurrent protection? (I expect not...)

* Edit *

Some additional searching has lead me to panel mount thermal circuit breakers, such as these devices:

Carling Switch Circuit Breakers

Schurter TS-709-15 Circuit Breaker

leading me to wonder if I could put one of these in an electrical box where the 12 gauge and 14 gauge meet, and be to code.


texts: What is expected well pressure wide open no pressure tank

texts: I got 30psi wide open.  There is no pressure tank yet.


texts: Identifying how this switch with indicator light is wired

texts:
I have a switch with indicator in my basement for a shared backyard light. It appears to work fine. The backyard is a shared yard with neighbors in downstairs unit and I would like them to be able to turn the light on/off any time they like. To this end we are going to install a wireless relay with one of those self-activated switches. I want to understand what is currently set up before we start changing stuff.

The switch is wired right now like this. There are two white wires and two black wired to the switch. There are two bare wires twisted together in the back of the box. The switch says Leviton and googling turns up Leviton 5226-ISP that looks identical, but mine might be an older model.

There's no obvious ground screw on the switch, So one of these black ones is hot, the other is load, and then white is neutral, is that correct?

Are the wires twisted together inside the box, the ground wires?

The wiring diagrams I find for the switch online don't show two neutral wires attached to the switch so that's where I got confused.


texts: I got a new and empty big propane tank from a neighbour (he works at the propane distribution in the city) and I wanted to convert it to an air tank. I know even thought it looks like it, the tanks are never empty so my plan would be taking off the valve and filling it with water in order to remove any gas in the tank left. After that I was thinking about adding rust proof paint inside and rolling it around so it got in every place and let it dry for like a week or something, I read somewhere you shouldn't do this because it would contaminate the air line?! The last problem would be the drain valve, what should I do? I know I am not supposed to weld to the tank so that option is out, I was thinking about drilling and tapping a hole but I read somewhere that the tank is too thin to do that and the last option would be turning it upside down but the problem is that it would contaminate the air line with water. What should I do?


texts: Why does my shower feed do a long loop into my garage?

texts:
The pipes feeding my shower have an odd arrangement. Hot and balanced cold plastic pipes come down from the loft into the shower space, go into the utility room next door, along the wall and into the garage. They then loop around, come back through the utility room, back into the same hole in the shower room and go to where the shower mixer bar is fitted.

The loop in the garage is two plastic elbows with a 50mm copper pipe between them. There are no isolation valves, check valves or any other form of fitting on the pipes - just a seemingly-unnecessary 5 meter long loop.

This has obviously been some effort by the original fitter - it would be far easier to feed the shower directly from the pipes coming from the loft. There is nothing functional in the pipework loop. So why have they done that?


texts: What would cauase a limit go bad in a furnace?

texts: On Christmas day my furnace pilot would not kick on and the blower just kept running on and on blowing out cold air. A furnace tech came out and looked at it. He said the Limit was bad and he replaced it. Now the landlord said she received the bill and the tech made a note that the reason the limit went bad is because of a dirty air filter. I find this hard to believe because I have regularly changed the filters. Additionally, he looked at the one I had in the furnace at the time, and said it didn't look bad or too dirty. So, my question is what can make a limit go bad in a furnace? Could thermostat malfunction have anything to do with it?


texts: I would like to remove the wallplate of my baseboard hotwater heater element. I got everything apart except the wallplate which I can't get off. I removed the nails that I thought were the only thing that was holding it up but it's not moving....any ideas? The house was built in the 50's.


texts: How to frame ceiling in unfinished basement

texts:
My basement is partially finished. One room which is not finished, that I'd like to finish, sits below the garage.  The room is surrounded by 4 walls of concrete blocks, has a concrete slab floor, and has steel beams running the length of the ceiling.

I plan on framing out the walls with 2x4 studs and anchoring them directly into the concrete. No problems there. The problem I'm trying to understand is how to frame the ceiling.

There 6" steel joists that I assume are holding up the floor above.  How can I frame a ceiling with these beams up there? I don't want to install a drop ceiling because this room will be used as a home movie theater and I want to have as much vertical space as possible.


texts: What is the typical kVA in a one bedroom flat?

texts:
I'm planning to convert a house into flats. As part of the conversion I require increased supply of electricity.

The electrical utility supplier said they can't advise me on what I need but typically it's between 2-6kVA.
My builder says somewhere in the region of 15kW!! That's a massive difference.

Power Estimate

I understand my builders equations more but wanted to know if he's right:

Oven: 40 Amps
Lighting: 10 Amps
Other: 10 Amps

~60 Amp requirement

Watts = Amps * Voltage
Watts= 60 Amps * 240 Volts = 14400 Watts = 14.4kW

So to convert to kVA you would divide by PowerFactor.

Since power factor is between 0-1 - we can be conservative and assume it's 1.

Hence 14.4kW or 14.4kVA

Question

Is this correct? Are we overestimating things here? I'm not sure how a flat can have a consumption of 2kVA - surely this guy from the power team is missing the point here?

Can anyone help bridge the gap?


texts: How do I ensure my first row of hardwood flooring is straight?

texts:
Still preparing to install Bruce 3/4" pre-finished nail down Hickory hardwood flooring. I'm a little tentative (overly cautious according to the wife) about getting started.  I've done a lot of research, and watched a ton of YouTube clips.  I'm still not confident in how I make sure my first row is "straight".

Most sources simply say to measure out from the wall the thickness of a plank + the expansion gap + 1/8" for the tongue, and snap a chalk line.  However, since I know there are no straight walls, and that no walls are ever square to each other. How can I be sure this will lead to a good straight installation?

My major concerns are that I'll be installing the flooring in a dining room, and continuing into an adjoining living room. I want to make sure I have a straight line at the threshold of the dining/living room, and that I'm straight when I reach the far living room wall.

Am I overthinking this?  Are there tricks to ensure I'll start/stay straight through the whole floor?

Figure 1

Figure 1 shows the floor plan, and the direction the planks will be installed.


texts: Do I add calcite or magnesium first to my new acid neutralizer?

texts: So I am replacing a smaller acid neutralizer with a larger one.  Bought it at the local water store, had a nice chat with Wolfgang.  He loaded 3 bags of calcite and one box of Magnesium mix.  He told me which goes in first but by the time I got around to installing it I forgot.  I think he said, "gravel -> 3 bags of calcite -> box of mag mix.  Is this right?


texts: 16" center bracket to 24" center framing

texts:
I'm installing a tankless water heater (150lbs static load, 10" deep)

I only have one option for installation and it is a 2x3 framed wall with 24" centers.

The Top bracket is designed to mount on top of a horizontal crossmember with screws penetrating the cross member in four locations and the studs in two. The bottom bracket requires a cross member as well but it just bolts to the cross member.

My question is this.  What is the best way to install this right (without rebuilding the wall). Double jack studs would work if the actual dimensions were 2x3, which they are not.  Should I just add another stud inside and work off of that?


texts: Height of uprights for "twin slot" wall mounted shelving

texts:
I'm looking to use the "twin slot" uprights and brackets for wall mounting a shelf to use as a work surface for laptop, printer, working on admin etc.

For strength is there any advantage in using longer uprights (down to floor level) when the lowest shelf will be about 4' from the floor? To distribute the weight - or does it not matter?

It would be on a "party" wall, brick with plaster.


texts: Installing GFCI into a box that feeds two other outlets

texts:
I have a kitchen that has three countertop outlets all on the same branch circuit, and no GFCIs as the house was built prior to that code requirement. My plan was to replace the "first" outlet in the chain with a GFCI and have the other two outlets come off the load terminals so that way all three outlets were covered via the usual setup. Other than having to sort out which was the "first" one in the chain, no big problem.

To my surprise once I pulled off the covers, the setup is slightly different: the power from the panel goes to one outlet, and then it has two "forks" that branch to the other two outlets. So one outlet has three 12/2 cables coming in, two of which go to the other outlets. I suspect this is because one of the outlets was installed later and it meant running less cable. It happens that the receptacle that's doing the branching is wired with backstabs only -- three hots and three neutrals adding up to six wires being backstabbed into it. (The wisdom of that I won't question here...)

Looking at the instruction sheet for the Leviton GFCI to see if there were any hints for this sort of a setup, instead it simply says:

  DO NOT install the GFCI receptacle in an electrical box containing (a) more than four wires (not including grounding wires) or (b) cables with more than two wires (not including the ground wire). Contact a qualified electrician if either (a) or (b) is true.

So why the "don't do this"? Is this just a "this isn't the easy case and the lawyers didn't want to get sued" or is there some code problem here? My plan was just to pigtail the two loads feeding the other outlets together and attach that to the load terminals of the GFCI. The only particular problems I can think of is either the box just getting too full to work with, or in this case since these are 20A small appliance circuits that a 12 gauge pigtail wire is also required.

Update: So the box appears to be stamped as 16 cubic inches, which means this was far to small even for the existing install. The box does appear deeper than the rest of the kitchen outlets but it's not crazy deep. Ultimately the plan was to replace that box with one to add a switch for a garbage disposal circuit, so I'll probably defer the GFCI install and let the electrician handle that one...and make sure they get an extra deep box.


texts: Outlets and lights don't work but plug-in receptacle tester indicates all ok

texts:
I have two bedrooms and a shared bath that are on one circuit. Through some initial remodeling/updating, all of the outlets were replaced (3-prong), and all of the light switches. All is fine in bedroom 1 (outlets work, light works). Bedroom 2 nothing works, and bathroom lights don't work, BUT the GFCI in the bathroom does work. Breaker not tripped.

I checked all of the connections and all are tight (not stabbed, but wound around the screws). I purchased a plug-in receptacle tester, and every outlet shows up as wired correctly. I also tried a voltage tester (the pen that beeps and blinks red) and it shows that all are receiving voltage.

Does anyone have any ideas what the problem could be? Thanks so much for the help in troubleshooting.


texts:
There are multiple parts to this, but they are connected..

1) With the advent of LED lighting 15 amps is overkill for a dedicated light circuit. A 16 AWG 300-ft-max circuit could be run off a 3A breaker. That would permit 36 x 10 watt lights.

2) Are there any designated lamp sockets that only LED lamps could fit. eg E4, GU 7.5 or whatever. This would make ceiling insulation less of a problem.


texts: At what temperature will it be better to close the windows than to open them (if you want to keep your home cool in the heat)?

texts: Say that you've already covered up all the windows (although heat will still be transferred through heating the windowshades).


texts:
I'm remodeling a room and sorting up a rat's nest of questionable electrical practices... boxes hiding in the wall, wall fixtures being used to branch circuits, etc.

At this point, all of the hard stuff is done, and I'm puzzled by what I thought was the simplest part of the job -- replacing a cracked wall outlet. After testing everything and turning the power on, the surge suppressor attached to the outlet indicates a wiring fault.

Here's what I've done so far:

Triple-checked the connection to the socket and ground.
Verified that the circuit is properly grounded.
Checked other outlets terminating in the same place.
Tested the outlet with a testing device (checks clean)

Any ideas where to go with this? I'm thinking:

Bad surge suppressor?
Defective outlet?
Damage to cable in the wall?


texts:
I purchased my 110 year old colonial house 6 months ago. It has a field stone foundation that looks completely original (with a few small repairs). The house is located in North Eastern Massachusetts and is exposed to the worst of the elements around here. This has lead to the walls of the foundation starting to crumble, the mortar is loose on most of the wall and unstable. I can peel pieces off with my fingers. When I "knock" on the joints it almost sounds hollow. this is widespread throughout the basement. However the walls seem solid enough.

My question... I want to sure up these walls. I want to get a more water/rodent tight perimeter.

What are the steps I need to take?
How much of the old mortar should I remove? if I removed all of the "loose stuff" it seems like this project would take months! years even!
What kind of mortar can I use as a replacement? I read online that its bad to use Portland cement? Best to use Type N Lime mortar?
What tools will I need?
Is this a do-it-yourself job? or should I hire someone?

thanks for any info... getting really nervous about this project!


texts: 400amp service entrance 200amp transfer switch

texts:
My local big box retailer has a decent priced 22kw lp generator/200amp transfer switch deal going right now. I'm considering purchasing it but I'm unsure on the correct way to go about my situation. I have a 400amp service entrance meter panel:

Those two 150amp breakers are fed from the double lug terminals which are connected to the service entrance meter. After the breakers they currently go to two manual shutoff switches seen in this picture below:

My plan is to remove those 2 service disconnects and replace with the automatic transfer switch.
The transfer switch service entrance wiring diagram shown below is what I would like to use:
https://soa.generac.com/manuals/3003428104/10000009574
Since there are only bus bars instead of lug terminals coming from the meter side of the service panel will I need to change to a different service entrance panel to accommodate feeding the two sub panels or is there something made to separate the bus bars from the meter to allow for feeding a transfer switch and then back to the bus bars?


texts: How can I switch my standard outlet to a GFCI?

texts:
I have a standard 2 receptacle outlet in my house.  I am trying to switch it to a GFCI.  I realize GFCI has load and a line side.  There is also a switch in my room that is tied into this outlet (and other outlets on the same circuit).

I have two sets of Romex coming into the outlet.

With the switch off:
- Romex 1 Black 120V
- Romex 1 White 0V
- Romex 2 Black 0V
- Romex 2 White 0V

With the switch on:
- Romex 1 Black 120V
- Romex 1 White 0V
- Romex 2 Black 120V
- Romex 2 White 120V

So I thought I should wire Romex 1 to the LINE side of the GFCI.  I wired the black to the gold screw and the white to the silver screw.  I did, and it lit up green.  But when I wire Romex 2 to the LOAD side of the GFCI it trips, and it stays red no matter how many times I hit reset.

Does anyone know how I might wire this properly?


texts: Tongue groove wood flooring - oops, I cut them both off

texts:
I am installing strand-woven bamboo flooring. One end is grooved, the other has a tongue.

Typically, I cut the tongue side to width and use that at the start of my row. Then I add a full-length board, and then finally the groove side of the board I cut.

My problem is: I've got a few boards where I mistakenly cut off the wrong end, leaving me a board with no tongue or groove on either end.

My question: what is the risk of using these tongueless or grooveless boards to start a row? (meaning I have two boards that abut and are not connected with tongue and groove).

Thanks


texts:
I installed a new dishwasher, and now I'm at the point where I need to wire it As a temporary measure, I just wired an appliance cord, and ran it to an outlet.  To do that, I'm running it to an extension cord, out a cabinet, and above the dishwasher.  It's not ideal.  Rather than put in a new outlet under the sink, I'd like to hard wire the dishwasher to its own circuit on the panel in the basement.  My question is, can I drop the Romex through the floor behind the dishwasher?  I know that if you run it to an outlet, the outlet has to be in a separate cabinet, so you can access it without pulling the dishwasher out.  The issue is that it's going to be a real pain in the butt to send it into the wall, then drill a hole down to the basement.  It would be much easier to send it through the floor behind the dishwasher; I just want to make sure that's okay before I do it that way.

Thanks!
Chris


texts: Turning two switched outlets into a half switched outlet when only 2 wire is used.

texts: I have power coming into a switch and then proceeding on to two outlets. Only 2 wire is used. Am I able to half switch one of the outlets if there is only 2 wire available?


texts: Why does the pilot light on my Vermont Castings stove keep blowing out?

texts:
I bought a house with a sunroom heated by a Vermont Castings gas stove with a problem the HVAC/stove repair person hasn't solved by replacing the thermocouple, valve($$$) and taking apart and cleaning. I think it was installed in '89.

When the stove 'shuts off' after reaching the desired temperature, there is a 'poof' sound and occasionally the pilot light is blown out. This happens, on average, once a week. Sometimes 3 times a day. The pilot is all blue and covers all the pieces. The repair person is out of ideas, besides 'get a new one', which I can't do right now.

Any ideas, please?


texts: Hanging curtain rods - metal stud above window?

texts: I live in a new construction and want to install curtain rods above my full height balcony door and windows.  I’d like to hang them half an inch above the window but my stud finder has a metal mode and seems to be identifying metal.  Is this a metal stud frame around the window?  Is it okay to drill or screw in?


texts: What is a hacksaw called that has a single, straight handle?

texts:
I'm in need of a hacksaw like the one on the left in the image link provided. Ideally i need it with six inch or more blade protruding to fit down a pipe.

I have seen one in a store but now cant find another


texts:
We hired electricians to install some recessed lighting in our living room.  For complicated reasons, they will not be finishing the job, which only involves installing the dimmer switches and plugging in the new lights, something I'm capable of doing.

They ran two pairs of romex wire (there are two separate sets of lights to be controlled) to a gang box that holds a switch for a light that will no longer be used (I capped the wires and put a plate over it).

In my mind they were planning on using this switch to send power to the lights.  However, upon looking in the box, the switch that controls the old light seems to be just completing the hot wire, as there is no neutral wires twisted in there.

Here is a picture of the gangbox where I need to install the two dimmers:

Here is a picture of the junction box that held the old light - it was connecting to the wires capped in orange:

Does anyone know what might be going on here?  Here's my best guess, as a crudely drawn schematic:

In my head if I twist together the black/black and white/white wires at the old light's junction box, the black/white pair in the gang box will give me the hot/neutral that I need.


texts: What is the best way to subdivide and heat a large room?

texts:
I live in a large room and would like to subdivide my room, such that it can be heated with a space heater/small mobile radiator.

I live at the end/corner of a large L shaped room, with concrete walls on three sides and a couple of windows. I would like to add a temporary wall on the fourth side, such that it affords me additional privacy and allows for heating.

I currently have a couple of bookshelves and a single sheet dividing my area. Would hanging a plastic tarp or fabric from the ceiling help significantly?

I can't really build a wall from scratch of build anything moderately permanent.


texts: Align kitchen cabinets to wall, or align face frames?

texts:
First time installing kitchen cabinets.  Uppers went it fine, no trouble at all.  With the base cabinets, though, I have one wall that is out of square about 1.5 inches in 12 feet.

Should I just be making them level for the countertop and plumb, as tight to the wall as possible, or should the entire run of cabinets along that wall be perfectly square to the perpendicular row?  Said differently, should I be shimming them out from the wall at each cabinet so that when I get to the last cabinet I have 1.5 inches of shims behind it?

Wouldn't that make the countertop look a little funny if it was 1.5 wider at one end than the other, especially if it's only 12 feet?

Thanks all.


texts: TV Arcs with Cablebox through both Coax and HDMI

texts:
Here is our setup

Outlet in older house that was replaced with a GFI last year. (no issues until recent)

The GFI doesn't have a ground wire running up from the basement.
Just the white and black wires. (From my understanding this is an acceptable configuration)

The outlet reads 119.0v when checked with my multi-meter.

The outlet reads less than a volt when the "positive" line and the ground are checked with the multimeter. Same with the "negative" with the ground.

A (real) surge protector plugged into the outlet

A large tv plugged into the surge protector

A cox cable box plugged into the surge protector

A coax cable (run by cox) from the outside of the house, split and sent to a modem and the cable box. The coax reads 0v (no leakage at all) when a multimeter is placed on the inner coax wire and the outer shielding. I tried this on both DC and AC settings on multimetter

The problem:
When either a coax cable or HDMI cable is run from the cable box to the TV, an Arc appears. This has already fried one TV.
My theory:
The coax cable is improperly grounded. I just need a way to prove it. The basis for this theory is the coax cable in a separate apartment tests with an AC voltage of 1.5v. The cable technicians are somehow less informed about circuitry than me. This is a hobby for me so I am lost in the sauce. Any Ideas?
Update
So I took the time to diagram what I have observed. This further supports my theory that the cable isn't grounded properly. I'm not 100% sure how coax is supposed to be run from a telephone pole though so I could be incorrect.
Just in case there is confusion, no the neutral is not plugged into the ground. I was just demonstrating that there is only two wires going to the GFI.


texts: Laminate flooring finishing around door jam

texts:
I just completed my laminate floor and used quarter round trim to cover the edges/gaps in the floor.
I would love to get some suggestions to have good finishing at the door frames as shown in the photo.
I found that I can use wood filler or fill white caulk in the space. Is there any other good options I can choose to improve it and make it look nice. Thank you, wish you all happy new year!!


texts:
The tile in the tub enclosure developed a 2 cm hole near the floor.

I'll want to fix this, for aesthetics, to keep moisture out of the tub enclosure, and for safety as the hole has sharp edges.

What is the best way? Perhaps caulk, grout, or auto-body filler?


texts: Help identify a ceiling mounted fluorescent light cover

texts:
I know this is a stretch, but I'm hoping that someone might be able to help. I have three of these lights and two of the covers are broken. We've searched and been unable to find new ones. I don't know the brand, but I do know we bought them at Home Depot some time after 2006.

Included are images of the fixture.

Thanks in advance!


texts: How is power to an entire room restored by plugging something into an outlet in an adjacent room?

texts:
We lost power to an entire room about a week ago. All outlets and ceiling light are dead and no breakers were tripped. Unplugged everything in the room, reset all breakers anyway and checked the only GFCI in the house which is downstairs from the room in the kitchen. The GFCI outlet was not tripped but I still did the test and reset. Nothing.
 Scheduled appointment with electrician  who will come next week.

Today I needed to use my printer which was in the dead room. Took it to the bedroom across the hall and plugged it into an unused outlet in the room. The light came on in the dead room, I checked all the outlets and they are working as well. Unplugged the printer and power to the room went out again.
What would cause this and would it be safe to keep something plugged into that outlet until my electrician comes? Or could that cause more damage?

the outlet that restored power is directly below the light switch in the working bedroom but does not require the switch to be on to work. It is the only outlet that restores power to the dead room
when I plugged in the printer there is a slight flash (arc?) in the outlet
the dead room and the working room closets are back to back. The restoring outlet is on the same wall as the closet


texts: Does beam orientation matter for structural engineering calculation values from wood supplier tables?

texts:
One can get values for load bearing of simple wood constructions and thus the right beam profile dimensions to choose from tables from wood supplies (e.g. http://www.merkleholz.de/en/Static-table-KVH-8082-192.html). Does it matter for such simple constructions in which sense to orientate the beam, i.e. does a 60mm x 100mm beam on two 100mm x 100mm posts support the same in this

and in this

orientation?

I read the wikipedia articles on beams and beam theorie and I guess it's in the equations, but I don't seem to figure it out.


texts: How do you count conductors that are pigtailed (box fill)?

texts:
I am wondering how conductors are counted for box fill calculations.  In the  illustration, the box on the left has 4 conductors, hot/neutral coming in and hot/neutral wires carrying power out to the next receptacle.  In the box on the right, the wires are pigtailed, yet still two wires bringing power in and two carrying power out to the next thing downstream.  But, there is also two short wires connected to the receptacle itself.  Does this count as 6 conductors for box fill calculations?

Thanks!


texts: Floors and walls in unheated garage/workshop

texts:
On my lot I have a garage which I use for various types of storage. At the moment the floor is paved with concrete bricks, and the walls are made of concrete fence. Suffice to say it's not the prettiest and I am trying to come up with ways to make it a little bit comfier.

The main challenge is that it's unheated, will never be heated and I live in Poland where over the year the temperatures go from -15°C to 30°C (5°F to 86°F).

What types of materials could I use to make even and clean floor and walls? I don't particularly mind if overtime they'll get a little crooked, have cracks or whatnots.

For floors I was thinking about floor panels, not solid wood but fiberwood (don't know how those are called in English, the ones that are made of dense fiberwood meant to imitate real wood panels but thinner). Unfortunately I've read a lot of conflicting opinions about those so I am not confident it'd work well, plus it also raises the question what to put underneath them, to keep them even and avoid moisture from the ground destroying them, if that even is an issue.

For the walls I was thinking plasterboard, finished with wall putty and painted over, probably with paint that allows moisture to pass through.

But those ideas come from very uneducated place.


texts: Do I need to use molly/toggle bolts to mount an over the range microwave if I can attach the mounting bracket to studs?

texts:
I recently bought a used KitchenAid microwave (model khmc1857wss0) and have been watching videos on how to mount it. Some videos have them using toggle bolts to mount it, others just screw it into the studs and potentially use drywall anchors for a few extra support holes. Given the weight of the microwave, would it be safe to not use toggle bolts so long as I can drill the mounting bracket into studs?

I'm asking because I need to order most of the mounting hardware (since it wasn't included when I bought it) and am trying to determine what parts I need to get.


texts: how does temperature influence spray paint usage?

texts:
I've got 3 pieces of plywood, all 120x30x1 cm, that I want to spray paint matte black.

Ideally, I will be doing this outside next weekend. The weather should be a high of around 10C, partly cloudy, bit of a breeze.

Will working at around 5C ambient influence my spray painting? Will the dispersal be affected?  the drying time? anything else I'm not thinking of?


texts: Is there such thing as joint-compound primer? And, is there a need to prime before texturing a ceiling?

texts:
In this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIt3YEJjFko

The guy breaks down the process of making a California Ceiling into five steps:

Cover the Walls
Prime the Ceiling
Mix joint compound
Spray the ceiling
Knock it down

If you see on step 2, there is prime the ceiling. This makes sense. If you look at my ceiling you'll see there is primer near the walls.

It looks like the popcorn that I removed did not stick to the sheetrock where they did not prime the ceiling. It looks like they primed the ceiling near the corners. This kind of erks me because I was ok with the acoustic texture, had it have simply stuck to the ceiling -- what did they save by not priming all of the ceiling, a couple of dollars?

Now for my question, if I'm doing textured ceilings again should I prime before I apply the sheetrock mix, and then prime after for the paint; and, if so, should I use the same primer? Would my latex primer work for both of these, and is it proper to use primer twice in this process?

Here is another YouTube video of the knockdown ceiling texture. He doesn't primer the ceiling first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1WkL1wmsCY

This guy does the Slapbrush method of texturizing, you can also see that his ceiling is only primered in stripes. Why don't people primer the whole thing?

http://youtu.be/sWsmZhJxfuQ?t=4m2s

This makes me even more confused.


texts:
Edit....
Ok so found the issue and this won't be an easy fix. If you know some tricks/tips let me know. Looks like the black wire coming from the breaker panel to the first outlet had a nick in it and was in contact with the ground wire in the receptacle. This shouldn't have been a big issue, that's why the breaker is there but when I asked my wife originally to turn the breaker back on she apparently held it to the on position and looks like that fried the wire as I have continuity between black and ground now on that wire. How does one replace an entire section of wire going through the house with the least amount of work/carnage to repair?

Hopefully someone can help here. I am in the middle of a reno and replaced 4 outlets and 1 light switch in one room. Everything was working prior to turning the breaker off to switch these out. I swapped out the old for new and now cannot turn the breaker back on. It pops and lights up if I try to switch it to on.
I pulled the outlets and light switch out of their receptacle, checked connections making sure black to copper and white to silver and tried again thinking something was grounding out inside one of the boxes. Same result at the breaker.
Next I went and removed all the outlets and the switch leaving the wires extended out from the receptacle and away from each other, planning to then reinstall one at a time until I found which one was causing the trip. Here's where it gets weird, I'm still getting the same result when I try to turn the breaker back on. Anyone have any idea what is going on??


texts: is my baseboard heating unit malfunctioning

texts:
I have a "finished" room in my basement that is maybe 10' x 16'.  It has a baseboard heater that is perhaps 10-12' running along one wall.  My problem is that right now the room's temperature will not rise above 60 degrees.  I'm asking for help in diagnosing why.

Specifically, I'm wondering how to know if my baseboard heater is malfunctioning.

Here are some possibly-helpful bits of info - please let me know what else would be useful.

the rest of the basement is unfinished, and that baseboard heater is the only one on the basement zone
the supply and return pipes into the baseboard heater are very hot to the touch, and I can feel some heat coming from the baseboard heater
My zone valve control (a Taco ZVC403) has indicator lights that indicate that the thermostat is calling for heat and that the zone valve is fully open
Previously, I have had that room as warm as 68 degrees (I don't recall trying to heat it warmer).  I don't recall the last time I heated it above 60 degrees, but it may well have been before winter.
The basement walls are uninsulated; two of the "finished" room's walls are these bare, uninsulated walls.

My theory is simply that because it's cold outside right now (I live in Maine), I am losing a lot of heat through the exterior walls (and to the rest of the basement), and 60 degrees happens to be the most that the small heater is capable of heating that room to.  But I'd like to be able to rule out a malfunctioning baseboard.


texts:
I discovered there is some hot water is leaking from what seems to be a pressure release point of my heating system. I am not very good at plumbing so i will probably hire a professional if this is something i should be worried about.

I had the heating on for 45 minutes and few minutes after turning it off i went outside and realized there is some steam coming out of the pipe(pictured below).

Here is a wider picture of all the plumbing, this is right beside a condensing boiler


texts:
At my church we have lots of HVAC systems. Some of the systems condition several rooms. As you know, you can't make everyone happy at one time. The thin older ladies in one room are freezing and the overweight men in the next room are roasting. The solution is to close the vents in the cold room (Yeah, that's not how it should be done, but you don't argue with the women). The problem that occurs is that when too many vents get closed, the back pressure causes the tape holding a duct transition together comes apart and air goes where it doesn't need to go. Then when the vents are opened, the system leaks air and can't blow all of it into the rooms. Fixing the duct so that the tape can't blow off would be difficult, but the excess back pressure would still be a problem.

Budget is a big concern. How can this problem be resolved? One thought that comes to my mind is to have a spring loaded gate that dumps excess air into the hallway.


texts: I am wondering if this gap is too big to tape and mud over.  The house is over 100 years old and the walls are not quite straight to say the least.  The opposite wall is relatively square btw.  It gap is about an inch at the top and tapers to nothing.


texts:
My kids put some stickers on the wall.

I am thinking of using De-Solve-it to easily take off the stickers.

https://www.google.com.au/shopping/product/15260427858274158749?lsf=seller:100794174,store:13368512415747446475&prds=oid:6742449688119855807&q=sticker+remover&hl=en&ei=vrsJXpWkKs29rQHdzoOgBw&lsft=gclid:CjwKCAiA3abwBRBqEiwAKwICA4VH6ef0y5fDkUbtgLgK1Rp0mv9KAL8uUHyjbZyo3yJ0D6XoXichmhoCo6kQAvD_BwE,gclsrc:aw.ds

but worried if it may affect the paint

Is it safe? is there another easy way to remove the stickers without buying special products?


texts: What is an effective way to attach this plastic filter to aluminum without drilling?

texts: I have an aluminum angle that is housing an LED strip. I need to attach a UV filter to stop LEDs fading whatever it lights. I ordered a plexi angle that will work as a filter, I just need to figure out how to attach it. I don't want to drill into the aluminum because its attached and I would like to make this as painless as possible. I would also like to make it removable so I can change lights. Any ideas?


texts: Water pressure buildup causing water meter to turn

texts: I have a problem that no professional has been able to answer.  The water meter will turn intermittently even when main valve is shut off.  Water pressure on my fire sprinkler system has shown values as high as 150 psi.  My pressure regulator is set at 65 psi.  I have noticed that when the meter turns without any water usage, I can hear a knocking in the pipes.  I have also noticed that this knocking only happens when the gas water heater is firing to heat the water.  Any suggestions as how this can happen?  Thanks.


texts: How to move these disposal discharge connections?

texts:
I will need to replace my 10+ year old garbage disposal (How to repair a slow leak in sink food disposal, at discharge).  The mfg help line says the model 17 I have is obsolete and the replacement is the InSinkErator 76944, Cover Control Plus Garbage Disposal
But the recommended replacement is 2.5" wider and 2" taller than the old one.

The existing discharge piping seems very sturdy but may be hard to reuse because there is NOT enough room for the new larger model without relocating that sturdy piping.  (See photos below.)

What might be the easiest (or best) way for me to modify the existing piping to accommodate the new, larger disposal? Should I try to use/reuse the 2" metal disposal piping, by moving or modifying it as needed, or replace it with 2" flexible discharge tube like this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/InSinkErator-Flexible-Discharge-Tube-2-in-White-Plastic-Garbage-Disposal-Discharge-Tube/1269327

Will connecting new plastic tube into the wall be easy, since there is a threaded connection (it seems from the first photo), or is that threaded connection likely to be hard to remove since it is old and so close to the wall?  In any case, what is the name of the adapter I need to connect the 2" plastic discharge tube to the 2" threaded connection in the wall?

How much of a U shape is needed in the discharge and could that U be made of flexible tubing?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. (Plumbing is not my thing.)


texts: 240 volt outlet is not delivering full 240 after electricity went off

texts: Our electricity popped off, smelled metallic. Now 240v outlet registering less power. Dryer only beeps and does not run.


texts: can I use a 10WATT LED BR30 on a recessed light trim that says MAX:9W BR30 LED?

texts:
i just bought a 6 pack of:

GE Relax 6-Pack 65 W Equivalent Dimmable Warm White Br30 LED Light Fixture Light Bulb

it says it uses only 10-WATTS on the back of the package.

to make a long story short....i am buying new bulbs for the recessed can lights i have in my living room. (basically switching over to LED)

i also bought new recessed light trim to give it a bit of a makeover. as I took it out of the package i notice the sticker says MAX:9W BR30 [LED]

am i now screwed with the bulbs i bought as it states they use 10 watts? any help would be appreciated. thanks


texts: I just got my new electric Bosch boiler because my old one has been making strange noises, now im a little bit scared.. can i get electrocuted trough water while im showering..should i turn it off while showering and how smart is that.. :D


texts: Would cork flooring underlayment help with vibration dampening in a sub floor?

texts:
Related question: HE Front End Washer vibrations on wood floors: any tried-and-true solutions?

In hopes of being able to keep our new front-end HE washer (which we like) I've decided to bite the bullet and reinforce the floor underneath.

The plan:

add blocking between joists underneath (crawl space access)
glue+screw subfloor to joists
glue+screw additional layer of plywood to subfloor to stiffen everything.

Question:

Would adding a layer of cork underlayment between the subfloor and additional layer of plywood be of any benefit (or detriment?)

The theory is that it might add a bit of decoupling between layers to reduce vibration migration into the framing.

Does my theory hold any water?

BTW, we're thinking of putting tile on the floor when finished. Figuring that it may also add another level of 'stiffening' to the floor sandwich (using larger 1x2' tiles)


texts:
The GE lightstik is my new favorite purchase and installed a few in a Hunter ceiling fan.  When switch on, they exceed my expectations.  However, when the fan is on switched off one of the bulbs will flicker.   I thought that the bulb was faulty so I took it out.  Immediately the one of the other lightstiks took up the flickering behavior.  Similar results when removing any flickering lightstik.

What causes the flickering and can this be resolved? I can not run the fan at night unless the bulbs are disconnected, unless I am willing to put-up with the flickering.  Looking forward to insightful responses.


texts: Splicing in a LB, is it allowed by the NEC code?

texts: I'm adding a circuit, but I need to make a splice. Can I splice in a LB? Will I still be compliant with the NEC code?


texts: Light dims when i turn on my light on my new ceiling fan

texts: Ok I switch all light ceiling fixtures with new led ceiling fixtures and a new ceiling fan in my room when i turn on my ceiling fan. The lights on 3 of my other rooms ceiling led light dim. I don't know what the problem would be but it's only on the rooms not the hallway or the kitchen or the downstairs  living room anyone can help thank you.


texts:
I have a non-working oscillation 3-speed fan. After some detective work, I found that both wires going into the start capacitor are hot. Is this what it should be?

There are three wires, maybe four (3 speed plus neutral), going into the motor coil and two wires coming out of it. These two wires go to each end of a capacitor. The capacitor is rated at 1.5 uF. I tested it and it was 1.2 uF. So, I bought a new one to replace it. After the replacement, the fan still wouldn't work. I checked the two wires and found that both were hot. I don't think this is what it should be, correct?


texts: At what temperature does a WiFi thermostat stop sending a signal to the router?

texts: I recently purchased and installed a Honeywell WP6500 WiFi thermostat and thanks to Stack Exchange, got it up and running. I have a house in New Hampshire, which I use occasionally during the winter. I do not like to keep heat on in the house all winter as I may not be there for 2 to 3 weeks. When I set the thermostat to maintain the house at 41°F it works fine. However, if I set it to the heat off position, at some point it stops communicating with the router, and I cannot turn the system on or raise the temperature. It can get 5 to 10°F in the house. I have tried on many occasions to get some answers from Honeywell as to, is there a temperature at which the thermostat, stops communicating with the router, and if there is, can it be overridden.


texts: Will installing a beam under my shed's floor framing eliminate the bounce?

texts:
The previous owner of my property built a roughly 16x12 outbuilding on posts. Besides doing many things in slightly stupid ways, the building overall isn't awful. I've converted it into a manhut where I drink beers and butcher deers.

The floor bounces, and when I crawled underneath, I could have punched him. He used 2x6 floor joists, 19" on center. I dont have much working room under the building and am on a budget.

Here is my plan: cut holes in subflooring. Using auger or post hole diggers, bury 6x6 posts (3) in concrete, shoulder cut 6x6 and use 2x10s to create a beam in the middle of the joists. Think this will be enough to take out the bounce and be strong enough to have a couple of guys standing, along with lots of outdoors gear/equipment in there without risking breaking joists?

Grade of soil shown in diagram. In the footprint diagram, the lowest clearance is in the top right corner.  The ground slopes from top right towards bottom left.


texts:
I'm curious what the difference is between these two screws and when one should be used over the other. And are deck screws also referred to as construction screws?

As far as I can tell by visually looking it appears deck screws are galvanized for outdoor use to avoid rusting, but is that the only thing? Are their other smaller subtleties I'm missing?

I'm just curious what screws to purchase for different projects if it even matters in the long run. I know drywall screws aren't really meant for anything else due to their brittleness.


texts: Dalton wall mount garage door opener doesn't work

texts:
My Wayne Dalton garage door opener, model 3790/3790z, wall mount used to open the door.  The manual said that I could lock the door by using the wall mount.
When I tried to lock door, it didn't work, so in frustration I started punching all of the buttons. Now the wall mount doesn't work.
Can I fix it? How?


texts: Do the junction boxes for the oven and cooktop whips need to be easily accessible or can they be hidden behind the oven?


texts: How can I install exterior trim around my windows

texts:
My house has serviceable but plain-looking windows:

I'd like to spruce them up a bit, by installing some exterior trim that can be painted in a contrasting color when we have the house painted in a month or two. I like the look of something like

or

My questions are as follows:

The windows in the examples I gave seem to be inset from the wall, whereas mine comes out from the wall. What's a good way of dealing with that without it looking terrible? Do I need to cut some kind of angle into my trim boards to cover that up?

The angled part also has weep holes. Does that mean I simply can't cover up that part, or can I cut corresponding weep holes into my trim?


texts:
The trim on my interior door frame in the bathroom is starting to separate, making long thin, narrow gaps.

should I fill the narrow gaps with wood putty or caulk and
how will each option impact the finished, painted look?


texts: i think i've screwed this up and put too much tape on and can't for the life of me, turn it the other way round so that the tape isn't exposed so much. Anyway ideas?


texts: I had a wireless security system installed by Safetouch (who monitors my system) in place of my existing standard security.  A suggested upgrade by their technician. The very next day I get in my car to go to work.  I pushed the garage door opener on my rear view mirror and opened the garage door (programmed into my car).  I then shut it from the outside using the same rear view mirror button.  When I got home the door would not open.  I came through front door, opened garage door by wall button and pulled my car in.  I then was able to shut the door using the button on my rear view mirror.  Bottom line is the rear view mirror button works to open door from inside and shut from outside, but will not open from outside.  Could this be a frequency problem caused by the new wireless alarm?   I have a Chamberlain garage door opener and DSC home security.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Painting over wall with peeling paint

I was going to paint the bathroom wall today, but i've realised the old eggshell paint is peely and cracked in places.  I don't know what to do - what it the fastest way to get this into a painting state.  Can i sand it down a bit and use a good primer?


texts: Jacuzzi tub hot water valve locked in place

texts:
We have one of those jacuzzi tubs in our bathroom and we'd like to use it.  When we bought the house, the inspector didn't catch the fact that the hot water valve is locked in place (cold water one works well).  I took it apart and everything looks fine to me (pics below).  I had a plumber come for other reasons and had him look at the valve, and he said that he doesn't know if it's "seized up or just stuck", and that if it's seized up and breaks somehow, he would have to break the tile to get to it, so it's probably not worth doing anything.  It's all Kohler but I don't know the exact model.

Is there anything I can try to do to fix it without risking damage?

Thanks

EDIT: adding image of the 'vent' near the tub


texts:
In the process of installing a remote subpanel from my older backfed load center.  The neutral/ground bar is attached to the service entrance via the screw midway, and the ground is at the base of the bar.  This is an atypical bar in comparison to the newer panels I have worked with. Each terminal is part of a single sliding rail.

What would be the best way to attach a neutral lug capable of handling #3AWG for a 100a subpanel?

Also I understand that per code I should rearrange the neutrals so each occupies a single terminal.

What problems could I run into by simply doing the above?  The lug is rated for 100a and would provide a direct path to the service neutral.

With a little bit of effort, I was able to get the #3 copper into one of the lower lugs. Any reason this might fail inspection?


texts: Doorbell wires are numbered rather than labelled 'Front', 'Rear', & 'Transformer'. Which is which?

texts:
I'm trying to install a Ring Doorbell Pro.
The instructions to connect to the existing doorbell assume that the wires in the chime of the existing doorbell are labeled 'Front', 'Rear', & 'Transformer'.
However, on my doorbell chime they are labelled '1', '2' & '3'.
Is this common? I can't find any other reference online?   Which number corresponds to which label?


texts: Natural Gas Tankless water heater condensate volume

texts:
I'm looking to install a Natural Gas Tankless (condensing) water heater (likely Navien 240).  I am planning the drain line (which will have a neutralizer on it to reduce the acidity). The installer & distributor say the condensate will be 2 Gallons per hour (which seems to be the manufacturers maximum number).  I live in a desert area with a very low humidity (<15% normally) so 2 GPH seems excessive to me.

Does anyone have any perspective on likely actual condensate volume?
I'm planning on piping it away from the heater closet (on outside of house).  If it is going through a neutralizer, is there any issue with letting the water flow into landscaped areas to water plants?


texts: Can I hardwire a household fan with a 2.5A "fused" plug?

texts: I am wanting to install a wall mounted household fan made by AEROWAY model VIVI . . . I have installed a junction box and am wondering if I can hardwire direct to household circuit with 20A breaker by simply bypassing the plug . . . I didn't notice the plug was fused until I had already installed and pre-wired the junction box (and cut the required hole in wall etc.)


texts: What do I need to do to fix stripped door hinge screw holes?

texts:
The door to my basement broke. The bottom hinge has three screws; the top and bottom one turn endlessly. You can see the pictures here.

I understand that there's a matchstick/toothpick trick, where you can put glue and matchsticks or toothpicks into the hinge holes to get additional backing.

In my case, it looks like some pieces of the hinge backing are actually missing. There aren't holes in the wall that I can use cleanly and patch up with matchsticks.

What do I need to do to fix the hinge door -- add additional backing? What can I use, other than the obvious choice of real wood (eg. toothpicks, cardboard)?


texts: What lag bolts to use when mounting 65" TV to drywall using plywood?

texts:
I've seen this question asked before, but didn't see what hardware to use in putting up the plywood.

I'm looking to mount my 65" TV above the fireplace using an articulating mount that mounts across 2 studs 16" apart. The problem: there is a stud in the center of the fireplace, leaving my TV off center when mounting.

Mount + TV weight: 74 lbs.

I've read you should use 3/4" plywood between 3 studs (16" apart) that is 3" more than the height of the mount and then put up the mount anywhere along the plywood. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.

If that mounting method is viable, what type of lag bolts do I use to mount up the plywood? I see so many different sizes that are available.

Also, once the plywood is up, do I use the lag bolts provided by the TV mount to mount the mount to the plywood? (that sounds weird lol) Lag bolts provided with the mount are listed as M8x55 Lag Bolts.


texts: Finding line and load when retrofitting a GFCI

texts:
I want to replace a 2 prong outlet with a gfci on the most upstream receptacle. I have to find the line and the load. To find the line and the load do I put normal wire nuts on all of the wires, and turn the power on and see which hot one has electricity flowing?

Do I use wire nuts or lever nuts?

Does the line and the load matter if I want to protect everything downstream??


texts:
I'm replacing my current lighting with a new fan. The existing light was attached to a dimmer switch, and I'm putting in a conventional switch since a dimmer would damage the fan. I opened up the old switch and inside is a red and two blacks joined together and attached to the switch. The existing light has two cables going to it, each with a black, white, bare copper, and one cable has a red.  The red is connected to one side of the light wiring, the whites are bloomed together and to the other side, and the blacks are joined together. Bares are joined and pigtails to the box.

I'm not sure if the excess wiring had to do with the dimmer or what, but the new fan only calls for one supply, neutral, and ground.

Not sure how to proceed. Thanks!


texts: WEATHER-resistant GFCI's required in bathrooms?

texts:
My new non-WR GFCI outlet says on the back of it...

  NOTICE:DO NOT INSTALL non-weather resistant devices in wet or damp locations as per latest NEC code. When installing weather resistant devices in wet locations use with approved weather resistant covers/enclosures, caulk and gaskets.

Does this mean that WEATHER-resistant (WR) GFCI's must now be installed in INDOOR damp locations (bathrooms, kitchens) as per the "latest NEC code"?


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I have two mains lines coming into my detached garage. Is there any way to test if these are on opposite "phases" (I don't know what the correct word is) so that I can use them for 208/240 outlet?

Update: I think poll is the word I am looking for. Not phases.


texts: Is it possible to reduce the diameter of a drill bit?

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I would like to know if it is possible to reduce a drill bit diameter (the body and not the shank). From times to times I need to work with dimensions that are not integer number or half number.... example: where I live I can only find drill bits 6mm or 6.5mm or 7mm..... however, in some cases I really need to have a dimension of 6.25mm.

Is this even possible to do, if yes how?


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An existing light switch is to be augmented with a parallel Sensor Switch PP20 relay, which is driven by PIR (passive infrared) sensors.

The current switch is a two terminal device and was wired into the hot side of the lighting circuit:

The upper black leg is hot and connected to the lower black leg upon command.   The wiring of the relay's terminals is well-understood.  The two bare wires must be connected to the upper (hot) leg:

Is there a clever method / part that would allow the two bare wires to be connected to the black wire without removing the black leg from the timer switch?

Wiring is not easily taken out of the switch: Side view of incumbent timer-switch:

UPDATE:

The faceplate of the timer switch was removed and revealed two screws to clamp down the existing wiring connections.  Screws were loosened: stranded relay wiring was inserted follow by solid core wiring: